Into the World:
The Random Thoughts in My Mind

  今週リトアニアで開催されている北大西洋条約機構（NATO）の首脳会議では当然、お隣、ウクライナでの戦争が主な課題である。ウクライナが領土の奪回で軍事支援が必要である中、NATO各国はどのようにさらなる支援を打ち出すか、そしてウクライナがNATO加盟までの道のりについて議論を重ねている。だが、NATO各国がウクライナ情勢に没頭する中、岸田総理は去年に続き、二年連続でNATOの首脳会議に参加している。日本からもウクライナに引続き支援することを表明すると同時に、NATOがアジアに目を向けることを言及している。

  伝統、それは文化の物理的な形として代々受け継がれられた。人々は伝統を守ることによって、そのコミュニティーの一員であることを実感し、社会的なアイデンティティと地位を確保した。そして、コミュニティーのさらなる発展、継続のため、より多くのメンバーを集めることにインセンティブを感じ、日々努力をしている。やがて伝統は定期的に人を集める行事として形を変え、文化に貢献するだけではなく、貿易や観光資源として地元の経済に大きく価値を提供することになっている。

Hours ago, the US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) ruled that affirmative action – the practice of some of the country's most prestigious universities to openly use race as a factor in promoting diversity of admitted students – is unconstitutional. As expected, among watchers of higher education in the country, this decision has triggered immediate and widespread discussions. The impact of affirmative action policies, especially among overrepresented minorities like Asian Americans, has been noted more than a decade ago when I was a university student. With the policy's formal abolishment, changes to universities' admissions may be significant.

With the increasingly widespread use of the internet, it is becoming increasingly common for it to be used as a source of education. While prestigious high schools and universities continue to value the importance of face-to-face camaraderie among students and teachers, as well as real-world social experiences of offline activities on their campuses and communities nearby, plenty of educational services providers have emerged to offer online-only classrooms. By giving people more freedom to choose when, how much, and with whom to study, these online courses seek to transcend the physical and financial limitations of brick-and-mortar school campuses.

Where does a white-collar worker get most of their work done? The answer these days might be obvious at first sight: somewhere with good internet connections, a reliable power outlet to charge electronic devices, as well as a comfy chair and desk that does not make hours of deskwork not stressful on the back and the hips. Logically, the more routine around this setup, the better. After all, what can be a better desk than one that has proven itself, day after day, that does not cause back pain. What is better than wireless internet that has a track record of not disconnecting spontaneously over weeks and months?

Flip through any media covering the latest startup world; it is not hard to assume what is considered "success" in this space. Firms that can achieve massive growth, general excitement from investors for further investment, and leverage additional resources for further development are the poster boys of the industry. Logically, such media coverage focuses on how growth enables scale, which in turn allows certain products and services offered by such successful firms to fulfill thus-far untapped needs of customers worldwide, introduce new conveniences, and improve lives.

In real life, I am not fond of salespeople. When I receive an unsolicited sales call, I tend not to pick up. If it is from someone I do not know in real life, I would block the phone number. When I receive sales emails and text messages, I largely ignore them. I would like to have control over how, when, and about what topics I speak to others, on my own terms. Being rushed, or worst yet, manipulated, to make a decision will likely lead to increased skepticism and a greater possibility of a "no." My feelings about sales have been so strong that I assume that others largely have the same attitude.