Podcasts about sir terry

The Magic of Terry Pratchett is a book, and a live show, written and presented by stand up comedian Marc Burrows.  In 2020, Marc penned the first-ever biography of Sir Terry. The book received critical acclaim, won a Locus Award and was embraced by fans.  This is Marc's Origin Story. He also talks about the 2024 Edinburgh version of his show, 'The Magic of Terry Pratchett'. Photo by Kim Burrow with illustration by Andrea C White. Presented by Martin Walker. Marc's Profile and Social Media HERE www.onthemic.co.uk

Lozzie's back, friends and neighbors! And this month, we're sitting down to talk about everybody's favorite coven - the Witches of Lancre, from Discworld. Longtime fans of the show have heard the works of Sir Terry Pratchet (RIP) and the wisdom of Granny Weatherwax quoted many times on the show, but what other lessons might the Lancre coven have for us over the course of their many odysseys, quests, holidays, and general mucking about? (Tangents include which fantasy character is Legolas' hot grimy dad, why certain tourists are so bloody annoying when they go abroad, which Discworld quote made Lozzie snarf tea out her nose, and what Bree and the sainted Sir Terry's origin stories have in common.) If you love Discworld, this episode is for you. If you've never heard of Discworld or are only passing familiar, consider this your introduction. Bit late for the Glorious 25th of May, but all the same - Here's to Truth, Justice, Freedom, Reasonably Priced Love, and a Hard-Boiled Egg!  The Witches of Lancre  Equal Rites - Wyrd Sisters - Witches Abroad - Lords and Ladies - Maskerade - Carpe Jugulum The Tiffany Aching Saga The Wee Free Men - A Hat Full of Sky - Wintersmith - I Shall Wear Midnight - The Shepherd's Crown (GNU Terry Pratchett) Sunflower Witch Market - https://www.facebook.com/events/191005147387320 Free Spirit Gathering - https://www.freespiritgatheringmd.org/  CritWitchCon 2024 - https://criticalthinkingwitches.com/events/  Follow Bree and Lozzie on Instagram at @breenicgarran and @bihexualhistory. Visit the Willow Wings Witch Shop on Shopify and check out this month's featured items. Make sure you also visit the Redbubble page for even more cool merch! Check my ⁠⁠Wordpress⁠⁠ for full show notes, as well as show notes for past episodes and information on upcoming events. You can find me as @BreeNicGarran on TikTok, Instagram, and WordPress, or as @breelandwalker on tumblr. For more information on how to support the show and get access to early releases and extra content, visit my ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠. Proud member of the ⁠⁠Nerd and Tie Podcast Network⁠⁠. MUSIC CREDITS Intro & Outro – “Spellbound” & “Miri's Magic Dance”Host-Read Ads – “Danse Macabre – Violin Hook”Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hexpositive/support

As nicknames go, The Dark Lord is right up there. But it could have been so different for our guest if a former boss had got his way and convinced him to go with Red. Alex Lester is truly deserving of the description 'legend'. Three decades at Radio 2 for goodness sake! He's got some stories from those times, mainly involving Sir Terry, as well as delving into the beginning of his career and the disastrous launch of a station he was involved with. But the tale of his fan mail nearly made us soil ourselves. Be warned! There's very strong language and adult content in this episode.   Listen to Alex Lester on Greatest Hits Radio: https://planetradio.co.uk/greatest-hits/station/on-air/alex-lester/ Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/alexthedarklord?lang=en  

Sir Terry Farrell is one of the UK's leading architect-planners. During fifty years in practice he has completed many award-winning buildings and masterplans, including the MI6 Building, Alban Gate, Embankment Place and The Home Office Headquarters in London as well as millennium projects, such as The Deep in Hull, and UK masterplans including those for Greenwich Peninsula and Paddington Basin. Notable projects in East Asia include Incheon airport in Seoul, Beijing Station and Guangzhou Station in China (the largest in the world), and the Peak Tower and Kowloon Station development, both in Hong Kong. Farrell has longstanding connections to Newcastle. He grew up in the city and studied at Newcastle University (1956–61). He produced the masterplan for regenerating the quayside in the early 1990s, and has since undertaken several major projects in the city, including the Centre for Life (2000), the Newcastle University campus masterplan (2004) and the extension to the Great North Museum (2009). In 2018, Farrell generously donated his practice archive to Newcastle University as a resource for research and public engagement. At the same time, he agreed to give £1 million towards the creation of the Farrell Centre as an ‘urban room' focused on Tyneside which would also contribute to broader national and international debates around architecture and cities and the future of how we live. Sir Terry Farrell stepped back from the practice he founded in 1965 – known today as Farrells – in 2019.

In today's Fringe 2023 preview, Ewan is joined by long-time friend of the parish Marc Burrows. He's bringing three shows to Edinburgh this year… a classic stand-up, a second show that talks about what happened in his third show, and a third show that takes us through the life and work of Sir Terry Pratchett. When did Marc decide to bring Sir Terry to the Fringe, why the footnotes that Pratchett loved are part of the experience, and what was he thinking when he added a third show to his already busy Fringe schedule?

Send us a Text Message.Sir Terry Waite spent almost five years in solitary confinement as a hostage in Beirut. After being  released he founded Emmaus UK for the homeless and Hostage International, both of which he is president of.  He has recently been knighted as recognition for his work. In this conversation we explore the damage done by the erosion of trust, how to rebuild it, and how suffering can be turned to creative ends. There are few people today who manage to combine the humility and courage that Sir Terry seems to so naturally possess, he is a true inspiration.

Sir Terry Waite was held hostage in Lebanon in the 1980s and ‘90s, while a special envoy of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Runcie. He was in captivity for the best part of five years, most of this time in solitary confinement. Last week, he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in the King's Birthday Honours list. When his book, Solitude: Memories, people, places (SPCK) was published in 2017 (Books, 24 November 2017), he was interviewed by Sarah Meyrick. The book is available in paperback from the Church House Bookshop. Try 10 issues of the Church Times for £10 or get two months access to our website and apps, also for £10. Go to churchtimes.co.uk/new-reader

We pare down to the core group for one last trip across the Disc, and Ana and Aaron finally read The Shepherd's Crown. Project wrap-up content starts at around 51:30, although it does continue to include Shepherd's Crown content. Thanks to our many guests, but especially to you, our listeners. We would have done it regardless, but we hope that we inspired you to read or re-read Sir Terry's works, and we hope that you thought about things from a new angle.We're not done quite yet, so don't delete this feed. More surprises coming soon. Mind how you go.GNU Terry Pratchett.Check us out on twitter at @atuin_podHelp us keep the lights on via our Patreon!Follow individual hosts at @urizenxvii, @The_Miannai, and @JustenwritesWe can also be found at www.compleatdiscography.pageOur art is by the indomitable Jess who can be found at @angryartist113Music is by Incompetech and used under a Creative Commons 4.0 Attribution license.Take a Chance by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4457-take-a-chanceLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This is a story about football. This is not a story about football. It can be both.We return to Ankh-Morpork for the coda to the Dwarf Cultural Revolution, the continuation of Vetinari's modernization efforts, and a deep exploration of prejudice and racism. And also some footie.And we are deeply honored to be joined this month by Rob Wilkins. Rob Wilkins worked with Terry Pratchett for over twenty years, first as his assistant, and later business manager. He now manages the Pratchett estate and Terry's production company, Narrativia. He can be found on Twitter managing the account he and Terry shared @terryandrob, if he's not too busy promoting the works of Sir Terry in various media or overseeing the next season of Good Omens. And if you haven't picked up a copy of Terry Pratchett: A Life with Footnotes: The Official Biography, please do. ----------------------------------------------------------Check us out on twitter at @atuin_podHelp us keep the lights on via our Patreon!Follow individual hosts at @urizenxvii, @The_Miannai, and @JustenwritesWe can also be found at www.compleatdiscography.pageOur art is by the indomitable Jess who can be found at @angryartist113Music is by Incompetech and used under a Creative Commons 4.0 Attribution license.Take a Chance by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4457-take-a-chanceFuzzball Parade by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5044-fuzzball-paradeLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

"All. Out. Thamaturgical. War." Newbie Andy opens with a shocking revelation but ultimately plays second banana to Discworldly P.J. and his first reading at how Sir Terry's arm's a-gettin' fits into the Disc-curriculum. Drinking at the Drum there's strong use of the F-word (Fantasy) in chatter about life during wartime, university modernisation, domestic abuse and climate crisis. Ook! Pratchett at Queen's University UNICON 1989 https://www.facebook.com/groups/belfastsciencefiction/posts/6182301498460625/ Write to us at iveneverreaddiscworld@gmail.com https://twitter.com/discworldGNU https://facebook.com/discworld GNU

To wrap up the first year of Is This Just Fantasy, Duncan and Geordie make their first journey to the late great Sir Terry Pratchett's seasonal parody: Hogfather. The fellas reflect of their love for Sir Terry's depiction of Death as a character, as well as one of the best speeches in his canon. Duncan denies that the book is a parody of the Nightmare Before Christmas, Geordie can't say the word anthropormorphisation, and the fellas perform their first reading (and Geordie enjoys playing with the voice modulator).It's the perfect book to end the year: with a thesis statement on why fantasies are more than just fun; they're a vital part of being human.

We prepare to find out why infinite Earths aren't enough as writer, editor and podcaster Joel Martin returns to the podcast to fire up the fusion engine and have a close encounter of the crustacean kind in the third Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter Long Earth novel, The Long Mars. It's 2045 - five years after the eruption of the Yellowstone super-volcano on Datum Earth. The climate has catastrophically changed and there's been mass migration to stepwise Earths. Maggie Kauffman, captain of the new stepping airship Neil Armstrong II, is sent ten times further into the Long Earth than anyone has gone before, to find out what happened to the ship's missing predecessor. Meanwhile reclusive stepping pioneer Joshua Valienté is called back to the Datum by the A.I. Lobsang to search for a new kind of human emerging from the Long Earth. And Willis Linsay, who disappeared after giving Stepper box technology to the whole world thirty years ago, sends a message to his super-stepper daughter, Sally. He wants her to go on a mysterious mission to Mars... The last of Pratchett's novels to be published before his death, The Long Mars marks a turning point in the series where Pratchett's involvement was limited after the first draft, and Stephen Baxter did most of the polishing. Like The Long War it skips over the immediate aftermath of the disaster at the end of the previous book to inhabit the world of its longer term consequences. It also continues the tradition of switching between multiple narratives with at least a dozen key characters. There are old friends and new faces, but some of them are barely glimpsed. It's a book full of big ideas, but not so much plot - and even less emotional and character development. Does this one feel more Baxter than Pratchett? Is this the troubled middle episode of the series? What did you think of the portrayal of the Next? How cool are those acid snakes? Will any of these awesome ideas return in the final two books? And where the Hell-Knows-Where is Helen? Join in the conversation using the hashtag #Pratchat57 on social media. Guest Joel Martin is a podcaster and writer who is now our first four-time guest. He previously joined us in #Pratchat14 and #Pratchat44 for The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic, and in #Pratchat31 for The Long Earth. His independent podcasts, The Morning Bell and The Youth Vote, are currently on hiatus, but watch out for the new season of The Dementia Podcast from The Dementia Centre, produced by Joel, in September 2022. Find Joel online at thepenofjoel.com or on Twitter at @thepenofjoel. As usual, you can find notes and errata for this episode on our website. Due to some technical difficulties we ended up delaying this episode until after #Pratchat58, so thank you for your patience! We've already recorded our next episode, #Pratchat59, in which we discuss The Science of Discworld III: Darwin's Watch with science and fiction writer, Dr Kat Day. But in October for our sixtieth episode we're having an open slather questions-only special, just like we did for #Pratchat30! So please send us your general Pratchett-related questions: about the show, books we've already covered, Sir Terry himself, the Discworld in general, the Guild of Recappers & Podcasters, Liz and Ben, being Australian/Fourecksian or anything else even vaguely on-topic. Use the hashtag #Pratchat60 on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook, or send us an email at chat@pratchatpodcast.com.

