aldwych

Axis last night to meet friends and swap stories of globetrotting.

We'd picked the venue at the last minute and were led down graceful curved steps into the cocktail bar before heading to the restaurant.

Pre-theatre menus all round whilst we heard the progressively louder tales of adventures in far flung lands.

Needless to say we finished around the time that theatres were chucking out, heading onto packed pavements before making a dash around the corner to the Opera Tavern in time for last orders.

Barack Obama's Inauguration

As Barack finished his speech, the White House web site had already changed.

It appears that much of the world decided to take a peep at the ceremony today and I'm sure there will be gargantuan coverage (starting with my own).

close to the wind

Two years ago, one of the well known British Bank's shares were valued at around six quid. Today, Monday, they are worth 11.6p. One fiftieth.

The recent £20 billion of state aid wasn't enough to prevent an estimated £28 billion loss. Their purchase of a foreign bank soaked in sub-prime lending last year didn't help.

And now short selling is allowed again and other banks are taking on further water as playful dealers bet their bonuses on the degree of nationalisation of the banking sector.

Well, it seems we all like a flutter, so now our taxpayers' money is again being used to support the reckless financiers who have sailed their savers' money into every available rock. Despite Gordon's apparent anger at the recent run of events, there still don't seem to be many top cats being truly held to account over their steering of these badly trimmed vessels.

And whose watch is this on? He, too, should be called to account.

Washington DC

There will be plenty of footage from Washington over the next few days and many areas will be blocked to anyone without VIP access or tickets to a relevant event. In my experience, the US services are efficient at managing space in cities and operate one-way valves to let people move away but not to re-enter areas. I've been crowd controlled in a few places, including Times Square with Mel for New Year a few years ago.

Instead of my usual ten minutes, I've spent an enjoyable half hour uploading a few of my pictures from wandering an early morning Washington, where such meanderings are something I enjoy in many big cities if I get a chance.

There are parallels being drawn for Obama with what Lincoln said and did when the America was still in the process of uniting, some mere 87 years after the founding fathers created the new nation and saw off we Brits. Lincoln described it as conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Lincoln was dealing with the American Civil War and his Gettysburg address was about testing of the durability of a nation conceived and dedicated in such conflicted circumstances.

My own wanderings in D.C. will always take in the Viet Nam Memorial, and the more recently created World War II Memorial which I think opened in around 2004. These symbols of struggle are all within easy walking distance of the White House in the central area close to the Reflecting Pool. My first trip ever was with Steve and we did the tour at around midnight in a helpful taxi. Subsequently I figured the easy grid and oblong nature of much of the main area.

As Obama moves into the White House, it will be interesting to see what commentary he imparts on the past, the struggles and the exceptional energy now dedicated towards the solving some of the current conflicts, challenges and uncertainties towards the future.

To précis Lincoln's words: "It is for us, the living, to be dedicated to the unfinished work which others have thus far so nobly advanced."

And, pointedly, that "government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

Obama has the support of most people for change and seems to realize that he holds fates beyond his shores in his early moves.
</bush> <obama>

</bush>

The process of Bush's departure and Obama's inauguration has started with Barack today boarding the train to Washington, emulating Lincoln's trip when trains were the main mode for longer journeys.

Of course, it also creates a full weekend of news as press track the journey and with the ceremony on Tuesday, I guess there'll be a holiday atmosphere in the USA on Monday before it all kicks off with the full televisual feast. I notice many US companies are arranging television screenings of the event on Tuesday.

Alternatively, a ticket to the VIP yellow area for the event itself can be found for a mere $20,000 (plus P&P).

Barack Obama shares some eloquence of speech with Abe Lincoln, although the period preceding the handover effectivley has kept him quiet whilst Bush finishes his own distinctive round of business, squeezing that last $350 billion of handout to recover from those who were allowed to operate irresponsibly during his time in office.

Obama's 'social pulpit' model is something of a contrast to Bush's 'bully pulpit', and could be instructive towards general social networking.

