Beutlegeuse (as opposed to beetlejuice) has a large red florid face. Perhaps you are onto something? (red rather than yellow, as it is a cool star.)

Always fancied myself as a bit of a cool star, but despite the new Oakely shades, just can't seem to manage it. Keep getting called a folk singer when in the big society I prefer being a roots performer. Ah well.

Not too sure about hitting the landlords so much. Until wages catch up with property prices a bit more, (can't happen sadly) there will be a need for private housing available for rent. Despite what the indicators say, it is my larger detached properties that are never vacant. If you hit the landlords, we have less incentive to provide the service, and judging by the waiting lists our letting agents have, we appear to be in demand.

Alan Whittle reckons, with good cause, that manufacturing needs a boost. Too true, although you need to ensure customers, and for that you might need the government to keep cheap imports at bay. Import tariffs lead to others imposing them and the whole effect being counter productive, so how can you remain competitive?

Tell you what, get one of M'Unlearned friend's colleagues to advise on how to keep wage and entitlement costs down. You see, that's the problem with a global economy. You are competing with those who treat their workers in the way M'Unlearned friend and others reckon we do here. If we did, we'd be more competitive. But also, we'd be as bad as the doom mongers reckon we are, and that would never do.

Chin Chin