The Sword and Laser discussion

Veronica is very concerned about the Witcher news. Also on this episode: we have some prize winners to increase your to-read list. We pick a tentative fan name for y'all. We kick off our November read, Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty, AND our final thoughts on The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri. Also, Veronica might have Crow-vid.

http://swordandlaser.com/home/2022/11...
https://www.patreon.com/posts/7423700...
https://soundcloud.com/swordandlaser/...

So is that a certainty theory?

Not seeing the new episode on iTunes yet?

Don’t see it on Downcast either…

And not a big surprise, but not on Pocketcast either. I think last time it was not on iTunes, it was on Pocketcast, but I also may be misremembering.

I also commented on the previous episode, but I'm partial to calling us "Laser Swords" he he he.

I had to use the link in my Patreon email to listen on SoundCloud.

Not on Apple podcasts. I’m not too worried yet, since it’s coming all the way from Canada.

Rss has crowvid.

I ended up listening on Soundcloud. Which, because I listen to most podcasts at 1.5x speed and because Soundcloud apparently doesn't let you adjust the speed, required a certain amount of mental adjustment.

Science Friday is also not publishing to RSS this week and I think they use SoundCloud as well so that might be the issue.

While thinking snarky thoughts about not being able to calibrate the Hemsworths with a single point (...keep quiet science brain...) I has an image of the Hemsworths as different Pokemon evolutions with the Love and Thunder Chris as a Mega evolution..

We use Liam to tare the Hemsworth scale.

I think Chris went back to zero after Love and Thunder.

Tamahome wrote: "I think Chris went back to zero after Love and Thunder."

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

1/12 scale Chris Hemsworth

OK, I should have done this earlier, but I just manually refreshed the Feedburner link, and the new episode ("new") is showing up now! I'm not sure why this has suddenly been happening.

Please let me know if it starts showing up in your aggregators!

Ah, yep, I've got it now on Spotify. Thanks Veronica.

Yep, just showed up in iTunes. Thanks!

In reply to Veronica's question about why there wasn't much discussion about The Jasmine Throne.

I really agreed with Tom's point about the books perceived weaknesses being the result of the author just caring a lot about the characters and focusing the book on how the characters felt about themselves and others. That just sort of made it not the book for me, I think. I definitely like descriptions of locations, world-building, and that sort of thing to be front and center. It feels weird to make a post criticizing the author when the problem is my personal preference.

Tom getting confused between Philip K Dick and Mur Lafferty is pretty understandable. Both take 'what is it to be human' as the main underlying theme.

It's in Pocketcast now!

Showed up in my Podcasts on my iPhone. Thanks!

This episode finally showed up in my podcatcher (Overcast) several days after I’d already seen from this thread that it was available and listened to it via Podbean.
*shrug emoji*

Cider. As someone born and bred in the Westcountry I do have strong opinions on the subject and shivered at the prospect of Canada not having any. Today I learned that in America 'cider' is spiced apple juice.
Wikipedia says "In Canada, cider cannot contain less than 2.5% or over 13% absolute alcohol by volume."
Canada, you and I are in agreement.

I am partial to spiced apple juice though.
About this time of the year I break out a bottle of Stillers Silk Roots (it's non-alcoholic) and put a generous splash into a pan of hot apple juice to get something similar to what it sounds like Veronica is craving.

SHIELD backronym - Second Hand Information Ending with Literary Discourse

I didn't read The Jasmine Throne because it was October and I thought I'd go spooky instead, so I read a vampire book and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

At least in the US, the difference between apple juice & apple cider has more to do with how much processing (or not) each undergoes.

This quote is from southernliving.com, but it matches what I've seen/heard elsewhere:

Apple cider is fresh, unfiltered, and often unpasteurized. It's also considered a seasonal drink and can be hard to find outside of the autumn months. Apple juice, on the other hand, is filtered and pasteurized, which gives it a longer shelf life, a sweeter taste, and a smoother texture.

Generally, juice will be clear and more yellowish, and cider is cloudier and more brownish.

Either one can be spiced or mulled, although I think cider is preferable in that case.

And hard cider (i.e. alcoholic cider) is a whole separate thing, again, at least in these United Statesean parts.

I am now really wanting someone to make/sell Scumble. Which as we all know courtesy of Terry Pratchett is a favorite of Nanny Ogg, and is made from apples. Mostly apples.

John (Taloni) wrote: "I am now really wanting someone to make/sell Scumble. Which as we all know courtesy of Terry Pratchett is a favorite of Nanny Ogg, and is made from apples. Mostly apples."

This is scrumpy which is made in the UK... I do not recommend drinking it unless you have a support person to carry you out. Lethal (I think traditionally made in bathtubs)..

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrumpy

Iain wrote: "John (Taloni) wrote: "I am now really wanting someone to make/sell Scumble. Which as we all know courtesy of Terry Pratchett is a favorite of Nanny Ogg, and is made from apples. Mostly apples."

Th..."

I'm a fan of a good scrumpy

Joseph wrote: "At least in the US, the difference between apple juice & apple cider has more to do with how much processing (or not) each undergoes.

This quote is from southernliving.com, but it matches what I'v..."

Oh! See, in England, we just call both 'apple juice' but there is cloudy apple juice, which is the type I would buy and drink and enjoy and then there is apple juice drink, which is the type that looks a little like wee, is cheaper, lacking in flavour and with preservatives and other adatives, which is the type I had a lot as a kid and now avoid!

So it sounds like my apple juice of choice is what you guys call cider. So maybe in Canada if you ask for cloudy apple juice...? Or 'pressed'? I've also heard the good type called pressed.

It's not spelled differently, like 'apple juise'?

It's actually spelled fgenafheskfhjs but we try to just spell it juice so as not to confuse our American friends. ;P

Ruth (tilltab) Ashworth wrote: "Joseph wrote: "At least in the US, the difference between apple juice & apple cider has more to do with how much processing (or not) each undergoes.

This quote is from southernliving.com, but it m..."

Well, here's my experience, at least from the west coast of Canada (British Columbia). Apple juice is the non-alcoholic drink and it can be cloudy or clear. Cider, usually apple but can be other fruit, is alcoholic and carbonated and is hard to find in Alberta, which is to the east. Maybe it's only popular where there are lots of apple trees.
Cider was my drink of choice but when I lived in Alberta for a couple years I "had" to switch to beer because I couldn't get cider in most pubs or stores.

Same as UK then, so what Veronica wants is cloudy apple juice!

Same in terms of juice, I mean. You can get cider anywhere here, though the best stuff is westcountry.

In Canada they drink maple juice, eh.