Way back in 2012 I wrote this.

... as long as I have been in business I keep hearing (and repeating) the phrase – how do you ‘monetize the network’ ?
And remember that old line from Stanford University Network (sic) – ‘The Network is the Computer.’ ? How about “.. it’s not what you know – it’s who you know”. Let’s not forget that the second oldest profession in the world is ‘The Middleman’ – who live and die (see Layer Cake) by their connections.

And?

And. When I saw this graphic from Gaping Void ... it got me to wondering. Has he worked it out? If so - will he share? Because I definitely understand how I can love my making introductions between people ... but have yet to wrestle to the ground how I make wealth if the value is delivered three degrees of separation away ... and that is what we are talking about. Right?

The entire contraption of “Unbridled Energy” is supported only by a rote optimism: “The United States has 250 billion tons of recoverable coal reserves — enough to last 100 years even at double the current rate of consumption.” We humans have inhabited the earth for many thousands of years, and now we can look forward to surviving for another hundred by doubling our consumption of coal? This is national security?

Source : Harpers - Faustian Economics by Wendell Berry

More than questioning national security ... how about planning? As a young country of under three hundred years old, then 100 years might sound a long time. After all, it represents one-third of the entire country's life. This thinking is what will lead America down a very long road of nowhere. Success is about the long game. Take China for example. (This is just ONE of many examples of how China plans the long game. Just Google the long game of China. 

My thanks to my friend Louis for the link.

This Team Runs Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook Page

Gruber's original post ... ending with

Key point here is that Mark Zuckerberg is much too smart to actually spend time on Facebook.

Yup.

To match the number of novels, letters, essays, and other scribblings Asimov produced in his lifetime, you would have to write a full-length novel every two weeks for 25 years.

Holy crap! How did he do it? Have a read. There were 6 tenets to his approach, but to understand them properly - you really should read the article.

1. Never stop learning
2. Don’t fight getting stuck
3. Beware the resistance
4. Lower your standards
5. Make MORE stuff
6. The secret sauce

Will Donald Trump be assassinated, ousted in a coup or just impeached?

Read All About It. 

The UK's Spectator ruminates ... as do I. In the 'pre-truth world' Impeachment was seen to be the ultimate extreme for how a Presidency might end. Now it is the least of three options - and none of them good. Meanwhile ....

• Trump was sworn in on Monday
• Lied throughout the weekend
• His first law-suit arrived this morning - and yes - I am SPECIFICALLY linking to Buzzfeed.

In the movie Now You See Me ( 1 and 2), there are some nice quotes about the essence of magic. Was reminded of them today when I read this.

Put your most junior people in the White House briefing room. Recognise that the real story is elsewhere, and most likely hidden.

Read All About It.

Relevant ?

What is magic? Focused deception. But deception meant to entertain.

and

The closer you think you are, the less you'll actually see.

Yes - good advice ....

Facebook:

We will work with third-party organizations on how to better understand and to promote news literacy both on and off our platform to help people in our community have the information they need to make decisions about which sources to trust.

Frederic Filloux:

No kidding. If you can wrap your mind around this 42-word sentence, it'll amount to saying McDonald’s goes low-fat, low-carb, or Monsanto acquires Whole Foods. Lofty words, unconnected to reality.

Read All About It.

Good piece from Monday Note about Facebook's Journalism project. I'm with Frederic - way too little - way too confused. BUT - thankfully not too late.

Whichever way you look at it - same face.

Status Quo is Your Biggest Competitor

... so being an old fart - I clicked through. No. Not THAT Status Quo.

People ... I'm talking to YOU Barbara - should be more careful with their headlines. 

I thought for a minute that the boys had moved into business consulting.

Phew.

The one thing I do know? Honest mistake. I know Barbara. It wasn't meant to be 'click bait'.

Great Article.

The paper tried to rise above all this, but it made a new rule: If you sack a compositor, get him off the premises immediately.

