On the "Virtual Road" @ CGI 2013//UN General Assembly

It is a very busy week in New York City.  I have been following proceedings of the Clinton Global Initiative and the UN General Assembly.   President Obama spoke--and President Rohani of Iran is about to speak.   I was pleased to see how President Obama's Speech was covered in the official Islamic Republic News Agency.

This is the active channel that would be on-going for the next two days @ CGI 2013:

Also released to http://www.outsiderviews.com--all rights reserved under creative commons 

Notations & Thoughts On the Day//Believing in the Art of the Possible

It was another tragic day around the World.    72 People lost their lives during a funeral in Baghad, Iraq.  39 People lost their lives in a senseless Attack in Nairobi, Kenya.    The President of Kenya advises that he lost relatives in the carnage in Nairobi.

Such senses acts of violence cannot explained or justified.      At community events throughout the day, I was reminded about how we must be so appreciative of all that we've been given.  I was reminded of it today as I saw one of the "Sign People" on a street corner asking for food.   I handed her three of the ready meals I carry with me every day.

I could not help but wonder whether we would ever have the courage to listen to the admonitions from William Arthur Ward:

The more generous we are, the more joyous we become. The more cooperative we are, the more valuable we become. The more enthusiastic we are, the more productive we become. The more serving we are, the more prosperous we become. - William Arthur Ward (1921-1994 writer, educator, and church lay leader) When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves. - William Arthur Ward Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I will not forget you. Love me and I may be forced to love you. - William Arthur Ward Forgiveness is a funny thing. It warms the heart and cools the sting. - William Arthur Ward Blessed is he who has learned to admire but not envy, to follow but not imitate, to praise but not flatter, and to lead but not manipulate. - William Arthur Ward It is also worth remembering how we have to never give up--although as a very dear friend of mine reminded us all today, it is easy to get very discouraged--We can be the change: Onward to the New Week w/all its' possiblities

On the Latest in Our World: Brief Thoughts

As the Week-End Looms, finished a column earlier released to "Outsider Views" ...

Link: www.newrepublic.com/article/114780/hassan-rou...

In the United States, the House Republican Caucus was celebrating their latest achievement. They passed a continuing resolution that defunded "Obamacare". They have challenged the US Senate to pass it now. It is not going to pass. Ted Cruz, the Senator from Texas, has committed to do whatever he needs to do to insure that Obamacare is defunded by blocking efforts to raise the debt ceiling of the US Government.

As I have assesed the debate, I have tried to see what alternative the Republicans have to what "Obamacare" has provided. With the advent of exchanges, more people will be able to buy more insurance--which is a boom for the insurance companies. Pre-Existing conditions for children is gone. Pre-Existing conditions for adults will go away as of January 1. Wellness is covered. Lifetime caps have been lifted. For the first time, some semblance of accountability has been put into place for insurance companies. It is not "single payer"--but it has been the first attempt at an incremental improvement in almost 100 years. Heritage Action, American Crossroads and all the others pushing for "Defund" are not coming out with solutions. What is their alternative? The US Government has released https://www.healthcare.gov that provides a broard overview of what is to be expected. There are challenges with the law. The Wall Street just reported about problems with software that is used to actually price the products in the exchanges. 

There are a lot of companies who are "rightsizing" their healthcare. IBM, for instance, is moving to health insurance exchanges. But the idea of defunding Obamacare to government funding (that has been cut dramatically already) and the US National Debt is just plain crazy. What I find gratifying is that Karl Rove, John McCain, Bob Cocker are noting how looney this idea is. When the Wall Street Journal notes how futile the campaign is, it shows the utter futility of it all. Yet, it appears that this is a fight they want to have even though there was an election held. What was gratifying was the courageous decision by the Federal Reserve to continue the monthly bond buying campaign to keep the economy humming. Some expressed "Shock"--but the Fed realizes that with the paralysis in Washington, there is no other "adult" in the room right now.  

Hopeful signs continue to eminate from Iran. I was quite gratified to see Dr. Rohani's editorial in the Washington Post on the eve of his trip to the UN General Assembly. The Foreign Minister, Dr. Zareef, is already in New York. Despite all the overtures, Ben Rhodes of the White House in Washington said that "more is needed". I remain hopeful as the UN General Assembly opens next week. Francois Hollande, the French President, will be meeting with Dr. Rohani. I have also been gratified when I made the rounds of the "Social Grid" as I saw reports of further political prisoner releases as discussions have continued between the impriosned leader of the Green Movement, Mr. Mousavi and the Secretary of the Iran Supreme National Security Council, Retired Admiral Shamkhani. I do realize and accept certain reservations that the noted Iranian Scholar Dr. Abbas Milani noted in his piece in the New Republic when he noted how he did not object to the appointment of the Justice Minister who had signed the order to execute some 4,000 opponents of the regime. But, the transformation has been nothing less than remarkable--and I hope to see further transformation over the ensuing days as Dr. Rohani comes to Washington.

As such diplomatic activity continues, I laughed at Professor Turley's latest column on his blog as he talked about US Senator Lindsay Graham seeking out authorization for a War against Iran. I have tried really hard to understand the current thinking of the Republican Party. I have to wonder what happened to the party that had Jacob Javits who marched with Dr. King, Dwight Eishonhower who had the courage to order the intergration of Schools in Arkansas and built the Highway system and Linclon who fought a war and yet created the continental railroad and began laying out the land grant colleges that has contributed so much to America's development today. I have to wonder why there is so much effort to destroy--with no effort to build. This beautifully crafted column by Professor Turley is available at : Really Long Link

There was also the interview with Pope Francis. What I found fascinating is how he noted that the moral edifice of the Church will crumble if the Church does not return to its' roots of Compassion, Mercy and Service. The interview is available @ Really Long LinkI also was quite fascinated to see his letter to Muslims at the end of Ramadan:

A Letter to Muslims by Pope Francis by Stanneitirepdf

Some noted that US Political leaders need to really take their queue from Pope Francis.

