When I was a kid my favorite thing about Xmas was the food shopping trip to Fine Fare. Fine fare was a supermarket famed for it's 'yellow label' goods years before 'own label' ever became an idea that the posh stores would adopt.
Our local fine fare had been opened by 'plays a vet on TV' Christopher Timothy, who I'd been told flew in by helicopter - and what he opened was a real boon to the council estate on which we lived.
But at Xmas the shopping trip was different. My grandparent's would join us, there would be a Xmas movie to watch when we got home and I'd already have watch a puppet rat be mean to a puppet Gerbil (who was welsh) before leaving the house - so my spirits would be high.
The great thing about a Xmas shopping trip was that all of those shelves that had been off-limits during the year suddenly became accessible. Mr. Kipling chocolate fancies with a bit of cadbury's flake on the top? Throw them in. Woodpecker cider - it's Xmas.
The christmas shop gave me access to excess. To a world of abundence and permission that I didn't realize was commonplace for many of my friends. It seemed to me that the supermarkets magically filled for the holidays with weird, wonderful and only vaguely Christmas specific goodies - and yet (I now suspect) that whilst the tins of ham my have grown bigger and the biscuits developed hard, snow covered tins - the rest was purely permission to indulge.
We're heading out today to do our Xmas dinner shopping - and I know it won't be the same, but I'm still scanning the morning TV in search of a showing of a rat in a festive hat
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Friday, December 22, 2006
It's Christmas
I get to light candles
The cats get to go into the bedroom
The house is full of Etta James played on good speakers
And there's rum in my coffee
Hurray and huzzah
The cats get to go into the bedroom
The house is full of Etta James played on good speakers
And there's rum in my coffee
Hurray and huzzah
Holiday cheer
A friend once told me that the problem with London was that it was a provincial town laboring under the illusion that it's a cosmopolitan city.
Certainly the Christmas missive from the London office (note Christmas not 'Holiday') showed a crass insensitivity. I thought that the 'do you have holiday Tourette's?' section of the video (the word 'fuck' repeated over 50 times by various high-ups in the office) was kinda funny but I'm pretty sure my amusement wasn't shared by the women in the Shanghai office who'd be more bemused than amused... and for all the open mouthed guffawing in New York many were slack jaw'd with horror.
I know that the amount of drinking, lesbian gags and swearing flying around the place is enough fodder for a law suit that could kill the company - and that it's only a matter of time before it comes. Yet meanwhile we continue down a very laddish path... it'll be great while it lasts
Certainly the Christmas missive from the London office (note Christmas not 'Holiday') showed a crass insensitivity. I thought that the 'do you have holiday Tourette's?' section of the video (the word 'fuck' repeated over 50 times by various high-ups in the office) was kinda funny but I'm pretty sure my amusement wasn't shared by the women in the Shanghai office who'd be more bemused than amused... and for all the open mouthed guffawing in New York many were slack jaw'd with horror.
I know that the amount of drinking, lesbian gags and swearing flying around the place is enough fodder for a law suit that could kill the company - and that it's only a matter of time before it comes. Yet meanwhile we continue down a very laddish path... it'll be great while it lasts
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Why is it that?
People who have no money for the obviously homeless guy on the corner suddenly find change for their eggnog latte as soon as he's out of sight?
And why is it that 'urgent blackberry messages that cannot be ignored' only ever seem to come in when there's something that they don't want to look at / deal with?
And why is it that at Xmas stores throw untrained seasonal workers onto the shop floor and push their frayed patience with endless loops of the same three Xmas songs and an ever changing PoS system (what happened to tills?)
And why is it that when faced with an exhorbitant price tag on an item I'll walk away but when told the price by a salesperson I have to go through the charade of consideration?
And why is it sometimes not a charade?
This could go on (and on) but I run the risk of sounding like the offspring of Tracy Chapman and Savage Garden and that's a thought I'd gladly pay to avoid
And why is it that 'urgent blackberry messages that cannot be ignored' only ever seem to come in when there's something that they don't want to look at / deal with?
