tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33551032012-01-08T20:55:46.714ZThe online journey of digital existentialist, pilot, politician and futurist speaker, Simon MooresDrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comBlogger21911100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-12883230159727503452011-11-03T14:22:00.003Z2011-11-03T14:25:59.549Z

Over the last two days, the great and the good of the cyber-world have been gathered here in London at the Foreign Office’s Conference on Cyberspace. Government representatives from over sixty countries have joined the online business community in looking at all aspects of the cyber-world and how we balance online security and freedom in the face of a growing challenge from online criminals and

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-45273905183772895652011-10-06T16:06:00.002+01:002011-10-06T16:06:34.058+01:00

A day to remember. The legendary Steve Jobs checks out, the first of my generation of world-dominating technology icons to remind us that all the success and money in the world is no substitute for the gift of good health, a fact reinforced by the on-going Michael Jackson trial in Los Angeles. For millions upon millions of consumers, Steve Jobs will be sorely missed for his innovation and the

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-81848789352030008322011-09-07T07:54:00.002+01:002011-09-07T07:54:49.357+01:00

It's a toss-up between 'How Facebook changed the world' or write a new blog entry. I'm experimenting with 'Daedalus', a new iPad app and so with luck, I will manage to get through the entry without my usual spelling mistakes. At times I find the iPad virtual keyboard does strange things, as readers will have noticed from time to time. However, I've found the Apple device has made such an

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-1348780818046299632011-08-11T21:34:00.002+01:002011-08-11T21:34:12.758+01:00

It all became a rather long day for everyone involved, starting with the press day for the Shoreham airshow and a series of sorties for tomorrow's newspapers capturing the aftermath of the riots. The Sony distribution centre in Enfield still burning when I left it. The weather today was simply awful for airshows. Poor Eastbourne lost the greater part of its programme and I struggled to get into

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-55706105856744161752011-07-09T12:01:00.005+01:002011-07-09T16:34:02.900+01:00

Just through with our Saturday morning, informal cabinet meeting and I must remember to thank Reg Bell and our local BSAC branch 106 for inviting me over to give a talk on 'Technical Diving', one evening last week at their clubhouse opposite the Turner Contemporary gallery. They quite possible have one of the best Turner sunset views on the island! It's been a few years since I dived

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-73585503521118004572011-06-26T10:07:00.001+01:002011-06-26T10:07:25.100+01:00

Saturday was somewhat disappointing, in that the planned protest flight to the Bristol cricket match was weathered-off, leaving the thousands of Tamil demonstrators outside the ground without their aircraft banner. Instead I was left with another flying marriage proposal on the end of Southend Pier, which was rather less stressful and didn't involve any liaison with the local police. This

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-68305547599436967902011-05-24T08:20:00.002+01:002011-05-24T13:01:48.012+01:00

I was expecting a thirty minute queue at the security entrance to Westminster yesterday evening but it was just me. The Great Hall was being laid out for President Obama's visit today and so Parliament was very quiet indeed, possibly with more armed police than visitors. Up to the committee room for an AGM and meeting on next generation broadband, where we were joined by our Technology Forum

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-22600885469772464742011-05-09T12:18:00.002+01:002011-05-24T08:57:06.108+01:00

From what I understand may be the rules, I've a welcome gap from being a councillor for a few days, as there's a limbo period between the election and the formation of the new council. There's a real temptation to speak freely for the first time in four years but I'll resist it! A good day at the first airshow of the season yesterday, with the Vulcan making it's very noisy and impressive

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-25180657632836631122011-05-02T12:04:00.007+01:002011-05-03T07:40:58.203+01:00

I'm not sure that the news media have realised yet that Google Earth gives remarkably good resolution of the area surrounding the entrance to the Pakistan Military Academy, (PMA) where Osama Bin had his residence off the Kakul Road, Abbottābad in Pakistan. Aerial photography being one of the jobs I do for the media from time to time, I'm really quite surprised that BBC and Sky News didn't look

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-71872260343882429562011-04-13T14:14:00.001+01:002011-04-13T14:14:17.563+01:00

Escape from the office for two days and one is invariably made to suffer an email backlog once reality catches up again. I was training over at Bicester as the newest member of the GliderFX team getting my air show display license from the CAA. In my own case, it means that I can operate down to 150 feet and in this example it means that instead of a banner, I’m towing a high performance glider

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-54459236433207076822011-02-17T17:30:00.001Z2011-02-17T17:31:23.024Z

Watching the wildfire of  popular protest running through the Middle-east and in particular Bahrain today, I worry about the friends I have living there, as I've visited the country on a number of different occasions for conferences over the last ten years or so. It's particularly ironic, because several times I've given presentations on transactional government and the information society in 

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-38467301132231943172010-12-17T15:31:00.003Z2010-12-17T16:27:25.377Z

I've been floating above the snow-covered Suffolk countryside this morning over a stately-looking pile at place called Ellingham, where WikiLeak's Julian Assange is hiding from a small army of satellite vans and press photographers camped among the trees. It's bitterly cold out there and I'm only just getting the feeling back in my hands after putting the aircraft away. Somehow, I don't think

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-84737825357451907182010-12-09T10:55:00.006Z2010-12-09T22:10:11.245Z

