Christmas in Vancouver

Happy Holidays everyone! As we say in the local, all-inclusive, non-discriminatorial, vernacular in Vancouver. I love "the holidays" but I think in a kind of conflicted way. After all, this time of year has its origins in the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Being a non-practicing Irish-Catholic Canadian Agnostic such as myself there are some issues. Meaning that I was raised going to Catholic church services with my Dear Ole Dad (my Mom never attended and I am still not sure exactly why) and later decided on my own that I would not continue in that Walsh family tradition. It was not that I was opposed to the idea of a god, in fact I quite liked the idea, but I was altogether unenthused by what I saw at church (the hypocrasy in the messages, the lack of observation of the most simple of the tenants of the Bible like "judge not lest yeh be judged," etc.). Nor was I jumping in the aisles about the definitions of god that Catholocism proposes. At the time, my adolescence, I was becoming aware that my intuition was on the level of something more mystical and less dogmatic... some kind of flakey "mother nature knows best" or "the cosmos is all around us all the time," or "I am but a speck of sand in the hour glass of time" sort of thing, as opposed to a formalised set of rules written down by a bunch of dudes with no connection to my world and vested interests of their own at the time of writing. I remember very fondly some of the aspects of the church services I attended at this time of the year, but entirely on the level of sight and sound and not at all in terms of religious significance. And emphatically more the familial house born celebrations and happy traditions of a most resoundingly positive experience. My mom's incredible contributions to the season from the kitchen and her quirky ways of recognising those around her for their gifts, my Dad making eggnog and playing some gorgeous LP on his stereo and amping up his usual penchant sentimentality, my sister getting up hours before anyone else in giddy excitement at what Santa Claus may have brought her, stupid gifts for the cats, Christmas Ice Hockey tournaments, and Lego, always more Lego, etc. So nowadays, I look forward to the season of gift giving in a very secular way. I see it as THE important break in everyone's schedule. A pause in everyone's year that puts family and friends in the focus. The time to take time so to speak. I guess I do tend to reflect a lot more at this time of year, and I wish in a secular kind of way that I could do something more tangible to "help people" and think less of myself which is all good, but I don't ever get a chance to act on it, so around we go again. This is something I sincerely hope to change in the future. To quote a great trubabdor of our age "so this is Christmas, and what have you done? Another year over, and a new one just begun." I guess I just think that there will be a another stage of life for that. Like how Meg's Mom and Dad now spend a lot of time voluteering now that her Dad has retired. Something like that. I guess I am saying is that Christmas to me is all a bit warm and cozy, secular and ambiguous, fuzzy and family, and I love it. So, Merry Christmas All!

The Famous People

This year, largely as a result of living and working in central London, I have seen a lot of famous people. Just the other day, Meg and I literally ran into Kenneth Brannaugh, for example. As always when you run into a leading man, he was shorter, and not as good looking as you'd expect. Earlier in the year, I ate pizza at Spiga on Wardour Street sitting next to Emma Thompson and some pastey English chap. She was I would say, as she is - quite stunning, but very comfortable looking as she does. I was so hungry that I didn't even notice it was her until she got up to leave. I had noodles sitting next to Jason Statham, best known as Turkish from the movie Snatch, and he looked like he'd been run over by a five gallon vodka martini. But it could have been for effect, who knows. A little while later Ralph Fiennes jumped into a cab on Wardour Street, looking suspiciously like someone "trying not to be noticed" in a big Woody Allen style "hide me" hat. Michael Palin popped into Patisserie Valerie on Old Compton Street for a croissant on the go looking smart and healthy and like he'd stop to give anyone directions if they had the guts to ask. There was the rumour of Madonna at the Dog and Duck that I was not able to corroborate. The capper to all these sightings however was the other night when Meg and I were walking home along Drury Lane having jumped off a bus near Aldwych. We were passing by the theatre where "The Producers" is playing when we heard a little commotion. Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles were exiting the theatre to their car. Meg and I were no more than 5 or 6 meters from them. I couldn't believe how polite and respectful everyone suddenly got in their presence. People actually backed up and gave them room. There was one paparozzi guy who spent a roll of film, and I thought to myself how odd that seemed given that in my experience, most Londoners are quite comfortable being "amongst the famous."

Working for a Knight on a film about Knights

As you may or may not know I have been doing some "digital cinematography" work (fancy stuff, huh?) on a little film called Kingdom of Heaven (formerly called The Crusades). I have had the chance to run into Sir Ridley Scott (he was knighted), the film's director, a couple of times. Not to say that we've had a pint down the pub and chatted about the good old days, but you know I have seen him in the studio when he arrives with his entourage to look at the work and so forth. He gave me a "hey wassup?" nod and wink the other day. Famous people like him have a hilarious effect on people. Sir Scott is definately one of those people with gigantic character who "fills the room" when he comes in. He is very comfortable in the studio though, and doesn't seem put off at all by all the geeks and computers. In fact, he just seems a little grumpy and bored most of the time! He'd probably rarther be down the pub. Anyway, pretty fun to be around when he is in the studio. Quite a thrill to be working on a film by the man who made "Blade Runner." I can remember thinking when I first saw that film... "Man, if I could do that..."

Click here for an early seak review of a test screening. It is probably malarky, but there it is!

Typical Posh Londeners We Are

Today Meg and I had what I think comes pretty close to a typical posh Londoner day. We began the day by a simple little gourmet breakfast at home cooked by yours truly. Just a nice little omlette with some great cheese from Neal's Yard, some crusty baguette and coffee and tea, but when done well it is all you need to start the day right! Then straight away we walked from the flat all the way to The Borough Market where we picked up some lovely fixings for the coming week. This is my favourite thing to do in London on a saturday morning. To be out in the city, taking in the Thames Waterway and all the various things you can see along the way, and ending up at this great market full of such great food, is a real sophisticated pleasure that is free to all. I love things like this. Things of quality, available to all. Unfortunately we had to scarf our Organic Wild Boar Sandwiches and hot-foot it back to the flat beacuse as luck would have it, Meg was able to pick up some cancellation tickets for The Producers at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane during the week. So we poshed ourselves up and headed off to see the matinee show. We have not had the chance to get to see a show all year, so this was our one opportunity. We figured that if you're gonna see one show all year, you should bust the bank and see a very well reviewed one. In fact, our reviewers were none other than Claus and Michelle who saw the show during the fall and said it was basically the best show they had seen in London in 3 years. Afterwards we just walked up Drury Lane to the Lowerlander Grande Cafe for dinner. At this cafe they have some spectacular Belgian beers on draft and some of the best reasonably priced pub fare I have had in London. It was so nice to just chill at the pub, and chat about the show. I had Moules Frites and Meg had an organic Scottish beef burger. The chips (French Fries) were amazing as usual. We floated home arm in arm, and as if the stars were alligning for us to create the perfect end to the typical posh London day we sat down to find Notting Hill on television. So if you're ever looking for a schedule to put together your own typical posh London day just follow this theme: market, show, pub, and film. I guess you should try and stuff a museum in there somewhere. Oh well, we'll have to give it another go!

The Third Chimpanzee

Click here to read an article about a 13 million-year-old fossilized skeleton of an ape that is possibly a common ancestor of humans and great apes, including orangutans, bonobos, chimps and gorillas that was found recently in Spain. Pretty exciting news for me as I have really developed an interest in getting to know more about the theories of the development of early man since recently reading Jared Diamond's book "Guns, Germs and Steel: A Short History of Everybody for the Last 13000 Years." A great book and a real "page turner!" I simply couldn't wait for the next revealing anecdote of our development. I was thrilled. And so much of the book seemed to make such simple elegant sense in a non-biased way, as if to say "how can we determine anything else when we are presented with this evidence?" So now, I'd like to read his other preceding book "The Third Chimpanzee: The Evolution and Future of the Human Animal" (the theories of which are apparently proven by the Spain discovery!) but, I have recently seen that Mr. Diamond has published still another volume on the subject called "The Rise and Fall of the Third Chimpanzee: Evolution and Human Life." So, now I have to find some serious down time in order to get caught up! Also, if anyone knows of any good reads along these lines, please let me know! I find the idea of the theory that we are descendants of great apes so appealing in its unifying nature, as if to say, really these are the facts, we are one of them, that I am beside myself with expectations of the implications when the vast majority of humans begin to see themselves really as they are: terrestrial! I can't see how anything but good can come from this knowledge, but I suppose if you're a "bible thumper" you'd find it all a tad disturbing! Ha!

The Time of Year for Work and Flu

Seems to me this time of year is always filled with a ton of work, and many folks struggling through illnesses small and large.

I have a moutain of work at the moment, but I am enjoying it. There is always a sense of relief when the crunch comes, because at least you know "now its the crunch." Sometimes waiting is worse. Just getting down to it is a welcome relief from the anticipation of all the work to come. And then, of course, after pinning it for three weeks or so, you end up asking yourself "just exactly why did I want this again?"

I got a bit of a sore throat this week. See what I mean? That's the last thing I need. To go through the run up to Christmas horrendously busy at work, with Meg arriving to London in a few days (thank god) and be ill! No way man, not gonna let it happen! So it is home I go to dose myself with some kind of tranquilizer and drift off to sleep listening to the gorgeous tones of Michel Nyman's score for the film Gattica.