And why is it that at Xmas stores throw untrained seasonal workers onto the shop floor and push their frayed patience with endless loops of the same three Xmas songs and an ever changing PoS system (what happened to tills?)
And why is it that when faced with an exhorbitant price tag on an item I'll walk away but when told the price by a salesperson I have to go through the charade of consideration?
And why is it sometimes not a charade?
This could go on (and on) but I run the risk of sounding like the offspring of Tracy Chapman and Savage Garden and that's a thought I'd gladly pay to avoid
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Talking to people about Coffee today
wondering whether they really knew what made good coffee, what they'd pay more for and what signalled excellence. I was expecting people to say things like - "well in a coffee shop it's about the expertise, the machinery, the ambience but from a stall I just want hot, strong and fresh milk."
What I got instead was
"I just don't want my coffee to taste of bacon - this one does."
"Ordering fancy coffee makes me feel like a poof"
and
"I want the bitterness of my coffee to seep directly out of the disaffected, tattoo'd maniac making it."
Nowt so queer as folk
What I got instead was
"I just don't want my coffee to taste of bacon - this one does."
"Ordering fancy coffee makes me feel like a poof"
and
"I want the bitterness of my coffee to seep directly out of the disaffected, tattoo'd maniac making it."
Nowt so queer as folk
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Finally - the book idea
I've been struggling a little with my advertising book. What I wanted to avoid was the old marketing book trick of 'an argument that could be expressed in 10 pages stretched out to 210'.
To insure against this I'm not going to write a single, cohesive, arguement - instead it's going to be 12 provocations. 12 Rants from the Dark Side that talk about business, brands and the death throes of the American advertising industry. Each rant will be the 15 pages I need to 'get it off my chest / prove I'm right / offer a solution' after which I'll simply move on to the next topic.
Thank god that the American Ad' Industry is screwed up enough to support my A.D.D huh?
I'm going to write both the intro and the first chapter "Brand Surrender. The You Tubing of American business" over the next day or so. After which I'll move on to 'Mirrored convictions', 'Creative narcissism', 'All mouth, no trousers" and take it from there.
I do genuinely believe that the current mania for surrendering the course of brands entirely to the public (YOU design your own shoe, write your own ad, help us come up with a new product, wipe our ass) is a huge mistake. Yes interruption as a method of communication is slowly dying off - but the response has to be something other than 'the customer is in control' - aren't brands supposed to be beacons of belief? aren't they supposed to stand for something that makes them worth the extra couple of bucks we pay for them? It's bad enough that Government has been castrated by an over reliance on focus groups (I can't imagine Churchill saying "We will fight them wherever you think it's a good idea to fight them - let us know on 0890 112211, press 1 for beaches, 2 for France, 3 for the streets' etc.
Anyway this isn't nearly as well expressed as I'd like but it's early here and distractions abound. But I'm jazzed to the point of spontaneous Fosse hands
To insure against this I'm not going to write a single, cohesive, arguement - instead it's going to be 12 provocations. 12 Rants from the Dark Side that talk about business, brands and the death throes of the American advertising industry. Each rant will be the 15 pages I need to 'get it off my chest / prove I'm right / offer a solution' after which I'll simply move on to the next topic.
Thank god that the American Ad' Industry is screwed up enough to support my A.D.D huh?
I'm going to write both the intro and the first chapter "Brand Surrender. The You Tubing of American business" over the next day or so. After which I'll move on to 'Mirrored convictions', 'Creative narcissism', 'All mouth, no trousers" and take it from there.
I do genuinely believe that the current mania for surrendering the course of brands entirely to the public (YOU design your own shoe, write your own ad, help us come up with a new product, wipe our ass) is a huge mistake. Yes interruption as a method of communication is slowly dying off - but the response has to be something other than 'the customer is in control' - aren't brands supposed to be beacons of belief? aren't they supposed to stand for something that makes them worth the extra couple of bucks we pay for them? It's bad enough that Government has been castrated by an over reliance on focus groups (I can't imagine Churchill saying "We will fight them wherever you think it's a good idea to fight them - let us know on 0890 112211, press 1 for beaches, 2 for France, 3 for the streets' etc.