Watching from the sidelines, it’s interesting how the on-going WikiLeaks story is encouraging a conceptual shift in information security thinking. Today’s virtual battlefield offers parallels with the Maginot Line philosophy before the outbreak of the Second World War; lots of trenches, barbed wire,’ impregnable’ fortresses and firewalls, a hardened security layer designed to hamper

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-66865290683573587722010-12-06T14:43:00.003Z2010-12-07T14:36:20.972Z

"Privacy" said Sun Microsystems CEO, Scott McNealy, "is dead. Deal with it" It may not be dead but it’s certainly struggling and while McNealy's statement is unlikely to alarm many organisations, then it should, as we continue to experience the turbulent wake of this month’s WikiLeaks revelations. Julian Assange’s latest target, is now big business and in what could be his biggest mistake to

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-30341060418219192062010-10-22T15:43:00.003+01:002010-10-22T15:44:25.708+01:00

Back from Old Trafford to find lots of comment spam on this weblog. Why on earth people bother to do this I really don't know but clearly, somewhere out there in the world, there are people paid a pittance to leave comments in tortured English promoting fake watches, drugs and worse on the off-chance that some reader would think: "That's a really good idea, I could really use some fake Viagra"

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-9338717470032850342010-10-18T15:40:00.003+01:002010-10-18T16:21:48.716+01:00

The media, I see, I getting all excited by the inclusion of 'cyber-warfare' and the threat from 'cyber-terrorism' as a clear and present danger in the Strategic Defense Review. It's a topic I have some familiarity with – next stop Abu Dhabi around the same subject - and we all have good reason to be concerned as the internet groans under the weight of ever more increasingly sophisticated attacks

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-53236211782559827962010-10-03T11:22:00.001+01:002010-10-03T13:20:37.313+01:00

Another party conference and endless hours of political analysis yet to come on both the BBC and Sky News, interspersed by footage of ducks swimming along the submerged fairways at the Ryder cup in Wales. Now that 'Red Ed' has been put to bed – forgive the pun- It's David Cameron's turn with the Government's spending review now less than three weeks away. The recent IMF and CBI figures on

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-11799901183023393362010-08-26T16:25:00.000+01:002010-08-26T16:25:20.360+01:00

Nandos' agency, 'Pretty Green' made a video of their V-Festival Banner; 'Gratitude at Altitude.' Great fund and you can watch it here! It involves having one of our aircraft 'borrowed' by an enthusiastic young lady; Mandy in this case!

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-13882926264077168772010-08-07T21:56:00.001+01:002010-08-07T21:56:37.308+01:00

It's the middle of my peak flying season and it appears to be peak meetings time at the council too; perhaps it's something to do with the summer holidays or more likely the vigorous debate that surrounds the asset disposal programme which now lies partly within my own portfolio and is presently under a review. This last week, I've been back in the 'Sim' again to prepare for my mandatory annual

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-33579670186598734992010-06-20T22:05:00.001+01:002010-06-20T22:05:38.787+01:00

I've just been watching with some interest, a programme on the History Channel, which describes the first action of the First World War; the 23rd August 1914, a cavalry engagement at Soignies in Belgium, between the 4th Royal Dragoon Guards and German lancers. This had me running upstairs to my bookcase and my great uncle's book: 'Unwilling Passenger', because on page 24 and a new chapter 'Mons

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-763037392588990262010-06-19T16:25:00.002+01:002010-06-19T16:25:34.176+01:00

My own flight was blown away by the weather this morning but from the look of it, everything else went according to plan at the ‘Big Event’ and when I was up there at lunchtime, there were so many fairground amusements, it did rather remind me of Dreamland in its heyday. I had lunch at the Phoenix club mess and watched the Red Arrows take-off at Manston and almost instantly disappear into an

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-22895594672994262582010-06-18T12:06:00.003+01:002010-06-18T15:51:13.263+01:00

Here's a sneak preview of the next in a series of television advertisements from creditexpert.co.uk  filmed earlier in the week. What is the strange purpose you may wonder of the ornate 'Tardis-like' box in the middle of the room at  the  Tudor stately home, Dorney Court and why is Basil the butler in a suit of armour? All will, I'm sure be revealed in the not too distant future, as will my own

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-87698743208220157442010-05-14T14:48:00.000+01:002010-05-14T14:48:02.739+01:00

Up and about on various jobs today and I thought I would share a photo (copyright) showing the progress of the London Olympic site, as clock ticks towards 2012. How on earth we are going to pay for this sporting extravaganza though is anyone's guess! Just look what the Olympics did for Greece as a lesson in optimism over financial prudence.

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-61702986298446158242010-04-24T17:59:00.002+01:002010-04-24T17:59:23.580+01:00

Over at Grays in Essex  this morning to ambush David Cameron, with a banner message: 'CAMERON 2010@No10'. There was a large reception committee in evidence in the playing field behind the school or college below, with TV outside broadcast vans with satellite dishes on their roofs, parked-up outside. On teh way back to the airfield I passed a very smart looking Agusta helicopter, en route to

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-16433670176801197882010-04-18T13:32:00.003+01:002010-04-18T13:36:13.120+01:00

I've been up over Brighton this morning flying a banner over the inaugural marathon in the town. A glorious hazy day in warm sunshine and thousands of runners threading their way along the streets and the seafront. In fact I wouldn't envy any of them in this temperature, as I'm sure a number of runners are going to encounter heat stress given the sudden change in temperature. On the way over

