Commemorating an Achievement

 

One hundred years ago today, during the period known as the “Heroic Age” of polar exploration, Captain Robert Falcon Scott reached the South Pole along with his four companions—Edward Wilson,  Edgar Evans, Lawrence Oates and Henry “Birdie” Bowers.

Bowers was a last minute addition to the team, which meant that equipment and rations intended for four were stretched to accommodate five. But the problematic issues with Scott’s expedition began long before that decision.

Used with success by fellow British explorer Ernest Shackleton, Scott had hoped to utilize ponies to haul supplies to the proposed depots along the route he would later take to the pole. However, the Manchurian ponies purchased by the dog expert for Scott’s expedition proved to be of poor quality and ill-suited to Antarctic conditions. One consequence of this was that Scott opted to establish One Ton Depot at 79°29´S, significantly short of the original destination, when the pony transport failed.

A “modern technology” that Scott also chose to employ to transport supplies was the motor sledge. One fell through the ice and sank while being off-loaded. The other two broke down during their foray to the proposed depot point, forcing the motor team to man-haul the load to the site.

Although Scott took dogs with him on this expedition, his previous experience with dogs had not been positive, plus he lacked adequate knowledge about sled dogs. As a result, he never seriously intended to use them in his “race to the pole.” In fact, Scott had, early on, decided to rely on man-hauling for most of the journey—a true test of endurance given the loads each man had to pull and the arduous terrain.

Despite the tremendous achievement in reaching the South Pole, Scott and his team were not the first. The Norwegian explorer, Roald Amundsen and his companions—Olav Olavson Bjaaland, Hilmer Hanssen, Sverre H. Hassel and Oscar Wisting—using skis and dogsleds had arrived at the South Pole on December 14, 2011!

It should be noted that other factors, including unusually low temperatures, affected Scott’s journey. Sick and starving, Scott and two of his companions (Evans and Oates had died earlier) eventually reached what would be their final camp—a location eleven miles short of One Ton Depot, but well past the original site intended for this reserve of supplies. Blizzards prevented them from leaving the tent and all three men died. Their bodies were discovered by a search party in mid-November.

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Adventures in Technology

 

Happy New Year!

The title of this blog states my plan for this year’s blog posts. I have no wish to be a Luddite, but the sheer amount of new technology is overwhelming at times.

What do I plug into? What do I opt to ignore…at my peril?

 And how much new “stuff” can one white-haired person learn? Okay, I’m not that old. I started going grey when I was sixteen, so the white hair has been here for a while. But still. Am I getting whiter scrambling to keep up with the 21 century?

Late last year, I reported that I bought a new computer. Love the shiny black tower and the new matching keyboard and mouse. The inner workings will take a bit longer to get used to—more on that in posts to come.

My current concern is printer capability.  One of the things I asked the tech guy before I ordered my new system was whether or not my two existing printers would still work. Guess what the answer was? And guess what happened? 

My HP all-in-one is, indeed, compatible and up and running. My workhorse laserjet printer…presents a challenge. It is so old it doesn’t have a usb port. Tech 1, who came in to set up the new system, told me he just needed to order a certain compatibility cable and I’d be okay.

Just before the holidays, the cable came in, so I scheduled a visit this past week. Tech 2 arrived took one look at the printer, and announce he’d won his bet with Tech 1. The cable he’d bought was the wrong one! But he knows exactly what cable will work. Just to be doubly sure, can he take the printer with him to test out with said cable at the shop before arriving here today.

Meanwhile, my To Be Printed list continues to grow. Even though my all-in-one prints, I try to limit its use so it won’t suck up the color cartridge.

I don’t care how old it is, I love my laserjet. Keep your fingers crossed. I’ll let you know how it all turned out next time.

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This is my new computer—a shiny black tower and all new programs. In January, I’ll start sharing some of my journey as I learn my way around the new system.

That is my baking.  

For the past few weeks my kitchen has been filled with delicious odors that have tempted family members to offer their services as “official” taste testers. I’ve managed—just—to fill a few tins with goodies for the upcoming visits with family and friends.

Which brings me to the Holiday. There’s currently a fierce debate about exactly what time present un-wrapping will occur on Sunday. Though, come to think of it, there are a few curiosities under the tree already I wouldn’t mind taking a peak at. Tomorrow we collect the free-range turkey —the centerpiece of the dinner. And the evening will end with the

and the latest Dr. Who special.

