The signing of the Withdrawal Agreement is a fantastic moment, which finally delivers the result of the 2016 referendum and brings to an end far too many years of argument and division. Boris Johnson 24 January 2020. Here we are, two and half years later, some six years after the referendum and it still feels … Continue reading Protocol
Snagging list
My eldest daughter has just moved into a new house. It’s lovely and well worth the inevitable stress that moving causes. Apparently it is one of the three most stressful things you can do. The house will stand her and her daily in good stead for years to come. It is a new-build and is … Continue reading Snagging list
Another ITT
When I heard that the government was putting out a tender that should really be up our (CyberNorth) street I had to take notice. I couldn’t attend the briefing and ended up paying someone to attend on my behalf, that’s how important it felt. In this way we were registered as interested and therefore eligible … Continue reading Another ITT
Time for change
Perhaps it's the circles I move in but most of my colleagues are against having a monarchy and have avoided any ‘celebrations’ over last weekend. Even those who did join in did so less from a sense of support for royalty but to enjoy the spectacle. There is a growing republican movement in this country … Continue reading Time for change
Enforced holidays
I have never been one for so called bank holidays. Who goes to the bank these days anyway? I don’t like the idea of being told when I should or should not take time off work. Usually they are dull days spent lying around the house or doing DIY while it pours down outside. At … Continue reading Enforced holidays
50 pints
I’ve finally reached a landmark in blood donations. I’ve just donated my 50th pint. That’s nearly 24 litres in the current parlance. This time giving blood was a good experience, I had picked a good slot, the queue was short and I was through in about half an hour. Nearly all of the COVID precautions … Continue reading 50 pints
Long live the…
I'm a republican, a citizen not a subject. I believe that the concept of monarchy, where power is passed on by an accident of birth, is an anachronism and an insult to democracy. You can imagine then, that this is an interesting, difficult, and conflicting time for me. The country seems to be swept up … Continue reading Long live the…
Art and cyber again
I am thinking about art and cyber security again. Not only is this year’s Crafty Cyber Eyes well underway with over a dozen artists involved but the programme is getting international recognition. A paper submitted by the team from Sunderland University has been accepted for presentation at the 35th International BCS Human-Computer Interaction Conference at … Continue reading Art and cyber again
North East BCorp
Image thanks to Tailored Thinking I came across the idea of B Corp a few years back through my involvement with the North East Initiative on Business Ethics (NIBE). If you know about these things there is an obvious parallel. As with many business ideas, it started in the USA. The B stands for benefit … Continue reading North East BCorp
I agree with the Daily Mail
Well, there’s a sentence I never thought I would write. It’s true, at least in part. Last Friday’s headlines screamed ‘WHAT A FARCICAL WASTE OF TIME AND £460,000’ referring to the ongoing PartyGate scandal and the subsequent ‘investigation’ by the Metropolitan Police. The whole affair has without doubt been an incredible waste of time and … Continue reading I agree with the Daily Mail