Just another beautiful day in paradise. Here we are, Friday 29 November and it’s not far now to Christmas and the New Year. I think the NYE list we have on the website is now just about complete with what we have to offer this year and there are plenty of choices to be had. Some are already sold out, though, so maybe it is a good idea to move fast and book early for the hot spots.
This week was busy with The Iron Fairies 1st Anniversary celebrated on Wednesday night, where we started early with Brewok band supplying the tunes, Drinks and snacks were passed around and good times had by all. Later DJ EZ, the godfather of UK garage was spinning his wares at Red Ruby. I don’t think I have ever seen someone hit the cue button so much ever. James Taylor was saying they would probably have to send the decks in for repair the next day, but man, for a Wednesday night it was a huge show. Thursday of course was Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate.
Meanwhile, I heard an economist talking recently about social media and big tech and it made me think a little about the immediate future – not some distant future. Mr Yanis Varoufakis spoke about what effect big tech has on the economy and I must say, it is not looking too promising. He was explaining how big corporations of the world like Ford, General Motors, or General Electric say they usually dispense 85 percent or so of their revenue in the form of wages and salaries, which creates jobs and security for many. Meanwhile, Facebook, for example, dispenses 1% of their revenue in wages. How can that be, he asked rhetorically. Simply put, we are the ones doing all the work, or better said, making the content for those platforms to keep our eyes on the screen and money in their pockets. And these big tech companies are some of the biggest businesses in the world. It reminds me of what Rupert Murdoch said many years ago about the internet. The internet will destroy more wealth than it creates, he said. Yes, indeed, it does appear that way. And what is the solution to this, asked the reporter to Varoufakis. There is no clear answer, he replied. I imagine if it continues like this we’ll all be making these Silicon Valley people very rich doing their work for them while hardly anyone else has a real job. Add to that AI and robots doing just about everything in the manufacturing and service worlds, what do we have left? Not a hellova lot, I would imagine. This all seems to be coming pretty soon, too. It is not some far distant scenario in a futuristic science fiction novel you may have read some time ago. This is the, almost, here and now. But, as we all know, opportunities come from challenges, so we just have to keep our eyes open and minds alert for when they arise. Food for thought, indeed.
There are some major events on this weekend including G Flip at Ulu Cliffhouse on Saturday, the LP Club kicks off tonight in earnest at Labyrinth in Nuanu City, a pretty cool boat trip is on with a great DJ line-up on The Shivanna on Saturday and another big night will be had at Red Ruby as they celebrate their 7 year anniversary.
Want to be kept up-to-date with what is going on around Bali? We send out The Beat Update email every week. If you would like to receive all the events info for the next week and other stories, straight to your mailbox please sign up here.
Highlights in the Bali nightlife this week? There are always plenty of parties and shows on around the island…. Bali never ceases to amaze! Check out all the events, both featured and regular, on thebeatbali.com/bali-events.
Happy week to you all.