i simply wasn't fast enough to get my camera to the ready. stopped at a light on my way to the airort i look over to the left to see if i could discern the origin of the telltale two-stroke whine. i expected to see a bored boiler-suited person blowing dust into the sky to ensure that urban asthma statistics would continue to climb. much to my pleasant surprise, i observed the opposite. a youngish chap was taking a long tube and hoovering the sidewalk and gutter of smallish litter. this had the side effect of also removing the obvious piles of dust and other detritus which normally accumulates in the city. what a difference from the new tube station at St Pancreas which already has a legion of dust bunnies running the freshly painted corridors.

great location. perfectly fine room. a winner. i would go back to this one. slight view of a cathedral from the 4th floor. it was quiet and desk had plenty of room to work. only drawback was lack of easy electricity access. wireless worked; but not included in the room charge.

The day began with a series of five parallel sessions in which a selected number of papers were presented by Belgian researchers. The event was held at the grounds of the military academy, so camo was evident thru the windows at all times. I opened the afternoon session with a talk on Innovation and Global context. It included some new thoughts on innovation in our now globalized local economies. i left almost immediately afterwards for the airport so i could meet my planes to get to Singapore.

according to the chap who had to come up to let me into my room after the digital key did not work, told me that this hotel was renovated in 2005. seems to be the case as most everything in the matchbox is in pretty good kit. the bathroom is really a showeroom like i used to find in italy in the 1980's. you have to be careful to do all of your toilet issues before the shower since everything will be wet afterwards; a good thing when i realized that there is NO place to put anything around the sink anyway. comfort controls are all but illegible due to the angle of the overhead halogens and the high setting barely gets a whisper. the front desk needs a lesson on what 'customer service' is. beware, they charge you for the room before you stay in it, plus a deposit which is then returned in the morning if you behave yourself.

definately not on the places-to-stay-in-london list.

Nice old grand hotel in the centre of Manchester. Entrance quite imposing. first room smelled of damp. a unique smell that really only inhabitants of the fair isle can appreciate. second room [610] was excellent. thin blankets of material that seems to be from the Apollo space program....sort of mass-less but offers a bit of comfort. they have yet to catch on to the improved sanitation of the cotton covered duvet. most striking was the window. i went over to open it a bit as the room was slightly stuffy and fond that it was locked shut. check out the image.

'Dear Guest, due to health and Safety purposes, this window does not open'

i guess that the UK Health and Safety has now determined that the air of Manchester is unhealthy...bizarre!!!

All that said, it is a great hotel and i would return. the best one i have stayed in Manchester so far.

The media has enveloped our lives in many ways. this website is full of stories that really do MATTER.

http://www.mediathatmattersfest.org/4/

second time in the Amalfi. really great location and service still simple, but sufficient. this time on 6th floor and it was nice. the lounge is a bit of a joke, but it is irrelevant unless you really want to hang out in your hotel. great for businesses with Internet access included in rate.

a real beauty of a spot. Service was impeccible. prices outragous. beware the facade spotlights on the lower floors on the streetside.

Well, another week has slipped by. Last week:
Lecture in Las Vegas at the University of Nevada School of Architecture. It was interesting to be in the city which seems to represent the best and worst of America in one swoop. Good audience which included contractors and architects in addition to the students. Lots of questions at the end. I fell asleep at the dinner table after the talk and realized that I had been awake for 24 hours, so did not feel too bad. Strangest experience? Not finding the desk to check-in. It was located around the corner from the main entrance and only found after weaving you way thru a forest of slot machines and blackjack tables....

Time in Los Angles, University of Southern California, School of Architecture. Spent an afternoon with students in the building technology masters degree program. It was fun to absorb their naive enthusiasm, but noteworthy that it was tempered with a real dose of global reality.

Strangest part of that experience was that every student had a laptop flipped open which made this virtual wall between whomever was up front and the group. One of those visual unintended consequences. Then a lecture that was full. Again, great questions afterwards. Then a fun 'sit around the table eating pizza' type discussion [which is what we did afterwards for a while].

GreenBuild in Chicago. What a beautiful city. It is hard for me to think that I am saying this, but it really is. The conference was excellent being able to meet old friends with the Green battle-scars who are now slowly becoming mainstream.

Took Virgin both ways for the first time in nine years.

I do not believe that ‘money’ will ever disappear. Humans have always needed a way in which to exchange good and services. If one looks at the development of this exchange over the past 2000 years that we know about, this exchange has evolved in many different ways – essentially from the direct to the abstract. The direct was barter. The abstract the belief in the value represented by a piece of paper or plastic one holds in the hand [notes].

I feel that if you really want to talk about the future of money you need to talk about how this ‘exchange’ will take place, not the hard stuff that we hold in our hands [or not]. In thinking about this some more as I write, I think that the question is really wrong. What one really needs to do is to posit what will be exchanged. In the past, the items of most value have varied from humans to salt to gold.....what will it be in another 100 years?

Another beautiful lounge. this one is fulled with natural daylight and has plenty of electrical sockets spread around both the periphery and throughout the lounge area. large leather couch area. carpet could do with a good steam clean. the design is a wonderful mixture of modern and local. i wish more lounges has this kind of glocalized feel!