David > Recent Status Updates

The intro already has a few funny moments, at least to me, with anecdotes about how competing tasters protected their taste buds, etc.

So many sad twists to this story. Maybe I'd not be surprised if I knew Dickens's version, but it just seems like even if things start to get slightly good for Demon, something happens to foul it up. Knee. Drugs. Mr. Pegg. Etc.

Charlie is an outsider who evokes fear in the adults of the group. They've voted on whether he gets banishment or death.

The water supply failure is causing a crisis!

He's been to NY and returned to CA already. With his adopted dog Princess. Few people seen anywhere, mostly widely scattered 1s and 2s.

Struck again by the harshest explanation of why our tax system is exploitative of the poor: _Because we like it._

Power sources have now been covered (water wheels, windmills, steam engines, etc.), and now the book is considering transport options, including oxen and horses as well as motorized possibilities.

The latest chapter on medicines tries to describe how to reacquire analgesics, anaesthetics, antibiotics, and other compounds that we expect in modern society. It seems some may not be too hard to create with primitive methods, but others certainly sound challenging, either for their chemistry or for the equipment needed.

Just finished ch 6 on materials, including ceramic, cast iron, steel, and glass as materials important to reacquire after an apocalyptic event.

I'm caught up with finding (at least) one quote from each of the chapters now, to pull out for possible discussion with our book group. One of the chapters I've just read seemed like every paragraph had something worthy of being pulled out, making it pretty tough to try to limit to a small number, or to try to choose the "most important" thought to preserve. So good.

I agree with all the people I know that I've talked to about this book - it is well-written and a pleasure to read, with humor melded into the overall depressing life and story of poor Demon.

The Creaky farm, where he's a foster now, reminds me of a neighbor's farm where we helped out with haying and misc things, where you'd see multiple rats in broad daylight every time you were there.