Another day, another theory - this one posits that the lack of universal healthcare in the US is responsible for how badly we have been impacted. A counter-argument for that is not too hard to come by.
The lack of a national, publicly-funded universal health system is a critical deficiency. But our persistent inability to set one up is itself the result of other dysfunctional aspects of American society, including the corruption of our political system by powerful commercial and class interests and the American "exceptionalism" that blinds us to what we can learn from other countries.
Healthcare in America is completely broken - there is no doubt about that. But corruption of the political system is hardly unique to us and neither are commercial and class interests. We have been slow to learn from others because sometimes the framework goes against the grain.
However, time has indeed come to think of "exceptionalism" differently. There are three parts to this concept - that the history of the United States is inherently different from those of other nations, that we have a unique mission to transform the world and that our history and mission give us superiority over other nations.
The first of the three is a constant as the facts of how America came to be cannot be altered. What is problematic is the second part about transforming the world - it seems to make us incapable of transforming ourselves constantly to be able to claim such a role.
And given our lack on introspection and inner growth there is no merit to the third part. It would be great if we could revisit why this country came to exist in the first place and in that context ask ourselves what we should no now or next to remain true to our raison d'etre. The way we are handling the crisis today begs a reset in every way possible.
crossings as in traversals, contradictions, counterpoints of the heart though often not..
Tagged and Coded
Interesting video from CDC about what happened to America because of reckless spring breaks. Earlier, I was listening a story on NPR about the current state of Shanghai where it is business as usual but the usual is no longer the same. People will get coded and quarantined as a matter of course. Everyone has a QR code on their phone that is scanned and based on associated movement data, the person is assigned a code of red, yellow or green. Rules follow the code.
What struck me as most notable was the response of the person being interviewed - an American herself. She said she felt safer knowing there was a process in place to keep people safe. I pondered what that meant on a larger scale. This event will have us scared bad enough that we will do what it takes to not end up dead from a virus. If that means giving up freedom and privacy it will be a price we would be willing to pay. That definitely sounds like a dream come true for those who seek to have control over us. What better way to achieve their goals than to have people gratefully opt-in to be tagged, coded and monitored at all times.
The scale of the disaster is what it is because the support systems that are supposed to exist in society have never been stress tested and are now falling apart. Even code does not get promoted without testing for performance and somehow we all were okay with having our safety net completely untested. Faced with circumstances that can upend the rest of our lives, we are still not agitating to fix what is so badly broken. We have now been subdued to give up more and expect less. Something feels wrong about the whole situation.
What struck me as most notable was the response of the person being interviewed - an American herself. She said she felt safer knowing there was a process in place to keep people safe. I pondered what that meant on a larger scale. This event will have us scared bad enough that we will do what it takes to not end up dead from a virus. If that means giving up freedom and privacy it will be a price we would be willing to pay. That definitely sounds like a dream come true for those who seek to have control over us. What better way to achieve their goals than to have people gratefully opt-in to be tagged, coded and monitored at all times.
The scale of the disaster is what it is because the support systems that are supposed to exist in society have never been stress tested and are now falling apart. Even code does not get promoted without testing for performance and somehow we all were okay with having our safety net completely untested. Faced with circumstances that can upend the rest of our lives, we are still not agitating to fix what is so badly broken. We have now been subdued to give up more and expect less. Something feels wrong about the whole situation.
Parallel Reality
Parallel reality is interesting in this airline passenger use case, but the road to hell as we know is paved with good intentions. I don't enjoy scanning the lost list of flight numbers to find mine, triple check that the gate number on the board agrees with what is on the airline app. To that end, a big board telling me and only me where the heck my connection was at would be super helpful.
But then they want to get personal and start recommending shopping options and such, maybe even more. Alert Uber drivers in the destination city that I am likely to arrive late and will be look for a ride to the hotel. They could be even more helpful, start helping me plan for the next day and my return trip to. Comes a point when that board know and tell me way more than I like. This is not even counting showing me headline news that is "relevant" only to me.
The guy right next too me even if going on the same flight would see a totally different world. The random conversations between strangers stuck together for a few hours in planes may become harder. We don't even have the same problems to commiserate over. Our realities will run parallel to each other.
Living Spring
My daily walk that I am still lucky I can do often takes me to an empty school yard. Often I am alone there and the only sound is that of birds chirping. The traffic has died down a great deal so it is now possible to hear the birds clearly. I feel grateful for the freedom to take a walk each day - something many of my elderly relatives in India are sorely missing. I call them often these days to cheer them up as they wait for life to resume. My aunt M is chronically ill and immuno-compromised. We are all worried about her making it to the end of this thing. She lives confined to her room with almost no human contact.
I remembered a few days ago a family I knew from childhood who moved from Kolkata to Flushing. We met them a couple of times after they immigrated. Yesterday, I wondered if they were still in NY and safe. This is the first time I they have come to mind in two or three decades. Maybe in the crisis of this proportion, we start to pull closer to everyone we know and love. Maybe the birds get a break from our noise and chaos and sing more freely, enjoy the bounties of springtime. The young dad forced to work from home bonding with his two little girls in the empty parking lot playing silly games with them - also a chance beneficiary of these difficult times. When those kids grow up they may remember this period of time quite fondly.
I remembered a few days ago a family I knew from childhood who moved from Kolkata to Flushing. We met them a couple of times after they immigrated. Yesterday, I wondered if they were still in NY and safe. This is the first time I they have come to mind in two or three decades. Maybe in the crisis of this proportion, we start to pull closer to everyone we know and love. Maybe the birds get a break from our noise and chaos and sing more freely, enjoy the bounties of springtime. The young dad forced to work from home bonding with his two little girls in the empty parking lot playing silly games with them - also a chance beneficiary of these difficult times. When those kids grow up they may remember this period of time quite fondly.
Second Attempts
From Mashable on how isolation and exes can make a bad combination. On the one hand it is scary thought to date strangers in times like this, yet the feeling of loneliness only intensifies being alone, isolated and socially distant for an indefinite period of time. Stands to reason that exes will miss what was once familiar and comfortable, see if the other side is desperate enough to give it another shot. Being alone in such times can be incredibly hard. Each day the level of uncertainty grows and it is normal to want something to latch on to that will feel stable and unchanging.
The insufferable quirks of the pesky ex may be a source of comfort now. Better that than meeting the end of the world alone. A young person I know told me recently how the pandemic cut short her time with the man she felt a very strong connection with. They may meet again but time and distance does change things. She wishes to be strong and not hope for what may never be. I shared these lines by Tennyson with her that feel all cliche until it actually happens to you
I hold it true, whate'er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.
I wish my young friend godspeed and that she may be reunited with the one she cares about; told her they are lucky that in the time of internet distance is not insuperable.
The insufferable quirks of the pesky ex may be a source of comfort now. Better that than meeting the end of the world alone. A young person I know told me recently how the pandemic cut short her time with the man she felt a very strong connection with. They may meet again but time and distance does change things. She wishes to be strong and not hope for what may never be. I shared these lines by Tennyson with her that feel all cliche until it actually happens to you
I hold it true, whate'er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.
