Camp Oest 2017 Part I

My son and I went to our local area's Cub Resident Camp at Camp Oest, up near the Maryland/Pennsylvania border. We opted for the three night/four day stay since we were already booked for the Webelos Week (the event we really wanted to go to). We checked in and set up our tent. The camp offers tents but my son wanted to use ours since the other tents did not sound particularly bug-proof. Nor did they look bug-proof when we got there.

Our good ol' tent

Camp tents

I was a bit jealous of the cots, which looked like they'd be more comfortable than our inflatable matresses, and the pallet floor, which looked like it'd be more rain-proof than our tent floor. The first day at camp we had an afternoon thundershower of the type common to hot, humid summer days. The downpour lasted a good twenty minutes and I was worried about our tent. When we got back later, we discovered maybe a teaspoon's worth of water inside our tent, so it is plenty weather-proof. My son made the right choice.

After settling in and before the rain shower, we did a tour of the camp, including a visit to the trading post (where campers can buy snacks and sundries) and the pool. At the pool all the campers had a swimming test to determine their ability, ranked from Non-Swimmer to Beginner to Swimmer. The test was to swim three lengths of the pool with any stroke and a fourth length with a modified back stroke (for swimming in shallow water). The end of the test was to tread water for ten seconds, which wasn't so easy after swimming four lengths. Happily, my son and I made full qualifications.

The tour also took us to the other parts of the camp where activities would happen, including the opening campfire which was quite large.

Campfire theater!

Reverse view

After dinner, the camp staff performed an extended skit involving character like Man-Spider (the bug who bit Peter P.) and Fly-Horse (Man-Spider's sidekick). The skit had plenty of comedy and fit in with the "bug hunters" theme.

Skit in action

The fire was impressive though we were not allowed close enough to roast marshmallows. Instead, we went back to the dining pavilion and had a snack there. We slept well that night, though it was still pretty hot in spite of the torrential downpour.

The next day was Sunday, so we snuck off to a 7:30 Mass nearby. We missed breakfast (I packed a bunch of granola bars in the car to sustain us) but were back in time for the first activities of the day. First we did aquatics, learning how to rescue people at the pool and how to row a boat on the river.

Dressed for rowing

From there we went to Scout Craft where we learned to tie various knots. The second activity was building fires, including a practical challenge--build a fire tall enough to burn through a string. My son's team learned basic ways to arrange the wood. They chose a tepee-style arrangement, gathered kindling and wood, and set fire to their construction.

Looking for stuff to burn--perfect activity for boys?

Big fire ring and little fire ring

A successful burn-through

Another important skill--putting the fire out!

At lunch the camp had its fire drill and the boys practiced putting together first aid kits from various supplies. The pile included bandages, ointment, gloves, and rocks. No rocks made it into the kit.

Choosing what to put in a first aid kit

Judging the first aid kits

After lunch, we went down to Shooting Sports where the boys were taught safety practices in Archery, BB Guns, and Sling Shots. Since so few boys were attending the camp (we had about twenty divided into two groups) the parents were able to participate. So instead of taking pictures I was shooting as well!

The next activity was called SPLAT and built team-work and leadership skills. The boys did various challenges together that they found satisfying.

SPLAT leaders staying hydrated

Crossing from cinderblock to cinderblock with only two beams

At STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), they learned how birds used their different-shaped beaks to get food. The boys had various implements (spoons, tweezers, straws, etc.) with which they had to pick up seeds from a tarp. The tarp kept seeds from falling on the floor. The challenge was fun.

Picking up seeds

Getting a cupful

The next science experiment was making goo from glue. I will not share the secret formula here but trust me, making it was far too easy.

Transforming a sticky substance into a slimy substance

Mixing the goo/glue

More from the trip in the next post!

Book Review: The Illustrated Art of Manliness by B. McKay et al.

