you see what I did there? How about that for channelling the zeitgeist? And how about THAT for spelling?
So all of the US auto makers announced huge losses today. Chrysler (who also own Jeep and Dodge) are shit out of time and it looks bad for them as GM (is there a worse name for a 21st century company than 'General Motors'?) pulled out of merger / acquisition talks and announced that it's fast running out of money - 2009 being the date that they see it going bang.
Ford looked better, but not much. And of course all of the gloom around these companies makes selling a car even harder - would you buy a GM if you thought that they'd be going out of business in the next year?
I wonder whether the outgoing President is reflecting on any of this.
If they'd told him 8 years ago that the result of his presidency was going to be 1.2m jobs lost in 2008, a $10trillion dollar deficit, two wars, a collapsed banking system, the nationalization of the money markets, the death of the US auto industry, the sanctioning of torture, wiretapping of citizens, public flouting of the Geneva convention, the worst 'terror attack' ever committed on US soil (unless you're a native American of course) and politically the loss of the Senate, House and WhteHouse -- would he have stood?
Maybe it's not too late to ask him.
Mr President?
Friday, November 07, 2008
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Dangerously tired
When Jude isn't around I quite often forget to go to bed. Or rather I forget when to go to bed and remember when it's so late into the night that any attempt at sleep would be pretty pathetic.
As a result I'm dangerously tired. I've dropped the dog food. I've almost hit a women crossing the street (okay jogging in all black, at night, across a stop sign) - I saw her late; missed the brake pedal and responded with the girliest of gasps.
What else? Well I was dreadful in a meeting, went blank on several occasions, managed to misuse the limited vocabulary I could muster and forgot the name of a close colleague.
Time I think for some zerious Zees
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Barack Obama's Speech last night
Was good....
Sure it was a tad "Bob the Builder" (Can we fix it? Yes we can)
But it was gracious and eloquent, it attempted to reach out, it promised humility and it talked (as ever) about the audacity of hope and America's ability to overcome the obstacles that threaten to derail the idea of the country. He talked about his election not being the change we seek - but permission to pursue that promise.
He's good. But having heard the boos at his name when McCain tried to put a band-aid on the wounds caused by his savage attacks over the last six months means that he has his work cut out.
I for one sat tense as he spoke -- waiting for the sound of the gun that for some reason I was almost certain would be aimed in his direction. Was I alone?
My fave bit of the speech can be found here
Sure it was a tad "Bob the Builder" (Can we fix it? Yes we can)
But it was gracious and eloquent, it attempted to reach out, it promised humility and it talked (as ever) about the audacity of hope and America's ability to overcome the obstacles that threaten to derail the idea of the country. He talked about his election not being the change we seek - but permission to pursue that promise.
He's good. But having heard the boos at his name when McCain tried to put a band-aid on the wounds caused by his savage attacks over the last six months means that he has his work cut out.
I for one sat tense as he spoke -- waiting for the sound of the gun that for some reason I was almost certain would be aimed in his direction. Was I alone?
My fave bit of the speech can be found here
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
A good thing?
Why do people view uncertainty in other people's lives as 'a good thing'
This month I have scans that will tell me if I'll live or die in 2009.
To whit people say "It must really help you value life"
We have Jude interviewing for jobs everywhere in the world
To whit people say "Oh I envy your flexibility and sense of adventure"
We have a house that may be sold from under us
To whit people say "It's the perfect time to get something great cheap"
When did the very very possibility of being homeless, stateless, jobless and dead become cause for celebration?
That said - it is pretty cool
This month I have scans that will tell me if I'll live or die in 2009.
To whit people say "It must really help you value life"
We have Jude interviewing for jobs everywhere in the world
To whit people say "Oh I envy your flexibility and sense of adventure"
We have a house that may be sold from under us
To whit people say "It's the perfect time to get something great cheap"
When did the very very possibility of being homeless, stateless, jobless and dead become cause for celebration?
