View from Hezekiah's Knob

View from Hezekiah's Knob
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

The view from the top is not all that it's cracked up to be... That's some kind of industrial park out there in the distance, I guess.

Quinnipiac Trail is flooded
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

A few hundred meters in, I came to the point where the trail was submerged. I guess I've got bad timing; it has been a rainy week.

I wound up driving on over to Sleeping Giant and doing a hike up to Hezekiah's Knob. It was nice, despite the constant threat of rain (which never materialized).

Quinnipiac Trail is flooded

Quinnipiac Trail is flooded
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

The river was streaming across the path at one point...

The Quinnipiac River is flooded

Quinnipiac River is flooded
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

Today was the day that I intended to do the Quinnipiac River section of the Quinnipiac Trail. As I started out, I noticed that the river was flooding nearly to the edge of the trail.

Maugham on money

In Chapter 51 of Maugham's Of Human Bondage, Cronshaw discusses money, which is very apropos:

"...There is nothing so degrading as the constant anxiety about one's means of livelihood. I have nothing but contempt for the people who despise money. They are hypocrites or fools. Money is like a sixth sense without which you cannot make a complete use of the other five. Without an adequate income half the possibilities of life are shut off...."

Now if only, over the years, Cronshaw had taken the money that he was spending on cigarettes and booze, and instead put it into a diversified basket of stocks and bonds, he might not be so sour and deprived in his middle age.

[Edit: As dan points out in the comments, it was not Cronshaw who made these statements, but Foinet, Philip's art instructor. I don't recall that Foinet had any financial difficulties, so it's not clear how he got this perspective. Maybe it came from the observation of generations of his students.]

A story about "Of Human Bondage"

Of Human Bondage

by W. Somerset Maugham

By Chapter 50, Philip, having chucked religion and accounting, begins to doubt his decision to become an artist. He asks Lawson, a fellow art student:

“I wonder if it’s worth while being a second-rate painter… if you’re a doctor or if you’re in business, it doesn’t matter so much if you’re mediocre. You make a living and you get along. But what is the good of turning out second-rate pictures?”

Later, he talks to another student, Clutton, who is maturing as an artist, or at least affecting the attitude of one. Clutton tells him:

...a great painter forces the world to see nature as he sees it: but in the next generation another painter sees the world in another way, and then the public judges him not by himself but by his predecessor…. When Monet came along and painted differently, people said: But trees aren’t like that. It never struck them that trees are exactly how a painter chooses to see them. We paint from within outwards – if we force our vision on the world it calls us great painters; if we don’t it ignores us; but we are the same… What happens to our work afterwards is unimportant; we have got all we could out of it while we were doing it.”

Finally, Philip talks to Cronshaw, the older, debauched man who barely makes a living as a writer.

Philip: “I don’t believe I shall ever do much good as a painter… I’m thinking of chucking it.”
Cronshaw: “Why shouldn’t you?”
Philip: “I suppose I like the life.”
Cronshaw, surveying the environs: “This?... If you can get out of it, do while there’s time.”
...
Philip stared at him with astonishment… He knew that he was looking upon the tragedy of failure.

This is all good stuff. It’s a bit obvious at my age, and I probably would have scoffed at it when I was younger. My interest is still piqued.

See more about Of Human Bondage

I love my cash-back card

I just got a check in the mail for $121. It's from my Motley Fool 1% cash-back card. I love my cash-back card! People are always telling me that it looks funny or cute, which is a pretty weird experience when paying the cashier.

I wonder if there are any better deals out there...

Tilting at windmills

I've put off signing up for the "Clean Energy" option on my electric bill forever. It was never obvious how to go about it, and the bill-paying time of the month is when I least have time to research something. Excuses, excuses!

Anyway, they mailed a sign-up form with my bill this time, which makes it too easy to avoid anymore. There were two choices; I'm going with NewWind Energy. I thought it would be hyper-expensive, but it doesn't seem like it will cost a whole lot more; it'll probably be less than $5/month extra for me. I can live with that.

NewWind supposedly provides 50% of their energy from wind, and 50% from "landfill gas," according to the info that came with my electricity bill. Their web site has precious little info, though.

I'm not gung-ho about windmills; apparently they cause bird deaths. But there is disagreement about how bad the problem actually is (say, in comparison to bird deaths due to collisions with vehicles, habitat loss, and so on).

rock wall

rock wall
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

This is an example of one of the features of New England woodlands that I love: the rock wall.

