May, 21, 2004 archives

the crucible of time by john brunner is a fantastic book, it’s a shame that it is out of print. it traces the development of life on a doomed planet, basically from the time of the first astronomers to their escape from the planet before it is obliterated. the creatures aren’t humanoid, but more bug-like, and the technology they develop is based largely around specialized creatures. this all takes place over many generations, and across some intervening near-calamities.

it’s a book i’d very much recommend. powell’s books has some copies, or you can do what i did and get it at your local library. (the los angeles public library system has five copies.)

one decision that one would have to make in setting up a dvd rental place is how to package the rentals. use the standard box that the discs come in, or a special box just for rental? (keeping the original box pristine makes resale easier, but represents a logistical challenge.) have the discs in the box on the shelves, or behind the checkout counter? (keeping the discs on the shelves makes checkout easier, but represents a security challenge.)

these cd library units are interesting, because you can string them together and connect 127 of them to one computer, which can then control them all. hook that up to a dvd rental checkout system, and you’ve got a nifty little behind-the-counter setup.

here’s one place that sells locking dvd cases.

here’s a place that sells various bits of store equipment.

speaker for the dead by orson scott card is a very polarizing book, as you can tell from the user reviews at amazon. i definitely come down on the side of those who see it as a vastly superior work to the first book in the series, ender’s game. but it almost isn’t fair to make the comparison, because they are really totally different flavors of book. where ender’s game is heavily action-driven, with the a thin layer of philosophical thinking bubbling on the surface, speaker for the dead is almost exactly the opposite. the cast of characters is much deeper, and more richly developed, than in the first novel, although each character does hew pretty closely to a single core characteristic.

cddvdliquidation.com sells bulk lots of dvds, either just mixed assortments or by genre.

of course, a google search for wholesale dvd turns up lots more.

i've probably mentioned this before, but i love the ceiling at the hollywood and vine subway station. it gives me ideas.