Blink:

It’s no secret, Tech Juggernauts make money from people’s online usage. With present-day computing power dissecting an individual’s data, marketers can hack people thus manipulate them in our digital economy. Thanks to the power of social media, a new breed of people hackers (a.k.a. online creators) is flourishing.            

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As I shared in my 2021 post Social Allurement, America runs on social media. According to a Pew Research Center 2021 survey of U.S. adults:

• Seven-in-ten Americans have used social media sites. Note: Share data has remained relatively stable over the past five year
• YouTube and Facebook are the dominate platforms with 81% and 69% of respondents reported using these platforms respectively.
• Younger adults (18-to-29-year-olds) indicated they use Instagram (71%) or Snapchat (65%), while roughly half say the same for TikTok.

Social media platforms make money selling advertising. I want to focus on TikTok which shares their user data more than any other social media app and their sub-culture of online internet creators. Some females are known as a BimboTok. They create daily videos considered promotional incorporating products or songs companies hope will go viral thanks to their massive followings. One leading BimboTok who posts on Instagram and TikTok has a combined 4.5 million followers. Young males obsessed with bodybuilding and high protein diets, a disorder defined as bigorexia, are posting workout videos #teenbodybuilding. Their followers are fixated by the thought there is something wrong with the way their body looks. From a marketing perspective, these online creators are a new breed of White Hat “ethical hackers” who have permission from the platforms users to collect marketing data. Another example of how the digital advertising ecosystem is morphing.

Opinions welcomed!

Blink:

Interesting quote from Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum: “In the new world, it is not the big fish that eat the small fish, it’s the fast fish which eats the slow fish.” What about the scrappy fish?

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Klaus Schwab is founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, which he began in 1971. The WEF is well-known for its annual forum in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, which attracts leading business, government, and civil society leaders from around the world to engage and shape global, regional and industry agendas

My understanding (spin on) Mr. Schwab’s quote cited before the economic disruption of the current Russian sanctions, are the fast fish eating the slow fish are the global leaders in society embracing transformation in our new covid world? However, I believe Mr. Schwab is overlooking a third species of fish, scrappy fish. The species I am most familiar with are remoras. A remora is a fish which attaches itself to large fish by means of a sucker on top of its head. They are attracted to great white sharks given the shark and remora relationship benefits both species. Remoras eat scraps of prey dropped by the shark as well feed off parasites on the shark’s skin and in its mouth. I am using remora metaphorically to describe the third species of new world fish, scrappy fish (a.k.a. people/sycophants) populating the waters of Wall Street, Washington D.C. and Silicon Valley.

Opinions welcomed!   

Blink:

I took out an old essay (hard copy) this morning written by Ellen Goodman, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, former syndicated columnist for the Boston Globe. I wanted to jog my memory about her guiding philosophy: “live life deep versus wide,” a philosophy I subscribe to.                                        

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Ellen Goodman has written numerous essays about returning to her roots, Casco Bay, Maine every summer versus taking an exotic vacation (e.g., Vietnam, Galapagos). Her rationale? We have evolved into mobile citizens of the world. We equate our mobility with ambition, broad horizons, thus thrive on getting up and going. By visiting Casco Bay every summer, she prefers being a native of the land versus a citizen skating across the world. She enjoys sitting of the edge of her favorite tidal cove since childhood to observe the yearly changes, walking down the country road by her home to enjoy the wild flowers while stepping aside of the poison ivy, listening to songbirds tweeting and picking apples from the trees bearing fruit every other year. Her return to Casco Bay reminds her what it’s like to live deep instead of wide plus in her own words: “I have slowly added a new sense to those of touch, taste, sight, smell, sound; a sense of place.”

Later in the day while I was taking a walk by the Mediterranean, I reflected on her statement regarding senses. After basking in the winter sun and hearing the squawking/chatter of the seagulls, I concluded, day to day, we experience a medley of our senses. Right now, for me the four senses I experience the most are sight (the sun glistening on the water), sound (the gulls are a noisy crew), taste (great food), and the fourth, Goodman’s sense of place, a topic I addressed back in November on my second anniversary here in Cannes. As Goodman encourages, we all need to take timeout from our fast-paced world to live life deep versus wide. A good starting point is to invigorate and enjoy the medley of your senses.

Opinions welcomed!

Blink:

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony.” 

                                                                                    – Mahatma Gandhi

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Being an art enthusiast, I have always been fascinated by the harmony some of the great artists and architects I admire achieved over their entire body of work. The list is long: Leger, Matisse, Picasso, Chagall, Miro, Calder, Dali, Neel, I. M. Pei and Frank Gehry. Specifically, each one had the ability to coordinate colors and materials to achieve artistic creation. I have studied and written about how each of these individuals have guided me on my business journey. One major lesson they taught me is harmony = balance.

Recently I have come to the realization, harmony = balance, an excellent norm to observe as I navigate our toxic turvy Covid world.

Opinions welcomed!

