Apologies, but I saw this headline and I just had to...
1.7 million to have dementia by 2051
Damn straight - and I'm planning to be completely plastered by half past nine.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Bonus Time
I understand the furore over the City bonuses is all about the politics of envy, but this quote made me mad.
Another Left-wing Labour MP, Alan Simpson, backed the survey's findings but said that Mr Brown was just as responsible as Mr Blair when it came to promoting divisive policies.
Another Left-wing Labour MP, Alan Simpson, backed the survey's findings but said that Mr Brown was just as responsible as Mr Blair when it came to promoting divisive policies.
He said: "There is no difference between No 10 and No 11. Downing Street has pursued policies which have courted City financiers at the expense of everyone else. Financial services and the money markets are engaged in a greed-fest - and Treasury rules are actually making this possible. Many of these huge bonuses are actually rewards for failure."
Is he serious ? Does he actually think the banks are in the habit of giving out large quantities of cash to non-performers ? I guarantee you every single one of those 4,200 people receiving over £1 million made at least ten times that for their organisation. You pay the going rate or they leave and take the business with them - end of story. Non-performers make money or are fired.
Yes, I do work for an investment bank and yes, I did get a nice bonus this month. Not a seven-figure one obviously, but then I'm not a revenue generator. However, I did feel it was payback for the many months of late nights and weekends I slogged through last year. And do I begrudge the guys on the trading floor their wedge ? Not bloody likely, those guys work as hard as we do, and they make the money for our bonus pot. And the 73% of the population who think bonuses are 'excessive' should remember that the profits those people make mostly go to the shareholders, and that the banks are 90% owned by the pension companies, and the pension companies' returns go to....who exactly ?
So go on, allow Gordon to windfall tax the bonuses away and send the business to Frankfurt - you'll be slitting your own throats you idiots...but then that's how socialism works isn't it.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Vocabulary
| Your Vocabulary Score: A+ |
 Congratulations on your multifarious vocabulary! You must be quite an erudite person. |
Monday, January 22, 2007
Asia Calling
This blog post comes to you from sunny Singapore. Yes, after only nine years working for one of the largest investment banks in the world, I finally get a business trip out of London.
We are staying in the quite astoundingly opulent Fullerton hotel, which just happens to overlook the main tourist hotspot of Boat Quay (below) - naturally we had to check it out on arrival yesterday evening. Allowing myself and my long-time partner-in-crime (and new boss) to stay quite so close to so many bars and restaurants may be good news for the turnover of said establishments, but probably not so much for our productivity for the trip. Ah well, I've earned this jolly about a hundred times over, so I'm not about to start feeling guilty now.
It's a fairly unstructured trip, I'm pricipally here to meet my new team of developers and try and figure out how we're going to work this year. I was loosely involved with this team last year, and there were a lot of frustrations both here and in London, so we definitely to do some serious work on the operating model.
Anyway, I can definitely recommend the January weather here, and so far everybody has been overwhelmingly welcoming - both old friends who now live here and new colleagues seem very pleased to see me.
Felt okay this morning - woke at a decent time to watch the Patriots race into a first-half lead in the AFC Championship game, only to find out later that we'd lost. Damn shame - was looking forward to another Superbowl - I've applied for tickets to the big Superbash in Batterea, if my name comes up in the ballot, it would have been doubly wonderful to be there as a Pats fan. I'm struggling a bit now, just as London is getting into the office - Jon has been feeling poorly most of the day and has already headed back to the hotel. See if I feel like going out later - may be just a quick couple in town with the two youngsters who've just moved over, and then back for a good sleep.
We are staying in the quite astoundingly opulent Fullerton hotel, which just happens to overlook the main tourist hotspot of Boat Quay (below) - naturally we had to check it out on arrival yesterday evening. Allowing myself and my long-time partner-in-crime (and new boss) to stay quite so close to so many bars and restaurants may be good news for the turnover of said establishments, but probably not so much for our productivity for the trip. Ah well, I've earned this jolly about a hundred times over, so I'm not about to start feeling guilty now.
It's a fairly unstructured trip, I'm pricipally here to meet my new team of developers and try and figure out how we're going to work this year. I was loosely involved with this team last year, and there were a lot of frustrations both here and in London, so we definitely to do some serious work on the operating model.
