A bit on the side......

..............or a bit of fluff




Something happens to some men, particularly those it seems in a position of power. They become a bit of a goose and have an affair which in the end usually ruins their career or brings about their downfall. This is the age of judgements where the social media can wreak a bit of havoc.
Not all men, of course, I hasten to add before being taken to task. 
In France a mistress appears to be the norm. The associated costs are probably a legitimate tax deduction! 
Previously in France, If a murder were committed , the motive for which was a straying partner the penalties were less severe as a "crime passionel" was considered to be a valid reason for murder. This however did end in France as the Napoleonic code was updated in the 1970s so that a specific father's authority upon his whole family was over.
In the U.S. crimes of passions have been traditionally associated with the defenses of temporary insanity or provocation. Historically, such defenses were used as complete defenses for various violent crimes, but gradually they became used primarily as a partial defense to a charge of murder which acts by converting what would otherwise have been murder into manslaughter.

C' est la vie.

A class act

Christine Lagarde rose to prominence when appointed Finance Minister in 2007 by the then President of France Sarkozy or Sarky as he was referred to in France.Her  frenchness and internationalism was a refreshing change for European politicians long used to the Gallic myopia of her predecessor.

.
Smart, chic and successful, she is a lawyer by profession and was the global head for the law firm of Baker, Mackenzie in the U.S.
Hard working and professional Lagarde has an appetite for technical detail (very French) and the knack of getting her with with charm rather than bullying. She is also an advocate of social issues including climate change , which she sees as real ,  as well as the role of women , once claiming  that there was too much testosterone in high-powered circles. She is also a firm advocate of the role of the Euro in international markets,
She has recently voiced her concern at the possible impact of the Ebola virus on sustained growth and recovery after the GFC. With the current mixture of Ukraine, Syria, IS and Ebola she has her work cut out for her.

"The global economy needs new policy momentum to beat mediocre growth."

Concern, not panic

Outbreak..not the movie

Ebola first appeared in humans in 1976 in Central Africa and South Sudan. Is natural hosts are believed to be fruit bats. In parts of Africa these are eaten as a market delicacy.  The virus was named after the Ebola river,  round which the first cases appeared.
In an age where air travel facilitates the movement of infected people , the recent outbreak is not spreading particularly in countries with poor medical standards and facilities but threatening to harm the economies of Africa in general and perhaps the rest of the world. That is the view of both the IMF and World bank.
The IMF, under Christine Lagarde,  has announced ,  in a departure from its normal policy of discouraging budget deficits,  it would be appropriate for those countries at the epicentre of the outbreak to increase their deficits to contain the virus. The World Bank who normally encourages private investment to improve facilities is also an agreement under the circumstances.
Ebola is highly infectious but less contagious as it is not an airborne virus. It is infectious in that a single virus can cause death,

Improved screening in the West as well as an increased awareness of the situation has seen, so far, the spread contained to a minimum number..hope it continues.

Retreat?

Hong Kong

Reports are that the student numbers are thinning out while civil servants have returned to work. Some students say they are satisfied that talks with the government will take place. So far so good? Or is this is pause that refreshes?

Financial people

They're only human

Bankers are a breed apart. They're a bit like policemen, they never lose that feeling that they have a duty to themselves and the world to remain unchanging and steadfast in their pursuit of happiness in their chosen careers.
It's true to say that money is, unfortunately, a man-made abstract concept which is used as a standard by which to measure people.

Accumulation of wealth and possessions cannot simply reflect a person's character, surely?

One older member of the credit committee which used to assess loan applications was so sensitive of the word "risk" that the very mention of the offensive word  in any application led to an automatic thumbs down from on high. Thereafter It would take a couple of swift snorters from the mahogany drinks cabinet to restore the old boy's equilibrium ready to face the rest of the day.

One Manager I worked for was definitely a nut case of the first water. After a particularly violent argument with the wife he became so displeased that he locked her in the bathroom and fed her by lowering a food tray through the skylight above the bolted door. She lasted three days before a concerned neighbour became anxious at the wife' s seeming disappearance and arranged a rescie operation. Needless to say no charges were laid which in today's liberated world in inconceivable.

Bankers lend you an umbrella when it's dry and want it back when it rains. They are also not very fond of surprises. Anyway, enough said on this subject....