Some of the GoF patterns over-emphasise inheritance, but by-and-large, you don’t build large systems without either using or rediscovering software patterns, whether they’re OO, FP, or what-have-you.

No, it didn’t.

You haven’t read it, but that’s what you reckon? Okay.

As to the other point: JKR’s stuff is trite and derivative, but I do think that some of its “problematic” aspects are likely just because it’s regurgitating European fantasy tropes, which themselves may (originally or later on) encode antisemitism and so on.

And when it comes to it, subjecting any popular series to close reading with an eye for affront is likely to show up its flaws. Just think of all the janitors who blew up with the death star.

But Brown’s stuff is utter garbage (not to mention just ripping off “the Holy Blood and the Holy Grail”, which was pretty awful to begin with) - if you have the chance to pick it up second-hand I’d encourage you to see if you can finish it.

“If it was “terribly written” it wouldn’t have made the success it did”

Dan Brown’s millions beg to differ.

If people like HP stuff they might want to try Dianna Wynne Jones’ stuff: earlier, better, and didn’t have the same fortunate exposure.

Mind your ankles. The slopes around here are slippery.

The point of Java is to be a language for 90% of programmers. The vast majority of software development is not sexy, doesn’t require a PhD. Java was intended to be a commoditising language and in that it succeeded wildly.

In the UK, in general, take advice. If you’re bang to rights then a guilty plea (in court, not to the police) can affect sentencing.

Unfortunately, having said that, the UK conviction rate for rape is unbelievably low. “She liked sex ergo she deserved it” is still a line that juries are too willing to buy. It’s fucking depressing.

If you had a brace of five-syllable lines bracketing that and managed to reference the season, you’d have a perfect haiku.

Honestly I think W3 jumped the shark when it added a fifth faction for Gwent, and I know I’m not alone in this opinion.

Training, decent modern equipment, understanding and managing risk, gear redundancy, and wear a frickin’ helmet (esp. when belaying).

Yeah, there are some yahoos, but there’re also people who drop dead playing table-tennis.

With massive OOO pipelines, what’s the alternative?

Sounds like a really bad decision - forced error due to some other reason to back out rapidly. What an awful tragedy.

I was under the impression that Musk was going to “fix” Boeing’s delivery of AF1. I think his suggestions included relaxing the security clearance for new hires and getting everyone working 60-hour weeks.

News of that all went very quiet after the announcement though.