Tesla Motors' Other Vehicle

The other Tesla car that will come out: Tesla Model S. See, no one killed the electric car.

Who Killed the Electric Car? No One.

Note that this article has been updated to also include some of the private discussions with thought leaders in the past. You can read my final overview of my research into the Millennial generation along with what I predicted and what happened as they matured at this link. While I still speak about Echo Boomers and iGenZ privately, I seldom add new articles to this specific blogspot site. If you're reaching out about a speaking engagement, you can contact me at the research firm SqlinSix.

Some already out, and more coming during 2012, these 3 electric cars should be top sellers and expect more electric cars to come.

The Coming Electric Car Boom: 3 Hot Electric Cars

Tesla Roadster: the expensive electric car that's already in the market. But Tesla Motors is already creating other electric cars that will appeal to average consumers. What's more interesting than Tesla Motors? Their CEO: Elon Musk. The next Henry Ford or John D. Rockefeller, anyone?

Nissan Leaf: an expensive electric car, but one that will appeal to some middle-class environmentalists.

Mitsubishi i [Update: dead link removed]: remember that Mitsubishi is number 2 in car sales to Echo Boomers, and this addition will help seal their top position for the next generation.

Trust me, there will be naysayers: "Oh those are just TOO expensive" which will easily fall to pieces when gas prices rise above $4 a gallon (and they will in the long run). Also, recall that all new technology costs a lot of money in the beginning, but becomes cheaper in time (see the below video of Bill Gates talking about energy).

Starting around 1:20

Now the price of energy has come down over time [see graph in video to see how far its fallen]. Really advanced civilization is really based on advances in energy.

...

Even in the 1900s we've seen a very rapid decline of the price of electricity.

Video link (video embedding is no longer supported).

(I wrote this post in honor of my dad, who said that electric cars would never succeed because oil companies would stop them. I think they will succeed.)

Oph Topik: Disrespecting Private Property

Note that this article has been updated to also include some of the private discussions with thought leaders in the past. You can read my final overview of my research into the Millennial generation along with what I predicted and what happened as they matured at this link. While I still speak about Echo Boomers and iGenZ privately, I seldom add new articles to this specific blogspot site. If you're reaching out about a speaking engagement, you can contact me at the research firm SqlinSix.

It's peaceful now [Update: dead link removed], but what if things continue to heat up?

Protesters showing up at millionaires' and billionaires' homes is crossing over the line of private property. I've warned others before this event and I'll continue to warn people: America has raised a generation that does not respect private property (Echo Boomers). While I don't agree with any of this behavior, I view the behavior of some wealthy people extremely foolish. Provoking envy historically causes major problems.

(As anyone who's travelled to other countries will tell you, most wealthy people around the world do not show off their wealth. This human behavior (showing off wealth) has generally been a sign of a stable society. But a stable society never lasts. As that former stable society becomes unstable, any sign of wealth could cause you to quickly become the victim of a crime. Given my predictions about Echo Boomers, what do you think that best course of action will be in the future?)

Of course, failure to respect private property will produce abysmal results for everyone - including the people disrespecting private property. Look at history. Still, showing off to make people feel envy is an action that produces an opposite reaction that is never good.

Echo Boomers Don't Value Privacy

I've noted to thought leaders to remember that Echo Boomers do not value privacy (theirs or yours). Privacy is a simple example of private property and they don't value it. A fellow thought leader once note to an audience we spoke to that the downloading of music without paying showed that Echo Boomers didn't care about other's work or property.

As I've warned and will continue to warn, this generation does not respect private property from your intellectual endeavors to your privacy to even your home and property.

Facebook Will Assimilate You

Note that this article has been updated to also include some of the private discussions with thought leaders in the past. You can read my final overview of my research into the Millennial generation along with what I predicted and what happened as they matured at this link. While I still speak about Echo Boomers and iGenZ privately, I seldom add new articles to this specific blogspot site. If you're reaching out about a speaking engagement, you can contact me at the research firm SqlinSix.

Fascinating read about the social network, Facebook. Notice:

Facebook, in short, aims not to be a Web site you spend a lot of time on, but something that defines your online — and increasingly offline — life.

