"To Cover China, There's No Substitute for WeChat - Li Yuan conducts much of her work on the WeChat mobile app, including spotting trends -and prodding sources to get back to her": nyti.ms/2TFfNEx

I know, I know, you're inundated with lists of articles to read every day, and if you're like me, you end up reading none of them. Information overload has consequences. I never go to the movie theatre, except on my birthday, because it's a tradition (along with a hot fudge sundae and a pastrami on rye), not because I hate the movies, not because I'm protesting, but because I don't have the time. Never mind driving to the multiplex, the film doesn't start when I get there, it's not on demand, like the rest of our culture. And unlike gigs, it's not live. I mean going to a concert is an event, is that what movies are going to turn into? Quite possibly.

So I don't understand all this excitement about awards season, because I haven't seen the flicks, and most others have not seen many either. Used to be I lived for the movies, before they became so high concept as to defy reality, before the golden era of television.

And speaking of television, with nearly 500 scripted series a year, who can get a handle on it, other than the critics. That's who awards shows are for, the critics and old wave media, stuck in a circling the drain paradigm that the public wants no part of.

I mean who cares who wins the Oscar?

Same deal with the Grammys, although we're always interested whether it will be a rapper or a woman or both. That's more important than the music, because most people have not heard it. We're all down in our niches, if we're paying attention at all. That's right, just like I've excised movies, waiting for them to come to TV and ignoring them once they do, there are people who've completely tuned out music.

Not that the industry acknowledges it.

The music industry is the same as it ever was. Focusing on radio and a Top Ten. Sure, it's now streaming instead of sales, but despite being on demand, there's no kowtowing to the public's desires, no effort to make it comprehensible.

And I read four newspapers a day to try to get a hold on things. I mean you can learn about music from kids, which I don't have, but the world issues? Everybody's ignorant these days, that's the dirty little secret, if someone tells you they know, they probably don't.

And the papers are all different. As are their owners. Do you believe Jeff Bezos led with his unit? Isn't that interesting, how we never really change, how business is always secondary to lust and desire and love. Hell, Sumner Redstone summoned escorts.

And the flaw of the "New York Times" is too often it's living in the past, it's anti-tech.

But starting a few months back, they began this new series, about how their reporters utilize tech, it's published on Tech Thursday.

What bothers me is people covering tech who don't have all the services, who don't use the latest tech. When they say a 6s is enough. Sure, have a Samsung, as a matter of fact you should have both! But get the latest edition. And subscribe to all the video services. It's your gig, you can write it off, I have a hard time taking your opinion seriously if you didn't buy a ticket.

And this week's story is on the China correspondent.

And she uses WeChat.

Most Americans have no idea of the power of WeChat, as Li Yuan says, it's "the equivalent of WhatsApp plus Facebook plus PayPal pus Uber plus GrubHub plus many other things."

Whew!

Got that?

On one hand, you don't want to give one company that much power.

On the other hand, think of the ease of use! The connectedness!

And most people in China skipped the laptop and went straight to the mobile phone.

Which is why you must not still be using your 5s, never mind your 6s. You need the power and the features to experience the present, never mind the future.

And China's a nearly cashless society.

But it's a censored society.

And in this one brief article you get more insight into China than you do hearing the blubbering of the D.C.'ites.

And speaking of D.C...

Are we really talking about physical walls when technology does such a good job?

The issue with China is not tariffs, it's how the nation has already superseded us in so many ways, and will continue to gain power. For all those America First, USA! USA! people, this is unfathomable.

But if you read this article, not so much.

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