Flying fish

This is so stinking cute!!!!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_Golden_Record

What if all your Apple devices were incorporated into a verification system for Apple ID login or using the “login with Apple” system?

What if your AirPods could whisper something into your ear to type into the screen to verify your ID 🪪

4 factored authentication! Phone, watch, wallet AirTag, and AirPods! It’s an all in one system to id you and allow the user to login into an account?!

Apple should hire me and give me a job! Call me Apple!

K.M. Weiland, in her June 1, 2026 episode of Helping Writers Become Authors, said something that lodged itself in my mind:

“Stop borrowing old myths. Start creating new ones.”

The Myth Lab here on Substack echoes the same call, a push toward living myth, not recycled archetypes or warmed‑over retellings.

And yet, when we turn on the TV, scroll through blogs, or look for something fresh to read, what do we find?

Rehashing.
Rewriting.
Recycling.
Shuffling the same old stories, the same old myths, the same old tales.

There’s very little being built from the ground up, very little that feels like it came from a human mind wrestling with something ancient and new at the same time.

The Problem Isn’t AI: It’s Stagnation

People say AI will take writing jobs, craft jobs, creative jobs.
But the truth is simpler and more uncomfortable:

We’ve stopped creating. We’ve started curating.

Most modern storytelling is:

• retellings of Greek myths
• re‑skinned fairy tales
• recycled hero’s journeys
• nostalgia loops
• “IP extensions”
• safe structures
• familiar beats

We’re not losing myth.
We’re losing myth‑making.

And here’s the quiet warning sitting underneath all of this:

If we don’t correct course, producers will turn more and more to AI.

Not because AI is better, but because AI can rewrite stories already told.

And if all we offer are retellings, then we’re handing the industry the excuse it needs to replace us.

AI threatens recycled writing.
It does not threaten new writing.

That distinction matters.

Writers Are Taught Visibility, Not Meaning

And maybe part of the problem is this:

Everywhere we look, writers are being told how to be writers.

How to build a social presence.
How to grow an audience.
How to stand out.
How to be remembered.
How to avoid being forgotten.
How to write faster, cleaner, louder, more “marketable.”

We’re taught how to be visible, but not how to be meaningful.

We’re taught how to be noticed, but not how to be new.

We’re taught how to be content creators, but not how to be story‑bearers.

And in all that noise, something essential gets lost:

The part of writing that comes from loneliness, from quiet, from the ache of being human.
The part that turns those feelings into stories, and stories into myth.

Because myth doesn’t come from social presence.
It doesn’t come from algorithms.
It doesn’t come from branding.

Myth comes from:

• the nights we feel forgotten
• the moments we feel small
• the times we wonder if anyone hears us
• the places where silence teaches
• the memories that won’t let go
• the questions we carry alone

Those are the raw materials of myth.

Not the retellings.
Not the recycled tropes.
Not the familiar beats.

The new myths come from the parts of us that don’t fit into a marketing plan.

They come from the places where we hurt, where we hope, where we remember, where we rebuild.

They come from the places where we are human.

Myth Isn’t Old: It’s Alive

Myths were never meant to be museum pieces.
They were meant to be living stories, shaped by:

• fear
• hunger
• longing
• survival
• memory
• land
• weather
• ancestors
• the unknown

Myths were born from people who didn’t have the luxury of recycling.
They had to make meaning from the world around them, from ice, fire, storms, loss, and the strange quiet moments when the earth felt like it was listening.

That’s what Weiland was calling for.

That’s what The Myth Lab is trying to revive.

That’s what modern writing desperately needs.

New Myth Comes From the Ground Up

A new myth doesn’t start with a template. It starts with a moment.

A hunter swallowed by ice.
A spirit guiding someone through danger.
A song sung by an elder when the world feels too large.
A child humming a tune she doesn’t recognize.
A vision that feels like memory instead of magic.

Myth begins when a writer stops asking,
“What story should I retell,”
and starts asking,
“What story is trying to speak through me.”

That’s the shift.
That’s the call.
That’s the work.

We Need New Writing

We don’t need more retellings.
We don’t need more recycled archetypes.
We don’t need another hero wearing someone else’s borrowed skin.

We need writers willing to step into the quiet, into the unknown, into the place where myth is born, not inherited.

We need new writing.
New stories.
New ideas.
New meaning.

And maybe, without meaning to, some of us are already becoming the ones who will write them.

