New Addition

Well I have a new addition to my house. The couch in my den has been replaced by an actual new couch. That's right, that is the first new couch I've had. I have to say it's quite an improvement over the old one. Alas I didn't get any pictures of the old one, but that's probably for the best. However I do ramble on about the pictures of the new one.

So this is a picture of the illustrious new couch. It's actually about a foot shorter than the old one, but much of that is arm rest. The back is a little shorter, but it sits higher. The cushions are much firmer, which should soften over time, and they are much shallower. I like it. Well of course otherwise I wouldn't have chosen it. You can tell it's a gold color with a hint of green and maybe cranberry or wine in specks. The thing is this is the tipping point. I was content with the status quo, but that has changed. Next is the craptacular carpet in front of the sofa. It too moved from a previous abode, and was merely there to provide sound deadening and some scuff protection to the floor. So my search has begun.

This is the first foray. A few small pieces I picked up at one location to test in the lighting of the den. This like the other picture had to be color corrected slightly to make it look closer to reality. Darned flash. Anyway, the one on the left I wanted to use to confirm it was too busy for the room. The big version is even worse, so it's right out. My Godsister likes the middle one. It brings out the colors in the couch well. It gets more of the red and brown in the full size version. The one on the right I like, but I'm not sure for this room though. It's a dark forest green around the edge that transitions to a lighter green/beige in the middle. The three rectangles in the middle are the same green/beige with lots of blue speckles. The two vines are a dark wine. The big version is almost identical with the vines getting slightly thicker, but mostly longer with more leaves. I'll look some more places to see what they have.

What do you think?

Click for the rest of the rambling >>.

The First Stone is Cast

Well after much fanfare, gnashing of teeth, and taunts from friends I finally started the Harry Potter series. I purchased the entire set on sale after Christmas. It made each book about $16, which was a pretty decent price at the time. Anyway I finished Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone after only a few days. I probably could have read it in one, but I don’t read that fast and had other things to do. It was asked if I was going to read them all together, but I plan on continuing my two fiction one nonfiction pattern for the time being. So on with the rambling.

This is I believe the shortest of the books. Shoot I’m not even going to go into the story itself. Most of you are familiar with it aready. You can tell somewhat that they made some wording changes to move the book from Britain to the US. Frankly it’s probably the largest font I’ve read in a while. And yes it is a good children’s book, though it is a bit darker than the movie version. I also understand the changes they made for the movie. I usually don’t have as big of a problem with a book and movie being different, and some of my friends do. I just want them both to be good. Being different media means that changes have to take place to make the story flow and look right.

In short, I liked it. It was fun and a nice break. It was well written and engaging for a book aimed mostly at young people. I’m curious to see how the style evolves as the characters get older and their views of the world become more complex. I hope the writing style and plots become more complex as well. It would be interesting to see it grow like the human psyche and intellectual capability evolves through those formative years. And no spoilers please.

Click for the rest of the rambling >>.

Literary Consolidation 31-40

Or the Reader’s Digest Condensed Edition 4^nd Ed. Well it’s time to reduce the page length again by creating a post of ten books. I’ll give the picture as a link to where it can be purchased, in exchange for using the picture, a little bit about each book, and a link to my original take on the book.

40.

In this the third of the series two of the children return with a cousin to Narnia. This is a bit more mature and definitely is good for parent and child to read together.

My Take


39.

This book was bought after I got The Civilized Engineer for my class. The title pretty much says it all. The book is about the deep fulfilling pleasure we get from creation.


My Take


38.

I read this book for a class on Industrial Engineering. It's a good take on processes for making good, innovative designs.



My Take


37.

This is an odd tale by Atwood, Handmaid's Tale, that jumps between pre and post destruction of human civilization. You get to watch it all unfold.


My Take


36.

This is the second of the Narnia series by publication date. The story follows the children going to Narnia again, but centuries have passed there since the left.


My Take


35.

This is the excellent place to begin the Narnia series of books. I recommend it as a good story to read with your children.


My Take


34.

This is another in Peter David's series New Frontier. It's another great book for anyone who like Star Trek.


My Take


33.

I originally got this book for an engineering class and finally read the whole thing years later. It's about what engineers were, are, and what they should strive to be. I really liked it.


My Take


32.

This is the last of the three book arc in the series. I concludes bringing everyone back together again. It works out well and makes you want to continue the series.

My Take


31.

This is the second of a 3 book arc in this series. It continues following the crew of the Excalibur after it's destruction, but read them in order.


My Take

Click for the rest of the rambling >>.

