Not so famous Scots...

While on my February break, I have been reading an excellent book on the history of the British Army. As my students will know I am interested in history and I am fascinated by the British Empire - not in terms of its actual span and influence, but in the way it seemed that many of the people in the Victorian age in particular seemed to live incredible lives.



For example, a boy born in Glasgow could join the Army or Navy and end up in India, South Africa and many points in between. Travel broadens the mind, and I wonder just what kind of lives these people had?



Naturally they did have to put up with disease and on occasion famine, and the soldiers saw sights that would have either hardened them or broke them, or possibly a delayed mixture of both.



Now we are all aware of the superb reputation of Scots in the British Army who were among the bravest men and women on the planet. What I was not aware of was in particular 3 famous Scots who should really be far more well known:



Sir Ralph Abercromby - A veteran of the Seven Years War, and the Napoleonic Wars. He planned and led the amphibious invasion of Abukir (still one of our military's finest achievements) and in the same campaign he became a fallen hero of the Battle of Alexandria (1801).


Sir John Moore - a legendary General of the Peninsular Wars and the fallen hero of the Battle of Corunna (1809). Corunna is famous as a precursor to Dunkirk, in that the Army escaped almost intact when it could have been destroyed. Moore was also an MP (1784-90) for Lanark Burghs. To truly appreciate his legendary status, Sir John Moore has a statue in George Square! He also has a House named after him at the High School of Glasgow.



Sir Colin Campbell - a hero of Crimea and the Indian Mutiny (1857). He was the son of a Glasgow carpenter (or joiner as we would call him!) and was a well respected General. He is perhaps not as well known or remembered as the men mentioned above, but this is perhaps because he did not die in battle.

Here is another question with which to think and reflect. Why is it that such a small country as Scotland has produced a dis-proportionate amount of soldiers for the Armed Forces? Is it to do with poverty? Our education? Or is it a cultural thing?

I am not sure, but as a student of history (be it economic or military - though often they are intertwinned) we must remember that war is unedifying.

However, as I mentioned earlier, I am fascinated by the lives people of those eras lived. We travel for fun and pleasure, but often only spend a week or two at the most in far flung exotic locales. The men and women of the 1700s and 1800s spent their lives on different continents and far from home.

6 Failed Car Companies

Fortune have recently illustrated some of the automotive industry's greatest failures. Here are some names with which you may or may not be familiar. If I am honest I only know Tucker and DeLorean, but hey, we are here to learn new things, eh?

Crosley Motors (1939-1952)

Tuck Corporation (1944-1949) - made famous by the George Lucas produced movie: Tucker: The Man and His Dream

Cunningham Motors (1950-1955)

Bricklin Motors (1974 - 1976)

DeLorean Motor Company (1975 - 1982) - the Back to the Future car

Vector Motors (1971 - 1993)


Perhaps when I get more time I will have a look at some of the lesser known car companies in due course.

For the full article, please follow the link to Fortune:

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2010/autos/1002/gallery.failed_car_companies.fortune/index.html

Higher Business Management - Sources of Finance

Leasing
Renting of vehicles or equipment
More expensive in the long term than buying the asset
Asset is replaced when obsolete
Spread payments

Share issue
Dividends have to be paid to shareholders
Loss of control possible
Can generate large amounts of money/capital

Debentures
A long term loan to plcs
Debenture holders receive fixed interest
Debenture holders receive the money lent back

Venture Capital (think Dragons' Den)
Venture capitalists lend money when banks think it is too risky
Large amounts lent but interest is high
Part ownership often needed in exchange for finance

Hire purchase
A deposit is required and the rest of the price is paid in instalments
Ownership remains with the finance company until the last instalmentis made

Mortgage
A large sum of money borrowed from a bank or building society to purchase property
Monthly repayments required (interest)
Long term borrowing eg 25 years

Grants
Some of the money paid by eg Local Authority or Government
No need to repay a grant
May be given if organisation is creating jobs in an area of highunemployment etc

Sale of asset (Divestment)
Equipment or property which is no longer required is sold off to raisecash

Retained profits
Profits made are not distributed to the owners but kept back for reinvestment

Higher Business Management - Cash Flow Question

From 2005 Past Paper

Identify 4 sources of cash flow problems and suggest one solution for each source you have identified.

Sources of cash flow problems:
too much money tied up in stock
allowing customers too long to pay debtors
not paying on time
high levels of borrowing along with high interest rates
high drawings
low sales
high expenses
purchasing capital equipment

Solutions
introduce JIT
offer discounts to encourage prompt payment
offer discounts/promote cash sales
sell any unused assets
reduce loans by eg increasing number of investors
debt factoring
sale and leaseback
extended credit
arrange overdraft/loan
cut costs
promote product or services

This is a question that turns up in one shape or another. The important thing to remember is the difference between identifying the problems and the actual solutions.

