Re: the LA geographical quibbles, the first line of Chapter 11, "Bobbyland," has Alberto driving Hollis east on La Brea. La Brea runs north-south.

Since they're traveling east from Hamburger Hamlet to that light-industrial film lab/post house/cat & dog hospital zone on Romaine St, Santa Monica Blvd would be a logical choice to travel east, followed by a quick (one-block) turn south on La Brea.

quote:

Originally posted by Mean Old Man:

[...]

What you're seeing on the Winchester site is Winchester's iteration of the .280 Remington hunting cartridge, the .280 Remington recipe, with their excellent and totally appropriate Winchester-patent Silvertip bullet as a physical part of it. But Remington have never made a Silvertip. To someone who knows this market, it just sounds awfully, jarringly wrong.

"Microsoft iPod".

Klar?

Thanks for the clarification.

Which would be preferable, to the (UK hardback edition Chapter 76 Location Shoot page 335) current text:

"Remington Silvertips. Hollowed out."

in the next edition of Spook Country ?

a) Winchester Supreme® Ballistic Silvertip®

"Winchester Silvertips. Hollowed out."

b) what appears to be the equivalent Remington polymer tipped ammunition:- Premier® AccuTip™

"Remington AccuTips. Hollowed out"

c) Something else entirely ?


William Gibson's blog posting of Thursday 10th January 2008 says that he has some notes somewhere with informed speculation on Corten steel etc.

The side walls of shipping container seem to be typically made from welded trapezoidal sections of Corten steel about 1.5mm to 3.0mm thick. Corten is a generic name based on the original US. Steel trade marked name COR-TEN®

Corten is essentially normal mild steel alloy, with carefully controlled amounts of extra sulpher, which has the effect of usually producing a rust layer which is not as porous as normal iron or mild steel rust i.e. the surface rusts, but not the bulk of the component.

The Corten passive protective oxide layers can break down. One of the worst environment for it prolonged exposure to chloride ions etc, i.e. on the coast or at sea.

If you look at container ships or container port terminals you will see a mixture of unpainted rusty brown looking containers and painted ones, it is a matter of economics and branding.

Here is a Technical Specification For 20' x 8' x 9'6" ISO Type Dry Cargo Steel Container (.doc)

This specifies Corten A

Yield point 35 (Kg/sq.mm)
Tensile strength 49 (Kg/sq.mm)

quote:

6.6.2 Side Walls

Each side wall will be composed of a number of sheets for the intermediate (inner) parts and outer panels at each end of side wall, fully vertically corrugated into trapezium section, butt welded together to form one panel by automatic welding.

a) Inner panel: 1.6 mm Thk. Qty.: 3 Pcs/Each side

b) Outer panel: 2.0 mm Thk. Qty.: 2 Pcs/Each side

3. Trapezium:

Outer face: 72 mm
Slope: 68 mm
Inner face: 70 mm
Depth: 36 mm
Pitch: 278 mm

In this specification, the metal surface is protected with a typical heavy duty anti-corrosion primer and paint system, involving shot blasting, epoxy zinc rich primer, epoxy primer and, on the exterior, chlorinated rubber paint.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Memetic Engineer,

I did not see the problem as an author mistake. I was more interested in reverse engineering the two pages of calculations that ended up in brachytherapy cells, and a thirty, 1:10 twist, 4 groove gun.

The main problem is not piercing the container, it is having the bullet hit point on and not disintegrating too early, as the rest is a given, both the penetration and the break up of the projectile on hitting the money. Therefore the silvertip-like penetrating point and filled core.

But I am satisfied with a custom extra-long bullet in .30 caliber. That would go well with the single shot build, although I thought at the time that certainly I would not like to handle all those bullets together in a magazine.

In terms of the objective having caesium chloride pellets encased in stainless steel and then encased in lead is great, because the bullet will fragment for sure and some forty 1.5 mm radioactive spheres will spread around from each bullet, affecting a much bigger area than a single projectile.

There are so many custom gun makers in that caliber that it is pointless to spend too much time on the rifle, besides the individual inner eye versions. I am still partial to straight bolt action, however, for that kind of quick firing.

