cosmOS

I used to listen to the band Muse a lot in high school. I was one of those quiet but rebellious types, so their music really resonated with me. As I got older and started my corporate career, the political messaging in their music, especially in their most recent album, felt a little too strong. I am ready for it now. If you’re feeling rage right now, like many of us are, I highly recommend listening to the entire “Will of the People” album by Muse. Really listen to it. Put on your headphones like we used to back in the day and take it all in. Music has become background noise for me in my 30s, but I think it’s time to bring it back into focus. Got any songs or albums you’d recommend with similar themes?

I’m starting to wonder what the real benefit even is anymore. Between the technofeudal landscape we live in, where billionaires own the means of communication, data is constantly mined for profit, and surveillance is baked into every layer, it feels like I’m standing at the beach, using my bare hands to push back an endless tide. Even when I take the so‑called “liberated” path through Linux, self‑hosting, and privacy tools, it often feels futile. The web itself is poisoned. Browsers are turning into tracking engines. Sites rely on manipulation and dark patterns. Social media is full of misinformation and ragebait. Even open-source projects are being pulled under corporate influence (ex: Firefox adoption of AI). It feels exhausting to route around a web that’s already been captured. So I’m asking myself: what’s the point? Why not just step away? Why not trade the illusion of digital control for actual peace, get a dumb phone, a CD player, and check out books, movies, music, and games from the library as my entertainment? Does anyone else feel this way? Have you found ways to reconnect with technology?