I'm just back for a COMPLETELY NECESSARY trip to a supermarket.
And... something dramatic happened.
So, okay, looks like we're going to have a little bit of a THREAD.
Buckle up for an unbelievable anecdote that gets to the heart of London life in this nightmarish pandemic.
So. Yes. I was walking down the dairy aisle...
For the record: I know lots of northerners, I respect many of them, some are even friends.
Right, so, where was I?
I saw a northerner in the dairy aisle of a supermarket.
I recognised the accent. Manchester, or maybe Newcastle. Possibly even Geordie.
A bit of context.
Since the start of the pandemic the population of London has declined.
Yes, you've read that right. The rats have been leaving the sinking ship.
And it has really hit landlords such as myself.

Do we really want to go back to the bad old days where the city is hollowed out?
Do we really want to return to the 'expecting something for nothing' city of Ken Livingstone's unelectable hard left GLC?
Because that is what you'll get unless drastic action is taken.
I honestly believe the government must send in the army to force the covid-deserters back into the city.
How else was I supposed to react?
I lost control of myself. I glared at him at first, trembling with rage. I kept hissing to myself, "Let him finish the phone call first, Sarah."
"Let him finish the phone call first, Sarah."
"Let him finish the phone call first, Sarah."
THAT'S how polite I am, in case anyone is thinking of claiming what I did next was in some way unexpected or out of order.
I waited.
"How DARE you." He pretended to not hear.
"HOW DARE YOU!" I screamed. He turned round, feigning confusion.
By this point I was already sobbing uncontrollably. I tried to say "Have you seen the reports in the Financial Times?" but...
I gestured round at the sparsely peopled supermarket, usually so busy on a Saturday morning, and said in as composed a manner as I could: "You did this. You and your people."
Again he just - infuriatingly - looked at me blankly.
Now, I'm not sure if you've ever been in this sort of 'public altercation' situation,
So I continued screaming in his face. "YOU RAT", "YOU RODENT", "YOU'RE STEALING FOOD OUT MY MOUTH" etc.
It's an incredible wave of energy that you never realised you had.
Caught him unaware, flat-footed, he fell back, his head smashed a shelf full of of single cream and double cream, their cheap plastic packaging snapping and spilling.
He was panicking. His accent became stronger with each desperate yelp - which only drove me on. I felt like the star of a David Attenborough nature documentary.
For an incredible moment I realised with one flick of my finger I could send his eyeball shooting out across the supermarket aisle.
But at that exact point the adrenalin ran out...
I didn't want to go to prison (I'd miraculously avoided it after the kidnapping).
I picked myself up. A small crowd of gawping onlookers had gathered.
"HAPPY NOW YOU IDIOTS?!?!"
More from Life
1/“What would need to be true for you to….X”
Why is this the most powerful question you can ask when attempting to reach an agreement with another human being or organization?
A thread, co-written by @deanmbrody:
2/ First, “X” could be lots of things. Examples: What would need to be true for you to
- “Feel it's in our best interest for me to be CMO"
- “Feel that we’re in a good place as a company”
- “Feel that we’re on the same page”
- “Feel that we both got what we wanted from this deal
3/ Normally, we aren’t that direct. Example from startup/VC land:
Founders leave VC meetings thinking that every VC will invest, but they rarely do.
Worse over, the founders don’t know what they need to do in order to be fundable.
4/ So why should you ask the magic Q?
To get clarity.
You want to know where you stand, and what it takes to get what you want in a way that also gets them what they want.
It also holds them (mentally) accountable once the thing they need becomes true.
5/ Staying in the context of soliciting investors, the question is “what would need to be true for you to want to invest (or partner with us on this journey, etc)?”
Multiple responses to this question are likely to deliver a positive result.
Why is this the most powerful question you can ask when attempting to reach an agreement with another human being or organization?
A thread, co-written by @deanmbrody:
Next level tactic when closing a sale, candidate, or investment:
— Erik Torenberg (@eriktorenberg) February 27, 2018
Ask: \u201cWhat needs to be true for you to be all in?\u201d
You'll usually get an explicit answer that you might not get otherwise. It also holds them accountable once the thing they need becomes true.
2/ First, “X” could be lots of things. Examples: What would need to be true for you to
- “Feel it's in our best interest for me to be CMO"
- “Feel that we’re in a good place as a company”
- “Feel that we’re on the same page”
- “Feel that we both got what we wanted from this deal
3/ Normally, we aren’t that direct. Example from startup/VC land:
Founders leave VC meetings thinking that every VC will invest, but they rarely do.
Worse over, the founders don’t know what they need to do in order to be fundable.
4/ So why should you ask the magic Q?
To get clarity.
You want to know where you stand, and what it takes to get what you want in a way that also gets them what they want.
It also holds them (mentally) accountable once the thing they need becomes true.
5/ Staying in the context of soliciting investors, the question is “what would need to be true for you to want to invest (or partner with us on this journey, etc)?”
Multiple responses to this question are likely to deliver a positive result.
You May Also Like
Nano Course On Python For Trading
==========================
Module 1
Python makes it very easy to analyze and visualize time series data when you’re a beginner. It's easier when you don't have to install python on your PC (that's why it's a nano course, you'll learn python...
... on the go). You will not be required to install python in your PC but you will be using an amazing python editor, Google Colab Visit https://t.co/EZt0agsdlV
This course is for anyone out there who is confused, frustrated, and just wants this python/finance thing to work!
In Module 1 of this Nano course, we will learn about :
# Using Google Colab
# Importing libraries
# Making a Random Time Series of Black Field Research Stock (fictional)
# Using Google Colab
Intro link is here on YT: https://t.co/MqMSDBaQri
Create a new Notebook at https://t.co/EZt0agsdlV and name it AnythingOfYourChoice.ipynb
You got your notebook ready and now the game is on!
You can add code in these cells and add as many cells as you want
# Importing Libraries
Imports are pretty standard, with a few exceptions.
For the most part, you can import your libraries by running the import.
Type this in the first cell you see. You need not worry about what each of these does, we will understand it later.
==========================
Module 1
Python makes it very easy to analyze and visualize time series data when you’re a beginner. It's easier when you don't have to install python on your PC (that's why it's a nano course, you'll learn python...
... on the go). You will not be required to install python in your PC but you will be using an amazing python editor, Google Colab Visit https://t.co/EZt0agsdlV
This course is for anyone out there who is confused, frustrated, and just wants this python/finance thing to work!
In Module 1 of this Nano course, we will learn about :
# Using Google Colab
# Importing libraries
# Making a Random Time Series of Black Field Research Stock (fictional)
# Using Google Colab
Intro link is here on YT: https://t.co/MqMSDBaQri
Create a new Notebook at https://t.co/EZt0agsdlV and name it AnythingOfYourChoice.ipynb
You got your notebook ready and now the game is on!
You can add code in these cells and add as many cells as you want
# Importing Libraries
Imports are pretty standard, with a few exceptions.
For the most part, you can import your libraries by running the import.
Type this in the first cell you see. You need not worry about what each of these does, we will understand it later.