Electronic Arts Criticism Goes Mainstream

Click here for the New York Times article about the recent criticisms of Electronic Arts as an unfair employer. The chain of events that lead to this story began by the combination of a web log written by a disgruntled spouse about the life of an Electronic Arts employee, and the class action lawsuit currently underway in the United States brought by a current Electronic Arts employee seeking back pay for unpaid overtime. It will be interesting to see how Electronic Arts responds as it will no doubt set a huge precedent in the still very immature games development industry. Personally, I am shading kind of positive, and I believe that EA (in California anyway) will eventually choose to conform to the feature film post production model. Which, for most folks, is: a 50 hour work week, 10 hours of which are paid at 1.5X rate. Anything above that - 2X rate. Here's why.

First, paying for talent. At the moment, the high-end of talent (as a gross generalisation, of course) remains in the film industry today. Principally, this has to do with the fact that film production typically pays more as a result of requiring a higher level of visual sophistication. Although this is changing, it is still true for the most part. EA continually has trouble recruiting out of the film industry (and continues to try to!!!) as a result of your average 3D operator putting 2 and 2 together and saying "why should I open myself up to potentially unlimited hours, when I currently have the fall back that the longer I work, the more costly I am, and therefore there is a natural drag on the hours I work." Doesn't make much sense. When EA decides to make the "payment method" mirror what is already the status quo, the operators will no longer see the kinds of distinctions they currently see. It is all about parity.

Second, if they don't choose to, they will be litigated into it. The labour laws are quite clear, and they are not obeying them. The only potential hick-up is... how many of your colleagues have kept accurate, provable logs of their hours worked? Uh, yeah... oh, and you'd better not vote for Campbell if you want EA to be compelled to obey the law in British Columbia! Most conservative governments will just roll over in the face of an industry giant like EA.

Third, avoiding unionisation. The quickest way for EA to avoid a painful unionisation process is to do what most film studios do - pay the higher rates. As long as rates remain high, and there is relative parity of hours worked and pay for those hours (including benefits) there really is very little incentive to unionise. Personally, I think unions are totally necessary for those employees deserving of protection - nurses, police, teachers, miners - those individuals who are obviously providing services that we "can not live without." I don't think "Grand Theft Auto - San Andreas" counts as that, so unionisation is really just about pay (and a bit about treatment). In fact, at places like ILM, the union has often been a drag on increasing wages industry-wide rather than a catalyst!

In terms of the situation in Vancouver. Canada will always represent a cost advantage to EA. Principally in the exchange, but also in the fact that Canadian salaries are typically lower as a dollar figure (as a result of this, when I have worked in CA, I have made roughly 2X what I was making in Vancouver in "real dollars" though I didn't ever work for EA). In reality, if you compare say an annual percent growth curve charting revenue in games, versus average annual salary increase, I am willing to bet my next royalty bonus (I don't actually have one!) that revenues have out performed salaries by percent growth. What does this mean? The work force is cheaper than ever. That's why they will continue to expand the Burnaby campus. Games are getting more expensive to produce, but when compared to the increase in revenue, they are cheaper in real terms. Take a look at Halo2 just out. It is pretty clear. What is also clear is that the games production model of "generating block busters" and nothing else, is also conforming to the film model. Independent game studios are going the way of the Dodo!

A Run in the Park

Yesterday, as has been customary for me recently, I used a portion of my one day off from work per week to go for some exercise. This meant a jog in Regents Park. Just north of central London, Regents Park houses the London Zoo, and nearly the only natural elevation inside the city borders, Primrose Hill. So, I usually jog up there and run through the park to the top of the hill for a quick view before retracing my steps. It can be really pretty, as it was full of lovely flower beds and colour this summer, or like yesterday when the "atmospherics of the London fog" played with the light in such a way as to delineate objects and foliage into a patch work, kind of like a card board cut out animation. I was wishing I had my camera throughout my jog. I guess I will have to plan to walk up there in the morning before work or something. I always seem to see something or someone interesting there. As I entered the park, and stopped to stretch out a bit, I saw this middle aged woman and a younger man with a dog sitting on a bench. The dog was a great little boxer who was having a blast with a ball. It wasn't long before I realised that they were drinking. I was thinking to myself, when was the last time I saw a couple of "regular enough people" getting smashed at 11 o'clock in the morning in a park in Vancouver? Uh, yeah...

U.K. Showcase Spotlights VFX

Click here for an article about a recent showcase in Los Angeles featuring the Soho (London, UK) studios. It is interesting that the article ends on a rather down note.

"Thanks to tax incentives and a wave of young talent, London has become a major global vfx player, and there’s a very collaborative environment in Soho, since they all must divide the work. However, there is a feeling among some that the current vfx boom may not last much longer, what with the low exchange rate and new requirements that U.S. productions be shot in the U.K. to take full advantage of the tax breaks."

This seems to be the consensus feeling from where I am sitting. Even though the total workforce in Soho still only represents a fraction of the American work force in visual effects, the boom in work here has breathed great life into British post production. However, eyes are now turning to the problem of perpetuating the phenomenon in a more stable form. The tremendous growth in the feature film visual effects business in London over the past five years (mirrored by the growth of The Moving Picture Company where I work which did not even have a feature film department five years ago) has been largely due to a handful of factors. First of all there is the financial incentive. The bean counters in Hollywood were simply able to make the numbers work well here because the lower bids, combined with the tax breaks (in the form of a lease-buy-back scheme) made a lot of sense. Especially when the studios cast aside their previous English eccentric appeal and not only adopted a more American style visual effects development pipeline, but actually pursued and catered to the needs of American producers as clients. At times, producers and supervisors have told me that this simply meant visual effects supervisors and producers "using certain catch phrases" and "lingo" familiar to the American clients with the sole purpose of making them feel at ease. It was key to have these clients "feel as though they were getting the same process as in the Untied States" and therefore the same end result from the Soho studios as they would in America. The reality is that I think that the work in such films as the Harry Potter franchise have somehow benefited from a more European perspective, and "feel English" as a result. Never mind that some of the more impressive work was completed as usual at ILM and SPI. What remains to be seen is how the trimming of the financial incentive, with greater restrictions on what kind of projects are eligible, and the ever increasing rates operators have been charging in an environment starving for legitimate talent, will transform the landscape in post production. Will the Harry Potter franchise continue to pulse along as the life-line for feature film visual effects production in England?

Time for a Little Update

I thought I would just give everyone a little update on how things are going over here seeing as I have not had a lot of time to post any "life stuff" over the past few weeks. Things are getting "right busy mate" at work and will be so until we are finished the film sometime mid-February.

Meg was here this weekend! Gracias a dios! I really miss her these days! And although it was of course amazing to have her here and to have fun seeing some of London, it is always depressing when we part. I am really coming to the end of my tether with our "separation" business. It has been of necessity, but it is for the birds. I think we are both looking very much forward to moving on to our next local "together." More on that in a second!

Originally, we had planned a weekend away from London, but things being the way they are now, with me becoming more and more busy towards my Dec.17th interim deadline, and Meggi only really here one full day on Saturday, we thought it best to postpone that trip until early in December when she is back in London for longer. So we decided to do some "London things." That usually means a walking trip to one of the London markets, a movie, dinner. That kind of thing. We thought that perhaps we will have the opportunity to see one of the shows this time -- which we still have not done! But, it did not come to pass. Oh well, maybe when she is back in December. There is so much to see and do in London, sometime it is hard to imagine! I still have not really fully explored the British Museum - AND IT IS ACROSS THE STREET!!! From my flat.

Meg's fall seems to have been a fruitful and enjoyable one for her. It is a true testament to how much she loves Madrid that even with her marido in London, she still has a pretty grand time - GO FIGURE! She has remarked several times, that although there is always something to improve when learning a language, she has finally felt that she has made some great strides in her Spanish. To me it is more than obvious, but I think that for her it took that "extra little bit" that she has gained from these few more
months to really feel that she has attained a new solid level. I think she is really prepared to move onto the next stage, whatever that is... (even though she constantly says 'I need two more years' no matter what stage she is at) I think most probably some more translation and part-time language instruction - but you'd best ask her!

So far "Kingdom of Heaven" has been a fairly well run, and interesting film for me to work on... I am doing more or less the same job description as I have on past films - digital cinematography. I am responsible for the "look" of computer generated imagery in the shots I work on. I am so pleased at times that I have finally found something that I like so much. I still have to pinch myself sometimes when I think "I am working on a Ridley Scott film" as a Lighting Technical Director. It is indeed too bad that as a result of the "photo-real nature" of the work, no-one in the audience will know what I did! For this reason, London remains a thrill. The studios here are quite interesting and challenging places to be. However, as a dyed in the wool west-coaster, I have the overwhelming sense now that "London is great for a time," but that you shouldn't wear out your welcome! So I feel like moving on... Even though I know that for some reason, I will be back. It is the nature of the work. The proximity to Europe, which I still have not seen nearly enough of and the history you can access here is amazing, but the smog, high cost, and busy nature of life here can get you down!!! The very best thing about Vancouver I think is the way you can create a such an amazing routine that includes work and healthy play. It is a hard thing to do here.

I have been asked by MPC to continue in January, until the completion of this film, in early February. I asked that I have a couple of weeks off to come home for Xmas, and that they pay my way back. We are working out the details. They have also offered me a slightly more senior position on the next installment of the Harry Potter franchise (meanwhile, I struggle to figure out what I am doing right!? Har, har...) In the meantime, I am applying to companies in California. Things look encouraging there, but also a bit delayed. So, with all things considered, and some luck, I should be able to arrive there mid-late February, and have everything sorted out for the remainder of 2005. Meg will likely stay behind in Vancouver when I return to London, if I am to return for such a short period of time, and she will do some contract work from there. There are some things happening in Vancouver as well, but overall, they look to be less stable, or something that I am not interested in doing. Them's the breaks! I am certain that the situation will always be changing.

