Technology, diversity, and miscellaneous musings by Aleen Simms.
“What,” I have often asked myself, “must it have been to live through the rise of Nazi Germany? What did people do?” Until recent years, I didn’t think I’d have first-hand knowledge of what it was like to experience the rise of fascism. The thing that surprises me the most is how mundane it is. I wake up. I make coffee. I knit, I read, I talk with friends. I go to the doctor, eat, clean. Hell,…
I think most readers of my blog know that yesterday was the first day of Apple’s World Wide Developer Conference , which kicked off with their usual keynote address . The keynote is Apple’s chance to showcase what changes we can expect from their software in the year to come. Usually, we see incremental updates and improvements to Apple’s operating systems and apps. This year, the people at Apple…
I wasn’t surprised to learn that Tim Cook donated a million bucks to Trump’s inaugural fund . I don’t claim to know how Cook ranks his life’s priorities, but it’s a pretty safe bet that Apple’s ongoing success is pretty high on the list. I’m sure he thinks it’s better to start out 2025 in Trump’s good graces and hope that it’ll at least help keep Apple Inc. out of the aspiring autocrat’s future…
Welp. It’s 2025. I’m not looking forward to this year—I anticipate that it will be a challenge for many of us, especially in the United States and other countries where we can well and truly see the whites of fascism’s eyes. I don’t want to start the year with dread, though. I want to step forward with at least a modicum of hope. So here, dear reader, are my wishes for us in the days and weeks to…
I’m laying in bed, trying to work up the force of will to get up and prepare for the day. Yesterday, Justin’s mom was transported from the hospital bed she’d been occupying for a week to her bed in a hospice facility. She’s not drinking much or eating at all, so I doubt she’ll be there long. This is the end of three years of chemotherapy and immunotherapy and radiation and paracenteses and…
How is it 2023 and our color choices for Apple devices are still either “garish baby shower” or “Victorian woman in the late stages of mourning”?
Because I’m a pioneer, I have kept some kind of blog since the mid-1990s. I’ve never written with any kind of purpose in mind; I just needed some way to get the words out of my brain and in front of a couple of other people. It’s never been about building a large audience or establishing expertise or creating a portfolio. I write because I need to write. I write because, for whatever reason, I…
Earlier this week, I did the unthinkable: I dropped a tech product I use every day and shattered the screen. Fortunately, the product in question was my Apple Watch and not my iPhone or computer. I have often wondered if having an Apple Watch is really worth the investment for me. For one thing, they’re unattractive; they are definitely tech devices rather than fashion accessories and dressing one…
For me, the bright spot of 2018 was how highly I prioritized reading. I was one of those kids growing up: the ones who go to the library and walk out with a stack of books, sometimes heavier and taller than I could cope with. I read instead of talking to my classmates, whom I had little in common with. I read ahead in our textbooks. I read in the car. I read while watching TV. I read instead of…
My podcast, Originality , belongs to the Relay FM podcasting network. Every August, for the network’s anniversary, many of the shows produce members-only bonus episodes for supporters of the network. Because Originality is a show about creating and creativity, my cohost Tempest and I decided to definitively answer the question that gave us the inspiration for the show in the first place: Where do…