Okay, better (although less productive) idea than messing around with URL normalization: why not read that Consider Phlebas book that's just laying around?

It's actually the 3rd Iain M. Banks book I've read. Summary: I liked it. It came recommended via a couple of sources, and definitely had parallels to one of the web comics that I read (Schlock Mercenary). Actually, come to think of it, maybe I read that comic because it was recommended by the same people that recommended the book...meh, don't remember now...could be another occurrence of the echo chamber phenomena of the blogosphere.

I think it ranks in between the other two books. I still like Use of Weapons the most...maybe in part because it was the first one I read? Maybe I just liked the way it ended, even if it was obvious to more astute readers. But both stories come out ahead of Matter. I can't really fault the writing of Matter at all; that was excellent, with good pacing of the main storyline, quite a bit of character development, and an interesting overarching plot that integrated the annoying primitive-royalty subplot well (in the end). But I didn't like the book. That subplot & all the characters involved in it were just too...annoying.

There's a similar thing with movies that I've discussed with friends (specifically regarding whether rating of films on Netflix should be based on how much one liked it or how good it was). Maybe this is true of everything...something can be good; interesting; technically very well executed...but there's no lasting emotional connection, just a slightly bad aftertaste, a desire to move on to something better...

Should have figured out how to have IIS redirect requests for things like 'CommentView,guid,8c43204e-2fae-4716-bfba-7c9d3225225d.aspx' to 'CommentView.aspx?guid=8c43204e-2fae-4716-bfba-7c9d3225225d' instead...

Now playing: Basia Bulat – Heart of My Own – 07 If Only You