Two months down the road, I'm quite happy with Stori and Oyter.

After a couple of months of using a couple of fintech products, I've to say that they have been working rather well for me. Although there are ways that would make them better for me, overall both have high marks from me.

The first product is a credit card issued by Stori(link is in Spanish). Since its backed by Mastercard,I haven't had a problem with it. All the places on which I usually pay with a credit, or debit, card take it without an issue. Not only that, with the app update released a couple of week ago made it a lot more usable and got a redesign for the better.

Of the things I would like to see improve, is that your balance get updated at the moment you make a purchase and when a payment is made. This way it would make it a lot more practical and user friendly. Not only that, it would make less likely not to go over your credit limit by mistake.

The second product I'm using, is a business account that comes with debit card called Oyster(link also in Spanish). With the account, a debit card is issued backed also backed by Mastercard. Personally, I use this account more like a savings one. Mainly to put money in account separate from the ones I use for my daily expenses.

The app Oyster offers is quite good, and I like a bit better than the one that Stori offers. And while I've no problems using my money by paying with the debit card, I can't withdraw it on an ATM without having to pay a fee. For my user case, its not really a problem since I use the account for savings, can pay with the debit card, or can make a transfer to other of my accounts with banks that have their own ATMs. But I can see this being a problem for some people who need to be able to make withdraws on regular basis.

I personally would recommend both Stori, and Oyster, to people who don't want to deal with a traditional bank, or their life style is one that managing their finances using their smartphone is a lot easier.

Podcasts I listen to learn about things, or just have get out of reality for a while.

One of the things I've picked up in the last year or so, is listening to podcasts. I found that, in my case, is the best way to learn or get a glimpse into the minds of people that have common interests with.

Some of my favorite are The Adam Savage Project, Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast, AvTalk Aviation Podcast, and Basketball Time Machine Podcast. All of this podcast allow me either to learn about subjects I'm interested in, or simply get to know people that make possible things I enjoy consuming.

Another podcast that gives me an insight what motivates people to do something to make the world a better place is Este Podcast Salvara al Mundo in Mexico. It features people with project that are starting, or aren't all that well known, that are striving to have a meaningful impact in peoples lives, or in society at large. This podcast is in Spanish, but if you can is would really make you reflect about how you could do something good happen.

On the entertainment side of thing, a couple of new podcasts I enjoy are Fantasfic!, specially if are into reading and/or writing fanfiction, Fandom of One, and in Spanish Duraznos y Berenjenas. All of these three podcast really help me to get my mind clear when the world seems to get to heavy.

In a way, all these podcasts allow me to express the different parts of my geekdom.

2020 is the year that changed everything.

As the COVID-19 effects continue to drag on, it seems that how the new normal will be is not something anyone can predict with certainty. Every time that things seem to be setting enough to at least try to have a look, things change enough as to make predictions hard to make.

This time, the challenge is one that is faced globally. There is no country that has been speared, and we all have been affected by it in one way or another. The only thing that seems certain, is that every aspect of our lives has change in one or another. We are being forced to adapt, no matter if we like it or not.

The Internet, and the technologies around it, have gained far more importance than ever before. Not only that, those who know how to use them, or have the chance to learn them, have an advantage over those who don't have either of them.

Having access to them now is vital to be able to make out the most of the current situation or take the new opportunities as they present themselves. This gives a big advantage to those who already have what is needed to take on those new opportunities.

And more often than not, the best opportunities will be taken by those have access to those tools, and know how to use them effectively. As we stand, there is still a large group of people who either doesn't have full access to the tools we take for granted, or doesn't know how to use them effectively.

If there was a need to change the educational model, and the way we work, the pandemic made it painfully certain that we needed that change. Now, everyone is learning how those changes will look like.

Giving fintechs a chance.

I've been hunting for a credit card, and new savings account, for some time now. Until a couple of months ago, I didn't find anything that fit my needs or expectations.

For the credit card, my income wasn't enough, the fees that they had were to high, or they were secured credit cards that required a high deposit.

On the savings account side, the main problems were that they required so sort of minimum balance so no fee was paid, or a high initial deposit. Both are things that I don't like, since I don't have the money upfront, and I want access my money in case of an emergency without having to worry about maintaining a balance.

Then a couple of Mexican fintech companies came along, and I decided to give their services a try.

