I have been going to the weekly presentations at Xerox Parc on and off for several years. This one - next Thursday - looks like the best one yet.

Brewing is the original biotechnology. For 6-8,000 years it has been a delight in the diet, resulting from a tremendously consistent process founded on intricate understanding of the underpinning science. It is an industry that informed all modern day fermentation processes. Beer looks good, it tastes good - and it does you good. This talk will explain all this and much more besides.

Charlie Bamforth, Ph.D., D.Sc. Professor of Malting & Brewing Sciences at the University of California

How come my Careers Advisor never told me that I could have been a Professor of Beer?

My comment about ‘real’ or ‘fantasy’ reminds me of our sit down conversation with Dylan when it was time to tell him about the fantasies that parents make up for their young children’s amusement [Are you sure it's for the child's amusement? - ed].

The conversation went something like this:

Parents: You know, Dylan, there are somethings that parents make up to amuse their children. Can you guess what they are?

Child: God?

Parents: Er. OK. That’s one, but that’s not the one we had in mind! Any more?

Child: Tooth Fairy?

Parents: yep.

Child: That was you? Dammit! Will I still get money when I lose a tooth?

Parents: Sure. Any more?

Child: Santa?

Parents: yep. But don’t tell any other kids in case their parents want to amuse themselves for a little longer…and don’t tell Jazz. You have to help her enjoy the fantasy now.

Child: I knew it! I knew there was no such thing as Santa!

He was pleased with himself for a long time about that last one.