Anyway, I can definitely recommend the January weather here, and so far everybody has been overwhelmingly welcoming - both old friends who now live here and new colleagues seem very pleased to see me.
Felt okay this morning - woke at a decent time to watch the Patriots race into a first-half lead in the AFC Championship game, only to find out later that we'd lost. Damn shame - was looking forward to another Superbowl - I've applied for tickets to the big Superbash in Batterea, if my name comes up in the ballot, it would have been doubly wonderful to be there as a Pats fan. I'm struggling a bit now, just as London is getting into the office - Jon has been feeling poorly most of the day and has already headed back to the hotel. See if I feel like going out later - may be just a quick couple in town with the two youngsters who've just moved over, and then back for a good sleep.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Big Brother Racism Row - Reducto
Woman made famous for being thick and ignorant on Big Brother appears on Big Brother - displays thick and ignorant behaviour.
Monday, August 07, 2006
Well, I've got the shoulders for it...
Your results:
You are Will Riker
At times you are self-centered
but you have many friends.
You love many women, but the right
woman could get you to settle down.
Click here to take the Star Trek Personality Quiz
You are Will Riker
At times you are self-centered
but you have many friends.
You love many women, but the right
woman could get you to settle down.
| Will Riker | 90% | |
| James T. Kirk (Captain) | 70% | |
| Deanna Troi | 70% | |
| Leonard McCoy (Bones) | 60% | |
| Mr. Scott | 55% | |
| Chekov | 55% | |
| Uhura | 55% | |
| Data | 52% | |
| Jean-Luc Picard | 50% | |
| Spock | 49% | |
| Beverly Crusher | 45% | |
| Geordi LaForge | 40% | |
| Worf | 35% | |
| An Expendable Character (Redshirt) | 25% | |
| Mr. Sulu | 15% |
Click here to take the Star Trek Personality Quiz
Saturday, July 29, 2006
What's Next ?
I'm feeling a bit fragile this evening, as I'm struggling to come to terms with a great loss. After seven years of unbridled joy, one of the great lights of my life is no more.
I'm talking of course about "The West Wing" - IMHO, THE finest television drama series in history, bar none. Since first catching this show way back in its infancy in the latter months of the last century, it is the one serial for which I could not possibly contemplate missing even a single episode.
The last two episodes were shown last night - a little anti-climactic to be sure, but this was not unexpected given the plotline - and this has been followed up today by an afternoon of highlights from down the years, in which I have self-indulgently wallowed to the exclusion of all else - including the cricket - with many a tearful eye.
Goodbye West Wing, and thank you...
I'm talking of course about "The West Wing" - IMHO, THE finest television drama series in history, bar none. Since first catching this show way back in its infancy in the latter months of the last century, it is the one serial for which I could not possibly contemplate missing even a single episode.
The last two episodes were shown last night - a little anti-climactic to be sure, but this was not unexpected given the plotline - and this has been followed up today by an afternoon of highlights from down the years, in which I have self-indulgently wallowed to the exclusion of all else - including the cricket - with many a tearful eye.
Goodbye West Wing, and thank you...
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Bloglines
How on earth did I go so long without discovering this ?
It's an online RSS reader, with the added bonus of (among other things) being able to subscribe to email newsletters and having a fairly cool Notifier app that sits on your desktop.
If you haven't tried it, give it a whirl - it's cool.
It's an online RSS reader, with the added bonus of (among other things) being able to subscribe to email newsletters and having a fairly cool Notifier app that sits on your desktop.
If you haven't tried it, give it a whirl - it's cool.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Inadvertant Humour
Son Number One is on a school trip to the London Aquarium today. When I asked Mrs Infoholic if he was looking forward to it, she replied.
"Oh yeah, he'll have a whale of a time"
Cue a fit of helpless giggles from me.
"Oh yeah, he'll have a whale of a time"
Cue a fit of helpless giggles from me.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
What the hell has happened to justice ?
Dead girl's family attacks driver's 'laughable' sentence after crash
Okay, so I know the family and went to the funeral, therefore I'm not objective, but could somebody please explain to me how drunk you have to be to hit two girls and drive off without noticing ? The guy didn't just hit Natalie, he drove right over her for f***'s sake (according to the medical reports).
Note to boy racers : If you hit someone while high, drive off and hide your car. If you can stay undiscovered for 24 hours, you can't be charged with driving under the influence, no matter how many people saw you getting pissed and driving like a nutter.
