Becklin Homestead County Park/Wildlife Management Area

The Becklin Homestead County Park/Wildlife Management Area was donated to Isanti County in 2004 from the Becklin Family. They had been homesteading since 1898. The original home was built completely out of wood (so, no nails, only dowels) and is no longer extant. The area has trails and geocaches and other fun things.

A little bit of the homestead hiding in the tall grass

The parking lot has a nice playground that our kids used for a little while. A pavilion for picnicking is also nearby but the weather was far too cold for that.

Playground

We went down one of the trails in search of a geocache. Along the way we found a small bridge over some frozen, swampy land.

Walking the trail

View from the bridge

A neighboring farm looks like it's in very good shape.

A private farm

More of the trail

The Rum River runs through the land. The park has a boat launch at the end of the roadway.

The Rum River

Checking out the boat launch

We found the Becklin Down on the Farm geocache just off the trail. The container, an ammo box, was very visible, so we hid it a little better than we found it.

An easy find

We did not see any wildlife but we did see some stuff they left behind on the trail.

Hoofprints of a white-tail deer?

Maybe the deer had corn for lunch yesterday?

It was a fun place to visit.

Book Review: Black Widow: No More Secrets by M. Waid et al.

Black Widow: No More Secrets written by Mark Waid and Chris Samnee, art by Chris Samnee, and color by Matthew Wilson

This is a sequel to Black Widow: S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Most Wanted, which I reviewed here. By this point, Black Widow has turned the tables on her enemy, The Weeping Lion. She's using him to go after The Dark Room, a rebirth of the Red Room project that created the Widow back in the day. Her old teacher, the Headmistress, is training a new set of young girls who are being robbed of a normal life, something Black Widow wants to stop. Even though the Widow tends to be a loner, she has the Winter Soldier and an old Russian friend living out in the middle of nowhere helping her. 

The plot is fun but goes a bit too far over the top when the Widow and the Soldier take a spaceship to visit a zombie-like Nick Fury on the moon for some intel. The rest of the plot was fine with a very satisfying ending. Like the previous volume, this book takes the Black Widow seriously (except for the moon bit) and not sexily. It's refreshing to read the story of a female hero who gets by with her wits, determination, and skill, not her scantily-clad body. The art is reminiscent of Mike Mignola's Hellboy style, which is a bonus in my eyes.

Recommended.

TV Review: Barbaren (2020)

 Barbaren (2020) created by Andreas Heckmann, Arne Nolting, and Jan Martin Scharf

In the first decade AD, the Romans raise the taxes in Magna Germania. The individual German tribes are upset by this but rebellion seems to be out of the question since Rome is at its imperial might. Governor Varus (Gaetano Aronica) took one son from each tribe some twenty years ago and sent them to Rome. One of the sons, Arminius (Laurence Rupp), has come back to help the Romans squash any notion of rebellion. But Arminius remembers his childhood, especially two friends who had a vision of a great upheaval in the future. Loyalties switch sides many times as the Germans plot to strike back at their Roman oppressors. The story ends with the Battle of Teutoburg Forest. 

The show gives a sense of historical verisimilitude while developing its own style. The German tribes still have their culture and devotion to their gods. They are a rough and ready people, all they need is leadership that doesn't kowtow to the Romans. The show is a German production, so the dialogue is in German and Latin. The ending leaves an opening for another season, which I would be interested in, though I am not sure where the story would go.

Parental warning: The series has a lot of graphic violence and a little bit of sex. This is not for little kids.

Recommended.

Currently streaming on Netflix.

Movie Review: Birds of Prey (2020)

Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn (2020) directed by Cathy Yan

Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) is out of her (literally and metaphorically) toxic relationship with the Joker. She can't quite admit it, though, partly because she still has some attachment. Also because being the Joker's girlfriend means you can do whatever you want and no one is going to mess with you--vengeance from the Joker is no laughing matter. She enjoys the life of being a selfish jerk. When she goes public with the breakup, most of Gotham's underworld wants her dead. She goes on a fleeing spree only to get caught up in a whole other plotline. Wealthy underworld organizer Roman Sionis (Ewan McGregor) runs a popular nightclub and wants a bigger piece of the action. His plan is to get a diamond that contains a secret information. The information grants access to the wealth of the Bertinelli crime family. The family was killed ten or twenty years earlier in a massacre by a rival crime lord. One child survived the massacre, Helena (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). She was taken to Sicily where she trained as an assassin specializing in crossbows. She comes back to get revenge on the men who killed her family. Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez) is a cop investigating both the "crossbow killer" and Sionas's shady dealings. Dinah Lance is a singer at the nightclub who helps out Harley with her awesome fighting skills. When the diamond is delivered, teenage pickpocket Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco) steals it and thus gets drawn into the story.