Back at the ranch, Bush has mumbled his last proper Press call and there's various spoof versions of it flittering around the web.

He looked worn in the conference, presumably exhausted from presiding over so much destruction and financial collapse, but with little real sign of remorse.

It will be interesting to see how the popular history records his time in office. I am sure various implements are already being sharpened.


I suppose with the smoke from warfare, economies collapsing, increasing unemployment and few recent redeeming moments, Obama walks into a role which is hardly loaded in his favour.

I'll play the Hope card here.

One of the few internet photos of rashbre as I made my obama poster today.

There is a lot to do.

Soccer meets burlesque

The Saturday Question: What happens when Soccer meets Burlesque?

A bit of a bun fight, actually. (let Amanda Palmer explain...)

now and then

I once had one of those old fashioned Walkman music players.

It was bright yellow, had "Sports" written on the side and it played those tapes that come in large rectangular cartridges.

It was temperamental if I took it on a plane. The 'Sports' housing was waterproof and it somehow depressurised so that the tape wouldn't play until it had been opened again after landing, like a fresh pot of jam.

I stopped using it ages ago, but then once found it whilst tidying some stuff away. I casually flipped it on and ba-blam, a little blast of an old tune that instantly took me back to the exact beach where I'd last been listening to it. Like the little scene had been caught in another form of pressure bubble. It was one of those moments of quick joy, vivid recollection and was totally unexpected.

That's why I sometimes use old tickets and receipts as bookmarks when I'm reading.

Yesterday, I innocently restarted a book I'd put down for a while. One I'd taken for granted and half thought I'd finished except I couldn't remember the ending.

There was a prominent tell-tale red 'Priority Handling baggage tag' used as bookmarker part way through, which allowed me to pick up the thread, but then 20 minutes later a similar time-capsule from the past fluttered to the ground reminding me of languid times in faraway mountains.

I enjoy 'now', but sometimes a quick excuse for 'then' can be good.

tonto in London Fields

I was talking with an occasional marketeer about poetry earlier this evening.

I'd been drinking tea and he'd been out to a pub with a client.

We both agreed that it was often easier to come up with the bongo ideas at the start of the day before all the other stuff sloshed in for attention, after which it all became rather difficult to remember. He's going to try to write some of it down on the tube.

I may need a new notebook.

lounge lizard?

Sometimes the gryphons start to creep out of the reptilian cortex, mainly in fairly predictable circumstances.

I was at the airport yesterday and, as usual, put myself into a transcendent state where 'they' cannot irritate me. Many around were less fortunate as the flight schedule collapsed because of the weather.

Fog is bad for flying and by the time one bad aircraft had been thrown into the mix requiring a return to the gate and another one cancelled completely, the schedule was becoming irrecoverable. I do what I usually do in these circumstances and don't follow everyone else, because that will result in a big and usually somewhat tense bundle queue.

Instead I found a helpful person who managed to jig me onto a late flight, so that I returned several hours later than planned, unlike the 150 people from the broken flight who I hear were placed in a hotel, due instead to fly the next day.

Guardian picks up on devoted and disgruntled

Just spotted the lively thread started by Lyn Gardner from the Guardian related to last weekend's devoted and disgruntled discussions.

I think Lyn has captured the spirit of the event rather well and its great to see some motivated additional comments appearing.

maelk

An interesting hotel room this evening; I'm across the way from Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, in a sort of triangular shaped room.

They've had to fit it with a single bed because I don't think a double would squeeze in. I feel like I'm on a ship in an inside cabin. I wonder if that's why the mini bar is free?

Foggy picture from my stroll to buy milk in the nearby 7-11. Harder than it sounds because there are so many types.

Sødmælk frisk leveret fra Arlagarden was my eventual selection - Bjork has even sung a short song about it.

damp

Heathrow and onwards today; luckily I took waterproofing to handle the rain, fog, sleet and snow. More when I'm not posting from a clockwork computer.