As this week has shown, we do need to remember to learn, to reflect and to build. The question is whether we can overcome it all and live up to the admonitions from this great thinkers:

Take time to sharpen the saw.

- Steven Covey

Take a course in good water and air;

and in the eternal youth of Nature you may renew your own.

Go quietly, alone; no harm will befall you.

- John Muir

If you paint in your mind a picture of

bright and happy expectations,

you put yourself into a condition conducive to your goal.

- Norman Vincent Peale

Nothing in all the world is more dangerous

than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Learning is the beginning of wealth.

Learning is the beginning of health.

Learning is the beginning of spirituality.

Searching and learning is where the miracle process all begins.

- Jim Rohn

All rights reserved

A "Mid Week" Thought 4 the Week on Our World :-)

It has been another challenging week in the United States.    But, there are always hopeful signs.  I commented on some of the latest from Iran in Outsider Views when I noted about recent hopeful signs in Iran.    It was also a disappointment, though, to see how the latest massacre in Washington did not move Congress to at least look at how to control the proflieration of guns in America.   I was so gratified by the courage of Howard Schultz, the Starbucks CEO, when he wrote an open letters to customers asking that they do not bring guns to Starbucks stores where such actions was allowed.  This is as I saw a study in the American Journal of Medicine about the debunking of the myth pushed by National Rifle Assocation  on how more guns makes America Safe.    I did have a good laugh when I heard the US Speaker of the House noted how he spoke for the American Family.  

The need to be hopeful and optimsitic is at times, challenging.   The need to find a sense of joy in life and reflect upon it and ba thankful for it should be key.  This simple clip I ran across underscores it--and we must always remember: :

Finding Joy Movie: Helen Keller said, "The best and most beautifiul things in life cannot be seen, not touched, but are felt in the heart." Some of the most beautiful things in life are also the most simplistic.

Onward :-)

Reflections of a Tragic Day in Washington....

As I begin a new week in "Outsiders", I wanted to begin with commentary on the upcoming struggle on the debt ceiling and government funding as the new Federal fiscal year  is before us. But the tragedy of September 16 in Washington has prompted me to reflect upon this day.

America woke up Monday Morning to another mass shooting. What was different about this one was that it was in the nation's capital, Washington. It was at the Washington Navy Yard that is home to the Naval Sea Systems Command. As I comment on this, US Media is continuing its' coverage and comments on what happened today. There has been extensive discussions on the shooter's background and affiliations. What I see is a man who was clearly disturbed--and that mental state had an extremely tragic ending on Monday.

I was very hopeful that Sandy Hook would shock America to transform itself. It did not happen because the Gun Lobby prevailed. Two State Senators in the US State of Colorado who voted for Gun Control were recalled because they had the courage to take a stand. The prevailing view that somehow Guns protect rights and freedoms is a myth perpetuated by the National Rifle Association that seems to have no end. I would be curious to see what the NRA will have to say about this one. 

Of all the comments, I think the Chief at the Washington Hospital Trauma Center was the most eloquent when she noted that America had to change. She pleaded with America to get her out of the business of treating gun shot wounds. I understand from reports that the shootings are so prevalent that Army Doctors go to this hospital for training to be ready to deal with such wounds. She is absolutely powerful in this clip:

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Urban violence is a scurge--a cancer that should be eradicated. The question Americans have to ask is this: Can America finally have the courage to confront this? 

Also released to http://www.outsiderviews.com under the "Americas Watch" Series--all rights reserved

As the New Work Week Looms.....Remembering.....

There may well be setbacks & challenges, but as Henry Henrichs notes, "...

"Was yesterday a disappointment?
I am sorry.
But this is another day.
The earth has turned around since yesterday.
Face the New Day with good cheer!"

& as the Chinese Remind us all, 

“If you want happiness for an hour

take a nap.
If you want happiness for a day
go fishing.
If you want happiness for a year
inherit a fortune.
If you want happiness for a lifetime
help someone else.”

Onward!! :-)

"Thought 4 the Week"

Today was a special day.     I remember 12 years ago as those planes slammed into the World Trade Center.   I spent this day in a day of service and remembrance.   After tending to some morning family obligations,  I spent my morning erving at my local Catholic Church's Outreach Ministry, reflected upon all blessing throughout the day in a quiet moment and ended the day attending my local City's Patriot's Day remembrance.

As I reflected upon that day, I saw this from Jonathan Luckwhood Huie.  Of all the daily thoughts I review, this is probably the best I have seen that truly brings to light the true nature of life and all that we need to be thankful for.    The words themselves go to the heart of what we should think about and prioritize--by remembering what matters most--Family, a sense of love for community and realize what's important and not worry about what some may or may not think.    We need to live, love, fail if we have to--but continue to "get up" and "go out' and make it happen.  "Onward" must be the rallying cry as we remember:

 

A life rooted deeply lives and grows in memory.

- Mary Anne Radmacher

People living deeply have no fear of death.

- Anais Nin

How different our lives are when we

really know what is deeply important to us,

and keeping that picture in mind,

we manage ourselves each day

to be and to do what really matters most

- Stephen Covey

One thing I know: the only ones among you

who will be really happy are those

who will have sought and found how to serve.

- Albert Schweitzer

It is a better thing to weigh and measure priorities

in the illuminating light of your own mission

than to have your activities formed by the

impressions and expectations of others.

- Mary Anne Radmacher

How much do you engage yourself in what's truly real

and important in life? That's the individual question.