Well, that's about it, I hope everyone is well, and I am very excited to be home in: 34 DAYS!

The Return of Signore Iozzi

As much as we had hoped differently, Marco "Il Italiano Desastro" Iozzi has returned to London, and The Moving Picture Company. He has come running back to us from his native Italy with his tail between his legs. Apparently, his countrymen couldn't stand his pugnacious, self-agrandizing and posturing, and have kicked him out on his ear. We are all very sad and disappointed that he has returned. Now, we will have to deal with him. Oh, god. We were all hoping that he would be stranded in the woods near his new multi-million dollar country villa, but alas, he has returned to London to make our lives miserable with his incessant chatter. His Italian friends are especially depressed about the news.

Truth be told, we are very happy to have Marco back amongst us, lightening our days at the studio with his great sense of humour and voracious talents. Ciao Marco! Welcome back to London dude!

Bonfire Night

For our friends and colleagues (and that includes yours truly!) who are puzzled by Bonfire/Fireworks/Guy Fawkes night celebrated here in England on November 5th, click here for an explanation. You will see that in all this business of weapons of mass destruction, terrorist cells, enemies within, torture of suspected opponents, whipping up of rabid religious popular opinion against a convenient hate figure etc etc etc - George Dubbya and the neo-cons are about 400 years behind us Brits!

Your IQ Means Nothing, Yeah Right...

Click here to see a breakdown of the average IQ of American citizens by State and the coresponding Presidential Candidate who won that state. Is it really so surprising that those States with the highest levels of academics, technology development, and international links voted Democrat and have the highesy IQs? Somehow, I don't think so! Or perhaps, according to this guy it is all actually a hoax. Oh well, we still have hope...

Build a Better Bush!

Click here for a quick and easy way to extol some private revenge on El Stupido himself, and notice how all permutations somehow remain viable... truly scary!

Some Pictures from Meg's Birthday Weekend

Click here for an up close and personal look at our "Fin de Semana Frances" in Spain. Andre has kindly done a bit of photo-posting for us for all to enjoy. Thank god for his skills with the photo-sticher man! One of my big tasks when I finally get some time to myself is to mount a serious effort at getting some of my lovely photos od Spain up on a website. A chore that will be for certain, but it must be done!

Meg's Birthday Weekend

I have just returned from a fabulous weekend in Spain. Jean-Paul, Andre and I flew to Madrid together to celebrate with Megcita on her 31st birthday. Meg did her usual fabulous job planning everything for the weekend, so that our trip included visits to the towns of Salamanca, Avila, L'Aberca, and Patones. These Castillian pueblos are situated within a reasonable driving distance of Madrid amongst the Sierra mountains. It would of course be much better to see them by bicycle, as the roads and views are most spectacular, but having a rental car is a very efficient way to get to some of the more out of the way places and we were obviously limited to the weekend.

Friday, we arrived from London in the late morning and met directly with Meg in La Plaza Santa Ana, one of our favourite lunch spots in the Spanish capital. We had a lovely lunch of some traditional Spanish favourites. Chopitos, chorizo al vino tinto, patatas bravas, and settas. And of course, some cervezas! Then we bolted to Atocha train station to pick up our rental car. The drive to Salamanca was easy enough and quite enjoyable, aside from the traffic in Madrid, caused by the Madrilenos running for the exits anticipating the long weekend rush. We booked rooms at The Parador of Salamanca which turned out to be a very modern, stylish hotel overlooking the city and its two magnificent cathedrals. What a view from the lobby! We freshened up a bit and headed out to check out the centre of this amazing old city at night. We began with a look at Spain's largest contiguous "plaza mayor." This old central square was absolutely impressive lit up at night and filled with people heading out for tapas. And that is exactly what he did next! We went into a great little wine bar, got stuck into a corner table, and ordered some of the local favourites and a fine copa de vino tinto del Ribiera del Duero. Following our tapas, I absolutely could not resist the temptation to find a restaurant to consume a gorgeous piece of Spanish beef. Very little hunting revealed a place where I could order "Solomillo de Ternera con Salsa de Roquefort" (Filet Mignon with Blue Cheese Gravy) in a quaint dining room built for Spaniards from the Middle Ages. I managed to avoid the ceiling beams just long enough to enjoy a fabulous dinner! And the meat was some of the finest I have had in Spain.

Saturday, we woke up late, following the most spectacularly restful sleep I have had in years (the tranquility was astonishing in the Parador, especially so I think for having lived in central London for nearly a year now). Breakfast was a Spanish smorgasbord of breakfast specialities. Croissants, danishes, queso manchego, zumo de naranja, cafe and chocolate caliente! What a feast! Meg focused on opening some birthday presents and I just focused on the food! Ha! Following breakfast we walked back to central Salamanca to have a better look at the cathedral. There is a great view from one of the upper balconies that we climbed up to take a look across the Castillian plain. It was really pretty, and a great start to the day. We were side-lined for a little while when Andre became obsessed with locating "la rana de Salamanca." There is local folklore that says that to those who are able to locate this little carved stone frog, perched atop a skull, somewhere on the immense facade of the cathedral, it will bring them good luck (and especially for students, good grades)! Needless to say, the only place we found it was on a postcard! Andre was upset. We had a quick cafe and headed out in the car for a lovely drive to L'Alberca for lunch. L'Alberca sits in the cozy confines of the Sierra de Francia. Nestled into a kind of trough in the mountains, it's craggled hand-laid stone streets and facades, and cooler climate make it a big draw during the summer months. As a result it is a bit touristic, although at this time of year, a very worthwhile journey. The buildings themselves are quite unique and almost look as though they have been transported from the French Alpes or somewhere similar due to their odd construction. We made away with haste from out little mountain retreat and wound our way through the Sierra de Francia back toward Avila as it was getting fairly late. The ride back, some three hours or more, was painless enough and yielded some absolutely gorgeous vistas of the sierra and countryside around. If that wasn't already an action-packed day, when we arrived back to Madrid we had a full night ahead all planned out! Suffice to say, after 4 tapas bars and a restaurant, and with Meg still urging us on, we called it a night (or a morning, depending on how you want to look at it). Pedro and Jordi came along for the fun, and so as it turned out Meg had her husband, and four of her "male entourage" to celebrate with her on her 31st birthday!!!

Sunday featured a big sleep-in after our late night out, and then a quick one hour blast out to Patones for a long, late lunch with Vicky, Pablo and Pedro. Andre and Jean-Paul stayed in Madrid to check out the city by foot. Patones was incredible. The most "Tim Burton-esque" place I think I have ever been. And I was really kicking myself that Patrick and I did not venture out in this direction during the year on our bikes. It would have been epic! Again, some amazing food, and a walk around in the town were enjoyed by all. Now, Patones is simply known as a great weekend getaway for Madrilenos, but the town has the unique distinction of having once been a kingdom. The story goes something along the lines of Napolean, having been unable to receive taxation money from the people of the area that is now referred to as Patones (actually simply the last name of the largest family in the area) he sent out his troops to "find them." Well, they couldn't. They had hid themselves away in the sierra for so long, no one knew where they were! So, as a face-saving maneuver during his control of Spain, he granted them their own kingdom, thus exempting them from taxation in the capital (or something like that!). Patones was an extremely enjoyable spot and I am sure we will be back on day - hopefully on a bike!

Monday was a bit of mad scramble to get our bikes into their boxes in preparation for our return trip to Vancouver at Christmas, and see a few folks I wanted to see before leaving Madrid. After accomplishing the packaging of the bicycles, we rushed like mad to see Elen and Bart, and the new addition to their family Sana! Meg's friend Merve joined us there, and then we rushed back to La Plaza Santa Ana to meet Jordi and Andre for lunch before bolting to the airport! A botched attempt at taking the bikes with us left me a bit stressed out, but we managed to make it back to London quite comfortably! I was nice to have Andre along for the return tripped as we recounted the events of one of my best Spanish experiences! It was just a great weekend, enjoyed immensely by all!

Essential Anti-Bush Propaganda!

Here's some timely last minute encouragement for all those Americans out there who are going to take the first step in a long process towards a better world by voting George Bush out of office in 12 days. Remember, my American neighbours, you are making a choice for all of us, please take care in doing so!

Click here for a beautiful motion graphic film-advert removing the "theory" from the "Blood For Oil" conspiracy theory.

Click here for The World According to Bush, a documentary by the CBC's The Passionate Eye. As far as I am concerned there is no more neighborly act than for us Canadians to encourage an alternate view in our press to the CNN/FOX juggernaut of lies in America.

Click here for the latest from the fine folks at Move On. To quote the rigorous, irrefutable, intelligence of Mr. Blutowski of "Animal House" fame "don't get mad, get even!"

Click here to see a photo of every American service member killed in Iraq and the reasons for their deaths. It is beyond the realsm of my imagination how anyone could look at these photos and not vote Bush out of office knowing what we know now.

Click here for the latest from America's most vocal opponent of the Bush Administration, Michael Moore.

Click here for info on a gripping documentary produced by the BBC here in England that suggests that Al Queda doesn't really exist in the form that it has been "sold" to the west by the U.S. Administration. There is no close knit group, no organization, no links to Iraq, in fact there may not even be an Osama Bin Laden!

