hard boiled altered carbon

I 'finished' Altered Carbon just in time for the dystopian meeting in the pub. I'd opened the kindle and read the first dozen or so pages thinking, 'wow!'

Then something changed.

I did hesitate slightly with the first person account, which was styled on Raymond Chandler noir, although by comparison Philip Marlowe has light and shade. Underneath Marlowe's wisecracking, hard-drinking, tough private eye, there's contemplation and enjoyment of chess and poetry. Marlowe isn't afraid to risk physical harm but doesn't dish out violence merely to settle scores.

That's all very different in Richard (K) Morgan's writing. Our Private Investigator Takeshi Kovacs has no such Marlowe personality traits. In fact, I'm not sure that he has any personality at all.

Kovacs has come out of jail, where he was locked away for a sentence of 200 years. Don't worry, only his cortical memory stack was imprisoned and he was re-sleeved into a new body when he was bought out of his sentence by a Very Rich Person (Bancroft). New bodied as an ex-Envoy (marine-like super fighter) he's now wired on neurochems, enzymes and hormones to make him ultra-tough.

This is in the opening sequence and really quite interesting. But I'm already getting a hint of the anti-character mapping of our man. We don't get anything of his mixed race Asian/Eastern European roots. He lives entirely in the moment. Apply a stimulus and get a response. I understand the process. It's like designing one of those shoot-em-up games. All about the gratification. Forget Apps, Remember Gpps. Gratification Per Page.

Ryker's mission is to solve the murder of Bancroft, who has rebooted himself into a new body, using a backup clone of his own cortical stack. Bancroft is an ultra-rich Meth (Methusalah) who has been through countless body re-boots and is probably north of 350 years old. He can afford to live in a castle in the sky, surrounded by exotica.

Bancroft wants to know how he got murdered, because the police have put it down to suicide. It's Kovacs/Ryker's job to investigate the case, in return for a freedom bought by Bancroft. Yes, it's that Bruce Willis/Vin Diesel dilemma - go back to jail or help solve this crime.

Still an okay set-up. But remember we are also inside the head of Kovacs/Ryker. It's really too unpleasant in there. Both oozy and ferocious. He was longwindedly feral in his instincts. I use the door test as a quick example. In Kovak's world no-one could ever stand by the door.

Instead of "she stood by the door", we'd get, "Taut body framed glistening in the doorway, her breasts lithely straining from the skintight leopard print." Okay, I made that up, but it gives an impression of author Morgan's writing style.

On the other hand, if it's a man by the door, then it follows the Raymond Chandler line: "send a man with a gun through the door" - oh yes, that happens on about every second page.

So after the world and quest set up, the rest of the narrative turns into a first person shooter game, with funfair style pop-up baddies interspersed with eye-candy females. The gratification per page formula continues for so many pages that at one point I just skipped 150 of them, to be sure of finishing the novel before pub-time.

My skip came just after one of the torture scenes, when Kovacs was flipped into a woman's body (to be tortured) and then flipped back into Ryker's afterwards - Highly questionable - This would not pass Alison Bechdel's test.

The body switch back also needs to be added to the list of evil overlord No-Nos. "Never give an angry Envoy-level fighter back their original body." It could go near Nr. 4 Shooting is not too good for my enemies.

I did land back in the story with enough pages left to see the quest's plot deliver, although I didn't feel that I'd missed much in my needlecast jump to the future.

The book also has an epilogue. I assumed it would be a hook to volume two but, intriguingly, it seemed to have some reflection as well. Somehow, by now, this marginally more soulful section didn't ring true and felt like a bolted on patch to the smashing plate stack of the novel.

walk this way

Can't get enough of Brexit? This rock 'n' rollercoaster show has just been renewed for another series, with the next finale planned for Halloween.

Recapping - the zombie leader is malfunctioning, and a set of potential replacements are jostling for dominance within a leaky dark star. Red fleet commander Jeremy can't fly his battle cruiser and his reputation is to only bring lollipops to a firefight.

Meanwhile, forces of the Federation are flying in spectacular formations, with an occasional wingman breaking away for hassle duty.

Cap'n Theresa has been hastily reprogrammed by a ground crew, but they only had a few plug-ins available. She must appear functional but has but a choice of smile, walk unsteadily and a selection of seven phrases on continuous loop.

