Wednesday 31 December 2008

A Year End Economic Alphabet



A's Armageddon, a smidgin upsetting,
B are the Bonuses Bankers are getting.
C is for Credit, and also for Crunch,
D is for Death to the city lunch.
E is the 'End of 2008',
F is for Falling (the Stock Market's fate).
G is for Government, and Gordon, our leader
H is for Happy New Year, dear reader.
I is for Interest, nearly at nought,
J is for Junk (the shares I once bought).
K is for Keynes (John Maynard, not Milton)
L is the Lending the economy was built on.
M is for Meltdown, losing the lot,
N is for Nothing, which is what we have got.
O is for zero, zilch, bugger all,
P is for Penury, backs to the wall.
Q is for Queen (otherwise 'Lizzie')
R's the Receiver, who's frightfully busy.
S is Stagflation, making analysts grieve,
T is for 'Turn out the lights as you leave'.
U is Unemployment and Unrepaid loan,
V are the Vultures repossessing your home.
W is Woolworth's sorry demise,
X is Expenditure, still set to rise.
Y is for Yearning for a better bank rate,
Z is the Zeitgeist of 2008.

BT
New Year's Eve

22 comments:

  1. Nice work, BT. Happy New Year.

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  2. That's really good. And depressing. Happy new year and I look forward to reading more on your blog in 2009.

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  3. Was that your own work? I am impressed, truly. I bet the Milton/built on line gave you a lot of thinking.

    It does seem gloomy out there, doesn't it. Roll on spring - I think we'll have three months of increasingly depressing headlines and then perhaps a bit of cheer will begin to creep in around April.

    We can do it, Brother Tobias, we can do it. (maybe one day you'll blog about why you picked your name - I bet it's a good story),

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  4. Happy New Year to you, Rol.

    Likewise Hattie...Your posts are like something welcome and unbill-like falling on the mat.

    You are too kind, Fancy; it was rapidly rattled-off doggerel, because I couldn't think what to write (but I did rather enjoy 'Milton' and 'built on'). I hope you're right about the economy; we can do April.
    As for the name - it's not much of a story. I'm going to make up a better one. Or perhaps several, and you can take your pick!

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  5. Justme - Sorry - your post crossed with my response. And it was a bit gloomy...I was trying to be topical, not reflect my mood (the fire is lit, champagne is cooling outside the back door, the SS is making cheese straws and a big dish of Bobotie, and all is well with my world tonight).

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  6. Brilliant poem BT.

    'R' is also of course for 'redundant'

    Happy New Year!

    Lx

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  7. Ha - good stuff...

    Happy Hogmany!

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  8. I've laughted! Been a while, thanks for that. Have a memorable New Year, all the best for 2009

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  9. 2008 in an alphabetical nutshell. A class act as always. Wishing you and yours a very happy New Year indeed, Brother T.

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  10. Well Done; LOL
    May the new year be sweeter!
    Aloha, BT-

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  11. Good poem! Things can only get better. Happy new year to you all.

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  12. Happy New Year to you too (with nobs on)....am here in Brisbane and it is H for hot. 36 degrees during the day and 23 overnight.
    Great poem, gloomy or not, very clever. Cheers!

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  13. Thank you Laura. It does indeed stand for that(but also perhaps for renaissance, re-employment and recognition). 'R's to your former employers is what I say.

    Thanks Chimesey. And Happy Hogmanay to you too - may it last all year!

    Mahaloz Sistah Cloudia! Happy New Year (and keep geevin us dat pleeny good kine!)

    And to you both, Sarah.

    Amanda, I'd so trade hot for cold right now - although last night's champagne was chilled to perfection outside).

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  14. What a wonderful and erudite start to the year!

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  15. how blind am I? I completely missed the clip which I've just played. Doesn't it sound like more than one person-pretty good stuff (yet somebody else I've never heard of)

    Tell me to go away and do my essay on Wilberforce, please.

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  16. Can Bass - An accolade of 'erudite' from you pleases me greatly...however unlikely and undeserved! Happy New Year.

    Fancy - I hadn't heard of him either until a few years ago (my daughter's boy friend plays using a similar 'slap and pop' style).

    Go and do your essay on Wilberforce (but for accuracy turn it in late, reminding them that WW was a notoriously bad time-keeper, and took seven years to get his MA).

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  17. (Fancy - I meant 'days', not 'years')

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  18. I was going to say - seven years isn't bad to study for an MA. Do you mean he kept not turning up to collect the actual diploma?

    This is turning out to be quite hard really - it's meant to be about his view of Christianity, quite a hard topic to waffle about for 1500 words.

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  19. Ah - my days/years remark was about the guitar man. 7 years for an MA (beyond his BA) sounds quite long to me...but maybe that was a norm then?

    I'd rather you than me for the essay topic. Obviously speed-reading his works are a key. Is it possible to see how his views changed, from 'A Practical View...' onwards? And I guess you are permitted to look at the bearing on his anti-slavery role. How he reconciled 'a modest and private' religion with a very public profile. The need to not just have beliefs, but 'practice the precepts'. His conviction that part of faith was focussing on the 'wants and necessities of fellow creatures'. His awareness that 'Blow Fiercer' was an anagram of 'Wilberforce' motivated his campaigning (I just made that up)....
    How about mentioning the family motto, that he may have introduced (from) psalm 113), 'Nos Non Nobis' (every little helps!)
    Best of luck - I know you can wow them!

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  20. I'm feeling too jolly to feel glum at the alphabet - I do like the video thanks
    HNY
    xxx

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  21. Happy New Year! F is also for Flu, as well as at least one profanity we may all be uttering over the next few months when checking our bank statements...

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