Office campeone

If you were to join a company for the sole purpose of winning an office pool, I wouldn't recommend you joining mine.

Last night saw me claim my 2nd (of 2) London office pools, and later this week I will devour the reward for finishing first -- a full roast lunch at Fuzzy's Grub -- in front of my humiliated and defeated colleagues. Victory will taste so wonderful smothered in gravy with a side of Yorkshire pudding.

The trophy for picking Spain to win Euro 2008 will fit nicely beside my NCAA "March Madness" Bracket wins in March of this year and in 2006 (I didn't participate in 2007), and my NFL 2006 Regular Season Awesomeness trophy.

saturdaysunday

ThisweekendgetsoneblogthatallrunstogetheronaccountofthefactthatIwenttobedonSaturdaymorningat4am,wokeupat1pm,wentbacktobedat4pm,wokeupat8pm,wentbacktobedat9:30am,andthenwokeupat1pm.

Why, you ask? Because I know this guy from South America.

Learning to fly

Booked out my July and August today. On the agenda:

Reading!
Berlin!
Amsterdam!
Edinburgh!
Washington DC!
Lancaster Pennsylvania!
New York City!
Damascus and possibly Beirut!
Maybe Lyon/Marseille!
Somewhere in Croatia!
Washington DC again!
Charlottesville Virginia!
New York City again!

And then I rest.

Mediocrehead

I finally fulfilled a lifelong dream to see Radiohead last eve. Solid gig. Even though Jude Law kept bumping into me during the encore, Paranoid Android was still fantastic -- the song that Radiohead won me over with years ago.

Wasn't in the same world as Sigur Ros live in a beautiful old church on Tuesday though. That show had gravitas that Radiohead lacked for some reason. I don't know if it was that the weather was too nice, or that there was still so much daylight left when the show started, or the fact that apparently only lads go to Radiohead shows and most of them are tall, loud, annoying and have small bladders.

Sigur Ros was a top 5 show in er/uk's life -- right up there with Bjork on Pier 54 in San Francisco, Wilco/Flaming Lips in MSG on New Years Eve (both with my kid brother by coincidence), Damien Rice at Bonnaroo, Feist at the Satellite Ballroom and Rufus Wainwright at 9:30 Club. (Please, friends of mine, remind me of other great shows we've attended).

Sorry Thom. I speak the truth.

If you're wondering what my first proper concert was ... it was Alanis Morrisette, somewhere in Michigan.

If you weren't wondering than sorry to remind you of Alanis Morrisette.

He's not even a real doctor

So James Dobson PhD commented that Barack has a distorted interpretation of The Bible based on his comments that some verses shouldn't be taken literally.

I'd really like for this to develop as a discussion, because it goes to the heart of my beliefs. The biblical distortions that seem most obvious to me are those that allow things like supporting life and the death penalty AT THE SAME TIME. Or loving our enemies but loving oil and democracy slightly more, even if it means not supporting life and actually supporting destruction and torture.

The Bible is mostly about loving others, but that message isn't profitable or popular and there isn't enough nuance to make people rich and powerful and syndicated.

Ahhh, the soap box.

Once in a lifetime everyday

When I lived in small-town USA, if a great band or event was coming to town, it was too much to pass up. You had to go. Maybe it wasn't once in a lifetime but at the least it was once every few years.

In London things are different. There are once in a lifetime things everyday. But that doesn't mean I look at things in a new light: I still have to go.

Once in a lifetime things I'm doing this week:

1. Seeing Sigur Ros play in Westminster Central Hall!
2. Seeing Radiohead play at Victoria Park, within walking distance of my flat!
3. Seeing Ricardo Villalobos at Fabric with my friend Bernardo who happens to be in town the same weekend and is a huge Villalobos fan (ok maybe he planned it that way)!

So great. Except for the being broke part.

Death And All His Friends

Why do people with an interesting and beneficial perspectives on the world keep dying?

Tim & George, you'll be missed.

Tim Russert -- despite his love for Boston College -- still managed to be one of the only non-hack, non-pundit voices in politics.

George Carlin -- despite or maybe as a result of his vulgarity and ability to shock -- constantly said very reasonable things (like 'no truly developed nation will ever institutionalize murder') that our elected politicians can't even say.

A good weekend for...

1. Russians.
2. Silent Disco enthusiasts.
3. Spaniards.
4. Pollen.
5. UV Rays.
6. Pimms.

Silent Disco is the wave of the future!

Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ... Wave of the future ...

er/uk is today's big thing

Thanks to tipster Mr. St Denis -- for the sake of anonymity maybe it's better to call him Jeff St D -- for pointing out this gem of a site: http://www.todaysbigthing.com/

In many ways it's the same concept as this blog. Except that my blog highlights ideas, events and occurrences that are usually only of interest to me.

The best bigthing entry I've seen since I started checking the site is from last Friday.

But he'll be back tomorrow.

Get your grind on

I sometimes grind my teeth in my sleep. And apparently it's not just some meaningless eccentricity. According to my flatmate Annie's Stress Dental Specialist (a psychologist, for teeth!), it means I'm stressed.

I don't really think I'm stressed. I'm just constantly thinking. About stuff. That's deep.

Be quiet when you're talking to me

Silent Disco - anyone ever been to one? As is always the case, Rick knows all about them.

