Of Anecdotes and Stats

Friends,

In a world where perception is reality, how we shape our perceptions matters. Reality is a complex beast and there are many ways to correctly interpret the same thing -that’s why reasonable people can disagree. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying everyone is right -I also believe many statements are either true or false, and there are outright lies. What I am saying is we need to put things into perspective. The best way I know to do this is to try to understand whether the statement in question is an anecdote or a trend -and try not to generalize and paint in broad strokes. I cringe when a foreigner does a terrible thing and all foreigners are painted with the same brush -or worse, it becomes justification for xenophobic rants and policies. Granted, any crime is terrible and we should aspire to a world without it, however, that anecdote needs to be cast against the latest census data. In 2010 non-citizens were 7% of the U.S. population and only 5% of the prison population (and, yes, this predates recent mass deportation policies). So they’re less likely to commit crimes. Or, take this morning. This email might tempt you to think today is Friday. The short week may also make it feel like a Wednesday. These perceptions aside, it’s actually Thursday. I just decided to come into the South office today (where there are likely to be more folks in need of a donut). So as you ponder the latest anecdote in the news, grab a donut and try to frame it with some context.

Happy Fri… Thursday!

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Ashes to Ashes

Friends, I don’t know about you, but my household tends to use things a tad beyond their reasonably useful life. Cars, razors, pillows... heck, we squeezed the last BTU out of our home’s 25 year old thermostat —15 years is for rookies. This week we bid our fire pit farewell. Structurally unstable and rusted to the core, this contrivance was well on its way to returning to the soil. Memories of s’mores, cigars and shared spirits come rushing back, as does the six foot tall cardboard peach burned atop it, which caused the first stress fractures in the waning days of 2019. Good times! I suppose nothing lasts forever, but memories can add a sense of permanence to the fleeting. So go, grab a donut and make some new memories!! Happy Friday!

To an end to Covid Games

Friends, As 2021 comes to an end, it’s time to remember and be grateful for another year of life – there’s much for which to be grateful. Sure, some things could have gone better (they always can), but on balance things were good. At the González household, the cathartic process of capturing this year’s essence to burn at midnight is wrapping-up. This year’s theme, “Covid Games from home” uses Squid games (Netflix’s unlikely breakaway hit) as a way to mock the two main Covid variants of concern (Delta and Omicron) and commiserate about working from home with all the weirdness it carries along. Comfy slippers combined with dressing-up from the waist up for zoom meetings (not to mention the quarantine fifteen). As I hope for lots of snow and no wind (lest we need to call an audible on the midnight burn) my thoughts turn to my friends in Boulder county and hopes for a quick recovery. May 2022 bring an end to confinement and lots of opportunities to share donuts. Happy Friday!

BIrds of a Feather

Friends, The early bird catches the worm, however, as the sun rises I’d much rather have a Denver omelet than a diet of worms . Ready to fly the coop, my ducks all in a row, I ponder one more time whether a bird in hand is truly worth two in the bush. Egged-on by my quest to tuck away a nest egg, I’ve decided to change industries and hope that, like the phoenix, my career will also rise from the ashes of change. After all, I’m no spring chicken –my crow’s feet and gray bely my age – however, I have to trust my judgment and believe you can’t catch this old bird with chaff (whether or not folks think me an odd bird for my actions). And so I shall attempt to soar like an eagle, aware that counting my chickens before they hatch would be ill-advised. As I learn to talk turkey in the language of cybersecurity, I will endeavor not to hide my head in the sand, choosing instead to be like a duck – calm on the surface and paddle like hell underneath! And while my excessive use of bird-inspired

Friday Donuts

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