For what it's worth, here's a list and mini-review of the books I read in 2007. The books are listed more or less in the order of my preference. The way the year started off, I would have thought I would read more books than I did, but my reading was intermittent and like a lot of other things in life (girlfriends and sex come to mind), it's either feast or famine.
2007 Books
10/15 On Chesil Beach, Ian McEwan
This is one of the best written books I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. It’s one of the few books I’ve read where I’ve gone back and re-read sentences or paragraphs for the sheer joy of it. The book is a short book, a novella really, about the wedding night of a young British couple in the pre-free-love days of the early 60’s. It’s not a feel-good book with a happy ending, but it’s so well written, I’ll be sure to read it again.
1/4 The Golden Spruce, John Valliant
I loved this book. It wove the history of logging the virgin forests of BC; the loggers who did the work; the environment and environmentalists; and the mental illness of an almost super-human logger turned environmentalist into a riveting story that I had a hard time putting down. If this book was written by an American and set in America, it would be a best-seller with a movie to open during the holiday season.
3/8 Bury The Chains, Adam Hochschild
This is the fascinating story of the personalities and their perseverance in ending the British slave trade. It should have been (but wasn't) the book that the movie Amazing Grace was based on. I had a hard time putting the book down, but I had a hard time staying awake at the movie.
11/16 The Death of Vishnu, Manil Suri
The first sentence of the book grabbed me, and never let go. (I’d quote it if I hadn’t lent the book to Marian) I’m a bit surprised that the story of the death of a homeless alcoholic on the steps of an apartment building in Bombay, and the lives of the people in the apartment building, would interest me and move me the way it did.
6/12 The Looming Tower, Lawrence Wright
If you want to read just one well-researched and readable history of Bin Laden and his crowd up to 9/11, this is the book.
12/29 The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini
This was a good book, and I’m sure will be a good movie. I did get a bit annoyed at some of the amazing coincidences that closed various loops in the book. Those plot devices are more at home in movies than in books. In spite of those annoyances, the book entertained and moved me. I guess “atonement” is a popular theme this year, because that’s what this book is all about.
1/29 Rising Tide, John M. Barry
This book, written years before Hurricane Katrina, recounts the story of the great Mississippi Flood of 1927. It’s one of those well-researched and readable non-fiction books that I love to read. As well as the flood itself, the book examines the role of government in disasters, and how this flood really changed the role of the federal government.
7/5 The Worst Hard Time, Timothy Egan
Generally speaking, this was a good book about the worst of the worst dustbowl areas in the US. Egan does a good job of recounting the history of the Great Plains from the Indian days to ranching to farming and the environmental catastrophe that resulted. The only disappointment was that the author seemed to run out of steam after he got through the depression. I would have liked a bit more of an epilogue.
9/15 Waxwings, Jonathan Raban
Raban disappointed me a bit with this book. It was a good book, but just not in the same league as Passage to Juneau and Bad Land. The book is set in Seattle, so I enjoyed the references to familiar places and neighborhoods.
11/8 1491, Charles C. Mann
This is another one of those well-researched and well-written non-fiction books that I usually like, but it could have been better. There was a bit too much of the romanticized “Noble Savage” element to this book, but it did make me look at the pre-Columbian history of the Americas in a new way.
1/5 Where the Mountain Casts its Shadow, Maria Coffey
This book looks at the lives of extreme mountain climbers and the effect of their lives and deaths on the people closest to them. I’ve never understood the motivation of extreme climbers and what drives them to push their lives to the limit. I still don’t understand their motivations, but this book gave me a few insights I hadn’t had before.
12/16 The Golden Compass, Paul Pullman
Fantasy books are not my usual cup of tea. I hadn’t read one since I read The Lord of the Rings trilogy in the depths of my misspent youth, and I’m not likely to read another one soon. I think this book is a pretty good example of the genre, but there’s so much other stuff out there to read, I don’t think I’ll expend a whole lot of my finite reading time on the rest of the series or any more fantasies.
5/26 To Live’s to Fly, John Kruth
The only reason I finished this book is that I’m a big fan of Townes Van Zandt’s music. I’m amazed that such great music came out of such a self-destructive character. The book was OK, but it was a bit too long, and well before I finished it, I was wishing it was over. There were too many anecdotes about the horrible things Van Zandt did to himself and others, and after a while, it got old.
2/25 Sailing Alone Around the World, Joshua Slocum
This is a classic sailing book, written 100 years ago by the first guy to sail around the world alone. But like many other “classics” I’ve read, it disappointed me. Slocum was definitely a better sailor than a writer, showing about as much imagination in writing the book as he did choosing the title. Unless you’re a hard-core sailor, don’t bother.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Friday, December 28, 2007
The Year in Review
2007 was an interesting year politically. Until Benazir Bhutto was assassinated a couple of days ago, news from Iraq directly or indirectly dominated everything. Petraeus' Surge seems to be working.... kinda. To get a bit of stability, he's made deals with former insurgents, concentrated forces in Baghdad, let the Shia run the South, and the Kurds run the North. Whether or not he can hang on to that thread of stability remains to be seen. I think not. There aren't enough American troops left to support troop rotations in the spring; the insurgents will be "allies" only as long as it's in their interest (not the American's interest), and all hell could break loose in the north if Turkey invades Kurdistan. Shia theocrats and thugs running the south are the least of the American worries.
The assassination of Bhutto probably won't directly affect the war in Iraq, but it will affect the broader "War on Terror." Pakistan doesn't fit neatly into Bush's Manichean view of the world. Are they with us, or against us? On one hand, they are on the front lines of fighting Al Quaeda and the Taliban. On the other, they were one of three countries in the world that recognized the Taliban when they were in power in Afghanistan, and many analysts say that Pakistan's ISI created the Taliban. Bin Laden is supposedly in the northern territories of Pakistan, but Musharraf doesn't dare invade the area to find him for fear of igniting his own Islamic rebellion. And in spite of all of Bush's rhetoric about supporting democracy around the world, Musharraf is a military dictator. The US had put a lot of faith in Bhutto to put a more human face on Pakistan. Where are they going to put that faith now? I think that the last thing that Pakistan needs right now is American advice.
The sub-prime lending crisis is something that was lurking in the background for years until it finally reared its ugly head this year. These loans brought many otherwise unqualified buyers into the housting market and helped fuel the resulting boom, then the bubble, and now the collapse. Not only are homeowners hurt, but the big financial institutions that bought the sliced and diced pooled mortgage funds are writing off billions. I just read the other day that the big credit card companies are declaring record numbers of cardholders in default. The consumers can no longer get a home equity loan to pay off their credit cards, and they have no where else to turn. Real wages certainly aren't rising. What's the FED going to do? Are they going to lower interest rates in spite of the inflation risk and the already record low value of the US dollar? How can the consumer-spending-fueled US economy continue to grow if consumers don't have any money? And don't forget the record budget and trade deficits that the Bushies have run up. I don't see another boom of any kind coming to the rescue anytime soon. This mess will take years and probably a major recession to sort out.
By comparison, the godless-faggot-loving-commie-pinko-bastards in the Great White North seem to be doing pretty well. How about the loonie's run this year?
The presidential primaries are fun to follow. Until a couple of days ago, I was pretty sure that Obama and McCain would be the candidates, with Obama winning in the end. I think Bhutto's death has raised McCain's already surging candidacy, and has probably diminished Obama's. I hope that not too many people will buy Hillary's claims of experience over Obama's but even I have to admit that Hillary's response to Bhutto's assassination was more "presidential" than Obama's. I think that if Hillary does get the Democratic nomination, Mike Bloomberg will launch a third party campaign, possibly with someone like Chuck Hagel as the VP. Because her negatives are so high, Hillary couldn't possibly win a three way race, and it would be between McCain and Bloomberg. In any case, the first presidential election that I get to vote in will be an interesting one!
2007 could be the Year of the Environment, with Al Gore winning the Nobel Peace Prize and Academy award. But I am getting tired of the arguments about whether or not people are causing global warming. In the final analysis, it doesn't matter. All of the things that we should be doing to reduce global warming will do everything from limiting our dependency on foreign oil (and fossil fuels, period) to reducing overall pollution. All good things, in my view.
I can't let 2007 pass without at least a partial listing of the scandals presided over by our Commander in Chief. By any measure, he is an uncommonly stupid but nonetheless dangerous, primate. In no particular order, here are just a few...
-the loss of habeus corpus
-the Iran NIE
-firing US Attorneys
-Plamegate
-New Orleans
-waterboarding and "enhanced interrogation techniques"
-extraordinary rendition
-warrantless wiretapping
-global warming
-Alberto Gonzales
-Jose Padilla
-Walter Reed
-destruction of CIA interrogation tapes
-David Vitter (he's the guy caught up in the Washington madam scandal. I loved the fact that his wife, commenting on Hillary's support of Bill in the 90's, said that if her husband was caught in a similar situation, she'd be more like Lorena Bobbit than Hillary Clinton)
-Larry Craig (I once saw a sign on a men's bathroom door warning that Republicans may be inside)
-Blackwater
I am pessimistic about the state of the world in 2008. Here are a few of things that I think will happen in 2008:
-Thousands will continue to die and billions will continue to be spent in Iraq.
-Nothing good will come out of Pakistan.
-Any gains made in Afghanistan in the last few years will be lost.
-The housing bubble will continue to deflate, and the US economy will be stagnate at best.
-Stock markets will drop precipitously once the repercussions of the sub-prime mess ripple though. Look for a DJA of 10,000.
-Nothing will be done about global warming.
It's easy to be a pessimist. You're usually right, and you're happy when you're wrong. Let's hope I'm wrong.
The assassination of Bhutto probably won't directly affect the war in Iraq, but it will affect the broader "War on Terror." Pakistan doesn't fit neatly into Bush's Manichean view of the world. Are they with us, or against us? On one hand, they are on the front lines of fighting Al Quaeda and the Taliban. On the other, they were one of three countries in the world that recognized the Taliban when they were in power in Afghanistan, and many analysts say that Pakistan's ISI created the Taliban. Bin Laden is supposedly in the northern territories of Pakistan, but Musharraf doesn't dare invade the area to find him for fear of igniting his own Islamic rebellion. And in spite of all of Bush's rhetoric about supporting democracy around the world, Musharraf is a military dictator. The US had put a lot of faith in Bhutto to put a more human face on Pakistan. Where are they going to put that faith now? I think that the last thing that Pakistan needs right now is American advice.