Essex police said it had conducted a thorough investigation. "With all the evidence and statements we collated there was no proof that the manner of his driving prior to the crash was dangerous."
Again, under what circumstances can you wipe out two girls without noticing and NOT be driving dangerously ?
Even if you take the driver's story at face value, what the hell happened to people having to take responsibility for their actions ? A seventeen year old girl died, and another lost her best friend and has had to cope with terrible injuries and mental trauma. You shouldn't just be allowed to collect up some litter and walk away from that...
Okay, so I know the family and went to the funeral, therefore I'm not objective, but could somebody please explain to me how drunk you have to be to hit two girls and drive off without noticing ? The guy didn't just hit Natalie, he drove right over her for f***'s sake (according to the medical reports).
Note to boy racers : If you hit someone while high, drive off and hide your car. If you can stay undiscovered for 24 hours, you can't be charged with driving under the influence, no matter how many people saw you getting pissed and driving like a nutter.
Essex police said it had conducted a thorough investigation. "With all the evidence and statements we collated there was no proof that the manner of his driving prior to the crash was dangerous."
Again, under what circumstances can you wipe out two girls without noticing and NOT be driving dangerously ?
Even if you take the driver's story at face value, what the hell happened to people having to take responsibility for their actions ? A seventeen year old girl died, and another lost her best friend and has had to cope with terrible injuries and mental trauma. You shouldn't just be allowed to collect up some litter and walk away from that...
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Bloody Typical
Clarke wants tougher convict law
Doesn't that just sum up this useless excuse for a Government. Rather than admit they're either incapable or unwilling to enforce our existing laws, simply pass some more draconian legislation to pretend you're doing something about the problem.
And in any case, the problem wasn't that they were asking 'can we deport this person' and getting the wrong answer, the problem was that they weren't asking the question. Passing this law would therefore achieve precisely nothing.
Doesn't that just sum up this useless excuse for a Government. Rather than admit they're either incapable or unwilling to enforce our existing laws, simply pass some more draconian legislation to pretend you're doing something about the problem.
And in any case, the problem wasn't that they were asking 'can we deport this person' and getting the wrong answer, the problem was that they weren't asking the question. Passing this law would therefore achieve precisely nothing.
Sunday, April 30, 2006
More Cricket
Another Saturday, another game. Home to Potter Street, who are a good three divisions below us (the league starts next week), and in the end it showed. After a fast start, we collapsed somewhat at the end and were disappointed to finish with only 212. I'd scored five when their medium-pacer sent down a juicy long-hop - I rocked back to pull it, but the ball hardly got off the floor and I ended up stretching and gently looping it to extra-cover. Annoying - I always seem to get to balls that keep low, particularly when playing at home. We were playing league rules i.e. 45 overs a side, but they took an absolute age to get through theirs - by the time we had tea and went out to field, it was already well past 5:30. Good job we bowled them out for under a hundred, or we'd have been playing in the dark.
Three things I observed about the different standards of the sides. Most glaring and yet least decisive was the fast bowlers - we've got two genuine quickies, they only really had one seamer who got anything above gentle medium. The nature of the pitch meant that this gave them an advantage if anything - their openers used the pace to score well. The second difference was the depth of batting - we bat all the way down to about nine, they were into the youngsters and shufflers at six. The key difference was the fielding - now we're a very old side (at 35, I was the third youngest yesterday), but we're all competent fielders and we don't generally spill catches, and the only one we grassed yesterday was a sharp caught-and-bowled chance - in contrast, they put down several fairly regulation catches. Took one myself at deep mid-on.
Didn't bowl today, but after last week, I don't really care. For the first time in a long time, I'm actually enjoying the fielding now.
Three things I observed about the different standards of the sides. Most glaring and yet least decisive was the fast bowlers - we've got two genuine quickies, they only really had one seamer who got anything above gentle medium. The nature of the pitch meant that this gave them an advantage if anything - their openers used the pace to score well. The second difference was the depth of batting - we bat all the way down to about nine, they were into the youngsters and shufflers at six. The key difference was the fielding - now we're a very old side (at 35, I was the third youngest yesterday), but we're all competent fielders and we don't generally spill catches, and the only one we grassed yesterday was a sharp caught-and-bowled chance - in contrast, they put down several fairly regulation catches. Took one myself at deep mid-on.
