Artificial Intelligence is everywhere right now. It’s on the news, in boardrooms, and in everyday conversations. But despite all the noise, most people still hesitate to actually use it.
That’s why I’ve been encouraging people through my newsletter and social posts with a simple slogan: AI – Just Use It.
You don’t have to be a developer. You don’t have to be a tech genius. You just need to be willing to experiment. And the best part? Today’s no-code platforms make it easier than ever to turn an idea into a working app in hours—not months.
In this blog, I want to show you why I’ve been building small apps with no-code, what I’ve learned, and how you can do the same. By the end, you’ll walk away with simple app ideas you can build this week—even if you’ve never coded a day in your life.

Why I Believe in “AI – Just Use It”The gap between people who talk about AI and those who actually use it is massive. I meet people all the time who are curious about AI but think it’s “too technical” or “not for them.”
That’s just not true.
The reality is, if you can use a computer and follow basic instructions, you can use AI. And if you can drag, drop, and type into text boxes, you can build apps with no-code tools.
For me, the best way to learn has always been by doing. So instead of just talking about AI, I started applying my own advice. I decided to build small web apps—mostly for practice, fun, and learning.
The results have been surprising. Not only did I sharpen my skills, I also discovered just how much you can do today without ever writing a single line of code.

My App Experiments (So Far)Here are a few examples of the apps I’ve built using different no-code platforms. Each one taught me something new and reinforced my belief that the best way to learn AI is by using it.

• 🎮 Hangman (Built in Base44): A modern take on the classic word game, built quickly to explore Base44’s features.
  
• 🤣 PunQuest (Built in Replit): A word game full of puns, designed to be fun and lighthearted while testing how AI could assist with content generation.
  
• 📢 StreamPostAI (Built in Replit): A practical tool that helps streamline social media posting for creators.
  
• ✍️ Story Creator (Built in Replit): A simple story-generation app that lets anyone spark ideas or draft quick fiction.
  
• ⚡ RapidShooter (Built in Floot): A fast-paced clicker-style game, made mostly to see what could be done with a different no-code builder.
  
• 🎯 Rapid Shooter (Emergent): Another game variation built in Emergent.sh, showing how easy it is to prototype across platforms.
  

None of these are billion-dollar startups. They don’t need to be. Each app gave me hands-on practice, taught me new workflows, and reinforced the idea that the only barrier to entry today is hesitation.

What I Learned from Building Small AppsEvery app, no matter how small, gave me lessons that apply far beyond no-code building.

1. Perfection is the enemy of progress
   If I had waited until I had a “perfect” idea, none of these apps would exist. Launching small taught me speed matters more than polish.
   
2. Every tool has strengths and weaknesses
   Replit is great for flexibility, Base44 makes building super-fast, Floot and Emergent each have unique perks. You don’t need to marry one platform—experiment with many.
   
3. Users value creativity more than complexity
   People smiled at PunQuest not because it was complex, but because it was fun. Simplicity resonates.
   
4. Confidence grows by doing
   Every small project built my confidence. Now when I talk about AI and no-code, I’m not just repeating theory—I’m speaking from practice.
   

Why No-Code + AI is a Game-ChangerTraditionally, building apps required years of coding knowledge. No-code tools flip that equation. You can now:

• Drag and drop elements onto a page.
  
• Connect databases with a few clicks.
  
• Integrate AI features (like text generation or image creation) by pasting in an API key.
  

The combination of no-code + AI lets you build apps that aren’t just static, but smart. Instead of waiting for a developer to “someday” help you launch your idea, you can test it yourself this weekend.

Simple App Ideas You Can Build This WeekIf you’ve been hesitating to start, here are a few beginner-friendly ideas you can build using no-code platforms like Replit, Bubble, Glide, or Base44:

1. Habit Tracker with AI Motivation
   
   • Users log daily habits.
     
   • AI generates short motivational messages based on their progress.
     
   • Use it for fitness, journaling, or productivity.
     
2. Daily Gratitude Journal
   
   • A simple web app where users enter three things they’re grateful for each day.
     
   • AI suggests prompts if they feel stuck (e.g., “What’s one small win you had today?”).
     
3. AI-Powered Quiz Generator
   
   • Users enter a topic (e.g., “history of Canada” or “basic coding”).
     
   • AI generates a 5-question quiz instantly.
     
   • Great for teachers, students, or trivia fans.
     
4. Simple Recipe Finder
   
   • Users type the ingredients they have in their kitchen.
     
   • AI suggests quick recipes using those ingredients.
     
