Daily (Charlie Brown–style) Digital Life Litany for Protection, Direction and Stewardship

Caveat emptier: This post was drafted with help from an AI assistant (Perplexity)— but ideated and edited extensively by the human, Bill Acton

Peanuts.com

Dear God,

it’s me again—

Charlie Brown.            

   

You know how it goes:

I try something new online,

I fall for a trick,

and the whole world feels like

Lucy just yanked the football away.

Please help me learn

without giving up.

When I get a weird message

or a “too good to be true” offer,

let a little Snoopy voice

in my head say,

“Maybe don’t click that,

kid.”

Protect my friends—

Linus with his big heart,

Lucy with her advice booth,

even Snoopy on his doghouse Wi‑Fi—

from people who would

laugh at their trust

and take what isn’t theirs.

Guard my passwords

from being as predictable

as my luck.

Help me use ones

that actually work,

even if they’re not as simple

as “GoodGrief1.”

And when I embarrass myself

in public online—

which I probably will—

give me the grace

to apologize,

to do better next time,

and to remember

I am more than

my latest mistake.

Let my stewardship

of this digital world

be small, kind,

and steady—

like walking out

to kick the ball

one more time,

hoping this time

it’ll be different,

and helping others

when they fall, too.

AI‑assisted creative work: This litany is an imaginative parody pastiche using generative AI. It imitates the public persona of [Charlie Brown] for commentary and devotional reflection. It is not created by or affiliated with [Charlie Brown], and should not be taken as his real views or words.

wracton@gmail.com
williamacton.legalshieldassociate.com (Legalshield and IDshield subscription information and applying for associate positions)

Daily (Ernest Hemingway–style) Digital Life Litany for Protection, Direction and Stewardship

Caveat emptier: This post was drafted with help from an AI assistant (Perplexity)— but ideated and edited extensively by the human, Bill Acton

Wikipedia

Lord,

the screen is a bright bar
that never closes.
Help me know
when to walk out.

The scams come simple:
fast money,
urgent calls,
pretty lies.
Give me the sense
to say no
before I say anything else.

Guard my accounts
like a good rifle:
clean, ready,
never left lying around.
Guard my words
like a good story:
short, honest,
not written in anger.

When the news breaks
and everyone shouts,
teach me to wait
for a second source,
a clearer picture,
a cooler head.

And when I have stayed up
too late with this glow,
pouring myself
into nothing,
remind me
that the real work,
the real people,
the real day
are waiting elsewhere.

Let me steward this digital life
the way I’d handle a boat
in bad weather:
steady hands,
few words,
eyes open,
and no bravado.

AI‑assisted creative work: This litany is an imaginative parody pastiche using generative AI. It imitates the public persona of [Ernest Hemingway] for commentary and devotional reflection. It is not created by or affiliated with [Ernest Hemingway], and should not be taken as his real views or words.

wracton@gmail.com
williamacton.legalshieldassociate.com (Legalshield and IDshield subscription information and applying for associate positions)

Moving and touching, EAPIIC course begins next week, 6/18!

 Here is the Link to the course announcement!

English Accent, Pronunciation and Identity Improvement Course (EAPIIC) is  . . . unique!  Guaranteed, this will be the most "embodied" pronunciation course you have taken. The two new features are use of AI for homework and integration of accent and identity.

As the description says, the course is free. the 30-minute lesson is uploaded on Youtube every Thursday, with daily assigned homework. If you want feedback on your pronunciation or your teaching, you can sign up for that, too, at a minimal fee. 

See me next week! (If you sign on, I'll see you, too!)

Bill, Haptician-in-Chief

wracton@gmail.com

(423) 660-7400

Daily (Dave Berry–style) Digital Life Litany for Protection, Direction and Stewardship

Caveat emptier: This post was drafted with help from an AI assistant (Perplexity)— but ideated and edited extensively by the human, Bill Acton

Wikipedia

\Lord,

I thank you for the miracle of modern technology,
which allows me to be scammed,
distracted,
and mildly outraged
24 hours a day
from the comfort of my own bathroom.

Given that this is apparently the arrangement,
please grant me some sense.