This is the kind of question that seems daunting, but in actual fact if you get to know it well, you will realise that the question can never really be worded too differently and that the same answers normally apply to what is in effect a banker question.

Demergers on the rise during the recession

Demergers - the dividing up of an organisation into two or more parts, is once again becoming common.

I remember years ago when first creating my slides and notes for Higher Business Management at Mearns Castle High that finding examples of demergers were pretty rare. Rarer still were examples pupils had heard of! The only one I recalled was Racal Instruments splitting up and Vodafone being one of the new companies.

However there is an increase in the trend of the demeger.

Cable & Wireless, the famous UK communications firm will demerge into Cable & Wireless Worldwide plc and Cable & Wireless Communications plc, the new name for Cable & Wireless International.

Carphone Warehouse will split into New Carphone Warehouse (focusing on the retail) and TalkTalk (service provider).

Motorola are the latest big name to announce plans for a demerger.

Study Question:
What are the benefits to an organisation of demerging?

Greece in Turmoil

Greece is one of the PIGS (Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain) the Souther European nations that traditionally have not always been economically strong.

Greece has found itself in major trouble... with massive national debt. The figure quoted recently was 12.7%, which is FOUR times more than the Euro nations allow! Greek spending has been wild, whereas tax coming into the Greek coffers has been dwindling.

Greece as a member of the Euro currency and the Single Monetary Policy are looking to nations such as France and Germany to bail them out. But they do not seem so keen.

Other commentators are wondering whether this crisis could see the eventual collapse or devaluing of the Euro itself.

The Greek Government is under intense pressure from the rest of the EU and naturally those EU members who are in the Euro.

They have come up with some ideas to help stem the rising debt:

1. Cut budget deficit below EU ceiling of 3% of GDP by 2012, from 12.7% in 2009
2. Freeze public sector salaries and cut bonuses
3. Replace only one in five of people leaving civil service
4. Raise average retirement age by two years to 63, by 2015
5. Raise taxes on fuel, tobacco, alcohol and property (Source: BBC Business News)

Perhaps even more draconian measures will be needed to save the Greek economy and indeed the Euro.

Higher Business Management - The Stages in Recruitment and Selection

This is an often asked exam question which to be honest is not always answered that well, yet as you will see it is throwing away reasonable marks!

1. IDENTIFY JOB VACANCY

Is there a job at all? Reasons for vacancies could be retirement, promotion, people leaving or quitting, or a new job being created.

2. CONDUCT A JOB ANALYSIS

A study of what the job entails will be conducted to see if a new job has to be advertised or whether existing people can take part of the remit.

3. WRITE A JOB DESCRIPTION & PERSON SPECIFICATION

If a job is needed, then we need to write the 2 recruitment documents that applicants will need. The job description outlines what the job entails: the job title, the duties and responsibilities of the said job etc...

Person specification is more about the qualities needed by the ideal candidate. It is divided into essential and desirable qualities.

4. ADVERTISE JOB INTERNALLY OR EXTERNALLY

Once the recruitment documents are ready to make up the recruitment pack, then you have to decide whether to advertise internally or externally. Both have advanatges and disadvantages, but that is a whole other post!

5. SEND OUT RECRUITMENT PACKS (APPLICATION FORMS and/or CVs)

Potential applicants will phone up or email to receive the recruitment pack. They have to complete and return by a certain deadline.

6. FILTER APPLICATIONS AND PREPARE THE LEET

The panel will go through the application forms and quickly filter out the useless ones and select the ones that show potential. The leet is prepared - this means the candidates being invited for interview.

7. SELECTION METHODS (INTERVIEW MOST COMMON!)

Normally most jobs are decided upon by interview.

Though make sure you know all about:
TESTS (IQ, Psychometric, Attainment, Fitness, Aptitude)
ASSESSMENT CENTRES (for Graduate or Managerial jobs)
GRAPHOLOGY (ridiculed in the UK and US, but big in France and Poland!)

8. INFORM SUCCESSFUL AND UNSUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES

Letters are sent out informing the lucky person who got the job, and also to all the people who will have to try again.

The Miracle on the Han River

After the stalemate of the Korean War South Korea was a developing nation. It was on a par with the British Gold Coast (Ghana) and Malaya (which became Malaysia and Singapore).

However, something truly remarkable happened in South Korea. It has been called the Miracle on the Han River (the Han River runs through Seoul, South Korea's captial city) and has been used as a template for economic growth and development for a developing nation.

