Tag: science fiction

The Obliteration of the Brand

Posted on by Bill Kandiliotis in A Hostile Takeover, Novel, Topix

“96.3 per cent of commercial brands were wiped out during the first ten years of the economic recession.”

Holographon, The_Obliteration_of_the_Brand^Holographon^^CORE

Economic recessions

The thirty years of economic recession have had profound consequences on businesses and industries, decimating commercial brands, leading to a staggering decline of 96.3 per cent.

During a prolonged economic recession, businesses often struggle to maintain profitability due to reduced consumer spending, tightening credit, and increased operating costs. Many companies were forced to close their doors or declare bankruptcy, unable to sustain their operations in a challenging economic climate. This resulted in a significant reduction in the number of commercial brands, as companies fail to weather the economic storm.

Prolonged economic recessions typically lead to reduced consumer purchasing power, as unemployment rates rise, incomes stagnate, and consumer confidence wanes. As a result, consumer demand for non-essential goods and services diminishes, causing a decline in sales and revenues for businesses. With a shrinking customer base, many brands struggled to generate sufficient demand to sustain their operations, further contributing to their decline and disappearance from the market.

Surviving businesses sought strategies to weather the storm. One common approach was mergers and acquisitions, leading to industry consolidation. Larger, more financially stable companies acquired struggling brands, absorbing their assets and intellectual property. Consequently, the number of commercial brands would decrease as independent entities are absorbed or integrated into larger conglomerates.

Most brands struggled to pivot their business models, update their products or services, or meet changing consumer demands. This inability to adapt could contribute to their downfall and eventual disappearance from the market. Lack of innovation and failure to address evolving consumer conditions led to the inevitable collapse of most brands during an unforeseeable prolonged economic downturn.

Oblivion

Tech 62 repairs ‘Oblivion’

Posted on by Bill Kandiliotis in Film, Review

No matter how much one attempts to enjoy a work of cinematic science fiction, one cannot help but feel robbed. This is what the makers of ‘Oblivion’ have done. They promised something fantastic and poured $120,000,000 into an intriguing concept, so intriguing that even with a marketing campaign featuring Tom Cruise looking bored… 

I still felt compelled to watch this thing.

Continue reading “Tech 62 repairs ‘Oblivion’” →

Reform or Die

Posted on by Bill Kandiliotis in A Hostile Takeover, Novel, Topix
Old West

“I think we in the Old West had a few decades to improve the economic model and failed to do so, so now we have lost the game.” – zassygirl19

“All of the end-of-the-world scenarios such as economic collapse will be in response to the government’s actions. The government is the biggest threat to the city-state especially when you have people like Edwards and Dochersky in positions of power with virtually no oversight. The Senate would not dare challenge Dochersky.” – 060Prepper090

“If we don’t do something soon, the shit will be over for the type of social-capitalism that many of us have lived through and thought was the best type of capitalism.” – zanzara2141 

– SATURNET:00980\\lnardozi\TROG\reform_or_die.comments

A Dark Future

Posted on by Bill Kandiliotis in Novel, Topix

“In most areas of the world, food security is no longer a given, thus over 800 million people are poised to perish by the time we celebrate the New Year. Water and land mismanagement, climate destabilization, neo-colonialism and kleptocracies have robbed the majority of humanity of its land and capital. Wealth has been squandered protecting wealth so the capacity for any viable reinvestment in humanity has now become non-existent. What lies ahead is unprecedented, unpredictable and very, very dark.”

Travion – CAST434456XCT66_TRAVION^MOJOBLUE^^CORE
kleptocracies - Travion

The Far-Reaching Effects of Land Mismanagement, Climate Destabilization, Neo-Colonialism, and Kleptocracies on Future Society

Land mismanagement, climate destabilization, neo-colonialism, and kleptocracies have always posed significant challenges to our present and future societies. These interconnected issues have had profoundly dark and far-reaching effects on various aspects of human life, including food security, economic development, social equity, and environmental sustainability.

Land Mismanagement

Deforestation, overgrazing, and improper agricultural practices lead to soil erosion, loss of biodiversity, and decreased agricultural productivity. As fertile land diminishes, food production becomes increasingly challenging, exacerbating food insecurity and jeopardizing the livelihoods of millions. This ultimately contributed to social unrest, mass migration, and conflicts over scarce resources over the past two decades.

Climate Destabilization

Primarily caused by greenhouse gas emissions, resulting in rising global temperatures, erratic weather patterns, and more frequent and severe natural climate disasters. These changes impacted agriculture, water resources, and human settlements.

This has led to crop failures, water scarcity, displacement, and increased vulnerability to extreme weather events. The consequences disproportionately affected marginalized communities, exacerbating the extreme inequalities and strained social cohesion we have today.

Neo-Colonialism

Resources, labour, and markets of less developed countries have been exploited for the benefit of dominant supranationals or multinational corporations. It often involves unfair trade practices, unequal access to resources, and economic dependencies that hinder local development. This perpetuates poverty, limits self-determination, and stifles the potential for sustainable growth and prosperity.

Kleptocracies

Corrupt leadership and institutionalized embezzlement have diverted public funds and resources away from critical social investments. These systems prioritize personal wealth accumulation over public welfare, leading to inadequate infrastructure, limited access to education and healthcare, and stifled economic progress. The resulting inequality and lack of social mobility have hindered human potential and perpetuated cycles of poverty.

It is crucial to recognize that these issues have now become insurmountable. By failing to address them with urgency and determination, we are no longer able to mitigate these negative impacts.

Effective land management practices, sustainable agriculture, and reforestation efforts have been rendered ineffective with the current pollution levels. Mitigating climate change through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy investments, and adaptation measures hasn’t been adequate. Neo-colonial practices have exploded and fair trade agreements have disintegrated. Corruption and bad governance have established opaque centralised systems that prioritize big scramble economics.

In most areas of the world, food security is no longer a given, thus over 800 million people are poised to perish by the time we celebrate the New Year. Water and land mismanagement, climate destabilization, neo-colonialism and kleptocracies have robbed the majority of humanity of its land and capital. Wealth has been squandered protecting wealth so the capacity for any viable reinvestment in humanity has now become non-existent. What lies ahead is unprecedented, unpredictable and very, very dark.

Origin: A Hostile Takeover

Posted on by Bill Kandiliotis in A Hostile Takeover, Science Fiction, Writing

The genesis of this project began way back in 2004. Working as a corporate audio visual technician, sitting through endless conferences and business meetings, I posed the question; what if some of these corporate cats around me, who behaved almost like scheming gangsters and money pirates, were indeed genuine gangsters and pirates. How would they fare in this corporate environment? What economic conditions would spawn such a corporate breed?

I wrote a draft script for a short film. Then made the mistake of fleshing it out into feature film. I don’t know how but somehow the story took a life of its own. Soon, I realised a screenplay was not going to be enough. It could never be made and would therefore never find an audience. So I decided to unshackle the story from the constraints of a screenplay and found myself on a long odyssey trying to complete a novel.

This book was written on notepads, scraps of paper, on the back of receipts, on desktops, laptops, numerous smartphones, Nokia phones, iPhones, stored on hard drives, miniSD cards, in clouds. Entire technological inventions and innovations would come and go. I worked on it on trains going to work, during work, underneath the bed covers, in dreams within dreams.

In the end, after finding exciting answers to my inciting questions, and raising new questions and attempting to answer these, I believe this is a story that delves into a near future that is loathsomely familiar, unwelcome, divisive, and yet one we all know is coming.

Book Available Now.