Profit sinks, Pixels sing, Books teach & Gratitude grounds
I definitely had some writer's block this week. Also, I tried to move towards extemporaneous writing using Wispr Flow dictation rather than heavily using cloud AI to assist with editing.
Once again, I've tried to formulate this week's post into all four categories of my blog: B-A-I-R. I focused mainly on A for art, though.
Books.
I really, really loved The Art of Profitability — it felt almost like a mini MBA packed into one concise, story-driven book. Through the fictional dialogue between a wise mentor and an eager student, the book breaks complex business concepts into distinct “profit models,” each revealing a new way for companies to create and sustain value. What struck me most was how elegantly it balances strategy, creativity, and human insight — reminding you that profitability isn’t just numbers, but narrative and perspective.
The book which I completed this past week inspired me so much that I even went ahead and bought four other books that were mentioned across its chapters. The author’s approach opened my mind to see profit as an art form — a mosaic of ideas, ethics, and innovation rather than just accounting mechanics. It’s the kind of book that changes how you look at business decisions, no matter what field you’re in.
AI Art
I focused most on this area this past week, mainly on AI music.
Wrote a separate blog post called "Suno or Later" that shows how easy it is for anyone to create AI-generated music like this. I was in an 80's country mood...
My friend Hammel based in Germany also suggested an excellent idea for AI Music involving the community. This was discussed in a separate blog post called "AltFlux Collaborative Community Project" - This blog post has a link to the first amazing collaborative music video and also my entry for the second project.
Investing
Some people might feel it was a bad week for investing. After all, my retirement portfolio "lost" at least $140,000. But I've learned to look upon this as an opportunity. If Nvidia drops, I'm selling my remaining portion. At the same time, if the entire US equities market drops, I'm prepared to buy more S&P 500 index, which keeps me more diversified than the Nvidia concentration.
Reflections
The cover art for this blog post is Gratitude to tie the different themes together.
I am very grateful for my life, for all the blessings I have received. I'm thankful to my company for having a program that allows me to work from home full-time. It was a hectic but productive week at work, during which I created a complex dashboard that ties real estate metrics using Alteryx.
When Gratitude Meets AI: What Eric Schmidt Knows About the Future
I was thinking about gratitude, productivity, and the strange beauty of our AI-shaped world.
I started realizing that real progress isn’t about gaining more, but about giving more—time, focus, creativity, generosity. The books I’ve been reading and the tools I’ve been exploring all circle back to that same truth: the best ideas grow when you stop trying to control everything and start contributing more openly.
I’ve also been noticing how AI has turned attention itself into currency—every scroll and click measured, every moment optimized—but what still matters most is authenticity. I’ve seen it in AI-generated music, in writing, even in my own reflections: people respond to what feels human. The future isn’t about machines replacing meaning; it’s about us learning to use them wisely, with gratitude as our compass. This was a week of creativity and quiet recalibration—and I hope some of my reflections resonate with you.