Our business now is north

This is Colonel Tim Collins' speech to around 800 men of the battlegroup of the 1st Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment, part of the 16 Air Assault Brigade given at their Fort Blair Mayne camp in the Kuwaiti desert about 20 miles from the Iraqi border on Wednesday 19 March 2003.

At the end of the year I wanted a post that meant something. There has been so much tosh and drivel in 2009 that we quickly forget things that are basic, fundamental, to our existence. In war our world is exposed in terrifying detail, the good and the bad. The following is part of the good.

We go to liberate, not to conquer. We will not fly our flags in their country. We are entering Iraq to free a people and the only flag which will be flown in that ancient land is their own. Show respect for them.

There are some who are alive at this moment who will not be alive shortly. Those who do not wish to go on that journey, we will not send. As for the others, I expect you to rock their world. Wipe them out if that is what they choose. But if you are ferocious in battle remember to be magnanimous in victory.

Iraq is steeped in history. It is the site of the Garden of Eden, of the Great Flood and the birthplace of Abraham. Tread lightly there.

You will see things that no man could pay to see -- and you will have to go a long way to find a more decent, generous and upright people than the Iraqis. You will be embarrassed by their hospitality even though they have nothing.

Don't treat them as refugees for they are in their own country. Their children will be poor, in years to come they will know that the light of liberation in their lives was brought by you.
If there are casualties of war then remember that when they woke up and got dressed in the morning they did not plan to die this day. Allow them dignity in death. Bury them properly and mark their graves.

It is my foremost intention to bring every single one of you out alive. But there may be people among us who will not see the end of this campaign. We will put them in their sleeping bags and send them back. There will be no time for sorrow.

The enemy should be in no doubt that we are his nemesis and that we are bringing about his rightful destruction. There are many regional commanders who have stains on their souls and they are stoking the fires of hell for Saddam. He and his forces will be destroyed by this coalition for what they have done. As they die they will know their deeds have brought them to this place. Show them no pity.

It is a big step to take another human life. It is not to be done lightly. I know of men who have taken life needlessly in other conflicts. I can assure you they live with the mark of Cain upon them.

If someone surrenders to you then remember they have that right in international law and ensure that one day they go home to their family. The ones who wish to fight, well, we aim to please.

If you harm the regiment or its history by over-enthusiasm in killing or in cowardice, know it is your family who will suffer. You will be shunned unless your conduct is of the highest -- for your deeds will follow you down through history. We will bring shame on neither our uniform or our nation.

(On Saddam's chemical and biological weapons.)

It is not a question of if, it's a question of when. We know he has already devolved the decision to lower commanders, and that means he has already taken the decision himself. If we survive the first strike we will survive the attack.

As for ourselves, let's bring everyone home and leave Iraq a better place for us having been there.

Our business now is north.

Copyright Tim Collins, 2003

Happy Christmas

The Rocking Song
Little Jesus, sweetly sleep, do not stir;
We will lend a coat of fur,
We will rock you, rock you, rock you,
We will rock you, rock you, rock you:

Fur is no longer appropriate wear for small infants, both due to risk of allergy to animal fur, and for ethical reasons. Therefore faux fur, a nice cellular blanket or perhaps micro-fleece material should be considered a suitable alternative.

Please note, only persons who have been subject to a Criminal Records Bureau check and have enhanced clearance will be permitted to rock baby Jesus. Persons must carry their CRB disclosure with them at all times and be prepared to provide three forms of identification before rocking commences.


Jingle Bells
Dashing through the snow
In a one horse open sleigh
O'er the fields we go
Laughing all the way

A risk assessment must be submitted before an open sleigh is considered safe for members of the public to travel on. The risk assessment must also consider whether it is appropriate to use only one horse for such a venture, particularly if passengers are of larger proportions. Please note, permission must be gained from landowners before entering their fields. To avoid offending those not participating in celebrations, we would request that laughter is moderate only and not loud enough to be considered a noise nuisance.