Seoul was a typical developing city. High unemployment and high poverty. However the US Government, determined to keep the South out of the hand of the Communist North, followed the template of the rebuilding of both Germany and Japan.

Rapid industrialisation began in the late 1950s and the aim was to become a massive exporter to the Western markets of goods such as electronics, ship building, textiles, cars, and steel.

Influenced by Reaganomics, the South Koreans also kept inflation low by reducing the money supply, but also embarked on many public works to rebuild infrastructure such as transport links and communication links.

A major announcement to the World that South Korea was a major player in the global economy was the succesfull 1988 Summer Olympics held in Seoul.

South Korea is often cited as an imitator of Japan, but with the US influence and the gradual move away from a Government controlled market to one that reflects consumer needs, the comparison is actually a natural one.

The benefits to the average South Korean has resulted in an incredible rise in the standard of living, and superior education to what was available in comparitor nations of the 1950s.

The Tiger Economies of Asia have attempted to copy South Korea and many have grown their own economies but none have had the impact on the ordinary people as the South Koreans have.

Malaysia has the aim of being developed by 2020, and the influence of South Korea is apparent. A move away from agriculture to manufacturing, and the building of public projects such as the KL monorail and the KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport) in addition to hosting an Formula 1 race and the 1998 Commonwealth Games.

But as we have seen with India, the problem is that if a nation moves too quickly to the services sector they run the risk of having nothing unique. The same could be said of manufacturing, but as we all are aware, South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan have built their economies on cheap but good quality goods, relying on cheap labour, but also excellent quality control and standardisation where possible.

Singapore and Hong Kong are different in that they have built their prosperity on being financial hubs. But again they are relatively small city-states (well Hong Kong does have a unique status in China!) compared to the behemoths of India and China.

I think the Miracle of the Han River may be replicated in other nations but they do rely on the backing of a major importer like the United States and they need to create global brands that will attract consumers.

But there is no doubt that the 21st Century will belong to Asia and the Pacific.

India's Economic Growth

India is the World's largest democracy and has a staggering population of 1.1 billion, second only to China.

India has some 467 million workers who are divided into three main sectors:

Agriculture 52%
Manufacturing 14%
Service Sector 34%

India's current GDP is $3,548 trillion. The average wage for a worker is $3,100.

Inflation is at 9.8%. Unemployment is 9.5%.

However some 25% of people still live below the poverty line.

The main reasons given for the increase in India's economy of late is the amount of Foreign Investment. The service sector has expanded rapidly in the form of investment banks and the well documented relocation of many Western call centres.

How sustainable these markets are is open to debate, as China or another global workhorse could tempt many of these investors away from India.

However when looking more carefully at India's financial sector boom, Foreign capital accounts for only 5%! 70% of the money sitting in Indian banks comes from households and consumers. But again the long term effect could be disasterous. The Government-owned banks have not always invested wisely.

Life insurance, pensions and normal bank deposit savings are not giving the returns expected to keep financing health care, old folk care, and schools.

So if we look at India from an Educational point of view, it is really a tale of Private sector vs Public sector and how when it comes to Finance and investment, basing an economy on that sector is high risk. If shares and savings crash what are you left with?

Perhaps India has moved too quickly from agriculture (Primary Sector) to services (Tertiary sector) and not invested enough in manufacturing (Secondary sector).

India has not followed China, Japan or Korea in becoming a world name for manufacturing cars or electronics for example. Perhaps India's 21st Century will be characterised by new brand names emerging from Mumbai or Kolkata as global players.

Top 20 Car Manufacturer's in the World

Following on from the Toyota crisis and also my own personal interest in the Tata Motor Company of India, I have found the rankings of the top car manufacturer's at present.

1. Toyota Motor Corporation (Japan)

2. General Motors (USA)

3. Volkswagen (Germany)

4. Ford Motor Company (USA)

5. Honda Motor Company (Japan)

6. Nissan Motor Company (Japan)

7. Peugeot / Citroen (France)

8. Hyundai Motor Company (South Korea)

9. Suzuki Motor Corporation (Japan)

10. Fiat Motor Group (Italy)

11. Renault (France)

12. Daimler (Germany)

13. Chrysler Group (USA)

14. BMW (Germany)

15. Kia Motors (South Korea)

16. Mazda Motor Corporation (Japan)

17. Mitsubishi (Japan)

18. OAO (Russia)

19. Tata Motors Ltd (India)

20. First Automotive Group Corporation (China)


Notable absentee in the top 20 are Volvo (Sweden) at number 28, though it was bought by Ford and now sold again!