Some Upcoming Film Projects Of Interest

Here are some news clips posted via the Cinefex weekly e-mail newsletter, so they have all got something to do with visual effects production. However, I guess they are interesting to me in their own right, so I thought I would pass them on. I made notes in italics below.

Transformers: IGN Filmforce reports on development of DreamWorks Pictures' live-action feature film based on Hasbro's animé-styled shapeshifting robot toys, and has debunked rumors that filmmaker Robert Zemeckis will be directing the project. Producer Don Murphy is quoted: "We're closing in on a writer and choosing to go with a younger guy who grew up with the mythology, like all of you fans. Should be announced in the coming weeks." The studio is reportedly aiming for a summer 2006 release.

The television animation series called Beast Wars Transformers was my first professional gig as a computer animator at Mainframe Entertainment. It provided me with my first 20 months of pay, and helped to eradicate my humungous student loan! So, overall it was a great start. I have a morbid fascination with what might be achievable in this day and age compared to our ridiculously limited abilities back in 1996. I guess we'll see won't we!

A Very Long Engagement: Aint-it-cool-news.com has posted screen grabs and a streaming video link to a trailer here for this Warner Independent release, directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and starring Audrey Tatou, star of Jeunet's charming Amélie. A Very Long Engagement is an epic romance set against the backdrop of World War I France and, as usual for Jeunet, looks stunning and beautifully surreal. IMDb states Jeunet and Guillame Laurent adapted the screenplay from Un long dimanche de fiançailles, a novel by Sébastien Japrisot. Yves Domenjoud and Olivier Gleyze supervised special effects and Alain Carsoux supervised visual effects at Duboi. The film opens in France on October 27 and is scheduled for limited release in the U.S. on November 26.

I am one a very long list of people who have followed Monsieur Jeunet's work since Delicatessen (1991) blew me away. Of course, Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, Le (2001) was a very big accomplishment in modern French cinema and for many fans captured something of the feeling of Paris. I have often said "if you can not enjoy this film, you will never enjoy the cinema." This film looks absolutely stunning as well. I am intrigued to say the least.

King Conan: Crown of Iron: IGN Filmforce states filmmaker John Milius has secured funding for this long-in-development live-action sword and sorcery epic, Milius' third film based on Robert E. Howard's muscle-bound mythical adventurer. Finances have reportedly come from Turkey, where Milius is scouting locations, and conjectures have resurfaced suggesting that Schwarzenegger may be reprising his loin cloth, which he last wore in Conan the Barbarian in 1982 and Conan the Destroyer in 1984.

Who can deny that they wouldn't love to see Arnie reprise this role. A little known film trivia is that Oliver Stone penned the first Conan script, as a "see, I can do this" project for the studios. Savvy move. Imagine Conan a la Clint Eastwood in Unforgiven, and you have some idea of where I am thinking this could go. Ridiculous, but ridiculously good!

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell: Variety announced New Line Cinema is continuing to invest in fantasy film fare, purchasing the movie rights to this novel by Susanna Clarke. The story is about two rival magicians in 1800s England -- Norrell, who uses his powers to assist the British Empire in its war against Napoleon; and Strange, who attempts to harness the powers of an ancient Faerie King. New Line is also developing Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials fantasy trilogy; and Cornelia Funke's Inkheart, about a girl whose father has the power to bring literary fantasy characters to life.

I have just begun to wade into Mr. Pullman's opus. It will indeed be a contender for the like of the Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter franchises which will hopefully mean a few hundred jobs a year or so until the production is complete. Still, no idea when it will start. I guess that this news goes in the "eagerly anticipated" camp.

I have seen the North Atlantic...

...And stared across The English Channel, past the Isle of White, towards France in the distance. I spent the past weekend in the Portsmouth and Bournemouth area in the south of England visiting. On Saturday evening after a half-assed attempt at a working during the day, I trained it down to my friends Lexi and Mark's post-wedding reception. I took a bit longer than I had expected to get down to Portsmouth! I was assured that it was only a quick two hour journey but by the time I arrived it had easily stretched to three. Lexi and Mark had been married some time earlier at a "family only" affair in New York City, and were having a very casual get together for all their friends who are currently in England. It was a fun time, but unfortunately due to the less than optimal train services on a Saturday night in the south of England I could not stay long at the reception because I was due for a rendevouz with old Victoria friends Christina and Jason in Bournemouth. I arrived at the not so unreasonable time of midnight having spent a few more hours total train time getting there. Jason picked me up at the train stop and we had a brief chat before just crashing. Sunday morning we were up early with the arousal of Lucas and Christian, Christina and Jason's sons, who were both full of energy albeit of different sorts given their ages; two and half years for the former, and two and half months for the latter! We spent a lovely day together walking down to a seaside cafe for lunch and back. The weather co-operated, and although it was quite breezy, it was pleasant enough. A funny thing was that on the walk down I instantly realized where some of the neighbourhoods I frequented growing up in Victoria were modeled after. Amazing how similar the layout and feel of Bournemouth is to Oak Bay in Victoria. The day also featured not one, but two rides! On a kiddy train. I haven't had that kind of treatment in quite a while! It was fun! Anyway, it was lovely to get out of the city and into some very fresh salt air for a change. A great thing to see Christina and Jason's family growing rapidly as well!

Ollie Rankin

Just a quick note to say that I have added a link to Ollie Rankin's weird and wonderful world of "art experiments" on the sidebar under Friend's Websites. Ollie and I met in San Francisco while working for the former ESC Entertainment where we shared a wall partition during the creation of visual effects for "The Matrix: Revolutions." Ollie and I ran into each other again here in London while working at The Moving Picture Company, and we are currently laying seige to the city of Jerusalem in the year 1214 (virtually, of course). Ollie's current non-work project is a plethora of products designed to subliminally make us realise a rather obvious fact: The George W. Bush is full of shit! Three cheers for Ollie Rankin!

Bike Nation

Click here to access Bike Nation, an internet portal promoting "a movement of people and efficient machines churning towards a civilized society." In one way or another my cousins, Brian and Jeremy Cavagnolo, of San Francisco and Berkeley respectively, are at the very least partly responsible, or perhaps crucially responsible for the creation of this portal as a window into their growing community of family and friends who preach a simple moto: If it can be done on a bike, do it on a bike. As a regular bicycle commuter in Vancouver, I have also been a commited member of the two wheeled anti-engine mod squad for quite a while now. There are a lot of reasons I chose to get around on a bike. It is cheap. It is healthy. There is no polution. It is more convienment a lot of the time. It is fun. I adore the thrill of bicycles. And many more. Sure, I own a car, but I try to use it as little as possible. I mostly use it to get my bike somewhere! The point is to try to progress to a more "human scale of living." Whatever you can do towards that, no matter how small and seemingly insignificant, so much the better. I encourage you to check out Bike Nation and get into the lore. Yo! Bike Nation Y'all!

Some Friends' Links Added

Recently I added a few links to the side bar that I hope were not missed:

• French Bob

Actually one of my current room-mates Andre "DD" Brizard. We call him French Bob because DD is the French slang for Andre, like Bob for Robert. DD is from the south of France, a little place called Arles, reknowned for its artists chopping off their ears. Thus far, DD's are intact. But, there's no knowing what this crazy composite artist will get up next.

• Nigel Denton-Howes

Nigel and I know each other from Radical Entertainment in Vancouver where we worked together on the HULK video game. Nigel was responsible for much of the lovely lighting and superb texture painting in that game. Here's wrestling with "The Wild" at C.O.R.E.F.A. in Toronto right now. Nigel is totally self-taught.

• The Black Pepper

Otherwise known as Jean-Paul "Casanova" Rovela, and my other Frenchie room-mate. J-P is a 3D Lighting Technical Director at The Moving Picture Company like me and showed me the ropes when I first arrived to the studio. Thus, the reason why I can understand what he says in his own "je ne sais quoi?" accent while others are constantly left wondering "was that English, French or what!?"

• Matty-Boy Holland

Matt is a bloke I met more or less straight away after arriving to The Moving Picture Company, and we struggled to together on the Whomping Willow sequence in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. As they say in England "there's something of the lad" about ole Matty-boy. He's promised to take me to see some "Footy" before he heads off to seak his fortune in New Zealand. As he is a compositor, he'll putting the final touches on Peter Jackson's King Kong.

• Adam Valdez

Adam was my Visual Effects Supervisor on Alien Versus Predator. Adam and I share a pseudo connection with Spain. We both like living there, for similar reasons, but have both failed miserably to make a living in computer graphics there. Which in turn, is how we ended up at The Moving Picture Company. Oh well, we continue to conspire.

• Jay White

Jay is currently lost in the wilds of the Yukon. No-one knows quite what he's doing up there, but then again, neither does Jay. The son of a former Reform Party MP, he continues to bewilder us with his passion for the off-beat. Oh, yeah, he's heck of an animator too.

• Doug MacKay

Doug and I met working on a little show called Beast Wars Transformers at Mainframe Entertainment circa 1997. Doug is currently trying to break out of the Toronto area animation business on his own. Good luck, dude.

• Neil Bruder

This is Neil's Blog. Neil is a good friend and confidant from my Mainframe days. Neil and I became good friends on a kayak trip in the Broken Group off of Tofino. It had something to do with Neil getting funnier and funnier the more awful honey liquer we consumed around the camp fire. He's had me in stitches ever since. I owe this web log to Neil actually because he was the one who introduced me to the fine art of blogging. He's a leader in the field. If you need an inspiring comic book suggestion, get ahold of Neil. Neil is also a very impressive traveller.