Mark Zuckerberg is quite ambitious, and I have little doubt that his company will continue to perform well. If the trend hasn't happened already, I would expect few people to not be on Facebook over time.

Wendy: You do have a Facebook page, Stan!

Stan: Oh [bleep] No, I just got that because Kyle ...

Wendy: Yeah well I saw your page Stan. Relationship status: single?

Stan: Relationship status, I didn't even pay any attention to ...

Wendy: You like being single, Stan, so that you can use Facebook to find other girls? According to your Facebook page we aren't friends.

Stan: All right, I'll add you as a friend, I'm sorry.

Wendy: And you better change your relationship status to in a relationship!

Stan: How?

Wendy: By editing your profile under basic information!

See, even Stan Marsh had to join.

As I've privately said many times, I highly respect Mark Zuckerberg because he understands people better than many people understand themselves.

Oph Topik: Do Echo Boomers Lack Empathy?

Note that this article has been updated to also include some of the private discussions with thought leaders in the past. You can read my final overview of my research into the Millennial generation along with what I predicted and what happened as they matured at this link. While I still speak about Echo Boomers and iGenZ privately, I seldom add new articles to this specific blogspot site. If you're reaching out about a speaking engagement, you can contact me at the research firm SqlinSix.

A recent study supports a rising notion that Echo Boomers lack empathy when compared to former generations. I think that this study fails in several places. I will add here as well that if one could prove Echo Boomers lack empathy, the social results will also have some economic implications.

1. While the study has been conducted, its size causes concerns, especially if we are to assume its applicable to all Echo Boomers.

2. The study failed to consider some of its own results, for instance

They are more likely, meanwhile, to admit that “other people’s misfortunes” usually don’t disturb them.

That sounds terrible until you consider that Echo Boomers use technology more than any other generation. It is now possible to have conversations with people you've never met face to face. The possible misfortune manipulation (ie: using sob stories to try to manipulate others) factor has increased by an unknown multiple.

Consider that in the past, people didn't experience misfortune manipulation as much since most people came in contact with people they knew.

What about now? With technology the sob stories have only increased, and exposure to them has risen. As an example of this, I experienced thousands of misfortune manipulation while in customer service. These stories, which are a form of passive aggressive abuse, desensitize you to a person's problems since most of them are fake.

What I find disturbing is not the lack of empathy, but the people who think that using a sob story can allow them to break the rules and exploit others.

3. The definition of friend has changed. While I am unsure of how people in the early 1900s used friend, I know they didn't mean a picture on Facebook or MySpace. As people move toward electronic means of friendship - which possesses many advantages and disadvantages - relationships may become less emotional in time. A lot of emotion is expressed in flesh and blood, something technology lacks. This doesn't mean that modern friendship will be unemotional, but we shouldn't be surprised if friendship becomes less emotional.

Oph Topik: 3 Housing Recovery Denials

Note that this article has been updated to also include some of the private discussions with thought leaders in the past. You can read my final overview of my research into the Millennial generation along with what I predicted and what happened as they matured at this link. While I still speak about Echo Boomers and iGenZ privately, I seldom add new articles to this specific blogspot site. If you're reaching out about a speaking engagement, you can contact me at the research firm SqlinSix.

In the financial industry, we hear a lot about a possible housing recovery. In fact, the trite sell line for housing is, "It's a buyer's market because, pretty soon, houses are going to cost much more." However, in order for housing prices to rise, there must be a significant demand, and I see three major encumbraces to the housing recovery.

1. The Millennial financial data. Remember, Echo Boomers are the second largest American generation in U.S. history. However, from reviewing the data, does it look like they are ready to buy homes?

2. If oil prices continue to remain high, or climb higher, even current homeowners will feel the financial pinch. And Americans, who don't own homes, won't consider adding another financial obligation. With high energy prices, renting provides the flexibility for a person to move where it's close. If they lose Job A, they can move closer to Job B. A person, who owns a home, cannot move anywhere - they are restricted.

3. Uncertainty is dominating the market. Look at the rise of food prices alongside oil prices. If people feel like they won't be able to afford food or energy in the future, they won't commit to homeownership. When I talk to people who are ready to buy homes, they feel financially stable in their lives. If instability and uncertainty continue, people will continue to avoid any homeownership commitment.