Neil Hopcroft

The cold shock is still with us. Returning from 32C in Bangkok to find a foot of snow burying the car in Sweden leaves you feeling a little…cold. And the jetlag. Thats still here too. And the catching up with everything. Only 257 mails awaiting my return at the office, I think I got off […]

When I said I’d try to update more often this isn’t quite what I had in mind. We’re now 35 minutes into a 10 minute journey across Bangkok to a cabaret show. This is an experience we call living like the locals. (written in a minibus last night but not sent since my Catalina isn’t […]

Hmm, thanks Livejournal.com, remind me that I’m useless at keeping in touch won’t you? A new year, seen in with fireworks across the bay. It will be a year that will contain some big changes, another new future. My time in Sweden is going to come to an end, so we’ll likely be moving back […]

Good things in life: meeting your mechanic at a street car festival where he’s showing off his 650bhp big block engined DeTamaso Pantera, just a little street car he keeps for the weekends…he saves his serious stuff for the track, apparently. (Of course, that is meme_me, not my mechanic)

Exoskeleton rental Robogeisha Jet merry-go-round or C5 – Caution: these may kill you. Museum of questionable medical devices Cake Wrecks Duburu cheezu Rubberduckzilla Large Mounted Bearded White Tiger Head with Swarovski Crystal Encrusted Features

Theres a bang and something is spinning in the air between me and the sun, I can’t see what it is but its not good. Its a piece of engine, that much I know, because the Volvo hasn’t moved, I duck because I can’t tell if its coming my way, something did. After a moment […]

The Last Tycoons, a secret history of the Lazard banking empire. This book takes you on a tour of the history of the Lazard Frères banking empire, starting from its origins supporting merchants in the American gold rush through to its eventual IPO. For such a hefty volume it seems to rush through much of […]

8 bit trip in Lego Wuthering Heights in Semaphore Kitchen Timer Lego cookery Bacone – breakfast in a handy cone Lego V8 Ducktopia Beta do steampunk

Around the world in 80 trades is an interesting account of a trader making his way around the world. Conor leaves his high flying city job to travel the world, taking his negotiation and business experience with him. You follow him though the highs and lows as he tries to buy low and sell high […]

Alain takes on a tour of some of the causes of Status Anxiety, mainly focussing on our need for acceptance within our social group and how money has changed the way that acceptance is perceived, and on the ways to think about it such that you can control it rather than it controlling you. This […]