That said - it is pretty cool
Monday, November 03, 2008
One more day
So the longest, most expensive and quite frankly most bizarre election in US history is finally drawing to an end. People are pulling stats the way that they used to pull entrails from chickens - 'proving' everything from the 'fact' that rain favors the Republicans to the more obvious 'the old white guy always wins'
Looking back we had the strangest line up of Republicans standing. Crazy old guys, cross dressing mayors, actors and 3 that didn't think that evolution really held. The Mormon was supposed to win, holding out until all of the others imploded. It was an okay plan - but he proved just too hateful and lost his nerve before he lost all of his money. Probably wise... expecting people to come around to you as the least mad of a bonkers bunch is a good plan only if you're not too detestable to ever contemplate.
In the end it went to the guy least like George Bush. McCain came back from the dead and Zombie like stumbled into a campaign against Obama that mirrored the failed campaign of Hillary Clinton.
The he picked Sarah Pallin. A woman with no record (and therefore no real ties to Bush) and with a vagina. Turns out she WAS a vagina (or something similar, I'll not use the word here, though I don't know why)
Cynical yes. Brilliant - well no. Her numbers broke faster than her water and much of the campaign was spent trying to hide her from the media while exposing her to the far right wing that McCain needed.
Obama ran a quieter campaign. He was measured. He never raised his voice. He looked calm. He gave one great speech that took race off the table in terms of campaigning and then went about looking as Emperor like as possible... from the Caesar tilt of the head to the ramrod straight stance... it was all about looking and sounding like a statesman.
So who'll win? The press has it as an Obama landslide. The Obama people are worried that this will mean a lower turn out amongst their voters... people assuming victory and thus heading to the grovery store rather than the polling booth.
McCain thinks that the polls are wrong - and he has the advantage of recent legislation on his side. Many poor mexican and black voters will be turned away from the electronic booths owned and run by Republican Party contributers. But it will need to be close to be stolen.
Either way it doesn't matter too much to the individual. The economy is in the toilet. The stock market has gone mad. It's too late to save the auto industry. We're mired in two wars. The Patriot Act is still in force. Katrina victims have spent too long visiting the dead and returning to their prefab homes. The US is still the country with the one site the publically flaunts the Geneva convention and several more secret black camps where the worst torture happens. There are still more people who hate the US today than there were a decade ago. The deficit is still at record levels. And cynicism is still at an all time high.
What Obama offers is hope. Perhaps we can change things after all. Change the way the world views us - and the way we view the world. Hope that a different path can lead to a different result. Hope that this could be a pivotal point. As I heard recently "The country doesn't need another Clinton, it needs another Lincoln"
Obama may not be up to that. But there's a chance. And that's what we need. Let's see if tomorrow brings it.
Looking back we had the strangest line up of Republicans standing. Crazy old guys, cross dressing mayors, actors and 3 that didn't think that evolution really held. The Mormon was supposed to win, holding out until all of the others imploded. It was an okay plan - but he proved just too hateful and lost his nerve before he lost all of his money. Probably wise... expecting people to come around to you as the least mad of a bonkers bunch is a good plan only if you're not too detestable to ever contemplate.
In the end it went to the guy least like George Bush. McCain came back from the dead and Zombie like stumbled into a campaign against Obama that mirrored the failed campaign of Hillary Clinton.
The he picked Sarah Pallin. A woman with no record (and therefore no real ties to Bush) and with a vagina. Turns out she WAS a vagina (or something similar, I'll not use the word here, though I don't know why)
Cynical yes. Brilliant - well no. Her numbers broke faster than her water and much of the campaign was spent trying to hide her from the media while exposing her to the far right wing that McCain needed.
Obama ran a quieter campaign. He was measured. He never raised his voice. He looked calm. He gave one great speech that took race off the table in terms of campaigning and then went about looking as Emperor like as possible... from the Caesar tilt of the head to the ramrod straight stance... it was all about looking and sounding like a statesman.
So who'll win? The press has it as an Obama landslide. The Obama people are worried that this will mean a lower turn out amongst their voters... people assuming victory and thus heading to the grovery store rather than the polling booth.
