a little too much champagne can be bad for you

I still don't know what to do

2010-03-05T04:57:00.000-08:00

"I used to try to be interesting. That passed. Now I try to be pleasant and on time. That will be impossible today."

Walter Kirn's, Ryan Bingham, introduces another chapter of his life in the book Up in the Air.

I used to try to be interesting. That passed. Now I just try to be well dressed and quietly discrete.

Today's well dressed discretion is an Icelandic, Indie pop com folk band, Seabear, they chorus love songs in my head with an ambiance of melancholy and my tea gets cold in spite of their warm intentions which resonate in my head. I feel like a child with my head phones on, I know you can see me but I feel like if I duck my head, then I'm hiding and I can't see my bum but you can see my bum and you can still see me but I think that you can't, that I'm hiding.

It's out little game.

Damn hasn't this Summer sun just been shining, the warmth that it has been radiating has left me sore, sore from mosquito bites and a bedeviling humidity drained lack of sleep. It can't go on, I tell myself but the weather's not listening, I think it too once tried to be interesting but now that has passed and it's full of scorn and extremities. I think the weather's a little bit love sick but it'll steady itself and slip into something more comfortable soon, I call it Autumn, other people prefer Fall.

This morning as I was grinding coffee beans, I got harassed by a call agent wanting for me to join their wine club, I said, "noo-thank-you," she said, "what about the coffee club, what about the olive oil club..." I said no even though I have a deep rooted insecurity about running out of coffee at the most inopportune moment but I thought how dare they play on my insecurities especially when I'm listening to Lloyd Cole, singing an old Burt Bacharach cover, I still don't know what to do.

I do love that song and it's appropriate, all of those prevailing emotions that it so descriptively describes are clawed into my current state of mind.

And I'm lost and the moment's lost.

But here I am in my original haunt.

Did you miss me?

I suspect not, I've not been sleeping that well, I would have known if you did, I would have slept like a baby.

Though I think you that you should miss me just a little.

And I promise to be back sooner.

pretty persuasion

2008-05-10T03:28:00.000-07:00

There's this great line in the musical version of Ninotchka (Silk Stockings) and I'm not sure if the original has it, even though it starred Greta Garbo, and is infinitely better.

Julie Newmar: How can I persuade him if you
can't.

Fred Astaire: Because we are built differently...

And she
smiles wickedly and says aarh.

Sometimes you just have to see things from a slightly different perspective that's all that's required for the pretty mental persuasion to occur.

Julie Newmar stole the show in Silk Stockings, a colourful character who is noted for some tremendously astute observations, as extracted from the the wiki:

Tell me I'm beautiful, it's nothing. Tell me I'm intellectual, I know it. Tell me I'm funny and it's the greatest compliment in the world anyone could give me." — New York Times interview.

"I should have slept with the better producers. I didn’t recognize my worth." - Esquire
Magazine, 2007."

"Ecstasy and beauty are eternal."

"I had three miscarriages, then, at forty-eight, a child with serious
developmental difficulties. He is a blessing and a jewel. He is my teacher. From him I get and
give unconditional love."

"More is not necessarily better. Better is better."

"Shape up, folks. There is no death. Think of it as evolution."

"You can’t fail. The further you fall, the greater the opportunity for growth and change."

knowledge is pleasure

2007-10-18T12:21:00.000-07:00

"...I have one thing to add, Just as a holiday, takes a little preparation, so too does day-to-day life outside work. The more you know, the better it is, knowledge is pleasure."

Edward Carr, Intelligent Life, Autumn 2007.

expanding those winter lurv handles

2007-06-05T14:53:00.000-07:00

delegation 101

2007-05-19T05:48:00.000-07:00

If you have got a dog why bark! This is something I learnt from a good mate in Finance.

And if you understand this bit of logic then as he says, "you've pretty much mastered the nuances of what delegation entails - allowing the dogs the liberty to make some noise every now and again."

seeing the big picture

2007-04-16T06:57:00.000-07:00

When John Boorman embarked on the idea of filming Hope and Glory, an auto biographical memoir of his childhood set in London during World War II, he found that he would need to reconstruct the street where he lived.

His reconstruction was done through the glazed eyes of 45 years of memories and with the aid of some research but he did manage to recreate that street on some old air field land strip at the cost of over a quarter of a million pounds.

Upon its completion he enthusiastically and proudly brought some of his family to view it, hoping that their response would be equally as enthusiastic.

But his sister, mother and aunt made the following observations:

The wireless is in the wrong place; you mother always had a vase on the front window sill and it's a pity that you couldn't get the right wallpaper for the lounge.

Six months of work, 1000s of pounds spent, 45 years of recollections but for a few minor missing details.

Well I am having that kind of day, where it doesn't matter how spectacular the potential of the project is, it matters little because I am dealing with people who are only focused on a few insignificant details.

Worst of all they are not family!

so this is how the system works

2007-03-20T01:19:00.000-07:00

The Minister of Public Works wanted to remodel her office, so she invited different contractors for tenders.One was from J , one from D and the last one from S "OK gentlemen, I want a nice job ," She said, "Let's hear from J?"

The guy took out his ultrasonic measuring device and laptop and began measuring, scrawling on the computer, calculating.Eventually he said "R90 000, Madam Minister,""That seems like quite a lot of money! Why R90,000?""You see," he replied, "that's R40 000 for material, R40 000 for labour and R10 000 for my profit".

She seemed OK with that and turned to the D contractor. "So how much do you want to do the job?" she asked.The D fella took out a rusted tape measure, broken clipboard and A blunt pencil. He took some measurements, scratched some calculationson the back of his Rothmans box and came up with a figure of R70,000."That's interesting!" said Stella. "Explain the R70 000?""Simple, Madam Minister, I got a brother-in-law in the hardware trade, so that's R35 000 for materials, R30,000 for my guys, and R5,000 for my profit and all."She was amused but happy to accept the explanation.

Then she asked the S contractor for his quotation. He just smiled,looked the minister in the eyes and said, "R270 000!""Yoh Yoh Yoh!.... How did you come to that amount without even taking Your measurements? What is that amount for?""That's R100 000 for me and R100 000 for you!""So what about the remaining R70 000?""We hire that guy from D to do the job!"

somewhere south of the border

2007-03-19T05:45:00.002-07:00

The "bump up" is one of the better things that can happen to you when are about to travel, to hear that, "Sir you no longer, in E15, you've been bumped up…"

On Friday I got one of those pleasant one liners as I was about to board for Joburg and even at seven am this person who is generally only socially decent after 11, managed a quick smile of sorts before walking to the plane.

I am always amazed at how Cape Town is perceived by Joburgers, it's the classic East Coast-West Coast, New York-San Francisco scenario playing itself out except that JHB should not be mentioned in the same sentence as New York.

JHB apparently is all zest and zeal, "red and yellow" energy, it's all pace and drive and it gets things done. I admit that Cape Town is a lovely seaside village and nobody here is really trying to complete with the land of Egoli (eagerly) perhaps this week in the 20-20 cricket final but generally we've conceded, we've chosen not to part take in that little rat race.

I guess that when JHB eventually pauses from all of the rah-rah it will discover that it's actually not that exceptional and that it is probably people from the coast (I include Durban) who are propelling it to make those "gigantic industrial" strides at great sacrifice.

Whenever I have worked with people from JHB, I have never thought that they were very exceptional, in fact I often find that it is all hot air, they talk a good game, they imagine that they are movers and shakers and much to their disappointment we kind of ignore them and quietly get on with what needs to be done. Cape Town does have a problem of leaving bundles of "urgent" work in its inbox realising that tomorrow's another day and that procrastination is easy. But as we continue to dance with time, not foolishly trying to beat that clock we do eventually get things done, it’s a dance which has a frustrating rhythm but a rhythm which we have embraced.

On Friday afternoon after a successful workshop which we managed to finish in less than three hours because I wanted to get home, I stood outside the Parktown offices waiting for my transfer, surrounded by electric fencing and anticipating a sluggish commute in the early afternoon traffic I felt vindicated, I felt glad that I wasn't in that race.

And I know that while it's not a popular view but we are miles ahead of 'the game', because at least we are honest in knowing that we are a simple, little, fishing village somewhere down South of the border where we don't have to impress anybody with our feats although we sometimes do manage the odd exceptional thing.

something lush

2007-03-15T08:12:00.000-07:00

I'll be far away and grumpy tomorrow, I'll be stuck in a day long workshop, I'll be up at five in the morning so that I can catch that iron bird to JHB but I'll have this lush bit of Francis Albert & Antonio Carlos in my noggen - Baubles, Bangles and Beads.
Bon weekend, takz care be safe.

the blurring has just begun

2007-03-15T01:19:00.000-07:00

It's official my virtual friends, now out number my non-virtual friends. Yesterday I got my first hit on my, myspace site, and Soul Basement wanted me as a friend - absolutely - and then I went out to check just who exactly I was befriending and when I got there I wondered how someone who is the suppose know could have missed someone as cool as Soul Basement.

Thanks to the cumbersome, myspace network; I'm now linked into the Soul Basement network. I haven't used it to connect with "real" people yet, perhaps in time when I get that confidence back; I will test the functionality of making chit-chat with my friends.

The nice thing about my virtual self is that my virtual body doesn't give me a hard time like my non-virtual body has been of late, I'm all aches and pains, and then there's that non-virtual work thing that keeps me engaged, although I have been skipping out and into the virtual world every so often.

The blurring has just begun, I look forward to seeing its effects in the next year, as I begin to embrace or reject its possibilities.

My virtual network has the following updates: Air have released a new album, Pocket Symphony, last week, it’s still not in our shops and Blue Six’s new album is out, which I reckon will probably be my album of the year if historical evidence is anything to go by.

'miss golightly i protest'

2007-03-13T02:45:00.000-07:00

So the Anti-Crime marches in JHB and Durban weren’t the quite Million Man marches which were predicted and in some circles expected. Approximately 50 concerned activists in each city vibrantly protested on our behalf for a safer living environment. Shout outz, Bigupz and kudos to you but to the organisers I suggest the following:

1.Acknowledge that it’s kinda hard to mobilise the tax paying middle class, they like to protest in boutiques.
2.You have got to glam it up, I would have gotten a few corporate sponsors; hampers which included a tres kool, yellow and red, protest t-shirt and there would have been a Platinum Card VIP area with access to special toilets – basically I would have made a few people pay for the privilege of mass protesting.
3.Finally, these marches needed to be in the middle of a working week, nothing like patriotically skipping a few hours of work for the cause.

Anyway, despite the poor turn-out, crime is a real problem and I think that it is on the political agenda. This in itself isn’t enough and we need to sensibly exert our influence in order to make this place much-much safer, I wouldn’t purport to know how we do this exactly but it should be via as many channels and forums as possible.

That’s the point really, back in the day, good ol’ protest marches were one of the better ways to exert influence and mobilise sentiment but today as a result of all of this struggle, many more platforms have been opened up for dissent, Radio; Television; The Internet; Financial Institutions placing adverts in the Sunday Papers blah de blah green tea.

This puts the subject into the public discourse, it puts it on agendas, it gets people focused and begins to build models which can be replicated to solve this multi-faceted problem. Things happen at grassroots, things happen at a macro-level and in between we complain about it not happening fast enough – “Where is all of this money that I’m paying to prevent anarchy going?”

I said before that we don’t know what we don’t know and that that is one of the major problems that we face, we don’t know what it really feels like to be safe in our own environment hence it’s very difficult to fight aggressively for that end state of which we have been robbed.

I wasn’t there, I did however wear these cool t-shirts this weekend, sometimes there is as much of a message in the accessories as there is in the means.

a spatial little nugget

2007-03-12T11:18:00.000-07:00

There's this story that I heard, maybe it was something that I read and I hope that I do it justice by retelling it.

Taking a break from Monday's toil I was reminded of it, I was reminded that sometimes you just need to think spatially about a problem and trust the solution.

In the Thirties, a publishing company was battling to sell its quota of books, it had tried many different things, marketing campaigns and what-not but nothing consistently worked.

Then one day a wise old man on overhearing the problem said that he knew the solution. Sceptical and amused the management thought that they had nothing to loose so they gave the old man a chance at solving their conundrum.

He disappeared into the world of construction, appealing to Architects and Interior Designers to include book shelves in the living and bedrooms of the many new apartments that where being built. It wasn’t long after the families who owned these homes made their way to bookstores to fill up their empty shelves.

The old man shelved the problem, so to speak. I could use a few shelves myself, but I am too lazy to spatially react to my conundrum of having to many books.

south america take it away

2007-03-09T03:52:00.000-08:00

So here it is again - Friday and as Edmundo Ros says today, South America take it away!"

One cap? Check.
Mancini? Tick.
Sneakers? Yip.
Espresso? Done that.
Ocean? Looks good.
Protection? Deny that cap.
Sound check? Sinatra's, Tender Trap.
Intellectual stimulation? Steinbeck on the radar.

I think I'm ready for the weekend and that tender trap.

linked in

2007-02-28T23:53:00.000-08:00

We know/think/guess it's rubbish but we can't be sure because we may (hopefully not) need it one day - linked-in networking.

Proof that two minds are better than one in the morning, it's a thread read it from the bottom up:

From:302
Subject RE:RE: James Neophytou has recommended you on LinkedIn

spot on - i'm blogging that - i have/had/have those same insecurities.

trying to get ahead never seems to be on my hidden agenda.

From: James Neophytou To: 302

RE: James Neophytou has recommended you on LinkedIn

I know mate. Linked-In is bollocks. It is the work ethic in me, and the immigrant insecurity aspect that thinks, one day I might need a job from someone on my contacts list. Or I might help someone make a connection that helps them. 1% effective. I think.

Subject RE: James Neophytou has recommended you on LinkedIn

thanks - i've given you bigupz on my blog counts for much more - not to sure about linked in man.

From: James Neophytou Sent: Wed 2007/02/28 07:49 To: 302
Subject: James Neophytou has recommended you on LinkedIn

LinkedIn Recommendations

James Neophytou has endorsed your work as Assets Information Manager at . ..
Dear 302,I've written this recommendation of your work to share with other LinkedIn users.Details of the Recommendation:"302 is a model client, and a true projects person - creative and collaborative. We agree on our aspirations, namely "exceeding expectations is the minimum requirement". We have presented together in the USA at industry conferences."

look into my eyes do i look bovvered

2007-02-21T10:06:00.000-08:00

Every so often I get a snotty, stroppy little email which strikes a chord and provokes a need for a sharp professional but strongly worded rebuff.

Here's the blue print: always start with a subtle spelling mistake - your respondent's name - that's bound to piss them off and even in this modern world the spell checker is not going to pick it up, so you can't really be blamed e.g. Sandy becomes Cindy.

Then say thank-you, that your are dealing with it, that it will be resolved, that the problem is in hand, that it is unlikely to grow, stress your awareness of whatever it is that they have pounced on in no uncertain terms. Rub it in a little by saying that although it's not the highest priority item you now want to get it resolved - now it's hardly personal and you couldn't give a hoot (yeah tis Lent, my language has improved without alcohol but I am finding this little twitchy shudder a bit annoying) but it's the thought that counts. Then blame somebody or something else in part for the delay...as soon as so-and-so responds, then we can take the appropriate action it always helps if that person is higher up on the food chain than the complainee.

Then delegate the action - Andy will keep you informed, (if you can) otherwise just say that you will pass on the appropriate updates.

Regards,

......

And all of this after my dentist told me to be careful not to bite my tongue, I may have been momentarily conversationally numb but I know how to bite back in the mail, snotty, snotty snotty me.

time for one of those "bad boys"

2007-02-16T06:34:00.000-08:00

Bon weekend and be safe.

Piano falls from the sky

2007-02-14T10:33:00.000-08:00

Saying you deal well with change is like saying there’s a time and a place for spontaneity, on a certain level it makes absolute sense but on another you know that you’ve missed something obvious.

The only thing that I will say is that I like to anticipate spontaneous change in the organisation, I don’t like walking in on a Monday morning and finding out that le grande fromage is moving on, a man who is neither spontaneous nor variable by nature – how could I have missed this occurrence... And how does it impact me?

Piano falls from the sky.

This is what the first fun filled day of the new week had entailed, an acceptance of the new order, except we don’t know what this new sect’s doctrine involves, is it a doctrine mandating more change, are the deck chairs on the Titanic being reorganized?

Irrespective, we have got one month to get cracking to put a few more coins in the machine so that we are playing the games prior to it all unfolding– Is this how the Republicans are feeling now that Bush’s time is up? Our agenda though is nothing so sinister it’s simply one of continuity and managing ourselves in the uncertainty which will soon present itself.

It’s been more modern livin’ that I can handle, quiet martinis have been a gracious post work companion but until we get closer to a resolution as to what the future holds in stall for us, it's going to be quite a tiring process of looking up at that sky and trying to dodge the next potential piano which maybe on its way down.

no i haven't been drinking

2007-02-09T07:55:00.000-08:00

They say that there are two sure ways of increasing your blog readership - sell t-shirts and do mailbags. Since neither increasing my readership nor selling t-shirts appeal to me I thought I'd do a faux mailbag. The following questions have been generated by the random monster dot com question tool. Here's how to effectively deal with this sort of question and more.

Give me an example of a time that you felt you went above and
beyond the call of duty in your previous employment.

Well this year I shall be pimping my letterbox before the 14th arrives,
I'm thinking of a chute of sorts, you know that post-office theft is on the
decline so there is every chance that I will receive all of my teddy bears, chocolates and kisses blah de blah valentines day. I don't want to be accused of not being pro-active about this sentimental tid-bit of commercialization, you know I'm a go getter by nature.