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-64434926377935701302010-04-11T16:22:00.004+01:002010-04-11T17:22:07.205+01:00

Last week, I had to go through the torment of my annual multi-engine renewal, which is rather like having to take your driving test each year but with the added bonus of the examiner turning-off one of the engines at a critical time in the flight. Of course, with the tragic events that took place in Russia yesterday, my thoughts are with the Polish people and this gets me thinking about what on

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-16238340597924052652010-03-20T13:08:00.001Z2010-03-20T13:09:05.314Z

It's Gordon's new 'Big Idea', "Tens of thousands of public sector jobs could be scrapped in Jobcentres, passport centres and town halls as a result of the plans, which the government says will save £4 billion over four years. The government wants everybody in the country to have a personalised website within a year and this clearly shows how out of touch they are with some simple realities of

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-32618788115798242702010-03-19T09:22:00.001Z2010-03-19T09:25:28.517Z

"It's a fair cop", I said, standing in front of some 600 delegates and assembled police officers from as far away as New Zealand, Vietnam, Panama and Pakistan. "The blogger, Lord Matt of the 'Thanet Star' revealed last year that I'm involved in 'shady internet activities', gambling and casual sex websites and so I'm turning myself in to anyone who cares to arrest me." Other than a few laughs

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-30575354588953605142010-03-18T16:51:00.002Z2010-03-18T16:51:45.834Z

A nice thank you note from Ian Hislop, along with the return of my great-uncle's book, which he has been reading 'Unwilling Passenger' Arthur Osburn's account of the First World War from the opening shots to the end. Many readers will be familiar with Hislop's documentaries on the Great War and so I'm delighted he enjoyed this particular story: It's been out of print for years now and you may

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-26977718054477314482010-03-09T11:31:00.001Z2010-03-09T12:22:18.691Z

Most of us will be familiar with the concept of new technologies arriving in ‘waves’, in the greater part driven by the inexorable progress of Moore’s Law, as computing power becomes ever increasingly available and powerful, with the rate of paradigm shift doubling every ten years and silicon-powered price performance every twelve months or so. There’s been a great deal of talk of late about

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-50972727226432686752010-03-02T13:16:00.002Z2010-03-02T13:16:59.786Z

Strangely enough the beach this morning reminded me of Saudi Arabia, almost thirty years ago, with the bright sunlight and the waves breaking gently on the rocks. In those days, we would wade out and drop over the coral reef into the deep water beyond and explore incredible diversity of marine life that waited for us offshore. There was a time even when I used to dive on my own from time to

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-16498959963549734952010-02-08T09:32:00.001Z2010-02-08T09:32:26.260Z

It was nice to have a cheque from those kind people at HMRC, finally returning the tax that they incorrectly grabbed from me last year, with the normal, 'demanding money with menaces' letter. This year, I hear it will be even worse with as many as a quarter of tax codes completely incorrect and yet HMRC have once again posted these out in full knowledge of the error. A week or so ago, I

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-37661587251167265612010-01-30T09:44:00.001Z2010-01-30T09:44:40.046Z

I see the government has rumbled one ruse, reportedly used by schools to 'get extra funding and inflate their position in new-style rankings' and that's to label as many pupils as possible with 'Special Educational Needs'. Apparently, in some schools, as many as half of pupils are now diagnosed with learning difficulties or behavioral problems, it was revealed, just weeks after a cross-party

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-66116809575229074832010-01-23T09:04:00.003Z2010-01-23T09:05:12.406Z

With the risk of a terrorist incident now raised to the level of 'Severe', I've come out from under my desk long enough to write this short blog entry, before returning to cover my windows in brown paper. What this heightened state actually means in real terms is hard to fathom and the Home Secretary doesn't appear to be any wiser either. What he can't say of course is who might be responsible

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-70356691791408223662010-01-15T21:10:00.002Z2010-01-15T21:10:54.646Z

Today, I finally joined the massed ranks of Apple's iPhone users, swapping out my Blackberry 9000 for the first batch of the popular smartphones to ship out of Vodafone. I've been patiently for a year now, as O2 users have had the device for rather a long time and have delighted in showing me how limited the Blackberry, which is powerful in its email capability, is when it comes to 100,000

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-17170636437521225312010-01-11T20:06:00.000Z2010-01-11T20:06:19.353Z

Up to the big city today and the large amount of snow on the ground past Herne Bay towards London came as a surprise to me; as did the presence of British Transport Police on the train. Where the former was concerned this illustrated how much Thanet benefits from its micro-climate and the latter, well I've been corresponding with the Chief Constable of British Transport Police in conjunction with

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-91031312608528572812010-01-08T08:57:00.002Z2010-01-08T12:14:05.223Z

It's a bit quiet out there this morning. The road in from Birchington is almost empty, on account of both the A28 and the Thanet Way being closed by accidents, effectively cutting-off the island from the outside world until cleared. We appear to have escaped the worst of the snow as usual, having warmer sea temperatures on both sides and the further west you go, I hear the worse it is. I'm

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-23173083961601247762010-01-04T09:33:00.002Z2010-01-04T09:33:11.994Z

I'm not convinced that Schools Secretary, Ed Balls and I share the same planet. After watching his interview on BBC Breakfast this morning, I'm even more concerned that he's 'lost the plot' in a fog of well-meaning and wide-eyed socialist zeal. To cut a very long story short, Ed, like everyone else, wants the best possible education for all our children to give them the best possible start in

