This is just self-indulgence!
This is not my dog but it brings out the same feelings in me as if I was looking at my German Shepherd.
Author: Paul Handover
UK employment figures.
No sign of green shoots here.
While these figures were published by the UK Office for National Statistics last Wednesday, first opportunity to comment on this Blog was today. It’s not a pretty sight!
These trends look really nasty and not a hint of an upturn in employment or a lessening of the rate of increase in unemployment.
This is a spoof, isn’t it?
Big brother may be watching
But in this case it is a mythical pizza house. (Includes sound as well)
Anyway, watch this futuristic scene courtesy of the American Civil Liberties Union.
By Paul Handover
The sub-prime crisis
British humour
One aspect of British culture is their dry sense of humour. In terms of satire, for over a decade three people have held pole positions: Rory Bremner, John Bird and John Fortune. WikiPedia has a very good summary.
Bird and Fortune have also recorded a series of ‘interviews’ focusing on some of the idiocies of life.
Here’s a classic about the sub-prime crisis. Slightly dated but no less funny for that.
More from these incredibly, clever guys from time to time.
By Paul Handover
Integrity in photography
Integrity in photography is more complicated than one might expect.
Earlier in the week, there were a couple of Posts drawing attention to the outstanding quality and beauty of the land and seascapes from Patrick Smith Photography. This time, the subject of this Post is about integrity in photography.
A slight change in programme!
My aim is to publish two Posts a day.
However, from today until late on Sunday, we shall be away. So from today until Tuesday, only one Post will be appearing on the Blog automagically, as it were!
Paul H.
Technology and electronics, a personal muse.
The amazing development of electronics over 50 years.
The calendar reliably informs me that this is my 65th year. My brain, of course, lags somewhat in accepting this!
My step-father during my early teenage years worked for Elliott Brothers (the link goes to an interesting history of the firm that started in 1804) in Borehamwood, just north of London. He encouraged me to fiddle with ‘steam’ radios and
try and understand how these basic circuits worked. It was then a small step to deciding to become a radio amateur, popularly known as a radio ham! In those days it was a case of some pretty intensive studying to pass a Theory exam as well as being able to pass an exam in sending and receiving Morse code.
Avro Vulcan – another wow of an aircraft!
Avro Vulcan Cold War Bomber XH558 takes to the skies again.
That was almost two years ago and, at the time, it wasn’t sure how the funds would keep coming in to enable this amazing aircraft to remain in the air.
Remarkably, the money was found and this great, historic aircraft flies on.
Selling – finding customers, Part 1.
Prospecting with pin-point accuracy.
One of the classic ways of catching business students out is with the following:
Question: If I am conducting a direct mail campaign, what would represent an excellent response?
Typically, students will answer, “2%”, “3%”, etc. In fact any form of percentage response would miss an important point.
Correct answer: An excellent response, nay magical response, would be if only those that had the money and motivation to buy responded.
Impossible? Yes!
The lessons in Chrysler?
Chrysler, investing, entrepreneurism and common sense.
Many, many years ago I went on a course on starting your own business. It was held in London and caught my eye because just a few months previously I had resigned my sales job with IBM UK Ltd and commenced a journey of being self-employed, in the sense of being responsible for my own income. A 31-year journey that has provided so many riches in a non-financial sense.
Since we are talking about an event so long ago, it is not surprising that few memories are intact about that single day in a smart hotel in the centre of London.
BUT, one thing has stayed with me, and served me well.
Never get involved in a business where you don’t really know the marketplace.
So a recent article in the New York Times (Saturday, 8th August) about Cerebus, the private capital investment company that purchased Chrysler two years ago wasn’t short on lessons for us more down-to-earth guys. Here’s a extract from the interview that Louise Story with the NYT (cool surname, by the way, for a journalist!) did with Steve Feinberg, co-founder of Cerebus, in his smart office on Park Avenue.
Learning from Dogs 