Friday, October 31, 2008

This looks cool :: Classics for the iPhone



Classics is a fab eBook reader that recently caught my attention (thanks to notcot no.15,391) due to the developer's attention to detail and their approach to designing a unique and holistic experience. Read more on it here - I found their journey very inspirational.

Check it out... and support them by buying the app. Nice work, chaps!

This looks cool :: iGameboy



Not sure how iGameboy works... but it sure looks good. Check it out.

Thanks to notcot no.15568 for the heads-up.

In this world at Hallowe'en...

Jo the Vampire

Above is a pic of my pal Jo dressed up as a Vampire for a party she is, as I type, currently at. Fair play to her for making an effort. Can't wait to see her boyfriend Ritchie's outfit.

I am not a fan of Hallowe'en. I don't do horror. I am a big feerty but I also think that horror some how desensitise us in some subliminal way to the true horror in this world. I read a story last week in the news that made me cry... a father who snap the spine of his toddler and killed her. I cried at the brutality of that man. That's an aside... the point is there is too much horror in this world and I, for one, wont celebrate it.

However, I don't see anything wrong with my kids going "GUISING". It is a Scottish tradition that is not the same as "Trick or Treat". There is no malice associated with guising. No trick. Its about fun and games with friends and family. It was about the redistribution of wealth... the giving and taking part. No demanding. No transactional arrangement. It wasn't about some form of glorified protection racket. It was different.

Unfortunately, the old traditions are being replaced by the Disneyfication of Halloween. This doesn't mean, however, that because I am part of something that I support it, if that makes sense.

This is where I get really frustrated and angry with my fellow Christians.

There are people out there who claim the name of Jesus and will quickly and happily judge and condemn someone because they are part of something they themselves do not agree with... surely, as Christians, we shouldn't support / be part of / condone Hallowe'en... they say.

This makes me furious! The judgement. The implication. Someone is part of something therefore they are doing wrong.

First and foremost... its not where we go but what we do that counts. Jesus was implicated by the Pharisees as being a drunk and glutton because he hung out with drunks and gluttons. Was he a drunk and a glutton... no way... but he was implicated as one because he hung out with them. Guilty by association.

I go to pubs. Some people will readily condemn me for this. Guilt by association. The fact that I am not drinking alcohol escapes their icy stares... and even if I was... this doesn't remove my name from the Lamb's book of life.

Secondly... the Lord told us to worry about the planks in our own eyes instead of fixating about the skelfs in another's eyes. Don't judge me and mine without getting your house in order first.

I find that people attack others in this way to distract people from their own failings. Trucker Frank used the metaphor of sharks in this regard. We are broken people... let's stop pointing out the faults and focus on building us all up. This form of judgement is destructive.

Thirdly... we are called to be in the world but not of it. You judge me for being in the world... in essence you imply I am not being a good / true Christian because I am in the world. Last time I checked... I was following the Lord. How do you know how my kids were "not of it" when they interacted with their peers in the Hallowe'en shenanigans? Were you there?

We are called to be salt and light in this world. I can't think of anything more positive than encouraging my kids to have fun and to give without the expectation of receiving something in return.

You can have your "hallelujah" parties... but I don't see how they are "in the world but not of it". They are "not in the world, but are of it" because they are exclusive and divisive. I also think they are silly and miss any chance of showing how "normal" we are as people who just happen to follow Jesus. Where is the underground re-contextualising of an event that us Christians are so good at doing? We did it with Christmas... changed it from the Feast of Saturnalia into something special to us as well... why can't we re-contextualise this?

We need to move away from casting aspersions on someone's character because they do not act in a way we agree with... and move to a celebration of all the things that bind us together.

So please... next time you point the finger... take a sober look at your own life first.

Dressing up...



Posted with LifeCast

Tonight... 1845hrs



Posted with LifeCast

Bob on the button once more...



The above quote is taken from Bob's letter regarding The Doors x Converse shoe and whilst I don't necessarily agree with every point he makes in this letter... I celebrate the sentiment and really value the point he is making about memories and experience being more important than money and toys.

