I have bee
n fortunate in my life, in the fact that I have been able to travel to many different countries. During my travels to different cities around the world, one thing which has really struck me is the ever-increasing similarities between them.This has been mainly due to the influence of western culture. Looking at the skylines of many a city you will see familiar names. Starbucks, KFC, McDonald’s, Mercedes, BMW, VW, Toyota.
Major corporations
The actions of major corporations. Good and bad.
NATO/UN Allies. What allies?
The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, or ‘NATO’ as it is also known, is an agreement between a group of countries regarding their common goals towards ‘defence’ of their combined nations against attack, primarily from Russia (The former Soviet Union).
The problem with this is that the acronym is misleading. It should read as the ‘North American Treaty Organisation’ due to the fact that it revolves 100% around North America. Namely The USA. Harking back to the title of the article, all the resolutions which the organisation make do not see the light of day unless the American reps agree to them. Hardly a democracy. Hardly a treaty.
Life without a cellphone. Why?
Life without a cellphone. Why?
The cellphone, mobile, or whatever you call it; the saviour of mankind or the scourge? Whatever your view, the cellphone is here to stay. From the 1st time voice waves were sent over wires to an astonished recipient at the other end, the pace at which the humble telephone has changed has been astounding.
Easy answer. It is god’s will
Religion, and the church in it’s various forms has been with us for the past few millennium.
Followers of the various religions, whether Catholic, Muslim, Hindu, Jew, etc…, are believers in the stories which were written down, and continue to be passed down through the generations.
Although the things claimed have never actually been witnessed, except at the time they happened (ie; miracles), the religions base their beliefs on these events, and the teachings of such events.
Bias
Newspapers, radio, TV, magazines, blogs, the internet. All of these things are sources of news. We have never had so much choice as to where we receive our news from.
With the emergence several decades ago, of media corporations, who own many outlets of news, we have become more and more subject to the views of the people who own these organisations.
The Changing Face Of Music
With the recent passing of three very recognizable faces in the music world, it is hard not to reflect on how the face of music has changed over the last several decades, and is still changing. Aretha Franklin, David Bowie, Prince, and Lemmee of Motorhead fame, were 4 artists whose work spanned generations, who images were always evolving and changing with the times, and whose love of music was their driving factor.
CNN Crying(on)National Network
One of the most prominent news networks around the globe is CNN, which has grown from a US based company, to a global player. A large proportion of their reporting is devoted to conflicts, politics, human interest stories, and recognizing the exploits of certain members of society.No more of ‘The Force’
I should have known better, but against my better judgement I decided to take in the latest saga in the Star Wars ‘brand’. I actually have a general rule of thumb which is, “if the 1st installment is good, don’t expect any improvement in subsequent installments”. By and large this philosophy has served me well. As an example, The Bourne series was ceased (by me) after the 2nd movie(3 and 4 were so dire that I cannot bring myself to mention them) because often the decline in quality is immediate, and although I was a Star Wars fan from the original movie(showing my age now), there were a couple of duds in these (read Attack of The Clones, and The Phantom Menace).But overall, with George Lucas at the helm I persevered with it. Read more
The Fast & Franchise.
Have you noticed that the words ‘sequel, ‘trilogy’ team, squad, are no longer being used, just as the word ‘series’ (except the world series) and episodes are being phased out. If you are unsure what i am referring to, I am referring to the world of TV/Movies, and sport.The new buzz words are ‘franchise’ , which used to be exclusively for business chains such as KFC, McDonalds, Rolex, etc…, is now being used to describe movies and sports teams.‘The Harry Potter Franchise’, ‘The LA Galaxy Franchise’ and the latest one which is doing the rounds, ‘The Fast and Furious franchise’ We also have the new formula for TV dramas of all kinds. ‘Season’
You finally did it America!!
What does the title refer to? The destruction of society? The admissions of 911? The invasion of Iraq for nothing but oil? Hell no!.
We are talking about the surpassing of all previous things with a high magnitude of stupidity. We are talking about handing the responsibility for one of the most powerful countries, both militarily and economically, to a reality TV star and a multiple bankrupt who masquerades as a successful businessman.
Yes, you have guessed it folks. He is now the leader of the “free world” (‘free world’ being a matter of opinion).