McCain thinks that the polls are wrong - and he has the advantage of recent legislation on his side. Many poor mexican and black voters will be turned away from the electronic booths owned and run by Republican Party contributers. But it will need to be close to be stolen.
Either way it doesn't matter too much to the individual. The economy is in the toilet. The stock market has gone mad. It's too late to save the auto industry. We're mired in two wars. The Patriot Act is still in force. Katrina victims have spent too long visiting the dead and returning to their prefab homes. The US is still the country with the one site the publically flaunts the Geneva convention and several more secret black camps where the worst torture happens. There are still more people who hate the US today than there were a decade ago. The deficit is still at record levels. And cynicism is still at an all time high.
What Obama offers is hope. Perhaps we can change things after all. Change the way the world views us - and the way we view the world. Hope that a different path can lead to a different result. Hope that this could be a pivotal point. As I heard recently "The country doesn't need another Clinton, it needs another Lincoln"
Obama may not be up to that. But there's a chance. And that's what we need. Let's see if tomorrow brings it.
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Flying visit
So Jude's mom flew in, shopped some and flew out --- on her way to Mexico for a vacation.
Much fun.
The clocks went forward - throwing my body clock into a 'where the hell am I and why is everyone else awake?' panic
Not much fun.
Lewis Hamilton is world champion (hurrah) - earning the points that he needed at the very last corner and giving hope to McCain and a lesson to us all in the process.
Sarah Palin got prank called... that was fun
Posing as French President Sarkozy the prankster tells Palin thatone of his favorite pastimes is hunting.
"I just love killing those animals. Mmm, mmm, take away life, that is so fun," the fake Sarkozy says.
He proposes they go hunting together by helicopter, something he says he has never done.
"Well, I think we could have a lot of fun together while we're getting work done," Palin counters. "We can kill two birds with one stone that way."
Holy Schmoly
Saturday, November 01, 2008
Halloween
last night seemed to be an excuse for girls who usually feel the need to be good to dress up and drink and use both as an excuse not to be.
this morning the girls in the coffee shop were incredibly hung over... amusingly so.
which reminded me of this failed attempt at self portraiture... trying to do 'tense, nervous headache'
ended up doing blurred, bat-winged, bingo caller
Friday, October 31, 2008
Feeling casual today
So after a couple of days where I lost my sense of 'all is well with the world, offer things up to the universe and see where they settle' I'm back in a zen zone.
Work will happen with of without me. With me it will happen smoother and be a little better. Without me the ride may be more jarring and the end less shiny - but I've realized that what I am here is lubricant. And sure lube is important (ask any mechanic, or hooker) but ultimately you can run any planner through the grinder and grease the process with the resulting juices.
So that's my role here. To be juicier than the average planner... and last longer before I'm totally dry --- at which point they'll give me an office to make sure that the dust doesn't contaminate the fresh new fodder
Work will happen with of without me. With me it will happen smoother and be a little better. Without me the ride may be more jarring and the end less shiny - but I've realized that what I am here is lubricant. And sure lube is important (ask any mechanic, or hooker) but ultimately you can run any planner through the grinder and grease the process with the resulting juices.
So that's my role here. To be juicier than the average planner... and last longer before I'm totally dry --- at which point they'll give me an office to make sure that the dust doesn't contaminate the fresh new fodder
Thursday, October 30, 2008
I just booked
I just booked
1. Scans at the hospital in New York for Nov 12 and 13
2. A ticket to Singapore for November 22nd - November 29th
Hurrah (and ouch!)
1. Scans at the hospital in New York for Nov 12 and 13
2. A ticket to Singapore for November 22nd - November 29th
Hurrah (and ouch!)
If I was Barack Obama
If I was Barack Obama right now I'd not be taking interviews, not varying from my stump speech and not doing anything that could be seen as being a pre-emptive celebration of victory (remember Kinnock and the Labour party?)
He's ahead - there are six days to the election - and still he's making big, bold, KLF burning a million quid style gestures.
