April 2008
BUSINESS OUTLOOK: APRIL 2008
Overview
A few important themes compete for attention this month. The one that has me stumped regarding what to write and how to express it here, though, has to do with communications. It's not just a matter of clouded minds, misunderstood content, or a month long search for the right word that is highly unlikely to come; it's the possibility of the most intentional instances of public deceit and deception.
Now first, let me declare that the general mood is likely to be a little less heavy than it was in March, and we might just chalk it up to the first real signs of Spring and a possible temporary upturn in the fortunes and public dispensations of our nation's financial institutions (although the housing situation is probably still going to be a major pain). Sometimes though, on the back of a technological breakthrough or for really no good reason at all, the culture embraces emotional tranquility and the notion that all worldly problems can ultimately be solved by a humanity that has the evolutionary 'right stuff.' Whatever the reason, the public is generally likely to be inclined towards optimism in this period, even if we are planting hopes in sands that are notoriously shifty (particularly in California, if you catch my drift).
Unfortunately, while optimism has obvious value to the marketplace this is likely to be countered by an attendant laissez-fairest vulnerability towards overlooking bad, or at least highly suspect or unscrupulously manipulated, information. Poison may be lurking in our political machinations and our planetary resources, and we can almost apprehend this in the right light but, hey, it's the start of baseball season and ain't a beer and a hot dog grand? Just keep in mind that when those oh-so-irritating conspiracy theorists try to grab your attention, that "it ain't paranoia if it's true."
Of course, the enabler of all of the above and our most significantly unresolved cultural issue remains leadership or, more appropriately, an absence thereof. This month promises an even more remote (although not necessarily less manipulative) performance from a lame duck administration and a much more acid tone to the presidential campaign. The country may be capable of seeing the glass as half-full right now, but lurking in the collective zeitgeist is an unrequited thirst for strong, straight, capable leadership and a lot less politics as usual.
Good luck with that.
History Rhymes
Diana Nyad & Stella Taylor - Last month Jessica Dubroff was referenced. A seven year-old pilot who died during an attempt to make a trans-continental flight, Jessica was clearly over matched by time, fate and the elements. Nyad and Taylor, on the other hand, were two accomplished adult long-distance swimmers who, in the same week, attempted respective record setting swims: Nyad from Cuba to Key West; Taylor from the Bahamas to Miami. After considerable exposure to rough waters, uncooperative currents and poisonous jellyfish, fatigue claimed the intentions of both women mid-swim. The difference between this month and last is that Taylor summarized her experience: "it was a great time." Let's hear it for getting up and walking away.
Saudi Arabian Pilots + TWA 800 - A number of American pilots who were in the sky that July of 1996 night claimed to have seen what looked suspiciously like missile 'signatures' at the time of the TWA 800 'crash' off the coast of New York. The government explanation came down to the probability that these pilots were witnessing missile tests taking place some 2,000 miles away down the coast towards Florida, and that was that. Well it was 'that' until the FBI decided to interview a crew of commercial airline pilots from Saudi Arabia who testified seeing streaks of light heading towards the doomed airliner and confirmation of these on radar. In the course of the three days that this story became the lead on national news during December 1996: the Saudi sightings publicly morphed into a vague account of "strange green lights;" the National Transportation Safety Board (to the outrage of the FBI) finalized its conclusion that the crash was structural in nature; and medals were quite blatantly awarded to individuals who participated in the recovery operations after the 'crash.' So go back to bed everyone, everything's alright.
Beavis and Butt-Head Do America - Are we all sex-crazed and television-distracted adolescents who wouldn't recognize a terrorist plot if we were ourselves transporting the 'package?' Well, expect to have some conversations like this during April:
Little Old Lady: Hello there. Are you two heading for Las Vegas?
Beavis: Yeah. We're gonna score!
Little Old Lady: Oh, I hope to score big there myself. I'm mostly gonna be doing the slots.
Beavis: Yeah use... I'm hoping to do some sluts too! Do they have lots of sluts in Las Vegas?
Little Old Lady: They have so many slots you won't know where to begin.
Beavis: WOAH! Hey Butt-Head, this chick is pretty cool. She says there's gonna be tons of sluts in Las Vegas.
Butt-head: Cool!
Little Old Lady: It's so nice to meet young men who are so well-mannered.
Beavis: Yeah! hehuhe I'm gonna have money and a big screen TV and there's gonna be SLUTS everywhere! It's gonna rule!
Little Old Lady: Aww, that's nice.
(source: IMDB website)
Business insight: dumb sells this month.
Strange Days
April 3 - You don't know what you are talking about and I hate your guts. Yeah, it might be that sort of a day. People will be very prone towards forcing a point of view, and others will be hair-trigger quick to respond angrily. Recognize the fact that the news (quite possibly the financial news) is painful today, and really try to avoid any ego obsession that may feel like you're salt in the psychic wounds of others.
April 15 - This is the day that might best epitomize the month. Tax day notwithstanding, there's a lovely vibe in the air that will make most people feel both good-looking and lucky. It's an easy day to feel part of the crowd and to get one's ideas across in collegial conversation. The catch is that it's still going to be very hard to successfully connect actions with desired results. People may try whistling past their predicaments today, but there's no denying stress in the structure.
April 28 - Sometimes life hands us a day when we don't have a clue as to what is really going on, we operate on faulty information, and things tend to work out anyway. This could be that day. And on a Monday!
