Recoil hit. Thought that I beat it but still in bed in the middle of best biz hours. Damn.
Well, sorted out some preliminary issues for balancing of the books. Looks like pretty much break even for the last fiscal year. Not bad for a new company.
On Sunday's paper there was a column about British Empire in Iraq in the early 20th century. Sounded like the exact case for today's world. Same stuff already then: oil. Same mistakes and same 'humanitarian' and democracy reasoning. Yeah, right.
Yankees were caught by surprise that Iraq is keeping heavy resistance and holding positions. Now it's a different story than in 1991. On those days Iraq was conquering Kuwait and thus in foreign soil without legitimate reason. Today it's US in foreign ground and people of Iraq in their domestic turf. Pretty much easier to protect in familiar soil and cities than attack in unknown territories. Finland have done it several times, Russia kept Hitler away (well, barely) etc. Maybe it's also something to do with moral among the groups. Base camps are named under US oil companies and some military camp bared also the name New York. Got the picture and the issues that keep America on its wheels!
Great feeling. I found some old diaries I thought were lost already for good. Some student times and first steps in the corporate life in Southern France. Fun to read and more learing than I first imagined.
I was totally devastated by flu the whole weekend. It caught me by surprise on Friday. Funny that this has not been the first time. I never learn and believe that I could get sick! Well, Saturday was a total surrender and I had to admit that now it's for real. Well, by midnight on Saturday I was getting better and feeling so as well. The whole day went not in bed but by arranging my old backups and archives. Old corresponce during the years of studying and new media mania. Already looking forward to dig in to the past and reflect the past ten years...
Struckling with the flu did not take me totally down. I gave my tentative approval for joining the board of a newly established advertising agency. We will see whether it will materialise and in which form. They are looking for totally independent representatives and could be also some 'names' involved.
Spring is here. I started to use my spring jacket. Boss offered nicely to do some patching free of charge. Quality pays off ?!?
Seems to be the good old days again. I have been drinking and eating out more than once a day. Or is it to do more with the weather?
Blair witch project was broadcasted by one of the main channels yesterday. Well, I have mixed feelings about the concept. It started slowly and was really about team dynamics and intrigue more than anything else. The 'horror' started only in the final minutes. I was left with a feeling that the whole scripts was made the following parts already in mind. Nothing was explained and everything was left open. Excellent ground for a soap opera.
I watched the Red Dragon the other night. It was rather OK movie. Nothing special to remark but easy-going and entertaining to watch. Hopkins was excellent. Yesterday we had a discussion whether Red Dragon came before the Silence of the Lambs storywise. In the final scene of Red Dragon Lecter was informed that a yound lady wanted to see him - the beginning for the SoL?
From today's news: 3000 jobs out of IT industry. This has been going on since 2000. I just wonder what are all the laid off people doing. I bet many of them have shifted from IT to something else. Real estate brokers, entrepreneurs, freelancers, consultants, unemployed, back to studying, finalising studies, abroad...
An example of US diplomacy:
The following is the transcript of an ACTUAL radio conversation in October 1995, between a US Navy ship off the coast of England, and some British authority.
BRITS: Please divert your course 15 degrees to the South, to avoid a collision
AMERICANS: Recommend you divert your course 15 degrees to the North, to avoid a collision
BRITS: Negative. You will have to divert your course 15 degrees to the South to avoid a collision.
AMERICANS: This is the Captain of US Navy ship. I say again, divert YOUR course.
BRITS: Negative. I say again. You will have to divert your course.
AMERICANS: THIS IS THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS LINCOLN. THE SECOND LARGEST SHIP IN THE UNITED STATES' ATLANTIC FLEET. WE ARE ACCOMPANIED BY THREE DESTROYERS, THREE CRUISERS, AND NUMEROUS SUPPORT VESSELS. I DEMAND THAT YOU CHANGE YOUR COURSE 15 DEGREES NORTH. THAT'S 15 DEGREES NORTH, OR COUNTER MEASURES WILL BE UNDERTAKEN TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THIS SHIP.
BRITS: We are a lighthouse. Fuck off
Living room becomes a habit. Well, today only some 1½ churchills (= 2½h) and one MC 4 (=½h) by carusel cafe. Excellent weather. Looking forward the spring. Already noticable that good times are soon here. Girls start to flourish with smile. Spring makes wonders and the world to go around...
Positive electricity in the air. Biz environment is getting better. Hopes lifted even thought the war gives no reason to celebrate. Killing people is never justified. By creating more suffering one will never solve any problems. Time heals, not bullets.
Roger Moore Law: an actor is fresh only for seven bonds. Connory did seven and roger as well. Pierce has three to go. We shall see whether this comes as valid as the almost cliche - Moore's law.