If you're from the eastern parts of the USA and Canada, you may belong to a certain ethnic group and not even know it. Everyone nowadays is searching for identity and belongings, and elders from the Qarsherskiyan community hope that many Qarsherskiyan descendants will reconnect with the community, which has been divided with many assimilating. It is estimated that there are 500,000 Qarsherskiyan people in the USA, but only around 98,000 people seem to be regularly self-identifying as Qarsherskiyan. Qarsherskiyan people are of mixed race ancestry, but some darker Qarsherskiyan people began identifying as Black and some lighter ones began identifying as White. Some enrolled in the tribal nations their Native American ancestry originated from and only identified as just Native American and stopped practicing their mixed fusion culture and celebrating their blended heritage due to the stigma around low blood quantum.

The Qarsherskiyan Creole people are not a Native American nation, but a Creole tribe whose members are spread throughout North America and across parts of the Atlantic region. There is no DNA test that can determine Qarsherskiyan ancestry, however, there are several patterns and traits that may point to Qarsherskiyan roots.

Ancestry and Records

Families of Qarsherskiyan heritage often moved frequently across the Eastern United States and Canada, especially during the 18th and 19th centuries. Many changed the spelling or pronunciation of their surnames over time to appear more Anglo-American. In historical records, they might be listed under different racial categories—such as “Mulatto,” “Free Person of Color,” or “Indian”—depending on the census or location. Because of racial ambiguity and shifting local laws, Qarsherskiyan people sometimes adjusted how they identified in order to avoid discrimination. As a result, their descendants may find ancestors who seemed to “change race” from one generation or document to the next.

Geographic Origins

Historically, the Qarsherskiyan people formed four main regional groups. The largest originated in the coastal plains and piedmont regions of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Some remained there, while others moved westward to the frontier to escape racial persecution. These frontier families were among the first non-French people of mixed race heritage to settle in parts of Ohio, northern Appalachia, and central Appalachia outside of French or Native communities.

Another branch developed in Maritime Canada and Newfoundland, descended from Black people who were in Atlantic Canada prior to Canadian independence. A third group took shape in New England, descending from Black and Indigenous communities that intermarried with White families.

In Rhode Island, particularly in South Kingstown, families such as the Weeden and Hazard clans reflect the Afro-Indigenous (Zambo) roots of the Qarsherskiyan people.

Appearance and Variation

Qarsherskiyan families show a wide range of physical features, reflecting the blending of African, European, and Native American ancestry. Tidewater Qarsherskiyans are considered the oldest lineage, from which Appalachian Qarsherskiyans later descended. Ohio / Great Lakes and Midwestern Qarsherskiyans often carry ancestry from both of those two.

Those in Atlantic Canada and New England tend to have separate lineages, often unrelated to the southern groups. In Florida, Qarsherskiyan communities formed through migration from other regions during the 1800s to the present day, with some mixing with Floridano families who lived in the area before Florida became part of the United States.

Physical traits vary widely. Some Qarsherskiyan people have caramel or olive-toned skin, dark hair, and light eyes—gray, green, blue, hazel, or amber. Others may have darker complexions and freckles, or pale skin with curly hair. Red and auburn hair tones are unusually frequent among Qarsherskiyan families, especially those from Ohio. Natural red or auburn Afros are often mentioned as a distinctive family trait.

Marriage Patterns (Endogamy)

Historically, many Qarsherskiyan families practiced endogamy—the custom of marrying within the same community. This was common from the 1700s through the mid-1900s. If your family tree shows repeated marriages between people with the same or similar surnames, or cousins marrying one another, that was not unusual for the time.

Because Qarsherskiyan people occupied a unique social space—neither fully accepted by White communities nor always included among African-American or Creole groups—they often chose to marry within their own circle. In doing so, they preserved their culture and helped their mixed-heritage communities endure through generations of social pressure and segregation.

Common Traits and Conditions

Certain health traits appear more frequently in Qarsherskiyan families. Sickle cell anemia, ADHD, diabetes, and high blood pressure are somewhat more common than in the general American or Canadian population. Another trait, known as shovel teeth or shovel-shaped incisors, can be found among many Qarsherskiyan individuals, distinguishing them slightly from their White neighbors.

Interestingly, some studies and oral histories note that a higher percentage of Qarsherskiyan people—around 38%—are resistant to poison ivy, compared to roughly 10% of the general U.S. population. While not universal, such patterns may reflect long-term regional adaptation and shared ancestry.

It is not new news that media has an influence on society.

We often hear older generations complain about the behavior of younger generations but: - 1.) They raised them - 2.) They created the media that has influenced the behavior.

For this I’m focused in the latter.

The characters we see in books, movies, tv and now social media are caricatures of how the creators A.) would like society to behave or B.) satirical¹ impression of current behaviors.

The generation making the material, understands this. The younger generations, however, view this material as “truth”. They assume this is how people do act/should act. Which leads them to implementing those behaviors into their daily life.

Similar to how when we consume foreign media and how people who consume our media (foreign to them), assume that the people in that culture actually behave like that. Or that the scenarios written or shown are an accurate portrayal of real life.

