A sad sad day, MJ is dead. Cannot believe it. I felt compelled to post an article about this sad event. I was lying down on my bed after a shower when I decided to check my facebook page. My cousin had updated his profile message with "MJ is dead ......" I thought like everyone else that it was some sort of joke and decided to check the modern bastion of information skynews.com, bbc.com and cnn.com. They all confirmed that it was indeed true and Michael Jackson aka King of Pop was actually dead. I had the feeling that even the news channels were hoping that the news was false and conflicting stores about him being in a coma, also emerged. But all these rumours were put to bed when Jermaine Jackson gave a mini press conference which finally confirmed the sad news.
I ask myself, why is it that so many people of all ages, colours, backgrounds are fans of MJ. Why this fascination with one man and how comparable is he to the other great icons of the 21st century.
He definitely is my number 1 pick of all time greatest musical talents. An artist who covered 5 decades and was able to make the transition from child star into a international superstar.
It is absolutely ludicrous in my opinion to compare MJ to any other artist. The Beatles were a group and as great as they were, only people in the west knew who they were. Elvis was also the same outside of the US and Europe. Nobody really knew him that well. But Michael Jackson is the first and possibly only artist around the world that is instantly recognisable. Be it China, Russia, Africa, Europe, Middle East, South America, Asia. Only few human beings on this planet have that star power. I do not know a single person who has not heard or danced to a Michael Jackson track.
When you look at the amount of albums, songs sold, in the region of 750million, his worst selling album sold 10 million with Thriller still going strong and selling in the region of 120million so far. A record which will probably stand the test of time.
Who can forget the video for Thriller which changed the way in which music singles/albums were promoted. I still remember the first time I saw that, i was about 10 yrs old and simply blown away. Michael to me was the ultimate entertainer, great singer, great dancer, fashion sense, stage presence and star pulling power. He was the stars STAR. An icon, who transcended colour, musical tastes and kicked down the door for people of colour to be accepted and embraced by the public at large. If there wasn't an MJ, the music landscape would be very different today. Would we have elaborate videos, bigger stage shows, singers who also entertained . e.g Usher, Justine Timberlake, New - Edition, Neyo, Beyonce, the list goes on and on.
His music from the late 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 200s will stand up as a testament to the man, many called the King of Pop. RIP
Monday 29 June 2009
Tuesday 16 June 2009
I must accept my age, and grow my olives and tomatoes
I must be getting old, but at a mere 37 how can this be. I have always used this term jokingly. But lately, I find the joke is not as funny as it used to be. I am an avid boxing fan and even lace up the gloves for a bit of the old one two at the world famous (well London, East-London famous Peacocks Boxing gym) . I will always remember that funny quote from the G.O.A.T Mohamed Ali when he turned to Reg Gutteridge and said something to the effect of "I am sorry my British fans are here to witness this, a couple of years ago I would have whupped this man in 1 round. I must be getting old"
Although like me Ali said those words in jest, I can now start to feel the slow descent into middle age slowly creeping up on me. Playing with my son who is 2 yrs and a few moons at the moment, but has the energy and strength of the energizer bunny on Viagra, adds credence to the argument that maybe I am not as young as I used to be. A couple of years ago, I would have no problem going to work, heading out to the gym after work, performing my marital duties and partying hard on Saturday night. Alas those days are getting to be a fond distant memory.
While I am not quite ready to throw in the while towel, admit defeat and as a great line from my favourite movie of all time "The Godfather" " I must accept my age, and grow my olives and tomatoes"
In order words, so what if I am getting a bit on in life, I still am in pretty good shape, healthy, wiser and have the type of confidence that only comes with age. Last and most importantly of all I am surrounded by great family and friends. All who have stood by me through the ages of change and self discovery.
Although like me Ali said those words in jest, I can now start to feel the slow descent into middle age slowly creeping up on me. Playing with my son who is 2 yrs and a few moons at the moment, but has the energy and strength of the energizer bunny on Viagra, adds credence to the argument that maybe I am not as young as I used to be. A couple of years ago, I would have no problem going to work, heading out to the gym after work, performing my marital duties and partying hard on Saturday night. Alas those days are getting to be a fond distant memory.
