The main thing about money is that it makes you do things you don’t want to do.

“Meanwhile, their lives suck. Appointments back to back, booked solid for the next 3 months, they look forward to their two week vacation in January during which they will likely be glued to their Blackberries or other such devices. What is the point? I do not understand the legacy thing. Nearly everyone will be forgotten. Give up on leaving your mark. Throw the Blackberry away and enjoy life.”

The subject of the pressure of the corporate business world is having a zeitgeist moment right now. The recent stock market crash and the resulting scramble of the global markets have thrust finance workers into the spotlight. Nowhere is this more evident than on the Internet with all the photos of sourpuss stock brokers being featured heavily since the Dow began its quick downward descent. I think we were all under the impression that as long as you were willing to be a capitalist pig, it was easy to make money on Wall Street. Greed is the gift that keeps giving, as long as you sacrifice your personal ethics. Why let scruples get in the way of making your fortune? But now the rules have changed and all bets are off. I think we have all entertained the fantasy of making a pile of cash and leaving the rat race forever. There are legitimate escape routes, of course. But usually this scenario involves breaking not only the rules, but several laws as well. Is the risk worth the reward? I have watched enough crime drama to know that the best laid plans tend to result in jail time. But the fantasy of a life without career commitments is awfully seductive. At the very least, it is something to consider as a last resort. The opportunity to say “So long, suckers!” is too good to be forgotten. The possibility to say goodbye to the bullshit is a strong subconscious desire. So when I read the letter from the hedge fund manager who was cashing out and leaving town, I had mixed emotions. I switched back and forth between joy and contempt, sometimes during the same sentence. But I guess I have always been a creature of desire consumed with envy. However, I promise not to harbor any bank heist ambitions. But that is exactly the narrative for this video. I always had a soft spot for Heaven 17 and their eclectic mix of electronics and social commentary.