Category Archives: statistics

The Amazing Size of Africa

Posted on October 24, 2017 by

Africa is three times bigger than the USA. Look again at the standard Mercator map and you see that Greenland appears to be the same size as Africa, and yet Africa is actually fourteen times the size of Greenland! You … Continue reading →

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Nationwide Building Society: July 2017

Posted on July 4, 2017 by

Along with virtually every other bank and building society Nationwide work hard at attracting savers. This is their latest offering and in truth it isn’t bad i.e. it is quite attractive. However it is locking savers into negative interest rates … Continue reading →

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Three Men in a Boat syndrome: the use and abuse of statistics

Posted on October 7, 2016 by

I remember going to the British Museum one day to read up the treatment for some slight ailment of which I had a touch—hay fever, I fancy it was. I got down the book, and read all I came to … Continue reading →

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George Osborne’s Politicisation of Welfare in Britain 2010-15

Posted on October 30, 2015 by

The Coalition government 2010-15 effectively won the economic argument that the British welfare budget had ballooned out of control in the Labour era (1997-2010). This intellectual and political victory produced the brilliant rhetorical flourish from the Chancellor ‘We’re all in … Continue reading →

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Credit Card Competition: British Style

Posted on July 21, 2015 by

Barclays             18.9%           Interest charged HSBC                 18.9%                     ditto Lloyds                18.9%                     ditto NatWest            18.9%                     ditto Santander         18.9%                     ditto (Correct 24th June 2015) British Inflation, June 2015 was 0% (Chris)

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The Joys of negotiating coalitions: Belgium style

Posted on May 5, 2015 by

2007 Forming a government took 197 days 2010/11 Forming a government took 541 days Very few citizens of Belgium noticed that they didn’t have an elected government in place.

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The Odeboyz* Behemoth Fund

Posted on April 10, 2015 by

INTRODUCTION 10th JULY 2017 I made five recommendations in 2015 and I felt it only fair to return to what was written then. As I noted the objective was income plus the possibility capital growth. That objective has been achieved. … Continue reading →

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