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Paralympics: Changing Attitudes
It’s often said of the Paralympic Games that it exists to challenge and change attitudes to disabilities. We need to stop assuming that disabled people can’t do things and start assuming that they can. Disabled people don’t need to be patronised, applauded like children merely for existing. And I think the Paralympics does trigger exactly…
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Olympics: Men’s Gymnastics At The North Greenwhich Arena
There’s a strong streak in the British psyche that believes we’re shit and enjoys it that way. Many people predicted disaster for the Olympics, talking of unfinished arenas, an embarrassing opening ceremony. and transport meltdowns. Well the arenas were finished, the opening ceremony was awesome, and I can report that for us, at least, today,…
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Seven Years On
Seven years ago, when Jacques Rogge announced in Singapore that London had been chosen to host the 2012 Olympic Games, I wrote an entry in my LiveJournal: It seems a long time ago. Things were very different then – we were all on LiveJournal rather than Facebook, for a start. I was also just thirty-nine…
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I Have It
As of last night, I now have a copy (ARC) of The New Hero. And as you can see, I was so happy my eyes started glowing red. Sorry about that. I try to keep control, but sometimes I just lose it. Luckily, no-one got hurt and there was no damage save to a small…
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The Best Bit About Tomorrow’s New Hero Launch…
…is that I’ll hopefully get to see the New Hero’s rather nifty cover in print for the first time, with my guy Pete Stone right there on the cover. (Launch is Wednesday 20th June at the London Book Club, doors open 7 pm for 7:30 pm start, [details]).
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New Hero Launch at The London Book Club – 20th June
Stone Skin Press is a new British publishing house from the guys behind the very cool RPG publishers Pelgrane Press. In their own words: Where genre meets literature, where geek culture meets the mainstream, there is Stone Skin Press. With a series of literary anthologies to challenge the boundaries between genres and creative scenes, Stone…
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Just How Can SpaceX Design And Operate Rockets So Cheaply?
This afternoon, a SpaceX Dragon capsule docked to the International Space Station, having been launched into orbit earlier in the week by SpaceX’s own Falcon 9 rocket, which is powered by SpaceX’s own Merlin engines. This is a historic achievement. SpaceX had already become the non-governmental organisation to launch a vehicle into space, and then…
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Ways To Piss Off Vegans: #1
Imagine you’re at a wedding reception, say, sat at a table that consists entirely of single people and couples who’ve only just been introduced to each other. And imagine that the following conversation were to occur: Person 1: [To Person 2] Do you ever watch that Sunday morning discussion show thing on BBC1? Person 2:…
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How Not To Market Your Book Via Twitter
Marketing a book is hard. I know. I’ve done it, and not necessarily that well. But the other day I came across an attempt so stunningly inept that I felt compelled to talk about – albeit with some attempt to mask identifying details, so I don’t feel like I’m being over-cruel. The principles of using…
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The Citizenship Test: It’s Not About “Britishness” And It Never Was
Some years back, the rules on becoming a citizen of the United Kingdom were changed. Where previously it was based purely on requirements such as residency and marriage, applicants now also had to pass a computerised multiple choice examination. The examination was supposedly about living in Britain, British culture, and British values, and supposedly ensured…
Jonny Nexus 