This week like many in the past few months has been all about people using numbers to support or justify lack of support for various issues in business and elsewhere. The worry I have about numbers is that a lot of the time the numbers that are being thown about are all historical and not a reflection of the current situation. Today the Obama governement put out numbers to show that a quarter of a million people a back in work reducing the unemployement figure to 8.1%, while the numbers are useful for those that know how to use them there is another purpose to them, 2013 elections! Here in the UK, the energy companies anounced that they have cut their prices by 6%, hooray but hang on, considering inflation and the fact that last time the prices went up by 15% there is no real benefit in the prices being reduced. So they want to appear as though they care, again there is always an ulterior motive in many of these statistics.

Some sad numbers coming out of Egypt and again someone or some groups have jumped to the numbers of an unfortunate incident and started spining the truth to suit their own motives, some say it politics, some say it is revenge but noone stops to think about the dead or their relatives. How callous is it to try and gain political mileage from such a sad situation. Shame on them

Elsewhere the numbers show that times are hard, the transfer period in football has just ended and not a single palyer sold or bought in England for over £10 million, going back 3 years this same window had clubs spending £400 million in January. Last year was crazy as well,  Fernando Torres went for £50 million, and how that has flopped! maybe that’s why teams are not spending money in January anymore. They don’t want to buy another Fernando or Caroll who cost £35 million!

1 point out of a possible 12 for my beloved Gunners in 4 games is numbers that put a damper on things but it’s all real! hopefully tomorrow will bring 3 points because things can’t carry on like this. Still, looking aound the premiership things aren’t all lost yet.

Here is to a great weekend,off to have 1 or 2 cognac and rebulls, hope you do too.

Stay safe!