Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) unveiled its new streaming service Disney+ preview.disneyplus.com. Launch date in U.S. is Nov 12, 2019, annual subscription $69.99 or $6.99 monthly.
Tech Review (TR 2019-04-13)--Domain Mondo's weekly review of tech investing news: Features • 1) Why The Tech Giants Have Many CEOs Running Scared, 2) SpaceX ARABSAT-6A Falcon Heavy Launch and Triple Landing Highlights,3)Investing:The Week & Investor Notes,4)ICYMI Tech News: Amazon, Huawei, Qualcomm, SAP, Grab, Lyft & Uber IPOs, Boeing, Disney.
1)Why The Tech Giants Have Many CEOs Running Scared
Why are chief executive officers so worried about tech giants investing in their sectors? James Fontanella-Khan, the FT’s US corporate finance and deals expert, explains how legacy companies are trying to fight the disruptors and stay relevant by making risky acquisitions. Financial Times (ft.com) video above published Apr 5, 2019. Learn more at https://bigdeal.ft.com/.
2) SpaceX ARABSAT-6A Falcon Heavy Launch and Triple Landing Highlights
Highlights from the 11 April 2019 launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA.
Investor Notes: • Survey: which US sector will outperform for the remainder of the year? "Tech" #1
We have the results of last week's DataTrek Market Outlook Survey! Tech was the #1 choice among respondents when asked "which US sector will outperform the most over the remainder of the year?" Read the rest of the results & our analysis here: https://t.co/CjRYMvEmuE$SPY$XLKpic.twitter.com/YD0VgaaamU
• US: Initial Jobless Claims Plunge To Lowest In 50 Years--zerohedge.com.Inflation?Less than 2%.Fed Funds Rate?Less than 3%. Hedge funds have 'once againmissedmuch of the recent move in stocks'--zerohedge.com.
• EU: IMF sharply downgrades its outlook for euro-area economies--bloomberg.com. SocGen Slashing 1,600 Trading Jobs After 19% Loss--750 jobs in France will go as part of cuts--bloomberg.com. The French bank's share price has declined 40 percent in the last 12 months, compared with a 17 percent drop in the Euro STOXX Banks Index. Europe, The Big Short--seekingalpha.com.
• Brexit: the UK economy has been drifting away from Europe for years: one of five reasons why--"... the EU is stagnating ..."--telegraph.co.uk.Nonetheless, UK's political class apparently can't let go.
• Real Estate? A Simon Property Group Mall Generates Largest Loss Ever for Retail CMBS How the Brick & Mortar Meltdown works for Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities after America’s largest mall landlord defaults on a mortgage and walks away from the mall--wolfstreet.com. See also US housing market deteriorates, shift to a buyer's market accelerates, U.S. markets will have the highest percentage of homes that sell at discount versus the list price in many years----2Q19 National Knock Deals Report. • Asset prices in the modern era: In Barron’s this past weekend, J.P Morgan chief U.S. equity strategist Dubravko Lakos-Bujas:
We are all used to using the word “cycle”; we’re all used to looking at historical charts and graphs and equations and relationships. The reality is that maybe the word “cycle” is no longer even relevant, given that we have so much unconventional central-bank involvement.
Huawei: "How did a private Chinese firm come to dominate the world’s most important emerging technology?--One theme is clear: Throughout its history, Huawei appears to have benefited from state support not available to the company’s Western rivals ... European investigators have found evidence that Huawei may have received a massive $30 billion line of credit from the China Development Bank, among other well-timed financing ..."--foreignpolicy.com. [Editor's note: all Chinese companies are SOEs to one degree or another.] Qualcomm aims to take on Nvidia, Intel with new AI chips.
SAP cloud business head quitsafter 27 years in latest top departures--under a restructuring announced in January about 4400 positions will be eliminated. SAP rival Oracle has also announced some layoffs with some of its top talent going to Google.
Grab (domain: grab.com) seeks another $2 billion funding. The Southeast Asian startup, based in Singapore, is backed by Japan's SoftBank.
Boeing 737Max: another chapter in the book titled Normalization of Deviance? Disney announced Thursday its new family-friendly streaming service will cost $7 monthly or $70 annually. Personal Tech:
Investigation shows how easy and affordable obtaining cellphone customers' real-time location data can be, as T-Mobile, Sprint, and AT&T peddle it to middlemen.
The Robocall Crisis Will Never Be Totally Fixed--"Always hang up immediately if you answer a call that you don't recognize"--wired.com.
