Review: The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot

Amazon

From The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot, by Robert Macfarlane:


The literature of wayfaring is long, existing as poems, songs, stories, treatises and route guides, maps, novels and essays. The compact between writing and walking is almost as old as literature—a walk is only a step away from a story, and every path tells."

It's a nature book. And a book of geology, history, archaeology, literature, and poetry. It's a journal of walks in Britain, Palestine, Spain, and China. And a vocabulary builder to boot. B-

POTD: Urubamba Pottery

From 2019 08 18 Sacred Valley, Peru

Today's photo-of-the-day is from a pottery shop in Urubamba, Peru. I show it partly to recognize the skill of artisans, but mostly just because I like to say Urubamba.

Bonus photo after the jump.

Best Romantic Movies of All Time*

* Like love itself, a personal choice

This article was originally published in "Richardson Living" magazine. Read it on that website or in the print edition. Or read it here.

The saying, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," applies not just to love, but to movies as well. Putting together a list of the best romantic movies of all time is an invitation for criticism. There are so many great movies to choose from that many readers' personal favorites are bound to be snubbed. I'm of a certain age, so younger readers might not even have heard of some of my selections. You see the challenges. Anyway, here goes.

The Report (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Report (2019): Dramatization of Senate's study into CIA's illegal and ineffective torture program and its cover-up. The CIA, DOJ and both Bush and Obama White Houses all look bad here. An important movie if too dry. Adam Driver is only actor with any life and that barely. B-

POTD: Ollantaytambo

From 2019 08 18 Sacred Valley, Peru

Today's photo-of-the-day is not Machu Picchu. The Incans were nothing if not prolific city builders in places no rational person would think to put a building. These photos are from Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley of Peru, another impressive archaeological site. You might say this is where the Incan empire died. Ollantaytambo served as a center of Incan resistance to the Spanish conquest.

Bonus photos after the jump.

POTD: Maras Woman

From 2019 08 18 Sacred Valley, Peru

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the town square of Maras in southern Peru. Compare with Chinchero Woman. In my judgment, the women of Peru have the best hats of anyone in the world.

POTD: Moray

From 2019 08 18 Sacred Valley, Peru

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Moray Inca ruins in southern Peru. The exact use by the Incans is a mystery. Agriculture, sure, but they went out of their way to make the site more interesting — architecturally and artistically — than would have been needed just to grow potatoes or corn.

Bonus photos after the jump.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019): More of the same. Battles with everything from light sabers and blasters to flaming arrows against a fleet of star destroyers. No one stays dead, no one stays alive. Don't ask me who's related to whom. I don't care anymore. C-

P.S. I confess that during the climax's fiery destruction of the Final Order's home base, I privately imagined that George Lucas's Skywalker Ranch was burning instead.

I Lost My Body (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes

I Lost My Body (2019): French. The strangest animated feature of the year. Like "Lassie Come Home" but instead of a lost pet, it's a severed hand that seeks to return to its body. Accept it on its own terms and it's not ghoulish, it's sweet and even hopeful. But it is strange. B-

Oscar Snubs

The 2020 Oscar nominations are out. As always, some worthy movies are snubbed. Before these movies unloved by Oscar are forgotten forever, here are some, in no particular order, that The Wheel recommends catching wherever they are streaming. These movies received an "A-" grade by The Wheel.

The snubs are after the jump.

1917 (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes

1917 (2019): Two soldiers in race against time through no-man's land in WWI. 110 minutes of continuous intensity. Reminded me of Dunkirk. The praised long tracking shot became tiresome. Any WWI movie that doesn't end in senseless total disaster is false but still worth seeing. B+

POTD: Marasal

From 2019 08 18 Sacred Valley, Peru

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the salt evaporation ponds of Maras, Peru. They have been in use since Inca times and are still actively used today. The salt ponds are interesting by themselves, but their location makes them worth a visit just for the scenery. Terraced on a steep hillside in a canyon, the view is stunning.

Bonus photos after the jump.

