Category Archives: Random

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Longsight, Manchester M13.

thewallstreetexecutive:

We tuned into ESPN on Wednesday night to see the two best basketball players in the world go head to head and shot for shot, and near the end of the third quarter of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s visit to … Continue reading →

12 Years A Slave

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I’ve seen a lot of films over the years but I don’t think any has been so moving and thought-provoking as ‘12 Years A Slave’. A black man from upstate New York in the mid 1800’s is tricked into slavery and the story unfolds as he and his fellow slaves face an horrific future.

No stone is left unturned in terms of detail and, as the story unwinds, the characters in the plot develop and we see human life and all of its fragility for those who suffer played out in front of us. 

I won’t say any more so as not to spoil the plot but it is a MUST-SEE.

Inside Job

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Have you seen ‘Inside Job’ by Charles Ferguson? If not, be sure to at some point if you’re interested in how the financial world went boom in the last decade. This film shows very clearly why everything went wrong and explains a lot of the horrendous economic conditions that we have endured and continue to see today. Vast youth unemployment, less free education and training, a massive gap between the highest/lowest paid workers and no regulatory reform of Wall St/The City/etc by weak governments – this film will show why we are where we are.

One of the biggest takeaways for me – those who blew everything up are also still running the show today. Bingo!

The institutional structure of the United States is under stress. We might be in dangerous economic straits if the dollar were not the principal international reserve currency and the eurozone in deep fiscal trouble. We have a huge public debt, dangerously neglected infrastructure, a greatly overextended system of criminal punishment, a seeming inability to come to grips with grave environmental problems such as global warming, a very costly but inadequate educational system, unsound immigration policies, an embarrassing obesity epidemic, an excessively costly health care system, a possible rise in structural unemployment, fiscal crises in state and local governments, a screwed-up tax system, a dysfunctional patent system, and growing economic inequality that may soon create serious social tensions. Our capitalist system needs a lot of work to achieve proper capitalist goals.

Richard Posner

that’s a pretty good list of what we need to fix

Famous judge spikes Apple-Google case, calls patent system “dysfunctional” — Mobile Technology News

Rio’s real problems

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Have just taken @ninianna back to the airport via bus for her journey back to the UK, and travelled very close to some of the favelas that cover large parts of central Rio. These sprawling areas of basically slum residences where those under the poverty line have their homes are controlled in most cases by drug gangs, and the only rules that seem to matter are the ones set by them – law enforcers stay well clear. The film ‘City of God’ is set in one of the Rio favelas and if you haven’t seen it and are interested in this kind of thing be sure to check it out.

What I find hard is the City of Rio has done nothing to reduce the levels of abject poverty suffered by people living in these conditions. The homes in some cases have no windows or doors, and large numbers of a family live together in cramped spaces. There is obviously a strong, almost tribal, sense of community in these areas, but the conditions are not good. There are many deaths each year due to gang violence and the numbers are deaths are huge. I have heard that there are more killed in the favelas per year than there are in officially designated war zones! This is an incredible statistic to consider. So why is nothing done about this?

Most of the tourism sites in Rio are owned and run by the state, so all the income they generate is fed into the public sector. There is also a large amount of foreign investment, bringing with it significant tax income. But where is the expenditure on helping those in need in the city? I left with the feeling that the city has given up on those at the bottom of the pile. They should be doing A LOT more than they are. I heard of plans to build huge walls to keep the people of the streets away from the big Olympic and World Cup venues when these arrive in a few years time. What sort of a solution is this? A completely irresponsible one.

Another example of poor leadership, politics gone bad, a society in need and at breaking point, and no true, deep, long-lasting and sustainable solution in sight. There is a chance for someone to stand up and make a massive difference here. Break the stranglehold of the political puppets. I’m no expert on politics or the way that these things are done but I do know that in Rio it is desperately needed.

(written Tues 28 Sep 2010)

Rio wrap-up

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Last day in Rio today so trying to get my head around the trip, all of the experiences from it, and my thoughts on the place, the people and how it’s made me feel. I think the sun’s creeping through so will get packed up and back out into it for the last few hours now.

See you on the other side…

Next stop – @homelesswrldcup Rio De Janeiro

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Later this week @ninianna and I will be travelling to Rio to witness the spectacle that is the Homeless World Cup street soccer tournament, taking place on Copacabana Beach. I’ve completed a few sporting challenges of my own this year, raising funds for the HWC by way of many generous donations from all of my great friends, and this trip to see what the funds I have raised can do for the people taking part in the tournament is going to be a very special occasion.

I wanted to help HWC by raising funds because they inspire and empower people – giving those with little or no hope a real chance of changing their lives for the better through taking part in the tournament, playing street soccer, and representing their nation on the global stage. Having the opportunity to see this kind of project in action, and the difference that it can make at first hand, is something that doesn’t happen every day and I’m going to enjoy every minute of it.

Just imagine going through these steps over the course of a few months:

  • you are homeless (living on the streets or are in temporary housing or a hostel, for example) and you are asked if you would like to come and play soccer one evening
  • you turn up, play, and meet some new people who become your friends and team mates
  • you come back for more, week after week, have a lot of fun and begin to get fitter
  • you are picked to play for your team in a regional/national tournament
  • you do well, and are selected for the national team to represent your country at the HWC
  • you are wearing your national team’s colours and are playing in the HWC tournament
  • you are in with a shout of a trophy on finals weekend of the HWC
  • you are playing in the final of the HWC
  • you are in the winning team of the HWC!!!

This scenario is going to come true for some of the players in Rio this week – how fantastic is that?! I’m sure I don’t do this transformation justice in this small post but it happens and will keep happening as long as the tournament continues and people support the cause. Mel Young and the team at HWC do a fantastic job in putting the tournament on in the face of a lot of opposition and bureaucracy related the homelessness cause, but their work is invaluable and long may it continue.

I want to share my experiences of the event with as many people as I can so there will plenty of tweets, a few photos and some video clips, too. Follow me here, or the HWC and Mel Young: