21st Year in the 21st Century

Marking a full year into the Global Pandemic over 350M vaccinations given, and 150M fully vaccinated (2% of the population) from COVID-19. It will take time for the other 98% to be included, and for the lockdowns to open up.    

Globe / NASA lands Perseverance Rover on Mars, Andy Jassy set to replace Jeff Bezos as CEO of Amazon, Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and U.S. clash in Alaska Summit, U.S. passes 1.9T Coronavirus Relief Bill increasing projections on  2021 global consumer spending by 4 points to 4.7% growth.

North America / Concerns over President Biden’s health rise as he struggled to board Air Force One, while in turn the first 100 days of the administration overturns Keystone XL Pipeline, cancels Private Prison Contracts, challenges Russia for election influence and pushes ‘For the People’ act to open voter access. Former President Trump is impeached, again, due to instigation of riots at Capitol Hill. The Texas power grid fails and 50 are dead. Mass Shootings garner attention, and raise a movement to ‘Stop Asian Hate’. Canadian Supreme Court upholds National carbon-tax proposed by Liberal party, and Mexican President AMLO struggles to find funds to support ‘Fourth Transformation’ infrastructure and welfare goals.

South America / The U.S. does not acknowledge Maduro as the head of Venezuela. With its own P.1 variant of COVID-19, Brazil struggles as it sees daily cases topping 100,000, Ecuador’s Presidential election puts Indigenous leader Arauz in lead, and Uruguay elects in a conservative government with President Luis Lacalle Pou sworn in.

Africa and Middle East / U.S. release airstrike in Syria focused on Iranian backed militia. Biden’s outreach to Saudi Arabi is with King Saud and not MBS; who is now implicated in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. Niger elected President Mohamed Bazoum leading to attacks and 300 dead near Mali border. Container ship ‘Ever Given’  blocks Suez Canal holding up the crucial global trade route for a week. Netanyahu cannot secure primacy of the Knesset, so Israel will be heading into the 4th election in 2 years.

Europe / Former French President, Sarkozy, is sentenced to prison for corruption. Etna volcano erupts in Sicily. The EU and UK will enforce the ‘Right to Repair’ rules requiring manufacturers to guarantee customers can repair their products for a 10-year lifespan. University of Hagen in Germany has perfected a technique to psychologically incept and remove false memories in people.

Asia / China-Iran deal strengthens trade relations and increases Chinese place as the leading Global Currency, CCP will no longer recognize the UK Passport for Hong Kong citizens. Myanmar declares Marshall Law as students revolt against military coup. Australia levies fees on big tech to fund content to links from big media. Controversial Japanese intravenous infusion of mesenchymal stem cells proves promising for Spinal Cord Injured patients.

The Retail Trader Changes the Game

Meme Stocks (GameStop, AMC, and Blackberry) hit parabolic growth in January 2021, as the social media group ‘WallStreetBets’ targeted short selling Hedge Fund strategies, almost bankrupting Melvin Capital.

The event exposed the retail trading platform Robinhood who sell mined trading data to their biggest customer, Hedge Funds like Citadel. The SEC is investigating Robinhood, who halted trades to the benefit of the short selling Hedge Funds. As ‘WallStreetBets’ mobilized on social media platforms, many original moderators have been banned from Reddit, Facebook and Twitter – so the community is developing their own platform for information sharing.

Michael Burry continues to worry about Hyperinflation in USD. ARK ETF (ARKK) sees investors leave will $500M in late February, as a correction to Cathie Woods ETFs assets under management. Lack of Fed oversight of Blackrock’s 9T asset management is questioned by Senate Banking Committee.

Boeing still surrounded by negative news on all sides, and pandemic travel limitations. Nike VP Ann Herbert, steps down due to scheme with her son in reselling stock through ‘West Coast Streetwear’.

Ø  Gold – continues its decline, with its worst quarter in over 4 years, due to strengthening U.S. Dollar

Ø  Oil – the slow growth finds strength in the Biden Infrastructure plan, calling for Asphalt – a by-product of dense crude.

Ø  Bitcoin – targets trading at $60,000USD, due to continued acceptance and adoption supported by PayPal and Visa

Forecast

Nifty NFTs

As the continued acceptance of Cryptocurrency rises, and communities try to determine if it will be Bitcoin (BTC), Ripple (XRP), Ethereum (ETH) or newcomers like Polka dot that will dominate. One thing is for certain, investors want to see this sector grow and take root for future transactions.

Investor interest in Non-Fungible Tokens (NFT), showcases the value of a blockchain marketplace and provides an outlet for Digital Artists and collectors. Unlike Fiat cash or Crypto coins which are fungible – exchangeable for a 1:1 ratio with currency of its own type, NFTs are special tokens which are unique and therefore collectible.

NFTs took root in 2017, when the ERC-721 standard guidelines outlined the characteristics for setting up a unique Ethereum token. Images of digital Kittens and Punks were released to the market and began trading. In the case of CryptoPunks, web designers created 10,000 algorithmically generated images at 24x24 pixels, issued the code to buy and sell the images onto blockchain and they became permanently embedded and no longer modifiable. These unique NFTs released for free, were quickly snapped up, and have become collectibles for purchase. The lowest image trades at 22.49Ξ  ($33,000USD), and the total volume is valued at 70,000Ξ ($104,000,000 USD).

