Facebook skews Republican.

It’s about the money. For insight, I point you to Ben Smith’s article:

“What’s Facebook’s Deal With Donald Trump?-Mark Zuckerberg has forged an uneasy alliance with the Trump administration. He may have gotten too close.”

The “Daily” is the “New York Times” podcast, that is released per its moniker, daily. It’s supposed to bring you up to speed on what is happening in America that day.

Which is why I rarely listen to it. I read the “Times” cover to cover every day, and check the app incessantly, so what could I possibly learn?

Plenty.

Hiking last night I pulled up Tuesday’s episode,

“The Battle Over the Democratic Party’s Future – How a once low-profile Senate primary in Kentucky reveals a broader ideological challenge for the Democratic Party”

I was stunned this was sponsored by the “Times,” which along with the DNC put a stake in the heart of Bernie Sanders, before events blew a hole in the establishment Democratic perspective.

That’s what this podcast is all about. How Chuck Schumer is putting all his eggs behind Amy McGrath to go up against Mitch McConnell for Senate in Kentucky. You see McGrath is a former Marine, she’s a fund-raising machine, and it’s all about the money, right?

Well, maybe not.

But what is truly important here is how Schumer is pulling the strings, how he’s controlling the makeup of the elected Democratic officials, and how he might be losing that power.

So, McGrath is skating to victory in the primary and then…

George Floyd gets murdered. Protests pop up all over the country, the world. And suddenly, the nobody from nowhere, the African-American from the wrong side of Louisville, Charles Booker, has traction.

McGrath blows it in the debate, because she’s just a figurehead, a place holder, part of the team, what she believes really isn’t that important. Meanwhile, Booker starts eating her alive. Will Booker triumph?

By time I listened to yesterday’s “Daily,” election results were coming in. And, since last night, they’ve only gotten tighter. On the surface, it looks like McGrath will escape, although today her lead is declining, she’s still ahead of Booker 43.9% to 37.6%. But not even half of the vote has been counted, and, there’s the mail-in ballots.

The question is, did people vote early and choose McGrath, the safe candidate, or did they vote late, and switch to Booker?

Although no one will call the race, Jamaal Bowman is killing the well-funded and establishment endorsed Eliot Engel in New York, 61.8% to 34.9%. In other words, are Schumer and the DNC losing control?

It appears so.

You can read the transcript of this podcast by clicking on the page, but you’ve got to listen to it, to hear Jonathan Martin’s voice, it’s a wakeup call, he’s just not reporting, he’s more akin to Paul Revere riding through the countryside.

Conventional wisdom amongst big media, the DNC and insiders, is that the Democrats need to run to the center, but AOC won big last night, against a candidate well-funded by the financial sector. Could it be that the populace, even the voting populace, is farther to the left of not only Biden, but Schumer and Pelosi and…

After all, they haven’t achieved much.

Of course, to a degree their hands are tied, controlling neither the Senate nor the White House, but it turns out they’re not as outraged as the populace, which appears to want blood.

So, after listening to Tuesday’s podcast, I listened to Monday’s:

“How Facebook Is Undermining ‘Black Lives Matter’ – The company publicly supports the racial justice movement. But content on the platform my be compromising the cause.”

Taken in concert with Ben Smith’s article above, you gain new insight into Zuckerberg and his flagship service.

Yes, Ben Smith…the same person who took on the inviolate Ronan Farrow, whose publisher immediately caved when he learned they were going to publish a book by his father, Woody Allen, and demanded it be canceled. The entire New York media intelligentsia was pro-Ronan, and then Ben Smith questioned his reporting and…

Is the “New Yorker” any match for the “Times”? The “New Yorker” gets undeserved respect by those who believe themselves to be intellectuals, it’s often late and out of touch on the issues, and its reach is not that big.

But the “New York Times” abhors bomb-throwers, right?

And then we’ve got this Zuckerberg/Trump article, which is light on facts and heavy on speculation and…it reads more like BuzzFeed, where Smith came from, than the Grey Lady. Could it be that the “Times” is starting to throw off some of its shackles and wake up and live in the present, like in these “Daily” podcasts.”

