Book Review: The Untapped Power of the Sacrament of Penance by Christopher J. Walsh

The Untapped Power of the Sacrament of Penance: A Priest's View by Fr. Christopher J. Walsh

As the title of this book suggests, Fr. Christopher Walsh examines a sacrament that is not as prominent as it once was. Walsh briefly describes the pre-Vatican II of his youth where a large portion of Catholics would go to confession weekly, resulting in long hours in the confessional with priests trying to get through lots of penitents. The rite could and did devolve into a "sacrament factory" attitude where confession became very formulaic. Vatican II called for a renewal of various aspects of the sacrament. Walsh sums it up: "Penance is a sacrament of healing, of forgiveness and of reconciliation." [p. 23] The sacrament heals the wounds caused by sin, a therapeutic effect. The sacrament forgives sin, removing guilt and the punishment due, a judicial effect. The sacrament reconciles the penitent with God and the Church, a relational effect. The priest is a doctor, a judge, and a mediator in this sacrament. The priest helps the penitent to continue on the path of conversion, turning to God and growing closer to Him. The post-conciliar attitude gave the rite of the sacrament more flexibility and more focus on the individual. 

Walsh also looks at reasons people avoid confession. Some people fear to reveal their sins and worry about a negative reaction from the priest. Also, some are uneasy with the more flexible form of the sacrament--will I have to confess face-to-face? Will I have an awkward conversation? Yet another problem is the "I am basically a good person" attitude that does not acknowledge sins. A final objection is why a penitent can't go straight to God instead of confessing to a priest. Walsh deals with all these objections in a straightforward and pastoral way, encouraging the reader to reflect on the examples and arguments he makes. 

He concludes the book with insights on how to get the most out of the sacrament. He argues that people should go fairly often (maybe once a month) to support spiritual growth through healing (even of the wounds of venial sins) and counseling (spiritual direction). He talks about good ways to examine your conscience. He reviews the various parts of a good confession. He finishes with reflections about how priests experience the grace of the sacrament in giving absolution, often to people who struggle with the same problems and sometimes to people who seem more advanced spiritually. The experience is humbling and exhilarating to Walsh and to many of the priests he consulted in preparing this book.  

Overall, the book is a great way to reconnect with the sacrament or to have greater insight into the value and blessing of reconciliation.

Highly recommended.

TV Review: The Final Cut (1995)

The Final Cut (1995) written by Andrew Davies from the novel by Michael Dobbs and directed by Mike Vardy

Francis Urquhart (Ian Richardson) wants to leave a leadership legacy and has worked on a peace accord between Turkish and Greek Cyprus. Unfortunately (but typically), his motivation is tainted. He wants to be more historically famous than Margaret Thatcher and he plans to take advantage of some Cypriot off-shore oil to secure his financial future. His main opponents are two. First is political opponent Makepeace (Paul Freeman) who is Foreign Minister but opposes Urquhart's cold and calculating attitudes. Second is Maria Passolides (Yolanda Vazquez), whose father had two brothers killed in the 1950s in a war on Cyprus. The dad suspects Urquhart killed them. Viewers know he did because he has flashbacks of killing two young men and burning their bodies. The fly in the ointment is Claire Carlson (Isla Blair) who is Makepeace's lover but also advisor to Urquhart. Urquhart wants to use her relationship to get dirt on Makepeace. Makepeace is an upstanding guy (sort of) who quits his job and goes for the party leadership, and possibly the office of Prime Minister too. As things spiral out of control, can Urquhart succeed?

The show adds some new ghosts haunting Urquhart, the Cypriot nationals he killed. Those memories are paralleled with the Mattie's death from the first series, making the two memories roughly equal though apparently he didn't remember his earlier crimes till this series. He's also obsessed with lasting longer than Margaret Thatcher, for whom he has nothing but contempt. He hints that his relationship with Claire will be exploitative (including sexually) but nothing comes of it, probably because she's pretty busy in the bedroom with Makepeace (with a surprising number of topless scenes). Her playing both sides is more interesting than Urquhart's manipulation of situations. Richardson is still great in the role but the script for this series has run out of good ideas. The ending is abrupt and not convincing or satisfying, lowering the overall series into just another political drama. The first series is well worth watching; this series is more for completists.

Mildly recommended.

As with the other series, I watched on Hoopla through a library account.

Book Review: Moon Knight Vol. 1 by W. Ellis et al.

Moon Knight Volume 1: From the Dead written by Warren Ellis and art by Declan Shalvey

Marc Spector was a mercenary who died in Egypt under a statue of the god Khonshu. He came back to life (presumably through the god's influence) and became a vigilante taking the name Moon Knight and an appearance based on the god. Since he's a Marvel character, he was active in New York City. Then he went crazy (is he Spector or is he Khonshu?) and disappeared. This book is about his reappearance in New York. He shows up in all-white garb (a suit with a cloak and a bag-like mask over his head), driving around in a self-driving white limo or flying on a large drone. He investigates very bizarre cases, using his high-tech gadgets and his ancient Egyptian gear to fight crime. This book covers several mysteries he solves.

