All watched over by machines of...love and power

Have you ever experienced that growing feeling that you are a part of history repeating itself? I just finished watching an episode of this new documentary series on BBC2 and am hoping this is not the case. It examines how the idea of the 'new economy' came about, the events that led to the Asian economic crash in 1998 and the Isamic attacks on the World trade centre.

The thesis is that power and love corrupts. I'm getting that sinking feeling.

It seems apparent that we are experiencing a re-run of the events that occurred in Asia in 1998. Corrupt and lazy politicians handing over power to financiers and a blind faith in computers to manage markets, is now responsible for two of the greatest economic crashes in history. Do we ever learn?

The IMF blackmailed Thailand and Indonesia into adopting their model of a free market economy in return for a bailout. Markmyword (wondered when I'd ever get to us this turn of phrase!), behind Ireland's bailout is a hidden agenda also. We will be helped by the EU and IMF only as long as we pose a threat to the economic stability of the rest of the EU and foreign businesses. A failure to bring immediate justice to those responsible for the banking crisis demonstrates this.

If we look back through history at the agenda behind the Asian bailout, it is quite apparent that this bailout is solely to protect the interests of investors and provide leverage to renegotiate our Corporation tax. We live under the illusion that events such as the lootings in Thailand and Korea could never happen here. Look at the Greeks already. We are bordering on anarchy but Irish people still lack the will to demonstrate. Are we are not yet hurting enough or we have still to realize the insidious taking over of our country?

Ireland's bargaining power will be determined by the degree of business we do with the rest of the world and more importantly by how much international markets are willing to invest here. We are well positioned to do this both geographically and strategically. Building a strong local economy, investing in farming, craft etc. so we can also become more self sufficient should the loan sharks leave us floundering.

We could also become a thorn in the side.

I'm no expert but could turning Ireland into a Tax Haven be the answer? Or perhaps we could break from the EU, become a hub for Asian businesses, offer tax incentives to the Chinese in return for employing Irish workers and go into competition with the West? Ok I'm throwing a wild card here but it would certainly be an interesting twist of fate. I bet it would make our EU and IMF friends sit up and take notice.

Book Review

Critiquing the psychobabble surrounding the cosmetic industry is not everybody's cup of tea, I thought I'd do a book review for this post. 

'A Whole New Mind; Why Right Brainers will rule the world.'

Well if there was ever a good reason to take up art this must be it! This book follows the evolution  from an Industrial Age through the Technological Age and predicts that the Conceptual Age, which we are entering now, will be dominated by right brain thinkers.

A very optimistic writer (nice change with all the gloomy predictions around!) he argues that creativity  as well as academic skills will be required in the future, in order to compete in the global market. We need to think outside of the box more and indeed this is evidenced in the growing investment in innovation. What's interesting is the fact that we are all very creative, it has become dampened by an over reliance on our left brain. Formal education and a world which has given left brain analytical thinking superiority over creativity, has dampened down this innate ability somewhat. Like any muscle you need to exercise it to make it stronger.

The recession has certainly made a lot of people re evaluate what matters in life. Sadly too many of us derive our self worth by our job and identity by the things we own.

In a world of abundance but where most of us are materially rich and spiritually poor we need to reassess what it means to progress. To be fulfilled we must develop the right brain. A lot of good recommendations, links to sites and creative exercises provided too.

What I particularly like about this book is the balanced viewpoint of Daniel Pink and his ability to reconcile all that touchy feely, arty stuff with success and progression. I just need to grab my paintbrush now and get started!

Amazing how coincidences happen. As it happen just today I was targeted by an overzealous cosmetics assistant ready to 'educate' me. Firstly let me give her credit for excellent product knowledge and wanting to inform as well as sell. I still wonder however, does she actually believe all this stuff herself?  

Sadly I already posted my blog but suffice to say I struggled to keep a straight face while she gave her pitch about 'clocks in our cells that go haywire because of our lifestyles.' Naturally she had the solution, a little potion in a cleverly designed bottle with a dropper (to make it look more scientific naturally) It also had a rather large price tag. The product which I shall not name, somehow resets these 'gene clocks' in our skin cells and Voila! We have radiant ageless skin. 

Blog debut

This is my first blog. Finally have gotten around to setting it up after much deliberation over finding a blog title that hadn't already been taken. Then there was the question of what to write! Amazing how stuck for words you get when you start with this but I'm hoping it gets easier with practice.

Anyway I thought I might put up something I cooked up earlier. Hope you enjoy.

Good Foundations

It appears the cosmetic industry has a social conscience after all! The beauty industry has been investing heavily into laboratory research in a bid conquer the seriously debilitating condition of ‘age angst.’ I decided to take a look at a few of these so-called ‘superfoundations’.

Reading the blurb one could be fooled into believing that without this ‘earthquake resistant’ make-up our faces might disintegrate as fast as the Irish housing market.

However if your face has already started to fall to pieces, you might try ‘Givenchy’s Photo Perfection light Evanescent Foundation’ with ‘expandable beads’ that promise to fill in all your cracks. It works a bit like expandable foam insulation, except it costs more. And let’s face it (no pun intended) with all the cosmetic surgery undergone over the past decade, there must be plenty of customers in the market for facial pollyfilla.

A leading Japanese brand claims its foundation, inspired by the technology behind earthquake resistant buildings, moves with your wrinkles. Working on your fear of major fault lines suddenly appearing in your face, they hope you will remortgage that crumbling house for a pot of Sukku’s ‘Frame Fix.’

If you do not live in Japan or San Francisco earthquake science may not mean much to you when you go shopping for a new face. If however you live in the west of Ireland potholes may be of some concern. Daniel Sandler’s ‘Waterbase Foundation with concealer’ includes ‘shock absorbing technology’ providing a ‘cushioning effect.’ Hopefully it has been tested against the shock of facial expressions caused by the credit card bill. At €32 it’s certainly not the most expensive brand in this category and probably targeted at the generation who are too young to need anti-age creams anyway but certainly old enough to max out daddy’s American Express.  Fortunately their cash rich, insecure swinging sixties mothers may need to spend a bit more to convince themselves ‘they are worth it.’

Of course you get what you pay for and I’m sure the science behind ‘Longoza-Cellular Complex’ (whatever this means) doesn’t come cheap. Christian Dior’s ‘Capture Totale Serum’ based (somehow) on stem cell research, is a snip at just under €200. It claims to beam light into the deeper layers of the skin where it works its’ magic, repairing dermal fissures and potholes. It then bounces back up to the surface instantly giving, not 25% more radiance or even 30%, but exactly 29% more brightness. How they measure this is anybody’s guess, perhaps a spectroradiometer or photometer?

Calling these pseudo-scientific products ‘cosmeceuticals’ commands a premium and differentiates them from their predecessors such as the famous YSL ‘Touche Eclat’ that is now ‘oh, so yesterday.’ To handle today’s high definition cameras you really must have at least one  ‘HD ready’ foundation in your kit. Revlon’s Photoready compact make-up.’ with photochromatic pigments lights from within, to create ‘pixel perfect’ skin.

For those early adopters who have already traded their antiquated HD’s for Plazma, Chanel’s ‘Vitalumiere Aqua’ alludes to RGD technology. It mixes red, green and blue colours to create pure white light that supposedly makes the skin glow with youthful luminosity. But wait a minute, how do you blend light in a foundation and if three primary pigments are mixed don’t you just end up with a muddy brown?

All very confusing but then cosmetology is a science isn’t it?