Now Kevin Roose is not as grave as Jonathan Martin, but he reveals some fascinating bits, like:

Kevin Roose:

“Yeah, I mean, their outreach to Republicans is, in some ways, an attempt to sort of correct this impression that conservatives have, that they are biased against the right, which is not reflected in any of the data. And I’ve actually been looking at this pretty regularly for the past few weeks. There’s this tool called CrowdTangle that you can basically use to pull up the most popular and talked about Facebook posts from across all of Facebook. So yeah, just looking at the most engaged posts from the last 24 hours on Facebook, the first one is from Trump. It’s the video of his rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Number two, also by Trump, another picture from his rally. And then you’ve got Franklin Graham, this right-wing evangelist and activist taking issue with Dr. Fauci. You’ve got Hugh Jackman wishing his dad a happy father’s day. That one’s not political. And you’ve got Terrence Williams, who’s a pro-Trump activist. Breitbart has a video of Trump’s rally. The vast majority of these top 10 stories are usually from right-wing media outlets and right-wing politicians.”

Michael Barbaro:

“Is there anything that might be characterized as Democratic, liberal or progressive in that list of the top 10 or so?”

Kevin Roose:

“Almost every day there are one or two posts in the top 10 from more liberal outlets or politicians. But it is predominated by Fox News, by Breitbart, by right-wing news outlets and by President Trump himself.”

So, that’s why Zuckerberg/Facebook is not caving, not editing the president, IT’S ALL ABOUT THE BENJAMINS! Zuckerberg doesn’t want to alienate his core audience!

For years, we heard about the tech of these platforms. Facebook moving from desktop to mobile, its algorithms…but those days are passé, now it’s about the content.

This is a huge difference. The platform is secondary to how it is used. And, the platform is very influential, possibly more influential than any other platform extant! So, what is the role of a social media company today, what boundaries should it enact re speech?

This is an especially thorny question in a world where everybody is in their own silo, getting their news from their preferred source, in some cases not even being aware of the other side(s). But despite Cambridge Analytica, despite Roger McNamee waving his hands, there truly has been no discussion in the government about this, it just lets Facebook go its own course, willy-nilly. And now Zuckerberg is cozying up to those in power, the Republicans, to his benefit, but if the Democrats take charge…

So what you’ve got to know is every day the “Daily” is either the number two or three podcast on the Apple chart. Joe Rogan is almost always number one, but there’s little crossover between the two. Rogan built his base on martial arts fans, the “Daily” on news junkies.

But now, unlike in its infancy, the “Daily” is breaking news. And one thing you’ve got to know is the movers and shakers pay attention, and they know the ground is shifting under their feet, but will they question their preconceptions, or double-down, trying to maintain power, maybe squandering control of the government and leaving it in the hands of the Republicans for fear of going too far left?

Don’t underestimate podcasts. For those just interested in numbers, Spotify is on a tear since it doubled-down on the format.

And despite being around for over a decade, we’re still not sure what works. News, mystery, whodunnits, advice, interviews…that’s still shaking out. But one thing for sure is podcasts are in-depth in an era where the bloviators keep telling us everybody’s got a short attention span. That is patently untrue. People love their podcasts, and spend time with them.

Since the “Daily” is daily, it is short. Usually less than half an hour. It is not a burden.

You MUST listen to “”The Battle Over the Democratic Party’s Future.” Because this is not theoretical, this is what is happening now. We’re fighting over the heart and soul of the Democratic Party, and those presently in power are inured to antique structures and believe that money always beats hearts and minds, but yesterday that didn’t prove true.

This is the inside game. If you want to truly talk politics, listen.

But in any event, VOTE!

Yesterday marked the beginning of Apple’s World Wide Developer Conference, aka “WWDC.” The keynote was the best since the passing of Steve Jobs, because Tim Cook is much better in front of the camera and he let Craig Federighi, a natural, quarterback most of the presentation.

These used to be a big deal. We always waited for Jobs to tease us with…one more thing.

There was a thing in yesterday’s presentation, and you might have even read about it in the newspaper, but you’re probably unaware of the importance of said thing.

Just when I was ready to give up watching these keynotes, I was riveted by yesterday’s presentation. Well, not exactly riveted, but I did not find myself surfing the web simultaneously. In the era of Covid-19, there was no audience, it was all prerecorded and benefited as a result, it was smooth. And also populated by women and people of color, even someone physically-challenged. By seeing all these women you realized…women can do this job, be engineers. Too many boomers come from the era where women could only be secretaries, now called “assistants,” and if you had a baby you were off the career path.

There are miles to go, women still don’t get paid what men do for the same work, having children can impede your career, but Cook let the women do the talking, and when you see them, it changes your perception.

