coin operated boys

When I've worked in Italy there's a sometimes delays on paper work associated with so called 'bribeville' anti-Mafia legislation.

No comparison with the the British Upper House and recent denials of improprieties by its august members. It's so unfair to call it Erminegate, when the poor unpaid Lords and Ladies are slaving to move new laws of the land into being.

Today we heard there is no connection between fees received and actions affecting the passage of new legislation. I'm sure the posh dining clubbiness of the House is used appropriately, and that its exclusivity wouldn't be used to turn heads or procure inappropriate advantage, let alone to do so for reward.

A shame this pops up just after the Lower House abandoned its attempt to scrap accounting for its expenses. We now have both groups of politicians dealing with their remuneration whilst the country struggles to make ends meet. But its not misconduct in a public office. We've been told.

twitter haiku tea break (with cranberries)

I like the idea of using twitter to send haikus.

@amandapalmer suggested it this morning, so I wrote one on the way to the office, as an experiment...

tail lights red, streaming
wintry yellow tarmac glows;
london’s work beckons.

Then, this evening, inspired by the fridge, whilst I waited for the water to filter before I made some tea.

shrill cranberries wait
redly, fiercely, harshly, fat
mesmerizing sharp

Of course, as well as the 5/7/5 = 17 syllables, they are supposed to have some reference to season...

dancing forlornly

Spring's exaltation near goads
happy somersaults

...Then I found the haiku generator...

archly replying
faintly, serene, first gnat smiles
fumbles, anarchic

Its a sure fire way way to cut down on @rashbre twitter followers.

Damien Hirst's Nikon D3 Camera (maybe)

I know Nikon announced their new D3x a few weeks ago. It looks as if the origin of the species, the original lower pixel count D3, can now be bought in installments. Its interesting to see how many bits of big glass go into a wideangle zoom. More tokyobling here

surfeit of projects

Usually, I write blog posts in ten minutes as a kind of daily process. Fine theory but the rate of bloggable events doesn't work like that and sometimes there's a backlog and other times nada.

I'll admit, I sometimes have a spare post (like the one about the Animal Collective CD), which is a safe bet for a day when I don't even have ten minutes. My review of Merriweather Post Pavilion was 'hot' about a week ago, but I still haven't flipped it into the flow.

If I ever do those auto post things, there's usually something else that comes along before they make it. So I do still have a smattering of drafts lurking in rashbre central over many months.

And then there's things I really wanted to talk about, like the Barbican American event, that just zip past without even a mention, simply because of time or currency.

Anyway, whats my point? I suppose my usually short posts can carry an idea, but sometimes miss other status information. If I ramble, theres a good chance that people will give up. By about here, I'd guess.

So, today I'll post slightly more because some non-work projects are making progress.

Firstly, the NaNoWriMo (novel) from ages ago is now drifting towards a book like shape. I'm told I get a publisher's draft back any time now and I'm separately talking about a cover design. I take that as a good sign. Even got the ISBN. I'm holding the movie rights over to 2010.

Secondly, the Christina Nott track count is up around 10 at the moment, so we may be able to turn it into a CD. We've actually got a more sophisticated plan for this, however, but it would require quite a bit more spare time work.

Thirdly, we are getting some plans together with Christina, John, Ray the Sax, Neal, Kate, Melanie and others to set up some kind of musical long weekend a little later in the year. To try to bosh out a live-ish album in a weekend. The problem for me is that whilst I can work fairly realistically with samplers and all things electronic, my gee-tar in is still rather cagey. I'll probably resort to what I do with Christina's stuff and semi construct some material in advance if we are serious about this. And bring a banjo.

Fourth, the recent devoted and disgruntled event seemed to go pretty well and has spawned a whole raft of possible sub-activities. I want to stay involved with this too, but suspect that the usual ground rush of 'real work' will pull me around. My trip to Norway this coming week has been canned, so I should make it to London Bloggers Meetup on Tuesday, but shortly after that I think I disappear to Denmark for a few weeks.

Don't panic. I should be back to short posts by tomorrow.

Here's Christina - wind (LA airport mix)

my late brunch somehow shortened the day

Glancing back over the last few weeks of blogging, I noticed how many of the pictures were taken in the evening or night time. It's almost like hibernation since early December.

Then a couple of days ago I noticed the sun (or at least rain) beginning to creep back into the pictures.

A good sign. I shall need to start looking for snowdrops and daffodils now, although its already too dark this evening.

gauging the outcome

Modest excitement today as I was handed a car to re-park, when I noticed the petrol tank was completely empty. As a favour I decided to fill it, knowing I'd otherwise be involved in a subsequent rescue operation.

The thing was, it was so empty that it only made it to the end of the road. Luckily the two policeman doing speed camera duties had moved on and didn't see me ignominiously coast to a halt in a side road. I managed to get it to start again and up the next hill, around a roundabout and then it died again as I coasted it into another side turning.

One last attempt, because I could see the petrol station in the distance. Various rrrrr-ing sounds and then it finally started on the last tea-spoon of petrol. Enough to get me to the pump, where it stalled again. I'm told that the petrol gauge dial (thats the other dial next to the speedometer) is not very clear on this car. Strange how quickly I spotted it.

yes we can can

Something optimistic today. Thanks surcie for reminding me of this brilliant Pointer Sisters track, sung here on Soul Train (and a vinyl lurking in the depths of rashbre central). Should be re-released before the pop factories get their hands on it.

oops.

selling britain by the pound (or dancing with the moonlit knight)

There's still contra indicators to the credit crunch around town. The gaggle of mid afternoon drinkers outside pubs around Leadenhall, the well-heeled City car parks, the shops which were disdainful of January sales.

I guess there's the need for the feelgood factor to move us all along, whether its Slumdog Millionaire or what's been happening in the White House.

Something to counteract the new events unfolding every day. The non nationalised banks being bought up by Arabian interests. The pound at a 24 year low. The remaining London non-freeby paper just sold for £1 to an ex KGB agent billionaire oligarch, for his son to edit.

I'll make do with buying a copy of the Evening Standard for half of its entire company price and accepting the free accompanying umbrella. Although the nearby brolly seller didn't look too pleased, it will shelter me until I get back to where my own car is parked. Хорошего Дня.

london parking ticket latency

I narrowly escaped a parking ticket today.

I was driving around Belgrave Square just before I needed to take a conference call, so I stopped in a parking bay. It was approaching the time for the call so I dialled the number before I walked to get the parking ticket from the machine.

It was a typical Westminster 'card only' machine and slightly around the corner from my parking spot. As I was also chairing the phone conference, I had my earphones for the call - we were in the 'pre-main-meeting-room' part of the call waiting for everyone to join.

From the corner of my eye I could see a community warden tapping numbers into his penalty machine whilst looking at my car.

My debit card was still in the ticket issuing machine processing my pin number. I jumped and waved to attract the warden's attention but to no avail. I returned to where he was standing just as he was printing the long penalty ticket, with my paid parking ticket in my hand.

And it was just as my conference call was starting. Fortunately, the meter person was very understanding and could see what had happened. I thanked him as he tapped long strings of cancellation instructions into his device.

After my experience a few weeks ago near Centre Point, I can say that surviving more than about 3 minutes in Central London without appropriate ticketing can be extremely hazardous to the wallet.

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.