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-30359206696227067062010-01-03T10:40:00.000Z2010-01-03T10:40:26.823Z

It occurs to me that Britain's' future security won't so much be determined by what happens on the playing fields of Eton rather than the mountains of Yemen. I was invited to the country five years ago by the UN to speak at a conference in the capital, Sana'a. I really wanted to visit as this is one part of the Arab world that I have yet to set foot in but with it being a hotbed for Islamic

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-10626322238435450602010-01-02T11:28:00.001Z2010-01-02T11:28:13.527Z

The postman had to remind me this morning that it wasn't Sunday. "It's OK," he said, "I almost forgot as well" and so thankfully, I avoided waking the family up in time for church. After a while, the Christmas holiday starts to resemble the film, 'Groundhog Day'. There's still half a Christmas pudding left under cling film and the cream is reaching its sell-by-date and so someone has to make

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-89596083567386050552010-01-01T14:09:00.001Z2010-01-01T19:15:28.767Z

Reading today's papers, one story in particular struck me as one with a deep interest in both education and technology. Reportedly, a group of eight primary school head teachers have spent £32,000 of taxpayer's money on a three-week training course in Australia, which involved visiting 12 Australian schools. This was apparently an 'investment', or as the trip head teacher Lauren Connor said: '

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-67962268584465223512009-12-29T11:46:00.003Z2009-12-29T11:47:01.158Z

I can't remember a time when I read so many books over Christmas. This year, it's a consequence of having my Amazon Kindle reader and as I've written here before, the results are quite remarkable in terms of easy and immediate access to works of both fact and fiction. Not one for holidays, the Christmas break is a time when a can enjoy a a good book without the world outside intruding too much on

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-10588611058890235312009-12-26T10:43:00.004Z2009-12-26T11:53:36.120Z

Well, that's another Christmas Day, past. I've been out this morning and would personally like to express my personal 'thanks' to the occupants of the house which regularly dumps its household rubbish next to the council bin at the start of the St Mildred's Bay car park. I'm sure those responsible and I could read out the names from their Xmas present labels, will be delighted to know, that

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-23201279948382618242009-12-22T17:55:00.001Z2009-12-22T17:56:55.163Z

I've embedded a conference presentation from TED.COM by Juan Enriquez that I recommend watching, as it delivers considerable insight into the problems facing the global economy and the technologies that may soon shape our future. Although he refers to the US recession, much of what he says in terms of leverage and debt applies to our own economy, as closely linked as it is, to the uncertain

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-29789464829224619452009-12-12T22:19:00.001Z2009-12-13T10:57:41.628Z

After almost two weeks away, I see the battery life on my Amazon Kindle reader still shows half charge and that's after wading through Dan Simmons' novel, Ilium, and having started the sequel Olympos as well. If you can imagine, Homer's 'Iliad', Shakespeare's 'Tempest' and some advanced quantum physics, all shaken vigorously together, then you've the basis for a rather imaginative novel of both

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-47075460925804288932009-12-12T11:03:00.001Z2009-12-12T11:05:46.108Z

I haven't blogged for almost a week and so I'll start this entry as my Etihad flight from Abu Dhabi, flings itself over the desert coast and climbs away towards Bahrain and London Heathrow, several hours away.I can't praise the quality of service on this airline enough. I'm sitting in economy and yet Etihad is superior to business class in most other airlines, such as Iberia, that I flew with

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-42403268990834335912009-11-30T08:59:00.001Z2009-11-30T09:02:35.166Z

With the prevailing fascination in ‘New media’, Facebook, Twitter, Blogs and more, for political communication, Brighton & Hove City Council being one good example, I’m interested to see that I’m sharing a platform in Caceres, Spain, in December, with Rahaf Harfoush, the author of “Yes We Did: An Inside Look at How Social Media Built the Obama Brand.” Whether I will have a chance to chat over

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-41774641057756606402009-11-22T22:19:00.002Z2009-11-23T08:10:44.046Z

I've been trekking back and forth to the Chatham campus on a regular basis since September doing a course on education. It's a subject that interests deeply me for a number of important reasons both intellectual and political and in particular because of its vital importance to the future of our society and our place in the world of the 21st century.Much of what I've seen so far is beautifully

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-27090768503814213312009-10-17T13:35:00.001+01:002009-10-17T13:35:56.764+01:00

I'm presently struggling with a new university course and with it, the impact of technology on our society and indeed, its future. For reader interest, I'm putting up a YouTube video, 'ShiftHappens' which is well worth watching for lovers of statistics.Douglas Carswell and Daniel Hannan have also written a book, 'The Plan - twelve months to renew Britain' which I'm trying to read and finish this

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-87627692124992350692009-10-15T16:12:00.001+01:002009-10-15T16:13:34.924+01:00

The local Blogs seem very quiet at the moment. Either everyone has become very bored with the writing exercise or there isn't that much to report on the long dark slide towards Christmas and 2010.Briefly, I stumbled across more evidence of the growth of our Police state this week, with two stories. The first from a friend of mine from Westgate, who visited the Natural History Museum in London

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-72526102481715158252009-10-08T16:51:00.004+01:002009-10-08T16:55:39.104+01:00

