Hunting Elephants

There be Pachyderms in London town, roaming free. Here's some i bagged earlier

for more info go to http://elephantparadelondon.org/

no s**t sherlock

Sign in Pub window only a few yards from my office, in the middle of a student area. I know students are dumb these days but this takes the biscuit

Is this a new month?

This was a sign outside King's College Chapel in Cambridge. You'd think they would be able to spell in a University Town now wouldn't you?

the perils of musak and rock's revenge

I've never posted a video before but I love this

Can anybody translate, please?

I was sent this job spec recently. I'd love to know what the job actually entails

Herewith thoughts for a potential 6 month project for our secondee.


Objective - To develop a pipeline of compelling Value Propositions for priority segments in corporate/government markets

–Which adjacent markets are ‘closer’ to home and present quick win opportunities?
–In which adjacent markets can we fast track Value Propositions (VP’s) that require little development and less capability stretch?
–Where are the ‘further out’ opportunities in attractive adjacent market segments that may require additional capabilities or partnerships but that will help you leapfrog competitors and will be the foundation of the future business.

The challenge: To find propositions that have maximum traction in a broad range of verticals and workflow types

VP’s by workflow types?
Case management
Claims
Fulfilment
Complaints
Quotations
Expense management
Risk Management?

VP’s by corporate vertical?
Insurance
Banking
FMCG
Telecommunications
?
VP’s by Government vertical?
Regulators
Ombudsman
Local Authorities
Services (police, health)
?

Suggested process –

1. Prioritise, (through competitor/ market analysis and internal interviews), attractive segments within the corporate and government markets for work flow solutions
2. Gain market leading insight into the pain points, unmet needs, purchasing barriers for workflow solutions within the attractive segments
3.Build & validate a portfolio of quick win and breakthrough VP’s that will capitalise on unmet needs, displaying strong commercial potential and that are deliverable for LN
4. Recommend through a robust financial & commercial evaluation which value propositions LN should prioritise for immediate & longer term development

Ssh Geriatric footballers at play!

Another R.I.P- Dedicated to you but you weren't listening

It's been a long time since I posted. The Computer has been monopolised by my eldest who has been revising AND constantly on MSN at the same time. But I could not let the passing of one of my musical heroes pass without comment.

Many people will have not heard of Hugh Hopper. Nobody ever remembers the Bass player Yet Hugh was a crucial part of the Canterbury Scene. Without him Robert Wyatt would never have started playing as they were best friends at School. He replaced Kevin Ayers in Soft Machine and was ever present during that band's best period (albums Two to Six) Soft Machine and it's various derivatives has always been a personal favourite and rarely a week goes by without at least one of tehir tracks coming up at random on my MP3 player or else I conciously play an album or bootleg. As robert Wyatt's vocals are so distinctive so was Hugh's bass playing

I learnt of his death from leukemia today when I read his obit in the paper. May he rest in peace

forza venenzia

A weekend away, the rest of the week running to catch up. Music, Arts, Canals and no kids

On slips such as this new religions are made

It was Ash Wednesday yesterday. Part of the first reading should have been

"O Lord, do not give up your heritage to shame, so that the nations become their rulers"

The Reader read

"O Lord, do not give up your herrings to shame, so that the natures become their rulers"

I had to stifle a giggle but the general congregation remained unmoved

An overweight penguin?

Lubetkin's classic design has been devoid of penguins for some time, but a different animal was spotted there on a visit today - The greater spotted painter/decorator. Note the classic non- working pose, hand in pocket, about to light fag

London is closed

This was the view from my office window this morning,

only 10 of the 300 odd people who work in my office made it in today.

Moscow gets more snow in an hour than we had last night yet everything works perfectly.

still some people had fun

John Martyn R.I.P

I will leave it to others to post his music but the news today that he died aged only 60 was a shock. Of all the musicians I love I probably saw him live the most starting at The Reading Hexagon back in 1981 at the insistence of my co-student, Ivor. He (John Martyn that is, not Ivor!) lived life to the full and often his lyrics were incomprehensible but you could always be sure of a great show.

Not Seventeenth Century living

Ralph asked for photos of where we staying in Romsey. We've stayed there so often that I cannot actually find any pictures of the house. I'll have to take some next time. So instead I'll put up some random pictures of Bournemouth trees and Angels!

Happy Christmas

A few years ago we were just about to repaint the room after Christmas so we went with the do it yourself effect!

Not expecting much traffic then?

What happens when a tandem comes along?

Bus rage

Why oh why do passengers stand downstairs when there are plenty of seats up stairs. I was accused of being rude pushing past someone today as I got on the bus as I tried to get upstairs. There were probably 60 people downstairs where there are seats for 20 and standing room for another 10 -15 when there were only 10 people upstairs and seats for 40!

A poem found in my Dad's papers

Drink

The horse and cow live thirty years

and nothing know of wines and beers,

The Goat and sheep at twenty die

with ne'er a tast of scotch or rye,

The sow drinks water by the ton

and at eighteen is nearly done,

the dog of fifteen cashes in

without the aid of rum and gin,

The cat in milk and water soaks

and then at twelve short years it croaks,

the modest,sober, bone-dry hen

lays eggs for years and dies at ten.

All animals are strictly dry,

they sinless live and swiftly die.

But sinful, ginful, rum-soaked men

survives to three score years and ten.

An some of them, the mighty few

Stay pickled until they're ninety two.

Seen locally by my daughter

I saw this in the paper...

A £3,000 blank wall built for teenage graffiti artists by a Cornish council was painted by a disgruntled taxpayer with the slogan

Run over by A Go kart

Looks innocent that car to the right there doesn't it? Don't beleive it! My youngest is currently laid up with a suspected fracture in her foot after being run over by one of these things. I do not recommend going to the nearest hospital to Wembley when england are playing at home with a child with a "minor" injury. We were there nearly six hours and that's not counting the half hour wait for an ambulance.

By the way these are not my kids this image was taken directly from their website

If you are anywhere near Wembley Don't go to Fantasy Island Play Area it's dangerous. At my daughter's recent birthday party one of the guests split is head open on an unprotected steel bar