But increasingly money is not making the world go round except for an increasingly privileged few. Read a bit about how right here.
I love the author's preamble to the comments section.
I've been writing, on an occasional basis, for quite some years now on the unsustainability of the contemporary model of international finance. Every time I reckon it couldn't get any worse, I read somewhere about some arcane way in which it has. The fact that Goldman Sachs (or someone in some other firm) once described the clients as "muppets" now gives free reign for this term's incorporation into everyday usage. I wonder how muppets recognise themselves when they get documentation from their super fund, bank, advisor and so on.
I got one the other day, full of factual inaccuracies and such a lazy piece of work I felt like framing it. What I will be doing is writing back to tell them they've lost my business.
I hope it makes them feel muppet-like as that will be my intention.
14 May 2012
10 May 2012
cat empire
A short essay on (a) the decline of western civilisation because of the (b) rise of postmodernism.
Well it may not be postmodernism but it surely signals a decline somewhere.
What is it? Why, this.
Bring on the discussions, is this really a decline in academic rigour leading to the inevitable eclipse of all we hold superior, or is it the ongoing incursion of the realities of the postmodern world, and hence a perfectly legitimate area for academic analysis?
I'd be interested to see the quantitative component including details of the data collection mechanism.
Also, I don't think I've ever previously constructed a sentence that commences "why", comma, "such and such." I've read plenty, but. That's where I got it from, like.
Well it may not be postmodernism but it surely signals a decline somewhere.
What is it? Why, this.
Bring on the discussions, is this really a decline in academic rigour leading to the inevitable eclipse of all we hold superior, or is it the ongoing incursion of the realities of the postmodern world, and hence a perfectly legitimate area for academic analysis?
I'd be interested to see the quantitative component including details of the data collection mechanism.
Also, I don't think I've ever previously constructed a sentence that commences "why", comma, "such and such." I've read plenty, but. That's where I got it from, like.
08 May 2012
papa's got a brand new bag
umm, where to start...?....?
I was going to start with (x), but perforce I must start with (y), which is "Blogger has a brand new bag", or something to that effect. I had to read the instructions (anathema to a bloke, y'know) in order to get to here, although - in keeping with traditional VVB wryness and circumlocutery - I don't know exactly where here is. In fact, better make that "here."
No, attention. Of course I do, I am now at (x), which was that I was talking to a friend, in person, at the weekend about blogs and blogging and he mentioned this here VVB (once was chateau, now seaside-ish) and I says, I says to him, that I don't write much any more and he replies, that yes he has noticed this.
Which - I says to him - means he must be coming past to read here.
So, as night surely follows day, we are now jointly and severally at (z), which is that nothing bloody well changes, I have nothing particularly interesting to write about, so why on earth do people - well let's assume the plural, shall we - drop past?
'Cos it's like the human condition, innit? That's what we all write about, devastating insights into the human condition that, by the time they are rendered into the written word, by some strange mutation are less than insightful than originally envisaged.
It's unfortunate: well it's a lot of things, but unfortunate certainly ranks amongst the things it is.
During the same conversation at (x) above, said same interlocutor reminded me that I hadn't finished the series about the cars. Quite correct, I haven't, and to do so I'd need to go back and try to find all the ones I did write so as to know which ones remain unrepresented. Does Blogger's brand new bag (C) (tm) do that, I wonder?
It would be extraordinarily unfortunate if it didn't, nicht war?
Anyway I am now again scouring the layout of the Brand New Bag, there are lots of twiddly things which it might be fun to play with one day.
However for now I must away - an early start awaits (business breakfast - what a stupid idea, where do people come up with this stuff?). We have no further insights into the human condition - well, maybe you do - and I need a new obsession to make this place meaningful again. Trouble is, I am less obsessed about things than I used to was. Which is - on reflection - probably a good thing.
Au revoir, mes amis.
I was going to start with (x), but perforce I must start with (y), which is "Blogger has a brand new bag", or something to that effect. I had to read the instructions (anathema to a bloke, y'know) in order to get to here, although - in keeping with traditional VVB wryness and circumlocutery - I don't know exactly where here is. In fact, better make that "here."
No, attention. Of course I do, I am now at (x), which was that I was talking to a friend, in person, at the weekend about blogs and blogging and he mentioned this here VVB (once was chateau, now seaside-ish) and I says, I says to him, that I don't write much any more and he replies, that yes he has noticed this.
Which - I says to him - means he must be coming past to read here.
