What’s trending in the world, why it matters and what you can (should) do about it.
“…a peculiarly American loneliness: the prospect of dying without having once loved something more than yourself" ~ David Foster Wallace Sex and loneliness (and how porn may, indeed, be more human than Hollywood after all). How masculinity is falling out of fashion. Critical culture wars over words (and how he who controls the dictionary controls … Continue reading Consider the Lobster (and Friends)
Africa, the continent with the youngest population in the world, is very literally the future. More specially, South Africa, with its progressive constitution that lead the world in terms of dealing with questions around gender and race relations; and it’s early warnings around the limits of the social contract and the (now global) energy crunch, … Continue reading Africa is (literally) the future
I don't know about you, but I cannot live without a few secrets. Without secrets, without a private inner life, we lose our individuality and our sense of self. Today though, we are bombarded with messages telling us that privacy is worth sacrificing for the greater good; for the good of community security, for the … Continue reading Secrets and Lies
“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies . . . The man who never reads lives only one.” ~ George R.R. Martin As we move from the text and screen web to the voice and spacial web (and possibly even into the age of a fully connected human Brainternet), we move one step closer to … Continue reading Are we nearing the end of the age of literacy?
I have already written about the inherent conflict between past, present and future generations for earthly resources. I thought, while I was at it, it was worth taking a few minutes to explore the future euthanasia and the great grey area mess of ethics around this concept. First, some definitions: Euthanasia is the practice of intentionally … Continue reading Senicide and other such things
Brand Activism is a key business trend I have been tracking with my work at Flux Trends. In essence, brand activism involves brands stepping outside of their corporate comfort-zone to confront a tricky social issue and take a public stance about what their brand stands for. A great example of brand activism in action comes … Continue reading Brand activism, the good and the gross
What's the difference? UBI - Universal Basic Income UGI - Universal Guaranteed Income In short, with UBI, to paraphrase Oprah, "You get an income, she gets an income, he gets an income - EVERYONE gets an income!" https://media.giphy.com/media/11jENMgBweUYzS/giphy.gif Every person in the country gets the same get government sponsored income - regardless of whether they are employed, … Continue reading The difference between UBI and UGI – and why it matters
If it feels like somebody is watching you, well, it's because they are. Who is this somebody? Pretty much anybody who wants to, that's who: Skynet Your insurance company and medical aid have already sold you respectively on the "benefits" of letting them track your driving habits, through your cellphone insurance app, and your lifestyle … Continue reading Somebody’s watching you…
Selfishness. Me me me. That's the biggest trend of today. If you are a marketer, appeal to your target market's selfish ambitions and narcissistic tendencies and you will win them over. The Guardian recently published an article on the current "epidemic of narcissism". The article speaks truth, and we're only just embarking on our collective … Continue reading The biggest trend of now