- Ted Danson

View of the Week (9/10/2013): On the Eve of Patriots Day 2013

9/11 is Patriots Day in the United States.  It is a day to remember those souls who lost their lives during that horrific day.  I remember that day as if it was yesterday.    America has continued to pay a very very heavy price for all the wars it has fought since 2001:

   

        Total Cost of Wars Since 2001
   

   

        Every hour,
        taxpayers in United States
        are paying $11.26 million
        for Total Cost of Wars Since 2001.
   
   

        $1,471,417,147,296
   
   

        See more counters at
                   title="Brought to you by the National Priorities Project">
            http://nationalpriorities.org/cost-of/
       
   



The President of the United States also spoke to the American People on the situation in Syria last night.   He reflected upon America's Moral Obligation to act.  He also noted that he would delay asking for Congress to authorize military action.   The World is against it and the majority of the American People are against it.    Although the Syrians have stepped up to say they will accept the proposal to turn over and destroy all weapons, the chaos on the ground may well prevent this.  Syria is pretty much in ruins after two years of Civil War.     The problem, though, is the moral standing of the United States as it supported Iraq and supported data to the Iraqis so that Sarin could be used.   The moral imperative Barack Obama talked about is undermined in a major way as Iran continues to be used as a strawman for War yet again.  Lawrence O'Donnell reflected upon it in his retrospective on MSNBC recently.
Barack Obama brought Iran into the midst with the arguments on the nuclear question and how Iran can retailiate.     He noted in the interview with NBC News that Iran will retialate--but what he failed to realize was that Iran's leaders are a lot more pragmmatic that publicly believed and the United States needs to remember that Iran helped both in Iraq and Afghanistan.   The United States actually supported the use of chemical weapons by Iraq in the Iran-Iraq War.  It was recently acknowledged by recently declassified documents.

As those who lost their lives on 9/11 in the United States, members of the US Armed Forces and allied forces (Poland; Australia; The UK and NATO forces) who lost their lives; members of the same armed forces who have been injured physically and mentally, families who have suffered as a result of the wars of the past 10 years and all the ordinary men, women and children who are dying every day--there is only question that the World must confront on America's Patriots Day:  Will Humanity Have the Courage to outlaw War?  

Also released to http://www.outsiderviews.com //All Rights Reserved

Thomas Anders (Modern Talking) & Omid - We Are One (Official Video)

Just saw this on Voice of America...it is a very powerful message of "being one".....

V-Thought 4 the Week: On Failure

As a new work week is upon us, such "reminders" truly give me a moment of pause.    The stories are inspirational and a reminder that no matter what the calmaity, the "Art of the Possible" must be the driving force.    Diana Nyad reminded us all of it with her monumental achievement.

Beyond the personal, though, I reflected upon the notion of failure that we should take into account in order to learn from it.     A quote from Cass Phillipps, the Executive VP of Failcon, was telling to me in how such lessons should be applied both in business as in life for us to embrace and learn from it:

1) "Avoid Blame": A Lot of people will say, "Oh, it's my fault. I can take care of it." That doesn'thelp figure out why the failure happened and how toa void it in the future.  2) Ask Questinos, especially as a Manager:  What do you feel happened in this situation?  Is there something you could have done better?  When you come up with a solution yourself, you feel ownership of itl 3) Make Failure a part of regular conversation:  Take timei, as a group to recognize what you're struggling with each day.  Ask each other, What are your challenges today?  What is making you most nervous?  That gets everyone talking and makes any future conversation about bigger struggles that much easier.."


Accepting and learning from it is the key and remember to continue "Onward"--and be stronger for it :-)

Thought 4 the Week: On The Reason To Live

Finding a reason to live, to love and to cherish life is the essence of life.      The World continues to be a dangerous place.   How we choose to live and to leave a legacy will be the ultimate testament.    The idea of "Outsiderst" and its' evolution has been to think about such ultimate questions.     I reflected upon this as I received the latest from Jonanthan Luckwood Huie:

 

We do not need to proselytize
either by our speech or by our writing.
We can only do so really with our lives.
Let our lives be open books for all to study.
- Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi

Anyone who proposes to do good
must not expect people to roll stones out of his way,
but must accept his lot calmly,
even if they roll a few stones upon it.
- Albert Schweitzer

To leave the world a bit better ...
to know that one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

The ultimate test of a man's conscience
may be his willingness to sacrifice something today
for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard.
- Gaylord Nelson

The full measure of a man is
not to be found in the man himself,
but in the colors and textures that
come alive in others because of him.

A "V-Thought" As the Week-End Looms: Funny..But tragic at the same time....

Remembering :-)

We have been witness to change that is just beyond belief.     I was reflecting upon this as I thought about this admonition from Machavelli:
" There is nothing more difficult to manage, or more doubtful of success, or more dangerous to handle than to take the lead in introducting a new order of things". 

This very hillarious retrospective by a Generation X-er' on Facebook was worth noting as the World was witness to the introduction of the Samsung Galaxy Gear that Jennette Orantia of the reported on for the Sydney Morning Herald. Although the device is a beautiful device, the practicality of it remains a big question mark for me.

Remembering, though, makes me laugh--and remembering how things can be within the art of the possible. Diana Nyad reminded us of it when she achieved the impossible feat at the age of 64.   We must continue onward while we must never forget: 

If you are 36, or older, you might think this is hilarious!

When I was a kid, adults used to bore me to tears with their tedious diatribes about how hard things were. When they were growing up; what with walking twenty-five miles to school every morning.... Uphill... Barefoot... BOTH... ways...yadda, yadda, yadda

And I remember promising myself that when I grew up, there was no way in hell I was going to lay a bunch of crap like that on my kids about how hard I had it and how easy they've got it!