Just two days after the ecrime mid-year Forum in London, an unusual mission for me and my company, Airads, today, over Long Lartin prison in Worcestershire, organised by the supporters of Charles Bronson, with the message: “FREE BRONSON- ENOUGH IS ENOUGH”. What can I say, other than it took a fair amount of liaison work between me and the CAA as well as the Police and Prison Governor at Long

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-25611215798190022402009-09-29T08:15:00.000+01:002009-09-29T08:16:19.003+01:00

I see that Computer Weekly has run my column on social media and the public sector:"The great Ernest Hemingway once said: "There is no rule on how to write. Sometimes it comes easily and perfectly; sometimes it's like drilling rock and then blasting it out with charges", so when it comes to finding a really good read, local government publications can normally be found somewhere near the bottom

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-86823367752384392092009-09-19T08:28:00.000+01:002009-09-19T08:29:04.831+01:00

An interesting six hours or so in the air on Friday.First stop was Calais and 'The Jungle' the sparsely wooded area adjacent to the port, for a national newspaper, having a good look at what was taking place in the refugee encampment below. I was struck by how many blue tarpaulin-covered shelters there were, lean-to's huddling miserably together in a relatively small and dirty space and the

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-60675785426283027762009-09-13T10:32:00.004+01:002009-09-13T17:13:38.090+01:00

I thought I would try blogging directly from Microsoft Word this morning as I haven't tried it before, normally making entries, 'on the fly' straight into Blogger.com, spelling mistakes and all.This morning's weather is such that there's no great incentive to leave the house, other than to walk a reluctant dog and this gives me a good reason to finish reading and marking-up Cabinet papers for

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-21482871381200654532009-09-11T19:21:00.000+01:002009-09-11T19:22:13.926+01:00

Over at Leicester today flying a promotional banner for the "Tigers" rugby team. Leicester is only 138 miles from Thanet as 'The crow flies' but I'm sure it seem rather longer by road.From the air and on a lovely autumn day like today, it looks like a very attractive city with lots of green spaces and a very accomodating airfield to operate from too!With the evening now starting to draw in, the

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-40227445283300452672009-09-07T10:35:00.004+01:002009-09-09T08:06:30.397+01:00

I found myself on a day trip to Milan on Sunday, as a member of the flight crew on a positioning trip of a GainJet Gulfstream G200.Ninety minutes was all it took, followed by several hours of aviation hell, as I caught the 16:50 (delayed to 18:00) Easyjet from Milan's Linate airport back into Gatwick with all the other poor souls squeezed on-board.From the cockpit of the Gulfstream, the view over

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-71939932067068462702009-09-01T17:23:00.004+01:002009-09-02T07:41:04.389+01:00

Not many people have heard of Charles Montagu Doughty, the great desert explorer and a contemporary of the equally famous Sir Richard Burton.In 1876 the young Charles Doughty set out to cross the interior of the Arabian Peninsula. His goal was the "lost" Nabatean city of Madain Saleh the magnificent sister city to Petra in Jordan. Several years of his life were spent in what were later called his

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-13858855128849014192009-09-01T08:46:00.003+01:002009-09-02T07:41:20.216+01:00

While ideas on trying to be as cost-effective and practical as possible with our ICT budget may have proved a little tedious for Thanet's Labour opposition during last month's council meeting, I see that this week's Computer Weekly has picked-up the broader public sector theme that: "We need to be more joined-up, increasingly smarter in the way in which we integrate different processes and

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-61579959208926375612009-09-01T08:21:00.001+01:002009-09-02T07:41:20.218+01:00

With the year now accelerating into increasingly darker evenings, I read today that “Demand for power from homes and businesses will exceed supply from the national grid within eight years”, according to official figures.Apparently, our problem, here in Britain is caused by the scheduled closure by 2015 of nine oil and coal-fired power plants victims of the EU directive designed to cut

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-47661618392032201292009-08-28T15:19:00.008+01:002009-09-02T07:41:20.219+01:00

The last Bank Holiday of the summer and the weather looks to be a little unpredictable for the work I have ahead. Among the flying jobs between Thanet and the Isle of Wight, I have two marriage proposals, one wedding and happily no funerals!If this blustery wind persists overnight, then two nervous suitors with big plans are going to be very disappointed and I'm doing my best to manage their

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-53308931327044369832009-08-23T08:35:00.001+01:002009-09-02T07:41:20.220+01:00

Reportedly "A black day" and "A gentleman's agreement" now join many others in the growing list of prohibited and/or politically incorrect expressions, identified at enormous public expense by quangos, tirelessly working day and night for a better and more equal society. Am I surprised? Of course not.I'm not yet sure of the status of "White collar worker" or indeed "Black humour" but perhaps one

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-55540230811516308102009-08-20T14:36:00.001+01:002009-09-02T07:41:20.221+01:00

I'm told the 'Blogosphere' has been busy today but in such glorious weather, I've been above it all, at a scorching Cranfield for much of the day.After close to three years of unrelenting study, flying and fourteen written technical exams, today, I finally succeeded in obtaining the CAA's instrument rating to add to my commercial pilot's license and so in principle at least, I could perhaps apply

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-51866711904873788122009-08-16T15:39:00.004+01:002009-09-02T07:41:20.222+01:00