The movie has a lot of flaws. The story meanders all over the place, filling in details occasionally to try and make sense of things. The blame is put on Harley (who occasionally narrates the film or makes commentary) but really it's the filmmakers' choice. Sionis as the villain is played as gleeful and sadistic, though not so much as the Joker is gleeful and sadistic. Sionis is more awkward and toned down, yet another DC film villain who turns out boring. The scheme is ridiculous--somehow the diamond has information etched into it that unlocks access to the family fortune, as if there was no other way to get to the assets (like maybe finding the sole legitimate heir?). Some of the violence is extremely gory and does not fit the tone of the rest of the movie. Harley (and the moviemakers, probably) can't decide if she should be a hero or an anti-hero and thus her character vacillates between the two. They more or less have the same problem with the rest of the female cast, though the rest of the cast is clearly secondary to Harley.

On the positive side, Robbie puts on the charm and gives a very good performance as Harley. You can almost ignore the flightiness of the character and the movie in general. The movie looks great without treating the female cast like sex objects. The team that slowly forms (the titular Birds of Prey) has good camaraderie and chemistry. It's nice to see a group of women team up without being competitive or trying for one-upsmanship all the time. 

Not recommended--the flaws far outweigh the good bits of the movie.

Book Review: The Forest of Time and Other Stories by Michael Flynn

The Forest of Time and Other Stories by Michael Flynn

This collection of stories has been sitting on my Kindle for ages. I finally came back to it. Here's the story-by-story review:

The Forest of Time--In an alternate present, the United States of America does not exist. Various commonwealths and confederations have been in conflict for two centuries, so the Industrial Revolution was severely curtailed. Into this backward land a time traveler lands. His time jumps have turned into reality jumps, causing new Earths to emerge. The current story is set in his sixth jump. His problem is getting back. The locals' problem is whether he is telling the truth or is insane or is a spy for one of the other small nations on the North American continent. Conflicting ideas and moral commitments are shown by the scout who found the traveler, the general who is interested in the fantastic stories of advanced technology (for military purposes, of course), and the psychologist who wants to cure the traveler of his delusions. The story is about much more than science fiction. I found it very interesting.

Great, Sweet Mother--A seemingly melancholic story about stumbling across someone picnicking by the sea. The person misses a friend and tells their story in fits and starts. The story is interesting because it's given as a dialogue, with the reader being half the conversation. The readers part is ellipses, but the questions are obvious from context. The slow reveal of what's going on is nice.

On the High Frontier--A space cowboy has a run-in at a bar in the outer limits of our solar system, forcing him into a trip with his cyborg spaceship. The story is more of a tall tale than a great tale. The Old West dialogue and cliches were fun enough. 

The Common Goal of Nature--A financial exec in New York City who has a lot of disdain for the "useless" people who live on the streets and beg/steal/prostitute themselves. He has an idea for fixing the situation and enlists the newly visiting aliens, the Hraani. Their language is strange and their grasp of English is also very odd. The language barrier causes an interesting problem for the negotiations and provides forward movement for the characters. The ending is obvious but satisfying.

Grave Reservations--Another NYC story, this time set in a future where the city is its own country and people come from out of town (i.e. other countries like Ecotopia and The Breadbasket) to see the sights on a guided tour. The satire is fun (the tour includes a staged mugging!) and imaginative.

The Engineer Discourses on Love--Some dirty poetry using scientific double entendres.

Mammy Morgan Played the Organ, Her Daddy Beat the Drum--A librarian experiences something seemingly supernatural late one night in the old college library. A scientist is brought in to investigate because he has a materialistic explanation for ghosts. He's got his own agenda, making for an interesting and thoughtful ending to the story.

