Monthly Archives: December 2009

Brutal warnings

By Paul W | Published: December 13, 2009
"Fragile - handle with care"... Does anyone ever take any notice when that's printed on the box ? Seems like some manufacturers have realised that language needs to be more hard-hitting...
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When money speaks louder than words

By Paul W | Published: December 10, 2009
Yes, we’re talking about hedge fund websites. They make Google look wordy. I guess it’s a simple way of saying: “If you need to know anything about what we do, then you’re clearly not our sort.” At 41 words, including the phone number, Amiya Capital is exceptionally cool. Whereas IV Capital, sporting 147 words, is [...]
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The plainest book ever, on arguably the most important subject in human history

By Paul W | Published: December 10, 2009
David JC MacKay’s ‘Sustainable Energy Without the Hot Air‘ has justly won plaudits for being the first objective, level-headed assessment of our energy problem. MacKay is that wonderful and rare combination, an articulate physicist. His opening chapter, entitled ‘numbers not adjectives’ crisply summarises the book’s argument: do the maths, then look for the solution. Don’t [...]
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Reductio ad absurdum

By Paul W | Published: December 10, 2009
It’s remarkable how little harrumphing is caused by Twitter. Elder digerati such as Stephen Fry and the excellent John Naughton seem utterly captivated by an app that, on the face of it, allows for the high-speed dissemination of inanity on a global scale. Perhaps it’s at least in part because there is something excellent about [...]
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