Chris Skinner's blog

Shaping the future of finance

Humour

How much is $1 trillion?

Thanks to Colin Henderson at The Bankwatch for posting this video, which I'm re-posting here: It's a great news item that puts the current stimulus packages into context. For example, it picks up on Bill Clinton announcing a $30 billion stimulus package in 1993.  Back then, that was a big number. Only last year, George…

How much is $1 trillion?

Thanks to Colin Henderson at The Bankwatch for posting this video, which I'm re-posting here: It's a great news item that puts the current stimulus packages into context. For example, it picks up on Bill Clinton announcing a $30 billion stimulus package in 1993.  Back then, that was a big number. Only last year, George…

Fred the Shred becomes Fred the Tread?

There’s a wonderful rumour that’s circulating about Sir Fred Goodwin taking over from Max Mosley as head of Formula 1, the fast car racing league that travels the world in a carnival of cars and cash. It's not a popular rumour with some, as there’s a lot of anger over Sir Fred’s £4.2 million pension…

Fred the Shred becomes Fred the Tread?

There’s a wonderful rumour that’s circulating about Sir Fred Goodwin taking over from Max Mosley as head of Formula 1, the fast car racing league that travels the world in a carnival of cars and cash. It's not a popular rumour with some, as there’s a lot of anger over Sir Fred’s £4.2 million pension…

Banks and pigs

Thanks to Jeffry Pilcher at the Financial Brand for his blog on the use of piggy banks in bank advertising. The timing is goof for this as we both blogged banks bonuses as well (his is worth reading from the USA view) and bankers and pigs may not be an unusual juxtaposition.  I guess we…

Science proves money and sex do go together

A while ago, I mentioned Jeremy Clarkson's immortal billboard poster line to advertise the Times: Money and rumpy-pumpy are the twin engines powering everything we do For those unsure about this, 'rumpy-pumpy' means sex.  Mind you, money was invented for sex anyway, so that's nothing new. But what Jeremy and I didn't know is that…

Science proves money and sex do go together

A while ago, I mentioned Jeremy Clarkson's immortal billboard poster line to advertise the Times: Money and rumpy-pumpy are the twin engines powering everything we do For those unsure about this, 'rumpy-pumpy' means sex.  Mind you, money was invented for sex anyway, so that's nothing new. But what Jeremy and I didn't know is that…

Toon Tuesday

I regularly look at the cartoons and Nick Newman, who regularly produces my favourite toons in the Times, wins today with this one: After Dominique Strauss-Kahn's comments on the euro last week, it may be appropriate.

Toon Tuesday

I regularly look at the cartoons and Nick Newman, who regularly produces my favourite toons in the Times, wins today with this one: After Dominique Strauss-Kahn's comments on the euro last week, it may be appropriate.

The Times can be so mean …

UK newspaper The Times asked people in Brighton what they understood by the following terms: hedge fund, derivative, sub-prime market, short selling, fiscal stimulus, arbitrage and quantitative easing. The answers are brilliant, and here are my favourites: Hedge fund "Money collected to keep the hedges going?" Derivative "This sounds like the kind of word that…