So Much To Do, So Little Time

Anyone who reads SL on SL and SL on VL regularly may have noticed that SL on RL has failed to change at the same rate. The reality is that like most people, the amount of things I want to do is bigger than the things I have time to do. The SL on… blogs are only part of what I write. I still contribute to SLentrepreneur Magazine, the Alphaville Herald, MBC TV, and Life On Line. Oh, and I completed a screenplay for a machinima movie. Toss into that my real life blog (yes, my alter ego has one of those but I keep a wall between RL and SL) and my real life job (yup, I have one of those too) and you get the picture.

Shut The Fuck Up and Take Responsibility Hamas!

I’d like to say I was angry but I’m not sure “angry” quite explains how I feel. “Intensely irritated” also comes to mind.

I just happened to be reading the BBC website on How Can Truce Be Attained in Gaza and wanted to stick something unfeasibly large down the throats of some of the commentators. As the Israeli government and Hamas trade rockets, guess whose fault it is?

Yup, the United States! Once again, the twisted logic of US detractors ensures that if a dog shits in the street, the US is at fault. Hey, the dog ate scraps of food from foreign aid, and that means it was American food, ergo, the shitting dog is simply a tool of US foreign policy.

Here are some of the tiresome comments:

From Farouq in the UK: “The threat to the world is not ‘extremism’ but US (foreign policy) and ISREALI action.”

From Harry King: “It was UK and the USA that set up the State of Israel in Palestine so it should be their responsibility to rein in a monster gone loose.”

From F: “Rather than using the money productively in the US for its own people, it is being to used to kill innocent civillians in Palestine.”

From David Bowman: “The only way we will get peace in the Middle East is when US Presidential nominees refuse to support the Israeli lobby as a condition of their candidacy.”

So there you have it: It’s neither Hamas’s nor Israel’s fault – it’s the US, aided by its UK poodle.

Grrrr!

Whither Hugo Chavez, Wither

As the economic woes continue here in the US, it’s worth picking up some of the very small crumbs of comfort, especially those that offer a dose of schadenfreude focused on people we don’t like.

As OPEC continue to struggle with controlling oil prices, and the price of crude drops to around $40 per barrel, spare a thought for one of America’s biggest fans (not!), Hugo Chávez, President of Venezuela. Part of the reason for his nationalization of Venezuelan oil was so he could use the money for huge social programs and entrench his position as leader of the country.

However, Washington-based consultancy, PFC Energy, estimate that for this to work, the price per barrel has to be in the region of $100. Oh dear. At a miserly $40, things may get a little uncomfortable. One almost wants to weep for poor Hugo.

And things don’t sound very good for the near future. OPEC has a target of $75 per barrel, so still short of Venezuela’s need, but at least one unnamed member from the Gulf said that even $55 in the first half of 2009 would be optimistic.

Still, there may be some hope for Hugo. According to Forbes magazine, Venezuela is unlikely to spiral into an economic collapse, although you can bet your bottom bolívar that Chávez would come whining to the West for a bail out. They day that “The government has based its 2009 budget on a price of $60 per barrel. Oil revenues account for some 90% of Venezuela’s export earnings, more than 50% of the government’s budget revenues and around 30% of gross domestic product.”

However, the low oil prices will certainly force the Venezuelan government to dip into its $40 billion reserves in order to maintain the social programs. Chávez is currently preaching austerity, but after a while an “austere” population becomes a disgruntled one. So ther may need to be some shift in government policy and cuts to current programs.

Still, maybe his buddies from Cuba and Iran will be prepared to stand by him and tip up some cash. Oh wait, doesn’t Iran need $86 per barrel to keep afloat? Ooops!

When The Chips Are Down

Hopefully at some point in 2009 the word bailout will be declared illegal and every Tom, Dick, and Harry who wants some extra cash for doing nothing will be stopped from using it. Banks, mortgage lender, car companies, and now chip manufacturers have discovered a new bandwagon (or is that gravy train) to which they can hitch their horses.

Daniel Heyler, head of global semiconductor research for the Merrill Lynch offices in Hong Kong has said the current chip production situation is “desperate.” Why? Because there is too much supply and not enough demand. This is especially true of the memory chip sector, where competition is at its fiercest.

The chairman of Taiwan’s Powerchip Semiconductor, Frank Huang, says that, “Right now, no company can make a profit. The government must support this industry.” Well, this and every other I suppose.

There are signs that governments may cave in to pressure. Already, the Chinese manufacturer Semiconductor Manufacturing International (SMI) has managed to squeeze $170 million from a state-owned company. In Germany, the company Qimonda has received $210 million (150 million Euros) from the state, and continues to snag cash from Portugal – international begging know no bounds.

In “normal” times, such problems would be solved by scaling back production, going to the wall, or mergers and acquisitions. However, the new mantra of “bailout” seems to be taking a grip. All the petitioners seem to have been dipping into their Big Book of Nursery Rhymes and found the following:

For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.

