"Going nowhere...isn't about turning your back on the world; it's about stepping away now and then so that you can see the world more clearly and love it more deeply." Leonard Cohen
There are days I wake up hoping to find an easy way to avoid being assaulted by fake news, half-truths, and life-endangering. Unfortunately, it consistently proves to be wishful thinking — and getting through the information torrent on a daily basis is a high-intensity intellectual workout. The good news is that most kids who are growing up with this kind of information duress will have a natural ability to distinguish between real and unreal things.
That said, it is hard to stay positive and in the moment. I often get pulled into negative territory. My parents are in Delhi, and their whole neighborhood is under a complete shutdown. Contact with outsiders is forbidden as COVID-19 cases explode in the city. I have heard many horror stories from friends, and The New York Times might not be exaggerating (for once) in its reporting on the emerging economies. Even if I can’t control anything, I am worried about my parents.
If that was not enough, there is news that the coronavirus disease can be a problem for diabetics and can even trigger diabetes. This could be really devastating.
The virus is continuing to ravage us, and we are beset by politicians spreading lies that are costing lives. To their minds, opting not to test means we won’t have as many cases. It’s worse than an ostrich burying its head in the sand. I just don’t understand why wearing a mask — a matter of good hygiene and good communal behavior — has become a political statement.
Of course, the pandemic is only exposing us to what is actually a much larger problem. I’m talking about climate change. If this graphic doesn’t scare you about the coming upheavals, then nothing will. I know we can’t do anything about the past, but we can use ingenuity to figure out some solutions for this strange future.
Anyway, if you want to get your mind off the pandemic, I completely understand. And to help, here are some articles I can recommend for you to read.
Good Reads
Elders make us human. Bonus link: My conversation with New York Times writer and author John Markoff.
How will the internet shape our memories of the coronavirus pandemic?
How crime writers are surviving (and thriving) in lockdown.
Everything you wanted to know about WWDC 2020, iOS 14, the Mac OS Big Sur, and new iPadOS. Steven Sinofsky does a good job of putting WWDC 2020 in context in his tweetstorm.
There is news that there will be baseball in 2020. Only about 60 games, but it is still good enough for bat-and-ball enthusiast like me. That said, thanks to the pandemic, how we watch sports is going to change forever. Excellent report here in The Technology Review.
How I became a poker champion in one year. My good friend Maria Konnikova writes about her journey into the world of elite poker. She has a new book coming out and will be on my podcast next Monday.
Etc.
Talking about friends, congratulations to Anil Dash for being elected to EFF board.
June 24, 2020. San Francisco