sir terry pratchett entries in

I'm awake, honest. I've had enough coffee to get me going again anyway. Doing some tidying up to my LJ, renaming tags, etc. This seems like a good enough reason to rename one of them, plus 2008 has ended so it's time to start a new 'life' tag for this year.

Appears I've posted less about what's been going on in my life this year than any other calender year that I've had the LJ. I guess being happy gives me less to write about, right? Completely skint, but there y'go, can't have everything.

I don't do new years resolutions, and, well, predictions are a bit of a mugs game, but, well, might as well.

( UK: politics will dominate, likely election, bit of history explaining why )

( Obama's honeymoon, potential pitfalls, hope he holds it together )

( Europe, Referenda, Libertas and elections )

Meh, 7pm. Time to go pick the Shrub up from her Dad's.

Man banned from jet for Transformers T-shirt | The Sun |HomePage|News

This, is ridiculous. Completely and utterly stupid. The paranoia at LAX when I was there in 2002 was both palpable and misplaced, but a t-shirt with a picture of a grrt big robot now isn't allowed? They'll be banning Oscar Wilde quotes next

(tags: politics security stupidity)
Good Omens - the Foglio comic version

Complete with added bonus art auction for the Alzheimers trust. This are Good

(tags: comics webcomics terry+pratchett neil+gaiman)
Buy a MonQee for Alzheimer's research - Charlie's Diary

This is a rather cool thing to be doingâ”a bunch of big name SF authors have signed a vinyl MonQee (no, I'd not heard of them either) and are auctioning it off for the Match it For Pratchett thing. Which we like.

(tags: terry+pratchett charles+stross charity alzheimers)
Match it for Pratchett - Monqee!

And here are some pictures and a list of authors for it.

(tags: terry+pratchett charles+stross neil+gaiman charity alzheimers)

So I thought I'd post a poll on this auspicious date. Oh, and ask opinions on the new Indy film as I've sen mixed reviews from people that normally have similar opinions.
[Poll #1193737]
Also, am watching Sunshine on DVD. It's shit, unfortunately, I'd heard that people that liked Event Horizon liked it and others didn't, as I liked that film, I thought I'd give it a go. Ah well.

ETA: It's stripped out the link to John's Wedding speech from the anniversary bit, silly LJ.

Posted mostly to remind me to read it when sober.
A Collegiate Casting-Out:

A Collegiate Casting-Out of Devilish Devices
A Discworld short story By Terry Pratchett
Copyright (c) Terry Pratchett

Anyone know if this is new or been about for a bit?

It's a crazy idea but it might just work

Go. Sign. Now.:

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to recommend Terry Pratchet for a Knighthood for his services to literature.

Now damnit!

K, at some point, I really must get around to actually watching an episode or three of Life On Mars, the whole 'no TV' thing is fine, but it does mean I can't just sit down and enjoy when it's on. Anyway, while this isn't as blatently funny as the last crossover fic I linked, it's still a damn fine idea and reasonably well done. His Grace Sir Samual gets hit by a stagecoach:

As the two watchmen handcuffed Roberts and the woman stuffed packets and cans back into her dropped shoping bag, gushing thanks, Vimes stared at the badge that had come so easily to his hand as he arrested the thief after throwing him to the ground.

Detective Superintendent Sir Samuel Vimes, North West District Police.

So very cool. Anyway. At some point today, there might possibly just be a "what Mat's been up to this week" post (or three), because, well, I've been a bit busy, in a good way. Still no permanent paid employment, but life itself is good.

Well, hacking around and coding stuff is interesting. I've nearly learnt how to do it now. I've given up on LJ figuring out what was wrong with my layout and just used the override hacks they've given me, it works, although the middle column isn't quite in the right place.

matgb

I made me a banner/header background. I've got a curved edge version, but my FTP client has decided I don't have access to my own site. Probably a glitch their end. The Collegium logo underneath the names will go, that's there for the MySpace (if I ever go back and login again), I forgot to delete it. Anyway, to celebrate my new layout, a quiz...

