Author Archives: Nick Sallnow-Smith

Conduct / 2018-06-26 / Nick Sallnow-Smith You will have to be patient for a couple of paragraphs before I arrive at explaining the title for my thoughts this month. My route to it begins with a quick reprise of the difference between “natural law” and what I will term “codeContinue reading>

A Man, A Plan, A Canal, Panama / 31-05-2018 / Nick Sallnow-Smith I hope my title this month will at least intrigue you. This phrase is perhaps the longest palindrome ( it reads the same backwards as forwards) that has a meaning. It refers to the building of the PanamaContinue reading>

Best Use / 2018-04-30 / Nick Sallnow-Smith My title is a real estate term. It captures the idea that for every plot of land there is a “best use”. A use which will create the most value from that site, given its location and nature. Rural sites with good soilContinue reading>

Is Everything Under Control?  ／2018-03-29／Nick Sallnow-Smith You may not think it from my title but this piece is about the Budget. Let me explain. Human beings, when faced with the chaos of nature, crave some degree of certainty. Governments respond to that innate desire with welfare programmes, the promise toContinue reading>

One Ring To Rule Them All ／2018-02-28／Nick Sallnow-Smith No, not an article about dogs for Chinese New Year. I thought you might have had your fill of those. Instead my title was triggered by The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra’s performance last month of their final “opera in concert” of Wagner’s RingContinue reading>

Our “Should” “Must” Society ／2018-01-31／Nick Sallnow-Smith Open any op-ed page of most newspapers (at least the English language ones that I read) and you enter the world of “should” and “must”. Many, on some days most, of the opinions expressed are about what others should be doing, or must beContinue reading>

Do Turkeys Vote for Xmas? ／2017-12-31／Nick Sallnow-Smith I thought that over the holiday season I would write on a topical subject. Of course the classic phrasing of my title would be “turkeys don’t vote for Xmas”. The implication is that even as stupid a bird as a turkey (I don’tContinue reading>

Please sir, I want some more ／2017-11-31／Nick Sallnow-Smith My title this month, probably the best known piece of dialogue in all of Charles Dickens’ novels, is the brave question from orphan Oliver Twist to the tyrannical master of the poorhouse. I was reminded of it this month at a presentationContinue reading>

Nudge, Nudge ／2017-10-31／Nick Sallnow-Smith I am not a fan of “awards”, where a committee selects what they think is the best movie, novel, song etc. Typically, the choice tells me more about the prejudices and tastes of the members of the awarding committee than it does about the award winner’sContinue reading>

Best Practice is Worst Practice  ／2017-09-27／Nick Sallnow-Smith One common addition to business jargon over recent decades has been the term ‘best practice’. It has also become one of those ‘apple pie’ nostrums to which only the insane would object. Well, let me have a go at some insane objections to it.Continue reading>