For nail read bailout; for kingdom read economy. It is undoubtedly true that there is a Butterfly Effect that works in a modern, integrated economy. If folks stop buying computers, then not only the chip manufacturers lose business but so do the case builders, the plastics companies that supply the case builders, the raw materials companies that supply the plastics industry, and so on down the line. The people who ship the computers lose; the gas stations that provide gas to the freight companies lose; the trucker loses. Yes, it affects all.

So the real question is: Who should get the bailout? So far, it seems that if you ask ANY business, the answer is a resounding “me!!”

Hard as it may seem, the answer is to let the market work. I would be offering loans to the stronger companies to buy the weak. Help the successful businesses succeed. Currently, things are ass-backwards! The companies that have screwed up get a reward; the companies that do good now find themselves having to work harder to get loans.

We can’t just spend our way out of a recessions unless the “spending” is targeted at businesses that stand a chance of generating new revenue. “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.” (John, 15:2).

Car Company Seeks Bail Out – Deja Vu

Cap in hand, the leaders of the big car companies make their way to the government and ask for money to keep them afloat. If not, thousands will be unemployed and people will starve, the country will go into a downward spiral, there will be dogs and cats, living together – mass hysteria!

But this was in 1977, and the car companies were British Leyland during the years of the Thatcher government. At the time, the normally unsympathetic Mrs. Thatcher appointed a new “car Tsar,” Michael Edwardes, and tipped up some $6 billion to bail them out.

Edwardes, in an effort to turn the company around, laid off almost 100,000 workers over  a five-year period (about half the workforce) and closed 19 factories. However, the company continued to lose market share and profitability, finally rolling to a halt in 2005, when the last remnants of the company were sold off to BMW. By the end, only 20,000 of the original 200,000 workers remained – and people were still buying foreign cars that were cheaper and more reliable.

There is a lesson to be learned here. The issue is whether the Senate and the House contain any historians.

Hallelujah! I’m a Pagan!!

Last night I was reading a few pages of one of my favorite books; The Metamorphoses by Ovid. Completed in 8 AD it’s not exactly a new book. However, it’s a must-read for anyone who… well… reads! The Metamorphoses is an essential source book for many of the myths that most of us have heard of.  It is also chockabloc with stories of murder, torture, rape, incest, bestiality, and other such salacious topics. It has been on a number of “banned books” lists and even in its day was censured by the emperor Augustus, who eventually had Ovid shipped off to live a life of exile on an island.

What caught my attention was where I had attached a sticker at some point in the past. This current copy is one I’ve had for about twelve years and, because I read it frequently, it is slowly falling apart. Almost time for a new one. My translation is the 1958 version by Horace Gregory – very readable.

So back to the sticker – which was point to the following sentence: “And Father Eleleus whose cry is heard as Hallelujah over all of us.” The “Father Eleleus” being referred to is the god Bacchus – the party god! Here, Ovid is suggestiing that whenever we hear the word “hallelujah” being shouted out, it’s actually a prayer to Bacchus.

I like that idea! Now when I am in the company of any of my Christian colleagues, I can join in with the “hallelujahs” safe in the knowledge that I have not undergone a conversion but nmerely expressed my desire to go for a beer. No wonder these folks say “hallelujah” just before heading off to swig the communion wine

Bacchus

Buy Your SIGG™ Products!

If you’re a fan of SL© on RL^TM or SL© on SL^TM then now’s your chance to sport some SIGG accessories! Here’s the link to the SIGG USA store.

Sigg Products

Wear your SIGG hat with pride

OK, so maybe this is not my own personal line of products. This month’s edition (December 2008) of GQ magazine highlighted the product in its Commuter Style section and it caught my eye. Incidentally, I did write to GQ and offer to be it’s in-world roving reporter but as of now, no response. Clearly there’s no great need for a GQ correspondent in Second Life – yet. Anyhow, the SIGG product line of reusable bottles is a great way for you to not only support your favorite blogger (especially since he is fearless enough to not only split infinitives but tear them apart with impunity) but also do your part to help the environment. So let me cheat by clipping straight from the company web page:

“SIGG Switzerland dates back to 1908 when metal processing specialist Ferdinand Sigg established an aluminum product factory about 30 kilometers outside of Zurich. Along with his colleague Xaver Küng, the two men combined their love of metal and the strong belief that “aluminum is the material of the future”. Their product line, which was called SIGG AG Aluminiumwarenfabrik, was initially comprised of saucepans, frying pans and bottles, all of which sold rapidly and were immensely popular. By 1958, SIGG had thousands of products that were all manufactured in the company’s own rolling mill and drawing shop.

“It was in 1990 that the course for the future of the SIGG bottle was determined: a new shape, still typical of today’s bottles, was developed and the quality achieved was superior. The beautiful shapes and design of the bottle is one of the reasons that in 1993 SIGG was incorporated into the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. In 1997, the company was bought by an investor group and changed direction to focus on its #1 ‘star’ product… the SIGG bottle.

