Relevant History

Another line on my c.v.: Associate Fellow, Saïd Business School, Oxford University

I don't think this was a very well-kept secret, but now it's official: in addition to my day job, and my work on the end of cyberspace book, I'm now officially an Associate Fellow at the Saïd Business School at Oxford University. It's a two-year appointment, which runs through the spring of 2010 (through Hilary Term, for those of you keeping track across the pond). I don't teach any courses, but I do work with students, and am on call to do things with SBS groups visiting Silicon Valley.

via flickr

The appointment was initially approved in March, but they only got me up on the Web site this week. Such is the pace of things there. (And as one friend said, "My god, your picture on the SBS website is so Californian!" It was taken in the garden of Howard Rheingold's house. You don't get more California than that.)

I've still got my affiliation with Stanford, and thank heavens for that: having access to the Stanford library has been critical to my continued viability as a thinker. But I've got a couple executive MBAs I'm working with at Oxford, and have had a good time collaborating with people at the James Martin Institute. And in the last few years I've been to more conferences there than Stanford.

Strange to have closer intellectual ties to a university in England than to one three miles away, but such is life these days. Or my life, anyway.

Needless to say, this is a real thrill. Not because it represents some prospective return to academia, but because it's an interesting hybrid position. SBS is one of several business schools that are real intellectual hot-houses these days. Some of the best B-schools are no longer places that just train people to crank out exotic formulas or spout jargon, but are seriously thinking about what it will mean to do business in this century. Oxford the added virtue of having the James Martin Institute, which in the next few years will-- if it has any sense at all-- become the global epicenter for serious futures work. So this is a good time to get connected to this little world.

I've already promised several people that I won't start speaking like a character out of P. G. Wodehouse, as tempting as that would be.

[To the tune of Drew Barrymore & Hugh Grant, "Way Back Into Love [Demo Version]," from the album "Music & Lyrics".]

Technorati Tags: academia, Oxford University, postacademic

Liveblogging Harry Potter in England

My wife is now on her way from Cambridge to Hamburg, to spend the weekend with friends before flying home next week. Before she left, though, she got copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Apparently, it was quite the scene.

Most of the people here seem to be adults and teen-age girls.  There are a few little kids, some look under 10, and I am not quite sure what the point of that is, although the fellow who just came by had a brilliant Harry Potter costume on, he looked just like the young Harry Potter – but should he be up this late getting the last book?

It should be no surprise that many adults have academic robes to use for this in Cambridge.  What is a surprise is how many children have them.  Did they get them just for this?

The family that dresses up together, stays together

[There's] a large group of very small boys, they look they are like they can’t be older than 8.  They are dressed as a Quidditch team, they look very cute, but they will be so tired tomorrow.

12:50.... I walked past Waterstones. The line went out the door, and all the way down the street past the gates to Sidney Sussex College.  It was amazing.

Also, one of the exchange programs had a bunch of students who wanted copies, but the program has a strict curfew; so they agreed to send some of the tutors out to buy copies for all the kids, and bring them back to the college.

I really need to reread volume 6 before too long. I hardly remember any of it.

[To the tune of Keith Jarrett, "Vienna, Pt. 1," from the album "Vienna Concert".]

Technorati Tags: books, Cambridge, England, Harry Potter, travel

London, the place above the Underground

Once I get outside the zone that's really familiar-- the areas in a rough line from Westminster to Russell Square, along the Embankment between Westminster and the Globe, and South Kensington-- London becomes a bunch of isolated zones above different Tube stops. Until last trip, I'd never been in Hyde Park, nor did I have any sense of how it connects the area around Paddington with South Kensington.

On the Underground, via flickr

Of course, one of the great pleasures of being in London is that an amazingly large number of interesting things are within walking distance of each other, so long as you've got good shoes and a bit of grim determination. But after six trips, some of those things are starting to be nice... but I don't feel quite the same serious pleasure I once did at seeing them. In particular, the churning crowds around Covent Garden and Leicester Square were once more entertaining; now, they're starting to feel a bit in the way.