Spark of Genius--An author gets drunk because his seventh novel is, according to his editor, a soon-to-be bestseller and the best work he's ever done. The drinking isn't to celebrate, though, and the ultimate reason is another thought-provoking explanation.

On the Wings of a Butterfly--Pizarro is exploring South America when he runs into a half-breed native who guides him in country. Pizarro is looking for gold and glory; the guide has another agenda. This story wasn't as strong as others in the collection.

The Feeders--A World War I German soldier gets a head injury during a battle and suddenly can see small, naked, bat-like creatures who seem to feed off both the living and the dying, but not everybody. Are they demons or aliens or just his own imagination? A fun, seemingly-predictable puzzle ends much better than I thought it would.

Melodies of the Heart--A cynical doctor who has been serving part-time at an assisted-living home becomes obsessed with one of the patients who complains because she hears music on an off, though there is no audible source. Is she having some sort of memory relapse, re-experiencing earlier times in her life? Can the doctor turn it into an article or book? But the songs go back farther than her supposed age. Can she really be over 120 years old? That premise is intriguing enough but Flynn gives the story a much deeper level and resonance since the doctor has a daughter who has a rare disease--she is aging too quickly and will probably die at puberty. The parallel stories play off each other and meet naturally and dramatically at the end.

 

The stories are very entertaining. The book is even better because Flynn gives little essays after each story describing the creative process for the story.

Recommended.

City Park, Cambridge, Minnesota

 The city of Cambridge in Minnesota is about an hour north of the Twin Cities. We stayed there for a bit and enjoyed the City Park on the west side of town. The park is next to the Rum River (which is a bit of false advertising) and has many fine features.

View of Rum River and a bridge

We were happy to discover the river had a sandy beach. It did not have stones for throwing in the river, so we worked on sandcastles instead.

It does have a beach!

A little too dry for sandcastling

The geocache Spock's Brain is located in the park. The container does indeed look like a brain! Though I suppose it might be mistaken for some other thing.

Where the geocache is located

Brain or mop?

The weather was in the sixties when we visited. Snow had fallen a few days before and some mounds still hadn't melted.

King of the temporary hill

World's smallest (and hardest) snowball

The playground equipment was very nice. We even made a second trip to the park to enjoy it again.

Fun for all the little ones

Hanging out

The park has a frisbee golf course. We tried that out as a group. Even though there were only nine holes, we had eighteen holes' worth of fun.

Map of the course

Playing a round

Scoring!

Book Review: Daredevil Vol. 2 by M. Waid et al.

Daredevil Volume 2 written by Mark Waid, art by Paolo Rivera, Joe Rivera, Emma Rios, Kano, and Khoi Pham

Daredevil winds up with a hard drive full of information on five different crime organizations: A.I.M., Hydra, Agence Byzantium, The Secret Empire, and Black Spectre. They naturally want it but any one individual organization would have great leverage over the other four. While they work out a deal to cooperate, Matt Murdock gets on with his life.

After a one-off adventure where Murdock saves and is saved by a bunch of kids on a winter bus trip, the action starts in full force. Spider-man comes by asking for legal help--his friend/former lover Black Cat is in trouble. She's a master thief and is accused of stealing some high tech equipment from the outfit where Peter Parker works. The slip-up that got her busted seems fake. Daredevil and Spider-man investigate, though they don't need to break Black Cat out of custody. She does just fine for herself. The three work together to figure out what's going on. 

Their adventure is cross-cut with a subterranean horror that Matt has to deal with--the cemetery where his father is buried has been graverobbed...from underneath! What sinister plan does the Mole Man have for the dozens of coffins his minions have stolen?

The stories are interested and Daredevil's new, more light-hearted characterization is fun. Matt attends a Christmas party with an "I'm not Daredevil" sweater, still trying to get out from under his identity being revealed. He doesn't find as much humor in situations as Spider-man does (but who can match Spidey in that department?), but he isn't mopey or conflicted like a lot modern superheroes. He still deals with serious issues without being glum.

Recommended.