If you want living proof that forecasting the future is best left to the experts, such as Nostradamus, then read my predictions for the Britain of 2010 in The Observer newspaper in January of 2001.Gazing deeply into my 400mhz crystal ball, I rather lavishly forecast "This country is poised for a wealthy new era as the Venice of the information age" but never counted on the presence of Gordon

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-88119692387309579232009-08-16T12:15:00.000+01:002009-09-02T07:41:20.223+01:00

The expression that springs directly to mind is ‘SmartGov’ and for me at least, it describes what is going to be a very difficult time for local government in the years ahead.I was fortunate to be present at the very beginning of the eGovernment revolution which changed the face of public services. Generous investment, the internet and the arrival of new technologies, gave the public

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-27757561355464506652009-07-23T16:33:00.002+01:002009-09-02T07:41:20.225+01:00

One of those days!I had the Lowestoft Airshow to do this morning and there's a full council meeting this evening, so trying to fit in a 'spectacular' for the RMT Trades Union in between, presents a bit of a challenge.Last night I was asked, if I could drop food parcels into the Vestas' UK, Newport, Isle of Wight wind turbine facility, which employs about 600 people in blade manufacturing and

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-76452205067494889132009-07-18T16:18:00.001+01:002009-09-02T07:41:20.225+01:00

Following a walkaround the 'Pride' event in Margate this afternoon, I've just caught the end of a programme on the Apollo 11 mission on the BBC.For me, the Apollo missions had an important influence on my life. I remember, age 13, staying-up all night to watch the landing. I was very much into the whole space 'thing' from Gemini on. For Apollo 11 I had a special moon mission pack which I studied

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-36676962289246917542009-06-26T15:40:00.004+01:002009-09-02T07:41:20.227+01:00

Gradually reaching what I hope is the end of a very expensive instrument rating course at Stapleford Flight Centre; I've been doing it since March.Having added somewhat to the size of the national debt, both in the simulator and in the aircraft, I'm rather hoping it leads to a future flying larger and more interesting aircraft but in the present economic climate, I'm not so sure! Have to stick to

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-53584897911267695212009-06-04T09:28:00.002+01:002009-09-02T07:41:20.228+01:00

Strangely enough, I was flying a 'Jury Team' election banner all the way along the M25 from Rochester to Reading yesterday, having had no 'takers' for my 'Save Gordon' campaign.While I was in the air, I could hear the rescue services looking for the reportedly missing light aircraft from Cambridge to Lydd; a helicopter and the Coastguard Cessna from Manston (pictured). I rather think that the

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-46143819492880450132009-05-25T16:38:00.001+01:002009-09-02T07:41:20.229+01:00

Quite by accident this morning, I found myself towards the front of hundreds of motorcyclists on the way in to Marine Parade at Margate for the Ace Cafe Bank Holiday ride-in.You may recall that last year ws a complete gale-blown washout and this time, I jumped on my BMW this morning and decided to go and have a look at what was happening. As I reached the seafront at the Nayland Rock, I could see

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-22370636905439260812009-05-01T09:46:00.001+01:002009-09-02T07:41:20.230+01:00

Just before I run off to fly a banner for Havering council over Romford, here's a link to an interesting BBC Radio 4. programme which was mostly recorded at the ecrime congress in March.Jolyon Jenkins asked if he could interview many of the speakers at the congress and the result is a very good, balanced and intelligent layman's summary of the current state of hacking, the malware supply chain

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-83546828445315324492009-04-17T09:12:00.001+01:002009-09-02T07:41:20.231+01:00

You might have thought that the kind of the political smear campaign that came out of No10 last week was an isolated example but it clearly has its imitators here in Thanet.Sometime before lunch, I plan to hand myself-over to the authorities having been revealed by a leading local fantasist and anti-Tory/Council Blogger, Matt Brown of Garlinge as ‘The Evil Hood’ that many of you will fondly

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-78430814310606932632009-03-24T20:44:00.001Z2009-09-02T07:41:20.232+01:00

A rather long day away from home, that challenged the boundaries of the different 'hats' I wear.The Times newspaper apparently want to do a story on Margate's regeneration and the many challenges that seaside towns face in general and so I'm trying to help the journalist along with the information she needs and perhaps a visit to the town next week. I should remind her that Ramsgate, the

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-42769007553937278102009-03-16T12:38:00.000Z2009-09-02T07:41:20.233+01:00

There was an episode, in that classic political television satire, 'The New Statesman', when the Government was trying very hard to lose the next election, because it knew, the country was in such a mess, that the best option was to let the opposition take the blame for trying to clean it up. It would then make a swift return to power at the polls in five years, once that same opposition had

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-2165214810172565562009-02-22T21:10:00.000Z2009-09-02T07:41:20.234+01:00

I have been up and about over the big wedding in Hertfordshire this afternoon. I did shoot some video footage from above which I have now added to YouTube.Everything went on time and according to plan and we seem to have featured on Sky News too, which is nice!More photos here:

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-91650242721445363322009-02-14T09:57:00.001Z2009-09-02T07:41:20.236+01:00

It's Valentine's Day and the first in three years where the weather has been good. I should know, because Valentine's Day for me is normally a busy date in the flying season for my Airads business, as men - and sometimes women - all over the country propose or send special messages - pictured - to their sweethearts with a banner towed by one of my aircraft.This year, nothing! Several enquiries

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-25461459466126772302009-02-06T20:47:00.001Z2009-09-02T07:41:20.237+01:00

If you've nothing better to do on a dark February evening and feel tempted to Google the political archives, then you'll find that some twenty years ago, the UK's present workforce skills deficit was writ large upon the wall.Gordon Brown's famous statement announcing British jobs for British workers has returned to haunt him this month but one has to ask why foreign companies, such as Total,

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-87382776502416718832009-02-01T14:45:00.005Z2009-09-02T07:41:20.238+01:00

Time for a brief posting as outside, the world turns steadily whiter with the arrival of cold high pressure weather from the heart of Siberia.In a week's time I could be finally free of written exams after two years. Over at Gatwick I have the last two remaining CAA theory exams to sit for my instrument rating, to add to all those that I previously sat for my commercial pilot's license.

