Timbits

1) There are no Timbits here. We tried to get some at the Tim Hortons in Dublin, but they didn't have any. Probably all shipped to Canada

2) These days, I'm reading only before I go to bed. And I pretty much lose consciousness after two pages. Finishing a book, therefore, is a rare event. The penultimate one was Heinline's (big science fiction writer) famous 'Stranger in a Strange Land'. It's about a man who is brought up by Martians (science fiction was big on Mars in the early 60's because we didn't yet know it was a lifeless desert) and then comes back to earth. Heinlein sometimes does a good job of imagining what it would be like for someone that has adapted to a very alien mentality to be suddenly faced with 'human thinking', but the most of the rest amounts to a 60's free love fantasy. It was a bit of a struggle to finish, really, once you're at 'consequence free sex and walking around naked scene 10' it starts to wear a little thin - even for me. Reminds me of just why I love the cerebral (and gratuitous sex free) Asimov so much.
Fortunately, my last reading experience was much improved. With the departure of a sabbatical member of my research group here, I got my hands on a free copy of 'Life of Pi'. I used the 'I'm Canadian, therefore it should go to me' argument to great effect. Jane read it first and was through it in a few days, thanks to her 1.5hrs daily train ride. I finished it quickly too, mainly because I was traveling on my own to Lisbon (more on that next post), but also because it was very good. I remember Doug saying as he was reading this book 'I think there's supposed to be symbolism or something, but it's really just a guy in a boat with a Tiger'. And while you are in the middle of it (as he was), that is indeed all there is to it. But the survival story will get you to the end and it is there that the smart is. WARNING: SLIGHT SPOILER IN NEXT SENTENCE. The main point, and it is cleverly made, is that what is probably a metaphorical account (that which you spend most of the book reading) can convey more truth than what is probably a factual account (that is given at the end). You are supposed to extend this to the belief in god, but I'm afraid I don't buy it.

3) The 'next generation' video game systems came out just over a week ago. Now I'm sure that many of you are completely uninterested in this, but I would argue that this next launch is in fact a battle between corporate good and evil. Evil would be Sony and their 'Playstation 3'. It is evil because it relies on the 'more power' philosophy that drives needless consumerism. In fact, the Playstation 3 is fundamentally the same as the Playstation 2, but with (much) better graphics and the capability to play Sony's 'blu ray' disk technology. The former characteristic changes nothing about the gaming experience. You will play Hockey or Counterstrike or whatever in exacltly the same way you would on the Playstation 2. It'll just look better. The latter characteristic is great for Sony, because it will commit you to their blu ray disk technology (for movies and data etc.), but it is bad for you because it will commit you to their blu ray disk technology for movies and data etc. If they sell alot of PS3s, be prepared to shell out lots money for HD movies! Sony has also been cocky as hell leading up to the launch of their system. This cockyness, best summed up in their E3 (games conference) tag line 'The next generation begins when we say it does' and their price point: $500US for a stripped down system and $600 for a complete system (with no games, mind you, those you have to buy for an additional $60).
Good would be Nintendo and their 'Wii' system. As one games reporter put it 'While Microsoft and Sony Zigged, Nintendo Zagged'. They did this by pretty much forgetting about graphics and focusing HARD on two points: Fun and price point. I should point out that this is a risky policy. Everybody expects new and improved graphics, and it is difficult to convince people to forgo an incrimental improvement that they know for an unknown 'fun factor'. It was for this reason alone that I sided with Nintendo almost immediately: Companies should be rewarded for being taking risks and being creative. To increase the fun, Nintendo created a pretty fantastic piece of engineering called the the 'Wii-mote' that looks like a TV remote control. This thing is filled with tilt sensors, a three axis accelerometer and an infrared sensor. Basically, it can figure out a) where it is in three dimensions and b) how fast it's being moved in three dimensions. So you want to play a game of tennis? Just swing it around like a tennis racket. It is so sensitive that you can put spin on by tilting it. In other games, it is used like a pointer - one of the launch games, called 'Trauma Center' has you performing operations, using the Wii-mote as a scalpel, suture or needle and thread. So playing games on the Wii is going to be nothing like playing on other systems. Plus you'll get a bit of a workout (though you don't need to flail around wildly, apparently). And price point? $250 US, half the price of the cheaper PS3. And they'll be making money on each system, unlike Sony who lose 30% (mostly thanks to the expensive cell processor and very expensive blue diode laser). And it comes with a game (Wii sports, pretty much a Wii-mote demonstration game, but still). There are two significant (I think minor compared to Sony) downsides: a) The system only comes with one Wii-mote and you are going to want at least two and b) there is currently no service to play online with other people.