Dual/Duel Review: Bond, Spoof of James Bond

Dual/Duel reviews are an online smackdown between two books, movies, games, podcasts, etc. etc. that I think are interesting to compare, contrast, and comment on. For a list of other dual/duel reviews, go here.

James Bond is so popular, he naturally has imitators, commentators, and satirists. I thought it would be fun to look at two comic takes on the classic British spy.

Our Man Flint (1966) directed by Daniel Mann

The world suffers under freak weather catastrophes that can only be caused by science. A group of scientists are trying to make the world a better place by blackmailing the world's governments into completely disarming. Not just the nukes--everything must go. Naturally world governments would like to avoid such a horrible situation. They've sent groups of spies to infiltrate and eliminate the scientists. So far, all have failed. At the Zonal Organization for World Intelligence and Espionage (yeah, they are ZOWIE), the world intelligence leaders put their criteria into a computer (using punch cards!) and out comes the name Derek Flint (James Coburn). The head of the Americans, Cramden (Lee J. Cobb), is reluctant to recruit Flint. Flint doesn't follow rules or instructions.

Flint is reluctant too, turning down several offers until Cramden is forced to make the appeal personally. Flint finally takes the job when he's almost assassinated while out with his four live-in girlfriends. Cramden takes the poison dart meant for Flint, but luckily Flint is a master at emergency surgery and saves Cramden's life. He smells some bouillabaisse on the dart, which leads him to Marseilles. He finds the club that sells that particular soup and has a run in with British agent 0008. After a comic fight and another clue is revealed, Flint is off to Rome where the assassin (Gila Golan, whose character is named Gila) has a cold cream company that's a front for the bad guys. Flint meets Gila and has a romantic liaison with her. He steals her office keys and sneaks into the factory where he is trapped in a vault. He's supposed to die when the oxygen runs out but he fakes his own death by relaxing himself into a state of suspended animation.

The bad guys take him to their island base to prove that he's really dead. He revives and sneaks off only to discover his four live-in girlfriends have been kidnapped and are being turned into "pleasure units." He frees them, busts up the base, and Gila has a change of heart and joins the other four women in returning to America with Flint.

The movie is ridiculous in the extreme. They quite consciously parody James Bond, even having the 0008 character in the movie. Flint is an uber-Bond. He's not only well-informed about the finer things (like alcohol and art), he's well-informed about everything. He's also a master of disguise and kung fu combat, which definitely looks like a parody of kung fu with exaggerated yells and stances. He's also a womanizer though he's enlightened enough not to let his women be treated like "pleasure units" by others.

The movie goes too far over the top in my opinion. The humor is repetitive and looks really dated. Coburn looks like he's having fun and it does show how silly the Bond franchise could get.

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) directed by Jay Roach  

Austin Powers (Mike Myers) is a popular pop photographer and swinging single in 1967, but also a master spy. Powers works with Mrs. Kensington (Mimi Rogers) who enjoys the freewheeling lifestyle but also is faithful to Mr. Kensington and thus immune to Powers's charms. Powers's main nemesis, Dr. Evil (also Mike Myers), plans to assassinate Powers at a swanky club. The plan fails, forcing Dr. Evil to cryogenically freeze and launch himself into orbit.

Thirty years later, Evil returns to the Earth, specifically the outskirts of Las Vegas, where he has a secret underground base. He resumes his supervillain life, capturing a nuclear warhead and planning to blackmail the world for one million dollars. His evil henchman Number Two (Robert Wagner) convinces him to go bigger, asking for 100 billion dollars. You know, thirty years of inflation.... Dr. Evil also has to deal with his son Scott (Seth Green), who hates him for being an absent father. Dr. Evil both wants a relationship with his son and wants his son dead, depending on whichever makes for a funnier scene.

Meanwhile, the British secret service defrosts Austin Powers, who had himself cryogenically frozen to fight Dr. Evil if he ever came back. Austin also needs to change his expectations. It's thirty years after free love and drugs. Mrs. Kensington's daughter Vanessa (Elizabeth Hurley) is assigned to help Austin adjust to modern times. Austin's first thought is to "shag" her, which she finds repulsive. He slowly gets used to the idea of treating women as something other than sex objects over the course of the film, though he goes through a lot of experiences before he gets to the point of treating Vanessa like he should.