"There is no one alive who will get every joke in a Terry Pratchett book." - Marc BurrowsMonstrous Regiment is a book about war, gender politics, queerness, and socks.Our guest, Marc Burrows, can be found at https://www.marcburrows.co.uk/ and @20thcenturymarc on Twitter. He is the author of the Locus award-winning biography of Sir Terry, The Magic of Terry Pratchett, and several other books, including the upcoming book The London Boys: David Bowie, Marc Bolan and the 60s Teenage Dream . He is a delight.***Check us out on twitter at @atuin_podHelp us keep the lights on via our Patreon!Follow individual hosts at @urizenxvii, @The_Miannai, and @JustenwritesWe can also be found at www.compleatdiscography.pageOur art is by the indomitable Jess who can be found at @angryartist113Music is by Incompetech and used under a Creative Commons 4.0 Attribution license.Take a Chance by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4457-take-a-chanceFuzzball Parade by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5044-fuzzball-paradeLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In this bonus episode on Sir Terry's birthday, Aaron sits down with his 10 year old daughter Sophie to discuss her own perspectives on Amazing Maurice.Check us out on twitter at @atuin_podHelp us keep the lights on via our Patreon!Follow individual hosts at @urizenxvii, @The_Miannai, and @JustenwritesWe can also be found at www.compleatdiscography.pageOur art is by the indomitable Jess who can be found at @angryartist113Music is by Incompetech and used under a Creative Commons 4.0 Attribution license.Take a Chance by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4457-take-a-chanceFuzzball Parade by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5044-fuzzball-paradeLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The Last Continent is about Fourecks, a country legally distinct from Australia because Sir Terry says so--and because it's a country of original people and accidental new inhabitants, rather than colonial powers. Also it hasn't rained for a very long time.Pratchat is a podcast from Splendid Chaps Productions in which hosts Elizabeth Flux and Ben McKenzie have embarked on a six (ish) year mission to read every Terry Pratchett novel*, one a month, and discuss them with special guests. Elizabeth Flux (Pratchat Library Captain) is a freelance writer with a focus on film and pop culture, and previous editor of Voiceworks magazine. She has been published in Film Ink, Metro, Junkee, The Lifted Brow, Spook and Kill Your Darlings and can be found tweeting terrible puns @ElizabethFlux. Pratchat is Elizabeth's first podcast.Ben McKenzie is a comedian, writer and game designer. His work includes the VR game Table of Tales: The Crooked Crown and time travel radio comedy Night Terrace (as heard on BBC Radio 4 Extra). He also teaches creative writing for 100 Story Building and comedy writing for the Australian College of the Arts. Ben tweets at @McKenzie_Ben, his favourite dinosaur is Stegosaurus, and his favourite element is helium. Ben has previous hosted and produced the podcasts Splendid Chaps, re:Discovery and On the Terrace, some of which may return.Check us out on twitter at @atuin_podHelp us keep the lights on via our Patreon!Follow individual hosts at @urizenxvii, @The_Miannai, and @JustenwritesWe can also be found at www.compleatdiscography.pageOur art is by the indomitable Jess who can be found at @angryartist113Music is by Incompetech and used under a Creative Commons 4.0 Attribution license.Take a Chance by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4457-take-a-chanceFuzzball Parade by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5044-fuzzball-paradeLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

While Jingo is broadly classified as a Guards book, it really is the beginning of a series of Sam Vimes books with the Watch in orbit around him. There's also a LOT of our favorite carnivorous flamingo, The Patrician himself.  There's submarine action, a plot head-fake that would be at home in film noir or Tom Clancy, and lots and lots of politics.It also marks an inflection point in Discworld novels, at least to those of us very familiar with them. Sam very much finds who he will be in the back half of the Discworld library in this book, and much of the commentary that happens around the plot is clearly Sir Terry rethinking some of his earlier easy stereotypes.Our guest Scott Paladin can be found on twitter @scottpaladin and online at scottpaladin.com, as cohost on the Monster Mechanics Podcast @monstermpod and monsterpod.org, and as writer/director/editor on the Breathing Space, Fading Frontier audio drama @BreathingXSpace breathingspace.lawofnames.com.Check us out on twitter at @atuin_podHelp us keep the lights on via our Patreon!Follow individual hosts at @urizenxvii, @The_Miannai, and @JustenwritesWe can also be found at www.compleatdiscography.pageOur art is by the indomitable Jess who can be found at @angryartist113Music is by Incompetech and used under a Creative Commons 4.0 Attribution license.Take a Chance by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4457-take-a-chanceFuzzball Parade by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5044-fuzzball-paradeLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

A country holiday turns to murder—sounds like the plot of innumerable whodunits, right? Not when it's Sir Terry's version.Check out our new webpage at www.podpage.com/witches-and-wizards-portal.The previous week's Pratchips, and last week's regular episode, are available on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh2HGerNeQ9kkv3WvZnyzVQAvec videos of our hard-working staff.All Pratchips episodes for the coming week are now available to all Patreon supporters (at whatever level) on our Patreon page, and to all members of our Discord community, Friends of Medieval Gnome Productions in the Pratchips channel.Our Patreon page may be found at https://www.patreon.com/user?u=21210045&fan_landing=trueYou can join our Discord community by searching for it on the Discord home page, or by clicking here: https://discord.gg/kdr5SWnUPPEmail us at www.medievalgnome@gmail.com. You never know what might happen!!  Thanks for listening.  

Bethany is a listener, Patreon subscriber, and member of our Discord community (thanks, Bethany!) who recently requested/suggested a show about how technology affects the Disc's inhabitants. And yes, it affects them; i.e. it has an effect on them. Affect/effect is a tricky one. (Chorus: Get on with it!!!)So, here it is. From Twoflower's iconograph to Dick Simnel's Iron Girder, a look at how the Disc responded to, and was affected by technology over the course of the books. Remember, you have until August 20th to get your suggestion for a new title for the podcast to me. Winner will receive a copy of The Ankh-Morpork Archives, a book so brand-new it hasn't even been published yet. L-space, quantum, and all those thingummies. August 20th is also the deadline for submissions to the Portal's first-ever poetry contest. First it was haiku, then it was limericks and haiku, and now—what the heck—it's any poetic form you'd like to use. Just make sure your poetry is about the Disc and/or Sir Terry and/or fantasy fiction in general. Winner of this one gets a custom episode, recorded exclusively for him/her/them. And, PLEASE send me some new questions for Granny! You can ask her anything.You can send your emails to me at randy@mindkindle.net.Go check out our new site at podpage.com/witches-and-wizards-portal!You're also invited to come join our Discord community, Friends of Medieval Gnome Productions! Just go to the main Discord page and enter “Friends of Medieval Gnome Productions.” Alternatively, you can use this link: https://discord.gg/45JxBKUYuA. Btw, it costs nothing to join the server, and there's a lot of exclusive content on there.You can also pop onto our Patreon page if you're in the mood to underwrite the efforts of Medieval Gnome Productions (or just want to see some more exclusive content). There's also patron-only content there. Here's the URL. https://www.patreon.com/user?u=21210045&fan_landing=trueGNU Terry Pratchett The Turtle MovesMind How You Go

          Sir Terry's output was prodigious. In addition to the 41 Discworld titles, he wrote 16 non-Discworld novels, a four-book series called The Science of Discworld (with Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen) and co-wrote the five-book The Long Earth series with Stephen Baxter. All this in addition to numerous graphic novels, short stories, theater adaptations… and much more. Prodigious doesn't cover it. His writing was clear, engaging, entertaining, thought-provoking—and don't forget extremely funny! So make it prodigious genius. I've said it before: in a hundred years, if there is still a civilization in a hundred years, Terry Pratchett will still be read and enjoyed. Hell, he'll still be read and enjoyed in 400 years (although the odds of there being a human species, let alone civilization, still around then are pretty long.)GNU Terry PratchettThe Turtle MovesMind How You Go 

Sir Terry didn't intend or probably even know that he was going to write 61 Discworld books. Some of the elements that appear in the early books just didn't work, for reasons you'll learn when you listen to this episode. Evolution has its casualties, and this week we learn about some of the things that disappeared from the books forever, as well as considering how Sir Terry accomplished this.Remember that we have two contests going on: The Portal Haiku Contest, and the Name That Show Contest.        The Haiku Contest is your chance to get creative, and to maybe win a custom episode of the Portal just for you. Send you haikus to me at randy@mindkindle.net, and I will read them on the show. I'll also select three winners from among the entries, and those three winners will each receive their own custom episode. Deadline for entries is September 20th. You aren't limited to one haiku—send is as many as you'd like.         The Name the Show Contest also has a deadline of September 20th, and as with the Haiku Contest you can send in as many name suggestions as you want. My decision as to the winner will be final, and alas! the winner will have to sign a legal thingie transferring rights to the name to Medieval Gnome Productions.        The goal is simple: to come up with a new name for the show which is more likely to attract Terry Pratchett/Discworld fans and readers. The name does not have to include the word portal. Check the names of other Discworld-related podcasts if you need some inspiration.        The winner of this contest will be announced on October 1st (the last episode for season 10.) The prize for this contest is a copy of the brand-new book, The Ankh-Morpork Archives. The book won't be published until August 10th, but I have pre-ordered a copy for our lucky contest winner.        So tell me, what should the new name for this show be? And, PLEASE send me some new questions for Granny! You can ask her anything.You can send your emails to me at randy@mindkindle.net.You're also invited to come join our Discord community, Friends of Medieval Gnome Productions! Just go to the main Discord page and enter “Friends of Medieval Gnome Productions.” Alternatively, you can use this link: https://discord.gg/45JxBKUYuA. Btw, it costs nothing to join the server, and there's a lot of exclusive content on there.You can also pop onto our Patreon page if you're in the mood to underwrite the efforts of Medieval Gnome Productions (or just want to see some more exclusive content). There's also patron-only content there. Here's the URL. https://www.patreon.com/user?u=21210045&fan_landing=trueGNU Terry Pratchett The Turtle MovesMind How You Go

