Great Backyard Bird Count

http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/

This last weekend was the Great Backyard Bird Count. My yard had pretty slim pickings--30 house sparrows, 2 black capped chickadees, and one cardinal. Maybe the frisky squirrels scared the birds away. But when I went out for lunch, I saw a bald eagle flying over the river. Kind of made up for it.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"What is reading but silent conversation."

--Walter Savage Landor

LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW

Big snowstorm here in the northwoods yesterday. Had to drive back from a meeting two hours away, and the trees were frosted with snow, and looking quite lovely and tranquil. Unfortunately, the landscape was also dotted with day-glo billboards shouting, "State's largest adult superstore!" But anyway, it made me think of Robert Frost's poem. Another foot of snow is predicted for Sunday.

Stopping by woods on a snowy evening
By Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know.

His house is in the village though;

He will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer

To stop without a farmhouse near

Between the woods and frozen lake

The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake

To ask if there is some mistake.

The only other sound's the sweep

Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

YOU BACK THE ATTACK! WE'LL BOMB WHO WE WANT!

Anniversary of the Dresden Firebombing, February 13, 1945

Allied firebombing caused a firestorm that destroyed the city and killed 135,000.

It's a good time to re-read (or read for the first time) Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse-Five; or, The Children's Crusade, a duty-dance with death." His book was partially based on his experience as an American prisoner of war in Dresden during the firebombing.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S BIRTHDAY

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Allow the president to invade a neighboring nation, whenever he shall deem it necessary to repel an invasion, and you allow him to do so whenever he may choose to say he deems it necessary for such a purpose - and you allow him to make war at pleasure. --Abraham Lincoln

Smoked Sturgeon
February is sturgeon harvesting month on Lake Winnebago

· Ingredients:
· 1 Filet of a 4 foot sturgeon
· Brine
· 1 Tsp. Garlic Powder
· 3 Cloves of Garlic, Sliced (Fairly thin)
· 1 cup Soy sauce
· 1 cup brown sugar
· 1/2 cup Non-iodized Salt
Dissolve ingredients in Large glass mixing bowl. Cross cut sturgeon into 1/2 " Strips. Add fish strips to brine marinade, cover, and refrigerate 3-5 hours.
Rinse in cold water and pat dry with a cotton towel. Sprinkle lightly with course ground black pepper.
Place fish loosely in preheated smoke, using flavored wood chips of your choice. Do Not pack meat tightly on racks.
Smoke 4-8 hours (8-12 hours for Sturgeon Jerky)

QUOTE OF THE DAY

It is an important and popular fact that things are not always what they seem. For instance, on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much - the wheel, New York, wars and so on - whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man - for precisely the same reasons.

Douglas Adams, The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy

COMING UP: THE 25TH INSECT FEAR FILM FESTIVAL

This year's film festival, held on the University of Illinois campus, will feature the films, "The Bee Movie," and "Antz." There will be a question and answer session with Simon Smith, director of "The Bee Movie." Always a good time, and it's free!

READ ANY GOOD SCI FI LATELY?

The science fiction I’ve read tends to be humorous and deal with aliens. Favorites are Douglas Adams, Spider Robinson, and Roger Zelazny. I enjoy watching science fiction movies, especially those dealing with giant insects that are devouring the earth. (I attend the “Insect Fear Film Festival” at the University of Illinois in February). But there aren’t a lot of books with this theme.
I recently picked up “The Interlopers” by Alan Dean Foster. An archaeologist on a dig in South America discovers ancient writings. When back in the US, he has a chemist mix up a batch of a secret potion described in the writings. After drinking the mysterious liquid, the archeologist can see that many natural substances, such as stones and plants, harbor disgusting creatures with slimy bodies and little pointy teeth . When someone brushes up against a stone, the creature will jump on them and become a parasite, and suck out their vital juices, ala Dr. Strangelove. The person will then become cranky or possibly murderous.
The fact that he can now see the creatures and evade their tentacles and fangs angers the creatures, and they invade his wife, Kelli. She lies near death at the hospital when the archaeologist is visited by a member of The Society, a group formed to battle the creatures. Together they attempt to rid Kelli of her parasites and avert a world war.