Anyway this isn't nearly as well expressed as I'd like but it's early here and distractions abound. But I'm jazzed to the point of spontaneous Fosse hands
Sunday, December 17, 2006
salsa feet
It's been quite a weekend... the day after Faith's party I had the all day office party - which included an hour of salsa dancing training. It would have been a blast had I known the people a little better and the teacher hadn't been quite so determined to show that she had the sass to match her salsa. Best quote though had to be "Women, small steps and men - as much as it hurts - try to commit, just this once, try to commit.'
Last night was a farewell to Alex and Christiana - two of my favorite people around. Alongside our friend Ali they were about the only people who visit us during the worst days of my cancer. It was Alex's brunch into which I coughed blood after chemo session #1 and it was Christiana who kept Judith sane with shopping trips and tales of a childhood spent on the road. Alex and Christiana are moving to London, a good move for them but we will miss them - and miss them a great deal.
We had brunch with them today - and with our friends Shruti and Mandar (who brought their fantastically bright son Ishan)... a mirror of the brunch we had with them yesterday - joined by our friends Michael, Joanna and their fantastically bright son Ollie.
Coming up we have drinks with the Lodge 212ers. We have Top Dog at the Harlem Apollo with J.Lum and 'his' 'lovely lady' and we have long evenings in front of the Xmas tree. Which is just as well as I'm starting to feel the effects of constant brunching, boozing and having dinner out.
Last night was a farewell to Alex and Christiana - two of my favorite people around. Alongside our friend Ali they were about the only people who visit us during the worst days of my cancer. It was Alex's brunch into which I coughed blood after chemo session #1 and it was Christiana who kept Judith sane with shopping trips and tales of a childhood spent on the road. Alex and Christiana are moving to London, a good move for them but we will miss them - and miss them a great deal.
We had brunch with them today - and with our friends Shruti and Mandar (who brought their fantastically bright son Ishan)... a mirror of the brunch we had with them yesterday - joined by our friends Michael, Joanna and their fantastically bright son Ollie.
Coming up we have drinks with the Lodge 212ers. We have Top Dog at the Harlem Apollo with J.Lum and 'his' 'lovely lady' and we have long evenings in front of the Xmas tree. Which is just as well as I'm starting to feel the effects of constant brunching, boozing and having dinner out.
Friday, December 15, 2006
Party, party
So last night I went to a party at Faith Popcorn's house. Faith is a famous 'trend spotter' and 'futurist', fond of terms like 'Eve-olution' and a damn good sales woman... as her splendid, elegant and vast house seemed to attest. You don't buy yourself a place like that on my salary.
Of course being a New York party everyone but the hostess was dressed in black. It's a bit of an unwritten rule that you show up in black so that when the hostess arrives she really 'Pops'... a rule that I forgot. I turned up looking like a colorfully packaged sack of shit (pale pink hemp if you must know) and proceeded to drink my way past the point of embarrassment.
Office party today (all day!) and then a Con and Haje party at the weekend as well as trying to squeeze in something with our departing for shores afresh friends Alex and Christiana.
All very different from this time last year
Of course being a New York party everyone but the hostess was dressed in black. It's a bit of an unwritten rule that you show up in black so that when the hostess arrives she really 'Pops'... a rule that I forgot. I turned up looking like a colorfully packaged sack of shit (pale pink hemp if you must know) and proceeded to drink my way past the point of embarrassment.
Office party today (all day!) and then a Con and Haje party at the weekend as well as trying to squeeze in something with our departing for shores afresh friends Alex and Christiana.
All very different from this time last year
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Pervy vistitors welcome
With the numbers flagging of late I thought that perhaps a picture of a hot teen chick accidentally bearing her pert tits might bring me a flood of one handed surfers.
Welcome one, welcome all. Look I even included a sneak peek at Lindsay Lohan's nipple and if you hang around long enough I may join the growing ranks using Britney's inability to find knickers before leaving the house as a honeypot to draw you closer.