[Poll #852514]

And yes, I am messing around with the poll options, I'd not seen drop down boxes before. In other news, I'm re-reading Hogfather, and I am so looking forward to seeing it. I'd forgotten how much of a part Albert has in it, and I can just hear David Jason's voice giving Death the hints, etc. Unfortunately, my sleep pattern is still all over the place after last week, and that's not been helped by idiot neighbours asking me to move the car at 8am two days in a row, but not actually sterting work until after I actually drove off to get to work after 10am. Because I really love being woken up an hour and a half before planned two days in a row when my insomnia is killing me anyway.

Still, watched Sin City and Serenity tonight when I came home early. Actually watched Serenity twice, I, um, didn't bother to stop it the second time and just dozed through it.

faeriecween? Can you bring my Firefly box set down if you are coming down Friday?

Have I done a Gratuitous Icon Post before? Doubt it, my l337 skillz don't really actually stretch to good icons. But I can crop and do borders though. Anyway...

tyrell linked to the IMDB page for Hogfather. Sky One, Xmas day. Guess I'd better visit my parents at Christmas then. He also linked to the filmmakers gallery of promo shots. Oh yeah baby. I mean, I know that fancying the actress playing Susan is sorta, y'know, predictable? But, well, d'you blame me? Anyone know if Michelle Dockery can actually act? The rest of the cast is good (David Jason as Albert? Cool!), and Death looks very cool.

Oh, I'm about 2/3rds of the way through Wintersmith. Wee Free Men was good but didn't grab, Hat Full of Sky was better, and Wintersmith is very good. I guess the whole written for the audience thing kicks in a little with the first one? Anyway, how does it go? Oh yeah. Nae King, nae Quinn, nae Laird, nae master...

Also?

nmg gives us Mark Harrison's The Travellers, and for those of you who like their browsing uninterrupted by crappy pop ups that kill options like bookmarking, this link is the start of the actual strip. Why do webdesigners still think that forcing new windows to read their content is in any way a good idea?

Great A'Tuin wedding cake? Yes please... (via here and here).

Also? There's a meme going around. Quote some bloke, declare you believe in gay rights, if you don't, you're probably a closet homophobe, etc. It's a great quote, but

lithium_doll gives better from the same guy:

Words mean nothing. Action is the only thing. Doing. That's the only thing.

- Ernest Gaines

Do I believe in gay rights? No, I believe in equal rights. Complete equality before the law. What I chose to do with my partner(s) of choice, you have the right to do with yours. Or at least, you should do. I don't care what gender you prefer to sleep with, really. Gay marriage? How about we abolish marriage as a civil institution (religious types can keep it), and replace the legal aspects with bespoke contracts and partnerships that suit the individual(s)? Why are only couples who sleep together given legal status?

Meh, this was supposed to be a jokey post. But still, if'n you think I need to "prove" my dislike of bigotry, you may want to pay a little bit of attention to the contents of my friends list, n'est ce pas?

OK, firstly, I am not sober. Not drunk, but not sober. Second, the link in my last post was to here at

livejournal_uk, I used LJ Hook to insert the link and didn't check it as I was running out the door.

Third, Terry Pratchett is a god among men. Great public speaker, very funny, observant (as in, spotted and asked me the correct spelling for my name and was just generally cool), and, well, my credit card got used for a few more books. Not really an issue, it was birthday money, honest.

Fourth, I love LJ. As in, I love the community. Just over a year ago, I went to S-C with

nadriel. When there, I met two cool people. She who was to become

faeriecween and the lady known as

innerbrat. I've obviously got to know the former rather well, but I've actually met the latter three times in person total. Today was the third time. Yet we talked, got on, chatted, as if we knew each other and were old friends. Because of LJ. Because we've commented, helped each other out, advised, consoled, taken the piss, etc. I think this is a good thing. Tonight, also met

rowanberries, who seems slightly more insane. Not as nuts as some on my f-list, but still.

