Life expectancy

There was a really interesting report released today by some academics from Bristol and Sheffield universities (no, it really was those two, not just wishful thinking on my part) on the issue of life expectancy. In essence, it claims that the gap between the rich and the poor with regards life expectancy is now wider than at any time since the early 1930's.

I'm lucky enough to be quite involved in this subject myself at present, as one H&K client studies this field exclusively, reporting the findings back to their clients in order that they can save money on their pension schemes.

OK, boring stuff over, what am I getting at here? The answer is that having worked with the client for eight months now, I've begun to realise how much of an issue life expectancy and its links to wealth and other factors really is.

The statistics really don't lie on this one - for around three quarters of the population, there is a direct link between how much you earn and how long you're going to live. That's a pretty sobering thought really - life choices at 16, 17, 18 years of age can seal your fate on how long you're going to get to enjoy retirement way before you've even remotely thought about it.

There seems to be an increasing feeling within the UK that the wealth gap between the rich and the rest is starting to reach a critical point - not only are the media focusing on this more and more (with the Evening Standard leading the way with its excellent Deprivation series), but even some business leaders have begun to question the current state of play.

Financial rewards for success are one thing, but are extreme financial rewards a positive or negative influence on society as a whole? Perhaps it's somewhat difficult to be objective on this point, but I was asked a very interesting question at a meeting with a financial adviser yesterday which really brought home the current escalating problem to me.

The adviser asked me two things - firstly, what I hoped to achieve in salary terms over the course of my working life, and second what I would consider an acceptable income in retirement. On reflection afterwards, my answer to the first question was disturbingly above what I now believe it should have been and certainly way more than would be necessary.

The more I've thought about my answer today, the more it's unnerved me. The only conclusion I've been able to really draw is that living in the city I do, surrounded by the media and its constant reporting of wealth, and experiencing that wealth at close quarters every day has inflated my own personal view of what is 'adequate'.

And I'm really disturbed by that.

Le Tour

The Tour de France is about halfway through at the moment. It's one of the longest, most gruelling sporting tests on earth, lasting three weeks, thousands of miles and mountain climbs the likes of which just don't exist in the UK.

I've always enjoyed watching it each year, though have to admit I do wish they'd bring the old music back which is infinitely better than the newer theme tune since ITV took over. Not as many people watch it in the UK as perhaps it deserves, though having said that the success of Mark Cavendish and Bradley Wiggins is changing that.

For most people, the serious racing only really got going on Sunday and Monday of this week when the riders hit the alps. Despite their best efforts, the cameras really can't explain just how steep and difficult the roads in the alps are - it's genuinely staggering to watch the world's best climbing out of the saddle and accelerating away up a 10% gradient having already been in the saddle for five hours and climbed several mountains that day already.

What's made this year so compelling has been the fact that two riders have been able to do this again and again - for that reason if nothing else, watching stage 9 from Tuesday really, truly is worth it.

Of course, not everyone can accelerate like this, even when it comes to many of the best in the world. Probably the most famous example of this involved Lance Armstrong and Jan Ullrich a few years back on the slopes of the most famours alpine climb of them all - Alpe D'Huez.

Say what you like about the former (and I've never particularly warmed to him), but the ability, confidence and mental strength to hold that look and then completely blow his rivals away is one of the great sporting moments of the past decade.

Travelling

One of my best friends, Andy, left our humble little flat in London last month to embark on touring the world with his girlfriend. To be fair, after four and a half years of researching and writing to earn two little letters in front of his name, he's probably earnt it, but I freely admit to being disgustingly jealous.

He's in the US at the moment and sent me a message on Facebook this week detailing the first leg of his journey. I spent several weeks backpacking round the States in 2002 and so far he seems to have discovered very similar things to me - it's huge, very spacious, pretty stunning to look at, and every city is different. Oh, and Canada pretty much trumps it all.

The vast majority of people that I spent my uni years with have gone travelling at some point in their lives - indeed, I've had the pleasure of going twice, once on my own and once for six memorable weeks across Europe with two other guys. Almost universally, they've all come back saying roughly the same thing - "when I go next time, I'll do....".

The only slight problem is that the annoying 'career thing' has so far got in the way of pretty much all these aspirations. Hence why Andy is only just going now - he's had to wait twice as long as us for the window between education and career.

I'm no different in terms of wanting to go again, but I'm starting to have doubts as to how I'm going to fit it around the 'career thing'. Three years ago, the thought that I'd delay such a trip because I was worried about taking a year out of my career path would have seemed absurd to me, but that seems to have slowly changed as I close in on three years in London.

Whether that's a good thing or not, I haven't quite figured out yet.

Report no 3 from the field of dreams

The third instalment from a football team rapidly heading in the wrong direction in their league table:

Football’s merry men, the H&K’s Booze Hounds, strutted their increasingly questionable stuff in their latest game last night against Skinners FC 2000, battling back to earn a tough 7-7 draw against one of the most physical teams in the league.

Early dropouts meant that the squad was down to its bare bones prior to the game, though thankfully two ringers were found during the day, meaning that Theo Walcott missed out on yet another squad for the summer.

The game started at a frantic pace with Battersby diving in with his customary snaps at opponents’ ankles and Jones doing his best as always to test out the softness of the floor by hitting the deck regularly. Chambers meanwhile took the first watch in goal, a place he would occupy twice more in the second half as the effects of several bank holiday barbecues began to take hold.

Despite some good early play and plenty of the ball, the Hounds somehow found themselves 2-5 down at half time; the quick pressing and uncompromising physical style of the Skinners clearly a factor in throwing the Hounds off the scent. However, Jones was ordered off the leash for the start of the second period and having parked himself up front proceeded to hold the ball up expertly time and again, allowing others to flood onto it.

Rallying the score to 5-5, the Hounds took a momentary breather and quickly found themselves down 5-6, a mistake replicated following yet another equaliser. With time running out, and the contest becoming increasingly fractious, the Hounds summoned one last attack, yet more intricate link-up play from Jones and a smashing finish to level at 7-7.

And with that, the game was over. Mid-table mediocrity beckons with only a few games left, though a top three finish remains in sight if a late season surge can be secured.

Foursquare

First, there was Facebook. Then, there was Twitter. Now, it might be Foursquare's turn. Never heard of it? Then you're not alone, because the number of people using it in the UK is still pretty small and mostly smartphone-bound.

In a nutshell, Foursquare is a social media game which allows you to 'check-in' to bars, restaurants, pubs, offices, shops and pretty much anywhere else that you're in at a given moment in time. By checking-in you score a certain number of points and unlock 'badges', all of which gives Foursquare its competitive nature. You can also leave 'tips' at locations to recommend (or warn off) certain products/drinks etc.

Sounds utterly pointless and another of those new social media things that won't go anywhere? Pretty much yes, but then that's what people said about Twitter around 18 months ago and look at it now - i'd love to see how many people followed Gordon and Sarah Brown's exit from Downing Street on TV vs Sarah's Twitter feed.

A friend first introduced me to Foursquare back in January at which point I had an initial play, got bored and then chucked it away for a few months. I didn't get it, couldn't be bothered and didn't have any friends to foursquare against anyway.

But just like Twitter last year, I've now come back to it and slowly am becoming hooked. I scarcely go places now without checking in (much to the irritation of some of my friends), am constantly checking the leaderboard to see how I'm doing, and am eagerly hunting down all the mayorships and badges I can in constant competition with my housemate.

Will it catch on? Maybe, though I'm not sure it's ultimately going to be as useful to people as Twitter has proven, or as fun as Facebook has become and that's what may hold it back.

If it does though, then I can finally say that after 26 years I'm actually one of the early adopters of a new technology - which is one more box ticked on the 'things to do before 30' list.

Report no 2 from the field of dreams

The second instalment from a less than heroic bunch of 20-something footballers:

Perennial drinkers and serial average achievers, the H&K Booze Hounds, played their latest game in the London Bridge league on Tuesday night. Despite one columnist recently mocking the “scary sounding” opposition (Duffers), the match proved far from a cakewalk and if anything was the Hounds toughest encounter to date.

