For about 20 years I played Pursue the Pennant, then Dynasty League Baseball, because of their realism. While I liked some of the arcade-style baseball games, I was always more interested in games that chose realism over flashing lights. Now, in the age of YouTube, I’ve found the greatest mix of realism and arcade in baseball history. Enjoy.
Archive for July, 2007
I have recently read Robert Sawyer’s latest release, Rollback. Overall I enjoyed the book, but after I finished it, I realized how much different it was from most of his other work. Books like The Terminal Experiment or Factoring Humanity are true mysteries: high-tension, usually involving crime with a scientific background. I didn’t feel the same tension in Rollback as I did reading most of his other work. I want to be clear: I enjoyed Rollback, but simply differently than I’ve enjoyed Mindscan or even the Quintaglio Ascension series. While the effect Rollback had on me was different, two key elements of Sawyer’s work were familiar, and I enjoyed them.
First, the philosophical question raised by his scientific theme: rejuvenation in the strictest sense of the term. In Rollback, the ultra-wealthy (wealthier than “mere celebrities”) have access to gene therapy techniques that return the cells to a younger state. Over a period of a few months, these younger cells return the body to a younger state, that of the time soon after the body has matured. This allows those near death to extend their lifetime by 60 years or more, but also to regain their youthful quality of life. Rather than have his characters gaze at their own navels over this question, Sawyer invites the reader to consider the possibilities, while allowing his characters to make decisions and get on with the business of living. I prefer this to the typical morality play in which two characters represent each side of the argument and spell out what the author believes through their dialogue and actions. I don’t have much need for a preacher these days, so I’m quite happy that Sawyer chose not to preach.
More personally, much of this novel takes place in Toronto, with a little in Winnipeg. I freely admit that one thing that attracts me to Sawyer’s work is that so many of his stories take place in Toronto. For me, the story comes more alive when I can actually visualize the setting, rather than having to imagine it. This is the first time reading such a story since the move to Dauphin, so thinking about places like Senlac Av. and Park Home Av. brought on even a feeling of nostalgia. This certainly intensified my feelings and helped me enjoy the book even more. Now that we live in Dauphin, the mention of Winnipeg towards the end felt almost like a nod in my direction, as strange as that sounds. I wonder how long it will be until those Toronto streets and landmarks become unfamiliar to me. It’s already been a month since we’ve ordered from a Pizza Pizza.
I enjoyed Rollback, even though it wasn’t quite was I have grown accustomed to reading from Robert Sawyer. I recommend it, unless you would be dissatisfied with the absence of a murder mystery.
We have lived in Dauphin for 30 days now, and I have to say that the experience has been positive, on the whole. Aside from a few minor annoyances, some of which have to do with our temporary living situation, rather than our new town, I’m happy with the result. Here is a quick rundown of the good and bad of living in Dauphin, Manitoba.
What I’ve liked
I’m walking more, so I at least have the illusion of getting in better shape. I have no idea whether I’ve lost weight, and if so, how much, but I average 45-75 minutes walking 3-4 times per week. I don’t feel rejuvenated or anything startling such as that, but I’m sure it’s had some positive impact on my health.
Most of what I need is within less than 10 minutes’ walk. This includes Wal∗Mart, groceries, clothing, a hardware store and my new hair stylist. I have got into the habit of shopping for groceries almost every day, so very little goes to waste in the refrigerator.
For some reason I can’t put my finger on, we haven’t purchased much pop (soda for those of you who prefer that term), instead drinking mostly water and coffee. Mostly cutting pop out of my diet, I’m sure, has been a good thing.
The people we’ve met here have been quite friendly and very helpful. When we bought supplies for our cats uptown, we mentioned we couldn’t buy the 20 kg bag of cat litter because we were walking back downtown. The salesman offered to deliver our items to us later that day. Granted, some businesses deliver as a matter of course, but it seems delivery is easier to arrange here than it was back in Toronto. At a minimum, people here offer to deliver, whereas in Toronto I imagine you’d have to ask. (I never did, so I can’t be sure.)
What I haven’t liked so much
The house isn’t done yet, in spite of everyone’s best efforts. That has put a damper on the move, and made it feel a little more like a vacation and a little less like a move. Still, it is progressing, and we believe we’ll be able to move into it in about 3 weeks, so that gives us something to look forward to.
We’ve missed some TV we’d otherwise like to see, and I’ve been watching far more late-night mind-numbing TV than I’d like to admit. This has more to do with living in the hotel without our digital cable box and digital video recorder than anything else. That, and the late-night TV is more the fault of my poor sleeping patterns. I can’t blame that on Dauphin, since I’ve been battling that for the better part of two decades now.
It’s been hot here. Hotter than Toronto was. I didn’t expect this. I have been telling people the winter is dry here, and it is, but summer is humid as all hell. The humidex has been between 40 and 45 degrees (that’s 104-110 for you Fahrenheit junkies) most of the past two weeks, and when I asked a friend about it, she told me that this is pretty normal for the summer in Dauphin. It certainly makes the walk uptown to the bank a challenge. The most positive spin I can put on this is that the best motivation not to stop exercising is to be 15 minutes’ walk from the hotel and realize that if I don’t keep going, I don’t get out of the punishing heat.
In all, I have no regrets. Check back in the winter to be sure. 