We are as smug as we are sluggish in the NTI newsroom office today. We got ahead of the news curve and crested the storm of the UK's latest recession and all those dodgy ONS stats in yesterday's news and now await the thunderstorm of the next casual dining outlet to suffer a lightning strike. Meanwhile, we thought we would give you a medley of stories making their way around the business news pages and online sites this Thursday. Amusement and delectation for your afternoon cup of tea.