William & Catherine - Huge Assets for Britain

Time-delayed by 24 hours we had the pleasure to watch a 90-minute summary of the wedding ceremony of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.

The Duke and HRH the Duchess of Cambridge

What a difference to the wedding of William's father, Prince Charles with Lady Diana in 1981. Unlike in that year, when a couple haunted by their upbringing with various stages of past abuse and torment had exchanged their barely believeable vows, the newlyweds have erased immediately the dark memories of deceipt which are so eminently attached to the failed marriage of Charles and Diana, including the doubts over the motivations for the ill-faited marriage in the first place.

Yesterday was a holiday in Britain, and a whole nation embraced William and Catherine in their matrimony, as Britons celebrated up and down the nation, united in the admiration for a couple so handsome, so attractive, so bright, so gifted, educated and intelligent, and - so very connected with Britons.

This has been the best day in the annals of the British Monarchy since Queen Elizabeth's coronation; and the lady concerned, dressed in yellow, knew it, and basked in the newly won glory of her reign.

Any Briton of sound mind will wish the couple all the best for the future. This observer thinks that Prince William's passed the baptism of fire for the future role as king with flying colours - those of the Union Jack and of the House of Windsor.

The splendour, and the perfect mix of stylish tradition and modern day features, connected well with people of all walks of life. For the first time in decades people could feel the connection with royals who choreographed their joyous event so credibly and genuinely. Their body language and facial expressions reflected true love between the two, crowned by the crowd pleasing kisses on the balcony of Buckingham Palace  and the joyride of the two in a cabrio, bride still in her wedding gown.

It was a perfect day in a painfully imperfect Britain that saw a new star and prime asset for the monarchy emerge, and an old one dimmed for good: the naïve, dumb and shy Diana was put to rest yesterday; she matters no more.

Au revoir, Petite Angleterre

Lunchtime train to Paris, with a quick pit stop at the St Pancras champagne bar to wash down the moccha taste in the mouth and get into "the spirit of things" leaving England behind for 2 weeks.

Next week we fly down to southern France and rent a car to visit familiar hot spots between Marseilles and Nice. California aside, nothing compares to the lure of the Côte d'Azur. So, until May 8th I say "So long, and Happy Holidays to all."

Current Music: MARINA & THE DIAMONDS - Girls

"Wedding of the Year"

Geeks and gazers of the royal wedding calendar are getting excited as the Wedding of the Year approaches: Prince Albert II of Monaco will lay to rest any insinuation of homosexual preponderance for good when he will marry his South African fiancée Charlene Wittstock on July 1st (civil wedding) and July 2nd (for the religious ceremony). A South African as a Princess Consort of Monaco is novel, but she is not the first foreigner: Grace Kelly convinced the world that even Americans can blend in with the splendor and glitz of a tiny yet mundane principality.

Good for them!

EU Megalomania

The oligarchs of the Soviet-EUnion, the unelected commission and its secretive tentacle organisations, demand a budget increase of 4.9% for next year.

Initially one is tempted to laugh off the Africanesque megalomania and the lack of common sense in the style of the late Emperor Bokassa of Congo. It is for the muted nods from countries like Germany, Austria and the Balkan beneficiaries from the splashing of European taxpayers' money that this latest round of irrational and unjustifiable increases of slosh funds, agricultural mismanagment and cohesion funds' subsidies need to be stopped early in their tracks.

To that end I presented on Monday a paper to argue for the "right" size of EU budget increases, and balanced the economic realities, political environment and limited scope of accountability for the way funds are distributed within the EU. At a time when the net donor member states are forced to introduce austerity budgets with a net decline of public expenditures, the same must be expected from the EU's budget of some £117 billion. Taking into account inflation, I advocated an increase of 0.3% for 2012 and 0.5% for 2013 (against the EU's expectation of 4.9 and 5.5 per cent increases).

I'm happy to see that today George Osborne adopted a similar stance: "the EU is in dire need of a reality check before tableing out such ludicrous demands. From the UK the EU can expect a categorical NO to such lavish spending proposals."

Our PET: Post Easter Trip

Last day of work in the month of April, and a half day at that; on top of brilliant weather.

So, off to Paris tomorrow by Eurostar, with lavish Sunday dinner planned with Emily's parents in Neuilly-sur-Seine. We'll reciprocate on Easter Monday at our place in Rue Pierre et Marie Curie, serving a dinner that has been curiously suggested by AOL member FFFSF BREW, recipe included. It will be fun to do the shopping for the elaborate list of ingredients in a terrific Paris marché.

