Turning 30: The New 21

Since I and so many of my friends are turning 30 this year, I thought this New York Times article would be appropriate: Smiling Through the 30th, a Birthday Once Apocalyptic

Once, turning 30 was slightly irritating, an embarrassing passage, and people were in no mood to broadcast the news. This was especially true for unmarried women and for men whose careers had not yet ignited. Today, when marriage is routinely delayed past 30 and the 20’s are often an extended adolescence — a time of romantic and professional hopscotch — a 30th birthday feels to many the way 21 once did, as the gateway to the more serious adult world. It is no longer a day to count up regrets stoically, but to pop the Moët & Chandon.

So far, I can relate to this article. Until this sentence:

Increasingly, it is celebrated with all the pomp of a graduation blowout or a wedding reception, with formal invitations, speeches, rented halls or yachts, and guest lists drawn from every stage of the person’s life.

Uh, okay…

Why vote?

Your vote probably will not change the outcome of an election. Only one congressional election and seven state legislative elections in the past 100 years have been decided by one vote — and if it’s that close, the courts are likely to get involved. So why do people vote? (Of course, if everyone thought this way, democracy would be doomed.) I vote out of a sense of “civic duty,” but is that enough to motivate most people? The Swiss provides a clue, and the answer may be surprising.

“Important Safety Precautions”

Here are a few safety warnings in the manual of my new cell phone, the LG VX6100:

  • “Do not use your phone in high explosive areas as the phone may generate sparks.” (I personally never want to be in a high explosive area.)
  • “Never place your phone in a microwave oven as it will cause the battery to explode.”
  • “An emergency call can be made only within a service area. For an emergency call, make sure that you are within a service area and that the phone is turned on.” (As opposed to normal calls?)

Windows Live and Office Live — what does it have to do with Windows and Office?

Not much, besides really good brand recognition. But it does show that Microsoft is starting to take another strategic shift toward emphasizing software as a service. Actually, it’s been trying to do that since .NET and the ill-fated “HailStorm” in 2001, only now there’s actually a business model to go along with it — advertising. The best commentary I’ve seen:

Now, Windows Live doesn’t look too impressive at the moment — mostly a bunch of rebranded MSN services that don’t work in Firefox, and barely work in IE. But guess what? Windows 1.0 was pretty bad too! While it’s too soon to say Microsoft will be successful, underestimate Microsoft at your own peril.

Vote No on Cupertino Measures A, B, and C

I don’t think many readers of this blog live in Cupertino, but Measures A, B, and C would have region-wide impact. These measures would set limits on building density, height, and setback from the street; only part of Vallco would be exempt. Any other exemptions would need a citywide vote, paid by the developer. Proponents want to preserve Cupertino’s suburban character, but these measures are way too extreme. Passing them would just continue ugly sprawl.

For example, the height restriction (36 feet maximum) means that the new library and Apple’s corporate headquarters would be in violation. The Senior Center and the new Peet’s Coffee/Panera Bread building would violate the setback restriction (35 feet minimum). These are not urban skyscrapers by any means. It’s not too often you find a Chamber of Commerce and the Sierra Club on the same side of an issue. They are both against Measures A, B, and C, as are virtually every elected official in Cupertino. I’m with them.