Posts (page 2)

Work welcomed me back last night with a quiet night and I used my down time to work on some personal projects.  My primary goal was to do some serious research and planning on a trip to Russia.  At this time I know that I want to see both Moscow and St. Petersburg and will probably due so with some kind of tour package, but any other details have yet to be determined.

From my casual reading, I have learned a few things that should make my journey a success.  Foremost is that Russia is not nearly as dangerous as it is portrayed in the media.  Yes, they have organized crime, but the Russian mafia will not be something that I have to fear when I am there.  Most guides that I have read say that the average tourist will have no contact with said people and overall Russia is just as safe as most European countries.

Another detail that jumped out at me is the fact that I should not drink the water in Russia and once again I am comfortable with that statement.  Purchasing and drinking bottled water is something that I do quite often when I am abroad.  This is nothing out of the ordinary for me.  As an ancillary, I have mentally prepared myself that the hotel accommodations might not be up to Western standards.  This is something that I expected.

Finally, I am hoping to bring back some unique souvenirs from Russia.  I want something that is distinctly Russian, be it an article of clothing or something written in Russian.  For example, I am proud to own as many volumes of manga that I do that were purchased while I was there.

Speaking of things Japanese, I was able to watch the final two episodes of the anime series Full Metal Panic and I have to say that I liked it.  I probably won't start watching the sequel, because I want to devote all of my viewing time to Bleach.  With eight seasons, there is plenty of story for me to enjoy and I would rather not cloud the waters, but watching something else at the same time.  To further my cause, I purchased about ten episode on eBay for my viewing pleasure.  Even though all of the episodes can be streamed online, there are time when I prefer to see something in a larger format and at my leisure.  I also enjoy the special features that come with the packaged discs.

At four o'clock this morning, I was witness to what had to be the first spectacular thunderstorm of the year.  The forecast had predicted strong storms, but so often that seems to be an exaggeration, but that was not the case this time.  More than a few times there was an all encompassing flash quickly followed by ground shaking thunder.  It was a serious storm that lingered over my house for at least an hour.  Since sleep was out of the question and I couldn't seem to concentrate on what I wanted to read, I counted the lag between the flash and the thunder to pass the time.  Sometimes simple rituals from childhood are the most comforting.

Lately I have been reading some of Marvel Comics efforts from the late 1970's and early 80's.  For me this is when I started reading comics and because of that initial exposure feel more than a slight affection for this era.  Yes, many of the characters and stories feel very dated today, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying them.  There is no denying that both Luke Cage and Danny Rand were products of 70's fads.  Luke came out of the blaxploitation films such as Shaft and Danny was a nod to the martial arts craze at the time.  Pairing these two characters together in a detective for hire scenario made for some great reading.  I can't say that I was an avid follower of the title Power Man and Iron Fist when it was fresh on the stands, but this gives me a wonderful vein of stories to tap today.

I may have been somewhat hostile to the anime series Bleach when I first saw it, but all of that has changed now.  Having seen the first sixteen episodes and a handful from much later in the series, I have grown to love it more than other series I have seen.  I might even put it in my top five list behind Ergo Proxy and RahXephon.  Both of the main characters, Ichigo and Rukia, have well rounded personalities and their interaction is so fun to watch.  Then there is the strong supporting cast that keeps growing and growing with each episode.  I can see why the series has lasted for so many years and I like having something so elaborate to keep my interest.

Yesterday was the best Wednesday that I have had in three weeks.  Why?  It was the first time in three weeks that I was not dealing with car problems.  Sigh.  I fully confess that I am not an automotive person by any means so I have to rely on what mechanics tell me.  This is not unusual today for most people, but that does not make it any less frustrating.  Being at the mercy of someone else is never a pleasant feeling.  Plus when the car in question belongs to my wife and not me, the stress level is even greater.  If I were stranded due to a car problem, I could probably accept it, but when it affects her, then the problem takes on a slightly different concern.  Thankfully all of that seems to be in the past now.

To celebrate the return of my stress free Wednesday, I went for a two hour bike ride on a local trail that runs very near where I live.  I had known about the trail ever since I moved here, but did not get a chance to try it out last year before it go too cold.  Overall I have to say that it was a great ride.  The weather was perfect with just the right amount of sun and wind.  Neither of those two elements were too strong.  Plus the trail itself had a gentle grade with just one slightly trying hill at one point.  Now my plan is to add the trail to my weekly workout in addition to the time that I spend on the elliptical machine at work.

As much as I seem to complain about the plays that I see at the Milwaukee Rep, I did renew my subscription for the upcoming season this fall.  Of the nine plays that are listed, I recognize four of them, but have never seen any of them performed live.  Naturally there is an odd mix of the classics and the new.  For example, one theater ends their season with a Chekhov play, while the other more experimental one ends with a new play about boxing champion Joe Louis.  I think that that fits the definition of variety.  The last play of this season is scheduled at the beginning of May and I am looking forward to the break.  Live theater is enjoyable to see, but with the warmer weather on the horizon, I would prefer to spend more of my free time outside. 