Of course you may be a fan of male nude celebriries or as it's known on the pay sites 'hot celebrity cock' - let me save you some money. There are three genuine if grainy old pics of Brad Pitt a decent fake of Antonio Banderas and a whole bunch of dradful heads glued to porno bodies masquerading as people who may have once appeared on ER. There that's saved you $12.95 a month.
Just to really spike the entries though let me say Tom Cruise naked, Brad Pitt nude, Angelina Jolie naked nude sex, Angela Rippon in a pinny and Delia Smith buttered and up to the elbows in red hot bird (goose I think)
For regular readers this week will see me chasing up scans, seeing off old friends bound for London and talking with Jude about what we do next...
Less interesting I know.
BTW new, pervy friends Paris Hilton sex tape, Pam and Tommy Lee, Britney sex tape, Nora Batty nude, Hilda Ogden's unusual curler placement, chitty chitty gang bang, Harry twater and the sorceror's bone, Supernanny nude, Bob Carolgese dogging, Russ Abbott's bunker and of course live web cam action.
Let's measure how THAT increases traffic
Welcome one, welcome all. Look I even included a sneak peek at Lindsay Lohan's nipple and if you hang around long enough I may join the growing ranks using Britney's inability to find knickers before leaving the house as a honeypot to draw you closer.
Of course you may be a fan of male nude celebriries or as it's known on the pay sites 'hot celebrity cock' - let me save you some money. There are three genuine if grainy old pics of Brad Pitt a decent fake of Antonio Banderas and a whole bunch of dradful heads glued to porno bodies masquerading as people who may have once appeared on ER. There that's saved you $12.95 a month.
Just to really spike the entries though let me say Tom Cruise naked, Brad Pitt nude, Angelina Jolie naked nude sex, Angela Rippon in a pinny and Delia Smith buttered and up to the elbows in red hot bird (goose I think)
For regular readers this week will see me chasing up scans, seeing off old friends bound for London and talking with Jude about what we do next...
Less interesting I know.
BTW new, pervy friends Paris Hilton sex tape, Pam and Tommy Lee, Britney sex tape, Nora Batty nude, Hilda Ogden's unusual curler placement, chitty chitty gang bang, Harry twater and the sorceror's bone, Supernanny nude, Bob Carolgese dogging, Russ Abbott's bunker and of course live web cam action.
Let's measure how THAT increases traffic
secret santa
I need to buy a secret santa gift today. The rule is that it has to either come from E.Bay or be As Seen On Tv.
Those rules suck as I have no time to wait for delivery so now I need a gift that LOOKS as though it came from either E.Bay or As Seen On TV (the infomercial guys)
The upper limit is $20 and the recipient is a recently engaged Cuban American who emigrates to London next week (and is a keen student of German)
Any ideas?
Those rules suck as I have no time to wait for delivery so now I need a gift that LOOKS as though it came from either E.Bay or As Seen On TV (the infomercial guys)
The upper limit is $20 and the recipient is a recently engaged Cuban American who emigrates to London next week (and is a keen student of German)
Any ideas?
Monday, December 11, 2006
抜糸直後
Sometimes the very fact people are visiting this blog regularly is enough to compel me to write something a little more intimate than the humdrum mechanics of my life. It doesn’t happen often, but it happens often enough for me to wonder whether there’s a therapeutic value to this mad rambles.
Actually I’ve been surprised by just how sane this whole thing has been. Give me a pen and a piece of paper and I’ll go off-piste faster than a minor royal in Cloisters. Put a computer in front of me and I become a whole lot more constrained. Perhaps by the pressure to keep spell checker happy – perhaps by the feeble rate at which I type or maybe by the format imposed on me by MicroSoft… but it is all rather sensible.
