Hm, not much to write about lately. Well, some stuff, but it isn't really about me and I'm not comfortable writing about
it even semi-publicly. Yes, I'm slowly developing editorial guidlines for this page. There weren't supposed to be any,
but I should have known that was unrealistic.
Now that I've got it working under Windows 98, I've been playing Black & White, which devours
time in great swathes. No regrets, though. It's fun. My cow isn't as clever and useful as she could be. We'll have to
work on that together. I usually get more enjoyment out of growing my villages, so she's feeling neglected. (Ah, she
planted a tree in her pen. That's so cute!)
I had to put The Big U back on the shelf for a couple days. Partly
because of Black & White, and partly because I didn't want to think about it anymore. I really want to get somebody else
to read this book when I'm done (after I'm done, that is, I might re-evaluate, keeping in mind Neal's aforementioned
problems with endings). I want to know what they think about it. Consider that a recommendation.
I had been looking (maybe half-heartedly) for a good mystery novel when I stumbled across The Big U (well, that and I
had to get a birthday present for my mom). The idea being that I'd get some background before stumbling into a genre I
know very little about, aside from what gets played on A&E. I've been wanting to write a cute little mystery story of
some sort. The only mysteries I've read since I was about 12 were
the Bast trilogy of novels by Rosemary Edghill. These are light
and fun enough to move swiftly and enjoyably, but they've also got some poingnant bits on the nature of belief and other
insights into other forms of human interaction and bookstores. They're really quite good (Book of Moons is the first I
read and the best of the three, IMHO). That's a recommendation.
I'm still hunting for a good modern mystery novel. If anyone'd like to give me recommendations...
'I'd never really noticed the sunset out here before.'
The old man stopped briefly to look back at the guy on the bench. His arms were stretched out along the back as he gazed
out over the water and into the setting sun. The old man desperately hoped he wasn't trying to start a conversation.
There wasn't anyone else around. He mumbled something under his breath and went back to work collecting the daily refuse
by the seaside.
'It's really quite something. You know, I drive by here every day and I never bothered to look out there. It's amazing
what you miss.' He paused. 'I used to think I didn't have the time to take something like this in. I just had to keep on
going and couldn't afford to bother with such unimportant things.'
A gust of wind blew up, sweeping his tie over his shoulder. He closed his eyes, letting the cool breeze blow across his
face. The old man was studiously ignoring him.
'Perspective, I suppose. It took quite a bit to shake me up -- make me notice what I was missing. By then it was too
late, of course. No point in dwelling on it, I suppose. I just have to get on with it. This time, though, I'm going to
take the time to notice things. Like sunsets.'
The wind picked up again. The old man had to struggle to keep his hat on. 'It's getting late,' he said, not looking at
the man on the bench.
I'm back. A fun weekend, but it accomplished nothing. My monkey even stopped eating and starved to death. Several times.
Good riddance.
I found a book to read, finally. I bought it last week and started reading it on the train. I had heard that Neal
Stephenson had vowed that The Big U
would never be reprinted. This made me kind of sad because I like Neal Stephenson (although I havnen't yet managed to
break page 50 of Cryptonomicon
and I thought the ending
of Diamond Age, when I finally
got around to it, was supremely disappointing. I don't know why I wanted to read it so badly. I just did.
After I managed to find and
read Kampus (It's back
in print?! Bizarre.), I had a bit of a yen for dystopic, university-based morality plays. The Big U in large part
reminds me of that book. The difference being that, while the characters in Kampus are more or less caricatures, I can
honestly and truly relate to the characters in the Big U (nearly 100 pages in). I'm a little nervous about it, though.
The Big U is hitting a little too close to home in spots. I point out one of those spots on one of my other pages. It's
making me recall things I'd otherwise forgotten. It's probably good, then, that I didn't find it while I was at
university, when I first went looking for it.
I'm not entirely sure why Neal Stephenson wanted The Big U buried. Maybe it was just a typical "everything I did before
yesterday sucks" artist attitude. But maybe, and here I am egotistical enough to think he might have shared the same
thought I've had for the last couple years, maybe some things are just meant to be left buried in the past. His
reluctance might account for the $22.50 price tag. Whatever the reason, I'm glad to have the chance to read it.