Last night saw him buying 30 minutes of airtime across 7 networks; 30 minutes! Sure it gave him the time to talk to the American people that the debates didn't allow. But to some it came across more as a display of "Look how much money we have" rather than a last chance for a more nuanced look at a new candidate.
McCain's response "He paid for that ad by breaking a promise" (the promise being to take public finance for his campaign - one that he broke as soon as he saw how much he could make privately)
It seems to me an unneccessarily big gesture. At a time when people are looking for excuses to knock big gestures. And when the conversation is about the media that was bought, rather than what was said in that media you know that something is wrong.
He's ahead - there are six days to the election - and still he's making big, bold, KLF burning a million quid style gestures.
Last night saw him buying 30 minutes of airtime across 7 networks; 30 minutes! Sure it gave him the time to talk to the American people that the debates didn't allow. But to some it came across more as a display of "Look how much money we have" rather than a last chance for a more nuanced look at a new candidate.
McCain's response "He paid for that ad by breaking a promise" (the promise being to take public finance for his campaign - one that he broke as soon as he saw how much he could make privately)
It seems to me an unneccessarily big gesture. At a time when people are looking for excuses to knock big gestures. And when the conversation is about the media that was bought, rather than what was said in that media you know that something is wrong.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
This made me smile for some reason
An Austrian woman accused of stalking "CSI: Miami" star David Caruso is being sought on an international arrest warrant, and officials said Tuesday she could be hiding in Mexico.
The woman allegedly sent more than 100 letters to the American actor, pursued him for an autograph and then sent death threats when he refused to "give her one" according to prosecutors in the Austrian province of Tyrol.
The woman -- identified only as being in her early 40s -- was charged with stalking and threatening to kill Caruso, but failed to show for her trial in July 2007 and again in April, Innsbruck Provincial Court spokesman Thomas Lechner said.
Judge Guenther Boehler has issued an international warrant for her arrest.
Austrian authorities said a 2007 letter allegedly written by the suspect and bearing a Miami postmark was discovered in Caruso's fan mail. It read, in part: "I will locate you and your ugly Latina tramp and kill you."
It is unclear if the Latina reference alluded to actress Alana De La Garza, who played Caruso's wife on the TV show until her character was killed.
A court-appointed psychiatrist testified that the suspect has a "profound personality disorder." If convicted, she faces up to three years in prison.
The woman allegedly sent more than 100 letters to the American actor, pursued him for an autograph and then sent death threats when he refused to "give her one" according to prosecutors in the Austrian province of Tyrol.
The woman -- identified only as being in her early 40s -- was charged with stalking and threatening to kill Caruso, but failed to show for her trial in July 2007 and again in April, Innsbruck Provincial Court spokesman Thomas Lechner said.
Judge Guenther Boehler has issued an international warrant for her arrest.
Austrian authorities said a 2007 letter allegedly written by the suspect and bearing a Miami postmark was discovered in Caruso's fan mail. It read, in part: "I will locate you and your ugly Latina tramp and kill you."
It is unclear if the Latina reference alluded to actress Alana De La Garza, who played Caruso's wife on the TV show until her character was killed.
A court-appointed psychiatrist testified that the suspect has a "profound personality disorder." If convicted, she faces up to three years in prison.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Take a deep breath
So - as I'm sure I've said here "The Naked Uganda Project" has been postponed due to the success of Jude's many job applications and academia's inability to give you reasonable lead times for interviews. December just isn't 'do-able' so we thought that we'd try to head out in March instead... we'll be 54 months into Winter by then and ready for the break.
But the aim of The Naked Uganda Project was to whip my ass into shape - or post my failure for all to see. The pics of me in Cyprus were shocking. I was flabby, I was soft and looking at the picture I was ashamed. So when we got back I vowed to hit the gym, watch what I eat, cut down to no more than a glass of wine a night (vs. 'well the bottle is almost empty now') and generally take more care of myself.