What do you see yourself doing within the first 30 days of this
job?

How about drawing a salary after 22 working days, visiting the toilets,
surfing the net, firing off random mails to large lists with
don't reply to all at the bottom - ooh you know, I just plan to blend in, make
the odd mistake but nothing to disastrous, I do want to draw that salary.

Why is there fuzz on a tennis ball?
No idea, try googling, maybe the wiki has the answer, see tennis balls.

Can you describe a time when your work was
criticized?

I have got this dandy cellphone ring, which has its melodic roots in some
Scandinavian nu-jazz tune, it's pretty funky. I caught a bit of flak for that,
it was just too cool, people felt a bit left out and I didn't want that, so I
kept the tune but made the ring tone softer, now I miss more calls but at least
my fellow workers are happy.
Do you think Gnarls is crazy about all that cellphone ring tone ?

Do you have plans to have children in the near
future?

Biologically that's going to be a problem, I know you are
thinking snip, but blokes can still only have metaphoric babies in this day and age. Although you never know, maybe I will go adopt a Hollywood celebrity baby, a kinda cultural exchange programme of sorts.

Why should we hire you?

Because the competition might take a flyer.

What’s your salary history?

Interesting and with room for improvement.

Give examples of ideas that you had or that you
implemented?

I have compiled some great playlists for my itunes shuffle, gyming is so much better with good music and it requires a fair amount of conceptualization to get it right, weights, treadmill, looking cool, it's not as easy as it appears.
Why are you leaving your present job?

For that improvement that we spoke about earlier, yes you were all writing
so I suspect you've got it.

What did you least like about your last job?

In the interest of time and social harmony lets just say - the
work - (sigh) - would suffice by way of answer.

What do you look for in terms of culture - structured or entrepreneurial?

I think the correct answer would be a bit of both, and somebody said to say that, "I prioritize people," and this would be as good a time as any to mention that I do, do that - I am a people's person.

What are you most proud of?

The fact it's the 9th and I already have a date for the 14th, ok I'll spill the beans, I will be visiting my dentist at two, she'll be filling me in, I like the ambiguity of that last statement but it's a check up.

How would you go about establishing your credibility
quickly with the team?

From the first espresso that we share together, I shall stress, quality, bean and attitude of the drink. I will also tell them to look out for the new Blue Six album and that I know who's going to win the Champions League.

I know that you are running late - I don't have any questions but if I think of any I will email them to you.

Thank-you and bon weekend.

And I apologize in advance if you battled to get through to the site today but with all the hits, I don't think that blogger could quite frankly cope.

my iQ tRip - a theory on beauty and happiness

2007-02-08T07:06:00.000-08:00

I am finding it near impossible to hit a groove, I am bored at work, so bored that I have been faffing around with IQ tests.

The first few questions spike my interest but then it very quickly becomes apparent that nothing has changed, be it online, complex or short and dirty. I still end up in that 92-97 percentile range, a worker bee, one below the queen bee geniuses, and I conclude (again I might add) that I'd rather be beautiful than bright if I had the choice.

Why? Because society rewards beauty and the body beautiful (I'm a slight exception here) who tend to fall into the lower IQ percentile ranges are utterly happy. No! beauty and brains is a molotov cocktail and trust me on this one you will only intellectually suffer, hence it's gotz ta be beauty on it's own that's all that counts.

So reward and happiness, fuck all this abstract intellectualisation that sounds like the lottery to me (clichéd hair toss).

Perhaps if I was breast fed for that six weeks and not four, I'd be up there with Albert E, theorising my life away, mind over matter, is all that would matter. Because you know what they say, yes they, say that if you breast feed a baby for six weeks you add up to 30 IQ points to their intellect, but I only got a buggery four weeks of my mother's milk.

Anyway, I am finished with IQ tests for the moment and can tell you what's in the green tea this afternoon:

I am reading, Martini a Memoir by Frank Moorhouse, I'm 20 pages in and it makes me want to drink copiously so it's proving to be a fine read. And I have finally completed my version of the trip which rivals Tom Middleton's second effort.

Mine goes a little something like this: Shuggie Otis - pling + Hajime Yoshizawa - i'm not in love + Jimpster - distant light + Yazoo - ode to a boy + Nouvelle Vague - heart of glass + Dimitri from Paris - toi mon auto + Martin Deny - misirilou + Chet Baker & Astrud Gilberto - far away + Mel Torme - strangers in the night + Smokey Robinson - quietstorm (groove bootique remix) + The Rebirth - walk talkin Mizell + Digible planets - for corners + DJ Einstein & Zaakir - have and have nots + David Byrne - dance on vaseline + Stereolab - cybele's reverie + Kraftwerk - the robots.

Ask nicely and I'll trip you a copy via the good ol' fashioned post but I will also be putting it in the box over the next couple of weeks.

nasa gets its diapers in a knot

2007-02-07T05:36:00.000-08:00

"This is our independence day!" The movie proclaimed and then we sent the Fresh Prince and the Fly to save us from the alien force (not to be confused with the alien workforce). In the end they triumphed, a dazzling victory, and instantaneously boosted NASA budgets, reported to be a staggering $17 billion this year.

Then you read this on the CNN website, you re-read it and then you check that the site has not been phished and that you are not actually at The Onion. Yeah sometimes reality can be stranger than fiction, it almost makes it highly plausible that the Fresh Prince and the Fly could indeed save planet earth.

I suggest that you go and read the entire report about this comical NASA astronaut love triangle, from wigs to diapers, it's beyond surreal.

...They also found a wig and a plastic bag containing a carbon
dioxide-powered BB pistol in a nearby trash can, the report said.

Inside a bag Nowak was carrying, the officer found a tan
trench coat, a new steel mallet, a new folding knife with a 4-inch blade, 3 to 4
feet of rubber tubing, several large plastic garbage bags and about $600 in
cash, the report said.

Nowak admitted the details of Shipman's story, according
to the police report, and permitted a search of her car.

Inside the car, police found an a half dozen latex gloves,
MapQuest directions from Houston to Orlando International Airport, e-mails from
Shipman to Oefelein, diapers Nowak said she wore to reduce stops along the highway and a letter indicating how much she loved Oefelein.
It is standard
procedure for astronauts to wear diapers when they suit up for launch and
re-entry...CNN

And now back to a somewhat more mundane reality.

poetry; position papers and précis

2007-02-06T06:37:00.000-08:00

Some days work can be soul destroying, last week I had the pleasure are pivoting around a 25000 line data extract, this week for my sins I need to read 10 position papers. I think it's ten, I know it's positioning something, and I know that I enjoy reading but this is beginning to snap the matchsticks which have been keeping my eyes open.

This weekend I ended up at a poetry festival or sorts at Spier, as we were driving there, I moaned: "I don't understand women (at least a couple) and I don't understand poetry, unless it's Auden or Kozain." I continued to grump, that at least women are of interest, a body of work, that I need to complete in this life time, poetry? No, give me song lyrics any day.

Today I am ready to add position papers to that list of things that I don't understand and quite frankly couldn't care less about, the only exception is that it's my unenviable task to précis these documents into a snappy 30 minute presentation.

I thought that there was a cheat available in the process but only four of the 10 have Executive Summaries, the rest are deemed to be to short to warrant this type of intervention, I whole heartedly disagree.

It's tough reading in an open plan office per se and when you have no inclination, it's near impossible but as that deadline of tomorrow creeps ever closer I shall soon be using my poetic license to capture the thrust of my position.

monday's itunes playlist

2007-02-05T07:21:00.000-08:00

I picked up my, KT Tunstall, Acoustic Extravaganza, again determined to like the album even after Jyoti had said that, 'she sounds like Sheryl Crow' which just instantly ruined it for me.

As I placed the cd into the shuttle, knowing that the first track, Ashes, didn't sound anything like mz Crow, I proceeded to open the booklet and discovered the following bit of text which she references and which I now reference:

Beauty of Uncertainty posted on 28-02-2006 @ 16:57

"People with missing children. Children without parents. People without food or water. There are many who are destroyed by not knowing what the future holds. For those of us more fortunate, the beauty of uncertainty is that it motivates us to seek certainty. We are compelled to replace doubt with conviction, to replace confusion with clarity, to be more fearful of old ideas instead of new ones. Nothing is more disparaged than the person who is lost, hesitant, and anxious.

Yet the true path to fulfillment comes from these conditions. Uncertainty becomes truly beautiful when connected with the certainty that there is a better life beyond the life that is known. The artist, scientist, entrepreneur, athlete, and traveller: all embrace uncertainty as their muse. What is going to happen next is more enticing than what is happening now. The thrill of anticipation, the mystery of the unknown, the open road, mistakes as portals of discovery, the inevitability of change, purpose from chaos, questions leading to answers, failure as the threshold of knowledge.

All of these conditions inform the life of the adventurer, the human being who is engaged in becoming. The beauty of uncertainty is that it prepares us to embrace life in the face of death. Allows us the strength to deal with the freedom to choose. To willingly exchange the fear of uncertainty for the security of certainty is to admit defeat. To surrender to the fear of actually living your life. As T. S. Eliot observed, "Where is the life we have lost in living?"

Nothing moves forward except by the craving to seek certainty from uncertainty."

-- Brian Hendricks, Editor, HoBO Magazine

Location: South Point, Big Island, Hawaii

Unfortunately the rest of the album which is great, still remains somewhat in ruin because of that idle, throw-away, observation which is now etched into my subconscious, although I have added a point of departure.

say white rabbit

2007-01-31T23:01:00.000-08:00

A man and his wife are dining at a table in a plush restaurant, and thehusband keeps staring at a drunken lady swigging her drink as she sitsalone at a nearby table.

The wife asks, "Do you know her?"

"Yes," sighs the husband, "She's my ex-girlfriend before I met you. Iunderstand she took to drinking right after we split up seven years ago,and I hear she hasn't been sober since."

"Good heavens!" says the wife, "Who would think a person could go oncelebrating that long?"

try this for a deep, dark secret

2007-01-31T10:59:00.000-08:00

"Try this for a deep, dark secret. The great detective Remington Steele? He doesn't exist. I invented him. Follow: I always loved excitement, so I studied and apprenticed, and put my name on an office. But absolutely nobody knocked down my door. A female private investigator seemed so . . . feminine. So I invented a superior. A decidedly masculine superior. Suddenly, there were cases around the block. It was working like a charm. Until the day he walked in, with his blue eyes and mysterious past. And before I knew it, he assumed Remington Steele's identity. Now I do the work and he takes the bows. It's a dangerous way to live, but as long as people buy it, I can get the job done. We never mix business with pleasure. Well, almost never. I don't even know his real name."

I have always liked Laura Holt, she made the series and even after reviewing the dvd that is still the case.

But I made the mistake today of describing a particular scene, where she tells Pierce that she invented a man who could handle impossible challenges - her -her ideal man.

And then pronouncing that our current work situation indeed required such a man, someone who could master this impossible challenge.

I got a glazed look, the person was probably wondering what the fffk was in my Jasmine tea this morning. I was trying to make the analogy that performance appraisal rating requires someone who likes impossible challenges.

Eventually she had the gall to ask, "Who's Remington Steele?"

I felt old, discouraged, and impossibly challenged - I hadn't expected this from a superior performer.

Thankfully that bit of the job has come to an end, now let the bonuses be divided up accordingly, with persons who have Laura Holt admiration, be deserving of that lion share.

it could only happen to a dog person

2007-01-29T09:40:00.000-08:00

Almost all of my friends have cats, from Mao to Meeouw, but I am a dog person and my interest in cats (including the musical) remains at best polite and distant. Although I do like my tigers and one specific tiger but that's pretty much as far as it goes.

However for those of you out there who are cat persons and if you haven't already received this, c'est viola!

Dear blog author:

We recently came across your site, a-little-too-much-champagne.blogspot.com, while searching for bloggers who blog about Cat issues.

A small group of us have started a new site called Cat Bloggers. Our intent is to bring Cat bloggers closer together, and make a positive contribution to the Internet community.
Would you be interested in joining Cat Bloggers?

Please take a few minutes to have a look at what we are trying to do, and if you are interested, there is a sign up page to get the ball rolling. We would greatly appreciate your support in this endeavour.

If you do not feel that your blog would be a good fit for Cat Bloggers, but enjoy this subject area, come visit us and one of our member bloggers. You can also check our FAQ Section to learn more about Cat Bloggers.

We look forward to hearing from you and seeing you on Cat Bloggers.

Craig CantinCat Bloggers

Creating a network, having some fun, making some money by putting a spin on how we use collaborative tools - that's cat people for you.

what breed of dog are you?

2007-01-25T13:19:00.000-08:00

Personal profiling generally seems to enjoy a rather high profile in the organisation but I am not completely sold on it, sometimes all you need is something simple.

I always make my project team members do this test when we are working together.

302, you're a Pug at work

Did you know? Being a Pug means that you are fairly easy going and don't need to be the top dog all the time. While others are posing and posturing, you're more likely to be taking notes and showing them all up with your new take on the subject. Want to get all the dirt on your workplace puppy personality?

Get your personalized, Breed of Dog at Work Report

the third man

2007-01-23T14:36:00.000-08:00

An old joke amongst friends fondly retold for the benefit of one special supper guest.

A tourist is watching two workers at the side of the road, one of the workers digs a hole and after a couple of minutes the other fills it up with the turf that's just been uprooted. This goes on for about an hour and the tourist whilst amused can't figure out exactly what these two guys are up too, eventually decides that he will ask them, what they are doing.

The workers reply that they generally work in a team of three but that the third worker who plants the trees is off sick.

One of my great corporate fears is walking into an interview and being asked to tell a joke by some maverick HR manager, if I ever get asked to, this would be a good one and would guarentee me making the shortlist.

mixing pop and politics

2007-01-23T04:36:00.000-08:00

"…Mixing pop and politics he asks me what the use is, I offer him embarrassment and my usual excuses…" I always think of that line from Billy Bragg's the "Great Leap Forward" when I think about American politics, and I wonder if it is soda pop that he is ambiguously mixing.

It may only be that week before payday signaling ending the end of longest month of the year, but January 07 has already created a buzz about the next US elections. Candidates on both sides have declared their intent to join the race for the next American president, a race which does have the making of an interesting and tough fight. The Democrats have Hillary and Obama, there supporters are already suggesting a Hillary-Obama coalition while the Republicans or should that be the 'new' Republicans have John and Rudy in what order only time will tell. And lets not forget Senators John Edwards and Bill Richardson in the potential matchups.

Already the Bookmaker Betting Exchange is offering the following odds:

Clinton, Hilary 5/2
McCain, John 9/2
Obama, Barack 11/2
Edwards, John 8/1
Giuliani, Rudolph 10/1
Gore, Al 14/1
Romney, Mitt 18/1
Brownback, S 33/1

While the press are asking whether Americans are ready to elect a Female or an African American or a Hispanic president. Democrat, Bill Richardson who recently entered the race made the following interesting observation on that question and of his own candidacy in an interview on the ABC's 'This Week,' - “I believe this country is a very tolerant, positive country. I believe the country would be ready for a woman president, an African-American president, Hispanic president.”

Further adding, “But I wouldn’t run as a Hispanic candidate. I would run as an American, proud to be Hispanic, proud of my heritage.”

Irrespective of heritage, “Running for the presidency is a profound decision, a decision no one should make on the basis of media hype or personal ambition alone,” stated Barack Obama in his video address while concluding that he certainly didn’t expect to find himself in this position a year ago.

How Americans are enticed vote, with campaigns expected to cost more that George Bush's $300m winning effort, will make for interesting observation but I can only hope that a 'humanitarian of sorts' is elected because US politics touches us all and in reality even in this depressing last week of January, one year prior to its conclusion I am already captivated hoping that it will end with a 'first of sorts' as we wait for that 'great leap forward.'

corporate survivor – the first challenge – no www

2007-01-17T23:43:00.000-08:00

Is there anyone out there who’s not gaga about yoga at the moment? Even pre-working meeting chats, while we are waiting for late comers, are now all about yoga lifestyle, Vikram, breathing, uurh… even I’ve got a yoga mat.

Right now that I’ve got your attention.

And what’s with all of these people who want to show me pictures of their cats – who cares – I’m a dog person da’cord. Go to www.kittenwar.com and knock yourself out.

Meoow! now that I have got your attention.

Anyone bother to check out that comet that recently whizzed by? Ok it wasn’t quite worlds collide but hey it could have been.

Now that I’ve lost your attention.

Beavis: I wish I was born with a tattoo.
Butthead: No dumb ass you’re not born with a tattoo; you get that when you join the navy.

Now that I have managed to recapture your attention.

Just hold on I think that’s my phone.

Quick a postID (for the idiot who popularized open plan office layouts) you gonna have to put prosaic in the toilets, next to condoms, if the internet keeps going down for hours on end like this, we can’t do any ‘work.’

Last week the internet went down for most of the day, I never suffered because I had my 3G card with me but I have never seen so many people in the office with that Stepford Wives look on their faces, mortified as to what they were experiencing.

Post noon, the mummies were getting twitchy, pause area televisions got louder, telephones where engaged, and the colour printers were jammed. I was an exception, I was happily checking in and up on all of you.

It may not be perfect but work’s getting pretty virtual these days, even if we are only MSNing each other or checking up on the NY Times before the US awakes it’s now a part of every work day and it’s getting harder to function without being connected.