The Illustrated Art of Manliness written by Brett McKay and The Art of Manliness with illustrations by Ted Slampyak

The Art of Manliness website and podcast has been offering advice, tips, and guidance to men on a wide variety of practical skills from chopping firewood to shining shoes to jump-starting a car to escaping zip-tie handcuffs and giving a manly handshake. Often on the website, these skills are taught through illustrated guides showing step-by-step instructions with easy-to-follow and classic-looking pictures. They've deliberately patterned them after drawings like those found in old Boys' Life magazines. This current book brings together dozens of these guides and adds some new ones to the mix.

The book is entertaining and informative, full of stuff I already knew and stuff I was dying to know (walking like a ninja is way cooler than walking like an Egyptian (sorry, Bangles)). It both reads quickly and is easy to jump in and out of--if you are like me, the kids are always interrupting reading time.

Highly recommended.

Sample illustration from the website (and also in the book):

Book Review: Fairy Tail Vol. 10 by Hiro Mashima

Fairy Tail Volume 10 by Hiro Mashima

The focus shifts to Erza as the gang enjoys a much-deserved vacation. The vacation is spoiled by the arrival of people from Erza's past who want to kidnap her. She grew up as a slave working on the Tower of Heaven, an R-system intended to resurrect a god who is fueled by hate. Erza's backstory is told in flashbacks as the gang is drawn toward the island where the tower is located.

This story has a lot more drama than comedy. There's still plenty of fighting. The drama is especially tough as children get tortured for rebelling against their enslavement. The story is unresolved by the end, so who knows if a happy ending is in store? The usual notes are at the end of the book, along with a bonus story that's very light, like a filler episode of the anime.

I've slowed down my anime watching so now I am in sync with the manga. I will get the next manga before I watch another episode just to see how that is.

Highly recommended.

Movie Review: Logan (2017)

Logan (2017) co-written and directed by James Mangold

In the year 2029, the hero formerly known as Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) works as a chauffeur named James Howlett (though everyone calls him Logan) near the Texas/Mexico border. He tries to keep a low profile and build up some money for his retirement plan--buy a boat and sail the oceans with Charles Xavier, i.e. Professor X (Patrick Stewart). Charles has been staying south of the border in an abandoned industrial plant. The location is ideal since his occasional mental seizures have not caused the psychic devastation they did several years before in Westchester (a mysterious event that is never fully explained). Logan brings supplies and helps care for the old man. When Logan isn't there, another surviving mutant, the albino Caliban (Stephen Merchant) takes care of Charles. Mutants have pretty much died out by this point and they seem like the last to go.

Until a woman approaches Logan and asks him to take her daughter, Laura, to the Canadian border. Laura turns out not to be her daughter but is part of an experiment to bring new mutants into the world as corporate products (mostly as weapons/soldiers). Logan knows the corporation is bad news and at first refuses. But Charles recognizes the girl as someone he's been in psychic contact with and he wants Logan to do the job. One thing leads to another and the three (Logan, Charles, and Laura) begin a road trip north.

While the story does have superheroic elements, it's more about Logan dealing with old age, mortality, and a loss of purpose. His struggle is realistic and affecting, even when he descends into hard-core violence to get things done. His relationship with Xavier has the odd-couple banter and frankness that shows their long-term friendship so well. They don't agree on everything and are perfectly willing to speak their minds. The actors are uniformly great and the action, while very violent (lots of heads roll literally as well as many craniums show adamantium claws sticking out), serves the story and the tone perfectly.

The great story and the great acting make for a wonderful film that is entertaining and satisfying. My only (and very minor) qualm is that the filmmakers seem to have given up on having continuity among the X-Men franchise films. This one doesn't seem like it fits in with the other stories, but as a stand-alone story, this is superb.

Highly recommended.

Cute Kid Pix July 2017

More stuff that didn't make its own post...

Crafts at the library continue to be lots of fun. My toddler made a fruit bowl just after the Fourth of July. His sister made one too!

Gluing the orange

Adding grapes one at a time

Finished products

The next week he got to make his own train.

Gluing the train together

Coloring the train

Happy with his train

My daughter went to a Harry Potter camp. She enjoyed it very much, making some of the basics for a wizarding life. Each day started with trivia and included the participants joining houses (they had to rotate houses during the week). They also played Quidditch twice.

