The Reading Vent & Rant Thread

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Ghostcat

It took me a few comments to realise that you were using "Stuffing" as a noun. I have always used it as a Verb, meaning to pack in. E.g. "He was stuffing the pillow with goose feathers."

I suspect that this use is Yorkshire dialect.

Nope, he was using stuffing as a verb. They were stuffing the bundles of wood into the fireplace.

As a noun, the turkey stuffing was cooked on the side.

Unless of course, I have this all stuffed up.

[gmw]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

That same 1982 SF novel I wrote about a while back (with no personal comms in the 22nd cent.) also had a hostess offering ashtrays to her guests, in the living room. That gave me a jolt. Well, I don't really know what the contemporary customs in other countries are, but indoor cigar/cigarette smoking in the 22nd century?

It isn't be a major spoiler (the book isn't completed yet, no idea if ever will be) to say I have a story in which smoking makes a return in the future because its health effects are no longer a problem. Even the social niceties of sharing unpleasant smoke may also be resolved by then, although that isn't something I have delved into in my story, it's actually not about smoking after all, it's just part of the setting - an aspect that current audiences may appreciate more than those of a future generation ... or not.

Given the plight of our planet, as least as far as human habitation goes, even setting a story in the 22nd century might be considered lacking in foresight.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by John F

I may be wrong, but I seem to recall scenes in the Star Trek Universe where they were intoxicated?

Star Trek VI after drinking Romulsn Ale.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by gmw

It isn't be a major spoiler (the book isn't completed yet, no idea if ever will be) to say I have a story in which smoking makes a return in the future because its health effects are no longer a problem. Even the social niceties of sharing unpleasant smoke may also be resolved by then, although that isn't something I have delved into in my story, it's actually not about smoking after all, it's just part of the setting - an aspect that current audiences may appreciate more than those of a future generation ... or not.

Given the plight of our planet, as least as far as human habitation goes, even setting a story in the 22nd century might be considered lacking in foresight.

That's been done. See the Woody Allen move Sleeper.

[drofgnal]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Star Trek VI after drinking Romulsn Ale.

Also the original series. The enterprise is taken over by the Kelvans from Andromeda. Scottie attempts to get the Kelvan engineer Tomar drunk as part of a plot to take the enterprise back. They drink Saurian brandy and finally Scottie pulls out some old scotch. Scottie meets his match for holding his liquor.

Season 2 episode 22, By Any Other Name

[mbovenka]

Originally Posted by Quoth

No, it was obvious by 1960s it was killing people and Something Would Be done.
Playground nicknames in the mid 1960s: coffin nails (a pun).

It may well have been known, but in the 70s and early 80s it was completely normal to put ashtrays and cigarettes on the table for your guests. Part of the etiquette. At least it was here in the Netherlands.

[maddz]

Originally Posted by mbovenka

It may well have been known, but in the 70s and early 80s it was completely normal to put ashtrays and cigarettes on the table for your guests. Part of the etiquette. At least it was here in the Netherlands.

In the UK as well. Mind you, my father was the smoker and when my parents split up in the late 70s, Mum discouraged smoking in the house on the grounds she’d repainted the ceilings and managed to finally get the smell out.

Mum used to smoke but after a bout of pneumonia in 1939 or 1940, the doctor told to give it up. I smoked for a while, but never found it rebellious or exciting because Mum said not to buy ciggies myself, she would buy the for me. So - boring.

I think it was mid to late 80s when it was accepted you only lit up if your host/hostess gave their permission.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by John F

I may be wrong, but I seem to recall scenes in the Star Trek Universe where they were intoxicated?

That's why I wrote TOS (ended 1969). It changed later. Star Trek IV was 1986.

[DiapDealer]

Some of the new Star Trek series (Picard, Strange New Worlds, etc...) have scenes that include smoking and inebriation.

[nabsltd]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

What I want to know is why are eBooks in 2023 getting away with such lousy code? This is the code (for a section break) from an eBook published in 2023 by Lttle, Brown, and Company.

<div class="ext_ch">
<div class="decoration-rw10">
<div>
<div class="pc-rw">
<img alt="image" class="orn" src="images/Art_sborn.jpg"/>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p class="noindent">

Early in the days of actual CSS (i.e., not MOBI), the one class applied all the formatting to a element (margins, font, etc.).

Recently, the publishers have finally discovered that the "C" in CSS means "Cascading", and now have gone to the complete opposite, where a class does one thing (like margins), another does the font, and another does the text-align.

And, the last line is likely because they used a p + p selector to create indented paragraphs, but then realized they had to special case after every div, because div + p created too many issues.

The recent one that got me was during the crossover between the early way and the current method (style inline for easier reading):

<div style="margin: 1em">
  <p style="margin-top: 1em;">Stuff</p>
  <p>More stuff</p>
  <p style="margin-bottom: 1em;">Last of stuff</p>
</div>

The paragraphs use the old "all formatting in one place" version, but the outer div creates the block quote, so there is no need to put margins on the paragraphs themselves.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Nope, he was using stuffing as a verb. They were stuffing the bundles of wood into the fireplace.

As a noun, the turkey stuffing was cooked on the side.

Unless of course, I have this all stuffed up.

You do have one detail stuffed up: I'm a she!

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Even if you didn't get torches meaning flashlights, you'd at least get torches meaning fire on a stick.

Right. But since we are talking primitive people on a starship, which of those two are being used should tell a reader something.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by gmw

It isn't be a major spoiler (the book isn't completed yet, no idea if ever will be) to say I have a story in which smoking makes a return in the future because its health effects are no longer a problem.

In the otherwise pretty terrible film Millennium (based on a John Varley short story and novel I have not yet read) had characters from the future smoking because the air in 1989 was too pure.

[Renate]

Originally Posted by nabsltd

Recently, the publishers have finally discovered...

I don't think many publishers (or web designers) have discovered that you can do multiple classes.

<p class="klingon poetry nauseating">

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

In the otherwise pretty terrible film Millennium (based on a John Varley short story and novel I have not yet read) had characters from the future smoking because the air in 1989 was too pure.

Yes, I remember the movie. One interesting idea badly applied.

Spoiler:

People that are going to die anyway snatched away and replaced by fake bodies, but instead of by fairies or Valkyries it's humans from future.