But now that I'm over the ripe old age of forty, I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today. You've got it so easy! I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in a damn Utopia! And I hate to say it, but you kids today, you don't know how good you've got it!

1) I mean, when I was a kid we didn't have the Internet. If we wanted to know something, we had to go to the damn library and look it up ourselves, in the card catalog!!
2) There was no email!! We had to actually write somebody a letter - with a pen! Then you had to walk all the way across the street and put it in the mailbox, and it would take like a week to get there! Stamps were 10 cents!

3) Child Protective Services didn't care if our parents beat us. As a matter of fact, the parents of all my friends also had permission to kick our ass! Nowhere was safe!

4) There were no MP3's or Napsters or iTunes! If you wanted to steal music, you had to hitchhike to the record store and shoplift it yourself!

5) Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio, and the DJ would usually talk over the beginning and @#*% it all up! There were no CD players! We had tape decks in our car. We'd play our favorite tape and "eject" it when finished, and then the tape would come undone rendering it useless. Cause, hey, that's how we rolled, Baby! Dig?

6) We didn't have fancy crap like Call Waiting! If you were on the phone and somebody else called, they got a busy signal, that's it!

7) There weren't any freakin' cell phones either. If you left the house, you just didn't make a damn call or receive one. You actually had to be out of touch with your "friends". OH MY GOSH !!! Think of the horror... not being in touch with someone 24/7!!! And then there's TEXTING. Yeah, right. Please! You kids have no idea how annoying you are.

And we didn't have fancy Caller ID either! When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was! It could be your school, your parents, your boss, your bookie, your drug dealer, the collection agent... you just didn't know!!! You had to pick it up and take your chances, mister!

9) We didn't have any fancy PlayStation or Xbox video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics! We had the Atari 2600! With games like 'Space Invaders' and 'Asteroids'. Your screen guy was a little square! You actually had to use your imagination!!! And there were no multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen.. Forever! And you could never win. The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died! Just like LIFE!

10) You had to use a little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on! You were screwed when it came to channel surfing! You had to get off your ass and walk over to the TV to change the channel!!! NO REMOTES!!! Oh, no, what's the world coming to?!?!

11) There was no Cartoon Network either! You could only get cartoons on Saturday Morning. Do you hear what I'm saying? We had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons, you spoiled little rat-bastards!

12) And we didn't have microwaves. If we wanted to heat something up, we had to use the stove! Imagine that!

13) And our parents told us to stay outside and play... all day long. Oh, no, no electronics to soothe and comfort. And if you came back inside... you were doing chores!

And car seats - oh, please! Mom threw you in the back seat and you hung on. If you were lucky, you got the "safety arm" across the chest at the last moment if she had to stop suddenly, and if your head hit the dashboard, well that was your fault for calling "shot gun" in the first place!

See! That's exactly what I'm talking about! You kids today have got it too easy. You're spoiled rotten! You guys wouldn't have lasted five minutes back in 1970 or any time before!

Thought 4 the Week (II)

I took comfort in this thought as I worked on the latest release in "Outsider Views" on Syria.    There is indeed a lot to be thankful for.  There is one thing that I firmly believe in;  Diana Nyad proved that anything is possible--and never lose the dream.    

As she says:  "Onward".....

Thought 4 the Week: Focusing on the Good (Speaks 4 Itself) :-)

Notations by an Ordinary face: As the New Working Week & Month Begins...

It has been quite a month to reflect and remember.    It has a month that has seen the Arab and Muslim World continue the transformation it began in 2009 with the advent of the Green Revolution in Iran.  This is as America continues to somehow figure out a way to respond.  I wonder if the voices of reason will prevail or not.    While making the "Social Media" rounds, a Facebook friend reminded us all of the Mahatma's admonition about the futility of war.   Yet, it seems as if that's what we're doomed to witness.  This is as the flood of refugees continue to rise and the economies of the region continue to be devastated.

I have also been assessing Egypt.    Egyptian Prosecutors have decided to charge Morsi and 14 other Muslim Brotherhood leaders with inciting violence.   I have to wonder if the tables were turned, what would Sisi and his henchmen will be charged with.   The current ruling class in Egypt is acting with impunity since Saudi Arabia has pledged to basically bankroll Egypt.     The same Arabs who seem to be at odds over Egypt are also at odds on how to handle Syria too.    

This is also labor day weekend in the United States.   I was fascinated by a 50-City campaign by fast food workers to campaign for better wages .    Will the fast food operators with their immense power and clout listen?  I am not so sure.  It is a valiant campaign.     Beyond the political ups and downs, though, there is also the Technical Upheavel that continues.    I will be watching with keen interest as Samsung rolls out its' "Gear" on September 4 and the highly anticipated annoucement by Apple on September 10.    I also reflected upon this blast from the past from the great Ray Ozzie as he left Microsoft.    I shared this on LinkedIn earlier for all to be aware and remember how we have been ever so blessed by such visionaries.  I have noted the entire text for reference:

Source:  http://ozzie.net/docs/dawn-of-a-new-day/, retrieved 9/2/2013

Dawn of a New Day

To:           Executive Staff and direct reports
Date:         October 28, 2010
From:         Ray Ozzie
Subject:      Dawn of a New Day

Five years ago, having only recently arrived at the company, I wrote The Internet Services Disruption in order to kick off a major change management process across the company.  In the opening section of that memo, I noted that about every five years our industry experiences what appears to be an inflection point that results in great turbulence and change.

In the wake of that memo, the last five years has been a time of great transformation for Microsoft.  At this point we’re truly all in with regard to services.  I’m incredibly proud of the people and the work that has been done across the company, and of the way that we’ve turned this services transformation into opportunities that will pay off for years to come.

