Blink:

Being a food futurist, I aman advocate/supporter of the current transformation for a healthier global food system. Numerous solutions mitigating climate change are interconnected. Consequently, I rely on numerous sources to get a better understanding of what is going on. Today I address an innovative soil management solution.

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Biochar technology is being evaluated for carbon sequestration to help mitigate climate change, improve soil quality, as well as reduce waste. Biochar is a charcoal-like substance made by burning agricultural and forestry waste (a.k.a. biomass) via a unique controlled process (pyrolysis) into a more stable cleaner form of carbon that cannot easily escape into the atmosphere compared to other forms of charcoal. In addition, the energy or heat created during pyrolysis can be captured and used as a form of clean energy.  

Ongoing research is being conducted to explore ways to apply biochar to soil to lock in carbon. Recently Swiss scientists fed dairy cows a small amount of biochar. They learned the biochar survived the cows’ hearty digestion and resisted decomposition (98% made it out the other side intact) as their dung was dispersed and enriched the soil. Note: The researchers also recorded a reduction in the methane emissions for the cows’ fed biochar.

“No idea is so outlandish that it should not be considered.” – Winston Churchill   

Blink:

Last month I posted the leading official words of 2025 as chosen by each of the major dictionaries. Merriam – Webster’s word was slop defined as low quality digital content produced in quantity with the aid of artificial intelligence – video, fake news, altered advertisements, etc. Warning! Here comes political slop.

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We have already experienced the spread of disinformation in previous political campaigns. Leading tech journalists are beginning to expose how A.I. generated content has now surfaced in political advertising – fake images, altered voice-overs technically categorized as deepfake deception in the recent Texas (senate), New York (mayor) elections.

To me it sounds like there needs to be some advertising guidelines re: the utilization of A.I. generated content. Apparently 26 states have debatable laws regulating deepfake political advertisement requiring disclosure statements. Tech journalists project A.I. will become more frequent and widespread during the midterm elections since the head of the fish has set the tone with his brazen use of digitally altered content, plus A.I.-generated memes. Note: YouTube and Microsoft are working on technical standards to help identify the origin and authenticity of content, especially video to help candidates.

I am constantly evaluating the utilization of A.I. and the impact it will have on our future society. Candidly, political slop sounds ominous or as a close friend expressed after we discussed what is coming down the road: “Advancements in technology do not always result in positive outcomes. This is a good example.”

Opinions welcomed!

Blink:

I decided to go offline last week and attend a live conference to learn more about the potential utilization of AI. Below is a summary of my key learning at the (WAICF) World AI Cannes Festival.

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This was a challenging conference for me to attend, thus extract the most juice for the squeeze given my time was limited, plus I was exceedingly out of my area of expertise, food marketing, not AI technology. Consequently, my goal was to learn more about Agentic AI and whether it could be utilized as a tool for F&B innovation in the food-away-from-home channel Key learning:

• Conference Engagement – The conference was relatively well attended, an estimated 10K participants all armed with their elevator speeches. Their speed pitches were micro in content, mostly about their company’s products or services. Few discussed the “Big Picture,” specifically how AI will potentially transform our society  
• Work Shops/Demos – A.) Numerous tutorial solutions designed to help companies with their people adapt to the AI processes being implemented. B.) I was interested in learning about AI solutions specifically for product development. The only product case studies I spotted were for supply chain and WMS (warehouse management systems – inventory) efficiency solutions. Note: The financial services business sector’s utilization of AI was a popular topic as well as healthcare which included drug innovation.
• Conference “Buzz” – Sovereign AI, the expansion of autonomous multi-systems world-wide which provide the sovereign control and governance of a company’s AI data exposure. There were numerous companies displaying their Sovereign AI compute solutions for the EU, which were all power-hungry data centers, thus a drain on the geographic water supply utilized for cooling.          
• MIA – To my dismay (when I was able to walk the floor) I did not spot or engage with any companies showcasing their AI products or services addressing their solutions as it relates to generating environmental efficiencies – decarbonization monitoring, extreme weather disaster planning, Agri-tech, etc., etc., etc.

Candidly, I found the conference refreshing, more global in scope versus the food conferences I normally attend, thus look forward to my next AI event.  