For the credit card, I decided to apply for the Stori(link in Spanish) classic credit card. The main reasons I decided to apply for it, where that isn't a secured credit card, it has no no annual fee, and that its backed by Mastercard. So far, I haven't had any major issues with it, and it may become a keeper for me if my credit line is increased with time.

On the savings account side, I decided to give a chance to a fintech called Oyster(link in Spanish). I selected the one with no fees, that comes with some restrictions, like no more than 30 electronic transfers a month. But, none of those restrictions come into play for the use I've plan to give it, and since my main accounts have me covered for the rest of my financial needs. And it comes with a debit card, so I still have access to my money to make purchases in case I need to.

The only major "ifs" that both fintechs have for some, is that neither have physical branches to go to. Yet, both have quite nice apps that give the control over the accounts most user will ever need. Not only that, transfers from my other accounts are a breeze to make, and most importantly they don't incur in fees for the amounts I'm planning to do.

Time will tell if I change my mind, but so far I'm quite happy with them.

The snowflakes that offend because they stand up to create a better world.

It is somewhat ironic that the so called snowflake generation is called that way not because they are actually weak, but because they are standing up to all those things that previous generations just didn't do. And while at times those stances have been taken to extremes, it could be said that many of their detractors don't like the idea that they younger people will question them, and act in order to stand against wrongs not only committed against them, but also to others.

When people who justify doing something is right, or wrong, by saying that is has been done a certain way for since they can remember miss the point that isn't justification to keep doing that way. Just because our grandparents, and parents, did something a certain way doesn't justify keep doing so if there is a better way to do so.

Just because bulling wasn't called out, doesn't mean we shouldn't call it out now. That it wasn't called that way before, it doesn't mean that it didn't exist. So with many things like homophobia, acts of racism, and so on. And just because they were tolerated before, it doesn't mean we have to keep tolerating them.

What offends many about the so called snowflake generation, is they are actually calling them out for what they are. And as such, they are making them face what they don't want to face, such as their own racism, classism and homophobia. The anger that people have against so called snowflakes, is that they are being forced to start treating others in ways that makes them feel that they stop having the control they had over them.

They no longer can just expect to be respected and listened to just because they are older, or have a position of authority. Now they have to earn that respect, and actually listen to those on the other side.

And having to do so, is something they never thought they would have to do.

Just one more thing needed to make the Innova Card really the card for urban mobility in Guadalajara.

For a while now, I've been using a card call Innova Card to pay my bus fare when going to work, and I'm find it to be practical. Yet, there is one thing that prevents me for using it to is full potential.

The card used to pay:

And that is the fact that I can't get credit to it easily, because the machines that from which I can do so are only available on the light train stations. There is plans to partner with a convenience store chain called Oxxo so one can recharge the card more easily, but one is left to wonder why this wasn't done sooner.

What makes so attractive to me, is the fact that I can use it to ride on the light train and all the bus routes I use to go almost everyone in the city. Meaning that I don't need to worry to have some spare change to be able to get to where I need, on more than one public transportation system. For what I gather, I could also use it on the Macrobus, which would make it even more valuable for me since it would be grant me access to all major public transportation modes in the Metropolitan area of Guadalajara.

To be honest, the card is one of those ideas that need can be a lot more practical and its getting there. Yet, it feels to be moving all to slowly.

At least is integrating all the public transportation systems in Guadalajara to a single way to pay for them, it just need to have a more practical way to top it off.

The Internet can empower the people.

The advent of the Internet is still changing how we interact not only with each other, but with governments, small business and corporations. Add to this the advent of smartphones, which allow us to access the Internet on the go, the dynamics of power and how society relates to the government and corporations, has changed in ways are still being determined.

While I'm hopeful that smartphones, and computers connected to the Internet, can empower the people, we are still learning of to effectively use it. I know that there are some people, and groups, that already know how to use it; there is a long way to go before a meaningful percentage of the population can actually use it effectively.

Part of it, is because the education system as a whole still hasn't figure out how to give people the tools needed to do so. While some school are ahead of the curve, most people don't get the education that would give them the tools to actually be able to use all the resource the Internet gives us to use it to the maximum potential.

There is hope, if we don't kill each other first.

The narrative is not only at the hands of the media, and the governments, any more.

