Category Archives: Life Rants Updates

Hotels Like To Have A Touch Of Class

It may be a day or so old now, but I feel compelled to bring you an update on yesterday’s coat hager theif story.

“A lot of businessmen would never go home if they had the chance. So when they get home they like to recreate the hotel experience in their own house”. Independent

On this day…

2005: Nokia E61
2002: Hey, Gay Boy …

Red Hair Hurts

Today’s New Scientist news service reports people with red hair are more sensitive to pain and consequently need more anaesthetic during operations than other patients.

There is often a story to be found in New Scientist that makes me smile – often for no obvious reason. I don’t think this one is very funny but researchers have discovered that people with red hair are more sensitive to pain. What about people with limited amounts of hair?

On this day…

2004: Looking Around
2002: America’s Fault

America’s Fault

“Before last weekend, liberal Australia felt the US had brought September 11 upon itself. But, says Clive James, the bombing in Bali has smashed that argument – and thrown his country in to the war against terror.”

An interesting and somewhat heartfelt piece in The Guardian today: Guardian Unlimited | Clive James: Don’t blame the west

On this day…

2004: Looking Around
2002: Red Hair Hurts

Ultimate Boy Band CD (1)

I am trying to compile the ultimate boy band CD and I am unsure where to start. Anyway, current thinking includes:

  1. N’Sync – Pop
  2. Take That – Relight My Fire
  3. Take That – Could It Be Magic
  4. F5ive – If Ya Gettin’ Down
  5. Backstreet Boys – Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)
  6. A1 – Same Old Brand New You

I shall now go away and think about it properly, updating as I go.

On this day…

2004: Shrewsbury Town
2003: Another Year, Another Autumn
2002: Nearly There

Our Country Friends

How many of us who live amidst an urban sprawl would rather be living in the countryside? I suspect it’s a conversation that keeps the wine bars of large parts of London alive. The quest for a quieter, simpler life is something many people search for. Indeed, it is something I have thought of many times. Move all my worldly goods to the South West and see what happens. Well, in truth, at this moment in my life I don’t actually want to do it. Sometimes, however, I wish I could lose the congestion and stresses of inner-city (or, in my case, suburban) living.

And why am I asking myself these questions? Well, last Sunday was the day The Countryside Alliance marched through London. I avoided the centre of town for most of the day but I did enjoy a lunch at Wandsworth Common. Seated at most of the tables surrounding us where groups of people who, quite evidently, had been on some part of the march. What intrigued me was why so many of them had taken a train out of central London to Wandsworth Common.

Of course PY, who seems to have a greater understanding of many of these things than I, claimed that many of those people sat there on Sunday afternoon were in fact local residents but they had been marching for the countryside cause – “Liberty and Livelihood”. Upon reflection, I think he was right. Many of them may have other houses in the country, perhaps even own large amounts of land. But what struck me most was a simple economics. If all the money they spent in the restaurants of Wandsworth Common each Sunday was spent in the countryside then rural communities would be booming. Not only that, but if they all went and lived outside the city and enjoyed the life they were marching to protect on a daily basis (rather than at weekends), then they would free up a great deal of housing stock in urban areas. Thus, the countryside benefits (it’s full of people spending money and supporting the “lifestyle”) and those of us wishing to remain (for the time being) city dwellers would also benefit from less ridiculous housing costs. Doesn’t everybody win? (Well, I know there is the matter of jobs, schools and other infrastructure etc. but you have to admit it’s starting point, if not wholly thought through. And more importantly it’s plainly hypocritical to march for something you don’t actively – economically – support).

For a more interesting read on tweed in the town, see here.

On this day…

2004: A Shirtless State Of Mind

Individual Portions

Rachel makes individual pots of her organic yogurts. This is news to me and I am, at this very moment, delighting in the bio-live wholemilk raspberry variety. This has, right now, made me feel a lot better. The power of food, huh? [Link]

On this day…

2004: Crazy Name, Worthy Cause
2002: I Have An Unbearable Feeling Of Sadness
2002: Nike 10K

An American in London

For several years, I have worked for American companies. Working for a satellite office of a US company is difficult for all concerned (including the US parent). A ex-colleague (and now good friend) of mine used to say the worst thing about being an American working in London was that, as a native English speaker, you put less effort into understanding the culture of the UK. You felt it was, somehow, the same as New York, Boston or whichever US city was applicable. The problem is, the UK is not the same. We have different sensibilities, a different outlook, a different way of expressing ourselves and a whole different way of working. This, of course, leads to a whole range of new problems over-and-above the more obvious (why can’t this software work in Sterling?) procedural, production or product issues. I did vow that I would never work for a US company again as the effort required just to do some of the more menial minutia of day-to-day working seemed unnecessarily hard (when will they get my tax code correct?). Still, I did it and this week we are playing host to a colleague from our New York office.

Today has been her first day in the London office and, it’s strange, because every time I meet an American co-worker I go through the same process. I must try to stress that the UK is different and instil an expectation that, although speaking (more-or-less) the same language it’s not downtown NYC. Except this time, she (I am refraining from naming for no real reason except, dear readers, you will have noticed I do not name many people in this blog) is a real Anglophile. She loves England. Tudor England, maybe, but loves it. She understands that things are not the same. Warm beer is not a crime against civilisation; it has a whole heritage and history of its own. It is truly refreshing and, in a bizarre way, made me quite happy.

This evening, therefore, we went to dinner together at Joe Allen’s restaurant because I like the theatrical nature of the place and I know it serves great food. We had a fantastic evening just talking (and, of course, we discussed office politics but not too much). I thoroughly enjoyed spending the evening with somebody who was wide-eyed to London (in fact, who seemed to be falling in love with the city that I fell in love with) and not jaded (as many of us who live here are). I even vowed to take more buses so I could see the city and not live my commuting life in an underground hell. A new perspective on my city has done wonders for me.

On this day…

2004: Commons Protest
2003: Absurd reasoning on gay marriage