Opinions welcomed!

Blink:

I have posted in the past about my appreciation for words. Thanks to participating in a webinar recently, I learned the leading official words of 2025 chosen by each of the major dictionaries

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The word of the year is the most important word or expression utilized in the public sphere which captures linguistically the social trends and global events reflecting our world during a specific year Enjoy!         

Slop (Merriam – Webster) –Low quality digital content produced in quantity with the aid of artificial intelligence. Video, fake news, altered advertisements, AI-written books, etc., etc., etc. The editors referenced the original evolution of the word dating back to the 1700s defining “soft mud”, slime, muck oozing everywhere to the 1800s to mean “food waste” (a.k.a. “pig slop”). Clearly any outcome considered “rubbish” or “a product of little or no value.”

Rage bait (Oxford) –Online content devised to increase traffic or engagement to a social digital platform. The content is typically designed to be provocative and offensive to prompt anger. Oxford’s lexicographers indicated the term’s (two words) usage increased significantly according to language data, thus viewed it as a single unit of meaning given the online debate over digital ethics.  

“67” (Dictionary.com) –A nonsensical slang term pronounced “six-seven”, never “sixty-seven” popularized by kids and teenagers as another way of saying “so-so, “maybe this” or “maybe that” peaked digitally in October 2025.

Stay tuned! In writing this post I also learned about the words of the year 2025 which made the short list for each publication. I plan to share these words with my readership in the future. In the interim, do you have any great new words to share?

Blink:

Today’s post is intended for those readers who continue to follow their ritual of establishing resolutions for the new year. Note: A Pew Research Center survey (2025) indicated three in ten Americans make at least one resolution with half of this group making more than one.                                   

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Based on the survey’s statistics regarding how many people kept their resolutions after a month significantly varied by age. Resolutions were more popular among younger people (ages 18–29) than older adults. Respondents (only 25%) indicated they stay committed to their resolutions after 30 days. Leadership experts emphasize most people tend to make multiple resolutions which they fail to prioritize; thus, they fall short. Consequently, they advise it is important to turn resolutions into habits to maintain them throughout the year. Small, actionable routines.

Back in August I wrote a post about Rajeev Ram one of my favorite tennis players. Specifically, how the consistency of his habits made him a record setting champion. Consistency of habits takes discipline.

The big picture: Stop kicking the can down the road.“The distance between dreams and reality is discipline.” Paulo Coelho (Brazilian author).

Opinions welcomed!

Blink:

The week between Christmas and New Years is a very reflective period for me. I always carve out time to utilize an evaluation process (a.k.a. Corkscrew) I first shared 12/26/2022. I always look back on the year which is passing and give thought to things I want to achieve moving forward.

Corkscrew (Originally posted 12/26/2022)

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The evaluation process entails asking four tough questions after completing a project or passage of time.

• What happened?
• Why did it happen?
• What did I learn?
• What would I do differently next time?

I share this process with you today since I know this is a reflective time of year. We are looking back on 2022 which is now behind us – family, friends, work, experiences, etc., etc., etc. We are busy assessing the road ahead, 2023.

For The Record: I still like to use a corkscrew as a tool to open a bottle of wine, especially when I begin to ask myself the four corkscrew questions. Trust me, the evaluation process is enjoyable with a good glass of wine. Try it some time.

Bonne Année!!

Blink:

Legendary, genius (a.k.a. a Titan) architect Frank Gehry passed away earlier this month. In the past, I have mentioned several times on my blog how he was one of the individuals who has inspired me on my global creative business journey.

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One of Frank’s masterpieces is the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. Considered one of his most avant-garde creations amongst his prolific body of work. The building set in the middle of a small industrial city in northern Spain, created an international buzz when it opened in 1997. The museum catapulted Mr. Gehry into becoming the most recognizable American architect since Frank Lloyd Wright. In a documentary, during an interview, Mr. Gehry shared some wisdom about his critics’ reaction to the Bilbao Museum which resonated for me:

• Artists serve people and live in a commercial world, but they need to discover how they can step outside the norm, take risks, and slice their sliver/niche.

• When artists/creative people step outside the norm they must accept criticism, wear it like an article of clothing for a while, then toss it and move on.

Opinions welcomed!