Today, we’ve got another “outage” so I’m bolting for an espresso and a croissant as the natives continue to get (jiggy, uurhm) restless.

allow me to introduce you to the organisation's tail

2007-01-17T07:27:00.000-08:00

What happens when the tail tries to wag the dog?

Pretty much nothing happens because like any good 'tail' it knows its place.

What happens when the tail believes that it has the authority to wag the dog?

Pretty much nothing because like any good tale, that's all its authority will ever amount to in the dog’s mind.

Allow me to introduce you to the organisation's tail…taada…enter the Human Resources (HR) department.

In the workplace with its established pecking order, HR is that tail even though it might foolishly harbour delusions of grandeur that it has the authority to wag the dog.

A notion which equates to nothing more than delaying tactics and only serves to enhance the popular view that it's the most bureaucratic and impotent functional area within the business.

After four months of working with them to get the organogram fixed so that the project team can disband itself and get on to doing other things, at the last hurdle some HR despot who is completely new to the process has a few concerns which needs to be ironed out.

Where do you start?

Perhaps by appealing to the big dog to give its tail a shake so that we can all swiftly move on to bigger and better things.

the journey of a million miles begins in the year of tha bore

2007-01-15T11:10:00.000-08:00

After spending a working week, "wishing that my life could be as strange as a conspiracy" suddenly an unexpected boon arrived - a stand in appearance at a meeting in the posh first world. Aisle seat booked, accommodation confirmed and because tomorrow's a sunny day and I'm saving myself (for the right person), I shall arrange transfers to and from the venue which looks rather plush, when it dually arrives.

I shall have to bring my a-game to the meeting because one of the items on the agenda is 'Sourcing in Asia' which interests me, geographically, politically, socially and because I grew up watching bad martial arts movies.

It's also one my crouching tiger, hidden agenda, items to achieve in 2007, which is to try and position myself for a corporate visit. I shall be googling it all in the next couple of days, hopefully remembering charming catch phrases to spew out at the most opportune moments whilst angling my head ever so slightly for pretentious effect.

So what are we trying achieve by doing business in one of the world's great markets? Much to my surprise we've aptly got a five point plan:

1. Savings and lots of it and urhm yes - what else? Urhm? Yeah, uurh? Right -

...
2. Building credibility within our business and the local supplier market;
3. Establishing and consolidating a medium term presence;
4. Storyboarding learnings for other regions such as India;
5. And aligning the regions production capabilities with our strategic outlook.

And if doesn't work, we'll opium the region by moving the factors of production, I guess, some suggest, who knows.

As I said this greatly interests me even if Shanghai is still a somewhat distant reality. There are some positive indicators though, it's the year of the boar, I'm a bore, I spent my new year's eve in an authentic Chinese restaurant, (the menu was press-sticked to the wall) and it's 007 and I am a 7/11 baby (that's an American seven-eleven) so if my luck holds I could be sourcing, blogging and sampling it all.

But that's for another day lets just say that today that journey of a million miles has begun with that difficult first step.

Footnote:

"I just wish my life was as strange as a conspiracy, I hope, hold out but there's no way, I am just me I can't deny…" the Primitive Painters, Felt.

a little bit of jazz because it's friday

2007-01-11T10:27:00.000-08:00

I have got a head full of bossa nova and absolutely no inclination to do anything other than discuss the state of my favourite football team in great depth.

The first line of Sympathique's chorus just about sums up what it's been like to be back at work. That line resonated in my head on Monday, repeated itself on Tuesday, three-peated on Wednesday, finally on Thursday I got it out and gave it a spin, and Friday it's repeat the repeat - over and out.

They are a great band, who have released two good albums.

sympathique - pink martini

Ma chambre a la forme d'une cageLe soleil passe son bras par la fenêtreLes chasseurs à ma porteComme les p'tits soldatsQui veulent me prendre

Je ne veux pas travaillerJe ne veux pas déjeunerJe veux seulement l'oublierEt puis je fume Déjà j'ai connu le parfum de l'amourUn million de roses n'embaumerait pas autantMaintenant une seule fleur dans mes entourages Me rend malade.

Je ne veux pas travaillerJe ne veux pas déjeunerJe veux seulement l'oublier Et puis je fume
Je ne suis pas fière de çaVie qui veut me tuerC'est magnifique être sympathiqueMais je ne le connais jamais Je ne veux pas travaillerNonJe ne veux pas déjeunerJe veux seulement l'oublierEt puis je fume

and in english

My room has a shape of a cageThe sun passes its arm by the windowHunters at my doorLike little soldiersWho want to take me I don't want to work I don't want to lunchI want only to forget himAnd then I smoke

Already I knew the perfume of loveA million roses don't embalm as muchNow only one flower in my entouragesMake me sick I don't want to work I don't want to lunchI want only to forget himAnd then I smoke

I am not proud of thatLife which wants to kill meIt is splendid to be sympatheticBut I never knew it
I don't want to workNoI don't want to lunchI want only to forget him And then I smoke
I am not proud of thatLife which wants to kill meIt is splendid to be sympatheticBut I never knew it
I don't want to workNoI don't want to lunchI want only to forget himAnd then I smoke

http://www.pinkmartini.com/cd/pm_sympathique.html

more in tha box.

www.box.net

username: thesoundzof302
password: wired1

Good weekend, takz care and be safe.

konvergence - kafuffles and krazy trends

2007-01-10T13:45:00.000-08:00

Been promised that my latest IT kafuffle - my broken laptop - will very shortly be fixed.

For this to happen in the first week back just when I put that coin into the machine and the game was about to begin is a bit hard to swallow.

The office is only at 50% capacity and the hardest decision that I have to make is whether or not I choose to surf the internet or get Excel eyes - when the font is arial 8, the view is 75% and you look like Clint Eastwood ready to draw a gun after a few hours of staring at the screen.

So what does one do when the machine's on the blink and you still have to give it up for tha man, well I plonked myself down at the pause area and spent many hours leafing through magazines, all unfortunately IT in nature.

But let me save you the trouble and summarise a few potential storylines which may creep into 007's gadgety, advertising rich, reality.

Advertising will begin to grow teeth, blue teeth, so don't be surprised if you walk into a store and your mobile receives a "special" offer. The technology is mature and stable enought to comfortably message to any device within a 100m . And as long as there is something in it for you and the inevitable novelty factor, then this may become a prominent cheap messaging medium in stores, bars and restaurants.

Mobile tellie, I kid you not, it looks like more effort will now be put into content provision and how to turn this into a profit centre, the devices are there, the medium for the message is fast maturing and now it's simply a case of thinking about what we want in our RSS tellie style feeds. Tellie and advertising made for the mobile market, I remain skeptical but Virgin are moving into the content provision side of it so who knows, it may just break through.

Finally the blogsphere maybe changing as advertisers get off their lard arses and begin to proactively place threads and spawn discussions, thereby enabling seductive product placement, seductive credibility building and ultimately a convergence with mainstream television and radio. Very shortly they won't be saying to you, please email us, but please go and add your comment to our blog, you may even be able to win a prize, for doing just that, look out for the push, push, push.

And because I like balance, yes I recently acquired a Pilate's stick, I did notice that Martin Score-see-see has a new blog-buster and Itunes exclusively have the new Blue Six single, Tropicalia, the first single off the soon to be released second album, could the album of the year be out in January I wonder?

delegation 101.

2007-01-08T10:15:00.000-08:00

Today I watched a dab old hand in action and in a jiffy I learnt more than if I attended the company's three day delegation management workshop, although I'd have missed out on those corporate cuff links and high carbohydrate lunches.

I was going through me email when I stumbled across a request for an increase in user permissions (rights) to a system, to which I ironically still can't log onto, anyway I decided to forward it off to my mate and before his inbox went bling! I was over at his desk to explain that I didn't have the foggiest idea of how to get this done.

"Neither do I?" he said shaking his head.

"What now?"

Then he hit FW and quickly typed -

"Can you please action as requested... Kind regards."

And as he hit send he coyly smiled and said, "Done! I don't think that she will be able to do it but you can't do everything yourself, and not on the first day back anyway... Shall we get a cup of tea?"

Delegation 101.

In the pause area after we discussed bad football, I told him that his FW request trick reminded me of this classic Bond one liner from Diamonds are Forever which I had just finished reading:

Can't you tell me something nice about my dress or something instead of grumbling the whole time about how expensive I am? You know what they say. 'If you don't like my peaches, why shake my tree?'

'I haven't started to shake it yet. You won't let me get my arms around the trunk.'

We laughed and decided that it was best to leave some of that delegating for tomorrow.

welcome back mr 302 we've missed your strangeways

2007-01-07T11:12:00.000-08:00

dread /drɛd/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[dred] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–verb (used with object)
1.
to fear greatly; be in extreme apprehension of: to dread death.
2.
to be reluctant to do, meet, or experience: I dread going to big parties.
3.
Archaic. to hold in respectful awe. –verb (used without object)
4.
to be in great fear. –noun
5.
terror or apprehension as to something in the future; great fear.
6.
a person or thing dreaded.
7.
Archaic. deep awe or reverence. –adjective
8.
greatly feared; frightful; terrible.
9.
held in awe or reverential fear.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/dread

Or perhaps it simply equates to that post holiday, pre-work feeling ,coupled with the realisation that there's still another thirty years to go.

It'll have to be another Chamomile Monday of hand shaking and lying about how much fun I had during all the festivities, lies about useful gifts, merry kisses, and sweet wishes.

And then dread (noun, verb and adjective all squished into one) will rear it's ugly head as my inbox count of unread messages exceeds my current bank balance.

Oh how I wish I was a student again, wake at noon, sip a strong coffee and flip to that half read page while I continue to legitimately feel intellectually miserable.

I think it's time to start playing that lottery again...Drat the next public holiday is in only in March... dread.

(error 302) carry on watching the cricket

2007-01-05T03:50:00.000-08:00

Troubleshooting error messages, when will we see some progression in this area I wonder as I try to understand why I can't get onto the VPN (virtual private network) this morning.

If you want to the digitial business team on your side from the beginning of any project adhere to the following advice -

Involve them from as early as possible. Some functional departments like for their involvement to be as and when required, tell us what you want and by when and we'll try to get it done. Don't make this mistake with your techno-visionary department, they like to feel like they are driving the business forward.
Make sure that the project will pick up the first year support costs. This puts support on the agenda from the beginning and hopefully then you can properly document errors as you learn from that sandbox-beta phase and beyond.

Perhaps if these two tid-bits of advice had been adhered to then just maybe somebody could have QUICKLY helped me this morning.

The remote computer did not respond. For further assistance, click More Info or search Help and Support Center for this error number. (Error 678) For customized troubleshooting information for this connection, click Help.

After getting the error, reading the resolution and googling for more information I decided to get onto Messenger in order to find some assistance, here follows the digital transcript of a bit of IT 'trial and error/':

302 says: The specified destination is not reachable. (Error 769) For customized troubleshooting information for this connection, click Help.Pausing before reconnecting (4 seconds)...

302 says: okay that's a different message if I try to connect without a live connection. Maybe the server is down? but why do I feel like it's on my side.

d says: u are using IRS4?

302 says: Iras4

d says: can u connect to websites?

d says: using IE?

302 says: yes i'm on the web using ie

d says: u have not changed proxy settings?
d says: proxy on or off?

302 says: let me check
302 says: off

d says: it should be off
d says: you have always done it this way and its worked?

302 says: otherwise i don't think i'd get onto the internet anyway

d says: I am calling
d says: pick up ur cell

302 says: i'll call you'

d says:ok

Post conversation resolution - bring the laptop into the workshop on Monday and we'll check it out because IRas has over 80 such error messages and it's impossible to do it over the phone - so just carry on watching the cricket.

perhaps I will see you there

2007-01-04T10:04:00.000-08:00

You spend hours writing things up, documenting learnings and people tend to think that you are insane for wanting to contribute to the 'knowledge-bank' but if you believe in tangibly capturing knowledge, then that's what you do without question and generally without reward.

But sometimes the odd surprise (no I didn't drop a teaspoon on purpose) will pleasantly come your way. Today I got the following invitation, to co-present a paper which we complied for a project successfully undertaken, and my cup runneth over because I would have gone, to 'Paris' in the Free State to honour the work that was concluded but it's not that Paris which may now once again see me.

Dear Delegate,

It is my pleasure to invite you to join us at the Visa Global Commercial Forum in Paris, France on 26-28 March, 2007.

Organizations all over the world are continually seeking solutions that can save them time and money, while driving superior business performance. Visa Commercial is committed to working with you to offer flexible payment solutions and information management capabilities designed specifically to meet the needs of your corporate and government clients.

The Visa Global Commercial Forum, hosted by Visa, will bring together more than 100 Visa Member bank executives from around the world to showcase successful Visa Commercial programs and share best practices on “Driving Efficiencies with Intelligent Payment Solutions”.

This event offers you a great opportunity to network with a diverse group of professionals involved in developing, selling and implementing Visa payment and information management solutions for large and medium sized businesses including multinational companies and government agencies.

Don’t miss the opportunity to hear banks, customers, and industry experts share their knowledge and expertise on:

· Leading travel and purchasing programs
· Best practices for implementing commercial solutions
· Emerging industry trends
· Resources and tools offered by Visa and its technology partners
· And, much more!

I encourage you to take advantage of the wealth of knowledge that will converge in Paris and allow Visa this opportunity to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to delivering value to you.

We look forward to an exciting event and hope you will join us at the Visa Global Commercial Forum in Paris, the “City of Lights” (la Ville Lumière).

There's a lesson hidden in there somewhere but a belief in the capturing and sharing the/your knowledge will endear you to others and will hopefully every so often reward those noble intentions.

ca va?

the full moon on standby

2007-01-03T12:23:00.000-08:00

I suffer from bouts of insomnia which just so happens to coincide with the arrival of the full moon. It's something to be aware of because I like this morning at 08h15, on three hours sleep I got my first phone call. I picked it up searching for my professional morning voice knowing that "unknown" was work and 30 seconds later I proceeded to make an espresso and deal with the problem.

I am officially on standby, it's the first time that I have experienced "standby" which is basically work but in 'casual guise' - the phone still rings, the emails keep on coming and the only real difference is that there are no meetings to attend because I am on leave.

Some would argue that is why they pay you (well) but this morning it felt like I was being cheated by big-bad-oil-and-gas, it felt a little bit like that old folk song ‘Twenty-cent cotton, fifty-cent meat, how in the world can a poor man eat?’ - yeah this company certainly does know how to get its pound of flesh and more.

Tonight, from the corner of my eye I can see the full moon peering back at me as it edges its way past my balcony tucked above the third block of flats on the bend. It won't be long before it will illuminate the ocean and the light will extend all the way to the tip of the horizon. A translucent magical image but unfortunately not without its consequences for me as it completely messes up my sleeping pattern.

Besides popping the odd pill, I will do the all of following to help break the insomnia: watch 30 minutes of CNN; turn my shoes so that each pair has one shoe facing in the opposite direction and read Ian Fleming, usually just a couple of pages of James Bond at night will put me to sleep.

Here's hoping that "Diamonds are Forever -sleeping."

compliments of the season and bon annee.

2007-01-02T01:47:00.000-08:00

At 02h15 on the first day of 007, I got a rather nice text message:

"Out with the old, in with the new. Here's to 2007, bringing you health, wealth and happiness..." TLO

But for steamed dumplings; red wine and a little too much champagne I rather gingerly didn't want to let go of some of the old, so early into the new year.

Yet after some sleep and with a moderately subsided headache and a stomach that was engaged in the toilet, I did somehow manage to bring in the new.

Armed with that belief of never being scared to use up a good idea, I proceeded to register: "sowhatdoesthismean.com" which I hope to develop and will be for all of those people who love to engage (leave comments).

The idea is quite simple:

If you get an email, a text, or overhear something and you think that you know what it means but you aren't absolutely sure well then this site is there to assist you.

You log your sowhatdoesthismeanerism and other people get to comments, after a certain period of time all comments are collated into a few common options and then people get to exercise some democracy and vote for what they think it-meant.

The idea is still in it's infancy but if you have suggestions and/or expertise on how to nudge it forward and eventually into a beta phase please email me.

Other than that I am still officially on standby-leave and quietly trying exercise my way out of a slightly baggy set of holiday t-shirts. - don't you just know that feeling.

it's considered good luck if a Robin flies into your house

2006-12-29T06:30:00.000-08:00

A time for resolutions and too much champagne is fast approaching, I have one resolution, the same ol' resolution and that is to read 20 books in 2007, something which I have failed to do in the past few years.

I will also try to remain as optimistic as possible, try to finish as many things as I can and to bravely use up every good idea that I manage to conceive, particularly those already on the backburner.

And the final thing that I will try to do is to remain appreciative of the little things and to tip my cap to those people who tirelessly endeavour to make them happen without reward and/or recognition.

"Good old-fashioned advice" by Michael Powell has the following to say about luck and new year:

On the first day of the month make sure 'white rabbits' is the first thing you say after waking.
Women: wear yellow underwear on New Year's Eve.
Eat black-eyed peas on New Year's Day
Wind up all the clocks in your house as soon as the New Year begins
And spill wine while proposing a toast.

Now go put that happy in the new year and be safe.

Bon annee.

ready set holiday

2006-12-18T07:27:00.000-08:00

I got an email in last week asking me if I would be interested in reviewing the latest Sears "holiday" site, nothing like a bit of 'blogoblicity'(publicity via the blogosphere) to add some credibility to that product offering.

I agreed to have a look at their website because I have been punting my 'Christmas list' and because it has linkages with an e-Procurement project space which I will be involved in 2007, yes that space is getting closer to "landing."

