...winds up a story with an ending that doesn't really fit. One that seems to  suggest they simply boxed themself into a corner they could see no way out of. It happens a lot with works of high imagination, the series of what ifs just spiral in upon themselves until they are lost in the darkness. 

But perhaps that is better than the formulaic creation of a book where every part of it is so carefully mapped out we readers can spy the inevitable conclusion long before it takes place. The kind of story where we start yelling advice and warnings at the characters in a vain attempt to save them from the wicked machinations of the puppetmaster behind the pen.

That said, I did enjoy Alistair Reynold's return to Revelation Space, I am just a little frustrated it didn't resolve in the end. But then Revelation Space never did...

'Inhibitor Phase'  Gollanz 2021

https://books.google.co.nz/books/about/I...edir_esc=y

National Party leader Christopher Luxon says he's not going to apologise for his success.
The National Party had been run "in a very dysfunctional way for the last four years," and now was the time for strong leadership - a quality Luxon said he had vast experience with.

He had built teams and culture and "got results and achieved things" through his corporate career and he was ready to apply these lessons to his new role, Luxon said.

He is forgetting one thing, caucus is not anything like a corporate  company when the boss says jump you ask how high, caucus is full of knife wielding backstabbers out for themselves, so we will see how his corporate  strategies go. It should be interesting.

Do you think Christopher Luxon will crash and burn?

The Knotheads in california.
https://www.supercheapauto.co.nz/dw/imag...000&sm=fit

https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/world/mh3...hp&pc=U531

This would be terrific, if this mystery could be solved. For the families, to never quite know what happened, would be just awful.

I have to say, that a mystery like this one, is very intriguing, as it is open to all sorts of scenarios. The "Where, What, How, When and Why" is what all concerned need to know.

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/travel/20...plane.html

https://www.9news.com.au/national/mh370-...06396a66c3

I'd forgotten this from a few years ago & came across it again. Bryan Bruce.




"When Julius Caesar returned to Rome in September of 45 BC (having conquered Gaul) he found the city streets crowded with homeless people.
They'd been forced off their land by moneylenders and property speculators, so more than 300,000 people were being fed by the local food bank -the public granary.
(Ring any bells?)
But he didn't impose austerity or decide to save up money "for a rainy day," Instead he spent government money and introduced some progressive social reforms.

1.He lowered all land valuations

2.Granted several remissions of rents.

3.Large numbers of poor citizens and discharged veterans were settled on allotments.

4.Free housing was granted to 80,000 impoverished families

5.Soldier's pay was almost doubled.

6.Control of the mint was transferred from the patricians (the money lenders and spinners) to the government.

7. It was ruled that interest could not be levied at more than 1% per month.

8.It was decreed that interest could not be charged on interest and that the total interest charged could not exceed the amount initially borrowed.

9.Slavery was abolished as a way of settling a debt.

10. Aristocrats were forced to employ their capital and not hoard it.

In short he thought government should get involved in driving the economy. Not be a bystander to it.

Of course, these measures enraged the aristocrats and plutocrats and on the morning of March 15th 44BC when he arrived unarmed at the Senate, he was surrounded by 60 of them who stabbed him to death.



mmmm....
.
Maybe that's what our Labour led coalition is worried about -ie.
regulating the economy to help folks who are struggling may offend the plutocrats who are exploiting us."
#bryanbruce #nzpolitics #endneoliberalism

https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv...n-today-fm

Love him or hate him, he is good at what he does.

I Paul.

All over the world countries are starting to legislate against the disease ridden losers that are the anti/unvaxxed cult.
Good, not a minute too soon.
In Greece failure to vaccinate will result in a $160 fine, per month. This money is given to health services to offset the burden these assholes place on them.
Germany and Israel are about to make it compulsory to be vaccinated.
The Finns wont allow non compliant bars and restaurants to be open after 5pm.
The Spanish will turn you away without a vaccine passport.
Singapore hospitals will no longer accept unvaxxed patients, they will have to pay the cost of treatment themselves.

All excellent ideas, and thats just a shortlist.
Good on them, especially those that are making their idiot unvaxxed pay for treatment, and contribute to the treatment of those they infect.

I dislike this demographic for the way they have gone about their business. I am going to put the verbal boot into the selfish antisocial wankers whenever and as often as I can.
I will vote for the parties that crack down on them. I will only support businesses that refuse them entry.
Im looking forward to having them kept away from the intelligent folk so we can go about our business while they stare at the walls. 
It has to be the only upside to Covid there is so far.


https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/news/3004...s-and-bans

There was a referendum held in Berlin recently regarding the nationalisation of megaproperty holdings, which gave support to the idea that private individuals or companies should have limited numbers of residential investment properties. The local political leadership are now formulating legislation to go ahead with that proposal which will compensate landlords, nationalise their holdings, and limit future purchases.

With our current challenges around housing, should there be a limit to the number of residential properties that can be held in private hands? Or should we perhaps use taxation to persuade investors to look at more productive use of their savings?

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/...aland.html