Head of the River Race and EHM

I raced in the novice eight category (pictured 2nd from back), and won the race fairly convincingly which was is always nice, and backed up with a spell of really sunny weather which was nice. Should be having the presentation ceremony in a few weeks time. Did our 2k race last week and got a time of 6.35 which is a big improvement from last time.

I am reading 'Confessions of an economic hitman' at the moment, and would recommend to anyone. Basically, EHM (abbreviations) are really well paid people who go into mainly developing countries to build empires for corporates in the developed world. Sometimes, they will get loans (provided by world bank) and get top US engineering and construction companies the contracts, and then to charge them interest on the loans, forcing them to default, and then taking control of more of the countries resources/set up military bases etc. 'Corporatocracy' include banks, governments and corporates and they have an empire in the west. I now understand how the British education system works-same story-loans extended to students, force them into debt and make them work for a corporate, meanshile feeding the empire billions!

So why work for a big fancy corporate/bank? Why not go and start your own thing/help developing countries get around the greedy hand of these economic hitmen? And I think that is what I am striving to achieve.

Easter break coming up which I am really looking forward to, and then exams and summer!

Head of the

Week 7 (11)

Summer is well on its way, and its incredible how much energeting one becomes-all the winterly weather is subsiding and I can now go outside with shorts and a shirt on! Although, on the other hand I bought an expensive jacket the other day and now I'm gonna have to pack it away for another year!

Rowed in the Kingston head of the river this past weekend and came second in the novice category, but had a really bad race, one of the rowers crabbed and was generally very scrappy compared to senior 3. Anyway, had a pretty good ergo session today, have improved a lot since Christmas where I was 'stuck' on one score couldnt really get off-feel I have broken the psychological barrier and am moving down reasonably well. London head this weekend and will hopefully be a good race.

Been quite a social week-went for a pint with my macro group and turned out to be an all nighter-I find a lot that the best nights are those that are planned at short notice when you aren't expecting much, rather than those that are planned and looked forward to for ages! Had a curry with the novice rowers on Cowley Road after the Kingston race-we bought drinks first and saw they had 'Tusker' beer which I think is an alright drink, or perhaps its the fact that it is from Africa that I enjoy it! Introduced some of the guys to it and they thought it was terrible! What can Africa produce that is up to scratch with the western world!?

Was reading a paper today and saw that the average individual has lost 40,000 pounds this since the credit crisis began-including house price falls/securities etc. Government prancing around trying to stimulate the flow of credit but I really believe Britain and much of the first world will enter a long period of stagflation similar to Japan and its 'lost decade'. I would not buy a single asset here I dont think so for a long time to come! I also think its the end of the road for big flashy careers in investment banking in 'the city' for the time-being anyway-cannot believe how bankers are making huge losses and still demanding massive bonuses-I think its ludicrous-Goodwin of RBS is due to have a pension of nearly a million pounds a year, when he made the biggest loss in British history, AND had to be bailed out by the government-surely that is unacceptable greed!?

I think I'm going to cancel my trip to Malta over the Easter break as I really need to get some hours of work in before exams in May, but definitely going to try to get to Portugal for a surf trip after exams.