When a pop‑up tells me
I’ve “won a free iPhone,”
help me remember
that I have never in my life
won anything,
including arguments with my own family,
and this is unlikely to be the exception.

Protect my credit card
from “one‑click” checkouts,
“limited‑time offers,”
and anything advertised
with more exclamation points than actual words.

Guard my children,
who can operate a tablet
better than I can operate my own limbs,
from random strangers in comment sections
and from becoming random strangers
in comment sections.

Teach me to log off
when my mood
can be accurately described as “reading the comments.”
At that point,
nothing good is going to happen
except possibly a stroke.

And let my stewardship of this digital circus
include at least a little humor
and a few wise choices—

so that when my data inevitably
escapes into the wild,
it finds a person behind it
who has learned,
however slowly,
to be careful,
kind,
and occasionally
not a complete idiot.

AI‑assisted creative work: This litany is an imaginative parody pastiche using generative AI. It imitates the public persona of [Dave Berry] for commentary and devotional reflection. It is not created by or affiliated with [Dave Berry], and should not be taken as his real views or words.

wracton@gmail.com
williamacton.legalshieldassociate.com (Legalshield and IDshield subscription information and applying for associate positions)

Daily (Yoda–style) Digital Life Litany for Protection, Direction and Stewardship

Caveat emptier: This post was drafted with help from an AI assistant (Perplexity)— but ideated and edited extensively by the human, Bill Acton

Wikipedia

Guide me, Lord,
through this glowing web,
hmm?

Much fear, I sense,
in every feed:
scams, anger,
click‑bait strong is.

When rushed I feel—
“Open now, respond now,
pay now”—
remind me:
haste is the path
to compromise.

Guard my devices,
small they are,
but powerful.

Strong, my passwords must be.
Shared, they must not be.

Backed up, my memories should be,
or lost forever they will be.

Tempted I am
to live only in this screen,
forgetting the living beings
beside me.

Call me back, you must,
to real faces,
real voices,
real presence.

And when darkness
spreads in comments
and threads,
hate and mockery I see,
help me choose the light:
to speak calm truth,
to protect the vulnerable,
or to walk away in peace.

Steward this digital life well,
I must.
For what I click
shapes who I become,
and what I share
shapes the galaxy
around me.

AI‑assisted creative work: This litany is an imaginative parody pastiche using generative AI. It imitates the public persona of [Yoda] for commentary and devotional reflection. It is not created by or affiliated with [Yoda], and should not be taken as his real views or words.

wracton@gmail.com
williamacton.legalshieldassociate.com (Legalshield and IDshield subscription information and applying for associate positions)

Daily (Richard Wagner–style) Digital Life Litany for Protection, Direction and Stewardship

Caveat emptier: This post was drafted with help from an AI assistant (Perplexity)— but ideated and edited extensively by the human, Bill Acton

Wikipedia

Lord of thunder and quiet,

you know how easily the grand and the glorious

can drown out the small and the good.

Music begins where the possibilities of language end. 

In this world of epic soundtracks and cinematic feeds,

where everything clamors to be larger than life,

teach me not to turn my online presence

into an endless opera about myself.

Guard me from the seduction

of sheer spectacle:

from mistaking dramatic posts for depth,

loud opinions for truth,

and orchestrated conflict for meaningful engagement.

Let my security be composed

with the same care as a great motif—

patterns that repeat with purpose:

strong passwords, cautious clicks,

habits that protect those around me

as much as they protect me.

When I’m tempted to weaponize my words,

to conduct a chorus of outrage

against some convenient enemy,

remind me that history is full

of powerful art bent toward terrible ends.

Grant that my stewardship of this digital stage

would favor conscience over glory,

and that the themes running through my life online

resolve, in the end,

toward mercy rather than domination.

