Somethings happening

Ministry of Sound

2008-04-23T07:29:00.000-07:00

London - what a city. Saturday night the our choice included Laurent Garnier in the End or a trip to the Ministry to see Carter/May/Pullen. After much deliberation, we ended up picking the Ministry oF Sound.

The Ministry of Sound in South London is one of the most famous nightclubs the world over. Last Saturday night Derrick Carter and Derrick May played in the main room, with Stacey Pullen in the bar. A top class line-up............

We were dubious given the clubs cheesy reputation, which conjures images of kids dancing to trance with their shirts off and glowsticks in their hands. Alot of people were drawn in by the club while some were there for messrs Carter and May. The music all night was excellent, with Carter and May ranging from techno to house and Stacet Pullen playing deep house in the bar.

The club was not as big as expected being is smaller than say Fabric and spread across four rooms, all of which have something to offer. The crowd is cosmopolitian, with Japs mixing with London wide boys. The quality of women is topclass but best to getting pulling early. While the crowd is not your underground crowd they're up for a laugh.

Drink is a tad on the expensive side but apart from that the club is all good. I'm not sure what time it closes at, but the there were still people dancing at 7 when I headed home.

All in all a good night and depending on the DJ's playing worth a visit!!

The London Mayoral Election - fuss about nothing?

2008-04-19T06:55:00.001-07:00

The London Mayoral election has been receiving alot of ceverage lately and it makes me wonder what is all the fuss about?

I’m very interested in politics and vote in any meaningful election but I’m struggling to see why this election deserves all the newpaper column inches it receives. What responsibility does the winner actually have? In my opinion, the most important governmental functions after tending to the economy are education and healthcare. The Mayor of London has no say in these matters.

What do they look after? Transport - a competent CEO could do this. Granted policing is important but it hardly deserves the big fuss. The whole thing seems like a vanity fair to me.

Maybe I'm missing something. Please let me know if I am.

Time and Age

2008-04-17T07:07:00.000-07:00

Today is my birthday, so I'm thinking about time. I'm 27 so its not a landmark and doesn't give me anything to worry about. Even though I look older due to male pattern baldness, I feel younger so its cool. I'm pretty unaware of my age and sometimes have to stop any think when someone asks me what age I am. Is this just me?

Anyway time goes by quickly. It's as if someone is winding up the clock as the years go by and they're gathering momentum all the time. One of lifes greatest ironies is that time moves slowly when we're bored and quickly when we're having fun. Anyone ever been in a car crash, time slows down practically to halt for that horrible experience.

The one favour time does us is that it slows down when we're in new and interesting situations and places. Seeing as our thoughts our dependent on us. We give them life. Can we not control our perception of time?

Silvio rides again

2008-04-16T08:07:00.000-07:00

Italy has re-elected its richest man, media magnate, Silvio Berlusconi as its president. Before being removed from power in the countries last presidential vote, the AC Milan owner, showed incredible foresight and made legislative changes making it very difficult for any party to govern with a small minority. As Berlusconi feared, the election was won by a coalition of leftist parties by a small minority which duly fell apart within two years.

This time around, Berlusconi, ahead in the polls, took the time to joke about women who support the right being more attractive than those supporting the left. He also had a crack at the magistrates who have attempted to try him for a litany of felonies including tax evasion and bribery, by suggesting they should undergo annual mental health tests.

Joking aside, he's been swept back to power to try and sort out the economic and structural problems he has failed to address before. This time his first job is to sort a big pile of rubbish that remains uncollected in Naples due to Mafia interference in refuse collection.

Silvio has got me thinking. Is there any other developed contry where the conflict of interests that arise from its richest man and owner of a media empire also being president? Maybe in America? Are the shareholdings of Geroge Bush and his advisors in companies such as Haliburton disclosed? Any other suggestions?

How to make money in an economic downturn

2007-12-20T06:40:00.000-08:00

Reading the financial times lately is likely to cause depression. Global markets are teetering on the brink of recession which is being kept at bay by the unlikely heros - Brazil, Russia, China and India. Inflation is being driven by rising oil prices and the prospect of soft commodities shortages in the near future. This combined with falling house prices and low to zero GDP growth has the ecomony in a spin. As a result value has been knocked off stocks worldwide and it appears things are going to get worse before they get better. What's one to do in such a miserable economic climate.

1. Buy stocks

"It pays to be greedy when others are fearful and fearful when others are greedy" says investing supremo Warren Buffet. Value has been wiped off stocks worldwide in the past six months. Banking and property now look undervalued with property cos trading at up to 40% discount of NAV and 20% written off Bank of America's value in the past 3 months. BPO a sector expected to grow substantially in the future also looks undervalued by current conditions. Although the position is likely to get worse before it gets better, it is worth keeping a close eye on these sectors over the coming months. What looks undervalued to you?