I wish my young friend godspeed and that she may be reunited with the one she cares about; told her they are lucky that in the time of internet distance is not insuperable.
Being Seen
This article about the perils of video conference calls was written in peaceful times a few years back. Today, those of us lucky to be able to work from home have very little choice. There is some pressure and expectation that you will turn the camera on during a call. This has to be your new normal. Put in perspective this is a reasonable ask - you should have much to be grateful for and there is no reason to complain. That said, most people I know find the non-stop being on camera tiresome. As the author points there are no benefits but there is overabundant stress that comes from being watched by a number of people like you were in solitary fish in a fish-bowl. Many would agree with the author when he says:
I don't want to participate in your video call. I don't want you to look at me. I don’t want to look at you. It’s awkward and weird. Video calls add yet another layer of stress to the work day. I don't look nearly as put together as you do. I'm not dressed very well. Many times I'm working from home so I'm not much dressed at all and believe me no one wants to see that.
I have noticed women are much more reluctant to get on the video than men are. To be a team-player you need to do what most are doing irrespective of the level of discomfort. Some separation between your co-worker's personal and work life is usually beneficial. I am not sure if there is advantage to seeing people feeding their pets, managing their kids and trying to be in a call all at the same time. It is visually distracting, takes away from the professional persona of the individual but provides very little if any value. I am not sure why it has become the mantra of the hour to be on video all day long.
I don't want to participate in your video call. I don't want you to look at me. I don’t want to look at you. It’s awkward and weird. Video calls add yet another layer of stress to the work day. I don't look nearly as put together as you do. I'm not dressed very well. Many times I'm working from home so I'm not much dressed at all and believe me no one wants to see that.
I have noticed women are much more reluctant to get on the video than men are. To be a team-player you need to do what most are doing irrespective of the level of discomfort. Some separation between your co-worker's personal and work life is usually beneficial. I am not sure if there is advantage to seeing people feeding their pets, managing their kids and trying to be in a call all at the same time. It is visually distracting, takes away from the professional persona of the individual but provides very little if any value. I am not sure why it has become the mantra of the hour to be on video all day long.
Father and Daughter
In the middle of these calamitous times that we are living in, my eighty year old father decided to rely on no man but himself to get his bag of rice. That trip to the grocery store ended with him tripping on the escalator and getting a head injury. He was very fortunate that he did not suffer consequences beyond a wound and some bleeding. But it produced days of anxiety for us all who tried and failed to corral him. Stir crazy old people are not much easier to manage than children.
The conversations I have with him these days are no different from those I had with J when she was a child. He is not openly defiant but finds loopholes in what he has been forbidden to do. It's like a game for him just as it would be for a toddler - see what boundaries he can push and get away with. There is something wonderfully endearing to see my father as he may have been as a child except that he actions produce incredible stress for me.
I wanted to write about how this whole event felt - at the time I heard about it, his attempts to make it took like it was not his fault and finally when he came into compliance and I felt sad I broke his spirit. It brought home the realization that we don't know how deep our love runs for those with whom we have a difficult relationship. I have admired him for as long as I remember and wanted to be like him. My entire life has been about being a daughter worthy of him. And yet our relationship has been extremely contentious, wild disagreements, loud arguments and long silences have been the predominant themes.
Yet somewhere beneath all that turmoil lies something deeper - maybe that is love and attachment that cannot be undone. Interestingly enough, watching this most recent debacle unfold, J commented that grandpa and I are not so far apart "Like father, like daughter" she said. She fully expects that I will be all but impossible to manage by the time I am his age - I will act obtuse and confused by turn to get away with my infractions just as he does. According to J, she is getting a preview of what her life will be like when I am old. Maybe there is some truth to what she says.
The conversations I have with him these days are no different from those I had with J when she was a child. He is not openly defiant but finds loopholes in what he has been forbidden to do. It's like a game for him just as it would be for a toddler - see what boundaries he can push and get away with. There is something wonderfully endearing to see my father as he may have been as a child except that he actions produce incredible stress for me.
I wanted to write about how this whole event felt - at the time I heard about it, his attempts to make it took like it was not his fault and finally when he came into compliance and I felt sad I broke his spirit. It brought home the realization that we don't know how deep our love runs for those with whom we have a difficult relationship. I have admired him for as long as I remember and wanted to be like him. My entire life has been about being a daughter worthy of him. And yet our relationship has been extremely contentious, wild disagreements, loud arguments and long silences have been the predominant themes.
Yet somewhere beneath all that turmoil lies something deeper - maybe that is love and attachment that cannot be undone. Interestingly enough, watching this most recent debacle unfold, J commented that grandpa and I are not so far apart "Like father, like daughter" she said. She fully expects that I will be all but impossible to manage by the time I am his age - I will act obtuse and confused by turn to get away with my infractions just as he does. According to J, she is getting a preview of what her life will be like when I am old. Maybe there is some truth to what she says.
Alternate Analysis
Interesting Wired article on the indirect data points that tell a truer story of the current crisis.
Samir Madani is the founder of TankerTrackers, a company that leverages open source information to provide insights on the global crude oil industry to small traders. As the coronavirus pandemic unfolded, he has turned to an eclectic suite of sources to navigate the mayhem.
Combining data from vessel transponders with satellite images, he has periodically checked how many oil tankers are in anchorage in China, unable to deliver their cargo – an intimation both of how well China’s ports are functioning amid the pandemic, and of how well industrial production is keeping up.
This makes more sense than looking at the direct data of number of cases and mortality rates. There are too many holes there to see what is really going on. When I talk to my parents, I hear concerns about deliberate under-reporting by the government so as to not panic everyone. They don't believe the official numbers for India. Depending on the latest conspiracy theory floating around that one of their geriatric friends has shared with them, their level of FUD rises.
For instance, the level of Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emissions, regularly posted on Nasa’s website, is a proxy for pretty much any post-industrial human activity.
The idea of looking at data that serves as proxy for actual human behavior is a sensible one - it eliminates the concerns of deliberate obfuscation. If all of this analysis points to the same conclusion of the situation then chances are it may be accurate.
Samir Madani is the founder of TankerTrackers, a company that leverages open source information to provide insights on the global crude oil industry to small traders. As the coronavirus pandemic unfolded, he has turned to an eclectic suite of sources to navigate the mayhem.
Combining data from vessel transponders with satellite images, he has periodically checked how many oil tankers are in anchorage in China, unable to deliver their cargo – an intimation both of how well China’s ports are functioning amid the pandemic, and of how well industrial production is keeping up.
This makes more sense than looking at the direct data of number of cases and mortality rates. There are too many holes there to see what is really going on. When I talk to my parents, I hear concerns about deliberate under-reporting by the government so as to not panic everyone. They don't believe the official numbers for India. Depending on the latest conspiracy theory floating around that one of their geriatric friends has shared with them, their level of FUD rises.