AI‑assisted creative work: This litany is an imaginative parody pastiche using generative AI. It imitates the public persona of [Richard Wagner] for commentary and devotional reflection. It is not created by or affiliated with [Richard Wagner], and should not be taken as his real views or words.

wracton@gmail.com
williamacton.legalshieldassociate.com (Legalshield and IDshield subscription information and applying for associate positions)

Daily (Harry Houdini–style) Digital Life Litany for Protection, Direction and Stewardship

Caveat emptier: This post was drafted with help from an AI assistant (Perplexity)— but ideated and edited extensively by the human, Bill Acton

Wikipedia

Lord,
you know I spent my life
slipping out of chains and locks,
escaping boxes and tanks that looked impossible.

In this wired age,
teach me the escapes that truly matter.

Help me break free
from the handcuffs
of endless scrolling,
from the straightjacket of heeding every notification,
from the glass box of performing my life
for an invisible crowd.

Protect me from shackles
I never see being fastened:
predatory subscriptions,
quiet data‑harvesting,
“free” services that cost me my privacy and peace.

Let my security skills
be more than a stage act:
strong keys,
well‑chosen tools,
a practiced ability to get out of bad situations fast—
closing the tab,
blocking the contact,
changing the password
before the water rises.

And grant that my stewardship
of this digital theater
puts the illusions in their place— as entertainment,
not as reality—
so that real freedom
belongs not to the magician alone,
but to everyone who learns the tricks that keep them safe.

AI‑assisted creative work: This litany is an imaginative parody pastiche using generative AI. It imitates the public persona of [Harry Houdini] for commentary and devotional reflection. It is not created by or affiliated with [Harry Houdini], and should not be taken as his real views or words.

wracton@gmail.com
williamacton.legalshieldassociate.com (Legalshield and IDshield subscription information and applying for associate positions)

Daily (B.B. King–style) Digital Life Litany for Protection, Direction and Stewardship

Caveat emptier: This post was drafted with help from an AI assistant (Perplexity)— but ideated and edited extensively by the human, Bill Acton

Wikipedia

Lord,

you know the blues I’ve played

come from real hurt—

broken hearts, hard roads,

and nights that lasted too long.

This online world

has its own kind of blues.

When I’m scrolling through bad news

and quiet cruelty,

teach me to feel it

without getting swallowed.

Protect me from scammers

who play on loneliness—

the sweet‑talking stranger

who asks for money,

the fake fan

who just wants access,

the “support” call

that’s really a setup

to steal everything I’ve saved.

Guard my guitar‑hand habits

in the digital space:

fingers that pause

before they respond in anger,

ears that listen

before they judge,

eyes that see the human being

behind each profile.

Help me use these tools

to pass on comfort—

a kind note,

a shared song,

a word that says,

“You’re not the only one

feeling this way tonight.”

And may my stewardship

of this wired juke joint

turn some of the sorrow

into solidarity,

some of the noise

into music,

and some of the risk

into a shared wisdom

we can all play along with.

AI‑assisted creative work: This litany is an imaginative parody pastiche using generative AI. It imitates the public persona of [B.B. King] for commentary and devotional reflection. It is not created by or affiliated with [B.B. King], and should not be taken as his real views or words.

wracton@gmail.com
williamacton.legalshieldassociate.com (Legalshield and IDshield subscription information and applying for associate positions)

Daily (Henry Ford–style) Digital Life Litany for Protection, Direction and Stewardship

Caveat emptier: This post was drafted with help from an AI assistant (Perplexity)— but ideated and edited extensively by the human, Bill Acton

Wikipedia

Lord,

you watched me put the world on wheels
with moving lines and simple parts.

Now I stand in the middle of a different kind of assembly line—

endless feeds, constant alerts—

and I need your wisdom
to build, not break.

Teach me to design my digital life
the way I’d design a factory:
clear processes,
few unnecessary steps,
safety features built in from the start.

Help me standardize good habits:
unique passwords,
regular updates,
backups on a schedule—
small routines that keep
the whole system running.

Protect me from cutting corners
for the sake of speed:
rushing past warnings,
clicking untested links,
outsourcing my attention
to whoever shouts the loudest.

And remind me

that the goal is not just throughput,
but human flourishing—
that my stewardship of technology
should leave people
safer, wiser,
and more dignified

than before the machines arrived.