• Geoff Richardson

Geoff is another friend who I first met while attending the Vancouver Film School, but it wasn't until I went to work at Radical that Geoff and I (he started on the same day as me) got a chance to brave the computer graphics unknown together. Geoff is the king of the "I have a plug in solution for that" school of computer graphics. He was my "go to guy" on the Hulk cinematics team in terms of adding that little extra to all our shots in the composite to take them up a notch, and in most cases, several notches. I also owe him for all the ripped off software I have ever used.

Corporate Cows

TRADITIONAL CAPITALISM:

You have two cows.

You sell one and buy a bull.
Your herd multiplies, and the economy grows.
You sell the herd and retire on the income.

AN AMERICAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You sell one, and force the other to produce the milk of four cows.
You are surprised when the cow drops dead.

A FRENCH CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You go on strike because you want three cows.

A JAPANESE CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You re-design them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk.
You then create irritating cow cartoon images called Cowkimon and market them world-wide at a fantastic profit.

A GERMAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You re-engineer them so they live for 100 years, eat once a month, and milk themselves.

AN ENGLISH CORPORATION
You have two cows.
Both are mad.

AN ITALIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows, but you don't know where they are.
You break for lunch.

A RUSSIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You count them and learn you have five cows.
You count them again and learn you have 42 cows.
You count them again and learn you have 12 cows.
You stop counting cows and open another bottle of vodka.

A SWISS CORPORATION
You have 5000 cows, none of which belong to you.
You charge others for storing them.

A HINDU CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You worship them.

A CHINESE CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You have 300 people milking them.
You claim full employment, high bovine productivity, and arrest the newsman who reported the numbers.

A WELSH CORPORATION
You have two cows.
The younger one is rather attractive.

AN AUSTRALIAN CORPORATION
Western suburbs style.... You have 2 stolen bulls but think they are cows.
You die the first time you try and milk them.

AN IRISH CORPORATION
Who cares, The EU Really owns them now and the pub is still serving.

A NEW ZEALAND CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You don't know what they are used for as they aren't sheep.
You shag them anyway.

The Economist Surveys

Click here to access free, downloadable, past surveys in .pdf form from The Economist. These are a great general resource on an amazing range of topics and often the most illuminating part of this weekly, literate, balanced and considered publication focus on world events. "Economy of thought" in the broadest sense.

Megcita esta en Madrid

Meg has left for Madrid. We will see each other in Barcelona in a week or so where we have a full weekend planned! It should be great. We had a hard time finding accommodation, because there is a "feria" going on - a kind of celebration. I am not sure about what though. I guess that may add to the atmosphere. Barcelona has always been a place I have wanted to go, so I am looking forward to it immensely. It will be my first trip to Spain since June. I have really fond memories of our trip to San Sebastian in 2001, during our bicycle trip of France, so I hope "Espana el norte" treats us well again!

The past few weeks since we arrived back in London have been really great. My hours at work have been reasonable, which I am sure will end soon, but it has been great while it has lasted. I was able to head home for lunch and dinner almost all the time, and Meg served up some amazing treats after her many trips to the markets around. We also had some time to just chill out on the couch, which was great because I have to admit to being fairly exhausted after our "holidays!" French Bob introduced Meg to the television series "24" on DVD, and she is now a committed addict! Meg has been speaking French a lot with The Black Pepper and French Bob, so I am sure they have had fun with that. Now only if they could teach me some.

Meggi will be continuing a translation contract she began recently, and begins another round of "clases de Espanol" soon. She has hastily moved back in with Pedro in Vallecas due to the fact that her flat-share situation in Cuatro Caminos dissolved when Maria secured employment in the south of Spain. I am actually really glad she is back with Pedro, and I hope that she has some more great family bonding experiences. We may be headed back to North America soon, so it is a great opportunity, for her and Pedro to continue their friendship.

Geek-O-Matic

Check out this delightfully geeky comparison of Star Wars before digital enhancements, and after digital enhancements. Pretty cool! Even though I am in the business, so to speak, it is still fun to see the fans figuring out all these changes. Lucas is a mad nutter indeed. He'll be working on Star Wars until he dies. And when he dies it will be because of Star Wars!

Beer is good for you! Honest...

I found this article kind of interesting. Nothing new about the effects of a glass or two of red wine a day, but great news for all those frothy quaffers out there! The key thing being that one or two pints of the amber nectar of the gods is "bueno por la salud!" but anymore than that (are you listening England?) is well, just plain old silly isn't it?

Sarah Schmidt
CanWest News Service

Wednesday, September 15, 2004

OTTAWA - Drinking a daily pint of beer brings the same health benefits as a glass of red wine, a new study has found.

Researchers at the University of Western Ontario have found one drink of beer or wine provides equivalent increases in plasma antioxidant activity. This helps prevent the oxidization of blood plasma that triggers diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and cataracts.

"We were very surprised one drink of beer or stout contributed an equal amount of antioxidant benefit as wine, especially since red wine contains about 20 times the amount of polyphenols as beer," said biochemist John Trevithick, one of the study's lead researchers.

Polyphenols, the compounds in plants that help prevent ultraviolet damage from the sun and make the plant cell wall strong, are believed to have antioxidant benefits when consumed by the human body. And even though red wine contains more polyphenols than beer, the study found that the body absorbs about equally effective amounts from beer and wine.

Mr. Trevithick added, however, that the health benefit becomes a liability at three beers, when the negative effects of alcohol cancel out the positive effects of antioxidant activity because the blood becomes pro-oxidant.

This phenomenon is known as "hormesis" -- small doses of a toxic substance can have beneficial effects while a large amount is harmful.

"You'd think that if one drink is good, three drinks would be better, but with a low dosage, you get a protective effect. A high dosage doesn't have that protective effect," said Mr. Trevithick.

Despite the positive findings, another recent study has warned of the link between gout and the moderate consumption of beer or liquor. The team of researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston reported the affliction increases in risk with every pint of beer or shot of liquor.

Specifically, they found that two or more beers a day more than doubles the risk of gout, a painful type of arthritis mostly affecting the feet, ankles, hands, wrists or elbows.

Mr. Trevithick said this new study should direct beer drinkers to drink in moderation and avoid binge drinking. "One drink a day is not bad. Maybe two is OK."

James Pratt of Ottawa is thrilled with the findings of the new study. The 28-year-old never liked the taste of wine and always stuck to beer, despite repeatedly hearing of the health benefits of a daily glass of red wine. "It's a relief. Now I can have a pint of Guinness at the end of the long day and not feel guilty about it," he said.

The findings will be published in an upcoming edition of the journal Nonlinearity in Biology, Toxicology and Medicine, published by the Association for Environmental Health and Sciences.

The Borough Market

Meg and I went for a great city walk over the weekend. Claus and Michelle had told me about how nice the Borough Market was to shop for groceries on the weekends, so Meg and I set off to find it. We headed south east from the flat, through Holborn area, more just to take a look at Saint Paul's Cathedral than anything, and then down to walk along the Thames. It was a lovely day, with a big broken-cloud classic English sky and a brisk wind blowing. We were treated to some great views of the The Tower of London, and The Tower Bridge and the river, where there was a "fixed seat" rowing regatta on that seemed to have several hundred boats entered. It was incredible to see how those older types of boats without the sliding seat, and much larger hulls, are just made superbly for the tideway conditions. Conditions which could best be described as "survival rowing." The market itself is situated on the south side of London Bridge Mainline Station, just across the river. There is a nice short history of the market here. There is pretty much everything you could want, and especially delightful "munch while you shop" treats - burgers, cakes, pizzas, you name it. We enjoyed fresh Olde English Cyder, and a ciabatta with organic wild boar sausage, fried onions and rocket that nearly blew my mind. Walking back along the "Thames Walk" which huggs the shoreline on the north side, we were very pleased with our little journey and our absolutely stuffed back pack full of all sorts of market goodies. Bring on the dinner! We vowed to try to make the 2 hour round trip as frequently as possible when Meg visits this fall. Markets we have come to realise are one of our great shared passions!

We're Still Free... Sort of...

An interesting article on the differences that exist between ties to the United States economically and the lack of similarity in social programming and attitudes. Give it a go! it is interesting to note particularly for those interested in the debate over what separates Canadians from Americans.

Canada still autonomous despite U.S. links

Jacqueline Thorpe
Financial Post

September 8, 2004

Canada may be more closely tied to the U.S. economy than ever but there is little evidence it has lost any of its political, social or fiscal independence, a study released yesterday by a Wall Street financial institution concludes.

The bilateral trading arrangement between Canada and the United States -- the world's largest -- could in fact be held up as a model for globalization, New York-based rating agency Standard & Poor's Inc. says.

"The relationship between the U.S. and Canada offers an insight into the nature of globalization," Joydeep Mukherji, an S&P analyst, said in a 20-page report. "It indicates that good economic management and strong public institutions allow smaller countries to retain considerable autonomy in designing policies while enjoying the prosperity that comes from integrating with the outside world."

Mr. Mukherji said the key to Canada having held its own against an economy 10 times its size was its drive 10 years ago to get its fiscal house in order, a policy Mexico would be wise to note.

"The point is if you don't get your house in order and you have a rich neighbour and you try to achieve prosperity by latching onto that rich neighbour ... then you have to conform more to what the other guy does," Mr. Mukherji said in an interview.

Trade between Canada and the United States has exploded since the introduction of the North American Free Trade Agreement. The average flow of goods and services across the Canada-U.S. border exceeds US$1.2-billion a day, having soared by more than 50% between 1994 and 2001. Canada's exports to the United States have risen to 80% of total Canadian exports from 71% in 1990, while imports rose to 72% from 68%.

