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There is a mysterious quote, the origins of which are largely unknown, but which is often attributed to the late literary icon Kurt Vonnegut. This is the largely untested legend: When Vonnegut was a teenager, something important became clear to him. He was 15 years old and was working on an archaeological dig when archaeologists inquired about what he liked to do besides digging up fossils.

Vonnegut responded with a variety of extracurricular activities – violin, choir, theater, but no sport – that impressed the archaeologist. The problem with this, the teenager noted, was that he wasn’t good at either of them. Then the archaeologist said a few sentences that changed how Vonnegut would ultimately approach life.

So the encounter went according to the Reminder of the author years later:

Then he said something that I will never forget and that absolutely blew me away because no one had ever said something like this to me: “I don’t think it’s important to be good at things. I think you’ve had all of these wonderful experiences with different skills and all of these teach you things and make you an interesting person no matter how well you master them.

Whether this story is ultimately a myth or not, it still has a distinctly Vonnegut-esque aftertaste, as the The author expressed a similar opinion later in life. And it should apply to anyone engaged in activities beyond personal comfort. The idea that it is not bad – and possibly even a good thing – not to excel at something can help shatter the idea that any pursuit must be a means to success.

Why do we have the constant need to achieve something?

It is a simple question that deserves careful consideration, but the simple answer is that accomplishments, whether personal, career, athletic, or otherwise, are revered and celebrated in the mass media. LinkedIn is crammed with users trying to do something splash with their career milestones; Athletes are enthusiastic alongside Rockstar CEOs; Magazine spreads tout tthe lightning-fast success stories the corporate leader of tomorrow.

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This type of high achievement worship can affect the way normal people become interested in hobbies. There are something of an epidemic of perfectionism in the United States, which means that the casual golfer doesn’t just hit the course for a leisurely game – he learns, trains and longs to perfect his technique to become the best he can be.

Writer Tim Wu put this 2018 edition in a nutshell, noting that many people are scared of taking up hobbies, largely because they view the stumbling blocks of learning as failures. He wrote for The New York Times:

But there’s a deeper reason I think so many people don’t have hobbies: we’re scared of being bad at them. Or rather, we are intimidated by the expectation – which is itself a hallmark of our intensely public, performative age – that we actually need to be experienced in our free time.

Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be that way. You can refer to Vonnegut, or at least refer to his teenage enlightenment, if you are discouraged about not being absolutely brilliant at a particular hobby.

Why it is good to be bad at things

It is definitely a merit in striving; It’s good to feel like you’ve achieved something and the hard work you put in is paying off in the form of skill or even mastery.

Per Vonnegut’s story However, shedding the expectation of mastery can be incredibly liberating. Creating for the sake of creation, writing for the sake of writing, and trying for the sake of experimentation are all invaluable to the spiritual mill.

Practicing an art, no matter how good or bad it is, for heaven’s sake is a way to grow your soul. Singing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem, even a lousy poem, to a friend. Do it as best you can. You will get a tremendous reward. You will have created something.

For anyone hesitant to start something new or who raises their hands in frustration because they can’t paint or knit, or play a pentatonic scale on the guitar, it’s important to understand that something is good at that What matters to one is to be mediocre Over. Why? Because it shows your commitment to enjoyment – and an understanding that you deserve the flexibility to go easy on yourself.

So instead of despairing of your inability to master a craft, think about why you were looking for it in the first place. The motivation to pursue a new hobby is curiosity and the opportunity to gain joy. And if you really enjoy something, it makes no difference to be good at it.

After office and Xbox, Microsoft went ahead and put Windows in the cloud. With the Windows 365 service, companies can stream Windows devices directly from Microsoft’s servers – like Netflix, but for your work computer.

Unlike a server farm, these are individual instances of Windows computers that run with a unique and customizable set of apps and user data that can be streamed on any device, including phones and tablets. If your internet connection can stream a movie, Windows can stream too.

What comes with Windows 365 Cloud PC?

with Windows 365, businesses can create accounts for up to 300 users, each with their own instance of Windows PC (Windows 10 for now and Windows 11 when it is released). Plans start at $ 24 per user per month ($ 20 if you have a Windows 10 license under the Windows Hybrid Benefit plan) for a single-core virtual CPU, 2 GB of RAM, and 64 GB Storage. The dual-core virtual CPU plan with 4GB of storage and 64GB of storage starts at $ 32 per user per month.

And from then on, prices rise rapidly. The top-end eight-core virtual CPU with 32GB of RAM and 512GB of storage will cost you $ 162 per user per month.

That said, Windows 365 is a pretty unique service. While there are third-party services that allow you to run Windows in their data centers, no one offers an integrated experience like Microsoft. Here the account administrator doesn’t have to do much to set up a user with Windows 365 – he just needs to log into the admin interface, create an instance, assign it to a user, adapt it to the needs of the company, and you’re done. Windows 365 then does the heavy lifting of installing and building the instance, updating software, installing operating system updates, and fixing security issues.