5. Mood-to-Music Recommender
   
   • Users select their current mood.
     
   • AI recommends playlists, songs, or even generates a poem/lyric to match.
     

These aren’t complex apps—but that’s the point. They’re fun, useful, and achievable in a weekend with zero coding experience.

How to Get StartedHere’s a step-by-step approach if you’re new to no-code and AI:

1. Pick a no-code platform
   Start with one that feels easy to you. Replit and Base44 are great for beginners. Glide and Bubble are also popular.
   
2. Choose a tiny idea
   Don’t try to build “the next Facebook.” Pick something small, like a daily habit tracker.
   
3. Add AI where it fits
   Use AI for text generation, recommendations, or fun interactions. Most platforms let you connect to ChatGPT or similar models easily.
   
4. Publish and share
   Once your app is live, share it with a few friends or on social media. Feedback helps you learn.
   
5. Repeat and scale
   Each project gets easier. Soon you’ll be confident enough to tackle bigger ideas—or even build a business around them.
   

Final Thought: Don’t Just Learn AI--Use ItThe truth is, most people will never go beyond reading about AI. They’ll stay on the sidelines, waiting until things “settle down” or until they feel “ready.”
But here’s the thing: you’ll never feel ready until you start.
My advice, and the message I keep repeating in my newsletter, is simple: AI – Just Use It.
Start with a small, silly app. Build something just for fun. Get your hands dirty. You’ll be amazed at what you learn and how quickly your confidence grows.
Because the people who use AI today are the ones who will be miles ahead tomorrow.

When I founded ZenoshiAI, I had one goal: make AI education accessible to everyone. That’s why our academy is completely free, with over 60 bite-sized videos (each between 1 and 5 minutes) that anyone can watch to learn how AI can enhance their lives and businesses.

But when I published my book, The Urgency Code – Why We Must Act Now Before It’s Too Late, something surprising happened.

Many people assumed it was about teaching yourself AI skills, suggesting tools to try, or giving a roadmap for skilling up quickly before the AI wave swallows us whole.
It’s not.

This Book Isn’t About Learning AI. It’s About Surviving It.
While AI education is critical, The Urgency Code tackles a much larger issue—one that no individual alone can solve. It’s about what’s going to happen if governments and corporations don’t act immediately to protect humanity from the massive job losses AI is already setting into motion.

We’re not just talking about a few jobs here and there. We’re talking about a fundamental shift in the global workforce.

And education, while vital, won’t be enough.

I don’t stop at outlining the problems. The book offers real ideas and solutions, things that can be implemented now to soften the blow and create a future where technology benefits everyone, not just the few.

Yes, It Gets Dark (But It Doesn’t Have to Be)
Some readers have called the second third of the book dystopian. And yes, it is. Because if we don’t act now, that dystopia is exactly where we’re headed.

But I didn’t write The Urgency Code to scare you. I wrote it to wake us all up, to start a movement around these ideas before it’s too late.

We, all of us, need to have this conversation. We need to demand change.

Available Now
The Urgency Code is available on Amazon in both Hardcover and Kindle formats. If you’re a Prime member, you may even be able to read it for free.

If you do read it, and I hope you will, please consider leaving an honest review. It helps more than you know.

Together, we can build a future where AI works for humanity, not against it.

There is more information The Urgency Code website.

I love anything that makes me money as I sleep or as I go to work.  And so far this trading robot has done that for me.  And here are some reasons I like it: https://app.bitsgap.com/bots-sharing/ef33b975

1. My money stays in my Binance account and is connected through an API. In other words, I am in control and not giving my money to someone else
2. You can back test any pair of currencies before you start trading to see if you even want to trade those pairs
3. Lots of YouTube videos where you can learn how to set up the bot.
4. Once set, you can basically forget about it.  Out of excitement I check it 2 to 3 times a day just to see how much I made
5. The first 14 days is free and then it is just $19 per month and you can run up to 2 bots.  In my first 14 days I made $62 so I had no problem paying the $19 fee.  In all I made $148 in that first 30 days.
6. You can click on THIS LINK and see how my current trades are going.  Then if you want you can sign up for your 14 day trial.

Wanna Give It a Try?  CLICK HERE NOW

I was trying to set up a new blog and I stumbled on some old blogs I used to have that I had totally forgotten about. In fact reading them now, I am astonished at what I was writing about such a long time ago. Like this one from 2011. https://exittheratrace.blogspot.com/ I must have been going through some tremendous personal growth at the time.
 
