Tomorrow I’m going to a protest against the forcible separation of immigrant children from their families. When I started thinking about what sign to make, I remembered my sign for the first Women’s March protest, the day after Trump took office in January 2017. It said: “Trump hates kids and puppies… for real!!!” While I expectedContinue reading “Yesterday’s joke protest sign just became today’s reality”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
In praise of the 30-hour work week
I’ve been working about 30 hours a week for the last two and a half years. I’m happier, healthier, and wealthier than when I was working 40, 50, or 60 hours a week as a full-time salaried software engineer (that means I was only paid for 40 hours a week). If you are a salariedContinue reading “In praise of the 30-hour work week”
Cross-post: Alcohol and Inclusivity: Planning Tech Events with Non-Alcoholic Options
This article is by Kara Sowles, republished with permission. It originally appeared on Model View Culture in 2014. In the tech industry, alcohol is currency. It’s used to grow event attendance, to bribe participants, to reward employees and community members. Informal interviews are conducted in bars, to see if potential employees are likable in a socialContinue reading “Cross-post: Alcohol and Inclusivity: Planning Tech Events with Non-Alcoholic Options”
Advice for women in tech who are tired of talking about women in tech
To be a woman in tech is to be asked to talk about being a woman in tech, regardless of the desires or knowledge of the individual, unique woman in tech in question (see The Unicorn Law). This is a frustrating part of being a member of a marginalized group in any field of endeavor:Continue reading “Advice for women in tech who are tired of talking about women in tech”
Getting free of toxic tech culture
This post was co-authored by Valerie Aurora and Susan Wu, and cross-posted on both our blogs. Marginalized people leave tech jobs in droves, yet we rarely write or talk publicly about the emotional and mental process of deciding to leave tech. It feels almost traitorous to publicly discuss leaving tech when you’re a member ofContinue reading “Getting free of toxic tech culture”
Repealing Obamacare will repeal my small business
I emailed this to the U.S. Senate Finance Committee today in response to the weekly Wall-of-Us email call-to-action, and thought it would fit on my blog as well. Hello, I am a small business owner with a pre-existing condition who can’t go without health insurance for even one month. The Affordable Care Act made my small businessContinue reading “Repealing Obamacare will repeal my small business”
What white supremacists don’t want you to know: the Paradox of Tolerance
White supremacists are really, really hoping that you don’t keep reading this article. They don’t want you to learn about the Paradox of Tolerance, because then they’d lose a powerful weapon in their fight to make society more racist. Ready to make a white supremacist mad? Fortunately for us, the Paradox of Tolerance is easyContinue reading “What white supremacists don’t want you to know: the Paradox of Tolerance”
The Al Capone theory of sexual harassment
This post was co-authored by Valerie Aurora and Leigh Honeywell and cross-posted on both of our blogs. It was also republished on Quartz. We’re thrilled with the recent trend towards sexual harassment in the tech industry having actual consequences – for the perpetrator, not the target, for a change. We decided it was time toContinue reading “The Al Capone theory of sexual harassment”
Miss Marple investigates Trump/Russia
Miss Marple is an Agatha Christie character, a charming older English lady who investigates crimes while knitting and making amiable small talk. Miss Marple’s schtick is that she solves crimes by noticing similarities in the personalities of the people in the case and the people she knows in her tiny English town, and using thatContinue reading “Miss Marple investigates Trump/Russia”
Preventing jet lag, one hour per day
My most miserable jet lag experience was the afternoon I struggled for over an hour to liberate my rental car from a tiny paid parking lot in Chamonix, a ski resort town in France. I distinctly remember the feelings of hopeless despair and confusion as I poked at the buttons on the parking machine andContinue reading “Preventing jet lag, one hour per day”