Interesting enough, Digital images are open to the public (similar to the way Art is made available in a public gallery) but ownership will be unique to one person and this creates a collectible value. There are questions surrounding users buying and exchanging their own CryptoPunks amongst various accounts, to increase the value and ultimately raising questions on the valuations in these markets.

The model for NFTs showcase the secure design of a Blockchain ledger and exchange methodology superior for Cryptocurrency. The adoption in 2021, has revealed a hype that has a mass of artists and investors plugging into this space - with Christie’s even participating in the auction of Beeple’s digital art. Beyond creating a stir with ‘Everydays—The First 5000 Days’, the artist also generated 69.3M from this auction, and on other platforms like Nifty Gateway.

This new method for selling digital art seeks to empower artists in their creations. The blockchain platforms will tokenizing a work at a cost to mint the artwork, the fees called ‘gas’ are traditionally associate with the electrical cost to authentic and store a piece. Gas fees could be $80-$100 USD per piece, which should drop as Ethereum 2.0 comes about, and scalable fees become more acceptable.

Politics and Religion

The College Industrial Complex

If you have played The Game of Life (Milton Bradley), you know at the very beginning there is an option to choose if you go to college or start a career. If you choose college, you incur debt and join the game board later but receive the chance of a higher paying career to increase each pay day.

In real life the choice is not as simple, but fundamentally similar, at least at first glance

Operation Varsity Blues has focused attention on the admission practices of Colleges and University, and it highlights the fact that these institutions are businesses, and with that vulnerable to corruption. A forecast Milton Friedman raised in Capitalism and Freedom, with ‘those who issue certificates and licensure, may monopolize their position at the cost of a larger social benefit’.

As a Diploma or a Degree is a toll often required to get a job interview, even if course of study is not directly linked to the work. This barrier prevents non graduates the ability to enter key areas of the workforce and gain experience – which is accepted at first glance by the public as it is tied to merit.

However, under examination Post-Secondary admission practices reveal the straight nepotism or bribes from wealthy donors provide unfair access for the rich. Others may need to take out excessive loans or have the time to develop skills or athleticism to file for scholarships. The institutional infrastructure has the attention of the public and U.S. Government, and its role as the sixth-largest service sector in America.

The Left push towards socialist ideas of wiping the 1.7T of student debt to provide alleviate debt for a generation and solidify a future voting base. However, it is noteworthy a cancellation of debt is a short-term benefit and predominantly for the middle and upper classes. The Ivy League is a class driven networking barrier limiting social mobility of lower classes and not simply reflective of the best students,

Long term investment in public education is a better use of government funds, and revising standardized and the Scholastic Academic Test (S.A.T) to allow for a more utilitarian merit based grading. If not addressed, then America will grow its dependency on International Educated Students (ex. Elon Musk) to progress the economy forward.  With innovation there is an opportunity to refocus the delivery of education, and prepare the next generation for success.

Technology is set to disrupt Education and Collegiate Industrial Complex?

Virtual Platforms will replace brick and mortar campuses, and ultimately university networking.

Soft skills like communicating and empathetic management will be supported by Emotional Quotient (EQ) scores, as AI starts to take over technical and administrative tasks.

Sports & Combat

Extreme Circumstances

The Tokyo 2020 2021 Olympics are set to take place July 23rd – August 8th.

With a global pandemic as a backdrop, the Japanese will limit foreign visitors and set the stage for a safe environment for athletes. What does this mean for the pageantry global event and presentation of Sports.

Although on a smaller scale, the Winter X-Games took place this January in Aspen, Colorado and could reveal new ways to reach an audience and put on a Tournament during a pandemic. Although the Games did not allow for the 50,000 in-person spectators, there was a massive uptick of over 1B video views on social media platforms. In partnership with TikTok, the streaming application placed #XGamesMode banner on the Discover page attracting  65% of overall viewership. The youth audience saw themselves reflected in the athletes as highlights of 17-year-olds Dusty Henricksen and Eileen Gu killing their ski competition, breaking streaks and setting records.

The X-Games are established in reaching new audiences and pushing the boundaries of Sports. When ESPN announced the founding of the Extreme Games at Planet Hollywood, New York – April 12, 1994, the intention was to capture the attention of a youth not interested with traditional sporting events.

The Games started in Newport, Rhode Island - June 24, 1995 with prizes for the top tier winners. From that point on Board and Bike Sport found an established outlet and audience. The chaos of misfit youth and street culture found a place within the traditional athletic infrastructure of traditional round robins and large-scale events, and corporate sponsors were stoked to participate in the yearly event.

Two years later, ESPN put on the Winter X-Games, at Big Bear Lake, California to showcase Ski and Snowboarding. The audience continued to grow the X-Game audience and the event was picked up by ABC Sports.  

Since its origins, X-Games have hosted events across the world, expanded into pop culture and video games and ultimately provided an acceptance for key sports, like Skateboarding which is to be added to the Sport Events of 2021 Olympics.

