Christine dropped by last night to discuss the feedback on the budget and to check out the latest developments at the Diplomatic Centre (and also, I later discovered, to play mahjongg with some of the Chinese workers! But more about that later. Let us just say Hu Jintao’s getting a call from me in the morning. This wasn’t part of the deal).
As we were exploring the golden-domed gazebo and trying to figure out what date to call elections, she turned to me and said in that sultry voice of hers, “Patos, you know what you could do with – a good blog.” “Not here, Chrissy,” I said, giggling. “Hazel can see us from the TV room window.” Christine replied with one those long steupses of the kind she lets out any time Ken Valley starts talking in Cabinet. “I find for a man who want to be a pastor when he retires you have a real dutty mind,” she said. “I mean one of them things on the internet. All the politicians have them these days. Hillary Clinton has one and Obama has one has one and John Edwards have about a hundred. Portia and Bruce and them putting their TV ads and debates on YouTube – next thing you know they going to get a blog too and start putting us in the shade.”
Not wanting to appear ignorant, I nodded in agreement. I had heard about these blog things. I also remember walking into the room one day and catching Hazel watching the Akon video on a site called something-Tube. After Christine went off to play mahjongg with the Chinks I called my son. He took a while to answer his phone. When he did I could barely hear him above the clamour of what sounded like a combination of cha-chinging slot machines, poker chips being slammed down on tables and the rattling of roulette wheels. “Where the hell are you?” I asked. “I’m at MovieTowne, Dad. Watching ‘Ocean’s 13′”. “You think I was born yesterday, boy? I know you’re in a casino! But we’ll talk about that later. I need some help. What’s a blog?”
My son came over later that night. I watched him closely as he turned on the computer, memorising the buttons he pressed so I would be able to do it myself the next day. “The internet seems to be down,” he said. “It’s that blasted Lenny Saith!” I said. “I bet you he gave our internet connection to one of the primary schools!” “That’s not how it works, Dad,” my son said. “Have you paid the bill?” “You have to pay for internet?” I asked. This thing was more complicated than I thought.
Finally we found an unsecured wifi signal called “presidentmax” and managed to get on the internet, and my son set up this blog for me. I told him I wasn’t sure I wanted to go public as yet, that maybe I would practise for a while so I could get the hang of things, so he adjusted the settings so that only I could access it. “Are you sure nobody else can see this?” I asked . “Yes, Dad,” he said. “This blog is as safe and secure as the citizens of this country.”
2 Comments
August 22, 2007 at 10:30 pm
[...] About Between me and me [...]
August 23, 2007 at 11:58 pm
Thank you uncle Patrick for the money the PM says you are sending to help us in this post-Dean period. Please send extra as it is election time and Uncles Hugo and Lula sending help for Portia. Thank you!