Alex & Chris’s Personal Blog Posts
Alexander Barnes Blog Posts, Art and his journey through Astrocytoma
Christopher Preiman Novel Reviews
The Blog
After receiving my astrocytoma diagnosis, I found myself overwhelmed by medical information that was hard to understand, let alone apply to my life. Like so many others facing this journey, I wanted to make sense of what lay ahead in a hopeful, human-centered way.
I’m Alexander Barnes. By profession, I’m a UX/UI designer for the last 16 years, crafting experiences that bridge the gap between human needs and digital worlds.
The journey with Astrocytoma, including AI-assisted and reflections on the fragility of the brain and the afterlife.
Mini-Stroke Survival: How AI and a Touch of Star Trek Guided Me Back to Health. We’re in a strange new world.
I was rushed to the ER. After 2.5 hours in an MRI. They found out I had a stroke. Things are a little weird right now.
Just had an out-of-this-world experience because of Astrocytoma. If it weren't for the photos, no one would believe me!
“Be a positive energy trampoline – absorb what you need and rebound more back.” — Dave Carolan
“There is nothing more complicated than perception.” ATRX - IDH1 - TP53 - And their strange mutations.
“Mortality gives meaning to human life. Love, friendship, these are precious because we know they cannot endure.” -Data
“But whatever the meaning and purpose of this universe, you are a legitimate part of it.” - Gene Roddenburry
“It is possible that the future may not be in the hands of the scientists, as we often believe. It may well be in the hands of communicators.” - Gene Roddenburry
I’m not sure what to think about how long I’m going to live now. Not sure I will live a normal length of life and might have to pray for only a decade or two. I’ve heard some horror stories online about…
This has been the darkest week of my life. Sunday night I had a seizure and was admitted to Kaiser. They performed a CT scan and saw…
For those of you who don’t know, I’ve been spearheading a remake of the PlayStation 1’s Colony Wars and Colony Wars: Vengeance. I’ve wanted to remake this game since…
Just like the rest of the world, I’ve been playing the Quake Re-release on my PC and Nintendo Switch for the last three weeks. Like the rest of the internet…
I was inspired to revisit the origins of everyone’s favorite dark elf ranger, Drizzt Do'Urden…
I know what a fearful-avoidant is. I know because I’m a magnet for them. If all that I am was reduced to a single word, that word would be…
Artemis Fowl is many things, a Genius, a very rich man, a criminal mastermind, and oh right, twelve. When his father, Artemis Fowl the first, made some…
"It was a UFO!" some exclaimed. But within my family, raised on a diet of "Star Trek" and the hopeful idealism of the 60s, there was no room for fear, only curiosity.
Had a really profound dream last night. I’ve been reading and watching testimonials about DMT experiences which I think was the background of this dream.
Like many, many chapters in The Amaranth Chronicles: Deviant Rising, Chapter 12: There were four lights, is one I think both Chris and I have seen clearly in our
Just woke up from a nightmare. I literally didn’t have time to even edit this, I just need to get this out.
Some might say I’ve spent too much time alone since the pandemic started, but this blog post may convince you that I haven’t spent damn near enough time in isolation.
“Early childhood trauma: the gift that keeps giving”
Now, that being said, there are two types of people reading this post; the ones who say “Sure, but what's that have to do with an 80’s cartoon?” and the ones who say “Finally someone said it! …
It’s easy to feel completely invisible in Silicon Valley. I don’t know how everyone else who’s looking for work during the pandemic is getting through it, but I’m remarked by how little things have changed for me, and that’s not a good thing…
The merciless Covenant is waging a war of annihilation on mankind, and they are winning. The United Nations Space Command once held hundreds of planets…
Have you ever been persuaded to sit down with a book, or TV show, or movie, absolutely sure you weren’t going to enjoy it?
Jake London is your average-ish fifteen year old artistic and, somewhat, nerdy kid that just happens to be wracked with…
It’s thrilling to be part of that transformation, whether through UX design, sci-fi storytelling, or AI development.