British business, drunk or sober!

Why is it that the establishment doesn't seem to be able to tell the difference between criticising the behaviour o the big banks and being anti-business?  David Cameron's speech yesterday certainly didn't.

In fact, being pro-business and pro-enterprise ought to mean major criticisms of the dysfunctional banks, who are really failing to support productive business, and real action on monopoly power - because that is what UK business needs:

http://www.neweconomics.org/blog/2012/02/24/to-british-business-drunk-or-sober

Pressure growing for a real bank break-up

RBS seems unlikely to be in a fit state to sell off any time soon.  The very least the Treasury should do is investigate whether it might be more profitable, or more beneficial, if it was broken up to create the regional banking infrastructure the UK economy so badly needs:

http://neweconomics.org/blog/2012/02/21/the-pressure-is-growing-for-a-real-bank-break-up

Happy 100th Day of School!!

Today is our 100th day of school here for Elizabeth, who is in kindergarten this year.  We're celebrating by counting to 100 a lot today!!  Groups of tens, groups of fives, (even by twos!!!) a hundred pennies, a hundred things to glue to our above sign.  LOTS of things related to 100!!

How do y'all celebrate the 100th day of school in your homeschool?

The bank's very own transaction tax

Paying money by mobile phone - it's a good idea, pioneered in Africa, in fact.  But we need to be careful about this, if the big banks are not going to increase their monopolistic strangehold over our payments system:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/feb/16/pingit-mobile-phone-payment

Councils supporting small business? Think again

Why is it that, despite everything, local authorities still have such contempt for small shops and local entrepreneurs?  The result is a fatal addiction to big and ineffective, rather than small and local:

http://www.neweconomics.org/blog/2012/02/15/still-horribly-confused-about-entrepreneurs

Saving Greece from the euro technocrats

How can we save the Greeks from complete economic shutdown, and keep them in the euro?  Answer: give them new kinds of mediums of exchange:

http://www.neweconomics.org/blog/2012/02/13/how-to-save-greece-from-the-technocrats

"Grilled" Cheese Sandwich....

How many times do your children want a grilled cheese sandwich and you stand at the stove making one sandwich at a time?  Tons of times, right?  Me, too.  Well, recently I was talking with lady at church who works in a school cafeteria.  She mentioned they served grilled cheese sandwiches that day.  "How in the WORLD do you make THAT many grilled cheese sandwiches?" I asked.  That's when she shared this recipe with me- you bake them in the oven!!!!!!

I heated the oven to 425 degrees then spread each slice of bread on one side only with butter.  I laid the buttered side down for 1/2 the bread slices and then place my cheese on top.  I put the rest of the bread on top with the buttered side facing up.  I baked them in the oven for about 7  minutes, then flipped them over and baked another 6 minutes (but watch your oven- temps vary!!!!)  They each came out DELICIOUS!!!  By far the EASIEST "grilled" cheese sandwiches I've ever made!!!