Moldova Trip Update - I'm not going
I feel very sad writing this, but basically, my (personal) trip has been indefinitely postponed. The original trip was in May, and then due to van delivery problems was postponed till the end of June. The suppliers didn't make the dates, and so the trip is now happening in October. I can't go in October, as I'm involved in a new project, so, basically, I can't go.
You probably have a lot of questions, like how hard is it to buy vans etc. We can only take vans that are serviceable in Moldova, which limits our manufacturer choice. Additionally, there have, apparently been industry changes in the European and East European wholesale distribution model that affected our purchase. I dont' know all the details, but I am assured that the guys on the project have done everything they can to try and solve this, and they can't.
It's obviously very disappointing. For me and for people who supported me. However, the trip itself will still go ahead, and the community in Moldova will still get the vans and aid/equiptment they need.
I will be writing in the snail-mail way to all my donors and supporters to explain the situation fully, and I'm sorry. This is a situation genuinely out of my control.
There is a small chance that I may go next May, but frankly that's a year away. I will, obviously keep you informed.
Thanks for all your support.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
You know how it is - like buses. Or nuns, for that matter. So I'd never head of Maximo Park and then like two people mention them to me in less than twenty four hours. Serendipity? Co-incidence? Just the way things are.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Moldova Trip - Update
You've probably realised I've been a little quiet about this, and I'm theoretically going to Moldova this Sunday.
Unfortunately there's been a delay to the trip (an issue out of my hands, to do with WJR's purchasing of the vans, and changes in the European van wholesale distribution chain), so it looks like the trip will be the last week of June. This is yet to be confirmed, and I will keep you posted.
I've been aware of the postponement for some weeks, and was hoping to be able to post a fixed date so you (and I) would know where I'm at, but it's not worked out that way.
I massively appreciate all the huge support I've received from people I know and people I don't. Thank you.
You've probably realised I've been a little quiet about this, and I'm theoretically going to Moldova this Sunday.
Unfortunately there's been a delay to the trip (an issue out of my hands, to do with WJR's purchasing of the vans, and changes in the European van wholesale distribution chain), so it looks like the trip will be the last week of June. This is yet to be confirmed, and I will keep you posted.
I've been aware of the postponement for some weeks, and was hoping to be able to post a fixed date so you (and I) would know where I'm at, but it's not worked out that way.
I massively appreciate all the huge support I've received from people I know and people I don't. Thank you.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
With Eurovision in the air, I'm quite excited about this.
My friend David made this great film, in a four man team (one of whom is Jonathan Walton ace trumpeter and song writer from Oi Va Voi) Said Murad, long regarded as once of the most distinguished Palestinian musicians from Sabreen, is off to Finland to lobby for their inclusion.
It's number five on Journeyman (global distributor), which is cool, and here it is.
My friend David made this great film, in a four man team (one of whom is Jonathan Walton ace trumpeter and song writer from Oi Va Voi) Said Murad, long regarded as once of the most distinguished Palestinian musicians from Sabreen, is off to Finland to lobby for their inclusion.
It's number five on Journeyman (global distributor), which is cool, and here it is.
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Saturday, May 05, 2007
So, someone I vaguely know got in touch with me (email) and said, "do you know about this? It's what all the cool kids are doing now - Foxbook?"
And I said, "Foxbook? Is that like Facebook for foxes?"
And I said, "Foxbook? Is that like Facebook for foxes?"
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Roderick Alphonso Wilson
12th May 1961 - 6th April 2007
More than a couple of people noticed that I’ve been a little quiet, low-post, in the last week or so, and I’ll tell you why.
I’ve been thinking a lot about my friend Rod, whose funeral I attended last Friday.
I met Rod when we both trained as ChildLine telephone counsellors in about 1989. I know; I can’t believe it’s that long ago, either.
The nature of group counselling training is that you get to know the people in your group pretty well; people share their life experiences, childhood, the things that shaped them. Rod had just lost his brother Chris – horribly young, to cancer - and he talked about him quite a lot. In that few months’ training we connected, and have stayed in touch ever since.
Of course, living in London, it’s a big city, and you don’t see all the friends you want to see as often as you’d like; and you kinda always expect people to be there. We’d go out clubbing, meet for lunch occasionally, talk on the phone, plan to meet for drinks, get busy… and last summer, Rod called me to tell me had stomach cancer. He was pretty upbeat, at that time, about his treatment.
Rod looked like (a young) Samuel L Jackson and had a voice like Barry White. He sang at my party a few years ago, and people are still talking about it. Over the years I’ve watched him perform in the band he met at the London Transport Museum, at parties, in pubs – he had a voice that put everyone else in the shade. He was too disinterested in (his own putative) celebrity to queue up for two days to be in whatever Be Famous For Five Minutes show was being promoted, but if he had, he’d totally have outshone everyone else there (although he was always totally up-to-date on whatever had happened to Kylie or the latest daytime TV star). And also, he had a surprising lack of arrogance for one so talented and fabulous looking.
In the last eighteen years we’ve danced (together), sung (him), gossiped, laughed and cried; Rod was the best dancer I’ve ever met, and one of the warmest people I’ve known, and he had an insight, wit and warmth that I will miss, terribly.
For a long time, in the nineties, he used to come to my work Christmas party with me. He was a total hit; he could talk to everyone from the cleaner to the CEO. A couple of year ago when my (former) Famous Neighbour invited me to their engagement party, and I was worried about not actually knowing anyone else there, Rod came with me, and Famous Neighbour greeted him like a long-lost friend, and by the end of the evening he’d spotted all the celebrities, become firm friends with half the party… and boy, did we dance. You know when you dance with someone who’s better than you, and they make you look good?
That was Rod’s secret; he had a magic power to make everyone feel good about themselves. Every time we met up or talked on the phone I’d leave feeling… uplifted. Like all is right with the world. I’m not saying he was an angel; he had a wicked wit and loved to gossip, but all with the truest, deepest soul.
I’d never been to a humanist funeral before. Being an observant Jew there are rules about how things get done (quickly, no music, to a formula) and it was a real revelation to attend such an uplifting and… almost inspiring ceremony.
It feels to me like Jewish funerals are always on a rush-before-shabbes Friday afternoon at Rainsough in Manchester; it’s dark, spine-chillingly cold, windier than you can imagine, and you climb the hill to the seen-better-days ohel (hall) and it’s Wuthering Heights and it’s cold and it’s dark.
So it was incredibly moving to share over an hour with Rod’s other friends and family, in a lovely space, with a garden outside on a sunny day; to listen, sing, share, cry. His family, work colleagues, friends and partner spoke deeply movingly about Rod, and it was a true celebration of everything he was, everything he gave. Rod and I shared a real love of soul and RnB music, and I don’t think I’ll ever listen to Mary Mary again without thinking about him. But then, that’s a good thing.
I am proud to call Rod Wilson my friend. I am very, very sorry he has gone, but I will never forget all the wonderful things about humanity he taught me.
12th May 1961 - 6th April 2007
More than a couple of people noticed that I’ve been a little quiet, low-post, in the last week or so, and I’ll tell you why.
I’ve been thinking a lot about my friend Rod, whose funeral I attended last Friday.
I met Rod when we both trained as ChildLine telephone counsellors in about 1989. I know; I can’t believe it’s that long ago, either.
