Business
An Economic Four-Way Test
I was a member of Rotary International for many years. All meetings either started or ended with a recitation of the “Four-Way Test”. Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it [more…]
Business
Business
Where Gary Neville Comes From
‘It’s a fact of life that where we come from is important. I used to lie in bed thinking about themes where I could address the players that would make an impact on them. I [more…]
19th Century
Peter Mandelson – Something In The Genes?
Speaking at the launch of his memoir The Third Man, Life at The Heart of New Labour, which he only finished writing two weeks earlier, Peter Mandelson said, ‘It was a high wire act. Now [more…]
Business
The Bell Hotel, Epping
A disappointed migrant sits in his hotel room. England is not as he expected. A bee lodges in his bonnet. He puts pen to paper and troubles the letters page of a London newspaper. Here’s [more…]
20th Century
A View From (Just By) The Greenhouse; A Mini Postcard, A Lament
I saw the squirrel before it saw me. It loped towards me by the verge before turning into the yard and setting off up the path, where it was met by Burt and the B&M [more…]
Business
No Need to Control Resources; Access Is Sufficient
For a long time political pundits have wished that the US government was run “more like a business”; thus, believing that a businessman would be preferable to a politician. A businessman’s goal is to make [more…]
Business
How To Deliver a Parcel, Part 2
“Ok, how do you actually deliver 300 parcels at Christmas, Matt? You spouted out a lot of words and made me wait for part 2, but how do you actually do it?” Well, just before [more…]
Business
How To Deliver a Parcel, Part 1
It was the summer of 2013 and having been laid off from my office job some months before, I was trying to get back on the hamster wheel and earn my way. I returned from [more…]
America
The Art of the Deal
Creating chaos is part of the Donald’s Art of the Deal. It has been succinctly explained by Andrew Torba. Start with an extreme position to create room for compromise Use attention grabbing statements to control [more…]