Didn't bowl today, but after last week, I don't really care. For the first time in a long time, I'm actually enjoying the fielding now.
Resurrecting the Daleks
Watched last Saturday's Doctor Who episode with the kids on Wednesday - tried a little experiment afterwards. I put on the 1983 episode Resurrection of the Daleks from the Peter Davison era. Son number two lost interest and fell asleep, but the older lad was hooked. Strangely, he refers to the Ecclestone/Tennant era Daleks and TARDIS as 'old' and the archive stuff I'm showing to him as 'new' - which I suppose to him it is.
He got very agitated when the Doctor went back to the TARDIS halfway through episode two - "it can't be the end now, Turlough's on the ship". Think he's picked up on a pattern in the current series - the TARDIS generally only features at the start and end of each story. He got quite upset when I turned it off and sent him to bed before the end - but it's a four parter and three hours of Doctor Who is too much even for me these days.
Apart from this story, the only other episode I've got is Tom Baker's penultimate story, The Keeper of Traken. My brother has all the old videos - think I may have to borrow some.
He got very agitated when the Doctor went back to the TARDIS halfway through episode two - "it can't be the end now, Turlough's on the ship". Think he's picked up on a pattern in the current series - the TARDIS generally only features at the start and end of each story. He got quite upset when I turned it off and sent him to bed before the end - but it's a four parter and three hours of Doctor Who is too much even for me these days.
Apart from this story, the only other episode I've got is Tom Baker's penultimate story, The Keeper of Traken. My brother has all the old videos - think I may have to borrow some.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Down and Up
Another disappointing defeat for the Villa last night, at home to a team who had lost their last six. A heavy defeat at Anfield on Saturday and we could still be heading into the final day with a real chance of relegation.
Despite my admiration for Arsene Wenger, it was the return of boring, boring Arsenal last night, as the Gooners ground out a 0-0 draw to see them through to their first Champions League final. Amazing to think that this is the first time a club from the biggest city on the continent has got to the final.
Splendid lunchtime drink with Mr IcedInk - see BlogRoll. First time I've met up with an e-aquaintance - felt a bit like meeting a mate you haven't seen for months.
Despite my admiration for Arsene Wenger, it was the return of boring, boring Arsenal last night, as the Gooners ground out a 0-0 draw to see them through to their first Champions League final. Amazing to think that this is the first time a club from the biggest city on the continent has got to the final.
Splendid lunchtime drink with Mr IcedInk - see BlogRoll. First time I've met up with an e-aquaintance - felt a bit like meeting a mate you haven't seen for months.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
End of an Era
Grandstand finish as BBC blows the whistle
Sad, but to be brutally honest, I'm amazed it's taken this long. They've been scraping the bottom of the barrell for at least five years - apart from the Six Nations, the Beeb no longer have any competitions of note, apart from the odd FA Cup game, which they can't show during that slot anyway.
Sad, but to be brutally honest, I'm amazed it's taken this long. They've been scraping the bottom of the barrell for at least five years - apart from the Six Nations, the Beeb no longer have any competitions of note, apart from the odd FA Cup game, which they can't show during that slot anyway.
Monday, April 24, 2006
Soggy Snickers
Grey day at the Marathon yesterday - it's not quite the same when it rains, and that's twice in three years. Very disappointing. Only upside was we did actually manage to get served in the City Pride for a change.
Still aching today. Right shoulder is naturally most sore, but why are my stomach muscles complaining ?
I understand next weekend's Doctor Who sees the return of Sarah-Jane Smith and K9. Takes me back to when I was my sons' age - my earliest memories of the show are Liz Sladen partnering Jon Pertwee's doctor.
The England manager saga rolls on - thankfully Marlon Harewood hammered a sizeable nail into McClaren's chances yesterday. If they appoint any British candidate other than Martin O'Neill, I'll be very disappointed. Sadly, the fact that David Dein is on the selection panel probably rules out my preferred choice - they won't even be allowed to discuss Arsene Wenger, still less approach him.
Still aching today. Right shoulder is naturally most sore, but why are my stomach muscles complaining ?
I understand next weekend's Doctor Who sees the return of Sarah-Jane Smith and K9. Takes me back to when I was my sons' age - my earliest memories of the show are Liz Sladen partnering Jon Pertwee's doctor.