So, as night surely follows day, we are now jointly and severally at (z), which is that nothing bloody well changes, I have nothing particularly interesting to write about, so why on earth do people - well let's assume the plural, shall we - drop past?
'Cos it's like the human condition, innit? That's what we all write about, devastating insights into the human condition that, by the time they are rendered into the written word, by some strange mutation are less than insightful than originally envisaged.
It's unfortunate: well it's a lot of things, but unfortunate certainly ranks amongst the things it is.
During the same conversation at (x) above, said same interlocutor reminded me that I hadn't finished the series about the cars. Quite correct, I haven't, and to do so I'd need to go back and try to find all the ones I did write so as to know which ones remain unrepresented. Does Blogger's brand new bag (C) (tm) do that, I wonder?
It would be extraordinarily unfortunate if it didn't, nicht war?
Anyway I am now again scouring the layout of the Brand New Bag, there are lots of twiddly things which it might be fun to play with one day.
However for now I must away - an early start awaits (business breakfast - what a stupid idea, where do people come up with this stuff?). We have no further insights into the human condition - well, maybe you do - and I need a new obsession to make this place meaningful again. Trouble is, I am less obsessed about things than I used to was. Which is - on reflection - probably a good thing.
Au revoir, mes amis.
03 April 2012
breathe
Well it has been a very long time between drinks, as I waited for a suitable, appropriate, telling, devastatingly insightful (you get the picture) moment to celebrate blog the one thousandth number.
I have been tempted, ohlord have I been tempted. The actions of the UK government give no pause for thought as they embark on the further enrichening of the rich classes, and you know who that leaves. It's a neoliberal project of biblical scale and, almost assuredly because of aforesaid scale, the wheels will come off in a very big, almost enormous, way at some stage.
Australian politics at any level is leaving me - along with a goodly proportion of the Australian public, it would seem - feeling more or less meh, if you follow me.
The US continues its fine tradition of allowing, nay encouraging, its citizens to not only bear arms but to use them. Frequently. No links, I know you will have read the stories.
And I've been on the lookout for the whimsical, the wry, the gently cynical insights into the human condition that make blogging of that ilk so incredibly popular. And lightweight. Except for xkcd, of course.
And all along the wearying burden of knowing that my devoted readership (11 followers? Say again? Don't you people have anything better to do with your time?) have been waiting in anticipation. More than likely breathless anticipation because, as we all know, most anticipation is indeed breathless.
But for nought. What possibly could substantiate this epochal hopping into print?
OK then: this.
It's kind of political, it's certainly got a galaxyful of whimsy about it, it's not cheap or nasty, maybe it falls short of real human condition type stuff but it tells us a story.
And now I can take another breath.
For reasons that some readers may divine and others don't need to bother about, we are living in interesting time.
Keeping on breathing is going to be critical.
I have been tempted, ohlord have I been tempted. The actions of the UK government give no pause for thought as they embark on the further enrichening of the rich classes, and you know who that leaves. It's a neoliberal project of biblical scale and, almost assuredly because of aforesaid scale, the wheels will come off in a very big, almost enormous, way at some stage.
Australian politics at any level is leaving me - along with a goodly proportion of the Australian public, it would seem - feeling more or less meh, if you follow me.
The US continues its fine tradition of allowing, nay encouraging, its citizens to not only bear arms but to use them. Frequently. No links, I know you will have read the stories.
And I've been on the lookout for the whimsical, the wry, the gently cynical insights into the human condition that make blogging of that ilk so incredibly popular. And lightweight. Except for xkcd, of course.
And all along the wearying burden of knowing that my devoted readership (11 followers? Say again? Don't you people have anything better to do with your time?) have been waiting in anticipation. More than likely breathless anticipation because, as we all know, most anticipation is indeed breathless.
But for nought. What possibly could substantiate this epochal hopping into print?
OK then: this.
It's kind of political, it's certainly got a galaxyful of whimsy about it, it's not cheap or nasty, maybe it falls short of real human condition type stuff but it tells us a story.
And now I can take another breath.
For reasons that some readers may divine and others don't need to bother about, we are living in interesting time.
Keeping on breathing is going to be critical.
12 February 2012
the one after 909
Here's a bit of an article about how some/many/all/more than all(*) of the complex financial derivatives that were invented over the past couple of decades came about.
It's deeply scary because it all operates outside any notion of linear regulation and way, way, way outside any notion of democratic oversight of issues that affect us all as citizens.
I was complaining about this stuff way in the early days of VVB, well before any global financial crisis and I bet I wasn't the only poor average bloke on the street wondering the same thing: how does this all come about?
