Disruptive Innovation
I’ve not heard the term before, but read this article. It starts with this question and answer.
Question: what do these companies have in common?
Skype, Spotify, Marks and Spencer, Whipcar, Zopa, Zilok, Kiva, Patagonia, Kickstarter, Café Direct, Taskrabbit, Buzzcar and InterfaceFLOR.
Two of my favourite innovators; Zopa and Kiva are mentioned in the same breath as quite a few companies like, Skype, Spotify and M&S.
If the article has a fault, it’s that it misses out a couple of well known names, who the writer would call disruptive innovators.
I would have thought ARM Holdings and Dyson should be on the list. And I would think that a certain company called Metier Management Systems was one of the first! So we were only a shark in a small pond, but we completely rebuilt the pond.
The Highbury Corner littleWaitrose Just Gets Better
It’s now got goat’s milk and St. Peter’s beer and look at these two images of their free-from shelves.
It’s certainly a better selection than some of their bigger stores, with a very good selection from their range of gluten free products, like biscuits, cakes and bread.
The only products I can’t get are things that are heavy with a long shelf life, like beer and cleaning products, but I get those delivered from the Waitrose at the Angel, after buying them in-store. Incidentally, I haven’t used on-line shopping for groceries since I moved here.
A further point, is that later tonight, I checked the High Holborn littleWaitrose and the goods stocked and the layout of the Free From area, appeared to be the same or virtually so.
If this is a policy, I like it, as it means I can pick up a snack by just asking where the shelves are located. Assuming of course, that they haven’t run out.
So what would I change in a perfect world.
1. Waitrose usually has the EatNatural breakfast museli with buckwheat, whereas I prefer theone with vine fruit and have to buy it from Sainsburys.
2. The St. Helen’s Farm Goats Milk Yoghurt is not available in littleWaitroses.
3. There is no gluten-free beer in littleWaitroses. But I get those in once a month with the toilet cleanser.
In other words, I can live with that. But just as the goats milk has now turned up, I feel that if too many complain, adjustments to the stocking policy will happen.
New Lifts At Camden Road
Stannah have been working hard again and new lifts have now been installed at Camden Road station on the Overground.
It couldn’t have been the easiest job, but despite that, the fitting of the lifts into the ground floor, seems to have been done in a manner which shows due respect to the building.
Let’s hope that more and more stations get the Stannah treatment! Especially those dreadful ones down the Lea Valley like Bruce Grove, White Hart Lane, Stoke Newington and many others.
Peruvian Gluten Free Food At Camden Lock
I had lunch at Camden Lock today, after the horse had passed through.
It was a rather tasty grilled chicken, with a vegetable salad and rice. Judging by the size of the chicken breasts she was cooking, the birds were probably the size of rheas. But they were very tender.
Sorry about the thumb in front of the lens.
C wouldn’t have liked them. Note the broccoli, which was her least favourite vegetable. Except for cauliflower that is! Mine is pak choi, as I got so much in hospital in Hong Kong.
Horse Power At Camden Lock
The narrow boat, Ilkeston, was today towed through Camden on the Regent’s Canal in the traditional way by a horse on its way to the London Canal Museum.
The horse, a thirteen-year-old Clydesdale-cob cross is called Bunny.
In some ways it brought me back to my childhood, when I can remember the horse-drawn dust-carts in the old borough of Wood Green. They used to use them around the backs of the shops, as one-horse carts were so manoeuvrable.
IPPR Says Fuel Prices Should Rise
The IPPR is reported to be saying that fuel prices should rise, much to the dismay of motorists. It’s all here in the Telegraph.
I don’t care what happens to fuel prices personally, as I don’t have a car and I get my public transport in the London area free.
But I’ve always felt that fuel prices are too low, as this increases consumption, which increases global warming. It also reduces the pressure for vehicle manufacturers to make more fuel-efficient vehicles.
Concerning the latter, I have a lot of hybrid-buses near me, including of course, the New Bus for London. All of these hybrid buses deliver much higher lower fuel consumption and in addition, quantities of black smoke and noise.
Rises in fuel prices would improve our vehicles in other ways.
Condolezza Rice Invited To Join Augusta National
Augusta National seems to have forgone it’s ban on women members, by inviting two women to join, one of whom is Condolezza Rice. It’s all here in the Guardian.
I remember a tale from a few years back, where someone in Houston, was employing a new secretary. One of those who came for interview,said, that she was a woman, black and Jewish and therefore she ticked three boxes. She got the job, as coincidentally, she was also the best applicant.
So did Augusta choose Connie because she ticked two? The other lady is white and blonde!
I have a feeling that Tiger Woods is not a member!
But then I’m very much in agreement with Groucho Marks on clubs.
I wouldn’t join any club, that would have me as a member.
But then, I’m a member of that dark club called widowhood.
Race, gender and sexual orientation are not restrictions as to membership.
A New Coffee Stall On Islington Green
I walked through Islington Green today and there is now a coffee stall at the opposite end to the statue of Hugh Myddleton.
Giddy Up Coffee Stall On Islington Green
The guy running it is Australian, so it would appear, what with my physio and the chiropodist, the area now seems to have an increasing number of businesses, with Aussies in charge.
EggsMilkButter Is Now Open
EggsMilkButter, the cafe opposite my house, is now open.
The cappuccino was excellent and the wi-fi connection was strong. Although, it is just a few metres too far away to connect to my own router, but that is down to geography and my wi-fi.
The Anonymous Widower 