The nature of group counselling training is that you get to know the people in your group pretty well; people share their life experiences, childhood, the things that shaped them. Rod had just lost his brother Chris – horribly young, to cancer - and he talked about him quite a lot. In that few months’ training we connected, and have stayed in touch ever since.
Of course, living in London, it’s a big city, and you don’t see all the friends you want to see as often as you’d like; and you kinda always expect people to be there. We’d go out clubbing, meet for lunch occasionally, talk on the phone, plan to meet for drinks, get busy… and last summer, Rod called me to tell me had stomach cancer. He was pretty upbeat, at that time, about his treatment.
Rod looked like (a young) Samuel L Jackson and had a voice like Barry White. He sang at my party a few years ago, and people are still talking about it. Over the years I’ve watched him perform in the band he met at the London Transport Museum, at parties, in pubs – he had a voice that put everyone else in the shade. He was too disinterested in (his own putative) celebrity to queue up for two days to be in whatever Be Famous For Five Minutes show was being promoted, but if he had, he’d totally have outshone everyone else there (although he was always totally up-to-date on whatever had happened to Kylie or the latest daytime TV star). And also, he had a surprising lack of arrogance for one so talented and fabulous looking.
In the last eighteen years we’ve danced (together), sung (him), gossiped, laughed and cried; Rod was the best dancer I’ve ever met, and one of the warmest people I’ve known, and he had an insight, wit and warmth that I will miss, terribly.
For a long time, in the nineties, he used to come to my work Christmas party with me. He was a total hit; he could talk to everyone from the cleaner to the CEO. A couple of year ago when my (former) Famous Neighbour invited me to their engagement party, and I was worried about not actually knowing anyone else there, Rod came with me, and Famous Neighbour greeted him like a long-lost friend, and by the end of the evening he’d spotted all the celebrities, become firm friends with half the party… and boy, did we dance. You know when you dance with someone who’s better than you, and they make you look good?
That was Rod’s secret; he had a magic power to make everyone feel good about themselves. Every time we met up or talked on the phone I’d leave feeling… uplifted. Like all is right with the world. I’m not saying he was an angel; he had a wicked wit and loved to gossip, but all with the truest, deepest soul.
I’d never been to a humanist funeral before. Being an observant Jew there are rules about how things get done (quickly, no music, to a formula) and it was a real revelation to attend such an uplifting and… almost inspiring ceremony.
It feels to me like Jewish funerals are always on a rush-before-shabbes Friday afternoon at Rainsough in Manchester; it’s dark, spine-chillingly cold, windier than you can imagine, and you climb the hill to the seen-better-days ohel (hall) and it’s Wuthering Heights and it’s cold and it’s dark.
So it was incredibly moving to share over an hour with Rod’s other friends and family, in a lovely space, with a garden outside on a sunny day; to listen, sing, share, cry. His family, work colleagues, friends and partner spoke deeply movingly about Rod, and it was a true celebration of everything he was, everything he gave. Rod and I shared a real love of soul and RnB music, and I don’t think I’ll ever listen to Mary Mary again without thinking about him. But then, that’s a good thing.
I am proud to call Rod Wilson my friend. I am very, very sorry he has gone, but I will never forget all the wonderful things about humanity he taught me.
Monday, April 30, 2007
I am so loving the Penguin Paperback Spotters' Guild on flickr. And they have even got the apostrophe in the right place.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
tricyclemap
And if you're coming by tube, turn right when you come out of Kilburn (Jubilee line) tube, and it's about 5 minutes. Parking, should be plenty on a Sunday (although clearly better to leave your car at home given film topic etc). On 189, 16, 32 and 316 bus route.
See Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth for charity
So if you want to see the charity screening of An Inconvenient Truth, it's TODAY at 12.30 (for nibbles) and 1pm for the film. It's £12.50 including nibbles, and THERE ARE SOME TICKETS AVAILABLE ON THE DOOR, so do please turn up if you fancy it. Bookings on 020 7328 1000 (although not sure what time they open).
See you later:)
So if you want to see the charity screening of An Inconvenient Truth, it's TODAY at 12.30 (for nibbles) and 1pm for the film. It's £12.50 including nibbles, and THERE ARE SOME TICKETS AVAILABLE ON THE DOOR, so do please turn up if you fancy it. Bookings on 020 7328 1000 (although not sure what time they open).
See you later:)
Friday, April 27, 2007
Ooooh, maxi dresses are back this summer. Not that I remember then from first time around, but I totally subscribe to the view that mini skirts should not exist in sizes bigger than a size 12. I think if you (I) have slightly chubby legs, keep away from short skirts, leggings, and any combo thereof. Thus spake the un-fashion maven.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
That whole silliness about the Sainsbury's not-a-plastic bag? I mean, it's nice that Anya Hindmarch has done a brand extension etc etc, but I mean, changing hands for £500 on eBay? Maybe celebrity handbags have just gone too far.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Talk about dog-eat-dog; this is bank eat bank; RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland unveils a bid to buy ING, trumping the Barclays bid.
This reminds me of the time that I was involved in a small shul, and our "president" spent all his time on communal politics and forgot to organise Friday nught dinners and Purim parties and things that people like. Eventually, we disappeared...
In the meantime, I can't get my bank manager to call me back. See...
This reminds me of the time that I was involved in a small shul, and our "president" spent all his time on communal politics and forgot to organise Friday nught dinners and Purim parties and things that people like. Eventually, we disappeared...
In the meantime, I can't get my bank manager to call me back. See...
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Very superhero - a kryptonite-like mineral has been discovered in Serbia. Except it isn't green and doesn't sap your superpowers.
Friday, April 20, 2007
S just sent me this, to tell me that the BBC is scrapping the Heaven and Earth show.
I am upset. This is silly. How will Heart and Soul or Bangers and Mash or Shuls and Mosques or whatever duality based not-funky programme be better? I love Gloria. Why can't you just beef up what you've got.
I'm not resistant to change, honest.
I am upset. This is silly. How will Heart and Soul or Bangers and Mash or Shuls and Mosques or whatever duality based not-funky programme be better? I love Gloria. Why can't you just beef up what you've got.
I'm not resistant to change, honest.
A good friend of mine said to me that I have this whole property thing going on that I never blog about.
So here I am.
I love property. If it wasn't very embarassing, I'd definitely love to be an estate agent, and I can price any NW2/3/6/8 place at 95% accuracy and NW1/4/5/11/N2/N3 at about 75%. And there's one street in Finchley where I actually know the price of practically every house in the road.
All this a shortcut to say that my gut feel is that a houseprice crash is coming. I know the macro stuff (lack of supply, demographics, changing families (more divorces/single people etc) meaning increased demand) says no crash, but it seems to be that things are really crazily overpriced. I nearly moved the Finchey two and a half years ago, and the place has increased by almost 50% in that time. As I say, crazy.
Anyway, good market analysis and summary in today's Guardian, and if you have a largeish mortgage, I'd run and get the last fixed rate tomorrow.
So here I am.
I love property. If it wasn't very embarassing, I'd definitely love to be an estate agent, and I can price any NW2/3/6/8 place at 95% accuracy and NW1/4/5/11/N2/N3 at about 75%. And there's one street in Finchley where I actually know the price of practically every house in the road.
All this a shortcut to say that my gut feel is that a houseprice crash is coming. I know the macro stuff (lack of supply, demographics, changing families (more divorces/single people etc) meaning increased demand) says no crash, but it seems to be that things are really crazily overpriced. I nearly moved the Finchey two and a half years ago, and the place has increased by almost 50% in that time. As I say, crazy.