While I am not quite ready to throw in the while towel, admit defeat and as a great line from my favourite movie of all time "The Godfather" " I must accept my age, and grow my olives and tomatoes"
In order words, so what if I am getting a bit on in life, I still am in pretty good shape, healthy, wiser and have the type of confidence that only comes with age. Last and most importantly of all I am surrounded by great family and friends. All who have stood by me through the ages of change and self discovery.
Friday 5 June 2009
Dead Cat Bounce
Damn , did that dead cat just come back to life after falling off the 2oth floor , I could have sworn I saw it move again. (poking it with a stick) yep it definitely is dead, it just bounced that's all.
What the hell am I talking about well, the property market that is what folks, has the property market finally bottomed out . I am no property expert, although I have dabbled in the past. By no means am I an expert. I am what you would call an arm-chair speculator.
There was a increase in the price of houses of 2.6% according to the Halifax, does this mean we are now over the worst of it and we can now all breathe a sign of relief that the worst is behind us.
I doubt it very much, as much as I would like this to be the case as a home owner myself. I still think we have another 5-6 months on uncertainty before the market picks up again. Speaking from the point of view of your average buyer and from discussion I have had with ordinary people as opposed to your economist, bank of England experts or government housing specialist. They are all still not sure about which way the market will go. There are a couple of factors to consider when looking at the housing market in the UK. We are a nation of home owners as opposed to continental Europe and so the market will most definitely pick-up again, the question is when. The UK is an Island with limited space, we do not have the vast open spaces of the US and the population of the UK is currently around 60million and projected to rise to about 65million by 2018. That is a huge increase and with better health care. We are all living longer and we all need somewhere to live.
So either teenagers after going to to University, College or just starting working immediately want to live with Mum and Dad for another 10 years or more. Then they will have to either rent or buy their own home. Most go the rented route, but after a couple of years come to the conclusion that its better to pay your rent to the bank and own the property at the end of the mortgage term. Also market will be fueled by families needing more space for their children. As well as your average person who just wants to buy a home. These buyers are forced to buy out of necessity and not for financial gains. Obviously factors like interest rates, property prices place a big part in a buyers decision, but they are not the be all and end all. The first people who run for cover are greedy landlords who have tried to make a killing by buying properties, sitting on it for a few years (renting it out) and then selling it for a profit. The problem a lot of these landlords bought at a premium when the market peaked out and now are in a position where the amount they paid for a property is less than what it is currently worth. In addition to this higher interest rates mean servicing the mortgages on these properties is a lot more expensive and price of rent does not cover the repayments. They either have to sell property and cut their losses or just sit tight and pray the market improves. This will take I would say 6 months to weed out all the landlords who fall into this category. Then the market should start to stabilise, estate agents know that those who own houses will just decide to either sell at their price fair or unfair. If their asking price is not met then they will just sit tight and not sell. After all why should they, better to stay where you are and wait for the market to either pick up or get your asking price.
The same goes for unemployment figures, again it will take about 1 year for businesses to restructure, lay off staff, force some employees to take voluntary redundancy or try and cut wage bills through some other means.
The last thing is consumer confidence, that feel good factor where you actually want to go out and spend some money. Like most people, I have been affected by all the bad economic news and I have actually started saving instead of spending my hard earned crust. But then I will get to a point where I feel fairly secure in my job and also have enough money saved up in the bank to at least see me through a few months of unemployment. Once I get to that stage I will start actually spending money, maybe go on that holiday i put off, buy that car i was thinking of getting, splash out on that new suit. Once consumer spending increases, business sell more, need more staff, more jobs created, more taxes, people are able to start spending more and the vicious capitalist machine starts moving again. This in theory should kick start the housing market and hopefully with the last crash still fresh in peoples minds. Greed will take a back seat to common sense and only those who are able to afford the houses will be given mortgages by banks. No more 6 x salary, or self certification of how much you earn without real proof of earnings. Hopefully this will mean the next bust will be at least another 20 years or more and hopefully impact should not be as severe as it has been.
Even with all the doom and gloom out there. This crash has not been as bad as the last property crash of the early 80s. Lets hope the next one when that happens is also not as severe.
So maybe the rise in house prices was just a cat bounce and maybe the property price has a bit more falling to do before it finally does stop bouncing. I do not know, but what I do know and if history teaches us anything. The market will start to rise again as when you hit rock bottom, the only way to go is up.