AI‑assisted creative work: This litany is an imaginative parody pastiche using generative AI. It imitates the public persona of [Henry Ford] for commentary and devotional reflection. It is not created by or affiliated with [Henry Ford], and should not be taken as his real views or words.

wracton@gmail.com
williamacton.legalshieldassociate.com (Legalshield and IDshield subscription information and applying for associate positions)

Daily (Art Carney a.k.a., Ed Norton–style) Digital Life Litany for Protection, Direction and Stewardship

Caveat emptier: This post was drafted with help from an AI assistant (Perplexity)— but ideated and edited extensively by the human, Bill Acton

Wikipedia

Lord,
it’s just me down here in the “sewer” of the internet,
poking around the pipes and hoping
I don’t break anything important.

You know I’m the guy who means well,
hits the wrong button,
and suddenly the whole neighborhood’s
wondering what went wrong.

So first off—
give me a little common sense
before I start clicking like a man
digging without a map.

If a message looks funny,
smells funny,
or spells funny,
help me back away
instead of opening the floodgates.

Protect my buddies—
my family, my friends, my Ralphs—
from wild “get‑rich” schemes
and fake “official” notices.

Let me be the pal
who says, “Uh, maybe don’t do that,”
before they hand over the rent money
to some clown in another time zone.

Guard my accounts
like a good manhole cover:
solid, heavy,
not something any stranger
can just pry up and peek into.

Strong passwords,

two‑step checks,
and no sharing the keys
just because someone sounds friendly.

And when I do mess up—
because let’s face it,
I’m gonna—
give me the grace
to laugh, learn,
and fix what I can
without blaming everybody else.

May my stewardship
of this digital city
be a little like the best sidekick work:
loyal, good‑humored,
quietly keeping things flowing
so the whole block
doesn’t back up.

AI‑assisted creative work: This litany is an imaginative parody pastiche using generative AI. It imitates the public persona of [Art Carney] for commentary and devotional reflection. It is not created by or affiliated with [Art Carney], and should not be taken as his real views or words.

wracton@gmail.com
williamacton.legalshieldassociate.com (Legalshield and IDshield subscription information and applying for associate positions)

Daily ("Weird Al” Yankovic–style) Digital Life Litany for Protection, Direction and Stewardship

Caveat emptier: This post was drafted with help from an AI assistant (Perplexity)— but ideated and edited extensively by the human, Bill Acton

Wikipedia

Lord,

it’s me, your accordion‑wielding,
pun‑addicted child,
trying not to turn my whole life
into one big clickbait parody.

I confess:
I have clicked “I agree”
to terms and conditions
I did not even skim.

I have watched “just one more video”
until the sun did a surprise cameo.
Forgive me, for I have auto‑played.

Teach me to remix my habits
before they get remastered
into a greatest‑hits album of bad decisions.

Help me change the lyrics
from “I got hacked again”
to “I backed it up, my friend.”

When an email says
“Dearest Beneficiary”
or “Your package is being held
by mysterious authorities,”
remind me that not every hook deserves a chorus—
and some songs are just scams
in a major key.

Guard my passwords
like secret song files:
long, strange,
and not all the same.
No more “accordion123”
or “EatIt1979.”
Help me compose
something even I can’t guess without a set list.

Protect me from becoming
a walking viral trend—
so hungry for views
that I forget there are humans
on the other side of the punchline.

Let my jokes punch up,
not down;
let my parodies reveal nonsense,
not deepen someone’s shame.

And when the timeline turns into a tragedy—
bullying, hate,
misinformation on tour—
give me the courage
to use my weird little voice
for something kinder:
a goofy song that teaches,
a laugh that disarms,
a share that actually helps.

So that, when the credits roll on this digital life,
the outtakes show
not just silliness and spoofs,
but a heart that tried to keep folks safe,
tell the truth with a wink,

and leave the internet
a tiny bit less awful
than I found it.