Tech Review (TR 2019-03-30)--Domain Mondo's weekly review of tech investing news: Features • 1)Apple $AAPL Rotting?2)China's T3 Initiative, 3)Investing:Q1 2019, Investor Notes: Eurozone Alarms Rising, 4)ICYMI Tech News: Google, Apple, Microsoft, Lyft, Amazon, Netflix, Disney, AT&T, Facebook, HP, Startups, FTC v. Robocallers. 1) Apple $AAPL Rotting?
Entering commoditized, fiercely competitive low-margin services cannot substitute for the high-margin profits that will be lost as global recession and saturation erode iPhone sales.--Charles Hugh Smith
Apple's Big Announcement: More TV, News, Credit Cards, and Oprah!
Apple's new entertainment subscription services and credit card, launched to great fanfare this week, could raise new concerns for the company over market power and competition issues. Apple executives at a star-studded event in Cupertino, Calif., this week unveiled subscription services in gaming, news and television, as well as a new Apple credit card. Sally Hubbard, director of enforcement strategy at the Open Markets Institute, told TheHill.com she is concerned that Apple is "controlling the game and playing the game too" as the owner of both the iOS App Store and creator of the iPhone.
The third generation of the butterfly keyboard on Apple's Mac laptops was supposed to fix all the problems. But nope. WSJ.com's Joanna Stern explains why the keyboards on the newest and most expensive MacBooks keep breaking—and the few things you can do about it. Wall Street Journal videos above published Mar 26 & 28, 2019.
2)China's T3 Initiative:
The formation of a new ride share initiative called T3 with 3 major Chinese state-run automakers, $BABA & Tencent is just one more example that the next wave of tech-based disruption in areas like mobility will be so expensive that no one or two companies can go it alone. $XLKpic.twitter.com/EEggSQGYfp
Alibaba, Tencent, Suning, and 3 Chinese SOE car makers, including Chongqing Changan Automobile, set up a $1.5 billion Chinese ride-hailing venture, a move that threatens China's dominant ride-sharing company, Didi Chuxing. 3) Investing
S&P 500 notches best start to a year since 1998, Dow rises more than 200 points on trade optimism--CNBC.com.
Snapshot Thursday, March 28: Stocks rose slightly, the S&P 500 holding steady over the past two weeks, but up 12% year-to-date. Treasury yields slightly higher, while the $US surged, hitting gold, which dropped nearly 1% to a three-week low of $1,290 an ounce.
Headwinds:
Investor Notes: Eurozone Alarms Rising
European Economic Storm Clouds--insidesources.com: on our way to another round of the European sovereign debt crisis?
Germany: views of “Current Economic Conditions” at Euro Debt-Crisis Level--wolfstreet.com
EU: A Proposed Megadeal Exposes the Grim Outlook for Europe’s Banks--bloomberg.com: Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank joining forces would be just the start of a long, painful process. No-Deal Brexit Now Likely Says European Commission--see also Five Reasons to Love a No Deal Brexit.
European Prognosis negative: the Financial Times reports that Deutsche Bank A.G. is looking to raise between €3 billion ($3.4 billion) and €10 billion in equity to help consummate the planned merger with peer Commerzbank A.G., “a move designed to end the debate over whether Germany’s largest lender has enough capital.” In a commentary, Jeffrey Snider of Alhambra Investment Partners wrote that the ECB’s efforts to incentivize credit growth through penalizing idle reserves has backfired, demonstrating the differences between theory and practice.
They really have no idea what they are doing. The ECB is not a collection of newfound doves, they are chickens without their heads. Either way, it does not amount to anything good, and adds more weight to the considerable and growing list of everything bad.--grantspub.com The average European bank’s holdings of sovereign debt are about 170 percent of its core Tier 1 capital, more than triple the exposure at U.S. banks, according to Deutsche Bank research analysts. What’s more, about 60 percent of an average European bank’s sovereign bond holdings are of those issued by their home government. Why? Because government bonds carry zero risk weightings on banks’ books. This creates some perverse incentives.
Eurozone flash manufacturing PMI plunges to 47.6 in March, 71-month lows--fxstreet.com. See also: The eurozone lacks the scaffolding to withstand the symmetrical shock of the next recession, which could imperil the euro itself.--socialeurope.eu.
4)ICYMI Tech News:
Google, Microsoft, and Apple Are Fighting For Classrooms--CNBC.com video--chart above source:futuresource-consulting.com. Chromebooks are winning. Lyft closesup 9% on its first day of trading after raising $2.3B in its IPO, which valued the company at over $20B--NASDAQ: LYFT.
