Indecision
It makes us uncomfortable when someone in authority changes their mind. We expect our leaders to be both knowledgeable and decisive. If your boss oscillates on key decisions, it’s difficult to work efficiently, unless of course you can somehow predict and plan for the next change (e.g., 2025 international trade policies). But decisions, both conscious and […]
My Best Friend
You’ve probably never heard of Justin Tayler. If you have, you may be part of his inner circle of friends. Social media platform Facebook has a 5,000 friend limit, and Justin is renowned for having reached it. Why the limit? Facebook claims it’s “…to ensure manageable connections and interactions.” I’m guessing Justin must spend a lot […]
Awe
Our granddaughter accompanied my wife on a commercial flight to Las Vegas to attend the 90th birthday celebration of my wife’s mother. When I received a text that they had arrived safely, it included a picture showing our 4-year old GK sitting on the edge of the pilots seat, holding the control yoke with one […]
Rizz and All the Rest
After going full goblin mode at the weekly staff meeting, you may have imagined your rizz rising, but if you followed up by posting a vape selfie without a vax label your followers might just unfriend you. If you think this first sentence is complete gobbledygook, making absolutely no sense whatsoever, you are half right. […]
Artificial Dementia
While it is widely known that Pompeii was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, only serious historians will recall that this catastrophic event took place on August 24, 79 AD. If you are curious what typical Pompeiians ate for breakfast that morning nearly 2000 years ago, there are a few conserved bits of papyrus that […]
The Yuck Factor
The Yuck Factor is best explained with an example. Suppose you pull off a panel to begin working on some network equipment, and you find a dead rodent. That would be a YF = 7. Other discoveries like multiple rodents – or their time of death – might raise the number. If on the other […]
A Do-It-Yourself BS Detector
Both of my parents were educators, and reading was a common pastime in my family. Dad subscribed to U.S. News and World Report, the Los Angeles Times and the Pasadena Star News. When we got a TV, his favorite news provider was Walter Cronkite. For those too young to remember, Cronkite anchored the CBS Evening […]
Use Your Words
For parents of preschoolers, there comes a time – often in the evening – known as “the storm before the calm.” It can also come about during the day if expectations of some kind are not met, or perhaps if a child is just “hangry.” Our preferred solution was to remain calm and tell them […]
Why Bother?
My sister-in-law’s Starbucks order is something like “Venti non-fat decaf low-foam not-too-hot lactose free artificially sweetened latte.” I’ll concede that we all have different reasons for doing what we do, but I’m sure Starbucks could simplify things by adding a drink to the menu dubbed the “Why Bother?” I can visualize a whole new line […]
Good Enough
In my very first job as a young engineer fresh out of college, I worked under an old, curmudgeonly manager who was approaching retirement. Bob (his real name) was an anxious chain-smoker, in the days when smoking in the office was allowed. For all his idiosyncrasies, he taught me some important lessons about “thinking outside […]