For instance, the level of Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emissions, regularly posted on Nasa’s website, is a proxy for pretty much any post-industrial human activity.
The idea of looking at data that serves as proxy for actual human behavior is a sensible one - it eliminates the concerns of deliberate obfuscation. If all of this analysis points to the same conclusion of the situation then chances are it may be accurate.
Life Changing
The entertainment industry is one of many current casualties of the pandemic. And the aftermath for one industry will likely affect others. Like the ice-cream shop and the nice restaurants by the movie theater than was forced to shutter. Like people growing weary of the empty shelves where there once used to be toilet paper may migrate en-masse to bidets. The rapid disappearance of toilet paper upon school closure and directives to work from home highlighted people's toilet habits.
A majority must be doing their business out side home and that explains the panic buying. Schools and places of work have likely been subsidizing the collective cost of society going to the toilet. Maybe the presence of bidets at home will create a dis-incentive to use free toilet paper provided by work and school. Maybe the overall experience of being cleaned by water will feel better and we may end up saving some trees in the process. Will this experience turn us to germophobes? Will we continue to wipe, scrub and clean from fear of the dread virus or will be relax back into our old habits? The length and the intensity of the episode will determine what changes stick and what does not.
A majority must be doing their business out side home and that explains the panic buying. Schools and places of work have likely been subsidizing the collective cost of society going to the toilet. Maybe the presence of bidets at home will create a dis-incentive to use free toilet paper provided by work and school. Maybe the overall experience of being cleaned by water will feel better and we may end up saving some trees in the process. Will this experience turn us to germophobes? Will we continue to wipe, scrub and clean from fear of the dread virus or will be relax back into our old habits? The length and the intensity of the episode will determine what changes stick and what does not.
Random Connection
Reminds me of Chatroulette which back in the day a very cool concept specially the idea of serendipitous connections in a time of social isolation. Every day when I take my walk, I wonder about about all those families behind closed doors and how this catastrophe is unfolding very differently for each family.
Not every one likes each other's company. There are abusive relationships where time apart in a very important safety valve. There are kids who are not the best managed at home because the adults never had the time or energy to do that job - it was mostly outsourced to school and other organized care-givers. Now everyone is forced to endure each other's company with no end in sight. Cannot imagine the consequences will be all positive. The stories about how abusers are using the situation against their victims is heart-breaking.
“Perpetrators are threatening to throw their victims out on the street so they get sick,” Katie Ray-Jones, the CEO of the National Domestic Violence Hotline tells TIME. “We’ve heard of some withholding financial resources or medical assistance.
Not every one likes each other's company. There are abusive relationships where time apart in a very important safety valve. There are kids who are not the best managed at home because the adults never had the time or energy to do that job - it was mostly outsourced to school and other organized care-givers. Now everyone is forced to endure each other's company with no end in sight. Cannot imagine the consequences will be all positive. The stories about how abusers are using the situation against their victims is heart-breaking.
“Perpetrators are threatening to throw their victims out on the street so they get sick,” Katie Ray-Jones, the CEO of the National Domestic Violence Hotline tells TIME. “We’ve heard of some withholding financial resources or medical assistance.
The idea of connecting with a random stranger at such times may even be a lifeline for some
Staying Local
Interesting essay about the not so clear winners and losers from doing right by environment. Being able to recycle used cotton and other bio-degradable material to spin fiber that works the same as cotton sounds like a good idea yet it may not be good for everyone.
If that level of efficiency is ever achieved, it might help save the planet — or it might not. The most likely outcome is that it would save the asses of fashion companies facing an environmentally and politically uncertain future. It also might complete what the industrial revolution started more than 200 years ago, by fully consolidating fashion’s supply chain into the world’s large cities. That could make rural life even more untenable for millions of farmers around the world who rely on cotton for their livelihood. But at that point — for better or, quite possibly, for worse — those farmers will no longer be the fashion brands’ responsibility.
Reading this made me think about the impact of reducing consumption of everything one person at a time. If a vast majority of people who currently shop for clothes several times a year decided to hit the pause button for a year or two, that would hurt businesses. At the very bottom of the food chain though is the same set of poor cotton farmers in the third world that would be the worst hit from consumers doing the "right thing". It seems as if the rural economies should decouple from global corporations so they become masters of their own destiny.
If that level of efficiency is ever achieved, it might help save the planet — or it might not. The most likely outcome is that it would save the asses of fashion companies facing an environmentally and politically uncertain future. It also might complete what the industrial revolution started more than 200 years ago, by fully consolidating fashion’s supply chain into the world’s large cities. That could make rural life even more untenable for millions of farmers around the world who rely on cotton for their livelihood. But at that point — for better or, quite possibly, for worse — those farmers will no longer be the fashion brands’ responsibility.
Reading this made me think about the impact of reducing consumption of everything one person at a time. If a vast majority of people who currently shop for clothes several times a year decided to hit the pause button for a year or two, that would hurt businesses. At the very bottom of the food chain though is the same set of poor cotton farmers in the third world that would be the worst hit from consumers doing the "right thing". It seems as if the rural economies should decouple from global corporations so they become masters of their own destiny.
Afternoon Walk
It is a beautiful spring day outside. Traffic very sparse and and except for the occasional runner, there was just me for a couple of hours. In the deserted school yard not far from where I live. some kids were playing basketball and tennis. Families had come out for air amid the desolation. I found myself listening to My Heart is a Ghost Town and thought why of all songs that one came to mind. It felt sadly apropos and apocalyptic despite trees in full bloom, wild flowers all around and the the bright blue sky.
This is not what the end of the world looks like. J is finally home and feeling lost like just about everyone she knows. Their journey into adulthood and independence has been placed on indefinite pause and that has got to feel incredibly suffocating. It will be a learning experience for me to navigate her through occasional pep-talks and steer her in the direction she wants to go, not feel like the world has totally spun out of control. In the meanwhile, I have no idea what the next day or month holds as much as I want to believe this too shall pass. Acting brave and confident around your kids is something all of us parents have to get very good at in the days to come.
This is not what the end of the world looks like. J is finally home and feeling lost like just about everyone she knows. Their journey into adulthood and independence has been placed on indefinite pause and that has got to feel incredibly suffocating. It will be a learning experience for me to navigate her through occasional pep-talks and steer her in the direction she wants to go, not feel like the world has totally spun out of control. In the meanwhile, I have no idea what the next day or month holds as much as I want to believe this too shall pass. Acting brave and confident around your kids is something all of us parents have to get very good at in the days to come.
Worth Repeating
Continuing to read Wonderland and enjoying it. Here is what the author says about the origins of music:
I suspect music first emerged not with a need but with a difference: an unusually resonant sound happened to emerge out of the structure of some hollow object—a reed or a bone—creating a tone just different enough from the ordinary cacophony of the world that the ear took note. The sound wasn’t meaningful yet, or laden with the kind of emotional overtones that humans now associate with music. It was just new. And like the unusual shade of Tyrian purple, because the sound was new, it was interesting, worth repeating, worth tinkering with.