Great music does impact our lives... and I am grateful for the influence music has been on shaping who I am.

Picture posted with LifeCast... thoughts added later.

Met up with Paul and Fi



Posted with LifeCast

Today... 0840hrs



Posted with LifeCast

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

This is cool :: Kilts for Kids day



I really like my Uncle Robert Russell's latest brainwave for Children1st entitled Kilts for Kids day. Here's the skinny...
Kilts for Kids Day is CHILDREN 1ST's brand new fundraising event. On Friday 28 November we want everyone to join us in a tartan-tastic day of fun across Scotland.

Do something you wouldn't usually do, like wear a kilt or some tartan to work or school or organise your own "Kilt idol" night. Have lots of fun, raise funds for Scotland's vulnerable children and celebrate our national day, all at the same time!

/..Kilts for Kids Day will take place every year on the Friday closest to St Andrew's Day. Can't take part on the day? Why not organise a Kilts for Kids Day this Christmas or on Burns Night!!
Its a fab idea and one I know a lot of lads (and lassies) would be up for.

If you are up for it... please register now at Kilts for Kids day or give them a bell on 0845 10 80 111 and they'll send you all the deets for "tartan-tastic" Kilts for Kids Day.

Well done Uncle Robert!

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Sunday, October 26, 2008

Here's Frank



Now you know why I think Trucker Frank is such an inspiration.

Loving :: Poladroid

Me (poladroid'd)

Poladroid is a fab wee app for Mac OSX (Windoze coming in November) that converts digital pictures into polaroid-like images. Simple but effective.

Check it out.

Loving the weather...



Posted with LifeCast

Hey everyone... Trucker Frank is now on Twitter!



Trucker Frank the hero from something beautiful no.19 and no.20 is now on twitter... add him as a friend... and while your at it... check out his videos on youtube too.

Picture posted with LifeCast... words came later.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

I loved HSM3


I am not ashamed to admit it... but I enjoyed High School Musical 3. I might even go as far as saying "I loved it".

I admit I wasn't entirely up for the film. I was a bit cynical and thought it cool to act cool towards a film that my two daughters were hyper for.

Thing is... I really enjoyed the film. The song and dance numbers are pretty awesome - they are a visual treat. The choreography was smart and inventive... paired with some imaginative sets within sets.

I believe this film is up there with the best musicals... and it kind of frustrates me that folk don't give it its due.

With themes of rejecting the status quo, second chances and an emphasis on community rather than materialism... this is a film I am glad my kids like. Troy plays basketball AND sings. Sharpay is demonised for her selfishness and materialism. The cast sing together because its the last time they will be all together. These are important themes that we all need to consider... not just the folk who watch the films.

Its fair to point on the irony of a film that demonises materialism coming from the global organisation who has invested heavily in a merchandising onslaught... and maybe thats where people get turned off. Maybe people see this as a kiddie thing? Maybe its overhyped? It is... on all three counts... but it is so much more. In some ways it reminds me of a great Bollywood film.

I guess its either your thing or its not... but please judge the films from a position of knowledge and experience.

Picture posted with LifeCast... words added later.

I like... but I probably shouldn't



Let me explain before someone pulls the "hypocrite" card on me... I like the concept of Red Bull Cola. I like their approach to making a "natural" cola... and give them kudos for being brave enough to go against the flow. Consider for a minute or two the ingredients in a 355ml can:
  • Water
  • Sugar
  • Carbon dioxide
  • Caramel sugar syrup
  • Natural flavors from plant extracts:
  1. galangal,
  2. vanilla,
  3. mustard seed,
  4. lime,
  5. kola nut,
  6. cacao,
  7. licorice,
  8. cinnamon,
  9. lemon,
  10. ginger,
  11. coca leaf,
  12. orange,
  13. corn mint,
  14. pine,
  15. cardamom,
  16. mace,
  17. clove
  • Caffeine from coffee beans and natural lemon juice concentrate.
What it lacks is, according to the manufacturer, is ::
...phosphoric acid, preservatives, artificial colorings, and artificial flavors which many similar drinks contain.
It is pretty high in calories... 38kcal per 100ml (each can is 355ml)... and not something I will be drinking regularly (hence the "I probably shouldn't" in the subject line)... but with 17 natural flavours, its pretty awesome.