I went for a one-hour hike on the Quinnipiac Trail, within Sleeping Giant, today. I did a section that I have ignored up until now because it winds up in a suburban neighborhood. As you get closer to the road, you can hear a huge roar of traffic from the Merritt Parkway. Yuck!

There are a couple of unappealing sections to the Quinnipiac Trail that I've been putting off, but I think I'll hike them this year.

A story about "Of Human Bondage"

Of Human Bondage

by W. Somerset Maugham

So I’ve kind of been working my way through Maugham’s Of Human Bondage like it’s a rather untasty protein bar. I’m now about 35% through the novel and it’s starting to become entertaining.

In particular, I just finished Chapter 45, where things are really picking up. It starts with Cronshaw asking Philip rather abruptly: “But pray what tell is the meaning of life?”

Not that he wants to hear Philip’s opinion; Cronshaw just wants an opening to deliver his monologue:

”...I have nothing to do with others, I am only concerned with myself. I take advantage of the fact that the majority of mankind are led by certain rewards to do things which directly or indirectly tend to my convenience…”

He then goes on to explain his theory that people do nothing which is not selfish. It brings to mind Dawkins’ The Selfish Gene (I have not read that book but am familiar with some of the ideas in it). He winds up his monologue by telling Philip “You were asking just now what was the meaning of life…” when of course it was Cronshaw himself who started in on the topic, not Philip at all.

Cronshaw’s several pages of lecturing at Philip have made the previous 256 pages all worthwhile. Hopefully we’re getting into the meat of the novel now.

See more about Of Human Bondage

wild geranium

wild geranium
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

I think this is wild geranium

trees along the trail

trees along the trail
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

I went for a hike around the Pistapaug section of the Mattabesett today, about 3 hours. It was a very nice day. Nice and quiet.

Why I recommend "Six Feet Under - The Complete Fifth Season"

Six Feet Under - The Complete Fifth Season

by Alan Ball

I just finished watching the last season of Six Feet Under. This was one of the best TV series ever, if not the best. It’s incredibly powerful and moving. Amazing stuff. Words fail me. Wow.

See more about Six Feet Under - The Complete Fifth Season

hike today

rock wall with waterfall
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

I went for a short hike today, at Sleeping Giant.

This is a view looking up from the bottom of a rock wall that has a waterfall streaming down a cut in it. This waterfall does not flow for much of the year.

A review of "Firefly"

Firefly

by Joss Whedon

I’ve been watching this series over the last few weeks. It’s great! The acting, dialog, story arc, everything.

I must give special kudos to two of the actors (and they’re all great, mind you!). I love Ron Glass as Shepherd Book. It’s a wild ride remembering him as Det. Ron Harris on Barney Miller. And Gina Torres shows a nice range as Zoe. She recently reprised her role as Anna the assassin in Alias.

It’s a pity that the series ended after only one season. I found it pretty impressive compared to the first season of Buffy. Very promising. Definitely worth watching. Did I mention that Joss Whedon is a genius-god? Well he is :-)

See more about Firefly

Not counting on social security

I am not counting on getting social security checks when I retire. It'll be a nice extra if I get some, but if I assumed that I'd have to rely on it for necessities, I'd probably be in a constant state of panic. I guess I fit the profile described in this section on retirement in the April 11, 2006 NY Times (you gotta log in).

So at a time when the national savings rate has fallen below zero ... my family has gone the other way. ... We like to think of it as being frugal, but another adjective — cheap — would not be unfair.

Yup, I'm cheap, no doubt about it!

I've been doing some surfing around the whole social security issue lately, following some back and forth on the subject with Piaw Na.

Here are some quotes from an article in last year's USA Today about retirees who live entirely off social security:

...today, 10.6 million people, or 22% of the 48 million who will receive Social Security benefits this year, live on that [social security] check alone, the Social Security Administration says.
...
Currently, 53% of people in the workforce have no pension, and 32% have no savings set aside for retirement.
...
The [current] average Social Security payout is ... $11,460 annually.

And here's the most recent summary on the status of Social Security and Medicare Programs (from May 1, 2006). [ Edit: Here's the full Trustees report for 2006, and here's another good summary of the report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities ]


I've got no pension, but I do have retirement savings. Almost all of those savings are out of my own pocket; only one of my previous employers did the matching contribution thing, and I didn't stay with them long enough for it to make a big difference.

Hard to say just how much money I'll be getting in retirement. Things could definitely go sour. But then there's always the ex-pat option - hello, Panama! (log in required).

