It’s not really surprising that the old „evil” philosophy of doing business at a corporate level is apparently still alive and kicking. Well, perhaps it’s a little surprising to BP, who probably thought themselves out of hot (and oily) water 2 years after the worst oil spill ever, the Deepwater Horizon disaster.
„It’s finally over!”, exclaims a very happy Jon Stewart, even though it means no more Democalypse jokes or using the „Bulls&it mountain” analogy in his comedy show (The Daily Show) on Comedy Central. He’s not alone in showing the visible signs of relief, but truth be told, there’s not that much to be happy about.
Gone is the giddy excitement of the 2008 election, an election full of hope and dreams, enter the grim reality of the huge deficit, unending economic recovery and uneasy state of the foreign affairs. And after strange debates (analyzed almost blow-by-blow by the media) and weeding out of the lesser candidates, only two were left standing. Except this time, neither candidate offers a clear road ahead for the people of the United States.
Sopot: a beautiful little seaside town that Poles firmly associate with its music festival and many health resorts. Not anymore though; a year ago, EFNI (European Forum of New Ideas) took place for the first time, and this sleepy community in the shadow of Gdansk has been transformed into the center of European politics and business. This year, EFNI went even further, promising to improve the European economy and restore Europe’s image.
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Another chapter in rock‘n’roll history was almost closed when the Fender guitar company announced its plans to go public. If the legendary company were to be traded, it would mean that one of the last icons of musical independence would be gone, forever shaped by economy and capitalism rather than ingenuity and imagination. While few can doubt the brand’s legacy and its contribution to popular culture, there’s really no way to continue to be a legend and be publicly traded at the same time. In the end, Fender retained its sovereignty and the IPO didn’t pan out, but the company’s debt still looms on the horizon.
Despite the hotness of the air and the persistent heatwave, there’s an odd collection of rather chilling stories of late. Of course, the most important and saddest one of them all concerns the footprint – not the Bigfoot footprint, but the legacy – of the first human being to step onto a different celestial body from our own planet, Neil Armstrong. The Moonwalker passed away yesterday, as a result of heart surgery complications, closing perhaps the grandest (and, sadly, not really progressing anymore) chapter of human conquest of space. Neil Armstrong’s legacy still lives on, but the aspiration to fly to the stars is nowhere near as strong as it used to be back in the 1960s and 1970s.
