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Archives for August, 2015
Cell Tradecraft – Plot Hole Plugged
The cell tradecraft in the first draft of Perfects had a plot hole. I found in my first editing pass, it relates to the cell tradecraft when it is compromised. Background Core and infrastructure from a typical cell system (Photo credit: Wikipedia) The main characters in Perfects are a group of genetically modified people. They're illegal and trying to help other genetically modified people escape from the country under false identities. The parallel here is the evader networks in nazi occupied Europe during WW2. Indeed the group has consciously modelled it's way of working on the SOE manual. They have a compartmentalisd cell structure to prevent the whole network being compromised. The Plot Hole The story involves the cell being compromised. The police raid their identity factory and arrest of a couple of the cell members, including the leader. In…
Green Ink for happier editing?
For almost two decades I have used green ink when commenting on documents and for editing. I've come to believe that green ink is the best colour for editing for a variety of reasons. Here they are. Green Ink is psychologically positive Traditionally red ink has been used for correcting proofs. Red has a negative connotation, we use it for stop signs and prohibitions. Psychologically red can symbolise the blood from our work, and if there is a lot of red on the page then we get disillusioned and dispirited. So much so that UK civil service core competency framework has "wields the red pen" as an unacceptable trait for senior civil servants. Green Ink carries the opposite connotations to red ink. We use green for go, and for affirming things. So green ink on the page doesn't carry the…
My Airbnb Experience in Paris
I had my first airbnb experience this weekend in Paris. It was a fairly good one. Paris itself was expensive but enjoyable and exactly what I had expected. My Airbnb Experience Part of my AirBNB experience, view from the window If you've had your own airbnb experience then I expect this won't be news to you. Initially I was uncertain about it. Staying in someone else's place can be fraught with difficulties. However my host was a nice guy and was very friendly in the messaging beforehand and when we met in person. The first thing that I found a little odd with my airbnb experience was the booking process. What was odd was the need to introduce myself. Hotels don't really care about me as a person, they just want my money. Their volume assumptions mitigate the risks they…
Paris in August
Alexander and I are in Paris for the weekend to see the sights. It's cranked up about ten degrees since yesterday and Paris will stay very hot until it's time for us to go back home on Sunday. This is the first time I've used airbnb to book accommodation. I'm pretty pleased with it. The studio flat we're in is in the 7th Arrondissement of Paris and close to most of the tourist bits. It also has some reasonable amenities nearby, there's a typical Paris cafe over the road, and round the corner from that are a couple of places you can buy bread, fruit and other groceries. So we'll not starve this weekend, and with luck we'll get some proper French food while we are in Paris. Here's the view from the window. The dome just left of centre…
Labour Leadership – Who to Choose?
Labour logo. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) I generally avoid politics because my job needs me to stay politically neutral. However the Labour leadership election isn't just politics, it's also about voter engagement. Unlike all the previous party leadership races I've watched, this labour leadership election is different. In the wake of their electoral defeat the Labour Party are trying to engage voters to choose the next Labour leadership team. This is a bold move, which hasn't been without its controversy. People have alleged that hard left groups have registered to vote, and others that Tories have done the same. Both allegations have been used to justify the support for Jeremy Corbyn. The former group are seen as true believers in socialism and the latter in an attempt to make Labour unelectable. Personally I doubt that either group can get enough support from the 610,000 eligible…