Nigel Gordon

Yes, one of them has a sense of proportion.

I'm just glad we have the BBC and Channel 4. Though at the moment there is a major battle going on to ensure that they have independent funding.

There is a strong argument amongst some exponents of the Gaia Theory that Gaia does have a re-boot function. The worrying thing is that we may be getting very close to triggering it.

Actually Cole you are not that far away from the truth, I know of two research projects at the moment that are looking at using microbots to kill pests on plants - one of them is indeed using lasers to overheat the bugs. The big problem at the moment is getting them to recognise the difference between nasties and friendlies - it's all very well zapping you aphids but you don't want to harm you ladybird larva, they are aphid munching machines. There is already a field trial (more correctly a greenhouse trial) of a robotic system that can detect the presence of aphids and only spray the infected areas of plants.

There is some interesting research on the subject from Newcastle University: http://www.ncl.ac.uk/cbe/about/news/item/bees-prefer-nectar-containing-pesticides-copy-copy It seems bees can have the same addiction as smokers!!

With respect to the position in Europe there was never an outright ban on the use of neonicotinoids - there was a qualified two year moratorium on them, which runs out this year. As it was a qualified moratorium it was not binding on the member states and the UK withdrew from it earlier this year under pressure from agro-business lobbies - funded by Monsanto. The ban was lifted shortly after the Conservatives formed a majority government. Quite a bit of their funding comes from agro-business interests and some of their leading members have large scale farming interests. There has been some large scale research done on the use of neonicontinoids by the Food and Environment Research Agency and they recently published in Nature on the topic: http://www.nature.com/articles/srep12574

I don't have to decide between dogs and cats, I'm allergic to both. Though I do like snakes, pythons can give you such tight hugs!!

Great story, well written.

Des, being late for my bus worries me, this terrifies me!

This is an interesting turn up for the books, heard the interview this morning on the BBC Today program. Just found this article about it: http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2015/10/21/anti-apartheid-anthem-is-actually-about-gay-rights-singer-reveals/ Hope to be able to get down to London next month to hear him live.

Age old problem, the more secure you make a system the more challenge it is for the hacker so more hackers will try to get in. My one question is did they get into the actual system or into the sacrificial goat?

There is a new free course starting soon on FutureLearn about transmedia storytelling. If you are interested in details of it, have a look here: https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/transmedia-storytelling?utm_source=FL_DB&utm_medium=crm&utm_campaign=20_10_2015_FL_newsletter&utm_content=text By the way the FutureLearn courses are free and offered by leading universities, however, if you want a certificate of participation you have to pay for that.

Given the discussion about the two stories I went back and re-read The Farm Hand and can see where Cole is coming from. My opinion on the two stories is that The Farm Hand is probably the better piece of story telling, however, I feel the Redemption is the better piece of writing.

Please remember it is only the Abrahamic religions that tend to have a hang up about sex. In most none Abrahamic religions sex is seen as a gift from the gods and something to be celebrated. Indeed in some sex is part of the religious rites.

I've had to throw out my Canon StarWriter last year when it finally became impossible get new ribbons for it. It was fast, very portable and the software was really good. Did handle two spaces after a period correctly.

Hi Pedro If you can get it to me sometime today I'll have a look at it for you. You have my contact details. Regards Nigel

Actually Bruin I think some of this software is available to lesser mortals as you put it. Any WP software that is based around TeX, such as LyX, is likely to do it or be configurable to support it, and I know there is some free stuff out there. It is WYSIWYG word processors that seem not to support the function of translating a double space after period into an em+ space. If you are using software post processes the text input then gives you a page preview, especially if it allows you to code print directions into the document, then it is likely that it will auto adjust two spaces after a period to an em+ space. In the main though I was talking about WP software that was part of dedicated word processing systems. Last night I was at a friend's. She has a daisy wheel electronic typewriter that has a lcd display for the line being currently typed. The line is not printed till you get to the end of the line. Surprisingly that does change the two spaces after a period to an em+ space but does not change a single space after a period. Checking some writing I did some years ago on a Brother WP I found that appeared to do the same, though without access to a Brother WP I can't confirm that. There is an argument that given the fact that most work is now appearing in electronic rather than hard copy print and the variability of display capabilities of various devices that it will come out on that authors should stop using WYSWYG WP software and return to non layout WP software that will produce material that can be subsequently laid out by the appropriate document formatting system, e.g. the style sheet in HTML.

Actually Cole even with left justification the best of the word processors will adjust spacing to get the maximum number of words on a line. If a end of line word takes it over the line limit by one or two characters, they will attempt to adjust spacing to fit the word on the line. That is why sometimes a small change in font size can have a massive effect on layout. The very best word processors will detect the two spaces after a period and correct them to an em+​ space automatically. I believe even Microsoft Word did this at one time, or you could set it up to do it, in Word 3, but the function appears to have disappeared after that. When I was working professionally as a technical writer the word processing software that was used did change two spaces after a period to a em+ space. I am not sure but I believe that a number of mechanical type setting machines used to take the double space press to insert an em or em+ space. I must admit that I trained as a touch typist at school in the early 1960s and it has taken a lot of rehab to stop double spacing after a period. In fact I still do it at times though I try not to.

Traditionally with cold set type an extended space was placed after a period. This was usually an em+ space. That is the space taken up by the letter M in the type face plus a bit more. The skill of the typesetter came into play in being able to adjust this spacing to get the justification they wanted in the line. The addition of extra space after the period does not have the visual impact that inserting extra spaces between words has. With the development of the typewriter the practice of space plus developed into two spaces (two characters) as the mechanical typewriter could not do a part character spacing being monospaced. Some electric typewriters (mostly the daisy wheel type) did in fact support variable spacing. With the introduction of word processors the requirement to double space after a period started to diminish as the processing software automatically set the correct spacing for the justification. If you are using a good word processor it will automatically place an em or em+ space after a period. Good word processing software will put a soft em+ space after a period. This means that it is a space that is desired to be em+ but can be altered to fit the printout or display requirements. The two space requirement on an monospaced typewriter does not apply to word processing and should not be followed. To quote from a guide I have to using a word processor (Phillips 1976) it states: Only a single space should be inserted after a period, the processing software will automatically adjust for the required spacing to fit the text to the selected justification.

Yes Cole, I have and I agree with you, but personally I think Redemption is a better piece of writing.

This is in Dude's Picks from the Past and it is well worth it. A fine story well told and one of the best pieces of writing I have come across, on or off the web. Well worth reading.

I fully agree, nobody should put pressure on individuals to come out. What we must do is make a society where they feel no pressure not to come out. At the moment the sportsmen I referred to above travel some distance from Leicester to enjoy their sexuality - probably feeling that they are safe from being recognised. Unfortunately for them the place they go to is in my home town and I have seen them there a couple of times. Fortunately for them I appreciate that they want to keep their sexuality under wraps and have no intention of exposing them. I just find it a shame that they feel they must hide who they are.

The question is why are we waiting for some high profile sportsmen come out. I happen to know that at least two of the Leicester City Football Club squad are gay and I know that one of the Leicester Tigers Rugby Club players is gay. If people like them from popular sports would come out it would make a major difference to a lot of youngsters.

I am really happy to see this story here in Dude's Picks - came across The Only Way to Fly and ended up reading the whole series. Really liked this one and it is a very worthwhile read I would recommend to anyone.

Really enjoyable story - so much better the Tolstoy's novel of the same name. You can get to the end of this one! Great story Cole. You can find it here: http://www.awesomedude.com/cole-parker/war-and-peace-the-ben-hathaway-story/war-and-peace-the-ben-hathaway-story.htm