Re Figure-1's thread of "Hijacked Work Ethic + Techno Optimism" (sacralization of work & 'progress'), this article (below) describes: A high-profile network of investors and founders in Silicon Valley [who] are promoting a new moral vision for the tech industry, […]

Re Figure-1's thread of "Run gov't like a business" and Margaret O'Mara's book on Silicon Valley and the Remaking of America, this article (below) explores current efforts by the Executive Branch to privatize government functions and assets. Aside from the […]

The attention age is all about immediacy & accessibility. Something similar played out in 17th century Puritan life. Puritans (at least in doctrine) believed that God was always watching and judging them, weighing every action, perhaps even their thoughts. Once […]

Influencers are masters of monetizing attention. Appealing, relatable storytellers – "real" voices saying whatever is on their minds – who may have started sharing a personal passion. The Guitar Guy, the Football Guy, etc. Later, with a fan base & […]

Re Figure-1's thread of Techno Optimism and my references to Margaret O'Mara's book The Code: Silicon Valley and the Remaking of America, this article (below) explores the notion that: "If Elon Musk is America's CEO, DOGE is the Silicon Valley […]

Speaking of hard work … • CNBC > makeit > "'Captain America' star Anthony Mackie: 'We're lying to our kids' when we say success comes just from hard work – luck is key, too" by Ashton Jackson (Mar 17 2025) […]

Here's an interesting article about office surveillance tech in our contemporary workplace. But it contains some comments about the interplay with the work ethic, citing a book on the co-optation (perversion) of the Protestant work ethic. Regarding the question, "Whom […]

So, more legacy of Benjamin Franklin, the myth of the 'self-made' man. This article (below) traces the conflation of piety & profit, faith & finance, into the late 20th century in the tech industry, particularly Silicon Valley culture. This is […]

Humans carve [split] the world cleanly in two when they feel threatened. … Complexity is intolerable; ambivalence is cowardly. … That kind of clarity … [leaves] no room for doubt — or for reality. … When politicians and activists split […]

This Psychology Today article poses an interesting question regarding storytelling and sense of meaning. Is there a relationship between skill at storytelling and sense of meaning & purpose in life? Might workshopping that with an AI help or harm one's […]