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Author Topic:   Tribute Thread for the Recently Passed Greats
Dr Adequate
Member (Idle past 284 days)
Posts: 16113
Joined: 07-20-2006


(1)
Message 406 of 1282 (752680)
03-12-2015 12:13 PM


Terry Pratchett
"Sir Terry Pratchett died at home "surrounded by his family, with his cat sleeping on his bed", his publisher said."

  
Tangle
Member
Posts: 9489
From: UK
Joined: 10-07-2011
Member Rating: 4.9


Message 407 of 1282 (752681)
03-12-2015 12:17 PM


DON'T THINK OF IT AS DYING, said Death. JUST THINK OF IT AS LEAVING EARLY TO AVOID THE RUSH.
― Terry Pratchett, Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch

Je suis Charlie. Je suis Ahmed. Je suis Juif.
Life, don't talk to me about life - Marvin the Paranoid Android
"Science adjusts it's views based on what's observed.
Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved."
- Tim Minchin, in his beat poem, Storm.

  
Dr Adequate
Member (Idle past 284 days)
Posts: 16113
Joined: 07-20-2006


Message 408 of 1282 (752685)
03-12-2015 12:29 PM



  
vimesey
Member
Posts: 1398
From: Birmingham, England
Joined: 09-21-2011


Message 409 of 1282 (752689)
03-12-2015 12:48 PM


Buggritt !!

Could there be any greater conceit, than for someone to believe that the universe has to be simple enough for them to be able to understand it ?

  
JonF
Member (Idle past 167 days)
Posts: 6174
Joined: 06-23-2003


Message 410 of 1282 (752692)
03-12-2015 12:53 PM
Reply to: Message 405 by vimesey
03-12-2015 12:13 PM


Re: Sir Terry Pratchett
I do think his most recent novels were not his best, but he was my favorite author.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 405 by vimesey, posted 03-12-2015 12:13 PM vimesey has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 413 by Dr Adequate, posted 03-12-2015 1:01 PM JonF has replied

  
Dr Adequate
Member (Idle past 284 days)
Posts: 16113
Joined: 07-20-2006


Message 411 of 1282 (752693)
03-12-2015 12:54 PM


All the little angels rise up, rise up,
All the little angels rise up high.
How do they rise up, rise up, rise up?
How do they rise up, rise up high?
They rise ARSE up, arse up, arse up,
They rise arse up, arse up high.
See how they rise up, rise up, rise up,
See how they rise up, rise up high.

