I’m Watching Celtic
As it’s a choice between Chelsea, Manchester United and Celtic, it’s a bit of a no-brainer really. Especially, as the two English clubs are losing.
Ten EU Nations Vote For Financial Transaction Tax
The FTT is one of those ideas, that might well come into being in the next few years. But if it does come into being it has to be universal with every country charging the tax, otherwise financial transaction will move to the areas of lowest tax.
So the decision of ten EU countries to introduce such a tax is in my view not the best idea. Read about it here on the BBC. I doubt if this proposal will work very well as two of the shrewdest countries using the Euro; Ireland and The Netherlands are not joining. Obviously, we aren’t as why should we disadvantage the City of London with respect to New York, Dubai and Tokyo?
One question that I have about the limited EU proposals is what do you get charged if your bank is head-quartered in a country, that levies an FTT. I don’t bank with a bank that is, but say if I banked with Santander, I’d be moving my account tomorrow.
On a personal note, an FTT on all transactions might possibly harm peer-to-peer lenders like Zopa, so in fact it might be a block to innovative financial developments in countries within the net of the tax.
I give a non-worldwide FTT a couple of years at most, as it will disadvantage companies in countries within the tax.
If the EU wanted to raise more tax, they could clamp down on illegal cash transfers between countries in the Euro. How do these fall within an FTT? Many houses, too in places like France are sold in part by bank transfer and by cash to avoid the capital gains tax.
My House Is Trying To Kill Me!
It’s cold here and I put the heating on. Unfortunately, the heating system has a mind of its own and doesn’t seem to have any idea about how to control to a reasonable temperature.
- Sometimes if it’s been off for a few hours, the floors are icy cold and take another few hours to show any heat.
- Often the boiler doesn’t start on the timer and I have to switch it on and off a couple of times to get it going.
- Today, it has been showing another of its traits and is just pumping more and more heat into the floor, without any regard for my comfort. A few hours ago, the temperature was 27 degrees, with the heating turned off and the windows wide open.
At least the air-conditioning has got it down now to 25 degrees.
The plumber came round and they felt something must be jammed. As the builder is coming tomorrow to gut my bathroom, they’ll be back then to find the fault, hopefully.
The builder is starting the deJerrification of this house. Hopefully, they’ll finish it before the house puts me in hospital again. Or even worse!
FIFA Sees Sense On Goal-Line Technology
At last! It’s all here about how the old farts have caved in to technology!
I’ll believe it when I see it in action.
The Olympics Come In £377 million Under Budget
This has just been announced and you can read about it here in the Independent.
Various commentators and politicians have said that this is all down to good project management.
Sadly, there is no credit given to those that started the project management software revolution in the 1970s. It is truly an unheralded mainly-British software development, of which I played a small part.
The Anonymous Widower 