Hey Rude... sure, if you want to come by you can join the crew.

I'll go over to Eric's around noon... come by then and we can do pirate creation. Usually the other three come in from 12:30-1:58 and we get started around 2:00 or so....

The next book in Neal Stephenson's baroque cycle just came out. I'm contemplating whether to pick it up now at Costco since it's cheap, or wait since I haven't got through Quicksilver yet....

Actually I'm reading a good book right now, Game of Thrones. Huge book, first in a series. It's about a large kingdom with all this simmering political tension (obviously, things are going to break out into war at some point). The main things I like about it are:

1. It's got lots of memorable characters.
2. Although there are characters that are clearly dickheads, the lines between good and bad aren't as easy to define as usual because:
2a. Most of the characters are members of various ruling families, who are all intermarried with each other, thus many characters have multiple and conflicting loyalties;
2b. Rather than sticking with one narrative viewpoint, the chapters switch between various characters, all of whom are at least somewhat sympathetic, many of whom are directly opposed to each other.
3. So far, the author has done a really good job of conveying a place where, although right now things are just a little tense, when shit blows up, it is going to blow up good.

There's a strategy boardgame based on the series which is supposed to be pretty great... if I keep enjoying the books, maybe I'll pick it up.