The White Cliffs...

If you ever have occasion to talk to a true Brit, here's a little game you can play. It's super easy, and the results are absolutely predictable. Simply say: 'I think I'd like to live in Milton Keynes', then watch as their expression changes from shock, to horror, to illness. The funny thing is, this same effect will be observed if you exchange 'Milton Keynes' for 'Dover'. Yes, in the words of pretty much any brit you ask, 'Dover is a hole'. And having been there, I can now confirm that this is ideed the case. So why, then, did we (Jane, Marie and I) pile into old bessy (see two posts ago) to and drive for three hours to get there? Well, the town may be an ugly shambles (with no Starbucks, even), but there's a really good castle... and, of course the white cliffs!

Left is a picture of Jane and Marie taken, well, on the way to the Sound of Music, really (see last post) but it's good, so here it is. Dover castle sits right on the edge of the cliffs and has a fantastic view of the channel . While we were there, the weather was clear enough to easily see France, especially from the top of the castle (pictured right). The main attraction at the castle is actually the catacombs under the white cliffs which served as headquaters for various armies from the Napoleonic wars to WWII. We took a tour through them, which was less than inspiring, but at least we got to see a map showing the 20 or so known miles of tunnel. English heritage is still exploring them and they think some tunnels might extend all the way to St. Margaret's, a coastal village to the north.

For some reason, the Germans never really bombed what they knew was the british joint military headquarters under the cliffs, preferring instead historical monuments and buildings of lesser military importance. In any case the castle was never hit, and only part of the old saxon church near the castle ever saw the inside of a German bomb. The cliffs themselves are actually as white (or even whiter!) than you think they are. In the picture on the left, you can see the Admiral Ramsey's room (it's the the big window). They sure do love Ramsey at Dover, for orchastrating the 'Miracle' that was the Dunkirk evacuation.

So there you have it. Dover is a hole, the castle has a nive view and the cliffs are as white (or whiter) than you think they are. Happy Trails...

The Hills are Alive!

Jane and I are painfully aware that our time over here represents the last chance for 'free travel' before we put our noses firmly to the grindstone. And so we have managed to visit the heck of alot of places, both in the UK and Europe. But these trips are at odds with another powerful need: To pay the deposit on the house we bought last June. Yes, travel is expensive, I'm thinking considerably more expensive (in relative terms) than it was when my family lived here for 7 months some 25 years ago. To cope with the stress of spending money that we probably-have-but-just-barely in order to do stuff, Jane and I have developed what I think is a unique coping strategy: We make completely arbitrary lists of things that we just have to do before we die. These lists are, quite deliberately, never written down and are spoken of only in order to 1) justify doing something and 2) check something off when we have done it. This is highly advantageous as it allows either of us to at any time claim that something is on our list and that, therefore, we absolutely have to do it. And since there's no choice in the matter, all guilt is efficiently eliminated. Last week, in the company of her mother-in-law Marie (visiting for the week), Jane was able to cross 'Seeing a London West End Musical' off of her list.

Which musical should be evident from the title of this post. If it is not, you are either young or an ignoramous. This particular production of the sound of music was, in part, the culmination of a reality TV show cleverly titled 'How do You Solve a Problem Like Maria' in which Andrew Lloyd Webber (the producer) basically ran a very public audition for the lead role. And I can report that the woman they ended up with, Connie Fisher, was really very good. Better, even (or perhaps more current) than Julie Andrews (if you don't know who she is, please see the second part of the second sentence of this paragraph). Connie definitely had the necessary 'pep'. In any case the production as a whole gets my thumbs up, indeed, it was almost worth the price of admission! This, as many of you will know, is high praise from me, putting it in a league slightly below Tommy (which I saw 60+ times as an usher and never got completely tired of it) and Ragtime, which are themselves slightly below Chess and Rent. Note that this list does not include any Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals (although I confess a top 1o list might).