Anyway, good market analysis and summary in today's Guardian, and if you have a largeish mortgage, I'd run and get the last fixed rate tomorrow.
Every time I hear David Miliband referred to as a geek, a little corner of my European defunct IT mountain dies. Geek is good, OK? Take back the power.
Very disappointed to hear that the Spitz, that great, independent music venue in Spitalfields has been given notice to quit. I've seen great stuff there, from GhettoPlotz to OiVaVoi, and I'd hate to see it go. You can sign the petition here.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
See Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth for charity
So if you want to see the charity screening of An Inconvenient Truth, it's a week on Sunday. The movie got two oscars (best documentary feature and best original song (oddly)), but is no longer on general release.
This is a great opportunity to (a) see a movie about green things, (b) do something for charity, (c) go to the Tricyle which is my local cinema and has lovely pink seats, (d) get nibbles and (soft) drink included in the low price of £12.50.
You probably remember that I'm doing a humanitarian aid mission to Moldova (next door to Romania, and where my family came from over a hundred years ago) in May (although this now may be June).
Anyway, I'd love you to come, and to tell all your friends. And if you can't make it, but you'd still like to support my mission, then you can do so here. And if you already have, thank you (again).
So if you want to see the charity screening of An Inconvenient Truth, it's a week on Sunday. The movie got two oscars (best documentary feature and best original song (oddly)), but is no longer on general release.
This is a great opportunity to (a) see a movie about green things, (b) do something for charity, (c) go to the Tricyle which is my local cinema and has lovely pink seats, (d) get nibbles and (soft) drink included in the low price of £12.50.
You probably remember that I'm doing a humanitarian aid mission to Moldova (next door to Romania, and where my family came from over a hundred years ago) in May (although this now may be June).
Anyway, I'd love you to come, and to tell all your friends. And if you can't make it, but you'd still like to support my mission, then you can do so here. And if you already have, thank you (again).
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
I really really want some Moo notecards. They are both moo and notecardy.
While I don't totally understand the back-to-dead-tree business model, they look lovely and yummy and I like post anyway and I must get some now.
While I don't totally understand the back-to-dead-tree business model, they look lovely and yummy and I like post anyway and I must get some now.
I know that this is not everyone's idea of great news, but Google Spreadsheets has added charts. How cool is that. We're all about the thin computing here at Sashinka Towers.
Well, this is a whole new class of crime: wifi theft.
Interesting. I mean, first that the bloke put cardboard in his car windows but you could see the light from the laptop (early in the morning = dark), so clearly felt he was doing something wrong. Also, is this really a crime? If you don't put WEP on your wifi, then you're saying, come in and play. Granted, the telcos don't like it because they want more people to pay.
Interesting. I mean, first that the bloke put cardboard in his car windows but you could see the light from the laptop (early in the morning = dark), so clearly felt he was doing something wrong. Also, is this really a crime? If you don't put WEP on your wifi, then you're saying, come in and play. Granted, the telcos don't like it because they want more people to pay.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
rainbow babe
I don't know if this is a sad thing or not.
I took this photo nearly two years ago - I remember the exact sunny day, walking from Kilburn to West Hampstead - and this was some nice rainbow graffiti at the top of Mill Lane in some community garden project.
The sun just caught my hair and even on my camphone I looked like I had a rainbow growing out of my head, which is a look I have been trying to achieve ever since.
Anyway, this morning, striding up Mill Lane, iPod in-ear, in my own little world, I walk past, and look out for the familiar, friendly graffiti.
And it's gone.
That whole section of wall has been painted over, a new and shiny white (ripe for the local graffiti artists, I can tell you, YBS, whoever they may be will doubtless get there first (aside, I always think s/he works for the Yorkshire Building Society)). Blank. Bare - although as I say, I'm sure not for long.
I feel a nostalgia. I think this might be my favourite photo ever, that I've taken. And I always felt like it was a bit like a blog post; off-the-cuff, on-the-run. I (hardly) ever go back and improve or correct blog posts, but I know I could, and I think I felt like I could go back and get the photo again, better, if I wanted to.
But now I can't.
Things change, I know. One can be too...attached to things. It is, after all, only graffiti and some would say better painted over. And worse things happen.
But, y'know.
I took this photo nearly two years ago - I remember the exact sunny day, walking from Kilburn to West Hampstead - and this was some nice rainbow graffiti at the top of Mill Lane in some community garden project.
The sun just caught my hair and even on my camphone I looked like I had a rainbow growing out of my head, which is a look I have been trying to achieve ever since.
Anyway, this morning, striding up Mill Lane, iPod in-ear, in my own little world, I walk past, and look out for the familiar, friendly graffiti.
And it's gone.
That whole section of wall has been painted over, a new and shiny white (ripe for the local graffiti artists, I can tell you, YBS, whoever they may be will doubtless get there first (aside, I always think s/he works for the Yorkshire Building Society)). Blank. Bare - although as I say, I'm sure not for long.
I feel a nostalgia. I think this might be my favourite photo ever, that I've taken. And I always felt like it was a bit like a blog post; off-the-cuff, on-the-run. I (hardly) ever go back and improve or correct blog posts, but I know I could, and I think I felt like I could go back and get the photo again, better, if I wanted to.
But now I can't.
Things change, I know. One can be too...attached to things. It is, after all, only graffiti and some would say better painted over. And worse things happen.
But, y'know.
It's a well-know-fact that everyone would be more efficient if they just read more how-to-be-efficient books and wrote more lists than they know what to do with.
The strange thing about the "productivity industry" is that the more time you spend immersing yourself in it, the less time you have to actually do stuff. Weird, innit?
Once, I had a client who was very GTD-enabled (getting things done, it's a cult, I tell ya), and he spent most of his time in meetings moving things on his PDA from his "for me to do" list to his "waiting for someone else to get back to me" list. I mean, it seemed odd, but he was remarkably effective, if a little Aspergic.
Anyway, without wasting further time, I give you The Top 50 productivity blogs.
The strange thing about the "productivity industry" is that the more time you spend immersing yourself in it, the less time you have to actually do stuff. Weird, innit?
Once, I had a client who was very GTD-enabled (getting things done, it's a cult, I tell ya), and he spent most of his time in meetings moving things on his PDA from his "for me to do" list to his "waiting for someone else to get back to me" list. I mean, it seemed odd, but he was remarkably effective, if a little Aspergic.
Anyway, without wasting further time, I give you The Top 50 productivity blogs.
Thanks to S, who I suspect off the back of my Neve Tzedek photos sent me this link - Urban Curators. I'm one. Aren't we all? Decay is my middle name.
Monday, April 16, 2007
So I really only joined Facebook because I wanted to promote my Inconvenient Truth screening (which is a week on Sunday, if you want to come...). Honest. I got a very cute email from someone not so down-with-the-kids, but thoughtful, nonetheless, saying "had I heard about Foxbook, it would be a really good place to put my movie thing".
So I signed up. And then, in the last two weeks, I've become slightly addicted to it. Partly, because I have a slightly addictive personality (I'm guessing) and partly because... well, I don't totally know why. I mean, the people I know in real life I know, and the people I vaguely know I run into at parties, and the people I don't know, I don't know.
But now, I know what my 19 year old cousin is doing at university, and when people are very status-enabled (ie they change their status all the time) I know how they feel and what they're doing and everything.
