Life’s Simple

There’s this phrase I use quite often. “Generally speaking” is one of my word parasites. I use it when I need to describe something in general terms or in layman terms. Draw a big picture. Get on a same page. Simplify things.

Interesting enough is that not many people get it. The big picture, as it turns out, is an entity that isn’t quite “gettable”, being too large or too complicated for some. So I have to use “generally speaking” to explain what I mean and how to take it. As a result I usually get much better attention and understanding from people I talk to. Which helps get things done.

There are not that many cases when people who want something actually know what they want. You can dig deeper if you try to see what each ad is trying to sell. Look at any ad that sells shampoo. It shows you the shampoo bottle, the hair (that most likely belongs to an attractive woman), the process of hair getting better and so on. But it doesn’t quite sell the shampoo or hair improvement. Rather it sells happiness, or sex appeal, or attractiveness. Which, essentially, leads to happiness. So the ad isn’t selling you a bottle of shampoo, it sells you something that will make you happy. Generally speaking, by buying a bottle of shampoo you are buying happiness. There, now you have it.

Ability to be “generally speaking” is rare. Most of the times I hear someone “generally speaking” I get very quiet and listen all the way to the last word. It’s about the big picture, so it must be important.

Popularity: 13%

There is a common agreement that it is bad to buy perishable goods online. Whether it’s flowers, food or something like it - bad. Don’t do it and so on. Always curious how FreshDirect makes money…

Well, it ain’t that easy. I had a chance to speak to a guy who sells Russian food. Not just Russian food though - any ethnic food that sells in Russia now. This includes Armenian, Georgian (wines, sauces and dressings, Ukrainian and even Polish stuff (some cookies, I dunno). Point is - you can buy food online and have it delivered. If you’re in Manhattan - that’s one thing, but if you live in Pennsylvania and your kid is in some University of Nebraska - you can still have it sent.

Always amazed me how that food survived the travel, but it turns out - it does. Amazing. I wish I could send something to someone…

Popularity: 24%

In light of latest attacks originated from RBN networks it is very interesting how people view the country that silently approves such behavior:

I was 18 when the Berlin wall fell. States colonized by the former USSR were freed and democracy was put in place. I hoped for a better future for Russia. Since then, they have turned authoritarian, abused nations around them, threatened the world with missiles that can penetrate defense systems, poisioned and shot dissidents, and allowed a large organized crime sector to operate.

I know my response isn’t technical, nor even helpful, but I couldn’t help but express my sadness over all this. When you see a great threat removed, especially as a teenager, you hope for the best, but I guess we aren’t going to see much good news from Russia for a long time.

It is, indeed, sad, that instead of being business partners plenty of Russians decide to become business fraudsters.

Popularity: 37%