While Shepherds Watched
While shepherds watched
Their flocks by night
All seated on the ground
The angel of the Lord came down
And glory shone around

The union of Shepherd's has complained that it breaches health and safety regulations to insist that shepherds watch their flocks without appropriate seating arrangements being provided, therefore benches, stools and orthopaedic chairs are now available. Shepherds have also requested that due to the inclement weather conditions at this time of year that they should watch their flocks via cctv cameras from centrally heated shepherd observation huts.

Please note, the angel of the lord is reminded that before shining his / her glory all around she / he must ascertain that all shepherds have been issued with glasses capable of filtering out the harmful effects of UVA, UVB and Glory.


Little Donkey
Little donkey, little donkey on the dusty road
Got to keep on plodding onwards with your precious load

The RSPCA have issued strict guidelines with regard to how heavy a load that a donkey of small stature is permitted to carry, also included in the guidelines is guidance regarding how often to feed the donkey and how many rest breaks are required over a four hour plodding period. Please note that due to the increased risk of pollution from the dusty road, Mary and Joseph are required to wear face masks to prevent inhalation of any airborne particles. The donkey has expressed his discomfort at being labelled 'little' and would prefer just to be simply referred to as Mr. Donkey. To comment upon his height or lack thereof may be considered an infringement of his equine rights.


We Three Kings
We three kings of Orient are
Bearing gifts we traverse afar
Field and fountain, moor and mountain
Following yonder star

Whilst the gift of gold is still considered acceptable - as it may be redeemed at a later date through such organisations as 'cash for gold' etc, gifts of frankincense and myrrh are not appropriate due to the potential risk of oils and fragrances causing allergic reactions. A suggested gift alternative would be to make a donation to a worthy cause in the recipients name or perhaps give a gift voucher.

We would not advise that the traversing kings rely on navigation by stars in order to reach their destinations and suggest the use of RAC routefinder or satellite navigation, which will provide the quickest route and advice regarding fuel consumption. Please note as per the guidelines from the RSPCA for Mr Donkey, the camels carrying the three kings of Orient will require regular food and rest breaks. Facemasks for the three kings are also advisable due to the likelihood of dust from the camels hooves.


Rudolph the red nosed reindeer
Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer
had a very shiny nose.
And if you ever saw him,
you would even say it glows.

You are advised that under the Equal Opportunities for All policy, it is inappropriate for persons to make comment with regard to the reddiness of any part of Mr. R. Reindeer. Further to this, exclusion of Mr R Reindeer from the Reindeer Games will be considered discriminatory and disciplinary action will be taken against those found guilty of this offence. A full investigation will be implemented and sanctions - including suspension on full pay - will be considered whilst this investigation takes place.

Rememberance Sunday

What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?
Only the monstrous anger of the guns.
Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle
Can patter out their hasty orisons.

No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells;
Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs,
The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;
And bugles calling for them from sad shires.

What candles may be held to speed them all?
Not in the hands of boys but in their eyes
Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes.

The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall;
Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds,
And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds.

Anthem for Doomed Youth - Wilfred Owen, 1917

Nobel Peace Prize explained

Mrs Beaven's report

The best movies of all time map

Let us go then, you and I

Glaciers

And more at this site http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/09/gallery_glaciers/5/

Women are crazy (It's a joke, ok?)

The FBI had an opening for an assassin. After all the background checks, interviews and testing were done, there were 3 finalists; two men and a woman.

For the final test, the FBI agents took one of the men to a large metal door and handed him a gun. "We must know that you will follow your instructions no matter what the circumstances. Inside the room you will find your wife sitting in a chair.........Kill her!!'

The man said, "You can't be serious. I could Never shoot my wife." The agent said, "Then you're not the right man for this job. Take your wife and go home...."

The second man was given the same instructions. He took the gun and went into the room. All was quiet for about 5 minutes. The man came out with tears in his eyes, "I tried, but I can't kill my wife." The agent said, "You don't have what it takes. Take your wife and go home."

Finally, it was the woman's turn. She was given the same instructions, to kill her husband. She took the gun and went into the room. Shots were heard, one after another. They heard screaming, crashing, banging on the walls. After a few minutes, all was quiet. The door opened slowly and there stood the woman, wiping the sweat from her brow. "This gun is loaded with blanks" she said. "I had to beat him to death with the chair."

