Taylor made for this time of the year
It’s that time of the year. After Thanksgiving, after Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and just before Christmas. The time to reflect on the year that passed. Not the terrible politics, fraudulent Wall Street schemes or unnecessary wars, but on the nice things – like the moment that ice cold beer went down like a fountain of blessings, that great baseball pitch, the memorable adventure ride you had on your Husky, a glimpse you caught of the new Mustang. Read more…
Moody’s drops Malema
The day after credit rating agency Moody’s downgraded South Africa to negative from stable the ANC Youth League’s corrupt leader Julius Malema is suspended. Moody’s cited South Africa’s political risk.
The South African Rand took a heavy knock on the Moody’s downgrade and it obviously became clear to the ruling ANC party that the problem for the political risk had to be removed. Read more…
The weather in Cannes
Today, it is 64°F (18°C) in Cannes, France where the G-20 heads of governments are stuffing their faces, contemplating the offers of corrupt institutions, ogling the French girls and smirking at the Greek Prime Minister, George Papandreou.
Normally, Cannes is a great place to visit whatever the weather. It is a beautiful seaside town with long lazy beaches, grand hotels and fantastic restaurants. This is the place where pretty actresses, handsome actors and great directors rub shoulders during the annual Cannes Film Festival Read more…
7 billion of us
12 years ago there were 6 billion of us. Today – exactly today, October 31st, 2011 – we welcomed the 7 billionth human being.
And we have the same questions as we had 12 years ago and when the world population reached 5 billion in 1987: is there enough food? Well, either we all soon are going to get really thin or we shall yet again trust that we humans tend to sort things out in the end. Read more…
Steve Jobs tributes
“Today Apple is going to reinvent the phone. And here it is,” said Steve Jobs when he introduced the iPhone in 2007. Together with his buddy Steve Wozniak, Jobs reinvented not only the phone but a number of ways the whole world would communicate, from their first Apple computer in 1977 to iTunes and the iPad. As creative genius, Jobs turned Apple became the world’s most admired company. Read more…
Chop Chop Chop
The Greeks are used to breaking things. It’s part of their custom. Smashing plates at parties, wedding receptions and tavernas, that is. The custom is said to have originated with ancient traveling potters breaking their own wares, inviting the locals to share in the fun and thereby maintaining a market for their products.
But the story also goes that the noise of the smashing of plates was meant to drive away evil spirits. That makes a lot more sense in modern terms: rioting Greeks (and others) breaking things to ward off the evils of the recession – pensions being reduced, benefits being cut, public spending being chopped, bankers continually being stuffed with free public money, etc. Read more…
Will and Kate’s billions
England’s Prince William and his new missus, Kate Middleton, have very wealthy parents. How much the kids themselves have is not exactly known but it’s most likely enough for more than two cups of afternoon tea and scones at Fortnums, where William’s mom, Princess Diana, use to hang out with sons William and Harry.
What William and Kate did have on their wedding day on April 29, 2011 is billions of television viewers. More than 2 billion people watched the royal wedding on television and another 400 million watched on the web. Speaking under correction, that is the biggest audience ever for any single event. Read more…
Osama 0 : Obama 1
Barack Obama got a 9 point poll boost on the news that Osama bin Laden has been shot dead on May 1 in Abbottabad, Pakistan by Seal Team Six of the US Navy Seals. Osama 0 : Obama 1.
Half the world considers it an amazing feat because … half the world had thought that Osama is dead already. But they too can now celebrate the “Obama got Osama” occasion with special commemorative T-shirts, ties, mugs, buttons, etc. Bin Laden Dead gifts are selling like hot cakes.
The name of the Seal who shot Osama in the head (reportedly above the left eye) and chest is… well, nobody knows. The US Navy Seals is a highly secretive unit with about 2 500 members – chosen from the 8 500 hardy men that serve in the Naval Special Warfare Command – and they’re not exactly the kind that will be walking the streets with placards naming the hero of their finest hour. Read more…
Foo Fighters no aliens to the top spot
After Kurt Cobain died in 1994 and Nirvana disbanded, drummer Dave Grohl was hoping for some anonymity. It was not to be. In that same year, Grohl kicked the drums aside, pulled out the songs he has been writing over the previous few years, picked up the guitar, cleared the throat and started Foo Fighters.
They had their live debut in March 1995 – and since then they have not been aliens to the top spot in the music world, raking in 3 Grammy’s for Best Rock Album and frequenting the Billboard Album Chart. Their April 2011 album release “Wasting Light” shot up the charts, toppling Adele from her 11-week run at the top of the UK charts. Read more…
Lloyd Blankfein’s diapers
The guy who once said he was busy doing “God’s work” is finding himself in a hot spot… once again (horns et all). Lloyd Blankfein, ubermeister of Goldman Sachs, has found himself in the tight corner of a small world: facing the angry federal regulators of the Securities and Exchange Commission in a lawsuit alleging fraud against the company he steered through thick and thin. Thick for them, thin for their clients.
If you haven’t followed this amazing story a good place to start is the version of Goldman Sachs as the “Great vampire squid wrapped around the face of humanity.” It gets better (as an astounding insult) from there on. Mentioning the name “Blankfein” has become synonymous with Godwin’s Law. Read more…
