The100: Tarot Cards, Gnomonists and dishwater

Symbiotic Corporate Altruism?

I liked this article about Spotify, not just because I’m an avid user, but also because of this:

“We know that we’re only going to be successful as a company if the music industry is successful. That’s why we don’t think of ourselves as just the R&D department of Spotify – but actually as the R&D department of the entire music industry. We don’t think the music industry has had an R&D department before – we’re it. That’s our mission”.

Helping your entire industry become more successful (and by default even your competitors) may seem counterintuitive to some. Just wave as you pass them by.

Tarot Cards of Tech

These are designed to help the wizards-behind-the-curtains consider more fully the impact of their tech creations. There are in fact some useful questions for us all to consider in the MRX world.  Such a nice way to get people to re-look at their business while using common sense.

Bandwagon alert: Artificial Intelligence

Robots, AI, blah, blah, blah. There’s a lot of talk how they’ll take over many jobs Here is the Guardian with a brilliant collection of photos on the  people whose jobs are disappearing right now. The photos are great, the many implications serious. One thing you will learn is what a Gnomonist does (not what you think) and that there is such a job as an Ear Cleaner.

Who knew?

Tralalalalalahhh

America.

“The U.S. in the 21st century can be a bewildering place, even for its own residents.”

Here is a list of 10 books to help you out.

Or take a look at this long but marvelous recounting of 24 hrs in NYC (in the 1980s) …without immediately booking the next flight out – or grinning to yourself if you’re lucky enough to be already there.

Continuing in the US, even if you didn’t watch The Wire, this is a very short anecdote on how the tools we need for creativity are often closer than we think.

Dishwater? Seawater.

It’s fairly well known (by anyone that’s met me) that I’m pretty dishwater-dull… which may be the reason why I found this article on the secret language of ships so interesting. All those strange shaped markings, the crooked lines and coded letters… not to mention the anti-pirate mannequins.