This is La Paloma (said with ominous element of This is Anfield)
Monday, December 20, 2004
Barcelona - 1 week: New Year's Day
New Year's Day - sometimes I forget how much I miss Barcelona, the sea, the sun, the incredible cityscape - the mountain jogging route along Carretera de las Aigues (sp? Catalan), the seafood, the roof of the old market Santa Catarina (how many hours did I spend in quiet contemplation of that market last winter? Very soothing to think that the same skills that built the inside of the Ellis Island arrival terminal just at the time of Gaudi are still being used - albeit in a 21st century market built more by Pakistani than Catalan artisans). But what I most miss is the walk along the seafront at sunset in winter - whether in Port Vell past the fishing boats and Las Golondrinas, or along the beach by the famous Hopital del Mar, past the ghostly deserted chiringuitas and out to the fishing jetty near Port Olympic. 2003 was a poor year professionally but a very beautiful experience for the soul. Going back at New Year will be a very good, but also very sad, experience - the beauty of a year on the Med in the world's greatest mixture of North and South, East and West, with the best climate and food in Europe. Oxford is Bunburyful, but no Barna! 
And then there were none
It's too quiet round here - even though we've (finally) relaunched an 'adequate' website.
Today, Chester left, Monica, Toby and Magda Friday, Louise tomorrow, Danilo the same, Damian went a week ago - at PCMLP I'm the last left standing! Might go home and surf WiFi and try to finish the NTD and Korea papers...
Smells like snow in the air!
Today, Chester left, Monica, Toby and Magda Friday, Louise tomorrow, Danilo the same, Damian went a week ago - at PCMLP I'm the last left standing! Might go home and surf WiFi and try to finish the NTD and Korea papers...
Smells like snow in the air!
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Diary dates at Oxford/Cambridge 2005
PCMLP seminars 19 Jan, 1 Feb, 14 Feb then Tuesdays at 3-5pm (22nd, 1st March, 8th March).
Oxford Media Convention 20th Jan.
Puttnam lecture 19th Jan.
PCMLP 'Christmas do' 13th Jan.
CII DOS workshop 14th Jan and meet 17th Jan (Cambridge).
Oxford Media Convention 20th Jan.
Puttnam lecture 19th Jan.
PCMLP 'Christmas do' 13th Jan.
CII DOS workshop 14th Jan and meet 17th Jan (Cambridge).
Sunday, December 19, 2004
'Regulating the Internet' - my book project for first half 2005
So that's what I'm doing when I'm not teaching or retreating to Barna - got another speaking gig there on 14 April (CEPT conference).
It's a socio-politico-economic-legal treatment of the subject - with technical bits where necessary - my magnum opus (or magnificent octopus).
1. Defining Internet regulation - definition and explanation of the problem, public, private or commons?
2. Telecoms regulation - how it changes for broadband access - LLU, F2M etc.
3. Regulating Standards - from the Empire to Wintelism and onwards - competition, public goods and private cartels. Includes IP versus ATM - net versus Bellheads, WiFi, market entry and spectrum usage.
4. Content - IPRs policy and economic evidence, legal strategies for releasing content, DRM and digital rights, DTT and digital TV use of spectrum, mobile content, and ISP/BSP use of 'NTD' - essential facilities and compulsory licensing
5. Threats to the network - spam, viruses, zombies, national firewalls, then 'end of end-to-end', technical innovation and governance problems.
6. International governance - from ITU to WSIS to WGIG - how can global society be put back into the Information Society, and continue to function technically correctly?
7. Towards a crime and competition policy for the Internet? How do hyperglobalised individuals and companies pull the rest up to broadband competence without digital dangers usurping sensible self-regulation?
WhaDDAYATHINK?
It's a socio-politico-economic-legal treatment of the subject - with technical bits where necessary - my magnum opus (or magnificent octopus).
1. Defining Internet regulation - definition and explanation of the problem, public, private or commons?
2. Telecoms regulation - how it changes for broadband access - LLU, F2M etc.
3. Regulating Standards - from the Empire to Wintelism and onwards - competition, public goods and private cartels. Includes IP versus ATM - net versus Bellheads, WiFi, market entry and spectrum usage.
4. Content - IPRs policy and economic evidence, legal strategies for releasing content, DRM and digital rights, DTT and digital TV use of spectrum, mobile content, and ISP/BSP use of 'NTD' - essential facilities and compulsory licensing
5. Threats to the network - spam, viruses, zombies, national firewalls, then 'end of end-to-end', technical innovation and governance problems.
6. International governance - from ITU to WSIS to WGIG - how can global society be put back into the Information Society, and continue to function technically correctly?
7. Towards a crime and competition policy for the Internet? How do hyperglobalised individuals and companies pull the rest up to broadband competence without digital dangers usurping sensible self-regulation?
WhaDDAYATHINK?
