Revolutionary Technology
I took this picture of HMV at The Angel.
Revolutionary Technology
Note the banner.
Revolutionary Technology in-store now
I thought that was what they sold; records. CDs and DVDs that go round and round!
They just don’t seem to be very successful at it!
Camelot Increases The Tax On The Poor
Camelot is being reported as doubling the cost of playing the National lottery to £2, but with bigger prizes. It’s all here in the Guardian.
I suppose it will tend to absorb all of those dreaded £2 coins that I don’t like!
I wonder how long the National Lottery will last.
Now Blockbuster Bombs
Now Blockbuster seems to have gone bust.
It certainly wasn’t my custom that kept them afloat for so long.
I think, I may have rented a video a couple of times, many years ago, but who does now?
If I want to see a film, I go to the cinema and have a full experience.
How many now to fill a whole in the evening’s viewing turn to the BBC’s iPlayer and the other channels’ equivalents.
Comet, Jessops and HMV
I don’t think in the last seven or so years, I’ve ever used any of these shops. I certainly haven’t since C died.
In fact, my last camera was bought in John Lewis, as was my last computer and most of the goods one traditionally bought at Comet.
And as I rarely listen to music these days, I don’t have a need for HMV or their on-line alternatives.
Now I know that my non-purchases didn’t push them over the edge, but we live in times, where every purchase is made with care, either for financial reasons or just for those of style and taste. Goods too, last longer.
Britain’s Favourite Shopkeepers To Invade Europe
I picked up this story about John Lewis in the Sunday Times, but it’s in more detail here in the FT.
Not only are they going to have foreign language web sites, but they are talking of having stores in Europe. There first venture is Waitrose in Jersey. Hardly a risk, as most of the customers will probably speak English, but typical of the John Lewis softly-softly approach.
Do People Pay Off Loans At The End Of The Year?
Looking at my Zopa figures it seems to show that more loans are paid up early around the turn of the year.
I can’t get any decent figures from my database, but it could be that at that time, people take a hard look at their finances and other factors might come in, such as parents paying off their children’s loans as a Christmas present.
Or it could be a one off effect this year as the Bank of England has said that mortgage lending has increased.
On the other hand, Zopa still seems to be lending money at the same rate, so perhaps the losers in this pincer movement are those providing traditional loans and overdrafts.
Does A Country, Company Or Organisation Need A Woman At The Top?
There has been a lot of news today about the release under the thirty-year-rule of secret documents concerning Margaret Thatcher and various subjects like the Falklands War, Jimmy Savile and her son, Mark.
Nothing is particularly contentious, except perhaps the fact that someone misjudged what was happening in Argentina and gave Mrs. Thatcher bad information. But then the Secret Intelligence Service, didn’t give Tony Blair the best information either.
On the other hand, when dealing with Mark lost in the desert, she seems to have acted to make sure that the state didn’t pay for her son’s folly.
If we go through the history of the United Kingdom, you’ll find that at various dark hours, women have been to the fore. You could start a list with Boudicca, Elizabeth the First, Victoria and Margaret Thatcher. You could argue that our current Queen has been a safe pair of hands for most of her life. She was also part of that vast army of women, who stepped in to fill the gaps in the factories, in transport and as support staff during the Second World War. Hitler didn’t mobilise the German women and he of course lost. Some historians say the mobilisation of women in the UK, was a major factor.
I would argue that you don’t need to have a woman at the top,but once you have, it changes a lot of the culture, even if it’s just other talented women believe they can get there. And competition is always healthy, as it promotes the best!
Look at Margaret Thatcher’s effect on British politics. Before her stint as Prime Minister, there were few women at the top in British politics and there have been a lot more since she resigned.
Look at the basket cases of the Eurozone! How many of them have had a woman Prime Minister or President. Only Ireland and that is the one country in trouble, that is making progress towards sorting its finances.
A Good Reason To Avoid Facebook
I do anyway, but their tax position, seems to be in line with Starbucks, Amazon and Google according to this report.
In fact, it’s rapidly getting to the point, where using a large company reduces tax revenues. Although, it does seem that American companies are the best at finding ways of avoiding paying tax. Or should that be worst?
If you think I’m being sanctimonious here, I once paid a tax bill of £3,500,000. If you don’t believe me, I have the cheque on the wall to prove it. I could have avoided the tax bill, by going to live in Monaco or somewhere equally boring for a few years. But then this country has so many good things, that I’d miss.
Wonga Move Into Credit Card Territory
According to this article from the BBC, Wonga are moving into credit card and web fulfilment territory with their latest service called PayLater.
Although, I’m not a fan of Wonga, it could be a good idea, provided they moderate their interest rates.
Would I like to see someone like Zopa or Ratesetter doing the same? Only of course, if they didn’t relax their credit checks.
After all, for years, with many products and some big purchases like cars, finance has been an integral part of the process.
The trouble with something like Zopa doing this, could be, that if the loan is turned down, then the sale could be lost.
But Wonga’s thinking does show how the banks and credit card companies are getting it in the neck from the new financial innovators.
Businesses Get Bees On The Roof
I first saw this in The Times concerning law firm, Olswang.
But there is also an old video story about it on the BBC’s web site.
It obviously seems to be a good idea, as it seems to be catching on.
The Anonymous Widower 