AI‑assisted creative work: This litany is an imaginative parody pastiche using generative AI. It imitates the public persona of ["Weird Al” Yankovic] for commentary and devotional reflection. It is not created by or affiliated with ["Weird Al” Yankovic], and should not be taken as his real views or words.

wracton@gmail.com
williamacton.legalshieldassociate.com (Legalshield and IDshield subscription information and applying for associate positions)

Daily (François-Marie Arouet--Voltaire–style) Digital Life Litany for Protection, Direction and Stewardship

Caveat emptier: This post was drafted with help from an AI assistant (Perplexity)— but ideated and edited extensively by the human, Bill Acton

Wikipedia

Lord,
in this age of instant opinions
and very slow reflection,
teach me to cultivate my own garden online.

Grant me the courage
to think for myself
before I share for everyone else.

When rumors spread faster than reason,
let me pause to ask
for evidence, for context,
for the simple question:
“How do we know this is true?”

Protect me from both tyranny and superstition
in the digital realm:
from authorities who demand blind trust,
and from conspiracies that demand I abandon all trust.

Help me walk the narrow path
of critical faithfulness—
skeptical without becoming bitter,
curious without becoming gullible.

Guard my words
so that wit does not curdle into cruelty,
and satire does not become an excuse to punch down.

And grant that my stewardship
of this bright, noisy salon
will favor clarity over noise,
liberty over manipulation,
and a stubborn commitment to defending the dignity
of those with whom I most strongly disagree.

AI‑assisted creative work: This litany is an imaginative parody pastiche using generative AI. It imitates the public persona of [Voltaire)] for commentary and devotional reflection. It is not created by or affiliated with [Voltaire)], and should not be taken as his real views or words.

wracton@gmail.com
williamacton.legalshieldassociate.com (Legalshield and IDshield subscription information and applying for associate positions)

Daily (Bruce Lee–style) Digital Life Litany for Protection, Direction and Stewardship

Caveat emptier: This post was drafted with help from an AI assistant (Perplexity)— but ideated and edited extensively by the human, Bill Acton

Wikipedia

Lord,

this digital world is like water—

it flows everywhere,

takes the shape of any vessel,

and can gently nourish

or slowly erode.

Teach me to be like water,

not like debris.

Let my mind stay clear,

my movements deliberate,

my responses chosen

instead of automatic.

Protect me from the attacks

I never see coming:

a single careless tap

that opens a door to thieves,

a moment of anger

that becomes a permanent record.

Help me intercept the scam

before it lands,

redirect the insult

without letting it pierce me.

Guide me to train

in small, daily disciplines:

strong passwords,

two‑factor checks,

pausing to breathe

before I click or post.

These are my forms and drills

for the modern battlefield.

And grant that my stewardship

of this wired life

reflects true mastery—

not control over others,

but control over myself;

not fear of technology,

but skillful use of it

in the service of what is right.

AI‑assisted creative work: This litany is an imaginative parody pastiche using generative AI. It imitates the public persona of [Bruce Lee] for commentary and devotional reflection. It is not created by or affiliated with [Bruce Lee], and should not be taken as his real views or words.

wracton@gmail.com
williamacton.legalshieldassociate.com (Legalshield and IDshield subscription information and applying for associate positions)

Daily (Sun Tzu–style) Digital Life Litany for Protection, Direction and Stewardship

Caveat emptier: This post was drafted with help from an AI assistant (Perplexity)— but ideated and edited extensively by the human, Bill Acton

Wikipedia

Lord,

the art of war has moved

from fields and walls

to cables and clouds.

Teach me to know this battlefield.

Let me study myself and the enemy:

my habits, my weaknesses, my impulses;

their tricks, their lures, their timing.

For if I know both,

I need not fear

a hundred phishing attempts.

Help me choose my ground wisely:

to avoid risky sites,

to limit what I share,

to fight only the battles that matter.

The greatest victory online

is to prevent the conflict

before it begins.

Protect my strongholds—

email, banking, identity—

with layers of defense

instead of a single fragile gate.

Where I am weak,

let me reinforce;

where I am strong,

let me stay vigilant.

And grant that my strategy in this digital war

always serves a just peace:

defending the vulnerable,

shielding my household,

and refusing to use

the weapons of deceit

even when they seem effective.

