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Star Spot
I was in HMV this lunchtime treating myself to a couple of PSP games (sad yes I know - but my train journey is long!)
I saw the vocal coach from X Factor and Fame Academy - Carrie Grant - browsing through the CDs. She had her trademark bright red hair and red lipstick. And no I didn't break into song - she would have run screaming from the shop.
One spot I forgot to mention earlier was comedien Alan Carr. He had chained his bike up outside the CRN office a couple of weeks ago, but forgotten where he had left it. He seemed very friendly and was having his picture taken with passers by - promising to 'ring his bell' at them when he cycled off.
Train Odour
I had the most unpleasant train journey I've had for a while last night.
Not because the train was late (which it wasn't for a change) but because there were this group of people who had obviously never heard of deodorant before.
Due to the heating being on in the train - this completely unpleasant odour soon filled the carriage and there was nowhere to run because it was rammed.
When I did eventually manage to get out the carriage - I passed these people and nearly passed out. One of them was even sitting there with their hands behind their head and their arms up as if to waft the smell even further.
Now they were smartly dressed people and from a distance you would never have thought they could have created such a whiff. But they did.
Luckily I was sitting a few rows away from them - I pity the poor people who had their entire journey sitting in front or to the side of them.
Vile.
Star spot!
I'm going to keep a tally of the 'celebrities' I've spotted around my offices.
Today as I was heading to the bike shop to pick up my bike after a brake snapping incident - I saw Suggs (of Madness fame) outside a pub near Soho Square. He was talking pretty loudly on his mobile phone.
Not the greatest start - but I was impressed - particularly as I had a crush on him when I was a lot younger!
More celebrity spots when they happen. Can anyone trump Suggs today?
More alleged insider trading
In a shock report today the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) has alleged that former AMD chairman Hector Ruiz has been involved in alleged insider trading.
Note I am using the word alleged a lot.
Although the matter is currently under investigation, this is the second insider trading scandal to hit the industry the past fortnight following IBM's Robert Moffat and his links with a $20m insider trading case.
Six employees of hedge-fund firm Galleon Group, including the co-founder, have now been charged with a complicated insider trading scam which has caused the fund to be wound up.
Documents released this month pointed to an AMD executive being involved, but until the WSJ broke its silence and linked Ruiz to the case, no names had been mentioned.
It is alleged that the AMD executive spoke to Galleon staff last year, before the announcement that AMD was spinning off its chip division into a separate company. Galleon bought shares before the announcement of the spinoff was made but investigators say the fund lost money on the deal because of a falling stock market.
The case continues - but it does make me wonder why these high profile people would get involved in such an incident - surely the risk just isn't worth it?
It will be interesting to see what happens.
Wedding humour
I was at a wedding of a very old friend of mine at the weekend - a fantastic day complete with amazing firework display and a casino, along with the greatest selection of cheesy 80s and 90s music.
However the highlight of the wedding for me was an encounter with my friend's young nephew who had obviously been tasked with getting pictures of all the guests.
A friend and I had got chatting to a lovely older couple with whom we shared a table for dinner, and at one point it was just myself and the husband left at the table. Bearing in mind he is old enough to be my father.
This little boy comes up to us and asks if we want our picture taken. We say yes and head over to his chosen spot by a nice bay tree.
He tells us where to stand and then gets ready to take the picture. At which point my friend walks back in the room and stands with us in the picture.
The little boy gets extremely angry and shouts - "NO! Not you, you can't be in the picture." He pushes my friend out the way and says: "This is for couples only".
It kept us amused all evening and luckily his wife saw the funny side as well!
More gloom and doom for the UK economy
It is official - the UK is in its longest recession ever. Well, since records began in the 1950s anyway.
Figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) revealed that UK GDP dropped by 0.4 per cent in the third quarter of 2009, compared with a decrease of 0.6 per cent in Q2
It is the first time the economy has contracted for six consecutive quarters since 1955 -the year records began.