Men at Arms is one of those transitional books in the Discworld series. I'll be talking about that at length in this month's second Patreon episode, which you will receive as usual if you are a $10/month subscriber, or if you just have to have it you can send me ten bucks by PayPal and I'll send it to you.          Today though I'm discussing a single sentence from the book which highlights the way Sir Terry crafted the puns he put in the Discworld books. The sentence in question just stopped me in my tracks as I was re-reading Men at Arms. If you have thoughts about this experiment in three-minute podcasting, please shoot me an email at randy@mindkindle.net. I'd love to hear from you; I will answer you; and if you are a first-time emailer I'll include a recording of the Clacks episode with my reply. That's the only way you can get a copy of the Clacks episode, short of using a second email addy and a fake name! You are also cordially invited to come join our Discord community, Friends of Medieval Gnome Productions! Just go to the main Discord page and search “Friends of Medieval Gnome Productions.” Alternatively, you can use this link: https://discord.gg/45JxBKUYuA. Btw, it costs nothing to join the server, and there's a lot of exclusive content on there, plus the opportunity to interact with other Pratchett fans, and participate in our Discord person, place or thing challenge. Sort of like 20 questions, and lots of fun.You can also pop onto our Patreon page if you're in the mood to underwrite the efforts of Medieval Gnome Productions (or just want to see some more exclusive content). There's also patron-only content there. Here's the URL. https://www.patreon.com/user?u=21210045&fan_landing=trueI also ask that you consider sending a one-time PayPal payment to randy@mindkindle.net. Our listenership, alas, is shrinking, as are our Patreon supporters. If you don't want to commit to a monthly subscription, please think seriously about a one-time PayPal donation. Even the price of a latte will help with our expenses.  The Turtle MovesMind How You GoGNU Terry Pratchett 

Sir Terry uses the anthropomorphic personification of Death to make us all think about what it means to be human. He also makes us laugh at Death. That's talent! If you have thoughts about this experiment in three-minute podcasting, please shoot me an email at randy@mindkindle.net. I'd love to hear from you; I will answer you; and if you are a first-time emailer I'll include a recording of the Clacks episode with my reply. That's the only way you can get a copy of the Clacks episode, short of using a second email addy and a fake name! You are also cordially invited to come join our Discord community, Friends of Medieval Gnome Productions! Just go to the main Discord page and search “Friends of Medieval Gnome Productions.” Alternatively, you can use this link: https://discord.gg/45JxBKUYuA. Btw, it costs nothing to join the server, and there's a lot of exclusive content on there, plus the opportunity to interact with other Pratchett fans, and participate in our Discord person, place or thing challenge. Sort of like 20 questions, and lots of fun.You can also pop onto our Patreon page if you're in the mood to underwrite the efforts of Medieval Gnome Productions (or just want to see some more exclusive content). There's also patron-only content there. Here's the URL. https://www.patreon.com/user?u=21210045&fan_landing=trueI also ask that you consider sending a one-time PayPal payment to randy@mindkindle.net. Our listenership, alas, is shrinking, as are our Patreon supporters. If you don't want to commit to a monthly subscription, please think seriously about a one-time PayPal donation. Even the price of a latte will help with our expenses.  The Turtle MovesMind How You GoGNU Terry Pratchett 

Why did Sir Terry give the Disc's version of Transylvania a German name? The issue came up in a discussion on our Discord server, and I'm sharing what I learned from that discussion with our listeners. What we learn is that Sir Terry was well-versed in European history and an excellent linguist as well. That shouldn't surprise anyone who's read Monstrous Regiment, or Raising Steam, in particular. I say “in particular” because many of the Lancre books reference Uberwald, and Moist von Lipwig (Going Postal, et al.) hails from there.There's a big bilingual pun at the heart of it all, in fact. Great stuff, but as usual if you don't get the pun it doesn't detract from the enjoyment of the book(s). Uberwald is a cool name for a place with vampires, werewolves, and Igors in it, after all.Many thanks to Bas and Malocaptain, who participated in the above-referenced discussion on Discord, and thus enlightened us about another STP pune, or play on words. If you have thoughts about this experiment in three-minute podcasting, please shoot me an email at randy@mindkindle.net. I'd love to hear from you; I will answer you; and if you are a first-time emailer I'll include a recording of the Clacks episode with my reply. That's the only way you can get a copy of the Clacks episode, short of using a second email addy and a fake name! You are also cordially invited to come join our Discord community, Friends of Medieval Gnome Productions! Just go to the main Discord page and search “Friends of Medieval Gnome Productions.” Alternatively, you can use this link: https://discord.gg/45JxBKUYuA. Btw, it costs nothing to join the server, and there's a lot of exclusive content on there, plus the opportunity to interact with other Pratchett fans, and participate in our Discord person, place or thing challenge. Sort of like 20 questions, and lots of fun.You can also pop onto our Patreon page if you're in the mood to underwrite the efforts of Medieval Gnome Productions (or just want to see some more exclusive content). There's also patron-only content there. Here's the URL. https://www.patreon.com/user?u=21210045&fan_landing=trueI also ask that you consider sending a one-time PayPal payment to randy@mindkindle.net. Our listenership, alas, is shrinking, as are our Patreon supporters. If you don't want to commit to a monthly subscription, please think seriously about a one-time PayPal donation. Even the price of a latte will help with our expenses.  The Turtle MovesMind How You GoGNU Terry Pratchett   

Show Notes No Agenda Episode 1361 - "Variant Factories" "Variant Factories" Direct [link] to the mp3 file ShowNotes Archive of links and Assets (clips etc) 1361.noagendanotes.com Sign Up for the newsletter Archive of Shownotes (includes all audio and video assets used) archive.noagendanotes.com The No Agenda News Network- noagendanewsnetwork.com RSS Podcast Feed Experimental IPFS RSS Feed Get the No Agenda News App for your iPhone and iPad Get the NoAgendDroid app for your Android Phone Torrents of each episode via BitLove document.write("Last Modified " + document.lastModified)This page created with the FreedomController Credits "Variant Factory" Executive Producers: Sir Michaelanthony the Muttonmonger sir-cuitous Dame S3XY Gabriel Chapman Josh Adair Dame Jen of the Free Republic of England Jason Forcier Liam Brown Dame Swannee Steve Weiss Josh Scandlen Sir Sort It Out Dame Brazen Bird Joshua Huffman Associate Executive Producers: The Independence Day Knight Sir Christopher Kessler, Baron Eric Remington Daniel Posselt Rich and Meg Hufford Rebecca Kirkpatrick Lindsey Fox Sir Sutton Become a member of the 1362 Club, support the show here Boost us with with Podcasting 2.0 Certified apps: Podfriend - Breez - Sphinx - Podstation Title Changes Dame 4NladyB4 -> Baronetess of Dacula Brett Samuel -> Sir-Cuitous -> Baron of Randburg in South Africa Knights & Dames Jen Sayer -> Dame Jen of the Free Republic of England, Black Knight Lorraine Converse -> Dame Brazen Bird Terry Cameron -> Sir Terry of the North Peace Michaelanthony -> Sir Michaelanthony the Muttonmonger Joe Campana -> Sir Campana Anonymous -> SIr Sutton Art By: Nessworks End of Show Mixes: Tom Starkweather - Dave Courban Engineering, Stream Management & Wizardry Mark van Dijk - Systems Master Ryan Bemrose - Program Director Back Office Aric Mackey Chapters: Dreb Scott Clip Custodian: Neal Jones NEW: and soon on Netflix: Animated No Agenda Sign Up for the newsletter ShowNotes Archive of links and Assets (clips etc) 1361.noagendanotes.com New: Directory Archive of Shownotes (includes all audio and video assets used) archive.noagendanotes.com RSS Podcast Feed No Agenda Lite in opus format NoAgendaTorrents.com has an RSS feed or show torrents document.write("Last Modified " + document.lastModified)This page created with the FreedomController 21421 Keywords

Maskerade! Every face a different shade... after reading Nanny Ogg's new cookbook, that is. Seeking unpaid royalties (and a young witch to replace newly married Magrat), Nanny and Granny head to Ankh-Morpork. They experience Culture, commit shenanigans, and consider questions of morality. Meanwhile, when Sir Terry isn't making her the butt of every single fat joke he can think of, Agnes Nitt has a journey of self-exploration, feeling the twin pull of the life she wants as Perdita X Nitt, famous opera singer, and the life she knows as Agnes the witch-in-potentia.Because this is vaguely Phantom of the Opera (actually a little less than we thought woops), we invited our good friend Coast to join us (noted Phantom expert and Locked Tomb fanatic). Coast is a person who gets excited about things on the internet. Sometimes fan-artist/writer/long-winded babbler. Can be found @coasterchild on Twitter.Check us out on twitter at @atuin_podHelp us keep the lights on via our Patreon!Follow individual hosts at @urizenxvii, @The_Miannai, and @JustenwritesWe can also be found at www.compleatdiscography.pageOur art is by the indomitable Jess who can be found at @angryartist113Music is by Incompetech and used under a Creative Commons 4.0 Attribution license.Take a Chance by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4457-take-a-chanceFuzzball Parade by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5044-fuzzball-paradeLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Teatr Okrucieństwa, jest to krótkie opowiadanie dziejące się w Ankh-Morpork. Sir Terry pozwolił na jego rozprowadzanie w internecie pod warunkiem, że nigdy nie ukaże się w wersji drukowanej. Przekład jest autorski. Chciałbym coś więcej sensownego napisać, ale padam na mordę, a jutro rano do pracy. Sporo pracy wykonałem, a jej efekty są na https://fantasmagoria.org/ jednakże strona jest w czasie przebudowy, więc nie wszystkie linki działają i jest sporo ukrytych treści, ale Teatr Okrucieństwa łatwo znaleźć. Nie wszystko jest takie jakie chcę, nie znalazłem sensownego sposobu na swoją wizję przewijania postu, a strona bardziej podoba mi się na telefonach niż na "dużym ekranie". Zapraszam do słuchania. Czarnobrody p.s. Tłumaczenie jest nasze, jeżeli ma ktoś ochotę nagrać swoje audio, to z chęcią zamieszczę na stronie, ale musi być na koniec pliku dopowiedziane, że audiobook może być umieszczony w serwisie: www.fantasmagoria.org

In this episode, we re-play an interview with Sir Terry Matthews recorded during a visit he made to Queen's campus. Key advice, stories, comments, and insights from Sir Terry Matthews in this episode:-        Give ownership to employees-        Build products customers want-        Write consistent quarterly reports-        Go global – fast (US is local)-        Be persistent – up to half the time a lost contract can become a winFollow Wesley Clover on Twitter @WesleyCloverIntResearch, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Resources at Queen's Queen's Partnerships and Innovation - link Dunin-Deshpande Queen's Innovation Centre – link Smith School of Business – Centre for Business Venturing- link