S&P also notes: Canada buys more U.S. goods than the rest of the Western hemisphere combined; U.S.-owned firms employ more than one million Canadians and produce about 10% of Canada's GDP; and the average import content of Canadian exports is 33%, compared with 27% in 1990.

The list goes on but despite this increasing economic symbiosis, Canada has maintained distinctive policies toward education, health and social welfare. "Not only are they separate ... but I don't see any convergence," Mr. Mukherji said.

For example, despite several exhaustive reviews during the past few years Canada has maintained its commitment to public health care; 70% of health-care spending comes from the government, compared with 45% in the United States. Studies have advocated even more public funding.

A political commitment to contain social disparity can also be seen in Canada's system of interregional transfers, which distributes tax revenue from richer to poorer provinces. According to the International Monetary Fund, this has resulted in a greater convergence in real per capita disposable income across provinces than their level of output. The United States has no such system.

Income distribution is also less skewed toward the wealthy in Canada than the United States. The richest 10% of the population have a 24% share of total national income, compared with 30% in the United States. The percentage of elderly people with an income below half the median level of disposable income is just 2.5% in Canada, compared with 20.3% in the United States.

Canada is more in line with European than U.S. attitudes on other social issues: church attendance has fallen in Canada since the 1950s but remained at a higher level in the United States, and a survey found 82% of Canadians believed the government should protect the environment even it it slows economic growth, compared with 69% in the United States.

Maude Barlow, chairwoman of the Council of Canadians, which describes itself as a citizens' watchdog and has long opposed free trade, agrees Canadians have maintained separate social values but they are being undermined by government policies. "I think they [S&P] are far too optimistic in their description of this strong social safety net," Ms. Barlow said. "Tons of studies show the growing gap between rich and poor in Canada ... we've had a strong rise in child poverty since 1989, which just happens to be the year we signed the first free trade agreement."

Back to The Big Smoke

Just like that! We are back to London. Meg and I have arrived safe and sound for another "tour of duty" in Europe. Our holidays were very busy in hindsight, however, and we are both feeling the effects of our schedule and all of the travel we did while on holidays. I guess for this reason the jet-lag and general fatigue has been more noticeable this time around. We have both been exhausted, spontaneously waking up at 4 a.m. and staring at the walls (and each other). Hopefully regular hours and some excercise will solve all our problems.

Coming back to London feels a bit weird. It is not home, but it feels somehow familiar now having spent the past several months living and working in central London. I am also reminded of all the expense and limitations of living in a big city. I wonder if Meg will feel the same when she is off to Madrid in late September? I have to admit the constant busy hum of the city was very present last night as we tried to fall off to sleep. I found myself yearning for the relative tranquility of our neighbourhood in Vancouver, or better yet, absolutely soft silence of "Chez Wain" in Deep Cove, Saanich. The most resounding thing to me on returning for some time to Vancouver was the ease which people are able to do things. The routine, in other words. On a lot of levels Vancouver has both the pleasures of a city and a bit of small town feel that is really endearing. Oh yeah, and if we're lucky and support them, some of the best independent cafes I have ever been to including Europe!!! Ciao Liberty Bakery! Ciao Calabria Caffe!

On the other hand I am quite pleased to be back. I have a great project to work on (Kingdom of Heaven, who would have thought I would be returning to work on a Ridley Scott film?), Meg and I have some interesting travel plans for the fall (Barcelona, Santiago de Compostela, possibly Italy), and we don't have any hassles of moving into or finding accommodations. Relatively speaking, we are well set up to enjoy a fall of living, working, and traveling in Europe.

Lovely Holidays and Thanks Everyone!

A big warm thanks to everyone who contributed in any way to Meg and I enjoying our time in Canada so much, because we really had a blast! Our holidays were outstanding, and we enjoyed every second of them, especially seeing all the family, and getting back in touch with the vibe in Vancouver. Such simple things were so enjoyable. For example, taking an afternoon cafe, or going for lunch, running the Stanley Park Seawall, heading to the Granville Island Public Market to pick up some choice ingredients for one of many gorgeous meals we enjoyed. One morning we had a breakfast picnic at Kitsilano Beach on the lovely public lawn there, and then headed into the Kits Pool for a dip. Sitting in the sun after a good test of the lungs in the pool was a real delight. Rekindling my love affair with Burnaby Mountain on my Rocky Mountain was a shear bliss as well. The trails were in as good a shape as I have seen them! It was also a delight to see how all the young families were progressing. Dawn and Ben looked more than happy about Isaac's abilities to charm the ladies and consume copious cantelope. Mike and Christine seemed just thrilled by the arrival of new house and "home" as a result of the little tiger Liam now taking up residence there. Lucy and Paul with a new addition as well, though in the form of "just a house" for now, they say. We look forward very much to the next time we see you all!

Video Game Makers Go Hollywood. Uh-Oh.

The interesting thing to me about the following article, from The New York Times, is how quickly this "conversion of the games industry" to the Hollywood model has happened. Secondly, how durable the film production model is for producing "entertainment content." The same struggles for good independant content that typifies the film business today will now be a fixture in the video game industry. Whatever happened to the game industry transforming the way films, or entertainment in general, gets made!

Video Game Makers Go Hollywood. Uh-Oh.
By EVELYN NUSSENBAUM

Published: August 22, 2004

OVIE producers are often criticized for running at the sight of original ideas, preferring instead to milk plays, books, news events, toys and even video games for their screenplays. Now the video game industry is returning the favor, and then some. Seeking to establish the medium as a mass market form of entertainment instead of a niche technology, the game industry has taken the playbook of the movie business.

The results have been movie-based games, Hollywood-quality special effects, professionally composed soundtracks, celebrity voices - and even Hollywood-style economic problems, including ballooning budgets and a greater reliance on monster hits.

"The entire industry is looking more and more like filmed entertainment," said Edward S. Williams, who follows video game makers for Harris Nesbitt, the investment banking firm. "Soon a handful of hits will drive the entire industry."

Video game executives say they have no choice if they want to make their $11 billion industry as mainstream as the movie business. Whether they can achieve that goal remains to be seen, but their embrace of Hollywood-style production values has already made it much harder to turn profits.

Game publishers have always been subject to a nerve-wracking business cycle, which forces them to essentially reinvent their software every five years. That's roughly how often Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo introduce new consoles, which require new software formats and render most older games obsolete.

Bigger budgets and more complicated effects have made the process even dicier. The movie industry's rule of thumb is that just 2 out of 10 movies make a profit. Video game executives say their industry now has about the same batting average. A game that costs $10 million to produce - the industry average - and another $10 million to market has to sell a lot more units to make money than games made in the late 1990's, when the average production budget was closer to $3 million.

The numbers can go much higher for some new games. Atari spent $20 million on its "Enter the Matrix" game last year, an amount that is about one-third the average cost of a feature film.

As a result of the changes, game publishers are less willing to take creative chances, people in the industry say. They make fewer games and rely more on movie tie-ins and what they consider sure-fire sequels. But the smaller number of bets can make publishers walk the kind of financial high-wire that has long been part of the hit-driven movie business. At Activision, 40 percent of publishing revenue last year came from two sets of games, "Tony Hawk's Underground" and "True Crime: Streets of L.A."

At first glance, the Hollywood-style strategy has paid off, because the video game industry is still expanding. The number of video game players is growing, in the United States and abroad, and adults as well as teenagers are playing the games. Sales of game software for the Big Three consoles - the PlayStation from Sony, the Xbox from Microsoft and the GameCube from Nintendo - rose 4 percent in the first half of 2004, versus a year earlier, according to the NPD Group, a marketing consulting firm. "We had a 35 percent return on invested capital last year," said Robert Kotick, chairman and chief executive of Activision, the No. 2 game publisher. "You won't find a movie studio that comes close to that.''

But industry numbers have masked what looks like the beginning of a shakeout. While big competitors like Electronic Arts, Activision and THQ become bigger, some smaller rivals are flailing. Midway Games, which had huge hits in its "Mortal Kombat" and "SpyHunter" games, has had 18 consecutive quarters of losses. Acclaim Entertainment, maker of "Shadow Man," just staved off a bankruptcy filing. And Eidos, the British maker of the "Lara Croft Tomb Raider" series, just put itself up for sale.

Finding a way to hedge risks won't be easy for the video game business. While movie studios have a reputation for profligate spending, they have always had a cushion the video game business lacks - ancillary revenue. Home video rentals, DVD sales, broadcast rights for television, toy spinoffs and licensed video games all help movies that bomb at the box office eventually make profits.

And movies can generate profits for years: "Finding Nemo," the hit animated film that first appeared in theaters two years ago, is still making money for Pixar.

Video game makers, by contrast, have traditionally had one window for making money: the first three to six months after their products hit the shelves. If they don't sell fast enough during that period, retailers mark them down from, say, $50 to as little as $19. "We're in the land of legitimate entertainment, rivaling the movie box office now," said Steve Allison, the chief marketing officer for Midway Games. "But we're a little crippled when it comes to the secondary opportunities the movies have."

To combat the problem, publishers are - again, in Hollywood fashion - scrambling to develop secondary revenue streams. One is online games: selling subscriptions to play on the Internet, often against other players. Another is advertising: the industry's biggest company, Electronic Arts, for example, has a small but aggressive advertising team that calls on Fortune 500 companies, pitching in-game advertising as an alternative to television commercials. Clients include Burger King, Dodge and Procter & Gamble. Activision is working with the Nielsen ratings company to develop an advertising rate card like that used in television.