I like the fact that the Cola's USP is that it is "strong & natural" - strong from the caffeine and natural from the other ingredients. I like the fact that these factors - which are important to me - are now important to a soft drink manufacturer too.

Its almost like someone has been listening and taking consumer concerns over health seriously... albeit not that seriously considering the sugar but then some folk can need the calories (fat blokes like me don't).

Hopefully this is a pointer to the future.

Picture posted with LifeCast... words updated later.

This is cool :: The fashion report from 1920

...And somehow, because, as Bill Kulczycki, the president of Filson, said — “We don’t do things for a season and then drop them; we do things for 50 years” — these anonymous garments convey another sort of cool, drawn from the ineffable aura of continuity../
NYTimes :: The fashion report from 1920

Thought this was a great article and wanted to share it. It works with my post on "old man style" from a week ago. Timelessness has its own cool.

Thanks to psfk for the heads up.

My Olly looks fab in pink!



Olly was out at a "pink party" in aid of charity with Janey and a number of the folks from the Bellshill Salvation Army. If you are friends with Olly on Facebook then you can see some fab pics she uploaded. They raised over £500... which is pretty awesome.

I wasn't there... I was left holding the baby aka Nathan... and loved every minute of it.

Picture posted with LifeCast... thoughts updated later.

2 x CD + DVD combos...



I love music... but don't always love the high prices. I am not a fan of the industry that values the beautiful over the talented... and will happily screw over the fans.

That said... I picked up 2 CDs this week that have impressed me with their content.

First off... I picked up the CD / DVD of Coldplay's 2003 concert in Australia. My family are big fans of Coldplay. I am a big fan of Coldplay. For £8, I thought this was a great deal. I enjoy concert footage... always have since the days I watched Queen "live in Rio" all those years ago... and I enjoy Coldplay's live set... albeit Chris Martin does dance like the dad he now is - His bairns must be embarrassed.

I then picked up Cornelius' reissued album 2006 "Sensuous" with the accompaning DVD "Sensurama" which is a visual interpretation of the album... for £14 (I couldn't wait for Fopp to order it in). I am blown away by this DVD. Every song represented beautifully with some of the best video imagery I have seen in a long time... in perfect sync with Cornelius' unique soundscapes.

Why am I impressed? Content... and lots of it. When I am a fan... I am prepared to pay for content and these DVDs provide that extra level of quality content. So instead of ripping off the fan... maybe the Music Industry should provide more content... quality content... and rebuild their relationship with the people who matter... the fans! Afterall, I now have TWO copies of Sensuous!

Picture posted with LifeCast... comments added later.

An original Olwyn Taylor...



Olly used to paint these simple yet effective still life pics when she was a young 'un (pre-Dayna and Miriam) and it was so cool to be reminded of them. Janey has this one hanging in her ground floor toilet. Nice.

Posted with LifeCast

I love Twitter!



Posted with LifeCast

Friday, October 24, 2008

((deep)) -- 1st November...



((deep)) will soon be here... All Hallow's Day aka 1st November from 7pm.

Gary Brotherston will be with us to talk about his life and his faith. Those of us who were at the East & West Scotland Summer School in '07 will remember Garry's testimony on the Thursday night... and how the Spirit used his story to inspire and empower everyone who heard it.

Grateful to Jen and Paul for leading worship too... and who knows... I might have some fab tunes to bring too.

Hope you can make it? Please spread the word. Grab the pic and post it on your blog or Facebook... if you tweet or plurk then please post the URL... speak to people you know... tell them this will be a gathering they shouldn't miss.

See you there!