When I internet shop I look for the following:

1. The consistent availability of the site, the merchandise and the required support.
2 A virtually competitive price;
3. An intuitive site with the following features - a good search engine; a wishlist facility for parking goods; a few good reviews and specifications that are easily understandable however irrespective of these features I mostly want for it to be simple; quick and discrete.
4. An easy check-out, nothing annoys me more than getting to the check out and it's not an https site or that they don't take credit cards only pay pal etc.
5. Shipping, methods and costs, this will also tell me if the site is thinking local or global.
6. A tracking facility so that I can check up on the status of my order.
7. Personalised customer service and the adherence to my feedback.
8. Finally I want consistency on all of the above - like a five star hotel - I expect that the same high level of service every single time I visit.

The Sears group recently refreshed their shopping portal with the holiday site, http://www.readysetholiday.com , lets see how it stacks up against my list of basics and then lets see how it proposes to differentiate itself from the competition.

The site's look and feel is very different from the main Sears site which is a bit drab, this is a lot slicker but the shopping experience is still very linear, lots of back 'n forward arrowing although you'll get there in the end. Someday I just wish that shopping will be slightly more spatial, like http://www.thebrain.com, which will make it a more satisfying and interesting experience.

The next thing to note about the site is that it is US specific, overseas shoppers are wasting their time, something which the site could make quite clear from the get-go but doesn't. It's relatively easy to navigate, catalogued items are visual and are grouped allowing users to shop by price, category and by interest.

In terms of speed, it was so-so, pages didn't have lotsa macro-media so they should have been quite swift to open but this wasn't the case although I suspect that my connection probably contributed to this browsing sluggishness.

Because I never bought anything, there was nothing to be disgruntled about (yet) or to track, you will have to try that out for yourself although the site does talk about you being able to collect your purchase at the nearest store five minutes after your transaction has been processed - go test that backend efficiency proclamation which I like, particularly as it enables you to do some route and time planning.

Then there are the differentiating special features that are quite nifty: Find a gift; Get Prepared; Mom to Mom; Holiday Help and Kidzone. I spent most of my time in the Get Prepared section which offered a host of recipes and I ended up emailing myself a 'bloody Mary' recipe which will be useful in the months to come. The 'Mom to Mom' section is a forum and Holiday Help, contained Sears' quick fixes and resource guides, some of which made interesting reading.

The "Kidzone" section contained a few games but tis not playstation although, http://games.mvm.com/candycanerace/index.php, captured my attention for a few minutes.

So while these features are nifty they are very much separate and as such they don't really enhance the shopping experience but who knows this may be that loss-leader that cleverly increases site traffic and at a stretch loyalty - the potential rewards of simple interactivity.

Now as 2007 rapidly approaches and the infrastructure begins to take a bit of a pounding, you may not want to contribute to the chaos on the streets and may instead want to consider internet shoppen. Locally, http://www.kalahari.net; http://www.exclusivebooks.com; http://www.take2.co.za; http://www.netflorist.co.za (pricey); http://www.musica.co.za; http://www.digimall.com and http://www.mweb.co.za (shopping) are worth looking at but all of these stores have their limitations and the support is not quite there yet.

as i always say

2006-12-15T03:56:00.000-08:00

put the happy in the christmas and the merry in the new year.

and takz care.

-c-o-m-m-e-n-t-s have been slactivated.

continuous improvement or just pre-holiday slacking?

2006-12-13T01:44:00.000-08:00

When I worked in big-bad-retail they sent me on their Stephen Covey, Seven Habit's for Effective People course.

It was a typical three day 'happy-feely' type experience which had watershed moments for some of the people who attended but I found it all to be a bit to obvious with the exception of the seventh story (habit) which resonated with me.

This was the story of the woodcutter, who found himself working with a blunt axe, and when asked by a passer by as to why didn't he take a moment to sharpen the blade, he responded that he didn't have the time to take a break to do it.

Enter those "lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer," when the office is gets quieter, time pasess slowly and you are waiting for the holiday season to swallow you up.

I try to use this period to sharpen that axe - I try to read, to relax, to catch up on tv programmes recorded, to listen to music and to intellectually glance at some of the latest thinking that captures my imagination by way of business. I also clear my desk, upgrade software and loaf on the internet, clicking away between asking a few people what they are up to over the festive season.

On the face of it, it appears that I am wasting time but that's not entirely true, you need time to assimilate, you need time to explore, you need time to read and time to clear out, it's a fundamental part of continuous improvement and this is the perfect time within the business cycle to do it and not to feel guilty.

So hurrah for that notion of pro-actively being idle.

listening in on everything charming

2006-12-11T06:55:00.000-08:00

As I continue to explore literature (of interest) of the post World War I and pre World War II era, I happened to find this charmingly, suggestive bit of guidance which was first published in New York in 1932.

What is a good listener?

"Strange as it may seem, a good listener isn't a person who sits and listens. That isn't enough. You must show by your face, your questions, your comments, that you're not merely listening with your ears, but with your mind. You must contribute to the conversation. If you cannot add ideas, you can do your part by having a genuinely wide-awake attitude which is active, not passive.

And do not interrupt. If someone is telling a joke or an anecdote to a group of people and you have already heard it, do not cut in with"Oh! I know that one." It takes the wind out of the storyteller's sails. But, on the contrary, if someone tells a story directly to you and you have heard it, by all means stop the person as soon as you recognize the tale. It's ever so much kinder than waiting to the end and then awarding it a feeble laugh."

Better than Beauty, A guide to Charm - Helen Valentine & Alice Thompson.

I have to confess, that if this is the baseline, I am pretty hopeless, I won't ruin the joke but I am not very actively engaged if the subject doesn't interest me - file under boring Monday business meetings, where a quarter-sized continental cushion would have been handy.

'pinky are you pondering what i'm pondering...'

2006-12-10T23:28:00.000-08:00

I remember how my economic position briefly improved for the better when I got my first girlfriend. I had told my parents about my new female companion and instead of them giving me that birds and the bees lecture they just gave me a little extra pocket money. It was great for a short period of time until I learnt that no amount of pocket could compensate for love's many disappointments.

Today I try to get over the blues in style, with champagne in one hand and credit card in the other, it's not easier just different, an alternative copying mechanism.

Recently though I have noticed something similar happening, a month ago I gave my mother the address of the blog, after which to my surprise I started to receive the odd bottle of Steenberg 'champagne' from the family household.

My economic position, and my happiness marginally improved after that disclosure, reminding me of 'my first girlfriend pocket money' experience. And whilst I have read about the many ways of making your blog more profitable, who would have thought that the secret is in the title and the disclosure.

And since I am onto a good thing, I can't afford, any comments just yet - now you know why. My greatest fear is that my new source the Steenberg suddenly dries up because of some random comment - and it'll be hard to go back from there, it's another case of "once you've got colour Tv forget about black 'n white."

This week I have got economics on the brain, we need to renegotiate a certain proposal or walk away from a potential opportunity hence I may need my Steenberg as I have been banking on this opportunity.

i believe in the end we will get something done

2006-12-06T07:52:00.000-08:00

One of the outcomes of last week's team meeting was being given a mandate to try and 'land' a potential project solution. We have a straw man in place (sometimes I love oil-and-gas-speak) but we now need to begin to flesh it out a bit, put something more substantial in place.

This also marks the beginning of the real negotiation process with our partners, it goes beyond our needs into and into fees and cost structures, these are always difficult conversations ( we do conversations here) to have with our potential partners. And it is the first thing that puts the solution at risk because all we tend to see is risk.

My position generally always focuses on the solution, something to this effect:

"I don’t anticipate a problem," Jane blogs said. "We’re probably going to talk again in a few days and start to get into specifics. I believe in the end we will get something done."

A positive, pro-active stance but this is not the typical position within our business which is characterised by a strong sense of neutrality and with an emphasis on all things safe.

When we sat down as a team to discuss the road ahead, the first thing that was said was, 'what is our position and are we at risk.' Risk while being a lot of things, often boils down to a state of mind, a perception of a certain reality and since we have many tools and methods to help us 'sensibly' work toward suitable mitigations, the idea of 'going for it' should be a lot easier at this junction but yet it is still unfortunately frowned upon.

One of the reasons that it is frowned upon is that people in the market place think that we have got oodles of cash, and that you can quite easily fleece us but this couldn't be further from the truth, yeah we will probably make another $23 billion worth of profit this year but our internal reality is that we 'don't have any money' or so we are constantly told. A misconception which puts the work as a whole at risk - we often then cautiously choose to - do nothing.

So how then do we get at a solution quickly, how do we get involved in something which is not perfect but could be with the right governance? It's a battle, the first battle is convincing somebody with deep pockets to sponsor the initiative (tick - done), the next more importantly is to convince the team so that you can reassure the sponsor - this includes getting to a workable fees structure (doh!).

I often speak about being dogged if you want to manage projects yet being nimble in your thinking is equally important and together these two characteristics will get you into that dogmatic Zen like state which will eventually allow you to get at the solution.

A state which always first focuses on the solution and then the risks and then only then the costs -

"I don’t anticipate a problem," Joe blogs said. "We’re probably going to talk again in a few days and start to get into specifics. I believe in the end we will get something done."

footnote:
all tracks in the www.box.net login
thesoundzof302
wired1

for t

2006-12-04T11:59:00.000-08:00

A few years ago I dj'd at a local bar in Long street for 10 weeks and that 10 cd, Tuesdays@Marvel boxset was borne, comprising mainly of jazz but with some elements of soul and funk as I was very much a precursor to the hip-hop djs who played later.

I enjoyed it, it was different, intimate and something to do on Tuesday evenings. The reason that it was done was to prove to the owner, that jazz could be quite accessible - ok it's still music for grown-ups but sequenced properly it needn't be old and crusty, which was I tried to do every Tuesdays@Marvel for one winter.

Occasionally, I still compile something which nostalgically reminds me of those winter nights, something for the car - I now call it the soundz of 302 (or 307) - and this is the latest volume which is especially dedicated to the memory of a very brave girl - Taryn.
----
1. Vuelvo Al Sur - Roberto Goyenche & Nestor Marconi

I have always loved this track, a few years ago, I decided that I needed to do all things extra mural and tango was one of those things, it was great for about six months but then it became a bit of a scene, and I left.

This song reminds me of when I was stuck in a JHB hotel room, writing a case study with my good friend James, I had bought a remix of this track which was playing whilst we were working when I suddenly exclaimed that I was fcukin' bored, that I missed CT and my flat, my own bed, my view, and that I wished that I had someone to tango with...and that I needed a strong cup of Earl Grey because it wasn't 12 o'clock yet.

James, got up, switched on the kettle and said, "We at IBM even make the tea but you are on your own with regard to that tango."

Dramatic and lush a perfect opener.

2. Petite fleur - Petula Clark

Off Café de Flore 2. A really good compilation that reminds me of Paris and that accordion player that you'll hear on the train trying to squeeze a Euro out of you. I gave him two, because he managed to entertain a baby on route to the hotel after a 12 hour flight.

3. Polka Dots And Moonbeams - Count Basie feat Lester Young

Lester Young gave Billie Holiday the nickname 'Lady Day', she called him 'Pres' they were very close and did a couple of really good things together musically, like a song which the old Ballentine's advert used "Getting some fun out of life," which I wanted to include but this was a better fit.

And after Kenny-G ruined the sax, it's good to know that it wasn't always so.

4. Générique - Miles Davis

When you think about all of the good things that's been said about Miles Davis - ditto, a beautiful, gentle track which has it's roots in the classic but hard to find, "Night on the Champs-Élysées" - a firm favourite.

5. Look to the sky - Roy Ayers

The man is enjoying a bit of a revival as his vibes are being ubiquitously remixed, but he also did some great jazz amongst all of the funk com soul.

...As I gently begin to drift towards all things Brazilian.

6. Cool out - Leroy Hutson

Just love the title of the track, it's something that reminds me a bit of Quincy Jones', 'summer in the city.' I wish someone would say that to me in passing, "hey man- cool the…out!"

7. another Island - Art Bleek

I found this in Edinburgh earlier this year, nu-jazz, bossa nova, you can never have enough bossa nova, sneakers and free air miles.

8. Original Untitled - Moes Untitled

A samba, you can't go wrong with a samba but also something to shift the reality a bit, wake up a few people and to get that nod factor going.

9. To Mickey's memory - Chet Baker

I really like Chet Baker, even his sweet, thin vocals do it for me but here he is in an unusually energetic mode bouncing around - and wait for that percussion in the middle - tap-tap-tap…

10. Friendly Fire - Erik Truffaz

A classic by that French trumpeter Erik Truffaz with Nya on vocals especially for the "hip-hop" djs who would be entering the joint around now, as the music takes a soulful, jazzy twist.

11. Spanish rice - Clark Terry & Terry

This is 'that track,' found in the week, 'the one' dedicated to all of my friends who I'd managed to talk into coming out despite the cold - it's big, warm and a dancefloor stomper, except we'd be in a bar intellectualising about women and things.

12. Come Get It, I Got It - Harold Ousley

Off the album, 'funky, good time' need I say more.

13. Scullary Department - Quintet Legacy

I bought this for Dana on her birthday, it was so good that I went back the next day to get myself a copy, she's an archaeologist, so I always try to dig up something special for her birthday and I think that I out did myself with this local gem - I wonder how the Arizona skies are treating her.

14. Never say that you can't survive - Curtis Mayfield

For "t" as she was fondly known, who I sometimes sent music to via a special intermediary, as she battled the cancer, some days I just need Curtis Mayfield and this is why.

15. You don't know my name - Alicia Keys

How did this make it onto the soundz - well I always loved this song, then it became a hit and was unplayable for months but it reminds me a lot of the supposed anonymity of blogland. Anyway, I thought I'd take a chance and slip it in.

16. Look to the sun - Aqua Bassino

My album of the year.

17. In An Analogue Way - Jimpster

For that blogster who wants to know why the blog has this title - it's in the archives.

18. Lansanna's Priestess - DJ Spinna & Donald Byrd

Something catchy for the car and which I know that the hip-hop dj's would love.

And that's it . Use the following link to get to the music, only the first six tracks are there at the moment but I will be adding the rest shortly.

http://www.box.net/ login
username: thesoundzof302
password: wired1

some blatantly obvious insights

2006-12-02T05:00:00.000-08:00

After a week in meetings and being exposed to the views of a few people who are much higher up the greasy pole than I am, I thought that I share some of the insights and how to deal with those inevitable 'so where to now brown cow?' questions which just jump out.

The first thing that pleases me about the experience is that the gulf is only on a corporate level, something which I have experienced before but there is nothing like a bit of positive reinforcement of that fact.

The other thing that was particularly striking to me was that in many other facets of life, I am way ahead of the game, I am a much more interesting person, I am not a "company" man and I draw inspiration from a host of sources which constantly challenges this fraternity. They need to believe in their way because if they stopped then that world would begin to crumble, quite a responsibility of sorts.

Still we (I) did realise that we needed to be careful when dealing with them because these people and have the ability to make decisions on things which indirectly affect "us" down South.

Our first seductive aim was to impress, because this almost guaranteed that we'd have a greater say about our existence as a team before the expected "refocusing" of resources, and when you have a global stamp of approval from London then the locals toe the line - we resoundedly achieved this objective.

The second objective was to impress via some show and tell, the perception still exists that all good things originate from London or Chicago (the first world H/Qs) and anything coming out of Africa is viewed with suspicion, a tiring, frustrating reality - we achieved this objective.

The third objective was a personal objective, to see how I matched up in this company, and for the most part, I was good except on the final afternoon when I forgot something that I generally don't - that while I like to be right, when I am right it's not essential, I am not a teenager it hardly matters since being right doesn't mean being effective. But on the whole it was good personally.

In wordy conclusion, I had a look at the top brass, and it's apparent that they continue to make sacrifices on friends, family and all things personal for this type of existence, they believe that they lead, perhaps they have influence but leadership, mmhm, they are at the head of the caravan plodding ahead we follow because we've got other personal objectives (like buy champagne for the fridge) which we'd like to fulfil. And when the chips are down, their lives are no more exciting or enthralling than ours near the bottom of the food chain.

And thankfully there are other roads that lead to the "dessert of life."

xmas list part 3 - a little too much champagne

2006-12-02T01:37:00.000-08:00

Finally an entry about champagne and its various guises in a blog which honours the drink in its title.

I try to keep at least two bottles of "champagne" in my fridge at all times, I am just a champagne drinking barbarian although I have done some research and put a fair amount of it into practice over the years, and no I am not that old or that alcoholic, it's just economics.

So there are a couple of basics, it's hardly that important to know but if you have snobbish tendencies like me, then you will want to add this bit of general information to your cerebral files. Champagne is generally made in three ways (or methods), the traditional or classique method, methode Charmat and Carbonation.

The classic method, two fermentations, the second sees the yeast in the bottle which creates the bubbles, it's labour intensive hence more expensive and there is a richness in the bubbles. Locally I like, Steenberg, Morgenhof and Bon Courage but they are all generally good in the R55-70 range.

The Charmat methode, the second fermentation occurs in large tanks before it's bottled, this method is cheaper and relatively rapid, grape varieties used are generally not intended for long aging. Locally I like Du Toitskloof, Boplass and Twee Jonge Gezellen (The Rose Brut best value buy R30-35).

Then there is carbonation, fizzy pop, carbon dioxide is dissolved into the wine before bottling under pressure, cheap and nasty.

The other important thing to know is Champagne style: Brut (dry, very little sweetness); Sec (literally translated as dry but it actually means medium some sweetness); Demi sec, sweet dessert type companion.