On the Underground, via flickr

I suspect in the future I'm going to head out towards Saint Paul's and the Tower, and find interesting places there to walk in the evenings. I don't think I'll give up these long marches; but I'll find new places to do them.

Technorati Tags: England, London, travel, Underground

Heathrow Express

Monday morning my wife and I took the Heathrow Express, the nonstop train from Paddington Station to Heathrow Airport. Normally I just take make sure my iPod is charged and take the Tube-- it's a solid hour central London to the airport-- but we were at Paddington Station, and thought we'd try it.

Paddington Station, via flickr

It's quite a bit more expensive than the underground-- 15 pounds rather than 6-- but it is very quick and quiet. Indeed, it feels rather like a plane: the seats are similar, there's a seat pocket in front of you, an overhead compartment, and a monitor with helpful information about the airport and BBC headlines. The logo looks a bit like a cross between NATO and XBox, but that's only a small distraction.

via flickr

However, be warned: there's a ton of construction in Heathrow right now, so when you get out of the express train station at Heathrow, expect to walk outside for a few minutes to get to departures. A bit of a pain unless you have luggage carts, but there are lots of free luggage carts at the Express terminal.

via flickr

Technorati Tags: airport, Heathrow, Paddington Station, train, travel

I wish I had the concession on Left Luggage at Paddington Station

This morning my wife and I checked out of our hotel, and planned to leave our bags at Paddington Station while we walked around for an hour before going to Heathrow.

We knew there's a Left Luggage service at Paddington, but mysteriously, the Web site didn't mention how much it cost. But, we figured, how much could it be?

Paddington Station, via flickr

We saw why there wasn't any information when we got there, Turns out it costs twelve six pounds to leave a bag for up to 24 hours. For a couple with a suitcase and backpack each, that's about $100. It would cost about the same to leave the bags at the hotel, then take a cab to the airport. Just incredible.

I hope whoever has the concession gives a lot of money to charity!

Technorati Tags: London, train, travel, Paddington Station, England

In the Goodenough Club

I've stayed at the Goodenough Club on my last several visits to London. Normally, I choose the cheapest room, which is on the small side, but is perfectly fine for one person. This time, since my wife and I are both here, we ordered up a double room. However, when we arrived, the room wasn't ready. However, one of the suites was, and they let us have it.

via flickr

Taking such a thing is a bit like flying first class: you run the risk of being completely spoiled by the experience, and resenting having to return to your normal life.

via flickr

We'll do our best to deal, though.

Technorati Tags: England, Goodenough Club, hotel, London, travel

Grand views

Most of the time I'm in London, I'm working; I got out walking in the evening, but usually don't go into museums or other major tourist attractions. This weekend, though, I got to go to Westminster Abbey and the British Museum, both for the first time.

Technorati Tags: British Museum, England, London, travel

London trip photoset

A Flickr photoset of pictures of this weekend. No captions or geolocations yet, I'm mainly focused on getting them up.

Edmund Halley plaque at Westminster Cathedral, via flickr

It's a lovely morning, though my wife's luggage is still missing. Now off to breakfast. Doubtless I'll post pictures of that, too.

Technorati Tags: England, history, history of science, London, travel

Yet MORE James Cook-related monuments!

To add to the ones at Greenwich and Kauai:

A plaque to cook at Westminster.

via flickr

And a memorial in Turku to Hermann Sporing, a Finnish naturalist who went on Cook's first voyage.

via flickr

Technorati Tags: England, history, history of science, James Cook, London, travel

Made it to London

We're in London, though unfortunately my wife's suitcase didn't make it. And British Airways has no idea where it is. So after a pleasant day today, blissfully ignorant of the fact that the bag had fallen through the cracks of the BA luggage universe, we might do a bit of shopping tomorrow.

via flickr

Technorati Tags: airport, England, London, travel