The Hitler-card / Success and satisfaction / On Apple / On wearing a suit / Chomsky on…

Motto of the day: All I know is you got no money, but that got nothing to with having the good time - Sonic Youth

The Hitler-card

The Hitler-card has been drawn: 14 principles of fascism and USA. Also Chomsky was talking of fascism, or the fascist behavior of the current administration. I am not sure. Decide for yourself. Maybe there is a reason to be worried. But if the article is true, and Chomsky too, how can we get rid of fascism this time? Maybe it collapses due to its internal inefficiencies and contradictions. I hope.

Success and satisfaction

I did not get to the second round of interviews. It turned out that the test I took was actually a personality test, not a test about solving problems. The computer analyzed my result as "you would not have successful and personally satisfying career in our company". This lead me to think about success and personal satisfaction. They are related: one cannot have one without the other. Even if one is very successful in some job, but the job does not give personal satisfaction (e.g. is not hard enough, is too hierarchic, too well defined), the success will be very temporary. And without success there will definitely be no satisfaction. I agree with the computer analysis: I would not be personally satisfied in the company in question. I need more tactical/operational freedom, I need to be able to write documents, not just few slides for a larger set of slides. And I need real technical problem (very hard ones) to solve. And I need to be able to question the very basic of the ways of working. Otherwise I will be not that satisfied and thus not very productive.
Which lead us to the important question. Can a talented systems architect ever work in strategy/management/business/technical consulting? If he can, what will happen? How long can he work there? Can his free and creative mind be tamed to some pre-defined solution templates? This is a question I will need to consider. I think Muller's writings about the personality of good architects suggest that the answer is quite simply NO. Let's see.

On Apple

So, Apple will send me a new iBook. I am happy to get the computer. I will be able to start working on my thesis, a set of journal articles on systems architecting, and write some PhD-applications. It will be fine.

On wearing a suit

Yesterday, I wore my tailored woolen suit for the interview. It felt good, I looked so handsome. I think I have nothing against wearing a suit as long as it is tailored and made either of wool or silk. But I have everything against wearing any types of collars (i.e. ties etc). Collar are for dogs and other obedient/submissive types. No collars for free spirits.

Chomsky on democracy deficit

Noam Chomsky gave a talk in MIT on Tuesday. His main message was: there is a huge democracy deficit in USA. He referred to several studies showing that the public is totally against the policies the current and past administrations have been pushing. For example, a very large majority of Americans support having a national (state-run) health care system (as in other industrial countries). We all know, that such a system would be cheaper and better. But, according to Chomsky, the current wasteful system benefits the big pharma and insurance companies (and others), so changing it is "politically impossible". Chomsky's advice for making USA a better/fairer/more liked by aliens is simple: let the public take part in formulating public policy. He says, that the public does not know, what the public thinks, as the polls are never published in the mainstream US-media. So, the trick is to promote awareness and build up a large social movement.
If you want to know more, or take part in changing the system, check out Forum on American Progress. and, if you are in MIT, take part in their activities. I think I will. Being a-political for an extended period is bad for soul.

On having fun

After learning about my unsuitability for one job, and also learning the randomness of the job application process, I have now decided not to worry about jobs. I will get one later. Now, from now to the end of January, I will just have fun. It might be, that I may not have as enjoyable situation for years afterwards. I will just take minimum amount of course, read and write as much I can, take long walks and rides, eat decently, drink if I feel like drinking, smoke if I feel like smoking, sleep as late as I feel, even until early afternoon. I have no worries naturally, I have just free time. Why should I gather artificial worries by e.g thinking about jobs, stressing over interviews, or worrying about money. It makes no sense at all! It feels so good now that I have realized all this. I am sure my blood pressure dropped at least 30 units in the last 4 hours.

Alun perin julkaistu kuukausikoosteessa "Blogs October 2005".