Austin and Vanessa head off to Vegas where they have run-ins with the bad guys, including a medium-stakes blackjack game and a tour of Dr. Evil's corporate facilities (they've expanded into legitimate businesses over the years, making lots of money without committing crime). They are captured by another henchman named Random Task (who is, of course, an Odd Job clone) and taken to the base on the outskirts of town.

There, Dr. Evil plans an elaborate, slow, and easily-escapable death trap for the two agents. In a touching moment, Scott asks to get his gun and just shoot them to make sure the plan actually works. Dr. Evil scoffs, wondering what could possibly go wrong. Austin and Vanessa do escape the death trap and eventually blow up the facility, stopping Evil's plans. Evil refreezes and relaunches himself into orbit. Austin and Vanessa live happily ever after.

The movie is mostly a spoof of James Bond films, though it also mines other 1960s spy movies for content. Powers's appearance is based on Michael Caine's Harry Palmer series (which was based on a John le Carre novel). That opens the door for the mockery of British dental hygiene, though I don't think Caine ever wore such elaborate costumes. The photographer bit (which provides almost no comedy) is from the Matt Helm series, itself an attempt to cash in by parodying James Bond. So the Powers character is a pastiche of 1960s film spies. Myers is funny as the clueless and self-absorbed spy hero, but even with all this source material, the character is still mostly Myers.

The more strictly Bond satire is reserved for Dr. Evil, who looks like Blofeld and even has a cat like Blofeld's. The plans are straight out of Bond as are his henchman and his deathtrap. The addition of the son is a bit weird and only works as filler to add more jokes. They go to father-son therapy and the son complains about the impracticality of his father's plans (a common objection faced by Bond villains). Myers is more creative and funnier in this role.

A lot of the lines from this movie have moved into pop culture ("sharks with frickin' laser beams", "I want...one MILLION dollars").

This movie is definitely less dated than the first, though it's already starting to show some age. Powers's conversion from a swinging single to a sexually monogamous guy is not at all convincing and seems thrown in as an apology for the earlier raunchy comedy. The movie shoots at a broader target and hits often but not all the time.

Which is better?

Austin Powers is definitely funnier and less cringe-worthy than Our Man Flint, so I give it to Powers.


Winner:

Loser:

Dual/Duel Review: Wafer Wars!

 Dual/Duel reviews are an online smackdown between two books, movies, games, podcasts, etc. etc. that I think are interesting to compare, contrast, and comment on. For a list of other dual/duel reviews, go here.

Going to the grocery store is sometimes a more interesting experience than you expect. Often the shelves have competing versions of the same product, like store brand versions of name brand cereals. On one trip, I discover two distinct types of vanilla wafers. But this was not just a store type and a brand name. This was two different products with virtually the same names:

You'd think there would be a legal battle over this

I might never have noticed the close connection of these two products except that they are shelved very close to each other, at least in stores where I have shopped. Voortmans is new to me, so the classic Nilla Wafers will get the first treatment.

A Nilla Wafer

Contender #1: Nabisco Nilla Wafers

Nilla Wafers by Nabisco are a popular American treat. I've been eating them since my childhood. The circular, rounded wafers look a bit like a cookie. They are dry and crispy like a cracker. Any hot beverage (hot cocoa, tea, coffee) goes well with them. Milk, a cookie's classic companion, also goes very well with them. They can be put in pudding (I've had it most often with banana pudding) to give it some nice texture. If you could find some round chocolates, I bet they'd make a great alternative to graham crackers in smores. 

By themselves, Nilla Wafers are a bit plain. They do have a hint of vanilla flavor, but just a hint. The list of ingredients does not include vanilla, unless it is covered by "natural and artificial flavor," the last ingredient listed. That villainous sweetener, high fructose corn syrup, is listed much higher. No one really eats dessert for its nutritional value, so maybe these defects are not so important.

