The Queen of the Internet Checks In…. In Praise of Strangeness…. What Commencement Speeches Leave Out…..Econ Recon: Boom or Bubble and Good News on House Prices

“A man always has two reasons for doing anything: a good reason and the real reason.”

J. Pierpont Morgan

1837-1913

American Financier

The Queen of the Internet Checks In…

Mary Meeker rose to fame in the 1990’s as a technology analyst at Morgan Stanley. Early on she saw the promise of the internet and her prescience in forecasting its development has earned her the sobriquet “Queen of the Internet.”

Now at legendary VC firm Kleiner, Perkins Caulfield and Byers, her annual internet forecast is anxiously awaited by anyone remotely interested in the technology arena. Last year it was about increasing mobile usage…this year one of the new areas she focuses on is “wearables, drivables, flyables and scannables.”

Here’s the slide deck (117 information packed slides on technology trends) and you can watch her video presentation at All Things Digital  (23 very well delivered minutes). These links are part of the 11^th All Things Digital Conference which is a good site for non-technology executives who want to find out what’s new and next in technology.

In Praise of Strangeness

Are you getting your minimum daily requirement of strangeness?. Probably not says Intel Engineer Maria Bezaitis during an eight minute TED Talk reflects on “The Surprising Need for Strangeness” Digital Technology is enabling us to block out the new and unfamiliar more effectively than ever before and ultimately make us less effective and more myopic. This talk may help you stay “green and growing” instead of “ripe and rotting.”

What Commencement Speeches Leave Out

Most commencement speeches encourage graduates to get about changing the world. Too few remind them that the world requires some preventive maintenance along the way. This article from the Atlantic may be beneficial not only for the young people in your life in understanding some basic duties they owe their country, but may cause you to ask yourself how you’re doing in this regard. Check out what “Commencement Speeches Leave Out.”

Econ Recon

Boom or Bubble:  The stock market is at all-time high. Is it for real?…. is this time different?…. is it too late to get in? Check out James Surowiecki’s article in the New Yorker, “Boom or Bubble” before you get in late or get out too early.

Good News on New Home Prices: They’re flipping houses in California again…has housing fully recovered? It’s on the way says Vistage Staff Economist and ITR Economics Principal Alan Beaulieu in his most recent blog entry,  Good News on New Home Prices. Check out his thoughts on buying now.