The sub-prime lending crisis is something that was lurking in the background for years until it finally reared its ugly head this year. These loans brought many otherwise unqualified buyers into the housting market and helped fuel the resulting boom, then the bubble, and now the collapse. Not only are homeowners hurt, but the big financial institutions that bought the sliced and diced pooled mortgage funds are writing off billions. I just read the other day that the big credit card companies are declaring record numbers of cardholders in default. The consumers can no longer get a home equity loan to pay off their credit cards, and they have no where else to turn. Real wages certainly aren't rising. What's the FED going to do? Are they going to lower interest rates in spite of the inflation risk and the already record low value of the US dollar? How can the consumer-spending-fueled US economy continue to grow if consumers don't have any money? And don't forget the record budget and trade deficits that the Bushies have run up. I don't see another boom of any kind coming to the rescue anytime soon. This mess will take years and probably a major recession to sort out.
By comparison, the godless-faggot-loving-commie-pinko-bastards in the Great White North seem to be doing pretty well. How about the loonie's run this year?
The presidential primaries are fun to follow. Until a couple of days ago, I was pretty sure that Obama and McCain would be the candidates, with Obama winning in the end. I think Bhutto's death has raised McCain's already surging candidacy, and has probably diminished Obama's. I hope that not too many people will buy Hillary's claims of experience over Obama's but even I have to admit that Hillary's response to Bhutto's assassination was more "presidential" than Obama's. I think that if Hillary does get the Democratic nomination, Mike Bloomberg will launch a third party campaign, possibly with someone like Chuck Hagel as the VP. Because her negatives are so high, Hillary couldn't possibly win a three way race, and it would be between McCain and Bloomberg. In any case, the first presidential election that I get to vote in will be an interesting one!
2007 could be the Year of the Environment, with Al Gore winning the Nobel Peace Prize and Academy award. But I am getting tired of the arguments about whether or not people are causing global warming. In the final analysis, it doesn't matter. All of the things that we should be doing to reduce global warming will do everything from limiting our dependency on foreign oil (and fossil fuels, period) to reducing overall pollution. All good things, in my view.
I can't let 2007 pass without at least a partial listing of the scandals presided over by our Commander in Chief. By any measure, he is an uncommonly stupid but nonetheless dangerous, primate. In no particular order, here are just a few...
-the loss of habeus corpus
-the Iran NIE
-firing US Attorneys
-Plamegate
-New Orleans
-waterboarding and "enhanced interrogation techniques"
-extraordinary rendition
-warrantless wiretapping
-global warming
-Alberto Gonzales
-Jose Padilla
-Walter Reed
-destruction of CIA interrogation tapes
-David Vitter (he's the guy caught up in the Washington madam scandal. I loved the fact that his wife, commenting on Hillary's support of Bill in the 90's, said that if her husband was caught in a similar situation, she'd be more like Lorena Bobbit than Hillary Clinton)
-Larry Craig (I once saw a sign on a men's bathroom door warning that Republicans may be inside)
-Blackwater
I am pessimistic about the state of the world in 2008. Here are a few of things that I think will happen in 2008:
-Thousands will continue to die and billions will continue to be spent in Iraq.
-Nothing good will come out of Pakistan.
-Any gains made in Afghanistan in the last few years will be lost.
-The housing bubble will continue to deflate, and the US economy will be stagnate at best.
-Stock markets will drop precipitously once the repercussions of the sub-prime mess ripple though. Look for a DJA of 10,000.
-Nothing will be done about global warming.
It's easy to be a pessimist. You're usually right, and you're happy when you're wrong. Let's hope I'm wrong.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Season's Greetings and all That!
Here's a local Fremont landmark in his holiday garb. Makes you want to join the revolutions, doesn't it?Lenin must be rolling around in his sarcophagus or mausoleum or whatever he's in.
I pulled the garbage bag off my artificial Charlie Brown Christmas tree, straightened the limbs, plugged it in, and voila!
Now all I need are some gifts under the tree to truly get into the Holiday Spirit!
I wasn't as sore as I expected to be after my first workout with Cliff. I survived my second workout today, but I expect to be hurting tomorrow. I'm not letting off for the holidays. I'm scheduled to work out on Monday and then again next Thursday. The pool at the club is closed for another week or two for renovations. In the New Year, I'll start swimming once a week, play racquetball once or twice a week, and work out with Cliff another couple of times a week. Like I did last year, I'll also quit drinking for the month of January. I'll soon be so buff that I might have to change my name to Friesennegger. It has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
I'm Alive
Barely. After an hour of working out with my personal trainer (I had ordered a sweet young thing with perky boobs and a too-tight halter top, but I got a 30-something kick-boxer named Cliff instead), I wasn't so sure. The way the workout started out, I thought today would be relatively easy. He took some flexiblity measurements, and had me walk for three minutes on a treadmill. He showed me around the club a bit, and then took me into what could have been a room out of the Spanish Inquisition (or Guantanamo). The room was filled with various pieces of equipment that could have been racks and slanted benches that could have been used for waterboarding. He took me around to each piece of equipment, each of which was used to work on a different set of muscles. He showed me how to use the equipment, and then when I was in position, he had me do whatever particular exercise the equipment was designed for. He increased the weights until I reached my limit, which he called the "one rep max." He would then take 70% of that weight, and I would do 15 more reps. After every 2 or 3 machines, when my muscles were burning, he would put me on the treadmill to do a little "cardio." Then it was back to the machines. My proudest moment (well OK, my only proud moment) came when I maxed out the squat machine at 400#. Us Friesens' must have tough legs! My PT was somewhat amazed, saying the most he himself had ever done was 320#. The last three minutes on the treadmill damn near killed me. I expect to be quite sore tomorrow, but will probably recover in time for my next workout on Thursday.
I got some good news in the mail today. My Immigration interview has been set for Feb. 4th. I'm not sure if I take the citizenship test at the same time or whether that comes at a later date. I'll have to dig around in the paperwork I have to see what's involved. The letter says the procedure will take two hours, so I hope it's more than just the interview. I'd like to get it all over and done with at one time. Then I'll have my citizenship and won't have to deal with that insane bureaucracy ever again.
On Sunday I went to see Atonement, not The Golden Compass as originally planned. I liked the movie, even though it was anything but uplifting. Some would call it depressing. It was a story of love, betrayal, lost love, and eventually atonement. Had I seen it on DVD at home, it would have passed the Friesen Horizontal Viewing Test. In other words, it kept my interest, and would have kept me awake even if I was lying on the couch while watching it. That's worth at least three stars in my book.
I got some good news in the mail today. My Immigration interview has been set for Feb. 4th. I'm not sure if I take the citizenship test at the same time or whether that comes at a later date. I'll have to dig around in the paperwork I have to see what's involved. The letter says the procedure will take two hours, so I hope it's more than just the interview. I'd like to get it all over and done with at one time. Then I'll have my citizenship and won't have to deal with that insane bureaucracy ever again.
On Sunday I went to see Atonement, not The Golden Compass as originally planned. I liked the movie, even though it was anything but uplifting. Some would call it depressing. It was a story of love, betrayal, lost love, and eventually atonement. Had I seen it on DVD at home, it would have passed the Friesen Horizontal Viewing Test. In other words, it kept my interest, and would have kept me awake even if I was lying on the couch while watching it. That's worth at least three stars in my book.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Keg for a Six-Pack
Well, I took a leap today and did something I've been thinking about and talking about for months. I've felt like a slug for quite some time, and it's not because I'm at an all time high in weight or anything like that. I'm just not getting enough exercise. Since I dropped out of university a couple of years ago, I haven't been riding my bike much, and since Angus died, I haven't even walked as much as I used to. I have do something before my muscles atrophy totally.
So today, I went to the Olympic Health Club, signed up for a year, and paid for 10 sessions with a Personal Trainer. I know myself well enough to know that I don't have the self-discipline to do it on my own, but if I've paid the money, and have the appointments made, I'll keep them. The Olympic Club is a pretty good facility in Ballard, with all the weights and machines, as well as a swimming pool and racquetball courts. My plan is to work out a couple of times a week with the Personal Trainer, play in a racquetball league, and go swimming once in awhile. And the club is within bicycling distance, so if it's not raining, I'll take my bike.
So my plan is to trade the current keg I have around my middle for a set of sixpack abs. I'll keep you posted.
So today, I went to the Olympic Health Club, signed up for a year, and paid for 10 sessions with a Personal Trainer. I know myself well enough to know that I don't have the self-discipline to do it on my own, but if I've paid the money, and have the appointments made, I'll keep them. The Olympic Club is a pretty good facility in Ballard, with all the weights and machines, as well as a swimming pool and racquetball courts. My plan is to work out a couple of times a week with the Personal Trainer, play in a racquetball league, and go swimming once in awhile. And the club is within bicycling distance, so if it's not raining, I'll take my bike.
So my plan is to trade the current keg I have around my middle for a set of sixpack abs. I'll keep you posted.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
This and That
As predicted in my last entry, I did not receive an email from the MS OneCare Help center. Bastards! Another annoying thing that OneCare did when in the restore mode was to restore dozens of files I'd deleted months ago. It didn't restore the files I wanted, but it did clutter up my desktop and a bunch of other files. So I had to spend more time going through and re-deleting garbage files. If I would have just manually entered the 150 names and addresses in my Contacts file, I would have saved a lot of time, effort, and aggravation.
I'm going to see The Golden Compass this afternoon. I just finished reading the book yesterday, and as fantasies go, it was pretty good. The book is set in something like an alternative Edwardian England, where zeppelins fly and gaslights are common, and where people's souls are visible companions in animal forms. The heroine, predictably, is a noble-born orphan girl with special powers who is destined to save the world in a battle with the forces of evil. I missed the whole Harry Potter frenzy, and I hadn't read a fantasy since I read The Lord of the Rings trilogy way back when in my misspent youth, so this was something new to me. I'm not sure it was good enough to make me want to read the other two books in the series, but maybe the movie will inspire me. I'll report back after I see the show.
Occasionally, when I feel the urge to get some exercise, or if I need a fix of Spam or some other pseudo-food not found at my local PCC, I take the 25 minute walk up to the QFC grocery store in Wallingford. The store is a couple of blocks away from a high school, so at noon or after school, the store is jammed with high school kids getting lunch or junk food or whatever. I was there around noon a couple of days ago, and was struck by the high percentage of African-Americans there. Generally speaking, there aren't a lot of blacks in this area, so I guess they get bussed in. The guys were all in their hoodies and baggy pants with the crotches down to their knees, which isn't surprising. What was surprising was that a lot of the guys were East-African immigrants who spoke the language of the streets but called their friends Abdul or Mohammed. (I assume they were East-African because they had that fine-featured look of Somalis or Ethiopians.) Those who study assimilation of immigrants might find something interesting going on here. Good or bad, I don't know, but certainly interesting.