And the wall thing. I went on Facebook and saw that two of my friends had left me really public messages. Nice stuff, how are you, let's have coffee. But still, I don't know how I feel, living my life in public. (You may think this silly, given that I've been blogging for more than five years and some would say that I totally live my life in public, but... it's different. Really.)
So I'm a natural networker (people tell me), although since I got my PVR I've spent a lot of quality time with my TV, and since I'm a little bit of a geek, I like the systemetising of it all, and of course it's a stalker's dream (if I were so inclined), but I've spent a lot of time there, and I don't even know why.
People keep asking me how many friends I have. On facebook.
And then I joined LinkedIn. For years/months I got invites from people, and I thought what's this, and then I got the bug and I'm doing that, too.
In fact, I'm spending so much time on (online) social networking and web-two-point-nought that I'm not actually doing any work.
Must go out to lunch, now.
I have had a meeting this morning. And two conference calls.
So I signed up. And then, in the last two weeks, I've become slightly addicted to it. Partly, because I have a slightly addictive personality (I'm guessing) and partly because... well, I don't totally know why. I mean, the people I know in real life I know, and the people I vaguely know I run into at parties, and the people I don't know, I don't know.
But now, I know what my 19 year old cousin is doing at university, and when people are very status-enabled (ie they change their status all the time) I know how they feel and what they're doing and everything.
And the wall thing. I went on Facebook and saw that two of my friends had left me really public messages. Nice stuff, how are you, let's have coffee. But still, I don't know how I feel, living my life in public. (You may think this silly, given that I've been blogging for more than five years and some would say that I totally live my life in public, but... it's different. Really.)
So I'm a natural networker (people tell me), although since I got my PVR I've spent a lot of quality time with my TV, and since I'm a little bit of a geek, I like the systemetising of it all, and of course it's a stalker's dream (if I were so inclined), but I've spent a lot of time there, and I don't even know why.
People keep asking me how many friends I have. On facebook.
And then I joined LinkedIn. For years/months I got invites from people, and I thought what's this, and then I got the bug and I'm doing that, too.
In fact, I'm spending so much time on (online) social networking and web-two-point-nought that I'm not actually doing any work.
Must go out to lunch, now.
I have had a meeting this morning. And two conference calls.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
One thing I love about Sundays: the Heaven and Earth show. This week, a disputatious debate on The Secret (which sounds like second cousin's to Noel Edmonds' cosmic ordering), and The Telegraph's Andrew Pierce on the panel. I am like this far from calling him Monday (these things don't really work in text) to tell him that it's chutzpah, not hoooot-spar.
I saw this grafitti in Israel a couple of times, and then through the magic of google i discovered it's a progressive rock band - Odradek - and I've been listening to their stuff on myspace and I really like them.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Well, it's been one of those days. I am feeling slightly... hassled, I guess is the fairest thing to say.
A few things have happened:
- someone keyed my car. I have no idea who or when or even why. And it's hardly worth getting it repaired in the bodyshop because (a) I don't really approve of cars anyway, and (b) I live in Kilburn and someone will probably do it again.
- my flatmate's visitor (mistakenly) locked me into my house. Which was just extra hassle I didn't need, although all turned out fine, even if it did take me 30 minutes to work out what had happened.
- a big (personal) project I've been working on for months and months has to be postponed and I'm just disappointed.
- I was going out for lunch tomorrow, and then it turned out that one of the other guest's children is recovering from shingles and I decided not to go. Could be me over-reacting, but I've got too much on and don't fancy getting sick, if I can avoid it.
Other things, too. But tired. At least I have one House left on my PVR.
A few things have happened:
- someone keyed my car. I have no idea who or when or even why. And it's hardly worth getting it repaired in the bodyshop because (a) I don't really approve of cars anyway, and (b) I live in Kilburn and someone will probably do it again.
- my flatmate's visitor (mistakenly) locked me into my house. Which was just extra hassle I didn't need, although all turned out fine, even if it did take me 30 minutes to work out what had happened.
- a big (personal) project I've been working on for months and months has to be postponed and I'm just disappointed.
- I was going out for lunch tomorrow, and then it turned out that one of the other guest's children is recovering from shingles and I decided not to go. Could be me over-reacting, but I've got too much on and don't fancy getting sick, if I can avoid it.
Other things, too. But tired. At least I have one House left on my PVR.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Great Guardian piece on Mimi Ito's flickr stream on bento boxes. The pictures are perfect: great fusion/vegan food, too.
Interesting, too, that she calls her Flickr stream a blog. What a blog is has changed.
Interesting, too, that she calls her Flickr stream a blog. What a blog is has changed.
You know I'm going to Moldova in May? I heard Crossing Continents on Radio 4 this morning (you can listen again here), and it was about Moldova. Poorest country in Europe and a third of adults have left home to leave their children to grow up alone.
I'm back, I'm back, I'm back.
I know I was a little short on words/long on pictures for the last ten days, but hey, I was on holiday. So if you sent me email, I might not have got to it, either.
I had a lovely time, which I will write about at some point. Let's just say I ate a lot of matzah.
Four squillion things to do now I'm back in the saddle, but Mike pointed me to this piece on Unreliable Witness, which had me properly falling off my chair. I am a little bit in love with UW, shy as he may be.
Have a nice day. What have you been up to, Easterly speaking?
I know I was a little short on words/long on pictures for the last ten days, but hey, I was on holiday. So if you sent me email, I might not have got to it, either.
I had a lovely time, which I will write about at some point. Let's just say I ate a lot of matzah.
Four squillion things to do now I'm back in the saddle, but Mike pointed me to this piece on Unreliable Witness, which had me properly falling off my chair. I am a little bit in love with UW, shy as he may be.
Have a nice day. What have you been up to, Easterly speaking?
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
See Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth for charity
You probably remember that I'm doing a humanitarian aid mission to Moldova (next door to Romania, and where my family came from over a hundred years ago) in May.
I have a chunk of money to raise, and I'm doing it by organising a charity screening of An Inconvenient Truth. The movie got two oscars (best documentary feature and best original song (oddly)), but is no longer on general release.
So this is a great opportunity to (a) see a movie about green things, (b) do something for charity, (c) go to the Tricyle which is my local cinema and has lovely pink seats, (d) get nibbles and (soft) drink included in the low price of £12.50.
Anyway, I'd love you to come, and to tell all your friends. And if you can't make it, but you'd still like to support my mission, then you can do so here. And if you already have, thank you.
You probably remember that I'm doing a humanitarian aid mission to Moldova (next door to Romania, and where my family came from over a hundred years ago) in May.
I have a chunk of money to raise, and I'm doing it by organising a charity screening of An Inconvenient Truth. The movie got two oscars (best documentary feature and best original song (oddly)), but is no longer on general release.
So this is a great opportunity to (a) see a movie about green things, (b) do something for charity, (c) go to the Tricyle which is my local cinema and has lovely pink seats, (d) get nibbles and (soft) drink included in the low price of £12.50.
Anyway, I'd love you to come, and to tell all your friends. And if you can't make it, but you'd still like to support my mission, then you can do so here. And if you already have, thank you.
Sunday, April 08, 2007
DSC02289
This building was apparently the first hotel in Tel Aviv, now in a state of some disrepair, but apparently just been purchased to turn into "departments" (as a woman in a shop told me).