Japan is the dominant nation, just as it was in electronics with 6 out of the top 20.

Toyota - Product Recall Recent History

Toyota for many years has been a name synonymous with quality and perfection. Not for nothing is the Corolla the biggest selling car of all time.

However, Toyota's seemingly unblemished image is unravelling at speed.

Here is a history of product recalls over the past 3 years from the Japanese automobile giants.

September 2007, US: 55,000 Camry and Lexus cars in floormat recall

October 2009, US: 3.8m Toyota and Lexus vehicles recalled due to floormat problem

November 2009, US: floormat recall increased to 4.2m vehicles

January 2010, US: 2.3m Toyota vehicles recalled due to accelerator pedal problems (of those, 2.1m already involved in floormat recall)

January 2010, US: 1.1m Toyotas in floormat recall

February 2010, Europe: 1.8m Toyota's in pedal recall

February 2010, Japan, US: 200 reports of brake faults in new Prius. Cars recalled

February 2010, worldwide: 436,000 hybrid vehicles in brake recall. Also, 7,300 Camry vehicles recalled in the US over potential brake tube problems

February 2010, US: 8,000 Tacoma pick-up trucks recalled over concerns about defective shafts

With a dreadful start to 2010, perhaps this is Toyota's annus horibillis?

How can Toyota recover from such bad press and negative perceptions about reliability and quality, their biggest strengths when taking on the US giants of Chrysler, General Motors and Ford?

Perhaps the question should be how long will it take for them to recover. But in this global recession who knows?

In the News...

ANOTHER TOYOTA RECALL

Toyota is to recall 8,000 Tacoma pick-up trucks in the US, over fears about defective front drive shafts. The recall involves four-wheel drive Tacomas built from mid-December 2009 to early February 2010.

The move is the latest in a string of recalls in the past few months, totalling more than 8.5 million Toyota vehicles around the world. Previous recalls - including the flagship hybrid Prius - were due to accelerator and brake problems.

Toyota said it was voluntarily recalling "a small production run of certain 2010 model-year Tacoma 4WD trucks".

US RETAIL SALES UP

US retail sales rose more than expected in January, providing a boost to hopes for a strong economic recovery. Sales grew 0.5% month-on-month, while December's figure was revised to a 0.1% fall from a first estimate of a 0.3% fall, the Commerce Department said.

Compared with January last year, sales were up by 4.7%. But separately, a closely-watched survey suggests that confidence among US consumers remains fragile as concerns about unemployment remain.

Retail sales are followed particularly closely in the US, as consumer spending accounts for about 70% of overall US economic activity.

AC MILAN TIE UP EMIRATES DEAL

The Dubai-owned airline Emirates has announced a 60m-euro (£52m, $82m) sponsorship deal with AC Milan. The four-year deal, due to begin in July, will see Emirates become Serie A team AC Milan's shirt sponsor in place of the Austrian betting company BWin.

Emirates already sponsors several football teams including Paris Saint Germain, Hamburg and Arsenal. The airline has a pre-existing sponsorship deal with AC Milan that does not include shirt sponsorship.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, AC Milan's vice president Adriano Galliani said the £52m deal could eventually be worth even more to the club if results on the field go its way.

INDIA FACTORY OUTPUT RISING

India's industrial production has risen at its fastest pace in more than a decade, providing further evidence of the country's strong economic recovery.

Factory output rose by 16.8% in December compared with a year earlier, much faster than analysts had expected. Subdued growth last year as a result of the global economic downturn helped to boost this year's figure in comparison.

The strong growth will strengthen the case for the government to withdraw its stimulus measures, analysts said.

Source: BBC News

Office Sickie Day

Today is apparently the most common day for people to take an Office 'sickie', which costs UK firms millions of pounds a year.

You can watch a BBC video here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8489763.stm

Higher Administration - ITFM eBook

My Higher Administration class of 2009-10 have worked together to produce an eBook for the ITFM theory element of the course.

It can be viewed here:

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/19685631/Higher-Administration-E-Book-ITFM

A special mention goes to C. Hall, who was the Editor and Designer of what I hope you will find is a useful resource.

Now all we need to do is to create an eBook for Administrative Services Units 1-5!

Apple Launch the i-Pad

Apple founder Steve Jobs launched the i-Pad, the latest attempt to make a success of the Tablet computer market.

During the iPad launch, Apple said that it had recently sold its 250 millionth iPod.
One analyst predicted future sales of the iPod will be cannibalised by those of the iPad.

Apple's rivals Microsoft had a rare product failure in this category with a Tablet Computer that didn't catch on in 2001.