Except for Moon Knight's presence, the six stories in this book are basically unrelated. He investigates a Tell-Tale Heart mystery and rescues a kidnapped girl a la The Raid. The style is very visual and creative, which I liked. But his character has very little character. The first story explains how he doesn't really have a version of multiple personality disorder, but his problem is that Khonshu has four aspects: Pathfinder, Embracer, Defender, and Watcher of Overnight Travelers. The way Spector behaves, he watches over people who travel at night and he defends them, but those aren't presented as separate identities. The two other aspects don't figure into these stories, so this whole part of his character is left out (or maybe they will show up in subsequent volumes?). Other than the look and theming, he is a generic loner-hero. I had a hard time engaging with him as a character.

Not recommended--I read this hoping to get some grounding going into the television series...I think this was no help at all.

Movie Review: Metropolis (1927)

Metropolis (1927) co-written and directed by Fritz Lang

This science fiction classic of the silent era is superficially about the conflict between the working class people and those in high society. The real theme is creating unity between the two, which is admittedly difficult to do. As the movie says, "The mediator between head and hands must be the heart." In the titular city, the upper class lives a life of luxury and ease. The city is a gleaming utopia with tall buildings, swanky night clubs, comfortable homes, and all forms of transit from walking to airplanes. Any pleasure they want is there for the taking. Joh Fredersen (Alfred Abel) is the city's architect, i.e. the head. His son, Freder (Gustav Frohlich), enjoys his life above but is concerned about the people, i.e. the hands, who built the city. He goes in search of those people. He goes to the subterranean part of the city and takes over for Worker 11811, working a ten-hour shift at an inhuman task on a large, incomprehensible machine. Freder meets Maria (Brigitte Helm), a teacher in the lower city. She also leads meetings of the workers where she inspires them to wait for a mediator to improve their situation. The crowds are restless but hopeful thanks to her kind words and deeds. They consider her a saint. Freder falls in love with her and realizes that he might be the mediator that they need. Unfortunately, his father witnesses the meeting and hatches a plan with a mad scientist named Rotwang (Rudolf Klein-Rogge). Rotwang has invented a Machine-Man that he can make look like any person he wishes. Joh Fredersen tells him to make it like Maria so Joh can use it to discredit Maria among the people. Lots of trouble follows.

The movie is visually amazing, following the Expressionistic style that Lang often uses. The scenes of life above and below are both cavernous and detailed, richly painting the society in which they live, often exaggerating or drawing less than obvious parallels (like when one machine fades into a monstrous face consuming the workers). I like the creativity and the over-the-top feel the style gives. The special effects are impressive. At one point, Maria retells the story of the Tower of Babel which is presented visually and narratively as a parallel to what goes on in this movie. The ancient slaves building the tower have the same movements and mass as Metropolis's working class. The tower's designers are so aloof that eventually they can't even communicate with the workers and the project fails. The parallels are smartly drawn and give a sense of foreboding to the narrative. The False Maria is quite alluring and does as much to lead the upper class astray as she does the lower class (Rotwang has an ulterior motive that puts him secretly against Fredersen). She performs at a nightclub (almost nude) and stirs up a lot of sin among the male customers. 

The main theme is a refreshing break from the usual "poor good, rich bad" social theories typically presented in movies. The two sets of people need to find a genuine common ground where the responsibilities of both are respected. The solution isn't the brute force of the hands or the cold cunning of the head. Senseless, irrational hands bring about a lot of destruction, even self-destruction in the film. A head without work turns to selfishness and self-pleasure at the cost of others. Only the heart, the love for others, can stop both the conflict and the self-harm. It's an ideal that both the rich and the poor (i.e. all of us) too often fall short of.

Highly recommended. I watched the Kino Lorber Complete Metropolis that has a lot of restored footage and an excellent musical score.

The movie is discussed on A Good Story is Hard to Find Podcast #278, check it out!

Book Review: Mother Angelica's Private and Pithy Lessons from the Scriptures ed. by Raymond Arroyo

Mother Angelica's Private and Pithy Lessons from the Scriptures introduced and edited by Raymond Arroyo

Mother Angelica, famous as the founder of EWTN, held many different Scripture studies throughout her life. Many were recorded (on tape, if you know what that is) and a selection has been made available by Raymond Arroyo, a friend and collaborator on the network. This book follows the Biblical structure, with lessons based on the Old Testament books coming first, followed by the Gospels and then the epistles.

This book is a mixed bag. She has a lot of interesting and entertaining insights. Her main idea is to see the Scriptures as a living story, as if you are actually there. Imagine you are in the Garden of Gethsemane--you can see torches in the distance and hear the low rumble of a crowd as it approaches your group on a moon-lit night. I liked that a lot. On the other hand, I did not agree with some of her characterizations and interpretations. Her earthy literalism is a two-edged sword. It can put you right there in the historic event; it can strike you as superficial or trivial or inaccurate. I found myself disagreeing with her, though my disagreements were far less than half the time. Your mileage will probably vary.

