7)    I wish that as Basel III is implemented bankers can keep calm and carry on. While the worlds bankers have been attempting to recover from the financial crisis, while dealing with massive criticism from politicians and the public and managing the effects of several scandals, they are about to be hit with a substantial new regulatory regime in the form of Basel III, which comes into effect in 2013.

Sympathy for bankers is not a common phenomenon. But maybe a little is warranted right now. Banks stocks are down by half or more in the US and Europe, putting the exercise prices of those options that a lot of bankers get even further out of the money. Their bonuses are dropping, too. But of course that is only for bankers who can keep their jobs. Someone estimated that European