DSC02299
Whoever does the "am yisrael chai" (long live the people of israel) graffiti, really gets around.
DSC02324
This image totally catches the area of Neve Zedek in South Tel Aviv. The area was the first district of Tel Aviv to be built, maybe a hundred or so years ago, and was peopled by writers, intellectuals, artists. Now it's being rejuvenated, but some of the original inhabitants are still there: this captures the duality. Funky bar downstairs, older women with unattractive headcovering upstairs (who is waving to me, as you can see in the photo).
DSC02330
The empties from what must have been quite a serious seder: four (sacramental) glasses of wine, plus wine with the meal, times your whole family - equals a lot of recycling.
Friday, April 06, 2007
Monday, April 02, 2007
Because I am the number three search on google for coconut pyramid, and I realise many of my readers may never have seen these, er, delectable passover sweets (yeah, right), here's a pic from the market this morning.
DSC02172
So I had lovely mint tea (tea nana) with lunch, but sadly I was too late for the humous because humous is kitniot (pulses) and I'm ashkenazi and ashkenazim don't eat pulses on Passover (although I'm seriously considering becoming sefardi for this reason) and now we're in that twiighlight zone where it isn't pesach yet, but you have to eat pesach food, but not matzah.
Rules, rules.
Rules, rules.
nachman me'uman
It's a little known fact that I did my undergraduate dissertation on Nachman of Breslov (a chassidic rebbe of the nineteenth century), and you see this stickers everywhere: na, nach, nachma, nachman me'uman (from Uman).
DSC02147
This is the view from my window.
I can see the sea. The sea! I never use exclamation marks (I don't, really, approve of them), but I have a childish joy in seeing the sea.
Tel Aviv is kinda like Manchester, but with a beach. This is not so bad. My nephews are very confused, though: they know they're on holiday, but they keep seeing people from CHeadle because the whole of Cheadle feels like it's in Israel, and nearly all of them are staying at our hotel. "Look, it's that man from shul," they keep saying.
I can see the sea. The sea! I never use exclamation marks (I don't, really, approve of them), but I have a childish joy in seeing the sea.
Tel Aviv is kinda like Manchester, but with a beach. This is not so bad. My nephews are very confused, though: they know they're on holiday, but they keep seeing people from CHeadle because the whole of Cheadle feels like it's in Israel, and nearly all of them are staying at our hotel. "Look, it's that man from shul," they keep saying.
bathr's duties
Of course there are bathr's duties. Life is about rights and responsibilities.
I am stoping myself from going out to get the domain name bathr.com. It's a web2.0 startup, bathing meets social networking. It's gonna be a winner. I'm talking to VCs.
I am stoping myself from going out to get the domain name bathr.com. It's a web2.0 startup, bathing meets social networking. It's gonna be a winner. I'm talking to VCs.
Sunday, April 01, 2007
India Knight's thoughtful piece in today's Times about suing bloggers.
In other news, I am here in Israel, land of great service, slightly damp mediterranean weather, moderately shouty, demanding people, my family and unspeakably expensive wifi access.
I am home (ish).
In other news, I am here in Israel, land of great service, slightly damp mediterranean weather, moderately shouty, demanding people, my family and unspeakably expensive wifi access.
I am home (ish).
Crack of dawn. I'm off to Israel. For pesach. I've sold my chometz, cleaned my fridge, packed my (not insubstantial) bag and ordered a taxi for 6.50.
A charter from Stansted - you think they have wifi?
If I don't see/speak to you before; chag kasher v'same'ach. Have a lovely seder(s).
A charter from Stansted - you think they have wifi?
If I don't see/speak to you before; chag kasher v'same'ach. Have a lovely seder(s).
DSC02114
More Romanian Jews at Haifa.
Afterwards, the guy working the exhibit told me I'm not supposed to take pictures, but he could see I was crying, and he let me carry on.
Afterwards, the guy working the exhibit told me I'm not supposed to take pictures, but he could see I was crying, and he let me carry on.
While I was in NY, the conference I was at was oddly (beshert?) held at the Jewish Heritage Museum, and they had an exhibit of Ruth Gruber photos.
This is Romanian Jews greeting each other at Haifa in 1951. Looking at this photo really made my cry.
Maybe because my family once-a-long-time-ago came from Romania/Moldova, although my great-grandfather's siblings' families, we don't really know anything about, so I don't know what happened to them during the war. Once branch apparently went to Argentina, and I've tried to find them.
Maybe it's because a couple of years ago I was priveleged to meet Ruth Gruber(who is now 97 but honestly only looked about 63 when I met her) and I sat at her feet, spellbound listening to her stories.
Or maybe it was the jetlag catching up with me.
This is Romanian Jews greeting each other at Haifa in 1951. Looking at this photo really made my cry.
Maybe because my family once-a-long-time-ago came from Romania/Moldova, although my great-grandfather's siblings' families, we don't really know anything about, so I don't know what happened to them during the war. Once branch apparently went to Argentina, and I've tried to find them.
Maybe it's because a couple of years ago I was priveleged to meet Ruth Gruber(who is now 97 but honestly only looked about 63 when I met her) and I sat at her feet, spellbound listening to her stories.
Or maybe it was the jetlag catching up with me.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
If, like me, you'd like a picture of what plugs (electric sockets) look like in different countries - here it is. Because I'm going to Israel at the crack of dawn tomorrow, and my plugs need to change from US to Israeli.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Probably I shouldn't write this while I'm surfing the wifi in the airport, but airport security sucks.
I totally get that security is all for our own good, and I grew up travelling to Israel in the eighties, so I'm compliant. And I always peck my own peckages.
On the way out, I put two of my less than 100ml things in a clear plastic bag (a lipgloss and a moisturiser) but left other stuff in my bag (deoderant, perfume, suntan cream). I was just taking carry-on, as it was only two days; a small cross-shoulder handbag that just fits my tiny laptop, and a (small) 15 litre back pack with a skirt, underwear, three t-shirts and toiletries. The airline said it was all fine.
Queuing in the mad queue between check-in and the gate for security, there were really hundreds and hundreds of people, packing and repacking their bags. And there were plastic bag marshalls doling out plastic bags. I withheld the urge to take a few (because of the war -> hoarding thing. Once, I had a cleaner who said to me, in response to my lifetime's supply of plastic bags under the sink, "what is it with you Jewish people and the plastic bags?" but I digress. Which is my custom).
So I'm queueing and one of these guys says to me, "you've got two bags." And I say the airline said it was fine. And he said they know the rules, I have to put one inside the other. They don't fit. I ask him what to do. He says, "go to that shop called Glorious Britain and buy a large plastic bag and put them both inside."
Rulesworth. Computer says no. Man but I hate this stuff.
So I lose my place in the queue and go to Glorious Britain who won't give me a bag, so I have to spend £2.50 on chocolate, even though I really don't eat chocolate any more. She tried to sell me all manner of chazerai/tchatchkes, and while I probably think Britain is Glorious, and took in my Great Grandfather 109 years ago, I don't want a mug - or in fact anything - with a union jack on it. So I offered her the chocolate, and then she said she felt guilty, so I gave it to some random passing guy who said he prefered hard candy and I said it was a gift and packed my two bags in my plastic bag and got back in the queue.
Sheesh.
And I queue for even longer, and go through security and then afterwards, I bypass some kind of kerfuffle, and looking back, I realise that you're supposed to go through the whole thing again for shoe-security (subset of big security)but loads of just walked on by.
