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June 2026

Women in IT – 2026 participation is the same as 1986

You would think that women were playing a sizable role in tech by now.  You would be wrong.  And historical trends underpin the delta between men and women in tech. Despite early interest in the 1970s, including computer programming, by the mid-1980s women were disappearing from computer science programs.  Consider reasons that are offered, including the possibility that recently introduced personal computers were more likely to be bought for boys than girls. Note the reinforcement from Apple ads (no kidding) about what these computers could do for the career dreams of boys.

Water aerobics – saving aging muscles, one jump at a time

Water aerobics – an exercise beloved by older women.  There may be some men that enjoy it too, though classes in a nearby gym I see largely attended by older women.  Many (most?) of whom are likely Silver Sneakers members with free gym membership – with the gym reimbursed by Medicare Advantage programs.  Looking around a large class, most women appear to be older than 65, some arriving with a walker, some getting into the pool with some difficulty.  But once they are in the water, they are all smiles.  The water and the atmosphere are both perfect temperatures – welcoming to all. And the bonus?

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Dolly Parton, Cher, pickleball and the future of aging and ageism

Flipping the script on aging – an interesting concept.  No surprise that Dolly Parton and Cher, both now age 80, exemplify the script flip. That flip includes the substantial cosmetic work that each has had to produce a new (and then newer) face.  Both are still performing – as are numerous other 80+ rock stars like Mick Jagger and Paul McCartney.  Good for them. I guess.  Is this an aspiration to be shared by the millions of baby boomers headed toward or arrived at 80?  Is playing pickleball the standard by which 80-year-olds want to be measured?  How about drug-facilitated weight loss?

Does the Florida lawsuit against OpenAI signal accountability ahead?

The elusive dream of AI accountability in the face of disaster.  You know, of course, that ChatGPT is trained to avoid showing harmful material.  It’s ‘built with safety in mind.’ Just ask OpenAI. So the plethora of cases that has emerged in the past few years in terms of triggered suicide (Sept 2025) and then in November 2025 (“You’re not rushing into suicide, you’re just ready”) and March, 2026 via a train: ‘what’s the most successful way to take your own life?’ Parental controls were introduced, no doubt as a defensive measure, in 2025 after one of these ‘incidents.’  Ah, but perhaps day late and a dollar short --  the controls apply to 13 to 17-year-olds and are not on by default! And some say they are broken by design – requiring linking child’s account to parent’s.

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