NYTimes endorses Sen. Barack Obama

Mr. Obama has met challenge after challenge, growing as a leader and putting real flesh on his early promises of hope and change. He has shown a cool head and sound judgment. We believe he has the will and the ability to forge the broad political consensus that is essential to finding solutions to this nation’s problems.

In the same time, Senator John McCain of Arizona has retreated farther and farther to the fringe of American politics, running a campaign on partisan division, class warfare and even hints of racism. His policies and worldview are mired in the past. His choice of a running mate so evidently unfit for the office was a final act of opportunism and bad judgment that eclipsed the accomplishments of 26 years in Congress.
NYTimes endorses Sen. Barack Obama

Like father... Like daughter...



Posted with LifeCast

Loving... Cantaloup's new album [On a hill not far away]



Another fantastic download from Aerotone that is one of the best albums that I have heard this year. Impressive electronic ambience with some delicate acoustic guitars and etheral vocals Eva Paul. Truly brilliant!

Picture posted with LifeCast... words added later.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Coming Soon... My netlabel electronica mix for Something Beautiful



U*P*D*A*T*E

My mix is live... download it here.

This is what I said
I am not a DJ. I can't beat mix. I haven't played "live" in a long, long time. I don't do weddings, bar mitzvahs or clubs.

I am more of a curator. For me, a curator is someone passionate about his/her chosen medium... and this passion is expressed through some form of exhibition to the world. This is my exhibition... just for you.

I am passionate about Net Labels. I consider the works available for free on labels like Earth Monkey, Aerotone, Sutemos and Serein to be some of the best music I have ever heard. Bleeding edge electronica and delicate nu folk. Dark ambient soundscapes and glitchy IDM. All there for me to consume... to enjoy... to rave about... as I often do on my blog.

It amazes me that the music available on these Net Label is available there for free. It isn't free to produce. Quality costs. That's what amazes me... the graciousness of the producers... that sees their music... their art... available to me to consume... for no cost to me.

This mix, if you can call it a mix (see first line), is my way of giving back. I have received the wonderful gift of music and I wish to give it away... both in the form of the mix but also in the form of links so you too can taste and see that this music is good. In doing so... I keep their gift of music moving. I keep their generosity circulating... I don't wish to jealously keep their music to myself... its not mine to keep in that sense... instead I enthusiastically give it away.

Hopefully you will enjoy this mix and it will encourage you to check out the musicians and producers behind the individual tracks... and dig deeper into their music.

Enjoy.
Picture posted with LifeCast... thoughts added later.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Loving :: Tribes :: Seth Godin's new book



Posted with LifeCast

Tubby Tuesday... Week 2



Lost a couple of pounds and learned a valuable lesson... to stop weighing myself everyday. My weight is going down like a Bank's shares... but does go back up now and again.

As ever... Olly is being fantastic and keeping me motivated when I'd rather lounge about. She's keeping the food super tasty too... which is fab.

One thing I have noticed about my diet is how much more I appreciate my food. I am digging flavours and textures... and getting excited as it is being prepared. I guess we are putting food back in its place... as something in and of itself... and I like that.

Picture posted with LifeCast... words came later.

Problogger read my tweet... on why I blog



Thanks to problogger for featuring my tweet in his post on why people blog. I love twitter and this post shows how the tool can be used by a leader to get the opinion of his/her tribe. Nice.

Picture posted with LifeCast... words came later.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

This is cool :: Russell Davies :: How to fail more?



I thought this was cool. I will post my thoughts / observations soon... but in the meantime... my thanks to psfk for once again pointing me in the right direction.

Reuse

Reusing 1

I am glad that our local council have started to collect a bin for recycling. Olly and I have embraced the bin with gusto... but the one thing that annoys me [slightly] is that the bin doesn't take glass... we still need to take a trip to the glass recycling site.

Why does it annoy me? Well... apart from being lazy... I don't like to take a trip specifically to dump the glass... doesn't make sense to me... so I need to tie it into other trips. That isn't always convenient... I tend to be a bit "just in time" when it comes to my trips... so the glass gets left.

Now... we've started to eat more food we've made ourselves... what with the low fat diet et al... and there are more pulses, nuts and things in the house. I hate it when they all fall out and scatter when their packets are open.