AI‑assisted creative work: This litany is an imaginative parody pastiche using generative AI. It imitates the public persona of [Sun Tzu] for commentary and devotional reflection. It is not created by or affiliated with [Sun Tzu], and should not be taken as his real views or words.

wracton@gmail.com
williamacton.legalshieldassociate.com (Legalshield and IDshield subscription information and applying for associate positions)

Daily ( Emmy Noether–style) Digital Life Litany for Protection, Direction and Stewardship

Caveat emptier: This post was drafted with help from an AI assistant (Perplexity)— but ideated and edited extensively by the human, Bill Acton

Wikipedia

Lord of hidden patterns
and deep symmetries,
you know that behind
the chaos of appearances
lie quiet, consistent laws.

Help me look for those laws
in my digital life.

Show me how every permission I grant,
every small convenience I accept,
has a “conserved quantity”—
my data, my time, my privacy—
that does not vanish,
but moves somewhere else.

Teach me to respect invariants:
truth that does not change
with trending topics,
dignity that does not depend
on likes or followers,
responsibility that remains mine
no matter how many others
are clicking the same thing.

Protect the structures
that hold my life together—
relationships, vocation, integrity—
from slow erosion
by constant distraction.

Let my security practices
be mathematically sound:
unique keys,
limited access,
checks that catch
small deviations
before they become disasters.

And grant that my stewardship
of this digital world
reflects your quiet order:
using reason and care
to balance openness with safety,
freedom with responsibility,
so that what matters most
stays conserved
through every change.

AI‑assisted creative work: This litany is an imaginative parody pastiche using generative AI. It imitates the public persona of [Emmy Noether] for commentary and devotional reflection. It is not created by or affiliated with [Emmy Noether], and should not be taken as her real views or words.

wracton@gmail.com
williamacton.legalshieldassociate.com (Legalshield and IDshield subscription information and applying for associate positions)

Daily (Jocko Willink–style) Digital Life Litany for Protection, Direction and Stewardship

Caveat emptier: This post was drafted with help from an AI assistant (Perplexity)— but ideated and edited extensively by the human, Bill Acton

Jocko.com

Lord,
this is my digital battlefield.
I own it.

When I get compromised,
no excuses—
I clicked, I failed to verify,
I got lazy with my security.

Help me face that truth
so I can adapt and harden
instead of blaming everyone else.

Give me a daily protocol:
check the perimeter (accounts),
inspect the gear (devices),
review the intel (alerts and updates).

Simple, repeatable,
non‑negotiable.

Protect me from the ambush
of “just this once”:
just this one sketchy download,
just this one angry post,
just this one time
I ignore every red flag.

Those are the moments
that get people
and teams
destroyed.

Teach me to lead up and down the chain
in my home and workplace:
helping others understand the risks,
sharing lessons learned
without arrogance,
building a culture
where security is everyone’s job.

And when I’m tempted
to burn hours in the digital fog—
doom‑scrolling, arguing,
escaping real problems—
pull me back to the mission
you’ve actually given me.

Let my stewardship
of this digital life
reflect discipline, humility,
and quiet courage—
so that, online as on any battlefield,
I default to protecting
what truly matters.

AI‑assisted creative work: This litany is an imaginative parody pastiche using generative AI. It imitates the public persona of [Jocko Willink] for commentary and devotional reflection. It is not created by or affiliated with [Jocko Willink], and should not be taken as his real views or words.

wracton@gmail.com
williamacton.legalshieldassociate.com (Legalshield and IDshield subscription information and applying for associate positions)

Daily (Johnny Cash–style) Digital Life Litany for Protection, Direction and Stewardship

Caveat emptier: This post was drafted with help from an AI assistant (Perplexity)— but ideated and edited extensively by the human, Bill Acton

(Wikipedia)

Lord,

you’ve walked with me

through back roads and prisons

over train tracks and through headlines.

Now I’m walking the line online,

and I need your steady hand.

Keep me from stepping

into the smoke-filled back room of a scam—

those slick messages

callin' me by name,

promisin' me the world,

leavin' me broke and ashamed.

