My Life As A Dog

Today's P&L: Still out of the markets today

Today's Booze: 1 bottle of Stolichyna vodka

Today's Soundtrack: Music to chase bones to

So Ireland took the bail out, what a surprise, it couldn't be any other way. Initially there was some misguided strength on the Euro, but the market attention has switched to Spain already. With the yield rising to two point four percent over Bunds. That means that you receive two and a half percent interest over German bonds if you buy Spanish, of course because bond yields are inverse to prices an increase in yield means a decrease in price. It's nothing heavy yet, Ireland was up to at least eight percent over Bunds before the bail out but this is how it always starts so start preparing for a bail out for Spain. Europe can not afford this but sentiment is building and, much in the same way as if you live by the sword you die by it, if you depend on foreign investment to keep your economies alive you die when it is withdrawn. Spain has a huge potential market in South America and a exceptionally high academic standards but with twenty percent unemployment? The Euro seems to me like a dead duck. I was working at Bank of America on its official launch and doubted it then , many of my colleagues said "you will die before the Euro does", which seemed likely but I now firmly believe the Euro, as it is now, will split up before I die.

Didn't need to book an appointment to see the doctor, instead I received a request from her. Its never a good sign when they write "we need to talk to you" and put need in bold. If that wasn't bad enough the Stalker wants to meet me directly afterwards - how much good news in one day can a guy take? I know what the Stalker is going to say. She has a bulldozer approach to our relationship and just tends to ignore any small roadblocks like my objections, this comes because she genuinely believes she knows what is best for me. The first time we were together she was very inexperienced and in the intervening twenty years or so, by all accounts she has had one serious relationship but I imagine she was very much in control of him. So while I can no longer boss her around, she finds it very hard to bully me although that doesn't stop her trying. She was always a bit fiery but its got worse. We seem to spend all our time either hating each other or having sex, time in between is like one of those uncomfortable silences. Still if it was easy, it wouldn't be any fun.

Today's music, my top five tracks:

Dirty Old Town - The Pogues rather than Rod. "I met my love, by the gas work walls". Every time I used to come to London, the first thing I used to do was to find a Thameside pub and get a drink. Not at Windsor or Richmond, down by Greenwich or further, near Woolwich, where it isn't beautiful. I always travel light so it was no hardship.

Hounds Of Love - I guess, I have a thing about Kate Bush, she lives very near where I am now but you never see her. She is a bit of a recluse so my images of her are all from videos and record covers. Her picture on the front of The Dreaming appeals to me hugely. I have written about this song in the past, to me it is all about fear and taking your chances. It could be about love or it could be about work but life is all about chances. I am no guru but I have learned about missed opportunities. Now all I have to do is learn the other things that make me a regular person.

Move To Memphis - A-ha, Memorial Beach was an unloved record, but I rather liked it. This was my favourite song. To me its all about striking out on your own, leaving the past behind. When I left home it was a choice but before that, up until I was thirteen I had a safe normal life, then there was a few years of being put in situations I had no control over. That may explain a lot of my questionable decisions since then. Memphis, may not sound exotic to most people but to me, maybe its the Elvis connection, its a journey, Elvis was at his most credible in Memphis, before the bloat of Hollywood and Vegas. We all have our own Memphis. It's after that we lose our way.

Wishing I Was Lucky - Wet Wet Wet, not sure if they had any success overseas. Their debut album was great, despite the singers annoying grin, (mind you, if you have good teeth in Glasgow - you show them off). This song was very popular with people of my age who desired to work in the city - the lyrics were painfully obvious. Getting a job means entering the real world. I was on a very limited time scale when I got my first job, in fact if I had two more weeks without work, I would have been on the streets and the small room I was renting wasn't much better. Since then I been in a similar situation twice. Before all the security checks a good tip, if you were really in a bad way and had flown enough you could get a first or business class ticket at Heathrow, hit the lounge, eat, sleep, get some booze and have a shower and as long as you cancelled a half hour before the flight left, get out. I know that sounds dishonest but sometimes you have to do what you have to do and its better than sleeping in a public toilet or on the Heathrow tube. Anyway the ticket always goes on standby, so its best to use London to New York.

Sunshine - By Gabrielle, another song I keep coming back to. OK, this song shows appreciation for another person. Something I have never been able to bring myself to do. Its a great song though, worth listening to any time you feel down, Guess it would be nice to have that kind of support. I never really experienced that, it seems my whole life has been about my not fulfilling my potential or letting others down. Nowadays, I rarely seek recognition from other people.

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