Travelling today

No blog post today as I am travelling and catching up after travel, depending which time zone you might be in. I am now starting my latest European and UK tour and will be appearing at a number of events and functions over the next three weeks. I am leaving a nation with elevated (very) levels of temperature (43 degrees Thursday, 39 today), out of control bushfires creating permanent changes in our fauna, flora and social settlements (many of these will not recover), and an extended drought. I am heading to a place that is normally snowbound this time of year, but as of today (February 1), there is no snow on the ground and temperatures are still above zero. I understand variance, but, the extremes are becoming more noticable as the years pass. And, I will enter the UK, as an independent nation for the first time in 47 years. I think that is something to be happy about, although I understand that a signficant proportion of the British population are not happy about it. But that is the nature of our political systems.

Note: That my response to comment moderation will be slower and dependent on my access to the Internet over the next 24 hours.

European and UK Teaching and Speaking Tour, February 2020

• Monday, February 03, 2020 – Meetings in Helsinki.
• Tuesday, February 04, 2020 – Teaching, University of Helsinki – 16.15-17.45 Porthania P674 – all lectures are public.
• Wednesday, February 05, 2020 – Teaching, University of Helsinki – 10.15-11.45, Language Centre in Fabianinkatu room 207.
• Thursday, February 06, 2020 – Teaching, University of Helsinki – 10.15-11.45 Main building, Hall 16.
• Friday, February 07, 2020 – Presentation at Italian Parliament, Rome – details to follow.
• Saturday, February 08, 2020 – Events in Rome with activists – details to follow.
• Sunday, February 09, 2020 – Travel.
• Monday, February 10, 2020 – Breakfast presentation – ‘The future of monetary policies’ – Nordic West Group, Helsinki.
• Monday, February 10, 2020 – Speaking on ‘What is the meaning of political economy today?’ at Think Corner, Helsinki – 17:00 to 19:00
• Tuesday, February 11, 2020 – Teaching, University of Helsinki – 16.15-17.45, Porthania room 723.
• Wednesday, February 12, 2020 – Teaching, University of Helsinki – 10.15-11.45, Language Centre in Fabianinkatu room 207.
• Thursday, February 13, 2020 – Teaching, University of Helsinki – 10.15-11.45 Main building, Hall 16.
• Friday, February 14, 2020 – Presentation, Dublin.
• Saturday, February 15, 2020 – Presentation, Dublin.
• Sunday, February 16, 2020 – Athens.
• Monday, February 17, 2020 – Meetings and Presentations, Athens.
• Tuesday, February 18, 2020 – Paris, Reception, French Senat, Palace of Luxembourg – 18:00.
• Wednesday, February 19, 2020 – Paris, events and interviews – details to follow.
• Thursday, February 20, 2020 – Paris, Presentation to French Senate Commission, Palace of Luxembourg – 8:30-10:30.
• Thursday, February 20, 2020 – London, GIMMS presentation, MMT education – afternoon – Details.
• Friday, February 21, 2020 – Manchester, GIMMS presentation, The Harwood Room in the Barnes Wallis Building, University of Manchester, Details.
• Saturday, February 22, 2020 – MMTed Masterclass Workshop, London, for Details and Tickets. Limited spaces available.
• Sunday, February 23, 2020 – Amsterdam – travel home.

This tour is fully booked. I will be back in Europe in June-July 2020. If you want to book an event or a meeting, then please contact me.

You can see the current June-July schedule – HERE.

GIMMS Events, London and Manchester, February

As more detail, to encourage you to support these public events in the UK:

1. February 20, 2020 – I will speaking in London about the recent political events in the UK and how an understanding of MMT is essential to rebuild a progressive political force in Britain. Criminologist Steve Hall will also talk and will focus on the current rise of populism in the West.

The event will be at the Unite the Union (Diskus Theatre) in central London and will run from 13:30 to 17:00.

For – Details.

2. February 21, 2020 – The same show moves to Manchester.

The event will be at the Barnes Wallis Building (The Harwood Room) at the University of Manchester and will run from 13:30 to 16:30.

For – Details.

3. February 22, 2020 – MMTed – with help from – GIMMS – will hold a three-hour MMT Masterclass in London between 14:00 and 17:00.

This is a teaching seminar exclusively and will suit those who want to build their understanding of macroeconomics from an MMT perspective.

For more details – MMT Masterclass, London.

There are still vacancies available.

Music for travellers

Eric Gale – was a magnificent American jazz guitarist who kept in the background a lot (often a session player) but was one of the best players of his generation.

He was one of the staples at the – CTI label (Creed Taylor Institute).

This track – Dindi – is from the 1973 masterpiece album – Forecast – where Eric Gale provides a beautiful interpretation of the classic jazz track from Brazilian pianist – Antonio Carlos Jobim.

It was released on the Kudu Records label, a CTI spin-off to promote the ‘soul jazz’ genre.

I bought a lot of CTI albums in the 1970s and 1980s – from Wes Montgomery, Nat Adderly, Artie Butler, Hubert Laws, Bill Evans, Freddie Hubbard, Kenny Burrell, Paul Desmond, Chet Baker, Grover Washington Jr., and Gábor Szabó, to name the ones I can recall off the top of my head.

All classic performers who taught me a lot about the jazz form.

Eric Gale died young from lung cancer in 1994. If you familiarise yourself with the other musicians he supported as a session player (Jimi Hendrix, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Frank Sinatre, etc) you will soon appreciate his place in the field of great guitar players.

Here is Dindi, very smooth and lyrical with a hint of lushness.

The whole album is now on my phone and I take it with me everywhere (obviously).

That is enough for today!

(c) Copyright 2020 William Mitchell. All Rights Reserved.