We have some fun with human foibles (as well as those of other sentient species this week, especially people's gullibility and, as Sir Terry called it, “low-grade paranoia.” This week's trivia question is, “What is Big Mad Drongo's real name?” Come join our Discord community, Friends of Medieval Gnome Productions!You can pop onto our Patreon page if you're in the mood to underwrite the efforts of Medieval Gnome Productions. https://www.patreon.com/user?u=21210045&fan_landing=trueGNU Terry PratchettDe Chelonian Mobile

A birdwalk with the Gnome… and, if you haven't listened to the Portal enough to encounter the word birdwalk, you can think of it as a “one thing leads to another” moment…. Or, often, string of moments. Or string of punctation. Which leads me to one last thing—Sir Terry's comment about Carrot's ballistic approach to punctuation. I'm experiencing that currently, reading as I am Edward Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (I'm currently on volume two). His barrages of comments and semicolons, and his penchant for writing sentences that are slightly longer than… a really long thing are making the reading a real challenge. Not to mention the plethora of Roman names, and archaic names of cities and regions. And, I'm reading a free electronic version from the Guggenheim Project, and there are some problems with dropped or misplaced phrases, doubtless from the process used to transfer the work into an electronic format. Birdwalk! Birdwalk!!!! Hahahaha!!!!GNU Terry PratchettDe Chelonian Mobile

Happy New Year, and welcome to our first episode of 2021. Thank you to all our listeners who have been with us on this journey. If you’re new to Robby The Robot’s Waiting: welcome! You’ll find some geeky chat, a wry look at the sci-fi news, some what-we’re-watching recommendations, and a look back at a classic of the genre in the company of a top guest. This episode we’re joined by Jonathan Wright, journalist and editor, an expert on literary SF, the publisher of Adventure Rocketship! and a regular in the pages of SFX magazine. The topic under discussion? Usually, we check out a vintage movie or TV show, but today you’ll hear about Terry Pratchett’s novel Night Watch. Yep, it’s destination Ankh Morpork as we set coordinates for Discworld to talk about one of Sir Terry’s finest novels (which, with a theme of policing and civil unrest, seems more relevant than ever). Meanwhile, we’ve been checking out Pixar’s Soul, the New Year’s Day edition of Doctor Who, The Midnight Sky, The Expanse and more... Lockdowns are a pain but they’re a good excuse to watch a lot of streaming TV and films. We also discuss Star Wars: The High Republic, the latest on DC and Marvel’s bids for world domination (including Wonder Woman 3), TV ghost stories, The Elder Scrolls – Terry Pratchett’s favourite video game, fact fans – finally becoming a TV show, Steven Seagal tributes, the big Lost rewatch, Scotty in space, and loads more. Episode highlights: 0.00.53 – What we've been watching: Soul, The Midnight Sky, Doctor Who New Year Special, The Expanse, Star Wars: The High Republic, Sci-Fi Blindness on Radio 4 and more 0.19.04 – Robby The Robot's Writing: our new listener feedback section (all correspondence welcome!) 0.23.01 – Meet our guest Jonathan Wright. He’s been watching Soul and reading The Library Of The Dead by TL Huchu 0.25.13 – Rewind: we’re celebrating a book in this week’s retro section, rather than a TV show or film. Sir Terry Pratchett’s Night Watch takes us back to a turbulent time in Discworld’s past 0.53.02 – News! Wonder Woman 3, more DC movies on HBO Max, MCU on TV, The Book of Boba Fett, no more The Haunting Of...s, His Dark Materials gets a third season, Elder Scrolls on TV, Scotty in space and loads more Your podcast pals: Richard Edwards: film and TV journalist and former editor of SFX magazine. https://twitter.com/RichDEdwards Tanavi Patel: entertainment reporter for SFX and Digital Spy, panel moderator for MCM, FanExpo and more. https://twitter.com/tanavip Dave Bradley: writer, gamer, book reviewer and another former editor of SFX. https://twitter.com/BoxDaveB SPECIAL GUEST! Jonathan Wright is a highly-regarded journalist, critic, editor and book guru (BBC History Mag, SFX, Adventure Rocketship) https://twitter.com/Jonathanw101 Robby’s mailing list: Get episode announcements straight to your inbox https://tinyurl.com/robbynewsletter

Writers, comedians, magicians and con-men experts Nicholas J Johnson and Lawrence Leung join us as we meet the distressingly named Moist von Lipwig in his 2004 debut, the 33rd Discworld novel, Going Postal! Con-man Moist von Lipwig (aka Albert Spangler) thinks he's come to the end of the line when he's hanged by order of Lord Vetinari, Patrician of Ankh-Morpork. But while the world believes him hanged, the city's tyrant has actually saved him for something bigger: he wants Moist to revitalise the city's derelict post office. It seems like a hopeless task with no chance of success or escape, what with the mountains of mail, unsatisfactory staff, golem parole officer, and the communications monopoly of the Grand Trunk Sempahore Company, run by the piratical Reacher Gilt. But every con-man needs a challenge... Pratchett's first Moist book is a great in to the Discworld at large, with a gripping self-contained story of new technology vs old, capitalism vs the public good, and one man's lifetime of criminal habits vs his better nature. As well as Moist himself, it introduces such memorable characters as Mr Pump, Stanley the pin collector, and the one and only Adorabelle Dearheart. (Everyone in this book has an amazing name.) It's not a short book, and we struggle to cover all its themes, twists and turns. Do you love Moist von Lipwig? Could you get over his name? Could you operate a Clacks tower? And just how deep did Vetinari's plan go, anyway? Join the discussion using the hashtag #Pratchat38. Guest Nicholas J Johnson is an author, magician and expert in scams and swindles, earning himself the nickname "Australia's Honest Con-Man". His new children's book, the "autobiographical" Tricky Nick, features magic and time travel and all sorts, and is available now from Pan Macmillan. Find out more about Nick's live performances and workshops at conman.com.au, or follow him on Twitter at @countlustig. Guest Lawrence Leung is a comedian, screenwriter and actor, known to Australian audiences from his roles in Offspring and Top of the Lake, and his own shows including Lawrence Leung's Choose-Your-Own-Adventure and Maximum Choppage, and the feature film Sucker. Find out all the latest about Lawrence, including when you can catch his live-streamed comedy shows, at lawrenceleung.com, or you can follow him on Twitter at @Lawrence_Leung. The full show notes and errata for this episode will be added to our web site later in the month. Our plan to cover Sir Terry's short fiction was via live shows, but since that hasn't worked out for us this year, in January we're going to discuss 1998's short witches story, The Sea and Little Fishes. We'll also be welcoming our first international guest: Marc Burrows, author of the Pratchett biography The Magic of Terry Pratchett! Send us your questions via social media using the hashtag #Pratchat39.

Magrat inherits the duties of a fairy godmother, and obviously Granny and Nanny come along to make sure the wedding is adequately broken up. There is a wonderful "British tourists on the Continent" storyline, some extremely funny murder-cat moments, the Disc's second-greatest lover, the first appearance of Dwarf Bread... and then Sir Terry decides to incorporate Voodoo as a major plotline, which is unfortunate to put it mildly. We discuss this as well as four people outside the religious and cultural practice of Voodoo can, but if this topic is upsetting, please take that into account.An image of Patch(Wolverine) who may be an inspiration for HumanGreebo?Check us out on twitter at @atuin_podFollow individual hosts at @urizenxvii, @The_Miannai, @mynaminnarr, and @JustenwritesWe can also be found at www.compleatdiscography.pageOur art is by the indomitable Jess who can be found at @angryartist113Music is by Incompetech and used under a Creative Commons 4.0 Attribution license.Take a Chance by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4457-take-a-chanceFuzzball Parade by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5044-fuzzball-paradeLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

From the Disc, to be precise. Remember to check out Friends of Ponder's Wizardly Portal on the Discord server. You can get exclusive content there, as well as discussing all things Discworld with fellow fans.I want to put you on the show! Just record a short clip (30 seconds or less) talking about Discworld, Sir Terry, the Portal… just about anything that's not off-color or offensive. I am also still in search of people to voice Discworld characters. Again, as long as you have the ability to record the audio and email it to me, I can take care of all the editing stuff. And I would love to have a listener create the new cover art for the show. Wonderful as the picture of my staff is, it doesn't really say “Discworld” to the person searching for Pratchett or Discworld-related podcasts. You can check out my new podcast, The GEM Show (Gnomic Explorations and Musings) s on Buzzsprout at   https://www.buzzsprout.com/1366630.  You can also find it on Spotify, and in the iTunes store (or just by using https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-gem-show/id1532745170.) If you're interested in classic 19th and early 20th century English language fiction, The GEM Show is the place to go. The first author I'm reading is Arthur Conan Doyle; specifically, of course, some of the Sherlock Holmes stories. But I will be doing more than just reading. Think the Portal's Pratchett Podcasts. This will be an hour-long show once a week, and I plan to take my time on each author, so you can expect several months' worth of Doyle (A lot of Mr. Sherlock Holmes and a little of The Lost World).And, as always, you can reach me at randy@mindkindle.net with whatever's on your mind, including those audio clips that'll get you on the show!  The Turtle MovesGNU Terry Pratchett 

Change and development, whatever the motivation for it, is necessary for creative work such as the Portal to thrive. Part of that change is the new name for the show, and some other impending changes and developments are outlined in this episode as well.The episode also considers the question of what is in a name, looking at not only Sir Terry's skill in devising names for Discworld people and places, but also that of J.R.R. Tolkien, who was of course a professor of philology as well as the author of the Lord of the Rings series.I invite you to come join us on the Discord server, Friends of Ponder's Wizardly Portal, which you can do by clicking or tapping on the link below.https://discord.gg/K9s6BSWYou can also reach me directly by email at randy@mindkindle.net. I'd love to hear from you!As always, no living things, sentient or otherwise, were harmed in the making of this show.  The Turtle MovesGNU Terry Pratchett

Liz, Ben and science communicator Anna Ahveninen have the weird sensation of being a specimen in a jar as they discuss 1999's The Science of Discworld, co-written by biologist Jack Cohen and mathematician Ian Stewart. By bribing the Unseen University faculty with the promise of cheap heating, research wizard Ponder Stibbons gets permission to try splitting the thaum, the magical equivalent of the atom. The experiment is a success, but fills the University with dangerous raw magic. To use it up, sentient thinking machine Hex initiates "the Roundworld Project", the creation of a reality devoid of magic. The universe in a bottle that results has no narrative imperative, only one kind of light, and not a single star turtle. What it does have are rocks, flaming balls of gas and rules. This all seems very unnatural to the wizards, so there's only one thing to do: poke it with a stick and see what happens... After reading one too many "Science of Star Trek" books, science writers and Pratchett fans Jack and Ian joined forces with Sir Terry to write a book in which they would use the wizards' exploration of a bottle universe to explore our own, and the science that explains it. The concept was a bit of a gamble, and no-one wanted to publish it at first, but it proved a big hit, spawning three sequels and a major revision to this first volume, three years later. The Science of Discworld concentrates on the beginning and evolution of the universe and the history of life on Earth, with plenty of asides about the nature of science and how it is taught (including the now famous concept of "lies-to-children"). In between these essays, the Unseen University wizards poke our own "Roundworld" with a big stick and try to make sense of a world without magic - in part by forcing Rincewind into the role of virtual astronaut. What did you learn from The Science of Discworld? Do you enjoy the alternating fantasy and science chapters? How does it compare to the other "The Science of" books? And does the science still stand up, eighteen years after the revised edition of 2002? Use the hashtag #Pratchat35 on social media to join the conversation! Guest Anna Ahveninen is a science communicator, writer and (ex) chemist who currently works at the Australian Academy of Science. You can follow her on Twitter at @Lady_Beaker. Anna also wanted to give a shout out to the STEMMinist Book Club (the second M is for Medicine), who you can also find on Twitter at @stemminist, and on Goodreads. Turns out we jumped the gun a little with Collisions - the Liminal magazine fiction anthology won't be published until November! We'll remind you in a couple of episodes. Next month it's back to the Ramtops for our favourite coven's last hurrah, as Lancre is invaded by vampires in Carpe Jugulum! We'll be joined by actor, singer and cabaret star Gillian Cosgriff. Get your questions in via social media using the hashtag #Pratchat36, or send us an email at chat@pratchatpodcast.com. You'll find the full notes and errata for this episode on our web site.

