There is a ‘movement’ which most people would have heard about, that seems to be gaining momentum across the US and in the United Kingdom, seemingly focused on the capitalist behaviour of “Wall Street capitalists.” All that I have read indicates that this ‘movement’ is an anti-capitalist movement, which does seem very strange to me, that while taking advantage of all the benefits a capitalist society provides, there would be a movement trying to bring it down. Well they say they understand what they are doing!

In almost every story I have read about this movement, which is now supported by many of the trade unions who themselves are anti-capitalistic, some crucial facts seems to have been forgotten.

The companies represented and traded on the New York Stock Exchange and on other stock markets around the country, are the largest employers in the USA, the United Kingdom and every other country where they are listed. By the Wall Street and other brokers around the world trading these shares, they are facilitating the potential growth of these companies, which in turn means creating jobs!

A second thing I think is interesting to note. This movement was reportedly begun by students and from what I can gather, the majority of them were either drama or commerce students! Over the next few years, many of these commerce students will be looking for jobs either on Wall Street or in the financial district of London or with companies whose shares are traded on these stock markets. They will be doing the very thing they are anti!! And many of these drama students will rely on the brokers and the bankers for their livelihood if they go into showbiz, as these are the people who go to watch shows on Broadway and other places!

What I can not understand is why any person would want to put their future potential at risk by being involved in this movement. It is also interesting that none of these people, including the union ‘bosses’, ever said a word while the economies of the world was growing and life was great! They took advantage of the prosperity the Wall Street brokers and bankers around the world brought them. When their pension funds were racing ahead, they said not a word. When sponsorships were easily available and study grants were being dished out like soup on a cold winters night in New York, not a word!

Where were all these people when things were going so well? The fact is that they were all enjoying the prosperity and living life large. And when the economy turns and it will, where will they be then? Still protesting the bonuses and commissions paid to those on Wall Street or any other street? No. They will be enjoying the boom times again and living life large!

I would suggest that it is not the ‘banks’ that the economies of the world are in a mess. I would suggest that the real reason is the expectations of ordinary people who wanted to see their pension funds and salaries continually growing as well as the socialist concepts of less work more pay. I would think it is actually the unions who are to blame!

Well enough of my scribblings on this issue.

After many years of trying loads of different phones, I eventually, after much pressure, got an iPhone and to say I am disappointed is an understatement. In 7 months it has been replaced 3 time due to unknown faults.

And yes my service provider has been great in replacing the unit immediately, I realized in retrospect that an iPhone is in reality an iPod that can make phone calls. To be honest, despite their current challenges, I should have got a Blackberry!

And yes I have a Mac and yes there are things it can do that PC’s can’t, but if I am honest 99% of the functions most people will never need, much less use, and yes an iPad is convenient, but again most people that have them are merely showing off. And the function most people need and use, can be performed perfectly well by a PC or a laptop!  And remember there are many, many things that iPhone’s can’t do!

I am not in anyway anti-Apple or pro PC.  I use both in equal measures.

The point I want make here is this.  Most of the components found in Apple products, from iPhone’s to Mac books and everything in between are made by companies like HTC & Samsung.  Many of the components in Blackberry’s are made by the same companies!!!!!  And with the app store admitting an ever increasing number of product creators, some thing will give.

I have been listening to the increasing arrogance of Apple supporters over the last few day, following the blackouts faced by Blackberry users. Less than 15 years ago, Apple were in a similar situation and were almost out of business, until Steve Jobs returned and rescued them!  Now that Mr Jobs is no longer with us, who will rescue them if and, sadly when the mud hits the fan?

The fact is that nothing is perfect and that includes Apple products.  I agree that they have had a major impact on the world of computing and mobile technology, but so have many other companies, like (love-them-or-hate-them) Microsoft, Adobe, Samsung and HP to mention a few.

There is a saying, ‘pride comes before the fall!’  I am suggesting that Apple uses count their their words and attitudes very carefully, because you don’t know what tomorrow holds.

WOW. Just watching this hurts.  Cyclist, Evan Van Der Spuy, took a smack from a red buck while racing in South Africa recently.  He was not seriously injured and tweeted later that he had a stiff neck.

There have been suggestion that this was a well constructed fake, but I doubt that.  This looks real and certainly looks like it could have done some serious damage.

I picked the news feeds today that I watch everyday and I read of a father being harassed by police in Scotland for taking photos of his daughter in a public area, the inevitable Republican disagreements, the never ending Obama/GOP cat-fight and of course, the ‘brilliant’ bunch ‘occupying’ Wall Street.  These are just some of the stories in the papers from around the world.

The question I ask is, ‘What the heck is going on?’  Obama has an agenda of one.  Get re-elected and if you screw the country up in the process, so what!  He and his administration friends will leave office with healthy bank balances and work guarantees for the future.  I think it is about time that the political system in every country should change.  No more ‘professional’ politicians!  Any person running for public office should have been successfully employed or should have run a successful business for at least 15 years.

And no of these make believe jobs like being a community organizer or some professor teaching political science at university.  Real jobs in real companies!

And then there are the GOP loonies!  Take the crowd on the campaign trail at present.  Surely there are more respectable bunch in a saloon in the wrong end of town!  That would be except for Herman Cain and Michele Bachman.  He may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but as a successful businessman, he will know how to fix what Obama has broken.  Bachman would be a great Vice-President to Cain.  She may not have the ability to say it properly, but at least she has some good ideas.

Then every ones friends.  The occupy Wall Street bunch!  Protest all you like, but unless you want a communist state, nothing will change!  Half the original protectors will be looking for jobs on Wall Street in the not distant future and many of the others will be relying on Wall Street to fund the plays, movies and television careers.

And finally in one of the most screwed up tales in many years.  A father banned from a shopping mall because he was taking photos of his daughter.  It seems the staff at some stall thought he was photographing them and objected to the security, who acted in typical fashion without establishing the facts.  You know the type.  Give a man a badge and he suddenly becomes god.

What is going on? I asked earlier.  Nothing actually, other than life in all its color, stupidity and self centeredness.  That’s all!  Just life.

I hope you have a great one.