Tempting openers for my thesis

"The demand that I make of my reader is that he should devote his whole Life to reading my works." -- James Joyce
-or-
"If you aren't in over your head, how do you know how tall you are?" -- T. S. Eliot 

My old stomach-churning view from Switzerland

I was reminded of my old exchange-rate worries by the news on the Euro today. Here's the history of the pound against the Swiss Franc, Euro and Japanese Yen, starting from the time my wife and I moved to Geneva:

Screen capture from Google Finance.

Every pay day I'd look at how much less my check was worth...  and wonder why the Franc, sitting outside the shelter of the Euro, representing an economy focussed on banking could keep pace with it when the Pound could not.

Since we moved back to the UK at the end of 2010 it's become obvious that the Euro wasn't somehow protecting the Franc.  The Franc has stayed stronger and stronger and today it's approaching the strength of the Yen of export-driven Japan.

What is the origin of this safe-haven status of Switzerland? Gold reserves? A middle-class well-mannered stereotype?

It's amazing how a currency can drop by 40%.  How can this be based on reality?

If anyone has a good answer, please let me know!

Great Verse from Ted

Ted Hughes - Tales from Ovid

Some verse from "Midas" on Apollo:

"In his right hand he held

The plectrum that could touch

Every wavelength in the Universe

Singly or simultaneously.

Even his posture

Was like a tone - like a tuning fork,

Vibrant, alerting the whole earth,

Bringing heaven down to listen."

Hello World!

The obligatory first step.