08/2/20

The Waning Ability To Hold Two Competing Thoughts At The Same Time

In my now post-COVID bliss, with my newly cleared mind, with my returning brain cells, I make bold to say that we are really getting stupid at a time that we need to be smart.

What pops to mind is our inability to hold competing thoughts inside our single brain.

We once debated the merits of Miller Lite thusly:

“Less filling.”

“Tastes great.”

The critical thinker of the time would whisper to his beloved, “Maybe it’s both?”

The beloved would respond, “Of course it is, you moron.”

Then, we would say to ourselves, “Well of course. It can be two ideas at the same time, those ideas are not really in conflict, they are not mutually exclusive, and my brain is large enough to hold both of them without exploding.”

Were we smarter in those simpler days?

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08/1/20

COVID19 Divorce

It is 2 August 2020 and I report to you that I am getting a divorce. Do not beg me to reconsider.  My mind is set.

COVID19 (actually COVID16 because it was a mild case) came into my life in early July with a seductive appeal that left me hot and bothered, unable to sleep whilst thinking of her, that funny butterfly feeling a new love puts in your gut, my body ached for her, she wracked my body with chills when I was with her, and a head ache.

She was beguiling and I fell into her spell. She is a unwavering temptress without equal who will come upon you without warning.

I had every symptom, except for the loss of taste. I never had any taste to begin with.

I threw in with her. I promised to pay attention. At first, she was a passionate partner, but then things began to deteriorate. COVID began to keep company with others. I stayed home and she went out. Every night.

Which brings to me to the real news. We are getting a divorce. I’ve had a few clear headed days while she has been tramping around to think about it and I have decided it just won’t work.

I don’t get that same feverish feeling when I think about her. My bowels are steady, my stomach is settled, I no longer ache for her. I am not having any problem sleeping.

It’s time to face the music. It was a good run, but we’re just not suited for each other. I have to admit it was all a physical relationship. I never respected her and I think the slut just used me for her own purposes.

It may sound like it’s me kicking her to the curb, but it’s a mutual thing. I could be a gentleman and wish her well, but to be honest, I hope she dies a lonely, quiet, desperate death, and is eradicated from the earth itself. I would threaten to piss on her grave, but I hate lines.

The divorce is final as of 2 August 2020 and I am very grateful that I have finally realized that she is no good for me.

Be well, my friends. Don’t make the mistake I made and keep company with this tramp. As the sage Linda Ronstadt said, “She’s no good, she’s no good, she’s no good, she’s no good for you.” Trust me on this one.

07/31/20

Managing Primadonnas in the Real World

I struggled for the right title for this blog post. Primadonnas is not quite the right word, but maybe it is.

What I am talking about is how do you manage groups of sales people, software engineers, or research engineers who are working in a difficult to define environment. This may not be your company, but it is many companies.

What I am addressing is a pool of persons who have a similar talent or assignment, who have differing levels of experience which gives way to different outcomes.

You will recognize this if you make and sell a product; or, if you run a SaaS company which continues to develop its core product while developing a new product; or, if you are a equipment company that has an R & D or product development effort.

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07/29/20

Igor Danchenko — Who Is He?

For the last three and a half years we have been treated to a sexy tale of former British spies, Russian sources, all manner of bad doings by Candidate Trump and then President Trump, allegations of Russian collusion, all types of breathlessly leaked stories by the senior management of the premier law enforcement entity in the galaxy, and a media able to confirm, make up, fabricate all sorts of bad things.

It has been James Bond-esque.

Imagine our surprise to find out last week that the source, the deep Russian source of all of the promised, sworn Russia-based evidence is a Russian emigre who lives in the United States and has forever.

As you may have gathered from the title of his blog post, his name is IGOR DANCHENKO.

Thank God he at least has a Russian name.

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07/29/20

Donald J Trump — President For Life

If you are a moron, you may be enmeshed in a discussion as to the likelihood that President Donald J Trump will seize the reins of power and become our President for Life — shorthand for becoming a dictator.

This is in keeping with both China and Russia, who have both recently anointed their leaders as Presidents for Life. It is a trend. Is this trend our friend?

There are people running about who seem to be normal — my mother used to whisper, “The only normal people are those you don’t know very well” — and even educated.

A few have doctorates. A doctorate does not inoculate you from being a moron. In fact, it may accelerate the condition.

These morons are running about with their hands in each other’s pockets whispering that there is a meaningful chance that President Trump will become President for Life, a dictator.

Some put the odds at 0-10%. [Note: Pretty much everything in the world has a 0-10% probability, including winning the lottery. So, this is no bold statement.]

Some of these particular morons link this to the election coming in 98 days with a scenario in which POTUS Trump does not “accept” the outcome of a loss at the hands of Democrat Candidate Joe Biden and refuses to leave the White House come January 2021..

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07/28/20

The Supply Chain Comes Home From China

The COVID19 episode exposed a critical weakness — the American supply chain (particularly medical and pharmaceutical manufacturing) was grounded so thoroughly in China that it could not serve the United States when it was desperately needed.

China prevented American companies from shipping product manufactured by American companies in China to the US.

Everyone was quick to say — “Bring the strategic supply chain back home to America!” 

Like a lot of good ideas, it requires real action to make real change. How could this obvious strategic move be instigated? Where would the leadership come from? How would it be funded?

I am pleased to report that this is, in fact, happening.

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07/23/20

Operation Warp Speed

It takes 6-10 years to develop a new vaccine from scratch.

Ebola broke out in 2014. Vaccine development commenced. The vaccine was approved in December 2019.

Comes now Operation Warp Speed in which the Trump admin is trying to use advanced management techniques (and some risk tolerance) to urge the private sector to develop a vaccine for COVID19.

The usual cast of characters came out of the woodwork and said, “Can’t be done. Will take at least five years.”

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