Even by cliffhanger standards it's not looking good, with Cap'n Ther' defiantly trying the same moves over and over again. Some would call this madness, but it's an even more catastrophic failure, sharpened by her tragic belief that she is doing it for the will of 'her' people. She's also penned in, being unable to cross over any red lines or red carpets.


As a last resort, two specially equipped floaters have been enlisted to provide a steering mechanism, which can be operated away from camera angle.

It's a clever trick, with one providing diversion, whilst the other operates the complex controls and steering mechanisms.

The term floater was introduced by the Federation, originally as a playful nickname, and indeed the ones steering the Cap'n are so good that their lanyards display double gold floater status.

Back on the planet, feelings are still divided.

There's the saboteurs, led by a villainous steampunk time traveller and a red-faced man from the Rayleigh galaxy. Their destructive antics intend to make a farrago of the federation.

Then there's the faithful. They haven't realised that Cap'n Ter's project was doomed to fail and are still rooting for the original idea. They don't have a unique thought in their head although their numbers are such that they can create quite a hullabaloo if left to their own devices.

The swaggers are an altogether more malevolent force. Mercenaries paid to turn up at special events and to throw themselves around. They come in two sizes. A thuggish larger model and a compact attractive (usually female) model designed to steal photo opportunities.

But the ones to watch are the schoolboy clowns. They may look harmless, but hide a deep-rooted ruthlessness in pursuit of personal power and wealth. They'd topple anyone in their path, renege deals and do - well - anything to slime their way to the top.

But I'm in danger of giving away plot. Let's just say Cap'n Ther' still wants it all wrapped up by the end of May.

the inherent vice of politicians

After re-watching that Thomas Pynchon movie, I found myself considering the inherent vice in various items.

Inherent vice is a property of an object which could lead to its damage or destruction.

Eggs break. Chocolate melts. Glass shatters. Acid paper flakes. Whisky evaporates.

It made me wonder about the inherent vice of politicians.

Not the vices involving money and sleaze, but something inherent in the political system that creates a tipping point.

Red lines can't prevent it either. A red line could have been drawn to prevent something, but the strength to hold a line can becomes a weakness.

There's plenty of examples of inherent vice in politicians. Here's a few from some individuals that spring to mind.

• someone with their own mind who never takes advice.
• someone who adopts a slogan at a moment in time and then never once challenges it.
• someone who sounds sincere, but is simply regurgitating received sound bites.
• someone who steadfastly defends a position until they quietly drop it to defend an opposing viewpoint.
• someone who says they are listening but never carries forward what they have heard.
• someone who gains positional power, but uses it to destroy the thing they are supposed to safeguard.

I could go on but instead here's a useful tip:

Eggs that sink in cold water are good and those that float are off.

The ones that stand on end are at the tipping point.

raspberry pi

I've been helping out with a website recently. Not mine, I'm providing some 'behind the scenes' Wordpress support.

As well as the live version, we have a play version. Normally I run development versions on the internet as well, but for this one we are using our intranet and some localhost aliasing.

The test version is on a LAN-attached Raspberry Pi, and I've just run a round trip backup test of it via Dropbox to see whether we could even swap copies of Wordpress images via on-line.

Although it is slightly akin to sneaker net, it means we can keep the main site under wraps until the updates are ready.

And it's interesting to run the deck-of-cards sized Raspberry Pi without a screen and keyboard yet delivering the full Wordpress experience.

right to reply

Now I live right on the boundary between two MP constituencies. I wrote to my official MP and the adjacent one as well. I also wrote to three of my MEPs about what has been happening with Brexit. My first emails were last October, and a further set in March.

The emails were unique and customised to their specific situation and differing party politics, albeit I repeated many of the same points to each one.

The MP feedback so far is as follows:

• One of the MPs gave two sets of semi-personalised feedback (to two separate personalised emails) and has been carrying an ongoing torch for a new Peoples Vote. This MP has also sent me several follow up 'broadcast' emails about what is going on. I can honestly say I read the responses as carrying some party beliefs but going outside of party politics. Well done.
• The other MP is completely following the party whip of the Conservative party. My personalised message to him received a boiler plate 'thank you for your message'. You are not representing me.

The three MEPs were less directly involved in the current UK process, so I was more expressing a general viewpoint to them. Each of the three Europhile MPs replied and one gave a fairly tailored response. The other three of my total six MEPs are all pro-Brexit.

It has made me take a quick look at the six local MEPs currently operating in my new area of the country, in case we vote in the upcoming elections.

