Andrew's blog
13 December 2011
The Greek Bailout
I can't claim this as my own work.
Well, I can, but I'd be lying.
It arrived in my inbox this evening and I thought it was worth sharing...
It is a slow day in a little Greek Village . The rain is beating down and the streets are deserted. Times are tough, everybody is in debt, and everybody lives on credit. On this particular day a rich German tourist is driving through the village, stops at the local hotel and lays a €100 note on the desk, telling the hotel owner he wants to inspect the rooms upstairs in order to pick one to spend the night.
The owner gives him some keys and, as soon as the visitor has walked upstairs, the hotelier grabs the €100 note and runs next door to pay his debt to the butcher.
The butcher takes the €100 note and runs down the street to repay his debt to the pig farmer.
The pig farmer takes the €100 note and heads off to pay his bill at the supplier of feed and fuel.
The guy at the Farmers' Co-op takes the €100 note and runs to pay his drinks bill at the taverna.
The publican slips the money along to the local hooker drinking at the bar, who has also been facing hard times and has had to offer him "services" on credit. The hooker then rushes to the hotel and pays off her room bill to the hotel owner with the €100 note.
The hotel proprietor then places the €100 note back on the counter so the rich traveller will not suspect anything.
At that moment the traveller comes down the stairs, picks up the €100 note, states that the rooms are not satisfactory, pockets the money, and leaves town.
No one produced anything.
No one earned anything.
However, the whole village is now out of debt and looking to the future with a lot more optimism.
And that, Ladies and Gentlemen, is how the bailout package works.
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Posted by Andrew at 22:04
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12 December 2011
Two Media Experiments
1: Military Wives Choir
Having come from a forces family, I was very moved when I first heard this song, and was keen to support the campaign to make it number one at Christmas.
These days it isn't just a case of telling your friends of course, or even asking people to 'like' you on Facebook. Oh no - you need to 'trend' on Twitter. What's interesting is that 'trend' has spent most of its life as a noun but like 'google' and 'facebook' it has been moonlighting as a verb for sometime now.
And it isn't only birds who tweet these days.
And hey, three years ago a hashtag was how your social worker made sure you wren't out buying drugs.
So over the past few weeks the hashtag #MWC4XNo1 (not too tricky to work out given all of the above!) has featured in my Twitter account and that of many other folk. And today is the day that it is released - I wonder whether this will be the first Christmas number one to have been 'trended' to the top?
2: 24 Hour News Blackout
Talking of Twitter, my second media experiment started at 9pm last night. I decided, in a protest at the absurd amount of my life I waste watching adverts in the X-Factor (yes, I know, not just the adverts, very funny), NOT to watch the final last night. Or the final final, or whatever it was called. Instead I would use 'watch again' this evening and avoid 40 minutes of dull ad breaks.
But is this really possible in today's information-obsessed world? I have stayed away from Twitter, and other than bidding for a wotsit/thingy on Ebay I will stay away from the internet. My car radio is playing CDs instead, and I will avoid newsagents with big front-page photos of Marcus or Little Mix. Can I actually sit down on my sofa this evening without knowing who won?
I doubt it, but it should be fun trying. I will also pointedly not check back in here ;-)
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Posted by Andrew at 7:41
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26 November 2011
War. And friends. And Christmas Singles.
Last night I had dinner with two great friends who had a lot in common.
Both have taught me so much over the years without even realising it, and I have been priveleged to know and work with them.
Both are immensely wise.
Both have been maths teachers.
Both have had experience of senior management in schools.
Both are mothers.
Both had sons.
Both sons had been in the forces.
Both sons had been posted to Afghanistan.
One of them came home alive.
The other one was a hero. His name was Sam Alexander: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/8544915/Royal-Marine-killed-in-Afghanistan-was-awarded-Military-Cross-for-bravery.html
This Christmas, I will be buying the Gareth Malone soldiers’ wives single in memory of Sam. I never met him but I know his mum. And that’s a powerful thing.
I’d love it if you felt able to do the same.
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Posted by Andrew at 22:12
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23 November 2011
Dear Diary
Why so long without a blog?
Lots of reasons - travel, for one, having been to 6 countries in the past three weeks, and even more since my last posting. This sounds a bit 'hey, look at me' but the reality is that it wasn't as much fun as it could have been, and I ended up feeling more than a bit down. Ironically the work itself was a great success - go figure.
Now that the sun has temporarily taken its leave I am also prone to feel a bit low, but this is countered by getting outside as often as possible when our nearest star deigns to make a guest appearance.
Also, I am using Twitter more (feel free to follow @AJMagicmessage as an exciting alternative to having a social life) and LinkedIn as business networking tools.
Thirdly, I am making a complete mess of my work-life balance (in that I'm not doing either terribly well due to trying to fit too much in) and struggling to be sure where blogging fits in to either of those.
Fourthly - I am just too exhausted. So there you are.
Curiously, after a big dollop of self-pity I"m starting to feel better already...I know I have so much to be thankful for, but maybe I have left myself too little time in which to do so. I only write this in the faint hope that it might stop someone else making the same mistake.
Sorry this isn't a) witty or b) upbeat. But it's real.
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Posted by Andrew at 22:32
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11 September 2011
London to Brighton
It's not every day that you can cross two items off your bucket list. Today was a special day for that reason. Cycle up Ditchling Beacon without stopping and do the London to Brighton cycle ride? Why not...
The story starts about 9 days ago when our neighbours asked whether I would be interested in replacing one of their unwell team members for the London to Brighton cycle ride in aid of charity (in this case, Tourettes Action, as their son has Tourettes and they are obviously keen to support this worthwhile organisation).
Not being a cyclist of any description, the only obvious possible answer was ''Of course, I'd love to."
Not having a bike of any description (another potential problem) I asked around and was lent one by a kind friend from church.
I remembered that you sit on the saddle bit and peddle the bits near your feet, but that's about it, to be honest.
So today a 6.5 mile cycle to the station to meet with the other team-members, and a 3 mile to the start after getting off the train at Clapham ensued. The well-travelled 52 mile challenge followed, the infamous Ditchling Beacon forming the toughest part of the course. Somehow through stubbornness as much as anything else, I managed to get to the top without stopping and embarrassed myself by shouting a loud YES! at the top to the amusement of resting co-riders. Ambition 1 - tick.
We eventually finished in Hove at around 4pm, with a tick next to ambition 2. An amazing day, made possible by great company and a determination to keep going that was probably borne of marathon training. I am assured that my buttocks are still there, though to be honest I can't really feel them.
So not as tough as the marathon, but a really different and enjoyable experience - thanks Gary and Nicole for making it possible!
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Posted by Andrew at 22:34
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