Telephone costs
The most fascinating aspect of this very short article, though, is this comment from someone with the nickname sanmatinian writing on 21st Apri 2008 at 19:49:
Just to put things in perspective, I always like to remember a personal experience: during the sixties, I, a machine design engineer, used to fly quite often to America because the fare Lisbon - New York had the same price as a three minute phone call and whereas with luck you could catch the plane on that very day, you always had to book your phone call three days in advance. Almost unbelievable today, but very, very true.
Duncan Williamson
Building site
This is a simulcast because of the business ideas in it.
Outside my hotel room this week I have been treated to the spectacle of a building site. Whatever the building is going to be, they finished laying the foundations at the start of the week and they have been working like ants ever since.
I watched them delivering and pouring concrete JUST IN TIME. Then watched as they have built things, laid things, moved things by crane. I am also interested in how they are storing things.
There are a couple of safety engineers and others with me this week and they are aghast at the way there are no rails, barriers, guards ... like what there would be elsewhere!
As Jerome K Jerome said, I love work I could stand and watch it for hours. I always thought that should have said, I could SIT and watch it for hours; but who am I to correct such a genius?
I have taken a couple of photos and really hope that I will be on this side of the hotel when I come back next week.
QUESTION: what does the K stand for in Jerome K Jerome. First to answer wins a prize.
DW
Just an Ordinary Chap 2
The fuss over Stuart Rose and his Chairmanship at M&S is takng a turn for the better.
Everyone knows that Rose did something wrong and in the nature of the male of the species, the latest news on the subject says thace saving exercises are taking place ... these are supposedly grown men. Men in high positions of great responsbility, don't forget.
Appaently, a ten page letter has gone out to some of the larger shareholders trying to explain what they really meant. Here is some of what they have come up with.
the annual re-election of Sir Stuart
a stipulation he would not receive a pay rise and
the promise of a senior independent director to help check his influence
Then again, One leading shareholder said the concessions did not address its fundamental objection. "This doesn't get away from the core row, that Rose should not be executive chairman," he said. "That is acceptable in the situation of a company under massive distress or in a turnround situation, but this is just wrong."
Another top 20 institution which had also seen the draft letter said it was also not fully satisfied. "The glaring admission is why Stuart Rose could not remain as chief executive and the letter is completely silent on this and I think they need to try to say something on it," he said.
Of course, there are always those who are either easily bought or who are spineless: Invesco Perpetual, one of M&S's biggest investors, came out in support of Sir Stuart on Wednesday night, arguing that it was important to keep the chief executive on board. What, Invesco, does that position do to resolve the fundamentally flawed nonsense that Rose has done something completely wrong?
The quotes are from http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/020f2f10-00ee-11dd-a0c5-000077b07658.html
Duncan Williamson
Top Tip ... Skip Drivers Beware
If you drive one of those waste skip lorries and you run your lorry into an expensive but unoccupied car and then leave the scene of the accident, do make sure that the car doesn't belong to a personal injuries lawyer.
You could also try to ensure that you didn't leave a string of witnesses behind, driver.
DW
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device
Just to put things in perspective, I always like to remember a personal experience: during the sixties, I, a machine design engineer, used to fly quite often to America because the fare Lisbon - New York had the same price as a three minute phone call and whereas with luck you could catch the plane on that very day, you always had to book your phone call three days in advance. Almost unbelievable today, but very, very true.
Duncan Williamson