When I was a boy in the 30s we were taught in Sunday School that the world would come to an end at the millennium – translated as sometime in the future. In retrospect the whole idea was obviously crazy, because in 70 years there would be the millennium, and nobody seemed to notice the… Continue reading Does chaos rule
27,11,08, Just a Question
I read on Google today that the change in VAT is allegedly bringing about a price war between the big retailers. Presumably implying that the 2p change in VAT is going to make that much difference. It seems so contrary to what I had expected. About a mile and a half from where I live… Continue reading 27,11,08, Just a Question
A laymans take on TV drams, 2 of 2
In some ways it can be a curse to have an analytical mind, as it makes one pull things apart to find out what makes them tick. In Part 1 of these two posts I criticised a lot of the drama on TV because of aimless chatter and impossible wreckage. Then I discovered ‘Love Actually’,… Continue reading A laymans take on TV drams, 2 of 2
A laymans take on TV drama,1 of 2
To people of my age the television, and television drama in all its guises, is the staple of the evening, often bolstered by DVDs, when the menu is repetitive. This tends to make one take more interest in the reason why one prefers one film to another, in retrospect. When I was at University I… Continue reading A laymans take on TV drama,1 of 2
Polirical and commercial rashness
It is rather ironic that Harriet Harman, the Equality Minister, has chosen Joan Bakewell as the official voice of old people, thus, I presume, distancing herself from what her mouthpiece might say. Joan is advocating a sort of selective euthanasia, but is a bit vague as to who is going to do the selecting, while… Continue reading Polirical and commercial rashness
Finding a Career
With people losing their jobs, and in another six months, hundreds of youngsters coming on to the labour market, it made me think back over the years of careers that I have had, and how most of them were derived through circumstance rather than any careful choice. In all, I have had seven careers, and… Continue reading Finding a Career
The inconsistencies of politics today.
It is not so long ago that Eire, for some reason, which I never clearly understood, and with a population of only 4.1 million, were contributing to the United Kingdom’s finances for some reason or other, by subsidising some project in the North. Yet here we are, a little more than a year further on,… Continue reading The inconsistencies of politics today.
What goes around comes around, and a plea from the heart
I shall soon be approaching the point where, with help from my grandson, I shall be rehashing the blog and removing a lot of the articles. It will then be divided into two parts, the biographical information which I believe is what interests most people, together with essays on things that interest me, and less… Continue reading What goes around comes around, and a plea from the heart
Statisticians are a tool, not forecasters.
If we are going to use statisticians, we should also use common sense when applying those statistics. Politicians and TV presenters give out figures we take on face value that give the appearance of a massive change, because they are out of context. For example, yesterday on the news, they stated sales on the high… Continue reading Statisticians are a tool, not forecasters.
An addendum to Friday’s post, on 7,11,08
I am neither an economist, nor have I got a financial background, and perhaps that is the reason why I find our current financial situation to be surreal. I have now seen the future I referred to in ‘Crazy Mathematics’ and I still don’t understand it, but feel that, as I, and my family, will… Continue reading An addendum to Friday’s post, on 7,11,08