Apple said its aim was to try to create a third category of product that sits between a laptop and a smartphone, which is the traditional interpretation of a tablet computer.

There are some issues with the iPad. It does not support multi-tasking, the ability to have more than one application open at any one time. It doesn't have a camera nor support Flash, the ubiquitous software that handles video and animation on the web.

Some believe the lack of a camera is to keep the price low and afordable to less of a nice market and more of a mass market.

A 32GB iPad will cost $599 (£376) and a 64GB will cost $699 (£439).

However, Apple has given no hint about exact UK prices and final costs may be higher.

Polymath Stephen Fry is raving about the new gadget . He was at the launch and had a trial of the iPad. He said he would like to run away with it!

So will we be talking about the iPad in the same way the iPod and to a lesser extent the iPhone have fired our imaginations?

Remember, for a brilliant example of how to pitch your product, look up Steve Jobs iPod launch for his incredible presentation. I show this to classes every year as he not only introduces the product but he explains how and why they found and satisfied the gap in the market. It is truly brilliant!

You can watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kN0SVBCJqLs. It is on You Tube so you may not be able to access it in school, but it is worth the wait when you get home!

Prelims 2010

Good luck to all students preparing for Prelim exams next week.

Just remember to do your best and think about what questions you know best!

Avatar wins big at the Golden Globes

James Cameron's sci-fi epic Avatar has won Best Picture and Best Director at the Golden Globes Awards Ceremony in Hollywood.

The Golden Globes are a good indicator of what the Academy will vote for in March. The Golden Globes are actually made up of all the Foreign Press in Hollywood, so it again shows the global appeal of the 3-D movie.

Avatar's current gross is $1.6 billion. This has been done in 4 weeks. It is only now $200 million from beating Titanic as the overall box office champ. Who directed Titanic? None other than James Cameron!

Looking at Avatar just illustrates what a risky yet lucrative business Hollywood is. Avatar cost somewhere in the region of $500 million to create, and normally you have to add another $200 million in marketing and advertising, so it just shows that to start making a profit Avatar had to rake in $700 million!

But James Cameron is used to this. T2, True Lies, and Titanic, were all the most expensive films ever at the time. All were blockbusters.

Curiously, Cameron has went for the same slot in the year as Titanic. The December/January period is a quiet one for cinema generally, and by launching the film at this time, he is avoiding the summer blockbusters of May-August, and also avoiding the Oscar worthies who launch in October/November.

Even at $1.6 billion (with 2 weeks of that in December) Avatar may have legs yet. Titanic was released in December 1997, but actually grossed more in 1998. So Avatar may become the first movie to break the $2 billion mark, and who knows where it might end up? Is $3 billion out of the question?

Repeat viewings and a successful foreign (to the USA) market has raised hopes. Normally a Hollywood film that is a success does more box office in the USA than the rest of the world combined. However, since 1997/98, more and more former Eastern Bloc nations have cinemas, so Avatar is bound to do better in Russia et al than Titanic did.

No doubt Avatar's video/DVD/blu ray sales will be massive also... just in time for 3-D TV!

What next for Cameron? President? (He's born in Canada, so he's ruled out!)

Top 10 Most Stressful Jobs in the UK

According to the University of Manchester's Institute of Science and Technology here are the most stressful jobs in the UK:

1. Prison Officer
2. Police
3. Social Work
4. Teaching
5. Ambulance Service
6. Nursing
7. Medicine
8. Fire Fighting
9. Dentistry
10. Mining

Interesting to see Social Work above Teaching on the list as many pupils leave school and go into Social Work under the misconception that it isn't stressful! I don't know where they get that idea from!

And from the same researchers here is the Top 10 Least Stressful Jobs in the UK:

1. Librarian
2. Museum personnel
3. Biologist
4. Nursery Nurse
5. Astronomer
6. Beauty Therapist
7. Linguist
8. Redmedial gymnast
9. Speech therapist
10. Chemist

So there we have it. If there is a museum which contains a library in it, then you are sorted!

Remember when you are choosing your career do not make the mistake of many people and just go for the salary. You have to seriously think of job satisfaction, because you are going to spend a great deal of the next 40 years plus in your job.

The school's careers convention is coming up soon, you it is important for S2, S4 and upper school to attend.

Higher Administration - Calculations in Reports Reminder

Since we are doing this in class and I admit I forget this step all the time, let's put it on here!

So if we are doing a complex calculation the first thing we do is:

1. Draw a LABEL

2. Draw a TEXT BOX (which corresponds to the LABEL)

3. Right click TEXT BOX and click PROPERTIES

4. In CONTROL SOURCE then key in the formula. Remember to add in the round brackets...

i.e. =([Quantity]*[Price per item])

5. Use the other itemms such as DECIMAL PLACES or FORMAT to complete what is asked.



So there we have a simple, straightforward way of doing a difficult task.

