Dear Mr. Brin - An Open Letter

Fifty years ago this week, when I was a 21-year-old college senior, I was in the Soviet Union, sent by the government of Israel to smuggle in Jewish religious items and smuggle out names of Jews who wanted to escape the Soviet Union and could then be issued a formal invitation to Israel.

I was chosen because I was a committed Jew and because I knew Hebrew and Russian. I was no hero, but the trip did entail risk. The Soviets did not appreciate people smuggling out names of Soviet citizens who sought to emigrate, information the Israeli government and activist groups in America used to advocate on their behalf.

I'm a Slacker

I've been using Slack at work for a while now. However, I recently discovered a new use for it: my family.
 

Everything Requires Faith

I had a short online debate the other day with an atheist, something I have learned to try to avoid. It's not that I am afraid of debate, but the forum of typing my point, the other typing his and trying to trap one another in semantics and other childish debate techniques is not only faulty in its appeal but also lacks the intimacy and respect that a discussion of philosophical difference requires.
 

I think it is actually healthy to challenge others beliefs...and probably something not done enough in our current culture. There is much of a "fall in line" and "keep up with the times" thinking, stronger even that existed when I grew up, where no one thinks about there answers and so much of ANY belief relies on popularism and blind-acceptance of what others say that almost no one has faith anymore.
 

Holy Password, Batman!

I got on a password-rant yesterday. My bank updated its online security which forced me to create an even more complex password than I had.

The Change Agent

For the past 14 months, we've been developing an information system. There are two guys in our IT shop and we have to wear a lot of hats. This is both inefficient and super-efficient at the same time. Anyone who has dealt with a large project managed by a small team can relate.
 

I say this to preface much of the challenge has not necessarily been the technology, but rather helping people manage change that the new system will bring. I've learned almost as much as I've been frustrated, but at the end of all this, I'm very excited about where we are going. I sent out a company-wide email and I felt compelled to share it. I've changed or omitted any private details, so forgive my not naming our past products or my co-workers' names. However, there are public companies and real products mentioned. Further, the new system we built is called DownStream.
 

Vaccine For Viral Post

WARNING!!!! If you take photos with your cell phone

Ok, this one has been going around recently. First of all, yes, it is true. But the EXIF format embedded into images has been around for several years. This is not new. If you haven't known about the dangers of this, then you've probably already had your children kidnapped and house robbed...or if you haven't then perhaps your practices versus this threat aren't as much of a problem as being promoted.

Netiquette

Just a quick thought about manners in general, but specifically on social media. This could easily apply to the idea of how to engage in any conversation.
 

Call Me Diogenes

Diogenes: Also known as Diogenes the Cynic, this Ancient Greek philosopher was a controversial figure who criticized the social values and institutions of what he saw as a corrupt society. He was a renowned Cynic and Stoic. Many anecdotes of Diogenes refer to his dog-like behavior, and his praise of a dog's virtues. Diogenes believed human beings live artificially and hypocritically and would do well to study the dog. Unlike human beings who either dupe others or are duped, dogs will give an honest bark at the truth. Diogenes stated that "other dogs bite their enemies, I bite my friends to save them."
 

Today's topic: The meteor impact in the Russian mountains near Chelyabinsk. Or...Why scientific evidence should not be tweeted.
 

Wearing the suit...

My boss and I were discussing résumés last week and telling tales of blunders we knew. So I did a quick search and found some very funny faux pas others have made. The list made me laugh, so I’ve decided to share.

Top 50 Pop Culture List (Final Ten)

Today I reveal the final ten items of my Top 50 Pop Culture Items of the Past 50 Years list. But before I give the top of the top, let’s review the list thus far:

Top 50 Pop Culture List (20-11)

The first thirty items of my Top 50 Pop Culture Items of the Past 50 Years list have been revealed. Today I will divulge the next ten items. Again, I have to mention how fascinating and peculiar this project became, as I had to decide how to lump and split so many things and further how to rank them. Was the Pet Rock more popular than the Magic Eightball? How do Rickie Tickie Stickers compare to Big Hair of the 80s? Was the Slacker Movement more influential than Tupperware Parties?

Top 50 Pop Culture List (35-21)

Today I continue with the list of the Top 50 Pop Culture Items of the Past 50 Years. Of course, I will impose a bit of trivia first that I gained while researching this project. The average cost for a domestic car in 1970 was $3,700; in 1980 was $7,600; in 1990 was $14,500; and in the year 2000 it was $18,700.
 

As Casey Kasem used to say: “And now on with the countdown…”

Top 50 Pop Culture List

Here begins my list of my personal ranking of the Top 50 Pop Culture Items of the Past 50 Years. It was a fascinating processing gathering ideas, grouping them, splitting them and finally ranking them. And I uncovered some interesting details about the past fifty years as well. What started as a personal project for fun became a real education.

Pop Culture Top 50 – The Preface

What started as a fun mini-project has quickly become work. I have come across some fascinating research and found a ton of nostalgic websites and wikis. But with so much information, I’ve started to have difficulty even defining how to score my list. After all, what is pop culture? What’s just a fad? Can something be both?

Piracy in the Free Market

Anyone remember those Microsoft Windows jokes about if the highway system were like software? “Every time they repainted the lines in the road, you would have to buy a new car” was one of the listed gripes. The response from sensitive software engineers was something like “A computer is an interactive piece of machinery that evolves; it’s not passive like popping in a movie.”