Omar Yacoubi
@omaryak.net
What I’m reading about the news, #urbanism, #tech & the zeitgeist. UX designer / strategist @omyk.co and multi-Big 5/Cisco alum thinking globally 🌐 posting locally in the
📍SF Bay Area, CA
┃ Opinions mine (not shared at work)
🔗 linktr.ee/omaryak
📍SF Bay Area, CA
┃ Opinions mine (not shared at work)
🔗 linktr.ee/omaryak
Pinned
Omar Yacoubi
@omaryak.net
· Oct 19
The value of the AI is not its ability to create product for us, but to engage with us in our process
AI doesn't have to replace our competencies or even our employees.
www.fastcompany.com
The value of #humanity in the AI era is finally explicitly labeled in a #business article: because AI is not yet AGI, it’s not yet ready to replace us for complex endeavors like work in #tech
www.fastcompany.com/91422738/ai-...
www.fastcompany.com/91422738/ai-...
Reposted by Omar Yacoubi
In San Francisco, storm surge drenched onlookers on the Embarcadero and at Crissy Field. Elsewhere, storm surge forced other road closures in Alameda County and as far as Pacifica and Half Moon Bay.
‘Worst I’ve ever seen it’: Bay Area flooding closes roads, strands motorists
Flooding caused by powerful king tides inundated coastal communities and disrupted traffic Saturday as residents struggled to protect their homes from rising water in the Bay Area.
www.sfchronicle.com
January 4, 2026 at 12:56 AM
In San Francisco, storm surge drenched onlookers on the Embarcadero and at Crissy Field. Elsewhere, storm surge forced other road closures in Alameda County and as far as Pacifica and Half Moon Bay.
Reposted by Omar Yacoubi
By attacking Venezuela, seizing its president, and promising to “run” the country indefinitely, Trump may have shredded what little is left of international norms and opened the way to new acts of aggression from China and Russia, columnist Michael Hirsh writes.
Trump Sets a Devastating Precedent in Venezuela
Will Russia and China now assume they can do the same in Europe and Asia?
foreignpolicy.com
January 4, 2026 at 12:30 AM
By attacking Venezuela, seizing its president, and promising to “run” the country indefinitely, Trump may have shredded what little is left of international norms and opened the way to new acts of aggression from China and Russia, columnist Michael Hirsh writes.
Reposted by Omar Yacoubi
BREAKING OVERNIGHT: President Trump confirms U.S. strikes on Venezuela, saying President Maduro was 'captured.'
Live updates: Explosions reported around Venezuela's capital
Follow live updates as a series of explosions are heard around Venezuela's capital after a military buildup in the Caribbean, tanker seizures, and Trump pressing President Nicolás Maduro to step down.
nbcnews.to
January 3, 2026 at 12:57 PM
BREAKING OVERNIGHT: President Trump confirms U.S. strikes on Venezuela, saying President Maduro was 'captured.'
“When customers accept a mere five-minute delay, the total kilometres travelled by delivery vehicles falls by around 30 per cent”
#urbanism #sustainability #gigeconomy
#urbanism #sustainability #gigeconomy
January 3, 2026 at 7:39 AM
“When customers accept a mere five-minute delay, the total kilometres travelled by delivery vehicles falls by around 30 per cent”
#urbanism #sustainability #gigeconomy
#urbanism #sustainability #gigeconomy
Reposted by Omar Yacoubi
The U.S. Postal Service made a technical change that could have consequences for anyone who relies on a postmark to prove they met a deadline — including millions of Americans who vote by mail.
USPS quietly changes how postmarks work — and it could affect mail-in ballots
The U.S. Postal Service made a technical change that could have consequences for anyone who relies on a postmark to prove they met a deadline — including millions of Americans who vote by mail.
bit.ly
January 3, 2026 at 6:30 AM
The U.S. Postal Service made a technical change that could have consequences for anyone who relies on a postmark to prove they met a deadline — including millions of Americans who vote by mail.