Made me think about novel things in today that we tend to find "interesting, worth repeating, worth tinkering with" . The Internet of Things came to mind. At first it was about industrial use cases, fault and failure detection (as well as prediction). This was a realm far removed from the the world of Alexa in a child's bedroom serving the role of a robotic friend. Perhaps the idea of things connected and communicating with each other was like music in paleolithic times. We wanted to do more and different with the concept and here were are.
I suspect music first emerged not with a need but with a difference: an unusually resonant sound happened to emerge out of the structure of some hollow object—a reed or a bone—creating a tone just different enough from the ordinary cacophony of the world that the ear took note. The sound wasn’t meaningful yet, or laden with the kind of emotional overtones that humans now associate with music. It was just new. And like the unusual shade of Tyrian purple, because the sound was new, it was interesting, worth repeating, worth tinkering with.
Made me think about novel things in today that we tend to find "interesting, worth repeating, worth tinkering with" . The Internet of Things came to mind. At first it was about industrial use cases, fault and failure detection (as well as prediction). This was a realm far removed from the the world of Alexa in a child's bedroom serving the role of a robotic friend. Perhaps the idea of things connected and communicating with each other was like music in paleolithic times. We wanted to do more and different with the concept and here were are.
End of Tunnel
Lately I have been stepping into grocery stores and pharmacies just to assure myself the world is still okay, the shelves are not all bare. Seeing depleted supplies replenished in a few days fills me with hope that tomorrow can and will be better, that the end of this ordeal is near. Today I was chatting with a young lady at the local CVS who told me she had one last travel sized hand-sanitizer that she could give me now. My alternative was to wait until next Tuesday when the supply truck came. People were queued outside the store since 5:30 am so it would not be easy even on that day.
That there is still a path to more supplies at least right now and that felt oddly assuring - next Tuesday a large number of people (even if not me) would be able to stock up on hand sanitizer. Maybe my turn might come a few weeks out - I can live with that.
For the kids who left to college last fall and are back home for an indefinite period of time now, the future is scary uncertain. The days and months matter in this phase of their life. There is no way to stockpile the college experience like hand-sanitizer to expend over this hiatus of unknown duration. Helping J to navigate this unexpected phase of life will prove a challenge for me I have no doubt.
That there is still a path to more supplies at least right now and that felt oddly assuring - next Tuesday a large number of people (even if not me) would be able to stock up on hand sanitizer. Maybe my turn might come a few weeks out - I can live with that.
For the kids who left to college last fall and are back home for an indefinite period of time now, the future is scary uncertain. The days and months matter in this phase of their life. There is no way to stockpile the college experience like hand-sanitizer to expend over this hiatus of unknown duration. Helping J to navigate this unexpected phase of life will prove a challenge for me I have no doubt.
Starting Benign
If these small ad that runs on top of a car, proved to be effective, then it won't be too long before such ads would run on digital wraps that can be changed on demand. Advertisers would subsidize people's cars based on the routes they drive and the number of eye-balls they can attract along the way. It usually starts small and even appearing to be a beneficial idea.
I remember the first time, I got a laptop at work in addition to a desktop computer. Back then, there was no expectation that having a laptop meant the employee was always available for work. It seemed like a good idea to have access away from work specially that you could now work from home if needed - that felt very empowering. Over time that changed, constant encroachment into personal life and time became the norm unless you pushed back hard. I learned never to respond to emails over the weekend and later not engage in text exchanges after work hours. The space had to carved out diligently every single day. The early feelings of empowerment faded away over time.
At first, the idea of running ads atop or around a car at no cost to the driver or rider may seem like a good thing but it can also be the beginning of the end as this Atlantic article says about how the laptop ruined your life. But as they say - that was then and this is now. The inability to work from home in the present situation could be the difference between having a livelihood or not at all. There is no work-life balance or integration depending on your preference - if you able to work from home while managing kids and domestic obligations all at the same time, you are in the lucky minority.
I remember the first time, I got a laptop at work in addition to a desktop computer. Back then, there was no expectation that having a laptop meant the employee was always available for work. It seemed like a good idea to have access away from work specially that you could now work from home if needed - that felt very empowering. Over time that changed, constant encroachment into personal life and time became the norm unless you pushed back hard. I learned never to respond to emails over the weekend and later not engage in text exchanges after work hours. The space had to carved out diligently every single day. The early feelings of empowerment faded away over time.
At first, the idea of running ads atop or around a car at no cost to the driver or rider may seem like a good thing but it can also be the beginning of the end as this Atlantic article says about how the laptop ruined your life. But as they say - that was then and this is now. The inability to work from home in the present situation could be the difference between having a livelihood or not at all. There is no work-life balance or integration depending on your preference - if you able to work from home while managing kids and domestic obligations all at the same time, you are in the lucky minority.
Finding Hope
Watched The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind to catch a break from the scary situation we are dealing with these days. J will be traveling back home mid next week and I will be on edge until she is physically with me. Such a beautifully made movie and what an inspiring story. Was the perfect way to escape from the uncertainties we are facing. It is about a boy who liked to tinker and create things that helped his struggling community, the transforming power of education to those who are able to extract value from it.
When you are concerned about when you will eat the one meal you can eat each day so the rest of family may survive, thinking big is already a miraculous achievement. Being able to persist and execute on it even more so. I found this story that brought hope in difficult times. Yes, the grocery aisles are bare and there is a waiting period of over three weeks for toilet paper if I wanted to buy online - small miseries compared to what millions of people around the world face every day with no end in sight. They survive, thrive and sometimes a boy like William Kamkwamba even harnesses the wind.
Amidst the feeling of powerlessness about our destiny these days, not knowing what the next day or the hour will bring, it was particularly calming to see a young kid decide to challenge the status quo and bring change - would have been much easier to resign to the circumstances. Maybe there is a lesson there for the extraordinary challenges we are facing lately.
When you are concerned about when you will eat the one meal you can eat each day so the rest of family may survive, thinking big is already a miraculous achievement. Being able to persist and execute on it even more so. I found this story that brought hope in difficult times. Yes, the grocery aisles are bare and there is a waiting period of over three weeks for toilet paper if I wanted to buy online - small miseries compared to what millions of people around the world face every day with no end in sight. They survive, thrive and sometimes a boy like William Kamkwamba even harnesses the wind.
Amidst the feeling of powerlessness about our destiny these days, not knowing what the next day or the hour will bring, it was particularly calming to see a young kid decide to challenge the status quo and bring change - would have been much easier to resign to the circumstances. Maybe there is a lesson there for the extraordinary challenges we are facing lately.
Only Half
This lovely poem crossed my mind while listening to the keynote address of a tech CEO. He filled thirty minutes of place and time with buzzwords, keywords, platitudes and rehashing what everyone in the business already knows. Everyone listened hoping to learn something of value. Our hopes were belied. May he have wrapped up in fifteen minutes or even five to have made an impact?
