For the Record, Scale Check

So the progress continues, at a very mild pace I must say, but still it remains a downward trend. This was actually a shot from this past Tuesday, the 29th, so a couple of days out of date here. The significance of this very minor movement--just one pound below the last "official" low mark (I hit 276.5 back on the 14th, in an "unofficial" measurement)--is that this reading shows progress even after my Disneyland trip of the 17th thur the 21st. It's nice when you can go on a vacation and NOT gain a bunch of weight either then or thereafter. This bodes well for my upcoming trip to Lassen Volcano NP, which starts this Sunday and runs through Thursday, at least (still a little undecided about when I'll get back). I expect more movement downward in the next month or so, then interesting times while I'm housecatsitting in two separate places for the whole month of September. Things might get very interesting.

And it should go without saying at this point, but this does represent my lowest weight...well, probably since I've owned this scale. It's at least the lowest my weight has been since sometime in 2003, maybe even 2002. The only data point I have from that time is a 260 reading the beginning of 2002, and of course I'm still a long way away from that. But it's getting closer.

For the Record, Scale Check

I'm on a roll.

Once again, I've achieved a new low weight. This time it's a relatively large jump, dropping 2 pounds in about a week. This is especially encouraging, since my bike has been in the shop all week, and I won't get it back till Monday--which means I've lost more weight even though I haven't actually exercised since last Saturday. I take this to mean that my steadiness at maintaining the exercise regimen lately has paid off; that is, that my body has gotten used to being in "metabolize mode" and remains there, for the present at least, even without the bolstering benefit of my regular exercise. I'm eager to get the bike back, and get back in the swing of things, to see how far this thing can go before I plateau again.

If I can drop even three more pounds before the end of the month, I'll be deliriously happy with these results.

For the Record, Scale Check

More progress. Incremental progress, to be sure; this is a bare 1.5 pounds below my last lowest weigh in a couple of weeks ago, but this one shows enough movement down to count as a real move for the better.

My resolve to improve upon this number will be tested in the upcoming week; I will not have my bike for a whole week while it's in the shop getting some repairs/upgrades, and I have a giant blister on the bottom of each of my feet (related to the bike thing in a way, but a long story), so it's unlikely I'll be getting much exercise until next week. Of course, next week will see me embark upon a two week housecatsitting gig, at a place with a) a good location with abundant biking trail access and b) a backyard pool for getting some laps in after a ride and/or work. So plenty of exercise on the horizon. Check this space again for further progress before the month is over.

Recently Read

Holy Toledo
Lessons From Bill King, Renaissance Man of the Mic
by Ken Korach

There is a dilemma that lives somewhere behind this book, one that I have experienced many a time with regards to various things in my own life: when you find something great, do you want to share it with everyone else in the world, or do you prefer to keep this great joy all to yourself?

Holy Toledo by Ken Korach

The answer depends, of course, upon the nature of the great thing. If it’s the music of some hugely talented performer, you’re bound to want to share, since there’s no real way in which your own enjoyment of a song or a musician can be diminished by others enjoying the same work. The same applies, to an extent, with a restaurant that serves great food; certainly, you want others to patronize the place, lest it should otherwise go out of business; yet, you also don’t want the joint to be too crowded during those times when you want a meal for yourself.

And then again, there are those great things that you want to keep all to yourself--or, at least, you don’t particularly care if others get to experience their share of that greatness. You’ll be perfectly happy to keep that personal favorite truly personal, to let that secret joy be your own little oasis in an otherwise desert landscape.

For many sports fans in the Bay Area, that latter sentiment surely holds true for their appreciation of the late Bill King.

Reel Reviews -- N

Napoleon Dynamite (+) -- The concept is probably better than the execution, but this film still deserves attention and applause for its oddball sensibility. The auteurs do not fully commit to the details--it feels like the mid-80s, but some contemporary details sneak in to muddle the time frame--and that just seems sloppy. They also fail to be explicit in their thesis (that it's not so bad to be a geek, if you're strong about it). Subtlety is always welcome in this sledgehammer world, but in this case it might actually undermine the movie's statement. Overall, the movie is funny and offbeat enough to make it worth while, but it still leaves questions in the air. Posted 8/10/04.

Network (+) -- I suspect that this film has suffered with the passage of time. That's typical for old movies, but the wear and tear is more impactful with this flick. I'm sure it was great when it was a biting satire; since subsequent history has turned it into prophecy, the resulting reaction has to be one of sadness. The pseudo-romantic subplot doesn't work so well, but the characterization of the dangers of corporate media make this a primer that every informed citizen should see. Posted 3/7/05.

