Strange letter in the Financial Times from Google’s Global Privacy Counsel, one Peter Fleischer, attacking the male tie.

It constricts circulation to the brain. And it acts as decorative camouflage for the business suit, designed to shield the middle-aged male physique, with its shrinking shoulders and protruding paunch, from feeling sufficiently self-conscious to hit the gym.

Men should lose their “business attire” and wear T-shirts to work. Wouldn’t you like to know whether your business partners are fit? Why should you trust a man in business if he abuses his own body? And heaven knows what waves of creativity might be unleashed, when men are freed from conformist garb.

If there’s a scale for measuring tosh then this is off the chart. I hate wearing a tie but I’ve also lost count of the number of ultra-fit half-wits I’ve seen ruining perfectly good businesses. And some of the cleverest people I know have never knowingly been to a gym in their lives. In my own case, the only exercise I get comes from jumping to conclusions.

Speaking of fitness fanatics ruining things, by the way, Clare Short (the former Cabinet minister) said something interesting about Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair’s former spinmeister. Campbell was obsessed with his body and was forever running marathons etc. According to Short, what riled Campbell most about Rory Bremner’s satirical renditions of the Blair-Campbell relationship was the fact that the actor chosen to play him was — in his words — “a fat bastard”.

Thanks to Nick Carr for spotting this luxuriant piece of arrant nonsense.

This from the er, Royal Bank of Scotland this morning.

Dear Royal Bank of Scotland customer,

The Royal Bank of Scotland Customer Service requests you to complete Digital Banking Customer Confirmation Form (CCF).

This procedure is obligatory for all customers of the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Please select the hyperlink and visit the address listed to access Digital Banking Customer Confirmation Form (CCF).

http://sessionid-0426665.rbs.co.uk/customerdirectory/direct/ccf.aspx

Again, thank you for choosing the Royal Bank of Scotland for your business needs. We look forward to working with you.

***** Please do not respond to this email *****

This mail is generated by an automated service.

Who falls for this stuff?

Needless to say, I do not bank with RBS.

Yesterday (21st) was the official publication day for the last of the Harry Potter books. Early in the morning, in a village in Deepest Provence, I found that the local newsagent had acquired six copies of the English edition — for which she was charging full whack, plus. As I handed over the loot (I am, after all, a doting parent), I reflected on the wonders of capitalism: some entrepreneur reckoned that there were enough crazy Anglos around Provence at this time of the year to make it worth ordering and shipping a few copies. Later on in the day I checked back — and all the books had gone.

Planet Hiltron takes pictures of celebrities and PhotoShops them to give an impression of what they might be like without their retinues of image-makers and PR flacks. Here’s their take on Madonna:

Thanks to BoingBoing for the link.