The bag has been mixed. The exercise wagon is something that I'm enjoying. The food wagon I fall off when people come to visit. So things are going slowly - but they're going - and that's a good thing.
To mark progress I've been taking a picture a week. From the same spot and in the same mirror. Vanity it is not - the pictures are ugly but serve as reminders of both how far I've come and how much further I have to go.
The stats are that I'm about 7lbs down, that I've taken four inches off my waist, added 1.5 inches to my arms and no longer have the knees of an elderly dowager.
So it's time to swallow hard and post the first picture. Not as a 'done' (this is far from being an 'after' pic... but as a public statement that the delay of the trip cannot now mean a dilution of effort. I'm gonna post a pic a month from here on out and I'm asking you - faithful blog reader and random person coming in look for post-op tranny news - to keep me honest. This is more than neighborhood watch. It's flab-watch. Less pleasant I agree, but then you're supposed to be my friends.
To Hell and back
Hell, Michigan is a very small place. It's barely a place at all. More a couple of stores that banded together and asked "How do we attract people to the shores of out little lake here?"
The answer "Hell"
"Go to Hell"
"I've been to Hell and back today"
"I've seen Hell freeze over"
All things that you can say having visited, realized that it's crap and bought a mug to console yourself.
By all accounts bikers love it
"Let's meet in Hell"
But I have to say - once in Hell was enough for me
The answer "Hell"
"Go to Hell"
"I've been to Hell and back today"
"I've seen Hell freeze over"
All things that you can say having visited, realized that it's crap and bought a mug to console yourself.
By all accounts bikers love it
"Let's meet in Hell"
But I have to say - once in Hell was enough for me
Friday, October 24, 2008
Homeless
Just got a note from our landlord saying that despite the crashing housing market and slumping economy he's thinking about selling the apartment that we live in.
This is very bad news. For us anyway. Mainly because we're looking to leave Ann Arbor in about 8 months. And 8 month leases anywhere are really hard to come by. Especially if you have a dog. And cats. Plus it's about $1500 to move all of our stuff. And more hassle than you can think.
Yesterday's "I'm so zen" mood has been replaced by a "holy Ker-jezuz wha-now?" mood
Still possession is 9/10th of the law,,,,
Do Squatters have legal protection in Michigan?
This is very bad news. For us anyway. Mainly because we're looking to leave Ann Arbor in about 8 months. And 8 month leases anywhere are really hard to come by. Especially if you have a dog. And cats. Plus it's about $1500 to move all of our stuff. And more hassle than you can think.
Yesterday's "I'm so zen" mood has been replaced by a "holy Ker-jezuz wha-now?" mood
Still possession is 9/10th of the law,,,,
Do Squatters have legal protection in Michigan?
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Whatever happened to the good old days
Ford Capri 2.8 Injection Special @ Duchy Capri Club Classic Car Show 2006
Originally uploaded by Tristan P Barratt
In days of old I'd have spent my time thinking about the best way to position bikini clad models on the hood of the cars.
That's how much times have changed. You still get models at autoshows - but now they're Spokesmodels... given a microphone and talking points from which they cannot stray (a lot like Sarah Palin)
The future, of course, is to employ drop dead gorgeous engineers. Those guys (and gals of course) really know their stuff. The only issue is the fact that they're about as attractive and intriguing as Joe Everyman --- and nobody stands in line to hear people who know what they're talking about waffle on for hours (a lot like Joe Biden)
Looking at the pic above - it's a shame that Ford dropped the Capri in Europe. It was bonkers. It was also the first car (at age 3) that I ever envied someone for owning. Massive (by UK standards) engine, big (by the rules of the time) performance and cops n robbers street cred. What more could you want.
I blame the Capri for the fact that I now own a Mustang rather than the Pious that everyone else in Ann Arbor seems to love so.
Oh to
Brrrrrrr
Somebody just turned the heat off outside.
Yesterday morning it was minus 3c
This morning isn't much warmer
And there's snow forecast for halloween
Which is when Jude's mom is flying in (cue "On her broomstick?" jokes)
Did I really sign up for this?