With people carrying smartphones connected to the Internet with them basically all the time, everywhere they go, it has become a lot more easier for everyone to share abuses committed by people with power basically as they happen. As such, it has become a lot harder to keep those abuses hidden from the public.

As the protests that have been occurring around the world, the protestors themselves have been documenting their struggle and capturing what is going on around them in order to have evidence of how their protest are developing. Not only that, they are also bringing to light how the authorities respond to them.

It has become harder for media, and the governments, to keep control of the narrative. Now the people have a stronger, and louder, voice on how the story is shaped. Social media, and other online forums, have given the people the platforms we need not only to organize in a more organic way, but have a wider reach for our message and a bigger impact on how the story is told.

While there is still much to learn by the people on how to manage social movements using the Internet, there is hope that we are learning how to do so. What is important, is that people are talking about those movements and what they are looking to achieve.

People having access to smartphones to capture the moment, and also to transmit live what is going on has proven crucial to help capture our stories from the onset. And also tablets and laptops play a role by helping to bring together what is needed to transmit an even deeper, and polished, message in different medias to even more people.

I've hope that these tools will help us to change things in a deep way.

Two sides of humanity.

As the COVID-19 rages on, it seems that people can be fit into those willing to heed the warning of the medical experts, and do they can to prevent the spread of the decease as much as possible. Meanwhile, others seem to ignore all efforts to defeat the virus because they are inconvenienced by those efforts.

It seems that for the second group of people, their rights are all what matters and everyone else should act according not for what is needed, but for what they want to do. It seems that they cannot see beyond what they want now, in order to prevent the spreading of a decease that has proven to be deadly.

The idea that the lock downs, social distancing, and wearing mask is to prevent as many people possible from getting COVID-19 to begin is something those people don't seem to understand. People will get it, and some will lose their lives to the virus, but all the measures put into effect are meant to make them as few as possible. If all those measures are follow, also means that they can be lifted sooner since the virus will be control in a shorter period of time.

What make things worse, is we all have access to all the information needed to know why the measures are put into place work, and how they work. Yet, some choose to ignore them, all call them lies. As is by calling them lies will actually make them lies.

It would be foolish not to admit that there has been some mismanagement, and that there is misinformation being spread in social media and news outlets. But, those are not valid excuses not to do what we can to help combat COVID-19 and actually do some effort to look the information that is useful and sharing with those around us.

The more we do to flatten the curve of the spread of the virus, the sooner we all are going to be able to return to the lives we want.

A lack of critical thinking is hurting all of us.

One of the things that things that are sourly lacking in society, is how to critically think and how to process new information.

Sadly, it seems that many of the educational systems in place in many countries aren't focused in helping people to think critically in an independent way. Why information needs to be memorized, focusing in doing only that is not really helpful in the long run if people can take that information to brake it down to the base data to make new information when circumstances require it.

Pure memorization is only useful for particular circumstances, or take standardized tests that measure just that. But going on in life, it requires to be able to take that information to compare it to new one we receive in daily basis, and adapt both our beliefs and actions according to our new surroundings. Not being able to do so put not only those individuals at a disadvantage, but the whole society since we need all to be able to be capable to independently do so.

We need education systems that give students the knowledge they need, the ability to keep acquiring it, and to think critically by themselves. As we move forward as a society, there is a bigger need not only memorizing facts, but the ability to get to them by ourselves. If not, people won't be able to correctly react to new situations, or be able to understand why they are asked to act a certain way.

In the long run, we all will win by teaching most people to think critically.

Time is starting to drag on.

As the shelter-in place orders keep dragging on, things feel like they aren't changing that much lately. News seem to turn around the pandemic, with few other things seem to be happening.

Political events that could change the landscape, or business deals that could mean a big change moving forward are all focused on containing the pandemic. The economy not being kick stated out of fears that the pandemic might get worse, and as time goes on it will take longer to restart it.

The usual thing that people could do to distract themselves, are put on hold since sport and entertainment venues are closed. Not only that, places where people could gather or just get to for some distraction are not available.

Though with the content in the Internet and the ability to contact our loved ones without having to leave our homes has helped somewhat, they are not full substitutes for actually going out to meet people or distract ourselves from our daily routines.

Even for the few of us that still have the chance to go to work at our normal places, days seem not to be all that different. There are not much options for actually doing something to take us out of our daily routines.

All we can do is to keep doing our best to shorten the quarantine, by following the advice of doctors and nurses.