MORAL: > Women are crazy. Don't mess with them

Oh Aggers, do stop it

The one recording I would take with me to a Desert Island.....

Who's on first?

I love this painting....

Music and Life

Memories: Cinema Show, For Absent Friends

Home from work our Juliet
Clears her morning meal.
She dabs her skin with pretty smells
Concealing to appeal.
I will make my bed,
She said, but turned to go.
Can she be late for her cinema show?

Romeo locks his basement flat,
And scurries up the stair.
With head held high and floral tie,
A weekend millionaire.
I will make my bed
With her tonight, he cries.
Can he fail armed with his chocolate surprise?

Take a little trip back with Father Tiresias,
Listen to the old one speak of all he has lived through.
I have crossed between the poles, for me there’s no mystery.
Once a man, like the sea I raged,
Once a woman, like the earth I gave.
But there is in fact more earth than sea.

Great lyrics, amazing musicianship and fabulous stage shows. What's not to like? Genesis were an extraordinarily imaginative bunch of guys who produced some astonishing music. Cinema Show is just one of many long pieces that have held me for 30 years or more and small vignettes like Horizons and For Absent Friends, below, are achingly beautiful.

Sunday at six when they close both the gates
a widowed pair,
still sitting there,
Wonder if they're late for church
and it's cold, so they fasten their coats
and cross the grass, they're always last.

Passing by the padlocked swings,
the roundabout still turning,
ahead they see a small girl
on her way home with a pram.

Inside the archway,
the priest greets them with a courteous nod.
He's close to God.
Looking back at days of four instead of two.
Years seem so few (four instead of two).
Heads bent in prayer
for friends not there.

Leaving twopence on the plate,
they hurry down the path and through the gate
and wait to board the bus
that ambles down the street.

What do I know? #2

.

CQ + PQ > IQ. Always.

.

Fathers' Day - so what do I know?

.

I know this to be true

.

Hard Work & Luck & Talent

.

are the basis of all endeavour.

.

All are needed at all times.

.

It's just the proportions that change.

.

Believe it. This is true.

.

That's it. Nuff said. Job done. Move on.

.

The future of aviation!

Personal

I’ll probably regret this.

Picture this.

June 10th, somewhere in The City. One arrives, sparkling, healthy, eyes dancing; the next, smooth as silk, no hint of the rush she’s had to arrive on time; lastly, grace incarnate glides in, walking on imported air.

Air kisses, bise-deux, mwah mwah. And variations on ‘How are you?’ To which I will answer: “Fine”.

Bollocks.

I’ve been crap.

Not all the time of course. There are moments of intense calm. Moments of real pleasure that will stay for ever. But I’ve not been ‘fine’.

I fight every day against the curse of Depression. It haunts. It corrodes. It never stops. And some days are worse. Not just worse in a not-feeling-so-good-today way but worse in an oh-my-god-this-could-become-very-nasty way. Being inside a depressive episode is unpleasant in ways which are difficult to describe.

But a challenge like that has never stopped me before.

Ask a hundred people with this condition to describe it and you’ll get a hundred different answers. Here is mine.

I just want to crawl into a corner. Somewhere dark, where time stands still, where no-one can get to me. I want to disconnect myself from the world. And then I realise that this leaves me alone with myself. But I hate myself. I hate everything about me. My past, my present, my thoughts, my feelings. The very last person I want to be with is me. So I uncouple my soul and withdraw further.

Physically, emotionally, everything shuts down so that self-hatred, fear and confusion become isolated in the no-mans land between everyone else and me, the inner me, the soul of me.

All this can happy very quickly. I’ve gone from a normal state to a massively depressed state in a matter of hours. Actually the switch can happen in seconds but it takes a couple of hours to settle and solidify. That’s scary for me but scarier for those around me.

The effect this has on others is terrible.

I look the same. There is no outward sign of illness. Eyes don’t water, skin doesn’t itch, and there isn’t a twitch or limp to spot.

