Ged Carroll, 21 October
I've just read Zero History, the latest novel by cyberpunk pioneer writer William Gibson.
His last three books have revolved around marketing, brands and how consumers relate to them. Marketing is represented by an agency called Blue Ant and CEO Herbertus Bigend, who is grasping to see into the future so he can put a price stamp on it. Marketing agencies are compared and contrasted in two of the books, with elements of the private military industry that have sprung up since the demise of the Cold War ...
DRAWING THE STING EARLY
Simon Redfern, 20 October
Government ministers are now acutely aware that informing the press about policy announcements before their fellow Parliamentarians hear about them is bad form. When it happens, Speaker Bercow jumps to his feet and makes them feel like a right card in front of their colleagues. No-one wants that, but that leaves a problem.
Sometimes, particularly when you have difficult stuff to announce, you want to draw the sting early so that you don't have a massive hit of pain on one day ...
FOOTBALL FANS SUFFER
Steve Chisholm, 19 October
The big story in sport has been the takeover of Liverpool Football Club. As one fans' banner put it, a club 'Built by Shanks ... Broken by Yanks'. But why should we be surprised? New owners are given credibility by their PR machines before the brave new dawn quickly turns false with supporters feeling once again that 'their club' is anything but ...
