2005/9/30, 12:11 pm
I just finished reading the book Altered Carbon, by Richard K. Morgan. It’s a first-person story about a mercenary, Takeshi Kovacs, set in a world where bodily death means relatively little, AI is widespread, money is still power, and immortality has been achieved (for the super-wealthy). The discussion of the technology is kept pretty brief — most of it is revealed as the characters are, as is preferable (IMO).
I sometimes have trouble visualizing characters and scenes in books — I’m gonna blame TV — but in this book I was right there with them, able to picture what the characters saw, and feel what they felt (in as much as one can, I think). The violence and the sex were graphically portrayed, which was a pleasant change from so much media I “consume” (TV and some books are so subdued).
I’m about a quarter of the way through reading the second in the Takeshi Kovacs series, “Broken Angels”, and so far I’m enjoying it the same. I’m definitely looking forward to reading other books by Richard K. Morgan.
2005/9/8, 6:13 pm
… I guess. I’m told I am Cinderella at this party, FYI, on this my last non-travel vacation day.
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2005/9/7, 5:25 pm
I guess the pits are right next to the LACMA. Here we see a reenactment of an elephant family’s father enjoying a hot smelly tar bath, after some fast food (see left of him)
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2005/9/7, 5:20 pm
Just finished walking through the King Tut exhibit at the LA County Museum of Art. We did the audio tour (like $6 more) and got to hear Omar Sharif in our ears.
They don’t allow cameras or cellphones (modern ones anyways) so I’ve attached the only image I was able to get.
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2005/9/6, 12:07 pm
Loud, but it does look like fun. Why do all ride announcers sound like they are adults on Peanuts cartoons? I hope they’re not saying anything important.
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2005/9/6, 11:52 am
“deja vu” @ magic mountain
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2005/9/3, 10:06 am
This vacation my girlfriend and I decided to travel to Irvine, CA. Rather than deal with all of the hassles associated with airline travel (delays, waiting in lines, cramped seating, delays) we decided to take Amtrak. It takes a lot longer to get to our destination, around 34 hours, but at least we’re not giving money to the airlines. ;) (At least Amtrak KNOWS it is subsidized, the airlines like to pretend they’re not, I think).
We decided to go with the sleeper car accomodations. It’s a bit more cramped than the photos on their website make it appear, but it’s still comfortable for two people, one to a bunk. The included shower is a nice touch (but remember to bring your own soap and shampoo, the bars of soap do the job but not well). The best part, though, is the meals. The meal cost, excluding alcohol and gratuity, is included in the price of the accomodations. And the food is pretty great. I had a 10oz prime rib for dinner, cooked medium, and it was tender and delicious, and french toast (texas toast) for breakfast, also delicious. The meals are served on real plates and with real utensils, and the drinks come with real glasses.
The wine and cheese tasting was interesting. I found a red wine that I enjoyed (for once) — a Pinot Noir made by Davey Crockett.
That all said, the room is pretty cramped:
Still, it was comfortable for me, at 5’7″. I think a 6′ tall person would have some trouble, though.
I’m posting this via PdaNet (Treo 600 application) over the Sprint cellular network. As long as I keep the phone up high, I stay connected: around 4KB/s while moving around 40mph.
