2021: Not Off To A Great Start

This week’s goings-on (political, criminal, and vaccine-related) showed once again how divided, out of control, and poorly managed this country has become. It’s got me in a bit of a funk.

And being in a funk is not typically my thing so I’ve had to dig deep for some inspiration and rays of hope.
  • In doing so, I had a flashback to 2009 (the time of the Great Recession) when I had to close my business and lay off my staff. It was the darkest time of my life. Depressing and scary.
  • The one thing that pulled me through (don’t laugh!) was Gram Parsons’ “In my hour of darkness.“ I listened to it daily while subwaying to my office (and I played it over and over for the 30 minutes it took me to get to Bushwick every morning).
  • I hadn’t heard this song in over 10 years but I stumbled across it this week on YouTube. Let’s see if rediscovering it is enough to preserve my sanity this time around.
pls scroll down to check out this week’s Top 10. I promise it’s not all doom and gloom.
1. LISTEN: IN MY HOUR OF DARKNESS
LOVE this song.

My salvation in 2009 during the darkest period of my business life.

But That was then, and this is now.
  • A small sampling (below) of the mayhem and breakdown of civility and law and order, that has left me unsettled and despondent this week.
but violence is not restricted to DC.

Here’s what happened in NYC, on 5th Avenue, this past weekend.

In Portland Oregon on NYE
the Same unrest from coast to coast, in small cities and major metros

This too will pass I know. January 6 was a wake-up call that fortunately both Republicans and Democrats seem to have heeded. We will see what comes next.

2. watch/listen: “Riffin with gRIFFIN” PODCAST

I LOVE Erik Griffin. How I wasn’t aware of him until just recently is beyond me (I discovered him on Andrew Santino’s podcast).

  • And for those of you who may not be familiar with him, he’s a stand-up comedian best known for playing Montez Walker on Comedy Central’s Workaholics.
  • I know it’s a big commitment to spend an hour watching/listening to a new podcast so I’ve added a time log for you. If you like these segments, you’ll most likely enjoy watching the whole podcast. He also streams on Twitch daily.
  • 0.37-1.31: He starts every episode musically. It cheers me up and is one of the many reasons why I ADORE him.
  • 16.30-19:30: His take on the homeless situation in LA. He has an interesting spin on the hierarchy of homeless encampments some of whom he notes are “flossin’ 4-bedroom tents, big enough to have a concierge desk!” He wonders how that goes down with others in the encampment.
  • 33.33 – 57:00: Excellent insights on cancel culture and specifically body positivity and how unfortunate it is for people like Lizzo who’ll never be allowed to get healthy because she’s trapped and typecast by her “fat army” fans. WORTH A LISTEN.
3. HOw Did all these OLD ROCKERS decide 2020 was the year to get THEIR FINANCIAL HOUSES IN ORDER? (Source: CNBC)

Did anyone else notice how many of these older, legendary musicians sold their publishing rights this year? You’ve got to ask yourself if they all share the same financial advisor, were they all on some zoom calls together?

  • Folk-rocker, Neil Young, now 75, just sold 50% of his song catalog to the Hipgnosis Songs Fund, a U.K. investment vehicle founded by music industry veteran Merck Mercuriadis.
  • Earlier this week, Hipgnosis also announced it had acquired the entire catalog of 71-year old Lindsey Buckingham, Fleetwood Mac’s lead guitarist and vocalist.
  • Hipgnosis also invested in the rights to songs from 77-year old Barry Manilow, and 75-year old Blondie.
  • And last month, Universal Music Group purchased 79-year old Bob Dylan’s entire 600-song catalog.
4. “Space” just keeps getting weirder and cooler! (Source: Ars Technica, Axios)

I am inundated with space news. I don’t know if it’s because of my search algorithms or because Elon Musk is hellbent on colonizing Mars or because there are so many celeb stoners out in Joshua Tree claiming to be stalked by UFOs and aliens but whatever the reason, there is a lot of buzz and hype around “space” these days.

  • I also don’t recall ever spending this much time staring up at the night sky trying to spot supermoons, meteor showers, and blue moons.
  • And I’ve never seen as many people sporting NASA gear (see below at NYC’s Nike store in November and from Joe Rogan’s podcast in September).
Anything to do with space is also rife for Conspiracy Theorists.

This recent interview is worth a listen (from December 2020 podcast)

It’s a trend that’s escalating. here’s what I wrote about UFO’s and aliens at this time last year (link here)

And finally, the link to the recent Miley Cyrus article “I got chased by a UFO” where she details her “aliens” experience while readily admitting she had smoked a lot of weed. Demi Lovato recounts a similar experience (link here). Both worth a read!

5. Those not interested in space, will perhaps be interested in moving to Boise.Or if money is no object, Miami. (Source: KTVB7/United Van Lines)

The 2020 National Migration Study conducted by United Van Lines ranks Boise, Idaho as the top Moving To Destination. Phoenix is another popular destination. And for the ultrarich, Miami is where it’s at for multi-million dollar oceanside estates.

I’m really intrigued by What’s going on in Miami.

I find it fascinating how quickly climate change and rising sea levels have become a non-issue.