Voortman Bakery Vanilla Wafer

Contender#2: Voortman Bakery Vanilla Wafers

These wafers look much more like the wafer cookies that are sold in stores and seem to be the inspiration for ice cream cones. I've never liked wafer cones. They are disappointing after eating the ice cream on top. We used to get wafer cookies, those tiny rectangles that usually came either in one flavor or in a "neapolitan" blend of vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry wafers. Of all the desserts in the pantry of my youth, they would be my last choice for dessert. Too dry, too saccharine sweet for me. And the texture reminds me of styrofoam.

Voortman Bakery wafers go a long way to reforming the underwhelming character of wafer cookies. The wrapper even says they are baked "with real vanilla" and they have no high fructose corn syrup. They do taste a lot more natural and appealing. The texture is much crisper. I've grown quite fond of them.

Which is better?

I wouldn't have guessed from looking at them, but the Voortman Bakery Vanilla Wafers won out. They both have light, crispy textures, though the Voortman is more so. The Voortman taste is great. Will they make it into an ice cream cone worth eating?

Even so, I still enjoy the Nabisco version. Either won is worth snacking on!

Winner: 



Loser: 

Book Review: The Shining by Stephen King

The Shining by Stephen King

Jack Torrence has almost no good luck. A lot of things have gone wrong in his life, though most of his problems come from his own behavior. He was a promising author and taught English at a New England prep school. Unfortunately, he developed a drinking problem, which does not mix well with his occasional out-of-control temper. He's been fired and has wound up working as the winter caretaker of the Overlook Hotel. The Overlook is a luxury hotel up in the Rocky Mountains that's open from late spring to early fall. Jack has a chance to finish a play he is working on as well as reconnecting with his family during the isolated winter months.

Jack takes his faithful but wary wife Wendy and his son Danny. Danny has some psychic powers called "shining." He can see other people's thoughts and emotions; he has visions of possible futures; he feels the psychic presence of past objects and people; he can communicate with others who also have the shining. The parents don't know all of this, but they know that he is different. Sometimes Danny knows things that he couldn't possibly known. He's five going on six, so even he doesn't understand his powers. As the Overlook staff leaves, the African-American cook Hallorann takes the boy aside. Hallorann has the shining and recognizes Danny's very powerful shining ability. Hallorann warns Danny to stay away from certain parts of the hotel. And if Danny is in trouble, he should use the shining to call Hallorann back.

The hotel has a very checkered past, with lots of violent and tragic deaths. It's unclear whether the souls are trapped there or stay willingly or they are just manifestations of some malevolent entity embodied in the hotel. Weird events start happening, not just to Danny. Jack's delicate psychological state is exploited and abused by the hotel, as if it wants Jack and his family to become the next part of the checkered past. Danny and Jack start seeing, hearing, and feeling things as they spend more time at the Overlook. Bad things happen.

The book gives a fascinating portrayal of a slow descent into madness and horror. Jack's done a lot of bad things but he's also tried to reform his life. His father was an alcoholic and was abusive to his family, and probably his grandfather before that. The theme of being trapped in an unending cycle of misery is played out through him and the hotel. Wendy has a troubled relationship with her mother and deals with feelings of inadequacy as a wife and mother. She has her descent and tries to break out of her cycle too. A heartbreaking scene at the end has an insane Jack chasing Wendy slowly up a staircase, both very wounded physically and emotionally. Wendy is trying to escape the horror (by this point, she's hearing and seeing things too) while Jack is trying to drag her back down. The story is terrifying and heartbreaking, and also hard to put down because it is written so well.

I haven't read much Stephen King, only The Stand (which I read back in the 1980s) and On Writing (which I read a couple of years ago). Movies have filled in a lot of the gaps, but I should probably read some more. This book is so much better than the highly flawed Kubrick movie.

Highly recommended, though the brutal violence and language may be tough going for some readers.

The good folks at A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast discussed this book on Episode 243. Go and listen.

Book Review: Marvel Masterworks X-Men Vol. 4 by C. Claremont et al.

