Archive for October, 2008
Unpredicted Tides
An eagle eyed reader spotted this
The BBC news had an article on the grounding of a ship in the Tay. A spokes-person stated “preliminary indications are that the grounding may have been caused by an unpredicted drop in the tide.” Of all the things in the world, sure tides are one thing that can be predicted?
3 lacklustre pieces of inspiration on “Unpredicted Tides”
Provide common sense...
Good Investment?
We have been asked
I believe that if I have invested $1000 in Lehman Brothers a year ago it would now be worth less that $30. The same would be true of AAG. However if I had bought beer in returnable bottles, the bottles could be sold for over $100. Would you say drinking beer is a better investment than putting money in the stock markets?
2 lacklustre pieces of inspiration on “Good Investment?”
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Consultant G Says:
October 29th, 2008 at 11:11 amNo.
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Consultant C Says:
October 29th, 2008 at 12:03 pmDrinking beer is never a good financial investment unless you are being paid to drink it (a rare job, but one that I have enjoyed).
Drinking vast amounts of beer to get a small return on bottles is small beer (sorry, couldn’t resist) when it comes to income, as the return is so poor. Collecting and scavenging returnable beer bottles may make sound financial sense IF you can collect enough to cover the cost of your time.
Why not nip down the bookies and put a monkey on a horse? You’ll be able to take some amusing photo’s and sell them to some unwitting pop-art poster company and retire on the procedes.
Provide common sense...
After a book deal
A wannabe author wonders
My life is not in any way dull, my conversation is pretty good and I can happily embellish to my hearts content. Should I join the masses and write about my life and get it published?
One pearl of wisdom on “After a book deal”
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October 29th, 2008 at 11:11 amTricky one, and not really sure how common sense can help you here. I guess the main thing is how good are you at writing ? If it is going to take significant effort on your part, or editorial input, then the rewards may not be worth it. On the other hand if you are a good, quick, entertaining writer then it may be a possibility. Of course, trying to find a publisher who may be interested in fun japes and adventures, rather than some celebrity twat moaning about their uselessness or some sport player describing their injury list may be more difficult. Perhaps you should start with some publishers and agents for advice ?
Provide common sense...
Keynesian economics
A topical poser
Was John Maynard Keynes talking common sense?
2 lacklustre pieces of inspiration on “Keynesian economics”
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Consultant L Says:
October 22nd, 2008 at 11:33 amThere’s an article about him in the Scotsman today, quite the lad it seems, friend of Dorothy until 30s, then married some feisty Russian dancer, dreadful table manners, bit kinky, and incredibly smart.
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Consultant K Says:
October 22nd, 2008 at 11:37 amYes. As was Adam Smith, Okun and so many others.
Completely free markets cannot work but in the same way over regulation will kill them also. It is very easy to look back over the last 10 years and say we should have had more regulation but going forward over regulation may be an issue. (for example, most pension funds will not wish to invest in banks while they cannot give dividends) It is a balance and who am I or even anyone to say where the line is. It is definitely in the sand!
Provide common sense...
Where is God?
A humanist asks
I notice that London buses now have a slogan on the side of them paid for by the brittish Humanist Society saying “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life”. Is this not an attempt by the society to create a religion based around the no God concept or is it a sensible move?
4 lacklustre pieces of inspiration on “Where is God?”
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October 21st, 2008 at 2:40 pmThis is an interesting one. I used to believe that everyone had the right to say what they wanted, when they wanted but have since come to the conclusion this can be dangerous. Look at what Robert “doom and depression” Peston has managed to do for the Brittish banking sector just by spreading fear. Religion has used fear to bring people into it and most faiths are guilty of this. We should have a line in the sand controlling what can and can’t be said but I don’t think this in any way crosses it. I wonder if the ASA could get involved? Are religious posters covered under the same rules of having to substantiate facts?
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On the side of a bus Says:
October 21st, 2008 at 4:06 pm -
An intelligent thinking being Says:
October 21st, 2008 at 5:08 pmIt disappoints me that we still find this kind of thing noteworthy. Why should the fact that ‘god’ in whatever mythological concept / form some use as a crutch does not exist is not worth the news. Do we see adverts on the side of buses saying ‘on a sunny day the sky is blue’ or ‘gravity pulls objects towards the ground’ ? Real progress would be adverts telling us churches would have to pay taxes at long last.
And if you read this and are screaming blasphemer, or sacrilege, why not get a life and accept your responsible for yourself, instead of holding onto you childish security blanket. I really am fed up with this religion rubbish. -
Londoners » News » Right that solves it, the bus says there’s no god Says:
October 21st, 2008 at 7:47 pm[...] what better way to cheer up a miserable commute on a Monday morning. Tagged as: london buses, london buses no god, Londoners, [...]
Provide common sense...
Danagerous Percentages
A person has sent in some common sense
Am I the only person who is worried by the BBC and others lack of understanding of maths. They talk about the stock market having lost 40% of its value and then being happy with the fact that a 10% gain meaning it is 25% of the way back to where it was. (OK I am rounding numbers for simplicity) Please can people deal in real numbers as the 10% gain in reality is only 15% of the original level recovered. Is this another case of the media stirring things up?
2 lacklustre pieces of inspiration on “Danagerous Percentages”
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October 14th, 2008 at 12:56 pmAh yes, the use and abuse of numbers. I could rant about it, or I could point you towards Ben Goldacre’s book on ‘bad science’ that has a great chapter on uses and abuses of percentages. Any fan of common sense should own a copy:http://www.badscience.net/buy-the-book.
Or I could lend my copy, providing this act of lending did not breach any of the appropriate copyright laws. -
October 29th, 2008 at 4:19 pmand it is not just percentages that can annoy. The use of made up units such as 4 times the length of a blue whale rather than 120m annoys me. I found this one recently “Four new windfarms that will produce enough electricity to power 230,000 homes, equivalent to a city more than four times the size of Norwich, started development today.” Why not just find a city that is the required size or even just state the MW capacity!
Provide common sense...
Banking on Experience
A banker asks
I have been running a fairly large bank for a number of years and now find myself out of work. Any suggestions on what I should do?
2 lacklustre pieces of inspiration on “Banking on Experience”
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October 13th, 2008 at 12:44 pmCommon sense suggests you set up a debt collecting agency, or move into house re possessions. Then again, if you have been running the bank, I am sure you will be able to live from the rather healthy bonuses you have been giving yourself.
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October 13th, 2008 at 1:11 pmI agree with Con G. Relax and enjoy your ill gotten gains. May as well, no matter what you do now folk are still going to see you as the bloke who broke the bank so you may as well run off and enjoy yourself.
October 30th, 2008 at 11:55 am
It is possible that the drop in tide was not predicted by the captain due to being asleep, incompitent, drunk or from another planet (not that i am suggesting he was any of these - just hypothetical reasoning). All marniners should be aware of tide and weather - it is a basic requirement.
Still, nice to know he floated again at about 15.00 GMT yesterday afternnon when the tide came in again - i wonder if he predicted that outcome ?
October 30th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
surely that would be income (not outcome) if the tide was rising?
October 31st, 2008 at 1:37 pm
in out shake it all about