Amazon, Netflix, Apple, Disney, or AT&T? The Surprising Winner In The Streaming Service Race--seekingalpha.com--$AMZN. See alsoApple launches Apple TV+ (video) and YouTube Bows Out of Hollywood Arms Race With Netflix and Amazon--bloomberg.com.
Facebook: 10 Reasons Why I Have Sold All My Shares--seekingalpha.com--"Mark Zuckerberg wrote that Facebook will become "privacy-centered". This is really not believable, and if it would be, shareholders should be worried even more ... Zuckerberg himself has become a problem for Facebook."
New research reveals that Google built biases into its search results that influenced the 2018 midterm elections - possibly costing Republicans three congressional districts. --zerohedge.com. Apple Infringes Qualcomm Patent; Judge Recommends Ban on Some iPhones--bloomberg.com. Apple$AAPL: few analysts have looked at the headwinds in Europe and the longer term challenges in China.--seekingalpha.com.
The $130 billion digital advertising market may be dominated by Google and Facebook, but Amazon will start selling video spots on its smartphone shopping app.--zerohedge.com.
Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Mike Lynch faced off against each other in London’s High Court on Monday in a multi-billion dollar showdown over HP's 2011 purchase of the Autonomy software business he founded. The Autonomy-HP deal was a disaster, due, in part, to a failure of due diligence by HP whose CEO at the time, Leo Apotheker, was subsequently fired.
Startups Look Elsewhere: "With the cost of living surging across California, it's hardly surprising that the state has seen the largest net loss of residents as frustrated Californians seek more affordable climes like Nevada and Texas ... many of those who haven't left wish they could."--zerohedge.com.
Fintech Trends In 2019 (pdf): breaking down the disruption of financial services and what's ahead in 2019.
Personal Tech: FTC Crackdown Stops Operations Responsible for Billions of Illegal Robocalls. Unwanted calls pitched auto warranties, debt-relief services, Google listings, and a fake charity--FTC says it has fined four robocalling companies, responsible for “billions” of US calls, which will also cease operations--ftc.gov.
Tech Review (TR 2018-12-01)--Domain Mondo's weekly review of tech investing news with commentary, analysis and opinion: Features • 1)China's Tech Megacity, 2)Music Industry Renaissance, 3)Investing: US Stocks Surge, Notes: US, China, UK, EU, Italy, Cryptocurrency, 4) ICYMI Tech News: Amazon AWS, Disney, Google, Microsoft, Apple, Nvidia, Personal Tech.
1) China's Tech Megacity
Shenzhen, China, has been dubbed the Silicon Valley of hardware. If you own a smartphone or computer, odds are parts of it came from here. In 30-years the city has grown from a town into a megacity of over 12 million people. Welcome to Shenzhen, the manifestation of China’s economic miracle. Bloomberg.com video published Nov 21, 2018.
The other side of the China story:
China’s factories lost more momentum in November, according to a key monthly survey of manufacturing firms, with domestic demand again looking bleak despite a recent boost in infrastructure spending.https://t.co/DM8wxS3Ycf
Today’s renaissance in the music industry, driven in large part by the continued success of paid streaming services, is leading to a surge in transaction activity across sectors, explains Aaron Siegel of Goldman Sachs Investment Banking. “Investors have caught on to the growth and recovery and the value of these businesses,” explains Siegel, who attributes the pickup in transaction activity to four factors, such as paid streaming subscription services, an uptick in smart speaker devices and the opening up of new markets, such as China and India. “China today represents a low single-digit percentage of global music revenues, but represents 20 to 30 percent of global film box office and global video game revenues,” Siegel says. “There is enormous upside for the music industry as China continues to grow.” GoldmanSachs.com video above published Nov 12, 2018. Read more here.
U.S. stocks surge on Friday amid G-20 talks and cement best week for S&P 500, NASDAQ in about 7 years--marketwatch.com
Wall Street's Charging Bull
Investing Notes: US & China: all eyes on Buenos Aires as high-stakes summit between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump could have as many as six aides each joining them at the December 1 dinner after the G20 forum--scmp.com. Trump is surprisingly popular in China--reuters.com.
China cross-border e-commerce shrunk by 16.2% in Q3 2018--chinainternetwatch.com. Also China’s state-owned companies are run for-party, not for-profit--ft.com.