What's more... being a geek... I appreciate design and can see beauty in things like glass bottles.

So, with Olly's blessing, I sought to solve a couple of problems and geek out at the same time.

In the picture above... I have reused orange juice bottles (from Aldi) to house brown rice and yellow split peas.

Reusing 2

Here I have reused Snapple bottles to house red lentils... with the empty bottle now filled with brown demarra sugar.

Reusing 3

Lastly, I have reused honey jars to house wine gums, peanuts and walnuts.

Problems solved - no scattering of contents... glass reused without a trip to the recycling point (packets can go in our recycling bin)... and some nice designs for a geek to appreciate.

One thing I would recommend... a funnel:

Home-made Funnel

Cut the top off a juice bottle and use it as a d.i.y funnel.

Good fun... try it out sometime.

Today's workout was brought to you by The Crystal Method...



I cycled round Strathclyde Park this afternoon. The weather was terrible... with the wind and rain whipping into me... at one point I was pedaling to stay still and was nearly tipped over more than once.

But it was worth it to get the Park to myself... and to get some time out to listen to The Crystal Method and their timeless album Vegas. Nothing beats this album for pure euphoric uplift. It has a constancy about it... it is consistently upbeat and energetic. Perfect for 4.7 miles on a bike on a ghastly October afternoon. Check it out.

Picture posted with LifeCast... thoughts added later.

Home-made Tomato Soup and Tea in a China cup...



I thought I'd share Olly's recipe for chunky tomato and onion soup...
  • 1.5 pints of water
  • 1.5 vegetable stock cubes
  • 0.5 cup of tomato juice (from a carton)
  • 2 tins of ASDA's chopped tomatoes with garlic (if not available - 2 tins of chopped tomatoes and 1 clove of garlic)
  • 2 small / medium onions
  • handful of brown rice (optional)
  1. Boil 1.5 pints of water... add to stock in a big pan.
  2. Add 2 tins of tomatoes to pan along with the tomato juice.
  3. Dice onions to preference then add to pan.
  4. Add rice.
  5. Bring to boil... then let it simmer strongly for 30 minutes.
  6. Keep stirring.
  7. After 30 mins... take off gas and allow to thicken for 10 minutes.
  8. Bring to boil then serve.
Not salt requires to be added to the soup at preparation due to the stock and the garlic.

Enjoy... I did/do. Took 3 bowls at lunch time. Very low calorie and low GI too. Lovely!

If you do make it... please post or tweet a picture.

Picture posted with LifeCast... recipe added later.

This is cool :: Spelling for Change

Spelling Change.com

I love the way the Obama/Biden campaign has captured the imagination of some amazing artists and designers and the Spelling for Change website is a prime example of this:
Spelling Change was developed by a group of creative professionals to spread awareness and passion about the Obama campaign. Its goal is to encourage one-to-one communication by creating tools that help people get out the word on issues that are important to them.

Artists and designers were asked to create a letter of the alphabet inspired by the Obama campaign. These letters were then printed on t-shirts and distributed to photographers, who shot Obama supporters from all walks of life wearing them. The result is a living alphabet that shows the incredible breadth of Obama’s appeal and a widespread desire for real change in Washington.

Now, you can use this living alphabet to create emails, t-shirts, posters, bumper stickers, and postcards personalized with your own messages of hope and change. You can also design and upload your own letter, becoming part of a creative community fueled by a shared passion to change America from within.

How do you spell change?
You spell it L-O-V-E!

Spelling Change.com

Thanks to lost at e minor for the heads-up.

Friday, October 17, 2008

This is cool :: POSSIBLE



Love this poster :: POSSIBLE :: A limited edition poster by Jonathan Hoefler for Obama for America. Nice!

Possibly the funniest thing I have seen on TV in ages...



The States have Tina Fey... we have Peter Kay. This was possibly the funniest thing I have seen on TV in a long, long time. Enjoy!

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Did these folk watch the same debate?



