The Maroon Vol. 3… No. 4 Monday, January 9, 2023
“Bringing us all to a place we don't want to lose."
Observer: Won't Get Fooled Again
Macky’s New York: Wet Night Dry Cleaning
William Peay: Tales From The Wood…
RHS Athletic Hall Of Fame: Made For & Inspired By RHS Alumni
RHS Tired Teens: Later School Start Times
M + A NYC: Mighty Are We As One
Mark Porro: A Cup of Tea on the Commode
In Memory Of Our Faculty: Photographs & Memories
James Stroker: Hope Coach
Jim Schoneman: Rock Hound
Kathy & Ross Petras: You’re Saying It wrong
Observer
Won't Get Fooled Again
If you have been for a physical exam lately you will have noticed that blood results are one of the most important, if not most important procedure your internist will concern themselves with. During my last two examinations, the protocol being followed by my doctors, in two different major hospitals, minimized any physical contact. Open your mouth and say “Ahhh” is a pleasant formalty of an earlier time. My questions about things like urine samples and checking my prostate are met with responses that they are not part of the protocol as they are now accomplished instead by looking for abnormalities in blood samples. This leads the technologist in me to believe that if all they want is my blood and they are hardly going to touch me, then the rest of the exam could likely be done remotely via video. Maybe they invent an at-home DIY box that draws blood samples & connects to your smart phone and transmits the information to your internist for analysis. My two cents as a customer in this new world of healthcare.
I understand the negative outcomes from devices like smart phones; they steal our focus by their incessant interruptions. This leads to shambolic work environments, where interruptions are tolerated as normal and people act like Pavlov’s dog whenever their smartphone beeps or buzzes. This is not going to improve overnight or even in the next decade. No, it’s going to take some time to heal the wounds that we have inflicted upon ourselves.
Even in Silicon Valley they know better than to crater to every alert coming from their smart phones. A large group of tech leaders, including many who created the smartphone apps which rule our lives, were recently asked at a symposium if they would want their own children to grow up in the world they have created. Not a single hand was raised.
Now if the tech leaders don’t want their families exposed to their own creations what does that say about their integrity? What obvious conclusion can be drawn?
We all know that an interruption is not something we quickly recover from, especially when we are in “the flow” & working well. The experts say anywhere from 7 to 20 minutes is how long it takes to regain our former efficiency.
Now I am not a Luddite. I do not want to go back to the way things were in the 20th century. I do know that “attention must be paid” to the wretched excesses in our world. Our high speed Internet has encouraged a bully culture, fat shaming, & a self-consciousness that people are not growing out of as they once did upon exiting their teen years.
These changes to our society by technology have fostered an unchecked globalization and a race to the bottom competition among workers. Lower wages & a lack of job opportunities are a result of globalization. The outcome is a general disillusion with life among many wage earners & white collar professionals alike. It’s compounded by a growing disinterest in community service, or maybe they just don’t have time because they are working multiple jobs while chasing the illusion of getting ahead.
Our devices are supposed to support us, not dominate our lives. Technology has become a collection of cookie-cutter consumer products with new models every year doing the same old things. They operate under the same delusions, and unfortunately not honest ones.
It’s not too late. Put your smartphone in a lockbox during meal times and particularly when you need to have an important conversation with someone. Remind yourself the online teenage wasteland we have cultivated can wait. Recall that we naturally will grow less concerned with our self-image as we age. These are only the unintended consequences of substituting technology for common sense.
Meet the new boss
Same as the old boss.
Pray we don’t get fooled again.
Macky’s New York
Matthew Cortellesi Photography
January 4, 2023 - West Village
Wet Night Dry Cleaning
Although she has no appointments as of late...a lady picks up her dry cleaning on a foggy night.
8th Avenue just south of West 4th street looking south.
Time 6pm
William Peay
Tales From The Wood…
West Ridgewood Ave near Ridge School across from Dr. Ward's office.
RHS Athletic Hall Of Fame
Made For & Inspired By RHS Alumni
Digital Printing for the RHS Hall of Fame provided by Tim Boucher, RHS 1988
RHS Tired Teens
Later School Start Times
M + A NYC
Mighty Are We As One
At M+A NYC, we specialize in handcrafted, ethically made, modern home decor and wearable accessories. Designed in NY and expertly made around the world by master artisans.
Shop home décor and wearable accessories at www.mplusanyc.com
Mark Porro
A Cup of Tea on the Commode
Author of "A Cup of Tea on the Commode" a memoir. Arriving in bookstores on May 14, 2023 (Mother’s Day).
In Memory Of Our Faculty
Photographs & Memories
James Stroker
Hope Coach
Jim Schoneman
Rock Hound
Dairy farm on County Hwy J, Town of Russell, Lincoln County, WI
Kathy & Ross Petras
You’re Saying It Wrong
Ross & Kathy’s podcast: You're Saying It Wrong is a podcast that looks at what we get wrong—and what we sometimes get right—when it comes to this English language.
“It's time for the annual highly official most mispronounced words of the year list! (Hey, we won a first place Public Media Journalists Association award for last year's version,, so you know it's gotta be good!) But enough about us ... How do YOU say these words?”