Book Smarts

After lagging back a little while, I powered through two books in a short period of time. This review is the first of those. This was another break from the 700+ pages of what I now think is 8.5 point font. I finally read The Diamond Age or, A Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer by Neal Stephenson. Previously I have reviewed Cryptonomicon, and before I started doing reviews I had read Snow Crash at the behest of a friend. Before starting this one I had liked Stephenson’s books and had high hopes for this one. In fact this book was recommended by the same friend, but it took me to this point to get around to reading it. I’ll probably ramble on about it in my own way.

This book takes place decades into a future where the promises of nanotechnology have been achieved. The novel explores what society becomes when virtually anything is possible. Buildings are grown by a feed run into a foundation. Diamond has replaced glass in windows, because it’s cheaper. The very air is filled with microscopic machines performing duties and waging wars at their masters’ biddings. Governments fell apart after truly secure money transfers made effective taxation impossible. They were replaced by a global economic protocol and groups of people that have formed societal clans. These clans maintain claves (enclaves) in various parts of the world where they live and guard their interests.

Now I’m torn because I want to talk about the book, but I don’t want to give too much away. Well I’ll see what happens.

The fulcrum of this novel is one John Percival Hackworth (Percival was the grail knight). He is an artifex, a master of nanotechnological design. In fact I would venture to say he is as much artist as engineer. Yes I know I am a little biased for engineering elegance being artistic. John belongs to the powerful clan of neo-Victorians. After the collapse of 20^th century western society this clan eventually came to power by embracing Victorian ethics and codes of conduct. The clan tends to churn members a bit. Those that join the clan after a hard life outside tend to become the clan’s strongest members. Those born into the clan tend to be lackluster in achievements. To combat this trend in his own granddaughter, a duke commissions Hackworth to create A Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer. The “book” if you can call it that is a sophisticated interactive computer system that is designed to give a girl all the tools necessary and to teach her to take chances and become great. Hackworth, in probably one of his only criminal moments, steals a copy of the book for his daughter only to have it stolen and fall into the hands of Nell.

Nell, not sure if it ever says her last name aside from saying her brother’s, is a poor little “thete,” poor with no clan affiliation, girl. She cannot read, her mother seems to have little care for her, and her brother Harv acts as her protector and teacher, until Harv brings her the Primer. Nell has had a hard life for a 5-6 year old and the Primer begins her education. What happens then is a wild ride following the lives of several people and Nell as the fruits of Hackworth’s brilliant mind accidentally, purposefully, and subconsciously weaves a tapestry of events into being.

I quite enjoyed this book. It captured me like the other of Stephenson’s books and made me want to read it faster. The characters, the environment, and the politics of the time all mesh well together. Stephenson does a good job of creating the fantastical from the technical. It does a good job of explaining how experience and education create most of who we are as individuals. The 3 initial Primers each do something different for the girl to which they are given. The 100,000+ given to the castoffs do something different, but similar. In all it makes you wonder if Hackworth had any idea exactly what he was creating. Stephenson also continues to do some strange things with sex and descriptions that tend to throw me out of the world he has created. It’s probably more me than anything else. At least none of it seemed that unnecessarily descriptive, unlike a couple of scenes in Cryptonomicon. In all it is quite a satisfying read. I recommend it to anyone that likes similar types of books.

Click for the rest of the rambling >>.

Disconnected

The venerable DSL modem that has been used for 6-7 years, maybe longer, has finally ceased to function. Therefore my home has been disconnected from the Aether since late Tuesday evening. I have been taking it surprisingly well considering I always have a portal to the Intarweb open next to my customary place of butt parkage. I have entertained myself with various DVDs I haven't had a chance to watch, and by reading my current book. I take it as a further sign that I truly am not addicted to it. I have had no convulsions or crazed thoughts. Though I must admit I do spend all of my working hours with a rather speedy connection to it as well. However, work time use of the connection to infinite knowledge and amusement always seems different than home use. Anyway, AT&T is supposed to be sending me a new entryway to the information thoroughfare either today or tomorrow. it is more complicated then what I need, so I hope it works without much trouble. I have things that I would like to accomplish using it this weekend.

Click for the rest of the rambling >>.

Can I be back?

Just over a month and no update from me, I should be ashamed. Well maybe I am and maybe I’m not. What has happened? Work is still work. I got to place an order for $60,000+ worth of equipment. That was interesting. Two friends of mine are looking for a house in the area. I got to do a little scouting for them, and one came up to look a few of them over. Then we went out and had a little fun with some targets and ammunition. I did better with the double-barrel on the skeet than I did with the pump. Oh well. It’s getting closer to spring, and I’ve got to start thinking about the yard. I’ll try to come up with more things to write about.

Click for the rest of the rambling >>.