Thinking about my charitable giving

Here I go ... again!

Last year, I decided to do a little checking up on the charities to which I give. Just to be sure they aren't taking my money on a vacation to Aruba, or something. Invariably the CEO salaries are sky-high. I guess I have to put up with CEOs taking my money to Aruba, even at non-profits. Actually there's one exception: the CEO of Doctors Without Borders only rakes in $100,479. Now that, I can live with.

But it's not so easy to tell what's up. I found two charity ratings organizations and compared. One is Charity Navigator which has a number and star rating (4 stars is tops) and the other is American Institute of Philanthropy, which gives A thru F. AIP gives you a list of top-rated charities, but if you want to get the poop on anything other than these, you have to cough up some cash for their ratings book, which I'm just not going to do.

Here's my list of charities, followed by their ratings:
Charity : AIP rating : CharityNavigator rating

1. Oxfam : B+ : 52 (3 stars)
   
2. Doctors without Borders : A : 61 (4 stars)
   
3. Amnesty International : "not top rated" : 35 (1 star)
   
4. Disabled American Veterans : not rated (info not provided to AIP) : 69 (4 stars)
   
5. World Wildlife Fund : not top rated : 48 (2 stars)
   
6. NARAL : not rated (info not provided to AIP) : 40 (2 stars)
   
7. Planned Parenthood : A : 68 (4 stars)
   
8. UNCF : A : 55 (3 stars)
   
9. NPR/CPTV (public radio/tv) : not listed : 60 (3 stars)
   
10. Tibet House : not listed : not listed
    
11. NY Times Neediest Cases Fund : not listed : not listed
    
12. Kids with Cameras : not listed : not listed
    
13. CFPA (Connecticut Forest and Park Association ) : not listed : not listed
    

The one thing that kind of shocked me, and made me reconsider, is Amnesty's poor rating. I'm still giving to them, but I may switch over to Human Rights Watch, which gets a much better rating. I've been a long-time supporter of Amnesty. It is an "inherited" charity; my mother gave to them, and participated in their letter-writing campaigns... plus they won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1977 ... so they must be good! Right??

So one of my problems in all this is - who is watching the watchers? How do I know that AIP and CharityNavigator are doing a good job? Can I really rely on their ratings? Sure I can read all the info about what they say they do... just like I can read all the info about what these charities say they do. Hmm.

Fiddleheads

Fiddleheads
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

Marsh marigold

Marsh marigold
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

I was standing on a log at the edge of a marsh sort of leaning out over it to get this photo. These are marsh marigolds. The flowers are yellow and about 1 to 2 inches in diameter. The leaves are spade-shaped.

Ravine

Ravine
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

I took a photo from right about here on April 2. Notice the difference in color that one month can do. Today there's a hazy green from all the budding leaves on the trees. Summer is coming soon!

View from Mica Ledges

This is about the same view that I snapped about a month ago. That huge lawn is all bright green now. I think it's actually farmland, not a lawn.
View from Mica Ledges
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

nice day!

I went for another nice hike today. It was so pleasant and warm, it felt like we were well into the hiking season instead of just starting it. More like June than April 30!

See more progress on: go hiking

Rue-anemone

rue-anemone
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

I found huge patches of this plant, rue-anemone, on both sides of the trail for a stretch of perhaps five or ten meters.

It was weird. I was hiking back out when I noticed them. I had walked right past them on the way in without noticing them at all. In the words of the band Pixies, "Where is my mind?"

Wild red columbine (aquilegia canadensis)

columbine
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

I had no idea columbine grew in Connecticut! This is wild red columbine aka rock bells aka aquilegia canadensis.

These plants were less than one foot tall, maybe 10 inches or so. The flowers were about 1-2 inches in length. There were just a few of these plants at one section of the trail.

I've never seen columbine in the wild before, so this was quite a treat!

The first time I heard about columbine, I was quite young - they are mentioned in "The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett. When I saw the rather peculiar flowers in a Burpee catalog, I became a little bit obsessed with growing them. That didn't work out, oh well!

Pistapaug Pond through trees

Pistapaug Pond through trees
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

This is a look at Pistapaug Pond from off the Mattabesett trail. The trees are just starting to bud, turning a little green.

I went for a nice hike today, 1.5 hours. The weather was sweet: a bit too cool and breezy when stopping for a break, but perfect for a steady pace.

TV Turnoff Week

It's TV turnoff week, and I am unabashedly not participating.

