Posts by James Pickett

Gander sauce

"the United States do not have to present a prima facie case"

Really? What if the situation were reversed?

Usage

Results for google search on 'netbook' = 36.1 million

Results for google search on 'psion netbook' = 256,000

So over 35.8m results for the term do not mention Psion. That looks pretty generic to me...

@David Wiernicki

My thoughts, too. I'd no idea that US-spec Nissans looked quite that rough. Makes you wonder how bad Detroit's output is looking if theirs can't compete!

Shame

"How apposite in 2009 to have, instead, a few more laws to confront the clever people who have done their best to steal our economy."

Well, that lets Dubya off the hook...

Er...

Have they thought this through? If they succeed in getting everyone to stop using the word, then something else will be substituted, which they will then have to use to get their product noticed! It will have to be good though - anyone know what happened to the 'Apricot' one..?

The association of the term with Psion is long dead. Only lawyers will make any money out of it now.

Progress

"yet to show just how good it is at hovering"

I do hope we haven't placed an order yet. The Harrier has been doing proper VTOL for over 40 years - you'd think the Yanks would have caught up by now...

Err...

The Home Secretary does know what a 'pilot scheme' is, I suppose?

Forward vision

"Why not add a window"

My thought exactly. The sub in Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea* (appropriately called the 'Seaview') had proper windows in the front, which was very handy for spotting giant octopi, aliens and the like. I know the glass has to be be pretty thick, but it must be worth it, surely?

*A TV series in the sixties, for you younger viewers.

FFS

"The counter-argument from police and government is that these incidents are exceedingly rare"

So is shooting innocent Brazilian electricians, but it's not a very effective excuse.

BTW, how will local authority CCTVs avoid filming Her Majesty's finest when they are on duty?

Phorming an opinion

I hope BT and the absurd Kent Ertegrul are reading this...

Et tu?

"I think you should be able to write a book called _Harold Carpenter and The Flagon of Shite_"

So why don't you? I think you may find it's not quite as easy as it appears...

Deja Vu

Er, didn't they already have an on-line operation (Big Red Book) that was a dismal failure?

Those who don't learn from history, etc...

Obvious

A record number filed because they changed the rules! (Paper forms had to be in by October). Duh!

Oops

"law abiding Mancunians"

Not many of them soon, then...

Deep Joy

At last, an outbreak of common sense! As for jailing people, perhaps Hansen should be first in the queue...

Censorship!

I could have sworn I posted a comment... :-(

(Quoting the $100 drop in revenue)

I'll get over it eventually.

Safety

I'd go with Airbus. At least they float.

Oops

"little retail experience and probably no computer / electronics experience"

Reminds me of Norman Lamont joining Phorm. Likely to be about as successful, too...

Justice

Perhaps the DPP should consider having him arrested for handing over confidential data to the, er, police. In the meantime, perhaps a notice should be pinned to the main entrance, saying: "Have you got a warrant?". It might save some trouble...

Relief

Good news - and good timing! I think he's suffered enough...

Definition

Our local paper reported the arrest of someone charged with possession of unsuitable photographs and 'pseudo-photographs'. That sounds worrying to me - he's either been doing a bit of swapping around in Photoshop (sad, but probably harmless) or viewing some Japanese comics, but it could be a pernicious wedge. Personally, I'd rather such people were at home on their computer than outside the school gates.

Speed

"feels faster than Windows Vista "

So would a milk-float.

Worthy but dull

Also too complicated, especially when a cheap and conventional Citroen C2 can manage 68mpg...

http://cars.uk.msn.com/News/Top_ten_article.aspx?cp-documentid=475327

All your players..

"are support the singalong technology"

Is the author Nigerian..?

Enough

Will somebody just put a stake through its (and Darl McBride's) heart? Please!

Cart, meet horse

"encourage kids to read"

Isn't that the parents' job? If they're in the library, one assumes that such encouragement has already been applied...

Occam's razor

A simpler, but boring, explanation may be that one the blades sheared and hit the other one on the way down. I can't imagine that a race clever enough to have mastered interstellar travel would then have an accidental prang with a wind turbine...

Temple of doom

"of course as soon as we heard from Mr Spielberg's lawyers we destroyed all the leaflets"

Spineless twits. What did they think was going to happen if they didn't?

At least I now know where to tell my son not to apply...

@Giles

Couldn't have put it better. So I havent'.

@Greg

I did actually. Must be why I missed it - sorry!

Fetish

Why did he need five (presumably identical) dolls? Don't tell me he's only interested in virgins...

@Dave

The WP article on global warming is a reasonable example, with references to various opposing points of view and no less than 135 citations. I wouldn't normally look to WP for GW info (having my own set of prejudices!) but I can't fault it for balance.

Cults

Might this affect the cult of celebrity? If nearly everything connected with celebs gets fouled up then perhaps the shine will begin to wear off. I do hope so.

@Sam

"Usage Minutes % is the percent of all measured console minutes."

The word 'usage' on it's own would have been enough, then, although clearly far too short for US marketing wonks. The survey seems pretty spurious anyway - I'm sure there will be another along soon with a wholly different and equally unreliable set of figures.

Anyway, I'm off to hone my Wii Fitness.

Oh yeah?

"governed by Ripa"

Like Phorm are supposed to be? Does Ms Smith know her arse from her elbow? (No need answer, BTW.)

@Mister_C

"undersniped by 2p"

How satisfying! Still, as you suggest, I won't go on about it...

@John Angelico

Have to agree with that. A pretty tortured analogy, if you ask me, and the author seems unaware that 'Thomas [the] Tank' (without his engine) means something entirely different, although possibly appropriate...