What the hell am I talking about well, the property market that is what folks, has the property market finally bottomed out . I am no property expert, although I have dabbled in the past. By no means am I an expert. I am what you would call an arm-chair speculator.
There was a increase in the price of houses of 2.6% according to the Halifax, does this mean we are now over the worst of it and we can now all breathe a sign of relief that the worst is behind us.
I doubt it very much, as much as I would like this to be the case as a home owner myself. I still think we have another 5-6 months on uncertainty before the market picks up again. Speaking from the point of view of your average buyer and from discussion I have had with ordinary people as opposed to your economist, bank of England experts or government housing specialist. They are all still not sure about which way the market will go. There are a couple of factors to consider when looking at the housing market in the UK. We are a nation of home owners as opposed to continental Europe and so the market will most definitely pick-up again, the question is when. The UK is an Island with limited space, we do not have the vast open spaces of the US and the population of the UK is currently around 60million and projected to rise to about 65million by 2018. That is a huge increase and with better health care. We are all living longer and we all need somewhere to live.
So either teenagers after going to to University, College or just starting working immediately want to live with Mum and Dad for another 10 years or more. Then they will have to either rent or buy their own home. Most go the rented route, but after a couple of years come to the conclusion that its better to pay your rent to the bank and own the property at the end of the mortgage term. Also market will be fueled by families needing more space for their children. As well as your average person who just wants to buy a home. These buyers are forced to buy out of necessity and not for financial gains. Obviously factors like interest rates, property prices place a big part in a buyers decision, but they are not the be all and end all. The first people who run for cover are greedy landlords who have tried to make a killing by buying properties, sitting on it for a few years (renting it out) and then selling it for a profit. The problem a lot of these landlords bought at a premium when the market peaked out and now are in a position where the amount they paid for a property is less than what it is currently worth. In addition to this higher interest rates mean servicing the mortgages on these properties is a lot more expensive and price of rent does not cover the repayments. They either have to sell property and cut their losses or just sit tight and pray the market improves. This will take I would say 6 months to weed out all the landlords who fall into this category. Then the market should start to stabilise, estate agents know that those who own houses will just decide to either sell at their price fair or unfair. If their asking price is not met then they will just sit tight and not sell. After all why should they, better to stay where you are and wait for the market to either pick up or get your asking price.
The same goes for unemployment figures, again it will take about 1 year for businesses to restructure, lay off staff, force some employees to take voluntary redundancy or try and cut wage bills through some other means.
The last thing is consumer confidence, that feel good factor where you actually want to go out and spend some money. Like most people, I have been affected by all the bad economic news and I have actually started saving instead of spending my hard earned crust. But then I will get to a point where I feel fairly secure in my job and also have enough money saved up in the bank to at least see me through a few months of unemployment. Once I get to that stage I will start actually spending money, maybe go on that holiday i put off, buy that car i was thinking of getting, splash out on that new suit. Once consumer spending increases, business sell more, need more staff, more jobs created, more taxes, people are able to start spending more and the vicious capitalist machine starts moving again. This in theory should kick start the housing market and hopefully with the last crash still fresh in peoples minds. Greed will take a back seat to common sense and only those who are able to afford the houses will be given mortgages by banks. No more 6 x salary, or self certification of how much you earn without real proof of earnings. Hopefully this will mean the next bust will be at least another 20 years or more and hopefully impact should not be as severe as it has been.
Even with all the doom and gloom out there. This crash has not been as bad as the last property crash of the early 80s. Lets hope the next one when that happens is also not as severe.
So maybe the rise in house prices was just a cat bounce and maybe the property price has a bit more falling to do before it finally does stop bouncing. I do not know, but what I do know and if history teaches us anything. The market will start to rise again as when you hit rock bottom, the only way to go is up.
Heavy Lies the Crown
Heavy lies the crown, heavy lies the crown. I have always been very fond of this expression. It is one I always was acutely aware off even as a child and I remember watching a film with Sean Connery about a humble soldier who rose to become king of a small native tribe. The name eludes me, but at the end he realises the heavy price he has to pay for becoming the ultimate ruler of this small nation and suffice to say it wasn't pretty. I again heard this saying in another film and this time it was uttered by Jack Nicholson "Heavy lies the crown" "Heavy lies the crown" Again Jack was king of a criminal gang with a youngling having aspirations to wear his crown. Again he paid the ultimate price
This same phrase came to mind when I getting ready for work front of the television watching sky news and a picture of Gordon Brown came across the screen. He look as bad as Tony Blair did in his final days in office. The eyes looked empty, faced looked tired and his whole body language looked like a man mentally telling himself that he still had a chance at staying on as PM. But deep down in his heart he must know he is only delaying the hang mans noose.