EU & UK: Remaining in the EU would come at a big price--spectator.co.uk. See also Britain has nothing to fear from no deal by Tony Abbott: "It’s pretty hard for Britain’s friends, here in Australia, to make sense of the mess that’s being made of Brexit ...." Editor's note: UK Prime Minister Theresa May has warned lawmakers if they reject her "deal" with the EU, the world’s fifth largest economy may have to leave without an agreement a/k/a "hard Brexit."The House of Commons vote is scheduled for December 11.
EU & Italy: European Commission Begins Budget Battle With Italy--forbes.com. Meanwhile the eurozone recovery continues to falter--ft.com. Eurozone's Days are Numbered--Mike Ingram, chief market strategist at WH Ireland is calling time on the eurozone, saying it is fundamentally “dead” (although it could take decades to disband)--morningstar.co.uk.
Bitcoin Plunges to $3,738; Whole Crypto Scam Melts Down, Hedge Funds Stuck ... $714 billion gone up in smoke--WolfStreet.com.
Virtual currencies have been in a steep downtrend since the beginning of 2018, amid increased regulatory scrutiny and thefts at crypto exchanges. Chief economic adviser at Allianz, Mohamad El-Erian: cryptocurrencies are commodities, notcurrencies, “They don’t have the intrinsic attributes of a currency. It is not going to replace money.” Though there are now more than 2,000 different cryptocurrencies in circulation, the total value of all coins has crashed--reuters.com.
4) ICYMI Tech News:
Amazon AWS introduces its own custom-designed Arm server processor, AWS Graviton Processor, claims 45% lower costs for some workloads--Geekwire.com. A summary of AWS launches, previews, and pre-announcements from AWS re:Invent 2018--aws.amazon.com.
Disney$DIS and Google$GOOG$GOOGL expand strategic relationship: Disney will bring its entire global digital video and display business onto the Google Ad Manager, which will serve as its core ad technology platform--blog.google.
Microsoft$MSFT stock market value, a/k/a market capitalization, "catches up" with Apple$AAPL. Nvidia $NVDA to provide AI platform for Chinese EV start-ups--reuters.com.
GM: The bottom line is Mary Barra is preparing GM for not only Tesla, but BMW and Mercedes and Uber … She’s doubling-down onelectrics anddriverlessto win in the future, to EXIST in the future.--Lefsetz.com.
Personal Tech:Live on campus or in a city where there is plenty of free wi-fi for internet, texting & voice via apps? You may only need a wireless carrier plan of 30 minutes of talk, 30 texts, or any combination of minutes and texts that add up to 30, for only $3/month. Additional minutes and texts are only $0.10/each. Pay only for what you use (add 4G LTE data when needed, per day or week)--prepaid.t-mobile.com. Editor's note: just remember to turn off your smartphone's cellular network connection when not needed.
Domain Mondo's weekly internet domain news review (NR 2018-11-11 with analysis and opinion: Features • 1) GDPR & ICANN EPDP Draft Initial Report Dysfunction, 2) Other ICANN news: ICANN at IGF2018, and more,3)Names, Domains & Trademarks: a.Disney+, b. Desilu, c. NTIA, Verisign & .COM, 4) ICYMI: ITU Plenipot, Net Neutrality, China, Shadow Banning, 5)Most Read.
Nov 12--Editor's note: the EPDP small team meeting Monday, Nov 12 at 18:30 UTC (1:30 pm EST) was CLOSED to ALL ObserversandAlternates even though links for observers and alternates were on the small team Nov 12 meeting wiki page, until I complained to Marika Konings (ICANN staff) that they were not working, and then Terri Agnew (ICANN staff) began revising the page. Apparently ICANN Org or EPDP Team Leadership made the unannounced arbitrary decision to CLOSE ALL EPDP small team meetings to Observers and Alternates effective Nov 12, 2018, and thereafter. I have filed complaints with both the ICANN Complaints Office and the ICANN Ombudsman. 1) GDPR & ICANN EPDP Draft Initial Report Dysfunction
This past week's (Nov 5-9) EPDP meetings were all about revising and editing the ICANN staff's first draft of the Initial Report (pdf), so it can be published for public comment later this month. Early in the week, the RySG (Registries Stakeholder Group) sent an email to the EPDP mail list Nov 5, 2018 (pdf version) embed in full further below--excerpt:
"In light of the lack of clarity around the source of the 26 policy recommendations, the RySG ePDP team is particularly concerned about their presentation in the Initial Report. The phrasing of the recommendations implies that the Working Group reached consensus on these recommendations, and it is our understanding that no such consensus has yet been achieved. The initial report should not present recommendations on items where the group did not reach consensus."