Well we know the answer to that but , fortunately, blog VVB no longer goes in for interminable rants about the violence inherent in the system but rather leans back, sips a robust red and goes wtf? A lot.
Anyway this is, I feel, a fitting subject for post number 999 - kind of a calm before the storm except it's not calm and remember Storm Financial (did I ever mention my theory about financial services companies with names that make you really wonder whether they are totally legit or rather the opposite?).
Anyway against all odds - mainly writer ennui and reader boredom - we are at 999 and I will withhold the magic 1000 for something suitable. xkcd, of course, saw this milestone somewhat differently.
(*) More than all, of course, because that's what derivatives have bequeathed us. Houses, cards, etc.
It's deeply scary because it all operates outside any notion of linear regulation and way, way, way outside any notion of democratic oversight of issues that affect us all as citizens.
I was complaining about this stuff way in the early days of VVB, well before any global financial crisis and I bet I wasn't the only poor average bloke on the street wondering the same thing: how does this all come about?
Well we know the answer to that but , fortunately, blog VVB no longer goes in for interminable rants about the violence inherent in the system but rather leans back, sips a robust red and goes wtf? A lot.
Anyway this is, I feel, a fitting subject for post number 999 - kind of a calm before the storm except it's not calm and remember Storm Financial (did I ever mention my theory about financial services companies with names that make you really wonder whether they are totally legit or rather the opposite?).
Anyway against all odds - mainly writer ennui and reader boredom - we are at 999 and I will withhold the magic 1000 for something suitable. xkcd, of course, saw this milestone somewhat differently.
(*) More than all, of course, because that's what derivatives have bequeathed us. Houses, cards, etc.
as time goes by
As time goes by, I find that I understand less and less about stuff going on around me. You know, like life and stuff.
A simple example might be WWE. I followed this for a little while some 10 years ago as kind of a sociological experiment. Leave it for a period of time, come back and it appears to exist in some kind of parallel dimension where nothing that is said is as it appears. I could go on but I fear that I would end up in some kind of space-time continuum that doesn't. Continue, I mean. For one thing, I couldn't see the dozens or hundreds of John 3.16 banners that people in the audience routinely waved while two overmuscled brutes jumped up and down on each other.
All this reflection - well a lot more than what was just represented above, naturally - emanated from an article in the paper about the launch of Bob Katter's Australia Party tilt at the Queensland election. The bit that caused me to pause was this:
"The crowd, made up of Decembers and Mays, cheered."
I mean, December and May whats?
Anyway I ran it past Mrs VVB and she equally flummoxed at what the phrase might mean and from which cultural phenomenon or understanding it derived. So we remain flummoxed at VVB by the sea and this post desperately seeks your assistance to throw some light.
So, throw away.
A simple example might be WWE. I followed this for a little while some 10 years ago as kind of a sociological experiment. Leave it for a period of time, come back and it appears to exist in some kind of parallel dimension where nothing that is said is as it appears. I could go on but I fear that I would end up in some kind of space-time continuum that doesn't. Continue, I mean. For one thing, I couldn't see the dozens or hundreds of John 3.16 banners that people in the audience routinely waved while two overmuscled brutes jumped up and down on each other.
All this reflection - well a lot more than what was just represented above, naturally - emanated from an article in the paper about the launch of Bob Katter's Australia Party tilt at the Queensland election. The bit that caused me to pause was this:
"The crowd, made up of Decembers and Mays, cheered."
I mean, December and May whats?
Anyway I ran it past Mrs VVB and she equally flummoxed at what the phrase might mean and from which cultural phenomenon or understanding it derived. So we remain flummoxed at VVB by the sea and this post desperately seeks your assistance to throw some light.
So, throw away.
28 January 2012
you spin me right round
Evidently for the 8 cents a day we all pay, the ABC can no longer afford writers with any knowledge of how to conjugate verbs in English:
We're doomed I tells ya, doomed.
And with this lightweight observation of the human condition, we creep a little closer to that magic 1000 posts. Actually, we don't know if it will be magic. It may be quite unexceptional.
Earlier Alistair Cook (7) fell caught and bowled to Mohammed Hafeez and Ian Bell (3) was unfortunate to be bowled by Ajmal when the ball spinned backwards towards his stumps after his forward-defensive stroke.
We're doomed I tells ya, doomed.
And with this lightweight observation of the human condition, we creep a little closer to that magic 1000 posts. Actually, we don't know if it will be magic. It may be quite unexceptional.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