UNSUITABLE FOR ME TO CONSIDER

1 William Dartmouth (Earl)
Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy group
an Earl Brexiteer - EFD2 is the Nigel Farage Party.

2 Ashley Fox -
European Conservatives and Reformists group
A conservative Brexiteer - retweeting Theresa May party line.

3 Julia Reid
Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy group
Another EFD2 Farage Party member - recently actively refuting EU Climate Change policy

CONSTRUCTIVE OPTIONS

4 Julie Girling
Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats)
Pro EU - Last speeches were reminding the EU that the 60 million Brits were still inside

5 Clare Moody
Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament
Pro EU, would be Labour Party in UK - recent statement to want to keep a strong voice inside EU.

6 Molly Scott Cato
Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Pro EU - Recent hardline speech against Theresa May's recent actions.

Of course, if Mrs May's chicanery gets the Withdrawal Agreement re-opened to insert a clause from Jeremy Corbyn, then this could all become null and void, by use of cheap tricks.

Otherwise, we'll need to study the MEPs on offer quite carefully to try to remove the people sabotaging EU membership. I suspect a new UK tory leadership will want to create a deregulated, high privacy Singapore Plus tax-haven in the UK.

Excuse my hasty artist representation of Singapore on Thames.

red line

Now we have the bizarre situation where we could be expected to leave the EU with a customs union clause built into the departure. It's like leaving the EU in name (Brexit), but the continuing to follow the EU trade arrangements, without any voice or vote.

Bonkers.

I know both party leaders are in these compromise negotiations, but this kind of last minute leap is ridiculous.

The EU have said we'd need to have something meaningful to say at this time, if we want an extension. Given that the Withdrawal Agreement can't be changed and Theresa May is even fending off changes to the Political Declaration, then it really is the end of the road.

Hypocrisy to even have the meetings.

The only meaningful changes at this time are a People's Vote or a General Election. The latter option is really just adding another four month delay into everything.

SO the options become Theresa May's Withdrawal Agreement with its hazy and poorly defined next stages or flavours of Peoples Vote.

The Withdrawal Agreement would simply lock UK into the next stage of a mess. Revoke can reset everything.

Ever reactive, I see the Conservatives via Gareth Fox are preparing for the European Elections with Seat CV to conservatives.com by no later than 5pm tomorrow (Tuesday 9 April 2019)

#revoke #remain #rebuild

goin' round an' round

I've a handful of shares in a well-known high street bank.

One of those tumbleweed letters arrived. It had been on a round-about journey to get to me and wanted to know if I would like to vote in their annual meeting.

The address they still have is my old one. I notified the bank of my change of address more than a year ago, but this letter is from the Bank's Registrar, which I assume is disconnectedly based in a desert somewhere.

Or maybe it is an example of Big Data not connecting dots, or something to do with GDPR?

Easy peasy, I'll logon and change the address.

Wouldthatitweresosimple. Logon failed.

I need to set up a new online account with the Registrar for these errant shares. I attempt to do it and it asks for my postcode. I put in my current one. Not accepted. I try the old one, which goes through and lets me set up the account.

Now to log on and change the address to my current one.

Not allowed. They will need to send me a postal reference number first.

But.

They are sending it to my old address.

Now I know why I need postal re-direction for such a long time after moving house. It means I should be able to cast my vote related to the limited dis-application of pre-emption rights.

back to gordita beach

I'm supposed to be reading a particular book ready for dystopian bookclub on Thursday. I'm about 35% through it on my kindle.

It's one that was made into a multi series Netflix show, Altered Carbon. The first few pages were great because it leapt straight into a crisp narrative, although I did wonder briefly about the first person voice it had chosen.

That's become more of a problem for me as I read further along. There's some first person squish that I just don't enjoy.

It was written in 2002, and creates a more-or-less instant otherworld, showing some decent inventiveness and consistency, with some similar themes to ones explored in recent Black Mirror episodes.

Good work for a first novel by author Richard Morgan.

And, despite the naming similarities, it took me a little while to realise that I'd seen part of the novel in that TV series.

I think I only watched about one-and-a-half episodes- which is maybe why I'd forgotten the name of the show - so I may need to go back and check it again.

It meant I got as far as what is the Hendrix Hotel in the novel, but it is shown as the Edgar Allen Poe hotel for the TV show. With hindsight, I'm guessing it was something to do with rights to use Jimi Hendrix? We'll draw a purple haze over that.

