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Penguin Books Author Blurbs from Yesteryear

Are modern book blurbs too dull? I think so, judging by these two gems. Thanks to Phaude for the one from Edmund Crispin and his fascinating list of ... Read more »

Apes, Recruitment Consultants and Metaphors.

Apes, Recruitment Consultants and Metaphors.

I had two conversations with recruitment consultants the day before yesterday. One chinwag was engaging, challenging and positive (Do I get extra points in the 'buzzword bingo?'). The other was like discussing nuclear physics with a chimpanzee. There's never much point, especially when the other ... Read more »
If Meg Whitman runs California like eBay...

If Meg Whitman runs California like eBay…

Meg Whitman announced today that she's seeking the Republican nomination in the 2010 California Gubernatorial election. A political ingénue, it's the first time she has sought public office but she has a distinguished business career behind her. Most notably as eBay CEO for the decade that saw it ... Read more »
Enterprise Nation: Home Enterprise in the UK 2009

Enterprise Nation: Home Enterprise in the UK 2009

Last Thursday saw a great event held by the tireless Emma Jones and Enterprise Nation, champions of British homeworking. The great and the good (and a few folk like me who fell through the cracks) came together to hear predictions for the year ahead. Find out all about what 2009 holds for us all on ... Read more »
John Prescott & Stephen Fry: Authenticity is all that Counts

John Prescott & Stephen Fry: Authenticity is all that Counts

John Prescott and Stephen Fry are not cut from the same cloth. One a Labour politician, former Deputy Prime Minister and trade unionist. The other a bipolar homosexual with a criminal record and a fondness for Oscar Wilde. One known for mangling the English language and the other a sesquipedalian ... Read more »
Snow in Brighton

Snow in Brighton

Some pictures taken last night, at about ... Read more »
Brighton Scenes #6

Brighton Scenes #6

Overheard in the pub: First Man: Seen that Andrew Lloyd-Webber programme with Graham Norton? Second Man: The Eurovision one? Yeah. Bollocks innit. First Man: Nah. I reckon Lloyd-Webber's the man. He knows his stuff. He might win it for us. Second Man: Win it? All block-voting these ... Read more »
To Derek Draper re: LabourList.org

To Derek Draper re: LabourList.org

LabourList is warming up in advance of a full launch. Some Tory voices have been pretty disparaging (maybe they're a bit scared?) but I can see it gathering momentum. One thing that needs a bit of work is the 'community management'. So here's my advice to Derek Draper, who's leading the ... Read more »
Bush's Letter to Obama

Bush’s Letter to Obama

It is traditional for the outgoing President of the United States to leave a letter on the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office for his successor. As the great and the good gather at the Capitol in Washington D.C., this picture has been smuggled out of the White House showing George Bush's letter to ... Read more »
British Retail Consortium doesn't like good news

British Retail Consortium doesn’t like good news

Stephen Robertson Director-General of the British Retail Consortium was the Eeyore of business yesterday as he spread doom and gloom across the media. Offered a chance by interviewers to say something positive, Robertson would effortlessly bridge and make a point even more dire than the one before. ... Read more »
Tom Watson: MP 2.0

Tom Watson: MP 2.0

Tom Watson, the member for West Bromwich East and Civil Service Minister, is a rare politician: he gets the web. And I don't mean just as a campaign broadcast tool (viz Obama). He gets it as a utility and a potential agent of change and engagement. In recent weeks, this has become more important. ... Read more »
eBay in 2009: Boom or Bust?

eBay in 2009: Boom or Bust?

Shouldn't eBay be recession-proof? eBay in Germany has been a phenomenal success over the past decade and for much of that time DE was in actual recession or not enjoying growth like the US and UK. (It's a shame the team that made that happen have been let go because I'm sure there were lessons to ... Read more »
The Beauty of Sussex is Underrated

The Beauty of Sussex is Underrated

We don't have the wilds of Scotland, the wilderness of the moors in Devon or Yorkshire, Northern Ireland's moody mountains or deserted beaches like Wales. No brooding hills as you see near Malvern or Manchester. We lack the drama of the Lakes, the chocolate box rolls of the Cotswolds and Dorset. We ... Read more »
Little Hopes for the Eleventh Doctor

Little Hopes for the Eleventh Doctor

The arrival of a new Doctor is always a bit harrowing. I can remember each regeneration since Tom Baker turned into Peter Davison (admittedly dimly) and as a result can remember occasions when the next Doctor wasn't equal or better to his predecessor. But Matt Smith seems like an excellent choice ... Read more »
eBay and the Recession Q&A

eBay and the Recession Q&A

Sometimes I get contacted by a journalist looking for a view or quote. Here's a Q&A I did earlier today. Do you agree? How do you think the recession will affect eBay businesses? eBay sellers are retailers and, as we've seen in the headlines, retail is one sector that is being affected by the ... Read more »