Arguably the most famous of the Discworld plot threads, the Guards novels start with this story. Destiny, Dragons, Politics, Gender Roles and Subversions Thereof, and at least a few of Sam's ruminations on inequality and power. If Death is Sir Terry's authorial self-insert, Sam Vimes is Sir Terry's moral self-insert. If you love noir, urban fantasy, high fantasy, cults, or surprisingly relevant political satire, you will find something to like in this book. Just don't ask for your figgin to be toasted.Check us out on twitter at @atuin_podFollow individual hosts at @urizenxvii, @The_Miannai, @mynaminnarr, and @JustenHunterWe can also be found at www.compleatdiscography.pageOur art is by the indomitable Jess who can be found at @angryartist113Music is by Incompetech and used under a Creative Commons 4.0 Attribution license.

Please donate to the Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer's Research UK, or the Orangutan Foundation UK, in honor of Sir Terry. Wear the lilac, and how do the angels rise up?Check us out on twitter at @atuin_podFollow individual hosts at @urizenxvii, @The_Miannai, @mynaminnarr, and @JustenHunterWe can also be found at www.compleatdiscography.pageOur special episode art (as well as our regular art) is by the indomitable Jess who can be found at @angryartist113Music is by Incompetech and used under a Creative Commons 4.0 Attribution license.

Before talking about the Disc, this week I took a few minutes to talk about the Black Swan event we are all experiencing. It's a time of reckoning, and we have to acknowledge that. I couldn't ignore it this week, anyway, and so I devoted a few minutes to it. Btw, my wife and I were talking about the astonishing benefits to the environment the pandemic is bringing about, and she said, “Yeah, the planet is fixing itself.” It is indeed, and there's a profound poetic justice there. As for our trip through the Portal, we consider the grags, and especially Ardent, and their impassioned attempts to throw a spanner into the gears of progress in the name of preserving “true dwarfishness,” which of course they get to define. Moreover, we look at the fact that the latter books in the series were the culmination of Sir Terry's skill as a social critic (and not just a satirist, let alone a “humorous fantasy writer.”) He takes on governmental institutions, banks and financing, racism and slavery, terrorism, and technological “progress,” with a skill that makes the books as entertaining as ever, but which also makes the thoughtful reader say wow, did he nail that. You may find details about this season's contest at  https://mindkindle.net/season-five-contest-get-home/, or on the show's Discord server, Friends of the Discworld Portal, at https://discord.gg/SXp5K9r.  The show's bonus episodes are now available for the ridiculously low price of $5 apiece. You can find the back catalog at https://mindkindle.net/back-catalog-of-bonus-episodes/ or on the Discord server. Please consider supporting the show by becoming a Patreon subscriber at https://www.patreon.com/user?u=21210045. As always no cats, turtles, or other superior beings were harmed in the making of this episode. The Turtle Moves 

This week I get a bit personal to start the show, because sometimes you have to do that if you want to display real empathy and compassion.In Ankh-Morpork, a visit to the Guild of Ecdysiasts, Nauchers, Cancanieres, and Exponents of Exotic* Dance leads some discussion of footnotes, H.L. Menken, and a rather surprising realization** about Sir Terry's use of footnotes in early books. In addition, the results of Holly's research into the etymology of the word canon are presented. This is all followed by some housekeeping, without, alas, the assistance of Mrs. Whitlow. ***This week's contest quote: “The origin of the Nac Mac Feegle is lost in the famous Mists of Time. They say they were thrown out of Fairyland by the Queen of the Fairies because they objected to her spiteful and tyrannical rule. Others say they were just thrown out for being drunk.” No choice of books this week. You're on your own. E-mail your answer (or guess) as to the book from which that quote came to me at randy@mindkindle.net. Also, if you email me by Friday February 7th, I will email you an MP3 of an exclusive bonus episode.  The Discord server link is https://discord.gg/K9s6BSW. Portal's Patreon page https://www.patreon.com/user?u=21210045 As always you can reach me at randy@mindkindle.net, where you are also invited to send one-time PayPal payments. You can find the Portal blog, Gnomic Musings, at https://mindkindle.net/gnomic-musings-the-discworld-portal-blog/.No animals or ecdysiasts were harmed in the production of this show. Remember only you can perform Random Acts of Kindness. As always, this episode is dedicated to the memory of Sir Terry Pratchett, OBE. Chelonian mobile. *That is exotic, not erotic. ** Which realization is that there is only one in Color of Magic and Light Fantastic combined @, although in fairness it is one of the longest of them in all the canon. Collection. Catalogue.*** She informed us she was “indisposed.” Indisposed, doubtless, to consent to housekeeping with a strange man.@ Holly concedes she may have missed one. She had to check in short order, since the issue only came up right before airtime. 

A free-for-all bonus episode. You can also find it (also for free) on the Portal's Patreon page. Herein you'll find some anecdotes about Dr. Terry Armstrong (the other profoundly influential Terry in my life,) a discussion of J.R.R. Tolkien and Sir Terry, and, as a Hallowe'en treat, the first-ever Portal blooper reel. Trick or treat! You can now visit the Discord site to leave feedback about the show. Just follow this link (https://discord.gg/snVHpxM), sign up, choose a username, and post suggestions, comments, criticisms, and any other feedback you'd like.You can also join the Portal's chatroom on Discord, by following this link:https://discord.gg/YBD2rzKThe Portal's Patreon page, which includes a Portal blog, can be found here:https://www.patreon.com/user?u=21210045And last but not least, you can always contact me at randy@mindkindle.net, and you'll find another Portal blog, some Discworld resources, and candid photos and video of my engineer and producer (Ivy and Holly.) 

In The Color of Magic/The Light Fantastic and Sourcery, the life expectancy of the wizards of Unseen University is distressingly short. All eight heads of the Orders of Wizardry meet a stony doom in The Light Fantastic, and of course the new Archchancellor at the time of Sourcery never even gets to officially don the pointy Archchancellor's hat, while once again there is a veritable massacre of the senior wizards at the end of the book.In this week's episode we take a look at why that is, and your Gnomic host asserts that their mortality is as much a hindrance to their becoming engaging characters as their generally unpleasant personalities. Thus, the true “sea change” in wizards and wizardry in the course of the books is not the attenuation of their wizardly powers, but Sir Terry's decision to develop them as a group and as individual characters rather than killing them off. Or something like that. This week's lottery question: “Who is your favorite wizard character, and why?”The feedback I received on the issue of show length came down firmly on the side of remaining with the 20-minute show format. However, I will be producing two 20-minute bonus episodes a month, beginning in November. These will be available to Patreon subscribers only. See the Portal's Patreon page (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=21210045, or just search Discworld Portal on the Patreon home page)for details.This means that the ability to pick a topic for a show, as well as to access the show's chat server on Discord, are no longer restricted to Patreon subscribers. If you have a topic you would like to hear covered, just send in an email requesting it. First come, first served, and I reserve the right to restrict the topic to fit a 20-minute show.. The Discord server is called “Friends of the Discworld Portal.” There is (of course) a mobile app for it, but you can also get the desktop app at discord.com. I will be hosting chats on the server on Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. GMT. You can also go to the server any time to chat with whoever's around—including, rather frequently, me.  

Sean and Joda are still at it, revisiting beloved author Terry Pratchett in his comical take on the silver screen: "Moving Pictures." Join your (would-be) hosts as they discuss how you miss a whole lot of Sir Terry's works when you're listening to a British guy narrate it and they do their best to answer the question: "Why Did I Read This?"You can find Why Did I Read this on Facebook at facebook.com/whydidipodcastthis and follow them on Twitter @whydidireadthis

Belief and metaphor, the life force, and narrative causality are the three driving elements of the Discworld's "physics," all under the umbrella of magic, made possible by the fact the Discworld should not exist. We've been taking a look at all three of these elements this season. Today, using the book Jingo as an example, we look at plot, character and theme, the three driving elements of great fiction-- as any professor of literature or literary critic will tell you.Specifically, we examine how these three elements work in Jingo, and see by that examination that Sir Terry's work was indeed that of a literary genius. The same examination might be made of any of the Discworld books, with similar results.All this is by way of reminding us that the man was an extremely prolific, as well as talented author, who loved to write, and who found inspiration in innumerable sources. This was Sir Terry's magic, and the elements of it-- plot, character, and theme developed and interwoven with consummate skill in the context of a brilliant story who absolutely loved writing and showed it, among other ways, by the production of over 60 books, short stories, and other works in the course of just over 30 years. Magic indeed. And genius, by Jingo! This week's trivia question: Who is Ankh-Morpork's most celebrated chef? (Hint: it's not Sham Harga.) The championship for this season is down to a two-person race (and gods help me, I just know I'm going to have to come up with a tie-breaker) but don't despair. All listeners who get at least one question right this season will have their names entered in a drawing for a mystery prize-- not the Complete Ankh-Morpork, which either Tony or Jessica will win, but a cool prize nevertheless. Answers to the trivia question, as well as comments, suggestions, or just general conversation will reach me at randy@mindkindle.net. I promise to answer your message, too. Scout's honor. 

Here's your bonus episode for season 2. By popular request, the Gnome shares some more of his checkered past, talks about cats (including Holly, the show's producer, and Ivy, the engineer. No really.) and identifies when, if not how, he became acquainted with Sir Terry and the Discworld. This is not an episode about the Discworld, so if you're looking for that, and not interested in hearing me talk about myself some more, skip this episode and go to season 2 episode 9 (Genius, by Jingo!) instead.Questions and comments, as well as answers to trivia questions may all be sent to randy@mindkindle.net. Complaints or criticisms may be sent to the same address, with the subject line: Attention: Rocky the troll. Rocky will then be sent round to discuss your issue with you personally, usually within one Discworld day. Be advised though, that as with all trolls, Rocky construes "discussion" as a very physical activity.