( LJ wittering )

Oh, the title? It's a reference to his next book. Which sounded very cool. And involved a joke with a clockwork vibrator. Seriously.

Oh yeah,

innerbrat?

liz_marcs here. Red Dwarf + Buffy. As discussed.

Drove up yesterday, got stuck in traffic (and, let's face it, I was late leaving anyway), then got lost (really must contact Merton council about how crap their signage is), but eventually got to

nadriel's.

Went out in town last night, to College Arms initially, then wandered down Oxford street to meet

faeriecween and

jantshira, we, eventually, found a pub that wasn't shut. In Soho, all the pubs still shut at 11. WTF? There were, of course, other places open, but, well, a bit pricey for entry...

Anyway, up most of the week, only set plan is to be back in the office Monday, and going to Reading tonight to see people, anyone want to suggest something I could do other than maybe go see pTerry on Thursday evening?

Location Mike's

First, Space Invaders. It even has links to two, different, mobile phone versions. Yes, I did download both.

Second, bought SFX Wednesday, but given I also bought Private Eye and 2000AD at the same time, it got opened from the wrapper earlier. Open it up, get past the contents page (who reads contents pages in magazines you've bought? You just read through the whole thing and skip the crap, right?), and see an advert. The advert is for some events at Blackwell's Charing Cross. Two events, in the same week. ( Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, 25th & 28th September respectively )Assume

innerbrat will be attending regardless, but, well, am very tempted.

nadriel? If I can get the week off work (shouldn't be hard work), can I crash at yours? Could use it to scope the job market for my sort of skills and look around a bit while I'm up there as well.

I have the next, complete, week off work. I've got some plans, but not much. I lazed yesterday (installed Starcraft, I blame

theweaselking for posting origami Zerg last week), and, well, slept this morning. Am supposed to be doing some food shopping and tidying the flat. In reality, am messing about online. Ah well, I have another week to kill.

Anyone in the area got anything planned and/or time off during the week? Have car, will travel (locally). I think

faeriecween is due down to visit Exeter at some point this week, so hope to see her while she's down, beyond that no idea. Suggestions welcome.

Tonight, Radio 4, 23.00 GMT. Small Gods. That would be all. Except...

Linda Smith, comedian, performer, campaigner and President of the British Humanist Association, died today. Tributes going to be on Radio 4 a lot this week. This one from Jeremy Hardy is especially good. She'd kept the illness quiet; I was laughing at her jokes so recently.

Someone remind me to join the BHA when my finances are sorted? (approx May I think).

So, Lj sets up a facility so you can, if you chose, list what school or university you went to. Not a bad plan, I like it. So do lots of other people.

Some people though, don't get the point. Did any of these people really study at Hogwarts? And I really doubt this lot are from the Unseen University.

I despair at times. Thanks to

theweaselking for the links...

Well, we have a Vimes, a Death and a Nanny Ogg already. You all suck. Why?
( I'm the guy in charge... )
Not sure how I got so low on the Librarian score, maybe because I hate bananas?

Oh, I also know how to use the <lj-cut text="insert tile here">put meme results or long stuff here</lj-cut> function ;-)
( And I wasn't even trying to get this result )

Obligatory blog plug bit, Paul's just written a great piece on nation states.

[Edit: Trying to fix the damn display, the coding from quizfarm assumes a certain screen layout in a very stupid manner...]

British Liberal, house husband, school play leader and stepdad. Campaigner, atheistic feminist, amateur baker. Male.

Known to post items of interest on occasions. More likely to link to interesting stuff. Sometimes talks about stuff he's done. Occasionally posts recipes for good food. Planning to get married, at some point. Enjoying life in Yorkshire.

Likes comments. Especially likes links. Loves to know where people came from and what they were looking for. Mostly posts everything publicly. Sometimes doesn't. Hi.

Mat Bowles

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Mat Bowles

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I'm the Chair of the Brighouse branch of the Liberal Democrats & the membership secretary for Calderdale Lib Dems and run the web campaign for the local candidates. I have a job, a stepdaughter and a life.

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