The thing that gets me about the American Presidential debates is how partisan commentators get. How can you have people watching the same debate and saying the complete opposite? The stars on the left column are for McCain and the stars on the right are for Obama. Read the commentary for yourself here on the BBC News website. I don't get it.

It reminds me of an observation Joseph Dunninger once made...
For those who believe, no explanation is necessary; for those who do not believe, no explanation will suffice.
Seems to me that there are too many people believing one side or the other... and not believing the other. What worries me is what will happen after the election?

Picture posted with LifeCast... thoughts added later.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

This is cool :: Muji AM-PM notebook



I am loving the Muji AM-PM notebook that pushes the envelope through the visualisation of blocks of time and the activities that fill these blocks of time.

Think about getting one. My iPhone is slowly replacing my Moleskine diary (in conjunction with iCal and a RSS feed to my GCal) and I think this book could be a fantastic addition to my "doing stuff" arsenal.

Read this post from Jack Cheng for a write up from someone who uses one...
...Because of the numerous hours in a day (and various other constraints), the lines in a diary are typically very narrow. They are also usually equally distributed (somewhat). But our information is a hierarchy. Some are more important to us. Some we feel happier about. We want to highlight stuff that’s important to us. We want to write things that are more important in BIGGER sizes. Our lives cannot be so easily and clearly divided into equal parcels."
Makes sense to me... Check it out. Thanks to psfk for the heads-up.

btw :: I would love to walk into a Muji and pick one up... but they abandoned Scotland when they pulled out of Glasgow a good few years ago. I wept that day... bawled like a banshee... it was then that I finally broke down and sought help for my stationery addiction.

This is cool :: New York Cheat Sheets



I thought this article in the NYTimes entitled "New York Cheat Sheets" was really cool and thought I'd share it. I love the pics and the explanation... the words take the abstract pictures and place them in context.

Demonstrates the power of pictures... which only work when the context is understood. Nice.

The Royal Yacht

Y

We spent an hour or so on the Royal Yacht Britannia this afternoon in Leith, Edinburgh. Its a lovely boat... kind of stuck in a 50s timewarp... which is cool.

Check out more pics here.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Geography Teacher is the new Black...



I am not ashamed to say that I dig my new pair of shoes from Clarks. They are so anti-fashion and pragmatic for Scottish spring/autumn/winter (ie the 50 week wet season) and, as such, are/were a must-buy for me... especially after my second hand (foot) Timberlands died... and my suede Hush Puppies are leathal in wet weather (aka those 50 weeks again).

I do, however, see a couple of trends here...
  1. If you buy Clarks Originals (Wallabees, Desert Treks, Desert Boots etc) you are more likely to get seduced by their "old man" selection of shoes... than their trendy new styles.
  2. "Old man style" - Clarks, cardigans, flat caps, Tweed jackets etc - has an anti-fashion spirit about it that is akin with the rise in popularity of outdoor gear - Goretex jackets, Merrell shoes, Nike ACG, fleeces etc - and "workwear" - Carhartt, Dickies, Timberlands etc. Its about comfort, functionality, practicality, value, timelessness and cocking-a-snoot to the abstract transience of "trendy".
At the end of the day... anti-fashion is about wearing what you want and thinking for your self. So don't listen to me... but seek out your own style... and cock-a-snoot at "trendy" unless, of course, you see "trendy" as being non-conformist and alternative in a sea of anti-fashion.

Oh and "trendy" is such a relative abstract... what is "trendy" anyway?

U*P*D*A*T*E

They are for work... not play.

Picture posted with LifeCast... random inane drivel added later.

Strathclyde Loch

Strathclyde Loch

Walked around Strathclyde Loch again this morning... and thoroughly enjoyed it apart from the blisters. The water was so still and the air was crisp... there was a real sense of potential.

What a great start to a few days off. More pics here... taken with my iPhone.

Tubby Tuesday... Week 1



Welcome to a new series of posts :: Tubby Tuesday :: where I humiliate myself by displaying to the world and the ol' nanolog community my current tubbiness via the Wii Fit.

