Other than the alliteration, there is really nothing that links these two things, but for some reason they are things I am concomitantly (I had to look that up in the dictionary) obsessed with.

First is the computer game Civilization III. Now, since my roommate freshmen year in college introduced the original version of Civilization to me (nearly ten(!) years ago), I've wasted countless days playing this nation-state simulation cum war game and its multifarious sequels and spin-offs (which include Colonization, Civilization II, Civilization II - The Test of Time, Civilization - The Call to Power, Alpha Centauri, and Civilization III.) I have also wasted much time playing the GPL'ed clone of Civilization entitled Freeciv [Freeciv homepage][blog entry regarding Freeciv] I suppose it's to satisfy my Napoleon fantasy. (Although, more accurately, I used to play as Julius Caesar, and now, more recently, as Emperor Tokugawa, Emperor Montezuma, or Hammurabi. The thing that's cool about Freeciv is that I can lead Filipino civilization as Luis Taruc, leader of the Filipino guerrilla movement of northern Luzon against the Japanese during World War II, which evolved into the Hukbalahap. Anyway.) Now that I have more free time again, I've been playing it too much, in any case, and I probably should stop.

Then there's Century City, which I waxed verbosely about previously (It's embedded in there somewhere.) I really do hate the Westside, but there's just something magical about seeing the twin towers of Century City from all the way across town in Eagle Rock, which is perhaps the most northeast portion of Los Angeles. Besides the views off of my hill, there is the interesting view from the westbound Colorado Blvd. offramp from the 134 (also known as the Colorado Freeway to roadgeeks such as myself.) As you glide over the Ventura Freeway, Century City lies straight ahead—it almost looks like the freeway stub is actually going to take you there. (Instead, it deposits you on the eastern edge of Eagle Rock.) I'd like to get a picture of it, complete with the old-style four lane freeway with a wide median in the foreground, but I'll probably crash my car or something trying it, since it's visible for all of two seconds at 60 mph.