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While the $ 32 / month offer rate may seem like a lot, with a Windows 365 subscription you get:

• Software updates: Automatic, secure installation of software updates, including security patches.
• No facility: You don’t need an entire IT team to set up, monitor, and update devices. Microsoft will do this for each instance in the background.
• Really fast internet connection: The internet connection in Microsoft’s data centers is really fast. Things like downloading files and updates are done in a snap.
• A state everywhere: Windows 365 runs in every browser on every device. There are also dedicated Microsoft Remote Desktop apps for iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac and Windows. And regardless of which device Windows 365 is to be accessed from, the computer is in the same state with the same data.
• Easily expandable: Windows 365 can be scaled with the needs of your company. You can start with the basic configuration and increase the RAM, the number of cores, or the storage as required.

Should you pay? Windows 365 cloud PC?

That brings us to the question: who is this for? It is not for consumers or independent professionals. Microsoft only offers this service for business and enterprise customers – and even if you are talking about business users, there are a very limited number of use cases that it would be perfect for.

First, the service only supports 300 users so large organizations are out there. The same applies if a company wants to host / control its own Windows instance; it’s just not possible in Windows 365. Ultimately, Windows 365 is for businesses that value a seamless, low-overhead experience above all else.

If you run a business with a few dozen employees on a distributed team, but still want to control the Windows experience for all users (without a large IT team), this might be a good idea for you. You can get away with spending cheap laptops as the entire Windows experience is now done in the cloud. That is, if you don’t mind the $ 30-40 per user per month fee.

Cheaper alternatives too Windows 365

The scenario described above is pretty tight – and even that isn’t exactly cost effective. If you choose to run for three years, the basic two-core plan will cost you a total of $ 1152 per user. For example, you can get a decent mid-range Dell laptop for $ 500 (or cheaper if you’re looking for one refurbished model).

If you really need to offer your employees remote desktop functionality, AnyDesk The subscription costs $ 9.99 per month per user. Do you need control of the entire experience? Microsoft’s own Azure virtual desktop you can create and host custom Windows 10 cloud PCs. As with all business decisions, this one can only be about cost. Before making a decision, do the math to see if it is the best choice for you.

Photo: By Maxim Blinkov (Shutterstock)

Due to a number of problems – weather, labor shortages, reduced capacity – flight delays and cancellations was an even bigger effort than usual this summer. Even though you may not be able to avoid them completely, there are steps you can take to keep yourself safe from too much trouble.

Book your trip with delays or cancellations in mind

Try to allow maximum flexibility wherever you can – especially as the pandemic is still able to turn your travel plans upside down. Follow these tips to protect yourself.

Get a refund if that’s your best option.

Sometimes flight delays and cancellations are serious enough that you might as well cancel your flight and claim a refund. If a flight is canceled for any reason and the traveler decides not to rebook with that airline, the passenger is entitled to a full refund, according to the Department of Transportation.

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If there is a “significant delay“The airline should give you a full refund, although they may fight you as” significant “is vague. Before booking the flight, check the airlines’ cancellation policies as they define them. Many airlines will try to offer a voucher, but you can also push for a cash refund – especially if you can refer to their own refund policy.

React quickly.

If a flight is canceled or delayed, do whatever you can to speak to an agent quickly. For example, if you are standing in line at the airport to speak to a ticket agent, use this time to reach the airline via their app or by phone. Also use sites like Google flights or Skyscanner to keep track of alternative flight schedules.

Learn how to contact your airline.

This is not easy as the phone lines are congested. This Lifehacker post will walk you through that fastest way to contact someone by phone for each airline, but if that fails, consider social media or even go straight to the airport to speak to a ticket agent.

Stick to direct flights.

The fewer connecting flights you have, the less likely they are to be delayed. Sure, direct fares can be more expensive, but in this case, with all the uncertainty of traveling, a little more expense acts as a kind of insurance against unexpected delays or cancellations. Consider choosing flexible rates and avoiding cancellation fees if you can.

Book seats together when traveling with friends or family.

To ensure that your fellow passengers’ seats are not blown to the wind after a flight is canceled, book all seats as part of a reservation, as you are more likely to be rebooked as a group on another flight.

Allow yourself more time between connecting flights.

As a rule of thumb, allow 60-90 minutes for domestic flights and two hours for international flights. However, consider a longer layover – closer to three or four hours. Sure, it will add to your day of travel, but think of it as a form of travel insurance, especially if you are hooked up to a regional flight that only operates a few times a day.

Avoid baggage checks.

Checked baggage can have a major impact on whether you can rebook on another flight, especially at short notice. It also helps you avoid the crowds at the baggage carousel.

Consider taking out travel insurance.

Your credit card will likely offer some protection for canceled flights, so you’ll always want to pay for the flight in plastic. And if you have travel expenses that you don’t want to pay in the event of a flight being canceled or delayed (e.g. a trade show booth), you should consider purchasing additional travel insurance to cover those expenses. Insurance can be extensive in what it actually covers, so check the fine print. There are costly “cancel for any reason” policies, but depending on the nature of your trip, it can be worthwhile.