And finally, there's two other things worth talking about: Cava and Prosecco. Cava is Spanish, made in the classic way with a minimum aging period of nine months so drinkable in under a year and the brut is fantastic now, in summer. Locally, you'll have to look for it, Checkers occasionally gets it in at R50-65, and it's worth trying.

But my favourite summer bubbly is Prosecco, it's Italian and gets its name from the grape grown in the hilly, Venetian region. The brut is my favourite variety and I best enjoy the Teresa Rizzi. Woolies gets it in and it's never around for to long on the shelves, priced at R50-65 but it is so worth it. Additionally you can make the famous Bellini cocktail with it, one part peach schnapps or puree together with a flute of Prosecco.

So there you go, add it all to the Xmas list in the knowledge that a little too much champagne can be … for you.

pinch-punch-first-of-the month-say-white-rabbit

2006-11-30T23:03:00.001-08:00

out for the rest of the afternoon

2006-11-30T08:02:00.000-08:00

Three days of meeting, of meetings that took weeks to prepare for, that covered many topics and many agendas. I think we covered most of the angles, progressed a lot of subtle agendas and attained much by way of outcome but not the 'everything and more' which I had hoped to achieve.

So I'm tired, even marginally disappointed - and will be out for the 'rest' of the afternoon.

bigupz and respect to those out there making a difference

2006-11-29T15:35:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is World Aids Day, and sadly the debate has not progressed into a more progressive space, it's still fraught with antagonism and divergence, with much of it focused on re-education.

The last workshop that I attended focused on how to deal with the psychological effects of HIV/Aids, from prejudice to routes of assistance for the individual and their families. It was very constructive and very rewarding, to the extent that the disease wasn't seen as a series of statistics with grave economic consequences but rather as a difficult 'real' personal struggle.

Don't get me wrong, prevention is important, funding is important, a central message is important, caring is important, strategic thinking is important but collective societal leveraging is very important because it enables us to continue to chisel away at all that is important.

So what about big-bad-oil-and-gas? Well it is particularly pleasing to mention that in this regard, their programme is one of the better corporate programmes out there and it has been for a long time, here is an email from within continuing to show a commitment to this serious issue:

Dear Colleagues

On 1 December, BP will join the world in commemorating World AIDS day. The theme this year is Accountability, a continuation of last year's theme - Stop AIDS. Keep the promise. We invite all employees to observe a minute of silence at 12 noon on1 December in remembrance of all the people who have died because of HIV/AIDS-related illnesses, those infected and those affected by the disease.

We also urge you to take action by going beyond commemorating AIDS Day and taking personal responsibility and accountability for the fight against AIDS. You can do this by making sure you know your status and protecting yourself from becoming HIV/AIDS infected, caring for children/families who are infected/affected by HIV/AIDS, talking to your children, colleagues and families about HIV/AIDS and building a climate of trust and acceptance.

In its 2006 report, UNAIDS is appealing to governments and policy makers to meet the agreed targets in the fight against HIV and AIDS. In the report an appeal was also made to create an environment where people infected with HIV can live positively without being stigmatised, discriminated against and labeled.

More information on the company's HIV/AIDS programme, as well as voluntary testing and counselling, can be found on the Wellness website: http://safrica.bpweb.bp.com/wellness_matters/

Kind regards

Wellness Team

ps remember to say white rabbit on the 1st and to show your support by donning the ribbon.

out to lunch back in 30 minutes

2006-11-29T15:33:00.001-08:00

back in 15 minutes

2006-11-28T22:24:00.000-08:00

back in 5 minutes

2006-11-27T12:03:00.000-08:00

knowing when to put those sneaks on

2006-11-23T12:29:00.000-08:00

One of the first things that I do when I get home is put on my 'Tigers' (my sneaks) because this just formally marks the end of the working day for me. My sneakers represent the beginning of my time, the end of big-bad-oil-and-gas for the day and in a dizzy kinda way it signals enough.

Today as fatigue set in, something I did reminded me of this little bit of friendly advice by Genevieve Antoine Dariaux before I made a dash for those sneakers:

Enough

A sense of moderation, tact, a recognition of one's limitations, of one's age, and even of the capacity of one's stomach, are all notions that help us to get along well in an organized society.

Good manners consist of knowing when to say:

"That's enough!"
-Knowing how to leave when your hosts yawn.
- Knowing how to refuse the third whisky.
- Knowing at what age a woman can no longer dress the way her daughter does.
- Knowing how to say 'no' to the man who wants to see you home…and to tuck you up in bed.
- Knowing how to remain silent when the conversation is beyond your depth.

And for me today it was knowing when to bolt for home, for those Tigers and that quarter-sized continental cushion - I clearly had, had enough and more.

Easy over, sunny side up.

2006-11-22T03:29:00.000-08:00

Some days I get the odd good joke in my junkmail folder.

the real litmus test

2006-11-21T13:24:00.000-08:00

So the story goes something like this: you feed the chickens, you raise the chickens, you take the chickens to market, you get the best price for those organic chickens. And when you have understood that, then you have mastered the concept of ownership.

I am generally reluctant to hand over the ownership of key issues to certain members of my project team, not because they are in capable of doing the work but because they are unable to take accountability for every little aspect of the problem. Although I also do realise that this is the litmus test for them, so every now and again I nudge a certain person in that direction and while I am not pushing them off a cliff to see if they can fly, I know they can't, I am slowly attempting to cut that cord.

Today I had to pick up the pieces of a simply process that had not been thought through, I had watched the solution develop quietly in the background but as soon as the first exception reared its ugly head the baffled process owner quietly went into hiding. I then had to try to unbundle the problem and find a solution, which was not the hardest thing to do once I wrapped my mind around what was going wrong. But I was annoyed because I was owning something that I wanted to have very little to do with except to pay tribute to the person for a job well done.

I remember the first time that I saw "mentorship in action," I was indirectly part of a very large property development team, and we were at the monthly project meeting, which had approximately 20 other people from various disciplines - engineers, architects, contractors and sub-contractors in attendance.

The meeting was run by a young woman which in itself was a major feat, tis a patriarchal society after all and in the field of construction management this is extremely pronounced, but this young project manager had a wise old man in her corner.

After the meeting begun she proceeded to run through the previous minutes without any problems, before getting into why we were running behind schedule, and then the blame mongering began, but just as soon as it started, the wise old man firmly took charge and reset the tone.

As soon as order was restored the young woman continued and an hour later everybody was once again aligned. In that short period the young project manager had grown exponentially, all she now had to do was ensure that the commitment ascertained translated into the appropriate timely action.

I am not sure how the story ended because I left the company before the development, now known as Century City, was completed but I do remember that meeting. And I also do try to do the same for my team members but sadly like today not all of them succeed.

say 'seal' in French, the language of love

2006-11-20T02:31:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I wonder whether there is any truth in that old tale of if you breast feed babies for six weeks then this supposedly will add 30 points to their IQ. I only got four weeks, so I have been told, a couple more weeks and I could have been a child genius who spent his days designing pyramid schemes and evil infomercials, so I guess you are saying bigupz to ma maman.

This morning, in particular, I am really wishing that some of the people who I depend on for various tid bytes of information, got their quota and more because it would sure help things. It's a blue Monday, I have been on the Chamomile tea from the get go, randomly mumbling a certain word which translates rather well from French (say 'seal' in French, the language of love) because this morning a few mistakes have been made and the person who has made these mistakes is conveniently out battling with a stomach bug - fr 'seal' -er - now it's my problem.

I know that people always talk at great lengths about how people should be allowed to make mistakes in the work place because this is how they learn. Well here's a little tip, don't believe everything that you read and realise you are entitled to the odd mistake but any (fr 'seal' ing) disasters come with consequences, unemployment being a distinct possibility.

Just like breakfast is supposedly the most important meal of the day because it is that foundation around which all other activity is established well so is Monday, Monday mornings should be that leisurely springboard into the week, a type of reacclimatisation before it all begins in earnest. You afford yourself the time to catch up on everything, the only torture allowed is discussing at great lengths the failings of your favourite football team but it's definitely not a time for correcting other people's mistakes.

Fortunately it's almost done but here's another tip for those who never got that six weeks of their mother's milk when they were young, when you are working with data, remember that rigor is important, and checking formulas definitely falls into that category.

The music in the stocking - part 3

2006-11-19T11:08:00.000-08:00

Music is always a popular gift so here's my list of some of the better music purchases that I have made during the year, hopefully they which will serve you well particularly if you are stuck in an open plan office.

All things 'deep and stylish'

1. Aqua Bassino - Rue de Paris: my album of the year.
2. Jimpster - Amour: a close second
3. the Rurals - a rural life: my other album of the year - my favourite group

…my Lounge

4. Koop - koop island: my album of the quarter
5. Zero 7 - the garden: a nice comeback
6. various artists - tokyo lounge

-------Nu soul, nu acid jazz, nu electronic jazz

7. mr scruff - mr scruff's big chill classics
8. reel people - second guess
9. the Rebirth - this journey in: brilliant performance at the north sea and an excellent debut
10. Tassel and Natural - Diamond life: after two album of the year titles they keep up the good work but drop down.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,, all that Jazz

11. various artists - the house that Trane built, the story of impulse - an expensive, must have.
12. various artists - café de flore: my other, other, favourite album of the year - with the classic 'jean remove my coat' juliette greco track
13. various artists - metti una bossa a cena: a must have.

**************** for the indie kid in you

14. Cat Power - the greatest: another favourite album of mine
15.KT Tunstall - kt tunstall's acoustic extravaganza
16. Isobel Campbell & mark lanegan - ballad of the broken seas - 'honey child what can I do?' my favourite 3 minutes and 43 seconds.

&& and, remastered and reissued

17. massive attack - blue lines : a classic

it's only November you were saying?

18.?
19. ???
20.??

the night the winds of change blew over Newlands

2006-11-18T01:28:00.000-08:00

It's always nice to witness a little bit of history, and this morning I tip my cap to the Cape Cobras who won the first MTN cricket challenge at Newlands yesterday.

That's a first but a bigger first was the fact that the trophy was lifted by a Black captain on a pitch prepared by a Black groundsman.

It's been a very long period of metamorphosing for cricket lets hope the transformation and success continues long beyond this memorable feat.

A footnote for mr Oswest:

Ben, sorry mate, I know that you would have wanted to be there but it's kinda difficult from New Mexico. Anyway take some solace in the fact that I was there and I shall continue to explain the nuances of this fine game to you when you get back - it's going to be a great summer of cricket.

making some progress

2006-11-17T05:01:00.000-08:00

I fondly remember the first time I used online multimedia conferencing, I was on a global call trying to share my desktop with the rest of the audience and after a couple of minutes of trying to get it going and not being sure if I was doing it properly, I heard someone from Australia say,"arh I see you, you've just come online", to which I bemusedly replied,"Unfortunately I can't see myself yet," and then proceeded to complain about the lack of bandwidth in Africa.

This morning because of my circumstance I had to give multimedia conferencing another go, I had a team meeting to get through and I finally I had those plumbers in the kitchen fixing that damn geyser.

So I logged onto the internet with my 3g datacard, accessed "Live meeting" and setup the conference together with the audio and sent out the invitation to the team. I then got on the cellphone and walked my boss through some of the basic features - desktop sharing, using the whiteboard and the management of access rights. This lasted about 10 minutes but it gave him the assurance that it worked, and enabled us to have a successful meeting, without any systems complaint.

For once technology did not failure me although the laptop's battery almost did because the plumbers had the mains down but from where I was sitting, peering out at the ocean, I can conclude that we are definitely making progress in the fields of collaborative tools, mobile technology and convergence.

Although today's hurrah is for something a lot more basic - hot water!

Tres, bon weekend and takz care.

where to put it all

2006-11-15T23:51:00.000-08:00

My clutter to space ratio is a bit out of sync at the moment and I am trying, in vain it would appear, to get it back into any semblance of equilibrium.

My biggest problem is that I am just a collector of 'stuff,' some people can travel light but I am not one of them, I subconsciously need the luxurious security of all things new. The first thing that I collected in earnest was British football magazines, that soon infectiously spread to vinyl and everything that my musical interests affectionately caressed. For instance if I was listening to Curtis Mayfield, I'd be watching blaxploitation, reading Walter Mosley, hanging out with people who had soul, joking about, 'Undercover Brother.'

In the November 06, issue of Uncut, Lloyd Cole says: "One hopes I'll be able to know when to stop. But old boxers say that when they're young, then they don't."

I can't predict when I will ever stop accumulating (not hoarding) as I follow my interests, it's not genetic according to various family sources (except perhaps for my sneaker/shoe fetish) so I should theoretically be able to stop. Can they be trusted? It could have skipped a generation? Well these same anonymous sources have also reassured me that I don't have to worry about baldness and that I shouldn't fantasise about going mad either no matter how much I want for my worry brain to vacate my conscious, so they are sound.

But it's not all bad, as I try to organise stuff and muscle up the stamina to archive some data into a central repository, because if that revolution did arrive tomorrow, you could pop by #302, for a good espresso and a deluxe vodka martini, as my impulsive, compulsive behaviour also embraces those fine beverages. And we could of course intellectualise as to why the best Lloyd Cole and the Commotions track, 'Speedboat' never made it onto the greatest hits.

Footnote:
Today, I bought three more magazines and got another two DVDs in the post one of which is the classic French movie, 'the hairdresser's husband' - where to put it all I wonder?

61% are satisfied, 45% responded, so are we really that happy?

2006-11-14T14:56:00.000-08:00

At this evening's supper a very creative analogy was utterred and instantly brought a bout of laughter to the table.

We were discussing the results of the recent "People's Assurance" survey which was conducted within the organisation, the survey results highlighted that the number of respondents together with the level of employee satisfaction was slightly down compared to last year.

And when the conversation touched on how statistics could so easily be manipulated, a colleague injected , "stats are like costumes what they show is interesting but what they hide is often essential."

a little too much showing off can be bad for you

2006-11-13T22:56:00.000-08:00

Blame too many cathode rays from my television if you must but today I have a concentration same span of about 30 seconds, a fragile limit that is particularly useful on the Monday morning email cull.

I have one rule and that is if you don't make your point in the preview pane and it's not personal then I hit delete, before the punchline.

I think emailers need to be astutely aware of the fact that people read stuff out of choice: a newspaper article, a joke, a slide show, maybe an Executive summary so the trick is to capture their attention before they drift off on another 'Bahamas moment.'

Communication is the life blood of the organisation, there are many competing mediums and devices but the message which is at the heart of the matter is still the most important aspect and therefore all the old basic rules now apply more than ever, particularly given the concentration spans of the play-station generation.

Hence it's important to focus on saying what you need to say, mentioning it's importance, what's expected and to do it as efficiently as possible - no showing off, personal email doesn't have obvious rules, if you like the person, then no problem you will indulge them.

On Monday morning I got a 2mb attachment with a note that I had to read three times to make any sense of, it was a note sent to some of the senior team by a consultant so I thought that it would be prudent to get the gist of what was expected at least. In true consultant write, it waffled along until I could bear it no more, and I simply opened the attachment, which too was unreadable.

I immediately deleted it and wrote to a friend of mine who was cc'ed in, to ask what that was all about?

He said it would make sense once the author walked me through it and that it was a wall chart and a tracking document but added...that he had nothing to do with it.

I replied that I had trashed it.

Two mega bytes of work and the time that it took to produce it was 'gone in 30 seconds' I just wish that consultants would realise, that some of us are actually smarter than they are and that we don't expect elaborate showing off but rather simple, robust pieces of work within the constraints of our time, one of which is that nobody actively reads 2mb business documents.

Xmas list items 2 and 3

2006-11-11T07:49:00.000-08:00

On the Christmas list today we deal with "essentials," and to be on the safe side let me say, "essentials part one," because there maybe a sequel.

Last Sunday I witnessed a bit of redistribution of wealth when I was hanging out with my good friend Rustum Kozain, author, dj, et al at his home in Observatory. We were doing a bit of data transference when he noticed that his broadband connection was down. On inspection it became apparent that the antenna had been re-appropriated to which he poetically exclaimed: "The people want broadband, give the people (insert the superlative which begins with phfff and ends with ing) broadband."

Rustum recently published a volume of poetry, This Carting Life, and if you like me haven't picked up a poetry book since enjoying Auden then this is something that you need to own, it's essential reading, essential for on your coffee table, essential in your bookshelf and in that swanky bag. It's available at www.kalahari.net and if you ask me nicely, I will forward your details onto the author who would I am sure will oblige you with a signing.

How much will it fetch on eBay? Why bring e-Commerce into it and I don't know but he needs to replace that antennae and it's cheaper than a ZAR a page, I'll have you know.

--------

Which brings me onto the second essential item that you may want to have on your Xmas list and that is a good beach towel. Mine is big, bright and bad, in fact as the image illustrates it's a "bad-boy" towel. Get one, you always need the right accessories, and this summer nothing beats the "bad boy" beach towel which will serve you well as you expose yourself to all and sundry.

Drip, drip, drip - a timely bit of advice

2006-11-09T15:11:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure of listening to a million little drops of water trickle into a bucket, the geyser's cylinder may only be fixed on Saturday so I may be in for a million more. But tis Friday so why waste that five minutes complaining about sleep depravation and let me share a Mooneyism with you, a little bit of advice to live by if you can:

"...Never say, Could have, Would Have, Should have, Don't explain, never Complain and..... Always mix your drinks!..."

Bon weekend, take care be safe.

where have all the artisans gone

2006-11-09T00:17:00.000-08:00

So where have all the artisans gone, I am wondering this morning as my kitchen floor gets rescued from a leaking geyser, hopefully they are not all inside the yellow pages.

