Dolphin Pufferfish Cartels

For reasons I can't recall now, my coworker and I were talking about humanity's unique capacity to develop the tools of its own demise. And I just wondered if there was any other species that also lays the groundwork for their doom. My friend mentioned that she's learned that dolphins will get high off of the poison in pufferfish.

Which, naturally, led to the question of whether the dolphins then proceed to peddle pufferfish poison to other dolphins. I mean, are their dolphin pufferfish cartels? Are dolphins snagging pufferfish and giving them to orcas and whales and other sea life?

Of course, my friend pointed out that dolphins and killer whales don't actually get along. Well, maybe that's because they are part of competing cartels. Maybe that's why dolphins mysteriously ending up on beaches. Maybe there are some pufferfish cartel turf wars going on. 

And what about the innocent bystanders? All that poor sea life that is just trying to live their life in peace? They want a better life, but to live on the right side of the reef is just too expensive. So they do the best they can but they still get caught up in the fighting. They just want a good life for their kids!

Maybe, when we have "Save the dolphins" marches, we are really trying to save them from the cartels. 

I mean, can you prove that it's not a thing? Maybe we aren't alone in our ability to shoot ourselves in the foot. Maybe, just maybe, dolphins do it too.

The other side of the table

In my new* role at work, I drew the short straw and now oversee some hiring. Nothing big, mostly interns and the occasional contract position. And I've just got to say, it's very weird.

I'm not saying that I know a ton about hiring. Honestly, I can only speak for myself, which, pro tip for all you job applicants: in my experience, 90% of the time not getting hired for a job probably has more to do with the person hiring than the person applying. And also based on my experience, it's far less objective than it needs to be. And, again not saying I'm amazing at it, but I do try hard to build in some objectivity. And I've done hiring where we wanted to hire all of the finalists and had confidence that they would all be great but in the end, one had a skillset we needed specifically at that particular moment. The equation might be:

             employer personality + business need + candidate qualifications = hiring decision

And that is an overly simplistic equation.

Anyway, it's super weird to be on the side of the table where I'm making hiring decisions. I still feel like I am trying to convince the world I'm worth hiring most of the time! So it is totally strange that I am the one looking at a resume and ruling people out, compiling questions for an interview, conducting interviews, and actually choosing who we hire. And I've gotten lucky because we've had some good people apply (not sure I'm good at picking them, so much as they've just been great). But honestly? How did I end up here? 

Just more evidence that the world makes very little sense, my friends. 

*newish--I mean, it's almost 2 years. Although it took 6 months for the boss to actually figure out what the job was, so that doesn't count, and they announced the changes and then took 4 months to actually make them happen, so yeah. It still feels new.

Adult qualifications

Ever wonder how you got to be an adult? Well, here's the answer: You just kept waking up every day. 

Yep. All those things an adult can do? Driving, having bank accounts, buying a house, voting, taking out loans, paying bills, etc. etc.? Basically, you just have to still be alive day after day. 

One of the very few constitutional requirements for being president? Waking up every day for 35 years. 

It's amazing the things that we are allowed to do just as a function of time on the planet. Not sure it's always the best method, but there you have it. 

Misery's company

We always say "misery loves company" as though that is a bad thing. But this week, I realized that, yes, misery loves company, Because when we are miserable, when life is roughing us up, OF COURSE we want company to get through it!!

Now, I get that the usual understanding of "misery loves company" is that miserable people like others to be miserable too. But the actual definition of misery is "a state or feeling of great distress or discomfort of mind or body." I sure don't want to be alone when I feel that way. 

Wanting other people to also be miserable (definition: wretchedly unhappy or uncomfortable) isn't about the misery. It's about being mean and spiteful. So, a mean and spiteful person would want someone else to be miserable if they were. But they'd probably want someone else to be miserable even if they weren't. 

But when it is just misery at play, no. Misery does love company because it makes us feel less alone. It is reassuring. When it is with our loved ones,  it gives us a chance to let down our guard, be weak for a moment and let out the stress and woe and worry. And then we feel better able to move forward, because we're a little stronger because we aren't alone. 

So, yes, misery loves company. And that's okay.