Interesting #etymology for a common UI element
When people are getting rid of multiple data fields rather than backing out of a single action, in #ux work lately I’ve been changing the word to “discard” for extra clarity of function and a bit of a warning (without needing a modal)
When people are getting rid of multiple data fields rather than backing out of a single action, in #ux work lately I’ve been changing the word to “discard” for extra clarity of function and a bit of a warning (without needing a modal)
‘Cancel’ comes from a Latin word meaning “to make like a lattice.”
When people needed to annul or void a document, they sometimes would mark it with crosshatches
XXXXX
which resembled a lattice.
So the document became ‘canceled.’
...we hope this post doesn’t get us that.
When people needed to annul or void a document, they sometimes would mark it with crosshatches
XXXXX
which resembled a lattice.
So the document became ‘canceled.’
...we hope this post doesn’t get us that.
January 2, 2026 at 4:20 PM
Interesting #etymology for a common UI element
When people are getting rid of multiple data fields rather than backing out of a single action, in #ux work lately I’ve been changing the word to “discard” for extra clarity of function and a bit of a warning (without needing a modal)
When people are getting rid of multiple data fields rather than backing out of a single action, in #ux work lately I’ve been changing the word to “discard” for extra clarity of function and a bit of a warning (without needing a modal)
Reposted by Omar Yacoubi
“Future mundane” is an approach recommended by a futurist to encourage companies to avoid the pitfalls of short-termism in quarterly capitalism. IBM’s CEO said to avoid "toys on the side” and focus on “the things you can scale”
www.fastcompany.com/91426058/why...
www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...
www.fastcompany.com/91426058/why...
www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...
Why Silicon Valley's vision of the future is broken—and how to fix it
Nick Foster, an ex-Google futurist, argues big tech's imagination has been hijacked by sci-fi and earnings calls. He offers a simple way for any leader to get back to what made Silicon Valley great.
www.fastcompany.com
November 12, 2025 at 6:35 AM
“Future mundane” is an approach recommended by a futurist to encourage companies to avoid the pitfalls of short-termism in quarterly capitalism. IBM’s CEO said to avoid "toys on the side” and focus on “the things you can scale”
www.fastcompany.com/91426058/why...
www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...
www.fastcompany.com/91426058/why...
www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...
Reposted by Omar Yacoubi
From massive solar panels to the difficulty of staying cool - not to mention high-energy radiation - there are a lot of engineering problems that need to be solved before we can build data centres in space
Putting data centres in space isn't going to happen any time soon
From massive solar panels to the difficulty of staying cool - not to mention high-energy radiation - there are a lot of engineering problems that need to be solved before we can build data centres in space
www.newscientist.com
January 2, 2026 at 3:37 AM
From massive solar panels to the difficulty of staying cool - not to mention high-energy radiation - there are a lot of engineering problems that need to be solved before we can build data centres in space
Reposted by Omar Yacoubi
“As with any euphemism, replacing or abandoning ‘global South’ will not erase the ugly racial history of the current global order,” writes Zachariah Mampilly.
What “the Global South” Really Means
A modern gloss for old divisions.
www.foreignaffairs.com
April 16, 2025 at 7:26 PM
“As with any euphemism, replacing or abandoning ‘global South’ will not erase the ugly racial history of the current global order,” writes Zachariah Mampilly.
Reposted by Omar Yacoubi
For a lesson in contrasts, Latin America’s social capital seems to be increasing. Not bad for what are supposed to be “shithole countries [sic]” —i.e. the #globalsouth
www.economist.com/the-world-ah...
www.economist.com/the-world-ah...
January 2, 2026 at 2:07 AM
For a lesson in contrasts, Latin America’s social capital seems to be increasing. Not bad for what are supposed to be “shithole countries [sic]” —i.e. the #globalsouth
www.economist.com/the-world-ah...
www.economist.com/the-world-ah...
Reposted by Omar Yacoubi
The job-market impact of AI may already be visible at the bottom of the career ladder. In The World Ahead, we examine what this means for graduates in the coming year
Will the bottom rung of the career ladder disappear?