Or how about this one from 2009? https://thefreedomtrain.blogspot.com/
 
Some of you might remember this one: https://themoneyseminar.blogspot.com/

Here's another one from 2012: https://littleideascanchangetheworld.blogspot.com/ 

W.I.S.E.craks: https://wisecraks.blogspot.com/search/label/Waterfalls
​
This one is 13 years old: https://cashflowcreation.blogspot.com/

Old Blogs - New Tricks? 
So now I have to figure out if I can use these old blogs again in some way by integrating them with current businesses. Can I use my old Blogs?

The Immigration Ban is a Headfake, and We’re Falling For It?   By ​Jake Fuentes

The following post appeared in Medium and was brilliantly thought out and written by Jack Fuentes. The link to the original article can be found at the bottom of this post. I think Mr Fuentes may be on to something quite brilliant here. What if there is something much more devious going on than an awful immigration ban?
​
When I read about the incredibly active first week of the Trump administration, I struggle with two competing narratives about what’s really going on. The first story is simple: the administration is just doing what it said it would do, literally keeping its campaign promises. Lots of people won’t agree, but it’s playing to its base. They’re also not really good at this whole government thing yet, so implementation is shaky. The second is more sinister: the administration is deliberately testing the limits of governmental checks and balances to set up a self-serving, dangerous consolidation of power.
A legitimate argument can be made for the former: a relatively extreme and inexperienced administration was just put in place, and they haven’t yet figured out the nuances of government. But a few of the events in the past 72 hours —the intentional inclusion of green card holders in the immigration order, the DHS defiance of a federal judge, and the timing of Trump’s shakeup of the National Security Council — have pointed to a larger story. Even worse, if that larger story is true, if the source of this week’s actions is a play to consolidate power, it’s going really well so far. And that’s because mostly everyone — including those in protests shutting down airports over the weekend— are playing right into the administration’s hand.
I obviously can’t pretend to know the intentions of the new President, but let’s pretend the power consolidation move is what’s actually happening. In fact, let’s pretend we’re the Trump administration (not necessarily Trump himself, more likely his inner circle) for a second. Here’s our playbook:

1. We launch a series of Executive Orders in the first week. Beforehand, we identify one that our opponents will complain loudly about and will dominate the news cycle. Immigration ban. Perfect.
2. We craft the ban to be about 20% more extreme than we actually want it to be — say, let’s make the explicit decision to block green card holders from defined countries from entering the US, rather than just visa holders. We create some confusion so that we can walk back from that part later, but let’s make sure that it’s enforced to begin with.
3. We watch our opposition pour out into the streets protesting the extremes of our public measure, exactly as we intended. The protests dominate the news, but our base doesn’t watch CNN anyway. The ACLU will file motions to oppose the most extreme parts of our measure, that’s actually going to be useful too. We don’t actually care if we win, that’s why we made it more extreme than it needed to be. But in doing so, the lawsuit process will test the loyalty of those enforcing what we say.
4. While the nation’s attention is on our extreme EO, slip a few more nuanced moves through. For example, reconfigure the National Security Council so that it’s led by our inner circle. Or gut the State Department’sability to resist more extreme moves. That will have massive benefits down the road — the NSC are the folks that authorize secret assassinations against enemies of the state, including American citizens. Almost nobody has time to analyze that move closely, and those that do can’t get coverage.
5. When the lawsuits filed by the ACLU inevitably succeed, stay silent. Don’t tell the DHS to abide by the what the federal judge says, see what they do on their own. If they capitulate to the courts, we know our power with the DHS is limited and we need to staff it with more loyal people. But if they continue enforcing our EO until we tell them not to, we know that we can completely ignore the judicial branch later on and the DHS will have our back.
6. Once the DHS has made their move, walk back from the 20% we didn’t want in the first place. Let the green card holders in, and pretend that’s what we meant all along. The protestors and the ACLU, both clamoring to display their efficacy, jump on the moment to declare a huge victory. The crowds dissipate, they have to go back to work.
7. When the dust settles, we have 100% of the Executive Order we originally wanted, we’ve tested the loyalty of a department we’ll need later on, we’ve proven we can ignore an entire branch of government, and we’ve slipped in some subtle moves that will make the next test even easier.

We’ve just tested the country’s willingness to capitulate to a fascist regime.