In the realm of the service-centric ‘seamless OS’ we’re well on the path to having Windows Live serve as an optional yet natural services complement to the Windows and Office software.  In the realm of ‘seamless productivity’, Office 365 and our 2010 Office, SharePoint and Live deliverables have shifted Office from being PC-centric toward now also robustly spanning the web and mobile.  In ‘seamless entertainment’, Xbox Live has transformed Xbox into a real-time, social, media-rich TV experience.

And in the realm of what I referred to as our ‘services platform’, I couldn’t be more proud of what’s emerged as Windows Azure & SQL Azure.  Inspired by little more than a memo, a few decks and discussions, intrapreneurial leaders stepped up to build and deliver an innovative service that, while still nascent, will over time prove to be transformational for the company and the industry.

Our products are now more relevant than ever.  Bing has blossomed and its advertising, social, metadata & real-time analytics capabilities are growing to power every one of our myriad services offerings.  Over the years the Windows client expanded its relevance even with the rise of low-cost netbooks.  Office expanded its relevance even with a shift toward open data formats & web-based productivity.  Our server assets have had greater relevance even with a marked shift toward virtualization & cloud computing.

Quite important to me, I’m also quite proud of the degree to which we’ve continued to grow and mature in the area of responsible competition, and the breadth and depth of our cultural shift toward genuine openness, interoperability and privacy which are now such key cornerstones of everything we do.

Yet, for all our great progress, some of the opportunities I laid out in my memo five years ago remain elusive and are yet to be realized.

Certain of our competitors’ products and their rapid advancement & refinement of new usage scenarios have been quite noteworthy.  Our early and clear vision notwithstanding, their execution has surpassed our own in mobile experiences, in the seamless fusion of hardware & software & services, and in social networking & myriad new forms of internet-centric social interaction.

We’ve seen agile innovation playing out before a backdrop in which many dramatic changes have occurred across all aspects of our industry’s core infrastructure.  These myriad evolutions of our infrastructure have been predicted for years, but in the past five years so much has happened that we’ve grown already to take many of these changes for granted:  Ubiquitous internet access over wired, WiFi and 3G/4G networks; many now even take for granted that LTE and ‘whitespace’ will be broadly delivered.  We’ve seen our boxy devices based on ‘system boards’ morph into sleek elegantly-designed devices based on transformational ‘systems on a chip’.  We’ve seen bulky CRT monitors replaced by impossibly thin touch screens.  We’ve seen business processes and entire organizations transformed by the zero-friction nature of the internet; the walls between producer and consumer having now vanished.  Substantial business ecosystems have collapsed as many classic aggregation & distribution mechanisms no longer make sense.

Organizations worldwide, in every industry, are now stepping back and re-thinking the basics; questioning their most fundamental structural tenets.  Doing so is necessary for their long-term growth and survival.  And our own industry is no exception, where we must question our most fundamental assumptions about infrastructure & apps.

The past five years have been breathtaking.  But the next five years will bring about yet another inflection point – a transformation that will once again yield unprecedented opportunities for our company and our industry catalyzed by the huge & inevitable shift in apps & infrastructure that’s truly now just begun.

Imagining A “Post-PC” World

One particular day next month, November 20^th 2010, represents a significant milestone.  Those of us in the PC industry who placed an early bet on a then-nascent PC graphical UI will toast that day as being the 25^thanniversary of the launch of Windows 1.0.

Our journey began in support of audacious concepts that were originally just imagined and dreamed:  A computer that’s ‘personal’. Or, a PC on every desktop and in every home, running Microsoft software.

Windows may not have been the first graphical UI on a personal computer, but over time the product unquestionably democratized computing & communications for more than a billion people worldwide.  Windows and Office truly grew to define the PC; establishing the core concepts and usage scenarios that for so many of us, over time, have become etched in stone.

For the most part, we’ve grown to perceive of ‘computing’ as being equated with specific familiar ‘artifacts’ such as the ‘computer’, the ‘program’ that’s installed on a computer, and the ‘files’ that are stored on that computer’s ‘desktop’.  For the majority of users, the PC is largely indistinguishable even from the ‘browser’ or ‘internet’.

As such, it’s difficult for many of us to even imagine that this could ever change.

But as the PC client and PC-based server have grown from their simple roots over the past 25 years, the PC-centric / server-centric model has accreted simply immense complexity.  This is a direct by-product of the PC’s success: how broad and diverse the PC’s ecosystem has become; how complex it’s become to manage the acquisition & lifecycle of our hardware, software, and data artifacts.  It’s undeniable that some form of this complexity is readily apparent to most all our customers:  your neighbors; any small business owner; the ‘tech’ head of household; enterprise IT.

Success begets product requirements.  And even when superhuman engineering and design talent is applied, there are limits to how much you can apply beautiful veneers before inherent complexity is destined to bleed through.

Complexity kills. Complexity sucks the life out of users, developers and IT.  Complexity makes products difficult to plan, build, test and use.  Complexity introduces security challenges.  Complexity causes administrator frustration.

And as time goes on and as software products mature – even with the best of intent – complexity is inescapable.

Indeed, many have pointed out that there’s a flip side to complexity:  in our industry, complexity of a successful product also tends to provide some assurance of its longevity.  Complex interdependencies and any product’s inherent ‘quirks’ will virtually guarantee that broadly adopted systems won’t simply vanish overnight.  And so long as a system is well-supported and continues to provide unique and material value to a customer, even many of the most complex and broadly maligned assets will hold their ground.  And why not?  They’re valuable.  They work.

But so long as customer or competitive requirements drive teams to build layers of new function on top of a complex core, ultimately a limit will be reached.  Fragility can grow to constrain agility.  Some deep architectural strengths can become irrelevant – or worse, can become hindrances.

