I've been thinking about this whole "joking about the violence in Northern Ireland" thing, and I've realised that I should stop. Northern Ireland does indeed have great problems, but the people there are trying to put the past behind them, and we should all help them in that task. We've got to stop dragging up negative stereotypes from the times now gone and look instead to the future - a future in which Northern Ireland is a forward looking vibrant region that people from all over the world will wish to visit, live and work in.

As part of this I'm going to do my bit by going to QCon, seeing the area - and perhaps meeting the people - and then coming back and writing it all up here in my standard convention travel report.

Well, that's assuming I get back alive of course.

Tags: qcon

It was the Thursday group's gaming evening last night, so I was planning on asking the guys about QCon. The Thursday gaming sessions are often the only time we get to meet up, so we usually start by finding out how things are going with everyone. Mark and his wife Mel have just had a baby, and are trying to move to a larger place, and this has - as is typical when buying a house in the UK - turned into a long involved saga with updates every week.

( Read more... )

Tags: qcon

I've led quite a boring life. When other people were charity freefalling out a Wiltshire sky, I wasn't with them. When other people were white-water rafting down the mighty Zambezi, I wasn't there either. When faced with two paths diverging in a wood, I... I take the one more traveled by.

And so I've lived a life avoiding stress and danger, always hiding from that which might hurt me. But I realise now that this is no way to live a life. Life's there to be seized, not placated. Some times in life you just have to say bugger to what society deems sensible, and just go do something totally mad.

I'm thinking of doing something totally mad.

I'm thinking of going to Belfast.

( Dear God man, you can't be serious... )

Tags: qcon