(no subject)
In work, alone. I came back from lunch early. I've about ten things 'on my desk' that need to be done sooner rather than later, but... meh. I have a smokescreen for my procrastination, though: I 'organised' (read: turned up at) a photo shoot with a government Minister on Wednesday on behalf of my office, and a raft of news-starved national daily papers and radio programs have covered it, thus securing me brownie points. The flipside of this is an increased workload, as the Powers That Be (perhaps ill-advisedly) judge me to be capable of tasks more demanding than the usual thankless office drudgery.
I'm not complaining, though. I've even started reading through the pile business magazines that accumulate weekly in the office - the sort where plucky Irish entrepreneurs are lauded for flogging their company to some (usually American) corporate behemoth, only for the surrogate mother company's share price to crash through the floor a few months later. The Irish rags are less demanding (and by extension less interesting) than the Economist, so I've taken to bringing one with me every day to read absent-mindedly during the shitty commute home.
I heard from a colleague who was dining with estate agents last night that, in the latter's estimation, the housing market has slumped 10% recently. I know from my perusal of the abovementioned mags that the retail sector is similarly flaccid these days, but to my knowledge there haven't been any rumblings about a serious economic downturn, save for the usual doom mongering from the eternal pessimists. Actually, that's wrong - was it the ECB that reported in stern tones that the Irish economy is far too dependent on the construction industry?
What I mean to say is that we're so drunk on the miraculous performance of the economy that we're reluctant to envisage a time when unemployment creeps up, house prices realign to more sane levels and young people find it difficult to secure their first job after college. Or perhaps I've become a doom monger myself. What do you think?
My sister is coming up tomorrow afternoon to go to a Basement Jaxx concert. Much as I like that group, I'm in no way tempted to try and get a ticket. Big concerts always leave me cold - I'd much rather go to an intimate gig or to a club with decent music. Mind you, I don't go to either of those nearly often enough.
Blah. I bought a CD yesterday. Laurent Garnier and Carl Craig's Detroit double album. Somewhat irritatingly, Craig's disc sees him introduce each song in booming tones, as if he were presenting a radio show. He trots out such fawning clichés as:
"And now, one of the kings of techno, Laurent Garnier [...] This is music for your body, music for your souuuuuuuuuuul..."
It all seems a bit egotistical. I mean, why not utilise the time saved by not blathering over every track and just play the longer, better version of each one. Wank, wank, WANK!
I'm not complaining, though. I've even started reading through the pile business magazines that accumulate weekly in the office - the sort where plucky Irish entrepreneurs are lauded for flogging their company to some (usually American) corporate behemoth, only for the surrogate mother company's share price to crash through the floor a few months later. The Irish rags are less demanding (and by extension less interesting) than the Economist, so I've taken to bringing one with me every day to read absent-mindedly during the shitty commute home.
I heard from a colleague who was dining with estate agents last night that, in the latter's estimation, the housing market has slumped 10% recently. I know from my perusal of the abovementioned mags that the retail sector is similarly flaccid these days, but to my knowledge there haven't been any rumblings about a serious economic downturn, save for the usual doom mongering from the eternal pessimists. Actually, that's wrong - was it the ECB that reported in stern tones that the Irish economy is far too dependent on the construction industry?
What I mean to say is that we're so drunk on the miraculous performance of the economy that we're reluctant to envisage a time when unemployment creeps up, house prices realign to more sane levels and young people find it difficult to secure their first job after college. Or perhaps I've become a doom monger myself. What do you think?
My sister is coming up tomorrow afternoon to go to a Basement Jaxx concert. Much as I like that group, I'm in no way tempted to try and get a ticket. Big concerts always leave me cold - I'd much rather go to an intimate gig or to a club with decent music. Mind you, I don't go to either of those nearly often enough.
Blah. I bought a CD yesterday. Laurent Garnier and Carl Craig's Detroit double album. Somewhat irritatingly, Craig's disc sees him introduce each song in booming tones, as if he were presenting a radio show. He trots out such fawning clichés as:
"And now, one of the kings of techno, Laurent Garnier [...] This is music for your body, music for your souuuuuuuuuuul..."
It all seems a bit egotistical. I mean, why not utilise the time saved by not blathering over every track and just play the longer, better version of each one. Wank, wank, WANK!