The Death of Rats must be imaginary, decides Susan Sto Helit. Tiny rat skeletons wearing robes and carrying tiny scythes do not exist. She must be imagining this one because of the cheese on toast she had at supper the night before. Thus begins the acquaintance of Susan, duchess of Sto Helit (it's complicated) and adopted granddaughter of the Death of the Discworld, and the Death of Rats, a tiny piece of Death which the Grim Reaper allowed to maintain an independent existence when he was "reconstituted." (Even more complicated-- there's a whole book about it.) This week we begin to come to know both Susan and the little skeletal rat she initially insists must be imaginary. We find out about Susan's personality, and about the steps her parents took to stop her remembering about being Death's granddaughter, including giving her an education. To paraphrase Sir Terry, though, "Education is easy. Learning things is harder." 

Architect Sir Terry Farrell’s postmodern pastiche of styles include the MI6 building and the Breakfast Television Centre in London. His six-decade career has veered from masterplanning city blocks to building train stations in China. He talks to Josh Fehnert about his life before architecture, the buildings he remembers most fondly and living in a former Spitfire factory.

Wherein we learn of the breadth of Sir Terry's genius and of one way of approaching the reading of Discworld novels. We also hear a bit about Nanny Ogg and Granny Weatherwax, the novels featuring the Ankh Morkpork city watch, as well as those featuring Death, his adopted granddaughter, a consummate conman, and Rincewind, failed wizard and champion survivor. Although not all at once, of course. That is, not all those entities are featured in all the books-- and of course they're not all featured at once in this, the sixth episode of The Discworld Portal. Remember you can contact your host and guide at randy@mindkindle.net, and make a paypal donation to the same address if you would like to support the show, or at least pay the producer's salary. Oh, and we learn that it is never advisable to address Granny Weatherwax as Granny (she prefers Mistress Weatherwax) unless you know her very well, and probably not even then. We also find out about headology. Oh and Death's adopted granddaughter is not an accomplished conman. Moist von Lipwig is. A conman that is, and not death's adopted granddaughter. Don't worry, it will all come right in the end. 

This time we look at the big picture of the Discworld, through the lens of Sir Terry's foreword and prologue to The Color of Magic.We also learn of Ankh-Morpork's attitude toward fires in the city, and of its response upon first hearing of the concept of fire insurance. The episode also makes brief reference to the inspiring example of the Igors' use of thunderstorms, and explains why the show's producer and engineer are badly paid. 

We kick off the Year of the Incontrovertible Skunk with our fifteenth episode, heading not to the Discworld at all, but to Earth, 1990! Two guests - academic Jen Beckett and writer Amy Gray - join us as to tackle a book written by two authors: Good Omens, written by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman! The time has come for Armageddon: the End of Days, the Final Battle between Good and Evil. Which comes as rather a shock to the demon Crowley and angel Aziraphale, who've been more or less friends for centuries, and rather enjoy Earth the way it is, thank you very much. But can they really do anything about it in the face of the ineffable plan of God? Or when everything that happens has been foretold by a 16th century witch - as interpreted by her descendant, Anathema Device? And has anyone asked the Antichrist himself what he thinks? Well no, of course not. They don't know where he is. Good Omens was Sir Terry's first collaboration with another author, and Gaiman's first novel, written while he was still working on his biggest comics success, Sandman. In part a parody of The Omen, but joking about everything from motorways to computers and the Greatest Hits of Queen along the way, it's an epic tale of Armageddon soon to arrive on the small screen via Amazon Prime and the BBC - adapted by Neil himself. Did you come to this as a Pratchett fan, or a Gaiman one? Did you cross over and start reading the others' work? And how different do you find it to the rest of Pratchett? We'd love to hear from you! Use the hashtag #Pratchat15 on social media to join the conversation. Dr Jennifer Beckett lectures at Melbourne University in Media and Communications. Her specialist areas as a researcher include Irish cinema and cultural studies, social media, and transmedia world-building. (Jen's basically an expert in all the cool parts of popular culture.) A current focus for Jen is the connection between social media and trauma, as explored in her most recent article for The Conversation: "We need to talk about the mental health of content moderators". Amy Gray has written for The Age, The Guardian, the Queen Victoria Women's Centre and many other publications and organisations. She's currently working on her first book, hopefully to be published in 2019. You can find out more and support her independent writing via her Patreon. You can also find her on Twitter at @_AmyGray_. You can find full notes and errata for this episode on our web site. We love bringing you Pratchat every month, but in order to make sure we can stick it out to the very end - and cover every one of Sir Terry's books - we need your help! We've started an optional subscription service via Pozible which will help us keep making Pratchat for you, and even let us do it better; find out all about supporting Pratchat on our new Support Us page. Next month we'll continue the religious theme as we're joined by the Reverend Doctor Avril Hannah-Jones for an examination of faith, Discworld-style, in Small Gods! Send in your questions about gods (big or small) via social media using the hashtag #Pratchat16.

For our ninth episode we leave the Discworld again as author Amie Kaufman joins us to discuss Truckers. One of four novels Pratchett published in 1989, it introduces the Nomes - Pratchett's second group of tiny folk living at the edges of the human-sized world. Masklin is the young hunter in a group of Nomes: four-inch tall fast-living people struggling to survive on rats and the scraps they can scavenge from the human world. After two Nomes are killed by a fox, Masklin convinces the group to hitch a ride on one of the humans' enormous vehicles, and they find themselves in the Store: Arnold Bros (set 1905), a wondrous place filled with food, warmth - and more Nomes than they have ever seen. As they try to adjust to the peculiar ways of life in the Store, its electricity revives "The Thing", an ancient Nome artefact handed down for generations. It reveals to Masklin that Nomes were stranded on Earth millennia ago, but there's hardly time to understand what that means before The Thing warns of immediate danger: the Store will be demolished in just fourteen days...  Truckers is a middle grade book - it has chapters and no footnotes! - which is nonetheless charming for "adults of all ages", as Sir Terry liked to inscribe copies. In Masklin, Grimma, Granny Morkie and the other Nomes are echoes of Pratchett characters we love, and it's perhaps surprisingly sophisticated in its satire, social commentary and love of wordplay. It forms the first part of "the Bromeliad" trilogy (a name explained by the sequels), but is also a complete and wonderful story all on its own. We'd love to hear what you thought of Truckers: use the hashtag #Pratchat9 on social media to join the conversation. But do try to use small words... Amie Kaufman is on social media, but if you really want to keep up with what she's up to, we recommend hitting her web site, amiekaufman.com. Her novels include the The Illuminae Files YA sci-fi trilogy, co-authored with Jay Kristoff, and for younger readers Ice Wolves, the first in a new middle grade fantasy series. We'll head back to the Disc next time when we grab a bag of banged grains and take in a few clicks in Moving Pictures! We haven't currently confirmed our guest, but we'll be sure to tell you who they are when we can lock in a date! You can still ask questions to be answered on the podcast by sending them in via social media; use the hashtag #Pratchat10 so we can find them! You'll find the full notes and errata for this episode on our web site. Want to make sure we get through every Pratchett book? You can support Pratchat for as little as $2 a month and get subscriber bonuses, like the exclusive bonus podcast Ook Club!

In this, the next episode after our seventh one, writer, performer and librarian Aimee Nichols talks with us about the ninth-but-one Discworld novel: Guards! Guards! Published in 1989, it kicks off the longest-running and arguably most popular Discworld sequence: the adventures of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch. The Night Watch has seen better days: the Thieves' Guild has made them all but obsolete, and with the recent death of Herbert Gaskin, their company has dwindled to just three: career Sergeant Fred Colon, former street urchin Corporal Nobbs, and perpetually drunk Captain Samuel Vimes. They're shaken up by new recruit Carrot - a human raised (as far as possible) by dwarfs - who not only volunteered to join, but actually tries to uphold the law. But they'll need all the help they can get as a secret cabal of resentful men are manipulated by a charismatic leader for an incredible purpose: to bring a dragon to Ankh-Morpork... Vimes, Colon, Nobby and Carrot all make their debuts here, as do Lady Sybil Ramkin (in her biggest role), Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler, Detritus the troll and the concept of L-Space, and both the Librarian and the Patrician feature prominently. It's also the first Discworld novel set entirely in Ankh-Morpork, though after appearances in all of the previous novels it already feels like home. Even nearly 30 years later, Guards! Guards! feels incredibly relevant and funny, but it's also weird to go back to Sam Vimes' beginning when he still has so much evolution and redemption ahead of him. (If you'd like to head straight to the next book, just go back in time to episode one of Pratchat when we read Men at Arms with Cal Wilson.) We'd love to hear what you thought of Guards! Guards! - use the hashtag #Pratchat7A on social media to join the conversation! (If you use the...er...other number we'll probably find you too.) It's time to step out of the Discworld again when we return from L-Space next month, when author Amie Kaufman will join us to talk about the first book of the Nomes: Truckers. As usual, if you want us to answer your questions on the podcast, get them in as soon as you can! Ask them via social media using the hashtag #Pratchat9. Show Notes and Errata: You can follow Aimee (and by proxy, her dog Winston) on Twitter at @wordsandsequins, or check our her web site at aimee-nichols.com. You can read Aimee's wonderful piece about the passing of Sir Terry on Medium. Get Smart was a sitcom created by Mel Brooks in 1965, starring Don Adams as Maxwell Smart, Agent 86 for the spy organisation CONTROL which worked to thwart various ridiculous villains, especially members of rival agency KAOS. Despite being highly trained in espionage and combat, Max frequently exasperated his professional and romantic partner Agent 99 (Barbara Feldon) and their boss the Chief of CONTROL (Edward Platt). One of the classic sitcoms of the '60s, it contributed many famous catchphrases to popular culture in its original run of five seasons. It's since been repeated many times, and spawned two film sequels, a short-lived revival/sequel series, and a surprisingly good film remake in 2008 starring Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway. Monty Python’s Argument Clinic sketch is...well, if you haven’t seen it, you should just watch it. “Incels” are so-called “involuntary celibates”, an online community of men who believe they have been unfairly denied sex by women. Jia Tolentino’s piece “The Rage of the Incels” for The New Yorker is a good introduction, but go gently - it’s unpleasant territory. "Thatcherism" is descriptive of the politics of the Conservative party of the United Kingdom, particularly under party leader and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, from 1975 to 1990. They were a marked change from the period of the "post-War consensus", in which the two major parties broadly agreed on things like state regulation and ownership of industries. Thatcher changed all that; she and her allies believed in much more economic...