Mildly recommended. I'm glad I read it but probably won't re-read it.

Sample Quote: 

What is it that you do when you're proud or you lack humility? You kind of nourish yourself: "Mmm, I'm wonderful, I'm always right, I'm always good, I'm always persecuted, I'm always this, I'm always that." It's me, myself and I. You see, you're going to live with a trinity one way or another. The trinity is either me, myself, and I, or it's the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The choice is yours. But if you're not with God, you're with yourself. [p.156]

Book Review: Slam Dunk Vols. 5 & 6 by Takehiko Inoue

Slam Dunk Volume 5 by Takehiko Inoue

The exhibition game goes on with Hanamichi Sakuragi in for Captain Akagi. Sakuragi's bravado on the sideline is not all hot air. He plays smart, making some good passes and getting the team close to tying. Maybe they can even win? The manga ends with two minutes to go, Akagi back, and Sakuragi having to play alongside his first-year rival Rukawa.

The game is exciting with lots of action and dramatic moments. The author is very able in presenting a basketball game in this format, which seems like it would be difficult.

Recommended.

Slam Dunk Volume 6 by Takehiko Inoue

The big game (which is only a pre-season exhibition) finishes. The ending was more dramatic than I was expecting. The last third of the issue introduces another upperclassman, Miyagi, who wants to play for the team. He was out of school because he was in the hospital from injuries gotten at a fight he started. Can the team handle two member whose tempers (and propensity for violent outbursts) make them less than ideal?

The game part of this manga was much more interesting than the introduction of the new character. The school seems a lot more violent than it should be. Hopefully the next game will start soon.

Recommended.

A Week of Non-Holidays in March

Last week had a lot of days that we born great, achieved greatness, or had greatness thrust upon them. None of them are federally-recognized holidays. Even so, we did plenty of celebrating on the side.

Monday was March 14, recently given the moniker "Pi(e) Day" since the date is abbreviated (in the American style) 3/14, like the number Pi that starts with 3.14. I was reminded of the fact when I went to the grocery store and saw tables of pies on sale as if I was in a Hallmark store with another of their brand-new holidays. Since we already had all the ingredients (including a frozen pie crust!), I made pecan pie at home to celebrate.

Pie are round!

Tuesday was March 15, known in the old Roman calendar as the Ides of March. It's famous as the day when Julius Caesar was stabbed to death at a meeting of the Roman Senate in 44 BC. I meant to grill out that day but things didn't come together till the next day. I grilled my typical plate of meat. Really, grilling has nothing to do with the Ides of March, it was just an excuse. Since I use a charcoal grill, I usually put an extra round of boneless chicken breasts on to cook while we eat. We also roasted marshmallows and had s'mores for dessert (the pecan pie didn't last more than two days in our six-person household).

Steaks and burgers and sausages and chicken!

Thursday was March 17, Saint Patrick's Day. In celebration, I cooked something fun and delicious again. On the eve, I browned the beef and chopped the vegetables to put in the crock pot early Thursday morning. The ingredients simmered all day, resulting in a family favorite, Guinness Beef Stew. My daughter and I made Irish Soda Bread to go with it.

Browned beef

Frying onions is a popular smell in our house

Finished product

Irish Soda Bread

The week was capped off with Saturday, March 19, Saint Joseph's Day. Our dance studio was host for the Baltimore Dancesport Challenge. It was a full day of short dance performances by students from across the region. We had not signed up for any of the challenges, we were there just to cheer on our fellow dancers. The variety of skills, songs, and styles was amazing. Our package came with lunch and dinner. The dinner was steak and shrimp with cheesecake for dessert. Delicious, and no cooking on our part (also, no picture--sorry!). The evening ended with some professional dancers putting on a show. We had to get back to the kids at home so we missed that part. 

Us there

I hope we have just as good a week next year!

TV Review: Reacher (2022)

Reacher (2022) adapted for television by Nick Santora from the novels by Lee Child

Retired military cop Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) is a lone wanderer in America with one ID, some cash, and the clothes on his back. He arrives at the small southern town of Margrave, Georgia. Ostensibly, he's searching out a blues musician. He quickly discovers that his brother has been killed in the town. The investigation by the local cops is not going well because they are corrupt. The town is dominated by a fairly new company that has some shady dealings both in town and out of town. The local mayor is on the side of the corrupt. Reacher meets two uncorrupt cops: long-time Margrave resident Roscoe Conklin (Willa Fitzgerald) and transplant-from-Boston Oscar Finlay (Malcolm Goodwin). The trio work to solve the eventual pile of murders as people keep on getting killed through the eight-episode story arc.

