Ile de France

the couch or the desk

I haven't been working at a desk since March. I have mostly been working from couches and armchairs. But now, I have decided to try the desk again.
pros: the view (I know I know but short attention span is a given here, it enables me to do the little I do, therefore the view is important), the impressive corridor of books and files surrounding the desk, with a nice wooden environment, the cute Louis XVI desk itself on which I work, the use of the big computer with its large screen and keyboard.
cons: the risk of ruining my back

The Texas embassy in London

A new convert to marxist forces?

Alfredo Jaar, The Marx lounge, Liverpool Biennale 2010

Squash in Ile-de-France

So after one year out of competition, I was finally making my come back on the team spirit, playing for some nice fellows again but this time in the Western suburbs of Paris rather than on Merseyside. Some might remember the difficulties I encountered when I first started playing at number 5 in fith division up North, loosing seven games in a row, before finally getting the edge and leaving a clean score up at number 2 (still the fith division!) till my departure in 2009. Was I going to get straight back into that groove, or was I going to be undermined by my absence from the, however relative, competitive streak?
Well well, as things went, it wasn't a black out, no, but I did loose the game out of sheer nervousness. So it's back to square one, oh dear... Playing at number 4 in I would say a similar type of division (4th I think it is), I could have hoped for a beginner, these things happen, to get a bit of confidence. But I had the pleasure of playing a consistent fellow, in good physical condition, seems to me he could have played at number 1, or certainly 2 (in France you can't mess up with the order, it has to appear as the ranking goes). Went 10-5 in the first (all points count here contrary to what I was used to), and managed to loose it... That was a serioulsy bad start. Got my mind together, and played well again in the second, 11-5, looked liked I was going to be fine. Then the third I started to play too short again. What I didn't mention was also that I was so nervous I couldn't actually do any decent drop shot, which didn't help. Lost it 11-9. And the fourth, playing better, 10-8, and another mental collapse, 12-10.
Naturally, I feel rather terrible. But never give up, it should come back.
(team won 3-2, no thanks to me).

Futurist, Liverpool

Newcastle 4 Chelsea 3

At Stamford bridge. Chelsea supporters, of which I know a few, appear to rejoice in the energy savings this defeat represents.