I act differently. Speech is quiet and terse. Monosyllabic. Reactions are quick and unthinking and usually hurtful. Or I can be slow to the point of inert. (But it’s not slow in my head, just the opposite. Remember time has stopped for me. Your time means nothing).

At this point I am a ‘moody git’ and people give up on me. Quite right too.

I withdraw. If I’m lucky it’s to a real place, a room; often it’s just in my head. A place where I can shut out the world. I want nothing to do with the world. Phone calls, letters, emails, visitors are hideous ordeals. No matter who they are from. I want to get away. In my mind I go further. I plan where I could go if I really had to. And sometime that means planning a terminal exit.

Suicidal thoughts are common. How would I do it? What would it feel like? At what point in the process would it be painful? Would I regret it? Would anyone else regret it? These are thoughts of great clarity. Cleansing thoughts. Honest thoughts. Suicidal acts are rare.

But those around me see me yet can’t connect with me. Normal rules of social interaction have gone because what they see isn’t who I am. I’m somewhere else and have left a shadow, a weak cypher to run my body while I escape. No wonder this is so painful and destructive on those nearest to me.

Inside this timeless, disconnected self things look dark, sound dark and thoughts become obsessive. Thoughts from the near past, the distant past. Thoughts of shame, of guilt, of embarrassment. They gang up on me; they come in waves, endless waves. Everything repeats and repeats and repeats and repeats. It is a kind of madness. It feels pointless, endless and hopeless.

And yet I survive. I will live.

Medication helps. The tightrope remains the best analogy. I have to walk the high wire and the medication is my net. I may fall but the net will stop me from hurting myself. The net doesn’t help me walk the wire. I still have to do that myself.

The really scary thing? The last psychiatrist I saw said that major depressive episodes become more frequent the more you have them. In other words, it’s a slippery slope. Or wire.

And the really perverse thing? It’s people that help. Straightforward decent people are an extraordinary antidote. The very people that are shut out of my world when I slip and fall are the people who help restore my reality. Therein lays one of the great paradoxes.

Am I fine? Yes, mostly. I love, I laugh, I live. I give, I receive. I learn, I grow. What’s not to like?

How am I? Fine.

Most of the time.

Astonishing

Sir Basil Henry Liddell Hart

Most surprising portrait seen today in the National Portrait Gallery. There's a touch of Dali about this that just makes me want to know more about the subject.

Abraham Lincoln & John F Kennedy

Abraham Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846.
John F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946.

Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860.
John F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960.

Both were particularly concerned with civil rights.
Both wives lost their children while living in the White House.

Both Presidents were shot on a Friday.
Both Presidents were shot in the head

Lincoln 's secretary was named Kennedy.
Kennedy's secretary was named Lincoln.

Both were assassinated by Southerners.
Both were succeeded by Southerners named Johnson.

Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln, was born in 1808.
Lyndon Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy, was born in 1908.

John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Lincoln, was born in 1839.
Lee Harvey Oswald, who assassinated Kennedy, was born in 1939.

Both assassins were known by their three names.
Both names are composed of fifteen letters.

Lincoln was shot at the theatre named 'Ford'.
Kennedy was shot in a car called ' Lincoln ' made by 'Ford'.

Lincoln was shot in a theatre and his assassin ran and hid in a warehouse.
Kennedy was shot from a warehouse and his assassin ran and hid in a theatre.

Booth and Oswald were assassinated before their trials.

A week before Lincoln was shot, he was in Monroe , Maryland
A week before Kennedy was shot, he was with Marilyn Monroe

Best Ever Blonde Joke?

A blonde calls her boyfriend and says, 'Please come over here and help me. I have a killer jigsaw puzzle, and I can't figure out how to get started.' Her boyfriend asks, 'What is it supposed to be when it's finished?' The blonde says, 'According to the picture on the box, it's a rooster.' Her boyfriend decides to go over and help with the puzzle. She lets him in and shows him where she has the puzzle spread all over the table. He studies the pieces for a moment, then looks at the box, then turns to her and says, 'First of all, no matter what we do, we're not going to be able to assemble these pieces into anything resembling a rooster.' He takes her hand and says, 'Second, I want you to relax. Let's have a nice cup of tea, and then ..' he said with a deep sigh, '.....let's put all the Corn Flakes back in the box.'

