blog updates

well, ok, so i haven't blogged here for quite a while. that isn't to say i haven't been having adventures. if you look through the new albums in my online photo album you'll see that i have travelled yet again, and also started my retirement planning by purchasing some land with my partner paul.

however, i haven't been particularly good about maintaining my blog. in fact, i'm surprised that they still let me open it it's been so long.

but it is now time to turn this blog into a useful site for me again. i will be updating it much more regularly now that i am seriously getting myself back into my studies.

and the reason for this updated commitment? i have just returned from the third meeting of the international working group on online consultation and public policy making where i presented a paper at their conference. this has renewed my interest in my studies as well as giving me the impetus i need by giving me a writing deadline - the book chapter draft is to be ready by the end of october this year.......

and i have also been accepted as a student in the 2008 iGov Institute - so i will be heading off to manchester in july to learn more about how to make my comparative study more effective.

this means i will probably be mulling around the big questions for my thesis much more in coming weeks. and this will be the best place for me to do it while also making me commit to writing.