Our PC software has driven the creation of an amazing ecosystem, and is incredibly valuable to a world of customers and partners.  And the PC and its ecosystem is going to keep growing, and growing, for a long time to come.  But today, as I wrote five years ago, ”Just as in the past, we must reflect upon what’s going on around us, and reflect upon our strengths, weaknesses and industry leadership responsibilities, and respond.  As much as ever, it’s clear that if we fail to do so, our business as we know it is at risk.”

And so at this juncture, given all that has transpired in computing and communications, it’s important that all of us do precisely what our competitors and customers will ultimately do: close our eyes and form a realistic picture of what a post-PC world might actually look like, if it were to ever truly occur.  How would customers accomplish the kinds of things they do today?  In what ways would it be better?  In what ways would it be worse, or just different?

Those who can envision a plausible future that’s brighter than today will earn the opportunity to lead.

In our industry, if you can imagine something, you can build it.  We at Microsoft know from our common past – even the past five years – that if we know what needs to be done, and if we act decisively, any challenge can be transformed into a significant opportunity.  And so, the first step for each of us is to imaginefearlessly; to dream.

Continuous Services | Connected Devices

What’s happened in every aspect of computing & communications over the course of the past five years has given us much to dream about.  Certainly the ‘net-connected PC, and PC-based servers, have driven the creation of an incredible industry and have laid the groundwork for mass-market understanding of so much of what’s possible with ‘computers’.  But slowly but surely, our lives, businesses and society are in the process of a wholesale reconfiguration in the way we perceive and apply technology.

As we’ve begun to embrace today’s incredibly powerful app-capable phones and pads into our daily lives, and as we’ve embraced myriad innovative services & websites, the early adopters among us have decidedly begun to move away from mentally associating our computing activities with the hardware/software artifacts of our past such as PC’s, CD-installed programs, desktops, folders & files.

Instead, to cope with the inherent complexity of a world of devices, a world of websites, and a world of apps & personal data that is spread across myriad devices & websites, a simple conceptual model is taking shape that brings it all together.  We’re moving toward a world of 1) cloud-based continuous services that connect us all and do our bidding, and 2) appliance-like connected devices enabling us to interact with those cloud-based services.

Continuous services are websites and cloud-based agents that we can rely on for more and more of what we do.  On the back end, they possess attributes enabled by our newfound world of cloud computing: They’re always-available and are capable of unbounded scale.  They’re constantly assimilating & analyzing data from both our real and online worlds.  They’re constantly being refined & improved based on what works, and what doesn’t.  By bringing us all together in new ways, they constantly reshape the social fabric underlying our society, organizations and lives.  From news & entertainment, to transportation, to commerce, to customer service, we and our businesses and governments are being transformed by this new world of services that we rely on to operate flawlessly, 7×24, behind the scenes.

Our personal and corporate data now sits within these services – and as a result we’re more and more concerned with issues of trust & privacy.  We most commonly engage and interact with these internet-based sites & services through the browser.  But increasingly, we also interact with these continuous services through apps that are loaded onto a broad variety of service-connected devices – on our desks, or in our pockets & pocketbooks.

Connected devices beyond the PC will increasingly come in a breathtaking number of shapes and sizes, tuned for a broad variety of communications, creation & consumption tasks.  Each individual will interact with a fairly good number of these connected devices on a daily basis – their phone / internet companion; their car; a shared public display in the conference room, living room, or hallway wall.  Indeed some of these connected devices may even grow to bear a resemblance to today’s desktop PC or clamshell laptop.  But there’s one key difference in tomorrow’s devices: they’re relatively simple and fundamentally appliance-likeby design, from birth.  They’re instantly usable, interchangeable, and trivially replaceable without loss.  But being appliance-like doesn’t mean that they’re not also quite capable in terms of storage; rather, it just means that storage has shifted to being more cloud-centric than device-centric.  A world of content – both personal and published – is streamed, cached or synchronized with a world of cloud-based continuous services.

Moving forward, these ‘connected devices’ will also frequently take the form of embedded devices of varying purpose including telemetry & control.  Our world increasingly will be filled with these devices – from the remotely diagnosed elevator, to the sensors on our highways and throughout our environment.  These embedded devices will share a key attribute with non-embedded UI-centric devices:  they’re appliance-like, easily configured, interchangeable and replaceable without loss.

At first blush, this world of continuous services and connected devices doesn’t seem very different than today.  But those who build, deploy and manage today’s websites understand viscerally that fielding a truly continuous service is incredibly difficult and is only achieved by the most sophisticated high-scale consumer websites.  And those who build and deploy application fabrics targeting connected devices understand how challenging it can be to simply & reliably just ‘sync’ or ‘stream’.  To achieve these seemingly simple objectives will require dramatic innovation in human interface, hardware, software and services.

How It Might Happen

From the perspective of living so deeply within the world of the device-centric software & hardware that we’ve collectively created over the past 25 years, it’s understandably difficult to imagine how a dramatic, wholesale shift toward this new continuous services + connected devices model would ever plausibly gain traction relative to what’s so broadly in use today.  But in the technology world, these industry-scoped transformations have indeed happened before.  Complexity accrues; dramatically new and improved capabilities arise.

Many years ago when the PC first emerged as an alternative to the mini and mainframe, the key facets ofsimplicity and broad approachability were key to its amazing success.  If there’s to be a next wave of industry reconfiguration – toward a world of internet-connected continuous services and appliance-likeconnected devices – it would likely arise again from those very same facets.

It may take quite a while to happen, but I believe that in some form or another, without doubt, it will.

For each of us who can clearly envision the end-game, the opportunity is to recognize both the inevitability and value inherent in the big shift ahead, and to do what it takes to lead our customers into this new world.

