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When Two Rights Might be Wrong!

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  Early in my career, I had a customer prospect. Replacing their current system was less money than the maintenance they were paying IBM for the old one. I was young and knew this was easy, and I was right. There was one option I had not considered—he cancelled maintenance. The system had not needed maintenance for years. I didn’t take the time to understand why he needed the new system beyond the obvious financial advantage, didn’t explore his requirements, and not only walked away from the sale, but I was paid on revenue, including the lost maintenance. In this case, from the right point of view, we were both right. But right came from assumptions, and facts that we saw differently, and his actions reflected what was right for him and his company. That experience taught me something important: there is rarely only one right answer. What looks obvious to you may not be right for someone else, and vice versa. Yet today, we seem fixated on being right. I made the right choice. I hav...
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What I Learned from College Was Worth More Than ROI on Tuition

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What I Learned from College Was Worth More Than ROI on Tuition I got stuck this morning on a column by George Will in The Washington Post, "Too Many College Students." The point of his article is that we have too many college students and not enough skilled tradespeople. He posts stats about how much time students spend learning, and that 750000 industrial jobs can’t be filled. There is also a Baron’s article from last year that highlights Is College Worth Going Into Debt? Only 1 in 5 Americans Say Yes. I believe they have totally missed the boat! When I went to college in the 1980s, I didn’t start college because I wanted to get the best job opportunity. In fact, I don’t remember choosing to go to college; it was expected of me. Was taking English, Literature, and the history of theatre preparing me for a good job in Tech? Is being able to write, being curious to read, and to think about the importance of the arts and creativity help my creative mind as much as course...
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For the first time in my life, I am scared in my home country.

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Let me be clear, I have experienced hate and prejudice for being Jewish,  for being Gay.  I also have been wise enough to realize that as a white American, I have been privileged and somewhat sheltered. But,  I have never witnessed such hate and prejudice emanating from the pores of the leadership of our country.  Certainly against the LGBT+ Community, Certainly against immigrants, Certainly against Black Americans, Women.. I am sure I have left others off the list. I posted this on Facebook, but I am also concerned that the new Facebook algorithms, under the Zuckerberg era, may suppress its viewership, so I should also post it as a blog. I wake up as an American, Jew, Gay male, frightened of my own country. At the Republican Convention in 2016, Donald Trump said, “As your president, I will do everything in my power to protect our LGBTQ citizens from the violence and oppression of a hateful foreign ideology.” Such friends, we don't need! Actions speak louder than wo...
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I am not a poet, but sometimes..

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I wake Up In the Morning. Life is complex. Or is it? At times,  I smile. Why do I love sunrises and sunsets? At times,  I live for a dog and a cat. Why can they love without conditions? At times,  I live for my mother. Why do I feel lucky? At times,  I wonder. Why don’t I live more for me? At times,  I stress, for me. How long will I live? At times,  I stress for mankind. Where is the kindness, I believed in? At times,  Up early, 4am. Why do I love solitude in chaos? At times,  I wonder..   Are we all narcissistic? At times,  I cry.. Why is progress fleeting? At times  I scream.. Why won’t I give up on the ideal of goodness of mankind? At times,  I ponder. How to make peace in chaos? At times,  I sigh! Why is arrogance a human trait? At times,  I wonder. If computers do more harm than good? At times,  I look out on the ocean. Why do I like feeling small in a vast world? At times…  I feel stress, anxiousness....
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On the Eve of July 4th, What Would the Founders Say? "One Big Bill, One Big Shift: "

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I woke up this morning, more than a bit down, and wondering about this "Big Beautiful Bill" on the eve of July 4th, and the signing of the "Declaration of Independence." I can't understand why there are not enough men and women in the Senate and House to stand up for the rights and protections declared in the Declaration of Independence. " We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness; that, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed ;" Then I thought, what would those brave men who signed this paper, which started a new country and an experiment in democracy, and a government derived from the consent of the people, have thought? Then I didn't have to wonder what they believed, because it is in the Declaration...
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Where Peace Is a Prayer: A Family’s 12 Days Under Fire

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As I sit comfortably at home in Longview, TX, stressed about bad weather forecasts but otherwise peacefully working, walking the dog, and feeding the cat, my niece and her family in Israel are living through something no one should ever have to experience. Before you judge the choices or emotions of others from the safety of your own home or city, take a moment to read what her past 12 days have been like. Imagine if the most important information in your day was where the nearest shelter is when the sirens go off. Imagine worrying every day about how to keep your children, your family, and yourself safe. War Thoughts  Where Peace Is a Prayer: A Family’s 12 Days Under Fire גאולה אדלשטיין June 26, 2025 It is 3am. An air raid siren rouses us from a deep sleep. We go to stand in our hallway, not having time to go to the shelter at the end of the block. Nothing unusual, probably the Houthis again, or so we think, and we head back to bed.  It is 9am , and I discover that our Sh...
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Tomato Sauce, Turn Signals, and a Few Things in Between

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We live in strange times.   The world is politically odd, work is somewhat scattered due to AI, along with associated changes in the workplace.  It is also challenging to find balance, and as someone who has a blog, it can be challenging to know when to remain silent and when to speak up.  It is possible to have opinions that one can feel confident about, but recognizing that you lack on-the-ground experience, sharing those opinions can feel somewhat careless. In light of the times, I thought a top tenm   eleven, twelve thoughts of the day might be interesting.  Some will be a bit serious, but mostly not “too”  serious and a bit entertaining. Just because people are silent on subjects and issues, don’t assume they don’t care or have an opinion.  To be transparent, I do care very much about what is going on in Israel and Gaza.  Especially, with so much of my family living there, but I also don’t have the experience of living in Israel, and th...
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