Amanda and the kids are at the beach. Why oh why am I stuck here?
Anyway, I just spoke to Esme and Bradley at the beach about their sand castle, they were full of holiday excitement!

At the end of their conversation:

• Esme says, "kiss, kiss, cuddle, cuddle." In a wiggle, wiggle sort of way.
• Bradley makes a kissing sound and says, "awww," in a affectionate hug sort of way.

I'm beach sick. I think I'll be going down there sooner than I expected.

1154 Also posted to: personal . At: 3:08:51 PM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: Family's away for another 11 days

The most interest I had was at the pub, later. Mind, I guess I went to mix and network, so perhaps that's why I felt that the actual debate was humdrum. There I found several 'consultants' who were there to 'find out' about blogging and how they could profit from it. Though talking to some they were seemingly pretty clueless when it came not only blogging, but also technology. But then, that's what I thought of the night. There's me down from the sticks, grass still behind my ears, and the seat of power without an email address for the Prime Minister nor WiFi anywhere within. OTH, I was naive about the business that fed off politics. I mean did you know that the Government had earmarked £2.2 billion for broadband access for their rural operations centres, and that nobody had asked for any of it? Here's some background, not sure when from. It seems the Gov is full of angst, and indecision. The usual debate where technology is concerned. "Shall I wait till next year when the computer will be cheaper and more powerful or get it now?"

Stephen Timms, e-commerce minister according to Hansard (Dec 2002): "The Department of Trade and Industry has made available £30 million to the RDAs and Devolved Administrations for pilot projects to extend broadband access. Several of the recipients have used this fund to enable small businesses to access broadband via satellite technology. For example, the South West Development Agency, East Midlands, Development Agency, East of England Development Agency and Advantage West Midlands are collaborating in the Remote Area Broadband Inclusion Trials (RABIT) programme to trial alternative broadband Internet access to small businesses in rural areas using wireless and satellite. The scheme has been operating since September 2002. Some £700 is made available to each company. By the beginning of December, 264 applications had been approved, of which 75 per cent. to 80 per cent. involve satellite trials. About 1,800 to 2,000 companies are expected to participate in the programme to December 2003." From what I know about the RDA here (Advantage West Midlands) they are terribly risk adverse, and from what I gleaned last night this is endemic in e-biz sections of local Gov and quangos across the country.

Stephen Timms, e-commerce minister according to Hansard (Nov 2002): "My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced yesterday that the outcome of the Spending Review 2002 shows that a total of approximately #6 billion will be invested in electronic governmentÑincluding £1 billion towards high-speed broadband connectivity. Existing funds for regional economic development (and RDAs will have £1.8 billion in 2003Ð04 for this purpose) can also make a contribution where lack of broadband is a barrier to economic development. That is why I announced in June the intention to establish a regional broadband unit to use the public sector's spending power to boost availability and take-up in rural areas." Fuck loads of money! And fuck loads of reading about Rural Broadband Services. And loads to read on the Remote Area Broadband Inclusion Trial. And more here: Wired-up Communities. Have to say I'm not so interested in wiring up remote locations, not personally, more interested in the blogging opportunities for SMEs and blogging as a bridge across the digital divide and as a means of life long learning.

1153 Also posted to: cybersaps . At: 2:28:47 PM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: The money in politics

Above: Tom Watson, the UK's first blogging MP. Lance Knoble who I met for the first time interviewed him a few weeks back. (I didn't think his site very interesting then.) Be both agreed that he was brave to start one. After all, and Tom brought this out several time, he could rant about something, and a few months or years down the line, people could say. "Oy! You said this then, now your saying the other." Well, that's blogging for you. I've changed my opinions several times, we're fickle people bloggers, just like everybody else. Though I guess MPs aren't like everybody else. Like I said, I'd been bannned from taking pix, "anywhere in the building," so I felt pretty rebelious taking this, surreptitious picture. Later, I saw a few others taking more blatent pix. Obviously, they hadn't been previously told off. Some of the things that were mentioned: about the MPs constituants and the blogging MPs readers. Readers in Toronto (Canada) aren't going to get the geezer re-elected in West Bromwich (UK). apparently, some one reading Tom's blog had become policitised about picking up litter, then politicised about a million other things that he would rant about some geeky geezer mentioned wikis a few others liked the statement, "if blogs are the answer, what is the question." social capital, participation, legitimacy were terms that the political business people thought were important. nobody discussed class and the digital divide, which surely is important to Labour blogging MPs.

The meeting itself, wasn't too exciting. I hadn't been to such a debate before. So maybe they aren't. As Lance said: "Truth to tell, the fact of the event was far more significant than anything actually said on the evening. An important discussion was started, and for Britain at least weblogs emerged from a slightly weird, fringe activity into a kind of political limelight." I was trying desperately to think of an earth shattering question to liven up the debate, but I think many people did ask such questions, and surely they were earth shattering to them, but my mind wasn't so much on the job, the questions or statements were not very new. Most of the stuff flowing aboout my brain was about the rise of RSS, 35 million AOL bloggers, how popular writing, and thinking has become and will become, for everybody and anybody, anyhow. To hear the word blogging in the House of Parliament was surprising enough, thank you.

1152 Also posted to: warBlog . At: 12:15:37 PM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: The business of political blogging

I've not been to Westminister since I was maybe 9 years old. Gang of Four: At home he feels like a tourist He fills his head with culture He gives himself an ulcer There's me competing with the other sightseers for the best shots, this one of the London Eye, with Big Ben was a popular spot. We were jockeying and elbowing for the position.	An exciting trip. Amazing to see Big Ben up so close, and it's smaller than I thought. The whole place seems smaller, than you see on telly.

Wonderful to walk past all the people queuing to go into the public gallery to watch the debates. Like I was very important. My old anarchist mates would have been disgusted with me. Queuing, then to be searched with other - who knows, what sort of powerful or opinion leaders. Little old me, grinning from ear to ear.

I was banned form taking pix inside by some police, but after the meeting, once alone in the toilets, I had to take a picture of the bogs, I was struck by the modernity of them. After wandering down unlit corridor, with someone opening their phone to shine the way, we found the toilets.

The houses of Parliament are so old, that I was expecting some old "Adamant" brown, boozer, type urinals smelling of old pee. These just seemed much too modern, totally incongruous considering the type of building. Far too wine bar.

1151 Also posted to: personal . At: 10:36:22 AM  . .
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Other title(s) for this story: A day out to London's heart of 'power'