He had coverted the job of PM for many many years, even apparently hatching a plan with ex-PM Tony Blair to become PM after he eventually stood down. Gordon Brown came into office when the country was still in pretty good shape, house prices were on the up, un-employment was low, inflation was also fairy stable. But then came the bombshell that is the US sub-prime market which totally added to the destruction of the US economy and had a snowball effect on the rest of the worlds economies. Added to that the MP expenses scandal all meant the beginning of the end for Mr Brown. The job he wanted for so many years turned out to be his undoing. How he must have sat on the right hand side of Mr Blair for so many years, patiently waiting for the chance to get his hands on the Tony Blair's crown.
Tony must have a "I told you So" look on his face now at the thought of how the Labour party has disintegrated since his departure and must quietly say to himself as I did when I saw that picture of Gordon Brown "Heavy lies the Crown"
This same phrase came to mind when I getting ready for work front of the television watching sky news and a picture of Gordon Brown came across the screen. He look as bad as Tony Blair did in his final days in office. The eyes looked empty, faced looked tired and his whole body language looked like a man mentally telling himself that he still had a chance at staying on as PM. But deep down in his heart he must know he is only delaying the hang mans noose.
He had coverted the job of PM for many many years, even apparently hatching a plan with ex-PM Tony Blair to become PM after he eventually stood down. Gordon Brown came into office when the country was still in pretty good shape, house prices were on the up, un-employment was low, inflation was also fairy stable. But then came the bombshell that is the US sub-prime market which totally added to the destruction of the US economy and had a snowball effect on the rest of the worlds economies. Added to that the MP expenses scandal all meant the beginning of the end for Mr Brown. The job he wanted for so many years turned out to be his undoing. How he must have sat on the right hand side of Mr Blair for so many years, patiently waiting for the chance to get his hands on the Tony Blair's crown.
Tony must have a "I told you So" look on his face now at the thought of how the Labour party has disintegrated since his departure and must quietly say to himself as I did when I saw that picture of Gordon Brown "Heavy lies the Crown"
Is it me or are summers of my youth gone forever
Currently sitting at work and looking out the window in Mayfair. Thinking to myself where in the world has the summer of my youth gone. Maybe it is just nostalgia and maybe the world seen through a childs eyes always seems a lot more exciting. But then how come everyone I speak to about this particular topic all seem to be in agreement with me about how much more better the summer months were. In those days you could not go a few days without the government declaring a hose pipe ban, a few pensioners keeling over from heat exhaustion and the sight of ladies dressing in not much was a much appreciated sight. Some of them, not so much !
Alas those days are gone and now if we get at least 3 weeks of great weather, in the high 70s, sunny skies and little to no wind. We all slap our selves on the backs and break out into the US annoying habit of high fiving anything that moves, congratulating ourselves on a having just experienced a great summer.
The reality is that 3 days of decent sunshine followed by another 3 of grey Sky's, rain and chilly winds. Surely global warming should mean that although we might wipe off 3 million years from the 400 million years we have left before the sun gives its final encore and the curtain goes down on Planet earth. That we would at least have great summers and all have the option of burning our skins to a crisp and speeding up the process of getting some form of skin cancer.
I for one am still very optimistic and as surely as a politician has nine lives. The sun shall once again return to Mayfair, London, Engand and beyond
Alas those days are gone and now if we get at least 3 weeks of great weather, in the high 70s, sunny skies and little to no wind. We all slap our selves on the backs and break out into the US annoying habit of high fiving anything that moves, congratulating ourselves on a having just experienced a great summer.
The reality is that 3 days of decent sunshine followed by another 3 of grey Sky's, rain and chilly winds. Surely global warming should mean that although we might wipe off 3 million years from the 400 million years we have left before the sun gives its final encore and the curtain goes down on Planet earth. That we would at least have great summers and all have the option of burning our skins to a crisp and speeding up the process of getting some form of skin cancer.
I for one am still very optimistic and as surely as a politician has nine lives. The sun shall once again return to Mayfair, London, Engand and beyond
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