.H.

Yeah, I think we will very likely do the same. Especially since it is going to just be two of us, not much sense in doing much take-that with that few of players.

Yeah, a pretty wild journey to get it published there. I actually misunderstood the tiers and sort of overbacked, but I decided to not lower it, even though I have no realistic expectation of finding 7 more people to play it with me. The upgraded components ought to be decent quality, so the more the merrier I guess. Yeah, it seems to be to be sort of akin to TM in some ways, but since it tends to get brought up in conversations as somewhat like both TM and Underwater Cities I think there is a fair chance it might be one my wife actually likes, since TM is her favorite game and Underwater Cities is another she likes. In any case I got it on sale, so I feel it will likely be worth it even if we only play it a few times. I know that some people really don't like the "multiplayer solitaire" way it plays most of the time, but my wife hates people messing with her stuff in games, so it works well for us.

1.2 million on the first day. I figured it would be popular, but that sure is something. Not for me though, I did back Lords of Baseball and Unconscious Minds though. And I have Ark Nova being delivered tomorrow, which I am keen to maybe try out this weekend.

Me and my wife are Sauron!

No, I'd think it was when he was infected by the flies. IIRC, he blacks out (just before Maeve comes and gets him) and, presumably, this is where we are seeing the host-version of him is now doing fidelity runs. It is why he can be stabbed in the park, since he isn't human any more (at that point). But, indeed, he might not be dead, he might just be substituted. Such substitutions. They have happened before. (Sorry couldn't resist.)

I am still trying to reconcile the opening sequence, of the data storage place on the dam, with whatever is supposed to be happening with Christina. I figured they were trying to data-mine her for the key to access the encrypted data. But, I guess maybe the aim was actually to try to just make her complicit and decrypt the data of her own choice?

Wouldn't it be the opposite? Caleb iteration 278 (or whatever number Halores said) didn't fawn to her order. It would also suggest that 277 (or however many) pervious versions also did not just follow her order, meaning her control was not perfect and absolute (i.e. Caleb, even in simulation, seems to retain some degree of free will).

First day and change of free agency, lots of big signings, too many to list. Of course, the Islanders have literally done nothing. Can't wait for a week from now for them to overpay to resign someone so we that have the same team as last year, only worse.

I figured Caleb was a major character from now on. I'd imagine they'd contrive some way to save him, to get that "reunite with his wife and kid" moment to close the season. I guess they could go a different way with that, but I am not sure I'd want to bet on it.

Ah, yeah, I do recall something like that. But as was pointed out, I don't think that "rule" is applied consistently was all I was getting at. This sort of thing does happen in real languages, I think, but I also recall Bakker once saying that part of the inconsistency just comes from moving from different versions of things in different drafts over the years. Or, maybe I just imagine he said that, I don't know, I am old and can't recall things like I used to.

Unfortunately not, since it explicitly indicated the existence of the Indara-Kishauri. C's and K's are always in an odd place for Bakker without much rhyme or reason.

Bakker explicitly said this is the case, yes (way back in 2005 actually). (My bolding to highlight the quote, but include the context too.)

In what sense? Granted, I am biased by my general Hegelianism, but given Bakker's Derridian roots, I think the inconsistency of Earwan metaphysics is very deliberate. And, at this point, I am generally convicted that we ought to be rejecting Dualistic or Monistic thinking about it all, instead trying to think Dialectically, when and where ever possible. Not that this is going to "solve" things, but, in a Hegelian Absolute Knowing sense, at lease move us closer to what is more likely to be the case.

Besides the Yankees, I am a Knicks, Jets and Islander's fan, so, rock bottom expectations are not foreign to me! It's just nice to sometimes like one team that isn't always leaving me bereft of hope.