Communication Breakdown

Fridays P&L: GBP -130.00

Fridays Booze: 2 litres of Dry Cider, 1 litre of Stolichnaya Vodka

Fridays Soundtrack: Music to burn bridges to

The stock markets loved the Fed's plan to purchase all those securities, OK the dollar took a dive but Bernanke clearly wants to inflate away US debt so that's fine, personally I think in a post-industrial economy a strong currency is a benefit. Anyway analysts and traders are already talking about quantitative easing three! Its probably easier to view the American economy as a patient in a coma on life support in a rather fancy hospital paid for by the Chinese - how much longer do they continue to foot the bill before telling the doctor to switch off life support? The UK has its own problems which seem equally insurmountable. The inept coalition seems clueless as to what to do. but in a way that's strangely comforting. Britain has a long tradition of, frankly, useless politicians. As a former banker I suppose its no surprise that I don't blame the finance industry for the current situation, although the eventual levels of greed were shocking even to me. Top level traders began to view themselves and were compensated like superstar athletes. It should be recognized, though, that all traders signed contracts which detail pay quite specifically. Anyway there are or at least should be plenty of regulators, both in-house and externally to have stopped the wilder excesses. If any ones interested I blame Greenspan and Bernanke and Summers as the primary cause. They can claim they were not responsible for the attitude of excess, but the loose monetary policy directly caused this.

I knew it was a bad idea to reply to the Lunatic ex, She asked me a few questions that were worded in her usual nonchalant manner. So I replied in what I thought was the run of a normal conversation. Clearly I didn't give her the right answer when she asked if I thought we would ever see each other again. I then got a few rather threatening emails for my trouble. At least for once, I wasn't dumb enough to give her any contact details or my phone number and she is on the other side of the world. Unfortunately the Stalker has some business to take care of in Jakarta and will be going there in the very near future, which is far too close for my liking. If I had my way I wouldn't have these two women in the same hemisphere.

Yesterday's music, my top five tracks:

I Was Right And You Were Wrong - Good old Deacon Blue. I am the kind of person who has to say I was right to women, even if I know I am wrong.

Play Dead - Still my favourite song from Bjork, not exactly a feel-good song.

It Doesn't Matter - Alison Krauss, This is quite a simple song but full of emotion. The singer has a great voice. When I hear this song I think of the Italian girl and some very specific regrets, even though it was recorded long after I knew her.

Fuck It - I used to drink in this seriously dodgy bar in Bangkok, the girls at the bar loved this song. I don't think they really understood what perspective the song was from but they certainly appreciated the sentiment. I love drinking in sleazy bars, which the Stalker has always found infuriating. It isn't the available women, its been a long time since that was a novelty to me. I have a soft spot for hookers, after all, who doesn't like a bruised angel. I admire their resilience, its not something I would do for a living but I am not qualified to judge anyone.

Don't Talk Old To Me - Who would have thought that Alice Cooper would become so establishment? This is a song from his wilderness years in the eighties, but Alice still has his sneer. It's an anti establishment, anti growing-up song, so I love it.

In case I don't see 'ya...good afternoon, good evening, and goodnight!