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
At dinner tonight
we were talking about American spelling.
Two theories that I liked
First Webster's name was Miriam - and she hand embroidered the first dictionary, dropping vowels as a way to save time and her eyesight.
The second was that the American's traded the letter 'U' for the statue f liberty. Basically they amassed a large "U mountain" somewhere in Nevada which they then gave to the French (a nation way over quota on use of the letter) in return for a sturdy torch carrier of unusual height.
It was that kind of dinner.
My Etch A Sketch client presented his Urinal ad "Wouldn't you rather be playing with your Etch A Sketch?"
My boss told stories of the Ohio militia
And I tried to explain just why I'd spent two hours this morning stuffing small pictures into balloons (twas a pop the balloon, have an idea exercise)
Good day then
Two theories that I liked
First Webster's name was Miriam - and she hand embroidered the first dictionary, dropping vowels as a way to save time and her eyesight.
The second was that the American's traded the letter 'U' for the statue f liberty. Basically they amassed a large "U mountain" somewhere in Nevada which they then gave to the French (a nation way over quota on use of the letter) in return for a sturdy torch carrier of unusual height.
It was that kind of dinner.
My Etch A Sketch client presented his Urinal ad "Wouldn't you rather be playing with your Etch A Sketch?"
My boss told stories of the Ohio militia
And I tried to explain just why I'd spent two hours this morning stuffing small pictures into balloons (twas a pop the balloon, have an idea exercise)
Good day then
Monday, October 20, 2008
resume in progress
I'm trying to dust off my resume...
... and to make it interesting
That's interesting in a way that has some depth and integrity - rather than in a way that's all "flash and gash" (to quote my latest meeting 'he's gone too far' faux pas)
In the past I've done... 'things I most regret', 'ideas I wish I'd sold', 'Ideas that made the most money', 'Ideas I've had that you've probably heard of' and 'what I'd do with everything'
Truth is I'm pretty good at what I do.
I'm really good given a room and a brief
I do speeches really well
I'm fearless without being overly reckless
I get cultural diversity
I tend to view most things through a different lens
I'm generous with praise in success and selfish with blame in failure
And I know my way around numbers
but
I dress poorly
I can get bored if a process takes 'too long'
I have less time than you sometimes need for the slowest person in the room
I'm too quick to grab the reigns
I can be high energy and low gravitas on my bad days
I think that that balances positive.
Clients like me
Agencies like what I represent
I tend not to lose pieces of business
I have a great new business record
And I've never lost a member of my staff
But how do you turn that into a resume
... and to make it interesting
That's interesting in a way that has some depth and integrity - rather than in a way that's all "flash and gash" (to quote my latest meeting 'he's gone too far' faux pas)
In the past I've done... 'things I most regret', 'ideas I wish I'd sold', 'Ideas that made the most money', 'Ideas I've had that you've probably heard of' and 'what I'd do with everything'
Truth is I'm pretty good at what I do.
I'm really good given a room and a brief
I do speeches really well
I'm fearless without being overly reckless
I get cultural diversity
I tend to view most things through a different lens
I'm generous with praise in success and selfish with blame in failure
And I know my way around numbers
but
I dress poorly
I can get bored if a process takes 'too long'
I have less time than you sometimes need for the slowest person in the room
I'm too quick to grab the reigns
I can be high energy and low gravitas on my bad days
I think that that balances positive.
Clients like me
Agencies like what I represent
I tend not to lose pieces of business
I have a great new business record
And I've never lost a member of my staff
But how do you turn that into a resume
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Mixed bag
So the market sucked - all bad leather and poor quality novelties
Ferndale had shrunk to 3 interesting stores
Royal Oak was better - a small strip of cool stores manned by giant trannies
The Whitney was posh - food was good
We were late for Kathy Griffin (my fault) but she was gossipy and the theatre (pictured) was spectacular
Finally got back in time for the SNL Palin / Fey
Sub zero today.... brrrrr
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