POTD: Machu Picchu in Stained Glass

From 2019 08 18 Sacred Valley, Peru

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the lobby of Aranwa Sacred Valley Hotel in Peru. The sprawling hotel and grounds, almost a resort, is beautiful. It makes a great "base camp" for exploring the Sacred Valley. That's Machu Picchu in stained glass in the hotel lobby.

A closeup photo after the jump.

POTD: Chicón

From 2019 08 18 Sacred Valley, Peru

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Sacred Valley in Peru. It's a highway overlook, showing Chicón, an 18,140 ft high mountain peak of the Andes Mountains.

Bonus photo after the jump.

POTD: Chinchero Woman

From 2019 08 18 Sacred Valley, Peru

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Chinchero in southern Peru.

Bonus photo after the jump.

Bombshell (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes

Bombshell (2019): Dramatization of sexual harrassment at Fox News. Gretchen Carlson and Megyn Kelly bring down Roger Ailes. Movie builds tension as stakes grow. For me it's not a satisfactory ending. Fox News is still #1 and the harrasser-in-chief is more powerful than ever. B+

Richardson City Council Goals - Part 3

The Richardson City Council recently decided on the City's 2019-2021 Statement of Goals. There's so much to say, this blog post comes in three parts. Part 1 covered the process. Part 2 covered the (in)significant changes from last year. Today, I close with my biggest disappointment.

Richardson City Council Goals - Part 2

The Richardson City Council recently decided on the City's 2019-2021 Statement of Goals. There's so much to say that this blog post comes in three parts. Part 1 covered the process. In part 2, I cover the (in)significant changes since last year's goals. Tomorrow I'll close with my biggest disappointment.

Richardson City Council Goals - Part 1

The Richardson City Council recently decided on the City's 2019-2021 Statement of Goals. There's so much to say about it. Where to start? Let's break this blog post into three parts, starting easy, with process. I'll move on to covering the (in)significant changes from last year, then close with my biggest disappointment.

POTD: Toritos de Pucará

From 2019 08 18 Sacred Valley, Peru

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Chinchero in the Sacred Valley in Peru. It shows two clay Pucara Bulls on a rooftop. It could be any of countless rooftops in central and southern Peru. The two bulls are placed on the roof when a new house is completed, a promise of protection, happiness, and fertility within.

POTD: Llama, Llama, Llama

From 2019 08 18 Sacred Valley, Peru

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Sacred Valley in the Andes Mountains of Peru. You know what that means. Llamas. If this photo doesn't get you excited about that, maybe the Llama Song will.

Cats (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes

Cats (2019): The costumes/makeup/CGI is distracting. The comic relief doesn't work (dancing cockroaches?). The plot is thin. But so? Cats is what it is, a musical made from a book of poetry about cats. It's always been about the singing and dancing. Critics hate it. I like it. B+

The Two Popes (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Two Popes (2019): Conversations between Benedict and Francis when Benedict decided to retire. Two very different men, with different philosophies, portrayed by two great actors. Only action comes from flashbacks to Francis's early career, which deserve their own movie. B+

Random Thoughts: Big Ten Football in the Snow

Tweets from December, 2019:

• 2019-12-01: Big Ten football in the snow. Wisconsin gets Paul Bunyan's Axe, clinches Big Ten West championship and a place in the Big Ten title game.
• 2019-12-01: The Irishman (2019): Scorsese directs De Niro, Pacino, Pesci (that's all you need) in a 3.5 hour intimate epic (there can be such a thing) about the mob and the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa. A disapproving look from De Niro's daughter, just a look, supplies the morality. A-
• 2019-12-03: Ford v Ferrari (2019): A sports movie. A good one, but still. Predictable plot. Two-dimensional characters. Clichéd dialog. The guys from Ford are supposed to be the good guys, but I found myself cheering for the "wops" from Ferrari. Good performance by Christian Bale. B-
• 2019-12-06: The Sixth Extinction: Global warming, ocean acidification, crop and animal disease, poor land use patterns, all are involved in extinctions rivaling the death of the dinosaurs. Why don't we act? If anything, this book is not alarmist enough. B-

After the jump, more idle thoughts.

