Contemplation of the Object

freakin' kids today

I found the following meme on an LJ. The poster and two commenters were all 20 somethings, and I believe consider themselves geeks. Not one of them had read more than 4 books on the list. One referred to 1 and 2 as "fad books", and was only able to reference any others as to whether or not they had made good movie versions.

If you are a 20 something and reading this entry, please, for your own sake and for the future of all life, READ A FUCKING BOOK once in a while. And neither game manuals nor books you are forced to read as a part of an academic curriculum count. Reading encourages your mind, encourages imagination, and stimulates critical thinking. These are not things to suppress with beer and casual sex.

++++

Bold the ones you have read:

Top 20 Geek Novels from The Guardian:

1. The HitchHiker's Guide to the Galaxy -- Douglas Adams
2. Nineteen Eighty-Four -- George Orwell
3. Brave New World -- Aldous Huxley
4. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? -- Philip Dick
5. Neuromancer -- William Gibson
6. Dune -- Frank Herbert
7. I, Robot -- Isaac Asimov
8. Foundation -- Isaac Asimov
9. The Colour of Magic -- Terry Pratchett
10. Microserfs -- Douglas Coupland
11. Snow Crash -- Neal Stephenson
12. Watchmen -- Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons
13. Cryptonomicon -- Neal Stephenson
14. Consider Phlebas -- Iain M Banks
15. Stranger in a Strange Land -- Robert Heinlein
16. The Man in the High Castle -- Philip K Dick
17. American Gods -- Neil Gaiman
18. The Diamond Age -- Neal Stephenson
19. The Illuminatus! Trilogy -- Robert Shea & Robert Anton Wilson
20. Trouble with Lichen -- John Wyndham

without cables

"Neuter Fawn", unnamed laptop, 4.7 lbs

Here's my brand new lil' laptop. It's presently 1.2ghz, 40g, 256mb, dvd/cdrw, with a 14.1" xga. I got it at Fry's for $400 about a month ago, because I've always wanted one, and I figured with this thing I can take my work wherever I want so long as I have a tolerable internet connection. So I could visit places or people without having to go destitute for not having paid vacations. :) 'Twas all part of my now thwarted plan.

Unfortunately since this non-vital purchase, work has been pretty crappy. But the holiday season is approaching, and thus the holiday transcription rush. And not a moment too soon!