JamesPadraicR

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• Commented on PSA: Why there won't be a third book in the Halting State trilogy
  Already addressed (sort of) on Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/kawelch/status/410143176196780032...
• Commented on PSA: Why there won't be a third book in the Halting State trilogy
  Ah, gotcha. Culturally Chinese, rather than ethnically. I'm probably forgetting something from the books. I assume you have a family tree sketched out to keep things straight....
• Commented on PSA: Why there won't be a third book in the Halting State trilogy
  I meant not losing the near-future Scottish setting. The idea popped into my head that you could cross it over with MP:NG, but no, keep 'em separate. Though that reminded me of something I've wanted to ask for a while:...
• Commented on PSA: Why there won't be a third book in the Halting State trilogy
  Funny, just before coming here this morning, I saw the New York Times article: Spies’ Dragnet Reaches a Playing Field of Elves and Trolls My first though was "They're surprised by this?" Also wasn't surprised that they didn't actually learn...
• Commented on Lovebible.pl
  Feeding a Markov chain with CS and Lovecraft I nearly misread that as C.S. Lewis and Lovecraft. That might make Lewis interesting. Anyhow, the output seems fairly smooth, though disjointed in spots. Reminds of one reason I've never been able...
• Commented on Notes from the coal face
  He seems to have the common American (particularly among conservatives) notion of Socialism: that it is one monolithic system, with a set structure, rather than it being the name for dozens of systems with similar goals--of course the same is...
• Commented on Notes from the coal face
  due to morph gradually into space opera. Am now wondering how you Doppleganger a spaceship. Some new tech letting it occupy the same space in multiple universes? No. Never mind. I'll look forward to finding out in good time. Meanwhile,...
• Commented on Trotskyite singularitarians for Monarchism! A political speculation.
  Thanksgiving .... John Dillinger died for your sins, right? Thanks for the remonder, nearly forgot the annual viewing: William S. Burroughs' A Thanksgiving Prayer (sorry 'bout the ad, wanted to get the whole thing)...
• Commented on What scared H. P. Lovecraft
  I've never been much of a gamer. Was slightly into D&D when young, but only because my brother was slightly more into it, and a friend was. The only games I ever got into were flight sims. I've always been...
• Commented on What scared H. P. Lovecraft
  "The Poison Belt" by Conan Doyle is fairly racist too. It seems to have been standard operating procedure for Victorian/Edwardian writers to make some racist or anti-semitic remark, if only in passing. I haven't come across many exceptions....
• Commented on Speaking of book covers ...
  Jerry Falwell. (You know you're unpopular when you get the Church of Scotland and Stonewall UK lining up on the same side of the barricades against you.) I'm guessing that's like the KKK protesting Westboro Baptist at Arlington Cemetery a...
• Commented on What scared H. P. Lovecraft
  Yes Charlie is aware of it: http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?9658 Personally, I know almost nothing about it....
• Commented on Speaking of book covers ...
  I don't have much to add to the Scots independence discussion, but slightly relating to Charlie's concern about possible growing conservatism: I was wondering--not too seriously*--if an independent Scotland would have a Law of Return, allowing people with Scottish ancestry...
• Commented on And in case you think that wasn't bad enough ...
  Then there's, umm, this from Omni Reboot...
• Commented on Speaking of book covers ...
  As I said when the US trade edtion of "The Jennifer Morgue" came out: Nice and Pulpy. A pulp-era style of cover works for some things, and I think they do for the Laundry books. Though I have to admit...
• Commented on The revolution will not be hand-stitched
  Just read this: Repairing an airplane engine on a tight budget might become a lot easier --You’ve heard of 3D printing. Now meet 3D painting, which is also called cold spray. And am now imagining a system using something similar...
• Commented on Catching a Blighty
  Spam alert @ 158, shengqioaling Also looks like they left some in the New Bookcover thread....
• Commented on Catching a Blighty
  OK let everyone look at the masterpiece of a great painter - usually known as (just?) a "society" portraitist - J S Sargeant. The picture is simply called: "Gassed" Here, I'll save a little trouble: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gassed.jpg It's an image that...
• Commented on Making history personal
  I don't want to take anything away, I'd like to see it myself. Moving it was an impressive feat. I half suspect if the dam were being built today, they might not bother....
• Commented on Making history personal
  Shoot! Should've read the whole cliff dwelling article first. They were moved to the present location a hundred years ago. Oops, nevermind....
• Commented on Making history personal
  I have to emend my previous @ 59. I was going to add that I've been in the Black Watch Museum at Balhousie Castle in Perth. Built in 1631 (so older than St. Augustine), but it was rebuilt in the...
• Commented on Making history personal
  I once dozed off in the great temple at Abu Simbel. Does that count? Before, or after they were moved? Somebody had to ask....
• Commented on Making history personal
  As an American who hasn't travelled much, this isn't a fair question. but here goes. Slept in is probably the house I live in now, built around 1890. It's in Colorado, so there aren't too many buildings much older. Been...
• Commented on I have a new book cover
  I'm guilty of it too, so nothing personal against anyone. I generally prefer paperbacks, for cost and space reasons, and I find them easier on the eyes. I've been buying Charlie's books (and a handful of other authors) in hardcover,...
• Commented on I have a new book cover
  this is the first Laundry Files novel to debut in hardcover in the UK I can just imagine someone will complain "But I have the whole series in paperback. This'll mess up my shelving!" Anyhow, nice cover. Thankfully no mudflap...
• Commented on Spook Century
  It's probably best not to hide listening devices in objects that look like they're for hiding keys. One of my favorite real spy devices: The Thing by Lev Theremin....
• Commented on Spook Century
  And the big fat revised books will do nicely as promo material in the run-up to the new series... I was going to ask if they'd be willing to release them as hardcovers with cover designs matching the new trilogy....
• Commented on Spook Century
  Semi-Random thoughts: Of course the Agencies are crazy; they're in the Paranoia Business, and paranoia is a sign of mental illness. Those Soviet gadgets look more like something out of "Get Smart" rather than Bond. Stross calling something Strossian?...
• Commented on Blatant Advertising
  like others have said; Happy Birthday to Charlie!...
• Commented on Blatant Advertising
  the underlines instead of italics. I wonder if it's a USAnian thing as it seems it's more customary here to treat underlines and italics as interchangeable than it is back in Blightly. Not a US thing, that I've seen. Underlining...