Never Been Kissed (+) -- So fluffy that you half expect the DVD to float right out of your hand--but nevertheless, very appealing.

For The Record, Scale Check

This probably barely qualifies as an update, but technically I did weigh in at less than my previous low weight, so there it is, in all it's glory. Actually, when I first stepped on the scale, the meter read 280.5, so half a pound less than the above (and 1.5 pounds less than the previous low). Then I stepped back on the scale with my iPhone and snapped the picture...but it was too blurry to use, so I had to try again. And on the third time I stepped up, I got the 281.0 reading. So apparently, while I was trying to take the above picture, I gained half a pound. Hmmm. Not sure how that works, but the point is, this new low register is actually a little more legit than it may seem in direct comparison with the last.

(This is also the second time in recent weeks I've seen a reading below the previous low of 282.0; I didn't count the last low reading because it was only 281.5--too close to the previous low to be outside the margin of error. But given the second reading below the previous mark, this becomes worth posting.)

What's notable here is that this low reading is coming in very early May. That's substantially earlier in the calendar year than I've seen previous low readings come up. The significance of that is, I've still got all of the Summer ahead to winnow that reading down even further. In previous years, I've seen my low point arrive in the middle or at the end of Summer, when there isn't as much time before the cold weather hits to keep the downward trend sustained. Thus, I am quite hopeful that the next few months will see even greater progress ahead.

Reel Reviews -- J

Jabberwocky (+) -- Probably one of the weirdest movies ever made. One of Terry Gilliam's early directorial efforts; it bares a familial resemblance to the earlier Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Darker and stranger than its older cousin, it's an oddly wry story punctuated by occasional moments of hilarity. Posted 6/15/02.

Jackie Brown (+) -- In many ways, a typically Tarantino movie. The crime, the oddballs, the hip dialogue--it's all there. Yet, it's also a quieter, almost softer movie than Q's other works. But don't worry--people still get shot. Oh, yeah, and the soundtrack is the bomb. Posted 7/30/05.

Jacob The Liar (+) -- Funny and sad at the same time; plenty of gallows humor to be found in the WWII Warsaw ghetto setting. Robin Williams does good work as Jacob, a lowly Jew who became the unlikely source of hope for those trapped in the Nazi nightmare. An unfairly overlooked movie.

Reel Reviews

Captain Phillips -- Predictability is not always a bad thing. Knowing the outcome, as with this story, actually helps get the viewer through a pretty intense film. Even so, this movie is loaded with surprises that help make it an engrossing experience: the surprising vulnerability of a giant cargo ship; the filmmakers’ treatment of the Somalis (who are not portrayed as cardboard cutouts, but have depth, humanity, and real character here); the hints that this problem (piracy) may be the unexpected by-product of other problems (including environmental degradation, specifically our collapsing fisheries). Lots of stuff to think about here, but that comes afterward, when all the gripping, gut-wrenching stuff has reached its denouement. Posted 4/27/14.

Catching Up

I went out and finally did it--I got a smartphone. In my case, an iPhone 5c, in a lovely lurid green color (high visibility). I've had it since Thursday. So far, I'm finding it at both delightful and slightly frustrating.

The good:

• more space (16GB vs my old 8GB iPod)--more music available to me, space for all photos, and room to grow
• more features (the biggie: constant connectivity via the network; slightly lower down the list: a better camera, and more newer apps available to me)
• combining my music player with my phone (not trivial; I've missed plenty of calls in the past by not being able to hear my phone due to headphones and music via my iPod--now, of course, my phone is my iPod)

The bad:

• its a slippery little devil (this has been a pox on the iPhone from its first incarnation, and it hasn't changed yet--purposefully, of course, in order to prop up the secondary market for accessories like cases)
• a more baffling interface (iOS 7 is not as user friendly as the earlier operating systems; at first I found using it confusing and non-intuitive, plus the visual design is not as friendly and inviting)
• loss of some settings/data (several of my apps did not transfer their data; I had to restore some from backups, and others needed direct input of info; plus using iCloud [since disabled] killed some features like syncing my contacts directly--not good)

But, as with the ACA, among other things, I'm sure this is a thing that will iron itself out with time. I'm happy to have joined the 21st century (or at least its second decade) with my communications device, at last. I gratefully accept your congratulations. Selah.

