Investors, and others who try to predict the future, are often fond of thinking in terms of megatrends. Changes in demographics, climate, technology and culture are often discussed. One that I believe to be the most significant of all is rarely mentioned, and I have never seen the implications discussed. It is also hard to accept, because it appears to be disproved by experience. Continue reading
Alcohol deaths public health and fuzzy thinking
This article arguing (yet again) for the government to introduce minimum prices and other strict controls on alcohol consumption. As usual, it contains fallacies, fails to provide important information, and is generally rather vague.
What is wrong with price/book value
As so often, Richard Beddard tweeted something interesting that I had to respond to.
The linked PDF argues that price to book value is the most useful valuation measure, more so that earnigs, for two reasons: Continue reading
Free, media experiment – final week
The last week of my experiment in consuming only free media for a month came to an end yesterday. It has been a huge success as far as books are concerned, and reasonable with regard to video. Music was harder to find (apart from classical). Continue reading
The build a platform and squeeze business model
A business model that excludes competition, reduces consumer choice, and creates monopolies is the anti-thesis for free markets, but this is exactly what threatens both software and the distribution of media (ebooks, video, and music) over the internet, and much more. Continue reading
Free books and media – days 22 to 25
Less than a week to go, and I broke my rules for the first time. A tweet with a link to an extremely funny Catherine Tate video on Youtube was too much for me, but, other than that, things continue to go well. Continue reading
Free books and media – days 18 to 22
Longer than I realised since the last post. I have not done a lot of reading, nor watched much video, but I have realised, once again, that there is more out there than I thought, especially in terms of films. Continue reading
Free books and media – days 14 to 17
More than half way through and I have had no difficulty sticking to the rules, except with regard to music, and I have resisted temptation there — although I may have not-so-accidentally heard quite a lot of non-free music put on by other people. Video is not that important to me, and the free books have actually been better than what I would otherwise have read. Continue reading
Free books and media – days 10 to 13
A long hiatus because a lot of distractions prevented me from reading very much, and watching any films at all. It still goes well, just a bit slowly. Continue reading
Free books and media – days 8 and 9
Another uneventful days as far as the books go, but music is going better than I expected. Continue reading