I don't get cable TV; I rely on an old fashioned and very long pair of rabbit-ear antennas. Since I live near a mid-sized urban area, I get a few channels with more or less snow: ABC (very clear), UPN (variable), and WB (quite fuzzy). (Alas, no PBS.)

Here is a list of the TV programs that I watch, currently:

1. This Week with George Stephanopolous - my liberal-slanted news medium
   
2. Desperate Housewives - bubblegum for the mind; sometimes I'll "watch" this while doing housechores
   
3. Grey's Anatomy - ditto
   
4. Girlfriends - a step above bubblegum
   
5. Gilmore Girls - clever dialogue
   
6. Lost - love the X-Files like plot
   
7. Alias - love the kick-ass action; but it's going off the air, in any case
   

It goes without saying that I record these shows on my VCR and watch them afterwards, skipping over the commercials, as a general rule.

It's hard to keep a real interest in these shows, no matter how much I like them. They don't keep to any reasonable schedule; it may be three or more weeks of repeats or specials before a new episode airs. By the time the new episode is on, you've forgotten what was going on when the series left off.

Some people claim that they're not watching TV when they watch a DVD. I don't see the sense in that. I go through phases when I watch lots of DVDs, and I'm not going to fool myself into thinking that I'm not watching a lot of TV when I do that. Yes, I could probably develop an engine that runs on water in all that time that I waste in front of the tube. The world will have to wait.

A review of "Empire of the Wolves"

Empire of the Wolves

by Chris Nahon

Jean Reno plays a cop with questionable ethics in Empire of the Wolves, based on a novel by Jean-Christophe Grangé.

I found Grangé’s Les Rivières pourpres and Les Rivières pourpres II: Les anges de l’apocalypse both to be mesmerizingly gruesome and impossible to believe, yet I got completely sucked into both of them. Empire of the Wolves is in the same vein, but slightly more believable.

But I’ve already said too much. It’s Jean Reno! What more do you need? Go forth and enjoy!

See more about Empire of the Wolves

Filmed on location in NYC

It's always enjoyable to watch a movie taking place in NYC and see a familiar venue. Sometimes I think that I recognize a place, but I'm not completely sure. I recently found a great source for getting this info:
Sets in the City
Now I know for sure that the scene in Prime in Tompkins Square Park really was shot there, and I guess I was mistaken about the Japanese restaurant that I thought I recognized.

A review of "Prime (Widescreen Edition)"

Prime (Widescreen Edition)

by Ben Younger

Prime is a solid movie, a good bittersweet romantic comedy. It’s enough of a fantasy to suck you in, but real enough to make you feel for the characters.

My only objection was to the unbelievable unethical behavior of Lisa (Meryl Streep), a therapist, who is being seen by the main character, Rafi (Uma Thurman). It was played for comedic effect, but what she was doing was so wrong-wrong-wrong that it was unfunny (although I admit, some moments really were quite hilarious, despite that). Aside from that though, it’s a good movie. Fine performances by Streep and Thurman, and Bryan Greenberg too.

See more about Prime (Widescreen Edition)

I'm sending out a little link love to Piaw Na. He and I have been shooting the breeze, electronically, for the past few days. It has been an enjoyable discussion, and I think we've about solved everything from social security to immigration reform by now ;-)

He's got a fun blog with a variety of posts covering everything from comics and books... and books... and books ... to bike riding and finance. If you like my blog you may enjoy his as well...

Narcissus blossoms - not just for the vase

This is a salad that I picked up at Thyme and Season yesterday. It's an organic mesclun salad with narcissus blossoms, produced by Two Guys from Woodbridge. The price is an appalling five dollars, so it's a luxury item that I won't buy often. Still, it was fantastically delicious and mouth-wateringly good - possibly the best damn salad I've had in my life. The leaves tasted as if they came straight out of a garden, which would explain the high price.

I haven't seen a salad with narcissus blossoms in it since I was a child. I was visiting my aunt's house in the Boston area, and she had mixed up a homegrown salad with narcissus blossoms thrown in. I was appalled and horrified, and I don't recall being able to bring myself to try it. That was just plain weird. Thirty-odd years later, I am no longer appalled to find flowers in a salad. They look mighty pretty, and I was curious to see what they taste like. Hence they ended up on my plate. They're really very good, but the taste is hard to describe. Just a little bit peppery? In any case, delicious. I only drizzled a bit of olive oil on top of the salad before dining. It is a large salad, so I've got a little left over for today.