The company in question, builds fine products that have sold well for years. They continue to be a relevant player in the market. Customers trust them. All the makings of a good story and reason to take a victory lap. He aimed to explain where is company is going next and how they have always been ahead of the trend. More importantly, he wanted to stake his claim on a page or two in the history of computing. Maybe that was too much to aim for. Maybe like the poet says :
The very best poem
finishes half way
The company in question, builds fine products that have sold well for years. They continue to be a relevant player in the market. Customers trust them. All the makings of a good story and reason to take a victory lap. He aimed to explain where is company is going next and how they have always been ahead of the trend. More importantly, he wanted to stake his claim on a page or two in the history of computing. Maybe that was too much to aim for. Maybe like the poet says :
The very best poem
finishes half way
Forced Online
I remember the times in my college days when I unexpectedly came home with no scheduled return date. College was closed sine-die following some altercation between various groups of students. The triggers were trivial but the escalations always sharp. We dreaded arriving home after these events - no one felt welcome there and it was awkward not to have a plan. Around us life went on, we remained in limbo waiting to find out when we were supposed to return. Eventually we did and we even miraculously graduated on time. But those forced vacations in the college years are among my worst memories.
I can think of only one student in my entire class who had the inner drive, energy and mental resources to thrive despite these disruptions. She made the most of these breaks to learn and grow as a person. The rest of us simply could not relate to her. We thought she was "weird" generally left her alone. In hindsight, I can't imagine she wanted to deal with us anyway. M made the best of the hand she was dealt but I can't imagine the college was a happy time of her life.
Reading about students being sent home in droves with no clear plan for return reminds me of those times. The level of disruption to the process of learning not counting the diminished quality cannot be overstated. There is a segment of the student population that will be particularly hard hit - teens in middle and high school who are already lackadaisical about school, lack work ethic and are struggling to stay on task and keep up their grades.
Even in a classroom setting they are unable to manage the distractions coming by way of phone and laptop. Now these kids will be working from home where it will become exponentially harder. This teacher's advisory on designing and teaching an on-line curriculum is spot-on. Then there is the other side of the story - the parents of these kids who will stay home indefinitely. I know the plight of a single parent and many have it far worse than I ever did. The rippling effect of school closure is huge as this article points out correctly.
I can think of only one student in my entire class who had the inner drive, energy and mental resources to thrive despite these disruptions. She made the most of these breaks to learn and grow as a person. The rest of us simply could not relate to her. We thought she was "weird" generally left her alone. In hindsight, I can't imagine she wanted to deal with us anyway. M made the best of the hand she was dealt but I can't imagine the college was a happy time of her life.
Reading about students being sent home in droves with no clear plan for return reminds me of those times. The level of disruption to the process of learning not counting the diminished quality cannot be overstated. There is a segment of the student population that will be particularly hard hit - teens in middle and high school who are already lackadaisical about school, lack work ethic and are struggling to stay on task and keep up their grades.
Even in a classroom setting they are unable to manage the distractions coming by way of phone and laptop. Now these kids will be working from home where it will become exponentially harder. This teacher's advisory on designing and teaching an on-line curriculum is spot-on. Then there is the other side of the story - the parents of these kids who will stay home indefinitely. I know the plight of a single parent and many have it far worse than I ever did. The rippling effect of school closure is huge as this article points out correctly.
In the Middle
My immediate family lives in three continents and lately my day begins with responding to messages from my father who is worried for our well-being though pushing eighty, though he is probably among most vulnerable in this pandemic. But he feels just as invincible in his mind as he did when I was a child. Facts and scientific evidence matter little to him. But he presumes the rest of us will not do enough to take care of ourselves unless he harangues us daily. My commonsense advice to him to take care of himself falls on deaf ears. He is still bigger and stronger than us all. It does not help that he has taken to social media only recently and treats everything seen on the internet as the gospel.
Yet his anxieties do percolate down. So right after I speak with him and finish assuring him there is nothing to worry about, I make sure I check in with J, repeat my instructions on how she can best take care of herself. Stuck in the middle, I try to pacify my father on one had and try to shake J out of youthful complacency on the other. To both sides, I need to project a sense of calm as if I know with great certainty nothing will happen to anyone. Such are the joys of being in the middle - neither side knows exactly how information I am trying to gather on this topic all day and how often I am truly scared.
Yet his anxieties do percolate down. So right after I speak with him and finish assuring him there is nothing to worry about, I make sure I check in with J, repeat my instructions on how she can best take care of herself. Stuck in the middle, I try to pacify my father on one had and try to shake J out of youthful complacency on the other. To both sides, I need to project a sense of calm as if I know with great certainty nothing will happen to anyone. Such are the joys of being in the middle - neither side knows exactly how information I am trying to gather on this topic all day and how often I am truly scared.
Failure or Adventure
My parents started their married life in Mumbai. A time of great adventure and discovery for my mother who had never been outside the confines of Kolkata until then. My father has a very different recollection of Mumbai than she does. For him it was a time of hardship, sacrifice and cutting corners every day to support his new family - I was born during their time there.
Whatever charms that the city held for my mother were largely lost on him. He talks about the long commuter train rides, cramped living quarters, having to make a kitchen inside the main living area which was also the only room they had. Soon after I was born, he got a raise and could afford a separate bedroom. To him the entirely of his time in Mumbai, spoke to his failures as a provider for the family and he does not like to remember those times. My mother learned Hindi and a smattering of Marathi, made friends with the ladies in the neighborhood. She learned to cook dishes she had never tasted before. I heard stories about her life and times there into my high-school years.
Reading about these sleep pods in SF brought to mind some of those conflicting accounts of my parents' time spent in Mumbai. Not quite the sleep pod but very cramped quarters all the same and renting a real home was a distant dream for them. Home ownership happened only in a different universe where they had no entry. To some, like my mother, the sleep pod years in SF could be about self-discovery, a time to recall with fond nostalgia. Others may view it as a failure they want to move past and forget about - like my father.
Whatever charms that the city held for my mother were largely lost on him. He talks about the long commuter train rides, cramped living quarters, having to make a kitchen inside the main living area which was also the only room they had. Soon after I was born, he got a raise and could afford a separate bedroom. To him the entirely of his time in Mumbai, spoke to his failures as a provider for the family and he does not like to remember those times. My mother learned Hindi and a smattering of Marathi, made friends with the ladies in the neighborhood. She learned to cook dishes she had never tasted before. I heard stories about her life and times there into my high-school years.
Reading about these sleep pods in SF brought to mind some of those conflicting accounts of my parents' time spent in Mumbai. Not quite the sleep pod but very cramped quarters all the same and renting a real home was a distant dream for them. Home ownership happened only in a different universe where they had no entry. To some, like my mother, the sleep pod years in SF could be about self-discovery, a time to recall with fond nostalgia. Others may view it as a failure they want to move past and forget about - like my father.