The England manager saga rolls on - thankfully Marlon Harewood hammered a sizeable nail into McClaren's chances yesterday. If they appoint any British candidate other than Martin O'Neill, I'll be very disappointed. Sadly, the fact that David Dein is on the selection panel probably rules out my preferred choice - they won't even be allowed to discuss Arsene Wenger, still less approach him.
Sunday, April 23, 2006
The Trials of Age
Oh my God, I ache this morning. Ten years ago, first cricket match of the season just meant a sore shoulder on Monday - by 10pm last night I could barely move or keep my eyes open. In the cold light of day - sore calves, hamstrings, sides, back, shoulders and even stomach muscles. Good job the Marathon means I get some early 'anaesthetic' this morning. Weather's disappointing, from a spectator's point of view at least - it's probably perfect for the runners.
Good game yesterday, the opposition declared on 188 and we squeezed home with one ball and three wickets to spare. I was 12 not out at the end, having gone out at number seven with 40 needed from 10, and I did a fair job during the run chase - I kept my end up while the guy who was set scored runs, and when he got out I took on the senior partner duties when the new batsman was struggling to lay bat on ball. Runs were not easy to come by - the pitch was slow and the bowling fairly tight - so I pushed the field back with a couple of controlled lofts over the top and then ran quick singles to the withdrawn men. Having said that, I reckon I was extremely lucky to survive an LBW shout to my first ball - hit me on the foot and it seemed a fairly straight ball to me. Still, he was the oppo's umpire, so no foul play - I do take a one leg guard, and I didn't really move my feet, so perhaps it was just missing leg stump.
My fielding was good, made a couple of really good stops - no catches came my way. Bowling was weird - I came on first change and the first two overs were good, getting heavy in-swing, albeit straight from the hand rather than the more dangerous late movement. But then a really weird thing happened - I loosened up, and my shoulder was fine - no pain or resistance - in a way it hasn't been in the five years I've been playing here. As a result, I completely lost my timing - I was releasing the ball either too early or too late, which meant either rank full tosses or pitching the ball near my toes. Embarrassingly, I got their opener out when he top edged a ball that bounced twice straight to mid-on. Not my finest ever wicket, but I'm off the mark for the season. I need to get in the gym and tighten up my now overly loose shoulder muscles, and somehow I have to get some bowling practice - re-model my action AGAIN for the new state of my shoulder, or at least get the timing right. Unfortunately, after next weekend I then can't play in May - on successive weekends I have a stag do in Madrid, a day at the Test Match, a wedding, and a business trip to Singapore. Not going to do my rhythm any good at all...
Good game yesterday, the opposition declared on 188 and we squeezed home with one ball and three wickets to spare. I was 12 not out at the end, having gone out at number seven with 40 needed from 10, and I did a fair job during the run chase - I kept my end up while the guy who was set scored runs, and when he got out I took on the senior partner duties when the new batsman was struggling to lay bat on ball. Runs were not easy to come by - the pitch was slow and the bowling fairly tight - so I pushed the field back with a couple of controlled lofts over the top and then ran quick singles to the withdrawn men. Having said that, I reckon I was extremely lucky to survive an LBW shout to my first ball - hit me on the foot and it seemed a fairly straight ball to me. Still, he was the oppo's umpire, so no foul play - I do take a one leg guard, and I didn't really move my feet, so perhaps it was just missing leg stump.
My fielding was good, made a couple of really good stops - no catches came my way. Bowling was weird - I came on first change and the first two overs were good, getting heavy in-swing, albeit straight from the hand rather than the more dangerous late movement. But then a really weird thing happened - I loosened up, and my shoulder was fine - no pain or resistance - in a way it hasn't been in the five years I've been playing here. As a result, I completely lost my timing - I was releasing the ball either too early or too late, which meant either rank full tosses or pitching the ball near my toes. Embarrassingly, I got their opener out when he top edged a ball that bounced twice straight to mid-on. Not my finest ever wicket, but I'm off the mark for the season. I need to get in the gym and tighten up my now overly loose shoulder muscles, and somehow I have to get some bowling practice - re-model my action AGAIN for the new state of my shoulder, or at least get the timing right. Unfortunately, after next weekend I then can't play in May - on successive weekends I have a stag do in Madrid, a day at the Test Match, a wedding, and a business trip to Singapore. Not going to do my rhythm any good at all...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
