Larry Waters

Week of February 7

What caught my attention the Week of February 7 New Words (at least for me): Truthiness – a truthful or seemingly truthful quality that is claimed for something not because of supporting facts or evidence. So, something has truthiness because of a feeling that it is true or a desire for it to be true.  […]

Clarity and Data are Important – Issue 71

I am fed up with the COVID-19 debates over mandates and sanitary measures. To find a path forward, agreement on data and clarity are important. Clarity: Different levels of government have different responsibilities. So, in Canada and the US mask mandates, school and office closures, restaurant and bar openings, and most of the things that […]

Shadow Lines

Shadow Lines – a Finnish Spy Story! Helsinki of the 1950s was the focal point of the Cold War. The US and the USSR had different ambitions for Finland. The US wanted a clearly pro-western government and the Soviets ultimate goal was annexation or installation of a puppet government. Shadow Lines tells the story of […]

Week of January 31st

What caught my attention the Week of January 31st? A Shell First  Shell opened its first all-electric fueling station in Hammersmith and Fulham, London. Not a gas or diesel pump in site. Ultra rapid chargers bring car battery capacity from 0% to 80% in less than ten minutes.  Built of sustainable construction materials, the charging […]

Week of January 24th

My head hurts!

Unfortunate Politicization of LinkedIn – Issue 70

I keep poking away at this issue. I published a newsletter on February 25, 2021 about Fact, Fiction, and Opinion. Then on June 12, I wrote about Prejudice, Discrimination, and Hate. Was the unfortunate politicization of LinkedIn inevitable?  Over the past two years, I have  watched the unfortunate politicization of LinkedIn. Probably! Any forum that allows […]

Week of January 17th

What caught my attention the Week of January 17th? Covid Risk Calculator  In its January 19 newsletter, the New York Times  publicized this online tool. Scientists at Oxford University developed this calculator available to UK clinicians on the NHS web site. It helps determine patients that can be returned home safely. Sample calculations: If vaccinated […]

All Things Robbie Burns – Issue 69

Time to buy haggis, neeps, and tatties! Make the Cullen Skink and Clootie pudding! And don’t forget a good bottle of Scotch! On January 25th, the world celebrates all things Robbie Burns with a traditional Burns’ Night Dinner. The menu explained Cullen Skink is a rich and creamy soup made with smoked haddock, potatoes, butter […]

Week of January Tenth

What caught my attention the Week of January tenth? Appeasement Did you notice that this week,  the US and NATO are taking the lead in Ukraine negotiations with Russia? If my memory of history serves me correctly, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain  left Czechoslovakia on the sidelines  while negotiating the Munich Agreement of 1938. As […]

Turn Chaos into Order – Issue 68

I have lamented global responses to COVID-19’s Omicron tidal wave. Criticism is easy, suggesting other strategies more difficult. However, I did commit to putting forward ideas to turn chaos into order.  Crisis management is always political Short term crisis management generally works to the political advantage of the governing party. The crisis creates opportunity to […]

Week of January Third

What caught my attention the Week of January Third: The power of Amazon, Our World in Data’s Stringency Index, the selfishness of the unvaccinated, and the vacuous social-media influencer Amazon  Courtesy of Scott Galloway – it takes Amazon 45 minutes to process an order. That includes the processing, locating, packing, scanning and putting it on […]

Chaos! Issue 67

The Oxford Learners’ Dictionary defines chaos in five words – a complete lack of order.  Well, a complete lack of order defines global Covid-19 responses. The scrambled reactions to the Omicron surge do not leave many world governments looking good.  Confusion I don’t know what signals your governments sent you when the Omicron variant emerged. […]