Appeal

I don't often write personal things here, in fact I don't think I ever do.
But just in case you're taking a few minutes to read this, please click on the link above or on the 'Just Giving' panel below to read about Ray Hart who is raising money for a great cause.
Evie Hart was a friend of ours - the Hart family's youngest who was taken away suddenly and cruelly by cancer.
We all know someone who has had cancer and one in five of us will develop some form. Survival rates are increasing and the UK Government and Barack Obama's administration are putting a lot of money into research. But that's the future.
Right now little girls and boys are living their life in a hospice as their families try and come to terms with an illness that has no cure. Hospice in the Weald does a fantastic job supporting them in Kent and here in Greenwich.
Just give a few pounds or dollars to help them keep doing it.
Thank you.

What a night!

The best man won, originally uploaded by robbroccoli.

Good morning from the UK and...phew, thank goodness for that.

For a moment yesterday I wondered if it might all dissolve in the kind of disaster of the last couple of elections.

Now I'm fearful for the next few months, the weight of expectation, the capacity of Americans to do weird things. This may be just British pessimism.

Great speeches from both candidates (far more impressive than you'd get in the UK).

But most of all...wow. An educated, intelligent, globally aware US President. Well done.

Religion, Lies and Videotape

Thanks to my brother for sending this. Have a look; it's interesting from two perspectives.




One is that the Republicans (and media) are clearly using the same formulae to try and unsettle potential Democrat voters (remember a small proportion of the electorate decide the outcome by shifting from one party to another).
It's also interesting that this video is edited in such a way that it's difficult to note anything other than that fact - the same phrases crop up - sometimes the context is obscure...who is saying what about whom.
One thing is clear, some (ignorant) people see it as their job, or their right, to spread disinformation for their own ends. Take the assertion that 'Hussein' or attending a Muslim school makes Barack Obama a Muslim... that's basically distorting the truth.
Or lying.

Post-christmas blues...

...New Year's resolutions?

Well, most people make them around the 31st...towards midnight and into the early hours of the 1st. I also heard that you stand a better chance of keeping your resolutions when you're not under pressure.

I have only made one resolution; to write more [I can hear the groans]. It's not enough to resolve to give something up (although I do need to lose a few pounds, take more exercise and so on) I think you probably have to do something positive. Lee Kennedy's blog made me think even more - look at his latest post via the link on the right.

As I've got a deadline to meet, writing about what small businesses can do with web 2.0 (any stories you want to share - email me) and there are at least two other projects I need to make progress on this year I simply bhave to get on and do it. I also, like millions of others need to keep up to date with my blog and facebook etc etc etc - the brilliant Hugh Macleod seems to have it taped - reading his blog linked here is also a good idea.


Need some suggestions to liven up your new year?

Get involved in something. A charity, a campaign, local planning, a club.

For example, in the US you could support Barack Obama - which involves actually registering to vote and voting. If you're in the UK you could also make sure you can vote here. Who knows we might get a candidate worth voting for - in fact if the 40% who didn't vote got behind a say, the Liberal Democrats, they'd stroll into Downing Street. It wouldn't even matter that you don't support them, it would just shake things up.

Also joining any group is a challenge to your preconceptions and forces you to be more tolerant. For example 'everyone who goes to church is a do-goody, holier-than-thou kind of person' - or 'all those people in the theatre club will be arty, luvvie types'. They won't be.

Spend more time shopping. Seriously. Just spend a few seconds looking at the labels of the food products you buy and make a more informed judgement - look how many of the ingredients are in there for the benefit of the manufacturers (long shelf life, keeps the thing stuck together, or to keep it looking the right colour - don't believe me? Check it out). How many of the ingredients are what you set out to buy?

Work out how much your car costs. Oooh, that's harsh. The thing is you can do this in numerous ways but you have to include the purchase cost and running costs. If you paid $10,000 for it last year and sell it this year for $5,000 then it's cost you about $100 a week (plus the running costs). Then you can work out your carbon emissions and offset them!

Of course, I'm not necessarily doing all these things myself....