Reacher is an interesting combination of tough guy and smart guy. The actor is physically huge and is able to deliver the laconic dialog and reserved attitude of the character from the books. The other actors do a great job too. The main trio play off each other well. Roscoe becomes a love interest for Reacher mostly because that's what's expected (like James Bond or Indiana Jones always getting a girl). Reacher and Finlay have a great dynamic as the two "outsider cops" dealing with local small town life. They both respect each other and can't stand each other. The actors make it work well.

The plot is a little too complicated for its own good and does not quite hang together like it should. The show is more meant as an action thriller, at which it excels. Some of the fights (and some of Ritchson's shirtless scenes) seem gratuitous but they are all exciting. How many low-level thugs are in this town? Don't they ever warn each other not to mess with Reacher? Some of the off-screen violence by the bad guys is very graphic and the aftermath (i.e. the police investigation) gets into some squalid details. Of course, the good guys win at the end in a big battle that lets everyone have their moment. I don't think anyone reads the books for an ingenious plot or scheme; the show follows in those footsteps.  

Recommended for fans of the books who can handle the violence, language, and the one sex scene. This show is not at all kid-friendly.

Streaming on Amazon Prime.

Movie Review: The Batman (2022)

The Batman (2022) co-written and directed by Mark Reeves

I've always had a little bit of a problem with people who call this character "The Batman" instead of "Batman." Adding the article sounds pretentious and self-important (or bat-important, since they reference someone else), much like people who refer to themselves in the third person. Recent DC films (Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, for example) definitely suffer from a sense of pretension and self-importance. They really are not as great or insightful as they think they are. Walking into this film, I had a little twinge of doubt.

This story follows a string of murders by The Riddler (Paul Dano) who is killing off corrupt politicians and law enforcement personnel. He makes elaborate traps and puzzles, but not cute stuff like from the old Batman television show. This Riddler is more like the killer from Se7en or the Saw movies. He even has a warped, self-righteous motivation: he wants to take down the corruption that's ruining Gotham City. And there's plenty of corruption to take down.

Since the murders are so unusual, The Batman (Robert Pattinson) is brought to the first murder scene by Detective Jim Gordon (Jeffery Wright). The other cops are not so comfortable with The Batman on their job. But The Batman proves to be helpful and have some insights and observations that advance the investigation. Additionally, The Riddler left a card for him. The card contains a riddle and a cypher that reveal The Riddler's next steps. The uneasy alliance between the hero and the cops (at least the ones who aren't corrupt) becomes more complicated when The Batman meets Selina Kyle (Zoe Kravitz). She's working at a night club that is a hub of both crime bosses and the corrupt politicians/police that the Riddler wants to take down. She has her own agenda which mostly aligns with The Batman's, so they work together.

The story is fairly bleak and dark. The Batman describes himself as "Vengeance," a thematic characteristic for him. He uses a combination of brute force and brains to keep up with The Riddler. The only uncorrupt cop in the city seems to be Gordon. The rest of Gotham's government is dirty, allowing the underworld to run a lot of the city. Selina has a terrible backstory and is only interested in hurting those who hurt her. The Batman and Selina are supposed to have some romantic interest but I found it unconvincing. The bleak tone is underscored by the sadistic death traps set by The Riddler for his victims. I'm surprised the movie is rated only PG-13. 

On the other hand, the film has some very admirable qualities. First, the mystery is well-orchestrated and The Batman acts like he is the "World's Greatest Detective." He works well with Gordon as they follow up leads and hunt down clues. Second, the acting was good throughout. Pattison is a bit underwhelming as Bruce Wayne but a large part of that problem is the script which gives Bruce little to do. The silly haircut didn't help him--no wonder Bruce is a reclusive millionaire and not a playboy. If I saw a production photo, I would have assumed he was playing the villain. Pattinson does a good job as The Batman, even with the voiceover which is, of course, pretentious. Andy Serkis is great as Alfred, Bruce Wayne's butler. Colin Farrell was also very good as The Penguin, who is a minor character mixed up in the plot machinations. 

The ending gives a more positive spin on things as various villains claim comradeship with, or at least similarity to, The Batman. He immediately rejects this notion and winds up with a minor change of heart (or maybe he grows a heart). He wants to improve Gotham in a real way, an ambition that his allies see as Quixotic. The Batman discovers there's more to saving the city than fighting crime and beating up bad guys. While it's an admirable ending, it also feels a little tacked-on and isn't quite convincing. The idea is interesting and well worth exploring.

Mildly recommended. 

Book Review: iZombie Vol. 1 by C. Roberson et al.

iZombie Volume 1: Dead to the World written by Chris Roberson, art by Michael Allred, and colors by Laura Allred

Gwen Dylan is a gravedigger at a "green" cemetery in Eugene, Oregon. They don't embalm the corpses so the environment doesn't get polluted. It's a handy job for her because she is a zombie and needs to eat at least one brain a month or else she will turn into a shambling, mindless, flesh-eating scavenger like in all the b-movies. The only catch is that she starts seeing the dead person's memories, which can be annoying. Sometimes they want her to do some unfinished business or right some wrong. The latest brain she ate was from a murdered man, so he wants some vengeance. 