And you also saw Apple Park.

In an era where too much work is boring, you viewed the facility and got excited. This is where it all happens, furthermore wouldn’t it be thrilling to be inside? This is the way we used to think about working at a record company. Before they trimmed the budgets to the point you’ve got a CEO, always a man, making seven figures, and then a bunch of underpaid worker bees with little future. Used to be people felt record companies and the music they released were changing the world, now we look to tech, science, to change the world.

But not so much these days. Now it’s about software, people and how they employ the technical tools to achieve their goals.

Many are not aware of this change, they believe the Silicon Valley era is still our focus, still rules, but it does not. Ergo the protests around the world. Never mind the TikTokkers and K-Pop fans who requested tickets for Trump’s appearance in Tulsa. If you’re still arguing about tech and distribution platforms in the music business, you’ve been left behind, the ship sailed, it’s all been worked out, of course there are tweaks, but now it’s all about the music, even though so much of what is purveyed is empty, money-grabbing product.

Now one thing was clear, you could not get a gig at Apple unless you were one of the best and the brightest. There were no slackers on screen yesterday. You had to do the work, and you were glad to, because you felt you were making a difference.

So what did you miss in yesterday’s presentation?

Basically software tweaks to your iPhone, iPad and Watch, as well as a new operating system for the Mac, “Big Sur.”

The changes to the iPhone were pretty interesting. Not revolutionary, but they definitely add to functionality.

There is no manual in tech. And many are tech-challenged. So these powerful devices go underutilized by owners. Mostly they learn from friends. It’s fascinating, you want to know how they did it, they teach you the tricks.

And I’m sure Android/PC users will say some of these functionalities already appear on those platforms, but certainly not the efforts made in privacy. Since Apple does not make bank on advertising, it can afford to right the wrongs of surfing and the employment of apps. And one thing is for sure, the apps in Apple’s App Store rule the world, those are the ones people pay for. That’s why there’s all this hoopla about percentages paid for in-app purchases, that’s where the money is.

So, at the end of the keynote, the one last thing talked about in the press was revealed.

Apple custom silicon.

This is a big deal. Probably in ways you don’t understand. But not being beholden to Intel allows Apple to customize chips to their requirements, and not worry about being held up by third party production. Furthermore, now all Apple’s devices will run on similar custom chips, allowing further interoperability.

Watch the keynote if you’re interested. There are even detents for each topic:

june-2020

And if you scroll to the last detent, at 1:25:57, you’ll get the custom silicon story.

And, at 1:28:12, you’ll see Johny Srouji, SVP of Hardware, telling you about the breakthrough. Mr. Srouji is an Israeli, from an Arab Christian family, he was educated at the Technion.

Not anybody can do this stuff. Not anybody can be Bob Dylan or Kanye, or Kurt Cobain or Joni Mitchell. The scuttlebutt was the web would surface someone, but that turned out to be untrue, there’s just a limited amount of genius talent out there. And the key is to have the geniuses on your team.

And at 1:40:28 Federighi throws it to Andreas Wendker, VP of Tools & Frameworks Engineering. Just click here to see all the patents Wendker has filed in his years at Apple:

patents

You may have a tough time understand Srouji and Wendker’s accents, but they’re selling their brains, not their voices, and the dirty little secret is you’re using what they make.

This is not pie in the sky mumbo jumbo, this relates directly to what’s in your pocket, your smartphone. And those on the left and right, rich and even poor, possess this technology.

But now Trump wants to stop innovation, by limiting immigration and H-1B visas.

Today’s story is how the EU may ban Americans from traveling to its countries. You see the U.S. has not handled Covid-19 very well. It’s the worst statistically, unless China is fudging its numbers. And there is a cost to this, even beyond the people dying in the States.

Immigration bad.

Really?

As America isolates itself, convinced of its greatness, it is actually falling behind. Hell, someone overseas said Hollywood should stop making movies wherein America saves the world, it’s no longer true.

And this is about you, not Trump. It comes down to what you think. Oftentimes, your knee-jerk reaction is incorrect.

Kind of like Tesla. You’re laughing at its high stock price and flawed Model Y’s? The joke is on you. Turns out Tesla’s battery technology is so far ahead, others cannot catch up. Even Volkswagen…it had to delay the launch of its electric platform because it can’t get the software right, and when cars are finally released, they’ll be hobbled, sans so many features.

