Break “You can lament the flaws of England’s ruling classes – their failure to plan for Brexit & Covid, their inability to break the straitjacket of history – or you can come to SW19 & delight in a microcosm where those flaws are not decisive.” Henry Mance, Financial Times 3 Jul 2021 | Wimbledon Diary…
Category: B
Bah humbug! Cost of Christmas dinner was up again! Erratic weather & African swine fever affected food prices around the world. Higher turkey (up 6%, due to higher temperatures in summer), pork & Brussels sprouts prices increased wholesale cost of UK Christmas dinner by 3% from 2018. Vegetables were affected by rain in recent months. Chilled…
Bauble Roman tradition to hang fruit on trees led to Christmas baubles. Apples, candy canes & pastry stars, hearts & flowers decorated trees until glass baubles were invented in mid-16th c. in Lauscha, Germany. Queen Victoria’s tree, hung with baubles from her husband’s native Germany, appeared in a London newspaper & set off a trend. FW…
Brick An excellent building block, clay brick wins on cost & zero maintenance. It ages well, & its timeless quality is not tied to any style or construction technique. London’s Battersea Power Station restoration needs 1.7m handmade bricks – UK’s single largest order. By far the most popular choice for building new homes, 2bn bricks made…
Bias Software can eliminate bias when reviewing job applications. Answers from different applicants to a Q can be grouped/ randomised, & presented to assessors without giving clues about age, gender, name or race Guessed the Word? Series 22 (1/8) [pic: Efraimstochter]
Blockchain Algorithms that allow cryptocurrencies to be traded & verified over a computer network without a central ledger. Initially sceptical, banks now exploring the tech to speed up back-office settlement systems Guessed the Word? Series 21 (4/7) [pic: kindfolk]
Business as usual (BAU) The maxim of the British people is ‘business as usual’ ~ Winston Churchill, 1914. Regardless of current difficult weather/ events, the show must go on Guessed the word? Series 20 (4/6) [pic: tomas anton escobar]
Burden Overall effect of numerous regulations is a heavy load on small business. UK govt wants to check tech/ military deals over £1m (was £70m). More red-tape = more executive time on form-filling, while overseas competitors win customers. Guessed the Word? Series 11(3/4) [photo: joakant]
Belt & Road China’s One Belt One Road (OBOR) project, along the ancient Silk Road, covers 65 countries. A trade corridor of breathtaking scope. Annual investment $1.7tn until 2030. Guessed the Word? Series 9 (1/6) [photo: Couleur]