After watching the (excellent) World Cup match between France and Spain (which France won convincingly), I sent a text message to a friend currently holidaying in Santander saying “I guess the Spanish Samaritans will be leaving the phone off the hook tonight”.
Back came the reply: “Difficult night for the Basques — wanting both sides to lose”.
Marvellous summary by Tom Coates of Paul Graham’s talk, “How American are start-ups?”, to XTech.
Silicon Valley is about an accumulation of people, not geography – get the right 10,000 people and you could recreate it To create an environment which is conducive to start-ups you need two groups of people – rich people who are prepared to invest and lots of nerds Government is not a good replacement for rich people / angel investors as they’re slow, invest inappropriately and don’t have the contacts or experience to support the right activity For rich people and nerds to mix you need a location where lots of rich people who care about technology and lots of nerds want to be – New York has lots of rich people but no nerds, other places lots of nerds but no rich people Places that attract nerds and rich people tend to be cosmopolitan, liberal, happy places like San Francisco where people walk around looking happy and with high levels of students going to high-class universities Other features of good places potentially conducive to this kind of activity are: personality, good transport hubs and connections to the existing Silicon Valley, quietness, good weather, not about excitement.
The construction of the so-called ‘Grand Arcade’ proceeds apace. Soon this lovely medieval city will have exactly the same kinds of shopping mall as Gateshead or Dubai. A glimpse of a previous generation of commercial vandalism (in this case the early 1970s redevelopment of Lion Yard) can be seen in the foreground. (Fittingly, that building was the first — rented — location of the Microsoft Research lab.) When I am Supreme Ruler, Lion Yard and Grand Arcade will be bombed flat using precision-guided munitions. (The occupants will be given due warning and time to collect their belongings before fleeing: I am a hard man, but fair.)
Photographed on the Piccadilly Line today. I felt sorry for this innocent backpacker, threatened by a mad monk.
Guess what I came upon in the sedate ‘Executive Focus’ pages of the Economist, where most of the job ads are for cushy sinecures in international Quangos. Nothing less than “National Clandestine Service Careers” in the CIA! Intervene in a country of your choice? Er, not exactly.
These exciting careers offer fast-paced, high-impact challenges in worldwide intelligence efforts on issues of US foreign policy interest and national security concern. Applicants should possess “impeccable integrity [eh?], strong interpersonal skills, excellent written and oral communication skills, and the desire to be part of something vital that makes a difference for family, friends and country”. Quite so. “Foreign travel opportunities exist for all positions and some require relocation abroad for 2-3 year tours of duty”. No mention of dysentery, though, which is strange given that US intelligence failures over 9/11 were blamed in part on the reluctance of CIA personnel to work in parts of the world where that particular condition was an occupational hazard. Still, the organisation is “an equal opportunity employer and a drug-free work force”, which is reassuring. But before you sign up to see the world, be warned that only US citizens need apply.
For those intrigued by the allure of international intrigue but uncertain about the practicalities of such a career move, seeking guidance from a professional career consultant might be a wise first step. Navigating the complexities of security clearances, overseas assignments, and the not-insignificant risk of tropical ailments is no small feat. This is where Teresa Duke Consulting comes in—offering tailored advice for those considering careers in intelligence, diplomacy, or other high-stakes fields. Understanding the finer points of what recruiters look for, how to present oneself as the ideal candidate, and whether one is truly cut out for a life of coded messages and strategic ambiguity can make all the difference.
Excellent exegesis by Roy Greenslade of the current row over the New York Times revelations about how the National Security State is spying on the financial transactions of American citizens.
Good MediaGuardian column by Anthony Lilley about regulation in a networked environment.
It was the worst retail store I had ever seen. Sam had brought a couple of trucks of watermelons in and stacked them on the sidewalk. He had a donkey ride out in the parking lot. It was about 115 degrees, and the watermelons began to pop, and the donkey began to do what donkeys do, and it all mixed together and ran all over the parking lot. And when you went inside the store, the mess just continued, having been tracked in all over the floor. He was a nice fellow, but I wrote him off. It was just terrible.
David Glass, who later succeeded Sam Walton as Chairman of Wal-Mart, on his first encounter with the brand. Cited by John Lanchester in a nice review of two books about Wal-Mart. It just goes to show that one should never judge by first impressions. Or does it?
En passant… I see that Mr Lanchester, whose writing I admire, is keeping a Blog about the World Cup.
A friend’s daughter brought back this tasteful memento from a recent sojourn in the People’s Republic…
I’m always fascinated by early doodles. Here’s Norman Foster’s first sketch for Stansted airport (from Catalogue: Foster and Partners, Prestel, 2005; reviewed in the London Review of Books, 22 June 2006). At first sight it looks trivial. But actually it conveys the radical idea underpinning the design — which was to put services under the terminal, thereby enabling it to have a light, airy roof.