Fashion: A prevailing custom or style
Fa: A long, long way to run
FaShun: embracing a prevailing custom or style while failing to appreciate what got you here.

I walked past the line of women sequestered inside the velvet rope waiting for the opportunity to enter an “outlet” store selling purses for $300 and up.
I entered the WiFi enabled food court and saw preschoolers staring intently into their iPads while their parents tapped away on iPhones.
There were easily a dozen people lined up to pay 5 dollars for a cup of coffee, while other adults complained about the hefty cost of a 6 dollar 2 entre, Chinese dinner.
The Faux News Channel provided free propaganda to the assembled throng decrying the cut backs in military spending while demanding the government balance the budget.

8 years ago when I wrote the last chapter of my novel I asked my readers to consider the possibilities afforded merely by allocating our resources someplace else.
Overpriced Fashion, Premium beverages and MORE offensive weaponry is not what I had in mind.
On the other hand, my record as a capitalist clearly demonstrates that pursuit of real value, true innovation and harmonic design rarely earns a substantive living.
CONtent reigns supreme in today’s society.  We buy the logo instead of the product.  We pay for the image not for the substance.  We embrace misdirection
as if it would truly lead us to the promised land.

I made money on my book,
even though it was never on the NY Times best seller list,
even though it wasn’t about vampires or wizards or the triumph and tragedy of apocalyptic teenagers,
even though movie producers loved it but preferred to risk their millions on remakes, reboots and movie versions of TV reruns.

I have been a$ked by many to write a sequel.  I have been a$ked by some to produce CONtent.
But I have to earn a living writing what I know and I know you don’t need anymore of the same old CON.
When it comes to writing software,
there are still those decision makers who cling to the same old same old
and, as in all markets, there are many who choose based on seductive imagery and fashion.
But a perspective that writes to real value, true innovation and harmonic design
CAN still be rewarded.

As I have aged in this business,  I have had little trouble keeping up with changes in software technology.
My “old Data Wrangler’s” perspective allows me to offer a learned opinion on that which will produce real value that which is all hat and no cattle.
However, as my management has become younger and younger, I fear that FaShun is becoming the norm.

I think my perspective will buy me another 6 or 7 years of real employment,
but you never know when adding real value while dressed in jeans, a white button down shirt and “gym” shoes
will cease to be stylish.