I’m doing lots of health comparison vs. a year ago at the moment. Remembering being laid up in bed, recently biopsied and sore to my very core. I had a very John McCaine couple of weeks – unable to raise my hands above shoulder height and bristling with what felt like righteous but fading indignation. Stoking the flames of discontent has always been one of my specialties. I think, again, that this is a very British thing. Whilst the idea of Thanksgiving is absolutely alien to us (‘You mean, say – out loud - all that I’m thankful for, in front of other people? You must be taking the piss’) yet we love moaners, whingers, complainers (think Victor Meldrew, Alf Garnett) and the terminally depressed but unabashed (every feisty female in Corrie history). And I have to say I feed more on discontent than I do on optimism. There’s a real sense of possibility in the thought ‘it’s only going to get worse.’
Anyway this is going nowhere – it’s neither insightful nor amusing, making it self indulgent and that’s worse even than earnest. So I’ll head back to thinking about pharmaceutical packaging, white goods and caffeinated beverages…
Actually I’ve been surprised by just how sane this whole thing has been. Give me a pen and a piece of paper and I’ll go off-piste faster than a minor royal in Cloisters. Put a computer in front of me and I become a whole lot more constrained. Perhaps by the pressure to keep spell checker happy – perhaps by the feeble rate at which I type or maybe by the format imposed on me by MicroSoft… but it is all rather sensible.
I’m doing lots of health comparison vs. a year ago at the moment. Remembering being laid up in bed, recently biopsied and sore to my very core. I had a very John McCaine couple of weeks – unable to raise my hands above shoulder height and bristling with what felt like righteous but fading indignation. Stoking the flames of discontent has always been one of my specialties. I think, again, that this is a very British thing. Whilst the idea of Thanksgiving is absolutely alien to us (‘You mean, say – out loud - all that I’m thankful for, in front of other people? You must be taking the piss’) yet we love moaners, whingers, complainers (think Victor Meldrew, Alf Garnett) and the terminally depressed but unabashed (every feisty female in Corrie history). And I have to say I feed more on discontent than I do on optimism. There’s a real sense of possibility in the thought ‘it’s only going to get worse.’
Anyway this is going nowhere – it’s neither insightful nor amusing, making it self indulgent and that’s worse even than earnest. So I’ll head back to thinking about pharmaceutical packaging, white goods and caffeinated beverages…
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Xmas
had a friend over for a blow-out brunch today - I shopped, Jude cooked and all was a splendid success.
Followed with a wee walk and a spot of shopping (Jude bought an AMAZING coat and was asked where she bought her sweater - she'd knitted it) and we headed back, the night drawing in, a Xmas tree under our arms and cheeks glowing in the chill air (or perhaps as a result of too much fat bastard sparkling wine - $12, a bargain)
The tree is now up, the dog is asleep ON my feet and the lights are turned low. Feeling content to the point of smug here today - and that before the final of The Amazing Race (go drug addict models!)
Followed with a wee walk and a spot of shopping (Jude bought an AMAZING coat and was asked where she bought her sweater - she'd knitted it) and we headed back, the night drawing in, a Xmas tree under our arms and cheeks glowing in the chill air (or perhaps as a result of too much fat bastard sparkling wine - $12, a bargain)
The tree is now up, the dog is asleep ON my feet and the lights are turned low. Feeling content to the point of smug here today - and that before the final of The Amazing Race (go drug addict models!)
Saturday, December 09, 2006
It was Cold yesterday...
....really cold - the thermometer said -6C but with all of the chill factors it felt like -18c here - quite a change from the 21C weather of last week and yet more proof that as Bob Dylan and Al Gore seem to agree 'a change is gonna come'
Still Jude and I braved the weather in order to go and see sticky romantic confection 'The Holiday'. The cinema was packed with single New York women speaking in ever higher pitch and with greater and greater volume. Why is it that young American women mistake volume for wit? As their stories grew to deafening in terms of decibels my interest in them (and my will to live) fell to new lows. And it was every story, the noise suggested that the audience was collectively being sucked through a jet engine - having inhaled two lungs full of helium. The trailers were drowned out, the ads went unnoticed and it wasn't until the lights went down that things subsided. But only just.
