Saab

Whilst on my way into Cafe Nero this morning for a coffee and a pleasant read with my book I came to the conclusion that I have the upmost respect for Saab drivers.  Although most tend to be driven by the elderly, they never fail to signal in any situation, even parking whilst moving at 3mph.  I have yet to see a speeding Saab driver doing 90mph on the motor-way.  This role has already taken by a number of candidates a) The white van driver, who is normally on the phone with his elbows on the wheel or b) The BMW X5 driver who normally has one of these bluetooth devises in one ear.  

A Time for Change

One of my favorite presents for christmas was a hamper from my sister Laura. The hamper contained many many varieties of sweets, chocolate and 'candy bars' from America.  It was designed to get me ready for New York.  It did not fail.  It contains Hershey bars, Reese's cups, Life Savers, a Baby Ruth bar from The Goonies, 100 Grand bar from Seinfeld and many more.  All I have to do now is work my way through it!

Looking back 2008 has been an eventful year with a black President finally entering the White House on 01/20/2009, signaling 'a time for change'.  It is an exciting year for myself as it could have been my last christmas in the UK for some time, as I hope to be spending next christmas in New York with my future work colleagues sipping mulled wine in our Hoboken apartment. Sounds lovely! 

As far as reading goes, my latest book is one I picked up on Christmas Eve, 'Wake Up and Change your Life' written by Entrepreneur Duncan Bannatyne.  It is fantastic and certainly does what it says. 

Jon Anderson

I am aware that I only posted yesterday and it wont be too often I post two days running.  A few days ago my xbox 360 decided to pack itself in, so it has just gone to Frankfurt this afternoon to be repaired, I just hope it can speak German.  

In the meantime I have between 2-3 weeks to kill with no xbox.  I have been keeping myself busy with plenty of books, research and of course am working hard.  I am currently reading 'Henri Charriere's, Papillon' which I have attempted to read three times in the past and never finished,  now is the perfect opportunity to rectify that. For anyone who is interested Papillon is French for 'Butterfly'.  The book is a brilliant read and documents in fantastic detail nine escapes over the course of thirteen years (True story).  A film was made staring Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman but not well received. 

Whilst reading I have been listening to 'Jon Anderson & Vangelis' and 'Hans Zimmers' score for 'The Holiday', both fantastic and worth a listen if you are after a relaxing evening. 

Un Nouveau Commencement, Un Nouveau Début

So this is the first post of what shall hopefully be many.  It's the journey leading up to my proposed move to New York in September 2009.  My application forms have been sent and now all I am waiting for is to be contacted.  As you can imagine times are nervous and I have no idea what to expect, although an interview in London would be gratefully received.  This is something that I have been working towards since March 2008, so nearly 9 months now. 

Meanwhile I have been reading and making notes on plenty of books including 'A History of Advertising', Stephane Pincas, which is pure genius, especially for reference.  Its front cover has a wonderfully detailed image of a toffee apple, while the reverse has a photo of beautifully coloured lips, also in the same shade of 'christmas' red.  It has helped me to see the development of advertising and marketing since the 'D'Arcy Agency' launched its first brand in 1906 called 'Coco-Cola'.

I think that is it for now, but I will leave you with a story which caught my eye whilst updating myself this morning with current global events:

President Bush was attacked while at a press conference, not in a malicious way but by an Iraqi news reporter who deemed it necessary to throw not one, but two shoes at the president, fortunately, he ducked.  

Here it is:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=9uljOYvDBK