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Of course something similar did happen in the past: the “white flight” of the 1940s and ’50s. But what made those people desire to live in the suburbs was created in part by the automobile industry and public projects like Eisenhower’s interstate system, which allowed white-collar workers to live outside of cities and still make the commute to work. But it didn’t jeopardize the office as being integral to American life. After all, where were all of those suburbanites commuting to? No, like the office itself, the suburban phenomenon is only now really in jeopardy, in our post-COVID world.
together . There is some evidence that they’re right since people generally communicate and get along better in person.
On the other hand, many folks argue for embracing new technologies that could prepare us for necessary changes, just as our ancestors did. White-collar workers didn’t exist before office buildings, and that is 100% the result of technological change. Why shouldn’t we change again with new technologies and embrace a new century’s method of doing business? This side is bolstered by studies on happiness and efficiency — both of which seem to go up when employees are allowed to work from home. You might expect me to throw in my lot with one side or the other, but I won’t do that. As a businessperson, I’m a pragmatist first and foremost. I’ll follow the trend that works best for my employees, and we’ll either join with the national movements or fly in their face.
The question is: Does any of this matter?
After a year delay, the Tokyo Olympics are once again gearing up for two weeks of action and excitement. Athletes from around the world are descending on Japan to give it their all and, hopefully, walk away with gold. This year, however, the games will be folding five new sports into the mix. Four of these sports have never been part of the Olympics, while one sport hasn’t been part of the games in over a decade. Here’s what to expect: Surfing Both men’s and women’s competitions will be held on Tsurigasaki Beach in Chiba Prefecture. Officials say due to the nature of the competition (being in open water), they’ll be generous with the scheduling. Depending on weather and waves, the preliminary round heats and head-to-head competitions may shift around as necessary. Skateboarding There are two categories: park and street. The street competition takes place on a linear course featuring “real world” elements like stairs and handrails, benches, planter boxes, and curbs. The park competition takes place within a more structured environment with a variety of slopes, curves, and other obstacles that will test skaters. Sport Climbing This event combines three different disciplines on an artificial climbing wall: bouldering, lead climbing, and speed climbing. In the bouldering competition, climbers will navigate a fixed route to be completed within a specified time. In lead climbing, climbers aim to reach the high point within a specified time. Finally, in I would say yes, it does. We’re seeing an important shift in the way Americans do business and think about work. It dovetails with other discussions surrounding minimum wage and single- payer insurance systems, but both of those topics are hot-button political issues (some might say dog whistles!) By contrast, the remote work debate is happening by and large off the political stage — which is probably for the best. On the one side, we have those who believe that white-collar workers are more efficient working in offices together — that, barring another pandemic, the best way for people to work is
That’s just the nature of business, after all.
One parting thought: I do wonder what will happen to the American city, commonly the place of highest real estate value in the nation and the heart of industry, if white-collar workers leave all of those office buildings behind. Something to ponder, no?
5 New Sports Join the Olympic Roster in Tokyo
speed climbing, two climbers race against one another. Men and women, 20 per gender, will compete against each other, with the top eight advancing to the final round. Karate This martial art was developed in Japan in 1868, so it’s only appropriate to make its debut during the Tokyo Olympics. On top of that, the competitions will be held in Nippon Budokan, the site of the very first World Karate Championships in 1970. The Games will test two disciplines: kata (forms) and kumite (sparring). The sport will also be separated into men’s and women’s categories with three weight classes for each. Baseball and Softball These aren’t new sports to the Olympics, but they were removed from the Games after Beijing in 2008. Baseball is hugely popular in Japan. This year, only six countries will take part in the baseball and softball competitions.
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