Simearth: History in Retrospect
A few days ago I was playing a great game by Maxis called Simearth. In Simearth, you spawn life on a planet, evolve life to sentience and try to get civilization off the planet. I left my sentient carniferns alone for a minute, and they managed to completely annihilate themselves in a nuclear war! There's a lesson here, I'm just not sure what it is...
Tuesday, August 06, 2002
The Rant
Up till today I have been ardent opponent of the "there's nothing in northern Maine" school of thought. But I have finally had it. I have cast aside my foolish optimism and now see things for what they really are. There is nothing in northern Maine. Nothing but 'townies,' fast food/restaurant chains, an ungodly number of banks, gas stations, chinese restaurants, and computer stores. as well as a Wal-Mart with its own zip code, chain stores, a mall of chain stores, family businesses, too many auto sellers, and a sickening acreage of farms. Nothing but trees, moose, and coyote (I'm fine with the moose, the coyote have got to go). There are no real social avenues, unless you count the roller rink, not that I care. Absolutely nothing out of the ordinary, no culture, no cultural taste other than country music (ugh), nothing. Not even a single allluringly quaint small town restaurant, which is present in upstate New Hampshire. Nothing out of the ordinary at all. There is nothing up here worth seeing except the forest and slopes. A cultural, economic, and social wasteland, and did I mention the townies?
What triggered this was the realization that Houlton does not have a single real deli. All I wanted was a good sandwich, is that too much to ask!?!
Up till today I have been ardent opponent of the "there's nothing in northern Maine" school of thought. But I have finally had it. I have cast aside my foolish optimism and now see things for what they really are. There is nothing in northern Maine. Nothing but 'townies,' fast food/restaurant chains, an ungodly number of banks, gas stations, chinese restaurants, and computer stores. as well as a Wal-Mart with its own zip code, chain stores, a mall of chain stores, family businesses, too many auto sellers, and a sickening acreage of farms. Nothing but trees, moose, and coyote (I'm fine with the moose, the coyote have got to go). There are no real social avenues, unless you count the roller rink, not that I care. Absolutely nothing out of the ordinary, no culture, no cultural taste other than country music (ugh), nothing. Not even a single allluringly quaint small town restaurant, which is present in upstate New Hampshire. Nothing out of the ordinary at all. There is nothing up here worth seeing except the forest and slopes. A cultural, economic, and social wasteland, and did I mention the townies?
What triggered this was the realization that Houlton does not have a single real deli. All I wanted was a good sandwich, is that too much to ask!?!