The presidential primary races are interesting as well. Especially the Republican one. There is no clear front-runner. Guiliani is imploding; Romney is distrusted by all, and Thompson's high point in the polls was the day before he announced. Huckabee is rising, and though loved by the evangelical crowd, isn't going to make it because he doesn't have enough money to get past Iowa and New Hampshire. He is also loathed by the Republican establishment. That leaves McCain. He is loved by no one, but may be the least-disliked of them all. I'd put my money on McCain. On the Democratic side, it sure looks like Obama is surging, Hillary is fading, and Edwards is holding on. I'd put my money on Obama, but I wouldn't count Edwards out. I'm in Obama's camp, but I'd be happy with Edwards.
I'm going to see The Golden Compass this afternoon. I just finished reading the book yesterday, and as fantasies go, it was pretty good. The book is set in something like an alternative Edwardian England, where zeppelins fly and gaslights are common, and where people's souls are visible companions in animal forms. The heroine, predictably, is a noble-born orphan girl with special powers who is destined to save the world in a battle with the forces of evil. I missed the whole Harry Potter frenzy, and I hadn't read a fantasy since I read The Lord of the Rings trilogy way back when in my misspent youth, so this was something new to me. I'm not sure it was good enough to make me want to read the other two books in the series, but maybe the movie will inspire me. I'll report back after I see the show.
Occasionally, when I feel the urge to get some exercise, or if I need a fix of Spam or some other pseudo-food not found at my local PCC, I take the 25 minute walk up to the QFC grocery store in Wallingford. The store is a couple of blocks away from a high school, so at noon or after school, the store is jammed with high school kids getting lunch or junk food or whatever. I was there around noon a couple of days ago, and was struck by the high percentage of African-Americans there. Generally speaking, there aren't a lot of blacks in this area, so I guess they get bussed in. The guys were all in their hoodies and baggy pants with the crotches down to their knees, which isn't surprising. What was surprising was that a lot of the guys were East-African immigrants who spoke the language of the streets but called their friends Abdul or Mohammed. (I assume they were East-African because they had that fine-featured look of Somalis or Ethiopians.) Those who study assimilation of immigrants might find something interesting going on here. Good or bad, I don't know, but certainly interesting.
The presidential primary races are interesting as well. Especially the Republican one. There is no clear front-runner. Guiliani is imploding; Romney is distrusted by all, and Thompson's high point in the polls was the day before he announced. Huckabee is rising, and though loved by the evangelical crowd, isn't going to make it because he doesn't have enough money to get past Iowa and New Hampshire. He is also loathed by the Republican establishment. That leaves McCain. He is loved by no one, but may be the least-disliked of them all. I'd put my money on McCain. On the Democratic side, it sure looks like Obama is surging, Hillary is fading, and Edwards is holding on. I'd put my money on Obama, but I wouldn't count Edwards out. I'm in Obama's camp, but I'd be happy with Edwards.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
God, I hate computers
Earlier this evening, I tried to import a bunch of email addresses from a spreadsheet into my Outlook contacts file. It should have been easy. There was even a menu selection in Outlook to do exactly that. Well, it didn't work as planned, but I'm a smart guy, so I spent a couple of hours trying to figure out how to do it, having to name ranges in the spreadsheet and all sorts of esoteric geeky stuff to try to avoid manually typing in 100 new contacts. When I finally found the combination to make this happen without error messages, I pushed the "continue" button, even though there was a warning that the process couldn't be stopped once started. I panicked when I saw my Outlook contacts disappear before my eyes, replaced by 58,000+ new blank contacts. I rebooted the computer to stop the process, thinking this was probably easily repairable since I have Microsoft OneCare, a virus, tuneup, backup program. Well, I tried to restore the files three or four times, using both Express and Custom settings, and every time the program told me that the files already existed. Well, they might exist, but I couldn't find them. I figured my 200+ contacts were just lost in the 58,000+ contacts, and I just couldn't find them. So I selected the whole Contact file, and then deleted it, making sure my contacts weren't there before trying to restore them again. OneCare came back after the restore process, and once again told me the files were already there!!! OK, I gave up. I tried to contact OneCare Help, and spent the next effing hour trying to figure out how to sign in for help!!! In the process, I did read a few postings in the forums about how the so-called Help Center was apparently designed to do anything but help. One reply from Microsoft agreed with some of the points that were made, but tried to justify it by saying that each help call cost an average of $10, so it wouldn't take long to eat up the profits on a $50 program. Well, a couple of points in response....if Microsift designed the program properly in the first place, so much help wouldn't be needed. The next point is that Microsoft has something like $50B in the cash on hand, so I don't have much sympathy for them crying poor. In any case, I finally did get an email off to the Help Center, and they've told me that I'll have an email reply within 24 hours. I'll believe it when I see it.
So including this rant, I've pissed away the entire evening screwing around with my computer when I had planned on curling up with The Golden Compass.
My next computer will definitely be a Mac. They might not be a whole lot better, but they've sure got great commercials.
So including this rant, I've pissed away the entire evening screwing around with my computer when I had planned on curling up with The Golden Compass.
My next computer will definitely be a Mac. They might not be a whole lot better, but they've sure got great commercials.
Friday, December 7, 2007
Mormons
Mitt Romney gave his speech yesterday about religion and Mormons and politics and why he shouldn't be rejected because of his faith. As a result, it was really easy to find all kinds of videos showing how nutty these folks really are. I guess in the final analysis, Mormonism isn't much nuttier than most other religions, but it's well out of the mainstream religious nuttiness.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zy0d1HbItOo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur_xV9ztFvg&eurl=http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/
I especially got a chuckle out of this Aussie dude.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXOh4g_FLIM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sV-a1vmZ6y8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsXzHLiHTOU&feature=related
There are lots more out there that are easy to find. Enjoy yourselves.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zy0d1HbItOo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur_xV9ztFvg&eurl=http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/
I especially got a chuckle out of this Aussie dude.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXOh4g_FLIM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sV-a1vmZ6y8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsXzHLiHTOU&feature=related
There are lots more out there that are easy to find. Enjoy yourselves.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Guns and Germs and Whatever
Yesterday, I spent a rather enjoyable afternoon with one of my right-wing-whacko-gun-nut friends. We loaded up a couple of packsacks with guns and ammo and headed over to a shooting range where we proceeded to liberate a few hundred rounds of lead from their casings. Lee had everything from 22's to 45's in those packsacks, and like sampling wine, we worked our way up from the 22's to the more serious stuff. I was pretty pleased with my performance considering I hadn't fired a handgun in over 20 years, and even then it was only a few rounds. Lee was rather impressed with my performance considering the fact that I'm a godless-faggot-loving-commie-pinko-gun-hating bastard. And on top of all that, I'm Canadian! I told him that all Canadians can shoot like me, so if the US ever decides to invade Canada, they better not misunderestimate their foes. After the range, we went over to his place where we proceeded to liberate a couple of liters of wine from their bottles. How's that for an All-American afternoon of guns and booze?!
My travel plans have changed. The Caribbean adventure has been cancelled, replaced with two weeks in Croatia at the end of May and beginning of June. It's actually two separate charters, with one out of Kremik (near Split) and the following week out of Dubrovnik. I booked the second of two boats that will be traveling together. I think we can put together a great itinerary out of the two bases. From Kremik, we can head north to a bunch of desert or near desert islands, and from Dubrovnik we can stop at several medieval island towns. I loved the last trip to Croatia, and wished I could have stayed longer and seen more. It's a totally different experience than the BVI. The BVI is like Disneyland for sailors, with great winds, warm blue waters, great snorkelling, lovely beaches, and night clubs and restaurants at every stop. But don't expect to take in any local cultural experiences, because as near as I can tell, there are none. In Croatia, you can sail in gorgeous waters and lovely scenery, but at night you tie up at a 1000 year-old sea wall in a town with real people actually living and working there. There are Roman ruins everywhere. The Croats are actually interlopers who only showed up some hundreds of years ago. Before that, the area was under Venetian influence, and before that was very much Roman. Marco Polo was born in Korcula, a lovely town that I visited the last time I was there, and will be sure to do it again next year. Another thing I'll be looking for are spotted dogs. The last time I was on the Dalmation Coast, I was quite disappointed not seeing any Dalmations.
Today I sent a letter to the immigration folks trying to get my citizenship interview date of January 14th back. I wish this was all over with and that I wouldn't have to deal with that bureaucracy any more. Getting any answers or changes out of them is next to impossible. Oh well.
My travel plans have changed. The Caribbean adventure has been cancelled, replaced with two weeks in Croatia at the end of May and beginning of June. It's actually two separate charters, with one out of Kremik (near Split) and the following week out of Dubrovnik. I booked the second of two boats that will be traveling together. I think we can put together a great itinerary out of the two bases. From Kremik, we can head north to a bunch of desert or near desert islands, and from Dubrovnik we can stop at several medieval island towns. I loved the last trip to Croatia, and wished I could have stayed longer and seen more. It's a totally different experience than the BVI. The BVI is like Disneyland for sailors, with great winds, warm blue waters, great snorkelling, lovely beaches, and night clubs and restaurants at every stop. But don't expect to take in any local cultural experiences, because as near as I can tell, there are none. In Croatia, you can sail in gorgeous waters and lovely scenery, but at night you tie up at a 1000 year-old sea wall in a town with real people actually living and working there. There are Roman ruins everywhere. The Croats are actually interlopers who only showed up some hundreds of years ago. Before that, the area was under Venetian influence, and before that was very much Roman. Marco Polo was born in Korcula, a lovely town that I visited the last time I was there, and will be sure to do it again next year. Another thing I'll be looking for are spotted dogs. The last time I was on the Dalmation Coast, I was quite disappointed not seeing any Dalmations.
Today I sent a letter to the immigration folks trying to get my citizenship interview date of January 14th back. I wish this was all over with and that I wouldn't have to deal with that bureaucracy any more. Getting any answers or changes out of them is next to impossible. Oh well.
Monday, December 3, 2007
Holy Cow!!
I've been playing crib for something like 45 years, but yesterday I had a hand that I'd never seen before. No, it wasn't a perfect hand, but it was awfully close. 28 points!!! Caroline was my unlucky victim, and even though she fought back strongly, she couldn't overcome a 28 point hand, and ended up losing what turned out to be a very close game. Very cool!
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Happy 60th Jerry!
Last night a whole bunch of friends and family celebrated Jerry's 60th. Now that he's a responsible senior citizen of 60, he'll have to refrain from the behavior he exhibited in the BVI earlier this year. He said it was sea sickness, but we all knew it was really the multiple Wrecks on the Rocks that he consumed so happily the night before. For those of you who don't know, a Wreck on the Rocks consists of 2 shots of rum (preferrably Pusser's), 1 shot of coconut Malibu rum, 1 shot of pineapple Malibu rum, and a 1/2 shot of lime cordial. I was going to have these blown up to life-size photos (you can click on them for a larger view), frame them, and give them to Jerry as a gift, but on second thought, I decided to give them to the whole world via the internet.
Happy Birthday Jerry!!
Have any of you been following the presidential primaries? I especially love the Republican battles and the reactions of my right-wing-whacko friends trying to defend any of the candidates. Giuliani is a three times married, East Coast almost liberal (at least in his social views), estranged from his kids, and has all sorts of skeletons in his closet. Today I heard a great description of him. Not that he's like Bush, but more like a cross between Cheney and Nixon. Romney is the biggest flipflopper of all time, making John Kerry look like a piker. McCain sold his soul to the devil, i.e., Bush, long ago to keep himself a viable conservative candidate. I liked him in 2000, but he's long past his best-before date. Huckabee is an interesting candidate. He's non-threatening and funny, and comes across as the compassionate conservative that Bush said he wanted to be. But I have an innate fear of any Bible-thumper who dismisses evolution and feels that big cities would be safer if everyone were carrying handguns. And yes, I heard him actually say that. Ron Paul is a bit of a monkey wrench who's thrown himself into the works. He gets lots of support from the younger libertarian crowd, but unfortuately, I don't think he has much of a chance. He at least is authentic, even when he espouses some of his whacko views, like wanting to go back to the gold standard.
I'm glad to see that Obama is finally moving up in the polls against Hillary. This morning he was leading her in Iowa and catching up with her in New Hampshire. I wonder why it took so long, but maybe he was smart enough not to peak too early. Now throw Oprah into the mix, and Hillary's inevitability is no longer so inevitable. I also like Edwards, who has the most populist campaign, but I don't think he's got much of a chance. Like McCain on the Republican side, I think he's had his one shot a the presidency. In terms of experience and qualifications, Richardson is head and shoulders above the candidates in either party, but his candidacy has never taken off. If he could somehow convince the 20 million Hispanics in the country that, in spite of his name and lack of an accent, he really is Hispanic, he might have a chance. I think he'd make a great VP, maybe with Obama.
No one can energize the GOP like Hillary, so I really hope that the first time I vote for a president, I don't have to hold my nose and vote for her. Just as Bush senior in '92 reminded a lot of women voters of their first husband, I think Hillary reminds a lot of men of their first wife. Hectoring, lecturing, humorless, power-hungry and conniving are all words that come to mind when I think about her. I really hope that Obama kicks her somewhat oversized butt!
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Good news, bad news
The good news is that I got the long awaited notice from US Citizenship and Immigration Services asking me to report on January 14th for my interview and citizenship test. The bad news is that I plan on being on a sailboat in the Caribbean at that time. The instructions said that if I couldn't make the interview, I should send them the notice and a letter explaining why I couldn't make it. The other side of the notice said I should call them, so I tried. After multiple levels of menus, I wasn't able to get through to a warm live body, so I thought that I'd go to the office in person and try and plead my case. But to no avail. I didn't get past the security guard at the entrance, who informed me that I had to send them a letter. So I did. But now that I've lost my place in the queue, I might have to wait until 2010 to get my interview. Oh well. I guess we'll see.
In other news, one of the things I forgot to mention in my last posting was that at Megan's suggestion, we all went to see the Nutcracker on Saturday night. I had never been to a ballet before, and neither had my Mom. It was a lot of fun, and no, I didn't fall asleep. I couldn't. I had Megan on one side, and Caroline on the other making sure I didn't.
In other news, one of the things I forgot to mention in my last posting was that at Megan's suggestion, we all went to see the Nutcracker on Saturday night. I had never been to a ballet before, and neither had my Mom. It was a lot of fun, and no, I didn't fall asleep. I couldn't. I had Megan on one side, and Caroline on the other making sure I didn't.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Hooray for the Roughriders!!!
No, not Teddy Roosevelt's Roughriders, not the Ottawa Roughriders, but the one and only Saskatchewan Roughriders. And yes, for those of you who don't know, I was born and raised in Saskatchewan, so my pride is that of a native son. The Saskatchewan Roughriders won the Grey Cup yesterday, beating the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 23-19. And also for those of you who don't know, the Grey Cup is Canada's version of the Superbowl.
Speaking of Canada, I just got back from there after delivering Mom and Marian to the Abbotsford airport for their flight back home to Edmonton. We had a very enjoyable weekend of eating, drinking, more eating, socializing, more eating, and catching up with the family. On Friday, we had my world-famous ribs at my place, on Saturday we had turkey at Caroline's, and on Sunday, Megan and Chris hosted us for Thanksgiving tacos. Who knows, maybe they've started a new tradition!
Here's Caroline and Chris enjoying their tacos, and Mom relaxing after the meal.
Megan and Marina and then Chris, Megan and Olive(r), their cross between a rabbit and a squirrel, more commonly known as a chinchilla.
Jenn and Ryan came over with Elise who enjoyed a moment with my Mom. Mom is obviously enjoying herself as well.
I don't have any travel plans until January, so I should be spending most of the next couple of months around here. I haven't decided yet where and with whom I'll spend Christmas. I may end up heading up to Canada to be with the family, but then again I may stick around here. I'm open to offers. Please write your ideas on the back of a $20 bill and send them to me. Multiple entries are encouraged. (My apologies to Click and Clack the Tappet Brothers)
Monday, November 19, 2007
Home again, home again, jiggedy-jig
Mr Incredible had a lot of fun at the Baja Ha-Ha kickoff party.
Here's Bob, Phyllis, and me. The intrepid crew of Gaia.
Here are some of the 178 boats that were supposed to have started the race, and some of the boats at Turtle Bay, our first stop.
I did like the ingenuity of the Mexicans, making a speed bump out of some old rope! Speaking of ingenuity, I earned a big attaboy from Bob (which I think just about wiped out all the awshits) for coming up with a fix for the water leak that sprung from out from a pinhole in his exhaust casting. I suggested drilling out the pinhole and installing a screw to seal the leak. It worked perfectly!
Here is some of the surf at Bahia Santa Maria, our second stop. The surf got big, it got dark, and 78 stragglers from the party (including yours truly) ended up spending the night ashore when the pangas (the local water taxis) quit running.
Fortunately, we had lots of food and beer to help us survive the night.
Here we are, approaching Cabo. Whew, we made it!!
In San Diego, I was amazed by the striking likeness to our Noble Leader keeping watch atop a restaurant. It was reassuring to know he was looking out for us.
The J-School was great! We sailed on a J-80, a light and fast 25' boat. We spent a day on basic sailing skills, one day on upwind techniques, one day on downwind, one day on starts, and one day doing whatever we wanted.
Mom and Marian are coming to visit this weekend, but other than that, nothing special is planned for a while. I may even have a chance to finish blogging on the book of Matthew, or have an occasional political rant. We'll see.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Cabo San Lucas
Well, we cheated death once again! I'm sitting in a coffee shop in Cabo, after having a good night's sleep (on land) and a fabulous shower.
This is just a quick update. I'll post more and add a bunch of pictures once I get to San Diego. Here are the facts:
Leg one- San Diego to Turtle Bay. 381 miles, 51 hours, 23 minutes. Consistent winds to 25 knots, 6'-8' seas. This was certainly a baptism by fire for me. It was the first time I'd sailed in open water, at night, by instrument. My first night watch alone, starting at 3AM was interesting, to say the least. Boat speeds were up to 12.4 knots!
Leg two- Turtle Bay to Bahia Santa Maria. 240 miles, 41 hours, 24 minutes. Again we had strong winds, but only up to around 20 knots. We sailed wing-on-wing most of the way. It was less stressful than the first night, but exhilirating nonetheless. We had a huge beach party the second night there, but the pangas quit running due to darkness and dangerous surf. As a result, I and 71 other brave souls spent the night on the beach. We were about to start drawing straws to see who would be eaten first when the sun came up and the surf went down. We all survived.
Leg three- Bahia Santa Maria to Cabo. 184 miles, 28 hours, 36 minutes. This was the least eventful of the legs. The winds died down in the middle of the night, so we ended up motoring for the last six hours.
More to follow from San Diego. My battery is dying!
This is just a quick update. I'll post more and add a bunch of pictures once I get to San Diego. Here are the facts:
Leg one- San Diego to Turtle Bay. 381 miles, 51 hours, 23 minutes. Consistent winds to 25 knots, 6'-8' seas. This was certainly a baptism by fire for me. It was the first time I'd sailed in open water, at night, by instrument. My first night watch alone, starting at 3AM was interesting, to say the least. Boat speeds were up to 12.4 knots!
Leg two- Turtle Bay to Bahia Santa Maria. 240 miles, 41 hours, 24 minutes. Again we had strong winds, but only up to around 20 knots. We sailed wing-on-wing most of the way. It was less stressful than the first night, but exhilirating nonetheless. We had a huge beach party the second night there, but the pangas quit running due to darkness and dangerous surf. As a result, I and 71 other brave souls spent the night on the beach. We were about to start drawing straws to see who would be eaten first when the sun came up and the surf went down. We all survived.
Leg three- Bahia Santa Maria to Cabo. 184 miles, 28 hours, 36 minutes. This was the least eventful of the legs. The winds died down in the middle of the night, so we ended up motoring for the last six hours.
More to follow from San Diego. My battery is dying!
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Mr. Incredible
I'm off to San Diego in a couple of days. I hope that the smoke has mostly cleared by then, but in any case, from the news reports I've seen, the downtown and waterfront areas weren't too badly affected by all the fires. I get there late Saturday night, with lots of time to get ready for the Baja Ha-Ha kickoff costume party on Sunday night. Due to popular demand, I'm 
resurrecting Mr. Incredible. For those of you who've forgotten about him, are still trying to forget, or never had the pleasure, here he is in all his glory!
The Baja Ha-Ha race starts on Monday. Here's a link if you want to check out what the Baja Ha-Ha is all about. http://www.baja-haha.com/ The 'Can't Believe We Cheated Death Again' party in Cabo is on November 8th, and assuming that I actually did cheat death once again, I'll be flying back to San Diego on the 9th for a week of sailing classes with Bonnie at the local J-School. We'll be back in Seattle November 17th.
With all the plane flights and airport down time, I should be able to catch up on some reading. I plan on taking Atonement, by Ian McEwan, and 1491 by Charles C. Mann. I started the year off reading like crazy, but for whatever reason, I haven't read a whole lot for the last few months. One book I did read in the last couple of weeks is On Chesil Beach, by Ian McEwan. It's a short book, more of a novella really, but what a delicious read! The story is centers on the painful wedding night of an English couple in the bygone era of the early sixties, a few years before the "sexual revolution" of the late 60's and 70's. It's a story of love, lost love and lost innocence. It certainly isn't a happily-ever-after story, but it is remarkedly well-told, and one I'd heartily recommend.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Musical Weekend
One of the many things I liked about Bonnie when we started hanging out together was the fact that she loved the same artists that I did, even though she'd never heard them or heard of them before she met me. She absolutely loved Greg Brown, Fred Eaglesmith (especially the train songs), Paul Kelly, Chris Smither, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Terry Allen, and almost any other male artist I played. For some reason, she wasn't so impressed with my taste in female artists, but I guess there have to be some disagreements just to mix things up. In any case, we managed to see two of our favorites just a few days apart. Last Thursday, Fred was playing at my favorite Seattle musical venue, the Tractor Tavern. Actually it was more like Fred "lite." He appeared with a drummer, a bass player, a guitar player, and himself. In spite of the fact he had no mandolins, no fiddles, no Washboard Hank, and only played a couple of train songs, he put on a pretty good show. He was in fine humor, and unlike the last couple of times I saw him, didn't insult his fans too badly. He kept up a patter of dumb jokes and stories between songs that sometimes made me think he really wants to do stand-up, but all-in-all, a good time was had by all.
On Friday, we went to Portland to see Greg Brown at The Aladdin, an aging neighborhood theater that couldn't survive the competition from the mega-mall cinemas. He too put on a pretty good show, even though I thought the sound was a bit muddled, making it hard to follow his lyrics. He didn't play much that I was familiar with, but he's such a prolific writer that it's not surprising he's got lots of songs I never heard before.
While in Portland, we visited two old friends I hadn't seen in years, and a good friend of Bonnie's whom she's known forever. We had a couple of great meals at interesting restaurants. One was at Andina in the Pearl District. They advertised their food as Nuevo Peruvian, but no matter how it's labelled, the lamb shank I had was one of the best restaurant meals I've ever had. The other memorable meal was at Toro Bravo, a Spanish place that had interesting tapas, paellas, and other good food. I'm sure there are out-of-the-ordinary places to eat in Seattle too, and I don't eat out a whole lot, but I haven't been anywhere in Seattle that compares with those two establishments in Portland.
Portland is a great city that in many ways is more liveable than Seattle. It's more affordable, it has light rail transit, the scenery is great, the traffic isn't nearly as bad as Seattle's, and there's nothing in Seattle that compares to the Pearl District. But it's also 100 miles from salt water, so I'd have a lot harder time satisfying my boating addiction. When I find the perfect place to live, I'll be sure to let you know.
On Friday, we went to Portland to see Greg Brown at The Aladdin, an aging neighborhood theater that couldn't survive the competition from the mega-mall cinemas. He too put on a pretty good show, even though I thought the sound was a bit muddled, making it hard to follow his lyrics. He didn't play much that I was familiar with, but he's such a prolific writer that it's not surprising he's got lots of songs I never heard before.
While in Portland, we visited two old friends I hadn't seen in years, and a good friend of Bonnie's whom she's known forever. We had a couple of great meals at interesting restaurants. One was at Andina in the Pearl District. They advertised their food as Nuevo Peruvian, but no matter how it's labelled, the lamb shank I had was one of the best restaurant meals I've ever had. The other memorable meal was at Toro Bravo, a Spanish place that had interesting tapas, paellas, and other good food. I'm sure there are out-of-the-ordinary places to eat in Seattle too, and I don't eat out a whole lot, but I haven't been anywhere in Seattle that compares with those two establishments in Portland.
Portland is a great city that in many ways is more liveable than Seattle. It's more affordable, it has light rail transit, the scenery is great, the traffic isn't nearly as bad as Seattle's, and there's nothing in Seattle that compares to the Pearl District. But it's also 100 miles from salt water, so I'd have a lot harder time satisfying my boating addiction. When I find the perfect place to live, I'll be sure to let you know.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Home for a while
For a change, I'm home for more than a few days. It's kinda nice to have extended morning net-surfs; to watch the talking heads on cable TV; to catch up on reading; to have the occasional nap, and to see my kids and friends.
The news of the world isn't particularly good. Iraq, Burma and Sudan don't look good. North Korea looks a bit better. The US dollar continues its slide. There was even a brief blub on NPR this morning saying that the dollar had affected the illegal drug trade, making Canadian pot more expensive than its Mexican counterpart to American consumers. I'm surprised that the dollar isn't even lower, given the budget deficit, the trade deficit (not to mention the Bush brain cell deficit), the price of oil, and the never-ending war in Iraq.
Global warming continues with record setting-shrinkage of the Arctic ice pack, and on the other side of the world, an early start to the brush fire season in Australia. Permafrost in the Arctic is thawing, releasing methane into the atmoshpere as the biomass in the previously frozen muck melts. I fear that the tipping point has already been reached and that there's not much that can be done to stop global warming from accelerating beyond what most scientists predict. I used to think that my generation would be spared most of the effects of climate change, but I'm not so sure anymore. It's easy to be a pessimist at times like this. A pessimist is right most of the time, and he's happy when he's wrong.
On the US front, Obama can't seem to get any traction against Hillary. I'd take Obama, Edwards, or Richardson ahead of Clinton any day, but I have to admit that inspite of my visceral dislike of Hillary, she's better than anything the Republicans have to offer. Maybe the polls are wrong. I've read a couple of articles on the polling errors caused by reliance of pollsters on land-line telephones, and I'd like to think that Obama's support comes from the younger crowd who often don't even have land-line telephones. Both Megan and Caroline have only mobile phones, so they and people like them will never be polled. But I also have to admit that Obama hasn't fulfilled his early promise of a different sort of politician. I just hope that next year when I get to vote for the first time (unless I end up in Guantanamo, I should be a US citizen sometime this fall), I'll get to vote for someone I believe in. I'd hate to have to make the choice between the lesser of two evils, or some wag once said, the lesser of two weasels.
Bush vetoed an extension of S-Chip, a government financed health care program for children. It's only the second or third veto he's ever used, so it's hard to believe that fiscal responsiblity is his prime motivator. There is enough support in the Senate to override the veto, but support is weaker in the House. I hope the veto is overturned, but I do have some problems with the bill. The extension of benefits will suppposedly be financed by a federal tax on cigarettes. Even though smoking is a filthy disgusting habit with no redeeming social value, as a former smoker I have a lot of sympathy for those who do. Smokers are disproportionally working class (OK, white and black trash) who don't have much of a political constituency. As a result, the ever-increasing taxes on cigarettes are extremely regressive, hitting the people hardest who can least afford it. If healthcare is going to be financed by sin taxes, at least jack up the price of booze too. That way, chardonnay and cabernet aficionados will pay their fair share too.
My schedule for the next few months is starting to fill in. Next week is music week, with Fred Eaglesmith appearing in Seattle at the Tractor and Greg Brown at The Aladdin in Portland. At the end of the month, I'll be in a sailboat, racing from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas. Following the race, Bonnie and I be taking a week of instruction in sailboat racing (yeah, I know it's ass-backwards) in San Diego.
In the meantime, it's good to be home for a while. I may even find the time to finish my blog on Matthew. (I know you're all thrilled about that)
The news of the world isn't particularly good. Iraq, Burma and Sudan don't look good. North Korea looks a bit better. The US dollar continues its slide. There was even a brief blub on NPR this morning saying that the dollar had affected the illegal drug trade, making Canadian pot more expensive than its Mexican counterpart to American consumers. I'm surprised that the dollar isn't even lower, given the budget deficit, the trade deficit (not to mention the Bush brain cell deficit), the price of oil, and the never-ending war in Iraq.
Global warming continues with record setting-shrinkage of the Arctic ice pack, and on the other side of the world, an early start to the brush fire season in Australia. Permafrost in the Arctic is thawing, releasing methane into the atmoshpere as the biomass in the previously frozen muck melts. I fear that the tipping point has already been reached and that there's not much that can be done to stop global warming from accelerating beyond what most scientists predict. I used to think that my generation would be spared most of the effects of climate change, but I'm not so sure anymore. It's easy to be a pessimist at times like this. A pessimist is right most of the time, and he's happy when he's wrong.
On the US front, Obama can't seem to get any traction against Hillary. I'd take Obama, Edwards, or Richardson ahead of Clinton any day, but I have to admit that inspite of my visceral dislike of Hillary, she's better than anything the Republicans have to offer. Maybe the polls are wrong. I've read a couple of articles on the polling errors caused by reliance of pollsters on land-line telephones, and I'd like to think that Obama's support comes from the younger crowd who often don't even have land-line telephones. Both Megan and Caroline have only mobile phones, so they and people like them will never be polled. But I also have to admit that Obama hasn't fulfilled his early promise of a different sort of politician. I just hope that next year when I get to vote for the first time (unless I end up in Guantanamo, I should be a US citizen sometime this fall), I'll get to vote for someone I believe in. I'd hate to have to make the choice between the lesser of two evils, or some wag once said, the lesser of two weasels.
Bush vetoed an extension of S-Chip, a government financed health care program for children. It's only the second or third veto he's ever used, so it's hard to believe that fiscal responsiblity is his prime motivator. There is enough support in the Senate to override the veto, but support is weaker in the House. I hope the veto is overturned, but I do have some problems with the bill. The extension of benefits will suppposedly be financed by a federal tax on cigarettes. Even though smoking is a filthy disgusting habit with no redeeming social value, as a former smoker I have a lot of sympathy for those who do. Smokers are disproportionally working class (OK, white and black trash) who don't have much of a political constituency. As a result, the ever-increasing taxes on cigarettes are extremely regressive, hitting the people hardest who can least afford it. If healthcare is going to be financed by sin taxes, at least jack up the price of booze too. That way, chardonnay and cabernet aficionados will pay their fair share too.
My schedule for the next few months is starting to fill in. Next week is music week, with Fred Eaglesmith appearing in Seattle at the Tractor and Greg Brown at The Aladdin in Portland. At the end of the month, I'll be in a sailboat, racing from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas. Following the race, Bonnie and I be taking a week of instruction in sailboat racing (yeah, I know it's ass-backwards) in San Diego.
In the meantime, it's good to be home for a while. I may even find the time to finish my blog on Matthew. (I know you're all thrilled about that)
Friday, September 28, 2007
Godless Faggot-Loving Commie Pinko Bastards
First it was socialized healthcare, then it was gay marriage, now this! This is not The Onion. This is not a joke. This is Canada's national magazine! (If you don't believe me, check out this link http://www.macleans.ca/) Just because the Loonie has reached par with the almighty greenback is no excuse. It's time to knock those pesky Canucks off their high horse(s). Now is the time for all Americans to unite and invade a country that is a far greater threat to freedom loving people everywhere than Iraq ever was. This could happen immediately. No planning is required. The blueprints for invasion are already there. Just watch Canadian Bacon, or South Park (the movie).
The cover story is actually a pretty good one, about how the American forces are now a aligned with the Baathist dead-ender Saddamist thugs from the early days of the invasion. I'm just absolutely amazed that an otherwise rather staid and conservative magazine would actually use this as their cover. I've been out of town (what else is new) for the last few days, but I can well imagine that more than a few on the American right-wing-whacko-lunatic fringe have gone ballastic. But then again, maybe they haven't. I keep forgetting that Canada doesn't really exist in America's mind.
I've been severely remiss in keeping my blog updated this last month. In fact I've been so busy the last while that I can't seem to find the time to write the occasional note. My apologies to all my loyal readers. All three of you.
Bonnie and I just got back from Whistler yesterday. We went up there so I could clean out the owner's closet and say goodbye to the place. It has served me well over the years, but today the sale closes (sale completion, as they say up North), and I'll take the money and run. I'm not sure what I'll do with all those loonies. I've always said I want to die broke, so I may just put the proceeds in my general fund. That would allow me to live a few more years. Or I may buy a more modest place in the Steven's Pass/Lake Wenatchee/Leavenworth area. We'll see.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Back Home
It's good to be back home, but what a trip we had! We traveled over 1400 miles, saw a lot of beautiful places, ate a lot of good food, and had an all-round great time. And yes, we're still pretty much smitten with each other!
We did learn a few things on the way: GPS is not infallible; diesel and water don't mix well; and my 45 years of experience playing crib wasn't enough to keep Bonnie from beating me rather soundly.
For all you boaters out there who have thrown out their paper charts and rely solely on GPS - beware! WaveGuide had three separate, totally independent GPS systems on board, and they all failed! First, the heading sensor on my Furuno system lost its head, and would let the display chart spin around mindlessly. So I fired up my laptop and used a CMAPECS system with a hand-held GPS unit plugged into a USB port. That worked fine until I had a freshly re-charged battery "explode" in the GPS unit, burning off the battery contacts. Then we used Bonnie's Nobeltec system, which really was the best of all until the ultimate Windows "blue screen of death" appeared. The computer never booted up again after that. Fortunately, I had replaced my handheld GPS unit in Port Hardy, so we went back to my CMAPECS system. We would have been fine in any case, because we had paper charts for everywhere we went, and Bonnie is a chart wizard.
Here's Bonnie lashing down her laptop to WaveGuide's dashboard. It didn't fit in the available slot quite as nicely as my Vaio does.
Speaking of good as new, I finally retired my SSYS burgee after four years and many thousands of miles on WaveGuide. I did find a suitable resting place for it - the pig roast tent at Pierre's marina in the Broughtons.
Here's Bonnie, with Pierre himself.
I've already written about my water/diesel issues, so I won't repeat the sorry episode other than to say that 99.99% of the diesel odor is out of the water. After a couple more flushes, it should be pretty much as good as new, so no long term damage was done.
I didn't have much time for reading, but I did manage to finish Waxwings, a book by Jonathan Raban. It was an entertaining, very readable book about three people and their intersecting lives in the booming dot com era of the late 90's in Seattle. All the local Seattle references made it especially interesting. I'm pretty sure that Raban used to be a smoker. One of the most memorable passages for me was when the protagonist Tom, who was under a lot of stress due to the breakup of his marriage, started smoking again after several years. This paragraph describes his second cigarette.
I haven't smoked a cigarette in ages, but if I did, I would experience something similar, I'm sure.
Some of you have been wondering if my Himalayan adventure is still on track. Well, for reasons I won't go into here, Megan and I canceled our plans. We canceled before we spent any money, so no damage was done, and everyone is happy.
Speaking of the Far East, daughter Megan is in China right now! Yes that China. On business. She's been there all week, and will be coming back on Friday or Saturday. I'm sure she'll have a tale or two to tell.
Well, it about time I got off of here. I've got some of my world-famous ribs on the grill, and the folks I'll be sharing them with should be arriving any minute.
We did learn a few things on the way: GPS is not infallible; diesel and water don't mix well; and my 45 years of experience playing crib wasn't enough to keep Bonnie from beating me rather soundly.
For all you boaters out there who have thrown out their paper charts and rely solely on GPS - beware! WaveGuide had three separate, totally independent GPS systems on board, and they all failed! First, the heading sensor on my Furuno system lost its head, and would let the display chart spin around mindlessly. So I fired up my laptop and used a CMAPECS system with a hand-held GPS unit plugged into a USB port. That worked fine until I had a freshly re-charged battery "explode" in the GPS unit, burning off the battery contacts. Then we used Bonnie's Nobeltec system, which really was the best of all until the ultimate Windows "blue screen of death" appeared. The computer never booted up again after that. Fortunately, I had replaced my handheld GPS unit in Port Hardy, so we went back to my CMAPECS system. We would have been fine in any case, because we had paper charts for everywhere we went, and Bonnie is a chart wizard.
Here's Bonnie lashing down her laptop to WaveGuide's dashboard. It didn't fit in the available slot quite as nicely as my Vaio does.
Speaking of good as new, I finally retired my SSYS burgee after four years and many thousands of miles on WaveGuide. I did find a suitable resting place for it - the pig roast tent at Pierre's marina in the Broughtons.
Here's Bonnie, with Pierre himself.I've already written about my water/diesel issues, so I won't repeat the sorry episode other than to say that 99.99% of the diesel odor is out of the water. After a couple more flushes, it should be pretty much as good as new, so no long term damage was done.
I didn't have much time for reading, but I did manage to finish Waxwings, a book by Jonathan Raban. It was an entertaining, very readable book about three people and their intersecting lives in the booming dot com era of the late 90's in Seattle. All the local Seattle references made it especially interesting. I'm pretty sure that Raban used to be a smoker. One of the most memorable passages for me was when the protagonist Tom, who was under a lot of stress due to the breakup of his marriage, started smoking again after several years. This paragraph describes his second cigarette.
Wondering if a cigarette would taste differently in the open air, he discovered it did. This time, when he took the smoke deep into his lungs, trapping it inside his chest for a few seconds before exhaling, it was as if the last five years had never been, and he was back - in a feat of pure magic - to being himself again, at home after a long spell abroad. There was a fresh ripple to the landscape now, a sharpness of focus he recalled from the past, but which had eluded him through all the fog-bound years of his abstention. He smoked the cigarette down to the filter-tip, marveling at the sudden, intense lucidity that had come to him out of the blue, an unexpected gift.
I haven't smoked a cigarette in ages, but if I did, I would experience something similar, I'm sure.
Some of you have been wondering if my Himalayan adventure is still on track. Well, for reasons I won't go into here, Megan and I canceled our plans. We canceled before we spent any money, so no damage was done, and everyone is happy.
Speaking of the Far East, daughter Megan is in China right now! Yes that China. On business. She's been there all week, and will be coming back on Friday or Saturday. I'm sure she'll have a tale or two to tell.
Well, it about time I got off of here. I've got some of my world-famous ribs on the grill, and the folks I'll be sharing them with should be arriving any minute.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Vancouver, BC
We're having such a good time here that what started out as one night in Vancouver has turned into three. Tomorrow, we'll be leaving for Victoria, and then on to Friday Harbor the following day. We should be back in Seattle on Sunday or Monday at the latest. This has been an amazing trip. What started off as a few day excursion to Vancouver and Princess Louisa Inlet has turned into an almost month long adventure.
We're staying at the Quayside Marina in False Creek, near the heart of downtown Vancouver. Bonnie has fallen in love with the Granville Island Market, just a short water taxi ride away. In fact she is there as I write this update in a coffee shop not too far away. The market has a fabulous selection of fresh seafood, meat, produce of all kinds, deli meats and cheeses, and baked goods. Needless to say, we're eating really well. Tonight we're having New York steak, corn on the cob, and baked potatoes.
I still haven't really caught up on what's going on in the world, but somehow I don't think the world cares. Maybe I'll get back into my political junkie mode when I get back to Seattle, but I kinda doubt it. I'm having too much fun doing what I'm doing.
We're staying at the Quayside Marina in False Creek, near the heart of downtown Vancouver. Bonnie has fallen in love with the Granville Island Market, just a short water taxi ride away. In fact she is there as I write this update in a coffee shop not too far away. The market has a fabulous selection of fresh seafood, meat, produce of all kinds, deli meats and cheeses, and baked goods. Needless to say, we're eating really well. Tonight we're having New York steak, corn on the cob, and baked potatoes.
I still haven't really caught up on what's going on in the world, but somehow I don't think the world cares. Maybe I'll get back into my political junkie mode when I get back to Seattle, but I kinda doubt it. I'm having too much fun doing what I'm doing.
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Kwatsi, BC
I never cease to be amazed at finding gems of "civilization" in the middle of nowhere. Here we are in Kwatsi, miles from anywhere, at a little gem of a marina that even has wireless internet! We got here yesterday afternoon in time for Happy Hour, where people from the half-dozen boats moored here brought their favorite appetizers to share as we sat around talking of our adventures.
On the way here from Waddington Bay, we followed a pod of several dozen porpoises who were on their way to a group of islands not far from here that they call home. I hadn't seen this many porpoises since the Queen Charlottes last year, and I've never seen so many jump so high out of the water. They put on one hell of a show for us, but unfortunately we didn't get any decent pictures.
Lacy Falls, around the corner from Kwatsi Bay. As you can see, my SSYC burgee has seen better days, but it has held up well for many thousands of miles. It think it will be time for a new one when I get back.
I loved this house on a barge at Echo Bay.
Fresh cougar sighting at Echo Bay!
Here's a photo of a totem pole that conforms my belief that totem poles were inspired by the reflections of the rocks and trees along a shoreline.
We'll be leaving here in another hour or so and do a bit of exploring before heading over to Pierre's Bay for a pig roast later this evening. Then we'll be heading north and west and probably back to Campbell River before we start thinking about heading home. What started out a trip of a few days to Princess Louisa Inlet has turned into quite an adventure!
Monday, August 27, 2007
Port Hardy
We arrived in Port Hardy late this morning after a relatively short run from Port McNeil. Port Hardy is a good place to get provisions and charts and all the other things that one needs while cruising. Tomorrow, we're off to the Broughtons for several days of exploring virgin (at least for us) territory.
Yesterday was a great day on the water. It just doesn't get much better. We saw many killer whales on the way from Kelsey Bay to Port McNeil. They were common around Boat Bay, a beach where the whales periodically almost beach themselves scratching their bellies on the gravel. We followed 10-12 different whales around for several hours. At one point, we were drifting in the water when one of the whales stopped about 50 yards abeam of us and just watched us. It was as if she was deciding if we were a threat or not, or maybe if we were worth eating. Then she turned and swam away.
Yesterday, I did something I'd never done before. (And no, I didn't fill my holding tank with diesel or take a crap in my diesel tank.) When we were nearing Port McNeil, I heard a distress call to the Coast Guard from a boat that was dead in the water with three adults and three children on board about 10 miles away from us. I responded and gave the 28' power boat and his new owner a tow to the fuel dock at Port McNeil. He left by boat about a half hour later, saying something about the gas gauge not working properly. He came back to WaveGuide at the dock later that evening, and as a token of his appreciation, gave us a print his artist wife had made, and a bottle of wine.
Here's Sue Bean in tow.
The End of the Boardwalk by Heather Brown.
I haven't been following much news at all lately, and maybe it's a good thing. Some really nasty people in Bush's inner circle have been leaving in my absence. Last week, it was Karl Rove; this week it's Alberto Gonzales. Bush is really the only one left of his original Texas mafia. Maybe if I stay out of touch for another week or two, W hisself will resign to spend more time with his family.
On to other news of the moment, I haven't had any nicotine in any form for over 10 days now. I have been pretty successful in not smoking since I quit on the road back from New Orleans, but until now, I've been relying on Commit, the nicotine lozenges. I've replaced the nicotine addiction with Fisherman's Friend lozenges. I couldn't find any Altoids up here in the wilds of Canada, but the Fisherman's Friends are also 'curiously strong' and seem to work quite well.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Campbell River
Chatterbox Falls and the accompanying warning sign. (I wonder how often it gets updated)
Here's the dock at the end of Princess Louisa Inlet.
We spent a couple of days on Granville Island, a day at Gibson's, a day at Princess Louisa Inlet, and the last couple of days here in Campbell River. The sun is shining for the first time in days, my water issues are all resolved, so all is well with the world. Water issues? What water issues? Well, the truth will come out sooner or later, so I may as well tell you all. Remember a couple of years ago when I put water in the diesel tank in the BVI? And I swore I'd never do that again? Well, I didn't do that, but I did put diesel in my water tank!!! What a pain that turned out to be! First, ecologically responsible person that I am, I talked the Esso dealer here into taking my contaminated diesel. But I had to find something to put it in and get it there. So I bought a couple of 5 gallon jerry cans, pumped the water tank out into the marina until the diesel started flowing, filled the jerry cans, emptied the jerry cans, and repeated until the tank was empty. Then I refilled my tank with water and discovered that my water pump had died. The next day, I bought a new pump and managed to install it myself, but then did a lot of cursing and head-scratching until I finally got the water flowing. So now I've pumped out my tank a couple of times, and refilled it from the bottom (by hooking up the water hose to the outlet of the tank), and put in some diesel-eating bacteria. We're drinking bottled water and will use the tank water for cleanup and showers.
Today we're heading back across to Desolation Sound, and then we'll head north and probably make it as far as Port Hardy before we turn around and make our way back to Seattle. We'll be back some time after Labor Day.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Blogging will be intermittent
Hal and I got back to Seattle yesterday after a good day's ride from Kamloops. The weather was just about perfect, and we had no problems. The day before, we ran into some cold, crappy weather between Edmonton and Jasper, but all-in-all, it wasn't too bad. We're getting used to at least one day of bad weather on these annual trips, but this year was better than most.
The highlight of the festival for me was Saturday when the Compadres gave a concert, followed later in the day by Blackie and the Rodeo Kings. The Compadres play what they call Celtino music, with James Keelaghan providing the Celt, and Oscar Lopez (in my mind the world's best guitar player) providing the Latino side. For some reason, it works. Blackie and the Rodeo Kings are all established solo players, but every year they get together, put on black sequined cowboy suits, make some great country rocking music, and have a hell of a good time. Think ZZ Top, but with more substance.
Blogging will be intermittent at best for the next few weeks. Tomorrow, Bonnie and I are headed up into the wilds of Canada with my boat, and we'll probably not be spending much time in front of a computer. We plan on stopping in Vancouver, Gibson's Landing, Princess Louisa Inlet, Desolation Sound, and any other place that suits our fancy.
It's a tough life, but someone's got to live it!
The highlight of the festival for me was Saturday when the Compadres gave a concert, followed later in the day by Blackie and the Rodeo Kings. The Compadres play what they call Celtino music, with James Keelaghan providing the Celt, and Oscar Lopez (in my mind the world's best guitar player) providing the Latino side. For some reason, it works. Blackie and the Rodeo Kings are all established solo players, but every year they get together, put on black sequined cowboy suits, make some great country rocking music, and have a hell of a good time. Think ZZ Top, but with more substance.
Blogging will be intermittent at best for the next few weeks. Tomorrow, Bonnie and I are headed up into the wilds of Canada with my boat, and we'll probably not be spending much time in front of a computer. We plan on stopping in Vancouver, Gibson's Landing, Princess Louisa Inlet, Desolation Sound, and any other place that suits our fancy.
It's a tough life, but someone's got to live it!
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Edmonton Update
Here's the view of the mainstage.
The festival site has great views of downtown Edmonton
Hal, me, Devon, Tom and Alvin
This poor old guy from Belize was so cold last night that he wore a hoody and gloves for his set.
Yesterday was cold and raining and miserable all day. I picked up my repaired bike (total cost 1.5MU), but then had to drive it all the way across town in the miserable wet conditions. Miraculously, the rain stopped about an hour before the festivities began for the evening, then the skies cleared, and then it got cold. Like low 40's cold! You could see the performers' breath on stage! But we're not fair-weather folkies! We braved the cold and had a good time. The highlight for me was Guy Clark, even though I think he'd had a few before he got onstage. Oscar Lopez, Baka Beyond, and Andy Palacio combined for a great session before the mainstage performances began.
Today, the Compadres are tops on my must-see list, along with Connie Kaldor, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, and Mary Gauthier. This morning the skies are blue, and it looks good so far. Highs are projected around 70, with lows in the 40's again tonight.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Edmonton
Hal and I finally made it yesterday afternoon after three nights on the road. It was a good trip, done at a leisurely pace. We stopped in Winthrop the first night, Nelson, BC, for the second night, and in Cochrane, AB, for the third night. The weather was great until the last leg of the drive to Keith and Carmen's place in Cochrane. Driving through the foothills of the Rockies, it suddenly became cold and then the rains started. It was still raining the next morning when we left, but stopped soon after. We didn't have any major mechanical dysfunctions except that my bike started running poorly at anything less than 3/4 throttle. I could go like hell on the highway, but could barely keep it running in the city. I dropped the bike off at an Edmonton BMW dealer, and they managed to fix it pretty quickly by replacing the throttle position sensor. It shouldn't cost anymore than a couple of MU, but I won't find out for sure until I pick up the bike later this AM.
Over the last few years, Hal and I have taken various routes into BC from northern WA, and no matter which way we go, we notice the same thing. On the WA side of the border, the towns are dying (with or without a Wal-Mart), the countryside seems dry and brown, and the most successful folks live in the biggest double-wides. When you cross the border into Canada, all of a sudden the towns are alive, the streets are filled with tourists, the orchards and vineyards look greener, and even the sky seems bluer. Somebody should do a study to see what's going on. All things being equal, one would think there wouldn't be much of a difference, but there certainly is. I don't know what it is, but those godless, faggot-loving, commie-pinko bastards up north seem to be doing pretty well for themselves. Oh, and what about the exchange rate? Ask Hal about him cashing in $400US for a whopping $412CAN at a Canadian bank.
We went to the Festival last night for opening night. In spite of the threatening clouds, it never did rain, and the evening was actually quite pleasant. For me, the highlight was Nanci Griffith's performance. I've got several of her CD's, but had never seen her live. She put on a good show. It was a good way to start the festivities.
More posts with pictures and and musical commentary to follow. Stay tuned.
Over the last few years, Hal and I have taken various routes into BC from northern WA, and no matter which way we go, we notice the same thing. On the WA side of the border, the towns are dying (with or without a Wal-Mart), the countryside seems dry and brown, and the most successful folks live in the biggest double-wides. When you cross the border into Canada, all of a sudden the towns are alive, the streets are filled with tourists, the orchards and vineyards look greener, and even the sky seems bluer. Somebody should do a study to see what's going on. All things being equal, one would think there wouldn't be much of a difference, but there certainly is. I don't know what it is, but those godless, faggot-loving, commie-pinko bastards up north seem to be doing pretty well for themselves. Oh, and what about the exchange rate? Ask Hal about him cashing in $400US for a whopping $412CAN at a Canadian bank.
We went to the Festival last night for opening night. In spite of the threatening clouds, it never did rain, and the evening was actually quite pleasant. For me, the highlight was Nanci Griffith's performance. I've got several of her CD's, but had never seen her live. She put on a good show. It was a good way to start the festivities.
More posts with pictures and and musical commentary to follow. Stay tuned.
Monday, August 6, 2007
On the Road Again
We got back last night from a great time at the Blues Festival in Port Townsend, and I'm busy with last minute chores before taking off again on my motorcycle to Edmonton for the Folk Music Festival. We had a leisurely trip up to Port Townsend with an overnight stop at a beautiful secluded anchorage at Port Ludlow on the way. Yesterday we were having a leisurely ride back on a gorgeous day, checking out various bays and inlets, until we realized it was starting to get late. Then WaveGuide showed its other side with a quick 20 knot cruise back to Seattle. I think I may have to rethink my plans about selling WaveGuide and buying a sailboat. WaveGuide is fast, beautiful, and comfortable, and there's lots of sailing to be had with friends. Besides, Bonnie's sailboat DragonFly can take us anywhere if we want to be closer to nature.
The view from one of my portholes in Port Townsend.
Edmonton should be lots of fun. Sarah and her boyfriend Alvin are taking a break from Lusaka and are now in Edmonton for a visit. It will be good to see them again after two years. I'll get to check out Mom's new digs, I'll visit with old friends and family, and as an extra added bonus, there will be some good music all weekend.
With some luck, I'll be able to spend some quality time on Marian and Pete's computer and update this blog a bit more regularly than I have lately. Stay tuned.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
I'm Back
I'm back from a 10 day adventure to the wilds of Vancouver, BC and Whidbey Island Race Week. I had hoped to write a post or two while I was gone, but I was too busy having fun to mess with crappy internet connections. In fact, I didn't even get a chance to do my normal net-surfing and keeping up with the news. It's probably one of the longest stretches I've had in not having any clue what was going on in the world. A quick scan of the news when I got back indicated that I hadn't missed much. The war in Iraq continues, the stock market is crashing, Gonzales is lying, Hillary and Barack are taking swipes at each other, blah, blah, blah. Maybe I've been taking too much interest in stuff that really isn't all that interesting.
Granville Island is interesting. I thought I had been there before, but I was mistaken. It was all new and exciting to me. There are lots of shops and restaurants, but it's not all touristy retail stuff. There's a boat yard there, working marinas and even a microbrewery. It's a great place to moor a boat in the heart of a great city.
And here we are at Race Week. I didn't have much of a chance to take many pictures, but it was quite a sight to see almost 100 sailboats at one time. This racing business is hard work. My body took more of a beating after nine races in four days than it has in a long time.
Granville Island is interesting. I thought I had been there before, but I was mistaken. It was all new and exciting to me. There are lots of shops and restaurants, but it's not all touristy retail stuff. There's a boat yard there, working marinas and even a microbrewery. It's a great place to moor a boat in the heart of a great city.
Here's the main drag on Granville Island. A shot from above would have given a better feel, but oh well. You'll have to go visit yourself.
Here's a view of downtown Vancouver from the island.
I really liked these cool water taxis. It made it really easy and fun to get across False Creek to downtown Vancouver and back again. John and I used them to get to downtown to get my passport and then we even got some culture and went to the Vancouver Art Museum to see their Monet to Dali exhibit. After Lorraine finished working for the day, we all met to see Michael Moore's film SiCKO (that could be the subject of a whole blog entry itself. I liked it a lot) and then had a dinner of fine Indian cuisine.
While there, I took a Hanse 400e sailboat for a test run. (This is the boat I plan to buy if I sell WaveGuide.) There wasn't much wind, but I got to try out the self-tacking jib and spend a leisurely couple of hours sailing around English Bay. Tom and Nancy came up for the day to check out the boat and ended up spending the night. We went to a pretty classy Italian restaurant and had to suppress our giggles when our lovely, but obviously new waitress couldn't get our bottle of wine open. She declined our offer of help, left the table for a minute and came back with it magically opened. I had the risotto, which was good,but not nearly as good as Bonnie's. A good time was had by all.
And here we are at Race Week. I didn't have much of a chance to take many pictures, but it was quite a sight to see almost 100 sailboats at one time. This racing business is hard work. My body took more of a beating after nine races in four days than it has in a long time. 
Some of the crew relaxing on Surt between races.
I think I set a bunch of new records for the number of people on my boat. At one point, there were about 20 on board! Here some of us are camped out on Pam's bed (formerly the pilothouse table).
The races themselves were quite a battle. Here are the results http://cycseattle.org/2007_specific/wirw.php
Surt (named after a Norse god of some sort) is in Fleet P6. As you can see, it was a heart-breaking battle for last place in our group. Even though we beat our competition in the last three races, the best we could do was tie for last, or tied for 8th, as I prefer to say. We did however, manage to win the award on the first day for innovative sailing techniques. We crossed the finish line in the first race with about 3/4 of our spinnaker still flying. That would have been OK, except the last leg was to windward! (For all you landlubbers out there, spinnakers are the big colorful sails that get flown on downwind legs. After we rounded the last downwind mark, we got the spinnaker all snarled in the jib furler, and couldn't bring it down all the way.) Since I was running the foredeck, this was my bad:-( I didn't make that same mistake again, but instead found new ones to make. If nothing else, we kept the rest of the fleet well entertained.
Special thanks to Mike Sinclair, owner of Surt, for allowing a bunch of rookies like me on board. If he'll have me back, this will be an annual event for me.
This trip was fabulous in more ways than one. Even though I resolved when I started this blog not to mention my love life, I've been so smitten by Bonnie that I can't help myself. There, now the whole world knows.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Back to the Bible
I know all of you (well at least one) have been waiting with bated breath for the next installment. Here it is.
Chapter 15 starts off with those evil Pharisees pestering Jesus about breaking the traditions of the elders. Jesus rips them on the usual charge of hypocrisy. Jesus then explains things to his disciples in the form of a parable, with references to plants, the blind, and falling into pits. The disciples say, 'huh?' and ask for an explanation. Jesus gets annoyed with his stupid disciples, and then explains the parable anyway.
Not long after, Jesus runs into a Canaanite, and reluctantly heals her demon-possessed daughter. (Those must have been the Golden Years for demons. Everbody had one.) The reason he was reluctant was because she wasn't from the House of Israel and Jesus didn't want to take food (miracles) from children (Israelites) and throw them to the dogs (Gentiles). Nice guy! But he takes pity on her and heals her daughter anyway. Maybe he is a nice guy after all. Then he goes to the mountains, heals the afflicted, and does a replay of the loaves and fishes miracle.
Chapter 16 starts off with the usual bad guys, the Pharisees and Sadducees (P&S). He rips them for being too stupid to see the signs of the times. Jesus warns his disciples not to believe the P&S BS, but they don't get it because he talks in a parable again. Then they start whining about not understanding and not having brought lunch, and Jesus rips them for being so stupid. In an exasperated tone, he explains the parable and reminds them about the loaves and fishes trick. It must have been tough to get good help, even back then.
He asks his disciples who they think he is. Peter gets it right, and Jesus praises him saying, "...on this rock I will build my church." (Ch. 16, v.18) But then he tells his disciples not to tell anyone. Huh? Why not? Jesus prophesies his own death, but Peter objects. Jesus says to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan!" (Ch.16, v.23) So right after he praises Peter, he rips him a new one, calling him Satan and a stumbling block. Jesus must have been a tough guy to work for. Then he goes all apocalyptic, and says, "...there are some standing here who will not taste death before the Son of Man coming in his kingdon." Either some of Jesus' disciples are really old now, or this is the first case of many predictions of the end of the world that didn't happen.
In Chapter 17, Jesus scared the crap out of some of his crew by taking them into the mountains and having Moses and Elijah and the voice of God make appearances. Moses and Elijah weren't so scary, but the voice of God really did it to them. After they calmed down, Jesus told them not to tell anyone and that Elijah was really John the Baptist.
When they get back from the mountain, a man approaches Jesus and asks him to heal his epileptic son. The disciples had tried, but couldn't do it. Jesus rips into his disciples, "You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you?" (Ch.17, v.17) He healed the kid, but he was some pissed!
Later in the chapter, Jesus and Peter run into a tax collector. Kinda like a present-day IRS audit, I guess. Jesus agrees to pay, and sends Peter off to catch a fish that has a coin in its mouth to give the tax collector for both of them. Why the fish was involved, he doesn't say.
Well, that's it for now folks. I should go and do something productive in preparation for leaving for Vancouver tomorrow.
Chapter 15 starts off with those evil Pharisees pestering Jesus about breaking the traditions of the elders. Jesus rips them on the usual charge of hypocrisy. Jesus then explains things to his disciples in the form of a parable, with references to plants, the blind, and falling into pits. The disciples say, 'huh?' and ask for an explanation. Jesus gets annoyed with his stupid disciples, and then explains the parable anyway.
Not long after, Jesus runs into a Canaanite, and reluctantly heals her demon-possessed daughter. (Those must have been the Golden Years for demons. Everbody had one.) The reason he was reluctant was because she wasn't from the House of Israel and Jesus didn't want to take food (miracles) from children (Israelites) and throw them to the dogs (Gentiles). Nice guy! But he takes pity on her and heals her daughter anyway. Maybe he is a nice guy after all. Then he goes to the mountains, heals the afflicted, and does a replay of the loaves and fishes miracle.
Chapter 16 starts off with the usual bad guys, the Pharisees and Sadducees (P&S). He rips them for being too stupid to see the signs of the times. Jesus warns his disciples not to believe the P&S BS, but they don't get it because he talks in a parable again. Then they start whining about not understanding and not having brought lunch, and Jesus rips them for being so stupid. In an exasperated tone, he explains the parable and reminds them about the loaves and fishes trick. It must have been tough to get good help, even back then.
He asks his disciples who they think he is. Peter gets it right, and Jesus praises him saying, "...on this rock I will build my church." (Ch. 16, v.18) But then he tells his disciples not to tell anyone. Huh? Why not? Jesus prophesies his own death, but Peter objects. Jesus says to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan!" (Ch.16, v.23) So right after he praises Peter, he rips him a new one, calling him Satan and a stumbling block. Jesus must have been a tough guy to work for. Then he goes all apocalyptic, and says, "...there are some standing here who will not taste death before the Son of Man coming in his kingdon." Either some of Jesus' disciples are really old now, or this is the first case of many predictions of the end of the world that didn't happen.
In Chapter 17, Jesus scared the crap out of some of his crew by taking them into the mountains and having Moses and Elijah and the voice of God make appearances. Moses and Elijah weren't so scary, but the voice of God really did it to them. After they calmed down, Jesus told them not to tell anyone and that Elijah was really John the Baptist.
When they get back from the mountain, a man approaches Jesus and asks him to heal his epileptic son. The disciples had tried, but couldn't do it. Jesus rips into his disciples, "You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you?" (Ch.17, v.17) He healed the kid, but he was some pissed!
Later in the chapter, Jesus and Peter run into a tax collector. Kinda like a present-day IRS audit, I guess. Jesus agrees to pay, and sends Peter off to catch a fish that has a coin in its mouth to give the tax collector for both of them. Why the fish was involved, he doesn't say.
Well, that's it for now folks. I should go and do something productive in preparation for leaving for Vancouver tomorrow.
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