![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Apr. 19th, 2008
Crashlanding.. its what's New!
Apr. 19th, 2008 10:14 am250 Geek points for getting the reference. An additional 250 if you can name the episode without looking it up.
Increase population http://crashlanding.myminicity.com
Increase industry http://crashlanding.myminicity.com/ind
Improve the transport network http://crashlanding.myminicity.com/tra
Increase security http://crashlanding.myminicity.com/sec
Improve environment http://crashlanding.myminicity.com/env
Increase population http://crashlanding.myminicity.com
Increase industry http://crashlanding.myminicity.com/ind
Improve the transport network http://crashlanding.myminicity.com/tra
Increase security http://crashlanding.myminicity.com/sec
Improve environment http://crashlanding.myminicity.com/env
We could open a dealership.
Apr. 19th, 2008 10:44 amWe were just talking about our cars, and realized we've had a few in our 18 years together.
We started with my 1973 Datsun miniwagon (The Yellow Peril) and Kirsten's Mitsubishi pick-up (Siouxsi). After those went away, we had a little red car for so short a time we can't even remember who made it. Then we bought a new Geo Metro in 1992 (The Roller Skate.) Kept that for a few years, leased a new Geo just in time for me to get cancer. Kiri calls that one the Stolen Car. After that was returned,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
capplor graciously let us use an old pick up which died in San Francisco. Kirsten's stepfather loaned us a 1967 Chrysler (The Boat, the Battleship Potemkin, or the Oh, Chrystler). Sometime after that we bought a Chevy from a friend, and promptly wrecked on the drive back up.
Once fixed, the Blue Car served us well for a few years before dying and being replaced by a Ford Taurus wagon (Sammi the Bull.) Sammi was a great car, making the trek to Burning Man. But she was showing her age. Kirsten really wanted a PT Cruiser, so we traded Sammi in at an Enterprise Car Sales for Barnum.
Which brings up to today, where we are a two-car household for the first time since about 1993. Ranger Darby is parked outside, and I'm still having trouble accepting the reality of the situation.
We started with my 1973 Datsun miniwagon (The Yellow Peril) and Kirsten's Mitsubishi pick-up (Siouxsi). After those went away, we had a little red car for so short a time we can't even remember who made it. Then we bought a new Geo Metro in 1992 (The Roller Skate.) Kept that for a few years, leased a new Geo just in time for me to get cancer. Kiri calls that one the Stolen Car. After that was returned,
capplor graciously let us use an old pick up which died in San Francisco. Kirsten's stepfather loaned us a 1967 Chrysler (The Boat, the Battleship Potemkin, or the Oh, Chrystler). Sometime after that we bought a Chevy from a friend, and promptly wrecked on the drive back up.Once fixed, the Blue Car served us well for a few years before dying and being replaced by a Ford Taurus wagon (Sammi the Bull.) Sammi was a great car, making the trek to Burning Man. But she was showing her age. Kirsten really wanted a PT Cruiser, so we traded Sammi in at an Enterprise Car Sales for Barnum.
Which brings up to today, where we are a two-car household for the first time since about 1993. Ranger Darby is parked outside, and I'm still having trouble accepting the reality of the situation.
Recent reading.
Apr. 19th, 2008 07:28 pmDespite the crazy work schedule, and side trips to buy automobiles, I've managed to finish a few books here and there.
First up, two from Iain M. Banks that demonstrates that an author can do amazing work in the same setting and get very different stories and results.
The first was Excession. I'll be honest, this book lost me early on. Two many changes of perspective, not enough of a handle on what was happening and a lack of really engaging characters made this one a bit of a slog. The interesting thing is how he tells the story largely from the perspective of various Minds... the artificial intelligences that run the Culture. I'm always interested to see authors attempt to write from an alien perspective, and I think Banks does a decent job here. One drawback is much of the interaction is told in communications between Culture vessels. These are presented with all headers intact, making it difficult to follow who is speaking to whom and why.
The plot (such as it is) concerns the sudden appearance of an anomaly with the potential to change the course of history on the edges of the Culture. From there, the book descends into a muddles mess of plots, counter-plots, and hints of conspiracy. Perhaps I lost something because I read this book mainly on lunch breaks and on the bus home, but a good book should not require a solid commitment to sit and read the whole thing to be understood! By the time we got to the end, I had ceased really caring about most of the plots. I honestly finished it only to see what the hell he was going to whip up to resolve this mess. I was not satisfied.
2 penguins out of 5. Unless you have Culture bedsheets, give this one a miss.
The second Banks was a complete reversal of my experience with Excession. Look to Windward is a tightly written story of revenge and intrigue. As the Masaq Orbital celebrates the arrival of the light from two novae that marked the end of the Idrian War 800 years previously, the expatriate Chel composer Ziller is moved to compose his first long work since leaving home. At the same time, a Chel officer comes to the Orbital on a mission he doesn't fully remember due to imposed memory blocks. Along with the usual tour of the amazing future Banks has developed, we get to see the mostly-human Culture through alien eyes. The ending fails, slightly, in my opinion, but I really enjoyed the ride.
4 penguins out of 5. Even if you don't know the Culture, you can enjoy this book.