Slow Dance

Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?

Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

You better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.

Time is short.
The music won't last.

Do you run through each day
On the fly?

When you ask How are you?
Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?

You'd better slow down
Don't dance so fast.

Time is short.
The music won't last.

Ever told your child,
We'll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
Cause you never had time
To call and say,'Hi'

You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.

Time is short.
The music won't last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.

When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift....
Thrown away.

Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.

The One Flag Competition

Last year we challenged designers everywhere to create a flag that embodies the idea of global citizenship. The response was heartening: over 1,000 people submitted designs. We selected a short list of 32 finalists and threw the voting open to the public. The result is an inspiring collection of iconic symbols that point to the essential unity of the human race. See the winning designs at www.adbusters.org/oneflag

Top Ten Films (see right) now with pictures and words

Just click on the title. Thank you Amazon ListMania.

The shredded truth

Extracts.......

Fred 'The Shred' Goodwin and Jade Goody may have come from very different backgrounds, but they have more in common than the passing similarity of their surnames. Both creatures of the zeitgeist, the Paisley-grammar-schoolboy-turned-banker and the sex-chav-turned-reality-TV-princess knew how to play a world which turned on greed and fame to their advantage, and made bucketloads of filthy lucre as a result...

This contrast says so much about the 21st century: we need our saints to give us something to aspire to and we need our sinners to absorb our anger, but the way we choose whom to love and whom to hate is so arbitrary, and public affection so fickle, that a simple twist of fate is often all that separates one from the other. It is not so long ago, after all, that Sir Fred was being knighted on the back of soaring RBS profits, and Goody was leaving the Big Brother house to chants of "Kill the Pig". But then Goodwin pushed through the ABN Amro takeover and Goody contracted cancer, and the seesaw of popular opinion tipped in her favour...

And as for the pledge to hang his effigy from a lamppost at this week's G20 summit, it's almost beyond satire. In fact, the whole affair seems to have been lifted directly from the episode of The Simpsons in which the gullible people of Springfield allow a businessman to persuade them a shoddy monorail will bring prosperity, only to attack him with pitchforks when he makes off with the spoils...

No, what really irks me is the faux naivete of those middle-class whiners who are suddenly outraged by the idea of one man profiting at the expense of others: it's as if they've never heard of Third World poverty; never stumbled across social injustice; never realised that an imbalance of wealth and power is the cornerstone of capitalism. Worse, they seem to labour under the illusion that if we could just get Sir Fred to pay up, all those inequalities would somehow be redressed...

On a more prosaic level, venting our anger at Sir Fred allows us to abdicate our responsibility for a crisis which flourished in a climate of greed almost everyone embraced: every first-time buyer who took on a mortgage they couldn't afford, every shopper who ran up huge credit card bills, every fashionista who boasted about their collection of Prada handbags was driven by the same reckless desire for material gain as Sir Fred – although, admittedly, the stakes weren't quite so high...

... blaming one man for the collapse of the global economy is both psychologically unhealthy and intellectually unsustainable. And more importantly it will do nothing to help the country get back on its feet.

Author: Dani Garavelli
Last Updated: 28 March 2009 7:20 PM
Source: Scotland On Sunday

Four Line Long Poem

Vital Statistics

BP was 185/115

BP now 135/83

Picture of the year, so far

Dinner

Three people I’d like to invite to dinner: Deng Xiaoping, Augustus Caesar and David Lean. Deng because his life was the 20th Century, Augustus because he invented ‘benign dictatorship’ and Lean because he understood Great Men and the epic narrative.

Art

Matthew:
If it takes longer to explain than it does to create - it's modern art.

Kipling:
When the flush of a new-born sun fell first on Eden's green and gold,
Our father Adam sat under the Tree and scratched with a stick in the mould;
And the first rude sketch that the world had seen was joy to his mighty heart,
Till the Devil whispered behind the leaves, "It's pretty, but is it Art ?"