Assuming this narrative is true (again, I have no idea what the administration intends), the “resistance” is playing right into Trump’s playbook. The most vocal politicians could be seen at rallies, close to the headlines. The protests themselves did exactly what they were intended to: dominate the news cycle and channel opposition anger towards a relatively insignificant piece of the puzzle. I’m not saying that green card holders should be stuck in airports — far from it. I’m saying there might be a much larger picture here, and the immigration ban is a distraction.
So for those that believe that the power consolidation narrative is true and want to oppose it, how does that happen?
First, stop believing that protests alone do much good. Protests galvanize groups and display strong opposition, but they’re not sufficient. Not only are they relatively ineffective at changing policy, they’re also falsely cathartic to those protesting. Protestors get all kinds of feel-good that they’re among fellow believers and standing up for what’s right, and they go home feeling like they’ve done their part. Even if protestors gain mild, symbolic concessions, the fact that their anger has an outlet is useful to the other side. Do protest, but be very wary of going home feeling like you’ve done your job. You haven’t.
Second, pay journalists to watch for the head fake. That’s their job. Become a paying subscriber to news outlets, then actively ask them to more deeply cover moves like the NSC shakeup. We can no longer breathlessly focus media attention on easy stories like the immigration ban. The real story is much more nuanced and boring — until it’s not.
Third, popular attention must focus less on whether we agree with what the government is doing, and more on whether the system of checks and balances we have in place is working. It is a much bigger deal that the DHS felt they could ignore a federal court than that Trump signed an EO blocking green card holders in the first place. It is a much bigger deal that Trump removed a permanent military presence from the NSC than that he issued a temporary stay on immigration. The immigration ban may be more viscerally upsetting, but the other moves are potentially far more dangerous.
Once again, I’m desperately hoping that none of this narrative is actually true, and that we merely have a well-intentioned administration with some execution problems. I’m also hoping and praying that the structure of our democracy is resilient even to the most sophisticated attacks. I’m hoping that the better angels of our nature will prevail. But with each passing day, the evidence tilts more in the other direction.

Original Article Link: https://medium.com/@jakefuentes/the-immigration-ban-is-a-headfake-and-were-falling-for-it-b8910e78f0c5#.nd8e5o63m

How to let a populist beat you, over and over again.

The following article appears in it's entirety in the Washington Post. Click the link at the bottom to read it all. I highly recommend that for all my American friends and even my Canadian friends who could soon find themselves in the throes of their own Trumpism with Mr O'Leary. 

Donald Trump is an avowed capitalist; Hugo Chávez was a socialist with communist dreams. One builds skyscrapers, the other expropriated them. But politics is only one-half policy: The other, darker half is rhetoric. Sometimes the rhetoric takes over. Such has been our lot in Venezuela for the past two decades — and such is yours now, Americans. Because in one regard, Trump and Chávez are identical. They are both masters of populism.
The recipe for populism is universal. Find a wound common to many, find someone to blame for it, and make up a good story to tell. Mix it all together. Tell the wounded you know how they feel. That you found the bad guys. Label them: the minorities, the politicians, the businessmen. Caricature them. As vermin, evil masterminds, haters and losers, you name it. Then paint yourself as the savior. Capture the people’s imagination. Forget about policies and plans, just enrapture them with a tale. One that starts with anger and ends in vengeance. A vengeance they can participate in.
That’s how it becomes a movement. There’s something soothing in all that anger. Populism is built on the irresistible allure of simplicity. The narcotic of the simple answer to an intractable question. The problem is now made simple.
The problem is you.
How do I know? Because I grew up as the “you” Trump is about to turn you into. In Venezuela, the urban middle class I come from was cast as the enemy in the political struggle that followed Chávez’s arrival in 1998. For years, I watched in frustration as the opposition failed to do anything about the catastrophe overtaking our nation. Only later did I realize that this failure was self-inflicted. So now, to my American friends, here is some advice on how to avoid Venezuela’s mistakes.

• Don’t forget who the enemy is.

Populism can survive only amid polarization. It works through the unending vilification of a cartoonish enemy. Never forget that you’re... Continue Reading Here

I have had a few people contact me over the last 3 weeks asking me what I think of the new social network, Empowr.  I felt it was important for me and anyone who has any influence in social media to step in and stop their friends from being scammed. Yes, it is one huge scam folks.
 
And here are a few reasons why:

1- In order to cash out, you have to provide either your credit card details or a PayPal account, and when you provide your payment details, you have to agree to this:


2- Without you knowing, when you post something on Empowr, you automatically use their Ad Credits. If you have provided your payment details and have accepted the above terms, you will automatically be charged on your credit card or your PayPal account if you use more than $2 worth of advertising fee. Remember, this advertising fee is levied each time you perform an activity on Empowr, moreover, you will be charged a 2.9% ad platform fee on a monthly basis.