Uncut Gems (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes

Uncut Gems (2019): Fast-talking gem dealer is a compulsive gambler whose debts spiral out of control. Shouting, bullying, foul language, and manic intensity from start to finish. Like watching a pot boil over. Adam Sandler is great and atones for every bad movie he ever made. A-

Little Women (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes

Little Women (2019): Clever meta-adaptation of the classic novel. If you are unfamiliar with it, the many characters and arcs and jumps in timeline will be challenging to follow. But by the end, it all comes together. Great acting all around but Saoirse Ronan excels. A-

POTD: Bajada de los Baños

From 2019 08 17 Lima, Peru

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Bajada de los Baños neighborhood in the Barranco District of Lima, Peru. It's a narrow pathway down from the city to the sea, today lined with restaurants and amazing street art.

Bonus photo after the jump.

POTD: Pageant Queen

From 2019 08 17 Lima, Peru

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Bajada de los Baños neighborhood in the Barranco District of Lima, Peru. The district provides beautiful backdrops for beautiful women to be photographed beautifully.

Bonus photo after the jump.

POTD: Mujeres

From 2019 08 17 Lima, Peru

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Bajada de los Baños neighborhood in the Barranco District of Lima, Peru. It's a narrow pathway down from the city to the sea, today lined with restaurants and amazing street art. It's a must-visit scene in Lima.

Bonus photo after the jump.

POTD: Vermillion Flycatcher

From 2019 08 17 Lima, Peru

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Lima, Peru. It shows a Vermillion Flycatcher perched on a, well, I'm not positive what kind of tree this is. Can anyone help?

Vitruvian Lights 2019

Merry Christmas from Vitruvian Lights in Addison, Texas.

More photos after the jump.

POTD: Lima Street Art

From 2019 08 17 Lima, Peru

Today's photo-of-the-day is from a city street in Lima, Peru.

POTD: Breastplate in Museo Larco

From 2019 08 17 Lima, Peru

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Museo Larco in Lima, Peru. It shows a pre-Columbian turquoise and clay breastplate.

The Aeronauts (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Aeronauts (2019): Account of a record-setting balloon ascent in 1862. Not a documentary, not a biopic, not even a very good drama. Story arc is entirely predictable. But still, it gives some idea of a time of life-risking scientific exploration mostly forgotten today. B-

POTD: Sala Erótica del Museo Larco

From 2019 08 17 Lima, Peru

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Museo Larco in Lima, Peru. It shows a pre-Columbian pottery piece from the Sala Erótica. It's one of the tamer pieces in this gallery. Enough said.

POTD: Lima Hillside

From 2019 08 17 Lima, Peru

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Lima, Peru. It shows a residential neighborhood far from the city center. There are countless stories here, waiting to be told. Unfortunately, I don't know any of them, so all I can offer is an enticing photo.

POTD: Lonely Isolation

From 2019 08 17 Lima, Peru

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Pachacamac, an archaeological site outside Lima, Peru. For 1,500 years it flourished with a large population and 1,500 acres of pyramids, temples, palaces, government buildings, and residences. Today it stands in magnificent isolation, desert all around except to the west, where the Pacific Ocean stretches out seemingly without end.

Bonus photo after the jump.

The Last Black Man in San Francisco (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Last Black Man in San Francisco (2019): Love letter to a grand old house and one man's search for roots, family, friends, and belonging. Story avoids predictable paths. Characters surprise in their resistance to stereotypes. Except for the whites. B+

POTD: Pachacamac

From 2019 08 17 Lima, Peru

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Pachacamac, an archaeological site outside Lima, Peru. The site dates from about 200 A.D. The pyramid shown probably dates to about 1400, just prior to the Inca conquest of Peru. The whole site flourished until the Spanish conquest in the 1500s.

Bonus photo after the jump.

