Playing The Something Is Going To Happen Game-Podcast 644

You can already feel it. The long fourth of July weekend approaching. We’re starting to slow down. So, for the ride to the lake. During periods of rain. It’s fun to think about what might happen. In Playing The Something Is Going To Happen Game-Podcast 644.

Podcasts Have To Go Deeper

I podcast a lot about media’s role in our society. For a deeper look at angst listen to Podcast 643. We’re awash in media informing us of the latest developments. ‘Breaking News’ is the norm these days. Podcasters have to go deeper. We’ll do that in Playing The Something Is Going To Happen Game-Podcast 644.

The Next Black Swan Event Is…

Truth is, I do feel a growing sense that ‘something is going to happen’. A true ‘Black Swan’ event is something unpredictable. An event that changes the course of history. Black Swan events like the stock market crash of 1929 or the September 11th Terror Attacks were not predicted, although some might have had some forewarning. Some predicted the financial crisis of 2008, but on the whole, it was a surprise.

A Personal Story Of A Shocking and Unexpected Event

A recent example of an unpredictable event in my own life illustrates the kinds of changes we go through when things change, unexpectedly and unpredictably. Moreover in my experience a sense expectation can mean something good is about to happen too. Especially important and relevant is an expectation of a major event that changes history. This kind of expectation is a sense of foreboding.

Not The Latest Dispatch From Washington

In a broader sense our social angst is driven by constant coverage of breaking news and new opinions on every little thing that happens in a place called Washington DC. Playing the ‘Something Is Going To Happen’ game is not anticipating news out of Washington.

Making History

A true Black Swan event is something out of the so called left field. An event in the financial world. Something breaking loose from the sense of normalcy in the rest of the world. An unexpected and totally new development from the world of invention. An event that changes history.

We Don’t Change on A Dime…Or Do We?

We think of eras as decades. The 1950’s, the 1960’s, and so on. We think of changes taking place when governments transfer power. So, the Obama era gives way to the Trump era. Except that is not the way it works, Steve Jobs said what we think of as the 1960’s actually happened in the 1970’s. Events actually determine when we move from one era to the next.

To sum up, a new president took office in January. After a lot of chatter and fireworks, nothing substantial has really happened. The test of the new president hasn’t really emerged yet. Fertile ground for our imaginations to break free from the daily news feeds and imagine what could happen. Enjoy the July 4th holiday! (Editor’s Note: In This Podcast I refer to Nouriel Roubini as the person who coined the term ‘black swan’. It was in fact  Nassim Nicholas Taleb.)

Sponsored by X Government Cars and Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul

Playing The Something Is Going To Happen Game-Podcast 644

 

 

Podcast 572-Change

Podcast 572-Change. A Super Moon Walk and Talk Podcast in the wake of Election 2016. Disengage and Decompress from a bruising and challenging election cycle lasting two years. In Podcast 572-Change we’re going to talk about change. The election outcome was a surprise. While a Clinton win might have signaled some level of change, a Trump win signals change in a big way. Political junkies are still hashing over vote totals, turn out, exit polls, laying blame and praise. Leaving the political nuts and bolts aside, this podcast focuses on how we know we’re passing from one era to the next. Many of us feel that change is upon us, whether we voted for Clinton, Trump or some other candidate. What challenges and opportunities lie ahead? One thing is a constant. Things never stay the same. Even though we’re on the doorstep of 2017, sometimes it still feels like 2003. Yet, look at the social, economic and technological change we’ve experienced in the last thirteen or so years. The communication device you hold in your hand is more powerful and more useful than the desktop computer you used back in 2003. The technological changes alone are stunning. Staring up at the full moon in the middle of the night on this walk and talk, it sure feels like the pace of change is accelerating. When an era changes, it always catches people by surprise. We look back later on a particular year and say, “That was when things changed”, but we seldom know and feel it when it is happening. The music we listen to, the TV shows we watch, the clothes we wear, the political coalitions that dominated the news cycle, the rest of the world, how we think of our place in the rest of the world changes. Sometimes without warning. We’re seeing the effects of surprise on the faces of some people who feel they lost the 2016 election and at the same time a sort of triumphalism among supporters of the candidates who won. Over time this will change as people see political changes might not happen as suddenly as thought. Or policies supporters of the winner thought might be advocated for, aren’t. Meanwhile something else may be afoot. Let’s start thinking about change, because it is upon us, whether we want it or not. Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul.