1. Cancer Deaths Decline
I believe I can boldly state that anyone who reads these words has lost someone to the devastating disease of cancer. That is why I’m starting with this topic for my list of 2013 observations.
In a recent report, Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society, shared that the death rate from cancer in the U.S., has declined by 20 percent.
“A person in their mid-50’s…has a chance of dying from cancer that’s 20 percent lower than a person of that same age in the early 90’s” ~ Dr. Otis Brawley
In this report he shared the reasons for this decline. These reasons are as follows:
- More people have stopped smoking
- More people are being screened for cancer, which provides the advantage of early detection
- Improvements in treatment has contributed to about a 35% decline in breast cancer death rates
- Improvement in treatment has contributed to about a 35% decline in colorectal cancer deaths
While this is encouraging, there are still other threats that could halt much of the progress.
“Increasingly, we’re figuring out that a high caloric diet, lack of exercise and obesity is a huge cause of cancer and might surpass tobacco as the leading cause of cancer over the next decade,” ~ Dr. Otis Brawley
Could it be that Mandela will be the iconic figure of peace and triumph for the 21st Century that Gandhi was to the 20th century?
Either way, Nelson Mandela’s life provided insight into what transformational leaders can do and become if they aren’t assassinated.
For more of my thoughts on Mandela, click below to read the blog post I wrote after his death: Have Courage – A Tribute to Nelson Mandela
3. Grand Theft Auto V
At first glance, you may question why this would even make the list. Well, before I explain myself, just check out these world-class, record-breaking achievements for this video game, listed on the Guinness Book of World records website.
Full list of Grand Theft Auto V record-breaking achievements:
- Best-selling action-adventure videogame in 24 hours
- Best-selling videogame in 24 hours
- Fastest entertainment property to gross $1 billion
- Fastest videogame to gross $1 billion
- Highest grossing videogame in 24 hours
- Highest revenue generated by an entertainment product in 24 hours
- Most viewed trailer for an action-adventure videogame
If this game was all about learning the alphabet and memorizing multiplication tables, you wouldn’t hear a peep from me. Unfortunately, it’s not! It’s one of the most violent games on the market today. This game makes Call of Duty look like child’s play. What’s even scarier is how vividly, entertaining the game can be. Just another tool that has been created to assist us in our passive and lethargic take on REAL LIFE!
4. Apple
Speaking of software and electronics, what is Apple doing these days?
Seems to me, just a lot of the same stuff. Back in 2007, when the iPhone launched, Blackberry was the biggest player in the smart phone space.
Easy come, easy go! Blockbuster knows this story all to well, and now so does Blackberry.
Maybe Apple has something in store for 2014, but their lack of innovation and quarterly earning concerns is what I’ve observed for 2013.
5. FAA – Federal Aviation Administration
Well it appears one of our government entities has joined the 21st Century and made a provocative and groundbreaking call on electronic use during take off and landings. Next time you’re waiting to take-off, you should be able to read your Kindle from gate to gate, while traveling. It’s good to know the FAA is alive and kicking, because they their work cut out for them with the impending movement of drones into our friendly neighborhood skies.
Enjoy those clear blue skies and distant jet trails while you can, 2014 might be the last year for that.
6. 3D Print Guns
I know enough about this subject to be dangerous. You want to know that much too! Here is a YouTube clip I watched recently that I found to be very educational.
This will be worth the 8 minutes:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Spm_zrjedzk&w=560&h=315]
7. YouTube
Yes. YouTube made the list last year, and will probably make the list next year. I believe YouTube is one of the main mediums fueling Globalization.
I saw the asteroid that crashed into earth in Russia.
I have yet to visit Russia.
I saw it on YouTube.
Global ideals and icons are being created on YouTube.
Inspirational Perspective will have a much larger presence on YouTube, in 2014.
8. Evolving Education
My nephew just celebrated his 2nd birthday. One of his gifts was a tablet, preloaded with educational games. He loved it!
In three years, he will be in kindergarten.
What if they don’t use tablets to teach and that’s how he has learned?
Will he be misunderstood and/or misdiagnosed based on his learning style?
…or will we begin evolving how we teach our youth?
After all, this is the Information Age and we are in the dawn of the 21st Century. Shouldn’t we teach like this is true?
9. Political Unrest
Initially, I was thinking of Egypt, Libya and Syria when I created this year’s list. But, then came Sudan, Turkey, Ukraine and Thailand. Even here in the Western Hemisphere, large protest have taken place in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. Something is amiss. That something is also prevalent right here in the United States.
Pay attention to world news in 2014. What happens elsewhere can happen here. We all breathe the same air.
10. Paula Deen
During the 21st century, race relations will make a positive shift. Paula Deen’s recent fiasco was just the beginning. Big businesses are beginning to recognize and understand that the United States demographics are rapidly changing. In 2014, 38% of the United States population will be people of color, while an addition million migrate across our borders. In the next 10 years, the ratio for those currently considered minority and majority will be 50/50.
Individuals who make racially charged statements and exemplify racial intolerance and ignorance, will find themselves being held accountable in a way that was not evident 25 years ago.
Why is this?
Well, the almighty dollar.
Each ethnic group in the United States has a combined spending power north of a trillion dollars. As their populations grow, their spending power will also grow, exponentially.
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What observations have you made about this past year?
How will these observations help you evolve in the upcoming year?
Please share…
Have a Happy New Year and an enlightened 2014 my friends!