Like a song.
And then just now, on the way back at JFK they have all the signs about one bag and I get out my Glorious Britain bag, ready for the same stupid ruel-bending silliness... and they don't care. But they do make you take your shoes off at the same time. You can never be too careful.
I totally get that security is all for our own good, and I grew up travelling to Israel in the eighties, so I'm compliant. And I always peck my own peckages.
On the way out, I put two of my less than 100ml things in a clear plastic bag (a lipgloss and a moisturiser) but left other stuff in my bag (deoderant, perfume, suntan cream). I was just taking carry-on, as it was only two days; a small cross-shoulder handbag that just fits my tiny laptop, and a (small) 15 litre back pack with a skirt, underwear, three t-shirts and toiletries. The airline said it was all fine.
Queuing in the mad queue between check-in and the gate for security, there were really hundreds and hundreds of people, packing and repacking their bags. And there were plastic bag marshalls doling out plastic bags. I withheld the urge to take a few (because of the war -> hoarding thing. Once, I had a cleaner who said to me, in response to my lifetime's supply of plastic bags under the sink, "what is it with you Jewish people and the plastic bags?" but I digress. Which is my custom).
So I'm queueing and one of these guys says to me, "you've got two bags." And I say the airline said it was fine. And he said they know the rules, I have to put one inside the other. They don't fit. I ask him what to do. He says, "go to that shop called Glorious Britain and buy a large plastic bag and put them both inside."
Rulesworth. Computer says no. Man but I hate this stuff.
So I lose my place in the queue and go to Glorious Britain who won't give me a bag, so I have to spend £2.50 on chocolate, even though I really don't eat chocolate any more. She tried to sell me all manner of chazerai/tchatchkes, and while I probably think Britain is Glorious, and took in my Great Grandfather 109 years ago, I don't want a mug - or in fact anything - with a union jack on it. So I offered her the chocolate, and then she said she felt guilty, so I gave it to some random passing guy who said he prefered hard candy and I said it was a gift and packed my two bags in my plastic bag and got back in the queue.
Sheesh.
And I queue for even longer, and go through security and then afterwards, I bypass some kind of kerfuffle, and looking back, I realise that you're supposed to go through the whole thing again for shoe-security (subset of big security)but loads of just walked on by.
Like a song.
And then just now, on the way back at JFK they have all the signs about one bag and I get out my Glorious Britain bag, ready for the same stupid ruel-bending silliness... and they don't care. But they do make you take your shoes off at the same time. You can never be too careful.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
I travelled Kuwait Airways, and I had a degree of trepidation before embarking; it certainly wasn't Virgin (booked at the last minute, you get what you pay for).
But, it was cool. They had retro middle eastern/fifties graphics, and the whole plane had a faded grandeur that I quite liked. And the air hostim (and hostot) were really, really nice. And because there were lots of middle eastern people travelling, I felt very at home. Like checking in was a bit of a balagan, as I queued in the Air Egypt queue for a while, and I thought this is all good practice for going to Israel for Pesach because it's load and shouty and if you don't protect yourself you'll get elbowed in the ribs. This, I understand.
But Kuwait Air was fab. Great veggie food, lots of space (much more than Virgin), terrible movies, but got in early and was just kinda... nice.
I know, you shouldn't say nice.
It's past 2am. I'm gabbing. You can tell I'm kinda on holiday. Must go to bed. Please leave comments, btw, I don't even know who's reading, anymore.
Waddyou up to?
But, it was cool. They had retro middle eastern/fifties graphics, and the whole plane had a faded grandeur that I quite liked. And the air hostim (and hostot) were really, really nice. And because there were lots of middle eastern people travelling, I felt very at home. Like checking in was a bit of a balagan, as I queued in the Air Egypt queue for a while, and I thought this is all good practice for going to Israel for Pesach because it's load and shouty and if you don't protect yourself you'll get elbowed in the ribs. This, I understand.
But Kuwait Air was fab. Great veggie food, lots of space (much more than Virgin), terrible movies, but got in early and was just kinda... nice.
I know, you shouldn't say nice.
It's past 2am. I'm gabbing. You can tell I'm kinda on holiday. Must go to bed. Please leave comments, btw, I don't even know who's reading, anymore.
Waddyou up to?
mental health in kilburn
Some bloke in Kilburn wrote a rather long essay (in capitals) on a lamp-post-esque thing. He was asking for help, as far as I remember.
Care in the community. It's been good for the people, right?
Care in the community. It's been good for the people, right?
pretty fruit
I went to a party and our hosts had a caterer who did this quite beautiful thing with fruit. It reminds me of seventies fabric prints.
stupid branding
I got a bit perturbed in M&S recently, because all their herbs have stupid names like "enticing tarragon" or "flavourful chives". I think it's annoying. And a pointless hard sell. Like, you're never in a food shopping scenario where you don't need tarragon, and then because the label says it's enticing, you suddenly buy it.
Too much marketing is bad for you. As we know.
Too much marketing is bad for you. As we know.
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While I think to post this might be in moderately poor taste, I couldn't help noticing these parking bays at a funeral I attended recently.
No, I am not an insomniac, nor have I taken a job in a petrol station, I'm in New York, got here about 7pm local time, which is too late for me to really notice, London time.
Just a short hop. And yes, I will be carbon neutralising it, of course. I like to do it on my return, when the pdf certificate comes, it feels like some kind of prize.
As you can tell, I'm not taking the global warming backlash that seriously. It must be true. Having said that, I don't actually have any science GCSEs. OK, one.
Just a short hop. And yes, I will be carbon neutralising it, of course. I like to do it on my return, when the pdf certificate comes, it feels like some kind of prize.
As you can tell, I'm not taking the global warming backlash that seriously. It must be true. Having said that, I don't actually have any science GCSEs. OK, one.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Don't you think it's interesting that Jason Calcanis is the number one google search for fatblogging?
Look. If you work for Google in EMEA (that kinda made up no-real-place-place), you get a free bike to cycle to work.
Of course (a) I don't work for google, and (b) I'm still quite scared of traffic.
Of course (a) I don't work for google, and (b) I'm still quite scared of traffic.
Films I want to see:
Amazing Grace
Becoming Jane
... in fact, anything with a girl's name in it.
Just kidding.
Here's a thing about Quakers/slaves/marketing.
Saturday, I saw Black Book, the new Paul Verhoven movie. I'm still haunted by it - sign of a good film, methinks.
Amazing Grace
Becoming Jane
... in fact, anything with a girl's name in it.
Just kidding.
Here's a thing about Quakers/slaves/marketing.
Saturday, I saw Black Book, the new Paul Verhoven movie. I'm still haunted by it - sign of a good film, methinks.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Well, I've finally moved into modernity, and uploaded PDFs of all my Jewish Quarterly columns. Ever. You can visit them here.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
See Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth for charity
You probably remember that I'm doing a humanitarian aid mission to Moldova (next door to Romania, and where my family came from over a hundred years ago) in May.
I have a chunk of money to raise, and I'm doing it by organising a charity screening of An Inconvenient Truth. The movie got two oscars (best documentary feature and best original song (oddly)), but is no longer on general release.
So this is a great opportunity to (a) see a movie about green things, (b) do something for charity, (c) go to the Tricyle which is my local cinema and has lovely pink seats, (d) get nibbles and (soft) drink included in the low price of £12.50.