In our second episode, writer and deputy culture editor for Guardian Australia Stephanie Convery joins us as we discuss the runner-up in our poll for which book to read first - Mort! Published 30 years ago, it's the fourth Discworld novel, and the first to put Death in a starring role. Mort (short for Mortimer), a daydreaming farmer's son, is offered an apprenticeship by Death himself. Travelling outside of space and time to Death's home, he finds things aren't what he expects: Death has an elderly manservant, an adopted daughter, and an unusual interest in fly fishing. Mort, left to do the job alone, tries to defy fate in a very human (and teenage) moment  - but can he possibly succeed? And why does an immortal anthropomorphic personification need an apprentice, anyway? Mort is often cited (including by us) as the first book in the series that feels like the Discworld we know and love, so if you're joining us for the first time this episode, this is a great place to start. (And don't worry: we will go back and read the first three books at some point!) Show Notes and Errata: You can follow Stephanie on Twitter at @gingerandhoney, and find her work at Guardian Australia here.Sir Terry's thoughts on where to start reading the Discworld are most clearly outlined in the essay "Straight from the Heart, Via the Groin", which is most easily found in the collection A Slip of the Keyboard."Mort" does mean death, but it's not Latin - it's French (or in Discworld terms, Quirmian).A "squib" in the world of Harry Potter is the rare child of a magical person who is not magical themselves.The lead Gentleman in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode Hush was played by Doug Jones, now famous for playing Abe Sapien in the Hellboy films, the Faun and the Pale Man in Pan's Labyrinth, and Saru in Star Trek Discovery. He plays Count Orlok, the titular vampire, in the upcoming remake of Nosferatu. And he'd make a great Death.Christopher Lee was the voice of Death in both Cosgrove Hall animated adaptations (Wyrd Sisters and Soul Music), and The Mob's live-action adaptation of The Colour of Magic, following Ian Richardson's death. And his Death. (Richardson played Death in The Mob's first Discworld adaptation, Hogfather.) The body of Death was played by Marnix Van Den Broeke, who also played the golem Mr Pump in Going Postal.The horse that plays Bucephalus in Gilliam's The Adventures of Baron Munchausen is, unfairly, not named in the credits of the film.

In the final programme of the current series Evan Davis will be talking to Sir Terry Leahy, former Tesco CEO, in front of an invited audience at Sir Terry's old school, St. Edward's College, Liverpool.

The song this week is one I have found in my archives and had completely forgotten about...it is called "Nosey Parker" and is one of the many I wrote for The Krankies yearly pantomimes....this one was Pinochio....and wee Jimmy (aka Janette) had the title role.....each year they would ask me for an original song or songs...and I would demo it as simple as possible for them to give to the panto MD....when she sang the song the nose would get longer and longer until it was the length of the stage....all good stuff....They are good friends. How pathetically transparent are the BBC...suddenly they have decided to play Cliff Richard's latest album...hmm...I wonder why?...I suppose the school leavers who seem to run the organisation think Cliff might change his mind about taking them to court...I hope Cliff has the guts to take them to the cleaners after the way he was treated...along with the gutter press which have a similarity to reading a piece of used toilet paper.....actually the album is very good....pure rock and roll....which makes a nice change from the latest deluge of moaning whinging ballads we seem to be getting subjected to.....I was unfortunate to watch the U.K. top forty at a recent dinner party...what a load of rubbish.....quality music R.I.P. I often wonder at the mentality of those who steal from charity...the latest is the sale of the ornamental poppies from the Palace....apparently only one third of the money raised went to charity instead of the lot....so some low life has made a lot of money....these people should be investigated and have their faces all over the media....just to let people know what scum they are......when I watch the TV appeals like Children in Need it is awful to think all these problems could be solved by the filthy rich who stain our shores....the problems could be solved without them even missing the money...but I suppose they have to have a few yatchts and mansions to survive. Now there is a petition on the internet regarding closing shops on Boxing Day....our wonderful public think they should close so people could spend time with their families instead of shopping...this was discussed on the morning TV...is it me or have we gone completely round the bend?...the big stores are criticised because the staff have to work over the holiday...and....wait for it....people will go out shopping because that's when they get a bargain....it is obviously far to difficult for the sheep to stay at home when the shops are open....and what about none Christians?...as if the big stores will take a blind bit of notice...and as if the government will make it illegal to open on Boxing Day...I really do despair sometimes. The BBC have renamed the Radio 2 building Wogan House after Terry Wogan which is a nice thing to do...he was much respected and I watched a tribute programme from the Albert Hall which was very good...possibly could have done without Olly Murs singing swing but very nice....personally I was never a fan of Sir Terry but he obviously had a big impact on his fellow workers.....great show and the remains of Take That did a great spot as did The Vamps....and lastly they are back....the highly talented Ant and Dec...NOT.....they have apparently signed a three million pound deal with ITV....as I have said in the past if they do have any talent whatsoever it's beyond ME...they are now appearing on the celebrity jungle thing where they do an hour and a half of unfunny nonsense then go and play golf....well worth the money eh?

The song this week is one I have found in my archives and had completely forgotten about...it is called "Nosey Parker" and is one of the many I wrote for The Krankies yearly pantomimes....this one was Pinochio....and wee Jimmy (aka Janette) had the title role.....each year they would ask me for an original song or songs...and I would demo it as simple as possible for them to give to the panto MD....when she sang the song the nose would get longer and longer until it was the length of the stage....all good stuff....They are good friends. How pathetically transparent are the BBC...suddenly they have decided to play Cliff Richard's latest album...hmm...I wonder why?...I suppose the school leavers who seem to run the organisation think Cliff might change his mind about taking them to court...I hope Cliff has the guts to take them to the cleaners after the way he was treated...along with the gutter press which have a similarity to reading a piece of used toilet paper.....actually the album is very good....pure rock and roll....which makes a nice change from the latest deluge of moaning whinging ballads we seem to be getting subjected to.....I was unfortunate to watch the U.K. top forty at a recent dinner party...what a load of rubbish.....quality music R.I.P. I often wonder at the mentality of those who steal from charity...the latest is the sale of the ornamental poppies from the Palace....apparently only one third of the money raised went to charity instead of the lot....so some low life has made a lot of money....these people should be investigated and have their faces all over the media....just to let people know what scum they are......when I watch the TV appeals like Children in Need it is awful to think all these problems could be solved by the filthy rich who stain our shores....the problems could be solved without them even missing the money...but I suppose they have to have a few yatchts and mansions to survive. Now there is a petition on the internet regarding closing shops on Boxing Day....our wonderful public think they should close so people could spend time with their families instead of shopping...this was discussed on the morning TV...is it me or have we gone completely round the bend?...the big stores are criticised because the staff have to work over the holiday...and....wait for it....people will go out shopping because that's when they get a bargain....it is obviously far to difficult for the sheep to stay at home when the shops are open....and what about none Christians?...as if the big stores will take a blind bit of notice...and as if the government will make it illegal to open on Boxing Day...I really do despair sometimes. The BBC have renamed the Radio 2 building Wogan House after Terry Wogan which is a nice thing to do...he was much respected and I watched a tribute programme from the Albert Hall which was very good...possibly could have done without Olly Murs singing swing but very nice....personally I was never a fan of Sir Terry but he obviously had a big impact on his fellow workers.....great show and the remains of Take That did a great spot as did The Vamps....and lastly they are back....the highly talented Ant and Dec...NOT.....they have apparently signed a three million pound deal with ITV....as I have said in the past if they do have any talent whatsoever it's beyond ME...they are now appearing on the celebrity jungle thing where they do an hour and a half of unfunny nonsense then go and play golf....well worth the money eh?

Our host Chad Knight sits down with Scott Ahern and they talk about something Chad has no clue about: the books of Sir Terry Prachett. The Disc World series of books spans 40 books and several different storylines within those books. This head-spinning talk, will keep you engaged and enthralled (we hope). So curl up under a blanket, grab a glass of your favorite libation and enjoy. Whose Podcast Is It Anyway is a podcast where our host Chad engages in a conversation with a guest. The guest chooses the topic and the host has no prior knowledge of what the topic will be! The views and opinions expressed on this show are not necessarily the same views and opinions of Al Seeger and Point of Insanity Game Studio. Email Chad at: whosepodcastisit@gmail.com

Sir Terry Morgan, Chairman of Crossrail – a £15bn project – started as an apprentice. His own experience of the value of apprenticeships is demonstrated with what Crossrail has achieved by providing people similar opportunities to enter the profession. These lessons are probably the key reason the Secretary of State, Rt Hon Patrick McLoughlin, asked Terry to develop the Transport Infrastructure Skills Strategy, published in January 2016. He gives an insight into this, how the UK compares to Germany in apprenticeships, rebalancing education and economy, and how employers should take forward the new Apprenticeship Levy. To listen to this and more as discussed with Justin Ward

The song this week is the continuing saga of the musical I wrote for Radio City back in the 80s. So up to now Jimmy,who doesn’t believe in Father Christmas,wakes up to find he’s got no presents….so he sings “There’s No Santa Claus” (which you played a couple of weeks ago)…he then hot foots it around to his mate’s house to prove his point…on the way he meets the milkman who tries to convince him he’s wrong and sings “If you don’t believe in Father Christmas” (which you played last week)…he then continues on his way and bumps into the postman…played by the late Joe Butler….who sings this lament “Letter Box Blues”….the demo is very basic as a lot of schools wanted to do the play so I arranged the songs to suit a single piano. The Lake District has taken a hammering with the recent storms and floods….I was up in Kendal last week….just got out in time. As usual there HAS to be someone to blame….if it’s not the Government for not spending out on flood defences it’s climate change….next it’ll be diesel cars polluting the atmosphere…..there doesn’t seem to be an answer….the locals don’t want the flood barriers too high because it will effect their view …so where do you go….what seems to be lacking is the safety side of it….people wandering down flooded streets should have a stick or a branch to make sure they are not going to step down a grid and break their leg….but I do feel sorry for the locals…what a mess. Tyson Fury has upset the applecart with his comments about women and gays….I don’t know why these guys don’t just sit back and enjoy being champion of the world and keep their mouths shut….his father was bawling and shouting at an interview saying people should now bow down to him….it’s all a question of intellect I suppose…he is heavyweight champion of the world (at the moment)….don’t spoil it all by trying to be funny and clever….there’s a move afoot to remove him from Sportsman of the Year – might teach him a lesson. I remember when Daley Thompson won it and got up to make his speech and said an unnecessary rude word…and quickly corrected himself….obviously to amuse his mates….didn’t see a lot more of him after that…silly boy. There has also been a news report about football refs being verbally and physically abused by fans and players….it’s disgraceful….when you compare it with rugby…talk back to the ref and you are off!!...why can’t they do this with football….. perfectly describes the difference in mentality….the football fraternity are too busy shovelling money into their bank accounts….. and footballers are getting a bit too big for their boots….so to speak……they should learn to respect those who put them where they are. watched the Royal Command Performance during a baby sitting session….so there was no escape….OH DEAR. I thought One Direction were about as exciting as watching archery….and the comedians proved that comedy is DEAD and BURIED…..Jeff Lynne stole the show…which wasn’t difficult as the rest of it was awful…definitely time for old Elton to call it a day….and a bucket should be supplied for the constant creeping up to the royalty…and making “risky” jokes….sad. Even little Kylie was pretty bad (miming I think)….it was just dreadful…at least Sir Brucie and Sir Terry weren’t involved….that was one blessing.