Next Wednesday we embark on what promises to be a magnificent trip across Southern France until May 7th, ending in Nice for a concert of Zazie at the Acropolis.

Mapping it out:

Current Music: MARINA & THE DIAMONDS -  Rootless

Champagne & Campaign

I'm hitting the campaign trail today and tomorrow to sway undecided voters to make the right decision on May 5th.

At the end of the day awaits a magical flute, with the prickling sound of bubbles rising, a golden coloured pick-me-up from the region of Reims. Cheers!

Nutella Ferrero, Dead at 48

Italian Chocolate Tycoon Dies in SA

Italian chocolate tycoon Pietro Ferrero has died in an accident in South Africa, a spokesman for his company has said. Reportedly the billionaire fell off a bicycle when he suffered a heart attack and was pronounced at the scene.
Mr Ferrero was joint chief executive of the Ferrero group, which owns Nutella and Kinder. The Italian newspaper Corriere della Serra reported that Mr Ferrero, 48, who was married with three children, had been in South Africa for work.
Current Music: MARINA & THE DIAMONDS - Oh No!

Passover 2011



Shalom Al Yisrael

This is Passover Week

Mon 18th   Pessach begins at sundown; First Seder Night

Tue 19th    Second Seder Night

Wed 20th   Second Day Passover

Thur 21st   First Day Chol Hamoed

Fri 22nd     Second Day Chol Hamoed

Sat 23rd     Third Day Chol Hamoed

Sun 24th     Fourth Day Chol Hamoed

Mon 25th   Seventh Day of Passover

NO to AV

                                                                                  
AV is unfair: With our current system, everyone gets one vote. But under AV, supporters of extreme parties like the BNP would be more likely to get their votes counted more times, meaning their votes are worth more than yours.

AV is unclear: Under AV, the candidate who finishes third can be declared the winner thanks to an unclear, complicated voting process. It's like someone coming third in a running race winning the gold medal.

AV is unpopular: Just three countries in the world - Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Australia - use AV, compared to almost half the world's electors who use our current system. In Australia, six out of ten people want to get rid of it.

AV is expensive: Calculating the results is a long, complicated process, which could cost the taxpayer millions.

Jazz Cafe

Tonight we'll be at the Camden Jazz Café to see guitar prodigy Oli Brown, another of Emily's inside tips. Can't ever go wrong with the helful hints from female intuition, eh?
Posted via

BlackBerry

Joan Miró: The Ladder of Escape at Tate Modern

Joan Miró: The Ladder of Escape at Tate Modern - Art museums & institutions

Lunchtime today;
Afternoon in Trafalgar Square for the Dutch Festival;
Dinner & Dance on the Hispaniola, starting at 9pm
Posted via
BlackBerry

(London) Weekend

Picked up Emily at 3 at St Pancras and quenched the thirst stylishly at the champagne bar, a regular hang-out for us by now.

Entertaining tonight, with six guests coming for dinner, drinks and heated discussions into the night. LSE folks, after all...

And here is what I picked up earlier this week at Hotel Chocolat: get it, once you've tried it you'll never touch any other choccie drink.

Chatroom Masturbator With A "Minor"

Ex-UN Weapons Inspector Who Betrayed Country, the UN and Family Found Guilty of Sex Offenses
Scott Ritter, the prolific pro-Saddam UN weapons inspector, has been found guilty of six out of seven sex crime charges in a Pennsylvania court. The conviction follows a similar trial 10 years earlier in New York, a trial which Ritter called "politically motivated."

Ritter, an outspoken critic of the war in Iraq when he was on a secretive payroll of Saddam Hussein, had a sexually graphic online chat in 2009 with an undercover police officer posing as a 15-year-old girl. The 49-year-old former US Marine initiated a conversation through a Yahoo! chatroom in February 2009 with 46-year old police detective Ryan Venneman posing as the teenage girl.

Mr Ritter then performed masturbation and ejaculation on himself in front of a web camera, because of the officer's repeated claims that he was 15-year-old. It is not known how enthused and excited the officer became at the time.

Ritter remained silent as the verdict was delivered, while his twin 18-year-old daughters, who were in attendance in the court in Pennsylvania, sobbed. "The jury reached the right decision," Assistant District Attorney Michael Rakaczewski said after the verdict. "They saw the case for what it is and the defendant for what he is and what he did," he added.

