Vaccines are one of humanity’s greatest achievements. They’ve saved an uncountable number of lives. There’s no argument that we shouldn’t continue their development, and the quick turnaround on the coronavirus vaccines is a testament to how far we’ve come. But we should heed all our accumulated wisdom and not let our pandemic fears drive us to making a terrible choice.
I believe at-risk individuals should have access to the corona virus vaccine. Yet I’m strongly opposed to a population-wide vaccination program. We’re talking about giving a medication not to millions, or even hundreds of millions of people, but to everybody…
During the pandemic, the German government has behaved in questionable ways. From side-stepping the courts, to favouritism, and accepting escalating police violence. A legitimate concern over the credibility of the government places any cohesive coronavirus plan in jeopardy. As much as I think we may require a stringent plan, I doubt the motivation of this government.
Let’s look at some actions that give cause for concern.
They hastily passed a new Infection Control Act to subdue the court’s disagreement with their policies. In calmer times, the original act was decided as an agreement about what is acceptable. The population voiced…
How can we answer a question rife with uncertainty and intangible impact
Is the gain of a lock-down is worth the potential cost? It’s a hotly argued point, lacking in political consensus and mired with grim considerations. We debate the science, the economy, and the intangible human condition. But how can we approach the issue sensibly, and understand the divisions it’s creating.
I believe it comes down to three considerations:
- What is the societal impact of the spread of the virus
- How effective are containment measures at reducing the spread, or minimizing the impact
- What is the societal impact of those measures
The first point bears the spotlight cost of people dying…
There’s no truth in saying “we’re all in this together” when it comes to corona policies. Inevitably, and likely unavoidably, pandemic policies hurt some more than others. Pretending that everybody must give a bit, does disservice to those that must give more. If we care to engage in proper debate, it’s vital we acknowledge there is no fairness in social distancing, or lock-down. We all must consider the viewpoint of hard hit individuals who rationally oppose unfair policies.
Consider a basic example, blocking access to fitness studios hurts those that rely on those to stay fit. One could say, “but…
I find it crazy that people are willing to take a coronavirus vaccine next year, or even the year after that. Unless you’re in an at-risk group for the virus, taking an experimental medicine is an illogical gamble. As a medicine, vaccines are subject to a long period of research and development. A lot of this time is for testing, and there’s no good way to accelerate the testing time.
Politicians, and worse, medical professionals, saying a vaccine will be ready soon, are peddling false promises. These promises were being made before we even had any candidates. We didn’t even…
Of all things I’ve felt over the past months, anger has been the largest. There’s little to like about the current situation, and I’m having trouble seeing the bright spot on the horizon. I oppose much of what is being done, yet failing to find my voice. It’s been clouded by my anger. I’m unable to collect the words to form convincing arguments, unable to relax enough to find a balanced point of view.
But as this drags on, I need to get the words out. So it must be in anger. I’m giving up on fine debate at this…
All about the puzzle game I wrote with lots of web tech for maximum entertainment value!
I’m an escape room enthusiast, some may say addict, and for the past few months I’ve been missing it. A friend of mine, a true addict with over 500 rooms to his name, started organizing online competitions. After playing a few of the online games, I thought, “I want to build my own.”
So for that past couple of months I’ve been writing an online escape game — which you could say is a web puzzle game, but with the exciting flare of escape! It’s suitably called “Prototype”. I assumed that name would let me get away with some rough…
Tired, I nonetheless carried my pounding head home. There’s no joy in multiple transatlantic flights over a couple of days. An unreasonable panic only made it worse, cutting off the vacation end of my trip. Topping it off was that lingering feeling of a sore throat and potential cold coming on.
Were it not for Elli, I’m not sure I would have made it through. I’d have curled up in the corner of some terminal, a nervous puddle waiting to be mopped away. Elli would likely complain about the trouble I’d caused the poor janitor. …
I wish the waves would wash me away.
/
I take some steps, an array of memories,
along the beach,
where my life flows,
sand hewn from the stones ,
long since gone away.
/
The stars, they touch the ocean waves,
if I could walk the water way
to the heavens all the way away from here.
—
It is a humbling contrast, of the vast water and the endless sky, how the stars loom over me, though only dots of light, they make me feel small, as if I have no place here, no reason to be…
Problem Solving
Problem solving is the part abstract from writing code. I want to understand your process, and not just the result. This requires that you know what the problem is, and what I’ll accept as a valid solution. Problem solving is a lot about defining constraints and finding ambiguities, or uncertainties, and resolving them.
The challenge varies depending on the question. My card game question requires you to write a small game simulation. I want to see how you approach this problem. I want you to ask questions. What exactly is a “card”, and how will you represent it? …
Edaqa Mortoray
Stars and salad make me happy. I‘ve been writing, coding, and thinking too much for over 20 years now.
