Archive for March, 2015
Posted on March 12, 2015. Filed under: life | Tags: author |
It’s nearly 30 years since I first met Terry Pratchett. In fact it’s nearly 30 years since he first slept in my bed.
Back then, I was playing at being a student in Edinburgh and had somehow ended up as President of the Science Fiction Society. Terry was invited, after several hours hard work in the Appleton Tower persuading a Macintosh to produce a decent-looking invitation, to be guest of honour at one of the first Freshercons (are they still running ? ). He wrote back and agreed to do it in return for a bed for the night and a chinese meal. No fee, no expenses, just an apparent sense of wonder that someone who had produced a couple of parodies (The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic) of lesser-known and thoroughly unfashionable fantasy books was thought good enough to be invited to something like that.
I still have fond memories of the chinese meal. It was in the Chinese Home Cooking restaurant in Edinburgh and a small group of awe-struck nerds were thoroughly entertained by his tales of his latest idea – something to do with Shakespeare and some witches, but he was struggling to find a decent familiar for the “wet” one.
Goodbye Pterry, we’ll miss you as much as , or maybe even more than, we still miss Douglas. And I’ll keep telling people that Terry Pratchett slept in my bed.
Now, how do I get a blue plaque erected in Edinburgh ? “Pterry woz ‘ere”.
P.S. – I slept on the sofa in the living room. What did you think was going on ?
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Posted on March 9, 2015. Filed under: Uncategorized |
I’m pretty sure that somewhere in Apple’s business plan it calls for elimination of the UI almost completely, leaving only a big button that says “Go” so that the faithful will just have to accept whatever answer Apple feels like giving on that particular day.
Innovation to solve problems or make things better is good, innovation for the sake of innovation isn’t.
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Posted on March 7, 2015. Filed under: life | Tags: competence, debate, life, politics, social media |
Lots of people posting, lots of belief systems, lots of agendae, lots of complaints – but nobody actually proposing well-considered solutions to any of the perceived problems. Politics has become as bad as sport or religion, it’s degenerating to tribal belief systems. Mainly because social media gives people a voice, but it’s one that nobody listens to. It’s easy, it’s quick and it has no real impact, except to show which of the groupings you belong to.
I’ve learnt, the hard way, that challenging beliefs, asking questions and trying to engage in reasoned debate is now a sure way to lose friends – so I try not to do it any more.
The same goes for the politicians – I have no time for anyone who says “it’s all their fault”. i don’t care whose fault it is – I want to know what the problem is and what YOU are going to do to make it better. If you won’t tell me those two simple things, I have no interest in the rest of your words.
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Posted on March 4, 2015. Filed under: life | Tags: equality, fairness, life, philosophy |
But I do believe in fairness.
Equality is based on the concept that differences don’t matter or don’t exist. Fairness accepts that differences do exist and should be allowed for and accommodated when they matter.
Just a thought.
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