Author, Investor, Speaker, Mentor
This is likely to be my last Achilles tendon injury update for a while (knock on wood). On the 5th, I had my final post-surgery appointment. My surgeon gave me a clean bill of health, telling me, “At this point, you are much more likely to tear your healthy Achilles tendon than to injure your … Continue reading Achilles rupture recovery update: Final post-surgery appointment (4 months)
Hello again, devoted readers! My apologies for not providing an update sooner, but things have been very busy. I visited my doctor and started physical therapy on the same day: September 17. My last surgery wound finally closed, and my surgeon pronounced my tendon sound and well on the way to recovery. At physical therapy, … Continue reading Achilles rupture recovery update: On the road again (3.5 months)
We live in a world where immediacy has become the cardinal virtue. More and more attention is focusing on real-time communications and messaging, both for consumers and businesses (e.g. Slack). But this focus comes with major implications and consequences. Immediacy delivers on-demand dopamine hits. We get instant gratification, not just because of the content of … Continue reading Immediacy, Quality, and AI
This past week, a Washington Post article detailed how former Vice President Joe Biden has been using a compound anecdote on the campaign trail. The anecdote appears to combine three different stories into one. Biden has been telling the story of how, while he was in Konar province of Afghanistan, he presented a Silver Star … Continue reading The Truth Should Always Matter
Today marked a very important milestone: I no longer have to wear a walking boot! Two months ago today, I tore my Achilles tendon; since then, I have been wearing either a splint or walking boot. Not only was this bulky and uncomfortable, but it also made a lot of extra work for me and … Continue reading Achilles rupture recovery update : Bye, Bye Bootie (2 months)
I like to write about and advocate for diversity and inclusion. But what diversity advocates often forget or ignore is the importance of emphasizing what we have in common, in addition to what makes us different. The old-fashioned description I grew up with of America as a “melting pot” is seldom used today. I think … Continue reading Diversity of Experience and Ideas, Shared Values and Goals
In my continuing series on partisan arguments that detour from reality, I’d like to discuss a common rhetorical tactic that usually goes unchallenged. When arguing against expert recommendations, I often see people pointing to a single example of a mistake, and using that as proof that we should then ignore expert recommendations. For example, I’ve … Continue reading Fallibility is not Equivalence
It’s been three weeks since my last update, and during the intervening time, I’d say that my recovery has been slow but steady. In my last update, I described a minor complication; a dissolving stitch left one of my minor incisions somewhat open, a condition known as dehiscence. The treatment was to change the bandage … Continue reading Achilles rupture recovery update: 4th post-surgical appointment (7 weeks after surgery)
The evolution of the internet from search-oriented to feed-oriented may be a negative. Search required consumers to be active; the internet responded to their questions, and rewarded those who could think clearly and compose the best queries. Feeds simple require consumers who are reactive; tune into Facebook (or Twitter or Instagram or Snap…) and then … Continue reading From Search to Feed
A common rhetorical technique I see being used all the time is to make arguments based on isolated statements. The formula is: “Because Person X said Y, she is or isn’t Z.” The issue with this approach is that ignores the fact that context reveals unspoken principles. If you meet a person who extols the … Continue reading Context Reveals Unspoken Principles