Anti-capitalist slogans have real costs: Don’t put down a goose that lays golden eggs November 27, 2011 A COTTAGER and his wife had a hen that laid a golden egg every day. They supposed that the hen must contain a great lump of gold in its inside, and in order to get the gold they killed it.” The protesters in the City understand Aesop’s fable as a warning against the greed of [...]
Back to basics is not the way to resolve high pay November 27, 2011 EXECUTIVE Pay is out of control – official. That’s the message from last week’s High Pay Commission report, which claims that “excessive top pay is deeply damaging to the UK as a whole, and action is urgently required to address it.” However, on the subject of long-term incentives, in particular, it is just plain wrong. [...]
Like Terry or Lampard, City stars are worth it November 27, 2011 THE publication of the High Pay Commission’s report last week prompted much comment when it found that remuneration for heading one UK bank has increased dramatically more than average wages over 30 years. Coming on the back of last month’s Income Data Services report, which drew attention to the increase of total earnings for directors [...]
RAPID RESPONSES November 27, 2011 From bad to wurst In Friday’s City A.M., Allister Heath quoted economic research concluding that if a restaurant bill is split equally among diners it is on average 36 per cent more expensive than if people paid individually only for what they ordered, pointing out by extension the obvious moral hazard of Eurozone pooled debts, [...]
San Francisco: the foodie’s dream November 27, 2011 THOSE lucky San Franciscans. One hour north and there’s Napa Valley. A hop skip and a jump (or 30 minutes) east of Napa and you’re in the stunning Sonoma wine region. Natural wonders including Lake Tahoe, Yosemite and the Big Sur are all on your doorstep. Top that with the fabulous food and drink and [...]
TRAVEL NOTES November 27, 2011 Australia to set up marine park bigger than Germany Australia has agreed to set up the world’s biggest marine park to protect vast areas of the Coral Sea off the country’s northeast coast and the site of fierce naval battles during World War Two. The park will cover almost 1m square km – an area [...]
Why it’s time to ditch the term Cyber Monday November 27, 2011 Today is Cyber Monday, which means at some point this evening we will all finally be subsumed into the greater consciousness of the net. Don’t panic, life will be better there. There won’t be any nasty “personalities” or “individuals” or “things,” just an infinite loop of the John Lewis advert playing over the surface of [...]
Welcome to Xmas hamper heaven November 27, 2011 CHRISTMAS TEA HAMPER £150 ● Jubilee Biscuit Selection, 500g Tin ● Afternoon Blend Tea, 125g Tin ● Apricot Preserve, no.98 ● Burleigh Mug ● Christmas Coffee, 250g Tin ● Christmas Curd, 327g ● Christmas Spiced Preserve, 340g ● Jubilee Clotted Cream & Pistachio Biscuits, 250g Tall Tin ● 900g Mulled Wine Spice Bag ST NICHOLAS [...]
Finding the way to make internet content pay off November 27, 2011 ALMOST every Brit has heard of Kelvin MacKenzie: the opinionated, controversial editor of the Sun newspaper in the 1980s and early 1990s who went on to become a succesful media entrepreneur. His son Ashley’s story however is also interesting – and comparatively little known. Unlike the rest of the MacKenzie family, he did not become [...]
A NEW BREED OF VC FUNDS IS THE UK’S BEST FRIEND November 27, 2011 ALL we ever seem to hear these days is that the UK venture capital market is behind the US venture capital market. Yet direct comparisons between the two is not always helpful. The US venture capital market is about 30 years old. By contrast, the UK (and European) venture capital market is only in its [...]
