Russell Davies

camber sands manoeuvres

good day at work

We've been having loads of meetings. Lots of interesting stuff, but the two stand-out bits have been kind of surprising.

Yesterday we had a quick but great session with On Your Feet (Improv For Business). I've always been really skeptical about the idea (doesn't Improv For Business sound like a terrible idea? Like the worst kind of business/creativity nonsense) But they were actually really good. Funny. Thoughtful. Quick. Worth checking out.

And then today we had a speechy thing from Biz Stone. He was really good. Funny. Modest. Insightful. Said clever and true things about blogging. Made me think I should maybe abandon typepad and reactivate my blogger account. And I was surprised, because I read his blogging book and I didn't get the same sense of affability and brains as I did in person. Also made me think I shoud read the other one.

portland things

If you want a globe slicing; these are the guys.

If you want a Disaster Restoring; these are the guys.

hard work

I'm staying in a hotel in Portland right now. And everything morning I get up and look out the window and this woman's at work in the building opposite - all on her own. I think she's single-handedly keeping the Oregon economy going.

brief pause

apologies for the recent inactivity. new job, travel, all that. normal service will be resumed next week. (if not sooner)

geeking out at the london transport museum, acton depot

I think Arthur may have found his people.

99 channels

There were 89 channels on the TV in the hotel in Jordan. Some of them were repeats, but I couldn't help flicking obsessively through them. And then taking a photo of each channel.

quick trip to Jordan

That's exactly the kind of dentistry you want isn't it? Conservative dentistry. Not radical dentistry or progressive dentristry, just tried and trusted, plodding, non-experimental conservative dentistry.

I'm assuming this is Pizza Hut. I hope so. It shows the power of a small red hat.

   

This is everyone at the conference I spoke at - waving because I took a photo to show Arthur what I was doing. I think this was the highlight of my presentation. I got a bit rambly after this. John Griffiths was there too. (You can see him on the front row.) I bet he was better than me.

A display of old sewing machines in the hotel. Obviously.

status

Went to Watford today to talk to the advertising students. Very nice bunch. Asked good questions. But the highlight was my reserved sparking space with my name on it. Made me feel good. (shame about the spelling though). It reminded me how all the non-heirachical, flat, democratic companies I like working for really let you down when it comes to pointless but gratifying symbols of seniority. I'd love a reserved parking space, but I'd hate to work for the kind of company that would give me one. Dilemma.

found weekend

Troubling posters all over New York. Like someone wrote a bunch of notes in a brainstorming and then decided to just run them all.

Arthur's suddenly into Star Wars. He now knows the letter X because it's the letter that looks like an X-wing fighter. That's educational.

Central Park children's zoo. Brilliant.

There are lots of people like this. Press them lightly for talking. Press harder for shouting.