  
Tangle
Member
Posts: 9489
From: UK
Joined: 10-07-2011
Member Rating: 4.9


(1)
Message 412 of 1282 (752694)
03-12-2015 12:58 PM


quote:
When Death met the philosopher, the philosopher said, rather excitedly: "At this point, you realise, I'm both dead and not dead."
There was a sigh from Death. Oh dear, one of those, he thought. This is going to be about quantum again. He hated dealing with philosophers. They always tried to wriggle out of it.
"You see," said the philosopher, while Death, motionless, watched the sands of his life drain through the hourglass, "everything is made of tiny particles, which have the strange property of being in many places at one time. But things made of tiny particles tend to stay in one place at one time, which does not seem right according to quantum theory. May I continue?"
YES, BUT NOT INDEFINITELY, said Death, EVERYTHING IS TRANSIENT. He did not take his gaze away from the tumbling sand.
"Well, then, if we agreed that there are an infinite number of universes, then the problem is solved! If there are an unlimited number of universes, this bed can be in millions of them, all at the same time!"
DOES IT MOVE?
"What?
Death nodded at the bed. CAN YOU FEEL IT MOVING? he said.
"No, because there are a million versions of me, too, And...here is the good bit ...in some of them I am not about to pass away! Anything is possible!"
Death tapped the handle of his scythe as he considered this.
AND YOUR POINT IS...?
"Well, I'm not exactly dying, correct? You are no longer such a certainty."
There was a sigh from Death. Space he thought. That was the trouble. It was never like this on worlds with everlastingly cloudy skies. But once humans saw all that space, their brains expanded to try and fill it up.
"No answer, eh?" said the dying philosopher. "Feel a bit old-fashioned, do we?"
THIS IS A CONUNDRUM CERTAINLY, said Death. Once they prayed, he thought. Mind you, he'd never been sure that prayer worked, either. He thought for a while. AND I SHALL ANSWER IT IN THIS MANNER, he added. YOU LOVE YOUR WIFE?
"What?"
THE LADY WHO HAS BEEN LOOKING AFTER YOU. YOU LOVE HER?
"Yes. Of course."
CAN YOU THINK OF ANY CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE, WITHOUT YOUR PERSONAL HISTORY CHANGING IN ANY WAY YOU WOULD AT THIS MOMENT PICK UP A KNIFE AND STAB HER? said Death. FOR EXAMPLE?
"Certainly not!"
BUT YOUR THEORY SAYS THAT YOU MUST. IT IS EASILY POSSIBLE WITHIN THE PHYSICAL LAWS OF THE UNIVERSE, AND THEREFORE MUST HAPPEN, AND HAPPEN MANY TIMES. EVERY MOMENT IS A BILLION, BILLION MOMENTS, AND IN THOSE MOMENTS ALL THINGS THAT ARE POSSIBLE ARE INEVITABLE. ALL TIME SOONER OR LATER, BOILS DOWN TO A MOMENT.
"But of course we can make choices between-"
ARE THERE CHOICES? EVERYTHING THAT CAN HAPPEN, MUST HAPPEN. YOUR THEORY SAYS THAT FOR EVERY UNIVERSE THAT'S FORMED TO ACCOMMODATE YOUR 'NO', THERE MUST BE ONE TO ACCOMMODATE YOUR 'YES'. BUT YOU SAID YOU WOULD NEVER COMMIT MURDER. THE FABRIC OF THE COSMOS TREMBLES BEFORE YOUR TERRIBLE CERTAINTY. YOUR MORALITY BECOMES A FORCE AS STRONG AS GRAVITY. And, thought Death, space certainly has a lot to answer for.
"Was that sarcasm?"
ACTUALLY, NO. I AM IMPRESSED AND INTRIGUED, said Death. THE CONCEPT YOU PUT BEFORE ME PROVES THE EXISTENCE OF TWO HITHERTO MYTHICAL PLACES. SOMEWHERE, THERE IS A WORLD WHERE EVERYONE MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE, THE MORAL CHOICE, THE CHOICE THAT MAXIMISED THE HAPPINESS OF THEIR FELLOW CREATURES, OF COURSE, THAT ALSO MEANS THAT SOMEWHERE ELSE IS THE SMOKING REMNANT OF THE WORLD WHERE THEY DID NOT ...
"Oh, come on! I know what you're implying, and I've never believed in any of that Heaven and Hell nonsense!"
The room was growing darker. The blue gleam along the edge of the reaper's scythe was becoming more obvious.
ASTONISHING, said Death. REALLY ASTONISHING. LET ME PUT FORWARD ANOTHER SUGGESTION: THAT YOU ARE NOTHING MORE THAN A LUCKY SPECIES OF APE THAT IS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE COMPLEXITIES OF CREATION VIA A LANGUAGE THAT EVOLVED IN ORDER TO TELL ONE ANOTHER WHERE THE RIPE FRUIT WAS?
Fighting for breath, the philosopher managed to say: "Don't be silly."
THE REMARK WAS NOT INTENDED AS DEROGATORY, said Death. UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, YOU HAVE ACHIEVED A GREAT DEAL.
"We've certainly escaped from outmoded superstitions!"
WELL DONE, said Death. THAT'S THE SPIRIT. I JUST WANTED TO CHECK.
He leaned forward.
AND ARE YOU AWARE OF THE THEORY THAT THE STATE OF SOME TINY PARTICLES IS INDETERMINATE UNTIL THE MOMENT THEY ARE OBSERVED? A CAT IN A BOX IS OFTEN MENTIONED.
"Oh, yes," said the philosopher.
GOOD, said Death. He got to his feet as the last of the light died, and smiled.
I SEE YOU...

Je suis Charlie. Je suis Ahmed. Je suis Juif.
Life, don't talk to me about life - Marvin the Paranoid Android
"Science adjusts it's views based on what's observed.
Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved."
- Tim Minchin, in his beat poem, Storm.

  
Dr Adequate
Member (Idle past 284 days)
Posts: 16113
Joined: 07-20-2006


Message 413 of 1282 (752695)
03-12-2015 1:01 PM
Reply to: Message 410 by JonF
03-12-2015 12:53 PM


Re: Sir Terry Pratchett
I do think his most recent novels were not his best, but he was my favorite author.
It's a matter of taste. I think his Moist von Lipwig novels are my favorites.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 410 by JonF, posted 03-12-2015 12:53 PM JonF has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 414 by vimesey, posted 03-12-2015 1:07 PM Dr Adequate has not replied
 Message 415 by JonF, posted 03-12-2015 1:50 PM Dr Adequate has replied

  
vimesey
Member
Posts: 1398
From: Birmingham, England
Joined: 09-21-2011


(1)
Message 414 of 1282 (752696)
03-12-2015 1:07 PM
Reply to: Message 413 by Dr Adequate
03-12-2015 1:01 PM


Re: Sir Terry Pratchett
No book which included Nobby Nobbs was ever a waste :-)
He could pen a good character name.

