I’m new to the blogging world & hope that I’m not treading on a thread.

My family & I follow most of your shows,films & documentries and enjoy the excellent humour and wit that your are blessed with – keep up the good work.

One magical question based on how impressive you are on screen with your new ‘slim’look. How did you manage such a formidable weight loss, was it an episode of your America series we didn’t see? Would be grateful for your receipe!!!

Best regards & fond greetings for Christmas, looking forward to your 2010 shows

Jean Dantier – Welwyn Garden City

I’ve just listened to this particular podgram and have a few comments. I very much like the new site – there is more to see on each visit and more engagement to be had. The design and layout remains tasteful as well. I very much like the idea of the Twitter feed and other such updates as well.

On the financial aspect of maintaining this growing and elaborate website, I can certainly appreciate that. I am grateful for the decision to avoid garish advertising in the form of banners and the like. I am open to the idea of making purchases now and then as the opportunity comes up. One particular option I am interested in would be a way to access (e.g. DRM-free video download through iTunes or plain old DVD) some of Stephen Fry’s new documentaries. While I do have the pleasure of visiting the UK with some frequency, I am not there enough to see these programs as they are broadcast on the BBC. It is frustrating when one fees beholden to broadcast arrangements and schedules that no longer make sense in this era.

P.S. I do hope that further books are in the works? Perhaps works to accompany some of the documentaries? Something akin to Michael Palin’s travel books?

From a Canadian fan!

p.s. i think you’re fantastic.

Saw you twice in Uganda. Once at the Entebbe airport while I was picking up to South Africans. Saw this person that looked a lot like Stephen Fry, but the large contigent of crew behind him made me suspect this was the real deal. I would like to know how those cases were cleared without too much custom hastle. If you havn’t discovered already, you can bribe the police officers at the airport with 50,000 shillings if you get caught urinating in the parking lot.
Second siting was at Kajjansi airstrip just outside Kampala. I’m not the kind of person to go up to famous people and ask for autographs, but let me tell you how distracting it was being in the same room. With one hand on my mobile trying to track down seismic crew that were late for the flight and the other trying to reach over one of Fry’s assistants or directors to make a cup of lovely instant coffee. I was quite dissapointed to discover that the owners of the airstrip gave our caravan plane to Fry and his crew, and to have Russell the pilot so star struck to give me the wrong port of arrival for crew coming out of my company’s camp. As such, it seems whenever I notice you on tv since then, bad things happen… Canellation of a contract after that commercial with you and the ‘street magician’ doing the card trip. Possible malaria after an episode of Black Adder the second…

Language is a tool, an instrument, a vehicle, it is actually magic, more or less. To those who would fume with righteous indignation about ‘correctness’ I would say if language is a precision tool then it would only be good for a specific job; if it needed to cut it would not be able to hammer, if it were a guitar it could not produce the rhythm of drums, if it were a London cab it could not fly you to America! Language can do all these things and all of them at once, as the above vehicle will attest. That said, there is an aspect of ‘correctness’ in the use of language, in my humble opinion, and that lies in successful usage. The best way of being understood is using the language that expresses what you are thinking or feeling or even, physical desire. To paraphrase a famous quote about dancing and touch on the psychoanalytical side of things:

‘Language is the audible expression of an inaudible meaning’

What I found ‘interesting’ is that you would make a video for the FSF promoting the ultra-free gNewSense distribution, and at the same time be a big fan of such freedom-hostile technologies as the iPhone and Kindle. There’s nothing wrong (IMHO) with being less-than-fanatical about Free software but in my case I express it by using a less free ‘compromise’ distribution (Ubuntu) and avoiding DRM as far as practical, at least where I don’t already have the means to circumvent it.

BTW; your Happy Birthday to GNU video was an excellent resource on Software Freedom Day for explaining to people that “Free” means “Freedom to fiddle about with the plumbing” rather than not paying anything for the taps..

Anyhow, I know you probably have a very tight schedule but if you had a chance to present your views at WLUG (wlug.org.nz) while in New Zealand, that would be hugely appreciated. Contact details are on the website or you can drop me an email and organise this.

I ended up here today (laid flat on my front with my laptop as I have two slipped disks!) having watched Stephen in America yesterday. I must say the series is one of the most enjoyable programmes that I have seen for a long time.

A great site, I have today registered and wish you luck in developing lots of new content, free and paid for – it all sounds very exciting – you are now in my favourites.

With best wishes.

Sounds like a brilliant, fascinating tour. Next time, can I come in your suitcase?