Breaker's Blog

Now the State can ban your Christmas lights

David — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:05:31 +0000

Britain is meant to be a free country…not any more it seems.

Under Anti-Social Behaviour powers, the State can now ban your Christmas lights.

Is the Euro doomed?

David — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 17:34:52 +0000

An interesting article caught my eye in the Telegraph, Credit crunch could crush the Euro. I’ve seen the argument before; the Eurozone economy isn’t held together by a strong political union and federal tax system, nor is it economically integrated as it differs from stronger economies like Germany to slower, debt filled, inflationary states like Italy. It gets caught in an interest rate jam – cut rates for growth or hike them to slow inflation – and this structural flaw causes the whole thing to break up, like every previous currency union.

The real test will be the first downturn, and I’m so glad we kept the Pound.

Is the Dollar doomed?

David — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 18:09:25 +0000

The US Dollar continues to devalue against Sterling and the Euro, a Pound now buys you $2.06 and a Euro is worth 72p. The news has been filled with coverage of the Dollar’s decline, from the BBC News Magazine, rapper Jay-Z waving Euro notes instead of greenbacks, supermodel Gisele Bundchen switching from Dollars to Euros and even the Taj Mahal now not accepting USD. It seems anti-Americans everywhere are rubbing their hands in glee, wishing doom on the World’s main currency.

But the day I take economic advice from a rapper, a catwalk model and a listed building is the day I have finally gone nuts.

The Dollar is sliding because the US has been borrowing very heavily and has lost its business confidence, for now. It will be back, it’s the United States, it always comes back! The next President will tighten the fiscal belt, let interest rates rise again and the USD will become stronger. And China won’t sell it’s reserves of Dollars, because if it did the Dollar would devalue and make Chinese goods more expensive, harming their exports.

The way they’ve been talking it’s like the US is doomed. I’m not an economist, but I know enough about the US to know it ain’t going anywhere! I’d rather have a fistful of dollars than Euros any-day, the Dollar being backed up by a solid, unified and determined political body – the USA – which has the strength to do what’s necessary (balance it’s spending, let rates rise, deregulate). What’s backing up the Euro? Eurozone members already break the spending rules, how would they cope in a crisis? Badly.

For now the Dollar may be in decline. Enjoy the cheap imports and invest in non-USD currencies and businesses. But don’t write off the Dollar or USA, they aren’t going anywhere.

Heather Mills: Rats milk all round!

David — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 17:13:57 +0000

Heather Mills is the latest crazy person to jump on the carbon neutral solar powered band wagon. According to the estranged (or should that just be downright strange) wife of Paul McCartney, we should give up normal milk from cattle and instead drink rats milk!

Oh the horror!

Incredibly terrible viewing

David — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 17:21:31 +0000

What is going on with television?

ITV seem determined to ruin the career of Kris Marshall, better known as Nick Harper from My Family, first with the hugely miss-able Catwalk Dogs and now with the truly dire estate agent ‘comedy’ Sold. There’s so much material for an estate agent comedy, literally a house full, but obviously they missed it all and set about casting Marshall for no apparent reason in an unrealistic role he just doesn’t suit.

Meanwhile the BBC has blown yet more budget on Stephen Poliakoff, a man who’s dramas have plots resembling washing lines – lots of scenes seemingly hung randomly and wet throughout. Does anyone actually like his films? They’re all the same – nothing really happens. All the characters are either lovable poor, confused well to do or horrible ‘capitalist’ rich – all the favourite stereotypes of the public funded liberal left. None of his characters are realistic, yet all are weird. Take Gideon’s Daughter, do you know anyone remotely like any of the characters? Come to think of it, do you know anyone called Gideon?

No wonder so many watch I’m a Celebrity…Get me out of here! Now that really is incredibly terrible viewing, but at least it doesn’t pretend to be any otherwise and is harmless good fun, costs us nothing, and for that it deserves our support.