Grumpy Thinkers!

Several of the 'thinkers' I read are out sorts.

Dave Pollard says, " This world is fucked !

H mm, now got my attention. Profanity is unusual for Dave! Not in the moment either, as Tolle would say.

Dave, could not get away with a lead like that in print. Imagine it, as a front page summary of the Canadian budget. I wonder, would it offend, or ignite grass roots discussion. What to do, individually, as neighbors, as local communities, now, that "they" the experts, brokers, bankers, auto makers, have failed, us ?

Jeff Jarvis has been on about the Davos Economic Conference. No trust, transparency, leadership there. Not sure why 'we'd expect to find any. Those folks, create the agenda. On the financial side, make everyone less wealthy. It's working!

Exhibit 'A' government budget policy, just created more debt for you. Sure, a tax break, on home renovations is a, modest, benefit. It's your money, 'they' are using to create the benefit. How do you feel about that? Is consumerism worth it?

And so, Tolle would say.

Mark Evans asks; Are Newspapers Dinosaurs? "Yep", I said, responding to his question.

The newspaper platform is dead.

Canadian newspaper and media companies missed it, with RSS.

"They" never got it. Still don't. "They" don't understand their own business model, audience aggregation, on the net.

"They" don't understand it's my (our) news, not theirs. They don't see any value in me aggregating my news, from, or better, on their platform and syndicating it.

"They" produce and re-purpose more content, in a commodity market. Then, wonder why there is limited value.

"They" gave away 'classifieds'. They don't understand how to monetize 'free'!

"They", media companies, which own papers, refused to invest, in or create new business models. Transaction facilitation might be one! Could have been, when 'they' had an audience!

Their response to dwindling revenue, cut costs, people, facilities. How does a business grow, by cutting production? Margins may,short term. Business does not!

Independent journalism, an oxymoron, is dead, too. Locked down, like the borders into Gaza, by vested interests, with a web of contacts to support the power of their will, from there to Yonge and Bloor!

Today's reportage and analysis is agenda driven propaganda. Independent journalism long eviscerated by the toxic atmosphere of 'regulated', government approved, media monopoly.

Compromised, by vested third party think tank expertise. Manifested, on a local level, by non analytical press conference boosterism, masquerading as journalism.

A neat and tidy, controlled, complex, 'information vertical' organized and supported by a shared mutually, vested, beneficial will!

Truth, trust, and transparency is not 'their' will! Media and automotive companies, banks, oops I digress!

Perhaps the collapse of the newspaper business, if there ever was such a business, is a metaphor for the disintegration of monopoly?

Hope so!

Grumpy is catchy . Off to the gym!