iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

James Anok 🇨🇦🇵🇹🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈+ @thetastate.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Is it just me or is it weird that I’m seeing an ad for an Instagram competitor served up to me … on Instagram? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I also wouldn’t put it past Meta to just serve it up as a dare. #AlgoSlop #PlatformLock

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James Anok 🇨🇦🇵🇹🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈+ @thetastate.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

😒 I think that if you have the $$$ to buy a “smart fridge” you can probably afford groceries. But seriously… smart fridges? That a fridge can’t mechanically keep food cold without software … 🤣 arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026...

arstechnica.com

Owners mourn spoiled food after firmware update bricks Samsung smart fridges

So absurd and embarrassing ..."

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James Anok 🇨🇦🇵🇹🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈+ @thetastate.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

I’ve been rereading “classic sci-fi” lately & just finished Robert Silverberg’s “Tower of Glass” (1970). It surprisingly paralells with society’s current angst around “AI” & the possibility of it becoming intelligent in a self-deterministic way. 1/9 #SciFi #Silverberg

A picture of a paperback sci-fi novel by Robert SIlverberg called Tower of Glass. It is sitting in top of a blue and white patterned ceramic table, with the head of a sleeping sheepadoodle visible in the picture background.

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James Anok 🇨🇦🇵🇹🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈+ @thetastate.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Moonlight + streetlight + Chester locator beacon = a surprisingly lovely night-portrait of a Sheepadoodle. #DailyChester #sheepadoodle #dogsofbluesky

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James Anok 🇨🇦🇵🇹🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈+ @thetastate.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

An excellent article on the risks of #agentic #AI for #lawyers & #LawFirms “That distinction matters because an AI agent can inherit the power of the person or organization that deploys it. “ www.llrx.com/2026/09/why-...

llrx.com

Why Autonomous Agents Cannot Be Given the Keys to Your Law Practice – LLRX

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James Anok 🇨🇦🇵🇹🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈+ @thetastate.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Had a good week in Chicago. Looking forward to being back there in October. Great clients and a great team. #photography #chicago #blackandwhite #noir #architecture

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James Anok 🇨🇦🇵🇹🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈+ @thetastate.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Today’s episode of #ChesterSits took us to Woodbine Park on the east side of #Toronto where we had fun on the overgrown boardwalk, contemplated a beautiful mandala, and appreciated the precise geometric architecture of a mid-century modern public works building. #DailyChester #sheepadoodle

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Reposted by James Anok 🇨🇦🇵🇹🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈+

Anonymous @youranoncentral.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Former Canada PM Jean Chrétien: "Never mistake our generosity for weakness. Never mistake our tolerance for lack of determination. And never, never mistake our kindness for softness. We bow to no one." #cdnpoli

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James Anok 🇨🇦🇵🇹🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈+ @thetastate.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

It’s always a pleasure to add a new piece to the collection. I’ve been a fan of @isabel-m-martinez.bsky.social and her work for many years. This piece extends the materiality of her work into and on to beautiful etched copper plate. #art #toronto

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James Anok 🇨🇦🇵🇹🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈+ @thetastate.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Well. This is going to be a fun long weekend project. If anyone has installed GraphineOS let me know where you get your apps (NOT from the Google Play store please!). The hardware is a Pixel 9Pro XL, and I’m installing from a MacBook Pro. #GraphineOS #Privacy

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Reposted by James Anok 🇨🇦🇵🇹🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈+

Peace by Chocolate @peacebychocolate.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

We created this bar to keep the name Lake Ontario visible as part of our long-standing Canada Collection. “ONTARÍ’IO” is an Indigenous name that existed long before today’s borders. That history should not be erased. peacebychocolate.ca/collections/...

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James Anok 🇨🇦🇵🇹🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈+ @thetastate.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Should you use a #VPN with ChatGPT? TLDR: It makes little difference. OpenAI can read your ChatGPT conversations, data is already encrypted when using the service, masking your IP address doesn’t matter since you use an named account connected to a profile (& history). proton.me/blog/chatgpt...

proton.me

ChatGPT VPN: Should you use a VPN with ChatGPT? | Proton

A VPN can hide your IP from ChatGPT, but not your prompts, account, or ads. Here's what it really protects, and what it doesn't.

