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Futurists. Music. Maps. Strikes. Passion.
‘Strikes’ .. one of the 5 topics that caught my eyes and ears this past week that I wanted to share with you.
Futurists
There are a few people in the world that truly live in the future. It’s just hard to predict what is going to happen. For example, were you one of the vast majority that laughed and argued that Trump could never become the Republican nominee? You only had to look forward a few months - and we all got it so very, very wrong. (Except for Trump of course). So to look out over 10 years is definitely a challenge.
Consider for example ..
.. that was 15 years ago yesterday (May 19th 2001), with Steve Jobs giving you a personal guided tour to the first ever Apple Store which was in Tysons Corner, Virginia. Of course, there were nay sayers who couldn’t wrap their heads around the idea and announced the death of Apple. Here is one such paragraph of wisdom on Bloomberg’s site … the whole piece is well with a read.
“I give them two years before they’re turning out the lights on a very painful and expensive mistake.”
They certainly didn’t predict this … exactly 15 years later - to the day. ( I have specifically chosen to link to Bloomberg so you can compare and contrast, although their snotty sub-heading
_“__Fifteen years after opening its first location, the company is trying to reboot the customer experience and, hopefully, re-ignite iPhone sales”_
.. reveals that they still don’t get the company.
applestore
All this to shed light onto what I was delighted to be pointed to this little article on Public Domain Review by the team at No Such Thing As A Fish (which if you do not listen to - you should). Read it carefully, the guy is basically predicting online shopping in 1857! Admittedly, parts of his article were wrong .. and dates a little out, but given he was writing about a vision of London in 1957 - fully 100 years into the future … not too shabby.
I observed that from each of these district shops innumerable electric wires branched off in all directions, communicating with several houses in the district to which it belonged. Thus, no sooner did a house-keeper stand in need of any article than she could despatch the order instantaneously along the wire, and receive the goods by the very first railway carriage that happened to pass the store. Thus, she saved her time, and she lost no money, because all chaffering and cheapening, and that fencing between buyer and seller, which was once deemed a pleasure, had been long voted a disgraceful, demoralizing nuisance, and was done away with.
Music
Three offerings that caught my eye. The first two courtesy of watching a couple of Jools Holland shows this week. I think Jools Is the Whistling Bob Harris for the new millennium.
Underworld
Oh my. Always a fan of their 1999 album Beaucoup Fish - they still go strong and are as exciting as ever.
Savages
Masterful. Hadn’t heard of them until I saw them on Jools, but will definitely be exploring them more, won’t be too hard - they formed in 2011 and only have two albums to date. What caught my eye was the lead singer - Jehnny Beth. As I watched her, I was reminded me of Christine and The Queens. Is it because they are both French female lead singers?
Radiohead
Not so much for the music of their new release - my taste is really more early Radiohead. But definitely for continuing to push back on new business models for Musicians. This quote from M.G. Sieglers blog 500ish Words.
Everyone already knows that it’s only through touring that artists really make any money these days. But that also has a chicken-and-egg problem. I like this new Radiohead approach to jumpstart things. It’s basically merchandizing without the need for a massive tour. But it’s better, because it is often actually about the music. It’s exclusive tracks. It’s the box-set. The vinyl edition. The streaming album is just the glittering lure to hook them in to your fan club. You earn by earning it.
Maps
Always loved them. If I arrive in a new place, I will use a map before I get to the guidebook. I will use maps to understand businesses. And of course, they are 4 dimensional. (It’s just we don’t often talk about using a map to travel through time. But you can.)
And when you see something like this - don’t you just want to know more? (via Kottke)
1498-america-map
Strikes
Our news is full of Bernie, and Trump. People revolting. Getting angry. Arguing. Screaming. They are pissed. But it doesn’t come from nowhere and wouldn’t you think that you would hear more about the unrest outside of the political spectrum. Try some of these, just from this past week. Are we fed up with being exploited?
- The Verizon Strike Is Now In Its Second Month, and the Stakes Are Higher Than Ever
- Cafeteria Workers at Walt Disney World Say They Want a Union
- CUNY Union Votes to Allow Strike if Contract Deal Is Not Reached
- Can Labor Learn from Silicon Valley? - Working In These Times
Passion
People. Passion. Platforms. My trifecta on where I can have the most impact through the rest of my life. I find it easy to explain People (Empowered) and Platforms (Enabled) … but Passion (Engaged) ? I sometimes struggle, often reminded of Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart’s test for whether something is pornography.
I know it when I see it.
But there’s more …. Hugh Macleod seems to have nailed it.
Passion