Posts by James Butler
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Hard News: Science: it's complicated, in reply to Bart Janssen,
Sorry I really need a coffee because I’m getting way too animated about this.
Ahh yes, the well-known calming and soporific effects of coffee.
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Muse: WHORISH SELF-PROMOTION VS.…, in reply to Craig Ranapia,
Back off, bitch. I’ve thrown more elbows at charity book fairs, church fetes and remainder sales than you’ve had hot dinners. :)
That's it, I demand satisfaction! Lazy Guns at dawn, sir!
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Although I shall miss those big yellow Gollancz hardback covers.
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Muse: WHORISH SELF-PROMOTION VS.…, in reply to Jackie Clark,
I too was thrilled since it means we can now contemplate getting rid of all his books which are in piles everywhere.
Let me know when you're dumping books - I can take them h̶o̶m̶e̶ to the tip for you.
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Gollancz, the SF and Fantasy imprint of the Orion Publishing Group, announces the launch of the world’s largest digital SFF library, the SF Gateway, which will make thousands of out-of-print titles by classic genre authors available as eBooks.
Omigod omigod omigod omigod <hyperventilates>
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Hard News: How much speech does it take?, in reply to Megan Wegan,
That reminds me of high school where there were typing classes. They were optional, but all us boys thought the classes were really for girls.
Likewise (or it might have been called "Document Management" or something) - same went for cooking and sewing. But I found sewing class at school immensely useful for a summer job I had once, sewing parts for robots. Doesn't get much more stereotypically manly than that. I'm still the only person in my house who knows how to thread a sewing machine.
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I actually read Kiwiblog far more often than The Standard, because I find it more difficult to hear people being idiotic about things I might mostly agree with than people being idiotic about, well, idiotic stuff. And I have never commented on The Standard because I don't have a feel for how to say something without being shat on - whereas I (occasionally) comment on Kiwiblog with the full intention of being shat on, which makes it OK somehow.
I think DPF honestly thinks that his hands-off moderating is a virtue precisely because anyone has a right to share their views - without realizing how that attitude has fostered exactly the opposite of broad engagement.
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Hard News: How much speech does it take?, in reply to Russell Brown,
I do still wonder how Farrar can face getting up in the morning and writing a blog post in the knowledge that it will be another opportunity for those people to air their inane and abhorrent views.
Because it makes him seem smart and reasonable by comparison?
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Up Front: How About Now?, in reply to BenWilson,
Anglican (which seems to be the kind of Christianity where you don’t even have to believe in God)
I was still a good Anglican long after I ceased believing, which is probably one reason it took me so long to notice that it had happened. The choir I'm in sings an Evensong every month at St Matthews in the City, and although I can't bring myself to say the spoken prayers any more, I'm not at all conflicted about being associated with one of the most liberal, inclusive congregations I've ever come across (plus it helps that it's a beautiful building with a beautiful acoustic).
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OnPoint: Easy as 1, 2, 22.8 billion, in reply to BenWilson,
Yes, they are making quite a strange choice, IMHO. They could sell one of the businesses and keep their kids toys. It sort of points to where their priorities lie.
Indeed. You have to wonder what the marginal benefit of selling the trampoline would be when they are already selling 6 figures worth of car and boat.
Also, everyone knows a good upright piano is cheaper and sounds better than a baby grand.