They will tweet that they have found you 400 followers a day, when patently they haven’t. They will take control of your account, your followers and what they plan to do I am not sure. But it isn’t good.

Somehow they got my details and when I complained they sent me an offensive and obscene email which basically said “we can do what we want”.

So stay clear.

Firstly we had Alistair Darling and his Magic Calculator. This device is obviously very unique and only for use by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. It has the capability of working the numbers in a way that in these difficult times make them seem realistic, but still tinged with a slight essence of optimism. Well that is until a couple of days later when the IMF release figures which are much less optimistic than the Magic Calculator’s numbers. So what is going on Mr Darling? False accounting or just a Magic Calculator?

Then we get a YouTube video of Mr Brown the Prime Minister looking positively manic as he tells us of his plans for MP’s expenses. No wonder he smiled, it seems he hadn’t bothered either to think them through or talk to anyone else about his little scheme, and they were rapidly scuppered.

Then I find two instances of a so called business consultant who had called on companies which, like so many, are struggling to survive in difficult times. The consultant’s proposed solution to increase revenue in both cases was for them to not only purchase his time but to spend money on a software product, (for which he is an agent) which he claimed would make more sense of their selling cycle, increase their tunover, profits etc etc. In fact more Magic Calculations! Fortunately neither business has any intention of going ahead, they can acheive the same with paper and pencil and a few minutes thought.

What is common to all these is that somehow a certain level of insanity seems to affect so many when times are hard. And it is worrying to say the least when, unlike our ‘consultant’ these possibly mad people are able to affect the lives of so many by proposing Magic Calculations.

This time they have all been caught out at first base – but next time……..I wonder!

Politics is a messy business. Barak Obama also stated this week, in reference to the new family pet, “they say that if you want a friend in Washington, buy a dog”. Well I am sure that is true whatever capital city you happen to be in.

However, my experience and observations of US politics is one framed by the attitude of the people. Whatever the infighting, intrigues and shenanigans, Senators, Congressmen and the President have to face a formidable ‘can do’ electorate. Excuses won’t do, infighting has to wait, this is a people who have nice days, get things done and expect the same from the politicians they elected.

Contrast that with the UK. Instead of a ‘can do’ attitude we seem to have fallen into ‘the computer says no’ free-fall. UK citizens are tired of ineffective government, organisations both public and private who don’t care any more and worst of all politicians who sting us for all they can get whilst spending their time sniping at each other.

Time for a Revolution? Maybe, but remember if you make a fuss in the streets the police may beat you up.

Good Luck!

Usually this means in addition to the actual designated statutory days people take extra time off. Christmas has become a prime example of this with many having a 10 or 14 day break and some even longer. This practice now seems to be moving to all the Bank Holidays – this one Easter, I have found some already on holiday and many people being “unavailable” at all next week.

Now don’t get me wrong I am not some mean spirited person who wants all holidays and indeed pleasures banned. In fact I enjoy my time off as much as anyone. What is difficult though is that the nation seems to stop. Can we afford this?

Time was, many years ago when I was sitting on a fat salary with something like 4 weeks paid vaction plus Bank Holidays I would be doing just the same. In subsequent years, being a self employed business owner I have thought differently about this.

So lets all give a thought for the self employed this holiday. Whether they are Directors, CEO’s, Freelancers or window cleaners – these are days of famine not feast.

Let me explain. My mobile telephone contract is shortly due for renewal. I’m with Orange and the service is good, no complaints. I went to them originally for three reasons. Firstly they provided my then dial up internet service and secondly they were, at the time the only mobile operator who offered a signal which I could receive in my 400 year old home. Finally the financial deal was and still is good and includes phone and broadband.

So whats the problem I hear you say? Well I would just love an iPhone. It looks good, it feels good and it works brilliantly. It also has lots of applications which I would like to have in my pocket. But it only comes on the O2 network and the only way I can get a signal is to walk out of my front door, (back doesn’t work), cross the street, walk into the churchyard towards the river and keep walking until a weak signal is available. Sort of ruins the point of the iPhone. Nor can I get a financial deal anywhere near the current Orange offer.

So my point is, O2 got a great deal when they took on the iPhone. Some would say it was a brave thing to do. Actually someone with foresight and courage put his or her neck on the line, but always knew it would come right. An entreprueneur in the making.

In the meantime I cry in my coffee as I try to select the best iPhone lookalike and know that I will remain frustrated for years to come at the bad deal I have.

The activity levels are extraordinary, as are the people involved. Regardless of your political persuasion there is no doubt that, whilst there have been G20 meetings before, they – the “leaders” need this more than any meeting before.

Our confidence in them is at an all time low, (though the US is buoyant about the unproven Barak Obama), they have after all led us into this situation and I don’t think we will ever understand fully how it occurred.

But as a UK citizen I have to put my trust in our unelected Prime Minister, Gordon Brown and the other leaders that in addition to any money they organize, they have the guts to inject some sense of decency into the power brokers of the world and understand that until they do that confidence will not return.

So world leaders, don’t just blame the banks, look in your own back yard. Act with courage and turn over a new leaf.

Our hope is that you have decency and a little humility, we all need that.

I have heard of more start-up and early stage businesses in the last couple of months than in a long time. Perhaps not surprising in some ways. Difficult times require imagination and courage. But importantly, many of the ideas are good, well thought out and have legs on them.

In these times we have to cut back on some things, but when it comes to ideas, creativity and work we seem to be the last of the big spenders.

Well I haven’t really had an answer only to use the lame old excuse of  lack of time, which really isn’t fair. I spend a fair amount of my “free” time using social networking sites, particularly Twitter which has proven to be perhaps the biggest life changer I have come across.

I have received more contacts, propositions, (some of them very interesting, some very odd), through this medium than anything I can remember.

So here it is – my blog – I’m new to it so bear with me, it will get better. 

What I intend is that this represents a snapshot of my life, experiences, and the opportunities which I create with you, the reader.

Here goes………………….