The class of 2026 will face a job market increasingly influenced by AI. Those graduating in the coming year have two options to consider
econ.st
January 2, 2026 at 12:30 AM
The job-market impact of AI may already be visible at the bottom of the career ladder. In The World Ahead, we examine what this means for graduates in the coming year
“A good idea without #marketing is like winking at a girl in the dark”
—William Randolph Hearst III, heir to the Hearst Newspapers dynasty, shares a #business tip from his father. “How do you know what people want until you show it to them?”
#strategy #dataism
magazeum.co/content/will...
—William Randolph Hearst III, heir to the Hearst Newspapers dynasty, shares a #business tip from his father. “How do you know what people want until you show it to them?”
#strategy #dataism
magazeum.co/content/will...
The Good Citizen — Magazeum
A conversation with Hearst Corporation chairman and Alta founder William Randolph Hearst III
magazeum.co
January 1, 2026 at 11:55 PM
“A good idea without #marketing is like winking at a girl in the dark”
—William Randolph Hearst III, heir to the Hearst Newspapers dynasty, shares a #business tip from his father. “How do you know what people want until you show it to them?”
#strategy #dataism
magazeum.co/content/will...
—William Randolph Hearst III, heir to the Hearst Newspapers dynasty, shares a #business tip from his father. “How do you know what people want until you show it to them?”
#strategy #dataism
magazeum.co/content/will...
Reposted by Omar Yacoubi
Since ideas are transactional these days, and we “sell” people on ideas instead of persuading …
It might be easier next time the #socialcontract comes up in polite company to tell them about the virtuous cycle, which is pretty much the same thing using different words
www.inc.com/ken-sterling...
It might be easier next time the #socialcontract comes up in polite company to tell them about the virtuous cycle, which is pretty much the same thing using different words
www.inc.com/ken-sterling...
How to Start a Virtuous Cycle in Your Business
Build trust with your employees and customers with a virtuous cycle.
www.inc.com
November 16, 2025 at 10:37 PM
Since ideas are transactional these days, and we “sell” people on ideas instead of persuading …
It might be easier next time the #socialcontract comes up in polite company to tell them about the virtuous cycle, which is pretty much the same thing using different words
www.inc.com/ken-sterling...
It might be easier next time the #socialcontract comes up in polite company to tell them about the virtuous cycle, which is pretty much the same thing using different words
www.inc.com/ken-sterling...
Reposted by Omar Yacoubi
#Design decisions involve finding that balance, an abstract concept (or principle) that #AI has yet to match. If companies weren’t allowing space for people to exercise that discerning judgment, then I can see how some would think AI (not AGI) was ready to replace people
hbr.org/2024/12/the-...
hbr.org/2024/12/the-...
The Irreplaceable Value of Human Decision-Making in the Age of AI
The rise of AI presents an opportunity for humans to step up to the challenge of refining, emphasizing, and applying our own human strengths to differentiate corporate decision-making. However, human ...
hbr.org
November 23, 2025 at 5:40 AM
#Design decisions involve finding that balance, an abstract concept (or principle) that #AI has yet to match. If companies weren’t allowing space for people to exercise that discerning judgment, then I can see how some would think AI (not AGI) was ready to replace people
hbr.org/2024/12/the-...
hbr.org/2024/12/the-...
Restoring cultural invention doesn’t require upending the current industries—it just needs a small vanguard to change its direction, writes W. David Marx:
21st-Century Culture Has Hit a Wall. Here’s How to Break Through.
Even failures and half steps will be more interesting than the boring stuff.
bit.ly
January 1, 2026 at 11:13 PM
Reposted by Omar Yacoubi
“Two-thirds of Gen Z and millennials said that they aspire for extreme wealth not for success, but for security in an increasingly unstable economy”
#billionaires #inequalitycrisis #socialcontract
www.fastcompany.com/91440451/bla...