More later when I finish it and/or watch the tv show again.

I'm also reading a real hardback about the music industry, which, if I admit it, I'm slightly struggling to finish. Normally I'd enjoy it, but I'm finding it just a tad too predictable.

That's when Pynchon re-appeared on the scene. It's another one of my few remaining hardbacks and mysteriously appeared immediately underneath my current read in the (tidied away) stack.

I've maybe cheated with this one. I've read it before but it reminded me of the escapism of its own whacky movie.

Time for two and a half hours of (fictional) Gordita Beach 1970s noir. Narrated by the ex-girlfriend of the stoner detective, it's suitably bonkers and well worth a repeat viewing if you have that sort of humour.

last train to trancentral

Demagoguery to the fore since the latest chicanery.

Mid discussion with Corbyn, May flicks a unilateral short pass to the EU, requesting the same pointless exit date as her last failed attempt.

Iniquitous, considering Tusk was preparing the 'flextension' to last a year to avoid zombiesque repeat renewals.

It's desperate slash and burn politicking and now creates similar reactions with the equally self-serving moggsters. Narrow party interests above all, coupled with some teflon coating to deflect blame.

A proper robot would have been switched off.

These illustrations are from 2017. Note one (New Statesman) has a liberal scepticism and the other (Spectator) a right bias.

#revoke #remain #rebuild

stinger number 36

A slight sinking feeling about the small amount of commentary concerning the "Revoke Article 50 and remain in the EU" petition, which was debated at Parliament on 1st April between 16:30 and 19:45. It wasn't discussed in the main Chamber, instead in Westminster Hall, in a time-slot allocated for significant petitions.

I thought that Catherine McKinnell (Newcastle upon Tyne North- Lab) produced a good speech and covered the topic well. The full transcript is here, in Hansard.

Normally I would use the word 'debate', but the Government's representatives took it upon themselves to leave early and, indeed, not to even champion two of the three sections for which they held responsibility.

Heidi Allan (South Cambridgeshire - TIG/Change UK) commented just after 18:00, "I appreciate that everybody’s diaries are incredibly busy in Westminster, but I find it extraordinary that there is now literally nobody on the side of the House that is responsible for responding to the petition, given it is of such a size. Does that not tell us how poorly the 6 million people in this country who are terrified by the prospect of Brexit feel? This is supposed to be democracy—I find it absolutely startling."

And later Jenny Chapman (Darlington -Lab) put it, "I called it a “debate”, but clearly we have not had a debate. Our sharing of perspectives has been among people who broadly agree with one another, and the counter-arguments have not been heard because those who came initially to put them decided to leave. I am sad about that."

Later, at about 15 minutes before the end of the allotted time, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union (Chris Heaton-Harris) was given the job of speaking against the petition.

He used that potentially disrespectful "I hear what the hon. Lady says" phrase shortly before stating: "The Government’s position remains clear: we will not revoke article 50 and we will not hold a second referendum. We remain committed to leaving the European Union and implementing the result of the 2016 referendum."

He went on to say, "Parliament’s position is now also clear. In the series of indicative votes on 27 March, Parliament voted on the options of revoking article 50 and holding a second referendum. Neither option achieved a majority in the House. Indeed, the House voted, with a majority of more than 100, against revoking article 50."

It would seem that his job in this meeting was to throw down a stinger, just before the petition's time limit.

And wait! Since that session on Monday, he's resigned his Cabinet role on Wednesday (Number 36) - citing that Mrs May's position makes his job in government irrelevant. For some reason I'm reminded of Number 6.

charge it

Ever since wireless toothbrush charging, there's been that thing where you don't have to plug certain devices onto a wire recharge.

Nowadays there's loads of options for modern phones. The Apple Airpower has just been cancelled, but I already had a version similar to it which could charge 2 phones and a watch or one phone, a watch and some AirPods. It's okay, but I tend to use it as a secondary charger.

Despite what people say about placement and the need for extra sets of coils inside the charger, I seldom have a problem with devices locking on to the charge.

A better bedside one is a simple L-shaped gadget onto which the phone can be placed. It works a treat. Perhaps also one of those discreet round ones tucked away on a shelf for some booster charging, if needed?

Nowadays, within a day I seldom find the battery on the phone running out, it's more that the watch may struggle to get through a whole day if it is used too intensely for extra functions.

They say it should be a 1 to 1 interview question nowadays...How much charge you have on your phone? As a way to cross-check an individual's personal organisation.