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-18100669459425882322009-01-08T11:51:00.003Z2009-09-02T07:41:20.239+01:00

Some three years ago, I caused a real fuss at the Irish Software Industry's annual conference when I made a speech that pointed-out to the distinguished audience - including a Government Minister - some of the facts behinds the country's 'Celtic Tiger Economy' image.Ireland had been described as a 'Software sweatshop on the edge of Europe' by one large vendor but I rather suggested that the real

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-13604852118067013272008-12-26T18:43:00.000Z2009-09-02T07:41:20.240+01:00

I was up over the Bluewater and Lakeside shopping centres at noon today as a photo flight for one of the national newspapers. While everyone, the media included, appears to expect a record number of shoppers, I can tell you that neither one of the two shopping centres had what I would describe as an unusual amount of traffic and I did actually wonder if John Lewis was closed.If I hadn't known it

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-45335657897627957002008-12-24T16:05:00.002Z2009-09-02T07:41:20.241+01:00

Captain Snap was flitting about just before noon today, taking photographs of the Christmas Eve activity below and particularly at the Westwood Cross shopping centre on the Isle of Thanet.I've uploaded some of my photos which take in Westgate, Margate and Westwood Cross on to Flickr and you can find these here.I can't admit to seeing as many people shopping as I would have expected at the peak

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-66435794962207140862008-12-03T15:27:00.004Z2009-09-02T07:41:20.243+01:00

Not for the nervous flyer perhaps but the video below displays such outstanding airmanship on the part of the pilot, that other than gawp with admiration at his skill and fast reactions, I can't really pass comment!

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-37429108941854747592008-12-02T16:06:00.002Z2009-09-02T07:41:20.244+01:00

When I first had an Apple 'MAC' Powerbook, some years ago, I wasn't really that impressed but since then, I've started using Windows Vista and I keep looking longingly at Macintosh adverts, wishing I could afford one.There was a time that Apple could boast that the Macintosh platform was a pretty safe place to hide from computer viruses and malware but not anymore. So best post this YouTube

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-50302868495323202772008-11-23T17:44:00.006Z2009-09-02T07:41:20.245+01:00

I ventured out into the gale and the near-zero temperatures for a run along the coast this morning. What three kayakers were doing in the bay was anyone's guess; members of the Special Boat Service practising perhaps? I didn't last long as the appearance of sleet drove me back inside but from the direction of Margate, I could still hear the muffled roar from the 'Big Sky' beach races taking place

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-76796595803168479842008-11-18T17:58:00.003Z2009-09-02T07:41:20.246+01:00

Plans for the 2009 ecrime congress seem to be coming along nicely. We now have an outstanding selection of speakers from companies that include Rolls Royce, Daimler Chrysler and France Telecom and now we need to start refining the agenda in time for Christmas.It's that damp and miserable time of year which invariably keeps pilots on the ground. I narrowly avoided being stranded at Rochester on

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-10473996511813504102008-11-09T20:41:00.014Z2009-09-02T07:41:20.248+01:00

Remembrance Sunday and I noticed that the sound of the canon from the ceremony at Margate echoed toward the war memorial on the clifftop here at Westgate.I'm reminded of three members of my own family who took part in World War I. There was my paternal grandfather, pictured as a young officer fresh from public school, who was wounded and never spoke once about his experiences.My maternal great

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-3195213498452690302008-11-08T09:41:00.000Z2009-09-02T07:41:20.248+01:00

'Captain Snap' was in the air for the Daily Mail yesterday, the target of interest being Heather Mills' swimming pool in Sussex. I had been to the house once before about two years ago, when the local authority asked for some photos of an outbuilding extension but this time, there is reportedly some kind of planning dispute involving the lovely Heather's new swimming pool - I assume she received

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-27359674071032436022008-11-04T15:05:00.003Z2009-09-02T07:41:20.250+01:00

I just realised that I haven't written an entry for ages!It's been a busy few weeks but isn't always so?I've been chairing the PCI (Payment Card Industry) Europe event in Brussels and the e-Evidence conference in London. Somewhere in between I also had to sit two of the six exams I have to take for my commercial pilot's instrument rating at Gatwick.Fortunately all of these passed without a hitch

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-82794662269602672492008-09-26T17:15:00.005+01:002009-09-02T07:41:20.251+01:00

Out this afernoon for the The Sun Newspaper and was the first to welcome pilot Yves Rossy today as he became the first person to fly between France and England on Friday with a jetpack strapped to his back.The simple kerosene-burning jet turbines propelled him the 22 miles between Calais and Dover at speeds of up to 120 mph. The journey took just under 10 minutes.The 49-year-old Rossy, who calls