Smoked Mackerel Chowder

Ingredients
1 packet of smoked mackerel fillets
1 and a half pints (750ml) milk (whole or semi-skimmed)
Potatoes (say 4 medium-sized or 6 small)
2 leeks
1 onion
2 serving spoons of frozen sweetcorn
A quarter of a pint (125ml) single cream
1 tbsp flour
Dried parsley, roughly 2 tsps
Butter
Oil

Method
1. Peel and chop the potatoes into small chunks; wash and finely chop the onions and leeks.

2. Melt butter and oil in a large saucepan and gently brown the potatoes for a few minutes. Add the onions and leeks and fry for a few more minutes until the onion has softened, then stir in the flour and cook for another minute.

3. Add the frozen sweetcorn, pour in the milk with the cream and bring to the boil while you remove the skin from the mackerel and flake the fish, making sure there aren’t any bones.

4. Turn the heat right down and add the mackerel to the pan with the parsley, stir well and leave to simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are just soft.

5. If you want to thicken the chowder at the end, add a little corn flour or 1 tbsp plain flour to another 2 tbsp cream. For a thinner consistency, just add more milk.

Hello 2009

This seems like a great way to start the year.

Goodbye 2008

A year of madness....

Modern Life

#1 - Search for best deal on Abercrombie & Fitch clothing
#2 - Find Cheap777.com, a US site, selling items for £23 vs £58
#3 - Place order on 22nd Dec in Haltwhistle, Northumberland














#4 - Items despatched 25th Dec from Shunde, Guangdong, China
#5 - Received, 31st Dec, Tonbridge
#6 - Happiness.

Street poetry

Extract from "Poetry in Motion" written by Sam Parham and Rhianna Aston-Moon:

I want to stop just for a second,
Say it straight from the heart.
Life is a lesson,
From the day you’re born
To the day we depart.
Family is the most important thing,
So hold them near.
Life is too short to live it in fear.
Be positive,
Helpful,
Kind and
Courteous.
Stress is of the Devil
Stay calm, never furious.
Such things aren’t important,
They cannot impress.
How many people you Bless,
Is how you truly measure success.


Click on 'Street Poetry' above to watch the Parkour video and enjoy the whole poem.

Appreciate what you have

Essential viewing....

The False Bride

I once loved a lass, and I loved her so well
that I hated all others that spoke of her ill.
But now she's rewarded me well for my love;
for she’s gone to be wed to another.

When the day came, to the church she did go,
and the bride and bridesmaids, they made a fine show.
And I followed after with my heart full of woe
to see her get wed to another.

The parson that married them, aloud he did cry:
"All you that forbid it I'd have you draw nigh."
And I thought to myself I'd have a good reason why,
but I had not the heart to forbid it.

Dig me a grave, dig it long, wide and deep,
and cover it over with flowers so sweet,
so that I might lay down there to take a long sleep,
and maybe in time I'll forget her.

The men of the forest, they ask it of me:
"How many strawberries grow in the salt sea?"
I answer them back with a tear in my eye:
"How many ships sail in the forest?"

Beauty and the Beast

One of the unexpected pleasures this year has been seeing kingfishers and herons on our long walks with Alfie.

Worth > 1000 words

Careless

I've just lost my job.

This what other people thought:
_________________________________________________
Bloody hell - that's ridiculous. I am so sorry to hear the news. What a loss to the bank, at a time when it needs your kind of expertise most urgently. I am sure that with your experience and capability another (and greater) opportunity will come along very soon.

I really enjoyed working with you - in all honesty I think I can say you were one of the most challenging and engaged clients I've had the pleasure of working with for many years. I really do hope that we don't lose touch next year - please do drop me contact details as and when you get settled.
_________________________________________________
I am sorry to hear this. As you know, I always enjoyed working with you and your team.
_________________________________________________
These are indeed exceptional times though one thing does not change: life is full of surprises and this may very well turn out to be one of the best things that ever happened to you (in addition, in the next 12 to 18 months you would not be missing terribly much in terms of the market or indeed the bank - I am sure that further cost reductions will be necessary). I have gotten to know you as a very positive thinking person and I am sure that this will help you in terms of "landing with both feet on the ground". Do keep in touch.
_________________________________________________
We experience really tough times these days and we are sorry to hear about you as yet another very competent colleague being put at risk. As you know, we have appreciated your professional support including your team's thorough knowledge and input over the years when developing our Nordic franchise.