Gwen has two friends--Ellie, who is the ghost of a 1950s-era teenager and hangs out at the cemetery (where she was buried long ago, so no weird brain-eating connection) and Scott, who is a very much alive young male and not a werewolf, he's a wereterrier. His backstory is not explained but he meets up with the girls at a local diner when he's not working his tech-support job at a high-rise for seniors. They help her investigate the crime, which leads to a house where they trick-or-treated (as a joke) last Halloween. The homeowner turns out to be from ancient Egypt who has been keeping himself alive and fresh-looking (hardly any bandages on this mummy) for millennia by eating other people. He claims he only kills guilty people. He's had to stay one step ahead of a monster-killing cult by moving often (well, often for a 3000-year life span). He wants her to help him. Gwen doesn't buy it. He tries to convince her that her system isn't working--he asks her how she died and she can't remember, so the brains aren't keeping her as fresh as she supposes. She needs to think about his offer.

Meanwhile, a local paintball course is run by a group of female vampires who try to get by with snacking on one or two customers without killing them. One of the vampires goes rogue and kills a guy in town. Before the head of the vampires (a very domineering type) can get to her, a pair of monster-killers from a millennia old group gets the rogue vampire. They are in town to eliminate undead problems. One of the monster-killers stops in at the local diner where he bumps into Gwen and they hit it off romantically. Too bad they are not on the same side in the bigger picture!

The story is fairly interesting and fresh. At one point, the mummy character explains to Gwen what's going on. Each person has an "oversoul" that runs their higher functions and an "undersoul" that runs their appetites and instincts. When someone dies, both souls are supposed to leave, but sometimes one stays with the body or one of the souls stays without a body. A bodiless oversoul is a ghost like Ellie. A bodiless undersoul is a poltergeist. A body with only an oversoul is a vampire. A body with only an undersoul is a zombie. Also, the bodiless souls can "infect" a living person, including bodiless undersouls of animals, hence werewolves and wereterriers. An oversoul in someone else's body is like demonic possession. So the authors have a fairly well-developed system to explain what's going on. The interweaving of various plot strands is also skillfully done, making the story both entertaining and easy to follow even with a myriad of characters who are not immediately connected together. 

The comic series was popular enough to get turned into a TV show, which had an interesting first season but not all the supernatural complications of the print version. The show, which started as a riff on the police procedural, turned into more of a soap opera in subsequent seasons and I lost interest. It's fun to go back to the comics and re-experience the creativity of the original.

Recommended.

Book Review: Things Worth Dying For by Charles J. Chaput

Things Worth Dying For: Thoughts on a Life Worth Living by Charles J. Chaput

During the Fall of 2019, Archbishop Charles Chaput, then head of the Catholic Church in Philadelphia, tendered his resignation to the pope. All bishops do this at the age of seventy-five, regardless of their personal state. The resignation was accepted, giving Chaput time to reflect more on life and death. While he was writing this book, the Corona Virus lockdown began, giving him even more time, and possibly more urgency, with this topic. 

He talks about our contemporary culture with a lot of insight. We are so focused on consumerism, technology, and freedom that we lose sense of our limits, including the amount of time we spend on the Earth. More valuable is the search for what's meaningful in our lives, things that we might die for. Chaput considers several possibilities. The first is God, who as creator has a big role in what's meaningful. He didn't leave us to figure it out on our own, He's been in constant touch and even sent His Son to help us out. Other things we might die for (because they give meaning to our lives) are our country, our ideas, our family, and the Church. Without the greater context that appreciates the "givenness" of these God-given things, each can become a false god and turn into a monster. We are pilgrims on our way to God's home. In this life, our acts and our attitudes should reflect that, we should use these goods to help us on the path, not become our destination. Chaput closes with a reflection on the importance of friendship.

The book is full of wonderful insights, drawing on history, Chaput's own life, literature, and film (he's a big movie fan). The style is very personable and easy to read.

Recommended.

TV Review: To Play the King (1993)

To Play the King (1993) written by Andrew Davies from the novel by Michael Dobbs and directed by Paul Seed

Francis Urquhart (Ian Richardson) has had less joy lately as Prime Minister of England (see him scheming his way into office in the first series). He has no worthy political rivals and he is haunted by the death of Mattie Storin (Susannah Haker). A new king (Michael Kitchen) comes to the throne. He wants to help the homeless and fix problems with the environment. The king does not want to be just a mouthpiece; he wants to see real action on the issues. Urquhart does not want to work on those issues. They come into conflict with the king proving to be the worthy rival Urquhart wants. Urquhart thinks he can handle the situation (i.e. put the king in his place) but the king is quite forceful and insistent while not stepping over the line of royal authority in a constitutional monarchy. The king is the rival that Urquhart deserves. Urquhart hatches various schemes, including the announcement of a General Election, while the king uses his position as a bully pulpit to appeal to the more compassionate nature of the general population. 