Dutchman's breeches

Dutchman's breeches
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

I just had to post this. Even though the flowers are a bit blurry, I love the glimpse of the trail and trees in the back. It's probably my favorite photo from the hike today.

Pool and waterfall at Sleeping Giant

Pool and falls at Sleeping Giant
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

This pool occurs where the stream widens out, closeby the trail. It was a beautiful day for a hike - just perfect!

Waterfall at Sleeping Giant

Falls at Sleeping Giant
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

It's springtime and the streams are flowing freely at Sleeping Giant. This is one nice little waterfall alongside the trail.

Purple trillium

Trillium
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

This is the purple trillium in its default pose; its head is bent over. You get a good view of the three-leaf configuration around the central stem leading up to the flower in this photo. Plus there's a better view of those cute little Dutchman's breeches hanging nearby!

Trillium

Trillium
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

I discovered this purple trillium, aka wake-robin or birthroot, in amongst the trout lilies and Dutchman's breeches. It's a larger plant, as you can see with my hand in the photo. But the flower was bent over pointing at the ground so I almost missed seeing it. I had to hold up the flower to take this photo.

Notice the Dutchman's breeches peeking through in the background.

Trout lily

Trout lily
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

Another view of a trout lily. This one's petals are curled back quite a bit.

Trout lily

Trout lily
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

Alongside all the Dutchman's breeches were blooming loads of trout lilies. I guess these two plants enjoy the same moist soil.

Trout lilies have yellow flowers and distinctive broad, flat green and dull-purple speckled leaves.

The plants are about the same size as Dutchman's breeches, perhaps 10 cm stalks, the flowers having petals about 2 cm in length. The petals may be stretched straight back, or may curl back quite a bit like an Easter lily.

The trout lily (Erythronium americanum & albidum) is also known as the dogtooth violet. It's a very pretty plant.

Dutchman's breeches

Dutchman's breeches
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

Dutchman's breeches

Dutchman's breeches
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

The other day I was hiking over at Sleeping Giant and discovered hundreds of clumps of Dutchman's breeches (Dicentra cucullaria). They were quite close to the parking area, near a stream. I was pretty excited. I'd seen pictures of these in a book when I was a kid, but I don't recall ever seeing them in the flesh.

I didn't have my camera with me then, so I came back today with my Nikon and took photos.

The stalks are about 10 to 20 cm in height; the flowers are white, about a cm or two long, with a bit of yellow stuff hanging off the bottom. And they do sort of look like breeches hanging on a wash line. The leaves are sort of feathery looking; you can see some good samples of the leaves in this photo.

It's a freakish but beautiful plant. Delightful!

Why I recommend "The Constant Gardener"

The Constant Gardener

by Fernando Meirelles

This is a good suspense story; believable, and sad – even depressing. Worth watching, but do not expect to be uplifted. Extraordinary scenes filmed in Kibera.

See more about The Constant Gardener

flowering cherry

flowering cherry
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

Another shot of a tree at my apartment complex. Possibly it's a flowering cherry, maybe a Yoshino cherry?

flowering cherry

flowering cherry
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

Today was a beautiful day. This morning, as I was going down the driveway to head for work, the sky was blue and these flowering trees off the driveway were too beautiful to pass by. They are actually more pinkish or even lavender than they came out in this photo. I guess the blue of the sky washed that out. I think they are flowering cherry trees; maybe the Yoshino type.

hike today

I went for a hike today. I started out on the Mattabesett (blue trail) and wound up in Rockland Preserve (orange, yellow, red trails). This was nice for a change.

The only problem was, I started out a tad late, around 4 pm. And I was completely lackadaisical in my perambulations. I feel pretty comfortable on these trails because I've been all up and through them before. Plus, getting lost on a Connecticut trail is practically an impossibity. Still, I almost managed to do it. I became a bit disoriented because work is being done in Rockland Preserve, and things are a bit different from last year - trails are being built out, new signage, and so on. Things just looked different. I looked at my watch at 6 pm and realized I was in danger of making it back to the car after sunset (if I could find my way back at all).

Fortunately, I had my compass, and that, together with my gut instinct, led me out of Rockland Preserve and back to the Mattabesett Trail. From there it was a quick 30 minutes back to the car via a shortcut. Whew! I was kind of stupid about things today and hadn't brought food, and I certainly didn't have enough water for the night, let alone the three hours I wound up being out.

