Well well. What a start to a day (does one still consider it a start to a day at 4:44 pm? I do feel like my day's just starting... yeesh summer). From discussing child molesters with Jenna, fielding disappointing Cinephile emails, buying groceries, and reading about violence, I'm surprised I've stayed in such a cheerful mood. Must have been some kind of 'happy-hangover' from yesterday. Those exist, right? Well, if not, I'm coining the term. In the name of New France. As I always say, greeted by many blank looks. I amuse me.
Also, for those who have yet to read it, the novel World War Z, which I had repeatedly recommended to me by Grant and Kristy - both of whom were very right to do so - is friggin' awesome. Don't make the mistake of associating the Brad Pitt film with it though. I haven't seen the movie yet, though I probably will someday, but, based on what I've heard, I'm going to take The Oatmeal's word for it:
Being in the midst of reading the book right now, this is really a bummer, because I can all too easily imagine how fucking awesome a direct translation of the book could be. Brooks' prose is so lively and nimble you could basically transcribe the book into a screenplay verbatim as is. Oh Hollywood...
But look! Thematic unity and everything! Because, lo and behold, here comes my fact of the day:
#16: "Zombie banks" exist.
Yup.
Not as in banks that are entirely staffed by, and/or for, zombies. Although that would be hilarious. "Brain banks" could totally be the new "blood banks".
Not speaking of which, did anyone else ever see the movie Daybreakers, with Ethan Hawke, Sam Neill and Willem Dafoe? It was kind of daft but fun, but did have some clever, World War Z style considerations of the socio-political ramifications of a mass outbreak of vampirism, including more literal "blood banks". Good stuff. Intelligence and creativity make me smile.
Back to zombie banks.
In fact, to quote the page from my "Zombie Day Calendar" (thanks Mom) from which I got this fact:
"A financial institution that has a negative net worth but stays in business because the government subsidizes its credit is called a 'zombie bank'. Coined in 1987, the term was created to metaphorically illustrate the perils of keeping insolvent savings and loans companies afloat. The term resurfaced in 1993 to describe the Japanese financial crisis, and again in 2008, when the United States government saw fit to rescue many floundering financial organizations with an enormous bailout package. Similar are more general corporations propped up by the government called 'zombie companies', especially those bailed out by the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) in the United States."
Cool, no? While this kind of thing is far from a surprise given all of the recession/post-recession terribleness going on (still), and the aftershocks of the whole "Occupy" movement, I do like the correlation of the word 'zombie' and governmental influence. DUN DUN DUUUUUUNNN.
That's all for now, tigers and tigresses! Festival of Lights fireworks competition tonight should be a bag 'o fun! Until then, stay tuned!
No comments:
Post a Comment