Outlawing Beach Umbrellas

There are times when I really wonder why those we elect to represent us in the political process can waste so much time bickering and failing to reach useful compromise.  I have stopped watching the news all together.

Today, I was scanning some of the online information channels and ran across this: some politicians attempting to ban beach umbrellas because … on some rare occasions … they break loose and could hurt someone else on the beach.  Take a look for yourself.

If this is the key to beach safety, well then, perhaps they have a point.  More people get hurt other ways, but I don’t see people banning glass bottles from coolers and backpacks, testing swimmers before they get into the water about ability to swim … or inspecting people on the beach to be sure they have applied enough sunscreen correctly and in the right areas.

Our nation has many issues requiring thought, dialogue, and decisions.  This fails my test for importance as a top issue.

Digital Impersonation

I have always enjoyed comedians who could impersonate someone.  And, some personalities are easier to impersonate than others because of accents, facial movements, gestures, and speech patterns.  If you close your eyes during their performances, you might even say they sound just like the person they are impersonating.  Of course, once you open your eyes you can see it is a stunt.

OK, fasten your seat belts, here we go again.  This time it is about someone creating an audio or even a video of you or I saying something we never said, nor even had permission to use our image.  Today’s artificial intelligence coupled with our digital authoring capabilities can now produce “clones” of you and me.

Read about it for yourself in the USA Today. 

Creepy on many levels, but the authors point to ways things like this can be deeply effective with today’s social media.  And, as with all too much about today’s digital world, the laws to protect us from these kinds of nefarious activities are woefully lagging.

Work less to save the planet

Now, here is an idea that you certainly can appreciate.  Work less!  Check it out for yourself. Read the Fast Company article.

Now, the cynics will quickly criticize the logic here that these individuals are now at home, probably online, and their home’s energy use is rising when they don’t go to work.  The geeks will declare that the efficiency of the HVAC in commercial buildings is more efficient than typical homes, so why would you ever suggest that people are saving money by working at home?  Yes, the commuting costs will be reduced and the costs associated with dry cleaning your clothes for a work environment is lower.  But … I find articles like this so telling about our media outlets and their perspective on how to fix he planet.

And, it is just so easy to dismiss all this.  But, let me offer a slightly different perspective. We now have more “top of mind” awareness on the part of the average American … so … USE IT!

We have thought customers didn’t care about energy … that has now changed … they seem interested again. Plus, if customers see you as an agent of change on this agenda it has also been shown that your company image goes up.

So, put aside the criticisms and take advantage of it.