Her wand

Her hat

Her spell book

She also had the chance to be a counterfeiter, making wizarding money and a little Gringotts vault to keep it in. Does making a fake bank count as counterfeiting?

Gringotts stash

The toddler helped out with baking brownies. The recipe was "follow the directions on the box," so no detailed process or One Ingredient Challenge here. But he does look dashing in a hat and apron!

Quietly mixing

Silly face!

We went to the Baltimore Artscape, a huge art festival that covered a wide variety of arts. We saw some random bugs as we wandered around.

What is a narb?

The NASA camp was cool (though the art connection is slim), especially since they gave out eclipse glasses.

My son at NASA Camp

The big draw for us was the Gamescape pavilion on the University of Baltimore campus. The university offers a degree in Simulation and Game Design and students were showing off their projects. My daughter played one game and chatted with the designer who talked about her work and had a lot of enthusiasm. The kids eventually gravitated to a popular Nintendo game.

The way to Gamescape

Three players enjoying themselves

View from the other side

The console

Cub Scout Day Camp 2017

My son went to the week-long day camp for our Cub Scout district at the county fairgrounds. He had a good time as usual, with a fun increase in skills. Bug hunters was the theme which was woven into a lot of the activities.

The official photo

His BB gun work is fantastic, all the more amazing with almost no practice from year to year.

Target with six bulls-eyes!

Back of the target to show grouping

Target from the second shoot

He did plenty of other fun activities. He built a small wooden box and a fidget spinner.

A bit of crafting

Fidget spinner!

The bug theme infested the crafts with a bit of carving and sanding on a ladybug and a mysterious bee.

Carved bug

Drawn bug

The gizmo on the back of the drawn bug

The geode/mining experience was at camp again. This time, my son had a substantial number of rocks, some quite hefty. I don't know if they give the Webelos more items or he just happened to get a good bucket of dirt to sift through. He was happy.

A load of rocks

We heard minimal reports about other activities. Gaga ball was fun as was water sports. His den made an egg crate for the egg drop. The fire department brings a hundred foot ladder and drops a bunch of  scout-designed devices designed to keep the egg from breaking on landing. My son's den designed a contraption that did in fact keep the egg from breaking.

It was a fun camp and we look forward to next year's camp with a pirate theme!

Camp patch

Book Review: Batman vs. Two-Face by B. Finger et al.

Batman vs. Two-Face written by Bill Finger and others with art by Bob Kane, Jerry Robinson, George Roussos and others

This anthology presents ten Batman tales featuring my favorite from his rouges' gallery, Two-Face. The first story is his origin, when as handsome District Attorney Harvey Kent (later changed to Dent) prosecutes crime boss Moroni, who throws acid on Harvey's face during the trial. Half his face is hideously scarred. People, including is fiancee, are horrified at his appearance and Harvey has a mental breakdown. Moroni had a lucky two-headed silver dollar; Harvey scratches up one side of it so that the coin mirrors his own duality--handsome and hideous, good and evil, Jekyll and Hyde. Harvey adopts the name Two-Face and starts on a crime spree. The coin makes decisions for him--if he flips the clean side, he will do good with what he steals; if he flips the scarred side, he will do evil. His crimes often involve the number two or some sort of duality, like robbing the box office from a double feature or a person who has two faces, like an actor (his own and his character's). The most interesting stories involve his sense of justice and his history as district attorney, punishing criminals he couldn't prosecute because of lack of evidence.

He's a fascinating character as a villain. He has a moral split between good and evil that is resolved almost at random. He's a brilliant guy (he was a top district attorney) and extremely willful except he lets himself be governed by the coin. So he talks a lot about Fate for himself, his victims, and Batman. Sometimes he is cured or on the verge of being cured and he lets Fate (in the guise of the coin flip) take him down the wrong path--I found myself wishing at times he just wouldn't flip the coin. The dramatic pathos of his character is riveting to me. The writers don't always catch that (there's plenty of 2-centric capers that don't delve into his psychology) but when they do, it's storytelling gold.

Recommended, highly if you are a Two-Face fan like me.