Yes, over two months has passed since I last posted any sort of blog. During my hiatus, my brain has been like a computer stuck on some process where the wheel keeps spinning as the computer is trying to execute some sort of output. No, I haven't exactly had writer's block, more like I'm naturally an internal processor and sometimes the thoughts of my inner world just take a while to solidify. No apologies - it's just how I'm wired.
But since I last wrote, I'm back working at American Leprosy Missions in a part-time capacity maintaining donor data processes. It's a temporary role expected to last for four months. I've been interested in and contemplated pursuing additional data related courses from universities, so once this job was offered, I could think of any reason to say, "no".
The timing of the job offer also holds significance. My first cousin, twice removed passed away due to cancer. So for a few weeks, my focus wasn't as sharp on job-searching. Well, I received the call about this part-time, temporary work exactly one month after my first cousin, twice removed passed away. In my mind, it was a God thing.
Once I had the job offer, a new CPE opportunity within the price range I was willing to pay opened up. So now I'm also taking an online Business Analytics course that is case-study intensive offered by MIT. So far I'm really enjoying it.
Those are the major happenings the past few months. Oh, I almost forget there was an "old man contest" in the USA. Yes, I voted and I believe voting is a privilege not to be taken for granted. But both candidates put forth by the major parties aren't exactly spring chickens. Then there has been the aftermath of the "old-man contest". One old man was declared a winner, the other old man hasn't conceded and believes there is wide-scale fraud and that the election was stolen from him (maybe he's only running around like a chicken with his head cut off??).
I don't get it. First, I find it incredibly hard to believe that our nation couldn't come together to better handle the Covid-19 crisis when it first started. 60 Minutes ran a story on December 6, 2020 exploring allegations that many states had to pay extremely high prices (of taxpayer money!!) to companies (some of whom which were fraudulent!!) just to try and secure sufficient PPE for essential workers such as hospital staff. Because the federal response was to leave such tasks to the states to handle. I could write a lot on how I think the Covid-19 pandemic was handled poorly. I do have both Republican and Democratic friends who feel, for different reasons, that the Covid-19 pandemic was handled poorly at the federal, national level. So there is a common feeling among at least the majority of my close circle of friends that good old Team USA could have done better.
So our nation couldn't effectively handle the Covid-19 crisis as it began (and is still ongoing by the way - a vaccine may be on its way but that will be of little comfort to those who lose loved ones between now and then) - but somehow, a significant group of people in the USA managed to rig things to sway the "old man contest" in the democratic direction. I find that extremely hard to believe. I am not convinced. Speaking as someone who does have experience living overseas and has had numerous international friends over the years - the smooth transfer of power has been one of Team USA's strong points in international opinion. This election cycle is challenging that opinion and some would argue embarrassing Team USA.
There is an aspect of what I'm learning when it comes to data analytics and the role of social media. For instance, a universal truth (amplified by social media use) is that falsehoods spread faster than truths. There have been documented instances of fake news that real people have believed, acted on, and lived to regret it. Need an example? You remember when the White House was bombed during Obama's presidency, right? Yeah, me neither because such a bombing never happened. But there was a tweet and it did cause the stock market to respond, which triggered some people to make buy/sell decisions, which meant real people lost real money over fake news. See this link for a news story validating the fake news tweet. The internet has become this hype machine consisting of applications (apps), social media platforms accessed more and more via smartphones where we get information about our world and at the same time help curate the information. But there isn't yet adequate regulation to keep fake news tweets from happening. The internet is powered by all kinds of data but how can we be sure we are using the tools in an ethical manner? This is an area of data collection and data use that I'm interested in better understanding.
And there is an aspect that I'm learning about myself. For years, I kept my political views to myself. One of my jobs trained me that this stance was wise. But this year, I couldn't keep silent. I have long considered myself an independent. I try to do my best to look at the current issues and which candidate I believe has the best chance of doing the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Sometimes it's the Republican party that I align most closely with and other times it's the democratic party. But whatever my views, I seek to respect the views of others and desire that my views are in turn respected - even if they are different. This is the first year I have ever revealed to several people close to me who I voted for in the Presidential election. It's the first year I've ever written a senator encouraging him to stand up for a view that I feel is important (not sure it did any good, but I wrote it).
Another first occurred tonight: I wrote my first letter to the editor to the Greenville News because I believe that the SC DMV can do better. My mother is at high risk for Covid-19 due to a rare, but chronic, lung disease and desires to follow the advise of her doctors which means not going out in public places. Currently, the DMV, nor the Governor's office are working with her to renew her driver's license (which expires at the end of this month). All because of a new law requiring an in person vision test that went into effect on October 1, 2020 - in the midst of a pandemic. Thanks for all your wonderful support SC DMV!! They have a statement from her doctor and her most recent vision test from her eye doctor but because the most recent vision test from her eye doctor is not within a year, they will not renew her driver's license. Her eye doctor's website even states that they are screening patients due to Covid-19 and not wanting to see high risk patients unless it's an emergency. But for my mom to go to her eye doctor's for said eye exam or to the DMV for said eye exam is risking exposure during a time when Covid-19 numbers are growing in our state of South Carolina. It really looks like that she might have to let her license lapse. I have told her that I will support her in what she wants to do in handling this - I don't want her to risk exposure either over a driver's license. But it does make me angry and frustrated with the wonderful bureaucracy of South Carolina and how I feel the elderly are not always treated with the respect they deserve - but that is an entirely different post to be saved for another day!