h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

That was after we'd been trying to persuade him to dance to Russian folk music with us. It was at Cait & Mackay's flatwarming in Streatham (a solid hour's drive for me). I was terribly envious of Mackay's "Aaaah!" - "No, Not Aaaah!" t-shirt. RMS is staying with Desiree, who is gaining a habit of accommodating famous free software contributors during their stays in Europe. (Previous was Brian Fox, creator of the bash shell)

Chances are that you don't know who Richard Stallman is, and aren't very impressed. In which case, read http://www.gnu.org/people/rms.html and stand in awe of my namedropping.

"Yes, I gave Richard Stallman a lift! Who wants to touch me? I SAID WHO WANTS TO TOUCH ME!"

Also managed to meet up with Thomas J. Ladner, a man whose mission it is to celebrate his 31st birthday with 31 different parties throughout July. I stayed with him while he partied in San Francisco. He is partying through London on his way to party in Paris after partying in New York. He is truly a 24-hour party person.

Hopefully I'll see Richard and Tom again tonight in Old Street, where there's a display of neon sets by Bill Drummond (founding member of The KLF) for the play "Cruel Brittania", which was written by a mate of Emma's.

Oh, for god's sake. This is reading like a Nigel Dempster diary. I wonder how long it'll take before Mark comes and gives me the slapping I deserve.
 

Is he as sad in real life as he seems to be in print? Did you bait him by saying 'Linux' every few minutes so he would have to correct you by saying 'Gnu-Linux'? Did you ask him how programmers who don't have cushy university jobs should expect to make a living in the glorious world he'd like to create?

No... I would've done, but he seemed very shy and also quite depressed about software patents. However, the GNU/Linux thing is very tempting... if I see him tonight I'll experiment and report back.

-- Yoz

Does he really smell as badly as he's reputed to do?

Oh that Richard Stallman! The one that wrote the GNU C Compilers with portable optimizing diversity. Am I surprised he was in your car, Yoz? Ah nope.

That slapping is well overdue Yoz but you probably have another 11.5 weeks to go before you get it unless it gets delegated to one of the new researcher-editors!

Yoz..Yoz?

I think we should keep a tally in future of just how often Yoz does name drop! (Only joking Yoz - I realise it is a big part of your job description!)

Maybe we should start a namedroppers paradise, a place where we can all say who we have met!

Let's see if we can outdo him on here! I'll go first:

Do you remember Donna, Kathy's long-lost drug addict daughter in Eastenders who committed suicide? She also played Nick Berry's love interest in The Harbourmaster - Well I went to the same school as her although we were in different years!

Your turn!

I went to school with Jim Lynn! Your turn.

I wondered how you always managed to be in the know!

The comedian Mike Harding (Dangermouse fans will know him as well) is a friend of the family!

Back to you.

I went to the premiere party for buster and met Phil Collins and Ringo Starr there. To you again...

Hmmm! I'm not very good at this and I cna't even use the "I've got a book signed by Douglas Adams" line!

I used to work in a restaurant on the River Hamble and have served dinner to Peter Shilton, Simon LeBon and Ted Heath but not all at the same time!

And back again.....

Richard Branson was there too and chatted to me. I also saw him in a chinese resturant once.. sat at next table

I saw some guy from Emmerdale at the Festival of The Sea although only one of my friends was uncool enough to scream out his name and get really excited! I've never watched Emmerdale and so I just stood there with a puzzled look on my face!

Do you think we've beaten Yoz at his own game yet?

He probably doesn't know who we are talking about anyway. Television what's that? Are you at work or home?

Not even close. I schmooze for a living, remember.

-- Yoz yawns and examines his fingernails

I'm at work and hardly ever get to watch telly myself (I watch everything on video nowadays) but at least I know who these people are!