So, Google is in the news this week, and not in a good way. The company fired Timnit Gebru, co-leader of its Ethical Artificial Intelligence team, and her release to the marketplace was not amiable. Gebru announced her departure on Twitter after it happened, and immediately made it clear that it was hinky. She said … Continue reading There Are No Winners, Only Losers in the Timnit Gebru-Google Situation
So, everyone’s favorite couple – almost everyone – Meghan and Harry shocked the world this week when they announced plans to step back from senior roles in royal life, presumably to have a life, but also to work toward financial self-sufficiency. Sounds good, right? Who doesn’t want to be financially self-sufficient? But their decision has, … Continue reading Meghan and Harry Can’t Win for Losing
Several things happened this week that have me thinking our perspective on the power of the media is skewed. It’s real, no doubt, but we’re missing something really basic. That might sound strange coming from a member of the media. But I like to think of myself as a different kind of journalist in that, … Continue reading Meghan Markle, the Media and Our Vanishing Rights to Privacy, Decency and Giving Birth Without Photo Shoots
Some days I feel like a spectator in this really weird game of media bumper cars. As a career journalist, I have inside knowledge of how the media works. The good, the bad, and we all know things can get very ugly. But lately things seem especially wretched. Huge companies that have a huge impact … Continue reading Media Influence Is so Bad, Apple Wants to Teach Critical Thinking
So, I have a new client, a tech startup, and this is the first time I’ve worked in the startup environment. It’s only been a week, but it’s data, analytics, and more data and more analytics. I’ve learned a lot, which is good. I’ve even started to think in start-up terminology. My client’s favorite words … Continue reading Ladies, Treat Yourself Like a Start-Up
You know those westerns where the sheriff smirks and tells the bad guy who’s been terrorizing the citizens, “you’ve got ‘til sundown to get outta town,” then turns and walks away? It’s implied that if you don’t, Mr. Bad Guy, I’m gonna fill your ass fulla lead. We need that. Day after day the stories … Continue reading We Need a Sheriff for the Internet
So, Black Panther is like the King of the cinematic world right now, and the movie is still two weeks out. There goes the myth that black movies don’t sell to anyone except black people. The film has already broken several pre-release records including first day advance ticket sales, and it’s Fandango’s top-selling superhero film … Continue reading About That Myth That Black Films Don’t Sell…
I walked past the new Apple store yesterday. It’s beautiful, a rather old-fashioned front but glass everywhere looking out over the Chicago River. It was a pleasure to see since for months all we saw was this clunky barricade. There was writing on the barricade, some long, inspiring quote that I can’t quite recall. Something … Continue reading Is Denise Young Smith Ready to Handle Diversity at Apple?
So, I was watching the movie Hidden Figures, again. I love that film. It’s so, relevant. I even blogged about it. It’s technically an homage to events that happened in the early 1960s. But its triumvirate of smart, embattled women struggling to get their due in the workplace could be any of us females doing … Continue reading Ladies, There’s More Than One Way to Beat Sexism.
A Life Not Grey 