Matthew S

I have a desire to make a Latin version of Peppa Pig, called Pepperus Pigus (possibly Pepperus Porcus, but I don't think this sounds as good).

We could then have a Peppa pig/Life of Brian crossover:

People called the Pig they go the house?

This is a very funny article by the FT on the call to lower the top tax rate.

It starts:

We’re joined now by Sir Reg Croesus, former chairman of Wongabank. Sir Reg, why do you feel that you should pay less tax?

>Because it’s my patriotic duty.

I beg your pardon?

>It’s my duty and as such I feel it’s time to speak out. There are too many people trying to stop me >expressing my love of my country.

A love you’d express by paying less tax?

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Some economists have written to the FT saying that the 50% tax rate harms the economy.

This has got me thinking - do you support the 50% tax rate:

a) In general
b) If it raised no net tax due to leakage, would you still support it?
c) If it did raise tax short term but by lowering growth in the long term meant that it did not reduce debt as a % of GDP

on b) and c) if you still support it, what is the reasoning?


I would personally like to see a crackdown on avoidance, on the basis that a 50% rate it useless if we do not enforce it on the rich. All we do is capture a small number of people who are rich enough to be caught (due to other changes anyone on £100k +) but not rich enough to avoid it.

I assume in the wake of the UK riots someone somewhere has done a joke about apple launching a blackberry messenger competitor, to be called the iPredictariot.

However, I cannot find anyone having done so.

Does anyone want a fairly elderly Tomtom satnav?

It has UK and Europe maps

It does occasionally lose track of were you are, and the maps are a bit old, but it basically works ok.

It is anyone's for the cost of getting it to them. Pickup preferred.

Channel 4 news just really annoyed me with a piece on Boots - paying little tax on a large operating profit.

But they paid lots of interest, and deducted this for tax. Now in this case the interest is a cost of the acquisition, which I am less sympathetic with. But most interest is a legitimate business expense - you needed money to make something, you borrowed it, the cost reduces your profits (but notably increases someone else's - the lenders). This it seems to me is a legitimate tax deductible expense, in the same way that rent is a deductible expense.

The whole article seemed to me to show a lamentable lack of business knowledge. It makes me ashamed to call myself left wing to see such ignorant comment calling itself reporting.

I find such obvious bias undermines everything it has to say.

And then they followed it up with a bit on Puma, who, very commendably, started to publish an environmental impact assessment of the whole supply chain. C4's response - isn't your whole business damaging the environment by encouraging consumerism?

I find it hard to counter the right's argument of bias in the broadcast media with this to defend. Leave such blatant bias for Fox news - C4 news should be above this!

Daniel is developing a line is surreal jokes:

When is a man upside down and not upside down? When his house is upside down

When is a mirror not a mirror? When it is a sideways house

When does a foot have 5 toes and 2 toes? When 3 fall off in the bath.

I think he has the structure and the idea it has to be unexpected/wacky, but not the core of the concept...

smhwpf was quoted in this week's Economist on China's military spending!

Coo!

You can now get Brian Blessed on your Tom Tom...

"You've reached your destination. Congratulations. Onwards and upwards! To Everest next, and the North Pole..."

This story really cheered me up - a WWE wrestler who listens to Tori Amos before fights - specifically Winter.

And he goes to meet her and she gives him a hug when he is tongue tied!