Interview with Burgersoft777

FrostCloud Member Interview
This Edition’s Member: Burgersoft777

Burgersoft777: I was born, and pretty much have lived my life in and around Swindon Wiltshire England. The Town itself grew up around the GWR railway works which even when I was born was still one of the Major employers. This was the works that built the King class of steam trains among many other very famous engines. My Grandfather worked “inside” which was the local term for being employed by the GWR. My Maternal Grandfather worked for Garrard which was a manufacturer of Record Decks. Most Famously the 301 which is still considered to be one of the best Transcription turntables ever built and without doubt is the best idler wheel deck.

I attended secondary school in Faringdon and then went to the Polytechnic College in Swindon. Initially I studied Radio and TV and worked as a junior TV repairman. Unfortunately the company was one of the first victims of the recession of the late 70’s and Early 80’s. I then worked for a number of years at the Royal Military College of science at Shrivenham as a computer operator. This meant working on a large ICL mainframe computer running the then cutting edge George 3 operating system. When I look back at that machine and then compare it with my home network, I am often amazed by the progress the IT industry has made. Although at the time it seemed to be a very powerful machine it took up a lot of room, cost a fortune and was very primitive in many respects. To load programs into the machine in the first place we used punch cards or paper tape.

I moved on from the RMCS to First NACRO and then KEY training as a computer trainer. Then I returned to computer operations and worked on several systems running the UNIX OS. Finally I had a change of direction and ran a whole food shop as part of a co-operative for a few years before protesting full time at a peace camp. This was my most overt political period and a volume would be required to cover my adventures and misadventures during this five year period. Finally I had have a complete break from that exhausting life. I ended up working in Administration for a large building society a typical radical change of direction. My wife (LADYBUG) had become very ill and this had an impact on my own health. When it became possible due to reforms brought in during John Major’s government, I left work to look after her and my young family full time. That is more or less were I am now although I now receive a small private pension in addition to careers benefits. As my youngest child is reaching secondary school age and my wife is more stable due to breakthroughs in medication I hope to return to some sort of work during the next few years. My interests include writing, and playing music. I have a couple of nice synthesizers. I grew up during the progressive music boom and as I result my tastes are quite broad ranging. I like to play jazz but am also increasingly drawn to Industrial and Radiophonic music. I also write a considerable amount some here and some at Conservativehome & Labourhome.

Burgersoft777: I have been recently buying the Van der Graff generator catalogue again as it has been remastered and upgraded (some great extra’s) they were always one of my favorite bands. After many years they recently reformed for the 2nd time. Other recent additions to my collection have included a number of CD’s by the Who and Hatfield and the North. Little modern music appeals to me. However exceptions include the Foo-Fighters and The red hot Chilli peppers. I have an extensive classical collection but don't have the time (yet) to appreciate it. I have records going back to 1906 although transferred to vinyl.

I enjoy a lot of the Japanese anime series and this is something I share with my son’s. Recently we have been collecting the Excel Saga, Lunar Legend and the Dirty Pair. We also buy a lot of British Comedy Monty Python, Do not adjust your set, Bottom and Absolutely fabulous are current favorites. We also love the American "South Park". I really do enjoy Shakespeare and am a sucker for any new interpretation of his plays.

Historic films based on real events also appeal to me. So recently I have been enjoying “the Virgin Queen” staring Anne-Marie Duff, and the I Claudius series staring Derek Jacobi. With so many people selling off their VHS tapes for pennies there has never been a better time to buy and we have built up a very large video library.

Books: I tend to avoid fiction unless somebody I know convinces me a book is really worth the effort. I read a lot of histories I suppose my favorite period is from the Plantagenants through to the Stewart Kings of England. I am also interested in Mysticism and the occult, Elizabethan England produced Mystics of a world class.

Burgersoft777: Alistair Crowley has to come high on my list, because it was his work that helped to deprogram me from Christianity. I cannot say I agree with everything he did or said but he taught me how to challenge my own beliefs. I also enjoy his writing style; he was a very talented and witty man.
I have had a few musical heroes’ including Peter Hammill the main writer for the British progressive rock band Van der graff generator. In addition to being one of the most consistently interesting of the prog groups. Peters Lyrics are often very deep and can be considered 20th and 21st century poetry. I quote him often. His music is at times on a par with the great operas.

I also have a great deal of respect for the designers of the EMS synthesizers and the people behind Korg music. Even more than Bob Moog these people have developed the synthesizer from being an expensive toy into a household instrument of almost limitless possibility. The BBC’s radio phonic workshop is another of my influences, because they wrote music that exploited the EMS synthesizer in a context other than rock music.

Burgersoft777: I think there are great benefits in exploration of space. Human beings are a very curious species, and along with our art, our science is what sets us apart from all of the other animals. I can understand why we are exploring Mars but personally I am far more interested in Saturn’s moon Titan that has massive reserves of hydrocarbons on its surface and presumably very much more under the ground. We could do all of our industrial production there but it would take a mighty exercise of collective will. I have always been very interested in astronomy. I was 11 years old when the USA landed on the moon. In that respect there has never been a better time to be alive with amazing discoveries being made on an almost daily basis. The Phoenix Lander is currently sampling the soil at the Martian pole, although I doubt they will find life. I do appreciate NASA and USA for making the raw data available in real time to all interested parties. I get a little frustrated that I will not get to know much about the surface of Titan and will have to wait a while yet until we see the first tantalizing glimpse of Pluto.

Burgersoft777: That’s an incredibly difficult question to answer. I was brought up like so many people in a Christian church. I remain a theist but I try to keep an open mind to the nature of god.

I agree with the English Mystic William Blake who believed that all men and women are the son’s and daughters of God. Religion is extremely dangerous when it is combined with bigotry. Sadly the Three great religions of the book seem to be very intolerant of each other and everyone who doesn’t believe the same storyline as they do. Increasingly I am drawn to Hindu thought. I believe that we all contain Godhead and each of us has to find the truth for ourselves. I do enjoy theological argument. I do believe in a personal and understandable Godhead.

Burgersoft777: I enjoy argument and discussion a great deal, I suppose I am most at home in the theological or philosophy threads. I also enjoy speaking to the same people over a period of time and getting to know how other people tick. As I am home a great deal because of my caring responsibilities, talking to people on FrostCloud is sometimes the only adult conversation I get during the day most especially if the Bug is unwell or asleep her level of sedation is very high. FrostCloud has been a lifeline at times most especially after my father died. I would say that the community is the most important part of the cloud for me. Although I visit the political threads only now and then I would describe myself as extremely political. I am a liberal libertarian, I am prepared to except a degree of socialism but I draw the line at my front gate.

Burgersoft777: Yes. Burger was and is a long standing nickname of mine, because of a brand of burger that has my Christian name. It was given to me ironically because at the time I was a vegetarian. Burgersoft was the name I gave to my ill fated software company as a pee take of Microsoft, it is also the name I still use to copyright any software I might write. 777 has a number of meanings as I am interested in the Kabala but the main reason dates back to my days working with Unix, as 777 is the code for a super user, one who can read write and delete data.

Burgersoft777: Another surprisingly difficult question, I would encourage you to cherish each other. That probably sounds rather twee. Far too often people seem out only to prove how clever or extreme they are. I suppose its inevitable that a forum will contain all types of folk it is important to realize that at heart we are all alike and we all have feelings, dreams and ambitions. I believe that everyone has the right to live their life exactly as they please as long as they respect the same right in all others.