I generally enjoyed Foster’s writing, characters, and dialog. The setting was unimportant except for the beginning and end of the book. I would have liked the creatures better had they been a long dormant biological terror, mutant insects, or alien beings, although I’m not really sure what they were. They were more fully described than any of the characters in the book.

Some suggestions for similar books are:

Michael Crichton, “Prey.” Stay-at-home dad Jack Forman is hired as a consultant at Xymos, a biotechnology firm. They produce nanoparticles, tiny manmade machinery, that have run amok and threaten to destroy life as we know it. This would be a meatier read than “The Interlopers;” Crichton goes into depth describing the scientific basis of his novels.

Stephen King, “Desperation.” A rogue cop waylays travelers on the road through tiny Desperation, Nevada. But he is no ordinary cop, he is possessed by the evil force Tak, who will take human souls and turn them into killers. More well developed characters and evil forces than in Foster’s book.

Jonathan Aycliffe, “The Talisman.” A statue recovered from a Babylonian ruin has evil influences over Tom Alton’s family.

Bentley Little, “The Return.” Excavations at an Anasazi pueblo site uncovers pottery shards that portray contemporary people who are working at or living near the site. A series of horrible deaths are believed to be the work of the ancient Mongollon Monster.

Michael Talbot, “The Bog.” An archaeologist excavates bodies from a peat bog—they are all over centuries old and have something horrible in common.

Jack Cady, “Haunting of Hood Canal” The body of a child molester is dumped into the water of Hood Canal, unleashing a deadly fury in its depths. The water then begins sucking cars into its vortex, and an evil force takes over the peaceful town.

Greg Bear, “Blood Music.” A genetic engineer creates microscopic genetic computers and injects them into his own bloodstream. From Kirkus, “Bear fans know he can outwrite nearly all SF competitors and go so deep into science that few readers can follow…”

Howard V. Hendrix, “Better Angels.” An alien artifact is discovered in the LaBrea tarpits, proving that the earth was visited by an advanced civilization during the prehistoric era.

BOOK REVIEW

Title: The Other Schulman: A Novel

Author: Zweibel, Alan

In ten words or less: Overweight pencil-pusher decides to train for New York marathon.

Shulman, the overweight owner of a stationery store in Fort Lee, New Jersey, is having a mid-life crisis. The kids are grown, his loving wife seems distant, and his store is losing money. What he needs is a cause, an event, something to turn his life around.

When he learns of a six month training program for the New York marathon, Shulman signs up. It will give him a goal, he might get in shape, and it will raise money for a good cause –AIDS research. His family and friends think he’s crazy.

Besides, hasn’t he been losing and gaining the same thirty pounds for years? So many years, in fact, that added together it would make another whole person—another Shulman. Another Shulman that he has carried around for years like so much excess baggage. Another Shulman that he doesn’t like very much.

Author Alan Zweibel wrote this book in 26.2 chapters, one chapter for each mile of the marathon. If this novel seems more like a screenplay or an extended comedy routine, it’s because author Zweibel is better known for his work as a writer on ‘Saturday Night Live’ and ‘It’s Gary Shandling’s Show.’ He also collaborated with Billy Crystal on Crystal’s one man show, ‘700 Sundays.’

Readers who enjoy angst-filled comedy set in New York (Woody Allen fans?) will be cheering Shulman on to finish line in this book.

Why bother? A thoroughly enjoyable adventure with a hapless hero.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"I'd never known anyone who wrote. Indeed, I knew few people who read."

--Truman Capote

ONLY IN THE FROZEN TUNDRA...

The local Green Bay television station had a feature warning of the dangers of going barechested at the Packers' game. The weather forecast for Sunday's game is a high of 6 degrees, snow flurries, and a wind chill of minus ten degrees. To be sure, there will be a cadre of beer-soaked, soft-bellied men, shirtless and shouting "woo hoo." This is mandatory, like Uncle Sam on the Fourth of July, or Santa Claus at Christmas. The Red Cross will be at the ready with nipple defrosters for Cheesehead casualties.

