Four (or Five!) Reasons Why

…Facebook Is So 2007

1. Nobody’s talking about Facebook anymore. Most of 2007 was abuzz with facts and figures, rumours of investment and ridiculous valuations, not to mention privacy protection and data usage. Anyone and everyone knew what was going on with the platform - the good, the bad and the ugly. These days, it seems as if nobody really cares anymore. And those that do are talking about its demise. (Type Facebook into Google News - the only news making headlines is bad news.)

2. While there is no doubt that Facebook is a force to be reckoned with, the fear factor has dissipated. And for what may be the first time ever,Facebook saw a decline in membership numbers in the United Kingdom, a key strategic market. As Henry Blodget notes, you can’t read too much into this, but it is stillsomething worth keeping an eye on.

3. The company climbed into bed with Microsoft. Enough said.

4. Facebook seems to havelost its mojo. The buzz is gone, critics jumped all over the Beacon fiasco, users are annoyed by the clutter and relentless notifications, application overload is paralyzing, and the original gated community had its doors blown off. What was unique and different is now mainstream and unexciting. There can be little doubt that average time spent declinessignificantly as one’s membership matures.

5. At the end of the day,Facebook just isn’tfun anymore. The Ed Techie nails it - “Fun is the killer app.” Facebook used to be exciting and new. The relationship was lustful and you couldn’t get enough. Now, you know each other too well and the spark is fading. You wake up, say hello and reach for the sports section.

Update: Looks like Facebook Fatigue is happening in the U.S. Oh, oh!

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….I Should Have Been a Vet

1. Unlike being a real doctor, it’s not you’re working in a life-or-death profession. If a beloved pet dies, sure the family is upset and a lot of tears flow but, hey, it’s just an animal as opposed to a walking, talking person.

2. Business will always be good. It’s not like people will be cutting back on taking care of their pets during a recession. Maybe their pets will start getting fed No-Name food as opposed to Iams but when they need their shots, they get their shots.

3. The money is pretty sweeeet. You have to figure a vet with a healthy practice can pull in, let’s say, $150K to $250K a year…for taking care of animals. Nice.

4. You get to work with animals. Unlike human patients, they really can’t complain much - if at all - about the care you’re giving them, and it’s unlikely they’ll sue you for medical malpractice if something goes wrong.

Technorati Tags: Veterinarian

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….Starbucks is Losing its Mojo

1. There’s good coffee everywhere these days. This is a stark contrast to the early days of Starbucks when people were craving high-quality java after being forced to drink terrible coffee such as Sanka and Maxwell House for so long. Starbucks was able to storm onto the scene by showing consumers there was better coffee out there, even if it meant they had to pay through the nose for the privilege. Now, you can even get a good cuppa job at McDonald’s of all places!

2. Starbucks is expensive, especially if you’re one of those coffee snobs into fancy drinks such as a decaf, low-fat, misto, cappuccino with soy milk…or something like that. With the economic landscape getting tougher, people may start to buckle down on some of their perks, so don’t be surprised if the $4 cup of coffee gets the axe. Who knows, if times get really tough, Sanka might start looking good again.

3. There’s a Starbucks everywhere as the company seeks to make sure its competitors don’t get a solid foothold. In the process, Starbucks has become a multi-national conglomerate as opposed to a speciality retailer. In other words, Starbucks has become very mainstream, which is far from cool.

4. Going into a Starbucks can be downright confusing these days. Aside from a growing variety of coffees, you can purchase tea, CDs, food, coffee-makers, mugs, newspapers, and the list goes on. So, what is Starbucks now? A coffee retailer or a retailer that sells coffee-related merchandise as well as coffee?

5. Starbucks’ stock has been a terrible performer. Over the past year, it has dropped by more than 50% to about $14. It’s difficult to get excited about a company with flat sales and more competition.

Technorati Tags: Coffee, Starbucks

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…The Opera Truly Is An Acquired Taste

1. The opera is not a particularly accessible event for the average person. Rarely is it to be seen outside of live performances, though there have been some forays into film, which means that only a small percentage of the population has any exposure to it. Like many other events that are deemed “high culture”, it is generally seen as a venue for the wealthy. Unfortunately, even when presented with the opportunity to experience it, if only once, most people would refuse given the opera’s reputation of being long and boring.

2. Opera has a lot going on - music, singing, theatre, dance and design. While it is relatively easy to figure out if the set looks good or the orchestra is playing well together, determining the difference between a good and mediocre singing performance requires a lot of practice. To start, it’s generally in a foreign language, which is barely comprehensible even as a fluent speaker. And unlike many other forms of singing where the untrained ear can get what’s what, opera singing is unique in style. Is she supposed to be shrieking like that?

3. It’s easy to get lost - unless you’ve read the story in advance. There is so much going on that it can be tough to keep track of characters, who kills who, read sub/surtitles, appreciate the music, try not to cough and keep yourself from asking questions like, “I wonder what it would be like if we sang all of our conversations?” Not to say that this can’t be overcome with practice, but it’s hard to get most people to practice or learn anything new - without a kick in the butt.

4. If opera is ever going to make the jump to a broader audience, it needs more Rabbit of Seville, What’s Opera, Doc? and Paul Potts. So far, the industry is not doing enough to let people acquire the taste for what the art has to offer. What else can they do? Let’s discuss…

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….I Would Never Live in a Condo

1. Sure, they’re shiny and new after they’ve been built but the shininess and novelty doesn’t take long to disappear. Then, you’re just living in a muliti-story apartment building with a fancy name…and lots of other people.

2. Most condo units are tiny. Okay, 400 or 500 sq. feet is fine when you’re footloose and fancy free. It’s not like you’re going to be holding massive parties or have a huge amount of stuff. But once you couple up and then have children, condos don’t work anymore. Pretty soon, you’re looking for a footloose and fancy free person to buy your unit.

3. Over time, condos fees will kill you. They start at a fairly low level because condo builders don’t want to scare away potential buyers. But, over time, condo fees start to creep up as all the amenities such as pools and gyms (the features that seemed so wonderful when you were considering a condo purchase) need to be fixed and/or replaced, and renovations are required as your badly-built condo begins to fall apart. Pretty soon, condo fees become a major fee every month.

4. You don’t own any land - just a unit in a big building. When you’re spending that much money, you want some earth/dirt to call your own.

Technorati Tags: Condos, Real Estate

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