​3- Any earnings that you make from Empowr takes 90 days (3 months) to mature, but it takes you a few seconds to pay their advertising fees. Does it make sense to you? Why you can’t cash out immediately if you have paid their advertising fee?  

HOW DOES EMPOWR MAKE MONEY?
 
This is the first question I asked and no one had an answer. Now I know!
 
You are required to do several things - 4 in particular to make money on Empowr.
1- Post - Photo's, comments, etc.
2- Share - others, photo's and comments
3- List - Products for sale
4- Bid - which also lets you reshare what you bid on.  
 
Every time you do any of these you get 'paid'. You also get charged. (CATCH)> You have to complete all four tasks every single day so that the money you are supposed to get paid will mature in 90 days. One of those tasks by the way, LIST is the most frustrating as your listings get rejected no matter how closely you follow their rules. And if you get rejected enough times they put you in LIST JAIL for a period of time.
 
But all this Makes Sense now!
 
This is how they make money. If you and I can't achieve our daily goals but are being charged for all our activities, every day for 90 days, we are not going to have enough income from Empowr to cover our expenses.
 
HANGING ON...THE ILLUSION
 
There are a lot of people hanging on in Empowr because they see their balances growing. That's what I did. My balance was over $10,000 and I couldn't cash out even though I was active enough to be frequently in the top 100.  What I didn't realize is all that activity was costing me money. 
 
That money you have in Empowr is the beautiful illusion they put in front of you while they pick your back pocket.
 
My clue came when PayPal sent me a notice saying my account was in arrears. I was shocked as I had not used my PayPal account for any purchases. So I logged in and low and behold Empowr had their hand in my PayPal account to the tune of about $140 USD. I filed a complaint with PayPal BUT that didn't work because I had signed their agreement (see point #1 conveniently and fraudulently called their FREE Automatic Account Protection.  Who were they protecting the account from? Ha I'm such an idiot...
 
When my PayPal balance gets negative they try to get the money from one of the credit cards I provided. So I cut off that credit card. Just in time as well.
 
December 22nd the Empowr Alligators come again this time for $142.43 which my credit card denied.
December 22nd again they now try to get $158 and again denied.
 
No way I was going to let these scum bags get more money. So my final act was to delete the account with the following comments. I make a promise in those comments that I am going to keep. And if you will share this with your friends and loved ones to keep them from getting scammed that would help me spread the word.
 
My Comments Upon Deleting My Account and the Illusory $9,000 I had in there.
 
I am tired of you lot taking money from my paypal account and me not earning enough to cover that even though I'm listed in the top 100 in Canada. I will not be associated with these types of scams. I am social media guru with over 50,000 followers on various social media platforms and I am going to blast you guys across all of them.
 
I realize I probably don't have much hope in winning my battle to recover $140 USD in funds that were taken from my PayPal account but I am working on it.  But you're about to get a shit load of publicity. So I will bow down and you can kiss my ass.
 
MORE NIGHTMARE STORIES can be found in the comments of this link: http://barenakedscam.com/empowr

Over the years I have owned everything from Timeshares to RCI and ICI vacation memberships. I stayed away from these over the last few years because I got tired of the all the fees from maintenance to booking to transfer and so on. 
 
I have found something through a friend that I think has solved all the problems that I saw with everything I mentioned above.

1. There are no annual fees, maintenance fees, transfer fees, or booking fees. In fact no fees at all.
2. There is only a one time membership cost that lasts a lifetime.
3. The membership gets members significant discounts on vacation accommodations.
4. Massive amount of choices from over 200 countries around the world.
5. Since we in Calgary, live so close to the world’s most popular resorts, Banff, Lake Louise and Kananaskis, we get to benefit even more from incredible savings with this membership.
   1. A recent ‘Hot Weeks’ offer had the Rocky Mountain Resort in Banff for just $99 for the whole week.
   2. Another one from the Fairmont Hot Springs for just $100 for an entire week.
   3. At the above rates we could drive up to the mountains and enjoy these vacations several times a year, even if we only stayed for a long weekend.
   4. These vacations alone save anywhere from $900 to $1,500 a week.
6. Some people are using these vacations to take clients out for some one-on-one time.
7. Because of the US Dollar difference with the Canadian Dollar we anticipate the membership price rising significantly by the end of the year.
8. Ask how your organization/non-profit can use this as a Fundraiser.
9. Major Promotion: From now until November 15th 2015:
   1. Receive a $250 Visa or MasterCard gift card which could make the first vacation, if it is to Banff, free. Or contribute towards airfare for a more elaborate vacation.