I agree with funkless_eck@sh.itjust.works. Running cover for despotic regimes seems to be a pattern that 20th and 21st century American history is shot full of.
It suffers the same problems as many of the sequel/prequel ilk; as compared to the originals, it fails to stand on its own. Sure, it explains the origin and rationale for a few key characters in the original trilogy, but that's the only function of this book. Any attempt to establish stakes is undercut before the start as we are locked up by the future we (who have already read the original three books) already know.
So, flat, perfunctory, and fan-servicing; punctuated by privations of humanity inflicted on District 12; this story was unsatisfactory.
I wonder at those who, to start their readings of these books, elect to go chronologically rather than in publication order. They are good books, but the two prequels rely on foreknowledge offered in the Katniss arc.
The design implications are endless and including modular rough-ins for water, power, and HVAC, which would make design accessible to all. Get an AI engineer to test the design and a human engineer to double-check the results, and you can get printing.
Hopefully, the type of concrete is getting less specialized and more sustainable. If we can jazz up the exteriors, that would also help.
I've seen a bunch of those. Enough to know of his April 1st gags and to be able to shill for his website.
Which I won't do here.
I'm more wondering about doing it as a career. What's the annoyance/danger factor? How much work do you need to stay afloat? What do start-up costs look like? What would cause a locksmith to walk away and get into something else?
“Now is the time for maximum restraint and stepping back from the brink,” Guterres said. “The United Nations stands ready to support any initiative that promotes de-escalation, diplomacy, and a renewed commitment to peace.”
I feel like I've heard this before...
"It is time for restraint, reason and de-escalation.
"There is no place for actions and statements that would take this dangerous situation over the abyss.
"It is time to establish a ceasefire and return to the path of dialogue and negotiations to save the people in Ukraine and beyond from the scourge of war."
~ Antonio Guterres, 23 February 2022.
UNSG must be one of the most frustrating jobs on Earth.
Take a serious look at the collapse of the Soviet Union, the gutting of the Commonwealth, and the rise of Russia under Yeltsin, then Putin. I'm not sure of any fictionalized works that examine this in any detail, but the aftermath and the new reality is well-described in Nothing is True and Everything is Possible by Peter Pomerantsev. Link is a 10 year old review in the Guardian.
The falls of other empires would also be instructive. There is an excellent podcast/YouTube channel, the Fall of Civilizations(YouTube Link)(Spotify Link). In listening, I found several parallels to the first Trump presidency. I haven't listened in years.
A paper-thin skinned hegemon leads a dying empire against his staunch allies. I fed this prompt to ChatGPT and it handed me back Dune by Frank Herbert and Foundation by Isaac Asimov.
I mean, Com Truise defo had more than luck. He had pull even then. And, yes, he is just a person. He is dedicated to his art, which, I think, is running hard and making memorable movies.
Top Gun (1986, Dir. Tony Scott, Budget $15M),
Rain Man (1988, Dir. Barry Levinson, Budget $25M),
Days of Thunder (1990, Dir. Tony Scott, Wri. Robert Towne, Budget $60M),
A Few Good Men (1992, Dir. Rob Reiner, wri. Aaron Sorkin, Budget $40M),
the Firm (1993, Dir. Syndey Pollack, Budget $42M),
Interview with the Vampire (Dir. Neil Jordan, Wri. Anne Rice, Budget $60M),
Big directors, writers, and big hit films. Then, he became Ethan Hunt.
Mission: Impossible 1 (Dir. Brian DePalma, Wri. Robert Towne, Budget $80M)
M:I-2 (Dir. John Woo, Wri. Robert Towne) was thoroughly forgettable. That said, I just discovered that the writers of Star Trek: DS-9 and Voyager — Ronald D. Moore and Brannon Braga — wrote the story. Wild. Still, no quarter given. Until, maybe, I watch it again.
The next 4 are great.
M:I-3 (Wri./Dir. J.J. Abrams with Alex Kurtzman (latter-day Star Trek writers and executive producers))
M:I-4, Ghost Protocol (Dir. Brad Bird (the Iron Giant and the Incredibles))
M:I-5, Rogue Nation (Wri./Dir. Christopher MacQuarrie (the Usual Suspects and the Way of the Gun))
M:I-6, Fallout (Wri./Dir. Christopher MacQuarrie)
Jury is still out on M:I-7, Dead Reckoning Part 1, and Final Reckoning. Full disclosure, I did not really feel Part 1.
Tron Cubes does attract/demand talent. And, his collaboration with Christopher MacQuarrie is long-standing.
No year zero. Meaning: year 2000 is in the 20th c. and year 2100 is in the 21st c.
M:I-3, 4, 5, and 6 are excellent movies. Each in their own right. I know, Tom Cruise. But, plug and play any action star, and these are still great movies. He just happened to land the role of Ethan Hunt back in '96.
Yeah, I've read my Asimov. Love that guy. I knownsome haven't, so Im glad you've included them. It was a student of mine who got me to read Caves of Steel for the first time. I thought they were excellent.
Strangely, I've only seen the 2004(?) Will Smith version of I, Robot. But, I digress.
The prompt for that post moved me. To think that we could break human affairs down to just three laws is enticing. I took a swing at it. That was what I had off the top of my head. I'd read a list — years ago — of Dene Law (it's a PDF, sorry). Those were also an inspiration.
You are in a very messy, very confusing stage of life. You will make many, MANY mistakes and piss some people off. I'm twenty-26, and I still make mistakes.
You'll start to understand what makes you who you want to be, and stop listening to all you've been told. You rebuild yourself out of your life experiences. Constantly. Forever.
You're human. Not perfect. None are. What matters is what you do next.
As was said above, no one who questions their actions or who admits their need for mental health support is all bad. It's the people who strategically, purposefully manipulate people with no regard for their well-being who are bad. The people who pathologically lie, cheat, steal, and remorselessly exploit others who are bad.
If you have the means, get assessed. Take no diagnoses from the Internet or people on message boards.
If you have the means, apologize, and commit yourself to treating Greg better or even neutrally. He doesn't have to accept your apology. You have to make your peace with that. Also, he introduced you as a "boyfriend." You had a reaction to that. You're allowed. Again, it's all about what you do next.
I agree with funkless_eck@sh.itjust.works. Running cover for despotic regimes seems to be a pattern that 20th and 21st century American history is shot full of.