Greetings. I’m Christian Payne, professional over-sharer, photographer and writer. In this weekly dispatch I seek out novelty, explore how we share, what we share and consume, plus where we might be going. Thanks for joining in.
#TheAction
I took an exciting trip up to Wales and back. Exciting due to the black ice on the mountain roads. It was a two day trip and the rest of the week has had me keeping warm in the shed and spending time with the slow cooker.
There has been some doom scrolling though. And a few times I’ve had to snap myself out of it.
This stream recorded during a session at Glastonbury Town Council makes for some fascinating watching. But then you read the comments. And then the replies to the comments. And before you know it, an hour has gone. But this kind of thing is the norm on the site formerly known as Twitter.
The socials in general, are plastered with people spouting all kinds of theories on this and that. Immersing yourself in these stories can have a profound impact on society and our minds. It's good to question things online. But even the casual insertion of doubt erodes our trust in systems and institutions.
I've never had much faith in governments or corporations as it is. Even before the social web took off. But I am aware of a continued distilling of my disillusionment and cynicism.
Then there is the tribalism and division brought about by polarising narratives. And communities grow around the wildest of stories. United in shared suspicions and skepticism.
The more apophenia grips believers, the bigger an impact conspiracy theories can have. Especially on critical thinking and evaluating evidence.
Research becomes a self-reinforcing cycle. Where the believer ignores evidence to the contrary. Then seeks out information confirming their existing beliefs.
This confirmation bias makes it difficult for individuals to objectively assess information. And so the cycle continues. With the perpetuation of misinformation and a distinct lack of scientific consensus.
These conversations affect the actions of believers who might abstain from one technology or treatment over another. Or even none at all.
Our current political landscape is rife with wild statements and claims masquerading as fact. There is so much misinformation that it's only a small leap into thinking this too is all planned.
It's important to maintain some level or critical thought. To find reliable sources, and promote open-minded discourse around these polarising topics.
There are a few things we can do to weed out baseless conspiracy theories from our thinking.
A critical mindset will search for logic in claims as well as consensus among experts. All the while questioning the evidence and sources.
If the sources are credible then look for corroborating evidence in diverse places. Speculation is for discussion only and not to be taken as verifiable evidence.
While experts can be wrong. Scientific consensus should be built on rigorous research, peer review and evidence-based conclusions. That's as good as we can get and far more reliable than isolated claims.
There is also Occam's Razor. A principle that suggests the simplest explanation is often the most likely.
The average conspiracy theory often relies on a huge leap of logic and convoluted explanations and assumptions. But our usual day to day concerns only need a more straightforward explanation.
Fact checking organisations can debunk claims and provide reliable information to counter wild theories. Check out this list for starters.
It's easy to get sucked in to all these things. I do. I even enjoy some of this craziness. But ultimately the sharing and amplifying of it is not good for society as a whole. Nurture a discerning mindset, remain vigilant and seek out more reliable information.
#ThePictures
A couple of things. A bit of #NSFW weirdness.
And a public announcement.
Some of the snaps of Baavet staff I took on my trip up to Wales. Most of them were very reluctant but eventually gave in to my persistence.
This outline on the work of Adam Curtis came via @trevormfisher
#TheWords
I struggle to understand how we can't all be friends with nostalgia. How some prefer wish to bury the past and move on. There must be something back there they might like to remember. I'm very lucky to have kept my journals over the years. To both process the dark times and remember the best. Why wait till your deathbed to remember a life lived? If you can't get out there to make new memories, relive the best of the past till you can. Smile at a photo or read about adventures long gone. Till you trigger a flashback and stand there once again, at the very pinnacle of living.
Sunday 23rd February 1997 Day 132
16:35 Somewhere between Bombay and Calcutta
I just downed a mango juice and brandy from a lassie cup, while standing with bent legs astride two train carriages as they rollercoastered and rattled through a barren Indian state. The sun beat down, while a cooling wind whipped around the carriages, massaging my head by tugging at my long hair.