#billionaires #inequalitycrisis #socialcontract
www.fastcompany.com/91440451/bla...
Should we really blame billionaires for our own financial struggles? In fact, more Americans say yes
People increasingly see extreme wealth as contributing to an unfair society, and that sentiment is especially high with Gen Z and millennials.
www.fastcompany.com
November 28, 2025 at 4:25 AM
“Two-thirds of Gen Z and millennials said that they aspire for extreme wealth not for success, but for security in an increasingly unstable economy”
#billionaires #inequalitycrisis #socialcontract
www.fastcompany.com/91440451/bla...
#billionaires #inequalitycrisis #socialcontract
www.fastcompany.com/91440451/bla...
Reposted by Omar Yacoubi
#stratification compounded these trends by preventing people at the top from seeing the other side of the coin 🪙
A new article from @iai.tv examines the disconnect between the #science of cooperative evolution and the selfishness of the modern, fraying #socialcontract built on Ayn Rand’s objectivism and Western individualism
iai.tv/articles/the...
iai.tv/articles/the...
The selfish myth driving modern economics
<p><em>Beneath the clash between selfishness and solidarity lies an evolutionary truth: humans survived not just by competing, but by caring. Yet neoliberalism has treated only one side of our nature ...
iai.tv
December 15, 2025 at 8:44 AM
#stratification compounded these trends by preventing people at the top from seeing the other side of the coin 🪙
Reposted by Omar Yacoubi
Legend has it that Margaret Thatcher carried a copy of Adam Smith’s “The Wealth of Nations” in her handbag. As the seminal book turns 250, “Money Talks” asks whether the book has been misinterpreted
Poverty of notions: is Adam Smith overrated?
Our podcast on markets, the economy and business. This week, why the “father of economics” gets too much credit
econ.st
January 1, 2026 at 5:01 PM
Legend has it that Margaret Thatcher carried a copy of Adam Smith’s “The Wealth of Nations” in her handbag. As the seminal book turns 250, “Money Talks” asks whether the book has been misinterpreted
Reposted by Omar Yacoubi
We’ve now been collectively living in a sanewashed political and legal landscape for nearly a year. For that, we have the Roberts Court to thank.
trib.al/XkQmox7
trib.al/XkQmox7
How the Supreme Court’s Judicial Sanewashing Wrecked the Legal System
The Roberts Court’s reality distortions have thoroughly disrupted the law, facts, and democracy.
trib.al
January 1, 2026 at 8:21 PM
We’ve now been collectively living in a sanewashed political and legal landscape for nearly a year. For that, we have the Roberts Court to thank.
trib.al/XkQmox7
trib.al/XkQmox7
Reposted by Omar Yacoubi
Criticizing the catastrophic consequences of Trump’s foreign policies feels both necessary and increasingly futile. In 2025, our contributors were up to the challenge.
America and the World in 2025
Nearly one year into Trump’s second term, our authors assess the damage he has caused to the global order.
foreignpolicy.com
January 1, 2026 at 8:30 PM
Criticizing the catastrophic consequences of Trump’s foreign policies feels both necessary and increasingly futile. In 2025, our contributors were up to the challenge.
Reposted by Omar Yacoubi
How can poetry help us grapple with reality? | https://iai.tv/articles/philosophy-must-embrace-poetry-auid-2795
In an era where poetry is often dismissed as inaccessible and disconnected from everyday life, John Gibson challenges these assumptions.
#philsky
In an era where poetry is often dismissed as inaccessible and disconnected from everyday life, John Gibson challenges these assumptions.
#philsky
Philosophy must embrace poetry
<p><em>In an era where poetry is often dismissed as inaccessible and disconnected from everyday life, John Gibson challenges these assumptions. He argues that the enigmatic nature of poetry is not so ...
iai.tv
December 21, 2025 at 4:30 PM
How can poetry help us grapple with reality? | https://iai.tv/articles/philosophy-must-embrace-poetry-auid-2795
In an era where poetry is often dismissed as inaccessible and disconnected from everyday life, John Gibson challenges these assumptions.
