• THE DYING ART OF DISAGREEMENT! Once upon a time, what used to be called a ‘liberal’ education involved learning “to listen & understand, to question & disagree, to treat no proposition as sacred and no objection as impious, to be willing to entertain unpopular ideas and cultivate the habits of an open mind… Quarrels over ‘ideas’ were never based on a misunderstanding; On the contrary, disagreements arose from perfect comprehension…and to disagree well, one first learned to understand well – by reading deeply, listening carefully, watching closely, and granting the adversary moral respect and the intellectual benefit of doubt, with empathy for his/her line of reasoning and openness to the possibility that their arguments may be persuasive… Intelligent disagreement is the lifeblood of any thriving society, but today we are raising a younger generation who have never been taught either the how or why of disagreement, and who seem to think that free speech is a one-way right: namely, to shout down or abuse any person or idea they dislike; (A new Brookings survey found over 50% of college students who think this acceptable, with 20% also saying it’s acceptable to use violence)… So entire lines of thought are banished with attempt to excommunicate all manner of people without giving them as much as a cursory hearing.”  [NEW YORK TIMES – Sep 24, 17]

• BACKLASH AGAINST STARTUP TECH COMPANIES IS GAINING MOMENTUM – largely based on the reality that eventually this valuation bubble will burst, but increasingly also over today’s focus on humanistic and political issues having overlapped in the investment world. “A toxic culture of sexism & harassment has moved front & center, thanks to a growing group of whistle-blowers, while high-profile instances of shady startup behavior and prioritizing growth at any cost have caused the industry to question its ‘fake it till you make it’ philosophy of hustling your way to success… Not every startup is unethical, overvalued, toxic or dysfunctional, but the tech world’s success stories are now overshadowed by big vexing issues” like responsibility for spreading misinformation & ‘hatred,’ permanently disappearing jobs due to technology, and whether the massive Unicorn companies (like Amazon, Facebook, Google and Apple – valued at over $10 billion each) have become too powerful. [FORTUNE – Sep 15, 17]

• A HEALTH CAUTION, AS THE CRAZE FOR TATTOOS CONTINUES: Focus on using sterile needles is a start, but long-term health consequences may be at greater risk. The newest study (in com) reports that “tiny toxic particles from tattoo ink can travel through the body and accumulate in lymph nodes. In addition to pigments, ink contains molecules from preservatives and contaminants such as nickel, chromium, manganese and cobalt…which scientists have found in lymph nodes of deceased people with tattoos.” [THE WEEK – Sep 29, 17]

• ‘VOLOCOPTER,’ THE WORLD’S FIRST DRONE TAXI SERVICE, was tested last week in Dubai, a two-seat electric-powered vehicle which takes off and lands vertically, can fly for 30 minutes, and carries extra batteries & parachutes “to ensure passenger safety.” By 2020, Uber also expects to have a VTOL (vertical take-off/landing) vehicle testing in Dubai and also in Dallas-Fort Worth. “Transportation experts believe we are no more than 10 to 15 years away from having fully operational, autonomous flying taxis.”  [FUTURISM – Sep 26, 17]

• THE ‘VIRTUAL LOVE’ INDUSTRY IS FLOURISHING IN JAPAN, with “applications that essentially allow users to ‘build’ a virtual Wife or Husband” to their taste in size, looks and personality. Sex Doll technology is promoted as “simulated digital offerings for companionship… bringing badly needed comfort to millions of lonely Japanese reluctant to find a human partner” – a majority of age 18 to 34 men (70%) and women (60%) who “have no relationship with a member of the opposite sex.” But settling for Spouses of the Future will only worsen Japan’s birthrate problem, now among the lowest in the world.  [ZEROHEDGE.COM – Sep 22, 17]

• THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: If Companies actually followed their corporate commitments, consumers might trust them more. One blatant example of hypocrisy and expectations that ‘words are enough’ applies to the Wells Fargo debacle where employees opened two million fictitious accounts without informing the customers. Note the ‘Ethics’ section of WFB’s published handbook on Vision & Values which states: “We strive to be recognized by our stakeholders as setting the standard among the world’s great companies for integrity and principled performance… Honesty, trust, and integrity are essential for meeting the highest standards of corporate governance… Everything we do is built on trust… earned relationship by relationship.”