PowerPointPerfect.com

The Bank calls in an expert on deflation, debt and the lost decade

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 06:12:50 +0000

It is fitting that Alistair Darling has chosen Adam Posen as the latest member of the Monetary Policy Committee. The Peterson Institute’s Deputy Director is, as Paul Krugman puts it, “go-to guy for understanding Japan’s lost decade”. Given there is still a pretty good chance of a Japan-style fate befalling the UK, it seems more likely than not that his expertise played a key role in his selection.

Source: Business Listings

Digital Britain: can it surprise us all?

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 06:12:48 +0000

It’s the day the UK’s media and communications industries have been waiting for since last year. Within hours, Lord Carter’s Digital Britain report will be published.

But could the much anticipated tome pack few surprises and even less detail?

Much of the expected nitty-gritty, it appears, has leaked or has already been discussed - from talk of top-slicing the BBC licence fee to the much mooted partnership between BBC Worldwide and Channel 4, to high-spe…

Source: Business Listings

What’s happening in China 16.06.09

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 02:43:08 +0000

Please click on the links for the full story

Tuesday June 16

* Breaking news - Deng Yujiao, the waitress who stabbed a party official to death, has been freed on the first day of her trial. She was originally charged with murder, but was found guilty of the lesser charge of causing injury with intent. The court ruled she was mentally unfit to take…

Source: Business Listings

As West Brom shows, no business model provides shelter from financial storms

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 08:55:55 +0000

Not only has this been the worst financial crisis anyone can remember, I doubt that so many false conclusions have ever been drawn by so many from so little evidence.

Among these ludicrous lessons, some of my favourites are: that bonuses should be paid in shares or options, not cash (look at what happened to Source: Business Listings

What’s happening in China 12.06.09

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 21:25:28 +0000

Please click on the links for the full story

Friday June 12

* China’s exports fell for another month running in May (-26.4pc), compared to the year before. Compared to April, however, exports improved a touch, and imports soared, suggesting that either the domestic market is picking up some steam or that China is stockpiling again. (WSJ)

* China’s Source: Business Listings

What really happened in the financial crisis? Just read the emails.

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 04:07:25 +0000

If stupid lending policies and disastrous mergers weren’t sufficient proof of the foolishness of some of the world’s top bankers and regulators, there is now fresh evidence. They recorded their most intimate thoughts about what was going in emails.

Last week, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed charges against Angelo Mozilo, founder and former boss of US mortgage lender Source: Business Listings

What’s happening in China 11.06.09

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 22:35:54 +0000

Please click on the links for the full story

Thursday June 11

* Asia Sentinel writes about Operation Yellow Bird, a secret ‘railroad’ that smuggled hundreds of intellectuals and dissidents out of China to safety in the wake of the suppression after the Tiananmen Square protests.

* Source: Business Listings

Beating the tube strike on an electric bike

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 04:05:47 +0000

I’m not an early adopter. In fact the last time I adopted something first was the office cold. I’m also neither fit nor a cycling enthusiast. So I’m not the obvious person to test out the new Gocycle, an electric motor powered commuter bike that has just launched.

Source: Business Listings

What’s happening in China 10.06.09

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 02:42:22 +0000

Please click on the links for the full story

Wednesday June 10

* On Monday, the news broke that China wants all computers sold after July 1 to come with software that automatically blocks websites, giving the government yet more control over the internet.

At EastWestNorthSouth, there are some reactions from users of the software.

And at Imagethief, there’s an argument for how Source: Business Listings

The problem(s) with Sir Alan Sugar

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:05:23 +0000

The storm over Sir Alan Sugar’s appointment as Gordon Brown’s enterprise tsar seems to be building rather than subsiding as it should.

The Tories have been questioning the conflicts between Sir Alan’s TV performances and the timing of the next General Election.

I’ve already Source: Business Listings