Also remember that the easier calculations such as SUM and AVG must be completed using SUMMARY OPTIONS when you are going through the REPORT WIZARD.

Burj Khalifa

The world's tallest building opened in Dubai.

The Burj Khalifa is 2,716 feet high, breaking Tapei 101's long standing record and even the CN Tower in Canada's record as the tallest man made structures.

The building is named after the leader of Abu Dhabi, who funnily enough paid some money to Dubai who owe £80 bn in the current credit crisis.

It begs the question of just how high engineering can go?

In the News...

CHINA MANUFACTURING GROWING

Chinese manufacturing grew by the biggest margin in five years in December, fuelling growth expectations for the world's third-biggest economy.

The purchasing managers index (PMI) from HSBC Holdings and Markit Economics reported the fastest rate of growth since records began in 2004.

The index is based on a survey of more than 400 Chinese manufacturers.

The finding supports the view among some economists that China's economy could grow by as much as 10% this year.


ICELAND VOTE ON BANKS

Iceland's president has announced plans to hold a referendum on the payment of compensation resulting from the collapse of the country's banks.

President Olafur Ragnar Grimmson said he would not sign a controversial bill to repay $5bn lost by UK and Dutch savers in Icesave accounts.

The government has seen strong domestic opposition to the bill.

The Landsbanki bank, which ran the Icesave accounts, collapsed at the height of the banking crisis in 2008.

The money would have gone to the UK and Dutch governments who compensated Icesave holders following the collapse.


BONO CAUSES A NET STORM

Bono, frontman of rock band U2, has warned the film industry not to make the same mistakes with file-sharing that have dogged the music industry.

Writing for the New York Times, Bono claimed internet service providers were "reverse Robin Hoods" benefiting from the music industry's lost profits.

He hinted that China's efforts prove that tracking net content is possible.

The editorial drew sharp criticism, both on its economic merits and for the suggestion of net content policing.


AUSTRALIA UNEMPLOYMENT RATE DOWN

Australia's unemployment rate fell unexpectedly in November, as the country's economic recovery continued.

The jobless rate dropped to 5.7% last month, from 5.8% in October, as 30,800 new full-time jobs were created, said the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The figure surprised analysts, who had been expecting the unemployment rate to increase in November to 5.9%.

The latest figures raise the prospect that Australia will increase interest rates again.

Earlier this month, the Reserve Bank of Australia increased interest rates to 3.75% from 3.5% - the third month in succession that it had increased the price of borrowing.

Australia was also the first major economy to raise interest rates since the outbreak of the global financial crisis.


GOOGLE LOSES OUT TO CANADIANS

A Canadian company behind a search engine called Groovle.com has won a case filed against it by online search giant Google.

Google said the domain name used by the small business, 207 Media, was too similar to its own, but mediators the National Arbitration Forum disagreed.

In the complaint, Google asked for the judges to rule that 207 Media transfer the domain name over to it.

But three judges appointed by the forum refused the request.

They said the name was not similar enough to confuse people and the word 'groovle' was more closely linked to "groovy" or "groove" rather than Google.


SOURCE: BBC NEWS

Chile Copper Crisis

Since some pupils have started the Americas Adventure in S1 and they have been given Chile as a nation to investigate, there is a current crisis in one of Chile's largest copper mines.

The Chuquicamata mining complex produces about 4% of the world's copper and is estimated to have produced 565,000 tonnes of copper last year.

A strike is currently underway due to poor pay and conditions. The company who own the mine, Codelco, are unconcerned at present.

On Monday the 4th of January, the price of copper reached a 16-month high of $7,504 a tonne.

If the strike continues long term there could be global repercussions, but the company apparently have a large stockpile at present.

Motivation for 2010

Happy New Year to everyone. 2010 is here!

In 1910, it is rumoured that the above advert was placed in a London newspaper by Sir Ernest Shackleton, a famous Polar explorer.

Shackleton advertised for men to come on his Antarctic adventure and told the blunt truth. Long winter nights, safe return doubtful. Recognition only if we make it back!

Some 20,000 applicants applied. The original X Factor?

Some have argued about the veracity of this famous advert and indeed it may be apocryphal. However whether it is true or not it does somehow speak of a bygone age where to become rich and famous you had to work hard, have talent and actually do something. Sadly in the modern age of the Internet and Reality TV people can become "famous for 15 minutes" just like Andy Warhol said, even when having no discernible talent.

So why post this on the 1st day of the new decade?

