(no subject)

Well, I finished 3001: The Terrible Secret of Space, or whatever it's called. As cortezopossum predicted, am having more fun reading the technical (and quite autobiographical) notes at the end. The story itself is just a big let-down.

One moment I liked, because it meshes with a theory I have about how people perceive the distant past: at one point, Poole (21st century astronaut who finds himself transported into the 31st) is in a public place, reading a plaque with a Henry David Thoreau quotation on it. The groundskeeper sees his interest, and, recognizing Poole as the celebrity he is, asks, "Oh, did you know him?"

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M showed me a month or two ago where the Broadway branch of the Cambridge Library is, near Harvard; was delighted that the library card I got when I first moved here in 2000, and then never used, still worked. Used it yesterday to check out Jim Munroe's 2002 novel Everyone in Silico, following a pointer from magid. Liking it so far; will report later.

(It did, in fact, occur to me to look into the Harvard libraries too, but their online catalog seemed to indicate that it didn't hold this book. Though they do have a 19th century geometry textbook published by James Munroe & co.)

Rummy to Marines: Drop Dead

Sec of Def to disgruntled soldiers regarding poor equipment, including armored vehicles that aren't:

What is more, he said, armor is not the saviour some think it is. "You can have all the armor in the world on a tank and a tank can (still) be blown up," he said.

I remark on this because it immediately reminded me of Laura Bush's campaign-trail statements that stem cell research wasn't worthwhile because freeing the research wouldn't guarantee new disease cures the next day.

And I guess they both cross-remind me of how, when certain tangentially connected groups advise abstinence-only sex-ed policies, they often push arguments that prophylactics can fail.

It's an interesting apparent thought-linkage, from that whole side. I'm not sure how to summarize it.

Movie

Going to go see "The Big Red One" at the Brattle at 8, sitting in the balcony as usual. Join if you'd like. It's said to be an astounding war movie (WWII) whose original 1980 release was so butchered by the studio that it lost all its nerve, and so failed to make much of a cultural impression. (Have you ever heard of it before? I haven't.) This is a re-assembled re-release that is supposed to recapture the director's original vision. Should be interesting.

(The Brattle, like the MFA, is a cultural fountain that I have barely made much effort to bathe in, even though I pass it (sort of) every day (more or less) on the way to work (if you will). Though I manage to go to the Brattle way more than the MFA. Because I like movies. Lots and lots.)