Just like the scene about the Euphrates from Snowcrash. Really brought the "Snow" into the "Crash". Maybe that's bad and carnal, but that winding story eventually did have a point, I guess.
I had read about ... the first hundred pages of Cryptonomicon before I put it down. When I pick it up again at some point, I'll get through it.
I've got a small, tiny bookshelf to get through, then I've got ebooks for DAYS.