2. Bet against sterling

Sterling has maintained its strength against the $ and € for many years, but is the buck now up? Stg has been falling steadily over the past three months as the MPC has been forced to cut interest rates with more expected in the New Year. FDI into the UK financial services market, which underpins its current account, is sensitive to economic conditions. Conditions have pushed the current account deficit to its widest position in years. With worse to come and further interest rate cuts in store - now is the time to bet against sterling. The question is what currency should you be backing?

You can't keep a good man down!!!!

2007-06-10T06:18:00.000-07:00

I was amused at reading recent newspaper reports linking Thaksin Shinawatra with a move to purchase Manchester City football club for stg£100million. At the time of writing this, the former Thai president's financial advisors are undertaking due dillegence procedures to assess the clubs financial state.

The reason for my amusement is that the last I heard of Thaksin was last September, when he was removed from his Thai presidency by a military coup. After 15 years in the Thai police forces which saw him rise through the ranks to lieutenant-colonel, Thaksin became an entrepreneur. After numerous falied attempts, he successfully started a mobile phone operator which went on to become the largest mobile company in Thailand. From there, he entered the political arena and within seven years was president the Kingdom of Thailand.

His presidency has been credited with reducing rural poverty in Thailand and increasing access to affordable healthcare. Also, Thiland has improved its standing on major indicies of corruption under his tenureship. Not all of the Thai people favoured his policies and some accused him of corruption. It was these detractors who managed to remove him from power through a military coup, which saw the army seize the government buildings and put the capital city on lockdown.

During this coup d'etat, poor old Thaksin was forced into exile and his diplomatic passport revoked. And what has Thaksin been up to since last Septembers coup? In an interview with Australian tv in February he said he was going to use his free time to do some shopping, travel the world and play a spot of golf.

Clearly Thaksin has decided that life is too short and is not going to fight against his military foes. I agree Thaksin, why bother? He's had a good innings. Golf you say Thaksin? He became the president of the Thailand PGA in April. Shopping you say Thaksin? He popped up again in May with a £100m bid for Manchester City Football Club.

Try as they may, they can't keep a good man down!!

Why the American interest in soccer?

2007-04-20T05:16:00.000-07:00

The departure of David Dein, former vice-chairman of Arsenal Football Club during the week, appears to be the result of American investors positioning themselves for a take-over bid on the largest home owned British football club. Chairman Peter Hill-Wood is standing strong and does not welcome the "American's money or his sort".

The American in question is Stan Kroenke who has recently snapped up a 9.9% stake in the football club. If Mr Kroenke was successful in his apparent desires and purchased the football club, he would become the fourth American to take ownership of a British football club in the last two years. The other clubs which have recently fallen into American hands include Manchester United, Liverpool and Aston Villa, all big clubs two of which two are still Champions League contenders at the penultimate stage.

Why all this sudden interest in football from across the Atlantic? Money, status......... surely it can't be for the love of the game. As far as I can see it must be money. Is there a hidden value in football clubs that they feel they can exploit? Maybe they feel these sporting institutions are currently being undersold and that there is value to be achieved through the application of American merchandising practices to these European sporting institutions.

One thing for sure is that British football is stronger than its been in many years. It will be interesting to see what changes this trend of new American ownership brings to the premiership.

Horror in Virginia Tech - What needs to be done?

2007-04-17T03:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday evening as I sit down on my couch after a hard days work. I turn on BBC1 to see a flash news update "31 dead in Virginia Tech", before the programming returns to University Challenge. I was appalled to hear that such a horrific act had taken place and immediately went online to find out more.

Once again an American student with has been to inflict the ultimate punishment on his fellow classmates. Is it not rediculous that an individual with clear and documented pyschological problems is allowed to be the proprietor of a lethal weapon. How many times has this to happen before the vital flaw in the American legal system is acknowledged and addressed. Gun ownership needs to be illegal. Take these weapons out of people hands and the destruction that we can cause to each other is mitigated.

Take yesterdays horrific incident for example, if the law did not allow yesterdays perpetrator to roam the corridors of his University totting two handguns, how many students would be dead today? These civilian epidsodes are regular occurances in the US only. Is the problem not blindingly obvious!!!!!!!

My first blog

2007-04-17T03:39:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome. This is my first post on my new blog. Not sure how this thing works, if anyone will ever actually read this, but I'm interested to see. I'm also keen to exercise my brain and writing like this is an activity in which I've not partaken for a long time.

I'll probably use this blog as a medium for my opinions, which are usually slightly left of centre as that is that way I lean. If fact I'm a bit of an anomoly as I'm a left leaning capitalist. I believe in justice and equity for all but want to use the mind that I've been blessed with to make some cash.

Anyway hope ye enjoy reading this.