Unfortunately there are these troubling moments when you are just useless in your circumstance, and I generally feel this way when things begin to break. When I need a mechanic, a plumber, an electrician or a builder because it's a reality (and a network) that I have lost on entering the professional class of white collar work. I think the real problem is that I am not at that point yet when I can call one number from the contacts list, other than my father, in these situations for help.

I need a conduit who will put me in touch with the 'world of the artisan', and that conduit is certainly not the yellow pages.

The difference between 'then' and 'now' is that artisans, craftsmen and tradesmen are no longer celebrated in our geography and by our society, it's not necessarily frowned upon but it's certainly not celebrated and these people don't enjoy the same status as their white collar colleagues until things go wrong.

A generation or two of artisans has been lost, and still we continue to merrily click away, wondering why we are constantly confronted by fly-by-nights and crap quality when we employ these skills.

When I was growing up, my guidance teacher once asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, and I smugly replied, "Millionaire playboy," she never countered by saying, "What about a carpenter?" She just then left me to my own devices like many of my generation who had the same lofty aspirations.

Not that I blame guidance teachers for these shortcomings, that would be to convenient and she also taught religious instruction, so you can just imagine how much blame could be apportioned when the chips are down. No, I blame myself ever so slightly because I come from a Construction Management background so I should have this network at my disposal but I have just lost touch with that industry and now I am dusting off my copy of the yellow pages because it's easier than clicking through it online.

a little good karma

2006-11-08T01:42:00.000-08:00

I have got a couple of chicks on my balcony, no not the kind who want to drink the vodka in the fridge and jump on the bed.

A few months ago they built their nest and now I have some company, and a sense of rebirth in the abode.

work's big MCQ

2006-11-07T06:40:00.000-08:00

It's hot in the bowl today, the second day in a row and no relief in sight until Friday, the heat will once again prompt a series of decisions, the most rudimentary: how to best deal with the heat?

A) Buy another fan.
B) Buy a cheap (if it exists) air con unit.
C) Drink lotsa grapefruit juice and water with mint.
D) Take the odd, middle of the night, cold shower.
E) Hang out in A/Ced city haunts or go late night driving.

I am undecided but it's good to have 'cool out' options. Options are always welcome, although decision making can be a problem but that's probably something that you can live with because if you don't have any options to decide on then I reckon that you are in trouble.

Our parents preached that education would set us free but basically what they meant was that tertiary education would potentially somehow ensure that we had lifestyle options which we could exercise throughout our life - so hurrah for the salt mines of academia.

The argument is not without its flaws but since they experienced an era where the educated class enjoyed certain privileges, they insisted on education because they wanted something similar for their children, which would last the test of time.

Education and schooling while not perfect is extremely desirable and should be encouraged.

Although my options are not entirely linked to my educational baggage, it has certainly helped me when I needed to deal with the many choices that have resulted.

But if there is one type of option which you should crave and strive for it's work options. Options in the work place are something to be valued because it means that to some extent you can tailor your life style around your work and not vice versa as is generally the case.

I have recently seen some of my friends exercising their options, some have chosen to switch from permanent employment to the uncertainty of contracting, some have changed fields from technical to more artistic, some have decided to stay put and work through the frustration while others have decided to ply the skills in different geographies.

Has their experience and education facilitated these decisions? It probably was an important factor although not the only consideration.

I think the realisation is becoming much more pronounced today that we are not likely to work in the same job or environment for 30-40 years and that we would like to adapt either aspects of our work or the nature of the work we do to suit our changing lives.

There is a dynamism about modern work which does provide you with many more choices but unless these are real choices then I don't suppose that it will affect your happiness. I think that up unto a certain point of inflection, there will be an inversely proportional relationship between your happiness and your work options on some level and that those choices should be enjoyed because it's what you worked for and what your parents before you did and they have the experience.

But how does that help me because I still really want that A/C unit, which I am sure will increase my popularity (and happiness) this summer to no end but for now it's in that investigating box of things to do and grapefruit juice and the odd cold shower will have to suffice.

gracias (gra-Zias) and Por favor (por fa-bor)

2006-11-06T05:24:00.000-08:00

Anna who is from 'Barthalowna' runs the local tapas restaurant in my hood, la Bruixa (the friendly witch) and who helps me with my most basic of Spanish, always stresses to me that as long as you say, 'gracias (gra-Zias) and Por favor (por fa-bor),' people will always help you because they will know that you are a nice man because you know how to say please and thank-you (and this is not France - pardon? Noo!).

Yes manners maketh the person, it may be old fashioned but it's still very en vogue as far as I am concerned, when people take the time to thank me graciously, my generosity, sometimes foolishly, knows no bounds, much of this belief stems form that old adage that if your hand is constantly closed you won't know what it is like to receive, I make sure that I frequently keep my hands open by way of giving so that life's many rewards can find me.

In business one of the things that I find sorely lacking is the use of responsive and genuine thank-you notes. These short notes of appreciation for someone's efforts, when generously written are always welcome and should be used whenever possible because as Anna says people will then always want to help you.

Last week we had an 'Executive' review with one of our partners and we wanted to impress upon them how pleased we were with their efforts in bringing the piece of work which we had mutually undertaken to a successful fruition. The call lasted no longer than 30 minutes but we made sure that we took a moment to reflect on our joint success and then to briefly highlight one area which we could improve upon.

After the call, a couple of days later, I sent them a thank-you note and a quick minute of the discussion, I am sure that next year will be just as fruitful because people like to work with 'nice' people and where I come from 'nice' people say thank-you, they don't take it for granted, even in business.

Christmas lists - "take 1"

2006-11-04T11:15:00.000-08:00

Over the next couple of months I shall endeavour to fill your Christmas list with some useful items which you will hopefully receive or generously give others, like a kiss under the mistletoe.

Yesterday I watched the first series of Absolute Power, I was quite surprised that the video (or should that be DVD rental) store, had the series because it's been rather hard to track down other than via good old internet shopping. Obviously the thinking is that it won't be a big seller because it's definitely not everybody's cup of tea and similar to the Smoking Room, it deals with slightly more risqué subject matter in the field of "business 'slash' reality."

Absolute Power, like Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister, should be essential course work for all MBA students, instead of all of the ramblings on about how to be effective leaders which they have to endure and which I always wonder about because for goodness sake you must know that there is every chance that you'll probably only end up leading a team of two, one who will live on the telephone and the other will make many, many mistakes which you will need to fix.

Absolute Power is cleverly scripted and deals with the many issues of PR (Public Relations) but with Stephen Fry doing the interpretation it makes for a very humorous outtake on today's world of spin. And similar to Yes Minister where Sir Humphrey led the way, you will learn about the subtleties of the correct use of diction and how you can charmingly turn almost any murderous situation to your advantage.

All of these BBC series, if you don't already own them should be on your Christmas list.

302 in mid-tempo

2006-11-03T04:09:00.000-08:00

Had a few days of rhythmic work effort, days where you simply get to work quietly and feel good because you have achieved something. You find your personal rhythm, which is something that's quite hard to find because open plan office environments are littered with disruptions and noise, so your inertia is at best 'bitty' (not the Little Britain bitty) it's sparse and there isn't a rhythm to doing the work.

When I can't find that work groove, it's hard, I am easily distracted by my access to other media sources, newspapers, television (in the pause areas) and the internet, which results in me only getting things done when I encounter that pressure to get it done - the work then feels laborious and unnecessarily hard.

Has it got anything to do with enjoyment? Very little I reckon , I am not thrilled at setting up an agenda for a very important team meeting or writing minutes for an Executive review but when you are on a roll this feels effortless, your subliminal conscience takes over.

So it's been a good few days in that regard, I found a focus and went with the inertia but it's Friday so that curve which was progressing upward, plateauing (once I hit that groove) is now declining and I am beginning to think about Friday evening drinks and hanging out.

James Neophytou, is in the Americas doing some preliminary needs analysis on a potential project in big-bad-oil-and-gas and his blog today has a few classic, "Colorado one-liners," I will only pinch two the rest you can get at by accessing his blog.

"You are giving us a Ferrari and all we are gonna do is drive around the parking lot at 5 mph. We may look good doing it, but is that what you want?"
"Knowledge in a Manager or Team Leader - it's like gravity."

http://jamesneophytou.blogspot.com/

Have a good weekend and be safe, maybe walk the stores and begin to think about that Christmas list, the decorations are malling up and it's only week one of November.

Footnote for a regular reader :
- get your post and have a good meeting on Sunday.

pinch punch first of the month say white rabbit

2006-10-31T21:28:00.000-08:00

01 Novemeber, say white rabbit before the day is out. Enter November, enter my favourite month of the year, it's my favourite because it was when we finished exams at university and shook hands and begun a three and a half month break, no matter what life holds install for you, if you have had that experience, you won't be able to dispell it from your system.

November signified holiday and months of it, it also signified the beginning of summer, it is jeans and t-shirt weather, not yet t-shirt and shorts, still 'summer' with a little paranoia, when no matter how hot it is, you still take a top with you where ever you go. And November although it has that feeling that the end is near (the end of the year) it isn't full of year end chores and functions like December.

So hence my liking for November which has one other important facet to it, it has the birthdays of two really good friends in it, one who is in the UK and was for a very long time the only Scorpio that I knew, apparently Scorpio and Cancer produce the best babies in the zodiac - that's real darwinism.

The blues have passed and my first items of business today is to post something(s) and to remind you of the fact that it's a pinch, punch, day today, so say it if you want to have a good November.

the e to the m to the me

2006-10-31T10:43:00.000-08:00

If you can find, Chet Baker's, Ann Wonderful One, on cd buy the album if only for that song which is a great companion for when you may be feeling sad. Sadness not to be confused with depression, is reflective, contemplative, gentle and deeply personal, who knows what brings it on but this Sunday it arrived at my door and I welcomed it in, like an old friend whom I hadn't seen for an age.

I have had this urge for an ounce of solitude for a little while now but the month simply hasn't afforded me that luxury, its been one of those month's that has felt like it has lasted slightly longer than the 31 days on the calendar.

My sadness is not office bound, my office personae is professional and moderate, it's not the hardest thing for me to divorce, personal is private and work is work and public, the two I seldom mix. And anyway my work personae is much more vain, it requires anti-aging creams and a 100% carrot juice daily in order for me to look and feel good while dealing with some of the bluntest tools in the shed.

But this evening I have my Chet Baker playing and I am thinking about a person, who I had certain hopes for and who is blossoming but circumstances are conspiring against me, and no matter how I wish it, it ain't gonna happen - and I am momentarily and unreservedly simply sadden by the outcome, although my imagination continues to see a different reality and that little voice doggedly whispers that, "you will …that…"

On Sunday night the last thing that I did as I waited for Monday to arrive was watch an episode of the second series of Northern Exposure, which continues to be absolutely brilliant. In this episode Ed together with a 'spirit come elder' sets out in search of his parents who left him behind as a baby and even though the spirit who has assisted on many of life's searches can't help Ed find the answer, he does however tell him to keep his eye on the road and that the answer will come.

I, like Ed, remain hopeful in the knowledge that my sadness will depart even if we don't find a resolution to my conundrum but that the reality I imagine will come.

Later tonight in an endeavour to snap out of this little funk I intend watching some football with my good friend Ben (Oswest) who will be reading tomorrow at 18h00 (Baobab Books, Baobab Mall, 210 Long Street). Will it be about pathos, longing, work or football? I don't know? I guess you just have to get down to the venue to find out for yourself.

Happy trick aah treating.

my month end data cleanse

2006-10-29T12:33:00.000-08:00

There are people out there that find that cleaning relaxes them, that it suitably distracts them from their reality for long enough to dispense of any manifested frustration. I am not one of those people, there are other activities that I find relaxing and cleaning isn't one of them, it's a chore that I attend to when I need to and that is that.

So you can imagine my affinity for spending my whole day scrubbing data in order for it to more closely reflect 'reality,' mind numbing stuff.

The demand for data intensifies as the month progresses, no month end would be complete without doing some data export into excel and pivoting it. Once you have mastered the language of numbers its preparation is something, just like cleaning that should be left to those people, who enjoy doing it.

These days we spend an infinite amount of time attempting to make 'pure, rational, data driven decisions' but very seldom live the consequences. In your personal life, you live your decisions, you instinctively assimilate and decide in the knowledge that it's your bed and no matter how cliched you have to sleep in it. Business decisions though are often removed of this type of consequence, of course there are consequences but you don't always have to live with the outcomes.

And as somebody near the top of the food chain recently pointed out: 'What has happened to the company which used to take 80% of the data? We now take 150% of the data, miss the opportunity and then are still talking about it!'

preventing anarchy

2006-10-27T03:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I bought a DVD writer which is lightscribe (the laser prints onto the cd's face) enabled but it took me an absolute age to get it to work. Eventually after googling for new drivers which I downloaded and installed it sorted itself out but unfortunately my scribbles were saved to draft and only published today.

Yesterday, the newspaper headlines where all about the efficiency of tax collection which we now enjoy and how this additional monies will be allocated in the medium term, up until 2009, our famous three year plan.

The Revenue has undergone a complete 360 degree change particularly with regard to the service which it provides us the taxpayers, it's friendly and organised. It's not the old revenue of bureaucratic forms and 15h30 closures irrespective of the queuing hoards waiting to be served.

Better service, the simplification of the tax rules, the clever usage of amnesty windows and good management has largely brought about this change where the country now has a R30 billion surplus of tax revenue.

But going to the Revenue it's still not a fun journey to make I visited the Receiver's offices on the Tuesday to get a tax clearance for the purchase of company shares, and since I do my bit for anarchy avoidance it took me less than 30 minutes, I still qualified for free parking.

So where are the monies going to be spent? The bulk is going towards services (policing, housing and health) and infrastructure development while some will find it's way towards telecoms and stadia revival for the 2010 cup.

Lets hope that just like the collectors, the rest of the government departments can begin function on the same premise of better service delivery for the people who pay their salaries because we still have a very long journey ahead of us but at least there is now a visible model which can and should be replicated.

"never let your past impede your future success or holiday aspirations"

2006-10-27T01:27:00.000-07:00

Ca va?

Comme ci comme ca.

Comme ci comme ca working days are my least favourite type of day, these are the days when you discretely zone out with you headphones on and practice a bit of presenteeism - surf the net in between scheduled meetings not worrying if people notice. There is no point in starting anything significant because you don't feel like it and the calendar has construed to tangle every 30 minutes of your free time with two hour long discussions.

I know that when I begin to think about winning the lottery that it's time to take a break and put in for a day's leave. My biggest problem is that we are beginning to ramp up now as we close the year out so from now until the second week of December it's going to be a slog, a battle to get the year end into any sort of summer shape that is worth flaunting.

The business year has got its cycles and this is that cycle when your mind is on your holidays but your focus needs to be securing your performance contract so that you can afford to go on holiday - it's ironic but that realisation hardly helps when you need to get it done and you don't have the inclination.

A good friend of the family, who has staff to look after was telling me that this time of the year her husband has to push her out of the car in the morning to get going, I don't have that problem, I look out at the ocean and then realise that if I want to continue to enjoy this view that I better get going but it's hard when your heart's not in it.

So thank and the 'lord of the jungle' that it's Friday and we can soon begin our short reprieve away from the office et al.

Take care on the roads and be safe.

our auditors and our coffee

2006-10-25T02:35:00.000-07:00

Debit to the window, credit to the door, journalise everything else, it use to be so simple, O=A+L.

The building is filling up with auditors, as we approach year end, they are visibly justifying their fees. It now takes up to 12 months before our financials statements are signed off, what happened? When did it all get so very complicated?

Lawyers and Accountants are the only two types of professionals who you will see on the directors lists of most company letterheads. These professions have this ability to get in there, even if they don't have the required skill sets they worm there way into the space. It all stems from a very efficient graduate training scheme, where they take on batches of graduates, pay them a minimum wage and then release them like spores into host industries. Of course, their predecessors pull them in, employing who they know and so the cycle continues unabated.

One of the outcomes is increasing complexity in almost every facet of business, because they need to create "rules" that are designed around their core competencies - accountants count the "dead men" while lawyers "create and handle any disputes on the battlefield."

My background is construction management and in my final year of university we had one of the old wise men present a new course called 'Construction Law.' He said that in his days (which were not that long ago) there was no such thing, contracts were written on a piece of paper which stated that one party would construct the building by such a date for such an amount of money and that the other party would pay 'x' by way of compensation, they shook hands (old skool) and this piece of paper was then tucked away in a file in the bottom draw.

When we started the course he said that, he knew of three textbooks which had been written on the subject but that many more would 'soon' follow because companies were now organising their business' to include a legal team who would handle (and create) their disputes.

In his time they never had lawyers (or accountants) to complicate matters, they knew what was required and they got on with it. Of course things evolve but this evolution isn't as glamorous or effective as people suggest. And as proof, today we've got a group of at least 20 people here and they are going to be here for the next four months at least - doing what? Checking up on things, I guess we do like our auditors and I think that they like being here, it must be the free coffee.

i'm feelin' yah

2006-10-23T14:13:00.000-07:00

A good friend of mine who works in big-bad-consulting, tells this great story of how he was introduced to the 'African' handshake.

Shortly after he arrived in our little fishing village from Ireland, he was escorted to a meeting where apon being introduced he offered his hand in greeting and instead of that old fashioned firm handshake that he was use to, his hand was gripped, rolled, twisted and shook and before he could contemplate what had happened it was over.