Marvel Masterworks: X-Men Volume 4 written by Chris Claremont, penciled and co-plotted by John Byrne, art by George Perez

The X-Men face a variety of enemies in this collection. They also get reunited with Professor X and other associates. Moira MacTaggert summons the X-Men to her island lab just off Scotland's shores. A powerful mutant (who happens to be her son) manages to escape confinement. The X-Men reunite with Jean Grey, who came to Scotland after the volcano erupted in Antarctica. Jean is being stalked by Jason Wyngarde, who psychically makes Jean have odd flashbacks to a life in the 1800s. In the fantasy he's created, she's enamored with him and plans to marry him. Jean becomes more confused as readers' understanding becomes more clear--Wyngarde is a member of the Hellfire Club, a gentleman's club in New York City full of powerful people who want more power. They are behind a lot of shenanigans and are clearly on their way to being the next big problem for the X-Men.

This series also sees the introduction of Kitty Pryde, Dazzler, and Emma Frost as well as the exit of Banshee, who seems to have permanently lost his powers. He stays behind in Scotland to comfort Moira after that story ends. The story is exciting, especially the ongoing Jean Grey plot. Her powers are only growing while her mind is deteriorating. Dark Phoenix is on the horizon!

Highly recommended.

Visiting the Chicago Bean

Chicago is famous for many things (pizza, the Magnificent Mile, the Bears). My oldest son was excited to see one thing--the Chicago Bean. I had not heard of this attraction. But we were making good time on our trip and decided to check it out as we drove by the Windy City. Driving into downtown was easy since the highways run right over to Lake Michigan.

View from the highway to Chicago

We followed our cell phone's directions to Millennium Park, where the Bean is located. On the way, we saw Soldier Field where the Chicago Bears play their home football games.

Soldier Field

We arrived in the neighborhood and my wife let me and the kids off at a nearby stoplight. A quick walk around the fence led us to the park entrance. A nice lady made sure that we were wearing masks, then we could enter the park. The park has a fountain and a formal garden and an ice-skating rink (it was too warm to be open). We ignored all that and headed straight to the Bean.

Us at the Bean (my daughter took the picture)

The official name of the Bean is Cloud Gate. Sir Anish Kapoor designed it and initially didn't like the nickname "The Bean." He was imitating liquid mercury and saw it as a gateway through which visitors could walk. The shape does have a hypnotic quality. The high polish on the 168 stainless steel plates shows no seams. The reflection is amazing and fun, distorting both the skyline and the visitors.

Cloud Gate with a warped skyline

Reflection of us on the sculpture

The skyline around the sculpture is beautiful, making the location ideal for interesting mirror effects.

A nice set of buildings

A view of the buildings behind the bean

According to descriptions, visitors used to be able to walk underneath the twelve-foot arch in the middle. Maybe we will have to visit again. It was not clear if the fences were up because of virus concerns or general safety of the sculpture. 

On our way out of town, we drove under another famous part of Chicago--the El. The elevated Metra train is part of the mass transit system. We saw a train go by earlier but not when we drove by.

The El

Movie Review: Goldfinger (1964)

Goldfinger (1964) directed by Guy Hamilton

James Bond (Sean Connery) is back for a third outing. This time he's up against Auric Goldfinger (Gert Frobe), an international businessman obsessed with gold. Goldfinger has lots of little-time and big-time schemes to make money, plans that are honest and dishonest. He tends to favor the dishonest. His latest, biggest scheme has drawn the attention of the British Secret Service. Bond pursues Goldfinger from Miami to London to Geneva and back to America. Bond works his way through the typical number of bad guys, beautiful girls, and absurd gadgets before the big finale.

Goldfinger established a lot of the tropes for Bond films. The pre-credits action sequence has almost nothing to do with the plot (other than placing Bond in Miami) but has exciting action and a Bond girl who only appears in the opening. There's a smart main villain with the big evil scheme (Goldfinger here, often Blofeld in other films). The scheme is elaborate (leading to a big action sequence at the end) and more or less over the top (Goldfinger taking out the American gold deposit at Fort Knox fits that bill). The villain has a beefy henchman who does all the fisticuffs with Bond. Maybe the henchman also has a quirky weapon or feature (here, Oddjob is a mute Korean martial arts expert with a razor-rimmed bowler hat he throws to kill people or destroy stuff; my favorite other henchman is probably Jaws (Richard Kiel) who is also mute but because he has metal teeth). Bond's arsenal contains some elaborate, borderline outlandish, gadgets (like the ejector seat on his Aston Martin, which is also kitted out with machine guns, oil slick, smoke screen, bulletproof glass, etc.). Bond always has a humorous quip and fabulous clothes, even when he is sneaking about and messing around with bad guys or beautiful girls.