Which Paper?  The London Times

When?  1882

Why?  Well, it turns out for very good reasons ...

When I was a lad, there was a Genesis song ...

"Get 'em out by Friday!
You don't get paid till the last one's well on his way.
Get 'em out by Friday!
It's important that we keep to schedule, there must be no delay."

... it would seem even in 1882, this was too slow ...

Read All About It.

The saddest part of this :

Third of Republicans Think Trump Won Popular Vote

... is that I am not surprised.

I wrote this yesterday ... and then it got me to thinking ...

Theranos - this just the latest legal action

Lily

Magic Leap

The General Malaise

Hampton Creek

Zenefits

... and now Facebook's Oculus

But no worries - all is good and upright in the world of Tech.

What Grande does need is a reality check. Sorry, honey but you can’t base a career on selling sex and then get angry when your horny fans treat you like a sex object.

I agree mainly with a lot of this, but not;

The truth is that Ms.Grande is actually astonishingly talented as a singer and an actress.

There are nay-sayers out there letting us know that there is nothing to worry about. Then again - they are the same nay savers that have said before there was nothing to worry about - you know like the housing market isn't inflated or those 'non-profitable, low-revenue companies searching for a business model being valued at hundred of millions of dollars' do not point to an inflated market.

Anyway, from time to time I highlight some of those companies that are considered outliers by those same people, but I keep wondering if it is more the norm.

This just in ...

San Francisco District Attorney files lawsuit against drone maker Lily for false advertising

but actually - it is a lot more ... ^^ that was the headline, this is the first sentence of the article ...

After raking in tens of millions in preorders and venture capital, the drone maker — if it can really be called that — Lily is shutting down. 

I love how Podcasts are really emerging as a story-telling vehicle. Of course Serial is the famous one ... but don’t for one minute think it is the only one.

Take this wonderful series from Hawaii's Civil Beat. When you visit the islands, you might not realise the under-currents. When you move to the islands, you still might not realise the under-currents. To do that, you need to explore, ask questions, understand and at all times keep an open mind.

That is exactly what Jessica Terrell did. And of course, if you follow my writings, you will know that I do too. It is amazing what is not in the history books, much less reported. Kudos to Civil Beat.

Read All About It.

But more importantly - take a listen. You will not be disappointed.

So my tributary feeds my river.

And my river feeds my estuary.

But not always.

I wonder .... as @davewiner says 'still diggin'

1. to arouse the curiosity or interest of by unusual, new, or otherwise fascinating or compelling qualities; appeal strongly to; captivate:
"The plan intrigues me, but I wonder if it will work."
2. to achieve or earn by appealing to another's curiosity, fancy, or interest:
"to intrigue one's way into another's notice."
3. to draw or capture:
"Her interest was intrigued by the strange symbol."

... and also used by a friend when she saw the newly emerging web publication .... And Another Thing.

It just appealed to me.

And I know it's naughty - but as I have demonstrated a few times before ... they aren't my favourite utility company ... which reminds me - I should update that post - it did get fixed.

But there's more.

Time Warner Cable on MAUI - one of the most expensive places on the planet - delivers what I get from Xfinity with FASTER cable AND HBO - for HALF the price.

And so on to my next battle.

Seriously? I Thought Peter Thiel was meant to be a visionary. These are all his comments ...

• 'age of Apple' at its end
• the evolution of the smartphone has reached a zenith.
• We know what a smartphone looks like and does. It's not the fault of Tim Cook, but it's not an area where there will be any more innovation."

... and it was published by the NYT!

taken to the logical conclusion, this seems to be his belief ...

• In 100 years we will still all be using phones that look like slabs of glass
• Innovation is only about what something looks like, not what it does
• Apple's only future is in phones, which have reached their zenith, thus Apple will die

Read All About It ... the sad thing is that he is one of Trumpette's IT peeps. (Apart from his ten-year-old son - who understands 'the cyber'.)

And Another Thing .... why can't he smile more. Is the world really that bad?

Oh Wait!