Scene: A broad grassy plain. To the north, a tall wall of ice; to the south, a rocky shore is lapped by a gray sea. Beringia, about 11,000 BC, mid-July. Small bands of hunter-gatherers are setting off across the land bridge towards North America, a land that will one day be called Alaska. The men [ ]
…because what could go wrong? SmartMoney™[1] is a perfect blend of two of the trendiest technologies of the early 2020s[2]. SmartMoney is AI running on a blockchain[3]. SmartMoney is money that is smart. Smart, right? FAQ Q: How is SmartMoney different from a classic cryptocurrency? A: Classic cryptocurrencies have not met expectations around security, transparency, [ ]
Book III The next Monday was the weekly sync meeting between Systems Division and Applications Division. The engineers of Applications Division marched to the meeting, clamoring like cranes in a winter storm, crossing the ocean, their necks stretched out, descending to revenge themselves on the goat-riding pygmies for stealing their eggs…or perhaps this metaphor was [ ]
That night, as the other executives slept, the CEO lay awake, thinking how to fulfill his promise to Thetis and bring respect to Achilles. Finally, he settled on sending a message to Agamemnon, encouraging his pride and thus leading to his downfall, but to send it verbally through his trusted technical assistant to avoid leaving [ ]
Anyone who has worked in a large organization, or been involved with negotiations between organizations, knows that good meetings don’t just happen they require careful preparation and management of the agenda. Most decisions get made before the meeting and only ratified by the full group, usually with small amendments or the group making a choice between [ ]
The idea of the Iliad as a series of events at a Big Tech company was inspired by this Dilbert cartoon and its punchline: That s how I know I won the meeting. Book I Book II Book III etc.
Book I Tell, oh social media pundit, your account, biased and self-interested as all things on the internet, of the ruinous wrath of Achilles, lead programmer of the Systems division. And of how, before the story was over, many programmers had burnt out and quit, gone to high-frequency trading companies and crypto startups, and some [ ]
In southern lands the sun rules all As known from Egypt to the Aztecs A fierce and brilliant lord Bringing life and ending it And though dawn’s glory is ever sought Night’s cool succor is beloved As shelter from the blast Of sun’s cruel tyranny But in northern climes Frost is king Lurking near through [ ]
The boat has lain these seasons past moored close ashore, sheltered in the cove it reached, sails rent and sides battered by the storm that drove it hence. Round the cove, the rocky hills that keep it safe from wind, rain and surf, hold off also the rays of the sun, and the cold waters [ ]
Two parties of soldiers met in a small mountainous town near Toledo. One group was travelling north to the capitol, while the other group was headed south to Seville. Each group was of about 5 men, led by a captain. All were noble, with fine horses, cloaks in the royal colours and wore long straight [ ]