Could there be any greater conceit, than for someone to believe that the universe has to be simple enough for them to be able to understand it ?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 413 by Dr Adequate, posted 03-12-2015 1:01 PM Dr Adequate has not replied

  
JonF
Member (Idle past 167 days)
Posts: 6174
Joined: 06-23-2003


Message 415 of 1282 (752700)
03-12-2015 1:50 PM
Reply to: Message 413 by Dr Adequate
03-12-2015 1:01 PM


Re: Sir Terry Pratchett
Oh, Moist and Adora Belle are great. Too bad Kirby never illustrated her.
I haven't been able to make it through "Raising Steam" and I thought "Snuff" was overly contrived and preachy.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 413 by Dr Adequate, posted 03-12-2015 1:01 PM Dr Adequate has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 417 by Dr Adequate, posted 03-15-2015 3:32 PM JonF has not replied

  
JonF
Member (Idle past 167 days)
Posts: 6174
Joined: 06-23-2003


(1)
Message 416 of 1282 (752884)
03-14-2015 8:49 AM


Bring back PTerry!!

  
Dr Adequate
Member (Idle past 284 days)
Posts: 16113
Joined: 07-20-2006


Message 417 of 1282 (752986)
03-15-2015 3:32 PM
Reply to: Message 415 by JonF
03-12-2015 1:50 PM


Re: Sir Terry Pratchett
Oh, Raising Steam has its moments.
"I am a liar for the purposes of amusement, publicity, trivial one-upmanship, personal profit and the gaiety of nations, but I'm not lying to you now."

This message is a reply to:
 Message 415 by JonF, posted 03-12-2015 1:50 PM JonF has not replied

  
vimesey
Member
Posts: 1398
From: Birmingham, England
Joined: 09-21-2011


(1)
Message 418 of 1282 (753212)
03-18-2015 7:07 AM


Sir Terry Pratchett
Kudos :
Terry Pratchett’s name lives on in ‘the clacks’ with hidden web code | Terry Pratchett | The Guardian

Could there be any greater conceit, than for someone to believe that the universe has to be simple enough for them to be able to understand it ?

Replies to this message:
 Message 419 by RAZD, posted 03-18-2015 11:20 AM vimesey has not replied

  
RAZD
Member (Idle past 1404 days)
Posts: 20714
From: the other end of the sidewalk
Joined: 03-14-2004


(1)
Message 419 of 1282 (753226)
03-18-2015 11:20 AM
Reply to: Message 418 by vimesey
03-18-2015 7:07 AM


Re: Sir Terry Pratchett
Ah Terry, we hardly gnu you.

we are limited in our ability to understand
by our ability to understand
RebelAmerican☆Zen☯Deist
... to learn ... to think ... to live ... to laugh ...
to share.


Join the effort to solve medical problems, AIDS/HIV, Cancer and more with Team EvC! (click)

This message is a reply to:
 Message 418 by vimesey, posted 03-18-2015 7:07 AM vimesey has not replied

  
ramoss
Member (Idle past 612 days)
Posts: 3228
Joined: 08-11-2004


(3)
Message 420 of 1282 (755060)
04-03-2015 10:08 PM


Sir Terry Prachett
I just spent the evening listening to 'Conversions with Neil Gaiman'. One of the questions asked was about he and Terry Pratchett, and he has some wonderful reminiscing. He mentioned there were three things on Terry's casket . I can't remember the first, but the second was the sword he was knighted with, which as made from meteoric iron, and a type writer, with a page with two words on it, "The End".
Neil also told about how he visited Terry when he was ill with Alzheimer's. The care taker had gone home, and Terry was sitting there all withdrawn. Neil remembered a trailer that his wife showed him about how music helps Alzheimer patients reconnect with themselves, because it stimulates different parts of the brain, so he started singing what had been sort of an unofficial theme song between the two, and Terry jumped in and sang along with it. After that, he did indeed reconnect with the world, and the two of them spend a nice 45 minutes chatting with each other.
It put a nice personal touch to Terry.

  
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