Ed Dowding

This is a WONDERFUL speech by Michelle Obama:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7581511.stm

As the baby boomers shuffle along the mortal coil, and the Polish trot home having turned lead (Pb) into gold, the workforce is going to diminish by 30% in the next 10 years.

The question is, does this mean we have a skills shortage, an environmentally and economically healthy drop in demand and supply across the board, or years of sensible efficiencies to be benefited from, as now fewer people can do more?

http://www.statistics.gov.uk/populationestimates/svg_pyramid/uk/index.html

Did you know that many insurers will automatically downgrade your
insurance if you take your car over to Europe? If you didn’t, don’t
worry, you’re not alone. Recent research from moneysupermarket.com
found that 39% of drivers weren’t aware of this.

Regulations state that insurers must provide the minimum level of
third party cover in all EU countries. but third-party cover means
that if there is any damage to your own car, you will be left to foot
the bill. Anyone with a holiday home in Europe or who regularly drives
in the Continent should therefore look for an insurer that
automatically provides the same level of cover throughout the EU.

Five of the UK’s 10 leading insurers automatically reduce cover when
policyholders travel to Europe. Drivers with motor insurance from
Barclays, Direct Line, Churchill and esure are most at risk; these
policies reduce your existing cover to third party only in Europe.

However, not all insurers downgrade policies in this way. Endsleigh,
Marks & Spencer, The Post Office and The AA are among those that will
retain your existing level of cover if you take your car abroad.
However, the length of time you are insured for is capped, usually at
60 or 90 days, so if you will be away for longer than that you will
need extended cover.

http://www.moneysupermarket.com/c/articles/insurance/car-insurance/is-your-car-fully-insured?/?rsslink=true

Here’s a chap driving on Salvia: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp2V6NXCkE0

Neat. http://www.image-metrics.com/

Ollie and I were talking a while back about how good it would be if we told each other more how we really perceive each other. But sometimes we find it hard, for all sorts of reasons. There’s an related post to be written about tarot cards, but, until then, I happened upon this way of asking friends to tell you what they think: Ask them what your role is, socially, within your peer group.

My answers so far:

Your role is to make people think about their lives in the big picture and provide a model for how enjoyable lives should be lived.xx

WTF?! Have you read The Tipping Point? Think you are part maven, part connector.

well now it certianly used to be organiser of missions
at addison road it was making thing happen person
generally inspiration and drive to make things happen

off the top of my head thats your ‘role’
if there is such a thing

Hmmm,  well, as i know you seperately from the rest of your social circle, i can only talk about your role to me…

1. ideas man – practical yet wildly ambitious
2. motivator – boundless enthusiasm that most other people lack
3. confidant – you have a very sincere look when listening…it works!
4. strength (physical) – every group needs one!

to light fires

you’re a very strange fish sometimes Mr D. However, to pander to your most recent weirdness I reckon:
The eternal optimist, always dreaming of and trying to get us all to live in his vision of the perfect world. And someone who’s up for adventure. Thats more of a character description but describing your role in a peer group is quite tricky (and far too american for my liking).

I find these really very nice and affirming. It’s good to have people tell you who you are and help shape you for the best.

This one was entertaining, but useless.

Executive nancy boy.

http://seantevis.com/kansas/3000/running-for-office-xkcd-style/

Last FM (www.last.fm) is awesome, and has been for years. I was just
considering how MuxTape (www.muxtape.com) integrates with it, and if
it would do anything cool with my Loved Tracks. But looking around I
see they’ve gone one better / in a different direction. They now offer
podcasts! How completely awesome is that?!? So with this and the
podcasts from Solid Steel (www.ninajune.net) my music tastes are
almost completely catered for.

May the world bestow its bounties upon you, LastFM, internet, musicians!

www.last.fm
www.muxtape.com

http://www.deathclock.com/dw.cfm?Day=22&Month=7&Year=1977&Sex=Male&Mode=Normal&bmi=-25&smoker=0

Bugger.

I heard Ashraf Ghani yesterday on the Global Business podcast from the
BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/podcasts/worldbiz/). There’s an
interesting conversation about mobile phones and micro-funding in
Afghanistan, amongst others.

He has a kind of Yunis approach to the Economic Hitman problem, and
has set up the Institute for State Effectiveness
(http://www.effectivestates.org), which in turn has some good
articles.

As suspected for sometime, capitalism has the answers as long as
human(e) intelligence demands the optimal business model.