In the meeting that followed all that he could think about was the dynamics of this new handshake which he was mentally trying to reconstruct. He hoped that he would be able to get another chance to get it 'right' at the end of the meeting but instead of shaking again the parties simply left much to his disappointment.

After explaining it to me I tried to show him but my version but this wasn't up to scratch and our new resident expert then proceeded to school me in the art of shaking hands - that's big bad consulting for you.

Today I shook hands with another consultant but it was the 'old skool', grip and squeeze, none of that, "I'm feeling you darhg, I'm feelin' yah," much to my disapointment.

my sunday research - the mini is back in fashion

2006-10-22T11:26:00.000-07:00

There's a breeze coming off the ocean and it's most welcome, I have been baking in the confines of my living room for most of the afternoon - I am "coming down" with something.

The cool air is a wonderful, evening, potion and is certainly helping my spirit which is on the wrong side of grumpy. I am very grumpy when I am sick, so this afternoon spent trying to keep it at bay has been extremely frustrating because it's such a lovely day, a day to be out there and not to be cornered in the sauna of my lounge, listening to the new Koop album and watching Fashion Tv on mute.

The fashion industry and it's associated 'value' chain know how to do renewal and the rest of industry can learn a thing or two about how to be eternally glamorous. Here is an industry which unashameably changes colours, cuts, weights and 'the look' every season and we the en vogue populous rush out and ensure that we are 'in.' Our (big-bad-et-al's) best and most pathetic take on renewal is reorganising the deck chairs on the Titanic every 18 months as we embark on a 'new' strategy - nothing glamorous or attractive about that pursuit of 'happiness.'

The mini is back 'in,' again, I never knew it was out of fashion but if that isn't a reason enough to get "better" then I don't know what will spur me on to find my health again.

Being sick is so limiting - I don't want sympathy, I don't want empathy, I just that right concoction of "stuff" that will get rid of it, here's hoping a good night's rest and a hot totty will free me from the realms of Fashion TV.

what constitutes good service

2006-10-20T11:05:00.000-07:00

It may be a long list but if I were drawing it up, then there are three things that in my opinion I would have near the top of that list of "we don't know, what we don't know." So in no particular order, just like the results of a beauty pageant:

1. What good public transportation feels like;
2. What constitutes good service and;
3. Controversially, what it feels like to be safe in our own environment.

These things maybe as a direct or indirect result of our political past which includes isolation and economic disparity, our geographic location and our culture which is hard to define but something which I am hoping that you'll nod and say, "I know what you mean."

Good public transportation and safety we'll save for another day, it is Friday after all, and all that I want to do today is throw my gadgets out of the 'pad' because I got such atrocious service from big-bad-telecommunications - 'please press 1 to return to the main menu, if you have heard this one before.'

Almost 24 months ago I decided to buy-into mobile data technologies. This was linked to the work that I was doing at the time and also tied into my strong desire of not having a landline in the abode. So when a certain, Telecoms company launched the first 3-g (3rd generation) data card service, I did some investigation and then decided to take the plunge. A plunge that was not without expense and teething but all in all I was pleased with the outcome, particularly so when the service provider got the drivers that "spoke" to the devices, which in turn lead to greater "stability."

Now being the first data provider, I knew that I had to make peace with some of their monopolistic indulgences, like: the inability to check data balances, the inability to buy ad-hoc data bundles and their reluctance to "roll-over" any surplus or unused data that may have accrued in the month.

Clearly, "we don't know what we don't know" because had this company tried this in many other geographies it would have gone bang, and in Asia it would probably have ended up in the cut-make-and-trim industry because it wouldn't have been able to 'cut' it in the Telecommunications industry.

So bad service is not only about the after sales service but also the arrogance of bringing a bad product offering to the market.

Still 'pioneers' have to put up with a little pooh which is what I did and now the market is maturing and other technologies will soon invade this space, look out for "wireless;" "Wimax" and maybe even "satellite" which will increase your options and potentially drive better service. But that discussion like good public transportation and safely is for another day.

Today, 22 months later, I was ready to sign an extension thinking that similar to upgrading voice, there must be something in it for me, what am I going to get in return for being trapped in an expensive data conundrum? According to 'something'-com nothing!

Nothing for signing on for another 24 months at R500 pm minimum. What about a new phone or something else by way of promotion - not nothing but arrogant bad service, from helpdesk to sales agent when I enquire.

I haven't yet given them my "feedback" but I shall, I do believe in complaining and I do believe in writing it down but not when I am annoyed, let the annoyance pass, I don't want to be accused of being emotional as well, but I shall seductively make the point by informing them of their oversight and of the fact that I intend moving to the competition, who are not yet as good but who are "recruiting" and Christmas is a good time for product recruiting and freebie incentives.

So that was my Friday, no fish or frivolity just yet, just five minutes of complaint.

Here's wishing you a bon weekend, be safe and take care.

what happens when you miss your first espresso

2006-10-19T05:49:00.000-07:00

I have spent the better part of the morning piecing together an agenda for a team meeting and surreally it reminded me of the television series 24. Clearly I am no Keiffer Sutherland because my “24 hours” would not enthrall anybody, I include myself on that list but I thought that since I am doing an agenda, I would give “reality TV” 24 a bit of a go, you will have to imagine hearing the silly the music and that even sillier typing sounds as the plot thickens.

08h00: Frothy typing sounds, time displayed in luminous green. Alarm 1, alarm 1 ignored. Alarm 2, alarm 2 ignored. Alarm 3, time check, alarm 3 ignored. Alarm 4, the final alarm, time check, sleep for another 10 minutes random thought, alarm ignored.

09h00: Camera pans to bed and abruptly stops at face. Still sleeping, frothy typing sounds, time displayed in luminous green, 09h10, I get up, find my specs, check the time, 09h13. Find the stereo, put on some music, make an espresso, log-on to the network, and check the runners on the promenade. Then a quick shower as you go to an ad break and a female voice announces that 24 will be back shortly. 09h45 dressed, typing and shaving (mulit-tasking, so take notes, look I said I wasn’t Keiffer Sutherland).

10h00: Cellphone number sounds, I am dialing into a conference call – “the leader hasn’t activated, please hold and press hash” (it’s legal). An aerial shot of the cars driving by and then the camera comes swooping in and abruptly stops at me as I am introducing myself and the call begins…

Phone is on speaker mode, so I can hear but it’s muted, I need another espresso, I am doing more email. THEN suddenly *6, somebody wants to know something from South Africa …s@%t! Adrenaline rush, “still here, just trying to unmute…”Frothy typing sounds, time in luminous green 10h43, I start the car and change the soundtrack, I am off to headquarters.

Reality big-bad-oil-and-gas “24” will continue at a later date. This morning I overslept, missed my first espresso and moodily went straight onto a conference call – aarh reality!

I am proud to play for ...

2006-10-18T07:48:00.000-07:00

One of my mid week tasks is sorting out my fantasy league team which unfortunately is currently lamenting in mid table in our 'friends and enemies' league.

Sorting out requires a cursory glance at some of the football gossip on the wires and then checking if I am maximising my opportunities at getting the best points return from the upcoming matches. Today I came across this piece on Skysports, where Momo Sissoko, the dynamic, young, Liverpool midfielder talks about playing for Mali and not as Ben Oswest puts it, “Africa’s surrogate” team – France.

Momo goes on to talk about the opportunity which the beautiful game has given him, and how he is determined to improve his ability to fully make use of his circumstances. With 2010 fast approaching, I hope that many more Africans will make a similar choice and through their football entertain and enrich the continent.

“Liverpool's all-action midfielder Mohamed Sissoko insists he is proud to represent Mali despite admitting any player would 'love' to play for France. The 21-year-old star was born near Rouen but was unwilling to wait and see if Les Bleus came calling after he moved to Valencia from Auxerre in 2003.

Sissoko has since represented Mali, but, pressed on the issue of his nationality by the French media, has now admitted he would have been pleased to play for Raymond Domenech's World Cup finalists.

However, the athletic midfielder says he is more than happy representing the African nation and that Mali can stake a real claim for qualification for the 2010 World Cup.

"Anyone would love to play for the French team," Sissoko told L'Equipe. "But I made my choice and it is impossible to go back. I am proud to play for Mali. With Mahamadou Diarra, Kanoute, Seydou Keita, Djimi Traore, Adama Coulibaly, Kante and Eric Chelle we have a big team to, capable of qualifying for 2010 World Cup."

The Reds star also explained how his family is a strong motivation for his on-going success in the world of professional football.

"Every morning my father woke up at 5am to go to the factory," Sissoko revealed. "Getting out of my condition to improve my parents' lives has always been an additional motivation. It is not because I am playing at Liverpool that I believe I've made it. Football gave me an opportunity but I have worked hard to seize it and I won’t give up and not go on."

http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?hlid=422793&CPID=219&clid=368&lid=2&title=Sissoko+happy+with+Mali+choice

Footnote - Taking an Ad Break:

Ben Oswest will be reading on 01 Novemeber 2006. It's an rsvp event but I will slip you out the odd glass of wine if you just happened to rock up, tis Africa after all - yes, I'll be the one wearing blue...

Baobab Books invites you to a reading by Ben Oswest -
Wednesday 1st November 2006 5.30 for 6.00pm
Henrietta Rose-Innes will introduce Oswest's novel,
The New Suffolk Hymnbook
The book will be on sale and Ben will be happy to sign your copies

Come join us for a glass of wine, Baobab Books, Baobab Mall, 210 Long Street.

RSVP Julie Aitchison
Telephone 4223894
firsted@iafrica.com

my rather choppy early employment career

2006-10-17T02:41:00.000-07:00

This morning I was on a call with a friend and she was telling me that she had resigned, and I said, "Good!"

Resignation to the fact that something is not for you is not the easiest thing in the world, because it requires courage to cut your loses so to speak. Often though it's a necessary step that you need to take at some point in your work 'career' and more pronouncedly at equally important junctions in your life, the only real difference is that you don't do it via a silly formal letter stating your intentions of moving on.

I resigned from my first job, in big-bad-NGO, after three days of work, for a long time it rated as one of my most embarrassing feats of which there thankfully are few, but now on reflection it was quite a brave and noble thing to do. The NGO facilitated, mentored and instigated action but never ever followed through, that was for the community to do and since the real work was building low income "starter" houses it quickly became apparent to me that very little building would take place and a lot of politicking would instead be its substitute. Perhaps this is the first phase of development but I was young and I needed to be on site doing work, so I resigned, I realised that it was not for me and in that sort of space somebody committed to facilitation needed to take my place.

Then a couple of years later in my rather choppy early employment career, I resigned for the second time and this was such a relief, a huge weight was lifted, the circumstances had become "strained" and I felt increasingly like I wasting my time. Eventually it got to a breaking point and I wrote that letter, which I am sure you can now Google, if you are looking for a template.

There are just times when you need to acknowledge what you already suspect and courageously follow through, it's not easy because circumstance often dictates priorities to the contrary but the future at these trying moments is more often than not a very comforting companion, that same future that generally causes you anxiety because it is unknown, is now your sense of hope and purpose, as you move on to bigger and better things.

some days you drink martinis and think about chasing that girl

2006-10-16T09:33:00.000-07:00

Marilyn Monroe sweetly and provocatively sings the Irving Berlin classic, "A man chases a girl," and suggestively she offers the following advice:

A man chases a girl until she catches him. He runs after a girl until he's caught. He fishes for a girl until she's landed him. It all comes out exactly the way she thought. Uncertain, he tags along behind. Uncertain, till she makes up his mind. A man chases a girl until she catches him. But don't run too fast while you are saying "No."And once you've caught him don't ever let him go.

The most likely outcome for the sensible man it would seem is to resign himself to the fact that he is the prey and not the hunter and just to let things unfold naturally because if the lyric is to be believed, passivism may be as fruitful as activism. Personally I don't know the outcome I just occasionally dabble at both ends of the spectrum depending on my mood.

Juxtaposing this type of scenario onto the projects arena, you could well chorus that no matter how much you try, the solution will eventually present itself and that we will then all live happily ever after enjoying our project bonuses. Not quite, because it doesn't work like that although I wish it did, work requires for decisions to be made so that agendas can be to be forwarded, activism unfortunately is a fundamental part the equation of finding the right solution space.

But this is not about having an excel spreadsheet open and changing the cell colours or pushing paper wishfully waiting for comments which you know that you will never receive, it's about the appropriate action necessary to deliver the appropriate changes of state, in order to get to the appropriate outcomes - elbow grease.

And I do concur that some times you can just let the day just come to you and that it's best not to meddle but mostly this is fraught with danger.

So today I have been following an email thread waiting for it to unfold hoping against hope that one of the techies would simply pick up the telephone and say, "whatzup! How do we solve this?" But my misplaced optimism has eventually run it's course and I have given up and politely sent out a meeting request which read," lets get on call because we need some action and not any more email."

This is why at the end of some days you drink martinis and think about chasing that girl.

a sunday "between yesterday and tomorrow "

2006-10-15T02:52:00.000-07:00

Nothing beats that first night back, sleeping in your own bed feeling, and last night the bed literarily swallowed me up and 12 hours later it dislodged me to get on with what I need to be doing.

Sundays, are my low energy, jazz days and today I get to listen to a few cds which I acquired in duty free on route home that belong to this series of espresso and thought recollection moments.

Today I want to give the following albums a listen:

1. Art Bleek: Between yesterday and tomorrow (aptly and cleverly titled);
2. Gilles Peterson and Patrick Forge present: Sunday afternoon at Dingwalls
3. Various: The house that Trane built, the story of impulse records (will need a few Sundays to work through this collection, the “new wave of jazz is on impulse!”)
4. Diana Krall: from this moment on
5. Duke Ellington; Charles Mingus and Max Roach: Money Jungle

I am probably not going to get past the Art Bleek, which has been playing in the background and is really good, nu-jazz. I collect music, I have always collected something at some point in my life but music has been a constant, in all genres but only ever in vinyl 33 and 45, cassette, cd and now mp3 format.

It’s my first love and always ‘brands’ a trip for me, it date stamps my nostalgia and is an entry point for remembering that next series of good things which maybe associated with the music purchased.

I also want begin collate my work thoughts and delete some email so that Monday, is a more manageable day and nothing is better than doing it while enjoying my view with a few 'homemade' espressos and some fine Sunday jazz.

a week in edinburgh

2006-10-14T11:50:00.000-07:00

I am happily and safely back down South again after a week’s conferencing in Edinburgh; yes the South is “rising again.” My week in Edinburgh was spent celebrating project successes before planning that next wave under the umbrella slogan of: "don't let your past get in the way of your future."

Sometimes you need to be reminded of that necessity of standing back and purposely reviewing what you have been able to achieve, because you don’t want to get caught in that inflationary syndrome where you are always chasing the next big thing without appreciating what you have achieved.

It’s like you spend your hard earned savings on the new ipod but before you can go showing it off, your bastard competitor is strutting around with the new Sony walkman which you now just have to get even though your Apple is but a few seconds old.

So Edinburgh was very good from that perspective, it allowed a globally dispersed team the opportunity to get together and enjoy each other’s company, to look at best of bred solution space and then to begin to plot that course for 2007.

In between we drank a bit of Scotch and saw some of the old town.

--------------------------
If you didn’t already know it but carrots will improve your eyesight and make your hair curl. And telling the waitress this before your order the carrot and coriander soup will ensure that you receive good service for the rest of the evening. I promised myself a while ago that I would always try to dine with the most charming of the co-worker brigade particularly when it’s at the company’s expense and thus never mine.
------------------------------
When asked what the concept of supplier enablement entailed this was one of the replies: “it’s crap, it doesn’t do what’s written on the box…”Some workshopped topics proved to be surprisingly good.
-----------------------------------
When they set out to build the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh the budget was set at 50 million pounds. The eventually cost of the completed article was 500 million, thanks to “devolution of power,” and the English “check” book.
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My father learnt a lesson this week that we take for granted but it doesn’t matter how big your heart is if you don’t find ways of de-stressing you’ll end up in places which are reserved for “real” sick people.
------------------
Scotland may have beaten France but every Scottish pub that we went to was too stingy to pay for the viewing rights. The Irish pub where we ended up watching the last half of the game was the real winner because it “forced” us to drink copiously and celebrate late into the night.
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Tips for appreciating Scotch: Check the colour; the body; the nose; the palate; and the finish. Then drink it but watch out for that strange “house” Scotch blend which you maybe be served in some pubs, it’s nasty stuff even if you check the colour; body; nose; palate and finish.
---------------------------------------
I learnt that we don’t complain anymore, although I still reserve the right to do five minutes of it each day but that we now give feedback. My travel feedback is that there should be baby free flights because two, 12-hour, “upper class,” Virgin flights were ruined by the incessant cries of various infants.
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Finally for our special community of friends who were extremely supportive during the past week’s trails and tribulations – thank-you! I now own a Trainspotting t-shirt with those famous lines printed on the front: “Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose family …Choose your future. Choose life…But why would I want to do a thing like that?” Thank-you for choosing to be there.
---------------------------
And nobody got my accent but “Am I bovvered? Am I…”

Good friends regardless of geography and circumstance

2006-10-09T05:19:00.000-07:00

I have been very fortunate to have worked with some fantastic people in the last few years, projects are synonymous with a quick turn around of faces and places but every now and again you manage to forge the odd friendship long after the work has gone.

A couple of years ago, I worked with two such people, on an Asset Enterprise Management system, one was the project's process lead and the other was the technical lead and for 18 months we worked steadfastly to design and build a system which now resides in eight Sub-Saharan countries. It was an impressive piece of work, given the time, financial, geographic and cultural barriers which existed, however none of this stopped us from first becoming good "mates" and then delivering on our intentions.