To remind students, learners and young people in general that in order to achieve their potential and become successful, there has to be sacrifices and determination. You don't fluke it and become successful. Hard work lays the foundation for any future success. Natural talent is needed, yes. But practising, working hard and setting goals for oneself are vital. Aim for the stars and aim for excellence.

The good thing is that talent is not fixed. It can be developed and grown. David Beckham may be one of the best practitioners of a dead ball in world football, but that is partly down to his natural talent, but also to the hours he spent honing these skills from an early age.

So when it comes to Prelims and Exams, study. Don't rely on chance or natural talent. Give yourself the best opportunity to succeed. Practice. Study. And ask for help and advice from all your teachers.

You may not believe it, but we ARE here to help. It's called job satisfaction!

Have a great 2010.

Elf Day

One of the unique feautres of Hamilton Grammar is the fun Elf Day which happens annually.

Elfs are S6 pupils dressed up as Santa's Little Helper's who are basically slaves for the day! Mind you each Department has to bid for these elfs at a charity auction. Our Faculty spend a few quid this year to secure EIGHT elves!

They did a grand job...

building a bookcase
cleaning the shelves
laminating filing cabinets
labelling trays
comb-binding SG Admin booklets
cleaning out the cupboard/studio
going for lunches
collecting the calendar for Miss Dunlop
and general errands

Some other slave drivers had them washing cars or having to hop around all day!

I certainly enjoyed Friday, and I think the elves did. Mind you there were a few elves who were posted 'missing'... hiding in the S6 area in the afternoon because they were tired!

Over £600 was raised for the S6 charity 2009-10.

Every school should have an Elf Day!

Xmas Discos

Thanks to all the Young Enterprise team - Triumph - who battled the elements to serve the S1/S2 disco on Monday and the senior disco on Thursday.

A great time was had by all - and a special thanks to Mr Ferguson for his DJ antics. The man is frenetic and enthusiastic... and he even dressed as Santa... with a redbeard!

However where is his Jedi outfit? His audience all wanted to know where it is?

So we have it all to do again when the S3/S4 disco goes ahead on Monday. It will be a poignant one for many of the S3/S4 as Mr Kee the Year Head is taking up a new post as Headteacher of Larkhall Academy. He will be greatly missed. I also think he may be the youngest Headteacher of a Secondary in Scotland, which is no mean feat.

So I hope if the S3/S4 are going to be blubbing all night, perhaps we should invest some Young Enterprise money in hankies?

Avatar

I went to the Glasgow Science Centre on Wednesday Night to see a special advance preview of James Cameron's Avatar.

Not only was it at the IMAX, but also in 3-D!

The movie was just under 3 hours long, but it was pretty exciting and the time flew in. There was a little bit of motion sickness which cropped up in the flying scenes.

Overall the film itself was superb, but the experience of a 3-D movie at the IMAX was surreal. This is surely the future of cinema, and another step for the movies to differentiate themselves from TV.

This happened in the 1950s when people began to stay at home to watch TV and not go to the flicks. Hollywood responded by inventing Cinemascope and later Surroundsound to have a unique experience you could only have in the movies.

Films became more outlandish and had bigger budgets and indeed became spectacles.

In the 1980s and 90s cinema again fought back against the rise of the VHS Videotape by creating the modern multiplex cinema, offering more choice of 10-16 screens rather than the tradtional 1-3 screens.

However I do miss the old Odeon in Glasgow with the giant screen 1. I remember seeing Superman the Movie way back in around 1978/79, and indeed the epic Star Trek: The Motion Picture in 1979/80 when I was a nipper. These incredible experiences of seeing such spectacular films on the big screen are great memories. And I am sure the children of today who got to see Avatar in 3-D will never forget the experience.

I just wish I had a share of James Cameron's profits!

In the News...

UK GO SLOW ON BROADBAND

The UK is trailing when it comes to next-generation access, new figures show.
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the UK is placed 21st out of 30 in terms of speed.

That puts it below countries such as Greece, Portugal and Spain. The report suggests that countries that invest in fibre networks are likely to see the best economic returns in other areas.
When it comes to broadband penetration, the UK is doing ok - placed 13th out of the 30 OECD members. But most of these subscribers still access broadband via so-called DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) rather than via fibre.

NOKIA v APPLE COLD WAR TURNS HOT

The legal battle between Finland's Nokia and its US rival Apple has taken a new turn, with Apple countersuing Nokia over alleged patent violations.
The move follows a Nokia lawsuit filed in October accusing iPhone maker Apple of 10 Nokia patent infringements. Now Apple, in turn, is claiming that the Finnish phone firm is infringing 13 of its technology patents.