WE Wisconsinites always like to defeat a New York team, and there have been so few chances lately.

Book Review

Author: Gantos, Jack.

Title: Love curse of the Rumbaughs

In ten words or less: Obsessive mother love meets taxidermy.

Review:

Is Ivy doomed to follow in the footsteps of the elderly twin pharmacists who live across the street? Is heredity or environment more powerful? As she grew up, she realized that Abner and Adolph were a little strange, but they were kind to her and her mother. It came as a shock to her, when on her 16th birthday, her mother revealed to her that one of the men (she did not know which one) was her father. And while Ivy loved her mother greatly, was she bound to follow in the footsteps of the twins, who kept their mother after her death, preserved by taxidermy? With its gothic overtones and very dark humor, this young adult novel is not for everyone.

Why bother? If Stephen King and V.C. Andrews met on the set of "Psycho," this might have been the result. It's funny, and a little wistful, but totally original.

BOOK REVIEW

Savage, Sam. Firmin: adventures of a metropolitan lowlife.

In ten words or less: Rat learns to read and contemplates the meaning of life.

Born in a run-down bookstore in Boston’s Scollay Square, Firmin the rat discovers a taste for literature. While competing with his many siblings for food, Firmin discovers that great books can be quite tasty. It’s while he’s munching on Shakespeare and Dickinson that his hidden talent for reading emerges.
After a life threatening encounter with the bookseller, Firmin is adopted by an eccentric science fiction author. Definitely not a book for children, Firmin’s black humor and literary commentary will appeal to readers who enjoy the, ahem, weird.

Why bother? A unique perspective on life and literature from a world weary rodent.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"I've come to the reluctant but inescapable conclusion that roughly 50% of the adults in this country are simply too ignorant and functionally incompetent to be living in a free society. You might think I'm off base, but every day around half the people in this country go out of their way to prove me right."--Neal Boortz, "Somebody's Gotta Say It."

I am not a Neal Boortz fan, but the people in the library are a good example of this.

BOOK REVIEW

Title: Clemente

Author: David Maraniss

In ten words or less: Terrific biography of the Pittsburgh Pirate great.

Review: Roberto Clemente was the first great Latin American baseball star. The right fielder with the amazing arm spent 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and died in 1972 in a tragic plane crash, while delivering relief supplies to Nicaraguan earthquake victims. “Clemente never held anything back from the people and gave them more than they had any right to expect from him,” said Joe Brown, Pirates general manager.

Author David Maraniss is a Washington Post staff writer who has written other books, including “First in his class: a biography of Bill Clinton,” (1995) and the Pulitzer Prize winning “When pride still mattered: a life of Vince Lombardi” (1999).

Why bother? Much more than a sports biography—insightful profile of a complex man and the insidious racism of major league baseball.

Insect Fear Film Festival

It's time once again for my favorite film festival. It's about seven hours from the northwoods to Champaign-Urbana, so I hope the weather holds. The theme this year is Japanese insect movies--a tribute to Mothra. For more information, go to http://www.life.uiuc.edu/entomology/egsa/ifff.html

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"I had no shoes, and I felt sorry for myself until I met a man with no feet. I took his shoes. Now I feel better." --George Carlin

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"And yet you come bringing me Fink-Nottles. Is this the time for Fink, or any other kind of Nottle?"--P.G. Wodehouse, "Right Ho, Jeeves."

BOOK REVIEW

Title: Ladies’ Man

Author: Suzanne Brockmann

In ten words or less: Handsome young cop falls for older single mother in danger.

Review: Ellen, an English professor at Yale, has a summer fling in New York City with a gorgeous, younger cop named Sam. But will Sam be able to protect her from a deranged stalker? Sam meets Ellen when he is mistaken for a famous author who has agreed to write her uncle’s biography. Fresh from a divorce, Ellen is escaping her suburban Connecticut home for a summer in the city, where she hopes to switch careers and become an actress. After a quick sexual encounter in a limousine, Sam is in love, but Ellen wants just a fling. Who prevails?

Why bother? Romance and danger combine for a satisfying read.