It doesn't feel like mere travel, or just getting from one place to another. This feels like squeezing every last drop out of the moment, out of life. With a friend by my side and the unknown before us.
I finally finished the book Sapiens but quite frankly my reading list from last year is pants. Thankfully my Goodreads account doesn’t look that start because everything I find a mention of a book I finish in my journals I add them to my account. With a backdated read time of course.
#TheSound
Listening to the band Mountain Honey. (Miel De Montagne) They also do cool videos…
And Cob Records made it very easy for me to make some spontaneous purchases this week. An eclectic mix including these two. Some ransom rock compilation and Tribal Gathering 95.
Not sure if you have a social account on Apple Music but i’m there as Documentally if you would like to connect.
#TheConsumed
I might have made the best chilli ever this week.
I made it in the crockpot. This was roughly how it went:
I set the pot to sauté and added the diced onion, carrots, courgettes, minced garlic, rough chopped red pepper and mushrooms, then Sautéd for a few minutes until the vegetables softened.
I then switched over to slow cooker and added some passata, a few chopped tomatoes, kidney beans, gungo beans, sweetcorn, chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper and a spoon of cocoa powder. Stiring everything together.
I covered the slow cooker and cooked on a low heat for 4 hours.
I took the lid to add some fresh spinach and kept it off for 20 mins to thicken it.
I then served with rice grated cheese and sour cream for those that needed it.
Probably not the best pic as I’d forgotten to snap the cooking process or serving with rice. This is a shot of the leftovers I had for lunch today.
I’m not sure where the dish Chilli originated but this page has some ideas plus a few interesting recipes.
The benefits of slow cooking.
There’s a push for using less or no glass in wine packaging. But it might not be an easy sell apart from with younger wine drinkers.
I remember that while helping manage a campsite in Byron Bay, Australia I’d always buy pretty decent wine in a box. Or what the locals called a ‘goon’. The benefits being the wine would keep longer when bought three litres at a time. Also if you managed to drink enough, you could take out the empty bladders, inflate them and build a raft. Which we did.
#TheThings
The crappiest gadgets at CES
When I bought this earlier in the week it was £9.99
I wish I had bought two as it works really well.
You can now have smells for your VR experience.
#TheThanks
I must thank the paying subscribers that pay $5/month to get all the content I share into this feed. Please consider upgrading to become a paid supporter. Or if you prefer PayAsYouGo you can do that via PayPal. If you do tip i’ll give the same value (plus some) in full membership. Either way… Thank you for reading, sharing and liking.
#TheWeb
“Let’s talk about cognition and cognitive capacity, let’s talk of sentience and self-awareness and consciousness, let’s talk about world models and measures of ability to manipulate symbols, modify models, and affect the world.” A blog post from Bill Thompson.
There’s a huge covid surge right now but you probably didn’t notice.
You still haven’t added yourself to the Documentally community map. If you need a hand let me know. Or just send me your approximate location and a name.
Last lighthouse keeper
“The coolest woman who ever graced the airwaves.”
Some of my other places include Letterboxd, GoodReads, Flickr, Strava, Untappd, Diaspora, Vivino, LinkedIn, YouTube, Mastodon, a ham radio newsletter or search ‘Documentally’ on Wire, Birdsite or Bluesky.
#TheEnd
This was a tough one, thanks for making it to the end. Forgive me if this is a bit thin. I’ve had to prioritise looking after a poorly person today. And it may continue for a bit. I hope you have a great weekend. Next week I’ll mostly be editing video and writing. I’m around if you fancy a chat.
“You gave too much rein to your imagination. Imagination is a good servant, and a bad master. The simplest explanation is always the most likely.” ~ Agatha Christie
Be well,
See you out there.
Over…
A splash of coffee, chipotle or smoked paprika & soft brown sugar are all game changers for chilli too 🥣 🌶️ ☕️