It’s Wednesday at RSNA. Went to the Sear’s Tower last night, which is the highest tower in the US. Interesting mural history of Chicago, though mysteriously nothing about the impact of Prohibition and the rise of organised crime under Al Capone. Guess that’s one best forgotten (though how about the lessons of Prohibition?). Even managed to see a mention of Lincoln Logs, which has got to be the most obscure cultural reference picked up in a Bill Hicks sketch which I’ll ever make..
It’s Tuesday at RSNA. The deer season started today, though apparently your not allowed to kill deer within ‘city limits’. They even had a couple of TV minutes on the start of the seaon, with deer running around the city no doubt trying to escape the start of the hunt. Greg, the guy helping set up the site, mentioned that what deer do with the start of the hunt is send out the does first, while the bucks stay back under cover – very wise. Anyhow just to give it the real US ironic twist, on the same day there’s a big story about some bacl guy who was shot 51 times (51 states of death) by the NY police, just a day or so before his wedding.
Medicexchange USA is live with the cool new design – RSNA here we come. 
I was hoping for a lead story on Medicare cuts and the impact on imaging services, but so far no luck with a comment from Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi’s office.
Download the neat looking free Medicexchange screensaver here (be warned its a zip file!)
This is the last in the series of podcasts from Gilles Peterson in Brazil, thanks to Brahma beer, on the sound of electronica!
(That’s Gilles on the right wearing a medal..)
It’s a strange fact that it takes around an hour on the tube to get from one place to another in London, and the same time to bake a potato.
PS: Barking Police rang the day after I used the Met Police minor crime reporting online, impressive, for the loss of my bike saddle. Oh well, I silently cursed Barking for the theft – and I see they’ve sold West Ham to some Icelanders!
In no particular order of oddness:
1. Some nice person stole my nice new bicycle saddle – I expected to happen but I couldn’t be bothered to cover it over with a blue plastic bag.
2. Is there a difference between a complex system and a system that is complex? For (I’m helping the techie’s here with a complex clue) there is a difference between a black girl and a girl that is black.
3. My mother, on mention of the strain of A-levels, remarked that I had sailed through them; I had chance to point out: I put on 1.5 stones in weight during the immediate run-up, and despite a 2 E’s offer from Exeter. It didn’t help my grandmother was dying at the time, or that my parents were not exactly head over heels in love which each other at the time. But don’t mention the ‘war’.
4. Which does remind me we spent
The Cluetrain Mainfesto which has inspired social software, has also inspired me. I have found the concept of markets as conversations useful, though it’s also difficult to put into practice with business models which aren’t based on this premise. So seeing how to move from a traditional e-commerce and support model to one on a Cluetrain premise will be interesting. My guess is that this should with strategic nudges happen gradually on its own accord (‘by accident’) but I could be wrong.
I also like the part about ‘small piece loosely joined unpredictably’. Normally you would for business remove the unpredictable of course. Business is based on predictability so its interesting that talk about ‘the edge of chaos’ approach is fashionable in some business circles. Again, I can see the positive influence of small amounts of unpredictability, balanced within the context of a traditional business model – allowing for the possibiloity of evolution to a more fluid way of working (‘by accident’). But making the transition is painful at times so there’s no easy way, no piece of software to do the job for you. Though I am tempted to say there are books and people who can help there is no escaping the need to bite the bullet if you want to work in a more ‘unpredictable’ way.
Just received a letter from our MP Margaret Hodge concerning a series of arson attacks on The Clarksons estate. I am suprised the authorities don’t just do something clever like figure out who’s doing it. I’ll help (after all I once burned my leg and had to go to hospital, and my birthday’s on Bonfire Night so I know a thing or two about playing with fire) by keeping an eye out.
Shirley rang her handbag supplier in Brazil and wanted some action. But nothing happening – it’s a bank holiday (15 November, Republic Day I think). The people at the handbag place were very sweet apparently, and let her off for forgetting now she’s in London.