Christmas and New Year
I'm getting really Christmassy now that the birthday is out of the way - had a great night Friday (now that I've recovered) and not living in London means never having to apologise - I can 'Bunbury' whenever I want to!
So drinks tomorrow with Liz and Richard (probably), Tuesday with the Centre, Wednesday probably London, Thursday to Hampshire, Sunday back up to Imogen's birthday, Monday wake up late rough and crawl back to Bunbury, Tuesday to Barcelona via Wayne's until Saturday when I crawl back to start the New Year!
Had a great run in the crystal clear very cold night - stars are fantastic and easy to see my way in the moonlight. I think I'm a lot fitter than this time last year, about 82kg fighting weight. It's definitely been a Henry year: highlight sunset in Tottenham in May, low point just after sunset same night - triumph for pigs over womantics.
New Year's resolution: go to see 'Mamma Mia'...
So drinks tomorrow with Liz and Richard (probably), Tuesday with the Centre, Wednesday probably London, Thursday to Hampshire, Sunday back up to Imogen's birthday, Monday wake up late rough and crawl back to Bunbury, Tuesday to Barcelona via Wayne's until Saturday when I crawl back to start the New Year!
Had a great run in the crystal clear very cold night - stars are fantastic and easy to see my way in the moonlight. I think I'm a lot fitter than this time last year, about 82kg fighting weight. It's definitely been a Henry year: highlight sunset in Tottenham in May, low point just after sunset same night - triumph for pigs over womantics.
New Year's resolution: go to see 'Mamma Mia'...
7610 and Freeview are rubbish!
Still can't download photos/videos from my 7610 to my PC - trying again! Answer might be to get a flash memory reader - which is where I store data anyway...
Also - the Freeview box might be nice - and apparently 4m punters have bought them - but Ivan told me last night in the Princess Louise that you DO need a £100 aerial install on top f the $45 box. Bastards! best let them crank up the digital signal and lose the analogue...
Good night in London last eve - the 3 Tuns has completely changed into a glass-fronted wine bar, the Underground is huge and soulless (the latter unchanged:-) and the 68 bus still takes 40 minutes. Oh, and Paul's home-grown is as potent as ever...
Also - the Freeview box might be nice - and apparently 4m punters have bought them - but Ivan told me last night in the Princess Louise that you DO need a £100 aerial install on top f the $45 box. Bastards! best let them crank up the digital signal and lose the analogue...
Good night in London last eve - the 3 Tuns has completely changed into a glass-fronted wine bar, the Underground is huge and soulless (the latter unchanged:-) and the 68 bus still takes 40 minutes. Oh, and Paul's home-grown is as potent as ever...
Tuesday, December 14, 2004
Post-China and not Estonia
It's warm and soon to be raining again - hussah! Went for a run this AM and even kicked a football around - spring in the air?
Or maybe it's because the Chinese telecom lectures went with a swing - hopefully more next year judging by the reaction - language and cultural barriers notwithstanding. Chester was heroic on getting mandarin to translate to Cantonese to English and back again, not just on my speech but also on the slides.
And Estonia didn't happen - invited and disinvited. Probably just as well, because I need a break and London networking - not more cold weather and lecturing. Still - iLaw, you owe me!
Daffy's back and forgetful - no change - and I realise how much I've been hibernating the last month - really cut myself off a lot.
Saw 'When we were kings' again last night - so pretty, a bad man, and shook up the world!!! Amen.
Or maybe it's because the Chinese telecom lectures went with a swing - hopefully more next year judging by the reaction - language and cultural barriers notwithstanding. Chester was heroic on getting mandarin to translate to Cantonese to English and back again, not just on my speech but also on the slides.
And Estonia didn't happen - invited and disinvited. Probably just as well, because I need a break and London networking - not more cold weather and lecturing. Still - iLaw, you owe me!
Daffy's back and forgetful - no change - and I realise how much I've been hibernating the last month - really cut myself off a lot.
Saw 'When we were kings' again last night - so pretty, a bad man, and shook up the world!!! Amen.
Monday, December 06, 2004
My OfComwatch Christmas message
Regular readers know that it took the motivation of 2 Yanks to get us Brits blogging our own regulator. As we approach the holiday season - happy hanukkah - it's time for a warning to us all - beware the ideas of Christmas!
Oftel had a tradition that OfCom's first moment continued - if it's good enough to make a tough decision, it's good enough to hide under a stone the Friday before Christmas. That's the 24th december this year, folks - I suspect only teatotal non-Christians will be sober enough to notice what OfCom does on that date - but 2 years ago they launched their Partial Private Circuit ruling that Friday (250 pages of dense argument), and last year the agency was launched in the full fanfare of - yes - 29 December. Remember? Me neither.
So a Christmas quiz for those not currently off on Hanukkah festivities, or broadcasting luvvies already into the full Christmas party Soho swing. What will be the 24 December 4.45pm press release this year?