Finally, a book that I really wanted to like. Boundary by Eric Flint and Ryk E. Spoor (seawasp) puzzled me. On the surface it reads a bit like a Heinlein novel; Very Smart People making Great Strides and falling in love. The plot revolves around the discovery of an anomalous fossil right on the KT boundary, and an amazing find inside Phobos. Anymore would be telling. On the surface, a great idea, but the book is constantly derailed by awkward storytelling. Early on a character is badly injured in a lab accident, one that derails his chances of going to Mars. His rehabilitation and emotional damage are dismissed in just under a page. That should have been a big part of the story. I "beat" cancer 13 years ago, and it is still a big factor in my not only my health but my mindset. Equally catastrophic events are likewise gone in a matter of a few pages. It made it hard to accept these characters as real people.
An additional problem was the inclusion of long blocks of expository text. Seriously, at one point there is over a page worth of explanation of the evolution of CAD/CAM systems. Not spoken by a character, just this huge log jam of words. This happens constantly... it's like the authors wanted to show off their research at every turn. Very distracting. But once the story finally gets rolling, the story is pretty good. I just wish Ryk and Mr. Flint had found better ways to deal with my issues.
3 penguins out of 5. If you liked Red Thunder, you'll probably like this book. Just be prepared for the huge chunks of expository text.
Next up... nothing! I need to walk down to the book store tomorrow.
First up, two from Iain M. Banks that demonstrates that an author can do amazing work in the same setting and get very different stories and results.
The first was Excession. I'll be honest, this book lost me early on. Two many changes of perspective, not enough of a handle on what was happening and a lack of really engaging characters made this one a bit of a slog. The interesting thing is how he tells the story largely from the perspective of various Minds... the artificial intelligences that run the Culture. I'm always interested to see authors attempt to write from an alien perspective, and I think Banks does a decent job here. One drawback is much of the interaction is told in communications between Culture vessels. These are presented with all headers intact, making it difficult to follow who is speaking to whom and why.
The plot (such as it is) concerns the sudden appearance of an anomaly with the potential to change the course of history on the edges of the Culture. From there, the book descends into a muddles mess of plots, counter-plots, and hints of conspiracy. Perhaps I lost something because I read this book mainly on lunch breaks and on the bus home, but a good book should not require a solid commitment to sit and read the whole thing to be understood! By the time we got to the end, I had ceased really caring about most of the plots. I honestly finished it only to see what the hell he was going to whip up to resolve this mess. I was not satisfied.
2 penguins out of 5. Unless you have Culture bedsheets, give this one a miss.
The second Banks was a complete reversal of my experience with Excession. Look to Windward is a tightly written story of revenge and intrigue. As the Masaq Orbital celebrates the arrival of the light from two novae that marked the end of the Idrian War 800 years previously, the expatriate Chel composer Ziller is moved to compose his first long work since leaving home. At the same time, a Chel officer comes to the Orbital on a mission he doesn't fully remember due to imposed memory blocks. Along with the usual tour of the amazing future Banks has developed, we get to see the mostly-human Culture through alien eyes. The ending fails, slightly, in my opinion, but I really enjoyed the ride.
4 penguins out of 5. Even if you don't know the Culture, you can enjoy this book.
Finally, a book that I really wanted to like. Boundary by Eric Flint and Ryk E. Spoor (
seawasp) puzzled me. On the surface it reads a bit like a Heinlein novel; Very Smart People making Great Strides and falling in love. The plot revolves around the discovery of an anomalous fossil right on the KT boundary, and an amazing find inside Phobos. Anymore would be telling. On the surface, a great idea, but the book is constantly derailed by awkward storytelling. Early on a character is badly injured in a lab accident, one that derails his chances of going to Mars. His rehabilitation and emotional damage are dismissed in just under a page. That should have been a big part of the story. I "beat" cancer 13 years ago, and it is still a big factor in my not only my health but my mindset. Equally catastrophic events are likewise gone in a matter of a few pages. It made it hard to accept these characters as real people. An additional problem was the inclusion of long blocks of expository text. Seriously, at one point there is over a page worth of explanation of the evolution of CAD/CAM systems. Not spoken by a character, just this huge log jam of words. This happens constantly... it's like the authors wanted to show off their research at every turn. Very distracting. But once the story finally gets rolling, the story is pretty good. I just wish Ryk and Mr. Flint had found better ways to deal with my issues.
3 penguins out of 5. If you liked Red Thunder, you'll probably like this book. Just be prepared for the huge chunks of expository text.
Next up... nothing! I need to walk down to the book store tomorrow.
Penguins. A sound investment.
Apr. 19th, 2008 07:37 pmSeveral years ago we acquired a penguin-shaped Japanese candy container while at Baycon. One at home, we decided to use it as a change jar. A hole was cut in the lid, and all non-quarter change was dumped in. After about four years, the penguin was just over half-full.
Today, we took it down to the grocery store to use the Coinstar machine.
Even with the charge for taking a cash payment, we got close to sixty bucks. We could have taken it as an iTunes Store card at full value.
Save those pennies, folks!
Today, we took it down to the grocery store to use the Coinstar machine.
Even with the charge for taking a cash payment, we got close to sixty bucks. We could have taken it as an iTunes Store card at full value.
Save those pennies, folks!