Blame for the drop has been mainly attributed to the UK's service sector decline, with distribution, catering and hotels sectors putting in a particuarly weak performance.
It hardly fills you with glee does it?
The year is nearly over. I don't think many of us will forget it in a hurry.
Microsoft and CRN team up for Windows 7
Microsoft in partnership with CRN has launched a competition to find the best channel Windows 7 launch.
The winner could walk away with an Asus UL Series Notebook.
To enter, you need to tell us about your launch activities and what you did to reach partners and customers. Extra points will be awarded for fun and imaginative entries.
Entries must include a 50-100 word description of the event and a photo as well if possible.
The closing date for entries is 30 October.
Visit www.channelweb.co.uk//windows7 to enter.
Good luck!
A-list 2009
I've just been asked to chase everybody who was invited to be part of the CRN A-list 2009 to please return their answers to me asap.
Thanks to everybody that already has - much appreciated.
However there are still quite a few that have not sent their answers back and I would hate them to miss out.
We also need nice big colour pictures to go with them - so please send me those as well!
I'll try and contact as many of you as I can this week - but I know I won't be able to reach everyone.
We really cannot take any more after Friday. Fingers crossed!
Thanks from CRN
Just a quick thank you to all our delegates, speakers and sponsors from our Channel Conference yesterday.
From the feedback I am getting the event was a hit and everyone enjoyed the day.
Great to catch up with everybody and we are already working on how to make it even bigger and better next year.
Thanks again.
Night Rider
To all my fellow motorcyclists out there - I wanted to share with you a momentous achievement (in my opinion)!
I went for my first night ride over the weekend with Madge my Suzuki motorbike - and it was both exhilirating and absolutely terrifying.
Exhilirating because when you are in a car you don't get to experience the full wonders of sunset followed by the darkness, with the sounds and smells as you do on a bike, and terrifying because the headlights of oncoming cars literally rendered me blind - particularly when they 'forgot' to dim their lights.
Needless to say I progressed at a steady pace much to the annoyance of the impatient oaf behind me - but I am not going to speed around country lanes in the dark to please anyone. He was too chicken to overtake anyway!
It was an amazing experience - but one I don't intend to repeat on too regular a basis.
Unless anyone knows of a visor you can get that reduces headlight glare? Or even a pair of special glasses/specs that you can wear underneath your helmet?
Any advice gratefully received!
Last day to vote for Channel Awards
Just a reminder that voting closes for the Channel Awards 2009 today.
Please tell all your partners and customers to get their votes in before the end of the day otherwise they will not count.
Good luck!
Vitalise Businesswoman of the Year Award 2009
I meant to write about this yesterday - but I attended the Vitalise Businesswoman of the Year award ceremony last week at the Hilton Metropole Hotel in Birmingham.
There were over 400 businesswomen at the event from the Midlands area, all with a very interesting story to tell.
My link to the event was SCC, which was not only a sponsor, but was heavily involved in the judging process as well.
The speeches were great and very inspirational indeed, and the winners were very deserving.
Asha Khemka OBE, who is principal and chief executive of West Nottinghamshire College, picked up the Businesswoman of the Year Award, but the one that got me going was the special Woman of Achievement award - given to quadriplegic yachtswoman Hilary Lister - who recently sailed solo around the UK - the first person to do this.
What an inspiration she was, and a very deserving winner. Not a dry eye in the house when she gave her acceptance speech.
Getting a little deep here - but one of the themes of the day was to follow your dreams, and not to let any obstacle stand in your way. Very sound advice indeed.
To find out more about the event - click here.
I will definitely be going along next year - an event well worth attending.
A-list 2009
I have just finished sending out the A-list invitations for this year. With more resellers/integrators featured than ever before it should be our best supplement yet.
Now all I have to do is urge everyone invited to complete their questionnaire and get it returned to me before the 16 October deadline.
I'll keep my fingers crossed.
