Jamesface

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• Commented on Pushing it back
  I’ve just finished 1491: The Americas Before Columbus by Charles C Mann and it leads me to a couple of perspectives. According to Mann there is a growing consensus that Mesoamerica was densely populated and highly shaped by agriculture; that...
• Commented on Crib Sheet: The Labyrinth Index
  In the UK, Durex is a brand of rubber (US). I briefly attended a school in America when I was six years old and had never heard the word "eraser" before. There is a family-favourite story about me loudly insisting...
• Commented on Lying to the ghost in the machine
  Looking forward to a computer responding to deepfake requests with a picture of an apple with "Tom Cruise" written on it....
• Commented on What happens now?
  Oh, one more thing. Even if Trump is impeached again I actually don't want the judgement to go against him. A resignation would be better. Why? Because a President removed from office cannot stand again. But if he resigns he...
• Commented on What happens now?
  A number of White House staffers and political appointees resigned in the past 48 hours. You might have missed it, but one of them was Elaine Chao Secretary for Transportation. DeVos too. However he can lose the Transport and Education...
• Commented on What happens now?
  Trump, and fascists in general, follow the boiling frog approach (yes I know it's bad analogy). Every time they turn up the heat they test to see what the response from the rest of the state will be. If there...
• Commented on So you say you want a revolution
  While visiting family in Pennsylvania I've visited Amish fruit and veg stores. The one I most remember took the form of a 50m long poly tunnel, probably 8m wide, filled with tables of every produce you can imagine growing in...
• Commented on So you say you want a revolution
  Which reminds me: I seem to recall James Nicoll chewing over the SF trope of a Mars (or other space) colony in the context of Angry White People who don't want to rub elbows with mud-eating terrestrials; what are the...
• Commented on So you say you want a revolution
  Yevgeny Lebedev was granted the title of "Baron Lebedev of Hampton and Siberia". That wouldn't have happened without a nod from Uncle Vlad. I just realised what a flex this is by Putin on Farage. Farage is desperate for a...
• Commented on So you say you want a revolution
  Here's a fun angle for you Charlie: On Jan 20th the Russian psyop targeting Western democracy will be dealt a significant blow as Asset T leaves his position of influence (my current hope is that he refuses to, and the...
• Commented on Dead Lies Dreaming: Spoilers
  What is it with the Russian characters dialogue being rendered in broken English even when they're speaking Russian with each other? This is actually fairly accurate literal translation of Russian, as it lacks definite (and IIRC indefinite) articles such as...
• Commented on Dead Lies Dreaming: Spoilers
  (It's the same reason that the Eve-as-dutiful-daughter we see in the flashbacks gets turned into the corporate crime gorgon we get to see in the rest of the novel, too.) My guess? Combined with Rupert's 'greater hold' and the fact...
• Commented on Dead Lies Dreaming: Spoilers
  I can't wait to read them! Dead Lies Dreaming was great and I'm really looking forward to where you take the series next....
• Commented on Dead Lies Dreaming: Spoilers
  Thanks! Another one - will we ever find out what was the "bigger thing" Rupert was holding over Eve? Is it Chekov's geas?...
• Commented on Dead Lies Dreaming: Spoilers
  I found it a bit hard to understand whether the Bond (who was the Captain Hook analogue?) was going tragically off-piste because of his own toxic masculine bloodlust, or whether I missed the implications when Rupert briefed him, because Rupert...
• Commented on CASE NIGHTMARE BLONDE, Part 2
  As I understand it official Labour policy is a second referendum after renegotiating with the EU, offering a choice between Remain and their deal. Though I am not a fan of Corbyn, that doesn't seem to be the sticking point....
• Commented on CASE NIGHTMARE BLONDE, Part 2
  Half the matrix display boards on UK motorways are currently showing a message which says "Shipping to/from EU, Paperwork may change, Check online" Which, of course, you can't because nobody knows what the requirements will be until the deal is...
• Commented on CASE NIGHTMARE BLONDE, Part 2
  In short, Jeremy Corbyn is unelectable. He has the peak support he will ever gain, and most of it sits within the Labour membership. So he can't be shifted in favour of a more palatable leader, but he can't gain...
• Commented on Tentative hypothesis
  In general I think, compared to the mass market, the commentariat skews in a direction that prefers flexibility and control, and is willing to learn more/sacrifice ease-of-use in order to get it. When Slack came out I heard a lot...
• Commented on Ask me anything!
  You've mentioned previously that the Rule 34 sequel had to be canned as a result of reality catching up to the premise. I know you'd rather keep the plot to your chest for potential recycling, but can you give a...
• Commented on Story time!
  Has anyone ever assessed the labour conditions at Wayne Industries? Are they paying more than minimum wage, permitting unionisation, observing health and safety standards, etc? After all if we accept that there is no such thing as a morally-unencumbered billionaire...
• Commented on Story time!
  By the way, there's no need to worry that this pro-remain iteration of The Riddler might cause a moral tangle for Batman. Bruce Wayne is, after all, a billionaire....
• Commented on Story time!
  Gerald Williamson was a nice, well-behaved boy from a nice middle-middle-class family in nice High Wycombe. For the first couple of years of his secondary schooling, he went to one of the pleasant, sightly crumbling, public schools in the area...
• Commented on Typo Hunt: The Labyrinth Index
  NB the UK Kindle edition renders 109 as 109 on the iOS Kindle app as well. Kindle 6.12.1/iOS 12.1...
• Commented on Typo Hunt: The Labyrinth Index
  UK Kindle edition, Loc 1892, "in excess of 109 human sacrifices" renders as "...109 human sacrifices" on my Kindle Paperwhite....
• Commented on Brexit! Means! Brexit!
  That, as you realise, is the EXACT self-deluding crap the Brexiteers have been peddling all along. Sometimes the best satire is simply to repeat what's been said....
• Commented on Brexit! Means! Brexit!
  A further suggestion, based on the suggestion by some of the more senior Brexiteers that we should look to the Age of the British Empire, because that was great fun and larks for all involved with no drawbacks. Rather than...
• Commented on Brexit! Means! Brexit!
  On further consideration, it appears the sticking point is not the availability of prime human tissue but the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Despite neither of these countries being England, and therefore important, apparently some people...
• Commented on Brexit! Means! Brexit!
  Well, let's look at the stated aims of the Leave campaign. Take back control Sovereignty, which is fortunately a very easy concept that everyone understands innately Secede from the ECHR More money for the NHS Bring back the death penalty...
• Commented on Crib Sheet: The Delirium Brief
  "Vital pubic resource" is an actual, real typo. Whoops....