Freezing like hell. Wind was so cold that one cannot believe that it's not -20 degrees.
For the first time I had to use the subway. Only two stops but it was enough. The shift from the centre to the north a mile or so felt like a jump to another world. Lots of drunk and unemployed people around. No suits or barely anyone at sight with a regular job or living standard. Or was that only how I saw it? Anyway, the whole operation took some 30 minutes door to door. By car roughly 7. So 14 minutes or an hour for a return trip. I'm not convinced - prefer my car back any time soon.
Lit a Churchill Partagas and spent some 3 hours in my regular living room. Not many people - Monday. That particular cigar was not so splendid experience. I suspect that my humidor is running with too much humidity. Blocks the incoming smoke and takes the fun out of the whole moment when one has to suck with effort. Must also look a bit strange.
Suddenly the phone started to ring after some three weeks of almost silence mode. Good to notice that I'm not totally forgotten.
Father was more than disappointed for the election results. Well, I did not have too big of expectations anyhow. At least some hundred votes so it was not embarrising like with some other candidates who got between 4 and 10 votes. Not much neighbours or relatives with good rapport left...
Yesterday I tested Alfa 156 V6 with some 190 housepowers. Not my cup of tea. Too small pedals and about there feeling all the time. Prefer Audi A3 instead. It's more in there and precise engineering. Alfa feels like that it will not last long.
By accident met an old friend of mine from the startup mania era. Still a consultant at GapGemini and looking for a flat. 30's approaching and one has to start to build the own middle class life. She will start to do her PhD this spring in St.Gallen. Not bad. Along the same lines.
Election day. Funny to see some 40-60% of a population moving in a single day. Great power - moving masses. WIll hold my breath regarding my father's success. By midnight should be sure which way the next four years will go. Must be exciting.
First meeting at nine o'clock at the WTC coffee shop. People watching was fun while waiting the client to get out his phone conversation. I realised that I do miss the good old times. Watching people running to work with smart clothes in masse remained me of London. In city one really feels that a new day has started. Endless streams of people walking towards their offices.
Yesterday's remark of a provincal city opened my eyes today. It was so true. Almost everything I looked around reminded me of this: the way people walked, the way business was carried out on the streets, traffic, boutiques but especially the people. Not like London or Paris. Not even Prague or Stockholm. Just provincal city with a few funny inhabitans. Definetely not the best of the breed or cream of the cream.
Must get back to the beat. Meet real people and real challenges. This life is just pure pretending and illusion. Not real adventure and danger. Just a boring middle path without nice views and extreme situation. Nothing to comment for or remember afterwards. No nice stories or anecdotes. Plain vanilla.
I had a lunch with a Swiss diplomat. Some two hours of discussions. Small business might come in but mainly the issue was about his discomfort with the current location. I enjoyed the conversation and saw the same points as him. Actually felt a bit sorry for him. Must be hard to be in a strange country and without that many good friends around. Looking from Swiss point of view we are not exactly on the middle of the highly cultural and civilized part of the world. Between the main course and the coffee I started to prolong abroad as well. Beaux artes, antique boutiques, good fashion shops, jazz clubs, high quality theaters, relaxed coffee shops and bistros. They are not part of my life today but hopefully tomorrow, again.
A friend of mine informed his disgust about one certain municipality in the eastern part of the country. He went through the same promises and lies as we did last autumn. Broken promises and pure lies without reason and apologies. Simply bad and ignorant business conduct combined with arrogance and local politics. Sad. Local newspaper ran a big article about the same issue on Sunday. Hopefully the whole scam will blow off any time soon. Public functions should not fuck off legitimate private businesses and rip off their tax payers at the same time. Some moral and ethics should still apply - especially on the parliamentary election year.
Second working day after the holiday. Yesterday was a struggle and today is even more so. Got a flu and out of working mood.
Well, started this weblog anyhow.
Two weeks gave a good perspective on things. Options were to carry on this regular middle class life without purpose and meaning or to do something totally different. Actually three alternative routes: MBA(&PhD), poshy int. job or a monk career.
Well, I started Joga yesterday morning so monk has some hope still. Should check the applications requirements for MBAs but don't bother today. Still waiting the results from a few job apps.
Ringu (1998) is the orginal Japanese version of the 2002 US version called The Ring. I was a loads of fun to see some Japanese action after a year or so. Well, the storyline was not something you would hold your breath for. Easygoing and relaxing. Would be fun to check the US version sometime soon.
A few weeks ago I had the great pleasure to watch the old series by BBC called "the Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy". A classic! The Meaning of life, the universe and everthing became obvious. Also 47 was a good answer.
Last week I visited "The End of the World". This time it was only a beach shack in India.