Hard sell? Moi?
Anyway, I'd love you to come, and to tell all your friends. And if you can't make it, but you'd still like to support my mission, then you can do so here. And if you already have, thank you.
You probably remember that I'm doing a humanitarian aid mission to Moldova (next door to Romania, and where my family came from over a hundred years ago) in May.
I have a chunk of money to raise, and I'm doing it by organising a charity screening of An Inconvenient Truth. The movie got two oscars (best documentary feature and best original song (oddly)), but is no longer on general release.
So this is a great opportunity to (a) see a movie about green things, (b) do something for charity, (c) go to the Tricyle which is my local cinema and has lovely pink seats, (d) get nibbles and (soft) drink included in the low price of £12.50.
Hard sell? Moi?
Anyway, I'd love you to come, and to tell all your friends. And if you can't make it, but you'd still like to support my mission, then you can do so here. And if you already have, thank you.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Brilliant, incisive piece in yesterday's Observer on Johnnie Boden, founder of the Boden shopping catalogue.
Check this out:
"...even the business meetings have silly titles.
Which is why I've gained access to the 'Hate or Hero' meeting, one of the design summits which punctuate the remorseless Boden calendar. At this particular event, the purpose of which is to pare down the autumn/winter 07 knitwear collection to 22 styles, Johnnie Boden sits at a long white table, flanked by seven well-put-together women: streaky hair pushed behind ears, expensive watches, lots of low-key grey marle and black and taupe. One brave soul, Carole, the womenswear design director, is wearing the aforementioned and frankly calamitous Posh Velvet Cardigan, but she is the only immediate clue to the fact that everyone else in this room is also head-to-toe in the brand, it being Monday, and Monday being, officially, Wear Boden to Work Day."
Check this out:
"...even the business meetings have silly titles.
Which is why I've gained access to the 'Hate or Hero' meeting, one of the design summits which punctuate the remorseless Boden calendar. At this particular event, the purpose of which is to pare down the autumn/winter 07 knitwear collection to 22 styles, Johnnie Boden sits at a long white table, flanked by seven well-put-together women: streaky hair pushed behind ears, expensive watches, lots of low-key grey marle and black and taupe. One brave soul, Carole, the womenswear design director, is wearing the aforementioned and frankly calamitous Posh Velvet Cardigan, but she is the only immediate clue to the fact that everyone else in this room is also head-to-toe in the brand, it being Monday, and Monday being, officially, Wear Boden to Work Day."
Friday, March 16, 2007
Hey - I made it into Shaggy Blog Stories; well done to Mike and his group of gang for pulling off an amazing feat of creativity, late nights and cool-funkydom. I feel all gently cuddly happy, like I've won some sort of prize. As well as done a Good Thing for charidee, which can only be a good thing. Buy it here.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
There's not much time left, but if you want to contribute to Mike's Shaggy Blog Stories Book for Red Nose Day, you've got till 6pm tonight.
Confirmation bias. That was the phrase I was looking for yesterday.
Seasonal Financial Advice
Given that it's ISA season, the tax year ends on 5th April, and it's a time when people spring clean not just their house, but their financial affairs, in the spirit of open-sourceness, I thought I'd share my (limited) knowledge. All under the caveat that I am not registered with the FSA to give financial advice. I'm kinda like a friend who has a small clue, caveat emptor etc.
First, the ISA deal. The government gives you a free "tax wrapper" of an ISA with a £7,000 limit each year, where you don't have to pay tax. To not use this is silly and wasteful, given how much tax you pay on everything else. This £7k limit can be used in three ways; all in a stocks and shares/investment ISA, £3k in a cash ISA and £4k in a separate stocks and shares, or just £3k in a cash ISA. A cash ISA is often known as a mini-ISA, because a maxi ISA has all the £7k in it. Complex and annoying, rules set to change next April so they are all interminglable, and you can transfer your old cash ISAs into stocks and shares then if you wish. Lesson over. Good intro from MoneySavingExpert here.
Next, decide what you plan to do. If you're not up for investments, you'll be doing the mini Cash ISA. First thing, if you haven't opened a cash ISA this year (since April 2006) and if you have any savings at all you should open your 2006/7 cash ISA today.
New ISAs for this year (2007/8). If you don't have a lump sum and are planning to save regularly (ie monthly), and don't need access to the money (limit of one withdrawal a year) best deal is Scarborough Building Society at 6.3% (variable). If you're doing a £3k lump sum, or a mixture of £1k minimum followed by regular savings, then the NS&I Direct ISA at 5.8% (variable) is good. The ING Direct Cash ISA at 6% includes a 6 month bonus, but it's 6% AER (average over the year), so it starts at 6.55% and then changes. The best clean, get your money when you need it deal is First Direct Mini Cash e-ISA at 5.75%
Transfer old ISAs. If you have previous year ISAs sitting around at 3% or something, you're losing money. The highest rate for transfer-in ISAs is First Direct Mini Cash e-ISA. Remember to fill out the transfer forms - if you close and re-open you lose your tax-free status.
Stocks and shares ISAs, or investment ISAs. You can do these through an IFA, but they charge commission, which is largely how they make money. Although they do give you advice, but their advice is sometimes as good as reading the business pages of the Sunday papers. You're best off going to a funds supermarket - I use both Fidelity and Hargreaves Lansdown; HL has massive discounts on the buying fees (often 4 - 5% down to 0%) and reductions on annual management charges (typically 1.5%).
In your stocks and shares ISAs you can buy into collective retail funds (unit trusts, or OIECS), or with some suppliers, individual shares within your ISA.
It's outrageous how much funds charge for management, it's been creeping up when returns/service is not always that great, and lots of people prefer to invest in index tracker funds, Fidelity's being among the cheapest, or ETFs, exchange-traded funds, which are like trackers but you buy them as shares. Here's a piece from the Sunday Times.
Other savings. If you've got money sitting around in old 3% accounts, banks are (a) laughing at you, and (b) making money out of you. Inflation is currently 2.7%, so if you've got money in a 4% account, and you're a 40% taxpayer, then it's getting 2.4%, ie less than inflation. The best clean rate is Icesave at 5.7%, although I read they had some customer service delays setting up new accounts. Beware of high advertised rates that say you don't get paid interest in the month you withdraw cash - that's just to get them to the top of the comparison tables, and don't touch them unless you really don't need your money for a while.
Regular savings - a bunch of banks offering regular savings accounts that pay 7% or 8% before tax - check the tables here (choose regular saver). HSBC and Lloyds look like they need you to have a current account with them - great if you do, but probably not worth moving for - it's a maximum of £3000, and after tax and hassle, if you're happy with your bank, I wouldn't bother.
There's a lot more to say, but this is a start. And if this has been helpful to you, then do please comment. Thanks.
Given that it's ISA season, the tax year ends on 5th April, and it's a time when people spring clean not just their house, but their financial affairs, in the spirit of open-sourceness, I thought I'd share my (limited) knowledge. All under the caveat that I am not registered with the FSA to give financial advice. I'm kinda like a friend who has a small clue, caveat emptor etc.
In your stocks and shares ISAs you can buy into collective retail funds (unit trusts, or OIECS), or with some suppliers, individual shares within your ISA.
It's outrageous how much funds charge for management, it's been creeping up when returns/service is not always that great, and lots of people prefer to invest in index tracker funds, Fidelity's being among the cheapest, or ETFs, exchange-traded funds, which are like trackers but you buy them as shares. Here's a piece from the Sunday Times.