Here's a couple of things that I liked: Rolf (the post guy) was was darker. It was quite clear that he was manipulating Leisl less for her own protection and more to get into her leiderhosen. And the he was drawn to the Nazis out of a sense of impotence next to the formidable Cptn. Von Trapp. The fact that it was a live show allowed them to make the real life audience the 'audience' for the show at the end. This was pretty effective at communicating the sense of unease that many Austrians must have felt at these Nazi 'ministry of culture' events. We booed when it was announced that Cptn Von Trapp would be joining the German navy. The musical includes one (original) song that was cut out of the movie, a duet between Max and the Baroness called 'No Way to Stop It'.

The only negative thing for me was the fact that, while they stuck to the script (to their credit), they did also stuck pretty much to the original subtext. Consequently, some of the stuff around love, sex and marriage was kindof dated.

In any case, I recommend it. So next time you're in London...

Bits and Pieces

In contrast to my usual thoughtful and coherent posts, this one will be a bit random. This is because this week has inspired me with a quantity of mostly inconsequential things:

1) My Car has survived it's M.O.T test. For you foreigners out there, a 'MOT' is a UK government mandated safety check that must be undergone yearly by every car over 3 years old. And a great way for garages to make money. We were a little worried that 'old bessy' would present us with problems that warranted the purchase of a new (heavily used) car, but got off with only 320 pounds of repairs! That brings the tally for keeping old bessy on the road to a hefty ~2000 pounds since we got her. That's alot of pain, obviously, but the hurt was dealt out in almost bearable quantities over time, so that I never said 'thats it, we're getting a new (heavily used) car!' Still, she is still reliable and I'm pretty confident she'll make it for the remaining seven months of service... Unless her transmission fall out. In which case they'll be trouble.

2) We just took our fourth trip to London since getting here. We came in on Sunday morning, leaving at ~9:00am and arriving at ~11:00. That's twice the normal journey time, thanks to ongoing engineering work. The UK is constantly under refurbishment. Not once since I've been here has my commuting route been construction free. Currently, there are several spots, the major ones being an 18-week long redevelopment of a roundabout in Huntingdon. Our London trip was to visit with my 'British' relatives, those being my Aunt on my mom's side and her family, and to force Jane to walk much slower than she would have liked through the Tate gallery. I should say that in no way does this make for my having to wait while Jane eats on a geological time-scale. For dinner, we went to a Chinese place and had 'Dim sum' providing the perfect opportunity for Jane to tell her hilarious 'a la carte' story again (for those of you who don't know, here it is - I mistakenly thought that 'a la carte' meant that people would be getting their alcoholic beverages from a cart at our wedding. Yes, I did go to French immersion and yes, that makes me extra ignorant for thinking that 'a la carte' involved an actual cart).

3) We saw Borat. Very funny, but not the kind of funny where you want to laugh. No, it was more more of a covering your face and squirming in your seat kind of funny. Sortof like a more intellectual version of Jackass. You're sitting there the whole time thinking 'this guy has no fear' 'I can't believe he did that' and 'crazy bastard'.

4) Jane would like me to write a blurb on the fact that motorists in this country have little moral difficulty in ploughing right into you if they think you are braking a rule. Jane experiences this alot as part of her commuting experience. I got a nice taste of it when, this past Saturday, as we were coming home from the market, we made the near-fatal error of walking on the sidewalk across a driveway. When you do that here, you have to sortof glance behind you to make sure that no car is wanting to turn in. If they do, you'd better stop, because they won't. Actually, in this case the guy did reluctantly tap the brakes to keep from killing us, but did feel compelled to honk his horn and give us the finger on the way by. Classy.