Reading Naipaul
First time for me reading A House for Mr. Biswas and I am completely drawn into the world of the characters in a way that I thought was no longer possible. Maybe age and experience living the realities of life had killed that escape hatch for me that was my sanctuary growing up. Back then I could escape into any world - Premchand, Harold Robins, Tolstoy, Barbara Pym, Leon Uris, Thomas Hardy, Alistair McLean, Norman Mailer, James Hilton, R.K Narayan or Tagore just to give a sense of the complete randomness there.
I don't revisit books I have read simply because the volume of what I have not (and want to) is huge and daunting. That perfect escape to another world far removed from mine has grown harder and harder over the years. Reading Naipaul made me feel wonderfully alive again, able to sense and feel atmosphere through words as I once was able to - very effortlessly. It was interesting to read his assessment of his own writing in this essay:
I had no gift. At least, I was aware of none. I had no precocious way with words, no talent for fantasy or storytelling. But I began to build my life around the writing ambition. The gift, I thought, was going to come later, when I grew up. Purely from wishing to be a writer, I thought of myself as a writer. Since the age of sixteen or so I don’t believe a day has passed without my contemplating in some way this fact about myself. There were one or two boys at Queen’s Royal College in Trinidad who wrote better than I. There was at least one boy (he committed suicide shortly after leaving school) who was far better read and had a more elegant mind. The literary superiority of this boy didn’t make me doubt my vocation. I just thought it odd—after all, it was I who was going to be the writer.
I don't revisit books I have read simply because the volume of what I have not (and want to) is huge and daunting. That perfect escape to another world far removed from mine has grown harder and harder over the years. Reading Naipaul made me feel wonderfully alive again, able to sense and feel atmosphere through words as I once was able to - very effortlessly. It was interesting to read his assessment of his own writing in this essay:
I had no gift. At least, I was aware of none. I had no precocious way with words, no talent for fantasy or storytelling. But I began to build my life around the writing ambition. The gift, I thought, was going to come later, when I grew up. Purely from wishing to be a writer, I thought of myself as a writer. Since the age of sixteen or so I don’t believe a day has passed without my contemplating in some way this fact about myself. There were one or two boys at Queen’s Royal College in Trinidad who wrote better than I. There was at least one boy (he committed suicide shortly after leaving school) who was far better read and had a more elegant mind. The literary superiority of this boy didn’t make me doubt my vocation. I just thought it odd—after all, it was I who was going to be the writer.
Doing Right
Excellent essay on how Costco does it and how it manages to survive the retail apocalyse. Worth reading in it's entireity. For me these lines stood out the most:
Corporations only act as ethical as their subset of consumers, and consumers only are pressured to only act as ethical as their value-maximizing formulas allow them to be. This means that making a premature leap towards offering more progressive yet more expensive products or services comes with risk. Risk averse corporations, especially large ones like Costco, have to be completely sure that a market has come maturity before they offer up a product that represents a premium shift in its consumers' ethical frameworks.
The author concludes by offering a solution that seems to address the needs of both retailers and customers
Instead of reacting to the slow evolving standards of decency of its shoppers, there's nothing that's stopping a company from playing a more proactive market making role as long as they accompany this push with convincing evidence for consumers why a new offering is valuable for them.
Company or Factory
I watched The Company Men and American Factory recently. The first is fictional the second is a documentary. The theme of job-loss runs through both. The high-flying sales execs that get laid off in The Company Men have at first blush very little in common with the GM factory workers in American Factory who find a second lease of life in Fuyao Glass.
Yet the pain of job loss and the toll it takes on person's sense of self-worth is universal. The ability to withstand the financial impact would vary but the emotional toll may be more on par. In both stories, we see people who have given up years of their lives for the good of the company and factory, hoping their loyalty and allegiance to the cause mattered. In the end, everyone learns that they are dispensable; that there should not be an expectation of reward beyond paychecks and incentives.
In The Company Men, one of the VPs gets fired and he quickly finds himself unable to afford his lifestyle or pay for his daughter's college tuition. He decides to commit suicide as he does not see a path to re-establishing his career at sixty. A factory worker in American Factory talks about how her pay was slashed in half going from GM to Fuyao and she can't readily buy gym shoes for her kids anymore. Both are accounts of a people having to cope with a loss of ability to provide for family, just the degree of resilience to adversity varies by how far that drop is (or perceived to be in the case of the VP).
Those that are fortunate enough to live well below their means and choose not to do so, up with a lot of self-inflicted pain. It is harder to feel empathy. The factory worker with a few kids and a wage that barely makes ends meet cannot cut any corners. Something is fundamentally flawed with a system that is unable to provide a person who is willing to work hard and long, a decent life. American Factory is a movie about many things - just not the plight of displaced factory workers trying to make it work with the lifeline they were given. Definitely a worthwhile watch.
Yet the pain of job loss and the toll it takes on person's sense of self-worth is universal. The ability to withstand the financial impact would vary but the emotional toll may be more on par. In both stories, we see people who have given up years of their lives for the good of the company and factory, hoping their loyalty and allegiance to the cause mattered. In the end, everyone learns that they are dispensable; that there should not be an expectation of reward beyond paychecks and incentives.
In The Company Men, one of the VPs gets fired and he quickly finds himself unable to afford his lifestyle or pay for his daughter's college tuition. He decides to commit suicide as he does not see a path to re-establishing his career at sixty. A factory worker in American Factory talks about how her pay was slashed in half going from GM to Fuyao and she can't readily buy gym shoes for her kids anymore. Both are accounts of a people having to cope with a loss of ability to provide for family, just the degree of resilience to adversity varies by how far that drop is (or perceived to be in the case of the VP).
Those that are fortunate enough to live well below their means and choose not to do so, up with a lot of self-inflicted pain. It is harder to feel empathy. The factory worker with a few kids and a wage that barely makes ends meet cannot cut any corners. Something is fundamentally flawed with a system that is unable to provide a person who is willing to work hard and long, a decent life. American Factory is a movie about many things - just not the plight of displaced factory workers trying to make it work with the lifeline they were given. Definitely a worthwhile watch.
Sexual Anorexia
Learned the phrase sexual anorexia by way of this Huffpost article. Lot to ponder about in reading the first person account of waiting until forty one and also the Psych Today piece explaining how anorexia and bulimia works in this context. So many women I know would fit the profile of anorexics - even the ones that are married. For women of my mother's generation and older this was the only control they had in their marriage - by way of denying themselves and wresting some power out of their husbands who were the sole breadwinners for the family. While they may have gained some of what they sought, it often came at a terrible cost to physical and mental health.
An older relative once told me this story about how things went for her on the night of her wedding. In the scary intimacy of laying with a stranger in the conjugal bed festooned with garlands of tuberose and jasmine, the husband she had been arranged to marry by her family, asked her if any other man had seen her in this state and if they had thought she was beautiful. The woman in question was under twenty at the time and did not have the presence of mind or the wisdom to know how to deal with such assault.