Blink:

I have been reading a plethora of op-eds and friends’ emails all expressing concern how the pandemic should have bought people together, but instead it has driven them further apart. Renown NYT columnists, Thomas Friedman and Frank Bruni labeled it “Societal Immunity” and “Tribalism” respectively. Why all the Pandemic Indifference?

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To get an interesting perspective regarding the Pandemic, I continually engage with my favorite historian, my centenarian mother who has experienced the Great Depression, WWII, the bomb, FDR to Trump and everything in-between. I posted two interviews we conducted on LinkedIn.

In the first interview, when I asked how the COVID-19 pandemic compared to all of the history she witnessed/experienced she responded: “Awful! The worst!” Back in September 2020 she made the observation, people were not pulling together. Verbatim (edited): “The pandemic has changed how mankind reacts to a major crisis. Instead of pulling together, I feel the fear in the air and it is every man for himself. During the Great Depression we had nothing, but I remember people knocking on our backdoor begging for food. My Mother would give them whatever bread or soup leftovers we had. Rationing of gas and food during WWII was a hardship, but we all supported the plan. In addition, patriotic young people went off to war to preserve democracy. During the pandemic, people to me, appear to only care about their own turf. You witnessed it here in Europe. Instead of the EU pulling together during the pandemic, each country did its own thing. Back in the States, there wasn’t a national unifying plan.

In our most recent interview she advocated fragmentation in society is rampant as the pandemic sticks around. Specifically, she alluded to the inequalities in global vaccination distribution since there isn’t a unifying plan, as well as a deeper fragmentation festering with the anti-vaxxers. People are not pulling together. Fragmentation is contributing to the Ultimate Divide.                                                  

Not long ago we read the Bruni op-ed. I asked her why are we witnessing so much societal indifference during the pandemic. She agreed with Bruni, but thought tribalism goes beyond America and is global. “The pandemic revealed mankind’s tribal behavior.” She added there are no strong world leaders to pull all the tribes together. Then she coined an expression I now frequently use: We live in a Toxic Turvy world.

Opinions welcomed!

Blink:

Recently I forwarded an article to a friend about the risk of imposing sanctions on Russia if they invade Ukraine. Specifically, I asked him whatever happened to Hillary Clinton’s concept we live in a global village working in harmony.

Read on for my friend’s response.

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“What about all the disharmony here in the US as another example. NOT A F*#$%*G THING is getting done in Congress and thousands of Republicans dying needlessly because they won’t get a vax or boost.”            

Good point, but candidly now that I live in Cannes, I feel so disconnected to what is happening in the States. I am more in tune with what is happening in my own backyard here in the E.U. Back to Russia invading Ukraine to accomplish Putin’s policy to further weaken Western democracy and NATO. Potential outcomes:                                                          

• Disruptions to the global financial systems.
• An increase in food prices given both nations account for 29% of wheat exports.
• An energy crisis in Europe given Russia will be in the driver’s seat to manipulate their supply of natural gas given they are currently Europe’s reliable major supplier.  
• Strange bed fellows – China and Russia.

Back in early October I posted A Village No Longer? detailing geopolitical turbulence as of 10/7/21 and examining Hillary Clinton’s 2016 children’s book It Takes a Village. Her hypothesis being diverse communities globally coming together to make a difference. People working, living together in harmony to make a better village. Many villages coming together can make a better world and build a better life for one another. Really! Here we are four months later, we are still in the midst of a coronavirus pandemic, trying to combat climate change thus ward off a total environmental collapse and now Vladmir Putin is stretching Russia’s global power. Show me the harmony!  My perspective: Unfortunately, further validation we live in a toxic turvy world.             

Opinions welcomed!

Blink:

Sometimes I experience bouts of tech skepticism. We are constantly reminded technological innovation improves our lives. I am concerned about the dark side of technology (social bubbles, social media toxicity) we need to regulate. Today I am pragmatic; technology is being utilized to solve our planet’s health and environmental issues.

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The World Economic Forum’s report Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for the Earth released in 2018, proclaimed AI (Artificial Intelligence) was poised to resolve some of the planet’s major issues in real time – energy efficiency, ecological conservation and climate change. Thanks to the pandemic surging on, add humankind’s health to the list of major issues AI will advance to make every day living on the planet better. Today I would like to address two areas which pique my interest:

• Crisis Management Monitoring Systems – As the coronavirus continues to surge globally, health officials are utilizing digital mapping tools known as geographic information systems (GIS). When correlated with demographic factors, the geospatial data produced assist health officials with their Covid-19 vaccination delivery campaigns by identifying vaccination deserts. GIS has proven to be very beneficial in low- and middle-income countries.  

• Precision Agriculture – AI driven data help farmers grow more crops with fewer resources to maximize yields and minimize spending. Some specific applications: A.) labor automation (e.g., AI robots), B.) soil management systems (sensors) for irrigation, fertilization; and C.) drones for collecting and analyzing data in real time for crop protection and harvesting.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Planetary technology, specifically AI (Artificial Intelligence) is still in its relative infancy and gearing up to revolutionize the management and operations of our planet’s major issues in real time. However, we must be patient as we adapt to our new Covid world and recognize we will experience the growing pains associated with a lengthy technology learning curve.