You’ve got to challenge your preconceptions on a regular basis. Change happens. Slowly, then overnight. You’ve got to be prepared.

We live in a global universe. You cannot cut yourself off from foreign countries without hurting your own economy and your own citizens, with higher prices for inferior products. Sure, you’re hurting, you’re complaining about manufacturing in China…but if we keep on tightening our borders, the truth is China and India will end up ruling the world, that’s where so much of the tech talent is, oftentimes wanting to enter the U.S., but banned, because…they’re taking away Americans’ jobs. BUT AMERICANS CAN’T DO THESE JOBS! There’s no Lionel Messi in the United States, are you telling me you wouldn’t want him on your team?

But chances are you don’t know who Lionel Messi is.

And that’s just the point.

Show Playlist:

Spotify
Pandora

Tune in today June 23rd, to Volume 106, 7 PM East, 4 PM West.

Hear the episode live on SiriusXM VOLUME: HearLefsetzLive

If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app: LefsetzLive

Hey Bob. Let me respond to your email with WHY artists need an agent.

The focus of my work as an agent is on territories outside of the USA, especially in Europe, Latin America, Australasia, Japan/Asia etc. Many large acts do sell the ‘Whole World Tour’ to LN or AEG. However all tours still have to be routed and there are places where the ‘big’ promoters do not have companies or local relationships.

Often, with tour routes that we have helped to create (many times with those ‘big’ promoters), we include additional and useful ‘sell off’ shows. We also act as a buffer between the Manager/Artist and the Promoter. There are often difficult decisions to be made on logistics, local compliance rules, movement of equipment, local tax issues, currency fluctuations, insurance for pandemics and much more to make a tour run smoothly.

We also check the books (although vanishingly few promoters are dishonest, as you suggest). The point I’m making is that we agents have always provided good ‘old fashioned’, time-honoured service. Here are some of the reasons I say this:

We have geographical understanding gained from years of experience. Local ‘on the ground’ issues are informed and resolved by a wealth of knowledge about locality, culture, company, client, that we have accumulated over time.

We store fundamental information such as how long it takes to overnight from A-B (drive times), the network of ferry links, transport restrictions, crew swaps, air-freight of equipment, charter flights and the many behind-the-scenes activities that collectively make a tour work (we do all this in association with artist production managers and transport companies)

Sure you can leave much to promoters but an AGENT fighting for the artist in their corner provides a crucial and significant service. We’re a vital cog in the overall process. As well as handling regular fee negotiations, much else of what is done by the agent maximises earnings for the artist. At a basic level, your premise that the manager just calls Michael Rapino and makes the global deal (thereby cutting out the agent) could be perceived as short term saving. But believe me, in the longer term, this ‘by-passing’ of our role and function would be more costly because of the reservoir of accumulated knowledge and pivotal insight an agent is able to bring to the party.

The artist relationship with a bigger promoter is partly founded on big bucks advances and guarantees. Undoubtedly this alliance has a role to play as financial certainty helps to keep the world running. Nevertheless, and for reasons I have indicated above, the contribution of the agent remains critical to the success of the enterprise. I would also add that territories outside of the USA represent about half the touring world and an agent ‘on the ground’ with local knowledge is an indispensable element in the equation.

The concept of ‘agent’ is not antiquated and the function is much more than paperwork. We help break talent by assisting younger acts to get a leg up. We foster record label, radio, tv and social media liaisons. We also have excellent relationships with all the top managers. Those guys appreciate the added value and hard work that an agent invests in their artists’ success. The strength and depth of the relationships that we have forged with a number of strong headliners has also been influential when it comes to negotiating with promoters, festivals and other venues. The presence of an agent will be significantly more consequential to an artist, adding value and helping to build or sustain their career in such an uncertain world we now face. The desired end result of an agent’s presence is to allow the artist to concentrate on their performance and give of their best to their audience, free from any external concerns which may have arisen.

The holistic nature of the agent’s relationship with an artist/manager means we’re always there for them, supporting, protecting, nurturing through thick and thin. Our agency representation list and enduring artist bonds speaks for itself.

The pendulum of live music swings between the power of a) the artists and promoters and b) the public who pay good money to see the music performed. In the present climate of uncertainty, the law of the jungle applies so lets allow the market to determine “who agrees what”. You can’t blame Rapino for trying to close the gaps. He is a caring and intuitive man who has given up his own salary for the cause.

Rod MacSween (International Talent Booking) ITB AGENCY London