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-76695328270716475362008-09-21T21:22:00.002+01:002009-09-02T07:41:20.252+01:00

Floating over Premier League games today with the BT Vision banner.Our presence clearly didn't help the score between Tottenham and Wigan; a nil, nil draw but arriving as I did just before the match started, I'm sure lots of people saw the banner; the same being true of the match at Middlesborough earlier.It's a really big banner and 30 feet high and you have to appreciate the effect it has on

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-58248702918015455172008-08-24T21:31:00.006+01:002009-09-02T07:41:20.253+01:00

So, I've decided to go after an instrument rating; more money, more exams and even more stress but perhaps I'll be able to fly something much bigger at the end of it all, rather than simple banner tugging, who knows? I've got to get through more navigation and maths work first. I've spent several sweaty hours over the Reading festival today and I probably look as tired and bedraggled as the

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-20074008656131717382008-08-08T20:24:00.005+01:002009-09-02T07:41:20.254+01:00

It's almost as if I had forgotten to post to my weblog completely in recent weeks!I guess I've been busy with the Airads business and just as importantly, finishing-off my commercial pilot's license.Having passed the final flight test (GFT) , with no more right to fly in God's clean air than a weasel or at least I'm sure the CAA examiner thought so, now what? The GFT and the pre-test, the 170A

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-33168624231113247922008-07-07T07:57:00.001+01:002009-09-02T07:41:20.255+01:00

I’m living in the twilight zone or at least that’s what it looks like to me.Do you remember, Mitch Kapor, Ray Noorda or even Philippe Khan? If the answer is ”No”, then I’m showing my age as the fourth and greatest software Musketeer, Bill Gates leaves the stage vacant for Google, to spend his retirement doing good works for humanity with the wealth of his Windows revolution.There was of course

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-67124652623479111242008-07-04T09:26:00.007+01:002009-09-02T07:41:20.256+01:00

I'm very sorry to hear that my old friend, Alex Allan, the present chair of JIC, the Joint Intelligence Committee has been taken seriously ill.Alex, was of course the original e-Envoy and I dropped into to see him for tea and a chat at the Cabinet Office a few of months ago. Until most recently, he was in charge of the Ministry of Justice and last week, I gave a technology presentation to the

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-68562542302253513742008-06-17T20:52:00.003+01:002009-09-02T07:41:20.258+01:00

Two busy days at the Isle of Wight Festival over the weekend, which meant that I missed the Margate Airshow, which is a pity. However, lots of good coverage over the Isle of Wight and two marriage proposals, so a good result.I've been working on the presentation to the Ministry of Justice next week. It's a personal view on technology, eGovernment and the overall meaning of life, well almost but '

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-16061163697224857972008-06-08T11:43:00.005+01:002009-09-02T07:41:20.259+01:00

So far June is turning into a disappointment, at least where flying weather is concerned. I had to abandon a marriage proposal over Canterbury yesterday on account of the low cloud and the drizzle. One feels desparately bad for the client but even trying one's best and warning that "It's very iffy", the ordinary man in the street doesn't understand what's involved in the operation and that I'm

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-65371095342640638692008-06-05T13:02:00.005+01:002009-09-02T07:41:20.260+01:00

It's one of those week's where I start to exhibit a split personality!I was in London on Wednesday, chairing a very succesful "IP Risk 2008" conference but at the same time, the banner advertising season is starting to peak, both in terms of booking and enquiries. As a result, swapping hats and personalities, picking up aircraft and delivering speeches, is all a little challenging at times,

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-54762299034757492622008-05-25T18:45:00.001+01:002009-09-02T07:41:20.261+01:00

Not a great Bank Holiday weekend. Two days work in Skegness postponed until July and a Saturday wedding at Quex park, 'Blown away' by the strong winds. It's always annoying when the 'Great British Summer' starts playing its tricks but let's hope that June wll live up to expectations and that July won't be an unhappy repeat of 2007, with its constant rain and flooding in the South West.With no

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-69405638712901778172008-05-14T16:31:00.004+01:002009-09-02T07:41:20.262+01:00

No flying today, far too windy and lucky that nothing was booked in the flying departments I have one aircraft out for its annual service until at least Saturday and the second rapidly running out of working hours until it's own 'Annual' in two weeks.As these are working aircraft, they are subject to 50 hour servicing and a complete annual maintenance regime every twelve months. Very expensive

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-28314655596582582142008-05-10T20:29:00.004+01:002009-09-02T07:41:20.263+01:00

Worn out with flying today! I had two aircraft up simultaneously for several hours above the Radio One 'Big Weekend' today at Mote Park in Maidstone, both promoting different music events for a client.We are back again on Sunday morning and lunchtime and I hope to be able to put together a short, 'YouTube' video at some point.In the meantime, here's a link to all today's aerial photos of the

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355103.post-12285940024074851792008-05-09T18:29:00.006+01:002009-09-02T07:41:20.264+01:00

I've been too busy to 'Blog' of late but at least I'm now home, after a very pleasant business trip to the lovely city of Tallinn, capital of Estonia.It's a very easy trip to Tallinn. £43 each way with Easyjet out of Stansted airport and then, arriving at the other end, it took about thrity minutes, to work through immigration, find a taxi and arrive at the city's splendid Radisson SAS hotel.I

DrM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03755236438987278120noreply@blogger.com