February 2023 – A Little of Both

finally{}: Survival of the Fiendish

In ages past, the claim has been that the “fittest” survive. Nowadays, the fittest appear to fall by the wayside, crowded out by those fiendishly over-promising, under-delivering, and making it unbearably difficult to escape.

I spent the greater part of yesterday and today in annoying agony. What had I done to deserve this fate? Well, I tried to pay a company money for a service they sell. I know, I know…how dare I commit such a heinous crime.

finally{}: Tech is Taking Sides

Throughout history, industries have stayed relatively neutral during wartime. Global companies especially may offer marketing-focused messages of hope and concern but keep their heads down and their tones neutral when faced with actually taking a stand against one side of a conflict. Per usual, though, the tech industry is happy to disrupt the status quo – not just taking a clear stand but putting their money and their talent where their mouth is.

Global industries have long been accused of profiting off of war by selling to all sides, especially those in manufacturing and raw materials. Tech companies around the world, though, are taking a defined stand and even putting aside opportunities to profit as they take sides in the current conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

Excel Showing Blank White Screen

A client recently called me and they had received an Excel Workbook (.xlsx) via email, but when they opened it, all they could see was a blank white screen with a grey left sidebar. They thought something was wrong with that one workbook, but when they tried to open an old Excel Workbook that they had opened many times before, the same thing happened. This was now happening with every Workbook they opened, even a blank, new workbook.