With a cold steady rain falling in the background, I found time this morning to read some articles in a recent issue of The New Yorker.  One of them focused on the American penny and how the average American is not willing to part with it even though it is expensive to mint and maintain.  The simple truth is that the government knows that it costs more than a penny to make a penny, but any efforts to do away with the penny have met with strong resistance even though many Americans have been seen throwing them away as being useless.  One might even say that sentimentality trumps logic in this case except for the fact that doing away with the penny would also cost the average American.

Having traveled to other countries where there is no such denomination as a penny, I know that a country can function without one, but I confess that I would miss the penny if it ever were done away with by the government.  I do not mindlessly throw pennies way, nor do I horde pennies.  Once my tin bank in the shape of the TARDIS from Doctor Who is full, I take it to my local bank and exchange them for paper money.  I do not see this as a hardship in any way and look forward to seeing how quickly and or slowly the container fills.  Plus I usually have a good idea of the amount of coins before I am told the total by the bank teller.

The second article that I read also focused on money but on how money shapes lives in modern China.   More quickly than one might have imagined the average person in China is discovering how quickly they can change their lives through commerce and tourism.  In fact the author Peter Hessler says that instead of following the Chinese zodiac calendar and its parade of animals, one might say that the new calendar is divided into element of modern growth such as a new road followed by a new car and so on.

It was nice to read another article from Hessler, because I enjoyed his book River Town : Two Years on the Yangtze.  In fact I will admit that I envied what he had done in his book.

April has returned to normal.  The bright sun and clear skies have given way to clouds and cold rain.  All of this made it possible to stay inside and calmly absorb the 1962 Italian film L'Eclisse.  From what I have read this is the third installment of a trilogy, of which I have seen the first part some time ago.  I remember enjoying the first part even though it was emotionally cold.  Reviews cite this as being a very true interpretation of the modern world and I am eager to agree.  People do seem to be very disconnected from one another and yet people continue to function.

Plot is secondary to mood and composition.  This is not a Hollywood film.  So I am glad that I was able to relax and give it my full attention.  I will confess that it did not affect me as slowly as it did other people who have written about it, but some of the major elements did make an impact on me.  For example, the male lead works at the stock exchange and we the viewer are witness to the chaos of that environment.  People gain and lose money everyday there.  Money is the center of that world and people get crushed by it yet modern society could not function without it.

I am not an expert on investing, but I do it.  I understand some of the benefits and because of that understanding, I have been able to fund more than one of my trips from money gained that way.

Not the world's best public speaker, but there are some very striking images in the video.  The phrase barn door tracker caught me off guard.  Is that a standard astronomical photographers tool?  One of my favorite images was that of Hong Kong.  As for Las Vegas being a beacon of humanity, I just have to shake my head.  I did find it interesting that Western cities in the United States were mainly grid patterns that abruptly stop.  I also liked the part about Tokyo and other Japanese cities having a blue green tinge to them.

After work this morning, I was able to walk outside without wearing a coat or jacket.  This is something that I have not been able to do in weeks if not months.  The sun was shining bright and no clouds could be seen in the sky.  All but a few traces of snow surviving in the shade had disappeared leaving any and all debris on the ground visible.  It was an odd contrast.  The ground looked ugly and dead, but the air and the sky were perfect.  It was nice.  Maybe winter has finally exited the stage.

I can not remember when I first became aware of the man Jack Kirby and his impact on the comic book industry, but I do know that his style is unmistakable.  Bold, block like faces and arms that punch out through the panels filled with abstract shapes are what come to my mind.  His legacy at Marvel came to my attention first and over time I have come to know most of his DC creations.  Personal favorites of mine include Scott Free and Barda.  Visually the two of them are classic in my mind and I also appreciate their tragic and triumphant relationship.  However, not every character in the Kirby stable has been seen firsthand by me, so I was happy to have a chance to read the Kamandi Countdown Special that DC recently put together.

Now having read the first issue of Kamandi, I can say that it is very Kirby.  A world where civilization has fallen into ruins and animals have learned to talk is something very much in his style and speaks to his strengths as an artist.  I can not say that I was instantly hooked by what I read, but I can appreciate his effort to create something outside the normal super hero genre.  Plus at the time, I am certain that it was very eccentric if not ground breaking.

Yesterday I finally finished preparing my taxes and I am relieved to have that chore behind me.  I have never been fond of paperwork and paperwork that has to do with money is even worse.  On a more positive note, I filed my taxes one week earlier this year than I did last year.

Immortality.  More often than not that concept seems to be more of a curse than a blessing in Western culture.  One may not die, but he or she sees everyone important to him or her die.  Loneliness becomes all consuming.  This theme has been explored in films such as Highlander and books such as the comic book series The Sandman.  Be it Connor MacLeod or Hob Gabling, I love these kinds of stories.  So when I found out that a new television series called New Amsterdam centered around a man who has lived for four hundred years I was intrigued.  Now having seen all but two of the episodes that have aired so far, I have to say that I am not disappointed.  I like both the central character and his supporting cast.  My only concern is whether or not the series will be back in the fall.

Would I refuse the gift of immortality?  I don't know.  Some days the answer would be no and other days the answer would be yes.