We as social animals strive to raise up in the ranks to get access to better genetic breeding material and security for ourselves and our offspring.

So many of us dream of becoming rich – and it will be an illusion for 99,99%.

Thanks to mass media we constantly watch the rich and the super rich. We play the lottery or hope to be discovered somehow to get money and fame.

Still this is just wishful thinking … overall social mobility is down and the middle class is shrinking since the 1980’s in Western Nations.

It’s easy to blame the money lenders, bankers, stock brokers and other fat cats, but what kind of economic system is not "evil"?

Barter systems only work on a small scale and communism (as charming as it sounds to share everything with everyone) simply doesn’t scale up and is simply unfair to those who work hard.

Plus the financial markets are needed for a modern economy.

Protestors and especially anti-globalization activists should look at the details and not simply blabber angrily against the "system".

Criminal activity and excessive inbreeding of financial products are bad – no doubt about it. But lending is a good thing, stock markets help companies and workers, venture capitalists help new ideas to get off the ground.

It’s all about balance: money markets need sensible direction as well as social systems do. Neither should be allowed to run amok.

Good citizen and good government should understand the need for both. It’s of no use to protest against failures when it’s too late – especially when you enjoy the fruits of "rich overblown markets" before.

One British Pound is hardly worth  one Euro these days. This deeply pisses of many Brits, who have been euro skeptic bunch anyway.

Still most Brits wouldn’t go Euro any day. They simply hate it. I just don’t really understand why the Brits are so euro phobic?

Thanks to those incompetent  politicians and greedy bankers we face a financially catastrophic 2009. Therefore I want to be rich.

But who doesn’t?!

If I can’t be rich, than I want to see some of the bankers and politicians go to jail. But that whish is less realistic than hoping to win the lottery the next 52 weeks …

BBC News: Iceland: Britain’s unlikely new enemy 

The current financial crises sparks the most ridicules situations: under the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act of 2001 the British Government has seized Icelandic assets in the UK.

You can call the lovely people from Iceland many things, but terrorists?

The Icelanders are not amused (see article above).

It once again proves that governments are only to willing to twist any law and regulation to suit their agenda.

BBC News Special: Global financial crises

So all the rescue packages are a done deal, the credit crunch can hopefully “healed” before it gets even worse. Everybody is a state of shock, repentance or high alert.

But have we learnt anything? And are we all to blame?

Read the rest of this entry »

Click Stadium for more poverty.

China is one of the richest countries on earth with a huge amount of cash at it’s disposal. Plus the US owes China loads of money as well.

But still China is a poor country: it’s infrastructure still needs loads of work, concrete and still before it’s anywhere near European or American standards. Social security, pensions and the health systems are in shambles too.

Sure China has a huge Army, but today’s wars are fought with technology, not huge masses of soldiers.

Is anyone surprised why China’s bloody communists are so ruthlessly pushing the country forward and are not in the mood for any compromises on human rights or the environment. They finally want China to finish the Great Leap Forward that Mao and his comrades fucked up many years ago …

But for the sake of progress no tyranny is acceptable. Not even capitalistic communism …

Just because you and an your drunken mates can afford to go into a strip club doesn’t mean you suddenly turned into George Clooney and all the females are crazy for you middle management wankers.

I always liked British currency – although it’s coins were always on the heavy side. If you had several one pound coins in your pocket you would walk in an awkward way.

So the British got some new designs – and these are butt ugly. The look like extra cool … I think the designer still had that early Blair period mantra “Cool Britannia” still in his head.

Instead of using established symbols and emblems in sound way, the designs try to be extra hip. But money shouldn’t be hip, but easy to “understand”, visually easy to separate and have unique tactile characteristics (which the British coins certainly have – hence the very different shapes for 50 and 20 pence).

I find the 20 pence piece especially odd – only showing the arse and tail of the English Lion. I think now would be the best time to get the Euro my dear Brits …

How often have I saved this planet?! How often have I risked my virtual neck for some stupid princess or small village? How often was I hurt, mangled and killed in my quest to save the universe?

And what did I get for it? Not even a permanent entry in the high score list of this universe!

I wish all my bonuses and extra lives would translate into the real world – I’d be richer then Bill Gates by now and rule this planet by magic and super weapons!

If only money could fly …

Part of the Art Motive Series: "The Story of Daedalus and Icarus"

Banks don’t want your business, they only want your money. Credit Cards, the Internet and ATMs are a blessing for Bankers. They can reduce staff to a minimum, let you do all the work and charge terrific fees for every transaction or failure that happens.

In many countries consumers are in debts to Banks and Credit Card companies, because of their drastics rules and fee structures. It’s a mixture of robbery and the licence to print money for them.

Plus they can track your consumerism perfectly. They know what you like, when you like it and what stuff you own. Your character and behavior is extrapolated from tracking your shopping habits and places you go.

Banks get bailed out by the state, when they go bust – you don’t.

Today – I guess – all currency systems are strictly decimal. But back in the days many countries had odd coins and papermoney. The most famous were the british sixpence and shilling. Both were absolished in the 1970s.

From Wikipedia:

Before decimalisation in 1971, a shilling had a value of 12d (old pence), and was equal to 1/20th of a pound: there were 240 (old) pence to the pound. Post-decimalisation, “shilling” refers to the 5p coin, which is still worth 1/20th of a pound, because there are 100 new pence in a pound.

The name shilling is believed to come from the old Scandinavian word skilling, meaning a division, or a mark on a stick.

The abbreviation for shilling is “s”, from the Latin solidus, the name of a Roman coin. Often it was written informally with a slash, e.g., “1/6″ as 1 shilling, 6 pence or when there were no pence, with a slash then a hyphen, e.g., “11/-”.

During the reign of Queen Elizabeth II shillings were minted featuring both the English “three lions”, technically three leopards couchant, coat of arms, and the Scottish lion rampant coat of arms (see illustration above).

A slang name for a shilling was a “bob” (which was invariant in the plural, as in “that cost me two bob”).

To “take the King’s shilling” was to enlist in the army or navy, a phrase dating back to the early 1800’s. In a modern context, to say someone has “taken the King’s shilling” implies in a derogatory way that they are in the pocket (or employment) of another. To “cut someone off without a shilling” means to disinherit.