In the short term, this means imagining the ‘killer apps & services’ and ‘killer devices’ that match up to a broad range of customer needs as they’ll evolve in this new era.  Whether in the realm of communications, productivity, entertainment or business, tomorrow’s experiences & solutions are likely to differ significantly even from today’s most successful apps.  Tomorrow’s experiences will be inherently transmedia & trans-device.  They’ll be centered on your own social & organizational networks.  For both individuals and businesses, new consumption & interaction models will change the game.  It’s inevitable.

To deliver what seems to be required – e.g. an amazing level of coherence across apps, services and devices – will require innovation in user experience, interaction model, authentication model, user data & privacy model, policy & management model, programming & application model, and so on.  These platform innovations will happen in small, progressive steps, providing significant opportunity to lead.  In adapting our strategies, tactics, plans & processes to deliver what’s required by this new world, the opportunity is simplyhuge.

The one irrefutable truth is that in any large organization, any transformation that is to ‘stick’ must emerge from within.  Those on the outside can strongly influence, particularly with their wallets.  Those above are responsible for developing and articulating a compelling vision, eliminating obstacles, prioritizing resources, and generally setting the stage with a principled approach.

But the power and responsibility to truly effect transformation exists in no small part at the edge.  Within those who, led or inspired, feel personally and collectively motivated to make; to act; to do.

In taking the time to read this, most likely it’s you.

Realizing a Dream

In 1939, in New York City, there was an amazing World’s Fair.  It was called ‘the greatest show of all time’.

In that year Americans were exhausted, having lived through a decade of depression.  Unemployment still hovered above 17%.  In Europe, the next world war was brewing.  It was an undeniably dark juncture for us all.

And yet, this 1939 World’s Fair opened in a way that evoked broad and acute hope: the promise of a glorious future.  There were pavilions from industry & countries all across the world showing vision; showing progress:  The Futurama; The World of Tomorrow.  Icons conjuring up images of the future:  The Trylon; The Perisphere.

The fair’s theme:  Dawn of a New Day.

Surrounding the event, stories were written and vividly told to help everyone envision and dream of a future of modern conveniences; superhighways & spacious suburbs; technological wonders to alleviate hardship and improve everyday life.

The fair’s exhibits and stories laid a broad-based imprint across society of what needed to be done.  To plausibly leap from such a dark time to such a potentially wonderful future meant having an attitude, individually and collectively, that we could achieve whatever we set our minds to.  That anything was possible.

In the following years – fueled both by what was necessary for survival and by our hope for the future – manufacturing jumped 50%.  Technological breakthroughs abounded.  What had been so hopefully and optimistically imagined by many, was achieved by all.

And, as their children, now we’re living their dreams.

Today, in my own dreams, I see a great, expansive future for our industry and for our company – a future of amazing, pervasive cloud-centric experiences delivered through a world of innovative devices that surround us.

Without a doubt, as in 1939 there are conditions in our society today that breed uncertainty: jobs, housing, health, education, security, the environment.  And yes, there are also challenging conditions for our company: it’s a tough, fast-moving, and highly competitive environment.

And yet, even in the presence of so much uncertainty, I feel an acute sense of hope and optimism.

When I look forward, I can’t help but see the potential for a much brighter future:  Even beyond the first billion, so many more people using technology to improve their lives, businesses and societies, in so many ways.  New apps, services & scenarios in communications, collaboration & productivity, commerce, education, health care, emergency management, human services, transportation, the environment, security – the list goes on, and on, and on.

We’ve got so far to go before we even scratch the surface of what’s now possible.  All these new services will be cloud-centric ‘continuous services’ built in a way that we can all rely upon.  As such, cloud computing will become pervasive for developers and IT – a shift that’ll catalyze the transformation of infrastructure, systems & business processes across all major organizations worldwide.  And all these new services will work hand-in-hand with an unimaginably fascinating world of devices-to-come.  Today’s PC’s, phones & pads are just the very beginning; we’ll see decades to come of incredible innovation from which will emerge all sorts of ‘connected companions’ that we’ll wear, we’ll carry, we’ll use on our desks & walls and the environment all around us.  Service-connected devices going far beyond just the ‘screen, keyboard and mouse’:  humanly-natural ‘conscious’ devices that’ll see, recognize, hear & listen to you and what’s around you, that’ll feel your touch and gestures and movement, that’ll detect your proximity to others; that’ll sense your location, direction, altitude, temperature, heartbeat & health.

Let there be no doubt that the big shifts occurring over the next five years ensure that this will absolutely be a time of great opportunity for those who put past technologies & successes into perspective, and envision all the transformational value that can be offered moving forward to individuals, businesses, governments and society.  It’s the dawn of a new day – the sun having now arisen on a world of continuous services andconnected devices (internet of things!!) .

And so, as Microsoft has done so successfully over the course of the company’s history, let’s mark this five-year milestone by once again fearlessly embracing that which is technologically inevitable – clearing a path to the extraordinary opportunity that lies ahead for us, for the industry, and for our customers.

Ray

Remembering This: Don't Quit Poem Movie

As I gear up for a pivotal month and navigate through a fine "minefields" before me, I ran across this yet again that is important for both from a leadership perspective and to never ever quit no matter what the challenges may be.    The need to live, to grow, to overcome and to insure that one remains ever more reflective is so vital.

Onward to the new week & the new month with all its' possiblities:

Don't Quit Poem Movie: If I had to guess, I would bet you are facing your fair share of challenges and obstacles in your life... I know I am. When things go wrong, and they sometimes will... how will you choose to respond? That is what this short movie is all about. Be inspired by these words of wisdom if you are thinking of quitting.

On Our World: Will we have the courage?