There's a lot more to say, but this is a start. And if this has been helpful to you, then do please comment. Thanks.
I realise that by saying "teledildonics" online I will doubtless become the number one search for it on google and my inbox will fill up with offers for things I didn't even know people wanted/did.
But here goes.
Call it synchronicity, or the Girl From Ipanema effect, but last week I'd never heard the word (teledidonics) and now it's all over the shop: look, at SXSW.
But here goes.
Call it synchronicity, or the Girl From Ipanema effect, but last week I'd never heard the word (teledidonics) and now it's all over the shop: look, at SXSW.
Monday, March 12, 2007
I realise this is totally stargazery of me, and quite silly, but I'm in the Costbucks at White City, in the BBC "media village" - it's so nice to see how well spent the licence fee earth pounds are - and I keep seeing Alan Yentob wandering around outside. He's texting quite furiously, intermittently pacing and talking.
Maybe they should rename the coffee-ery StarStrux?
It's very nice here. It has a really lovely, collegiate, feeling. Like, even the staff are all lovely and huggy and nice. Not that regular Costbux folk aren't, but you know what I mean. I bet people fight in the Costbux universe to get to work here.
Maybe they should rename the coffee-ery StarStrux?
It's very nice here. It has a really lovely, collegiate, feeling. Like, even the staff are all lovely and huggy and nice. Not that regular Costbux folk aren't, but you know what I mean. I bet people fight in the Costbux universe to get to work here.
I have signed into Blogger, and everything is in german. Let's just say I'm slightly culturally indisposed to German. When I was a kid, some friends of my parents bought a house with a dishwasher in-situ, and it said "achtung" on the inside of the door (doubtless followed by some health and safety warning), and they were too scared to open it.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
It is one am and I am awake. Generally on a saturday night this would not necessarily be a bad thing. But actually, I cancelled almost my entire weekend so that I could relax because I was beginning to think I was slightly unravelling, and thought a bit of doing nothing would be good.
For a while, I thought I was hearing voices, and then I thought I was hearing tinny music with a descarga beat, and now I realise that it's my neighbours. Playing music. It's the weekend. Live and let live, and all that. Stuff happens. And I live in zone two, the hood, these things happen.
But I would like some sleep. And I'm a sensitive flower when it comes to noise. Like, when I got my burglar alarm fitted, the sensors made annoying clicking noises everytime you moved. I called up and asked them what they could do, and the woman said they could change them, but they'd only had to do that one other time in twenty years. Who was the other guy? She wouldn't say, but he was a writer.
For a while, I thought I was hearing voices, and then I thought I was hearing tinny music with a descarga beat, and now I realise that it's my neighbours. Playing music. It's the weekend. Live and let live, and all that. Stuff happens. And I live in zone two, the hood, these things happen.
But I would like some sleep. And I'm a sensitive flower when it comes to noise. Like, when I got my burglar alarm fitted, the sensors made annoying clicking noises everytime you moved. I called up and asked them what they could do, and the woman said they could change them, but they'd only had to do that one other time in twenty years. Who was the other guy? She wouldn't say, but he was a writer.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
I've been having a bunch of conversations recently about Jewish assemblies in schools, partly off the back of my being invited to do the Jewish Hair Workshop in Jewish assemblies by AJ6. Turns out that Aish - which is at best something of a kiruv organisation, all about "bringing people back" - have loads of cool rabbis as well as an in-house chef. And when they do Jewish assemblies, they bring shwarma.
I was at some friends for lunch last shabbat, and I asked their 14 year old why Aish assemblies were so good. "They have free food," he responded. "But," replied his mother, "we have free food here at home, too. Free to you, anyway."
I was at some friends for lunch last shabbat, and I asked their 14 year old why Aish assemblies were so good. "They have free food," he responded. "But," replied his mother, "we have free food here at home, too. Free to you, anyway."
So, let's just say this is no fun. I have a leak in my bedroom from the roof, and waited three weeks for Andy, my friendly roofer who has spiderman-like qualities and no need of scaffolding. He's disappeared. So now I've got more rain in my bedroom and new people who (a) want twice as much money and (b) don't appear to know what the problem is. "No guarantees, love". I love it when people call me love. And stand behind me to point out the hole in the roof from the street and need to firmly clasp my shoulders to do so. Eeeuurgh.
Also, this morning. No heating. No hot water. As you know, I have a British Gas Three Star contract or whatever their marketing department call it now, but we all know it's thusly called because they only got three stars out of a possible ten. They say they're coming between 12 and 6, but I'm not that trusting. When it comes to them.
Also, I've spent like two days working with our accountant to prepare the accounts for our freehold management company, including digging out loads of old documents, chasing the lawyers. And I can't get paid for it. And I'm busy. At least it's done. I guess.
Aaaarrgh. Also, I've been to two funerals and two shivas in the last ten days, and I am owing three baby presents and have a sick friend I'd like to visit, but I have to wait in for British Gas.
Also, this morning. No heating. No hot water. As you know, I have a British Gas Three Star contract or whatever their marketing department call it now, but we all know it's thusly called because they only got three stars out of a possible ten. They say they're coming between 12 and 6, but I'm not that trusting. When it comes to them.
Also, I've spent like two days working with our accountant to prepare the accounts for our freehold management company, including digging out loads of old documents, chasing the lawyers. And I can't get paid for it. And I'm busy. At least it's done. I guess.
Aaaarrgh. Also, I've been to two funerals and two shivas in the last ten days, and I am owing three baby presents and have a sick friend I'd like to visit, but I have to wait in for British Gas.
Belated Purim same'ach, which was on Sunday.
This year, I didn't have time to even make mishlo'ach manot/shalach manos (they are the same: hebrew and traditional/yiddish pronounciation). Although I did receive some. Technically, you just need to give one gift of two things, one prepared, one not, to a friend. I gave my flatmate something. I gave matanot levyonim (charity) in shul, and I heard 75% of two megillahs. So that's no kosher megillah at all - the law is, you're supposed to hear every word of the megillah (the scroll of Esther), but I was slightly late on Saturday night, and helping a friend run something on Sunday, so kept ducking in and out.
Anyway, a friend reminded me that Purim is a time of year when lots of people die; just the end of winter, and apparently it's a global thing, and that's why lots of carnivals are this time of year; fancy dress, a slightly ghoulish style. And Purim is a fancy dress festival, too, although more for kids than grown ups. Suffice it to say, I didn't dress up, as I kinda don't really like it.
This year, I didn't have time to even make mishlo'ach manot/shalach manos (they are the same: hebrew and traditional/yiddish pronounciation). Although I did receive some. Technically, you just need to give one gift of two things, one prepared, one not, to a friend. I gave my flatmate something. I gave matanot levyonim (charity) in shul, and I heard 75% of two megillahs. So that's no kosher megillah at all - the law is, you're supposed to hear every word of the megillah (the scroll of Esther), but I was slightly late on Saturday night, and helping a friend run something on Sunday, so kept ducking in and out.
Anyway, a friend reminded me that Purim is a time of year when lots of people die; just the end of winter, and apparently it's a global thing, and that's why lots of carnivals are this time of year; fancy dress, a slightly ghoulish style. And Purim is a fancy dress festival, too, although more for kids than grown ups. Suffice it to say, I didn't dress up, as I kinda don't really like it.
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