Now that we've covered the basic methods of identifying topics, it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty. This can be tough work, but I don’t mind getting a little messy. I’m like the Mike Rowe of trend hunting – but without the contract to pimp Ford trucks. Maybe you have a gut feeling about something that might be a trend. Before you unleash your mind-dazzling observations on the community, put a little more thought into exactly WHY you think it is a trend. There's a very fine line between a genuine trend and the herd mentality of mass adoption.

Where would Bruce Springsteen be without his trusty blonde Telecaster? What would Annie Leibovitz do without her camera? How could Elmer Fudd hunt Bugs Bunny without his shotgun? Whether you are a rock star, a celebrity photographer, a cartoon archenemy … or a trend hunter – you need the right weapon to get the job done. We already established that everyone is a trend hunter to some extent. But your level of success depends on the time, tenacity and tools that you bring to the table.

I'm very excited. I woke up to find this morning that my webinar, that I presented yesterday, made the cover of slideshare! We've admittedly created a nice body of good content here. I'd highly recommend you sift through the decks of your specific interests, give em' a look and give me your feedback! Enjoy!

Every day I wake up, look in the mirror and marvel at the gorgeous physical specimen staring back at me. I soak it all in and think about how lucky my wife is to have me. Then I shake off the remnants of that final pre-alarm dream and take another look at the disheveled guy with unruly red locks and badass Jedi boxers. That’s when I see the 40-year-old father of a 4-year-old daughter, a husband, and a friend to what seems to be an endless array of people. I am blessed with innumerable online "F3s" (friends, fans and followers) with whom I feel the need to connect in some way. I also feel hopelessly out of touch.

Cloud computing services: This should come as no real revelation. Cloud computing and everything cloud-related will explode from here on out. I'm also going to make the assumption that my readership already knows about cloud computing. If not, go here and get your learning on.

The Future is Now! (I’m not saying it’s a great headline – but I needed to have something there or it makes me a little nuts ;) Anyone who ever sat down over a cup of coffee or bottle of wine with me knows I can wax philosophical over design and technology trends until your ears bleed. I LIVE for this shit, people! I’ve been grinding on a number of different items lately, and it’s time to put it all out there. I based some of these on my own gut feelings. I cited and referenced others, then supplemented with my own take on how "it" will affect us. What you read here is my own interpretation. I’m not engaging in product placement or service promotion, and my current employers influence none of this.

As I gear up for the new years prognostications I always find an amazing array of great thinking. JWT never ceases to impress me year-in and year-out. Please see the following presentation:

Here's a little list* that I complied of things that I think are not nearly as good as the past two (even three) decades. This is of course my opinion, but it's my blog so piss off. But seriously the "craft" of so many things has just failed us as a society, as we readily are willing to digest any crap because we're to lazy to make anything better