“Approaching its 100 year anniversary, SIGG has its sights set on growing the brand outside of Europe. In 2005, SIGG launched a USA subsidiary based in Stamford, CT. ‘This brand has tremendous history and for generations has been the must-have water bottle for Europeans,’ stated Steve Wasik, SIGG USA President. ‘Americans are now discovering that using a high quality, reusable bottle like SIGG makes great sense – both financially and environmentally.’

“For the last 90 years, corporate headquarters have been based in the charming village of Frauenfeld Switzerland where SIGG employs about 60 dedicated people. ‘With nearly a century of Swiss expertise and craftsmanship, we take tremendous pride in the quality of our product,’ claimed Stephan Lack, SIGG Switzerland CEO. ‘Today, SIGG remains the world leader in premium water bottles, sold in over 40 countries… and counting!’”

So  there you have it. Hop on over to SIGG USA and grab yourself an ECO-friendly SIGG.

Which Tarot Card Are You?

I admit it. I am being lazy and pandering to the lowest common denominator. I happened across a blog that included a quiz that determines which tarot card you are. I have no excuse except that I was tired and not in a particularly creative mood. You can take the quiz here.

I turn out to be the Devil.

You are The Devil

Materiality. Material Force. Material temptation; sometimes obsession

The Devil is often a great card for business success; hard work and ambition.

Perhaps the most misunderstood of all the major arcana, the Devil is not really “Satan” at all, but Pan the half-goat nature god and/or Dionysius. These are gods of pleasure and abandon, of wild behavior and unbridled desires. This is a card about ambitions; it is also synonymous with temptation and addiction. On the flip side, however, the card can be a warning to someone who is too restrained, someone who never allows themselves to get passionate or messy or wild – or ambitious. This, too, is a form of enslavement. As a person, the Devil can stand for a man of money or erotic power, aggressive, controlling, or just persuasive. This is not to say a bad man, but certainly a powerful man who is hard to resist. The important thing is to remember that any chain is freely worn. In most cases, you are enslaved only because you allow it.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

I agree totally with the phrase “a powerful man who is hard to resist.” Ladies, take note. So go ahead, take the test, then leave me a comment to let me know how YOU fared.

… And Another Thing That Irritates Me…

I’m starting to get more an more emails from people that end with a line telling me which device they are using. “Sent from my iPhone” or “Sent from my Verizon Wireless Blackberry.” And this irritates me for a number of reasons.

First is the parading of status implicit in the tagline. “Hey, I’m cool because I have an iPhone” or “I’m important because I need to have a Blackberry.” Well, the truth is that in relation to your status – I really don’t care. I don’t. I mean, I care more about helping a spider out of the bathtub than I do about whether or not you’re using an iPhone or a Blackberry.

Second – and this is really just a corollary of the first and “not caring” – it is redundant information. Period. it is a waste of bandwidth to tag this on to messages. What difference does it make which hand-held device you’re using? I just need the message, not the medium.

Third, it is free advertising. I guess it’s a smart move on behalf of Apple and RIM to ensure that every message churned out has the name of their company included. Not only that, they actually make people PAY for the privilege! $199 for an iPhone, then the connection charges AND the Internet charges – and they still get you to advertize for them. Me? I want a discount on my device if I’m going to be selling product for yah!

So if you want to make me happy, turn OFF the tag line. Please.

The Semantics of “Sharing the Wealth”

So why are folks getting so bent out of shape about “sharing the wealth?” Here’s a phrase that, along with “Joe the Plumber” has been squeezed, throttled, bandied about, slapped around, and entered the realm of cliche within a matter of weeks. It has also evolved to become almost synonymous with “socialism,” with its semantic transformation helped along by special interest groups.

Forgive me for pointing out the blindingly obvious but the present government – and this is not based on some speculation about what someone “might do” later – has just “shared the wealth” to the tune of $700 billion plus of US tax payer money and given it to the rich. This is sort of like a Bizarro World version of Robin Hood who steals from the poor to give to the rich.

Within the context of a government perspective, this, of course, is not “socialism” or a “welfare handout” but a “bail-out” or “economic stimulus package.” Apparently giving billions to a small number of banks and mortgage lenders will “protect and grow the economy” whereas handing the same amount out to millions of poor folks will “encourage state dependency” and “unfairly tax the middle classes.” Whatever words you use to spin it, all I can be sure of is that MY taxes have been, and are being, used to pay for someone else. Oh, and I don’t believe any of us in the country was given the choice to decide on where our taxes went

The process of taking money off person A to give to person B is what governments do. Any government. That’s part of its job. The question is more to do with how happy person A feels about person B getting their money. And more accurately, it’s about one GROUP of people having some of their money handed to ANOTHER group of people. Seems to me that the difference between “socialism” and “economic stimulus” comes down to who is getting the money.