Portland had water fountains, constantly running, all over downtown. Something I miss on landing, dehydrated, in LA.
Don't know if I mentioned it before, but the sidewalks between Greyhound and downtown on 7th Street are in bad repair, and on the West side there are many wheelchair ramps missing. Not a good job of maintaining the commons. I notice no such problems in the shopping district, no big mystery. The rich don't take Greyhound, and if they did, God forbid they walk any more than half a block; otherwise why did He create taxis?
Gaiman's mention of turning "at right angles to everything" in American Gods, was obviously out of Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land, all the more so since the latter book was mentioned in the former. It's a cool concept, and deserves to be incorporated in other works, as was Le Guin's ansible.
last updated 2013-01-10 21:20:18. served from tektonic.jcomeau.com