It was a sultry day, way too warm for April. Fortunately, by around 6:30 the sun was setting and the air began to cool. That was probably the nicest part of the hike. Beautiful day. I wish I'd started out sooner.

On this sandy section of the trail can be seen the tread marks of bicycles, boot prints, and even some dog paw prints. 

Trail in Rockland Preserve. If you look really carefully, you can see an orange blaze on a tree to the right side of the trail, in the distance.  

A review of "The Razor's Edge"

The Razor's Edge

by W. Somerset Maugham

I finally finished this book last Saturday, two weeks after I started reading it. I was made curious to read this book after watching the 1984 movie, starring Bill Murray.

There are some crucial differences between the book and the movie. Just as an example, in the movie, it is Larry who presents the dying Elliott Templeton with a fake party invitation to ease him in his final moments. In the book, it is the first person narrator who does so. The narrator in the book is not present in the movie at all. The book concludes differently (and better).

It was worth watching the movie, but only if you read the book after. The movie gives you a taste of what you’ll find in the book.

The book is well-written, but odd. There are two stories here. One is a sort of parlor-room social drama. Lots of the “action” takes place while people are sitting around drinking tea, having parties, dining out. And this action is, more or less, a sardonic examination of the hypocritical and shallow behavior of the upper-class characters encountered by the narrator. Then there’s Larry’s story itself; his search for an ultimate truth and meaning in life. His story seems weirdly out of place when juxtaposed with the rest. This is not a criticism. I find it interesting, and I wonder if such other-worldly elements appear in anything else by W. Somerset Maugham. I’ve got to try some more of his stuff.

There's an interesting page by "the wanderling" over at angelfire, which makes the claim that "The Razor's Edge" is a true story. Now I know that Maugham begins the story by claiming that it is true, but novelists are known to do this, and I never believe it when I see it. This has got me curious; I've got to do some more digging on this as well.

See more about The Razor's Edge

A review of "Half Light"

Half Light

Boring and obvious. If you’re looking for a more interesting, recent thriller, try The Forgotten with Julianne Moore.

See more about Half Light

A review of "Equilibrium"

Equilibrium

by Kurt Wimmer

There are some good action sequences in the movie, but I found the premise uncompelling: to stop war, would it be worth eliminating human emotions? I suppose it could be phrased more generally as “would it be worth persecuting/killing a minority in order to eliminate war?” In the movie, it hardly seems like anyone is suffering due to the elimination of emotion. Almost by definition, no one could be, except for the few who refuse to dose themselves with the emotionally deadening medication. (Pets are an exception, apparently; they get slaughtered for having emotional content or emotional temptation or some such thing.)

The movie is inconsistent in keeping to the rather bizarre premise. Characters who are supposed to be dosing themselves frequently display emotion of one sort or another – big grins on the face of Taye Diggs, and Christian Bales’ boss slamming his fist down in anger, are among demonstrations of emotions that should never be seen in such a society.

It’s not really a bad movie, just a bit long. Probably worth watching just to get the concept of “gun katas.”

See more about Equilibrium

View off the trail

View off the trail
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

This could be considered the official first hike of the season, although I've been hiking a few times since January 1. I went hiking for a little over an hour. It's a nice start and I'm looking forward to many more!

Nice day

Nice day
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

It's a nice day for a hike. It has been warming up over the past few days, and today it was brilliant. The warmth is bringing out insect life. The trail was crowded with tiny fluttering moths.

A review of "Batman Begins"

Batman Begins

by Christopher Nolan

Good for a couple of workouts; nice mindless action entertainment. Good effects, all-star cast. It’s a long movie but the plot was thick; I wasn’t bored.

I have to say, I’m impressed with Christian Bale in particular, whom I’ve seen in The Machinist and American Psycho. He exhibits remarkable range as an actor.

See more about Batman Begins

A review of "Bubble"

Bubble

by Steven Soderbergh

These are the people that I’m a little afraid I’ll wind up sitting next to when I take the bus.

I didn’t know anything about this movie before watching it, other than it was a Steven Soderbergh film (which is why I rented it). About 15 minutes in I was about ready to give up – bored stiff. For some reason I kept watching, and things finally picked up at about 45 minutes. From then on, I was reasonably entertained. This makes the American mid-West seem a bit weirder and creepier than it is. I hope.

See more about Bubble

A story about "The Razor's Edge"

The Razor's Edge

by W. Somerset Maugham

I started reading The Razor’s Edge last night.

After watching the interesting but somewhat confusing movie, I had to read the book to get the full picture.

