If I manage to live through these crazy times, what stories I will tell! Covid-19. It's made the world weird. Shutting businesses. Tanking stock markets. Making sure you know damn well your job's as secure as using 123 as your password. Some context: I do regular investing through a regular savings plan via my bank.... Continue Reading →
When the kids are home
An experiment of sorts: 2020 marked the year my two kids came home to stay (they were with in-laws previously). Looking at my writing output on edonn.com, mostly long-form writing, it's markedly down. Short-form writing, on the other hand, on LinkedIn and Workplace has gone up. Play to your strengths, eh?
Plastic Wrappers on Fruit
Reading When to Rob a Bank (by the authors of Freakonomics) and there was this little passage on plastic wrappers on fruit and food in general. In my mind, there was no doubt that that was a symptom of excess, and that it was undoubtedly a bad thing. But Levitt and Dubner (the authors) made... Continue Reading →
Thoughts for a better world
I underwent surgery a few days ago. Since then, I've been in so much pain I have second-guessed my decision almost every single damn minute. But you know what's interesting? As in the other times I undergo significant stresses, whether physiological or psychological, I've been forced to confront what's really important in my life. And... Continue Reading →
The Curt E-mail and Hanlon’s Razor
An e-mail came in and it was brief. No pleasantries; no salutations; just straight-to-the-point. In many cases, that'd be fine. But in this case, it felt curt. There wasn't a lot of history behind sender and receiver, and the main message wasn't a particularly pleasant one. Still, having learned about Hanlon's Razor, I checked myself:... Continue Reading →
Good plan, poor execution
As some of you may know, I'm into the second year in a row of marathon training. During these two years, especially during the long runs, I've had many epiphanies: a-ha! moments and stories that I'm always eager to share with my readers when I get back. Problem is that after long runs, if you're... Continue Reading →
Following the crowd
Just the other day over coffee a colleague of mine told me about a fascinating video he'd seen. It was about a psychological experiment that showed just how much of a mindless, conforming species we were. 100% emotional; 0% rational. Just part of the herd. Though I'd seen similar ones before, this was one particularly... Continue Reading →
Health and wealth
This past week has been difficult. I caught a stomach bug. It was awful. I thought I was strong. I was wrong. Throughout the week, I kept thinking: I would pay quite exorbitant amounts of money just to feel healthy again. But alas, money don't make the sick feel any better if they're not well... Continue Reading →
Better be over-prepared than otherwise
The meeting was a day away, and I wasn't sure what to expect. The way things were going, I felt that it was going to be a controversial one. And despite my knowing the material well, there were gaps in my knowledge that I knew could be pried on. These were areas that I wasn't... Continue Reading →
Calendarising
6:20m: "Have to bring home work tonight," I said to my wife, "maybe I'll run tomorrow." Not the best of starts to my "starting serious training" regime, and frankly quite frustrating. But I'm a professional, and I suck it up. 6:30pm: Maybe, I thought, if I finish early I might still go. 7:30pm: Dinner. "I... Continue Reading →