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Messages - The Enigmatic Dr X

#796
Film & TV / Re: Netflix recommendations
29 January, 2019, 10:54:41 PM
Future Man. Knowing but funny time-travel comedy adventure from the creators of Misfits.

Stan Vs Evil. Basically, the Evil Dead series if Ash was older and grumpier.

Both on Sky, actually, but both are awesome and up this board's alley.
#797
Off Topic / Re: The Political Thread
29 January, 2019, 10:53:08 PM
I normally avoid this thread for fear of causing / taking offence.

I'm clever, I'm educated, I am read up. I just don't have a clue about what is going to happen. I fear the uncertainty of it all. On Brext, my tuppence is:

1. The world is bad enough without deliberately adding to our woes.

2. I worry for politics. At large. I remember strong leaders who had conviction and courage. I thought well of Heseltine when he resigned, of Scargill for taking a stand, of Hague during the Gulf War. With hindsight, even John Major and Neil Kinnock stood for something. Now, our MPs seem to be jobs-worths in the truest sense. They worry for their jobs, but don't do them. Do they have principles and courage?

3. Brexit should have been two referendums. That is the critical mistake in all this. One to ask "Do you want us to negotiate an exit?" and one ask "Here's the deal, do you like it?". Of course, the Tories didn't think it would be a leave vote and so botched the question to appease their right wingers. They didn't think about (care about) the North, which suffers from a general lack of wealth and a fear of unintegrated immigrants.

4. Why did we allow an EU vote to become about non-EU immigration, asylum seekers and NHS cash that doesn't exist? Hell mend us, and hell mend our politicians (see point 2).

5. Brexit, for me, is like a group of people saying "who fancies eating out?". Most say yes. They then disagree on what eating out is: Italian, chippy, Chinese, Indian, Mexican? So, there should have been a second vote on what to eat (see point 3).

6. I am vehemently against a second referendum. While I voted to leave, I see a second referndum as a catastrophe for democracy. You don't like an answer, so you ask again? But if it is a remain, without a proper two step referendum (see point 3) then that is the government dictating the vote - you will keep voting until we get the answer we want. That's a banana republic rabbit hole.

7. And does that mean we can re-open Scottish independence? Can the SNP just keep asking until they get a yes? Is that fair? (But why not, if it's done for Brexit?).

8. Really? I'd rather a cliff edge than lose democracy.

9. And if we did have Indyref 2, and it was to split, then how is that done? It's been two years for Brexit where there has been a process to break up. The Treaty of Union goes deeper and has no such process. Are we looking at three or four years? A decade? More financial turmoil.

10. All this plays into the hands of those who resent the status quo. That means the disenfranchised and the super-rich vote for change. History shows there's only one winner from that vote.  They don't live in council flats...

11. What of my children? Why does a 90 year old with rose-tinted memories get to vote and create years of chaos that they won't suffer through. Why can't I vote for my children on the shape of the country they will inherit?

All a mess.
#798
Games / Re: Nintendo Switch
28 January, 2019, 06:59:01 PM
Just received my Flipgrip from Kickstarter. This is a doo-dah that lets you hold the Switch vertically but with the controllers either side, for playing old style arcade games.
#799
Prog / Re: Prog 2115. Next-Gen Policing.
28 January, 2019, 08:11:34 AM
Quote from: norton canes on 25 January, 2019, 04:54:06 PM
The most infuriating thing about Skip Tracer (apart from its title...) 

Think you'll find the strip is just called "Tracer".

Skip is a handy instruction from Tharg.
#800
Film & TV / Re: Current TV Boxset Addiction
28 January, 2019, 08:06:01 AM
Anyone else suffer from an over-supply of telly? Oh to have three channels...

I'm like a telly magpie, flitting from one shiny thing to the next.

- Daredevil: watched first ten minutes
- Ozark: two episodes
- Safe: six
- You: two
- Preacher: to end of season 2
- Mr Robot: two episodes
- Lost in space: three

... and so on. That excludes the stuff we have decided NOT to watch (eg Better Call Saul, which I gave up on when my wife actually painted a wall I could watch dry... the real thing is more entertaining).

All are good but there's always something else and new, and so we pretend we'll go back to it.

In fact, I have started watching more films because that way I know I will get to the end.
#801
Off Topic / Re: Computer purchase advice
26 January, 2019, 10:05:09 AM
Yup. And with a 1070, SSD and 32Meg

Bit of patience, and waiting for a double discount - which the outlet does every few months.
#802
Games / Re: Nintendo Switch
17 January, 2019, 09:33:41 PM
Outrun, but MAN is it hard.
#803
Film & TV / Re: Last movie watched...
31 December, 2018, 07:27:51 PM
AWAIT FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS

Don't. One of the worst films I have ever suffered. A good idea (family stuck in their house on Christmas by something unknown, which blocks all exits) but it collapses into an anti-thrill ride of logical inchoherence, poor characterisation and just blatant nonsense.
#804
Off Topic / Re: Computer purchase advice
31 December, 2018, 02:15:33 PM
I was recommended the Dell outlet, and would do so for all you here.

The machines are all guaranteed and come from Dell. Some have superficial damage.

If you're not in a rush, they release codes every few weeks that give a hefty discount on their machines and make them super, super reasonable.

I got an Alienware gaming laptop with loads of bells and whistles - RRP £2000 - for £900. The same level of discount applies to all their models.

You do need a code though. The one I got had a dent in its case and was reduced to £1200. I then got a code for another 25% off.

Snidely, they show prices ex-VAT on their site, so you do need to be careful.
#805
General / Re: population count of mega cities?
31 December, 2018, 02:08:42 PM
Welcome back to an old friend. One of the greatest threads ever:

17 pages of insanity
#806
Off Topic / Re: Squaxx Telling Jokes
26 December, 2018, 11:44:49 PM
Chap goes to the doctor complaining of being deaf.

Doc asks, "What are the symptoms?"

Chap replies, "Well Homer is bald and fat, Marge has blue hair and they have three kids."
#807
General / Re: Subscriber free gifts.
22 December, 2018, 02:33:19 PM
I changed to an annual sub to get the gifts.
#808
Just thought I'd chip in here and say

(a) I have a three or four 4K discs from the US (Amazon.com) and they all play fine on my X Box One

(b) the visual benefits really do depend on the treatment of the source material; the detail is sometimes so good that it can throw up poor CGI and props. Done well, the difference is stark over HD. Rushed out, the quality destroys the illusion.
#809
Film & TV / Re: Christmas Telly?
12 December, 2018, 08:27:02 AM
I do believe Return of the Jedi is being shown on Christmas Day
#810
Off Topic / Re: Christmas presents for the "children"
07 December, 2018, 10:19:31 PM
What kind of monster do you think I am?

Of course he's seen Die Hard. All of them. Well, not the last one.

And of course he's seen Terminator. All of them. Well, not the last one.

Like Alien, where he's not seen the last two.