Archive for August, 2009

Facebook moves beyond youth choice to become the people's choice

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

There was much of interest in the 6th annual Ofcom Communications Market Report issued earlier this month.  Highlights include that “Communications spend appears relatively robust when compared to alternative claims on disposable income” ie meals and nights out.  Mobile usage has overtaken landlines for the first time in the UK in the first half of 2009.  And we still love watching the telly – average minutage has gone up by a minute since 2003 at an average of 225 minutes a day each.

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Beware overconfidence as the recession starts to ease it's grip

Wednesday, August 19th, 2009

The recession is over according to Newsweek.  And not only is the recession over, the magazine goes on to assert in an August issue, also the US will emerge on top.  Now following the old saying when America sneezes the world catches cold, if America perks up we should all feel the benefit.

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Every team needs a Xavi and an Iniesta as well as a Messi

Wednesday, August 12th, 2009

A couple of weeks ago I had two brushes with celebrity.  The first was a visit to a regular haunt in Marlow called the Hare and Hounds.  This rather lovely pub/restaurant has now been taken over by the winners of the BBC2 reality show starring Raymond Blanc “The Restaurant”.  Michelle and Russell from Essex have re-branded as “The Cheerful Soul”.  The place was packed, presumably as a result of the fame from being on the telly. However that night wasn’t a great experience for me.  My food was late and tasted overcooked, the wine I was served tasted like vinegar.  For the prices of fine dining, the quality of my meal seemed actually closer to the Happy Eater, an impression only reinforced when the ketchup requested by the kids arrived in a sticky tomato shaped dispenser.

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