So, I got sucked into the corporate structure to stuff my bank accounts before I retreat to my Gulch never to be seen again. I'm in a very large corporation, working on projects around the globe. Being near the twilight of a long career, somewhat more seasoned, and philosophical I am observing how our culture has changed. There are very few, almost no, engineers my age or older. I'm not all that old, really. But, we have the 20-somethings and a few of us. I love the younger generation. The young ladies are sharp and will run the world, soon. The young men are sharp and kind. In general, however, people have mentally declined, it seems. I've mentioned this here before. I can be in a meeting and state a concrete scientific fact based in reality on why we're going the wrong direction, and most people are too busy with their own conversations with themselves in their own heads to acknowledge it. And, we go off the cliff. Over and over. All the time. As a consequence, most things get done wrong and mistakes are made all the time.

But, on the flip side - in a culture where things are done willy-nilly and half-assed, the emails and messages about "Tranny Storytime Lunch, down the street today. Come support the trans community!" and "If you're white you probably offend people and don't even know it (because you're a stupid racist)" are on point! Very focused and effective, tireless campaign. In general, I'm over it and just ignore the almost daily messages. But, the tranny lunch message that was sent to everybody included a photo that made me physically sick. I don't hate anybody. I wish good things for everybody. But, what about my sensitivities and beliefs? I find a lot of this kind of message very insensitive to the concerns and beliefs of a lot of my fellow citizens. My boss is a devout Muslim and a fantastic guy. He must be upset by this too. I was telling my wife that it feels like, in the global list of priorities, tranny lunch day is higher on the list than technical effectiveness. It's very, very strange... I remain undaunted. I just keep my head down and work very hard to contribute to my society with technical expertise. It's rewarding and I want to do it. Even if much of society would love to see me burned at the stake. Very "new-testament" of me, I know...