See also email from Amr Elsadr (NCSG) re: Contracted Parties and Small Teams #1 and #2:
"Respectfully, I’d like to offer a different take on where we are, and how we arrived to this point on these two topics. Speaking for myself, I’ve participated in one of the two Small Teams in question, and my understanding was not that the output of the Small Teams would in any way represent a consensus among those who participated in them. Rather, it was my understanding that the output would be illustrative of all the views expressed, and that these views would be shared with the EPDP Team in its entirety for further reflection and deliberation ..."
As of Friday, Nov 9, 2018, the Contracted Parties House (Registries and Registrars) and NCSG (Non-Commercial Stakeholder Group), which together comprise 3/4 of the GNSO, appear to be aligned and in consensus on critical EPDP issues which some other members of the EPDP working group still have differing opinions. One such issue is what Alan Woods was addressing below in Thursday's meeting:
Alan Woods (RySG - Donuts): "Thanks, Kurt. I’m really not going belabor this point, I think it’s been hashed back and forth ... we do not want to accept a basic policy recommendation that will send us backwards and that’s exactly what this [natural person vs legal entity distinction] will do; it will send us backwards to the point where we are not in a position to properly or accurately vindicate the rights of the data subject [registrant]. And that is ultimately what it is.
"And I make no apologies, I know I’m not a white knight in this, I’m representing a registry, but ultimately we are aligned in the sense of us vindicating the rights of the data subject to prevent us from, you know, getting sued and the liability issue. But what has been suggested, and this is, you know, I think - was it Alan [Greenberg] who said that we put our fingers in our ears and just not listen, I’m sorry but that’s the pot calling the kettle black in that one because absolutely the same could be said; we are telling you that we do not have the ability or the means to do this and you keep saying to us no, but you must.
"So ultimately what I want to do is just ask the question, why? We are telling you that it is not possible for us to vindicate the rights of the data subject and therefore to save ourselves from liability. Why do you think that this is necessary for us to be compliant? We are saying that we have a level of compliance and comfort which is currently within the temporary specification as it is written, it’s not the best written but it is written that way, and we can confirm that today and say this is specifically going to allow us to be in line with the GDPR by giving us the option of whether or not we wish to delineate.
"And I just want to know why - so why can you not accept that? If you want to recommend that there needs to be a new policy development that will look into the creation of this brand new system, then recommend that. But that’s not what we are here to do today. It’s out of scope and should be shut down straight away. The temp spec, as it’s currently worded, allows us to be compliant. And I don't want to hear anything about this over-compliance concept. No,we are telling you that as contracted parties this is what we need to do to be compliant and I still don't understand why it’s being pushed constantly that we are the people who have to take this liability and risk on ourselves.
"We are trying to do something to continue the DNS, the ability to register names, and I just - I’m surprised especially by some of the parties who are pushing this as to why they're doing it. And that’s, you know, that’s a simple ask."--Thursday Nov 8, 2018, transcript (pdf), pp. 33-34.
The EPDP mail list continues to receive more input on the draft Initial Report, including this by Milton Mueller and this by Amr Elsadr. More on this past week's EPDP meetings in the updates on last week's News Review.
Note also on Data Protection & Data Privacy:
Prison time, hefty fines for data privacyviolations: draft U.S. Senate bill--reuters.com.
ICYMI: Check out the "Tips for cleaning up WHOIS data" on the Domain Mondo post this past week: Tucows $TCX Q3 2018 Earnings.
Uninformed Consent--Companies want access to more and more of your personal data — from where you are to what’s in your DNA. Can they unlock its value without triggering a privacy backlash?--HBR.org.
“Information Fiduciaries” Must Protect Your Data Privacy--EFF.org.
CLV (customer lifetime value): a secret score that determines what kind of service you get--marketwatch.com.
Privacy: Google Chrome’s Users Take a Back Seat to Its Bottom Line--EFF.org.
13th Annual Meeting of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), hosted by the government of France at the headquarters of UNESCO in Paris, Nov 12-14, 2018. Theme: Internet of Trust.