The song this week is the continuing saga of the musical I wrote for Radio City back in the 80s. So up to now Jimmy,who doesn’t believe in Father Christmas,wakes up to find he’s got no presents….so he sings “There’s No Santa Claus” (which you played a couple of weeks ago)…he then hot foots it around to his mate’s house to prove his point…on the way he meets the milkman who tries to convince him he’s wrong and sings “If you don’t believe in Father Christmas” (which you played last week)…he then continues on his way and bumps into the postman…played by the late Joe Butler….who sings this lament “Letter Box Blues”….the demo is very basic as a lot of schools wanted to do the play so I arranged the songs to suit a single piano. The Lake District has taken a hammering with the recent storms and floods….I was up in Kendal last week….just got out in time. As usual there HAS to be someone to blame….if it’s not the Government for not spending out on flood defences it’s climate change….next it’ll be diesel cars polluting the atmosphere…..there doesn’t seem to be an answer….the locals don’t want the flood barriers too high because it will effect their view …so where do you go….what seems to be lacking is the safety side of it….people wandering down flooded streets should have a stick or a branch to make sure they are not going to step down a grid and break their leg….but I do feel sorry for the locals…what a mess. Tyson Fury has upset the applecart with his comments about women and gays….I don’t know why these guys don’t just sit back and enjoy being champion of the world and keep their mouths shut….his father was bawling and shouting at an interview saying people should now bow down to him….it’s all a question of intellect I suppose…he is heavyweight champion of the world (at the moment)….don’t spoil it all by trying to be funny and clever….there’s a move afoot to remove him from Sportsman of the Year – might teach him a lesson. I remember when Daley Thompson won it and got up to make his speech and said an unnecessary rude word…and quickly corrected himself….obviously to amuse his mates….didn’t see a lot more of him after that…silly boy. There has also been a news report about football refs being verbally and physically abused by fans and players….it’s disgraceful….when you compare it with rugby…talk back to the ref and you are off!!...why can’t they do this with football….. perfectly describes the difference in mentality….the football fraternity are too busy shovelling money into their bank accounts….. and footballers are getting a bit too big for their boots….so to speak……they should learn to respect those who put them where they are. watched the Royal Command Performance during a baby sitting session….so there was no escape….OH DEAR. I thought One Direction were about as exciting as watching archery….and the comedians proved that comedy is DEAD and BURIED…..Jeff Lynne stole the show…which wasn’t difficult as the rest of it was awful…definitely time for old Elton to call it a day….and a bucket should be supplied for the constant creeping up to the royalty…and making “risky” jokes….sad. Even little Kylie was pretty bad (miming I think)….it was just dreadful…at least Sir Brucie and Sir Terry weren’t involved….that was one blessing.

Skepticule 092: Minicab perils; Valuing moral objectives; Precisely Steve; Sir Terry; Atheist persecution; Islamic reform.Read more »

The Blether 7 Random Facts about craft from me. What are yours? Answers on a social media postcard please. Sue Whiting Weekend Crochet book for Babies Wots e Craic Sir Terry Pratchett Discworld read along - I will open a thread on Ravelry and you can join as and when you wish. Or just share your thoughts on Sir Terry's writing. Starting with The Colour of Magic Edinburgh Yarn Fest Run through Owl Print Panda Ashton Lane shawl Dreaming Daisy by Ruth Churchman Flat Stanley - Please send him in before 4 April 2015. Don't worry if you can't now do it but thank you for offering. Pattern Book additions Castle Fraser throughout the year by Aurelie Colas new pattern is Remember the Daffodils Canadian Art Deco Collection by Natalie Servent new pattern is Shawinigan Me Me Me Owls by Kate Davies Totally Vanilla by Cookie A Bla Bla Bla - caithnesscraftcollective@gmail.com Raverly as LouiseHunt Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram as CaithnessCraft www.caithnesscraftcollective.podbean.com Music is The Great Selkie by Avalon Rising from www.musicalley.com

I've been lucky enough to meet and spend some time with Sir Terry Pratchett a couple of times in my life and I wanted to share those memories and pay tribute to Sir Terry on this very sad day. He was a warm, generous and genuinely humorous man and he will be much missed by […]

I've been lucky enough to meet and spend some time with Sir Terry Pratchett a couple of times in my life and I wanted to share those memories and pay tribute to Sir Terry on this very sad day. He was a warm, generous and genuinely humorous man and he will be much missed by […]

WW1 Candle between 10 & 11pm Sir Terry with a Moustache Love, Sunshine & Peace

Terrible situation in The Phillipines… these things make me so angry…..there are Sheiks with billions …greedy bankers with billions…footballers with billions….how about them putting up the money to build these people shelters BEFORE the event…they wouldn’t even miss the money…this should all be sorted beforehand ….we know it’s coming … but oh no ordinary folk must get involved…we can’t have these “princes” doing without the odd solid gold Rolls Royce….and Beckham has just moved into his 40 million pound mansion…he’s also made an advert about his own brand of after shave…it’s a real throw up job. The Children In Need Appeal has been in full flight … with Terry Wogan at the helm…..WHY?....there are many top class young presenters out there so why do we have to constantly put up with Sir Terry with his unfunny quips looking totally ill at ease in the suit he has squeezed into….I’ve always failed to see what it is about Wogan…totally talentless as far as I’m concerned…call it a day Tel and give us all a break. At least Brucie is talented…. but well past his sell-by date on Strictly Come Dancing….he’s painful. Blackpool hired Gary Barlow and Jonathan Ross to switch the lights on….I’m O.K. with Gary but why they book that grinning village idiot I’ll never know…again I wish someone would tell me what talent he has…Oh Yes he’s a chat show host…ANYONE can do that…..my point is proved in as much as the Blackpool Council decided to charge a tenner to see these celebs…and LOST 375 Grand!!...which make you wonder what Mr Ross’s fee was? When I was working on Radio Merseyside I was asked by the people of Ellesmere Port if I would attend their annual function and crown the May Queen…I felt quite honoured…so along I went and was treated like a local celeb….they then asked me what the fee was…to which I told them a nice cup of tea would do the trick…they then said that the year before they had another local radio personality (who will remain nameless) who charged them £750….and THI is the problem with the planet. ..And finally someone sent me an article from the Daily Mail regarding my mate…wrestler Adrian Street…who once had a novelty wrestling match with Jimmy Savile back in 1971…they were trying to promote Jimmy as a tough guy who had trained with the Marines etc…I remember Adrian telling me about it…he wasn’t happy and made sure Mr. Savile never stepped in the ring again…he nearly killed him…which is why I never sent Jimmy any of the records I wrote and produced for my violent friend….. …. Don't Forget….Don's been working on a doowop song for a new friend in the States….His name is Doowop Joe Conroy and he has a internet radio station in North Carolina...he checked out Don's website and noticed Don writes novelty songs. He asked Don to write one about all the doowop groups….….the song is called “DooWop Days” and can be found on YouTube……

Terrible situation in The Phillipines… these things make me so angry…..there are Sheiks with billions …greedy bankers with billions…footballers with billions….how about them putting up the money to build these people shelters BEFORE the event…they wouldn’t even miss the money…this should all be sorted beforehand ….we know it’s coming … but oh no ordinary folk must get involved…we can’t have these “princes” doing without the odd solid gold Rolls Royce….and Beckham has just moved into his 40 million pound mansion…he’s also made an advert about his own brand of after shave…it’s a real throw up job. The Children In Need Appeal has been in full flight … with Terry Wogan at the helm…..WHY?....there are many top class young presenters out there so why do we have to constantly put up with Sir Terry with his unfunny quips looking totally ill at ease in the suit he has squeezed into….I’ve always failed to see what it is about Wogan…totally talentless as far as I’m concerned…call it a day Tel and give us all a break. At least Brucie is talented…. but well past his sell-by date on Strictly Come Dancing….he’s painful. Blackpool hired Gary Barlow and Jonathan Ross to switch the lights on….I’m O.K. with Gary but why they book that grinning village idiot I’ll never know…again I wish someone would tell me what talent he has…Oh Yes he’s a chat show host…ANYONE can do that…..my point is proved in as much as the Blackpool Council decided to charge a tenner to see these celebs…and LOST 375 Grand!!...which make you wonder what Mr Ross’s fee was? When I was working on Radio Merseyside I was asked by the people of Ellesmere Port if I would attend their annual function and crown the May Queen…I felt quite honoured…so along I went and was treated like a local celeb….they then asked me what the fee was…to which I told them a nice cup of tea would do the trick…they then said that the year before they had another local radio personality (who will remain nameless) who charged them £750….and THI is the problem with the planet. ..And finally someone sent me an article from the Daily Mail regarding my mate…wrestler Adrian Street…who once had a novelty wrestling match with Jimmy Savile back in 1971…they were trying to promote Jimmy as a tough guy who had trained with the Marines etc…I remember Adrian telling me about it…he wasn’t happy and made sure Mr. Savile never stepped in the ring again…he nearly killed him…which is why I never sent Jimmy any of the records I wrote and produced for my violent friend….. …. Don't Forget….Don's been working on a doowop song for a new friend in the States….His name is Doowop Joe Conroy and he has a internet radio station in North Carolina...he checked out Don's website and noticed Don writes novelty songs. He asked Don to write one about all the doowop groups….….the song is called “DooWop Days” and can be found on YouTube……

Architect Sir Terry Farrell explains why architects are uniquely placed to solve the problems of Britain's public spaces - and why doing the work for free is crucial to its success. Sir Terry explains how working pro bono can bring together businesses, councils and community groups who would otherwise find it hard to work together, and how these architectural schemes or 'masterplans' can transform the public spaces we all share. He describes some of the schemes he has worked on - and how, even though it sometimes takes years, the benefits are clear to see. Producer: Giles Edwards.

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the abstract artist Sir Terry Frost.He first became interested in art as a prisoner of war, when lack of food and freedom enhanced the beauty of a single leaf. On his return to Britain, nature continued to fascinate him and inform his work; bright circles of colour inspired by the Sun and Moon, or patterns of white-on-white remembered from a snowy landscape. Now 83, he's never been so busy. A good thing, he says, because it keeps the aches and pains away.[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: Tea For Two by Max Bygraves Book: Blank sheets to write his thoughts on imagination and memory Luxury: Mirror (for company)

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the abstract artist Sir Terry Frost. He first became interested in art as a prisoner of war, when lack of food and freedom enhanced the beauty of a single leaf. On his return to Britain, nature continued to fascinate him and inform his work; bright circles of colour inspired by the Sun and Moon, or patterns of white-on-white remembered from a snowy landscape. Now 83, he's never been so busy. A good thing, he says, because it keeps the aches and pains away. [Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: Tea For Two by Max Bygraves Book: Blank sheets to write his thoughts on imagination and memory Luxury: Mirror (for company)