Maggie's Farm

Today there was a brief article on Netflix which claims that it's a kind of Ponzi scheme.  This is based on a concept which I found interesting, but misguided.  Netflix gained 7mm subscribers, but spent $7bb on programming.  The next question was "were these 7mm people spending $1,000 a quarter?"

That's the wrong question. 

The nice thing about programming is it's evergreen.  Once you have it - you have it forever.  So it has value over time, value that is increasing, since revenue can be generated forever, in theory.  $7bb in programming didn't generate 7mm subscribers, but the range and quality of programming on Netflix did.  Assuming each subscriber wants to watch every program on Netflix, that could take some time, especially if Netflix continues to add programs, which they will.  Since each subscriber pays $11 a month,  the cost of new programming is amortized over about 7 1/2 years, assuming subscribers stay that long.  It seems, right now, that the average subscription is about 13 years or more (my parents have had it in some form since it started in 1997).  

Mao began his Cultural Revolution after the failure of the Great Leap Forward.  The Democrats are now enforcing their version of Cultural Revolution now that their economic policies have failed to yield their Utopian Vision.

We've seen the revolution begin at leading digital firms, which release people like James Damore, who provide well-written and well-documented critique of hiring practices, while offering better alternatives which don't happen to fit the political agenda.  It's called a "gender memo" and he is a pariah.  The claim is he 'got the science wrong', but while it's not 100% spot-on, some scientists said it's pretty good and certainly not a rant or screed.  Nevermind.  It doesn't meet the level of agenda-setting which Silicon Valley is pursuing.  Fire him.  More importantly, find ways to limit the speech of employees and online users.

Now, with Kavanaugh, you can keep your job if you commit slander, but try to provide some semblance of balance and you're going to have to go.

For now, the Cultural Revolution will seek to take away reputations and livelihoods.  I worry that it's on the verge of getting violent and taking lives.  As the anger and outrage of the Left continues to grow - and if the much-ballyhooed "Blue Wave" does not appear in November (I, for one, do not think it will) - you can be sure it will get increasingly more violent.  Reputations and jobs won't be enough. 

I've seen this term used to describe Kavanaugh and his friends.  It is used in a pejorative manner, designed to wrinkle noses and cause people to roll eyes.  A Frat Boy isn't welcome.  He considers himself exclusive.  He is boorish, usually a heavy drinker and engages in wild behaviors, often degrading women and/or abusing them.  He is a troublemaker, not much of an academic, usually superficial and probably narcissistic.

I'm a Frat Boy.  Proud member of Delta Tau Delta at Syracuse.  Gamma Omicron chapter, and my younger son is also a member.  My older son was in Kappa Sigma at Miami University (OH).  My grandfather was in a fraternity at Penn, the name of which eludes me.  When he heard I'd joined a fraternity (first of his children or grandchildren to join Greek life) he was ecstatic.  I never got a chance to share stories with him, he died my junior year.  My niece joined Delta Delta Delta and my sister was in Alpha Phi.  So I think it's fair to say many in my family are 'Frat Boys' of some kind.

While I understand the negative connotations of the term, I reject them all.  After all, I was a shy introverted kid trying to find his place at a large university.  I had no money, so I'd go to fraternities during Rush to drink for free.  One of them kept inviting me back.  I liked all of the guys and had a class with two of them.  I turned down their offer.  They said think about it.  A week later I said yes.  The fraternity helped me develop lifelong friendships with people who I won't see for years at a time, and we'll pick up where we left off when we do get together.

Sure, we partied, we had fun, we were wild in many respects.  But we didn't degrade women or abuse them.  Heavy drinking?  Some took place, I did my share.  We did have at least 3 people wind up with addiction problems over my 4 years, but that's out of 160 people who passed through the house.  Basically 1.5%, but that is well below the estimate of 9.4% in the US as a whole.   These 3 are all recovered now (although that's a lifetime thing).  I'd say that while we did quite a bit of drinking and smoking, we were pretty a pretty solid group of young men.  When our friends announced their addiction, we didn't turn our backs.  We were there for them, not as crutches, but as supportive friends.  I'd say our fraternity reduced the addiction likelihood because it's an accepting and supportive culture.

I have a habit of posting longer pieces, but this will be relatively short.

A friend called today, asking if I could help her daughter find an internship.  Of course, I love helping young people, so I said fine and asked what her major was.  "Corporate Psychology" was the answer.

I know several contributors are in the field of psychology or psychiatry, so maybe they can help me understand what this is, and if it's real.

I am aware that it would be in the Human Relations department.  Given my recent post on "A Culture of Thank You", I have a feeling I know what kind of stuff is involved.  I'm not sure I like the concept.  Any time a business meeting starts with phrases like "it's ok to be vulnerable" or "everyone needs to be aware this is a safe space" I become immediately wary of the goals of the meeting.  Not being involved will likely work against you.  So will being involved but asking the wrong questions.  I think that's what Corporate Psychology is about.  Manipulating people to devise a particular result.  But maybe I'm wrong. 

I agree with most of Bird Dog's review of The Labyrinth.  In the comments you'll see I'd take task on the over-40 commentary.  A good gym regimen is enough to keep you going and the fact one of our group did the scramble with a new hip says much about will as it does skill or fitness (admittedly, she runs marathons with that new hip, so she's not lacking in fitness).  You DO need to be in shape.  A good number of us emerged without our jackets, soaked in sweat.  Those two fellows waiting at the top of Lemon Squeeze (both in late 20's, early 30's) were laughing in part from our dialogue, but also at the surprise of seeing a group of nine people aged 55+ emerging from that space.  If you remember The Phantom Tollbooth, it pays to be Canby, as well.  I can be young, I can be strong, I can be tall, I can be small.  Be what you can be.  It pays off in the scramble.

Hiking and some mountain climbing (my 2 experiences with rappelling were in New Mexico when I was 14), from my Boy Scout days, provided an edge.  Mrs. Bulldog has only taken on hiking recently, though she does quite a bit of walking around town.  Her 4 experiences of this sort of activity are limited to a climb up Quail Mountain at Joshua Tree with me in 2012, the Labyrinth, and our two previous hikes with Bird Dog and Mrs. Bird Dog. 

More below the fold, with photos -