Category Archives: Commerce

Boardroom Banditry

Posted on August 24, 2023 by davidsberry

The last few years have not been kind to Joe Punter. After two decades of growing prosperity in the aftermath of the Thatcherite 1988 stock market “Big Bang”, Harry Enfield’s “Loadsamoney” satire came uncomfortably close to reality. Then “Prudence” Brown, … Continue reading →

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A Dearth O’ Bield*

Posted on July 14, 2023 by davidsberry

The Scottish media latched on to another “bad news” story this week when they discovered that there were over a quarter million people on housing waiting lists, with barely a tenth of them being allocated affordable houses each year. Though … Continue reading →

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Can Water Stay Liquid?

Posted on July 9, 2023 by davidsberry

“Sweet Thames, run softly till I end my song,  Sweet Thames, run softly, for I speak not loud or long.  But at my back in a cold blast, I hear the rattle of the bones.” —T.S.Eliot, “The Fire Sermon,” Part III … Continue reading →

Posted in Commerce, Environment, Politics | 1 Comment

A Long Way to Tipperary

Posted on June 10, 2023 by davidsberry

Don’t tell the jingoists, but the “great” in Great Britain is not some accolade of national superiority but a geographic term. As the island stretches over 80,000 square miles and the French peninsula of Britany only covers a bare 13,000, … Continue reading →

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High Street Robbery

Posted on May 12, 2023 by davidsberry

In the past, this scribe has criticised East Lothian Council (ELC) for its economic innumeracy. As examples, it couldn’t make its pie-beans-and-chips staff canteen wash its face, so they leased it to two ladies who turned it into the money-spinner … Continue reading →

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Rishi, Don’t Lose That Number

Posted on May 7, 2023 by davidsberry

A week ago, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak traveled north to address the faithful with a sermon in the SEC.  He played the usual refrain of how the SNP are failing Scotland and how the Tories are “delivering for all parts of … Continue reading →

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Wars Begin at Calais

Posted on April 9, 2023 by davidsberry

“Fog in the Channel; Continent cut off!” — The Times, 22 October, 1957 Despite a rehearsal of delays and confusion over last weekend when holidaymakers had to queue for up to 24 hours at Dover to get away to the Continent, more … Continue reading →

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Words to the Wise to the Winner

Posted on March 20, 2023 by davidsberry

Three candidates stepped forward, laid out their stalls, clashed in debate and this was supposed to be the quiet run on as SNP members voted for their choice. Then two of the candi dates for SNP leader questioned the election … Continue reading →

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Out of Steppe

Posted on February 11, 2023 by davidsberry

By late January this year, Ukraine’s President Zelensky had realised bountiful Western aid, on which his country depends for survival, would not keep flowing if significant amounts of it wound up lining private offshore accounts. He has therefore stepped up … Continue reading →

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It’s the Ergonomy, Stupid!

Posted on November 23, 2022 by davidsberry

Part II—The Remedies? While “Ergonomics’” is the science of making the work environment safe and efficient, “Social Ergonomics” is a new term, coined to describe efficiency derived from the mental attitude of workers toward a common work ethic. Part I … Continue reading →

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