For more info visit: www.stevenmarkweiss.com
To contact Steve personally: smw@stevenmarkweiss.com
Overview
A few important themes compete for attention this month. The one that has me stumped regarding what to write and how to express it here, though, has to do with communications. It's not just a matter of clouded minds, misunderstood content, or a month long search for the right word that is highly unlikely to come; it's the possibility of the most intentional instances of public deceit and deception.
Now first, let me declare that the general mood is likely to be a little less heavy than it was in March, and we might just chalk it up to the first real signs of Spring and a possible temporary upturn in the fortunes and public dispensations of our nation's financial institutions (although the housing situation is probably still going to be a major pain). Sometimes though, on the back of a technological breakthrough or for really no good reason at all, the culture embraces emotional tranquility and the notion that all worldly problems can ultimately be solved by a humanity that has the evolutionary 'right stuff.' Whatever the reason, the public is generally likely to be inclined towards optimism in this period, even if we are planting hopes in sands that are notoriously shifty (particularly in California, if you catch my drift).
Unfortunately, while optimism has obvious value to the marketplace this is likely to be countered by an attendant laissez-fairest vulnerability towards overlooking bad, or at least highly suspect or unscrupulously manipulated, information. Poison may be lurking in our political machinations and our planetary resources, and we can almost apprehend this in the right light but, hey, it's the start of baseball season and ain't a beer and a hot dog grand? Just keep in mind that when those oh-so-irritating conspiracy theorists try to grab your attention, that "it ain't paranoia if it's true."
Of course, the enabler of all of the above and our most significantly unresolved cultural issue remains leadership or, more appropriately, an absence thereof. This month promises an even more remote (although not necessarily less manipulative) performance from a lame duck administration and a much more acid tone to the presidential campaign. The country may be capable of seeing the glass as half-full right now, but lurking in the collective zeitgeist is an unrequited thirst for strong, straight, capable leadership and a lot less politics as usual.
Good luck with that.
History Rhymes
Diana Nyad & Stella Taylor - Last month Jessica Dubroff was referenced. A seven year-old pilot who died during an attempt to make a trans-continental flight, Jessica was clearly over matched by time, fate and the elements. Nyad and Taylor, on the other hand, were two accomplished adult long-distance swimmers who, in the same week, attempted respective record setting swims: Nyad from Cuba to Key West; Taylor from the Bahamas to Miami. After considerable exposure to rough waters, uncooperative currents and poisonous jellyfish, fatigue claimed the intentions of both women mid-swim. The difference between this month and last is that Taylor summarized her experience: "it was a great time." Let's hear it for getting up and walking away.
Saudi Arabian Pilots + TWA 800 - A number of American pilots who were in the sky that July of 1996 night claimed to have seen what looked suspiciously like missile 'signatures' at the time of the TWA 800 'crash' off the coast of New York. The government explanation came down to the probability that these pilots were witnessing missile tests taking place some 2,000 miles away down the coast towards Florida, and that was that. Well it was 'that' until the FBI decided to interview a crew of commercial airline pilots from Saudi Arabia who testified seeing streaks of light heading towards the doomed airliner and confirmation of these on radar. In the course of the three days that this story became the lead on national news during December 1996: the Saudi sightings publicly morphed into a vague account of "strange green lights;" the National Transportation Safety Board (to the outrage of the FBI) finalized its conclusion that the crash was structural in nature; and medals were quite blatantly awarded to individuals who participated in the recovery operations after the 'crash.' So go back to bed everyone, everything's alright.
Beavis and Butt-Head Do America - Are we all sex-crazed and television-distracted adolescents who wouldn't recognize a terrorist plot if we were ourselves transporting the 'package?' Well, expect to have some conversations like this during April:
Little Old Lady: Hello there. Are you two heading for Las Vegas?
Beavis: Yeah. We're gonna score!
Little Old Lady: Oh, I hope to score big there myself. I'm mostly gonna be doing the slots.
Beavis: Yeah use... I'm hoping to do some sluts too! Do they have lots of sluts in Las Vegas?
Little Old Lady: They have so many slots you won't know where to begin.
Beavis: WOAH! Hey Butt-Head, this chick is pretty cool. She says there's gonna be tons of sluts in Las Vegas.
Butt-head: Cool!
Little Old Lady: It's so nice to meet young men who are so well-mannered.
Beavis: Yeah! hehuhe I'm gonna have money and a big screen TV and there's gonna be SLUTS everywhere! It's gonna rule!
Little Old Lady: Aww, that's nice.
(source: IMDB website)
Business insight: dumb sells this month.
Strange Days
April 3 - You don't know what you are talking about and I hate your guts. Yeah, it might be that sort of a day. People will be very prone towards forcing a point of view, and others will be hair-trigger quick to respond angrily. Recognize the fact that the news (quite possibly the financial news) is painful today, and really try to avoid any ego obsession that may feel like you're salt in the psychic wounds of others.
April 15 - This is the day that might best epitomize the month. Tax day notwithstanding, there's a lovely vibe in the air that will make most people feel both good-looking and lucky. It's an easy day to feel part of the crowd and to get one's ideas across in collegial conversation. The catch is that it's still going to be very hard to successfully connect actions with desired results. People may try whistling past their predicaments today, but there's no denying stress in the structure.
April 28 - Sometimes life hands us a day when we don't have a clue as to what is really going on, we operate on faulty information, and things tend to work out anyway. This could be that day. And on a Monday!
For more info visit: www.stevenmarkweiss.com
To contact Steve personally: smw@stevenmarkweiss.com
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