So creativity . . . why does creative accounting spring straight to mind?
Is it because I am in Zurich or is because of the Paradise Papers or both?
Well, what about the president of Colombia and the Queen being in the same bed?
According to the papers leaked to the German press, there are 10trillion dollars stored in tax havens, and both the president and the Queen had money in such offshore accounts.
There are lots of other very wealthy people who have shed loads of cash but don’t want to pay tax who use former British colonies to hide money.
In 2002, the Inland Revenue – yes, HM Revenue and Customs – sold its (our) properties to a firm in Bermuda and then leased them back, saying it was a good deal for the taxpayer. Now that was creative.
So people who don’t want to pay for schools, hospitals, roads and welfare hide money. Apple salts money away from the tax men and generally pays less than 4% corporation tax – creative accountants.
The hackers who broke into Appleby’s computers to reveal such squalid practices were, in my opinion, being creative.
When you think about creativity, then the internet must get a gold medal. Is it good or is it bad? Well it’s both.
The internet allowed the hackers to break into computers to get the Paradise Papers, so that was good.
The internet can also be used to incite people to do all sorts of bad things, and it’s then not only bad but also dangerous.
Arguments like who scored the fourth goal in 1966 are a thing of the past, thanks to Google.
Going to the doctors is a thing of the past now that you can simply type in the symptoms and get an immediate diagnosis, leading to a cure that can be got from an online chemist which is open 24 hours.
Google was invented in someone’s garage, and not only did they come up with a clever bit of kit but they also created a new word.
So what about the man who created “fake news”? In actual fact, he didn’t. He thought he had created a unique hairstyle but even that is shared with our own buffoon, Boris.
How was Boris created? Well it’s called the class system. Going to Eton, and then Oxford or Cambridge creates a very confident human being. Confidence is one thing but it doesn’t – and especially in his case – come with commonsense.
His interference with the lady’s plight in Iran says it all. If he’s that thick, why doesn’t Theresa do something about him? Well politically she’s over a barrel because if she cuts him loose, he will create havoc from the back benches as the Brexit fiasco gathers more pace.
So Theresa is between a rock and a hard place after her disastrous decision to hold a general-election, which catapulted Jeremy into the limelight. So fair play, she did create a credible Labour party after years in the post-Blair wilderness. Whatever you may think about Jeremy, you can bet he pays his taxes in full.
The houses of parliament are some creation and that’s a fact. A place where people set standards that they themselves don’t always adhere to and who, when they get caught, fall on their swords.
Theresa’s created a code of conduct for MPs that she can’t really enforce as she has also created a minority government. Creativity at its best, or is it?
When Henry Ford asked people what would benefit them the most, the answer was faster horses. Not the answer he was looking for but it didn’t stop him creating the Model T Ford – now that was creativity.
But if you are looking for the most creative thing ever, who invented the wheel?
Back in Inverness, Robbo has created a team that doesn’t concede and that augurs well with him now having aspirations to get promotion rather than hover just above relegation.
Inverness has also created a fantastic footballer aptly named Ryan (Christie) who was called up to represent Scotland – a sponsor’s dream.
As one of his sponsors, Orion is very proud of him and we hope he does himself justice in his career wherever it takes him – hopefully, to the very top.
I am guessing the financial genius that sold him to Celtic put a clause in the contract that rewards the club for an international call-up, with a cash payout it desperately needs right now. I cannot wait for the AGM.
Final word has to go to Zurich for food innovation. The university here has just created a process that extracts proteins and nutrients from insects.
They claim the resulting insect bar is not only nutritious but also inexpensive. Whereas it takes 10kg (22lbs) of animal to feed to produce 1kg (2.2lbs) of beef protein, it only takes 2kg (4.4lbs) of said animal feed to produce the same amount of insect protein. I kid you not – now that really is creativity.