Realising it is not easy, we would just like to encourage you to seek opportunities within the bank, as your exeperience and knowledge really can be of benefit for RBS. We wish you all the best whatever you will end up with doing.
_________________________________________________
mike, i am very sorry to hear the news. anything i can do for you?
_________________________________________________
I'm so sorry to hear this news! I feel like it's just a matter of time around here too! I hope you will provide contact information so we can keep in touch... never know when our paths will cross again. If you ever think of moving to the US, let me know and I'll keep my eye open for opportunities. There's always someone looking for a good talent like you.
_________________________________________________
I am also still in shock. At the same time I feel angry, frustrated and extremely disappointed in the system. You deserve so much better! Please know that you have been the best boss and an amazing mentor. I hope this surreal moment passes quickly for us all... As mentioned, please call me anytime you like. I'm always here to listen.
_________________________________________________
Just want to say that what happened today sux big time. Loads of us are upset by it. Keep in touch and thanks 4 everything.
_________________________________________________
Safe to say that we are absolutely stunned by what's happened and can't quite believe it. If there's anything we can do. People from all over marketing have heard and are similarly shocked by this.
_________________________________________________
Mate, sorry to hear the news. Many shocked people around the office, when ur free for a beer give of a shout.
_________________________________________________
WHAT?????????? You are KIDDING me.
_________________________________________________
Dear Mike, I am awfully sorry to hear this! It's always been a pleasure talking to and working with you. It is a pity what has happened over the last 18mths, and in fact I guess that many of the people you address in your mail will not be around much longer. We are living in a new world and many of the people responsible for this mess are gone and enjoy life.

I wish you all the best and hope you will soon find a better place to work!
_________________________________________________
Sorry to hear that. I really enjoyed working with you. Good luck Mike
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Thank you for your note. I have enjoyed working with you in my short time at RBS. Your approach to our work has always been proactive, insightful and well presented. I wish you the very best for the future.
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Mike, sorry to hear this. As I hope you already know, I have very much appreciated your input as we have been building the Nordic business. It's been valuable to have an outside view to get perspectives right and our strategies and priorities in place.

Hope our paths will cross again and that things will turn out well for you, although I understand that short term this is not the easiest of times.
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Mike - very tough environment... It was a pleasure to work with you. I wish you all the best for the future.
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Very sorry to hear this. I'll see if I can find anything appropriate for
you using some internal contacts.
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Just wanted to say how sorry I am to hear that. I think it's awful news and we'll be a much worse place without you (and your knowledge / expertise). Of course, I hope you will find something in redeployment - but obviously it needs to be something right for you.

I'm gutted! Sorry, can't think of a professional way of putting it! I've really enjoyed working with you and have benefited a lot from it. Good Luck, I'll be keeping my fingers crossed. If you have time / inclination would love to have the chance to buy you a beer and say good bye properly.
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Good luck Mike, I hope you find something.
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Mike - I sincerely hope someone comes in with an offer - however it works out I wish you well, likewise it's been a pleasure
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Mike,

I am very saddened to read this email this morning.

I truly hope that you receive some good news with respect to a new role - your departure will definitely be a loss.

As you say it has always been a pleasure working with you - your help in the Exec Office was always invaluable and I have learnt a great deal from you over the years.

All the best and I hope our paths cross in the near future.
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Mike,
Left you a v/m on your mobile.
Spoke to DMB today, so now shocked twice!
Let's talk over a coffee when you are in on Wed.
Have you spoken to BDS or APD? They may well be delighted to have such a proven team player.
Sorry to be offering blindingly obvious ideas, I don't have any better ones!!
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I am shocked and saddened. There are a lot of bad decisions being made right now across the industry and I'm sorry you were on the wrong end of one.

