Pandemic Stress

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is entering its third year. The virus is persistent and merciless, spawning dangerous variants at a rapid pace.

If you are feeling stressed, anxious, frustrated, or overwhelmed, you are not alone, and you don't have to deal with this by yourself. Two years is a long time to have normal life upended. We're all feeling it.

I would urge you to please reach out for help if you need it. Call or text a crisis hotline. Reach out to friends and family. Starting a conversation is as simple as admitting that you're having a rough day and asking for a few minutes of someone's time.

We will get through this pandemic, but in order to survive the emotional strain, we need to be honest with ourselves about how we are feeling. That's not easy - society teaches us to put on a happy face and keep marching forward - but it's important. Please take care of yourself and be sensitive to those around you.

Math Jokes

Q: What is a mathematician’s favorite dessert?

A: 3.14 slices of pie.

Q: Why do mathematicians bake pies in four-sided pans?

A: Because pies are squared.

Q: Why does a mathematician’s oven cook twice as fast?

A: It’s coefficient.

Q: Why did the statistician bring a beer stein to a wine tasting event.

A: Increased sample size.

Q: What did the pastry chef get at the bank?

A: Cookie dough.

Q: What did Einstein and Tesla bake when they got together for the holidays?

A: One smart cookie.

Q: What is a mathematician’s favorite cookie?

A: Oatmeal radius.

Q: Would a sneaky statistician eat the last cookie in the jar?

A: Probably.

Pickup Strategy

If you’d like to pick up a woman

First pick up a guitar

Then if you find

You’re not musically inclined

Drive around in a really nice car

Fools

Sometimes

Being a man

Means being a fool

For a woman

And I suspect

That the reverse

Is also true

Making Art

If you want to make art

Make real what inspires your heart

Do this in small steps at first

And sort out the best from the worst

Consistently develop your skills

Until the work gives you thrills

Pursue this with all that you’ve got

And don’t try to be who you’re not

Don’t Try To Solve Every Problem

Don’t try to answer every question or solve every problem. I learned this lesson while working for difficult bosses. It’s one of the few positive take-aways that I gained from those experiences.

It’s admirable to want to step up and handle a challenge. No customer wants to hear, “That’s not my job,” when they need something. Responding quickly is a hallmark of good customer service, but it can come with risks.

If a team or process has been set up to handle a particular issue, but someone else jumps in, it can create confusion. The customer won’t know who to talk to when follow-up is required.

Further, not everyone has the expertise to handle all types of problems. Without a knowledge of the procedures that have been set up to handle a particular issue, a well-meaning employee could unwittingly create expectations that can’t be met. The client may be pleased when offered a solution, but if that solution turns out to be costly or infeasible, the relationship will be strained.

Another consideration is that clients don’t always act in good faith. They may just want to vent some frustration. If someone without adequate knowledge tries to help, it may compound the client’s frustration.

Finally, if you happen to work for a difficult boss, they’re probably risk averse. They won’t reward your initiative for trying to help. Instead, they’ll perceive your well-meaning efforts as misguided and problematic. If anything goes wrong, they’ll blame you for supposedly making them look bad.

Know your boss. If he or she is a jerk, don’t volunteer, and don’t be a hero.

Know Your Rights

In a Democracy, individual rights are protected and expanded.

In an Autocracy, individual rights are limited and abolished.

In a Kleptocracy, oligarchs claim that rights are too expensive.

In a Theocracy, zealots claim that rights are an affront to the Almighty.

Focus On The Positive

Stay focused on the positive things that you can do today. Nothing matters more.