The plot has a lot of similarities to the first series--various blackmail schemes, political intrigues, and a young professional woman (Kitty Aldridge played by Sarah Harding) who assists and becomes enamored of Urquhart. Kitty is a pollster who is very intelligent. She becomes a media advisor to Urquhart, helping him maneuver around the king and the opposition party. She also becomes his lover, leading her to find out more about Mattie which naturally creates more tension. The ending was a little too formulaic and unbelievable for me. Even so, the acting and the rest of the writing are top notch and I will be watching the final series, The Final Cut. 

Mildly recommended.

This is available streaming on Hoopla, a service available from my local library (and maybe yours too?). 

Klondike Derby 2022

My youngest son went to the Klondike Derby hosted by the local Scouting BSA district. At this derby, the scouts reenact some of the many challenges faced by those who went north back in the 1890s to search for gold in the Yukon Territory.

One of the challenges faced by the young scouts was crossing the icy waters of a bay. Each scout was given two small ice bergs (carpet squares) to leap frog their way to shore.

Ready to go forward

Grabbing the 'berg to move it in front

Another challenge for the intrepid explorers was the ever-popular team-cross-country skiing. Our pack had been put with another cub pack and my son worked with total strangers! They had a great time practicing. To provide extra motivation, they had a second go where they had to cross a field. But now it was 2145 and an evil doctor turned all the earth's water into lava! The only way to shut off his water-transforming machine was to cross a pool of lava on lava-proof skis and push the self-destruct button. My son liked that a lot.

It's hard enough being coordinated by yourself, now with others?

The next station had the cubs practice their hunting skills. They were given long poles with ropes tied to them, the way they spear-hunted back in the day. The cub had to stand on the rope, throw the spear at the target, and pull the spear back with the rope.

Thar she hangs!

Another hardship was climbing over hills.

Waiting for his turn

Going up

In search of more nutrition, the scouts had to capture salmon in a net. In this case, the salmon were balls thrown downhill by older scouts. The nets were tarps. The scouts held one edge of the tarp/net to create a barrier. Once all the salmon/balls were on the tarp, the scouts picked up the other edge of the tarp, capturing the balls inside. Then they had to pour them into a bucket, which was less fun than catching the balls.

Ready for action

An even bigger challenge was following a rope while snow-blind (or with a blindfold for the snow- and wind-deprived). The rope course turned a few times, went over obstacles like tires and through some blue tubes (seen in the picture below). The challenge was tough but enjoyable.

Snow blind trail

The next station had scouts saving drowning scouts with a rope tossed from the shoreline. This was a bit trickier than anticipated. 

Getting the lasso ready

Throwing the rope

One of the final obstacles was crossing rivers using nothing other than rope bridges. These bridges show up in lots of scout events and are fun to cross. Too bad they don't make them big enough for adults!

Carefully crossing creek

Why couldn't the second bridge be for adults?

My son had a great time at the Klondike Derby. We'll probably go again next year!

See his older brother at a previous Klondike Derby here.

Movie Review: The General (1926)

The General (1926) co-written and co-directed by Buster Keaton and Clyde Bruckman

Johnny Gray (Buster Keaton) is an engineer on a southern railway line who has two loves: his engine (called The General) and his girl (called Annabelle Lee (Marion Mack)). The American Civil War breaks out. Annabelle's father and brother sign up for the army. Johnny tries to enlist but is rejected because he is more valuable as an engineer. The recruiters don't bother to tell him this. Annabelle is disappointed in Johnny, especially when her relatives say he wouldn't even get in line with them (he had already been rejected). She refuses to see him again unless he's in a uniform. A year passes and the war is raging. A Union general plans to steal his engine and bust up the rail line so the army can attack. A group of northerns sneak into town and steal The General just when Annabelle is riding to the front to check on her wounded father. Johnny sees the train steaming away and races off in pursuit of his two loves.

This movie is widely regarded as Keaton's best. The movie has a lot of pathos and a plethora of sight gags. The comedy works very well, capitalizing on Keaton's stone-faced reactions to the improbable events and circumstances. Keaton has good chemistry with Mack. Their reunion and escape from the northerners gives the movie some dramatic weight and some opportunities for Keaton to play off his costar. They make an entertaining couple as they try to help each other make it back home.

The craftsmanship is amazing. Keaton is famous for doing his own stunts, often very elaborate and dangerous stunts. The movie uses real trains and he performs complicated and amazing comedy routines on the tracks. There's no Godzilla-style miniatures or dodgy CGI here, just real people executing carefully-timed stunts that deliver the laughs and the wows. The battle scenes have tons of extras and have a lot happening on the screen. Even little details are surprising. At one point, Johnny is hiding under a table where the northern officers are planning their attack. One of the officers accidentally burns a hole in the tablecloth and in Johnny's sleeve. He has the appropriate comic reaction. But then Annabelle is brought into the room. The tablecloth hole provides Johnny a way to see Annabelle. The hole also make a wonderful frame for Annabelle's face. I appreciated the attention to detail that makes this well worth watching.

