Why pigs in space are worth your time: The case for playing Angry Birds March 29, 2012 THIS may make me an addict turned dealer, but here’s my advice for the weekend. First, read this article. Then buy the Angry Birds Space app. It’s important to get the order right. In a world where time and resources are scarce, playing a computer game seems perverse: it expends time and money without any [...]
Time to hear the real voices of the uprising in Syria March 29, 2012 THE Syrian uprising against the regime of Bashar al-Assad has inspired the world. But all is not well in the opposition camp. I joined the Syrian National Council (SNC), Syria’s “government-in-exile”, for the greater good of my country, agreeing to work with different factions within the Council in the hope of ending the bloodshed imposed [...]
Is E.ON/RWE’s cancellation of new nuclear plants a danger to British energy security? March 29, 2012 YES Tony Lodge The decision by the RWE/E.ON consortium to drop plans to build new nuclear power plants is arguably the biggest setback for UK nuclear strategy since the 1970s. It hugely undermines the government’s plans to deliver a balanced and diverse portfolio of new nuclear investors, which is vitally important. It means that the [...]
RAPID RESPONSES March 29, 2012 Jobs for the girls [Re: Should we be nostalgic for the 1960s workplace?, Wednesday] In the 1960s I worked in market research on Madison Avenue in one of the top agencies of the day, Benton & Bowles. While most smoked, there was no alcohol around during the daytime. What I find particularly wrong with Mad [...]
Not for flower girls these days: Covent Garden’s luxury new flats March 29, 2012 Less than a mile up the road in Mayfair, property sells for at least £2,000 per square foot. Covent Garden, arguably a more vibrant area of central London, is still roughly half as expensive – homes can be had at prices from £1,000 per square foot. Perhaps not for long, though: one of the reasons [...]
A vision of the future: how the rental sector can reward investors March 29, 2012 Institutional investors, such as pension funds and investment funds, have been debating whether to dip their toe in the residential property market for years. Such investment is the lifeblood of the UK’s commercial sector, but despite much talk, institutions have very little exposure to residential property. This fact has often been blamed on factors such [...]
To sell or not to sell in light of the Budget March 29, 2012 DIRECTOR, DOUGLAS AND GORDON Q In light of the Budget I’m wondering whether I should put my house in Battersea on the market as it’s been valued at just over £2m. A The Budget has confused a lot of people but the most pronounced effect is where a property is being bought, with a value [...]
PROPERTY NEWS March 29, 2012 Savills selling historic Provencal mas Savills is selling Mas de l’Hospitalet, a historic Provencal mas where Oscar winning actor, Jean Dujardin held his wedding ceremony in 2009. The property dates back to the 12th century and was built by Templar Knights on the order of the King of France. Currently, the property is a boutique [...]
Crash of the Titans as sequel bombs March 29, 2012 FILM WRATH OF THE TITANS Cert: 12A ** SOMETIMES it’s a mixture of little things that let a film down. Sometimes it’s one hugely important thing like, for example, the entire script. Certainly, making a sequel to Clash of The Titans, with its woeful dialogue, unintentionally hilarious accents and hulking, dull storyline is a gutsy [...]
Some good shapes don’t save this dance March 29, 2012 FILM STREETDANCE 2 Cert: PG ** Streetdance was, if not a masterpiece, at least a refreshingly British take on the many schmaltzy dance movies churned out in the last decade (Honey, Step Up and Save The Last Dance anyone?). So it’s odd that in the sequel the hero is American (Falk Hentschel) and furthermore, that [...]