We do too: the arrogant and pervy scumbag, entrapped by a similarily sick copper, brought down in shame and disgrace, with his juvenile daughters present.

It's not April, it is Kiah

Of the many suggestions that Katrina received as a name for her new puppy, KIAH was chosen as the best. And here they are, caught in an April shower on Tuesday:

Current Music: THE TING TINGS - That's Not My Name

A colleague lost

R.I.P. Sir Simon Milton
A colleague for only a short period of time he will be sorely missed. Death at age 49 just doesn't seem fair.

Posted via

BlackBerry 

C'est l'amour à la plage

Off to a seafood brunch shortly; Paul's party last night was a blast and we got back to the hotel around 3 in the morning. Slow start this morning, needless to say. With weather that can only be described as heavenly we'll venture to the beach near St Ouen's Bay, catching up with the rest of the party-goers from last night.

Maid wants to fix the room, so we better scoot. Kudos, Katrina!

Sipping cocktails

Sipping mimosas on the terrace of The Old Government House hotel with a grand view over St Peter Port harbour and over to Herm island. Today is also International Roma Day, the 'other' European minority perpetually persecuted in Europe.

We're building up appetite for the pending Chili Challenge, which will commence at 1pm.
Posted via

BlackBerry

Blue Sky, Blue Islands

About to board flight from Jersey to Guernsey, on Blue Islands flight SI323; blue sky all around us.
Posted via
BlackBerry

(CI) Weekend

A glorious day in Southern England, no doubt about it. Just finished coffee on the terrace of City Hall, and the vista over to Tower Bridge and across the Thames instills an aura of Spring holidays.

Emily arrives in St Helier within the hour, and I will join her in early afternoon. Paul and Nadine will join us tomorrow for the day trip to St Peter Port where the bi-monthly Chili Challenge, the visit to volcanic Scoville [Scoville presenting the gauge (the Scoville Heat Unit, SHU) to measure the level of pain which a chili peppered 4-course meal can inflict on you] is to take place. The peculiar thing is that the eatery imports for this special occasion the hottest chili peppers it can get hold of, and which measure around 180,000 SHU (certified), served only after expressive warning from staff. They do not serve it at the restaurant on a regular basis. In comparison - just to give you an idea - Tabasco or Jalapeños can only claim around 4,500 SHU.

Saturday night is a party at the house of one of Paul's friends (a senior treasury guy at SocGen in Paris) in St Ouens Bay. Sunday is reserved for basking in the sun, with a hefty dose of lotion applied. It's unfair that Emily tans as quickly as reading her horoscope in Paris Match, while I need to work myself through The Karamasov Brothers before showing a hint of cardinal red; forget about brown.

I dread Monday morning (who doesn't?), when we'll part again: Paul & Nadine to Paris, Emily to Auxerre in the Bourgogne, where she'll have a gig on Tuesday, and I shall arrive back in London just after noon.

[Will try to freeze-frame Sunday]

Daily terror against Israel

45 missiles fired at Israel; school bus hit in Negev

Every day Israel is the target from the Gaza Strip, either from terrorists sneaking across the border to commit atrocities within Israel or from missiles launched in the Palestinian territory with the active support of Hamas and the regime in Iran.

Today the driver of a school bus and a 13 year old pupil were wounded when the vehicle was hit by an anti-tank missile outside Kibbutz Sa'ad in Sha'ar Hanegev.

The missile was fired from the Gaza Strip and hit the school bus outside Kibbutz Sa'ad. Defense Minister Ehud Barak ordered the IDF to respond speedily and to attack using all means necessary.

IDF forces struck back at various locations throughout the Strip.

Forty-five rockets and mortar shells were fired into Israel from the Gaza Strip in the span of three hours today, according to a tweet by a IDF Spokesperson.

In the attack on the school bus, the 13-year-old was in critical condition after paramedics managed to resuscitate him. He was airlifted to Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba where he was undergoing surgery. Soroka officials said that he was suffering from head injuries.

Basic rate folly

The Bank of England remains out of step, and hobbles behind the curve of the macro-economic conditions in Britain, and left the Base Rate unchanged at 0.5% today.
Posted via

 BlackBerry

BCC conference

It's decision time (again) for the central banks of the Eurozone and Britain, and like a month ago I argue for the immediate hike of benchmark interest rates by 0.5% (ECB) and by 0.25% (BoE).