#philsky
In an era where poetry is often dismissed as inaccessible and disconnected from everyday life, John Gibson challenges these assumptions.
#philsky
“All we have to do now
Is to take these lies, and make them true somehow”
George Michael made a poppy celebration of American #freedom that also looks prophetic in retrospect: how does free enterprise cope with #reality?
What would “Freedom 25” say?
youtu.be/40eqoQHJU_E
#music #culture
Is to take these lies, and make them true somehow”
George Michael made a poppy celebration of American #freedom that also looks prophetic in retrospect: how does free enterprise cope with #reality?
What would “Freedom 25” say?
youtu.be/40eqoQHJU_E
#music #culture
George Michael - Freedom! '90 (Official Lyric Video)
YouTube video by georgemichaelVEVO
youtu.be
January 1, 2026 at 1:16 AM
“All we have to do now
Is to take these lies, and make them true somehow”
George Michael made a poppy celebration of American #freedom that also looks prophetic in retrospect: how does free enterprise cope with #reality?
What would “Freedom 25” say?
youtu.be/40eqoQHJU_E
#music #culture
Is to take these lies, and make them true somehow”
George Michael made a poppy celebration of American #freedom that also looks prophetic in retrospect: how does free enterprise cope with #reality?
What would “Freedom 25” say?
youtu.be/40eqoQHJU_E
#music #culture
Reposted by Omar Yacoubi
… and steady as she goes
Happy New Year, everyone. May 2026 bring something better than the year before
If we’re lucky, maybe we’ll get some sugar and tea and rum (thanks to Stephen Colbert for reviving the sea shanty): youtu.be/9A6XcFE4CL8
#culture
youtu.be/Z_B_QRdX6kY
Happy New Year, everyone. May 2026 bring something better than the year before
If we’re lucky, maybe we’ll get some sugar and tea and rum (thanks to Stephen Colbert for reviving the sea shanty): youtu.be/9A6XcFE4CL8
#culture
youtu.be/Z_B_QRdX6kY
The Raconteurs – Steady, As She Goes (Official Music Video - Malloy Version)
YouTube video by The Raconteurs
youtu.be
January 1, 2026 at 12:36 AM
… and steady as she goes
Happy New Year, everyone. May 2026 bring something better than the year before
If we’re lucky, maybe we’ll get some sugar and tea and rum (thanks to Stephen Colbert for reviving the sea shanty): youtu.be/9A6XcFE4CL8
#culture
youtu.be/Z_B_QRdX6kY
Happy New Year, everyone. May 2026 bring something better than the year before
If we’re lucky, maybe we’ll get some sugar and tea and rum (thanks to Stephen Colbert for reviving the sea shanty): youtu.be/9A6XcFE4CL8
#culture
youtu.be/Z_B_QRdX6kY
Reposted by Omar Yacoubi
One act has pulled out of a New Year's Eve performance following the Kennedy Center's addition of "Trump" to its name. Here are all 11 performers and creators who have cancelled appearances or cut ties this year, from Lin-Manuel Miranda to Shonda Rhimes.
Kennedy Center exodus: The 11 acts that have pulled out post-Trump takeover
A jazz ensemble and a New York dance company this week joined those canceling their events at the Kennedy Center.
www.axios.com
December 30, 2025 at 11:42 PM
One act has pulled out of a New Year's Eve performance following the Kennedy Center's addition of "Trump" to its name. Here are all 11 performers and creators who have cancelled appearances or cut ties this year, from Lin-Manuel Miranda to Shonda Rhimes.
Apparently you can’t call President Trump an asshole on LinkedIn
They call it “hateful speech,” even after I appealed. They should learn what public figures are
They call it “hateful speech,” even after I appealed. They should learn what public figures are
December 30, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Apparently you can’t call President Trump an asshole on LinkedIn
They call it “hateful speech,” even after I appealed. They should learn what public figures are
They call it “hateful speech,” even after I appealed. They should learn what public figures are