Oldnick

Following on from the Italian Job (Is Europe still teetering on the brink, or now sliding inexorably down hill?)

The second in the series of Life Imitates Art - Doctor Who and the Zopa!

A much loved TV series enjoyed by a smallish group of aficionados features the main character being unexpectedly 'killed' - although from behind the sofa some voices maintain they knew it was going to happen all along.
Next week, sure enough, a new actor is installed in the role. He wears more sensible trousers now and uses his sonic screwdriver less. Many fans complain - "cos he's just boring, and if he isn't going to use his sonic screwdriver - then what's the point! Might as well call it Dr.Nobody!". The producers of the series know better - they're hoping to appeal to a wider audience and dream of bigger ratings.
So the Doctor's assistant now wears skin tight jumpsuits and miniskirts; which is enough of a distraction for some of the more mature fans.
There remains a hard core who are not impressed and try out rival sc-fi franchises - lightsabers are dug out of the loft, and they dream of times past...

The Consumers Association have asked for the opinions of its members on Peer to Peer lending. This was mine:

"It is a sad fact for individual peer to peer lenders that the Treasury have now decided to lend via several of the peer to peer websites.
Although potentially good for borrowers and the industry in the short term, with interest rates depressed as a result of the extra money on offer (and, who knows, maybe a Knighthood or two?); in the long term lower interest rates may drive away private money.
When this government or the next loses interest in the project, the whole P to P industry may struggle in rebuilding a large enough pool of individual lenders to survive.
Has any government ever become involved in directing or influencing the affairs of a market or industry without distorting it or making it less efficient?"

What does everybody else think?

I know this isn't all about me, but why do I have 0 warning points listed under the number of posts I've made? I can't see any warning points listed for anybody else. If I do get some, can I exchange them for pointless Christmas presents for my family?

While trawling through elljay's graphs  (http://www.ljay.org.uk)  for data on declining ZOPA interest rates I found this one, which set me off on a different train of thought. I don't understand the erratic data prior to 2010/11 but since then it shows that the average age of lenders and borrowers is increasing in line with the passing of the years. ZOPA may not be able to influence a turning away from credit as a means of funding lifestyles amongst the young (and perhaps they shouldn't), but, if they can't, is there a long term future for their business model?

So, a few days into the competition and my opinion of disabled sport has changed.

Far from being impeded by their disability: for some it appears to have be an energizing factor in their lives inspiring them to excel at a sport.

Sobering to realize that a Chinese girl without arms can swim farther and faster than me, and that our boy Peacock is only a second slower than Usain Bolt at the 100 metres!