At Microsoft, the company's Xbox game division is planning a marketing juggernaut modeled after a "Star Wars" movie release for its "Halo 2" game. Selling the $54 CD is just the start. There is also a $5.99 monthly fee to play in "Halo 2" tournaments online; action figures for $14.99; a DVD with movie ads and a guide to playing the game for $19.99; and three novels based on the game. A soundtrack CD is due in November.

At Midway Games, developers are trying to turn the movie license game on its head, creating games that movie studios might like to buy from them. Mr. Allison, the chief marketing officer, calls them "movieable franchises" and says his company is in talks on three or four projects.

VIDEO game executives tend to be cautious about these initiatives, and with good reason. At Electronic Arts, which probably has the most sophisticated divisions for generating new revenue, subscription-based Web sites contributed just $50 million of its $3 billion in revenue last year. Advertising, licensing and programming revenue came to $33 million.

Chip Lange, vice president of EA Online, said his company was not trying to "milk every source of revenue." He said it was just as important that Electronic Arts not be caught flat-footed if a smaller rival got the jump on a new technology or business model.

That makes sense, because Electronic Arts is big. Last year, 27 of its games went platinum, meaning that they sold a million copies; no other publisher came close. Electronic Arts wants to keep its edge, particularly if the industry is headed for a consolidation that leaves just five or six survivors.

Some people in the business think that the industry's consolidation will go beyond the pattern of big publishers devouring the little ones. Entertainment conglomerates have begun eyeing the video game industry again. Warner Brothers, part of Time Warner, recently bought the game developer Monolith Productions. Viacom's chairman, Sumner M. Redstone, has a controlling interest in Midway.

Alternatively, a cash-rich publisher may decide to add a movie studio to its portfolio.

The right combination, of course, would capture the best of both worlds, cushioning a hit machine with a safety net.

Selma and Graham Get Married

Well, at long last, the lovely Selma Ferhatbegovic and charming Graham Craft are married. Their civil ceremony took place yesterday in Ottawa, at the home of friends Lida and Jacque, and was followed by a reception at a lovely restaurant in The Market district of downtown Ottawa. Selma was gorgeous and full of emotion in her stunning dress (how could she not be?), made in Spain, and chosen this past year with help from Meg. Graham was very handsome, with a flashy red tie, and they both faired very well in the ceremony. The ceremony included speeches in English, and Bosnian, which was very special, considering the circumstances of the war in the former Yugoslavia, and the Ferhatbegovic family's escape to Canada. At dinner, there were some great speeches, of course, and an exceptional master of ceremonies in Selma's brother in law Roger (who is married to Selma's eldest sister Amina). Meggi dug deep to find the nerve to say a few words, something she is not so comfortable doing, and everyone was very appreciative of her kind and very funny words for her "otra media naranja!" Meg and I are so happy to see Selam and Graham together and starting out as a married couple in what I am sure will be incredibly memorable and thrilling circumstances: two years in Guatamala. We wish them great health, the best of luck and much love. They have been spectacular friends to us, and I am sure our relationship with continue to grow and grow, especially when they return together to Portland!!!

The National Gallery of Canada

For me, a trip to Ottawa could never be complete without a trip to the National Gallery of Canada. Situated as it is, on a bluff adjacent to Parliament and overlooking the Ottawa river, it is a picturesque and inviting building whose modern architectural surfaces of reflective steel and glass bathe its interior with gorgeous natural light. This trip featured to special exhibitions, and unfortunately not enough time for the permanent collection. The first special exhibit was a display of French drawings spanning four centuries. Mostly preliminary sketches and preparatory work, the drawings really gave you a visceral feel for what lay underneath, the structure and foundation of many artist's work. I think that the simplicity of a drawing often leads to a more direct appreciation of the artistry, especially when it captures a look, or gesture that seems raw, or unaffected by the often "finished" nature of the subsequent painting. Delacroix's gestural cartoons for his larger work were very telling in this manner. The second special exhibit was a broad and inclusive collection of images, contexts, and theories of clowns, fools, and freaks throughout the history of art. Ranging from medieval depictions of classic "town idiot" entertainers, to more modern conceptions of art as performance. I much prefered the depictions of clowns as reflections of society's fears, illusions, or phobias as opposed to the more leud, intentionally self-agrandising and pretentious shock-factor shenanigans of some of todays performance based art. They seem to illuminate more of what is really going on in people's minds as to why the clown is such an enduring creation, a necessary character in our society. The broad nature of the work was a bit daunting at times, but the truly great works, really shone through and I enjoyed it immensely.

The Nation's Capital

Meg, Meg's mom Jennifer, and I traveled together to Ottawa today. We are here principally to celebrate with Meg's great friend Selma Ferhatbegovic at her wedding! But, also to celebrate this year as Grannie Blakely's 95th! What an achievement. I am also hoping to see Canada's National Gallery and the Museum of Civilization. Both great places to spend a few hours. I think we may also have a chance to play golf with the Blakely's (Jennifer's side of the family) which would be fun. The last time we were in Ottawa was early in 2003 when we were chasing up issues relating to Meg's Spanish citizenship. Selma was here and we had a great time together, so I expect no less this time as well! I am looking forward to the festivities.

Walshman Gets Head in Cambridge

The Rob Roy crew I rowed with this past week managed to win the Cambridge Town Bumps. Thus, retaining for the Rob Roy Rowing Club the coveted title of "Head of the River" that the club has held for several years running now. After a very sharp warm-up, we stormed out of the start rowing as well as we had at anytime all week, and remained well above 40 strokes per minute for the first series of turns, before settling into a fairly stompy rhythm for the body of the race stroking about a 35. We raised the tempo for the final few meters "just for kicks" and saw the competition fade into obscurity. It was a lovely tranquil evening on the Cam, in nice weather and that made for a very enjoyable event to say the least. Especially the start, which features a cork-screwing, crazy set of narrow turns (thankfully allowing the Walshman to take a few light ones before the big push on the Reach!) that are usually lined by spectators hoping to catch sight of a dramatic "bump" or two. It was a real blast to see all the folks out on the river Cam to celebrate the last day of the Bumps in boating parties, BBQs, etc. A really great "social rowing" event.

The crew to be added to the 116 year old trophy for the race is as follows:

Tom Johnstone
Guy Blanchard
Greg "Ball Pin" Scherkoske
Simon "Sledge" Goodbrand
Ed "The House of" Pain
Shawn "Luggage" Walsh
Alex Hamilton
James Silk

Incidentally, the following shell on Friday night included two members of the current Cambridge Blue Boat. As in, the one that defeated Oxford, in this year's Oxford Cambridge Boat Race in March. A tidy victory it was then, indeed! A big thanks to Greg for getting my fat ass out of my chair at work enough times to actually enjoy the event! Here's some photos!

The Cambridge Town Bumps Regatta

Well, this week has featured a once per afternoon journey to up to Cambridge at rush hour in order to join in with the Rob Roy Rowing Club bid to retain the Championships of the Cambridge Town Bumps Regatta - aptedly titled "Head of the River." This is undoubtably the oddest rowing event in which I have ever taken part. The format goes something like this. There are five flights of 16 rowing crews. Crews are seated (1-80) based on the previous year's final results. Each crew races once a day each day of the week - the fifth flight first to the first flight last. The race itself is structured along traditional lines whereby all 16 crews of a flight are lined up in single file (a la "head racing") equidistant over the first few hundred meters of the 2700 meter course on the River Cam. They all have a length and one half separating them, aside from the lead shell which is only given a length (due to the fact that they are rowing in clean water for the whole event). A canon announces the start (actually three canon blasts - at the 4 minutes to go, and one minute to go, and start) and the crews race to attempt to overcome the crew in front of them. They can do this in one of two ways. They can attempt to gain one full length into the preceeding boat, judged by a marshall on the bank (and often disputed!) who then instructs the crews that such an overlap has occured, or better, physically touch on shell's nose to the other's tail (thus, effectively saving a half length of space). Once either of these events has been achieved the crews traditionally pull to one side to allow the following crews to pass. The "over-bump" is also a rare occurane when a particularly fast crew elects to row past the preceeding crew and bump the next inline! The crew that "has been bumped" begins the following day one position further down in the rankings, and everyone does it all over again! If the first ranked crew retains their position on the last day, they win. It is a unique event not only for the way it is carried out, but also for the reasons that it includes only Cambridge based crews (each crew is allowed one guest), and also for the fact that the spectrum of rowers includes everyone from full time training athletes, to former internationals turned sometimes rowers, to total hacks who train only a few weeks for only this event. There is a fiesta on friday that is said to rival all rowing parties held anywhere at any time. We'll see!

