Surprised

And we're surprised?? We traded the best receiver in the nfl for Donte Moncreif.

Obviously that did not literally happen, however last year we had AB, problems and receptions, alike.  This year we have Donte Moncreif.

I'd like to take the yinzer blinders off for a second and truely respect the talent behind the crazy.  And to be honest, while 5 minutes of seeing this guy on hardknocks or seeing an interview, its easy to say this guy is an idiot.

But the fact remains that he is talented enough to make his own decisions, at marginal expense to his pocketbook, but from the standpoint of someone working 7 days a week just to scrape by, once you're in the 7, and 8, figures, does it really matter?

Yes, all of AB's BS may have been contrieved to get him to New England.

But, with or without AB, New England is great.  As evidenced by our first game.

So, let us move on as well, without hate or mockery, or with those things, because it really doesn't matter.

AB's gonna do what AB wants to do.

And he has the talent to do so.

Oppression

There is oppression in this world that is far greater than financial burden, or student loans.

Memo

Its interesting the positions we ascertain in life.

Obviously for all of you, yours had some level of significant importance as evidenced by your financial statuses.

While that is one measure on this earth, I would pray its not the only.

After graduating college with a six figure debt, I thought I could work my way through the corporate world to gain such a position that would allow me to create a better life for myself, and hopefully one day, family.

That, as many of your years may have taught you in some way or another, is not always the case.  Its much more difficult.

That is the position that I found myself at your feet, and you welcomed me in, with respect, possibly more than that due the help.

I would like to move on knowing that I didn't wrong any of you, who gave me more than most have on this earth.

Thank you,

A former employee

Big data

Big data is big business.

I think there has historically been a classical thought process that information, our name, address, house size, family income, etc, is offerable to anyone at request, or at least in a business/professional manner, ie mailing received, official phone call from a legitimate source, the likewise.

This is 2019, almost 20 years after a moment that almost broke our data infrastructure, which was literally fixed by thousands of people manually retyping code.

But in 2019, our rate of change with technology has been too significant to accurately quantify.  

Having gone from a society that utilized technology in certain points of their daily lives to being one that is dependent solely on technology.

With technology comes ability and the ability to attempt to quantify change and track large data inputs and warehouses of information.

So, we do not exist in our parents world, we live in one where the concatenation of our information means much, much more, and is looked to for much more than we care to understand.

So fast forward to 2019, where I was just involved in an incident where someone was requested a sit down meeting with the US Census Bureau that, I believe from conversation, sits under the Chamber of Commerce, where they were to be interviewing an older couple in their 90's, all for the purpose of government's use of their personal data.  Its sad to have seen Europe so progressive within their human rights, specifically around personal data, versus the US's stance, however, politics aside, without compensation, forcing surveys on the American people is, at the very least, invasion of privacy and more to the point, seizure of assets.

 

Assets in 2019 are not what they were at the turn of the 21st century.  Data is your asset, personal, identifiable, private information is your asset, to hold and to treasure.

You do give up rights to those assets at times, for exchanges for goods and services: goods/services, utilities,banking/credit services, etc.

I, myself, give my own census-like data to Nielsen, or have in the past.  That is, at least, however, with compensation, minimal yet still compensation.

This US Census Bureau officer came to the residence with minimal notification, stating that she is met with slammed doors on many occasions.

I can't blame those on those occasions.

Big data is big business.

Seizure of that, with a guise of civic duty and responsibility to offer this information to allow the community to understand and grow is bs.  Just like land seizures by the government, compensation is a must.  Minimal, possibly, but still compensation for a valid commodity.  One we don't even fully understand at this point.

We've seen the effects of companies who better understand big data, and their potential, and proven, misuses of that.

And we offered that up to them for what good/service?  A chance to be in a social setting that we can't find in a non-virtual space with non-virtual individuals?

So, in turn, I do not know how I trust my government to handle, understand, and trade and bargain for big data.

Their surveys, of which they are actively procuring 24 surveys that I assume are all done in a cast and seize manner.  Where I do assume consent is given by the party being interviewed but at what cost, they show up at your front door and guilt you like a fanatic.

I'm scared of a country who acts in this way.

First of all, its unnecessary.

Make a budget, compensate the individuals versus maybe compensation going towards people knocking down slammed doors and confusing, and these days most importantly, suspecting email, and phone, communication.

At least the scammers are hang up-able.

The government will come to your door.

Truth

I try not to deny myself truths.

Its hard because it goes down a path of self loathing eventually and always.

But in truth, we are able to be honest about how to overcome the hard truths.

Without truth, we will damn ourselves to live in a place without improvement, a place of stagnancy.

I think many people deny themselves of that, or internalize it so deep that they live in the outer ring, the lie or the acceptance of toxic truth.

I can't say Im not privy to the faults I deem my fellow man either but I'm trying to admit them here.

Come clean, I guess.

Not for the world, but for me.

Its all selfish really, all of us.  On selfish journies that even when we do good, it is a selfish purpose, whether we admit that superficially or hold that truth deep inside of us that its at the level of conciousness that rules our lives but we are so unaware of its roots in our subconcious but out facade is completely opposing.  And we live a lie that we've convinced ourselves is the truth.

Maybe Im just being selfish.  Maybe its just me.

But I feel these things of the world.

The problem with empathy is that it is alsp a loathing path to go on in a world as cold as this one.

Again, we, the middle class American, have struggles like anyone on this earth but with a realization of true struggle, ours become worthless.

But our lies in the depths of our hearts allow us to live within that superficial level to the world, but deep down the truth is much different.

Again, maybe its just me.

But I want to live a truth, and I hope thats not just me.