Black-shirt problem
Hiyo from Bangkok!
It has been raining every day here for the past week. I love lazy rainy days when you can lie down and listening to the rain while reading a good book.
And the smell of the rain! I just learned that there is a term for it. Petrichor, the earthy scent that comes with rain, is a molecule called Geosmin created by certain bacteria. Pretty cool, eh?
Black-shirt problem
Black shirts are good for concealing stains. When you don't want to appear dirty, black is preferable to white. This is why, on the day that I paint or cook, I tend to wear dark colors. I also like to buy things in darker colors because they don't seem to get dirty as easily.
In fact, black shirts do get dirty just like their white counterparts. They are just better at concealing them. In a way, it is harder to properly clean black garments because you can't spot the stain as easily.
I once spent half a day debugging a tiny little mistake in a codebase. It reminded me of the black-shirt problem. Perhaps, the right way to build things is to make the mistakes stand out rather than to hide them.
Quotes
My favorite Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s quotes:
"When a thoughtless or unkind word is spoken, best tune out. Reacting in anger or annoyance will not advance one's ability to persuade." -- Ruth Bader Ginsburg
"Fight for the things that you care about but do it in a way that will lead others to join you." --Justice [[Ruth Bader Ginsburg]] #Quotes
We can measure one's worth by seeing how much light they shine for others. RBG was a giant lighthouse.
Fun-finds
Samsung held Out of the Box competition asking how to repurpose unused television box. The winner makes endangered-animal-shaped furniture out of cardboard boxes. Pretty cool!
Michael Sandel on the flaws of meritocracy. How might we create a society that is equal not only in power of consumption but also in dignity?
Until next time!