Our Weekend in Paris

In my experience, I would hazard to say, that if I only had one weekend to spend in Europe, it would have to be spent in Paris. Despite my lack of French speaking ability (an embarrassing admission being a Canadian citizen: je comprends un peu le Francais, mais je le parle tres mal!), the liberal deposits left on nearly every sidewalk by the city's fashionable four legged friends, the expense of everything (I mean everything!), the congestion, the ridiculously misinformed and arrogant smokers, etc. Paris and its true inhabitants, seem to be able to manage a kind of elegance that is always immensely attractive. There is an attitude in most places you go that says "well, it may cost you more, but it is certainly worth it, isn't it?!" Often times I find myself agreeing. That being said, it is still possible to enjoy Paris as I first did with Bradshaw - on a cheap baguette and cheese budget with the night spent in a grotty pension! Thankfully, those days are behind me now though. The Parisians flaunt the city's wealth of culture on their sleeve, as though it is their own possession, and they are immensely social animals, always out, always taking a drink, or meeting someone to chat and people watch. They are unwilling to have Paris be anything but "for Parisians" even though it is often inundated with tourists as it was this weekend. You can never truly experience Paris without complete submission to doing as the Parisians do - virtually nothing for breakfast, several stops for "un petit cafe" throughout the day, a leisurely lunch usually taking just a salad, and a long, long time for dinner. Now that I have visited Paris several times, it has lost a bit of its original stunning capacity, and also having worked with several people who have made their existence in Paris and have thus related to me its pit-falls, I have gained a more balanced view, but I don't think it will ever lose its essential charms.

Friday night featured our late arrival to Paris via Eurostar (which is amazing and so easy to take from London Waterloo), and our hurried check-in to the Hotel Cluny Sorbonne. We dashed out to find a bar/brasserie that Greg Scherkoske had recommended to us not far from our hotel called L'Academie de la Biere. We had a lovely twilight walk to find it near Port Royal metro station. The bar was really cool, with a big terrace, lots of folks out in big groups chatting and drinking. Meg and I dined on a couple of French classics "salad de chevre chaud" and "moules et frites" while trying a few different Belgian beers served in their appropriately specific glasses. The "blond" that Megcita polished off was exceptional! We finished the night by walking back to the Seine to take in a view of Notre Dame on a warm night, had a late night cafe and tea on a little plaza near the hotel.

Saturday we rose late having had a great sleep, and walked through Jardin du Luxembourg to the Musee D'Orsay. We missed out on this one last time around due to large crowds, evil line-ups, and not enough time! Well, this time the complete opposite. We showed up late morning and walked right into one of the loveliest buildings ever to house a work of art. Filling in the gap between the contemporary art scene and the vast Louvre collection of old masters the Musee D'Orsay is a very popular spot and is very accessible to a broad cross section of people. The building itself is incredible. I could go on in volumes about the excellent way the building allows people to move through it creating amazing little opportunities for artistic discovery around the many corners. Such a vasy space, such overwhelming light, and such intimate experiences with the art works. "How do we fill those amazing old archways of the original train station while keeping the sense of air and light?" must have been the original artistic question. Well, now we know! We had lunch in the Boulevard St. Germain area, near to Eglise Saint Sulpice, and had a good long walk around as we "window shopped" and what an amazing neighborhood for it! So many shops and galleries, it is mind boggling at times! For dinner, we decided to change the scenery a bit and headed to a recommended brasserie in Le Marais called "Les Philosophes." Dinner was excellent for a mid level Paris brasserie - my pave de boeuf was exceptional (I must learn how to make a simple beef gravy like they make in Paris!) and we had a very good tomato tarte tatin as a starter. We chatted the entire time "en Espanole" and found that whenever we did that, miraculously, the wait-staff treated us so much better! I wonder why...

Sunday we again slept in before heading out on a bit of a jaunt to see the Eiffel Tower and the stunning dome of the Ecole Militare. Paris is such a lovely city to see by foot that even though it may take a bit more time, I simply can't resist walking to get around. The Eiffel Tower is especially impressive up close where you can really get a sense of the craftsmanship and design of the building. All that iron is magnificent! The great arching legs that support it are a truly unique signature structure of the city. Following our walk we met up with Jean-Paul's friend Marie in Le Marais (the same Marie who had been staying with us in the flat in London) and we had a classic cheap lunch and chat in Le Marais. Salad and cafe, a French institution! Following that, a whole lot walking around in Le Marais! What an incredible location to spend the afternoon brousing and taking in the sites of the city. We crossed the Place de Vosges which is always a favourite place to see for me. A little last minute rusing around for something to eat and we were off again to London!

It's Baby Liam Everybody!

Great news from Mike and Christine! It seems that the little dude was so brimming with enthusiasm and just couldn't wait to see what's up with all this life stuff that everyone seems to be taking part in these days! What's the deal? Why is everyone doing it? How can I get involved? What are the entrepreneurial avenues open to me? So the crazy little guy decided to make an early appearance and crash the party! Here's the news from the old horse's mouth: "Well the little tiger couldn't be bothered with waiting til the due date or for Mom and Dad to finish up the renovations - Liam arrived on very short notice two hours after Christine's water broke, which happened unexpectedly in bed at 3:50AM. Christine skipped through all that labour and contraction stuff except on a speedy ride to BC Women's Hospital and she delivered a beautiful baby boy within 20 minutes of arrival. 5lbs 13 oz Horray!"

In Paris for the Weekend

Megcita and I have our second wedding anniversary coming up on the 20th so I thought I would surprise Her with a little romantic getaway to Paris! Originally, I was thinking it would be nice to head somewhere in Italy, since we have not been there, but having spent a lot time flying to and from Madrid this year, and only having the two days of the weekend to spare because of our upcoming holidays in August, and Paris being so easy to get to from here, I thought "what better place in Europe to go when you only have two days!" So we're off! We are staying at the same Hotel Cluny Sorbonne we stayed at when we began our bicycle tour summer 2001, and hopefully this time we will have the opportunity for Meg to see the Musee D'Orsay and the Eiffel Tower which she missed during our last time in Paris. Also, thanks to the helping hands of some of the French nationals at The Moving Picture Company, we have some great restaurant suggestions! So it looks to be a fabulous time in one of the jewels on the world.

More on Fahrenheit 9/11

Last night, my first reaction to seeing Michael Moore's polemical filmic assault on the morons currently "running the world from the Oval Office" was that I couldn't believe this film has been made and is showing all across America! What a tribute to expression and free speech! What am amazing example of how there is a voice of dissent in America, that the image presented by the Bush administration is in fact a malevolent distorted picture of the America I would like to see as my neighbour. That is it not America itself that is the problem plaguing the world these days, but the corruption, greed, and determined evil opportunism of those in power.

My second reaction was that if even half of all this is to be taken at face value, all of this behaviour by the Bush administration is so obvious, so blatant, why can't we do something about it? Why can't we just make simple choices in life to prohibit these kinds of people from taking such control over so many people lives. Then, a horrible sinking feeling set in... the realisation that in fact, for the average Joe, not a lot can be done about it. There are people all over the globe who are willing to bring an incredible amount of harm on unwitting civilians regardless of their place of origin.

The one thing I noticed was how little criticism there is in the film directed at Tony Blair and the Brits who so eagerly "went along with the American agenda." Perhaps there are some good reasons for this, as Bill Clinton pointed out during interview here. He really had little option. Also, I am sure that he felt the majority of the people he is trying to reach would be saying to themselves "who is this Tony Blair guy again" and that would be a distraction after all.

Megcita esta en Londres

Just a quick note to say that Meggi has arrived safe and sound in London! She came in from Madrid after midnight last night and I met her in Victoria Station. She seems great and looking forward to three weeks together before heading back to Vancouver (via Madrid) in early August. We have settled into our little room at the flat and are getting used to "sharing" again! (har, har) We had lunch together for the first time in weeks and it was great! We are hoping to plan a few little trips around southern England over the next few weekends. Not sure where just yet, but Bath and Brighton day trips have come up.

Le Tour de France 2004 Begins!

Ooooh... something I have been excited about all year is to be in Europe to see all the great coverage of the Tour de France. Cycling everywhere for three weeks! If Lance Armstrong is to win this year, he will go into the record books all alone. no one has ever won six tours, let alone in a row! I can barely contain my youthful enthusiasm as a prepare to watch some of the toughest athletes try to do the impossible: win the tour. Meg and I may try to scoot over there to see Stage 7 and 8 next weekend near St. Brieuc in Bretagne. Here's a link to some good internet coverage: link

Close But No Cigar

Over the past few weeks, I have been attempting to qualify a four without coxswain for the Henley Royal Regatta, which begins next week on Wednesday! Yesterday was the official qualifying race on the Henley course, and although the row itself was a very enjoyable experience, we failed to qualify. The Visitor's Four Event (a senior, elite, or open event depending on your place of origin) has 16 crews allotted. 10 of which are seated by committee based on previous results and current standings. 6 of which are up for grabs on qualifying day. There were 20 crews entered in the qualifying race. We beat all but six. And thus, we were the fastest "non-qualifiers." Yet another blight on my long, but non-illustrious rowing career. No matter, as we would have likely been soundly trounced on opening day of the regatta by a top seated international crew anyway.

Realistically, it was a very good performance all things considered. We literally never practiced together. We only raced at Marlow last weekend, and thus, certified ourselves exactly as a true "scratch crew." Not to mention the fact that all six crews that beat us really should have as they were "competitive" and largely comprised of "full time" oarsmen - not a bunch of jokers with full time jobs like us sods. Add to that Greg having just raced an hour previous in the qualifying race for the Diamonds Sculls (Men's Open Single - finishing in the same spot!) and you get the picture.

First of the non-qualifiers Greg was twice! This lead him to humorously reflect that he was "the William Macy of British Rowing." As Greg eventually put it: "It is a testament to our pedigry that we were able to finish at the top of this heap of wankers."

Henley was gorgeous. I am definitely going to head up to take in the Regatta next weekend. The weather was beautiful, the atmosphere rich, and the countryside and town enchanting. A true slice of English pomp and mystery. It is worth it just for the ambiance itself. I truly regret never having raced there in my prime.