Guard my “good name”

tighter than my favorite black suit—

so that one bad post,

one angry thread,

doesn’t become a stain

we can’t ever scrub off.

When the feed gets mean

and the crowd is jeerin',

teach me not to throw punches

through the keyboard.

Help me speak for the locked‑up,

the left‑out,

the folks getting chewed up

by systems and schemes

and algorhithms.

Let my security be as tight and tuned

as the strings on this old guitar:

strong passwords,

careful steps,

all in a cord

before I trust.

And when the day is done,

may the record show

that I did my best

to walk that digital line—

true to you,

true to myself,

and kinder to others

than this old world expects.

AI‑assisted creative work: This litany is an imaginative parody pastiche using generative AI. It imitates the public persona of [Johnny Cash] for commentary and devotional reflection. It is not created by or affiliated with [Johnny Cash], and should not be taken as his real views or words.

wracton@gmail.com
williamacton.legalshieldassociate.com (Legalshield and IDshield subscription information and applying for associate positions)

Daily (Leonard Cohen–style) Digital Life Litany for Protection, Direction and Stewardship

Caveat emptier: This post was drafted with help from an AI assistant (Perplexity)— but ideated and edited extensively by the human, Bill Acton

Wikipedia

Lord,
you know the cracks in me
better than any algorithm ever could.
You also know how easily
this bright, humming world
can widen them.
When I turn to the screen
looking for comfort—
a face, a song, a scrap of news—
help me notice
when the comfort curdles into gloom,
when the scroll becomes a prayer
to gods of envy and despair.
Protect me from illusions
of intimacy without cost:
late‑night messages
that ask nothing at first,
then slowly reach
for my secrets,
my money,
my trust.
Guard my image
from being sliced and repurposed—
my voice cloned,
my words misquoted,
my history rewritten
by tools that care nothing
for truth or consent.
Teach me to bless the cracks
without glamorizing the wounds—
to speak honestly about pain
and failure and doubt
without feeding the appetite for spectacle.
And when I log off
into the quiet,
let some small, true light
still be there—
a reminder that love,
in its slow, unmarketable way,
is safer than fame
and wiser than any feed.

AI‑assisted creative work: This litany is an imaginative parody pastiche using generative AI. It imitates the public persona of [Leonard Cohen] for commentary and devotional reflection. It is not created by or affiliated with [Leonard Cohen] and should not be taken as his real views or words.

wracton@gmail.com
williamacton.legalshieldassociate.com (Legalshield and IDshield subscription information and applying for associate positions)

Daily (Joni Mitchell–style) Digital Life Litany for Protection, Direction and Stewardship

Caveat emptier: This post was drafted with help from an AI assistant (Perplexity)— but ideated and edited extensively by the human, Bill Acton

Simple Wikipedia

God,
these screens are another kind of city—
paved in pixels,
crowded with strangers,
full of small blue windows
into other people’s skies.

When I start tracing
every polished square
against the sketch of my own life,
remind me that comparisons
are just another kind of smog.

Clear the air so I can see
where I really stand.

Protect me from trading
my own wild, crooked story
for somebody else’s filter—
from reshaping my face, my voice, my truth
to fit an algorithm’s idea
of what will “play.”

Teach me to map this territory
like a careful cartographer:
marking the cliffs of obsession,
the swamps of misinformation,
the quiet parks of beauty and insight
where I can rest a while
without losing myself.

Help me steward my digital presence
like a handmade song—
honest, layered,
open to change—
so that what I share
adds a little clarity
to someone else’s over‑bright day,
instead of more glare.

AI‑assisted creative work: This litany is an imaginative parody pastiche using generative AI. It imitates the public persona of [Joni Mitchell] for commentary and devotional reflection. It is not created by or affiliated with [Joni Mitchell, and should not be taken as his real views or words.

wracton@gmail.com
williamacton.legalshieldassociate.com (Legalshield and IDshield subscription information and applying for associate positions)

Summer 2026 Haptic English Accent, Pronunciation and Identity Improvement Course!

 June 18th ~August 26th!

In about three months make ecellent progress in improving English accent or pronunciation and be trained in how to keep on improving after the 10-week course.