I'm confident we'll cross paths again and please call me anytime if I can help in any way.
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This is profoundly unfortunate news and I'm very unhappy to hear it.
One of the great pleasures of my years at Greenwich has been the
opportunity to work with you. RBS has lost an important part of its
team, and will be the worse for it. It's odd how sometimes the worst
damage to institutions is self-inflicted.

Thank you, Mike, for all your help and good companionship over the
years. I wish you the best for the future, and hope that we will find
ourselves working together again before too long.
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We were all completely shocked by the news about you and David – you are not only two of the nicest people I’ve had the pleasure to work with over the years, but also among the most knowledgeable and fun too.

Whilst I appreciate that rounds of redundancies are supposed to leave everyone numb and sombre, the news about you guys has hit everyone much harder – the insanity and injustice, we’re all confused and angry. This decision will be another one they look back on and quickly realise is a big mistake, much like the ABN AMRO acquisition!

There have been tears – you were both loved and admired by so many of the team, you really will be sorely missed.

I’m so sorry…
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I read this with sadness. I've always found working with you to be constructive and, dare I say, enjoyable.

In this environment, nothing surprises me any more. I'm sorry about this outcome, wish you the best, and hope our paths can cross again.
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So sorry to hear the news. Shocked, in fact. It has been a pleasure working with you, even for such a short time. Every good wish for the future, which I have no doubt will be massively successful.

As you eminently deserve.
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Oh my God, sorry for only responding now, I was in bed with a terrible flu over the weekend and yesterday. How did that happen? I'm totally at loss what to say, this is just incredible. Want to talk/meet?
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Shocked and saddened by the events of yesterday. Hope you're OK this morning. It would be great to catch up over a beer when you are next in Bishopsgate.
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We are as shocked as you are, and deeply saddened. You are
characteristically modest in your note. Your positive contributions to
RBS, and to our relationship with the bank, have been huge and the bank
is worse off for having made this decision.

Don't know if I'll see you this afternoon when I see Tim at 2pm, but
will try and call you as well. We'll definitely want to stay in touch!
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I don't know what to say, I am in total shock. If you need anything, anything at all please please call me. With your knowledge and skills you will find another role and if you decide to go down the redeployment route I wish you the very best of luck. Be strong, easy to say I know, and you will be the one to benefit from this, unlike the department/ team who has lost a brilliant manager, a genuine caring person and a true gentleman.
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This is a real blow and a total surprise. I thought this process was supposed to weed out the chaff and keep the best people. Clearly its not working like that. RBS would be remiss to lose you so I really hope that redeployment is an option for you.
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I too am a fully paid up member of the 'at risk' club. If you fancy a jar over at Dirty Dicks to chat things through at any time, just shout

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Very sorry to hear this. Suffice to say that I very much enjoyed the
work we did for RBS under your guidance. I hope our paths will cross
sometime in the near future.
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Mike, I'm totally shocked and really sorry to hear the news. I sincerely hope that someone else in Group will get to benefit from the expertise that we are going to be losing.

If you're about later I'll drop you a line or give you a bell - you're probably sick of talking about work, but maybe we can have a top of the league chat . . . I think it'll be a first for us !
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I heard this morning and am extremely sorry about this. Ian and I have been reflecting on this. A huge loss - definitely no busted flush in my book!

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You're the best! I will really really really really reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally miss working with you. You are a great asset to RBS!!

You have been such a fantastic, genuine, knowledgeable and supportive boss -- but also challenging and demanding at the same time. I want you to know that I truly respect and admire your qualities and aspire to be as good a boss as you (one day!).
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Hong Kong, Gateway To China, 1938

Today

I am pain free.

Knee #2

2/2 Bird & Fortune - Financial crisis - Silly Money, Nov 08

1/2 Bird & Fortune - Financial crisis - Silly Money, Nov 08

Tooth

Extracted 4th November 2008 at 10:10am. Ouch.

Knee

Xrays of Alison's left knee taken on 27/09/08.

Video of the year?

Surely this has to be...