Exciting news! This month I’m co-hosting #futrchat on the future of conferences. Below is information about the event, crossposted from The Association of Professional Futurists blog. Hope to meet you in the Twitterverse! The University of Hawaii – Manoa is hosting an Emerging Futures Symposium on Friday, November 30th. The Association of Professional Futurists (APF) is livestreaming the [...]
Author Archives: localrat
The Future is Ours
Jay Oglivy shared the final takeaway during the Professional Members Forum at the 2012 World Future Society Conference. Rather than focus on dystopian forecasts of the future, Oglivy offered hopeful visions of what’s ahead. His final thought: “We are the people we are waiting for”. Futurists scan the world for data points, emerging issues, and forecasts. Because of [...]
WFS 2012: An Unlikely Cocktail
My co-conspirator (@heathervescent) and I are participating in two sessions at The World Future Society Conference. Last year, we presented on the “Best of Houston Futures” panel and renamed it “The Future of Money, Sex and Politics”. Look out Toronto we’re back! At first glance, our topic areas are seemingly disparate. But think of them as your [...]
Getting nostalgic about the future
“I wish my sister took the time to send me a text message for my birthday or at least post on my Facebook wall!” –December 2, 2050 Over the past few months, a variety of data has surfaced regarding a particular trend reversal. Companies are offering traditional communication like “snail mail” as a service. Last [...]
Future of the Commercial Sex Industry Published
“Daniel Spellman wants a quick pick-me-up during his lunch break. Spellman, a Viacom employee, waits in a long line on 45th and Park Avenue for what first seems to resemble a food truck. But, people passing by do a double take as porn stars Bridget Bunsen and Candy Colfax pose with customers wearing nothing more [...]
GBN: The Cartier of Futures
I would rather buy a diamond from Cartier than JCPenny’s. Am I ridiculous? Duh. Is there a difference in quality? Probably not much. Do other brands offer diamonds that look just as regal and luxurious? Definitely! I’ve seen them highlighted in Vogue. But, I still want Cartier. And face it, Global Business Network (GBN), is [...]
Your longest relationship
In 2009, 40 million Americans, or 40% of US singles, participated in online dating. That same year the industry totaled $1.049 billion, with even larger revenue than the more established pornography sector. Growth is expected to continue at around 10% annually. Dating sites provide value by hooking users up with their ideal match. Success is [...]
Collective Mentorship: Sourcing Wisdom through Networks
Current articles about mentorship oftentimes fail to discuss what I call “collective mentorship”. In the digital age, wisdom and support stem from a wide breadth of sources that, when combined, create a comprehensive mentorship program. Instead of tapping one great mind, you can have endless amounts of contacts and as an added benefit, you end [...]
Futures Work and the Margins: Another View On Human Trafficking
This morning I watched an intriguing debate on the BBC on “Human Trafficking”. Laura Agustin (known as the “Naked Anthropologist”) voiced dissent on a panel as she urged policy makers not to overgeneralize the condition of migrant workers worldwide. In particular, Agustin stated that not all migrant workers are forced unwillingly into working abroad. Moreover, definitions of smuggling and trafficking must be considered [...]
Re-Sexed Spinsters : A movie review of Tabloid
Female archetypes still anchor our stories. Although, in popular culture, the spinster is a discounted breed of intrigue.The spinster archetype represents a woman who’s lost her sexuality. Oftentimes, love has passed her up. I saw Tabloid a few weeks ago and the documentary’s subject, Joyce McKinney, is still top of mind. Errol Morris’s portrayal of McKinney conveys [...]