• The recorded, 30-minute weekly training lessons are free, available on Thursdays on Youtube
• There is a 30-minute daily homework practice assignment with each lesson.
• The next week on Wednesday at 8 p.m. EST there is a live Zoom feedback session on that lesson for students who are enrolled in the course (for $250 USD)
• During the feedback sessions students are guided in using AI to manage their homework practice and progress.
• The feedback sessions are recorded, so you can always access them later if necessary.
• To really benefit from the course, you should (1) have a minimum IELTS of 4.5, (2) do the homework, and (3) enroll for the Wednesday feedback sessions.

The instructor, Bill Acton, has been teaching pronunciation for about 50 years. His method is "haptic," that is it uses a great deal of gesture and touch to make learning easier and more enjoyable. This course also makes extensive use of AI and identity protection training.

(This is also a good course for an instructor who wants an introduction to haptic pronunciation teaching. You can sit in for the same course fee, plus we have a weekly instructor meeting!) 

Please pass on to anybody who could use this course!!!

For more information or to sign up: wracton@gmail.com

Daily (Jacques Derrida–style) Digital Life Litany for Protection, Direction and Stewardship

Caveat emptier: This post was drafted with help from an AI assistant (Perplexity)— but ideated and edited extensively by the human, Bill Acton

Wikiquote

Lord,

in this labyrinth of screens and signs,

nothing ever appears simply as it is.

Teach me to suspect the “natural” interface—

to ask who wrote the code,

who benefits from this design,

what traces are left

each time I click “accept.”

Guard me from taking any platform

as neutral ground.

Help me see the power

hidden in defaults and settings,

in what is easy and what is buried

three menus deep.

When a message claims to be urgent,

authentic, self‑evident,

give me a little delay—

a pause where I can deconstruct:

Who is speaking?

Whose voice is missing?

What assumptions are smuggled in

with this link, this image, this request?

Protect my identity

from being reduced to a dataset,

my friendships

from being flattened into metrics,

my attention

from being colonized by an endless chain

of “related content.”

And grant that my stewardship

of this digital text we inhabit

may be attentive and just—

reading against the grain

of manipulation,

opening space for the other,

and refusing the lie

that there is no alternative

to the way things are now.

AI‑assisted creative work: This litany is an imaginative parody pastiche using generative AI. It imitates the public persona of [Jacques Derrida] for commentary and devotional reflection. It is not created by or affiliated with [Jacques Derrida], and should not be taken as his real views or words.

wracton@gmail.com
williamacton.legalshieldassociate.com (Legalshield and IDshield subscription information and applying for associate positions)

Daily (Maximilien Robespierre–style) Digital Life Litany for Protection, Direction and Stewardship

Caveat emptier: This post was drafted with help from an AI assistant (Perplexity)— but ideated and edited extensively by the human, Bill Acton

Wikipedia

Lord,

in every age,

the promises of liberty

can be betrayed

by the machinery of power.

In this new republic of code and wires,
guard me from both tyrants and mobs—
from surveillance systems
that watch without consent,
and from digital guillotines
that destroy lives in a single viral hour.

Teach me to love justice
without loving punishment.

Let my zeal for exposing wrongdoing
never outrun my commitment
to truth, proportion,
and the possibility of repentance.

Protect me from the intoxication
of righteous outrage online—
the thrill of joining a crowd,
of seeing heads roll
in comment sections
and careers end with a hashtag.

Help me examine
the tools I use in the name of virtue:
Are they transparent?
Are they accountable?
Do they protect the weak,
or merely satisfy our thirst
to see someone fall?

And grant that my stewardship
of this digital public square
would pursue a freedom
that does not devour itself—

where the defense of rights
never becomes an excuse
for cruelty.

AI‑assisted creative work: This litany is an imaginative parody pastiche using generative AI. It imitates the public persona of [Maximilien Robespierre for commentary and devotional reflection. It is not created by or affiliated with [Maximilien Robespierre], and should not be taken as his real views or words.

wracton@gmail.com
williamacton.legalshieldassociate.com (Legalshield and IDshield subscription information and applying for associate positions)