The ICANN Open Forum atIGF2018, Monday, 12 Nov 2018, 10:40 to 11:40 CET. ICANN CEO Göran Marby, and ICANN Board Chair, Cherine Chalaby, will brief participants on ICANN's current areas of work, including what's on ICANN's agenda, the implementation of the GDPR and the Temporary Specification, and the main issues surrounding a potential new application process for generic Top-level Domains (gTLDs), and "IGF participants will be able to engage in an open dialogue and exchange views with ICANN's leadership." Listed speakers also include ICANN management Theresa Swinehart and Tarek Kamel, as well as ICANN Board member Becky Burr--ICANN.org.
b.Contractual Compliance: Addressing Domain Name System (DNS) Infrastructure Abuse | ICANN.org: "... This week, ICANN launched an audit focused on DNS infrastructure abuse for nearly 1200 gTLDs, and held two audit webinars with the registries to address questions and concerns. Some of these concerns were also raised in a recent email [see below] from the Registries Stakeholder Group (RySG) ..."
Nov 2, 2018 email (pdf) from Registries Stakeholder Group to ICANN Compliance (Jamie Hedlund and Maguy Serad) re: November 2018 Registry Audit, excerpt:
"If ICANN continues to approach this security request for information as an “audit”, registries are required
to provide information “reasonably necessary to demonstrate Registry Operator’s compliance.” Given
that there are no contractual requirements specific to the form, timing or function of the “technical
analysis” or registry “actions” taken, registries are not obligated in an audit to provide Compliance with
information explaining how we identify security threats, why we do or do not report issues to registrars,
or share analysis with other parties.
In addition to removing the out of scope questions from this audit, we request that each audit question
reference the specific contractual clause to which it pertains, so all parties can track the origin of each
audit inquiry.
The RySG appreciates that Compliance has scheduled webinars next week and looks forward to walking
through each question in the RFI as well as the general scope and nature of the audit with you at that
time."
c. 6 Nov 2018 Letter (pdf) from Cyrus Namazi, ICANN GDD VP, to Registrar Stakeholder Group Chair re: GDPR and Across-field Address Validation Working Group (AFAV): "... ICANN org acknowledges your concerns about the potential impact of GDPR on ICANN org’s implementation of AFAV. ICANN org will review the project again in light of the concerns you have raised. Once this analysis is complete, ICANN org will follow up with the AFAV working group to discuss next steps." d. Annual Publication of Financial Information | ICANN.org. e. Special Meeting of the ICANN Board 06 Nov 2018: Reconsideration Request 18-8: Afilias Domains No. 3 Limited [Editor's note: document request related to new gTLD .WEB]:
"The BAMC has considered the merits of Reconsideration Request 18-8, and, based on the
foregoing, concludes that ICANN org did not violate ICANN’s commitments, Core Values or
established ICANN policy(ies) in the Second DIDP Response. Accordingly, the BAMC
recommends that the Board deny Reconsideration Request 18-8."
"... II. PRELIMINARY STATEMENT
4. CBS is the holder of common law rights in the name and mark“Desilu”
for film and television productions (the “DESILU Mark”). Recently, Defendant
Charles Hensley (“Hensley”) began attempting to secure trademark registrations for
famous brand names that he believed were not formally registered with the United
States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”). In 2016, Hensley sought to
register CBS’s famous mark “Desilu” for motion picture and television production
services, and he also attempted to register the mark “Trans World Airlines” for
airline services ..."
China's Massive Plan To Retool The Web--zerohedge.com. See also China's Grand Internet Vision Is Starting to Ring Hollow | bloomberg.com Nov 7, 2018: China's fifth annual World Internet Conference in Wuzhen ended Friday, Nov 9, 2018--"China’s internet is more censored than ever, Silicon Valley’s attempts to break into the Chinese market remain stymied."
Above left: 23rd U.S. Infantry in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, the largest in United States military history, involving
1.2 million American soldiers, fought from September 26, 1918 until the Armistice of November 11, 1918.
It was one of a series of Allied attacks known as the Hundred Days Offensive, which brought World War I to an end.
Above right: the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery in France.
On the battlefields of France in spring 1918, the war-weary Allied armies of France and Great Britain enthusiastically greeted the U.S. troops arriving at the rate of 10,000 a day under the command of U.S. General John J. "Black Jack" Pershing. The Americans won a victory at Cantigny, then again in defensive stands at Chateau-Thierry and Belleau Wood. By the summer of 1918, about 2 million U.S. soldiers had arrived in France, greatly strengthening the Allies' strategic position and boosting morale. The Allies achieved final victory on November 11, 1918, after German morale had collapsed, ending more than four years of World War.
U.S. General Pershing saluting the Marquis de Lafayette's Tomb in Paris
"Lafayette, we are here."
