Frydmania

Less is indeed more

I was a bit bemused to find my favourite newspaper encouraging sensible Germans to save less and spend more.

The Economist has been the way I ‘connect’ with the real rather than the virtual world over the last ten years and I think it may have just lost the plot.

We are being encouraged to save more - or at least pay off our own debts - and buy less so that we don’t get into debt in the first place.  To find a voice that is so usually sensible suggesting that a nation of savers has got it all wrong is a bit of a shame.

Germany is Europe’s best hope of encouraging a change towards responsible citizenship, enlightened laws, local action and green industry.  I wonder if Cameron, Osborne, et al will berate Merkel for her country not buying enough tat.  Hopefully not.

Having just bought something of value - a watch - the first one I’ve bought since 1995 (or worn since 2003 if I’m honest), we should indeed be saving more and spending less.

Tut, tut Mr Economist.  Go for it Mrs Merkel… get those Euros in the bank.

Add comment September 20th, 2009

Not a good name for a car

Wasn’t sure whether to post this on Twitter or Facebook, but thought perhaps the blog was just the place and so that way it wouldn’t disappear below a whole load of other posts that quickly!

Renault’s marketing people have - as the title suggests - given a very poor name to their new eco car.

It’s called the Fluence.

Unfortunately if you put an e at the start of that, it sounds like e(f)fluence.

To be fair, an effluence is a flowing out, something being let loose.  In my mind it has connotations of a bit of a pong.

He used to say ‘what an obnoxious effluvium’.  Quite a vocabulary building lesson for a seven year old.

So, a car called Fluence might be okay if the electricity it uses will eventually come from rotting veg or human poop, but I don’t think their marketing department covered themselves in glory on this occasion.

What is impressive is that it will charge to 80% capacity from a 230v source in 20 minutes.  That’s quicker than my phone…

Add comment September 20th, 2009