Innovative Planetary Technology – Tomorrow is Now!

Blink:

Back in December I posted concerning how our planet is choking on plastic. I gave kudos to the CEO of The Ocean CLEANUP Boyan Slat. Today I would like to post about other ocean renewal projects which long-term will be beneficial to Planet Earth’s health.

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• Reef Restoration – According to UNEP (UN Environmental Programme) coral reefs support approximately 25 percent of marine species as well a fortify coastal protection. Consequently, reefs directly impact the food and economic security of hundreds of millions of people around the world. UNEP estimates 14 percent of the world’s coral has been lost since 2009. Fortunately, marine biologists around the world are developing innovative solutions to restore reefs. To highlight a few:

1. Collecting coral eggs and sperm to cultivate larvae in nurseries before being transplanted to damaged reefs.
2. Applying probiotic bacteria to helps reefs withstand increases in water temperature so the algae they feed on are not expelled by a rise in temperature.
3. Special drones which collate data to help assess reef help health, plus deploy new coral to damaged reefs in response to changes in a location’s water temperature and its pH levels (chemical conditions).                                                                                                                  
4. Game of Trawls – By the numbers, globally approximately a quarter of the fish caught (20 million tons) are discarded at sea or the dock primarily as a result of bottom-fishing nets collecting everything including the wrong species which becomes waste. France’s National Institute for Ocean Science has partnered with several fish companies to develop a smart net with a network of sensors and cameras monitoring the size and species caught in real time. The fish are sorted in the water. Unwanted fish are then released through a specially designed trap door before they are dragged on board and wasted. The device is called Game of Trawls, (an acronym for Giving Artificial, Monitoring Intelligence to Fishing Trawls). Smart fishing!

• Eco- Museums – Last year the first underwater eco-museum in France and the Mediterranean opened here in Cannes. It made me aware of the world-renowned British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor. The artist’s submerged statues made from ecological friendly materials provide reefs which encourage underwater flora and fauna to flourish. His underwater art and ecological museums raise awareness to preserve marine biodiversity. His museum in Grenada has been designated by National Geographic magazine as one of the 25 wonders of the world. Jason deCaires Taylor’s informative Ted Talk.

Marine biodiversity is essential to Planet Earth’s health and occupants. It is encouraging to learn about the different innovative solutions in motion helping our damaged oceans heal.

Ocean Renewal – Tomorrow is now!

Blink:

A friend suggested engaging with other writers to expand my broadband. He forwarded an excellent article from the Atlantic. I signed up for the author’s free newsletter. The Atlantic immediately pinged me I would receive eight comparable newsletters with a subscription. Reminded me of my elementary school science fair project.

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When you were in elementary school, in science class did you spoon sugar (a solute) into a glass of water (a solvent) to learn about solubility? Specifically, the point of saturation, the point at which the sugar you add sinks to the bottom of the glass in solid form. Chemical explanation: The molecular interaction between the sugar and water reaches a maximum concentration, if you add more sugar, it will not dissolve anymore. My apologies: A very esoteric analogy for the point of saturation I reach every time I am online conducting a digital review – aggregating information and engaging. Better known as TMI.

Have you been subjected to any sugar water lately?

Opinions welcomed!

Blink:

I do not make New Year’s resolutions. Candidly I never know where to start. According to research, New Year’s resolutions remain popular, with three quarters of people globally planning to set a goal for 2022. 77% of people think 2022 will be better than 2021 (source: World Economic Forum).

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Ipsos, a leading global market research company, surveyed over 22,000 adults in 33 countries to give their personal predictions for 2022. A majority were optimistic and indicated 2022 would be a better year than 2021. Reasons for their optimistic outlook:

• Progress in the fight against Covid-19, specifically improved vaccination rates.
• In regards to the environment, 60% of the respondents believe there will be more extreme weather events in 2022 caused by global warming, but expressed more optimism about the readiness of people to take action to halt it.
• Approximately one-third of the people believe their immediate society will become more tolerant driven by city centers once again becoming vibrant hubs.
• Interesting economic dichotomy – people are optimistic the economy is rebounding. They believe the stock market will stabilize, yet three quarters of people expect prices in their countries to rise faster than incomes.
• The survey also drilled down on what people were most concerned about in the year ahead – a natural disaster affecting a city in their country (39%), hackers from a foreign power bringing down their IT systems (38%), nuclear weapons being used (34%). Note: Interesting, outside of optimism related to the progress in Covid-19 vaccination rates 2022, the survey did not provide any insight about what percentage of people were worried/anxious about the pandemic. Was the question even asked?

My thoughts regarding 2022? I am neither optimistic or pessimistic. I am pragmatic. We all live in a topsy turvy Covid disrupted world, as evident by the Omicron variant racing through here in the European region at a record-breaking pace. Consequently, as a result of writing this post, I gave thought about setting 2022 goals. Again, like the start of every other year, I did not know where to begin. I concluded during these turbulent times the best I can do is to stay focused andnot squander, as in waste, any time as I further adapt to my new home. “Je suis content!”

Bonne Année!