Daily Archives: February 21, 2008

John Gapper Bowling redefined by hipsters in Williamsburg

February 21, 2008 6:02 pm by John Gapper

The Journal has a piece this morning on the rise of bowling (indoor 10-pin bowling, not the outdoor sort played by Sir Francis Drake). It has become a kind of hipster retro outing for people who enjoy its fake-suburban appeal.

Coincidentally, there is an article in the New York Times pointing out that golf has been in slow decline for some time. Men are apparently finding it harder to justify spending half a day on the golf course (or a Saturday excursion, as Jack Welch used to insist upon for GE executives). Read more

Posted in Entertainment |

John Gapper Marcel Ospel meets the equity culture

February 21, 2008 5:20 pm by John Gapper

Further to my post the other day on the remarkable staying power of Marcel Ospel, the chairman of UBS, it seems the clock is ticking.

By cutting his term of office – and those of all board members – from three years to one, UBS is throwing a sop to investors who would like him to step down. Read more

Posted in Food and Drink |

John Gapper Hillary Clinton’s managerial incompetence

February 21, 2008 4:28 pm by John Gapper

It has been obvious for some time that Hillary Clinton’s campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination is badly run compared with that of Barack Obama.

Leaving politics aside, it simply seems like a poor managerial effort. The fact that she has had fund-raising problems, did not grasp that the campaign would continue beyond Super Tuesday, and has not been able to organise effectively on the ground are all signs of a fundamental lack of competence. Read more

Posted in Management |

John Gapper The top 10 Northern Rock losers

February 21, 2008 2:16 am by John Gapper

northern-rock.jpg 

My Financial Times column this week is about Northern Rock. It sets out, David Letterman-style (well, sort of) the top 10 losers of the affair. You can read it here and post comments below. Read more

Posted in Finance |