Due to Popular Demand

Today is the last Friday before university makes its comeback into my life on Monday. Many new faces; which is good fun.

Tonight is a meal with the Christian Union. I should probably not eat much as it feel like eating is what I have done most of the time this week. Having said that, I went for a massive run in preparation for the Great North.

Well, to the airline business then. The latest news is that Alitalia will get saved. I am not sure that saving Alitalia is a good idea. There are too many subsidised seats out there already. My assumption is that very few Italians are proud of the product Alitalia provide to their customers.

Meanwhile, a few airlines have joined Boeing in a campaign for a sustainable jet fuel supply chain. Basically, the airlines have as customers decided what they would prefer to buy. Now it is up to the energy companies concerned to improve their share of the process. It seems like these airlines and Boeing did not try to get the energy companies involved in this. If that is the case, I am surprised nobody spoke to any of them first as they are the jet fuel suppliers.

Tonight is the first debate between The Hopefuls, aka Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain. It is on 2am BST and perfectly visible on Sky News. People would argue that Senator McCain is better for business. I would like to turn that argument around. Personally, I believe Senator Obama has the policies to create a world where international businesses have less to worry about. His ability to listen will be important to the relations with countries east of Britain.

Even though I will never be the president of the United States (yeah, even I have realised that), I hope to find myself in a position where I can make a difference in a year from now. I will graduate next summer, and companies have expressed interest in me. Hopefully I will be able to convince potential employers that I will be a good fit. I guess my age of 24 is the only thing they could have against me.

Anyway, it would be a great challenge to enter the labour market in a recession. A challenge I actually look forward to.


Today Simon has:

Listened to Visslaren by Kent
Read (well, a quarter of the book left) the Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
Noticed that blogging once a month probably is not good enough

My Itinerary/Summer Tour 2008

I am not sure if I can deliver on that headline, but I had to put it as title just because going on a tour sounds fancy!

I will be back in Åsele late Sunday night.

Newcastle - London on Friday night

London - Stockholm on Saturday afternoon

Stockholm - Sundsvall on Sunday afternoon

Sundsvall - Åsele on Sunday evening

You are all welcome to pop by and say hello to me at the Tourist Info Centre in Åsele where I will spend most of my summer. I really look forward to it as it is such a nice job!

I will not go on placement unless I get an offer from a company in München.

Now I have a couple of days to sort myself out. Tomorrow I am gonna hand in my last assignments which I just finished.


Today Simon has:

Listened to too much of Avril Lavigne's Let Go B-Sides
Read his own assignments
Noticed that he has lots of small things to sort out before the departure

My Default Age

There are many reasons why I try not to write in the night. One of the reasons is that you might get the impression I am drunk. Or just full of crap.

I am always skeptic when it comes to thinking loudly online. But hey - it's my blog! I can write nearly whatever I like. And if it annoys you, it's likely more your problem rather than mine hehe...=>

Well, to cover the headline then. I have lately become concerned with my age.

Sometimes I wonder if I have missed out on lots of fun because of my default age (which seems to be 46). Throughout my life, I have generally behaved like I am older than I actually am.

What do normal 23.5 year olds do then?

I don't know if I am able to go clubbing as I don't like getting my ears trashed in an environment where I can't hear what people are saying. I could add as well that my dancing abilities are unknown since I dominated the P.E. bugg floor as a 15 year old.

One thing that has changed is, when I was little, I was no risk taker at all. I always played things safe. That has changed. Risk is amazing and to me the word equals opportunity.

There you go. Here are my public promises. The most radical ones since I bought a pair of jeans a bit more than a year ago I guess (cheers Geord).

I will:

Get another pair of jeans and another bag for my uni stuff
Give the amazing(?) nightlife of Newcastle a go
Try to move my body in a way which is appropriate to the music played

The first one will be easy. The second point will be scary as I don't know how to do. I blame the fact that I am brought up in the middle of nowhere and in a cultural context where going out was seen as sin.

The third point won't be scary for me. It will probably be very scary and embarassing for people around me though. Unless they are too drunk to remember. Which I this time hope that they will be.

(below is the moral bit which is best read in a Jerry Springer voice)

I recognise that all the changes I will make are extremely superficial and they will probably not make me a happier person. They might though give me at least a good night out in a new environment. For you, that new environment might be in a completly different place.

Anyway, on Tuesday I will go to the theatre. I know, that is so 46 year old, but it is something I usually do not do.

That's me for now. Thank you for reading. Please tell if you have found anything in my behaviour that you believe I could gain from changing.


Today Simon has:

Listened to Mannen i den vita hatten (16 år senare) by Kent

Read two amazing articles in the latest Fortune about Steve Jobs and Apple

Noticed that he has amazing friends in the Christian Union which do everything they can to change his default age.

Waiting and Results

I am fairly happy today as I got results from two modules back. I did well so now I just hope that the remaining results will not destroy my, for now, awesome average.

Right now I am waiting on the decision from a company regarding placement. I really hope that I will get it as it is in my favourite industry. I will tell more about this when I get their decision. So that is the only info you will get for now.

Now I have to make myself ready for a metro trip to dodgy Byker. Exec meeting with the Christian Union. It is exciting time as we will change Exec Committee during the next couple of months. I will probably write more about that later as well.

That's me for now. Best wishes to you all.

Today Simon has:

Listened to new lectures at uni
Read The Times
Noticed that time flies on Northumberland Street

Due to popular demand...

I will today, on the final day of October, give you a fresh blog post from the heart of Tyneside. The fact that I do not feel that I have that much to tell you is something we just have to ignore for the time being.

I can proudly reveal that I have applied for shiploads of placements. Anybody who have been in touch with me since I started at Northumbria know that I am so looking forward to that year. Not to mention the staff at the placement office who have to see me every other day! I do not know where I will end up yet but most likely I will not stay in Newcastle as I am gonna be here during my final year anyway.

For no reason whatsoever I will now give you a real treat. This is what I would be like if I was in the hospitality business.

What more can I tell you? I am technically working on an essay which is due before Christmas. It is about advertising and if advertising promotes or exploit the demand for organic food. I will unfortunately not be able to ramble on with my own theories as it is a strictly academic piece of work.

Last I would like to remind you not to miss the Christian Union meeting on Friday. We will have a new feature, and if I do not make a fool of myself we might actually continue with it.

Today Simon has:

Listened to a few fans.
Read Nemi on DN.se
Noticed that he has a Great Future.

Hannah avoids the Frame?

At the very end of a good meeting I managed to take this photo. Ric looking occupied, Hannah D smiling and Hannah F trying to hide from the Awesome Eye of the Blog.

Anyway, I really look forward to the day when I will post a photo of Mark's shirt on this blog - You're up for a real treat dear blog reader.

A good start compared to yesterday afternoon

Yesterday I had a bad public transport day. Nothing worked and I ended up walking far too much. Two good things was the meeting in Jesmond Parish Church in the morning and that I avoided the temptation to order an Internet-pizza from Domino's in the evening.

For Sunday lunch I had a Giant Yorkshire Pudding with dumplings and minced meat. It was really good value for money. The Strawberry by St James is good.

In two weeks time I will attend an interview for employment during the summer vacation. I really hope that I get the job and I will surely let you know if I do =).

Tonight it is the exec meeting with the Christian Union. I am looking forward to that and I hope that we will have a good time together.

Today Simon has:

Listened to So Help Me God by dc Talk
Read about the structure of the Prime Minister's cabinet

Pete in a couch

Here he is. The former president of the Northumbria CU. To the left you can witness approx 80 % of Mike's head. Sorry for that, mate.