Tassie Dave’s Comments (group member since Mar 27, 2011)

Tassie Dave’s comments from the The Sword and Laser group.

It's not comedy like Pratchett or Adams. It has humour in it, but the situation and setting is serious.

It's gallows humour. If it didn't have the humour it would be way too dark.

If you think about what humanity is going through, it is, literally, hell on, and under, Earth.

TV rights are weird in Oz.

TC&tC was on iView which is an ABC streamer (our tax paid government regulated station.) but it finished there and no other streamer has picked it up.

Yes it was a tie.

Veronica and Tom chose A Darker Shade of Magic as the official April book pick because we had already read an N.K. Jemisin book.

The Fifth Season was chosen as an alt-pick for the same month.

Ties can longer happen. Veronica and Tom will cast a deciding vote if votes are level.

John (Taloni) wrote: "This is so obviously fake."

Yes, I would advise Klara not to respond to any of these email addresses. The fact they have all only joined on the day they commented is a huge red flag.

I had to delete one aggressive and threatening post on this thread yesterday and kick that member out of the group.

Iain wrote: "Children of Time warps the statistics after going semi final, final, final before being picked.

So only two have been read in the same year... Miéville effect all over again,"

4 runner-ups were read in the same year.
2016, 2018 (Both April alt-picks)
& 2023 & 2024 (Both May picks)

The Fifth Season was, effectively, the runner-up, as V&T used their veto powers to declare A Darker Shade of Magic as the Official Book pick.

We speak Strine, not Australian. 😜

We have read a few self-published books.
Wool Omnibus
The Sword of Kaigen
Theft of Swords
The Brand (an alt-pick)

There have been a few books read by Sword and Laser that were originally self-published and picked up once they became popular.

The Martian
Legends & Lattes
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

It wasn't me. We'd give a reason if a post had to be deleted.
I can't even recall that happening since I've been a mod.

The only posts that get deleted without an explanation are blatant spam and accidental double posts.

Most infractions are just new members posting threads in the wrong section. They just get moved to the correct one.

I can't find this anywhere in Australia to watch.

The question was asked, How often have we read the March Madness Runner-up.

In the 9 years of March Madness, the runner-up has not ended up as a pick eventually, only 3 times.

2016: was a tie. Both books read. The Fifth Season as an alt-pick.
2017: Howl’s Moving Castle was a pick in 2020
2018: Soulless was an alt-pick.
2019: Never picked. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August
2020: Never picked. The City of Brass
2021: Never picked. Gods of Jade and Shadow
2022: Children of Time was a pick in 2023
2023: Children of Time was a pick in 2023
2024: Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries was a pick in 2024


Of the books chosen to be in the March Madness Final 16 Brackets, 33 have ended up as S&L Book picks. (So far)

The best year was 2018 where 8 of the 16 books have ended up as book picks (7 official and 1 alt-pick)

The most read in a single year was in 2024, 6 of the 12 Book picks for the year were March Madness books (5 from the 2024 Tournament and 1 from 2022)

4.77 books, on average, from each Tournament end up as Book Picks.
3.66 books, when you account for books that were in multiple Tournaments.

John (Taloni) wrote: "^ I have no idea why I'm double-posting. Am concerned about deleting on the theory that it might delete both."

It didn't 😉 Though I do worry every time I hit that delete button. 😜

You would be shocked at how many times it happens.

The double topics people post always surprises me.

I would argue that, since the book version is, usually, the best version of a story. Then reading the book, without being spoiled by the movie, would be preferable.

John (Taloni) wrote: "^ Did you also flash on the South Park Mecha-Streisand ep?"

Not until you mentioned it. That's the more extreme version. 😉

John (Taloni) wrote: "I did not pick up on Gallimaufrians."

What sort of Whovian are you? 😜

Chapter 13: Professor Rochambeaux. (Ro-Sham-Bo)

Gallimaufrians - possibly a play of Gallifreyans.

That's a Haiku. Many who write them think only the 5-7-5 structure makes it a Haiku.

To be a Haiku:

Has a 5-7-5 syllable pattern. (Though this rule can be, and is, broken by experts)
The haiku gives a moment of insight.
The haiku is (usually) based on observation.
The haiku has two parts.

An Enchanted Crown
“A Princess must put it on”
“Goddamnit Donut!”

Trike wrote: "Tassie Dave wrote: "Okay good job.

Now we want to hear you both sing it.. 😎"

No, you really don’t."

The worst you sound, the better, for my amusement 😜

Okay good job.

Now we want to hear you both sing it.. 😎

I think she deserves better. 😜

And their voting habits reflect that 😟

An idiot with the button that can destroy the world.

A science denier in charge of health.

Megalomaniac billionaires pushing us towards WW3, while also pissing off their former allies.

What could wrong? 🤔

Rant over. 😜

Donut and Carl Killed the Farm Boy. 😉

Princess Donut had the biggest win and most votes in Round 1.

Anything less and she'd be insulted.

Now the battle with Pirate Amina al-Sirafi. She has no chance 😎