Today I will not complain about anybody in public.

However, while yesterday's (unfortunately somewhat harsh) entry had some technical content and probably belongs on advogato, today's is less interesting. Blame it on the joblessness.

First, I downloaded AbiWord. I haven't used it since LinuxPPC in 2000. It was kind of a novelty to me back then, and honestly struck me as something of a mess. I haven't ever used the Mac port, nor did I know it existed. I will report back what I can, when I get time to put it through its paces. I'm a programmer and a sysadmin, not a typesetting, layout kinda guy. So doing a resume is a hard thing for me to do. Which is too bad, given it is crucial to putting food on the table. But I digress. Will keep you informed, robsta.

titus, insom: I personally found Altered Carbon somewhat disturbing. I think perhaps the Sharya torture scene (or indeed the very opening scene of the book!) was what most bothered me, which is odd, given the sheer volume of violence in the book. However, upon reflection, I don't find it any less disturbing than I found Against a Dark Background or perhaps even Look to Windward.

I've noticed that I have sort of picked up a predilection for SF authors from the UK. Stross, Banks, Morgan (new), Hamilton (we shall see if he can make up for his last book with his next one), etc. This is maddening for me, as somebody from the US, as if I want to read their books when they come out, I have to damn import them. I'd really like to read The Algebraist, but I'm going to have to buy it in hardback, pay in pounds sterling, and then pay to ship it across the atlantic. That really irritates me. I don't understand how it's even legal, frankly, except that it is vaguely reminiscent of all the fuckery with zones on DVD's and the way the recording and movie industries behave.

At any rate, I am moving from Morgan onto Vinge (The Peace War), and then I will probably read Iron Sunrise, and then probably it's time to read some more Umberto Eco. Been putting that one off. Unemployment is great for providing reading time. Maybe somewhere along the line I'll get a job.

I'm still waiting for somebody to tell me that MySQL is ready for prime time.