I picked up my copy of the book at the local library. It’s a 1944 edition. Inside the first few pages there’s a note: “THIS BOOK HAS NOT BEEN CONDENSED. ITS BULK IS LESS BECAUSE GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS PROHIBIT USE OF HEAVIER PAPER.” All in caps, yes. McCall and Co would have liked to make the book bulkier; damn that pesky war.

Anyway I’m about 10% into the book and so far so good. Clearly the movie liberally took plot elements from the book and mixed them around. And already something has been made clear: Elliott Templeton (the wealthy chap played by Denholm Elliott in the movie) is an arts dealer. Apparently back in the day this was a bit of a scandalous way to make a living. Anyway, that’s why all those precious items were laying about and getting knocked over in his Paris home; he was buying and selling them. If that was explained in the movie, I must have been napping at the time.

I’m enjoying Maugham’s style but it is a little peculiar. He has a way of describing people which is a little strange. Here’s how we meet Isabel: “She was comely though on the fat side, which I ascribed to her age, and I guessed that she would fine down as she grew older. She had strong, good hands, though they also were a trifle fat, and her legs, displayed by her short skirt, were fat too….” He goes on, but this short bit with “fat-fat-fat” made me laugh out loud.

Here’s the discussion of Gray Maturin: he was “striking rather than handsome. He had a rugged, unfinished look; a short blunt nose, a sensual mouth and the florid Irish complexion; a great quantity of raven black hair, very sleek, and under heavy eyebrows clear, very blue eyes. Though built on so large a scale he was finely proportioned, and stripped he must have been a fine figure of a man. He was obviously very powerful. His virility was impressive….” Doesn’t this passage make you want to giggle? Later we hear that he “strained his heart playing football” so he couldn’t get into the army to fight in WWI. Gee and I thought things like that only happened during the Vietnam war!

In making these descriptions, was Maugham planning out who would play the characters on the big screen (and yes there was a 1946 movie version of The Razor’s Edge, starring Tyrone Power and Gene Tierney, which I now feel compelled to consume as well)? I’d swear this is done by many best-selling authors these days, but I guess I’m a little surprised if it was being done back in the forties already.

See more about The Razor's Edge

A review of "Mr. & Mrs. Smith (Widescreen Edition)"

Mr. & Mrs. Smith (Widescreen Edition)

by Doug Liman

Yes, this is a silly movie. Unplug your brain and enjoy!

See more about Mr. & Mrs. Smith (Widescreen Edition)

A review of "Digital Fortress : A Thriller"

Digital Fortress : A Thriller

by Dan Brown

This book is hardly worth a review. Suffice it to say, "Digital Fortress" is not nearly as interesting as "The Da Vinci Code". The plot here is much less compelling, with fewer twists and turns. The book might have been interesting at half the length; as it is, so many scenes were drawn out that I kept thinking “will this ever end?”

See more about Digital Fortress : A Thriller

Why I recommend "The Interpreter"

The Interpreter

Sydney Pollack does a good job with The Interpreter, a story of corruption and justice. It was suspenseful and twisty enough that I was never quite sure what was going to happen, and not disappointed with what did. Sean Penn does a fine job as the emotionally wounded, gruff cop; Nicole Kidman is ok as the traumatized PTSD-suffering interpreter. Notable performances among the cast: Yvan Attal, Earl Cameron.

Absolutely worth the watch; a good solid thriller, revolving around real-world issues. As a bonus there's all that great footage of NYC.

See more about The Interpreter

Why I recommend "Flightplan"

Flightplan

by Robert Schwentke

I watched the first half of Flightplan during my rowing workout last night, and it kept my attention. I ran over my preset rowing time without noticing. But I found the second half of the movie sort of disappointing – it didn’t carry through on the suspenseful buildup. Jodie Foster and the rest of the cast were all great; the plot was too far out, and I couldn’t suspend my disbelief.

It’s light material, probably be a good movie to watch when you’re sick, working out, etc.

See more about Flightplan

A review of "The Razor's Edge"

The Razor's Edge

by John Byrum

I watched The Razor’s Edge with a friend over the weekend. It’s the story of a somewhat shallow guy who acts as an ambulance driver in WWI, is shocked by the experience, and finds his life dramatically altered. He is unable to continue on the path waiting for him when he gets back home, and goes off to find the meaning of life.

The movie has flaws. There are several points in the film where I wasn’t sure exactly what was going on – motivations were not clear or well-developed. I plan to read the book, which I’m hoping will be better.