She answered "No" and in that moment she felt violated, shamed and rejected. The marriage was over even before it had begun. It is no surprise that the woman went on to develop a myriad of illnesses over the years, was severely depressed for decades. Now in her seventies, she is a shell of who she might have been as a woman and a human being. She is a sexual anorexic? Most certainly based on the operating definition though how she arrived to that condition may a bit different
An older relative once told me this story about how things went for her on the night of her wedding. In the scary intimacy of laying with a stranger in the conjugal bed festooned with garlands of tuberose and jasmine, the husband she had been arranged to marry by her family, asked her if any other man had seen her in this state and if they had thought she was beautiful. The woman in question was under twenty at the time and did not have the presence of mind or the wisdom to know how to deal with such assault.
She answered "No" and in that moment she felt violated, shamed and rejected. The marriage was over even before it had begun. It is no surprise that the woman went on to develop a myriad of illnesses over the years, was severely depressed for decades. Now in her seventies, she is a shell of who she might have been as a woman and a human being. She is a sexual anorexic? Most certainly based on the operating definition though how she arrived to that condition may a bit different
Spending with Age
Fun set of graphs that show how our spending pattern changes with age for a variety of categories. The one that stood out for me was the spend on women's dresses. The peak arrives at around fifty. Perhaps this is the time when women are able to afford (and feel like they deserve) to spend on items of clothing that are expensive and are not flavor of the month street fashion. That is the only explanation that seems to make sense.
Surely younger women have a lot more clothes in volume than their older counterparts. If the woman is a lazy and reluctant shopper like me, then by the time they hit their forties, it becomes quite an undertaking to find non-work clothes that are age-appropriate, elegant, versatile and interesting. When you try to bring all that together, the price point no longer makes sense. So when I see that graph I am thinking about women who don't mind spending what it takes to acquire a nice wardrobe for a fifty year old.
Surely younger women have a lot more clothes in volume than their older counterparts. If the woman is a lazy and reluctant shopper like me, then by the time they hit their forties, it becomes quite an undertaking to find non-work clothes that are age-appropriate, elegant, versatile and interesting. When you try to bring all that together, the price point no longer makes sense. So when I see that graph I am thinking about women who don't mind spending what it takes to acquire a nice wardrobe for a fifty year old.
Little and Late
A former colleague and I caught up after a long time recently and conversation turned to counter-offers and why no one we know could cite an instance where it went well. Most people view it skeptically because getting a counter-offer can often highlight that you were invisible until you decided to leave. Your contributions were never seen, heard or promoted. There were used covertly by those who who used you to get ahead. No surprise then, the very same people will want to keep you around - it is part of their career plan.
Everything about this picture is wrong. For one thing you got direct evidence that you never mattered and never will. The love-fest that is usually part of the counter-offer deal will end the minute you say yes. My colleague made an interesting comparison - the recipient of a counter-offer is a like the long-suffering battered wife that never protests the abuse. One day she walks out and the husband immediately promises to amend his ways - though its unclear why he did not do exactly that in years preceding. We all know how it ends for women who believe this can actually happen and decide to stay back. Something recipients of counter-offers can learn from. It was a good analogy.
I thought of one counter argument to this. Where a star performer is poached by another company for better money, position or both. The current employer never failed to recognize this person as an absolute asset but they don't have the resources the new employer does. So they may have a conversation about wish there was something we could do, if there was a way to help us both out. This is actually an honest, equal and heartfelt conversation that can result in some good outcomes for all concerned.
Maybe in their new role with the bigger company, the employee may forge connections that will help their former employer. Perhaps they return on a later day to help the employer that treated them like the star that they were. The battered wife analogy does not hold in this situation - this is more an happy and empowered wife going on a girls-only vacation to recharge her batteries so she can bring her best self to the marriage.
Perfect Balance
Very interesting reading about how the Japanese make the lost and found system work like a charm. It is like a well-balanced recipe with all the right ingredients with none to over-powering. The gentleness of the formula is likely the magic. Pushing too hard on any lever could create a negative outcome. Made me think of Japanese food in general and how balance is expressed in the recipes. There is the concept of Ikigai seems to extend even into now the lost and found system works.
After spending all the conscious years of my life until now doing what was either expected or required of me, I have come to have a serious appreciation for asking myself "what should I do with my life". The answer in my case turns out to be a lot like spring-cleaning the house. Taking areas of life that have fallen into neglect and disarray and cleaning it up. So there are these piles of dust and debris outside the cleaned areas but the whole place is still not where it needs to be. But the process of sprucing up leads to clarity of thought. Living in a tidier mental space, brings ideas about where to go next.
After spending all the conscious years of my life until now doing what was either expected or required of me, I have come to have a serious appreciation for asking myself "what should I do with my life". The answer in my case turns out to be a lot like spring-cleaning the house. Taking areas of life that have fallen into neglect and disarray and cleaning it up. So there are these piles of dust and debris outside the cleaned areas but the whole place is still not where it needs to be. But the process of sprucing up leads to clarity of thought. Living in a tidier mental space, brings ideas about where to go next.
Ideal Partner
Could not agree more with the conclusion the author arrived at in this article about what professional women need in their partner:
Professionally ambitious women really only have two options when it comes to their personal partners — a super-supportive partner or no partner at all. Anything in between ends up being a morale- and career-sapping morass.
I watched On the Basis of Sex recently, a great testimony to the amazing success of RBG on account of having a super-supportive partner. A truly egalitarian marriage - she was there for Marty just as much as he was for her. Each was the beneficiary of the unrelenting support of the other.
There is also my favorite quote by H. Jackson Brown on this topic but in a more gender neutral way “Marry the right person. This one decision will determine 90% of your happiness or misery.” I remember seeing this quote on a poster in my apartment's gym when I first came to America - a new bride at the time. Turned out to be prophetic words for me. Not only does it determine 90% of your happiness or misery, it places a hard limit on what you can accomplish in personal and professional life.
Its like you had the promise to be a big tree but ended up a bonsai. You have to learn to make peace with your diminished stature as a human being as you watch the rest of the world march by big and bold. Once you have that figured out, you need to learn how not to feel like a victim and take what charge you can of your life, see if you can take a stab at being a shrub if not a tree. All told, that is a few decades of the most productive period of your life trying to offset the consequences of marrying the wrong person.
Traditionally, men have had more cushion when it comes to absorbing the shock of a bad marriage or dealing with the daily struggles of an un-supportive partner. Society does not expect men to be primary caregivers or judge them on the basis of how they performed on that job. If the children are left holding the bag as a result of being in a situation where the father is a careerist and the mother is unable or unwilling to pick up the slack, society will likely not label a successful man a bad and absent father.
In the least that will not be what fundamentally defines him. Women do not have it so easy. No matter her other accomplishments or lack thereof, she will be scrutinized on her performance as a mother and judgment will likely be passed a lot more easily on her than her husband.
Professionally ambitious women really only have two options when it comes to their personal partners — a super-supportive partner or no partner at all. Anything in between ends up being a morale- and career-sapping morass.
