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I must admit, I missed the Amazon hype, so caught up with this after the event and have been reading nothing but negativity.

On Wednesday, Amazon celebrated their 20 year anniversary by having an "Amazon Prime day", open only to Amazon Prime subscribers.

The hype banged on about how this would be bigger than "Black Friday" traditionally the best eCommerce day of the year in the run up to Christmas. But looking at the online feedback, shoppers seemed less than impressed, with forums, blogs and even Amazons own message board seems full of negativity.

It seems a lot of the complaints were based around the type of items that were being discounted. Primarily Amazon own products like Kimbles, and lower grade products like tupperware

There seems to have been quite a social media backlash, so maybe not the best PR for Amazon, but it does look like they shifted a lot of stock, albeit probably lots of rubbish they've been struggling to shift?

So did Amazon Prime day pass anyone else by, or were you fully aware of it and took advantage?

I know it's gets staler each series, but I do miss Theo and his "why should I give you my kids inheritance" wise cracks, and dare I say it, but the Den doesn't seem the same without grumpy Duncan  

I liked Piers Linney and Kelly Hoppen, although Piers seemed to stop investing towards the end.

So does anyone still watch it? Come on it's good entertainment value to watch muppets who have no idea how much money they turned over last year, or watch in disbelief at some of the crackpot ideas.

If you did see last Sundays, what do you think of the 3 new dragons? I recognised Sarah Willingham but had no idea why. The missus did a quick google and it seems she was a restaurant inspector on Raymond Blancs Restaurant series.

Wasn't inspired by Touker Suleyman or Nick Jenkins. No doubt they are business genius's but didn't warm to them, and found Suleyman annoying. Maybe I'm subconsciously trying to compare Touker to Theo, but it was show 1 so no doubt they are finding their feet and on screen personality. 

I think I'd be more interested to see a new series focusing on previous investments, what happened, and see what/if any difference was made x years later. Be good to hear of more success stories other than Levi Roots. Be great to go the beginning, and see the difference cash and contacts made, moving forward 10 years, and how many investments came to nothing or didn't give a return. What happens then?

You hear about are the deals that go sour 6 months later after due diligence, but wonder how many regret giving away so much equity, and are now not as far along as they hoped? Then there must be plenty of success stories after 13 series, how many are living the high-life running multimillion pound businesses, or sold them on and made the various dragons a packet? Whose the winning investor, assuming it has to be Peter with his Levi protégé. 

Come on BBC, theres a whole series worth of telly there ready and waiting

Image courtesy of the BBC

An old one but made me smile...

credit unknown

Well I've heard it all now...

Saw this mentioned on Search Engine Land, and they posted a link to the job:

Program Manager, Search Engine Optimization

So Google need help with their rankings? It sounds like a spoof!

You can imagine some of the colourful comments across the various sites that have reported on this story

Any takers? Anyone fancy link building for Google 

Originally Posted by Data Clinic Ltd

“I'm multitasking my listening ”

Who said us blokes couldn't multitask, we have living proof 

I like the fact that the model was called Steve. I am available for group bookings if anyones interested

That is a terrifying thought!! 

I do find African history fascinating, from brutal tribal feuds to the Colonial age, and the enforced politics, bureaucracy, education and even religion on African populations with different cultures and little interest in Western values.

You'd think Westerners would have learnt something over the years, then you look at recent history in the Middle-east...

Education seems key, but the approach that's been taken over the last 30 years+ clearly isn't working. Maybe the primary message of birth control needs to come from outside the classroom, maybe the village elders, whoever is held in high esteem locally. Maybe it's the local witch doctor! I wonder if its our concept of what education should be, that's causing the problem?

Have always longed to go to Africa, and hopefully manage a safari before all the animals are extinct. But confess to still getting swept away with the tales of Wilbur Smith and his version of Africa 

Really is a bit of political opposition vacuum at the moment, and agree, none of the leadership candidates seem to be lighting any fires. Maybe the return of Blair? He's handed his palace back now he's finished in the MiddleEast. Always seemed a sense of irony sending him as a peace envoy?

Even Brown would look more convincing IMHO. But although she's getting a lot of flak, I think Harman is doing alright and it's a shame she's not standing.

It does seem to be the lot of business life, all or nothing! We are in talks with a number of Councils, and it will either all turn into nothing, or they will all want to go ahead at the same time!

Stops life from being dull though 

How did the bookkeeping exam go? 

Remember doing double-entry Book-keeping at night school when I first started, trying to keep the costs down, then realised how incompetent I was when it came to maths  

It really has been an odd strategy and bizarre form of brinkmanship, which as you say has backfired on all levels.

From what I make out, although a high level proposal has been agreed, it's far from a done deal and there are still elements that could scupper it when they through all the details.

Not a good time to be a business owner. VAT up, Corp Tax up, luxury tax on nice motors in case you did make a healthy profit. As U turns go, this has to be one of the most spectacular.

I think this Greek tragedy still has a long way to go, and no doubt will turn up a few more unexpected surprises. But it looks like they will cling on to the Euro by their fingernails, even if the Germans are stamping on their hands