"Other companies must compete with us by inventing their own technologies, not just by stealing ours," Apple said.

Apple has not yet revealed which patents are at issue. Nokia was unavailable for comment.
In October, Nokia said it had not been compensated for its technology, and accused Apple of "trying to get a free ride on the back of Nokia's innovation".

The 10 alleged patent infringements by Apple involve wireless data, speech coding, security and encryption.

SHELL AND PETRONAS TEAM UP

A joint venture between the UK's Shell and Malaysia's Petronas oil companies has won the right to develop Iraq's giant Majnoon oil field.

A total of 44 companies took part in a bid for 10 fields in the second such auction since the invasion in 2003. Shell and Petronas beat a rival bid from France's Total and China's CNPC.
Although Majnoon is a huge oil field, with reserves of 13 billion barrels of oil, it currently produces just 46,000 barrels per day.

Shell and Petronas have pledged to increase that output to 1.8 million barrels per day.

UK FACTORY PRICES RISE

The cost of materials and fuels bought by UK factories rose at their fastest annual pace in a year in November.

Input prices gained by 4% last month from November 2008, and by 0.4% from October.
Output prices - the prices of goods leaving UK factories - rose 2.9% on the year, the fastest pace since February.

The numbers suggest that inflation is set to rise in the short term, however, most economists do not expect any increase to persist for long.

"The time lags involved mean that this is unlikely to have much of a bearing on High Street inflation for some time yet," said Vicky Redwood, an economist at Capital Economics.

The annual inflation figures "are likely to increase further over the coming months, as last year's big energy-driven drops in costs fall out of the annual comparison. But the rise should be short-lived."

SOURCE: BBC Business News

Sisters ARE doing it for themselves!

Fortune have published the 50 most powerful women in Business for 2009:

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/mostpowerfulwomen/2009/index.html

It throws up some incredible facts and figures... such as the salary of the highest paid woman, Safra Catz, the CEO of Oracle (the Database firm) who receives a staggering $42.4 million!

Mind you the highest paid man was Aubrey K. McClendon, CEO of Chesapeake Energy (CHK) who received $112.5 million!

The female supremo who was voted the head honcho was the CEO of Pepsi, Indra Nooyi. This is the fourth year in a row she has been ranked first. Pepsi sales are in the region of $42 billion (yes you read that right) and she has turned a great deal of that into profit!

Another interesting businesswoman to highlight comes in at number 5. She's Andrea Jung who is the CEO of Avon Products! Mind you, number 6 is Oprah Winfrey!

As one of my Higher class pointed out, it is really sad that it is hard to name many businesswomen and indeed many female entrpreneurs. We keep trailing out the same old names such as Michelle Mone, the late Anita Roddick, and to a lesser extent Deborah Meaden (after all who knew who she was before Dragons' Den?).

So at least with Indra Nooyi girls can have a new role model. The boss of the world's second largest soft drink company, and someone who is obviously superb in her job.

Higher Business Management Videos

I did quite a few screencasts for Higher Admin which helped with the practical nature of that subject, so this Xmas I am planning to flood the internet with more ramblings but this time aimed to Higher and Int 2 Business Management.

It is really simple! I'm using images to help burn key ideas and facts into your heads! Call it learning, brainwashing or whatever you like, but I think it will help.

So I have created a Methods of Production vid for you to refer back to time and time again.

I aim to do at least 1 per day during Xmas so that will be around 13 or 14 ready for January and I'll keep going. Plus I will take requests.

So get watching!

Well done Higher and Int 2 BM

Congrats all round to the Higher and Int 2 pupils at a 100% success rate in passing the Marketing and Operations NAB.

A massive improvement as a whole in terms of quality of answers from the first NAB.

Top of the leaderboard is Stuart Annets with 104 pts. Can Stuart keep it going with 2 Prelims and 1 NAB to go (and perhaps a further 2 AB tests?).

Ross Cunningham, Calum Innes, Gemma Lindsay and Jennifer Barr are breathing down his neck. Can Stuart take on the mantle of Edison McKenna who was last year's prize winner for Business Management?

On the Int 2 front, totally delighted that all 3 passed easily this time. A special mention has to go to Greg Steele, our Franchise man in the know, who scored a fantastic 35 out of 40, and in fact he will kick himself when he sees the marks he let go or else he'd be getting the 100% award!

A great job well done by everyone. But to be honest the hard work is just starting... to quote Karen Carpenter... "It's only just begun..."

So now on to Finance and HRM and the first Prelim in Jan/Feb.

But oh, there is the small matter of Christmas. So enjoy your holidays but remember it is tough at the top!