The version I watched has an excellent score by the Alloy Orchestra. There aren't many copies left at Amazon. The DVD comes with Steamboat Bill Jr., which I saw with them perform live back in the 1990s. 

Highly recommended--this is the third time I've watched this and it's just as enjoyable as ever.

This movie is discussed, along with The Lodger, on A Good Story is Hard to Find Podcast #277!

Book Review: A Weekend in September by John Edward Weems

A Weekend in September by John Edward Weems

On September 8, 1900, a hurricane hit Galveston Island. At the time, there was little advanced warning and the islanders were used to big storms coming through. Most houses were built above ground so the "overflows" from the Gulf of Mexico or from Galveston Bay would do minimal damage. The 1900 storm was considerably worse than any previous storm. It caused the greatest natural disaster in American history with approximately 6000 dead. The devastation was so great, a precise number is impossible. Large sections of the city were flattened or washed away.

Weems chronicles the weekend (the storm hit on a Saturday) with eyewitness accounts of various survivors and the more reliable of reports from local newspapers. Galveston was a large city at the time, the second largest in Texas. The summer season was just ending and the docks along the north side of the island had many merchant ships coming and going. The National Weather Service had indications of a large storm near Cuba days earlier but they predicted landfall in Louisiana. The rough surf on Saturday morning grew into an overflow that would cover the entire island by nightfall. The winds from the north blew water from Galveston Bay onto the north of the island as the storm surge started to cover the south of the island. The winds grew more ferocious during the day, strong enough to blow the anemometer off the roof of the local weather service. People fled to the most stable houses they could find and slowly moved upstairs as the day grew progressively worse. Many people were trapped. Some were blown out of their shelters, riding out the storm on detritus or in the branches of trees that still poked out above the water. Some were blown far inland; many were lost at sea. Hundreds of houses and businesses were completely destroyed. The shock of survivors on Sunday led into a long and desperate recovery that took months.

The story is harrowing and sobering. The ground-eye view from the survivors gives the narrative authenticity. Many survivors said that you can't imagine what it was truly like. They lived through a horrible afternoon and night where they did not expect to survive. This is a book that's hard to put down.

Highly recommended.

TV Review: Doctor Who: The Web of Fear (1968)

Doctor Who: The Web of Fear (1968) written by Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln, directed by Douglas Camfield

The Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton) has trouble flying the TARDIS (go figure). The trouble isn't really his fault as some entity is trying to trap him in the Space-Time stream along with companions Victoria (Deborah Watling) and Jamie (Frazer Hines). They manage to break free and land on Earth. The TARDIS winds up in the London Underground. London has been abandoned by the locals due to an infestation of Yeti, which are alien robots. The military works to contain the problem, bringing on board a scientist named Travers (Jack Watling) who has had previous experience with the Yeti, and even with the Doctor (in an episode called The Abominable Snowmen, which I must hunt down)! The mystery is on as they search for who controls the Yeti and how to stop them.

This six-parter is notable for the first appearance of Lethbridge-Stewart (Nicholas Courtney), though he's only a colonel here, not "The Brigadier," and UNIT is not introduced. The Yeti are much more menacing and real-seeming than many of the classic Doctor Who baddies. The mystery keeps the plot moving along, as does the standard running around. Even with so many episodes, the story does not drag out or have slow spots. The cast are in fine form. As I've said before, Troughton has an excellent take on the character and is a delight to watch.

This serial was thought lost but five of the episodes have been recovered. Only the audio from Episode Three exists. The visuals were recreated through animation, much like some previous restored serials. I have to say the animation here is really atrocious. The characters move awkwardly and stiltedly, almost as if it was a rough cut of the animation, not a finished product. I don't know if they were being cheap or rushed, but Doctor Who deserves better! I found that episode hard to watch because of the poor visual quality. 

Mildly recommended--classic Doctor Who in classic form but the rough animation is really hard on the eyes.

Geocaching February 2022

This month, I tried a local series of caches based on the alphabet. The caches are in sets, with the final cache requiring information from the previous caches. In the set I was looking for, the first three caches (J, K, and L) each provide a number used in finding the coordinates for the final cache (M), which has some fake coordinates on geocaching.com. The original series was set up several years ago. The geocacher made a new, second series with the same letters in the same park. So I searched for two sets at the same time! I drove over to Hammond Branch Park using the parking coordinates for Alphabet M (Move)-Redux. I thought there would be an obvious trailhead but the cache page explains how an easement between two residences follows along a row of pine trees leading to a trail into the park. If I hadn't read that information, I would not have been convinced I found the right spot.

Not much of a trail

Not much of a trailhead. At least the pine trees were there!

The good part of geocaching in February is that there's less foliage, thorns, and critters (usually bugs are a problem). But in this park, the paths are a lot less obvious in winter without all the undergrowth. I had to bushwhack a bit more than I should have to find Alphabet J (Jump) - Redux. I have a note-taking app on my phone (along with the geocaching app), so I noted the number that I would need for the M-redux cache.