As for choice, I would simply drop the Remington. Silvertips...

Again, my point was that Gibson said it was a bolt action, so it's settled.

As for choice, I would simply drop the Remington. Silvertips...

It does read pretty good. A shooter would say just "Silvertips" to another shooter. A slightly gabby otaku like Garreth, though, would prolly say "Winchester Silvertips", especially when giving a little tutorial to a known non-shooter who's been brought along as rememberer.

Chapter 76: "Dosimeter. Russian. Surplus. Excellent value."

He's just that kind of guy.

Well, you could have straight or rotating bolt action...

But that is too deep into the pointless speculation. Even for me.

Updated list. I will add page number and edition (VH, Viking Hardback) if available, and the chapter name so that it is easier to find.

• Hollis talk about meeting Alejandro when she has met Alberto (VH 202, Breakbulk).
  
  
• Hollis rents a Passat (VH 132, The international currency of bad shit) but returns a Jetta (VH239, To give them the pleasure). Talk about a VW downgrade! I am not sure which was the intended car.
  
  
• There's also a reference to the Sultan of Dubai. No such person. (the scene on Union Square, need page number and chapter).
  
  
• On page 172 (edition, Black Jacque), it should be The Economist rather than the Economist.
  
  
• (Potential/disputed) Pg. 259
  
  "a Ford Taurus with a Budget sticker"
  I have no idea if there could be or not such a car in 2006 Vancouver, but the locals seem to think that yes, it is very possible.
  
  
• (need page number and chapter) It is Pete Townshend, not Townsend.
  
  
• (need page number and chapter) Winchester Silvertips or simply Silvertips. No Remington Silvertips. WG already knows that.
  
  
• (Page 91, no edition, Eleggua's Window) Eleggua is written Ellegua.
  
  
• (no page number, Bobbyland) Alberto drives Hollis East on La Brea. La Brea runs North-South. As they are actually driving East, the right way would be Santa Monica Blvd. followed by a one block drive in La Brea.
  

I am sure there are more...

Re: Budget: after dark the other day all I could identify for sure were Lincolns and Toyota badges, must attempt in daylight! possibly with lot gates unlocked, as well

Vancouver Woman Arrested For Stalking Budget Rent-a-Cars

The unidentified blond woman could only be heard ranting about Microsoft iPods when she was shuttled into a police car.

She was carrying only a flashlight and tickets to rock concert, police said.

She will be arraigned later today.

-AP

quote:

(Page 91, no edition, Eleggua's Window) Eleggua is written Ellegua.

Page 91, Putnam (American edition), 1st printing.

quote:

(no page number, Bobbyland) Alberto drives Hollis East on La Brea. La Brea runs North-South. As they are actually driving East, the right way would be Santa Monica Blvd. followed by a one block drive in La Brea.

Page 50, Putnam (American Edition), 1st Prinitng

quote:

need page number and chapter) It is Pete Townshend, not Townsend.

"Townsend-Moon hooter" Page 53, Putnam (American Edition), 1st Printing.

(I believe there is another reference to Townshend later, though I do not know how it is spelled.)

I can't find the Sultan of Dubai reference in any of the Union Square chapters or the one at Union Station either.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: UberDog,

Sultan of Dubai, if it's there, could be a deliberate decision not to specifically name/possibly annoy a real-life Sultan of Somewhere.

quote:

Originally posted by Psychophant:

[...]

There's also a reference to the Sultan of Dubai. No such person. (the scene on Union Square, need page number and chapter).

I keep missing any mention of the "Sultan of Dubai", in any of the Union Square planning or action.

Perhaps someone is thinking of the extremely rich (nearly as rich as Bill Gates or Warren Buffet etc.) Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah, with all the diplomatic resources and armed forces of an oil rich sovereign nation state at his disposal. ?

Garreth does mention Dubai, but that comes in (UK Viking Hardback edition) Chapter 48. Montauk, page 215

"Hotels. A chain of boutique hotels. In Dubai."

quote:

(need page number and chapter) Winchester Silvertips or simply Silvertips. No Remington Silvertips. WG already knows that.