190401 19:37 : Closing remarks from revoke petition debate

Closing remarks - see below for links to full discussion
7:37 pm

Catherine McKinnell (Newcastle upon Tyne North - Labour)

I thank the Minister for his reply. I was perhaps being a little unfair on him when I picked him up on his reference to Newcastle upon Tyne North being a leave constituency, because, as my hon. Friend the Member for Ipswich (Sandy Martin) pointed out, ​there are projected figures for demographic analysis, and I know from the conversations I had on many doorsteps during the referendum campaign that many of my constituents were voting leave.

The discussion and the level of debate from those on the Government Benches have been disappointing throughout this debate, in terms of engagement with the substance of the issue. The point that gets forgotten is a reality check on where we are, rather than going around in ever-decreasing circles, arguing tit for tat about how we got here. We know how we got here. There was a referendum question put to the country that did not specify in any way how it would be delivered, and we had a Government who went ahead and held a general election, and lost their majority. We have a Prime Minister who has completely failed to engage with anyone but those within her own party on this issue, and to reach out and form a consensus.

We know why we are where we are. Like my hon. Friend the Member for Darlington (Jenny Chapman), I was disappointed that the few Conservative Members who initially attended the debate, to whom I gave many opportunities to intervene, got up and left before the end without making any substantive contribution. If I am perfectly honest, their contributions were like those in a school debating club—point scoring rather than engaging with the substance.

I marvel, horrified, when I find Conservative Members of Parliament dismissing out of hand the concerns expressed by the CBI and by chambers of commerce up and down the country that the facts around a no-deal Brexit put so many of our jobs and industries at risk, and that they are not ready, as they have said with absolute clarity. The Conservative party used to pride itself on being the party of business; now it dismisses the concerns of businesses and treats those businesses as though they, and their concerns about a no-deal Brexit, are of no relevance to the Brexit preparations.

That is how we have ended up with this petition. To try to dismiss it as some kind of assault on democracy, which we heard in some hon. Members’ contributions, is not only deeply insulting to every single member of the public who took the trouble to go and sign up on the petitions website, but it ignores the deep, gnawing anxiety of so many people in our country who are terrified of the prospect of a no-deal Brexit and want to know that—as politicians, as Members of Parliament, as a Government—we will not stand by while that happens to our country, with all the consequences it would bring.​

Anyone who stands there and says, “I have no fear of a no-deal Brexit; it’ll be absolutely fine,” clearly has nothing to lose and is completely insulated, but I know that my constituents are not. I go back to the point that the Minister made about mine being a leave constituency: the honest answer is we do not know. The vote was calculated as a city, so we know that Newcastle voted remain very marginally. What I do know, as a Member of Parliament who represents, lives in and has children growing up in the constituency, is that I will not take any action if all the evidence, including the Government’s own analysis, points to its damaging my constituency’s prospects.

Even if it means not getting re-elected, the only basis on which I will make this decision is knowing that I have done the right thing in terms of all the evidence I am presented with. That is why this revoke petition has been so popular, but it is also the reason that the call for a confirmatory referendum on whatever Brexit deal the Government arrive at has gained so much support. I recognise, as do my colleagues, that there was a vote to leave the European Union, but how that would happen was not decided upon; that is something Parliament has to decide. We have seen the evidence. We have seen that every single Brexit option will make our constituents poorer, and the impact will be greatest on those in the north-east.

Therefore, my view and the view of many of my colleagues who will support the motion tonight is that we should allow Parliament to have that process, to pass it back through Parliament and give it back to the people to make the final decision. Given that they started the process in 2016, they can now make the final decision on how it ends. That is how I will find out whether this is a Brexit that my constituents support, because they will have the opportunity to vote for it in a referendum—a referendum that every single citizen of this country who can vote can take part in. That is a democratic resolution to the impasse that we find ourselves in here in Parliament.

We know how we got here; we know how to get out of it. It is about time that the Government stopped burying their head in the sand and going around in circles, engaging in a debate that is not taking us forward in any way, but only leaves us stuck in this Brexit chaos. I implore the Minister, rather than engaging in the tit-for-tat that is driving the country to distraction, to compromise and come to an agreement that Parliament cannot take this historic decision without the confidence that it is something the public support.

7.45 pm Motion lapsed, and sitting adjourned without Question put (Standing Order No. 10(14)).

Full version

Watch the discussion: here

Read the transcript: here