Format varies, but it's usually a bunch of people dancing around, usually outside, wearing headphones with FM links to a DJ who is playing live. I think I'm gonna go to one Friday. Massive Attack is putting one on in the Southbank, and Four Tet is DJing.

Seems like one of those scenarios where you could easily remove yourself from the situation (by taking your headphones off) and get a really good picture to accompany the caption: "We live in a really strange world".

I would draw parallels to being in Africa, snorkeling in the Indian ocean. When my head was underwater there were thousands of fish around. Literally thousands (because in Africa it's ok to throw bread into the water to attract fish even if it's not ok to throw bread into the water to attract fish). There were so many that I was kind of panicky. And when I looked into the depths I could see that the fish got bigger and bigger the deeper I looked. Bigger and more like they wanted to hurt me. But when I brought my head above water I could make myself forget about all those fish and just think "I'm treading water in the Indian ocean".

Not exactly the same but kind of the same somehow.

More fun with words

This is how I speak from 9-5. If this negatively impacts your paradigms we can circle back later and at the end of the day I'm sure we can find some common ground that we can incorporate going forward.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7457287.stm

New word

Crocodialing - Producing your mobile phone at a party and texting urgently, or listening to an important message with a warm smile on your face. But there is no message, and you are pretending to text - because no one is talking to you at this party.

I've done it. Sometimes I take it one step further and actually have one half of a conversation with someone. And sometimes that conversation lasts a long time. One time when I was walking several scary blocks back to my hotel in the big scary city of Minneapolis, it lasted 30 minutes. But that was more of an attempt to avoid making eye contact with shifty individuals than a social safety net.

Two hearts beating as one

Finally someone explains what NASCAR means to me (by explaining what Formula One means to him):

Televised traffic is nothing but a crashing bore: www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/jun/14/formulaone.motorsports

I'll add that in my case those Sunday afternoons were usually spent laying on the living room floor at the feet of my dad, who was probably taking an afternoon nap. Despite the frustration of endless TV surfing with nothing but NASCAR (or baseball or golf) in view, those were good days. Happy Father's Day to all dads, especially mine.

Beautiful surroundings

The Euro 2008 tourney is going on this month, and the last few days of games have been fab. It's fun watching it here in England too as most Brits are trying to ignore it given England's failure to qualify. Heh. Only what they deserve given the class of their team.

Today was Spain v Sweden. I wish those teams played everyday. I had Swedish girls on my left and Spanish girls on my right. And we were all watching football. Glorious.

Afterwards we all hugged, sometimes in celebration, sometimes in consolation. I was just happy to be there.

Look!

I'm holding a tiny flag:



SIKE!

Allergic reaction

Some days I feel invincible. Like I control my own destiny.

Other days I have hayfever. It's amazing how little willpower we really have. I know that my eyes will hurt more if I rub them, but it just feels so good.

Trail blazer

Today was mildy better.

I wore a sportcoat to work. Still looked good -- grey pants with a navy blue polo and a complementary navy blue sportcoat. Seemed normal enough to me, until I walked ot work and realized that NO ONE IN LONDON WEARS A SPORTCOAT. It's really just all about suits, with or without a tie. Or just a shirt and tie, no jacket. No one told me about this.

Today was whack

Nothing really went right. When simple things like setting an alarm clock or accessing the internet while at work can't be accomplished, you know it's only a matter of time until you call up Vodafone just so you can yell at someone who deserves it.

In other news, I updated my all-singing all-dancing website -- www.ericreinford.com -- with a new picture and enhanced functionality! If you click on the picture you will now be directed here. Ahhhh tecmology.

Say goodbye

How to say goodbye on the phone in different countries:

US: Bye
Some of England: Bye or Bye for now (sing-songy)
The rest of England + Ireland: Byebyebyebyebyebye...
Italy: Ciaociaochiciaociao...

Repetition continues until the phone has been hung up.

Meeeeeeeelan

Going there tonight. Back Sunday late.

Ciao bellas and bellos.

Basta ya!

I'm learning Spanglish. Again, but also for the first time. Sure I aced two years of it in high school but that never got me far.

I'm learning it in two ways:

1) via a Coffee Break Spanish podcast.
2) via a book and CD that I purchased in the Boots pharmacy.

I'm taking both "courses" concurrently. They're both pretty much on the same trajectory and it's been interesting to see the different methods. The podcast is done by a Scottish guy with a thick Scottish accent. I hope that means I'll speak Spanish with a Scottish accent.

If someone wants to send me a pirated copy of the Rosetta Stone for Spanish, that would be cool. I think I'd learn more if the language instruction related to pictures of Brad Miller looking awkward while doing everyday tasks and being paid $5 an hour.

er/uk's opinion on projectors v tellys

Projector > Telly

Small in all the right places, big in all the righter places.

Stop the plasma/LCD screen arms race!

Re: calling you china yesterday

It's that cockney rhyming stuff, innit? I thought I wrote about it once before but now I can't find it in the Blorchive. 

China(s) = China Plate(s) = Mate(s) 

See, I was calling you mate(s)! Except for you Maurice. You're Chinese. And here in London it's also common to call people by their nationality. Like Turkish in that movie Snatch. Or how we sometimes call Guillaume: FrenchWill.

First of June?

For reals? This year is going by pretty quickly chinas.