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James Anok 🇨🇦🇵🇹🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈+ @thetastate.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Son, daughter, father, mother, sister, brother. Neighbour. Human being. - Poverty is becoming more and more visible in our urban communities as the pressures in society continue to disenfranchise vulnerable people. #communitycare #mentalhealth #affordablehousing #foodinsecurity

A street photo of three impoverished members of the community .

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James Anok 🇨🇦🇵🇹🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈+ @thetastate.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Sometimes the softest sweetest moments are found in the interstitial spaces where there is nothing but contented silence in the presence of another being. #Dailychester #sheepadoodle #dogsofbluesky

A photo of a Sheepadoodle’s head resting in the backseat of a car as he drifts off to sleep.

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James Anok 🇨🇦🇵🇹🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈+ @thetastate.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

An interesting take on a meta-societal theme that we don't often encounter in the "is AI good/bad" discussions: AI poses a moral hazard, but it may also render unintelligible cultural concepts like merit, authenticity, expertise, & deliberation thepointmag.com/letter/on-ra... #AI #CultureChange

thepointmag.com

On Radical Preservation | The Point Magazine

Our contention is that, if we fail to think through and delimit the role of AI in our lives, we risk undermining the intelligibility of our own guiding cultural concepts, and thus initiating a period ...

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James Anok 🇨🇦🇵🇹🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈+ @thetastate.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

This afternoons frolic in the grass was perfect for Chester to get his fix in. He loves to snuffle and chomp on the all the different types greenery in the fields we frequent. #DailyChester #sheepadoodle

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James Anok 🇨🇦🇵🇹🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈+ @thetastate.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Where does the fur stop and the dirt begin? Someone went right into the bath when we got home. #DailyChester #sheepadoodle

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James Anok 🇨🇦🇵🇹🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈+ @thetastate.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Xanadu. Sometimes #Toronto can shine so bright at night. It’s def party central on the rooftop terraces this weekend!

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James Anok 🇨🇦🇵🇹🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈+ @thetastate.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

On long weekends we relax in the shade of mighty trees and thank the grass for being cool on our belly. #DailyChester #sheepadoodle

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James Anok 🇨🇦🇵🇹🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈+ @thetastate.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Our road trip to #NewBrunswick, #PrinceEdwardIsland, & the #CabotTrail in #NovaScotia provided a much needed break from the hustle and bustle of urban Toronto. I’m grateful for all the friends we met along the way, & the beauty of this country’s Atlantic coastlines. #photography #landscape #Canada

The Atlantic coast of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

The red rocks and sands of Prince Edward Island’s north shores.

The rugged and forested coastline of Fundy National Park in New Brunswick.

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James Anok 🇨🇦🇵🇹🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈+ @thetastate.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

The Parks Canada site at Fort Lousibourg is a fantastic example of historical restoration done right. One of the things I look for when taking photos is light, texture, & tone. There were beautiful opportunities throughout the fort & its buildings to shoot. #FortLouisbourg #NovaScotia #photography

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James Anok 🇨🇦🇵🇹🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈+ @thetastate.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Who did it better? 1. Northern Ontario Wildfires? 2. Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049? #toronto #smoke #wildfiresmoke

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James Anok 🇨🇦🇵🇹🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈+ @thetastate.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

2 domes / 2 cities : we are all impoverished when our neighbours are impoverished. When the circus leaves town, are we all left better off? Or was it just another distraction from the hard problems we often refuse to acknowledge even exist. #homelessness #toronto #blackandwhite #photography

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Reposted by James Anok 🇨🇦🇵🇹🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈+

The Atlantic @theatlantic.com · 05/07/2026

Multiple studies show a mysterious health benefit to ice cream—but scientists don’t want to talk about it, David Meritt Johns reported in 2023.

bit.ly

Nutrition Science’s Most Preposterous Result: Could Ice Cream Possibly Be Good for You?