Will probably not enhance my popularity among the crowd in Church House this morning, at the British Chamber of Commerce conference; I'll attend the gathering from 9:30 until 1pm today. Perfect timing too: hours after the 3rd eurozone member within a year has to crawl to EU coffers for a multi-billion rescue package; with Belgium and Spain looming large to be next.

Soviet-EUnion

EU and the credibility gap: 6 hours after a commissioner and the ECB president boasted to the press that "Portugal is in no need of financial aid," the country submitted an official request to the EU for a bail-out tonight, requesting between $115 - 130 Billion. With Spain, Belgium and Italy looming later, one wonders how long paymaster Germany will permit the perpetual squandering of European taxpayers' funds.

Posted via

BlackBerry

Surgical gloves to deal with Jihadists

Yesterday's surgical air attack on 2 terrorists in Port Sudan is another example of effective and economical ways to conduct the "war on terrorism."
Today Israeli aircraft also launched precision strikes against two terrorist tunnels in the northern Gaza Strip as a response to recent rocket and mortar fire at Israeli settlements.

Congratulations to the IDF.
Posted via

BlackBerry

Buffoon #10

Still-PM David Cameron bestowed $1.05 billion upon nuclear power Pakistan, "to educate Pakistani children, which is in the vital interest of the UK."

Enough already, buffoon: a 3rd World country that has splashed $28 billion to go nuclear does not deserve British taxpayers' hand-outs! The money would be much more wisely spent - in the TRUE interest of Britain - on education in England.

I can't believe I have ever supported this intellectual featherweight! Time to pull the (Chelsea) dagger and strive for change of leadership...

Vague Hague

William Hague is pandering to Hamas, al-Qaeda and anti-Semites by refusing to call for the retraction of the UN Goldstone Report which has charged Israel of targeting civilians in reprisals for relentless bombardments of settlements two years ago. Author Goldstone himself called the report "false and wrong in its accusations against Israel" and called for the UN to withdraw the report as invalid.

Hague refused to be drawn into a definite answer to the question, "why the British Foreign Office is adament about the validity of the Goldstone report condemning Israel when even its author completely retracted crucial parts that were critical of Israel?" Mr Hague pointed to "other interests of Britain in the region that require him to continue to support the original Goldstone report for the time being."

I hope Washington takes note of the FO's anti-Semitic policy in place.
Posted via

BlackBerry

Paki Love

"Britain's links with Pakistan are unbreakable," Prime Minister Cameron serenaded to a stupefied Paki leadership this morning.

The abstruse flattery might appease the locals for a day or two, but the fact remains that most of the world's terrorist acts are concocted within Pakistan, a country that saw recent presidents, prime ministers and designate-leaders blown to pieces, hanged or shot dead.

Cameron's testament of eternal friendship is so overboard and mad that one has to question the Tory leader's state of mind. It might very well usher in first tremors to shake his leadership, and forebode a challenge later this year. We'll be ready!
Posted via

BlackBerry

Events

Where to find me (us, this coming weekend)
Today: All day at Millbank Office, and I love it.

April 6, 7:00pm:

Keren Ann
Jazz Cafe, Camden


April 8, 3:45pm
Hotel Pommes d'Or, St Helier, Jersey [party of 4]
April 9 - Guernsey: monthly Chili Challenge
April10/11 - St Helier

(London) Weekend

We enjoyed last night's concert, but midnight snacks and drinks were even better.

Spring is in the air and we plan to get a slightly different angle on London this weekend: together with Paulo & his gang we'll explore the canals of Venice-upon-the-Thames all day tomorrow, weather permitting.

We also booked the monthly "Chili Challenge" and it will be in Guernsey (or is it on Guernsey?) next Friday. We'll meet in St Helier, take ferry to the desolate island, stay one night and get back to Jersey on Saturday, until Monday morning. Should be OK, but it wasn't really my choice. The lure of Victor Hugo for Emily, I guess.

In any case, Bon weekend á tous!
Current Music (Spotify enhanced): SPIRAL BEACH - Teddy Black

To AV, or not to AV

Boris & Arnie

The one that escaped the censors:

Arnold Schwarzenegger threw his muscle behind Boris Johnson today as he praised the Mayor's "brilliant" leadership. The former California governor said he would back Mr Johnson "all the way" before next year's race for City Hall. The action movie star, 63, described the Mayor's bike hire scheme as a "great idea for the whole world" as he joined him for a short ride along the South Bank."

Moving pictures from Arnie's visit at City Hall: