On Sunday, I hiked the Macedonia Ridge Trail, which is a loop 6.7 miles in length. It took me 3.5 hours to complete it, a pace much slower than yesterday's.
I found this trail fairly difficult. I was carrying a backpack, which weighs more than my daypack, which didn't help. The heat and humidity were as oppressive as on Saturday, with rare cool breezes. And maybe I was a little worn out from my Tunxis hike.
This is the view from Cobble Mountain, which is about two miles from where I started my hike. Supposedly those are the Catskills out there, somewhere.
The trail up to Cobble Mountain was so steep and rocky that I had to use my hands to crawl up parts of it. At one point there was a slab of rock where I had to pull myself up using just my arms. Ordinarily I enjoy this kind of thing, but not when wearing a pack. At some point I was thinking about how they'd find my body at the foot of the cliff, and what a shame that my organs would all be far too rotten for donation by the time they'd found my body.
Anyway, I made it up alive, but it kind of wiped me out. That was at mile two, and I still had almost five miles to go, with many more ascents! I was a zombie by the time I got back to the car - just putting one foot in front of the other. I could really use a break from this brutal weather we've been having.
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Toadstools
These large fungal specimens had sprouted in the yard of the home where I stayed this weekend. I placed a US quarter on the middle one for scale; it easily handled the weight.
They looked edible, potentially yummy, but I bet I'd have been vomiting up my guts if I'd tried one...
They looked edible, potentially yummy, but I bet I'd have been vomiting up my guts if I'd tried one...
Ratlum Brook camp area
This is a great spot, at 2.9 miles in. I should have brought my swimsuit. As it was, the spot had a nice breeze and was remarkably free of bugs. I stopped to eat lunch here - there's even a picnic bench.
According to the Walk Book, this Northern Region of the Tunxis Trail is "one of the steepest, most remote, and least used of the system." I won't vouch for steepest or most remote, but it sure was quiet. I didn't see a soul the entire hike.
According to the Walk Book, this Northern Region of the Tunxis Trail is "one of the steepest, most remote, and least used of the system." I won't vouch for steepest or most remote, but it sure was quiet. I didn't see a soul the entire hike.
Little Brook register
This is the first page of the Little Brook register on the Tunxis. The first entry - a mixture of the mundane with the tragic - is from September 11, 2001.
Tunxis
This weekend I went hiking in the northwest corner of CT. On Saturday, I hiked part of the Tunxis.
My plan was to do a long hike, but I got started late, and wound up at the trail around noon. It was hot and humid, really beastly - sweat was running down my face and body, which meant that it was not doing a very good job of evaporative cooling. I decided to chuck my plans and leave the trail early.
I wound up doing 6.2 miles, if I believe the Connecticut Walk Book. But that just doesn't seem right, because I timed it at 2 h 10 minutes, which would have me doing almost 3 mph, an unusually fast pace (the trail was not easy). It's a mystery.
My plan was to do a long hike, but I got started late, and wound up at the trail around noon. It was hot and humid, really beastly - sweat was running down my face and body, which meant that it was not doing a very good job of evaporative cooling. I decided to chuck my plans and leave the trail early.
I wound up doing 6.2 miles, if I believe the Connecticut Walk Book. But that just doesn't seem right, because I timed it at 2 h 10 minutes, which would have me doing almost 3 mph, an unusually fast pace (the trail was not easy). It's a mystery.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
A review of "Girl in Landscape: A Novel (Vintage Contemporaries)"
by Jonathan Lethem
I became a fan of Jonathan Lethem after I read his powerful and disturbing short story, “The Happy Man”, in the February 1991 issue of Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine. From then on, I’ve kept an eye out for his work. He’s never done anything quite so good as “The Happy Man”, IMHO, but he’s an excellent writer, well worth reading.
"Girl in Landscape" is an absorbing novel; every time I picked it up, I got sucked right in. With uncomplicated prose, Lethem evokes strong, disturbing moods – alienation chief among them. He easily delves into the mind of his protagonist and puts everything there on view, in a very interesting way.
My only disappointment with this novel, alas, is the end. This is not to say that the ending was bad; it’s just that I was hoping for something really really good, and this was just ok. Still, this is well worth the read – a fascinating work.
I compare this novel favorably to Donna Tartt’s "The Little Friend", a good novel whose ending also disappointed me just a bit. Similar characters, similar moods, feelings of disconnection and alienation in a bizarre environment, etc.
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Route 68
A word about the Mattabesett where it intersects Route 68: the trail is poorly blazed here, so it is hard to see where the trail turns off to the north, unless you are constantly on the lookout. I didn't see any blazes marking this turn.
This is a view looking down at the parking area in the distance, as you come out of the trail onto Route 68. It's about a 3-minute walk along Route 68 between the parking area and the turn-off going north into the woods. Or, more accurately, a 3-minute dance with death. The shoulder along Route 68 becomes frighteningly narrow in places - less than a foot wide - and traffic travels at about 50 mph along the road. When you're walking in the direction of traffic, it's particularly nasty. This is one of the reasons that I rarely hike here.
If you leave the parking area, and, after walking for a few minutes you come to the beginning of a guard rail, you've come too far. Keep an eye out for the turn-off to your right soon after you've passed the very narrow part of the shoulder.
This is a view looking down at the parking area in the distance, as you come out of the trail onto Route 68. It's about a 3-minute walk along Route 68 between the parking area and the turn-off going north into the woods. Or, more accurately, a 3-minute dance with death. The shoulder along Route 68 becomes frighteningly narrow in places - less than a foot wide - and traffic travels at about 50 mph along the road. When you're walking in the direction of traffic, it's particularly nasty. This is one of the reasons that I rarely hike here.
If you leave the parking area, and, after walking for a few minutes you come to the beginning of a guard rail, you've come too far. Keep an eye out for the turn-off to your right soon after you've passed the very narrow part of the shoulder.
Helianthus
There was a big field of these tall yellow flowers just in front of the ridge. I think these are Helianthus divaricatus (woodland sunflower). I'm going by the shape of the leaf as well as the flower itself. There are many plants that have a similar flower, so it's hard to tell.
Black raspberries
When I took this trail on August 7 of last year, the black raspberries were at their peak. It's only July 23, and I'd say they are a little beyond their peak now. Still some very tasty ones to be had, though!
I am pretty sure these are black raspberries; I saw just a few that had turned black. I tried them but they were not as tasty as when they're red - kind of seedy and more sour when black. I wonder if the birds like them that way.
I am pretty sure these are black raspberries; I saw just a few that had turned black. I tried them but they were not as tasty as when they're red - kind of seedy and more sour when black. I wonder if the birds like them that way.
McMansions
I posted a photo of this view last August. There is new development work going on this year - notice the large swath of fresh earth where the forest has been cut back in the upper right corner of the photo. Will the trees all be gone some day?
Beseck Ridge section
I did a four-hour hike today, about eight miles. This is the same trail that I did on August 7, 2005, only I didn't complete the entire section.
It was a cloudy day, and a smattering of rain came down on my way to the trail, but otherwise the rain held off. It turned out to be a good day for a hike, finally - a nice cool breeze was blowing most of the time.
This section of the Mattabesett must just be unusually buggy. Similar to last August, I was plagued by deer flies, picked up a few ticks (lots of tall grass), and blundered through several micrathena webs (which is more or less a room 101 experience).
It was a cloudy day, and a smattering of rain came down on my way to the trail, but otherwise the rain held off. It turned out to be a good day for a hike, finally - a nice cool breeze was blowing most of the time.
This section of the Mattabesett must just be unusually buggy. Similar to last August, I was plagued by deer flies, picked up a few ticks (lots of tall grass), and blundered through several micrathena webs (which is more or less a room 101 experience).
Saturday, July 22, 2006
The Large, the Small, and the Human Mind
I finished "The Large, the Small and the Human Mind", by Roger Penrose. This has been on my shelf for quite some time because it was rather daunting, and I wanted to pay it proper attention.
It is not an easy read, but it’s worth the effort. It has refreshed my interest in physics.
See more progress on: Read one book a month
Raspberries... or maybe black raspberries
These berries have neither the taste nor the texture of domesticated red raspberries, so they're either quite different in the wild, or they are in fact not red raspberries. They could be black raspberries, although at the moment none of them are black. I suppose they might eventually become black, if anyone could resist eating them from the vine (excuse me, I guess I should say "cane") before they got to that state.
These were growing right alongside the trail. Lovely and delicious. I guess I got more than my share of anthocyanins today, since I've eaten cherries and red grapes in addition to these berries.
These were growing right alongside the trail. Lovely and delicious. I guess I got more than my share of anthocyanins today, since I've eaten cherries and red grapes in addition to these berries.
Looks like rain
And it did, about 40 minutes into my hike. A steady downpour. I popped on my Helly Hansen rain jacket and did an immediate about-face. After about two minutes, the rain stopped. But I headed back anyway. The rain continued on and off... I don't mind hiking in the rain, but I was not in the mood for it today. Real crappy weather we've been having this summer!
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Millers Pond
This section of the Mattabesett winds around Millers Pond in Millers Pond State Park. If I had known this pond was open to swimming, I might have brought my swimsuit with me. The heat was oppressive, and as it was, I was tempted to jump in with my clothes on.
It was pretty crowded, and the trail does wind its way through some of the bathing areas. Not the most peaceful wilderness experience!
Directly after taking this photo, my camera's battery, which lacked my stamina, was "exhausted."
It was pretty crowded, and the trail does wind its way through some of the bathing areas. Not the most peaceful wilderness experience!
Directly after taking this photo, my camera's battery, which lacked my stamina, was "exhausted."
View from Bear Rock
This is the view from atop Bear Rock. It was pretty hazy and blistering hot. Not the best day for hiking, but you have to take what you can get.
You can barely see the church spire in Durham, to the left a bit, down near the tree line.
You can barely see the church spire in Durham, to the left a bit, down near the tree line.
Bear Rock
I hiked the Mattabesett section from Higganum Rd to Wiese Albert Road today: a 6-mile round trip in 2 hours and 35 minutes for a pace of 2.3 mph. Not bad, for a hot and humid day. I was not especially strong; rather, this section of the trail is not especially challenging. It's mostly flat. Any gradients are rarely steep, and when they are, they're short.
I should mention that there is good parking on the shoulder of Higganum Rd near the trail crossing, although the trail map doesn't mention it. I see no advantage to parking on Harvey Rd at the official parking area.
This photo is taken from beneath Bear Rock, as it overhangs the trail. The rock does look a bit like a bear's head in profile. Bear Rock is one of the few steep crawls along the trail. You can avoid the crawl via a bypass trail, if desired.
I should mention that there is good parking on the shoulder of Higganum Rd near the trail crossing, although the trail map doesn't mention it. I see no advantage to parking on Harvey Rd at the official parking area.
This photo is taken from beneath Bear Rock, as it overhangs the trail. The rock does look a bit like a bear's head in profile. Bear Rock is one of the few steep crawls along the trail. You can avoid the crawl via a bypass trail, if desired.
Looking at more charities
I get lots of solicitations in the mail from charitable organizations. Usually I toss them, but recently I got something from FINCA, a micro-lending non-profit, that caught my eye. After reading their material, I put them on my list for further investigation for my end-of-the-year giving. I'm also thinking about National Resources Defense Council. Both get a reasonable score from Charity Navigator.
I finally signed up with Charity Navigator, because you can maintain your personalized list of charities there. It does concern me that Charity Navigator does not evaluate itself, but they give a plausible reason for not doing so. I am curious about how much the president, Trent Stamp, pays himself. When I review a charity my eye automatically goes to the director's compensation. I get irked when I see a non-profit director being paid more than me. I then have to weigh my level of irked-ness with my fondness for the charity.
I do read Trent Stamp's blog on occasion. His rants can be quite amusing! Hard not to like and trust the guy.
I finally signed up with Charity Navigator, because you can maintain your personalized list of charities there. It does concern me that Charity Navigator does not evaluate itself, but they give a plausible reason for not doing so. I am curious about how much the president, Trent Stamp, pays himself. When I review a charity my eye automatically goes to the director's compensation. I get irked when I see a non-profit director being paid more than me. I then have to weigh my level of irked-ness with my fondness for the charity.
I do read Trent Stamp's blog on occasion. His rants can be quite amusing! Hard not to like and trust the guy.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Words that begin with "ch"
I took a short hike today, and inexplicably became obsessed with the number of French words that I know which start with "ch". These are the ones I could come up with off the top of my head:
- chacun - each
- chaise - seat/chair
- chalet - chalet
- champagne - champagne
- champignon - mushroom
- chance - luck
- chanteuse - singer (f)
- chapitre - chapter
- chaque - each
- charme - charm
- chauffeur - driver
- chaussure - shoe
- chemin - road (e.g. chemin de fer - railroad)
- cheval - horse
- chèvre - goat
- chien - dog
- chiffre - cipher (as in code) or number
- choc - shock
- chocolat - chocolate/hot chocolate
- chômeur - unemployed
- chose - thing (or something)
OK Computer
My Sony Vaio died two weeks ago. It was a slow process, and I was able to try some fixes (in no particular order):
I got my new machine, a Dell, on Friday. It's OK. I'm slowly getting my old software installed: Firefox, AT&T Worldnet software, MS Office, MS Money...
The new machine came with a get-six-months-free offer from Earthlink, so I decided to try it. It kind of sucks - their toolbar seems to be screwing with Microsoft's Data Execution Protection (DEP), which causes the system to hang unpredictably. I think it's their toolbar, I'm not completely sure; DEP seems to be messing with a number of applications (which makes me miss Win 98). In comparison, my old AT&T Worldnet service seems to be performing without a glitch, so I'll probably drop Earthlink soon.
I'm incredibly lucky in having backed up most of the stuff on my old hard drive just one week before it died! Am I psychic?! As I'm starting afresh, I've realized that I missed a few things: my browser bookmarks and history, and stuff I'd been keeping on the Desktop. I wonder what else got left behind?
- fdisk /mbr
- scandisk
- Maxtor PowerMax utility, which consistently said everything was fine
- replacing the CPU fan
- Running Norton Antivirus on the hard drive, from a CD-ROM
I got my new machine, a Dell, on Friday. It's OK. I'm slowly getting my old software installed: Firefox, AT&T Worldnet software, MS Office, MS Money...
The new machine came with a get-six-months-free offer from Earthlink, so I decided to try it. It kind of sucks - their toolbar seems to be screwing with Microsoft's Data Execution Protection (DEP), which causes the system to hang unpredictably. I think it's their toolbar, I'm not completely sure; DEP seems to be messing with a number of applications (which makes me miss Win 98). In comparison, my old AT&T Worldnet service seems to be performing without a glitch, so I'll probably drop Earthlink soon.
I'm incredibly lucky in having backed up most of the stuff on my old hard drive just one week before it died! Am I psychic?! As I'm starting afresh, I've realized that I missed a few things: my browser bookmarks and history, and stuff I'd been keeping on the Desktop. I wonder what else got left behind?
Saturday, July 08, 2006
Leaf springs
I love this wreck. Rarely do you get to see a car's innards so clearly. Check out these leaf springs - cool!
Car wreck
I didn't notice when the trail took a sharp right turn, and kept walking along an unmarked trail, which led up to this old auto wreck, where several trails intersected. It was here that I noticed the lack of blue blazes; fortunately not too far from the turn off. This is getting close to Higganum Road.
Relocation
This notice is posted just below Coginchaug Cave. "From this point, the Mattabesett Trail has been relocated to circumvent a new housing subdivision. From here, the trail turns generally south, then east, reaching a high point at a state forest boundary in 1/2 mile. From there the trail continues in an easterly direction, and then more northerly, rejoining the old trail in another 1/2 mile. From here, it is 1.6 miles to Higganum Road. The relocation adds 0.8 mile. Connecticut Forest and Park Association 1/20/05".
I'm happy to get the extra miles added to the trail, but I have to wonder if the total woodland area has decreased in this area due to the new subdivision.
I took the side trail up to Pine Knob Overlook, which used to be where the main trail went. I haven't been on this section of the trail since the relocation occurred; I think I was up here last in 2004.
I'm happy to get the extra miles added to the trail, but I have to wonder if the total woodland area has decreased in this area due to the new subdivision.
I took the side trail up to Pine Knob Overlook, which used to be where the main trail went. I haven't been on this section of the trail since the relocation occurred; I think I was up here last in 2004.
Parking notice
This is a closeup of the sign near the trailhead directly off Old Blue Hills Rd. The top sign says "NOTICE TO HIKERS Please park on grassy area - Do not park at curb on street. Thank you - C.F.P.A". So yeah, you can park here.
Trailhead
Here is the entrance of the Mattabesett Trail into the woods off Old Blue Hills Rd. Two signs mark it. That's my little daypack beside the curb.
Misleading
I hiked the Coginchaug Cave section of the Mattabesett Trail today - about 6 miles in 3 hours.
I parked on Pisgah Rd, near the intersection of Sand Hill Rd and Rte 79. I crossed Rte 79 on foot, following Old Blue Hills Rd to this point, where the blue blazes indicate a right turn. I was doubtful, but I followed the road to the right. That was a mistake; I couldn't see any more blue blazes, and the road quickly led to a cell tower. I came back down and found the real trailhead to the right, a few hundred feet beyond this turnoff.
I parked on Pisgah Rd, near the intersection of Sand Hill Rd and Rte 79. I crossed Rte 79 on foot, following Old Blue Hills Rd to this point, where the blue blazes indicate a right turn. I was doubtful, but I followed the road to the right. That was a mistake; I couldn't see any more blue blazes, and the road quickly led to a cell tower. I came back down and found the real trailhead to the right, a few hundred feet beyond this turnoff.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
First tick bite of the season
I went for a hike yesterday, covering 9.5 miles in 4 hours and 10 minutes, for a pace of about 2.3 mph. This is pretty good, considering that the weather was beastly: hot and humid. I did the Mattabesett-Lone Pine Trail loop. When I got home I discovered a deer tick attached to the back of my left calf. It was easily removed, probably got it before Lyme infection could occur.
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Return of the prodigal trailhead parking
Trailhead parking returns!
I was over by the Mansion Rd trailhead today, and discovered that the curb that was blocking the parking area there has been removed. They even paved over most of the dirt parking area. I didn't even have the time to do any official complaining yet... My faith in government is restored. Kudos to the party or parties who rectified the situation so speedily!
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
A story about "The Flower of Evil"
by Claude Chabrol
I first saw The Flower of Evil a couple of years ago when I was on a ski trip in Val D’Isere, France. It was very confusing because, of course, there were no subtitles, and my French is poor.
The storyline of the movie takes place over a pre-election week in which an upper class woman runs for mayor of a small town. Her son has just arrived home from an extended stay in the US. This is one strange family, and apparently the weirdness goes back several generations.
After watching this film I begin to feel that I’m missing something about Chabrol’s films in general. I think that there’s some context about the French class system that’s being commented on, and I just don’t get it.
In fact, I think I just don’t “get” Chabrol overall. I’ve watched a lot of his movies:
Merci pour le chocolat (2000)
Rien ne va plus (1997)
La Cérémonie (1995)
L’Enfer (1994)
Betty (1992)
Les Innocents aux mains sales (1975)
La Rupture (1970)
Le Boucher (1970)
Que la b̻te meure (1969) Рmy favorite
La Femme infidèle (1969)
Les Biches (1968)
At best, they have a very strange, surreal quality. At worst, they seem like a bad episode of some 1970s crime drama. Why is he so enormously popular, exactly?
In any case, this particular movie is not one of Chabrol’s finest. But it’s ok; and maybe with the proper context I’d appreciate it more.
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Let's talk about the weather
It was just too damn hot today, too much for June. Is this a record? Sweltering. When I heard the forecast yesterday, I decided to scrap any plans for an extensive hike. Instead, I went out for about an hour in the evening, though. It was buggy, but bearable. I saw a deer, some squirrels, and a chipmunk.
PSA - back up your hard drive
I backed up my hard drive today... Yay me! I should do this more often. It's not so difficult, it's just tedious.
Saturday, June 17, 2006
Sunday, June 11, 2006
You can never have too many ducklings
Over at Todd's Pond, the ducklings have finally arrived! This single female has a brood of ten. Maybe she's seeking to single-handedly repopulate the earth (or at least Todd's Pond).
Pink mountain laurel
I went for a hike up to Mt. Pisgah today (calling this a mountain is an exaggeration; it is 644 ft high). It started out unreasonably chilly and windy. Fortunately, I started to warm up near the summit.
Mountain laurel is blooming all over the place, now. I spotted both white and pink flowers. The buds are quite strange, if you ask me; designed by aliens.
Mountain laurel is blooming all over the place, now. I spotted both white and pink flowers. The buds are quite strange, if you ask me; designed by aliens.
Friday, June 09, 2006
Not exactly finished...
I’ve been hiking so many times over the past few years that it doesn’t make sense to keep it as a goal. It’s a habit. So I’m crossing it off my 43things list. I’ll still be out there hiking as often as I can though.
See more progress on: go hiking
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Scotty's way
This bridge along the yellow trail was built by an Eagle Scout troop. Interesting dedication.
View from the yellow trail
It turned out to be a reasonable day for hiking with less precipitation than yesterday. I was out for 2 hours - yellow-red-violet.
On the way back out, I came across a family who had left their trail map in the car. I was able to help them (I hope!) by showing them my own trail map. I kind of wish I'd given them the map - I don't really need it. It didn't occur to me until I was well away.
On the way back out, I came across a family who had left their trail map in the car. I was able to help them (I hope!) by showing them my own trail map. I kind of wish I'd given them the map - I don't really need it. It didn't occur to me until I was well away.
A story about "Beginning Algorithms (Wrox Beginning Guides)"
by Simon Harris
I got this as a supplement to Cormen. It’s ok, but it is heavily padded with code. They even took the trouble to explain unit testing and then bloated the book with tons of unit testing code. It feels like I’m moving through the book pretty quickly, but that’s just because there are so many pages of code that require very little attention.
Saturday, June 03, 2006
All dressed up and nowhere to go
The old makes way for new
I finally caved in and bought a new bottle of sunscreen this morning. I've been meaning to do this for over a year. I've got a huge tube of Banana Boat that is old beyond memory. Whenever I put it on, I wonder if it hasn't aged to uselessness or converted to some dastardly cancer-causing agent. I went for a smaller bottle of the Neutrogena stuff this time. Conveniently, it has an expiration date. Plus it's ludicrously expensive, so I'll feel compelled to use every last drop.
But there's no use for sunscreen right now. Apparently, it's going to rain all weekend. Nevertheless, I went out to face the elements around noon. I wore rainpants and a rain jacket. The air was clammy. There was a fine mist coming down throughout most of the hike, but it never poured. I spotted a couple of deer, and placed my feet very carefully so as not to slip on the rocks.
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Angie Hart does Joss Whedon
I was watching an episode of Buffy yesterday (Season 7, episode 7: Conversations With Dead People), and the lead-in music was just great. It was called Blue, by Angie Hart. According to the wiki episode site, the song was written by Joss Whedon. This is a great track, beautiful and haunting. It gave the Buffy episode an extra whopping impact. She's got some other tracks online, too. If you like that, check out her stuff!
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
A review of "Fooled by Randomness : The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets"
by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
It’s true that Taleb’s ego sticks out from this book like a porcupine’s quills, but whether that bothers you may depend on whether they prick you. It’s hard to take his self-satisfaction seriously; in some ways, he seems just a little sad (but funny). Overall I found his style pretty amusing and had quite a few laugh-out-loud moments while reading the book.
I noted a few favorite examples [from the 2004 revised paperback edition]:
Chapter 7, p 124: “Whenever I hear work ethics I interpret inefficient mediocrity.”
Postscript, p 254: On the inverse rule: “The higher up the corporate ladder, the higher the compensation to the individual”, but the lower the evidence of that individual’s contribution to the company.
Who could be annoyed at a guy who holds such opinions?
I have a few quibbles. I do wish he’d had some graphs in some cases (in the preface, he explains why he refused to add these). If he’s going to claim that outstanding performers got where they are by chance, he could show it by attempting a fit of some variable to a normal distribution. But that’s probably easier said than done. Also, he tends to make generalizations – if something applies to him, then it applies to everyone (for example, he claims he never learns from reading, he has to experience something for it to make an impression – and seems to think this is the case for everyone). I think he should keep in mind that not everyone’s brain functions in the same way, and furthermore the human brain is not identical to a pigeon’s brain. Still, it’s easy to ignore these irritations, which are minor in comparison to the entertainment and educational value of the book.
Monday, May 29, 2006
Myerhuber Pond
I went for another hike today. It was unseasonably warm and humid - 88 F. You can see the haze over Myerhuber Pond. Happily, it was a bit cooler on the trail than on the road.
Today I did about 7 miles in 3.5 hours. I'm not sure of the exact mileage, because I took a wrong turn and wandered off course for a while. Sightings: a few white-tailed deer, a pileated woodpecker, a couple of rafters of turkeys. Disturbingly, I also saw that someone had constructed a tent from brown tarp, not easily visible from the trail. I wonder what that was about.
Not too many people out today. Nice.
Today I did about 7 miles in 3.5 hours. I'm not sure of the exact mileage, because I took a wrong turn and wandered off course for a while. Sightings: a few white-tailed deer, a pileated woodpecker, a couple of rafters of turkeys. Disturbingly, I also saw that someone had constructed a tent from brown tarp, not easily visible from the trail. I wonder what that was about.
Not too many people out today. Nice.
Sunday, May 28, 2006
Ulbrich Reservoir
I had to post this because of the strange smudge in the sky, which looks remarkably like a UFO. I've never had a UFO appear in one of my photos before! Quite fun! I'm assuming it's some kind of optical effect, because I didn't notice anything when I was taking the photo.
There's a nice view from this spot, but the racket from the firing range is quite loud here as well. I think the firing range is just across the reservoir, in that clearing at the edge, but I'm not sure.
There's a nice view from this spot, but the racket from the firing range is quite loud here as well. I think the firing range is just across the reservoir, in that clearing at the edge, but I'm not sure.
George Washington marker
The marker says: 1732-1932 Route of George Washington 1775 & 1789.
The Mattabesett trail crosses another, minor trail, which is purported to have been used by George Washington on two occasions (hence, the marker). It makes me a bit thoughtful when I see a sign like this; thinking about Washington and his troops marching along the ground where I stand now gives me an eerie feeling. There's a firing range in the area, so you constantly hear the sound of gunfire along most of this trail; it's very apropos.
The Mattabesett trail crosses another, minor trail, which is purported to have been used by George Washington on two occasions (hence, the marker). It makes me a bit thoughtful when I see a sign like this; thinking about Washington and his troops marching along the ground where I stand now gives me an eerie feeling. There's a firing range in the area, so you constantly hear the sound of gunfire along most of this trail; it's very apropos.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly
I went for a nice hike today, 3.6 hours, 8.2 miles, for a pace of about 2.2 mph. The weather was brilliant, if a little too warm.
I passed this butterfly near the start of the trail. It paused on a tree, just beside the trail, and very patiently let me photograph it. I think it's an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly.
I passed this butterfly near the start of the trail. It paused on a tree, just beside the trail, and very patiently let me photograph it. I think it's an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly.
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Another one bites the dust
I finished watching the series finale of Alias today. It was kind of weird, but good enough. It's been good seeing all the old characters back onscreen. I think Dixon (Carl Lumbly) is my favorite, because he is just generally so cool. All of the actors are good, though; I can usually get pretty immersed in the story.
Anyway, with the end of this series, my TV schedule shrinks a notch:All of these except for "This Week" are on hiatus for the summer. Now I should become magically more productive...
Anyway, with the end of this series, my TV schedule shrinks a notch:All of these except for "This Week" are on hiatus for the summer. Now I should become magically more productive...
In heavy rotation
The album Ghost In The Machine, by The Police, has been my workout soundtrack for a couple months now. This album is great! I bought it many years ago, and pulled it out of my CD rack on a whim. Now I can't stop playing it. It's not the best workout music; I guess I'm in a more thoughtful mood lately.
I added front squats to my leg workout today, at the suggestion of Tom Venuto. I haven't done front squats in quite some time. They strike me as the kind of thing you do when you're desperate for variety. Tom says they're good for your vastus medialis. I can use all the help I can get in that area, so I'll add them to my mix, at least for a while.
Friday, May 26, 2006
A story about "Fooled by Randomness : The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets"
by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
I just started reading "Fooled By Randomness", by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, yesterday. I have a vague memory that I read the first edition of this book for a personal finance course that I took in 2002, but I don’t remember much about it. In any case, the second edition has been expanded, so now I’m getting some extras. I’ve only finished the preface, and so far it’s going well, as he attacks certain clichés about success and failure, as found in "The Millionaire Next Door":
That all millionaires were persistent, hardworking people does not make persistent hard workers become millionaires: Plenty of unsuccessful entrepreneurs were hardworking people….
It is completely obvious, but it’s still a joy to read.
He also takes a potshot at Buffet: I am not saying that Warren Buffet is not skilled; only that a large population of random investors will almost necessarily produce someone with his track records just by luck. I think it’s not fair to confuse Buffet’s success with that of any ordinary stockpicker, since Buffet has interfered with the management of the companies in his portfolio on more than one occasion. Still, the beneficiaries of random luck are so frequently and unjustly deified, it can make you ill. It’s nice to actually read an alternative view, for a change.
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Frickin' unbelievable
Where did the trailhead parking go?!
I went for a hike over at Sleeping Giant today. The trailhead parking off of Tuttle Av was full, so I went over to the parking area off of Mansion Rd. They've been paving Mansion Rd for weeks now. Well, they finally got to the trailhead. And they've put up a huge asphalt curb that obstructs entry to the trailhead parking. There's no way I'm taking my car over that.
Admittedly, it was never clear whether this parking was "official" or legal. But several trails do wind up at the road here, and ever since I've been hiking here, there has been a dirt area to the side of the road that's large enough to hold three or four cars.
This dirt parking area is adjacent to a driveway leading up to someone's house. The new asphalt curb was not constructed where that driveway meets the road, so I drove into the driveway and backed my car up onto the dirt area. I guess one car can still park there, but it's very bad. If someone parks in front of you while you're out hiking, your access to the road will be blocked. And I don't like driving up in someone's driveway to get to the parking area anyway.
So who is responsible for this state of affairs? It's either the contractors or the people who hired them. Something tells me it's "The Government." Argh!!!! Gnash! No wonder people are always ranting about them.
[See my post on June 22 for the resolution to this problem.]
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Car maintenance
My lovely little car was in the shop today. I took it in for an oil change, but I was worried about the brakes and the tires, so I asked them to do an all-around inspection.
Turns out the two rear tires needed to be replaced (as I suspected). There were a few little minor things besides. Cost: $112 labor, $161 parts, $16 tax for a total of $289. The two tires (Mastercraft 155/80/13) cost $120.
Turns out the two rear tires needed to be replaced (as I suspected). There were a few little minor things besides. Cost: $112 labor, $161 parts, $16 tax for a total of $289. The two tires (Mastercraft 155/80/13) cost $120.
View from Hezekiah's Knob
I sure did have some good luck, picking today for a vacation day. It has been a truly beautiful one. Nothing but blue skies, and it was so rainy earlier this week. I did another hike up to Hezekiah's Knob.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
A review of "Of Human Bondage"
by W. Somerset Maugham
Today, I finished W. Somerset Maugham’s Of Human Bondage. The book is hefty at 766 pages long. At 258,773 words, it’s in the top of its class for verbosity (according to Amazon). I don’t feel too badly that it has taken a while to get through it.
As I mentioned in a previous note, it is fairly tedious to start. This is unfortunate, because readers without sufficient patience may put the book down without getting to the meat of it, which is well worth reading.
In the second half of the book, the main character, Philip, goes through a very interesting series of transformations. He starts out life as a callow youth, and becomes irrevocably attracted to Mildred, a woman with no redeeming features. Although Philip can’t explain the attraction, he is compelled to obey it. He is already living on the edge, financially, and this relationship puts him on the path to ruin – and incidentally makes his life much more intriguing to the reader.
Maugham’s descriptions of the effects of poverty throughout the book are very moving. People commit suicide because they are starving to death; they line up for jobs that are already filled; the pain of homelessness and hunger is exacerbated by the shame that accompanies it. Philip himself experiences this in chapter 99: “Though he had always been poor, the possibility of not having enough to eat had never occurred to him; it was not the sort of thing that happened to the people among whom he lived; and he was as ashamed as if he had some disgraceful disease… he could not quite believe that what was happening to him was true…”.
In chapter 113, Maugham shatters another illusion. “Philip had heard that the poor helped one another, but woman after woman complained to him that she [soon after giving birth] could not get anyone in to clean up and see to the children’s dinner without paying for the service, and she could not afford to pay.” But Maugham does not entirely avoid romanticizing poverty. For example, the family that befriends Philip, the Athelnys, are largely carefree, happy, and marvelously healthy, despite their rather precarious station in life.
It’s all very up-to-date; apparently the effects of poverty don’t change over the ages! Reading this novel has provoked in me an interest to read further about social conditions at the turn of the century. I am aware of some of the history of the changes that were brought about by reforms like the Social Security Act and labor laws in this country, but I’d like to learn more about how things went in Europe. The England of yore sounds very much like a third world country, in many respects. The well-to-do show very little regard for their suffering countrymen.
Maugham’s The Razor’s Edge shares a few themes with Of Human Bondage. There’s the youth who tries to rescue the fallen woman. There’s the lingering question of the meaning of life, and mention is made again of the writings of certain “mystics” in both books; in Of Human Bondage it’s the Spanish mystics, in particular San Juan de la Cruz (John of the Cross, as mentioned in chapter 86). There’s some commentary on mysticism in Catholicism. While I think that The Razor’s Edge is better written, more mature, and also more condensed, I have to give Of Human Bondage two thumbs up. This is a must-read. The end is a real zinger, too; it draws a tissue-thin veil of romance over a rather dark and depressing finality.
I’ll record here a few memorable passages to entice you; Maugham has a bit to say about everything:
On education
In chapter 36, Philip begins work at an accounting firm, and we find that education has not changed much. The managing clerk asks him if he has any relevant knowledge, to which Philip replies “I’m afraid not.” The managing clerk responds: “I didn’t suppose you would. They don’t teach you things at school that are much use in business, I’m afraid.”
On healthcare
In chapter 81, a doctor has just diagnosed a young girl as being terminal. After she leaves, he says “Her brother and sister died within three months of the first symptoms. She’ll do the same. If they were rich one might do something. You can’t tell these people to go to St. Moritz. Nothing can be done for them.”
In the paragraph after that, Maugham describes another patient, “a man who was strong and in all the power of his manhood,” who is also doomed to death, “the death which was inevitable because the man was a little wheel in the great machine of a complex civilisation, and had as little power of changing the circumstances as an automatom [sic]. Complete rest was his only chance.” The man says he won’t give up his well-paying job, and leaves the doctor, taking with him a “useless prescription.” The doctor concludes “I give him a year.” Yes, health care has really come far, as well.
On religion
In chapter 88, a father defends the fact that he is raising his children in the church despite the fact that he himself is a non-believer: ”... religion is a matter of temperament; you will believe anything if you have the religious turn of mind, and if you haven’t it doesn’t matter what beliefs were instilled into you, you will grow out of them.”
On finance
In chapter 98, Philip has been speculating: “He did not know what to do. If he sold now he would lose altogether hard on three hundred and fifty pounds; and that would leave him only eighty pounds to go on with. He wished with all his heart that he had never been such a fool as to dabble on the Stock Exchange….”
On death
In chapter 110, Philip observes of his uncle, the cleric, who is dying: ”...the religion which his uncle had preached all his life was now of no more than formal importance to him…. it was clear that he looked upon death with horror. He believed that it was the gateway to life everlasting, but he did not want to enter upon that life. In constant pain, chained to his chair and having given up the hope of ever getting out into the open again… he clung to the world he knew.” I’ve seen that behavior myself, and it’s a mystery to me.
On family
In the same chapter, Philip briefly contemplates murder. “Philip clenched his hands as he thought of the money he wanted so badly. ... It would be easy, so desperately easy. He had no feeling for the old man, he had never liked him.”
I love the way that Maugham rips away the façade of civilization and lays bear the ugly, but true-to-life, feelings of his characters. He does have a knack for putting them through some interesting ordeals.
As I mentioned in a previous note, it is fairly tedious to start. This is unfortunate, because readers without sufficient patience may put the book down without getting to the meat of it, which is well worth reading.
In the second half of the book, the main character, Philip, goes through a very interesting series of transformations. He starts out life as a callow youth, and becomes irrevocably attracted to Mildred, a woman with no redeeming features. Although Philip can’t explain the attraction, he is compelled to obey it. He is already living on the edge, financially, and this relationship puts him on the path to ruin – and incidentally makes his life much more intriguing to the reader.
Maugham’s descriptions of the effects of poverty throughout the book are very moving. People commit suicide because they are starving to death; they line up for jobs that are already filled; the pain of homelessness and hunger is exacerbated by the shame that accompanies it. Philip himself experiences this in chapter 99: “Though he had always been poor, the possibility of not having enough to eat had never occurred to him; it was not the sort of thing that happened to the people among whom he lived; and he was as ashamed as if he had some disgraceful disease… he could not quite believe that what was happening to him was true…”.
In chapter 113, Maugham shatters another illusion. “Philip had heard that the poor helped one another, but woman after woman complained to him that she [soon after giving birth] could not get anyone in to clean up and see to the children’s dinner without paying for the service, and she could not afford to pay.” But Maugham does not entirely avoid romanticizing poverty. For example, the family that befriends Philip, the Athelnys, are largely carefree, happy, and marvelously healthy, despite their rather precarious station in life.
It’s all very up-to-date; apparently the effects of poverty don’t change over the ages! Reading this novel has provoked in me an interest to read further about social conditions at the turn of the century. I am aware of some of the history of the changes that were brought about by reforms like the Social Security Act and labor laws in this country, but I’d like to learn more about how things went in Europe. The England of yore sounds very much like a third world country, in many respects. The well-to-do show very little regard for their suffering countrymen.
Maugham’s The Razor’s Edge shares a few themes with Of Human Bondage. There’s the youth who tries to rescue the fallen woman. There’s the lingering question of the meaning of life, and mention is made again of the writings of certain “mystics” in both books; in Of Human Bondage it’s the Spanish mystics, in particular San Juan de la Cruz (John of the Cross, as mentioned in chapter 86). There’s some commentary on mysticism in Catholicism. While I think that The Razor’s Edge is better written, more mature, and also more condensed, I have to give Of Human Bondage two thumbs up. This is a must-read. The end is a real zinger, too; it draws a tissue-thin veil of romance over a rather dark and depressing finality.
I’ll record here a few memorable passages to entice you; Maugham has a bit to say about everything:
On education
In chapter 36, Philip begins work at an accounting firm, and we find that education has not changed much. The managing clerk asks him if he has any relevant knowledge, to which Philip replies “I’m afraid not.” The managing clerk responds: “I didn’t suppose you would. They don’t teach you things at school that are much use in business, I’m afraid.”
On healthcare
In chapter 81, a doctor has just diagnosed a young girl as being terminal. After she leaves, he says “Her brother and sister died within three months of the first symptoms. She’ll do the same. If they were rich one might do something. You can’t tell these people to go to St. Moritz. Nothing can be done for them.”
In the paragraph after that, Maugham describes another patient, “a man who was strong and in all the power of his manhood,” who is also doomed to death, “the death which was inevitable because the man was a little wheel in the great machine of a complex civilisation, and had as little power of changing the circumstances as an automatom [sic]. Complete rest was his only chance.” The man says he won’t give up his well-paying job, and leaves the doctor, taking with him a “useless prescription.” The doctor concludes “I give him a year.” Yes, health care has really come far, as well.
On religion
In chapter 88, a father defends the fact that he is raising his children in the church despite the fact that he himself is a non-believer: ”... religion is a matter of temperament; you will believe anything if you have the religious turn of mind, and if you haven’t it doesn’t matter what beliefs were instilled into you, you will grow out of them.”
On finance
In chapter 98, Philip has been speculating: “He did not know what to do. If he sold now he would lose altogether hard on three hundred and fifty pounds; and that would leave him only eighty pounds to go on with. He wished with all his heart that he had never been such a fool as to dabble on the Stock Exchange….”
On death
In chapter 110, Philip observes of his uncle, the cleric, who is dying: ”...the religion which his uncle had preached all his life was now of no more than formal importance to him…. it was clear that he looked upon death with horror. He believed that it was the gateway to life everlasting, but he did not want to enter upon that life. In constant pain, chained to his chair and having given up the hope of ever getting out into the open again… he clung to the world he knew.” I’ve seen that behavior myself, and it’s a mystery to me.
On family
In the same chapter, Philip briefly contemplates murder. “Philip clenched his hands as he thought of the money he wanted so badly. ... It would be easy, so desperately easy. He had no feeling for the old man, he had never liked him.”
I love the way that Maugham rips away the façade of civilization and lays bear the ugly, but true-to-life, feelings of his characters. He does have a knack for putting them through some interesting ordeals.
Saturday, May 13, 2006
Columbine
More wild columbine! Now I feel like a chump for raving over the couple of little specimens that I found along the Mattabesett trail. There was a small sea of these lovely flowers on Hezekiah's Knob today. I'm very glad that I took the time to hike up there.
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