Well, here I am at the start of something new and hopefully some successful projects. After 17 years working for a publishers in London, I felt it was time to strike out and do my own thing and break free from London, the rat race and making lots of money for other people. I'd had it with London and London had had it with me. The M40 was becoming impassable at any time in the morning and I was tired of liaising with the owners. I've left with 17 years of knowledge of my industry and 3 years of how to run a business. I figure that's enough for what I am going to do next.

Last year wasn't a great one by any stretch of the imagination and all my personal plans seemed to hit a brick wall at 100 miles an hour when i left EDA. It's taken a few months to pull out of total paralysis dive and start to swim. What doesn't destroy you, only makes you stronger, so they say. I am damn lucky I still have such good friends to rely on and pull me towards the surface. I think I am self-righting most of the time but there are occasions when you need help and you need it fast, as life doesn't stop when unexpectedly if your foundations get washed away.

So, here we go, my life 2.0. Plenty of stuff in the pipeline and many words to write, things to see. I'll be spending quite a bit of time traveling this year, with America playing my second home until at least May/ June, praise be for the dollar rate and the many friends I have there. I've just come back from a quick trip to Boston and San Diego, returning there in a weeks time, though to San Francisco - which promises to be a major blow out. My body clock is already shot to pieces and I now seem to be starting the day at 3 am, hopefully this will sort itself out this week, just in time for me to plunge myself 8 hours back again!

As for 'content' I have been watching, I high recommend the Brazilian TV series City of Men. Absolutely fantastic, kind of follows on from City of God but lighter and more about growing up in the slums. There are 4 series, I have one and two, can't wait to get the others. I also enjoyed 'Into the Wiid' on the plane back. It's about a kid who gives his collage fund away and goes to live in Alaska in the middle of nowhere.

Music - check out 'Chk Chk Chk' or '! ! !' as it's sometimes written. I've rediscovered Ben Folds, am loving Simian Mobile Disco (Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release), The Portico Quartet, Chet Baker and still loving everything by Fink.

I need to get back into reading. I've been carrying around the same book for two months. Although looking ahead I'm going to have to manage my time a lot better, if i'm going to get much chance to have some reading space - that was probably the only good thing about commuting 4 hours a day.

Now, I have to get it on and bang a gong, get it on.