I watched On the Basis of Sex recently, a great testimony to the amazing success of RBG on account of having a super-supportive partner. A truly egalitarian marriage - she was there for Marty just as much as he was for her. Each was the beneficiary of the unrelenting support of the other.
There is also my favorite quote by H. Jackson Brown on this topic but in a more gender neutral way “Marry the right person. This one decision will determine 90% of your happiness or misery.” I remember seeing this quote on a poster in my apartment's gym when I first came to America - a new bride at the time. Turned out to be prophetic words for me. Not only does it determine 90% of your happiness or misery, it places a hard limit on what you can accomplish in personal and professional life.
Its like you had the promise to be a big tree but ended up a bonsai. You have to learn to make peace with your diminished stature as a human being as you watch the rest of the world march by big and bold. Once you have that figured out, you need to learn how not to feel like a victim and take what charge you can of your life, see if you can take a stab at being a shrub if not a tree. All told, that is a few decades of the most productive period of your life trying to offset the consequences of marrying the wrong person.
Traditionally, men have had more cushion when it comes to absorbing the shock of a bad marriage or dealing with the daily struggles of an un-supportive partner. Society does not expect men to be primary caregivers or judge them on the basis of how they performed on that job. If the children are left holding the bag as a result of being in a situation where the father is a careerist and the mother is unable or unwilling to pick up the slack, society will likely not label a successful man a bad and absent father.
In the least that will not be what fundamentally defines him. Women do not have it so easy. No matter her other accomplishments or lack thereof, she will be scrutinized on her performance as a mother and judgment will likely be passed a lot more easily on her than her husband.
The List
A dubious Top 30 list from Slate makes for good reading.There are all the usual suspects and some that made me pause to think if they were evil enough to make the cut.
“Oracle’s mission to copyright APIs is a terrifying example of the worst kind of tech issue: something totally boring and esoteric and simultaneously incredibly important. Oracle’s theory is bonkers, and has been propped up by a huge, expensive, shadowy astroturf campaign. It takes a lot to make me feel like Google is being victimized by a bully, but Oracle managed it.” —Cory Doctorow, Boing Boing and the Electronic Frontier Foundation
I have some grudging respect for Oracle that are even able to bully Google. Maybe this is the best we can expect for checks and balances.
“Oracle’s mission to copyright APIs is a terrifying example of the worst kind of tech issue: something totally boring and esoteric and simultaneously incredibly important. Oracle’s theory is bonkers, and has been propped up by a huge, expensive, shadowy astroturf campaign. It takes a lot to make me feel like Google is being victimized by a bully, but Oracle managed it.” —Cory Doctorow, Boing Boing and the Electronic Frontier Foundation
I have some grudging respect for Oracle that are even able to bully Google. Maybe this is the best we can expect for checks and balances.
Bye Netflix
I have been a Netflix customer for a while after initially getting a year's subscription as a birthday gift. Recently, NF decided not to recognize me as a long time customer, kicked me out of account, would not let me access it. Every time I logged in they promptly signed me out.
I had to get with a call center rep to sort things out. He was nice enough and canceled the account as I requested - there was no attempt to find out why I was getting out with such sense of urgency. There was no effort to retain me. Word on the street is NF pays its engineers some crazy high salaries to get the best talent that money can buy and there is also the NF Culture Book (which I have long believed is malarkey) which in combination should have made for perpetually delighted customers.
To add insult to injury, NF is now pursuing me via email like they don't know me from Adam and want my net-new business. My first thought about this whole fiasco is data breach. They lost a large chunk of the customer database and can no longer connect the most basic dots. Ofcourse we won't be hearing anything about it until some enterprising law firm figures out there could be serious monies to be made by way of class action. In the meanwhile, customers like me are left wondering what happened to our account and usage data. If I want to wear my tin-foil hat, it is not too hard to come up with hundreds of ways such data could be abused. Too bad we had to end this way, Netflix.
I had to get with a call center rep to sort things out. He was nice enough and canceled the account as I requested - there was no attempt to find out why I was getting out with such sense of urgency. There was no effort to retain me. Word on the street is NF pays its engineers some crazy high salaries to get the best talent that money can buy and there is also the NF Culture Book (which I have long believed is malarkey) which in combination should have made for perpetually delighted customers.
To add insult to injury, NF is now pursuing me via email like they don't know me from Adam and want my net-new business. My first thought about this whole fiasco is data breach. They lost a large chunk of the customer database and can no longer connect the most basic dots. Ofcourse we won't be hearing anything about it until some enterprising law firm figures out there could be serious monies to be made by way of class action. In the meanwhile, customers like me are left wondering what happened to our account and usage data. If I want to wear my tin-foil hat, it is not too hard to come up with hundreds of ways such data could be abused. Too bad we had to end this way, Netflix.
Sought Value
An article meant to provoke - networking is a waste of time. From my limited experience I would agree that the benefits are marginal because as the author says each person is playing their own game. Furthermore, cliques are quickly formed between people who arrived together or know others who also happen to be there. These groups become self-contained islands ostensibly deepening existing and dormant ties as this article recommends we all do. The non-attached folks are the ones that are doing all the mingling, sticking out and being uncomfortable but soldering on.
A certain level of discomfort with the whole thing seems to confer "genuine" upon the person whereas the extra-suave who can truly work the room are viewed with some skepticism. Its too much of a good thing. Ideally, the person occupies the sweet spot between awkward and adept, comes in with atleast another person if not more so they can divide and conquer plus form their own bubble when it gets tiring. For me this is not something I have ever enjoyed doing alone and maybe that is why the benefits have not followed. Had assumed that those more comfortable with it will fare much better - the author would have us believe such is not the case.
A certain level of discomfort with the whole thing seems to confer "genuine" upon the person whereas the extra-suave who can truly work the room are viewed with some skepticism. Its too much of a good thing. Ideally, the person occupies the sweet spot between awkward and adept, comes in with atleast another person if not more so they can divide and conquer plus form their own bubble when it gets tiring. For me this is not something I have ever enjoyed doing alone and maybe that is why the benefits have not followed. Had assumed that those more comfortable with it will fare much better - the author would have us believe such is not the case.
Pursuing Profit
It's not so surprising that Amazon tracks our reading habits very closely. A lot can be learned about a person from they read, skim but not read and particularly what in their reading resonated strongly with them - enough to highlight or annotate. The author concludes with this quote about Amazon
“They are perfectly willing for art to be collateral damage in their pursuit of profit.”
Not just art, just about anything they touch that is ours is in pursuit of profit over all other considerations. When car manufacturers make Alexa part of the standard configuration, consumers will need to start thinking about how to escape their whole lives being scavenged for data and there maybe few places left to hide.
“They are perfectly willing for art to be collateral damage in their pursuit of profit.”
Not just art, just about anything they touch that is ours is in pursuit of profit over all other considerations. When car manufacturers make Alexa part of the standard configuration, consumers will need to start thinking about how to escape their whole lives being scavenged for data and there maybe few places left to hide.
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Becoming Reliant
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