1.
You may have heard of an economist named Tyler Cowen. If not, look him up, and read his book, The Great Stagnation. It argues, correctly, irrefutably, something the main stream media will never discuss: That the cause of the United States’ financial problems (and the world’s, for that matter) derive less from bad policy decisions, entitlement spending run amuck, or Wall Street malfeasance, than they do from simple lack of Big Innovations. That we’ve run out of game-changing advances like electricity, television, automobiles, easily-tapped oil, the Internet, etc. That all of the “low hanging fruit” has been exhausted, and that all innovation going forward will occur in small increments.
He says this like it’s an entirely bad thing.
2.
I bought a bottle of Johnnie Walker Double Black a couple weeks ago. I had to get it as soon as it became available stateside because it’s a new product from one of my favorite distillers. When I say “new” product, however, that’s mostly in name (and even there, it’s limited). In substance, JWDB isn’t really new at all. It’s a lot like Johnnie Walker Black, the almost already perfect gold standard of blended scotches.*
Around the same time, I stumbled onto Dr. Pepper Ten, a new quasi-diet soda that’s essentially nothing more than Diet Dr. Pepper with just enough enough sugar to add ten calories to the mix.
And about a week or so after that, cruising Itunes half-drunk, I ran across the Stones’ new deluxe version of the classic Some Girlsalbum. Same old singles you recall – “Miss You,” “Shattered,” “Beast of Burden” – only with a second disc of new material added.
I bought all three, the two physically consumable ones several times since, and I couldn’t be happier with them.
3.
What do these products share? What makes them such immediately likable innovations? None are gimmicks. None are non-inventions sold as inventions. None are needless, useless, modifications of existing lines, like the “dry,” “ice,” or “low carb” beer fads of the past.** None are Blu-Ray versions of movies packed with extra director’s commentary no one would ever watch, designed solely to compel people to buy new media players. Quite unlike that obvious garbage, these products satisfy.
Read the rest here.