Image of the week: The ill-fated voyage
Life requires adherence to certain cardinal principles, one of which is surely never to embark on a cruise. It seems a caveat is needed: don’t commit to permanent residency on a “continuous” cruise. This was how the Villa Vie Odyssey’s first-time tour of 425 ports over three years advertised itself. However, the “continuous” part may have been more apt as a descriptor than “cruise”.
This ship, infamous for being marooned in Belfast for a quarter of a year for repairs, finally embarked Monday evening amidst joyful fanfare and the heartwarming story of an engagement that mitigated the delay’s monotony. It’s ostensibly bound for the Bahamas for its initial voyage, with stops in France, Spain, and Portugal. But advancement, much like maritime travel at large, has been somewhat sluggish.
The ship, where some travellers purchased 15-year ‘villa’ slots, barely moved from the dock, covering only a few miles to moor in Belfast Lough. Days later, it remained there, anticipating departure due to unprocessed paperwork delay.
“We need the correct person to give the final signal,” justified Villa Vie Residences CEO, Mike Petterson.
An unfortunate passenger was escorted off the ship after constant complaints and negativity within a WhatsApp group caused a drop in morale. Contrarily, Petterson expressed his displeasure about Belfast, criticising the terrible summer and culinary skills but applauded the city’s drinking culture.
The Voyage’s 125 passengers may share similar sentiments by the journey’s conclusion.
Numerical-ups and downs: The downturn of Nike
An 18% fall in Nike’s stock price on the New York Stock Exchange this year doesn’t exactly meet the company’s definition of a “bran new drop”.
With a 10% revenue setback in the first quarter of the financial year, announced this week, Nike retracted its full-year sales forecast, indicating to shareholders that the revival strategy of the imminent new CEO, Elliott Hill, is their main focus.
15%
The Converse brand, which is under the parent company, Nike, has experienced a sales downturn in the current year. This is contrary to what was anticipated as the brand had only recently regained popularity among trendy young females. Fashion dynamics are swift indeed.
An introduction to Scott Wiener:
California’s senator, Scott Wiener, a member of the Democratic Party, was recently referred to as an “outright rogue” by Elon Musk. If Guinan’s quote from Star Trek: The Next Generation is to be referred, he seems like quite a character. In response, Wiener sent a gif to Musk with the caption, “I think you’re projecting, mate”.
Musk’s statement was provoked after an account named “End Wokeness” spotlighted Wiener’s support for trans rights laws. But Wiener has initiated other legislations that Musk may not favour. For instance, he proposed a bill that aimed to introduce first-of-their-kind regulations on artificial intelligence (AI) in the US.
The significant AI safety Bill that mandated developers to include a “kill switch” in their technology met opposition from leading technology companies. Consequently, it has been halted by California governor Gavin Newsom, also a Democrat. According to Newsom, the bill would have been a roadblock to innovation.
Major tech companies can thus carry on with the development of highly advanced technology without any government interference, according to Wiener. So, what could potentially go wrong?
The record: Trump’s technology supporters:
Silicon Valley has seen an increasingly ‘conservative-tech’ trend, with sizable tech tycoons repulsed by the prospect of a female or Democratic president. They are therefore pouring their fortunes into supporting Donald Trump. Who are these advocates?
1. Elon Musk: The wealthiest individual in the world refuted allegations of a planned monthly donation of $45 million (€41 million) to Trump’s route to the presidency. However, he has made a more moderate contribution to a Super-Pac body supporting “meritocracy and personal liberty” (for the billionaire class, at least).
2. The Winklevoss twins: The pair known for their Bitcoin advocacy, who were portrayed in Aaron Sorkin’s Facebook movie, The Social Network, donated such a significant amount to the Trump campaign in Bitcoin, that they breached the federal limit and had to be partially refunded.
3. David Sacks, a venture capitalist who once backed Hillary Clinton, has evolved into a keen supporter of Trump. Sacks has been highly active in fundraising for the ex-president, and has used social media to attract other affluent individuals, stating “Come on in, the water’s warm”.
4. Peter Thiel, once known as a right-wing radical in Silicon Valley and controversially criticised women’s suffrage, is now seen as the primary influence behind Trump’s choice of vice president, JD Vance.
5. In a significant endorsement of Trump, Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, two well-known venture capitalists, backed the former president during their podcast.