Nevertheless, the cast was very good. I find Bill Murray a fascinating actor, and his job here is quite good. If you liked him in Broken Flowers or Steve Zissou, you should like this. There are also fine performances by Catherine Hicks (who currently plays Mrs. Camden in Seventh Heaven), Theresa Russell, and Denholm Elliott.

My friend found the ending unsatisfying – she wanted to know what happened to everyone, and didn’t feel that the lead character showed much change after going on his quest for meaning. I disagree, though; I feel like it was a pretty realistic picture of what can happen on such a quest. Definitely worth the watch, for me.

See more about The Razor's Edge

Fun javascript demo

This javascript demo is fun. Keep dragging out more bubbles and watch your CPU hit the bigtime. When you stop the animation, your CPU returns to normal.

Trading with the Enemy

I actually did finish reading "Trading with the Enemy: Seduction and Betrayal on Jim Cramer’s Wall Street" by Nicholas W. Maier in February. Check out my review.

See more progress on: Read one book a month

Why I recommend "Trading with the Enemy: Seduction and Betrayal on Jim Cramer's Wall Street"

Trading with the Enemy: Seduction and Betrayal on Jim Cramer's Wall Street

by Nicholas W. Maier

Years ago, I read "Liar’s Poker", by Michael Lewis, and "Burn Rate" by Michael Wolff. Both very enjoyable books.

"Trading with the Enemy" is in a similar vein, but not as well done as either of those books. Nicholas W. Maier needed a good editor, or he should have put more work into this book himself. It’s just not well put together and at some points it gets a bit boring. The problem could be that there’s simply not enough story to tell and he tried to stretch it out.

Despite all that, there’s the core of a good story in here, and it is worth the read. I wouldn’t recommend buying it; check it out from the library if you can.

See more about Trading with the Enemy: Seduction and Betrayal on Jim Cramer's Wall Street

Buffy

I loved "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" when it originally played on TV. A month or two ago, I was looking for some good mindless action DVDs to occupy my mind while doing my rowing workouts. I spied "Buffy" at my local Hollywood Video, and became hooked once again. By now I've worked my way up to season six. Of course, as the series goes on, it becomes less mindless action and more serious stuff, which doesn't make for the best workout. But that's a minor quibble.

When I went into Hollywood Video the other night to pick up the first few discs from season six I was extremely distressed to find that they don't have it. They're missing the entire sixth season! This is a cruel trick to play on a paying customer. So what was I to do? I went to Blockbuster, which had nuttin'. I went to my local independent video store, and they didn't have it either. By this time I had just about convinced myself to buy the thing. I went to Coconuts which had seasons 1 and 5. Target had seasons 1 and 7. Strawberries had season 1. No wonder I do most of my shopping online these days.

So online I went. I just now finished placing my order for the entire seven seasons at Amazon. The audio track can be set to French, so when I'm done with seasons six and seven I can start all over again in French.

Did I mention that Joss Whedon is a genius-god? "Buffy" is absolutely delicious, a real escapist paradise!

A review of "Journey Across Tibet: A Young Woman's Trek Across the Rooftop of the World"

Journey Across Tibet: A Young Woman's Trek Across the Rooftop of the World

by Sorrel Wilby

Overall, this is an interesting account of the author Sorrel Wilby’s 1900-mile trek across Tibet, circa 1986, most of it done on foot. It’s an impressive story, and worth the read for anyone with a love of adventure travel or an interest in Tibet.

I have a quibble though. I find both Wilby’s writing style and her attitude a bit irritating. It’s a little difficult to pinpoint exactly why that is, without giving away details of her story, but I’ll try.

She comes across as a somewhat shallow and flighty personality, quick to jump to conclusions and lacking in forethought of any kind; given all that, I find it remarkable that she was able to achieve what she did. It may be that she was trying to write her story in a humorous fashion, but if so, I just don’t “get” her sense of humor (contrast this with Bill Bryson’s adventure stories, which I find hilarious). She relates several circumstances in which she was so ill as to be close to death, but it never seems serious because of the way that she tells it. In the cases where she is clearly trying to be serious, she often comes across as trite and sentimental. Again this is in contrast to a book like “Touching the Void”, by Joe Simpson – a well-crafted life-and-death story without a pinch of sentimentality.

Despite those problems, the book is worth reading, because what she did is a remarkable achievement.

See more about Journey Across Tibet: A Young Woman's Trek Across the Rooftop of the World