The movie is very entertaining--it's serious when it needs to be, exciting often, and comic enough not to be taken seriously. Goldfinger is a well-written villain with some memorable lines and speeches ("I expect you to die, Mr. Bond" or after rattling off accomplishments like exploring the ocean floor, splitting the atom, and sending rockets to the moon, he says "Man has achieved miracles in every field of human endeavor...except CRIME!"). Oddjob is menacing and tough, probably tougher than Bond though Bond outmaneuvers him. Honor Blackman is charming as Pussy Galore, pilot for Goldfinger and paramour for Bond. The big finale at Fort Knox is tightly directed and very exciting. This was my favorite Bond film before the Daniel Craig Casino Royale.

Highly recommended.

Bits of Woodbadge

I attended the Course for the Woodbadge, the main training for leaders in Scouts BSA (what used to be officially called the Boy Scouts). The course goes all the way back to Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of the scouting movement. He realized the need for trained leaders and had them come to Gilwell Park to camp and learn the whats, hows, and whys of scouting. 

Camp Oest, a Scout-owned camping facility, became Gilwell Field and we participants were Troop 1. In addition to learning leadership skills and theories, we also saw models of den meetings, pack meetings, field assemblies, patrol meetings, patrol leadership meetings, interfaith services, etc. etc. 

 

The main meeting hall

We played a lot of games too because Scouting is described as "games with a purpose." One game was the Whatzit Box. Our individual patrols had to identify what was in the box. A lot of people used their phones to find out what was in the box. My patrol successfully figured out everything on the last day.

Whatzit Box

We played other games in the field, hopefully some I will be able to take back to my Cub Scout pack.

Another tradition (from summer camps, not from Gilwell) is the Trading Post. At summer camps, the post sells snacks and drinks and bric-a-brac. This trading post had various patches, pins, and paraphernalia from the patrols.

Trading Post

The field where we had opening ceremonies was nearby. I made the mistake once of crossing the middle of the field. One of the Woodbadge staff corrected me. Subsequently, I was sure to walk around the edge of the field.

Gilwell field

Flags at half mast for when Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg died

Another fun activity on the first weekend was building and launching bottle rockets. We did a good job decorating. Our design worked well until the rocket got caught in a tree. Unfortunately I did not catch that moment on film.

Our rocket in action

That night, we had some other challenges, including stacking cups as high as possible.

Our stack

My patrol

We had to decide on a patrol name based on the animal assigned to us. The course includes all sorts of familiar animals like owls, eagles, buffalo, antelopes, and foxes. My patrol was the bobwhite patrol, which left us scratching our heads. A bobwhite is a small North American quail that lives on the ground. After some discussion, we decided to call ourselves the Boogie Woogie Bobwhites. Between weekends, we worked on a flag, a t-shirt, and a silly hat for our patrol. 

Our flag (thanks Christina for designing it!)

Our t-shirt

Our hat (thanks, Ron!)

The patrol in shirt and hat

We had a lot of other prep work too, including making plans to help out our home units. As individuals, we came up with a vision and five goals to work on in the next eighteen months. The course isn't just for learning skills, it's for applying them. 

Another project was planning our own dinner for Saturday night of the next weekend. We were given a modest budget which was supplemented by some donations (thanks, Steven). We had surf and turf as the meal we cooked for ourselves.

Steak, potatoes, and salad

The surf part of the meal

After dinner, we had a nice campfire where we read special letters from our patrol guide (who was so awesome) and the scoutmaster for Woodbadge. We got to know each other a little better, too.

Campfire!

Sleeping is never good for me while camping. I did my best.

As ready as I'll ever be for sleep in a tent

The course had a Disney theme which was used throughout the presentations and activities. The scoutmaster even had a six-foot Mikey Mouse who accumulated more and more decorations.

Mickey the scouter

The program was great and inspiring. I am looking forward to working on my goals.

Ready for action