I know that we have committed, since beginning to post again this year, that we will not discuss the new religious movement known as "politics". However, we wanted to get something on record. Too many times we discuss things and there is no record of it. Thoughts in our heads or discussed over pints are not enough to be held to account or used as evidence for either being woefully out of touch or in sync with the vibrations of western society today. It also gives us a chance to test, on the record, sweeping statements that are hypothesized based on historical and economic underpinnings, which we think are highly misunderstood by all of today's media that purport to be pumping out the "facts".
Author: Bane
Covid and Career Change: Ep. 4
I have been on a journey since being made unemployed by Covid in the Spring. The ideal destination in my mind is a "Portfolio Career", or the flexibility to do several things or have multiple sources of income. It was something I had considered but remained focused on contacting existing businesses I am attracted to with the goal of seeking part-time (preferable) or full-time (would live with it if I liked the business) work. My focus on freelancing would come after this. However, my meeting with this former curmudgeon, now relaxed business owner changed my outlook.
Seven Deadly Sins of the 21st Century – Part 3: Greed
Greed = Low Interest Rates The low interest environment and policy of quantitative easing is easily the most misunderstood, misappropriated, gossiped and ignored issue impacting our lives in the 21st Century. An issue of contradictions. Depending on who you speak to it is the source of all our ills or it is saving us. It is the conspiracy theory of gold nuts, it is the bible of Keynesian ideologues. It is trickling benefits into the economy, it is creating massive inequality. It is debated regularly in the financially-literate bubbles of society, and it is never discussed among the mainstream press or among the public. The problem is that the numbers do not lie. Central bank policy is the main source of greed in the 21st Century.
Seven Deadly Sins of the 21st Century – Part 2: Gluttony
Gluttony = Celebrity Worship
Similar to the previous entry in this series about dating apps, another subject that is no stranger to debate is celebrity worship. It is a term that is even widely used among academic researchers.
Seven Deadly Sins of the 21st Century – Part 1: Lust
Lust = Use of Dating Apps
The growth of online dating is well documented. However, what seems less understood by academics and big journalists are the nuanced social changes that have occurred as this form of dating moved from websites to phones and apps. I believe what started out as a harmless tool, has become a dangerous habit with devastating consequences if it continues its trend of becoming the dominant means of grouping men and women for dating.
COVID and Career Change Ep. 3
I just completed reading Herminia Ibarra's book Working Identity and a lot of the themes and theories she described resonated. Many of the stories as well. One individual couldn't quite eliminate the option of going back to similar work during his transition, but was motivated by wanting something different. This individual divides ideas into conformist and nonconformist roles, reaching out to company's he admires about the possibility for freelance work. I have taken a similar approach as I evaluate my options.
London’s V-Shaped Recovery: Intangible Data vs Tangible Experience
I ventured into Central London on a Saturday at the end of July. The weather was a tad rainy that day so I didn't want to chalk the vacancy of the streets up entirely to the economic draught we are actually in. I decided to visit the Churchill Museum the following week, on its opening day. At the same time I decided to take a walk around the streets between Piccadilly and St. James Park. The weather out that day couldn't have been more perfect. That combination of heat and cool that leaves you comfortable even if you are walking for hours. The kind of weather that makes London sparkle in the summer. So you could be assured that this is as busy as the area was going to get for shopping, sightseeing, eating and whatever other pleasures you can take in the heart of London on a glorious summer's day.
COVID and Career Change Ep. 2
The hardest thing to do is keep those voices of doubt outside your mind. Who am I kidding - changing careers at my age? How will I convince anyone to pay me? Will I be able to earn enough money? Why don't I just go back to what I know - it might take some time, but at least I can step in and earn decent money. These thoughts are escalated by the uncertainty provided by the COVID-19 response, or if you are me, having a young family. For clarity, my preferred path is what is being called today a "portfolio career". Not just a single 9 to 5 job with benefits. The name of the game is flexibility, quasi-entrepreneurship and doing things I like. Sounds great but when you start to dig into it, it is really scary.
Three Men and a Decade: Final
It has been said that politics is downstream from culture. Looking back, the 2010s would make a strong case for this. Politics was still appealing to people's concerns of yesteryear. Social movements were gaining traction underground. The 2016 Brexit vote exposed just how out of touch politicians had become. But even by the time they tried to recover from those concerns, society had moved on to become even more divided. The decade ended with politicians grappling with how to appeal to these polar extremes and their respective movements. Our leaders started the decade feeling confident with central banks injecting the economy to calm the storm. They failed to dissect the original crime scene and assumed people would move on. They were wrong. Then they adjusted by either doubling down on status quo prevailing, or pretending to be the one to make necessary reforms.
Three Men and a Decade Part III
Society's anger began the decade pointed at the financial sector, but quickly manifested itself (and escalated) into a more damaging form by the decade's end. Before 2010 it appeared you could live as you please, even if you wanted to write a blog or post images of your life on Facebook. That all changed in our decade and regular people became the target of mob anger. Nobody's experience mirrors these changes and the cultural themes emerging better than an obscure blogger out of the US, known as RooshV.
Siloviki 