Recently Read

Season of ‘42
Joe D, Teddy Ballgame, and Baseball’s Fight to Survive a Turbulent First Year of War
by Jack Cavanaugh

Season of '42
By Jack Cavanaugh

Baseball is, famously, the “talking game,” and a lot of that talking takes place in the pages of books. Each year, the depths of winter bring a longing for the summer game, a desire that directs us to the bookshelf in search of yet another of the delightful “conversations” that are so much a part of the game’s literary tradition.

This year, I chose Jack Cavanaugh’s Season of ‘42 for my January baseball fix. That turned out to be an a major error.

The first warning sign should have been the title: Season of ‘42. That title--so closely echoing earlier efforts, in various media (including David Halberstam’s vastly superior Summer of ‘49)--feels unmistakably unoriginal. To be fair, baseball’s 1942 season is Cavanaugh’s focus, so the title may be considered apt. Certainly, being derivative could be overcome by exceptional execution. Great writing, like winning, cures a lot of ills.

Wordsmith

Another term for Stephen's Dictionary:

Paperize
[verb]
To take your collected, rolled up coin change to the bank and exchange it for paper money; to convert metal money into paper money

Recently Read

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
by Susanna Clarke

This book surely must hold the record for longest time it took me to complete reading any work.

Does that mean it’s an awful book? Hardly. In fact, Clarke’s premiere novel delivers an excellent story told with plenty of sharp, witty writing. While the novel has a handful of inherent weaknesses that make for slow going, the bulk of my lengthy fulfillment time derived from my own extenuating circumstances. Had I not chosen to start reading this book just as I was in the midst of working full time (for the first time in ages), and at the same time trying to follow the baseball playoffs, surely this tale of two Georgian gentlemen and their efforts to revive English magic would have held my interest much more deeply than it did.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
by Susanna Clarke

The basics of the tale--how the owlish Mr Norrell achieves prominence as the wizard who brings magic back to the forefront of English life (in the midst of the Napoleonic wars, no less); all that comes of the thaumaturgical efforts of both Norrell and his brilliant student, Jonathan Strange; and the consequences of the magicians’ spells, for both themselves and others within their orbit--provide more than enough grist for an imaginative, enchanting literary mill.

Reel Reviews

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter -- For the most part, it's utterly preposterous. It’s difficult to say why this movie’s authors thought this story was a good idea; nothing, beyond some ham-handed symbolism about vampires vs. freedom, indicates why no less an historical figure than Lincoln should personify yet another fairy-tale fight against the undead. And the distortions of history depicted here are not merely conceits, but vaguely insulting; as if the true story of the events depicted, such as the battle of Gettysburg, need to be fictionalized to make them extraordinary. I’m not sure what they were thinking, and I don’t really have a desire to waste any more of my brainpower pondering that puzzle. Follow that lead and skip this one. Posted 1/8/14.

Recently Read

Cat Sense
by John Bradshaw

Cat Sense
by John Bradshaw

It’s not exactly a mystery: cats are a mystery. Perhaps no animal is so beguiling in its actions, its sense of itself, its mere way of being, as the domesticated cat. And all that enigma wrapped in riddle surrounded by puzzle invariably leads interested parties to both write books about cats and read books about them. No surprise, then, that this cat fancier found his way to the pages of Cat Sense, the recent exploration of all things feline by researcher John Bradshaw.

The book’s subtitle--How the New Feline Science Can Make You a Better Friend to Your Pet--makes multiple promises, which the text comes close to delivering. Bradshaw reports on any number of cat related phenomena using data derived from fairly rigorous scientific research; so the “new feline science” part rings quite true. That stuff about making you a better friend to your cat? Well...maybe. That may depend less upon the information presented, and more upon how you use that information--and even then it may be a dodgy proposition.

Time Flies When You Can't Remember Why Time Flies

I'm shocked and appalled to discover that it has been damn near three months since I posted anything other than a movie review to this blog. Not coincidentally, for most of the last two and a half months I've been working almost full time five days a week--something I had not been doing since 2009. No wonder I've been so tired, and distracted, and thwarted in most of my efforts to be doing what I want to do, rather than what I'm required to do.

It is my sincere wish that all that will change soon. I think I'm just a week or two from working out the details on how I may be able to keep on working but have more time for the good stuff--an arrangement that, if it works out, will probably radically transform my current situation. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

In the meantime, I invite you to enjoy a few recent movie reviews, posted at the right under their usual place. Keep watching the screens...