I am currently 14 stones and 9 pounds... I have actually lost 1 pound since last Friday. My goal is to lose 30 pounds... and will be happy to lose 1 or 2 pounds per week.

Please feel free to encourage me / shout at me and keep me motivated. Remember to encourage JDBlundell too.

Picture posted with LifeCast... text updated later.

Monday, October 13, 2008

This looks cool :: Ni no Kuni: The Another World



This looks awesome! According to design:related Studio Ghibli have collaborated with game developer Level5 to create a Nintendo DS game called Ni no Kuni: The Another World. It looks awesome! Unfortunately there appears to be no news on an English language release.

More details from gamekyo. Thanks to notcot no.14,885 for the heads up.

Turbulent Times no4


...People respond to incentives. There is no law of nature that would result in all the greedy and stupid people being attracted to, and rising to the top of, the banking industry. So you have to assume that where the financial institutions went wrong was that incentives were misaligned, and there was a collective failure of leadership to see the writing on the wall.

This was not all the fault of the bankers. More conservatively minded banks, such as the UK's Lloyds TSB were coming under investor pressure a couple of years ago to be more adventurous in pursuit of higher returns. They resisted the pressure, but the people that tell you that management is merely the servant of the shareholder would generally frown on the fact. In this sense, you get the bankers you deserve.

Does this mean that nobody was greedy? No, but it was the same collective greed that persuades otherwise rational groups of people to believe that the laws of gravity have been suspended, and there are just piles of cash waiting for the brave to scoop them up../

...At the moment, pay scales are so high that CEOs can console themselves over the high probability that they will only be in post a short time (the average life of a CEO in post is 3 years) by the fact that they may earn enough that they never have to work again. If it all goes wrong, that is some compensation.

That creates incentives to play for the short term, and to take risks that may lead to problems later - after the individual concerned has moved on.

Perhaps the incentives should be changed. The boss starts at the company with a small salary, which is due to progressively rise over ten years. By the end of that time, the compensation - tied to the success of the company - is very significant. And doubles in size once he or she has carried out a proper process of succession planning../

...Who are the leaders prepared to go against the prevailing opinion in an industry? Who has a track record in creating empowered companies, with employees working together to create real value? Who is passionate about the product or service because of the positive value it can add to people's lives? These are the leaders we need.

Not one of them can really show their value in under three years. What if Herb Kelleher had been at Southwest Airlines for just three years? What if Steve Jobs had left Apple again after just three years? What if Bill Gates had sold up and moved on as soon as he could?
Mallen Baker

Everything must change... and this change starts with you and I!

Picture posted with LifeCast... thoughts posted later.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Tomorrow's Lunch...



OK so yeah... I am on a diet. Low fat to be precise. Not GI or Atkins or low carb... no. Low fat.

Olly has been a gem. After the initial shock and denial... she's been fantastic. Tonight, for example, we had tuna with a small portion of potatoes and a mixed salad with spinach, peppers, onion, lettuce, tomato and loads more. It was fab.

For tomorrow's lunch (I'm at work tomorrow... Olly and the we'ans aren't... we are all off from Tuesday onwards) I have salad (big box), turkey (small box), some fruit and some oatcakes. Excited already.

What's my inspiration? Why am I doing this?

Well I need to for my health. I want to see my kids grow up and have kids (if that's what they want). I want to take Olly to NYC for some significant birthday and/or anniversary at some point in the future.

I have been inspired by Lard and JDBlundell... as well as my folks... and Olly herself.

Thing is... I need to do this for and in love. If I don't do it for and in love then I will fail.
If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.
1 Corinthians 13 (The Message)

So when I get up early to exercise... or my feet hurt from walking round Strathclyde Park (4.7miles)... or I am jonesing for some chocolate or blue cheese or chocolate covered blue cheese... I just need to think about love.

btw... Love by the Beatles makes for a good walking-round-Strathclyde-Park soundtrack... and reminds me why I am doing this too.

Picture posted with LifeCast... text updated later.

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