To reflect on some of the high watermarks, it is important to note X-Games are not driven by the fastest and strongest but instead showcasing the most daring and dramatic athletes. At its core, athletes continue to push the envelope with the amount of air they can clear and the number of rotations and flips they can incorporate in a trick.

It’s here, where challengers like Tony Hawk (Skate) land the first 900’, Dave Mirra (BMX) and Travis Pastrana (Moto-X) pull out a Double Back-Flip, Shaun White (Snow) scores 100 on Super Pipe, while others like Heath Frisby (Snowmobile), Henrick Harlaut (Ski), Gus Kenworthy (Ski), push the limits of the sport.

As the youth train on the Skate Parks, Slopes, Mall Parking Lots and just about anywhere you can think, there is the next generation of athletes push what we think is humanly possible.

Mixtape XX

So where the youth at?

There is a push in Western Society to open the narrative of traditional media, to become more inclusive and provide representation for new heroes and heroines. The new storylines generate modern discussions and different viewpoints, while empowering a diverse audience to the voices represented. In a world where the Disney Princess can save themselves, a future of stronger women lays ahead. Yet as big film houses and streaming sites provide outlets for updated stories, one thing missing is a young male audience to share in the lessons.

With the Social Justice movement set to reframe our language to become more accepting, there is also parallel movement online where young men meet in gaming sites and use their MineCraft skills to build a virtual world in their own image.

The themes of the Apocalypse, Fantasy, Magic, Religious gods, and Superheroes ring all throughout these environments - allowing players to run throughout the virtual universe, join quests and exploring the boundaries. Whether it is on a PlayStation, an Xbox or a tricked-out PC set-up - once you immerse into these worlds you join an online community and compete in open world, first person shooter challenges and party at Travis Scott concerts. 

   So, what exactly are the Youth playing at?

Ghosts of Tsushima (Sucker Punch) Samurai, Jin Sakai, protects the Japanese island from a Mongol Invasion. 

CyberPunk 2077 (CD Projekt) Futuristic-Noir open world leads Mercenaries through Night City (serious bugs, though)

Half-Life: Alyx (Valve) VR first person shooter mission for Alyx Vance to seize a superweapon from the alien Combine

Among Us (Innersloth) a Multiplayer social deduction game to identify the Imposter in your space crew.

Hades (Supergiant Games) Zagreus tries to escape the Underworld to reach Mount Olympus.

Final Fantasy VII Remake (Square Enix) Set in Midgar, Eco-Terrorists plan to take down megacorporation Shinra

Microsoft Flight Simulator (Asobo Studios) Hyper-realistic Flight Simulator using Bing maps Earth data

Marvel’s Spider-Man – Miles Morales (Insomniac) The multiverse Spider-Man protect Harlem a criminal underground

Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate (NetherRealm Studios) Includes new fighters the Joker, Rambo, and many more.

Tony Hawk Pro-Skater 1+2 (Vicarious Visions) Revitalizing the earlier skateboarding games for a modern audience

Gran Turismo 7 (Polyphony Digital) The anticipated driving simulator with hyper-realistic graphics and feel

  Join in, Open Discord, Hop on Twitch, Grab your 8-button Hyper+ mouse and Strap into your gaming chair.

                    Tunes

1. What You Know Bout Love – Pop Smoke (Republic)

2. Tyler Herro – Jack Harlow (Generation Now)

3. It’s Okay to Cry – SOPHIE (Future Classic)

                 Playlist 21 Cents on Spotify

The Rise of the Major Arcana

Tarot is something most people know, but interestingly know nothing about.

Where did the come from and how did it come to be?  Trionfi (Triumph) card deck originated in mid-15th century Italy, by adding 22 illustrative cards, the Major Arcana, to expand on the traditional suits of Batons (Clubs), Coins, Swords, and Cups. The common cards, the Minor Arcana, divide into 4 suits of 14 cards, ten Pip (number) cards and 4 regal face cards (King, Queen, Knight and Jack).

 The rules that accompanied Trionfa were not recorded but likely derived from the Mamluk games in Turkey. With games like ‘Tarrochi Appropriati’ the Italian aristocracy dealt hands and build themes and poems to match. In the late 18th Century, the Tarot deck began use in cartomancy for occult purposes. Myths began to link the cards to ancient Egypt, the Kabbalah, Tantra, and the I Ching which empowers this deck with mystery.

The French Occultist Etteilla (Jean-Baptiste Alliette) popularized the Tarot to a wide audience with his book ‘Etteilla, ou manière de se récréer avec un jeu de cartes’. He explains a system that assign meaning to the Piquet (32 card) deck, which depended on it positions of upside or down. Later he founded Ecole de Magie and the associations for Major and Minor Arcana was connected with the 4 elements and astrology. Although Court De Gebelin incorrectly reported African gypsies brought the game to Europe, Etteilia used the myth to connect the deck to the Book of Thoth and created his own 78 deck.

The Tarot of Marseilles Deck, Rider-Waite Deck or the Thoth Tarot Deck, are the most commonly used today.