As the Poor Get Poorer, the Rich Retreat

One of the podcasts I subscribe to is BBC's Documentaries podcast. Like 60 Minutes, the stories they cover really open up my mind to a lot of different subject matter that I normally wouldn't delve into on my own, such as the trafficking of children, how people living in the oppressive USSR got a hold of Beatles music in the 60's and the threat of the Yiddish language disappearing.

However, the episode I do want to discuss today is a subject that has become increasingly relevant to us all: the economy. It's supposedly not just the poor people being hurt in this downturn; rich people are feeling the pressure too. The BBC put together a piece called The Rich in Retreat, which is one of my favourite pieces from the BBC to date, regardless of my feelings towards that segment of the population.

The struggles of lower and middle class citizens have been well-documented in the media. For a lot of us, we don't need the media to tell us that things are bad. We can see the effects of the downturn in our everyday lives, whether that's those around us our ourselves who are suffering. But there's another side to the story that the average person would probably detest more than ever: the life of the wealthy in this downturn. The actions of AIG a few months ago didn't help, and the disdain towards the wealthy is more fierce than ever.

This podcast tries to get into the hearts and minds of the wealthy during this crunch. It includes interviews with those who live in the upper-crust, while covering the struggles they go through and the personal greed that ultimately caused this financial crisis in the first place. One of the highlights of this piece is an interview with a multi-millionaire who ended up in jail after being convicted of fraud and tax evasion.

After hearing their stories, do you feel bad for them? Do you hate them even more? Do you think they really understand the problems that the average person is feeling right now?

Give it a listen by clicking on the picture below, and come to your own conclusions. I'd love to hear what you think as well. Drop me a comment on the blog and let's discuss.

Assignment - Rich in Retreat

If you'd like to hear more BBC Documentaries podcasts, you can check out their web page, or subscribe to it on iTunes.


Images from Connect Michigan and the BBC

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40 Minutes: The 60 Minutes Podcast

60 Minutes isn't exactly known for speaking to the youth of the world. The show has always struck me as something a more conservative and older person would watch. When I think 60 Minutes, I think of my grandparents; no offense.

However, in a weird move to me, 60 Minutes became available as a podcast. Podcasts are still a niche that hits an audience that I don't think would care for the type of journalism that 60 Minutes provides. Is it a grab at a younger demographic? Maybe they knew something I didn't or maybe I'm just getting old, but as a subscriber to the podcast, I actually enjoy it.

The 60 Minutes podcast is the same television broadcast with two differences:

1) There are no commercials, so it's not actually 60 minutes
2) It's an audio only show

At certain points, the impact of the show is lost without the visuals. Overall though, I enjoy listening to 60 Minutes podcast while I'm on the go. I like it most because the show isn't made for me.

We oftentimes get trapped looking at the world strictly from our own perspective. We consume only what we want to consume and we close ourselves out of the big picture. There are certain people in my life that I have been around that were so closed-minded to the world that I thought they were from another planet. I never wanted to be one of those people that didn't know what was happening in my own back yard, and one way I like to do that is to change my perspective.

60 Minutes is definitely a perspective-changer for me. I normally don't consume investigative newsmagazine-style content about any subject matter, let alone about subjects like the role of the FDIC, but some of it I find genuinely fascinating. I didn't even know what the FDIC was until I listened to the story on the process that happens when a bank closes. Since the banking system is different in Canada than the US, I never really thought about what happens when a bank closes. Now I know.



I posted the video above in case you were interested.

I just listened to story from this week's show about the rise of gun sales in the United States. It's a really powerful piece that strikes a chord to anyone that has an opinion on gun control. In the economic downturn, gun sales are booming. Why? And there's more to this story than just the stockpiling of guns and ammo.



I'm glad I saw that story and I never would have found that had I not taken the chance on the 60 Minutes podcast. I feel a very certain way about gun control, but there's another side to the story that I wouldn't have even thought about until I saw this. Consider me enlightened.

Even though I still find Andy Rooney's nonsensical psychobabble maddening and reminiscent of Grandpa Simpson, the show is still worth my 40 minutes.

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Jett, This Is Your Life

It is with a heavy heart that I find myself at the account status section of my old blog. I think it's time to pull the plug on an old friend.

Back in 2003, I was blogging before I even knew the word "blog" existed. To me, it was an online diary, and I treated it as such. Well, I treated it more like a personal diary, with the caveat that maybe someone else in the universe would find it.

As a teenager with a lot of pent up thoughts and emotions, having that extra outlet to vent worked wonders. Whether I was writing a happy or sad post, I could express that feeling and hit that "Post" button for closure. It was really weird going back and reading those old entries. It stirred up a lot of weird feelings in me. It also made me realize that I've matured a lot from the days of writing about lost love or random moments in life.

Writing that blog made me realize how powerful a blog could be. I thought nobody would ever care about what I had to say, but apparently a lot of people did. Many of my friends said they were active followers of my blog. Every now and then, I would receive random comments from people all over the world. What really freaked me out was the fact that I was ranked within the top million at one point on Technorati. To me, what I was writing was strictly for myself. The world thought otherwise.

From there, I decided to start a podcast to reach out to the world a bit more. Over 1,000 people subscribed to that before it had to end. It's still crazy to me to see the power you possess when you have an idea and an outlet on the Internet. It was through those "trial runs" that made me realize that I could achieve so much more if I structure it for a larger target audience while keeping the personality that made my old blog worth following.

Through that blog, I became a stronger person, found my voice in life and established a life plan. Ultimately, part of that life plan included starting a new blog that featured a new coat of professionalism and maturity. Since school ended, jettlandicho.com has been great as a tool with a much broader scope than my original blog. It's more than just a place to express my emotions. It's a place to create and build on career opportunities not only for myself, but for The Leaders of the New as well.

I'll forever cherish my old blog. I put in over 6 years of my life into it, with over 600 entries. It's hard to see it go, but it's for the best. The entire thing is backed up, should I ever choose to publish it or something. But it's time to move on, and I'd feel more comfortable removing it from public view than abandoning it for the cyber-squatters to tarnish.


Goodbye, old friend. Thanks for the memories. I'll do you proud on this one.

"I can't predict the future, but I can place myself in a position today where I'll be better off tomorrow."

- Me, "Coming of Age", September 28, 2004

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