j.carl.henderson

Comment Threads

• siivetjasilmat commented on Death: A Pantomime
  Okay, being a Russian citizen I can wholeheartedly confirm — yes there are shady but relatively easy ways to procure a proper-looking death certificate. There's still a paper-loophole (i.e. quite a bunch of civil registries still not computerised), so your way in is not a hacker in your employ but a rather simple bribe. That leaves the question of relatives and friends — also easy if you're a proper Russian and thus you're great at simulating severe depression. The part with blood trails suggested by several commenters is quite easy. If my life would depend on it, I guess I'd...
• julian.bond commented on Death: A Pantomime
  "Find someone similar to yourself who has an incurable disease" makes me imagine a rather macabre personal ad in Private Eye!...
• julian.bond commented on Death: A Pantomime
  The comment about the British Isles is crucial. Given our esteemed host, I think the terms of the competition should stipulate that you are starting with a British passport and in Edinburgh. It does strike me that this whole exercise would be a great deal easier with a European passport, a couple of languages and starting in continental Europe. There does seem to be a big emphasis in the comments on faking the death and not much on creating the alternate identity. ISTR fairly recently seeing somebody talk about the typical Macleod/Stross Scottish near future. The suggestion was that part...
• Cat Valente commented on Death: A Pantomime
  Alex-- I think it's fairly clear Molly was heavily involved, and so, I suspect, was the truck full of soft things that pulled away after the fall. The homeless network, the squash ball, and most probably the rhodedendron plant (which causes paralysis and can be used to fake no pulse) all likely figure in. Moffat has said the big clue is something Sherlock did that was out of character. I think it's this: he cried. I found myself quite surprised at that in the moment--why would he cry if he knows he's faking, as we know he must? Well, that...
• voidampersand commented on Death: A Pantomime
  This is not a boating scenario; it is a boat maintenance scenario. Don't do this lightly — someone close to me watched a friend of his die this way for real. Simply pick up a power tool on an extension cord, mention you need to work on the outside of the boat, and absent-mindedly wade into the water. Keel over. This should satisfy the credibly dead for at least a brief period of time requirement. Longer term you will need accomplices so your seemingly dead body goes where you planned, and not to the wrong hospital or the morgue. Also...