- While we obsess over Trump, China is making history (WaPo) "...halfway around the world, something truly historic just happened. China signaled that it now sees itself as the world’s other superpower, positioning itself as the alternative, if not rival, to the United States. Ever since China abandoned its Maoist isolation in the 1970s, its guiding philosophy was set by Deng Xiaoping. At that time, China needed to learn from the West, especially the United States, and integrate itself into the existing international order. According to Deng, it should be humble and modest in its foreign policy, 'hide its light under a bushel,' and 'bide its time.' But the time has now come, in Xi’s view, and he said the Middle Kingdom is ready to 'take center stage in the world.' In part, China’s new stance toward the world, and the way it has been received, are a result of the continued strength of the Chinese economy and the growing political confidence of the party under Xi. But these changes are also occurring against the backdrop of the total collapse of political and moral authority of the United States in the world. A recent Pew Research Center survey charts a 14-point drop in those who view the United State favorably across the more than 30 countries polled."
- Xi Jinping is more vulnerable than you think (WaPo) "...some China analysts are wondering whether Xi has overreached. Xi dominated the stage, literally and figuratively, at the party’s 19th Congress... His consolidation of power has nearly erased the collective leadership style of his recent predecessors... What could go wrong for a leader with such sweeping authority? Several leading analysts argue that Xi’s dominance is now so complete that it carries a kind of vulnerability. He owns China’s economic and foreign policies so totally that he’ll get blamed for any setbacks. Perhaps more important, his power play may worry older Chinese who remember the damage done by Mao’s cult of personality. Chinese strategists have traditionally argued that it’s wise to appear less powerful than you really are and take adversaries by surprise. This approach is no longer possible for a monarchical Xi."
BUSINESS:
- Tech’s Big Get Bigger in Earnings Blowout (WSJ - Pay Wall) "Three of the world’s biggest companies—Google parent Alphabet, Amazon and Microsoft—reported booming quarterly growth Thursday, extending their reach in industries from advertising to retail to business software as they drive the economy’s technological transformation. Alphabet said profit rose 33% in the third quarter as users clicked on more ads on smartphones, atop search results and before YouTube videos. Amazon said revenue grew by 34% and its profit inched up, shrugging off concerns that heavy investments in new warehouses and hiring workers would push it to a loss. And Microsoft reported a 12% revenue increase, capitalizing on a shift to cloud computing. The tech industry’s banner day underscored the dominance of a handful of companies in the internet age—and foreshadowed more expansion, including into new businesses." and What Worries? Big Tech Companies Post Glowing Quarterly Profits (NYT) "If revenue growth is a good indication of giving the public what it wants, customers appear to love what the biggest technology companies are offering, whether it’s cheap online storage, clothing or a social network, and the party isn’t slowing down."
ENTERTAINMENT:
- Eminem’s Publisher Triumphs in New Zealand Copyright Battle (NYT) "A political party in New Zealand must pay Eminem’s music publisher $413,000 (600,000 New Zealand dollars) for infringing on the copyright of his hit song 'Lose Yourself,' a court in Wellington ruled."
POLITICS:
- Analysis | The Daily 202: The GOP civil war is bigger than Trump. A new study shows deep fissures on policy (WaPo) “And today's Republican Party is much more united on what it is against — namely, the Democrats and the mainstream media — than on what it's for. … Trump may not be great on their policies, and they may even think he's kind of a jerk, but he's with them on the most important thing: being not-the-other-side. It's arguably his most pronounced quality. And in an increasingly polarized country, it's what really matters.”
SCIENCE:
- Inside Botox’s Margin of Error (Bloomberg) "...the drug that can take years off a person’s appearance by erasing wrinkles also happens to be made with one of the most toxic substances known to science. It’s considered one of the world’s most deadly potential agents of bioterrorism... A baby-aspirin-size amount of powdered toxin is enough to make the global supply of Botox for a year. The drug works like this: A person’s muscles are controlled by motor nerves, which release a chemical that instructs the muscles to contract. Botox blocks the release of that chemical. Today it’s approved for nine different medical uses..."
- Your memories are idealized versions of a past that never existed (Quartz) "Think about your first memory. It’s probably fairly mundane and from when you were about four years old. Now, think about your favorite memory. If you’re like most people, one didn’t just pop into your head—you’re reviewing a range of memories...and you’re settling on one that has meaning for you right now. It’s this frailty of the human brain that makes nostalgia such a powerful but also problematic emotion."
TECHNOLOGY:
- Google X and the Science of Radical Creativity (Atlantic) "Moonshots don’t begin with brainstorming clever answers. ...the three-part formula for an ideal moonshot project: an important question, a radical solution, and a feasible path to get there. They start with the hard work of finding the right questions. Breakthrough technology results from two distinct activities that generally require different environments—invention and innovation. The United States’ worst deficit today is not of incremental innovation but of breakthrough invention."
- How Google’s Physical Keys Will Protect Your Password (NYT) "The idea of Google’s Advanced Protection Program is to provide people with a physical device that is much harder to steal than a text message. Anyone with a Google account can sign up for the security program on Google’s Advanced Protection webpage. To get started, you will have to buy two physical keys for about $20 each."
BOTTOM OF THE NEWS:
- The awful truth of donating a dead body to “science” (Quartz) "...loose regulation in the for-profit body-donation industry means that the final destination for many of these remains are far different than the legitimate research many donors imagine... Quartz visited the suburban Oregon office of a dentist-turned-amateur-cryonicist who kept a refrigerator full of human heads for self-taught experiments. Technically, it’s illegal to sell human tissue in the US. Companies that supply donated bodies or parts for research get the bodies for free, but can charge recipients for expenses such as transport, cremation, and staff time."
TODAY'S SONG:
- Take the Time (Freddy Jones Band)
TECHNOLOGY:
- Google X and the Science of Radical Creativity (Atlantic) "Moonshots don’t begin with brainstorming clever answers. ...the three-part formula for an ideal moonshot project: an important question, a radical solution, and a feasible path to get there. They start with the hard work of finding the right questions. Breakthrough technology results from two distinct activities that generally require different environments—invention and innovation. The United States’ worst deficit today is not of incremental innovation but of breakthrough invention."
- How Google’s Physical Keys Will Protect Your Password (NYT) "The idea of Google’s Advanced Protection Program is to provide people with a physical device that is much harder to steal than a text message. Anyone with a Google account can sign up for the security program on Google’s Advanced Protection webpage. To get started, you will have to buy two physical keys for about $20 each."
BOTTOM OF THE NEWS:
- The awful truth of donating a dead body to “science” (Quartz) "...loose regulation in the for-profit body-donation industry means that the final destination for many of these remains are far different than the legitimate research many donors imagine... Quartz visited the suburban Oregon office of a dentist-turned-amateur-cryonicist who kept a refrigerator full of human heads for self-taught experiments. Technically, it’s illegal to sell human tissue in the US. Companies that supply donated bodies or parts for research get the bodies for free, but can charge recipients for expenses such as transport, cremation, and staff time."
TODAY'S SONG:
- Take the Time (Freddy Jones Band)
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