Opinion

I was a little distraught over the weekend. With absolutely no warning, the Polish government closed the country’s borders. All flights and train travel banned. No inbound access at all, unless you are Polish or could provide Polish residency. No outbound access and, if you do leave and return, immediate quarantine for two weeks. Like…

On Sunday, Mark Carney leaves the Bank of England after almost seven years at the helm. There’s an interesting review of Mark Carney’s tenure as Governor of the Bank of England on Bloomberg. Joining the Bank back in 2013, before the Scottish referendum and Brexit vote, it charts his seven years in charge as he…

Woke up with a sore throat, stuffed nose and cough. OMG, have I got the coronavirus???? After President Trump’s ban on Europeans last night, the coronavirus madness continues. I know that coronavirus is boring – as it’s non-stop in the news, media, office and coffee shop – but it goes on … and on, and…

I’m getting really fed up of the number of research papers, videos, blogs, headlines and more screaming: “banks will die”. Sure, sure, you’ll immediately go: “but you say that all the time Chris” but, if you check back on what I’ve written, I’ve only ever said that banks will die … if they don’t change….

“Are you willing to take the risk of investing in bullshit?” Interesting headline. It’s not mine btw. It’s a question from a leading banker. The question, in this case, related to investing in data mining … but you will probably find it’s a question asked about any major project. It’s the skeptic’s question. I’ve been asked…

Who moved my cheese? Like many of us, I am confused about the world, the future, life and everything. All seems good one day. The next, everything is being cancelled, government tells you to self-isolate, your view of everything is challenged and you have to change to fit. Who moved my cheese? I believe in…

There’s a growing lament amongst the few, who are worried our analogue world is crumbling around them. They see the loss of bank branches, high street shops, use of cash and such like as the end of their world. They hate the idea of electric self-driving cars and mourn the fact that vinyl and CDs…

I was quite relaxed about the coronavirus thinking it would blow over (no pun intended). Yet, as the days and weeks went by, it’s obviously a lot more serious than first thought. I first thought, Oh, it’s Wuhan. It’s not over here. It will sort itself out. Then we had the Diamond Princess incubating the…

Another day, another conference, another meeting. This time we’re chatting and talking with a group of people from banks, and I’m wearing one of my favourite new t-shirts, emblazed with the message: Just hodl it! Before taking stage, someone asked me what hodl meant. I was surprised. I thought everyone knew what hodl meant. I…

I was taken in by an article on the BBC yesterday due to the headline: ‘I wasn’t allowed to buy my burrito with cash’ The article recounts the story of Nicholas Duggan, a construction worker, who tried to buy his lunch with cash, but the store refused and demanded payment by electronic means. Interesting. Specifically…