1 Million?

Was asked today in a mock interview by journalism trainees what I would do if I won a million pounds today...Said I would buy a grand piano, then, as an afterthought, said I'd better buy a house to put it in. I guess one's priorities never really change.

"Meek" Really Means...

Meek apparently does not mean weak and submissive, but has a traditional meaning of "soft, mild", but also with considerable inner strength and faith, and the ability to make hard decisions but in a gentle way. I learnt that tonight for the first time, and it was a liberating definition. Was reminded of one of my favourites during the discussion..."Yield and overcome" from a book on the mental approach to T'ai Chi.

Adam Bede - decided it's a healing, therapeutic book

Listening to a report on World Tonight, Radio 4, about upsurge of anti-semitism in France.

Paris in particular. A rabbi was beaten up last year, and recalls burning of Jewish cemeteries. It's suspected that the new wave of virulent anti-semitism. France has largest Jewish population and largest Muslim population. Apparently a fringe of young people in the Muslim community are responding to "anti-semitic propaganda" from the Arab community. France also blames radical Imams preaching Paris. But one of these Imam's asserts that it's not the Muslims causing this problem, but others in the suburbs from "French African" counties.

Who's On...
A way of developing Web Stats in Real Time

Why Web shoppers might stop shopping at the last minute
Marketers attract people to their sites, then they fail to buy. Additional costs, lengthy delivery times and requests for too much information are to blame for stymied online purchases, says new research from the WebTrends division of NetIQ.

Thirty-five percent of consumers surveyed by the online analytics company said added costs, such as shipping and handling, or lengthy delivery times resulted in their abandoning an online purchase. Sites requesting too much information is another annoyance that drives away 35 percent of buyers surveyed.

Seventeen percent said there wasn't enough online product information to make a purchase decision. Others (14 percent) changed their mind and elected to go brick-and-mortar shopping instead.

Online shopping cart abandonment is one of the most enduring problems facing e-tailers and marketers. NetIQ cites DataMonitor statistics that estimate unfinished online transactions could grow to $63 billion in losses this year.

Sites that persuade people to buy are most likely to see repeat business, particularly if they have strong security policies and good prices, the survey found. Thirty one percent of respondents said "good security policies" would be the biggest factor in their returning to a store; 28 percent cited "best prices."

NetIQ came up with its numbers by conducting a national telephone survey of 1,000 adults in early December. Only those who researched or purchased

listening to a debate on the news about "suitable parents" for adoption

Cold night here in Walthamstow. Just listening to two evangelical Christians who have been refused the right to adopt - they are putting their case on "Littlejohn" on Sky News. The social services "weren't very happy about it"...The fact that they set store by the "Family" as the centrepiece...This became a "bar" to them being able to adopt. The council accused them of "having a very idealistic view of marriage". They were asked "if a child placed with you was gay"...They said they don't discriminate against people because of sexuality. The council felt their religious view was prejudicial to their ability to adopt...

In the UK we have 58,000 children in care at the moment...Crikey.

"Cool the heart"

- a Thai saying, noted from a TV programme about a couple being helped to choose their dream home in Thailand.

Bruce Scheier's site about encryption and security. Also the home of "Password Safe"

Can recommend highly a movie called The Son's Room .
It's directed by Nanno Moretti. A combination of intense family tragedy and lightness of touch.