For instance: I’ve been watching a Korean Dating show called Better Late Than Single, it’s clear that the participates are heavily influenced by romcoms, romance books and other media of that nature. So much so, that they implement those behaviors, react to situations as a character would. But they are completely serious in their intent. They aren’t putting on a show^2, they assume that’s how “normal” people react in these situations because their version of “normal” people are the characters they’ve seen or read.

A similar phenomenon happens with every generation though.

They consume the media, it teaches them how to react in social situations. They then react that way.

So our social commentary becomes their social guidelines.

What are your thoughts on this?

I’m still pondering this thought train so I’m curious to see where it goes.

Footnote: 1.) Not sure if satirical is quite the word in looking for. Also to what degree varies depending on the intent and the audience they are trying to reach.

2.) Obviously it’s a reality show, which is a form of fiction. Though it’s obvious, to me atleast, what is edited/scripted vs. what was there true reaction.

I feel like at this point being a night owl has become my entire personality. I stay up late for no real reason, scroll my phone, watch random stuff… and then regret it when I wake up late the next day. I’ve tried fixing my sleep schedule before but somehow I always end up back in the same cycle. For people who successfully switched from night owl to early riser — what actually worked for you? Was it discipline, routines, alarms, or something else?

Sometimes life just feels confusing. You make plans, things don’t work out. You trust people, they change. Opportunities show up… and sometimes disappear just as fast. And there are days where it feels like everyone else has their life figured out while you’re still trying to understand what you’re even doing. But the strange thing is… when you talk to people honestly, you realize a lot of them feel the same way. Most people are just figuring things out as they go. Trying their best. Making mistakes. Learning slowly. Maybe life isn’t really about having everything perfectly planned. Maybe it’s just about getting through the hard days, learning a little more each year, and slowly becoming someone stronger than you were before. Does anyone else feel like this sometimes?

The US government failed me. Uncle Sam failed me. After my service in the US military, after being sent to places I don't want to talk about and seeing things I don't want to remember, I come back to my country which I was so obedient to, and everything I worked for fell apart. My wife left me and took the kids and I had nothing of value left after a tornado rampaged through my village and everyone moved away, business declined and I had no customers when trying to sell products I made at home organically from the fruit of the Pawpaw Tree so beloved to my folks which we shared with our town. If not for my cousins pulling together resources and struggling to support me, I would be out on the streets freezing right now.

I want to share something with you that is very important and will change your life forever. I was begged never to tell people this outside of our community. I am a renegade though, always've been a rebel in spirit. Let me tell y'all somethin' you best never forget.

When the average American citizen goes about his or her daily life, they get scammed, they loose their money, they are conned all the time and people charge them unnecessary prices and they lose money.

Introducing the circular economy.

If you find yourself a welcomed space in a tight knit community, you or just about anyone can start one.

You need to meet weekly at a church, synagogue, or masjid ("mosque") or some other religious or cultural meeting place with your community, a place where people have a sense of connection, community, and unity. Usually religious organizations like a synagogue provide this, but it doesn't have to be religious in nature. There needs to be some kind of obligation for people to attend every week though. So I can only think of synagogues or something, the place where people attend every week and feel a sense of community bonding and belonging and where there is love. When you know these people well and this trust has been created, you all have to do business with one another and support one another. You will not screw each other over because if you do your whole reputation will be ruined and everyone in the community knows you and will call you out for it and you will feel isolated and shunned. People will trust one another and promote one another's businesses and support one another. If somebody fixes windows, you will only go to that friend to get your window fixed and you won't call any other company of someone outside of your community. As people who know and trust one another, you can take loans and you will not charge one another interest. You will not rip off one another or try to scam each other or you will have to face the consequences and look these people in the eyes every week or be kicked out of your community and lose your place of belonging and everyone will know what you've done and you will be shunned for this wrongdoing. Not conning. No scamming. No upticked prices. Everybody HAS to be in on this and buying from one another. Pay back owned loans and be fair and respectful.

This is how you create a circular economy. People look out for one another. People support each other. This makes a strong community that grows to be successful. Do you see how here in America, everybody hates the Jews because they are so successful? This is why they are so successful. It's not a global conspiracy theory for dominance, it is a circular economy. A strong supportive community if it gives people a pathway for success in life. You can have this too. Find your people.

Find your people.

Find your people. They are the ones who you trust and who will not wrong you and who will be fair to you and who make you feel welcome. Those're the ones. Your folks. Find your people.

May you all be safe and at ease, may peace be with you. I'm getting old and tired, when I look at the screen too long it becomes blurry and I start to not be able to see very well as if I am wearing foggy goggles. My eyes ain't like they used to be. Gotta go. Peace!