There were sighs of recognition at Kate Winslett's unrequited affection. Knicker moistening at Jude Law's every move (he IS very good in this), self recognition in Cameron Diaz's every American on foreign soil fumble and a softening toward Jack Black (if not inderplaying then not wildly mugging here)
Yes it was corny. Yes it was predictable. Yes it was manipulative. But we all let happy. Turn off your cynicism and go see.
Still Jude and I braved the weather in order to go and see sticky romantic confection 'The Holiday'. The cinema was packed with single New York women speaking in ever higher pitch and with greater and greater volume. Why is it that young American women mistake volume for wit? As their stories grew to deafening in terms of decibels my interest in them (and my will to live) fell to new lows. And it was every story, the noise suggested that the audience was collectively being sucked through a jet engine - having inhaled two lungs full of helium. The trailers were drowned out, the ads went unnoticed and it wasn't until the lights went down that things subsided. But only just.
There were sighs of recognition at Kate Winslett's unrequited affection. Knicker moistening at Jude Law's every move (he IS very good in this), self recognition in Cameron Diaz's every American on foreign soil fumble and a softening toward Jack Black (if not inderplaying then not wildly mugging here)
Yes it was corny. Yes it was predictable. Yes it was manipulative. But we all let happy. Turn off your cynicism and go see.
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Wow
I found myself dancing on the way home today. Despite the cold. And the people. And the fact that I've not been doing much this week, there was a real sense of release and elation.
I can't remember the last time that I felt as heel clickingly Gene Kelly as this... granted it might be the wine and free pizza I had with Neena but I think it's more than that. I'm working at a place that's only 25 people strong - but it is strong. They're bright and fun and accessible and they're interested... plus they have stories that have bridges to them like "so there I was in Barcelona, crumping the tranny when..."
Zippety doo da day
I can't remember the last time that I felt as heel clickingly Gene Kelly as this... granted it might be the wine and free pizza I had with Neena but I think it's more than that. I'm working at a place that's only 25 people strong - but it is strong. They're bright and fun and accessible and they're interested... plus they have stories that have bridges to them like "so there I was in Barcelona, crumping the tranny when..."
Zippety doo da day
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
So...
... right now I'm on a huge Cyndi Lauper kick, which I think makes me a lesbian. Hopefully a Jennifer Beals, L-Word lesbian rather than a placard carrying dykes for open toed shoes lesbian, but a lesbian non-the-less.
I did have a Cyndi Lauper song planned for my funeral 'I'll be your river' from The Body Acoustic. Doubtless it would have sounded tinny on the antiquated speakers of whatever crematorium we found ourselves in but it would have made a welcome change from Robbie Williams' 'Angels' - wouldn't it?
I did have a Cyndi Lauper song planned for my funeral 'I'll be your river' from The Body Acoustic. Doubtless it would have sounded tinny on the antiquated speakers of whatever crematorium we found ourselves in but it would have made a welcome change from Robbie Williams' 'Angels' - wouldn't it?
all clear - again
My doctor called early yesterday morning... not usually a good sign so when I saw his name pop ip on my caller ID my heart entered zero gravity and floated towards my throat, spinning slowly asw it made its ascent.
My initial thought (after 'shit') was that I couldn't be sick so early after joining a new company. That it wasn't fair on them. I guess that this is either decency, transference or my fear of once again being labelled damaged or fragile. The new guys see me as a new employee. Not as the guy who's sick, or might me sick again, or who was sick or any of that... it's a blank slate that I didn't want smeared with the effulent that is bad news.
And it wasn't bad news, all was clear with my blood, across every test and marker. The hairloss it seems is stress (both current and delayed physical stress from treatment) and should reverse itself. They hope.
In a word "Phew".
I don't like how every illness gets inflated in my mind at the moment - and look forward to the day when a stuffy nose and sore throat equates to Cherry Tunes rather than imminent death.
My initial thought (after 'shit') was that I couldn't be sick so early after joining a new company. That it wasn't fair on them. I guess that this is either decency, transference or my fear of once again being labelled damaged or fragile. The new guys see me as a new employee. Not as the guy who's sick, or might me sick again, or who was sick or any of that... it's a blank slate that I didn't want smeared with the effulent that is bad news.
