An audience with Tony Blair

My fave discount ticket website told me that Tony Blair was speaking at the Gibson Amplitheater, Universal Studios. Wow...that'll be cool!

Ok, in the spirit of full disclosure :) let me say I'm a fan: I've spoken with Cherie 'Mrs. Tony Blair' Booth on the phone in the past and was invited down to 10 Downing Street to do some techie stuff with Psion in 1997. That was cool.

Back to 2008. Apart from the many friends of the American Jewish University, it seems I was the only one who thought this would be fun! My English friends didn't come; my politicking friends working for the Mayor didn't come either. Who needs 'em when Blair was self-effacing and humorous. Great evening.

Top Six Tonight, Blair outlined the six issues that he believes need addressing:

1. World poverty
2. Africa
3. Climate change
4. Immigration
5. Global economy and trade
6. Getting China right (and India too)

Call me sometime What made me laugh was that Blair admitted he never had a mobile phone whilst in office. Imagine 10 years without a moible phone?! During his time in office he just borrowed people's phones or was handed one when a call came in...like, "It's George on the line...".

Blair told a story about his first day as a cilivian and his first day with a mobile phone. He texted his good friend "Hi, how are you?". His friend's mobile didn't have a an entry for Blair, so it displayed the message from an unrecognized telephone number. "Sorry. Who is this?", came the reply text. Blair thought: "it's only been 24 hours and everyone's forgetten who I am already?!" Very funny tale!

Protester...9/11 conspiracy. Is Tony Blair really being investigated by Scotland Yard?