Monday, January 09, 2012

A Message to the Future

I've resisted trying to do anything clever with the layout of this blog during the last five years, but this evening I thought I'd have a look at some of the new features in Blogger.

That was a big mistake.

In a matter of seconds, I managed to ruin the layout and lose both my links and Bravenet counter stats. I am now working on restoring the blog to its former 2006-style glory, but in the meantime, here is a message to the future from Bertrand Russell:

12 comments:

Martin said...

Little wonder Adrian Mole was so impressed, Steerforth.

Strangely, the WV is volegun

Rog said...

That was fascinating and very wise. But I have one question.

Why oh why did he not lean round his wingback chair and say "Oi, turn that bleedin vacuum off, I'm trying to do a bleeding interview here! Can't hear meself think!".

zmkc said...

I'm sure the content of Russell's message is revitalising and lifts the soul, but I cannot get beyond his pronunciation of 'intellectual' without pathetic giggling that drowns out the rest of his words. Perhaps it's because I am ill.

Sir Button said...

You can return to your previous template in the Design tab. Under 'Edit HTML template', there are options for the old template. It should restore everything, fingers crossed.

Anonymous said...

That should be broadcast in every school assembly at least once a week and every MP in the land should be tied down and forced to watch it too.

Have you deliberately set up your wv? Mine is folies!

Tim F said...

Russell's greatest achievement was of course to have inspired the character of Professor Yaffle in Bagpuss.

Steerforth said...

Volegun? That's 'Tales From the Riverbank' gone bad.

Rog - I think that noise was his ventilator. You have to remember that when this interview was filmed, Russell was 137.

zmkc - I was also distracted, but for a different reason. I'd just read about the nonagerian Russell's meeting with a 23-year-old Sarah Miles, during which he took liberties with her knees.

Sir Button - I'm getting there. I've got the template back and have rejiggled a few things, but I'm annoyed with Google for messing up Blogger. It used to be so straightforward.

Alienne - If I knew how to I would, but I'm not guilty on this occasion.

Tim - Yes, he merely a John the Baptist figure, paving the way for the Professor.

Gardener in the Distance said...

Steerforth, I wonder what made you choose Bertrand Russell. He was extremely aware of what was happening in the world around him, a rare quality among philosophers.
Thankyou. He was spot-on. We need to hear more from people who are awake, as he was.

Steerforth said...

It was serendipity.

Little Nell said...

He was just an old Hippy really. For some reason my brain wouldn’t interpret Martin’s comment at first and I thought it was some obscure coded message - especially as I read volegun as Vogon, and I was off into the Hitch-hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. My WV is rehyp, which is psychic as I could do with a new one.

Canadian Chickadee said...

Thought-provoking post.

BTW, why is it, when wonks "improve" their products, the end result is almost always exasperating, unhelpful, and slows everything to a crawl until it gets sorted out?

Xfinity does this to us all the time, and my sister-in-law tells me BT is just as bad.

The Poet Laura-eate said...

I've been there re the blog scrambling! Hence after my last re-vamp I haven't dared touch mine since.

He wasn't very helpful re blog management tips was he, old Bertrand...?

I'd almost forgotten all about him, confusing him with Bernard Shaw in my mind, but think he was still around when I was a little girl poppping up on screen to pontificate from time to time. Funny how seriously we took people like that in those days. Malcolm Muggeridge was another.