a thought-provoking ramble on the state of life, clients and the universe at large
WMDs. Remember that term? Weapons of mass destruction…a catalyzing fear of the Bush US Presidency and the driving force behind the Iraq War. The fear of WMDs was so deep and primal that an almost unprecedented bi-partisan group of US politicians supported the war to find them. “Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam…
Imagine if the torrent of tweets we have become inured to disappeared after 10 seconds. One can only wonder what the political climate of the United States might be like today… Or, say you were a mega-diva like Madonna and you chose to launch your latest collection of songs with a video that was ephemeral……
I admit it. Full confession. I have become obsessed with the cover of a song. Not just any song, mind you…an old song, an old famous song, an old famous song written and sung originally by legends and recently covered by a band and singer whose musical ethos is 180 degrees in the opposite direction….
Amazon is opening a book store at The Shops at Columbus Circle, right across from my office. I see the banner from our windows every day and I smile. Jeff Bezos gets it, he understands the time is ripe…but more on that later. Warby Parker continues to build out its physical presence, as does Bonobos….
“[What information consumes is] the attention of its recipients. Hence a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.” -Herbert Simon, Nobel winner, Economics (1978) Think about that for a moment. Since the advent of movable type heralded the evolution of readily accessible information, our senses have been assaulted with ever-growing, ever-changing sources of information…
“I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as king as I would wish to do without the help and support of the woman I love.” —December 11, 1936, King Edward VIII abdicates the Crown of the British Monarchy in an address directly to the British…
Oscar Wilde, ever one of my favorite sources for inspiration, once said: “In America the President reigns for four years, and Journalism governs forever and ever.” Now, while I hate to be partisan in my writing, I do believe that while I will be primarily quoting US sources and focusing on recent events in “Lower…
So what was it that made it so hard to predict the recent US election that caught the data scientists; the media; the pollsters; the pundits and the bettors by surprise much like Brexit did in the UK a few short months ago? Could it be as New York Times (who got it dreadfully wrong…
How do I begin 2016? Big Data? Drones? IOT? Need it now? More mobile? Post-digital? Pre-apocalypse? More on Star Wars and Adele? Nah… Instead I opted for a great story. One that encompasses everything that I love and admire about the age we live in and an age that is past. 2016 begins the sixth…
“Goodwill towards all men”…in the nonsexist, nongender-specific and gluten-free way…before the knee-jerkers call me out for not being PC… “Goodwill” seems to be a reasonable wish and an admirable goal for all of humankind…no? That will be my only point – the rest I leave up to you, dear reader. Here is the question, the…
Language is how we communicate. Language can be spoken, signed and sung. Language can be pictures — fashion or food. DNA is a language of sorts. So is computer code. And while we think it’s uniquely human, it may not really be so… “Thinkers such as Rousseau have argued that language originated from emotions while…
I love the way we use the word platform today. In fact, according to Google the use of the word has skyrocketed over the years…particularly as it became a metaphor for developing ideas and products that shared some common core. What I love about the word platform is the visual imagery it calls to mind….
Every year, around this time, as the United States approaches its national day of commemoration…for those who have given their lives in the various wars fought by US troops…aptly called Memorial Day…I am struck by the nature, the very essence of memory and what it really means, what it can achieve and the flip side…
They are ageless. Age does not define them…nor is it central to who they are. They are empowered. They believe it’s up to them to make their lives meaningful. They are global citizens. Borders are for maps…their interest in other cultures is as important as their own. They are self-directed. Success is about how you…
I don’t know about you, but I love watches and I own a few…my wife would say more than a few…. Some are simple, like the one I wear during the summer at the beach: waterproof, colorful rubber wristband, colorful face and dials, thick and sturdy – perfect for the task of taking my grandkids…
It was just 9:26:53 p.m. on March 14, 2015, and I have officially celebrated the second transcendent moment of Pi Day…the first being that same time a.m. this morning…. Some are calling it the Pi Second…although there is a controversy around the p.m. celebration, as the numbers don’t work if you follow a 24-hour clock…….
The history of secret and anonymous denunciation is no doubt as old as the world. Religions and governments both have used the “tool” to control the errant masses, and the allure of gain in favor has always been a great incentive for the participants. In 15th century Florence there were even beautifully designed mailboxes of…
What separates the good guys from the bad guys? Hollywood once made it really easy because all the good cowboys wore white hats while the bad wore black ones. Wish it were so easy in our world. And I wish that the answer was technology… But it just ain’t that simple. Technology in and of…
Full and embarrassing disclosure… Like everyone else, I click on list links… As a public service, I provide some for your entertainment and amusement as well as three core sources for continued and higher education in list learning…. 17 Weird But Endearing Things Couples Do To Annoy Each Other 6 Times Cheaper Foods Win Out…
Have you heard the one about the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Priest, The Rabbi and the Imam? Once you might have…in fact, when he was still alive there was a good chance he might have been the one to tell the story…the joke…but today…? King was a great man with a great…
How do you end one year and begin another without the onslaught of future gazing by the experts who know…. There was a time when looking forward was a function of truly challenging imaginations: Leonardo DaVinci imagining flight – parachutes, airplanes, helicopters, even retractable landing gear; or centuries later, HG Wells writing “Anticipations of the…
For 2015: A new concept in customer service and personalized experiences. You go shopping for clothes… You can go basic and buy something that really doesn’t fit, because it’s been cut narrow to save you money, if you don’t mind the tightness; but you can pay more and buy one with the extra material that…