Craig Spence Writer

Author: Craig Spence

  • Is ours a thankless world?

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    Craig Spence
    in

    One of my daily affirmations is: “Receive with gratitude, appreciation, and admiration.” In other words, say ‘thank you’, not in a perfunctory way, but in thoughtful and heartfelt recognition of the conscious beings who provide me with the things and circumstances that make me happy. But this Thanksgiving morning, as I uttered my affirmations, I…

  • AI: Is it really intelligent?

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    Craig Spence
    in

    I’ve been troubled lately by two questions about the global race to build AI data centres: First, a couple of observations about the scale of the AI phenomenon. Between now and 2050, it is predicted that more than $31 trillion will be invested in AI data centres. Put into perspective, that’s an amount just shy…

  • Invasive Species

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    Craig Spence
    in

    CBC news item morphes into the deformed imagery of Trumpism… A headlined article on CBC’s online news page about a rapacious species of bullfrog infesting lakes in the Comox Valley conjured an ugly caricature of the new American nightmare. The American bullfrog will “…decimate all the other wildlife that’s here,” one concerned Comox Valley resident…

  • To swat a fly

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    Craig Spence
    in

    The convoluted irony of ‘existence’ is that we must kill in order to survive. We try to avoid that internal contradiction by demeaning and devaluing the lives of the species we exterminate and slaughter, diminishing our need to sorrow over each and every death. Thus, we absolve ourselves. But even the flies we swat are…

  • Mother’s Day 2026

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    Craig Spence
    in

    When Diana sees this post she’ll be annoyed. It’s an artified version of photos taken while she was still in her housecoat, before she’d had her first resuscitating cup of java and a chance to gussy herself up for the day. But that’s the point of the image, which I created as the cover of…

  • Sea Lions in Chemainus Bay

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    Craig Spence
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    Every spring, they arrive, heaving themselves out of the salty sea and waddling onto the log booms of Chemainus Bay. For days, we’d heard them barking, a cacophony of fierce declarations about who owns what and—just as importantly—who doesn’t. Their ceaseless honking reminded us of our kayaks, stowed in the garage. They hadn’t yet been…

  • A Haiku novice’s takeaways

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    Craig Spence
    in

    My writers group experimented with Haiku the other day. It’s a poetic practice that focuses and refines your thoughts in the telling. It could become a habit! My examples don’t adhere to the spiritual and artistic standards of genuine Haiku, but do encapsulate that sense of ‘being in the moment.’ Sometimes—at least to me—my shutter-takes…

  • Feet-first in love

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    Craig Spence
    in

    FEET FIRST IN LOVE Craig Spence Voluntary Royalty Payment Payments made through this form are depoisted directly and entirely as royalties to author Craig Spence for this D2W edition. Thank you for your support!

  • Leaping Dogs

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    Craig Spence
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    (Scroll to bottom for audio, text + another image) Meet One of Donna’s Very Best Friends Leaping DogsExuberant beingscome into our lives,preconceptions of loveand joy…Celebrationsbeyond the boundsof reason.If we let themif we coax themif we love themback again.Nurturing is the wordwe’re looking for here.And back again they comein many shapes and formsadding to the what…

  • Life from a writer’s POV

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    Craig Spence
    in

    What’s the difference between a job and a vocation? A job is what you do; a vocation defines you.A job is something you can change; a vocation changes you.A job is done for the money; a vocation isn’t about the money.A job takes time; a vocation fills it.You can take time off work; there’s no…