At the end of the project I was asked to compile a paper which had the following by way of "tips":

* Make sure that the solution focuses on all three areas: People; Process and System, in that order, and not just technical delivery
* Adopt a proven project management methodology and stick to it - it adds credibility and minimises potential project risk
* Define your problem space, no matter how long the wish list
* Think BIG but think practically when you define your solution space making sure that you tie it back to your problem space, then lobby for consensus and move on
* Harvest ideas and champions from previous initiatives within the organisation, this is a way of building support and short-circuiting a lot of potential development work;
* Use knowledgeable experts where possible but know that some of the solutions will have to be built up from scratch
* A core small project team of successfully motivated people will drive it home if there is enough space for them to get on with it
* Consult widely with a view of building relationships but don’t get bogged down, as it is often, "easier to get forgiveness than it is to get
permission."
* Be innovative, we documented 30 define meetings which we had over a three week period using mind mapping software instead of writing formal minutes it took two people four hours to complete.
* Training is important, make peace with the fact that you will have to do waves of it.
* Document the material and find creative ways of disseminating it. Remember people don’t really read, so try to keep it interactive, visual and replicable. We used techniques such as
shadowing, desktop videoing, web pages and intranet forums but ultimately still compiled that training manual just in case.
* And finally you have got to be dogged and persevering, a project of this nature could take up to 18 months plus another few post switch-on, to button down the niggles, so make sure that you have your dedicated resources committed throughout.

Later today I give another lessons learnt feedback session but most of these lessons were learnt by three good friends, one of whom I had the pleasure of spending the weekend with, he managed to come down from Aberdeen with his wife to "hang-out" as friends do.

Footnote:
For my best man and favourite poet in this your time of sadness and remembrance we your friends are here to hang-out whenever you need us.

"if you want my body and you think i'm sexy..."

2006-10-08T00:19:00.000-07:00

We were wondering around the streets of Edinburgh looking for a pub to watch the Scotland- France, Euro qualifier. It was cold and blustery and even the residents were scampering about but we were determined to enjoy some football, we were after all in Scotland on this important day. With the first half all but over we still had not managed to find a pub that was showing the game and we had been into a few by now - what was this lack of faith all about? Why wasn’t anybody ‘bloody’ interested?

Eventually we found a pub that was showing some football but it was the England game, they were however kind enough to tell us why and where to go to see what was left of the game,” It’s on pay per view; you should try down the road at the Irish pub they’ll be showing it.”

So back into the cold and down the road but at least we were heading in the right direction and five minutes later we were inside a crowded pub, tuned into the game, 60 minutes had passed but it was nil all, “You missed nothing,” someone said.

Then the moment that everybody had been waiting for arrived, did we have anything to do with it, well it matters little now, because from a corner in the French half, the ball breaks to the number 8 who slots it home, Scotland 1 France nil. Silence for a ‘wee’ split, second of disbelief and then a boisterous “Yeah!” as we jump up and down in unison.

Twenty minutes later the referrer blows the final whistle which signals the end of the game and a bout of tangible relief for all concerned.

The celebration a proper now begins as the pub's loud speakers blast an old classic…”if you want my body and you think I’m sexy come on dharling, let me know…” what would the occasion be without some Rod Stewart.

“Aiy mate, welcome to Scotland.”

Footnote: Lets go Tigers!

it's all "relatively" expensive again

2006-10-05T06:56:00.000-07:00

To state the obvious but the good ol' ZAR is once again going to the dogs thereby making long division tricky and overseas travel a bit of luxuriously expensive affair. I don't have an exact theory on why it has suddenly nose dived after momentarily moving in our favour against the major currencies, perhaps it's just easiest way to pick up the 2010 tab and as a consequence it will spark a tourism boom pre-world cup.

The informal discussions that I have had with some of our 'financial experts', who are probably guessing as well, reckon that we should be prepared for the following thresholds - R8.50 to the US dollar and R15.00 to British pound come Christmas.

It looks like 2000-02 again when the ZAR went into freefall mainly due to whispered speculation by some of the finest First World Financial Institutions. But it's all very macro and at ground zero it is what it is, and you simply have to cut your coat according to your clothe.

Anyway nothing about modern travel is easy today, it's expensive, it's often delayed, the travel rules are constantly changing and the currency continues to "oscillate wildly" but if you can afford it, then go to those places where the Visas aren't an issue and you can still get some value for your ZAR. Go to South America and send me a postcard.

I managed to sort out my Forex, this morning, no mess no fuss but as I signed the invoice it was very apparent that this is all very relative depending on who is picking up the bill, in my case it's a UK cost centre - so peanuts.

what a palaver

2006-10-04T06:11:00.000-07:00

I have never been the best at packing a suitcase for travel, I always tend to over pack and coupled with my inability to maximise the bag's space, I often find myself sitting on the bag and trying to get the zipper closed before I depart for home.

But with the new travel rules packing has now become an even more arduous task.
http://www.baa.com/assets/B2CPortal/Static%20Files/NewSecurityRulesV1_220906.pdf

The link contains the rules of the day but I suggest checking www.baa.co.uk before you begin packing to find out what's allowed. As for the best way to get the job done within the rules of the game, www.ehow.com has the following bit of advice, although, I suggest on route home that you just chuck it all in as best you can, sit on the suitcase and 'puulll' that zipper closed, then simply check the darn bag in, with that, 'please don't ask me to open this thing' look on your face.

Packing a suitcase is a strategic exercise in maximizing space and minimizing wrinkles. You might already have a favourite packing system, but read on for more suggestions .

1. Pack Clothes: Steps

Remember this order of operations: shirts on the bottom, then dresses (if applicable), then pants.
Stack tops, unfolded, by placing wrinkle-prone tops toward the bottom of a pile and less easily wrinkled ones toward the top.
Fold the sleeves in toward the shirts' torsos.
Fold the shirts in half from the bottom. You now have a rectangular bundle of shirts; place it in your suitcase.
Drape long dresses in the suitcase so that the ends hang over the sides.
Place pants and skirts on a flat surface; fold each in half lengthwise.
Stack pants and skirts on top of one another, with easily wrinkled ones on the bottom and sturdier ones, such as jeans, on top. Fold the stack over, so that its length is halved.
Place your stack of pants and skirts on top of the dresses, then fold the ends of the dresses over the pants and skirts.

2. Pack Accessories: Steps

Roll ties loosely.
Stuff socks in shoes. Pack underwear in mesh laundry bags or side pockets to save space.
Arrange each pair of shoes so that the heel of one aligns with the toe of the other.
Wrap pairs of shoes in separate plastic bags, and place them along the border of your suitcase.
Protect clothes from leaks by placing toiletries in a plastic bag.
Pack essential toiletries in a carry-on bag.
Include your toothbrush, toothpaste, makeup, medication and other important items.

3. Overall Tips & Warnings

Avoid packing money, jewellery, travel documents, medication, keys and other valuables in your suitcase. Carry these items with you. (Pah! Check the new rules before you do that, it may or may not be allowed).

http://www.ehow.com/how_3403_pack-suitcase.html

i have never been a morning person and definitely not in October

2006-10-03T08:42:00.000-07:00

Today the New York Times, has an article entitled, "Baseball Before Breakfast in Taiwan" which describes among other things how the baseball play-offs wreck havoc with your biological clock. It's October in Cape Town and although we don't have a Chien Ming Wang (pronounced Wong) pitching in the prestigious "game one," of the New York Yankees - Detroit Tigers series tomorrow morning (1am), I shall be up following it if we get the satellite feed.

You wouldn't expect it because we unlike Taiwan have more of a cricketing culture but baseball is played and enjoyed in small pockets throughout South Africa. When I was growing up I didn't follow the game primarily because I played tennis and cricket during the summer months but also because we shared our football fields with the baseball fraternity during the off-season and they never returned them in the desired state.

Once the football season begun, you would still find the remains of the mound on some of the fields. This area which was made up of compacted "aggregate" (sand, stone and gravel) proved to be the best place for opposition tough tacklers to foul, nimble, skilful players like myself because you not only got the studs you also got the "turf." So for a long time I disliked game because it had caused me far too many unnecessary scrapes and I only embraced it again in the mid 90ties during the play-offs, when I began to watch a young Yankees team, which had Jeter, Williams, Cone and my favourite player #42, go all the way.

I liked the way they played the game, moving runners, strategic clutch hitting coupled with some really good pitching and an excellent defence - the game captured my imagination. The other more important reason was that for the first time we got to see Major League Baseball on our televisions for a sustained period of time and if the Yankees had not done well that year I would most likely have made a connection with another team who would have enjoyed the major share of the coverage.

Time difference is the major problem when you are following the play-offs, during my first series I had my brother bring me VHS recordings of the previous night's game in order for me to enjoy a "delayed" version. And ever since that memorable first series, thank-you Scott Brosius, I have followed the game with a growing appreciation and to such an extent that it is now one of my favourite "pastimes."

So I was very pleased to read this morning on the eve of the play-offs that October sleep deficiency is not an isolated problem and that like me many Taiwanese experience the same conundrum: "Lawmakers forgave a colleague who fell asleep during a meeting after he explained that, like many Taiwanese, he had stayed up to watch a Yankees game that was shown live in the middle of the night here. Yankees games have some of the highest ratings on Taiwanese television, even for broadcasts that start at 1 a.m. because of the 12-hour time difference" (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/03/sports/baseball/03wang.html?ex=1160020800&en=1d01e1c5c5814321&ei=5087%0A).

Now lets go Yankees and yes I agree, the Tigers have been brilliant this year, just like the As who always are and the Marlins were a revelation but it's the evil empire who have converted me many years ago that I remain faithful to - so lets go Yankees!

the big wheel keeps on turning

2006-10-02T07:15:00.000-07:00

One of the throw away lines at my grandmother's funeral which I attended this morning, was a reply to the question, "Did you really stay up and make koeksisters?" which my mother jokingly asked one of the "aunties" who was in attendance.

Her classic reply was, "Yes, I was up until four this morning, you know our family always makes the tarts and the koeksisters, it's our speciality."

A big funeral with an old fashioned sense of community, right down to the making of pastries for the reception tea. I though am on a pre-team meeting diet of sorts, so those famous pastries are right out for me, as I will soon be going into a bulging three meals a day, afternoon tea and scones and evening drinks environment.

You never go hungry at these team meetings, you just get meal after meal, course after course and no exercise other than mental dexterity. So since I've been through a few, I know that from past experiences, to deflate my love handles prior to the event and to plan on hitting that treadmill running as soon as I step off the plane.

The funeral, as is the case with these affairs honoured the memory and gave support the immediate family. A family which continues to grow as I found out that a cousin in Australia has just recently given birth to triplets. Life does have a remarkable way of continuing unabated, my calendar and my no-koeksister diet are evidence of its joys.

pinch-punch it's the 1st of the month say...

2006-10-01T11:44:00.000-07:00

I spent the day with my folks, I try to see them at least once a fortnight, and happily they have lost none of their conversational spark and cheer.

My parents are young in comparison to most of my peers, my mother for instance knows about video conferencing while my father knows how to programme and record the PVC decoder, the result is that I often take advice from them because most of our experiences are still ‘generationally’ concurrent, and it’s easier.

But, although they are young they effectively combine old fashioned values with this modern approach to life which makes them rather clever.

Today they used that parenting ‘Jedi mind trick’ of complaining about other people’s behaviour in our company and then saying, “Our children were taught never to…”

Basically don’t ever try that … if you know what is good for you.

And if you know what’s good for you, you would say, “White Rabbit!” because it’s the first of the month.

it's what I do

2006-09-30T13:48:00.000-07:00

I spent the better part of the morning in the city centre looking for a suitcase. I had bought a good one a few years ago, in one of those shops on the fringes of the main road (high street) which sold a little bit of everything, their merchandise comprised of some good quality, some not so good but always stuff that moved. It was my first port of call in my search but the shop had closed as the area was being renovated.

Large parts of the city is currently being renewed and quietly gentrified, the idea is to bring people back into the city after the 9-to-5 suburban crowds have left for home. Before the forced removals of families, people lived and earned their living in the inner city, a phenomenon which you can still see on the outskirts of the CDB where small family businesses can be found on the ground floors of still to be renovated buildings.

These families own those 'yellow pages' type of: printing, automotive and tailoring businesses and they live in the apartments above these premises. They create the city's charm but sadly many of them have disappeared as a result of bad politics, bad urban planning and the creation of privileged suburban nodes. Now the city, is trying to recapture that charm but by way of a loft apartment, trendy café society lifestyle model, where small businesses will once again be part of the culture.

It won't be the same, but that's a given, as it's impossible to replace a generation of bakers, of tailors, of flower sellers, carpenters, and mechanics but it will hopefully evolve as their importance to urban living is finally being recognised and acknowledged.

I like the city, I like it because of the dichotomy, on a day like today, the last day of the month, the high street is a mob with people spending their hard earned wages, the city feels real, bustling and African but just a few roads away from this frenzy there exists a very cosmopolitan 'safe,' street, café culture - the posh 'third world.'

I did eventually find a suitcase for my travels, in a similar shop, in a highly trafficked but 'tired' looking mall concourse. I told the assistant about how difficult it was to find the right size suitcase and she immediately knew what I was talking about and promptly proceeded to show me their small but affordable range. The charm and the personalised service was enough for this fool and his money to be parted.

As I was cashing up I asked the owner whether they would survive all of the renewal and he said that he had moved premises three times in the last few years but that his shop was still trading, "it's what I do," he concluded.

taking another ad break

2006-09-29T03:12:00.000-07:00

Put a man in a uniform and watch the power go to his head, put a man in a new BMW and watch-out he believes he now owns the road.

Some morning's courtesy of the new-BMW-drivers guild you really need that cup of Chamomile tea before you log on and deal with what the rest of the morning has to offer. Fortunately my inbox contained a pleasant surprise by way of an e-card of the latest Koop release on Compost. And I am pleased to see that the new album features Yukimi Nagano who in my bumble opinion is the Astrud Gilberto of our generation.

http://www.koop-islands.com/compost/

All very clever, good use of technology and particular good use of "a little what's in it for me" marketing by way of a free mp3. So this morning, I tip my cap to the another German manufacturer, who are quite literally streets ahead when it comes to lifestyle selection.

"...This October sees the return of the legendary duo KOOP with their second album "Koop Islands" on Compost Records. Just remember their all time classic "Summer Sun" and you know what to expect: finest jazz in the present tense and lovely melodies which you won't get out of your head for days and days…"

Note the tracklist will allow you to listen to four short snippets off the new album, and to watch the video.

Bon weekend, stay safe and let it treatz you well.

it hot in the city

2006-09-28T07:32:00.000-07:00

It's hot in the city today, and I am seriously thinking about investing in a USB fan, I had one but I foolishly gave it away this winter.

It's hot in the city today and it's school holidays and I am jealous, jealous of their days away from school and jealous of their spending power. Can you imagine explaining the rationale of saving to children today, saving to them would be what goalkeepers and lifeguards do, they save religiously.

It's f....g hot (pardon my french, the language of love) in the city today and I saw the strangest thing while fighting my way through the mall earlier, I saw somebody scribbling something on the back of a cigarette box. These days it's all moleskin notebooks and cellphones what happened to the good old days when you could capture your life's details on the back of a pack of 20. Remember to please drag responsibly.

It's a hot footnote in the city and I shall be having many glasses of champagne for EAW - 'you -rock' and very, well done on a brilliant, brilliant achievement.

a suit for all occasions

2006-09-27T00:28:00.000-07:00

There was a time when I had a wardrobe full of suits, now I only have two, both dark practical colours, both different weights, both suitable for all occasions. When I worked in big-bad-retail we went from wearing suits to smart casual by way of office dress and almost instantly many of my suits practically disappeared. My cycle for looking like an auditor from the big five, passed quickly and without regret.

This weekend however demands that I don my best dress and be in attendance, it's not the annual horse racing event, it's not a wedding - it's a funeral and while the other events are optional, funerals are mandatory affairs. My father's, mother peacefully completed her cycle, at 89 it was a rich and blessed life but for my father I will supportively be wearing that mandatory suit in this his time of need and acceptance.

preparing for a little good faith

2006-09-26T08:27:00.000-07:00

You never realise the importance of preparation and research until you are muddling your towards a cul-de-sac wondering why you took that wrong turn. The next couple of days are thinking days, reading days, googling days, with the aim of trying to understand what is out there and more importantly to get it all to galvanise into some sort of probable solution space.

I like to be prepared, I never spent more than a year in the Scouts but the motto, “Be Prepared” somehow got stuck in my consciousness. Preparation for me can be as simple as a few drinks, like before I would go to French classes, I would have a whisky and my pronunciation would be strikingly better. Likewise before going to Tango lessons, I would (slightly) increase that dosage of alcoholic units and I would stand on less toes and dance much better.

But for work (since I don’t spike my fruit), I like to be mentally organised, because when I’m mentally organised I am more productive and focused in terms of discussion and subsequent actions.

The key to my preparation is to have just enough information but far more important is having the right people present in the room. Sounds easy, find the data, mentally churn it into knowledge and block some time in the calendars of the people that you require but this is a corporate, finding anything other than the restrooms can be quite an arduous task.

Today has been a slow (ish) data gathering day, I still not sure how I am going to get the right audience but I suspect that if I supplied a little good faith by way of a short pre-read and an offer to pay for a finger lunch, I could possibly pack them in.