Be at Politics

Japanese too tired to procreate

While Gordon Brown persuades the British people to spend more money on shopping by lowering the VAT on Monday, the Japanese government urges Japanese workers to spend more time at home to have more sex! Wow, this is a difficult one, what do you prefer more shopping or more sex?

Apparently the Japanese birth rate is among the lowest in the world. With the rate at which Japans population is decreasing there won’t be enough Japanese left in the future to keep the country going. Other countries that face similar demographic problems introduced fiscal schemes (Italy) to make their population procreate. Or introduced better day-care programs (France) to give working women a chance to both work and be a mother.

2008 11 28

Congestion! Congestion!

While I was shopping at Woolworths yesterday I missed another historic event that was announced right on my doorstep: the scrapping of the western extension of the congestion charge zone. Mayor Boris Johnson stood just 200 meters from my house telling the local shop owners and residents that he will scrap the western zone within the next 14 months.

Johnson had promised in his election campaign that he would consult the residents and shopkeepers on the matter. Almost 28,000 people took part in the consultation and it is no surprise

2008 11 28

Goodbuy Woolworths

The retailer Woolworths has just gone bust today although there are rumours of interested buyers. But it became clear today, after weeks of speculation, that the British (former American) retailer is the first to go down in the economic crisis.

I probably offend a lot of people by saying this but I never liked Woolworths. To me it is a shop that sells cheap rubbish, bad sweets and awful toys. I once bought a pair of gardening scissors there. I cut one branch of ivy with it and then it was broken. I only spend £1 on it so I blamed my self for such a silly purchase. I did go back for DVD’s once or twice and my favourite coffee mug is from Woolworths. It just cost 60p and has ‘meow’ written on the inside. But that is about it.

While the accountants of Deloitte are going through Woolworths’ administration

2008 11 28

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Happy Thanksgiving Gwyneth!

The joy of social network sites is that you can become friends with almost everyone, as long as they are up for it. Last week I became friends with Gwyneth, you know the actress. And today she sends me this lovely email wishing me a Happy Thanksgiving!

The header of the email starts with ‘Be’ next to a picture of a small butterfly. I happen to call myself Be and I love butterflies. So I immediately think the email is directed just at me. But on a closer look that might not be the case.

2008 11 27

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Has Obama the ingredients for change?

“Change” is the buzzword since Obama came onto the international political stage. He started this campaign for change two years ago, during his race for the nomination against Hillary Clinton and other candidates.

But not only until his campaign against John Mccain did his slogan “Change We Can Believe In” really caught the imagination of millions of people across the world. Barack Obama has brought about a movement for change that is unheard of in previous elections. No other politician in the world can currently measure up to Obama’s charismatic leadership and promise of hope.

But what ingredients are needed to really make this call for change work?

2008 11 27

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Rock & Roll Juice

I am sitting in the coffee bar when they enter; three young men dressed like they just walked out of a photo-shoot for Nylon magazine. They look trendy, young, sexy and wild. Every aspect of their outfits and pose has been carefully selected. They seem out of place in the local coffee bar full of mums and their baby’s.

After choosing the table next to me

2008 11 24

Oh oh my bank!

Today I received a letter from the bank. It was meant to be reassuring, to tell me that everything was fine but somehow it had a different effect on me. It made me nervous. If an institution like our bank decides to write a letter telling me that they are doing great I get suspicious.

It usually is very hard to get in touch with my bank at all. If I want to talk to someone on the phone it takes me endless calls and long waits. If I go to my local branch it seems that the main task of the staff is NOT to give me service. Not that they are unkind, just terribly evasive and sort off ignorant. Yes, getting to my own well-earned money can be a tiring task.

2008 11 22

One green step too far

In our local area the green hype is blooming. Organic shops are popping up everywhere. I love it, because healthy sustainable food is really my thing. But today I came across an organic shop that has taken the green thing a bit too far. On Westbourne Grove a new delicatessen shop Daylesford Organic has arrived. It is a great shop, with beautiful products, excellent coffee, the staff is a bit stiff and the customers a bit middle-aged and over indulged, but on the whole a great experience. Until I left the shop again and my eye caught a table with baskets filled with herbs.

Nothing wrong with that you’ll say, but wait till you hear the shocking price.

2008 11 21

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Does the free market corrode moral character?

The John Templeton Foundation hosts a series of conversations between leading scientists, scholars and public figures about “The Big Questions”. The fourth conversation is about the following question: does the free market corrode moral character? You can read about the answers of several leading figures here.

But let us have our own discussion.

What is your answer to this Big Question?

2008 11 19

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