The question of the survival of our plan and the struggle between consumption and long-term sustainability is before us.   I have begun to seriously reflect upon this as I have begun a Stanford MOOC course on Sustainability.

One things is clear:  "Space Ship Earth" is our home.   It must be nurtured, sustained and maintained.     The first lecture of the Course on the "Story of Stuff" was compelling, tough to listen to but crucial to understand and embrace.   Our host reminded us that "the Linear System on a Finite Planet" cannot be sustained.   It was a hard reality that must be recognized:



Here is the link just in case the "embed" does not work:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=gLBE5QAYXp8

The compelling opening thoughts uttered by our host goes to the heart of the challenge we face as we have embarked upon this path to educate ourselves.  The worst of the worst is the United States.    With only 3% of the World's Population, it is consuming over 30% of the World's Resources.

What is critical to recognize is that It is a reality that must be shared by recognizing the entire "linear system" and understanding the process is destroying the only home we all know.   The biggest culprit is just one country:  The United States.    I view it as a call to action to think less of the here and now and to think about the kind of planet we must have for the sake of generations to come.   It reminded me of this reminder from the Environmental Defense Fund:

The implicit ultimate message here is this, though: Do we all have the courage?

Around the World This Week

It has been a very busy August around our World.

As I write this, the so-called "West" is coming to grips after what has been a embarrasment for David Cameron. David Cameron lost a vote in the House of Commons as the World was clamouring for a response after the chemical attack that cost at least 350 lives--based on the data reported by Doctors without Borders.   The Syrians were on a P/R blitz as they geared up for an eventual attack.  I saw scenes of Syrians escaping into the Countryside.   Israeli citizens were clamouring for gas masks and reservists were called up.  Turkey beefed up its' defenses and assessed how to be ready just in case Syrians decide to retaliate.    The BBC intereviewed the Syrian Information Ministry Offical who vehemently denied this.    US Media is reporting that the decision has been made as Barack Obama is getting ready for the G20 in Russia.    I have to wonder whether the Policymakers in Washington actually ask what happens the "day after" such a strike.   In the meantime, the war continues.   I had a very hard time listening to a BBC report after an attack by Government Forces on a school in Aleppo.  

As I listened to the debate and the parade of officials on the US Media talk shows, I remembered Iraq.   Some of the more "brave" outlets took the time to remind the World how the Bush Adminstration unleashed a cycle of violence and destruction that is yet to run its' course.   Iraq has become a near lawless state where an average of 40 people die every day in bombings and Al Qaeda has clearly established a strong and vibrant presence that is contributing to a sense of lawlessness engulfing Iraq right now..

Beyond Syria, there is Egypt--the largest in the Arab World.   The military has crushed the Muslim Brotherhood.    As I have assessed the discourse in Egypt, I find it so interesting that the interim President has just not been there.     I also question why the Chief Justice even accepted the "offer" from General Sisi.    The repression is widening as the very definition of who is an Islamist.  The defintion has become broader and the represession even more brutal.

One other very intersting development has been how the BRICS block has begun to stumble.    The BRICS block was a term coined by a Senior Goldman Sachs partner to signfy the up and comngs around the World.   Three of the BRICS have profound challenges.  India (The I) continues to suffer  a massive drop in the value of its' currency, The Rupee, as politicans fight amongst themselves.   South Afirca (The S) has been besieged by strikes that threatnes a very fragile economic recovery and as the opposition is trying to lay the ground work for a concerted effort to challenge the ANC for the election.      Brazil (The B) has been trying to fight a weak currency and inflation fears have been raised again as it has also continued to deal with Social unrest that began a number of months ago.

Beyond the BRICS, there is one country that continues to fascinate me: Australia.   It has been in the midst of a very heated election that appears to send labor back to the opposition benches and see to it that Tony Abbott becomes Prime Minister.    The only consesus, it seems, is that the next Australian Government will have a tough terrain to navigate through due to the end of the Chinsee Materials Boom.

This was also a month that was the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington in the United States.    Three of America's living President spoke.   Surprsingly, there were no Republicans present due to apparent commitments.    George W. Bush issued an eloquent statement through his office--as he is recovering from a by-pass surgery.     But, it was unfortunate that none of the Republican Leadership elected to join the celebration.   I could not help but continue to wonder that dream that Dr. King so eloquently reflected upon continues to be realized today in America.     There are storms on the horizon.

Congress is going back to work after the long labor day Week-End in the United States.    The key Republican House Leaders have been making the fundraising rounds and have been telling the "base" about how they will use the upcoming debt ceiling negotations to force more cuts.    Although it appears that attempts by the "Tea Party" in Congress to defund Obamacare will not get anywhere, the rhetoric will continue to be heated which may cause shocks to the World Economic System that no one can afford.

It is not "easy" to be hopeful as one sees the suffering in Syria, the continued bombings and killings in Afghanistan and the economic calamity around the World.    But the need to be optimstic and think of the possible should be a driving force.    One could only take comfort in these "thoughts":  

Count your blessings - not your troubles.

- Dale Carnegie

Keep a grateful journal. Every night,

list five things you are grateful for.

- Oprah Winfrey 

Humor can help you cope with the unbearable so that

you can stay on the bright side of things until the

bright side actually comes along.

- Allen Klein 

Onward......

Also released to http://www.outsiderviews.com, 08/30/2013

The Street Sweeper | RedState

I enjoy reading Eric Erickson's Writings--I don't agree with many of his views.  But I think his selection of this speech from Dr. King as America remembered the 50th Annivesary of the March on Washington is a very good one as well.    One can be a student (as I have become) of Dr. King and spend a lifetime understanding a man that did so much in so little a time he had on this earth.    What a legacy: The Street Sweeper | RedState