View From the Spy Glass

We love living in California. Thanks for all those who came to visit, including Martin & Kate, Joy & Jeffrey etc., and remember - only six months left if you're still planning to visit the Coburn's Hotel California.
This year we enjoyed swimming at our club across the road, and shared many a cocktail watching the sun set behind the Golden Gate. We saw deers rutting outside our front door (leaving us with a souvenir antler) and had an encounter with a raccoon at our back door.

School schmool...

Alice became a teenager in June, and won a distinction in a talent search competition by Johns Hopkins University. Her school year at Bentley was full of tests, papers and boring stuff like that, enlivened only by the occasional school dance.

Master C gets an A

Henry (10) enjoyed his science projects and math at school but mainly battling his friends at video games on playdates. His birthday was spent blasting pals and parents with laser guns.

Down on the Farm

Alice and Henry went off to camp together in the summer at Full-Belly Farm - our organic veggies supplier - where they swam in the creek, milked cows and hunted rattlesnakes in the long grass (we found out later).

The traditional hat-tossing event.

The Hattest Party in Town
This year's Bumps Party was wet, and sunny, and wet...

New York New York
So Good We Went There Twice

We met up with Grandma Edna for a visit to the Big Apple and did all the tourist things, like the Statute of Limitations, and the Umpire Snake Building. We loved the new Skyscraper museum. Highly recommended.

Going up! Next stop, the 86th floor

Hippo Potty Mouths at the Natural History Museum

Lady Liberty reopened to visitors

Dad's on TV

Explosive Program

The Discovery Channel produced a program on the Beirut barracks bombing of 1983 in their series 'Unsolved Histories'. Andrew and Hemant Shah were talking heads. A day of filming for a few minutes of footage...

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Catastrophe, Injury and Insurance

RMS published a study of the impact of catastrophes on life and health insurance. Authored by Coburn and Alie Cohen it looked at earthquakes, terrorism industrial accidents and contagious diseases, like flu.

Report available on RMS.com

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RAND Center

RAND and RMS raised the funding needed for their Center for Terrorism Risk Management Policy. Andrew has a position on the Advisory Board.

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Pat Pending

RMS applied for a patent (Number 10/797.143 for you trivia buffs) for its accumulation algorithm in its software. The patent cites Coburn and two colleagues, Weimin Dong and Han Chen, for developing the idea, which 'spiders' a portfolio.

Expanding Horizons: Shrinking Cities

Helen is teaming up with other members of her department at Berkeley in a poly-dimensional, multi-national study of shrinking cities. First milestone: a round-table session to be held in Vienna in July 2005.

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Photovoltaic and solar thermal panels being installed in Freiburg, Germany

New Under The Sun

Helen presented her research on low-energy buildings in California at the EuroSun conference in Freiburg and sneaked a mini-research trip in Germany and Switzerland. Merci bien for their French hospitality to Fathia & Christian, Carol & Etienne, Jean et Jeanne.

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Screenwriting Evenings

INT. PUB - NIGHT
Two people sit cradling drinks...

ANDREW

So - gotta script ready for the Screenwriter's meeting tonight?

HELEN

Oh yeh! Too #*@&ing right! 'Bigfoot and Ricochet' - romantic comedy set in Enron. You?

ANDREW

Yup. 'Boiled Frogs'. Y'know - action thriller. Hey Look Out!

Loud explosion. Helen dives and pushes him under the table.

ANDREW

Darling - You saved my life!

HELEN

Only because it's your round.

They kiss, passionately.

FADE OUT.

Monster Year
for RMS

At the risk of sounding like a Soviet communiqué, Risk Management Solutions had another great year. Earnings were up 62% and all the other business metrics were very positive (iron-smelting quota up 26% etc...). 80 new employees were hired to meet the demand for products and services. Dr. C's contribution to their training (poor things) consisted of a hands-on exercise to develop a Godzilla catastrophe model.

Terror Now A Fact of Life

Terrorism risk models were in demand. More than 100 companies now model their terrorism risk using the RMS model, reflecting an adoption by the marketplace and perhaps a recognition that it is a fact of life to be lived with. Andrew helped develop a new global terrorism model that covers every country in the world.

Modeling More Risk

RMS also has a strategic objective to embrace a wider range of risk for clients. The Research team explored new areas of modeling risk with articles and analysis of computer viruses, industrial accidents, power outages and environmental disasters. Further nightmares coming soon...

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Administrative Affairs

Ever the sucker for punishment, Helen signed up for an evening programme - Berkeley's MBA Foundation Course. She's now halfway to a Certificate in Business Administration.

Theatrical Review

The cast of 'The Final Curtain' a Christmas Day 1920s murder mystery

Sheer Murder

The Gathering of the Clans for Seasonal Slaughter

Christmas 2003 saw us gathering with a rather extended family in Kensington, London for our festivities. The house was a great place to murder various unfortunate hangers-on. Who-dunnit? That scheming parlour maid Grandma Sylvia of course.

Fashion

Halter-neck dress designed and made by the House of Alice.

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Rock...

RANT: Nick on drums, Paul on lead and Lobo on bass guitar.

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Raving

Uncle Nick's band RANT (www.rantmusic.co.uk) burst onto the music scene. We caught them in fine form at the Chester Fringe Festival.

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...and Roll

Eyeing London encapsulated

Whiner Gets Birthday Treat

After years of whingeing that nobody celebrated his Xmas-eve birthday, Andrew was shut up by a trip on the Eye, an afternoon watching Return of the King and a surprise drinking party with old friends. Perfick!

Soccer 1

Sirens Signal Victory

The Sirens followed a tough league season with a great tournament victory after a penalty shootout in the final. Left Back Alice Coburn said "our keeper Emma was awesome!".

Sirens celebrate tournament success

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Mulligan Bends Coach's Ear

The secret behind England's European cup progress was finally revealed at Tussauds.

Sven my son - forget the ladies and get Rooney up front in the diamond.

Soccer 2

The boy done good: Striker Coburn

Tsunamis Swamp League

Henry played a blinder with his team, the Tsunamis, banging in a couple of hat-tricks, being leading goalscorer and receiving an award for being 'most explosive player'.

Henry receives his trophy from Tsunamis' coach John Hightower