[a] sorry we didn't deliver increased take-up of broadband;
[b] or LLU at French rates - yet;
[c] or 3G - but hey fellahs, that was before our time when decisions were taken;
[d] but we'll put out old Morecambe and Wise on the PSP we're going to give £300m to;
[e] we'll explain fully what 'equivalency' for rivals to BT really means.
or my personal favorite:
[f] here's how fantastic our first year has been - in 360 days we've acheived precisely...(acheived, not said or consulted or promised, that is).
Should be good - in fact OfCom's greatest achievements this year might well be the combination of proving that we need a Wireless Telegraphy Act 2005/6 to implement spectrum trading effectively, and taking that 'equivalency' pledge and doing something serious about it - even in the 21st Century Network (sic).
So a Christmas message on competition - a present for all those amongst you who support UKCTA - the UK Competitive Telecoms Association - so nearly named the Fixed UK Operators Forum...Merry Christmas, everyone!
Oftel had a tradition that OfCom's first moment continued - if it's good enough to make a tough decision, it's good enough to hide under a stone the Friday before Christmas. That's the 24th december this year, folks - I suspect only teatotal non-Christians will be sober enough to notice what OfCom does on that date - but 2 years ago they launched their Partial Private Circuit ruling that Friday (250 pages of dense argument), and last year the agency was launched in the full fanfare of - yes - 29 December. Remember? Me neither.
So a Christmas quiz for those not currently off on Hanukkah festivities, or broadcasting luvvies already into the full Christmas party Soho swing. What will be the 24 December 4.45pm press release this year?
[a] sorry we didn't deliver increased take-up of broadband;
[b] or LLU at French rates - yet;
[c] or 3G - but hey fellahs, that was before our time when decisions were taken;
[d] but we'll put out old Morecambe and Wise on the PSP we're going to give £300m to;
[e] we'll explain fully what 'equivalency' for rivals to BT really means.
or my personal favorite:
[f] here's how fantastic our first year has been - in 360 days we've acheived precisely...(acheived, not said or consulted or promised, that is).
Should be good - in fact OfCom's greatest achievements this year might well be the combination of proving that we need a Wireless Telegraphy Act 2005/6 to implement spectrum trading effectively, and taking that 'equivalency' pledge and doing something serious about it - even in the 21st Century Network (sic).
So a Christmas message on competition - a present for all those amongst you who support UKCTA - the UK Competitive Telecoms Association - so nearly named the Fixed UK Operators Forum...Merry Christmas, everyone!
Saturday, December 04, 2004
Oxford lecture mid-February
Money, power and responsibility are the three major issues of Internet governance decided by law:
money - property, state-to-individual;
power - sovereign rights (inc. criminal, tax etc) - individual to state - disconcerting because we
assigned these rights, except billionaires, many years ago when Magna Carta was signed;
responsibility - individual to individual, state to state - soft power and tort, damages, ethics - law not so good at this one!
money - property, state-to-individual;
power - sovereign rights (inc. criminal, tax etc) - individual to state - disconcerting because we
assigned these rights, except billionaires, many years ago when Magna Carta was signed;
responsibility - individual to individual, state to state - soft power and tort, damages, ethics - law not so good at this one!
Some URLs for rare Marsden writings
SSRN home page, Harvard 'Excuse my language', 'Gildered Ostriches', 'Code Lovely Code' in Blacksburg, OSCE Amsterdam, USC Annenberg School, Harvard and Council of Europe, Re:Think work, Warwick seminar 1998, Warwick conference 1999, sports rights 1998, Property Rights 2001, Blackstone book, Regulating the GIS press launch, Phoenix Center, 2001 Quello speech, review of ITS 1998, Helsinki 2003 ITS, 2001 Napster helping Hollywood, ABC Pipeline programme 1999, Self-Regulation beats State Control 2004, WLAN and the European 3G Tragedy 2002 Intermedia, official CoE report page, Very British Judicial review, Future Gazing 2004, stream of Supernova 2004, Ever Seen an Elephant Fly? MIT 2000, Reinventing Broadband 2001. Any more?
Dancing or boxing?
I've been inspired by both Amir Khan and the Strictly team's tangos this weekend - so next term (when I expect to travel less than this term) do I take up kick-boxing or dancing? I just don't think I could take dancing with Englishwomen so maybe I should box - better exercise too. But I really fancy being 'tangoed'! My back's been playing up again since Korea - and 2 friends have got bad backs - so I must do something - my osteo looked at my protruding stomach and suggested pilates - cheek! It's just my pigeon chest...
Thursday, December 02, 2004
Jetlag cure!
It really worked - 18 hours to Korea, 18 hours back, 36 hours in-between in Seoul, and I feel fine! So if you stay on your own time zone and keep the trip very short, you avoid all impact on your pineal gland. saw Vicki Nash in the pub when I got back, told me that melatonin curted her jetlag from being in Beijing last week - maybe that does the trick too.