So there we were, 30 miles out from home in central London on a bike, at the worlds busiest airport, London Heathrow. Under the tunnel, park the bike in one of the many bike parks, and head towards the spectators gallery (btw, we are not plane spotters, but thought this made a good day out, and avoided the carnival in notting hill).
But it was closed due to 'heightened security reasons'. I wondered what these are and figured that it was probably laziness or something. Then inside the terminal we heard an annoucement saying that open and unopened drinks should not be taken through security to the departure lounges due to 'heightened security'. What on earth can a drink do?
Paul told me that security experts were saying that half the things airports say and do don't actually increase security, but are to make the public feel safer. The drinks thing sounds like that. And it makes people buy a new drink on the other side. Could be the same with the Spectators Gallery - no need for staff if you close it, save some cash.
Then Paul told me that a lot of security firms were going out of business, due to them having to do their job properly. After years of doing slack security and raking in the cash, now they have to do the job properly, they can't make it work financially. I went looking for evidence of this - a flaw in the free market of transport? As a reader of Transport Blog, I was interested to read this article about Securicor losing the job of airport security in some airports in American, and the job being filled by the Government.
we're either (literally) too cheap, too expensive, too designy, not designy enough, not big enough, too small..... and so on. Clients want something for nothing and expect everything for a small something.
reasons to run yr own:
no annoying middle manager type to tell you what to do
can create easy-going nice and friendly work atmosphere
can have a LOT of fun building stuff
can choose what you work on for who and how
reasons not to run yr own:
too much responsibility
having to deal with hackney council
finding work / clients
can't walk out and travel to iceland the next day
oh my life for somebody who could sell websites for us and wasn't a tosser. dream on.....
Wheres George is a fantastic website - a demonstration of a trully fantastic device that can only be done through the web. You could always buy books, but could you always track dollar bills? Bring on the Euro Tracker.
www.wheresgeorge.com
On friday night I went with Paul and his mum and dad to see the Mama Mia production in a theatre in Soho. This was probably my first musical since seeing Guys and Dolls when I was about knee high to a grasshopper.
It was fantastic.
Some daft but pleasant enough story wrapped up with lots of Abba songs, and the full theatre was totally entertained. Alexandra Jay plays the lead role, and once the story was wrapped up, the entire cast did some great coreographed routines to three storming Abba songs, including Dancing Queen.
The set was super-clever, with simple and versatile stage pieces being wheeled around to create the scenes (spot the person who doesn't go to the theatre much) and the lighting design was dramatic and suprising. It makes me want to work in theatre, something I used to want to do when I was young.
Glamourous, talented and live as it can be, I was a bit star struck!
Well, it's been quite a while I have to admit since I have put finger to keyboard in the form of this blog. But I thought it only right and also proper I make an effort.
Even better than that is the fact that I have no idea what I am about to blog about. Kind of like Random writing or drawing where you don't engage your mind merely letting the pen do as it feels, some sort of subliminal stuff is supposed to emerge.
I don't think Tom has blogged about the short film we shot last weekend so I will be the one to inform the masses who share this blog with us of the wonder that is Hot Hot Juan.
There has been something of a heatwave in Britain this last week or so.
Well it was 32C in the house on Saturday and when Tom put his watch in the sun on the balcony it hit a sizzling 50C. Ouch! Hot to the touch.
Anyhoo, we decided to go out and make a film about a man who is so hot that he has to eat 4 ice creams.
The results are available to those with eyes at the tyreservice
Now that I have written this out, I realise what a fool I am and the only people who would be able to read this are those that viewing the tyreservice already and this whole damned blog is completely futile.
How's that for random blogging.
I'm going now Bye (Ken Korda)
I played the lottery in the UK yesterday, along with Paul and Kevin. Kev won a fiver, I think I got one number - typical. Amid the usual discussion about chances and what you'd do with the money, I noticed this story on the beeb, about how the Italian has rolled over for the 44th time. The jackpot is up to £40 million or something crazy like that.
Fat Beehive have launched a new site some 3 years after that last one was built. How is that for slack? But this new site is lovely and compliant, built with xhtml, css and tender loving care. Designed by our new (well, not so new now) designer, Louise and breathed into life by Paul and Johan along with Louise, it currently features only one style - rancid butter. We've had some problems with the other styles, so we thought we'd slow it down and build it up over time. This is version 0.1 of the site, and we have a number of ideas which we'll build in soon.
Have a look and let me know whether you like it.
There I was, sitting watching some tv when I noticed that the airplanes were flying low and loud over North London. A search on the web for info revealed very little, but did show this
A near real time (10 minutes delayed) track of airplanes taking off, landing and transiting over the LA area. Cool. Of course, we don't have that in the uk. Cos our government is crap.