Author Archives: Bruce Ryan

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About Bruce Ryan

https://about.me/bruce.ryan

19 May: Kunsthistorischesmuseum, Prater Riesenrad, walking about Vienna

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After returning my hire-bike, we went to an exhibition about ancient gold mines in the Kunsthistorischesmuseum. Photography wasn’t allowed in the exhibition. Then, making like total tourists, we went to the Prater park (via a walk to Wien Westbahhof) and rode the Riesenrad. Dinner was in a veggie/vegan restaurant in Meidling, followed by a walk back to the hotel along the Wienfluß. Continue reading →

18 May: Kahlenberg

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I hired a bike from pedalpower.at and cycled out to another of our traditional haunts, the Kahlenberg (a hill just north of Vienna, with fantastic views over the city). Elly was sensible and took the U-bahn and then a bus.

Meanwhile, I failed to get up the MTB path, so cycled on to Klosterneuberg and ascended via a shallower but longer route – and cooked my arms in the sun.

Several drinks, including a verlängte Brauner (look it up!), later, we walked down to Klosterneuberg. Elly took public transport back to our hotel, while I  went via the Donauinsel. Dinner was at another of our favourite haunts, the Dreivierteltakt. More Kartoffelsalat, Gurkensalat and Petersilkartoffeln. Austria does spuds! Continue reading →

17 May: Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Donauinsel

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Elly fancied seeing the display of the Habsburgs’ book collection at the National Library. The state hall is full of books from mostly Empress Maria Theresa’s time (18th century). It’s absolutely amazing – I hope the photos do it some justice.

After a room full of books, none of which we could touch, let alone read, we headed for the Donauinsel for drinks, a shisha and (for the silliness addict) a dip in the Donaukanal. It’s rare that I’ve been so cold.

Dinner that night was at the Loving Hut – vegan Wienerschnitzel with mayonnaise-Kartoffelsalat. Totally yum! Continue reading →

Deported?

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Relax – I’m safe, I’m not a homeless beggar.

Currently Police Scotland and the UK Borders agency are running an operation in Edinburgh to immediately deport foreign homeless beggars back to their home countries. If they want to go, fine – but I’m a bit afraid of coercion of the form ‘You do want to go home, don’t you, sir!’ As far as I’m concerned, anyone has the right to be in any non-private property they choose.

I’m fuming that at a recent community council meeting, it was said that ‘unfortunately, begging of itself is not a crime’ (my emphasis). As far as I’m concerned, if there’s a crime, it’s that we haven’t organised society so that there is no need to beg. Of course, if a beggar acts in an offensive manner, then there is some right – and public nuisance laws – to deal with this.

But if you are offended by people simply and politely asking for money because they aren’t in a position to earn enough for themselves, then do something about it! Attack the cause, not the symptoms – try to build a fair society where we all have enough.

Connecting people, connecting ideas symposium

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Bruce Ryan's avatarBruce's IT-ish world

My colleague Frances Ryan, along with Professor Hazel Hall, will be running a one-day research symposium on 22 June 2017. ‘Connecting people, connecting ideas‘ (CPCI) will focus on research priorities in Information Science as related to everyday life information seeking and information behaviours in online environments.

More information is on Frances’ research blog. If information science is in any way your thing, I’m sure this will be an interesting and provocative event.

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