All round athlete Nick Woods was welcomed back to the fold, quickly donning the bizarrely undersized goalkeeping gloves (acquired by an unnamed, small-handed teammate) and pulling off a string of early saves as the Hounds were pushed back from the off. A lack of shape and some lax defending quickly saw the fourth floor’s finest 0-2 down, however they managed to pull the score back to 4-4 at half time through some gutsy attacking play. Chambers also dragged his body over the halfway line to score a memorable first goal in the league – a long range effort which may (only may mind you) have taken a sizeable deflection on route to the net.

Tired, broken, but full of spirit, the Hounds kicked off the second half but again were quickly behind as the Duffers sizeable striker got the better of two or three Hounds to rifle one home into the net. It was at this point that something clicked though, as first Woods and then Battersby tore into the opposition with renewed fervour.

Hauling themselves back into contention once more following some good link up play between Mullen and Jones, the Hounds then suffered a sickening blow as the latter fell awkwardly under pressure. Slowly rising to his feet, Jones could only watch as Duffers stormed downfield and made it 7-8 with only a couple of minutes left on the clock.

The Hounds needed a break, and thankfully, they got one. When one final attack on goal broke down just past halfway, Duffers chose the sensible option and passed the ball calmly back towards their goal. In a cruel twist of fate (at least for them anyway), the ball was seemingly drawn towards the bottom left corner of their net, with a keeper exhausted by the Hounds incessant fightback unable to reach it. Cue pandemonium from the watching support(er) and the sight of Woods charging round the pitch in excited delirium.

And with that, the final whistle sounded with the scores well and truly deadlocked at 8-8. Hounds remain above Duffers near the top of the table, but it’s clear the fight for the title is far from over….

Report no 1 from the field of dreams

I've recently started playing in a 5-a-side football team at work on Tuesday nights. Not only is this great fun, but it's an excuse to go to the pub afterwards. It's also an excuse to do a bit more non-work writing and as such, below is a copy of our first match report (though not the first match - I was a bit lazy for the first couple!).

Ignoring the slightly rose-tinted tone, we actually did play genuinely well, especially for a bunch of blokes with little to no skill and a chronic lack of anything approaching suitable fitness. Anyway, enjoy:

The H&K Booze Hounds, football’s equivalent of an irrelevant yet newly powerful minor political party, last night secured victory in a tense, hard fought encounter against Incognito thanks to a last minute coalition of their own.

An 11th hour deal, which drafted in stylish leftie John Tilbrook and 5th floor veteran Joe Dawes, bore fruit as the former banged in four sizzling goals and the latter put in a titanic, backs to the wall performance at the heart of the midfield.

The Hounds started in confident mood, quickly building an early lead with a series of excellent strikes on goal. Dawes, playing the opening minutes in goal, also demonstrated his cat-like ability, leaping across his box early on to deny a clear goalscoring opportunity.

Complacency set in midway through the first half however, and two nutmegs, one penalty and some slack defending later the score was 5-3 and the half-time oranges were on their way. Gasping for breath (or possibly alcohol), the Hounds gathered on the centre circle, cursed themselves and then launched a second half comeback started by a Dawes thunderbolt straight from the kick-off.

Tilbrook then proceeded to show his quality, advancing down the left before slotting home, high in the net from a tight angle. Elsewhere Battersby dived in with his customary appetite for work and Mullen continued his adroit hold-up play, delicately gliding a series of first-time flicks off his muscular legs.

Jones meanwhile held his temper in check until midway through the second half when he let go his customary foulmouthed rant at the referee, gesticulating wildly about mutants and the inadequacies of the handball rule. Chambers for the most part sat at the back, enjoying the spectacle and making frequent use of his vocal cords to remind the Hounds of the joy of “getting tight on the arse” of the opposition.

With minutes to go the scores were level, but a final battle cry from the Hounds, some slick two-touch football and another excellent finish ensured the unbeaten start to the season continued as the game ended 9-8. So it’s second place with 4 games gone and one in hand on the vanquished leaders from last night. Next up is the scary sounding ‘Duffers’ 6 days from now…..