Brittany Runs a Marathon (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes

Brittany Runs a Marathon (2019): 28-yr-old, not very likable woman with low self-esteem decides to train for a marathon to get in shape. Totally predictable plot, starting with the title. Only very occasional laughs. Still it could be inspirational for the right audience. C+

POTD: The Park with Three Names

From 2019 08 17 Lima, Peru

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Miraflores district of Lima, Peru. It shows Parque Central de Miraflores, now known as Parque Kennedy, dedicated to the US President back when US Presidents were still respected. And everyone knows it as the cat park. The church in the park adopted cats to deal with a rat problem in the 1980s. The rats are gone, but the cats remain. Whatever you call it, it's the place to dine, dance, shop, or do whatever it is this group of young people is doing.

More photos after the jump.

POTD: CityBike Lima

From 2019 08 17 Lima, Peru

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Miraflores district of Lima, Peru. It shows an option for cheap, convenient transit: CityBike Lima. Nothing special here. And that's how it should be everywhere.

Dolemite is My Name (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes

Dolemite is My Name (2019): Eddie Murphy as Rudy Ray Moore, a struggling comic who succeeds making raunchy records for the black community. Then he makes a blaxpoitation movie that's so bad it's good. Unfortunately, this biopic is only bad. Dolemite is no Tommy Wiseau. C-

POTD: Selfie with Police

From 2019 08 17 Lima, Peru

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Plaza de Armas de Lima in Peru. The unidentified woman is obviously taking a selfie with the Cathedral of Lima in her background. What the police in riot gear are expecting to happen was never discovered. On another side of the plaza is the presidential palace. Maybe a political protest there?

After the jump, another tourist getting a photo with the police in front of that presidential palace.

POTD: Catacombs of Lima

From 2019 08 17 Lima, Peru

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the catacombs of the Basilica de San Francisco de Lima in Peru. If the few skulls visible through the grate in the main aisle of the church are not enough to impress the certainty of death on you, just take a walk down into the catacombs, where 25,000 bodies were interred up until the early 1800s.

More photo after the jump.

POTD: Memento Mori

From 2019 08 17 Lima, Peru

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Basilica de San Francisco de Lima in Peru. Walk up the main aisle of the basilica and halfway to the altar you walk over a grate in the floor. Below are these skulls, reminders of our own mortality, that this world is only our temporary home.

A less jarring photo of the basilica is after the jump. The dark spot in the aisle floor is the grate.

Marriage Story (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes

Marriage Story (2019): Intimate portrait of a marriage coming apart. Lots of touching scenes, heart-breaking scenes and searing scenes. Lots of dialog gives lots of opportunity to dissect everything about this relationship. Scarlet Johansson and Adam Driver deserve Oscar noms. A-

POTD: Tulips for a Good Cause

From 2019 04 09 Waxahachie

Today's photo-of-the-day is to brighten your day between Thanksgiving and Christmas, when winter approaches and spirits might be low. It's from Waxahachie's Poston Gardens.

"Poston Gardens is only open during tulip season (spring) when the tulips are blooming. When you visit, you'll see hundreds of thousands of tulips blooming. Pick your favorites, take them home and even buy your own tulips to plant at home. And get the best pictures to share with family and friends. Poston Gardens is a 501 c3 organization helping to fund scholarships at Daymark Living for adults living with intellectual and developmental delays."

Next spring, make it a point to pay them a visit. Until then, enjoy the pretty picture.

POTD: Fridheimar

From 2019 03 01 Iceland

Today's photo-of-the-day shows the Fridheimar greenhouse in Iceland. Visting Iceland, the land of fire and ice, in winter, might give you the impression of a barren land. But then you come across this greenhouse, filled with tomatoes, and not just that, a restaurant among the plants serving fresh vegetables year round.

Bonus photos after the jump.

Review: The Sixth Extinction

Amazon

From The Sixth Extinction, by Elizabeth Kolbert:


Very, very occasionally in the distant past, the planet has undergone change so wrenching that the diversity of life has plummeted. Five of these ancient events were catastrophic enough that they're put in their own category: the so-called Big Five. In what seems like a fantastic coincidence, but is probably no coincidence at all, the history of these events is recovered just as people come to realize that they are causing another one."

In a calm, reasoned, tone, Kolbert lays out the case that we are living through a mass extinction on Earth. We should be tearing out hair out, but we are not. Despite the intelligence of our species, humans are such obtuse creatures.