Japan

As practice for my trip to Japan at the end of September, I watched part of the film 'black rain' last night. This was in the genre of two all American cops going to Japan. The individualistic (confused and angry) American ways clash with the more organized culture of Japan. The bad-ass cop teaches people from Japan that being an outlaw is the most efficient way to get things done. I can' t say I was convinced. The Japanese help fund the US governments deficit in the 80's, and all they got back were a bunch of anti-Japanese films.  did enjoy the style of the film. I think I will concentrate of practicing drinking sake for my trip to Tokyo.

Digital economy

I was just about to note that many of the things predicted for the internet have come true (such as cinemas mailing me times for shows). The problem is that people are not making much money from it. Life is more fun with this electronic wizardry. Then I looked at the banner for this blog. There was an advert for a school on how to mix cocktails. I can see myself in a dark bar, throwing the mixer around, while getting the admiration of the smartly dressed women at the bar. No doubt I would get dead skin and hair in my cocktails. Better to stay on the customer side of the bar, staring glumly at a pint of lager.

Rainy Liverpool

I got back to Liverpool on Saturday. It seemed to start raining immediately. It looks like summer is cancelled in the North West of England this year. I have seen the film 'the wickerman', so perhaps someone has forgotten the sacrifice to the pagan gods. Let us hope the harvest in unaffected. Oh well, by the magic of globalization we can always import food from nations more committed to the sacrificial knife. I have started to read the book 'Digital Economy' by Tapscott. This is a rather breathless account of all the economic possibilities of the net written in 1995 (before the dot com bubble burst). I am note sure this is exactly what I wanted to know about. It did sort of explain, why people  over valued a company that hadn't sold anything. Apparently having clever workers meant more than sales or tangible assets. It is probably a good thing I didn't read this in 1995. I must have had my first home page then. 

Books

I am off now to start reading Shadowmancer  by G.P Taylor. It is a lovely sunny day -- so just right for reading about witchcraft. I finished off the book "the roaring nineties" yesterday. This is the best anti-neocons book that I have read. It is good to see economics being used as a force for good. I was almost convinced that the current political system could work if only Bush/Blair and their cronies are kicked out of office. I am going to have learn about the ideas behind "the new economy". One of the false arguments that the economy would never experience a downturn was that computer allowed better control of stacks.  (An example is "just in time" stick control). I almost purchased Sociobiology by Wilson from Borders yesterday. The book is f**king huge. What would be wrong with a smaller paperback version?  

London beer

The one thing that has not changed about London is how terrible the London beer is. Last night I had several pints of almost vinegar like bitter. Yeah, perhaps I should have complained. I am sticking to lager from now on.

The new London

London is so much cooler now that it is less English. I wondered around SOHO last night. There were lots of cafes and street side restaurants. People were wondering around. You can still get a pint of warm English beer, but the city is starting to have the feel of Madrid or Paris. I am sure the Daily Mail wants us all to go back to the dark ages of a fish and chip shop on ever corner and a single highly priced French restaurant in the entire City. The new European London is an improvement. I (mis)spent some of the day reading 'Tamburlaine Must Die'. This book is a fictional account of the last three days of the playwright Marlowe. The book didn't really do much for me, because I didn't care what happened to any of the characters.

 In part of the book, Marlowe goes to newgate prison. I wish they hadn't torn Newgate down. Any book that is set around the time of the great plague or great fire of London has someone going up to Newgate prison. There is now just a plaque on the wall where the prison once stood. If Newgate still stood, it would be a cheesy tourist site. Better to let my imagination see the rack, than view the grisly rack with gum chewing sadist tourists.   

Another day in London

I have had quite a pleasant day in London. I finally found Tate Modern after getting my bridges mixed up. I also discovered Camden town.

London. day 1

I am staying in a hotel off Cromwell Rd in london. I used to live around here in the late 80s while I was studying at Imperial. Not surprisingly things have changed. The area around here looks, nicer and more expensive. There is now a Waitrose supermarket as well as Sainsburys. I like the new look European feel to LOndon. Cafes on the pavement are clearly an improvement. There ssems to be less students and more tourest accomodation, but my memory is a bit hazy. I guess that the students have moved further out where it is cheaper. I still like to walk by the hospitial on Cromwell Rd. I used to imagine that it was a mental hospital that was waiting for me. In reality it is probably a meternitity hospital. I could check on google, but I like the light flows out of the window.

First (tired) post

I am feeling quite burnt out at the moment. I am spending some time in London next week. This should get me going again. I have also booked a holiday in Cuba at the end of August. I feel the only way to support the international cause of socialism is for me to visit cuba, drink cocktails, and get a suntan.