Obituaries in brief

RIP Pete Postlethwaite - An absolute giant of the British acting world has died. He had a presence on screen that was unmistakable, along with a wonderfully expressive voice. I suppose the role that stands out most in my mind is Danny from Brassed Off; a classic role in a classic film.

RIP HMV - DrLanky and I wandered past the Cambridge branch of HMV just the other day, and we wondered who actually buys stuff from there anymore. We certainly don't, when we can usually buy the same products much cheaper on-line. Anyway, it seems that the recession has bitten the cute little dog in the behind, and they are set to close a number of stores. This is a sad sign of the times, and I wonder how long it will be before the company is forced to fold its entire high street operation (remember Woolworths?).

RIP Australian cricket - for now anyway! I've been very impressed by the manner in which the England team have attacked the latest Ashes series. I just hope they don't take their eye of the ball when they resume today to finish the job. I do have something to say about some comments recently made by KP, but I'll save them for another post.

RIP Liverpool FC - After a complete hammering from Blackburn Rovers last night, this must surely be the end for Roy Hodgson.

RIP Paul Collingwood - no he's not dead, but he's retiring from Test cricket - a bold and commendable decision. Rather than try to play himself back into form with the bat, he's accepted that now might be the time to move on and to make way for someone else. What a mature point of view! And what a player. I think we can safely call him the most remarkable fielder of his generation, raking some of the most ridiculous catches you've ever seen. He's also been there when it counts with bat and ball. Thanks for the memories Colly. Google 'collingwood catch' and see some glorious fielding.

And finally, RIP Gerry Rafferty - I can't say I know more than two of his songs, but they are both crackers! From what I've read since his death, it seems that he struggled with the fame brought through his musical talent, and that's a real shame. At least with a musician, a powerful legacy is left for us to remember.

The power of positive reinforcement

I've never been a follower of organised boycotts such as the Nestle one. I understand the key issues, but you need to take a lot of 'facts' on trust from a partisan when you support such a campaign. I have no idea whether Nestle are good are bad - how would I know that what I've been told about them is correct and free of bias?

I also have a more fundamental discomfort about organised boycotts like this. I'd much rather take action based on my own rationale rather than received wisdom.

Finally, there's a significant issue here about how we are seeking to modify the behaviour of these corporations (that is what we're trying to do isn't it?). We're told by child psychologists that we should ignore any undesired behavioural traits in our children, and reward them when we see preferred behaviour (note my hedging away from good and bad - once a philosopher...). Maybe this is an approach we should take with corporations, businesses and organisations. Perhaps, as Phil Cooke suggests, we should reward a retailer because they have exceeded our expectations.

I know from my experience in retail that you rarely get good customer feedback. When you do, it lights up your face, and you're motivated for another week in one of the most poorly paid jobs around. On the other hand, people are very happy to tell you when their expectations have not been met; sometimes in brutal terms. Why, as a society, is it easier to chide than to praise? Is there something about the human mind that makes us do this, or have we been 'trained' into this mode of behaviour? Either way, perhaps we should be the start of a revolution which, rather than boycotting on the basis of presumed wrongdoing, takes a positive experience as the motivation for affirmation - even on a corporate level. Carrots rather than sticks!