Wednesday 26 March 2008

Breadless

Egypt, once the bread basket of an empire, is now running short of subsidised bread due to the rising cost of wheat. 

But when everything is a commodity, everything has a price.  And heaven help those who don't have the ability to leverage, as they'll be squeezed further into the gutter and labelled as terrorists if they complain.

Monday 24 March 2008

End of Easter

Well easter monday is finally here, with flurries of snow - luckily for us Londoners - deciding not to settle.

But with flakes the size of plates descending from the sky, it seemed appropriate to take a picture or two.  At least it makes up for the lack of anything meaningful over the christmas period.

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Going back a day or two the peace, which does briefly occur between blaring sirens, was rudely broken by the appearance of another low flying-ish helicopter. 

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Wednesday 12 March 2008

A whole heap, of Chancellors doings

Well the first budget brought into existence by Alistair Darling is a roasted horse chestnuts load of landfill waste. Which will be made ever higher by his inaction.

I imbibe the odd drink and smoke way to much. So yes it's a crap budget for me. More taken out, as ever.

With 'stability' the new watchword replacing 'prudence'; they both appear like pantomime dames. All show but laddered and leaking stockings going as far as the eyes can see.

Can't wait until the next one. When things in the country really do start going downhill.

But on a good note, he's returned to using the old budgetary case that the old chancellor jettisoned. Good to see we're firmly heading back to good old tradition... Oh well boom and bust, here we come!

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Monday 10 March 2008

Boeings lcd

It's always 'interesting' watching, listening to the wranglings and hearty outpourings over the so-called loss of national standings (aka Boeing, McCain et all). But globalisation's been going on for centuries. It's just in this day and age the time to source part b from across the globe, only takes a couple of weeks and not years.

No country wants to have itself swamped, every country wants to protect its citizens employment base, unless of course the employment base gets to uppity; then a dose of unemployment (especially with the potential loss of their homes), would show them who's boss.

But with the global race downward towards the lowest common denominator of price continuing apace, more people on the ground level at home are losing jobs (which are transferred elsewhere), whilst the eating heads of big business complain they aren't making as much profit as they could due to been uncompetitive and having to worry about labour costs.

Amazing how, at the end of the day, when billions are made in net profits, it's usually the directors who see the greatest benefit, whilst the lowly employee gets a 1.49% rise in salary and has to thank his or hers, lucky stars they are still employed for another month.

But then, barring a slip up, it will either be China or India who will take technology to the next level and there the companies can still tread roughshod over the rights of the many.

Tuesday 4 March 2008

Ranting checks

There's nothing more gratifying (well not for me at this moment), than doing a post.  In the firm knowledge I have thoroughly relieved my chronic-over active constipated mind, from another stray bit of arrant nonsense clogging up its ability to accurately: co-ordinate, move, breathe and effectively harmonise all areas of discordant chi's.

Until of course, that submit button's been pressed. 

But on a good note, my less than insightful insights(sic), haven't yet removed me from the list of "socially acceptables".

So it is, that friends make polite points about the odd few spelling errors and even greater glaring grammatical inconsistencies.

What did Douglas Adams id say.... "with a brain the size of a planet!"