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Tuesday Nov. 20, 2018

Big bold statements are powerful, and too often wrong:

“I think there is a world market for maybe five computers” – foolishly remarked Thomas Watson, legendary IBM CEO in 1943. He and IBM were ‘top of the heap’ in technology. He’s been proven so gigantically wrong. I work daily on three computers in my own home. I have a phone in my pocket with more power and capability than my first three computers combined. I have a device on my wrist that measures my body’s performance via a computer in a cloud somewhere – yikes, I use five computers every day.

If Watson could be so horribly wrong, should we listen to corporate heads or government leaders?

Sadly they don’t come with warning labels advising which ones to listen to intently vis-a-vie those we should completely ignore. Gray, fuzzy and unclear.

Should we listen to Gates, Buffet, Zuckerberg, Musk?

The jury is still out on Musk, but maybe the entire planet should come with a warning label – ‘may be hazardous to your health – may contain toxic substances; don’t use while operating machinery’ …

The next idea you have might change the world. Believe in it, work with it, dream with it and don’t give up until you replace it with a newer better idea. Somebody important and powerful might doubt you, but that is no reason to give up.

Everything can kill you, but most things won’t.

Anyone can be wrong, but most people aren’t.

Any life can lead you down any path. It won’t unless you put it on that path.

Choose a path, choose your fate. Or leave it to chance …


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