(UK Viking hardback edition, Chapter 76. Location Shoot, page 335)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Memetic Engineer,

quote:

Originally posted by theminx:
Re: Budget: after dark the other day all I could identify for sure were Lincolns and Toyota badges, must attempt in daylight! possibly with lot gates unlocked, as well

I took a pic with my phone of a Taurus SE with a Budget sticker on the bumper, on the Budget lot. Will upload later.

Still not unequivocal proof of the presence/existence of such two years ago, but...

This message has been edited. Last edited by: theminx,

As an author I sometimes forget that plot devices aren't *real*. Arcana like the above are, in effect, the author's official officially ad hoc initials left, like those of otherwise anonymous construction workers, in the bridge suspending his novel's disbelief.

'I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's, His hair was perfect'

Until you up the magnification and see the false widow's peak...

On page 77 of the hardback GP Putnam edition:
"it should be pretty easy to fold a logarithm into the mix"

Shouldn't that be "algorithm"?

(Sorry if this has been noted before, or if it's intentional as part of Milgrim's drug-addled thought process.)

Lucy Lawless: Uh, yeah, well whenever you notice something like that.. a wizard did it!

Frink: Yes, alright, yes, in episode AG04.. Lucy

Lawless: Wizard!

I had a moment in my original reading of SC whereby I had Hollis exiting The Mondrian in the 1st ch. and heads west on Sunset Blvd on the south side.

Rereading the chapter this morning and trying out how she might have set of to the east, all discomfort disappeared with the "left on Larrabee" turn and park description.

Obviously a L.A. native with fading street details. I've been gone from there since 1983. I had Tower Records, Whiskey, etc. in the wrong direction and everything spun weirdly off of the inaccurate memory.

I have not researched the Mondrian's location on a map. That might be personally interesting.

quote:

Originally posted by Anabel:
I had a moment in my original reading of SC whereby I had Hollis exiting The Mondrian in the 1st ch. and heads west on Sunset Blvd on the south side.

Rereading the chapter this morning and trying out how she might have set off to the east, all discomfort disappeared with the "left on Larrabee" turn and park description.

Obviously a L.A. native with fading street details. I've been gone from there since 1983. I had Tower Records, Whiskey, etc. in the wrong direction and everything spun weirdly off of the inaccurate memory.

I have not researched the Mondrian's location on a map. That might be personally interesting.

Edit: additional f

I'm glad to hear that you can rent a Taurus in Vancouver, because I like
to see the occasional X-Files reference...

I found the Sultan of Dubai reference, which was misplaced in the original mistake report.

It is in 56. Henry and Richard.

quote:

“The Sultan of Dubai’s public relations team were there, last month. They had their own business here, but wanted to meet with Hubertus, so we put them up there, and Hubertus came up. Before that, twice, we had people in from our London office.”

Dubai is an Emirate, so either it could become The Emir of Dubai, or that famous Sultan, Brunei's. Both would work, in my humble opinion.

Re-updated list. I have decided to put only the chapter name so that proofreaders earn their money.

• Hollis talks about meeting Alejandro when she has actually met Alberto (Breakbulk).
  
  
• Hollis rents a Passat (The international currency of bad shit) but returns a Jetta (To give them the pleasure). I am not sure which was the intended car.
  
  
• There's no Sultan of Dubai. Either the Emir of Dubai or possibly the Sultan of Brunei(Henry and Richard).
  
  
• It should be The Economist rather than the Economist (Tubal).
  
  
• It is Pete Townshend, not Townsend (Bobbyland).
  
  
• Winchester Silvertips or simply Silvertips. No Remington Silvertips. Remington Accu-tips sounds horrid (Location Shoot).
  
  
• Eleggua is written Ellegua once (Eleggua's Window).
  
  
• Alberto drives Hollis East on La Brea. La Brea runs North-South. As they are actually driving East, the right way would be Santa Monica Blvd. followed by a one block drive in La Brea. (Bobbyland)
  

Thanks to Minx for clarifying the Taurus question.