Studies show a mysterious health benefit to ice cream. Scientists don’t want to talk about it.

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James Anok 🇨🇦🇵🇹🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈+ @thetastate.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

Has a great time at the #Toronto #FIFA Fan Festival Watch party for 🇨🇦 v🇨🇭! The Casamigos Club House area was right by the stage/screen and had great seating. Even though we last, it was super energy throughout the venue.

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James Anok 🇨🇦🇵🇹🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈+ @thetastate.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

Well that’s a wrap to our 25/26 National Ballet of Canada season! Maddaddam is a Fellini meets Cronenberg with a dash of minimalism. Superb dancing, exquisite lighting design, and a score by my fave contemporary composer Max Richter made for an exquisite composition. #ballet

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James Anok 🇨🇦🇵🇹🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈+ @thetastate.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Canadian #notforprofit organizations significantly lag behind the curve on #AI governance at the Board level. This creates environments in which significant risk may be introduced via omission. NFP Directors need to put AI on their agendas ASAP!

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James Anok 🇨🇦🇵🇹🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈+ @thetastate.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

Well, it was a win for #Ferrari in sunny Barcelona today so I ended up continuing my #Lego build of the Daytona SP3. There were 460+ pieces in this section, with greater depth and height taking shape. I love the density and details in these Technic builds. Chester was pleased with his own Ferrari!

Photo of the Lego Daytona SP3 build in progress showing the additional height and framework of this latest build section.

Photo of the Lego Daytona SP3 build in progress showing more of the detail and density of the overall vehicle, including the engine and steering.

A photo of a fluffy cream coloured Sheepadoodle named Chester with his favourite Ferrari stuffed toy.

Photo of the Lego Daytona SP3 build in progress showing more details of the rear wheel/shock assembly as well as the transmission.

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James Anok 🇨🇦🇵🇹🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈+ @thetastate.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

Chester would like to remind all his human friends that it IS getting hot out there & pups will quickly overheat! Please carry water & limit exertion! This is especially important on humid days when evaporative cooling from panting is very difficult! #Dailychester #sheepadoodle #dogsofbluesky

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James Anok 🇨🇦🇵🇹🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈+ @thetastate.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

Getting stuck in traffic isn’t always a bad thing when you can frame a shot like this one. #photography #toronto

A photo of Toronto’s skyline and the CN Tower framed through the steel beams of the Bathurst Street bridge.

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James Anok 🇨🇦🇵🇹🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈+ @thetastate.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

Sometimes the best therapy is lying in a field and just watching the clouds. #bliss

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Reposted by James Anok 🇨🇦🇵🇹🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈+

derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

came faster than i expected

On June 4th, 2026, the Wall Street Journal published an article with the following headline:

"Anthropic Urges Global Pause in AI Development, Flags ‘Self-Improvement’ Risk

The $1 trillion startup warns artificial-intelligence models are nearing capability to improve without human intervention"

An excerpt reads: "Anthropic is calling for top artificial intelligence labs to weigh slowing the pace of development, suggesting that AI systems are advancing so rapidly that they may soon be able to improve themselves without human intervention in ways that could pose significant societal risks."

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James Anok 🇨🇦🇵🇹🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈+ @thetastate.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

Always pleasantly surprised at what my iPhone camera can do in adverse lighting conditions. Digital zoom, taken from about 3kms away. This is Toronto’s newest supertall condominium building, topping out at 106 floors. #architecture #photography #sunset

Photo of a condo building under construction in high contrast silhouette. The sun is visible through a gap in the unfinished upper floors.

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James Anok 🇨🇦🇵🇹🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈+ @thetastate.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

😎Sun’s out! Chester models my new sunglasses from Kuboraum!

A photo of a fluffy cream coloured sheep doodle named Chester. He is wearing a pair of retro looking sunglasses.

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