  • For example, in 2013, every story about Miami included dire warnings about rising sea levels and hurricanes. Based on the climate change outlook, nobody in their right mind would consider investing millions in waterfront property. (2013 Rolling Stone)
  • 8 years later (January 5, 2021), Miami is about to become the next silicon valley and superrich celebs are dropping millions to get in on the ocean-front property craze! What happened? Seems like the pandemic makes for short memories.
6. KOREA ON MY RADAR (Source: High Snobiety)

I’ve been a huge fan of all things Korean, from food to electronics to boy bands and beauty products. Excellent insights in High Snobiety on trends we can expect to take hold among Millennials and Gen Z in the coming year.

Untact and ontact Marketing
  • Products/services offered without human interaction
  • Untact includes artificial intelligence, robots, the internet, and other forms of technology replacing face-to-face activity, a concept given new meaning in 2020.
  • “Ontact” — or “online contact” — refers to being face-to-face online, such as through video conferencing and virtual sales support.
Digitized personas
  • There’s been a massive boom of 3D graphics using animated worlds and avatars in Korea’s fashion and music scenes.
  • Thisisneverthat, Korea’s biggest streetwear label, released digital filters with popular Korean rappers Paloalto and Youngji Lee wearing the brand’s clothes garnering more than two million impressions within two months.
  • At Facebook Korea’s “Spark Creator AR Lab” online summit in October, Thisisneverthat’s filters were lauded as an exemplary case of digital marketing that opened up the potential for AR technology in Korean fashion.
The Rediscovery of Hanbok!
  • In searching for a new and original style, Korean youth are revisiting their cultural roots and rediscovering age-old hanbok.
  • BTS has been lauded by Koreans for their promotion of hanbok both on and off stage.
  • The Korean market always looked outward for inspiration, but now brands and artists are looking into their own culture to create something new.

Fingers crossed my August NAT GEO “Future of Everything: Global Innovation” trip goes off as planned. It would be my first time visiting South Korea and I am super excited to check it out.

7. The Cobblers of Miami (Source: WSVN)

This pioneering ‘Fash-Tech’ group is reshaping the shoe repair industry, redirecting fashion trends, and pursuing their own vision of ‘Sneaker Rescue & Leather Works.’

Such a cool idea! It’s been around for a couple of years but is more relevant now than ever. Check out the video from their Instagram. Link here.

  • The concept of “The Cobblers” was born in November 2019, when Warren Barthes – a serial entrepreneur – decided to start buying and reselling used shoes. 
  • His research showed that out of 60,000 shoe repair stores nationwide, only 4,000 remained, but that of those who remain, most can barely keep up with the growing demand.
  • The Cobblers recently acquired a sneaker detail crew (previously known as Raleigh Restorations) for sneaker maintenance services, colorway upgrades, and customization offerings. 
  • They also scooped up “Shoe Repair & Beyond” a family shoe repair business with 35+ years of experience and a discerning, loyal clientele out of Boca Raton, FL. I’m sure they’re the people fixing the Birkin bags!
8. “Local Vyntage:” t-shirts with logos of defunct retailers (Source: WTNH)

LOVE this idea. The company is currently only offering a limited range of brands but the idea has BIG potential. The concept can deliver nostalgia (a trip down memory lane) as well as snark, e.g., I might never want to shop at Wet Seal but I might get a kick out of a wearing one of their tees or hoodies.

  • Local Vyntage‘s niche t-shirts carry logos from Caldor, Bradlees, Lechmere, Ames, and G-Fox to name a few. The owner, Chet Winnicki, is a Connecticut native but I believe he now lives in Tallahassee, Fl.
  • He launched the company in 2017.
  • The way retail is floundering, he’s going to have a trove of brand opportunities to pick from.
9. GRAMMARLY COMMUNICATION TRENDS of 2020

I’ve been using Grammarly for a few years. I originally signed up for their premium service but it worked poorly with the updated WordPress (so I went back to the freebie option).

Here’s a recap of how writing styles/tones shifted over the past year.
  • Besides helping me with spelling and punctuation, I find Grammarly’s Weekly Updates on the Tones I’m using especially helpful (example below).
10. And Finally, I am not doing “dry january” this year.

Primarily because the 2-drink limit I set for myself has worked so well (and is easy to maintain). And with this pandemic still going strong, I deserve to enjoy my Manhattans when I go out for dinner!

And big shout out to Miley Cyrus for introducing me to the 2-drink idea.

And that, my friends, is a wrap.

This week was clearly not what any of us had envisioned for the start of 2021. It will go down in infamy. The only good thing about Jan 6 (if you can call it that) is that it served as a serious wake-up call and got the majority of Republicans and Democrats to work together and honor our election process and our democracy. We’ll see how long that lasts but Trump’s uncouthness and thuggish behavior finally became too much even for his staunchest supporters, including his VP.

On that note, let me wish everyone a great weekend. Have fun, stay safe. I will be dining out at a few favorite restaurants this weekend. I’ll also have my Manhattans and will raise a glass to better times for all of us.

‘Til next week, my friends!

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