And it wasn't bad news, all was clear with my blood, across every test and marker. The hairloss it seems is stress (both current and delayed physical stress from treatment) and should reverse itself. They hope.
In a word "Phew".
I don't like how every illness gets inflated in my mind at the moment - and look forward to the day when a stuffy nose and sore throat equates to Cherry Tunes rather than imminent death.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Missed a day
Weird day yesterday. Went in to my new office to sign paperwork and then had to dash to the doctor for blood work and a thyroid panel. The way he casually said - that will be one of things I'll check for, amongst some more serious - sent chills through me. The last time he was this casual I was 24 hrs away from a cancer diagnosis. Let's hope it's 'just' the thyroid huh?
Evening was spent watching women lying about their eating habits. Only real insights were that Americans like to chew their soup and that nutrition has become divorced from food in the US - if you want nutrition you buy the appropriate vitamin or 'fortified superfood' - they'll give it to you in higher concentration than something like a vegetable.
Really fascinating to what the lack of energy too - this really is a 'whatever' culture... shame.
Evening was spent watching women lying about their eating habits. Only real insights were that Americans like to chew their soup and that nutrition has become divorced from food in the US - if you want nutrition you buy the appropriate vitamin or 'fortified superfood' - they'll give it to you in higher concentration than something like a vegetable.
Really fascinating to what the lack of energy too - this really is a 'whatever' culture... shame.
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Bun-gee
I once had to stay in Vanuatu.
We were working on an international gambling thing and the client stayed close to his computer servers - which meant the virtually tax free nation of Vanuatu. On the first day of operation an earthquake wiped out the server, on my first day there another almost knocked a scented marker pen out of my hand - though I plowed on through.
I have no idea why Vanuatu comes to mind today but this picture - of a Vanuatu tradition - think bungee using vines rather than elastic and sudden, hip dislocating stops as the 'rope' runs out felt rather apt to my mood.
Just watched Cyndi Lauper live in HD on a Sunday morning and realise that middle age is absolutely upon me - was 'Time After Time' really a quarter of a decade ago?
We were working on an international gambling thing and the client stayed close to his computer servers - which meant the virtually tax free nation of Vanuatu. On the first day of operation an earthquake wiped out the server, on my first day there another almost knocked a scented marker pen out of my hand - though I plowed on through.
I have no idea why Vanuatu comes to mind today but this picture - of a Vanuatu tradition - think bungee using vines rather than elastic and sudden, hip dislocating stops as the 'rope' runs out felt rather apt to my mood.
Just watched Cyndi Lauper live in HD on a Sunday morning and realise that middle age is absolutely upon me - was 'Time After Time' really a quarter of a decade ago?
Saturday, December 02, 2006
The world is too small
Last night I went out with a couple of friends who I hadn't seen in 4 years. One of them brought 'an old friend from Thailand' - who turned out to be the woman who would have been my new client had a stayed in my last job. She had flown to NYC to see me and then been told that I 'wasn't available' - weird huh.
Seeing Lisa again though just served as a reminder that my 'out of sight out of mind' policy on friendships is fundamentally flawed. It was an absolute joy to catch up with her and I'll never let as much time slip by again without getting in touch.
The fact that she's wearing so diaphanous a garment on a December 1st evening is testament to the fact that we've buggered up the globe. It was 21C here last night - about 20C above the average for this time of year and whilst at the beginning of what was supposed to be winter we got lots of weak 'if this is global warming I'm buying a Hummer' gags now there seems to be a genuine air of concern about the city.
Seeing Lisa again though just served as a reminder that my 'out of sight out of mind' policy on friendships is fundamentally flawed. It was an absolute joy to catch up with her and I'll never let as much time slip by again without getting in touch.
The fact that she's wearing so diaphanous a garment on a December 1st evening is testament to the fact that we've buggered up the globe. It was 21C here last night - about 20C above the average for this time of year and whilst at the beginning of what was supposed to be winter we got lots of weak 'if this is global warming I'm buying a Hummer' gags now there seems to be a genuine air of concern about the city.
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