J-Redux is in this picture somewhere

Next up was Alphabet_L (Look), so not one of the newer caches. My phone GPS was all over the place but the cache's hint got me back on track. 

L's in there

While walking to the next cache, I spotted a shelter clearly made by someone. It only had natural wood, no other items.

Maybe a rest stop?

Alphabet K (Kite) - Redux was not in the spot I thought it would be. That board below seemed like a dead giveaway, but the cache was elsewhere. After finding the cache, I found the nearby trail that would have saved me another load of bushwhacking.

Sometimes the obvious spot isn't the right one

My journey took me over a small tributary of Hammond Branch, the stream that runs through the park. A nice man-made bridge kept me going in the right direction.

Another human structure

Alphabet L (Look) - Redux was an easy find after the others since it followed a similar theme. 

In there somewhere

I had walked past the location of Alphabet K (Kite) because I was on the wrong side of the Hammond Branch. The write-up on the cache said there is a two-foot crossing for a stream, but I never found the spot. I think I was coming from the wrong side of the big stream, since I saw a smaller stream that connected to Hammond Branch. Plenty of fallen logs made longer-than-two-foot bridges. I was caching by myself, so I didn't want to risk the crossing. If I fell and injured myself, there'd be nobody to go for help. I decided to postpone the search to another day.

Some natural bridges

Back at home, I calculated the coordinates for M-Redux and realized I should have done my calculating in the field. The actually coordinates were a bit farther into the park! I was ready to redo the trip anyway for the regular K and the J caches.

My son had a basketball game near the trails on the following Saturday, afterward we went to find the other caches. Alphabet J-(Jump) was right near the school where the game was, so it was an easy find on the trails.

The trailhead

We had a little more trouble getting to Alphabet-K (Kite), at least we were on the right side of the waterway. With some dedicated bushwhacking, we found ground zero. The area must be very difficult in the summertime!

Somewhere in there

With a geocaching buddy, I felt more confident about crossing Hammond Branch on the log bridges. He was confident too!

Easy rider

On the way to the final location of Alphabet M (Move) - Redux, we spotted a tree that stole another tree's bark!

Maybe motivated by modesty?

The find was not hard after a longish walk. We signed the log and picked up a travel bug. We had to cross the Hammond Branch to get back to our car.

Another crossing

A shot of my crossing

We walked back through a neighborhood that had a lot of eclectic houses. I took a picture of a round house that was the most interesting of the bunch.

Where's the front door?

The travel bug we found is called BP2012 4RFUN, and is a bottle opener. I put it to good use.

A useful TB!

I had to get some stuff at our local Scout Store which is near the Baltimore-Washington International Airport. I figured that was a good spot to drop the travel bug. The first cache I found, Off the Sidewalk (Again), was too small for the bug.

Somewhere in there

A short drive away is Holiday Fun 2017, which promised to be a larger cache. I parked near the location. I supposed the cache would be along the fence below.

Lots of options

After a bit of searching, I checked the hint which was not helpful. I looked at previous logs and saw that some people had found it about fifty feet north of their GPS's ground zero. Since that was on the way back to the car, I tried it out. I found the ammo-box container and put the travel bug in!

Farewell, brief friend!

We had some nice Sunday weather and took the kids geocaching to some more of the "No Outlet" sign caches. I had found a previous cache on a road marked "No Outlet" though the street did have an outlet. The cache owner finds those annoying and has made two series of caches based on "No Outlet" signs. Our first find was another faker, YES Outlet #1 (Sweet Cherry Lane), which lets out near a reservoir to the south.

My sons by the sign that lies

This particular cache was popular because I took the kids over to the nearby Dunkin Donuts to get a snack.

Our next find was a genuine "No Outlet," Obviously No Outlet #1 (Blue Sea Drive). It's across the street from a high school and the next road over is a highway, to which Blue Sea Drive is not connected.

Walking back from the cache

Our third and final find was Obviously No Outlet #3 (Downdale Place). My phone GPS had a hard time picking which side of the street the cache was on.

In the picture somewhere

The children's schools decided they had too many snow days in December and January and declared Presidents' Day as not-a-holiday. While they were in school, we parents enjoyed more good weather geocaching. Our first find was a cemetery, King Family Cemetery. The cemetery dates back to 1829, when the area was probably all farmlands. Now, the graveyard is surrounded by industrial buildings. We looked through the headstones and found the most recent was 2020, so the grounds are still being used.

Sign at the entrance

Some of the graves

Cars, We got cars...3rd try is on a small hill in a different part of the industrial area. We parked on the wrong side of the fence and had to go around. The view from the cache explains the name, though clearly Covid shipping problems have depleted some inventory in the lot.

A mostly empty lot

Our final find was Home Away From Home. Apparently this cache owner had a second job in the neighborhood and spent a lot of time there, even on weeknights and weekends. The cache container was the micro-est micro we've ever found.

In there somewhere

We went up 15 caches this month, a very good number for a generally unfavorable month.