Thursday

The dreaded ‘12hr straight’ day. But I shouldn’t complain. Tonight I’m hoping to meet a chum who is stepping off a flight from New York about when I leave the show, and does this kind of travel like I catch the bus (or indeed walk down the corridor back at Junkk.com HQ). It’s his job and not for me to criticise, but one can only imagine the consequences to global warming of his business lifestyle. And this is the problem with so much in the media debate; there is such a disconnect between the ideal and the basic facts of life and living today. Though there is a certain pragmatism creeping in, though not so much from the environmental side.

For instance, I was reading another review of ‘It’s Not Easy Being Green’, this time in the Evening Standard. I’d say the critic, Victor Lewis-Smith, is cut from the same cloth as Jeremy Clarkson. I’m not saying he’s a ‘mentalist-bashing shock-jock, but one of the few journalists who are not afraid to say what they think, think about what they say and actually articulate a decent argument, even though you may not agree with it.

Without having seen the show, he did make a few points to bear in mind. The best, I felt, was that it is not that hard being self-sufficient on a 3-acre farm. Most of us do not have the luxury of such resource, time or BBC support to live this dream.

I hope this will not end up as another ‘us ‘n them’ situation. I applaud another positive effort, but it does seem to shaping up as one where most cannot empathise with the protagonists’ situations.

And this was the core an interesting conversation I had with a lovely lady called Sarita, who works with in Samsung as a researcher for their Design Intelligence division.

Who knows where it may lead? But it was inspiring to find out that some mega-companies are really concerned with how the average consumer feels and reacts. And it doesn’t matter if it is for commercial reasons, so long as they have started to get their heads around the potential of going green in a way that rewards and engages all sides of the equation.

In leaving, she paid me the highest compliment I’ve had (personally, but also for the stand & site) when she said it was so nice to find someone so passionate, so keen to make a difference, with so many ways to do stuff… but without being preachy. That is exactly where I want us to be, and with luck where we’ll succeed… soon… please!

Had a bit of an adventure when the lovely Suzy from the stand opposite came over concerned because I looked tired, and in chatting I mentioned that my left arm was sore and my fingers numb. I suspect this was/is more than due to being tired, having a rotten posture and typing this hunched over a picnic table. Anyway, the next thing I know she’s brought over the medics and I’d been whisked off for a check-up. Other than overdoing it, I was given the all-clear, which was a relief. I wish my arm didn’t throb & tingle so much, though. So a big thank-you for all concerned for being… concernedJ

DEEP DO, DO?

It is pretty obvious that I am an advocate of doing. But of course, there are a plethora of sayings such as ‘fools rush in…’, and the majority of my life experiences, to offer the caution that a little bit of thinking and/or chatting first may often be extra time well spent.

However, I remain fairly convinced that if you don’t ‘do’ something in case it goes wrong, it’s also a nigh on guarantee that you won’t get anything done either. Hence I will always tend to err on the impulsive and rely on my motto of ‘Do the right thing, for the right reasons’ (bet it would look great in Latin) to get me through the consequences relatively ahead and unscathed.

However….

What do I/we do about the media? We seem damned if we don’t (get in touch) and damned if we do (follow-up). The show is almost at its end. We have had no meaningful coverage, nor the reassurance of any to come. What do I do? Politely sit here and hope. Or try and make things happen?

After all that has transpired (and much that has not), I do not feel any great debt to the show or its sponsors, and with no contact for several days now feel not only misled and let down, but pretty much dropped. Time to look at doing what is necessary perhaps?

BON MOTS ARE STILL ONLY JUST WORDS, AFTER ALL

Apparently the PM and leader of the Opposition were otherwise engaged yesterday. So Question Time was left to DPM Prescott and William Hague.

What was depressing about the farce that is Whitehall and politics of today was that their ‘clash’ was viewed as some merry japing joust by the pols and political commentators alike. Scoring points and making gags. Depressing, as no one cares (because they have realised they don’t have to to succeed) about actually doing anything worthwhile any more. A quick soundbite is all that’s required to keep the gravy train flowing. And sod those you claim to serve. At least one journo, Quentin Letts in the Daily Mail, managed to see this for the tragic game it has become for our future governance.

WHEN AT BOTTOM OF BARREL, KNOCK ON BASE FOR REASSURANCE

Just when you think you cannot get any lower, it’s always nice to find others are waaaaay further down there. And in this case it’s one of those ‘couldn’t happen to a nice bunch’ scenarios.

Seems ASDA is demanding huge up-front payments for its suppliers to guarantee future business. And we’re talking such as Unilever, Kellogg’s, Heinz, etc. Hmmn. A fight worth watching, as I suspect there will be no winners, including us.