Whatever you’re doing—have a safe one and enjoy!

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A Skating Journey

 

I’m a day late—on purpose—with this post. Yesterday was the season finale of Battle of the Blades.

Eight hockey players are paired with eight figure skaters. Each week they learn a new routine and skate it with the goal of winning the grand prize—money for the charity of their choice. The routines are judged by a panel of three and, most importantly, voted on by the Canadian public.

So, how well can hockey players skate on figure skates?

By the first show, most hockey players admit that figure skating is a lot tougher than it looks. But what is great to watch, is how these players embrace the challenge.

This is perhaps best epitomized this year by Bryan Berard who, with his large frame, tattoos and shoulder-length hair looks exactly like a hockey player and anything but a figure skater. Surprise! Actually, it isn’t a surprise that Berard and his partner, Marie-France Dubreuil came in second.

Watch a fun skate by Marie-France and Bryan to see what I mean.

This year the first female hockey player, Tessa Bonhomme joined the cast. Teamed with pairs legend David Pelletier, she astounded audiences with her willingness and ability to conquer the challenging moves. No wonder she and Pelletier won.

Watch the skate that Tessa and David did to avoid elimination.

One final note. Part of this year’s skating journey included a very difficult life lesson. One of the original hockey players, Wade Belak committed suicide weeks before the show premiered. It is a testament to the remaining cast members, and Russ Courtnall, who stepped in to replace Belak, that show went on.

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The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari: A Horror Masterpiece

 

It’s that time of year—jack-o-lanterns, treats, and the requisite skeletons, zombies, vampires and other creatures from the horror pantheon appear for a night.

 

What exactly is horror?

 

Merriam Webster defines horror as a “painful and intense fear” and a horror story as “an account of an unsettling …occurrence.”

 

Both these definitions epitomize one of the greatest German Expressionist—and horror—films ever made.

 

 

Directed by Robert Wiene, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is a 1920 silent film that still evokes a sense of horror—that is, intense fear, 91 years after its release. The Expressionist style of the distorted set design combined with the subjective perspective of the narrator Francis, who relates the story of a visit he and his friend Alan make to a town fair in Holstenwall, creates a mood ripe for horror.

 

 

But it is Francis’s story of a traveling hypnotist, Dr. Caligari and his exhibit, the somnambulist Cesare that truly evokes a sense of unease. Cesare is perhaps one of Conrad Veidt’s finest roles, though he is probably better remembered for playing Major Heinrich Strasser in Casablanca. (Veidt btw was a staunch anti-Nazi in real life, having fled Germany with his Jewish wife in 1933.) ]

 

Veidt’s portrayal of Cesare perfectly captures the restraint of a man caught under the spell of the mad doctor Dr. Caligari (skillfully played by Werner Krauss) who orders him to kill. Cesare’s lithe, controlled movements as a somnambulist tool of the doctor contrast sharply with his “reawakening” when he manages to regain control of himself in a pivotal scene with Jane, Francis’s fiancée whom he’s been sent to kill, but kidnaps instead.

 

Many of what are now classical horror movie images appear in this film. Perhaps the most cliché and yet enduring is that of the monster pursued by angry townspeople as he carries off the heroine. That sometimes all too real image is horrific in itself. But what makes it so intense and unsettling is the glimpse the viewer has had of the innate humanity beneath the monstrous façade.

 

 

Coincidentally, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari was one of the first examples of both a framed story—the main narrative is told in flashback—and a twist ending.

 

Check it out—and have a Happy Halloween.

 

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Back in (TV) School

 

Last month while students headed back to school in real life, two fictional schools began their third seasons on the air. And gave us one more reason why no one wants to relive high school.

 

Yes, I’m talking about Glee—the musical-comedy-drama from Fox.

The core group of Glee hopefuls at McKinley High are still trying to persuade anyone and everyone that they’ve got talent. And they do—but somehow this year it just isn’t as fresh.

 

Perhaps that’s because Glee Club nemesis, Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch)—who I love BTW—is still singing the same tune so to speak. Oh sure, she’s now running for office in the congressional campaign, but her platform hasn’t really changed since in Season 1. Get the arts—and in particular the Glee Club—out of schools. Ho Hum.

 

Meanwhile, higher education just keeps getting better and better. With Pierce (Chevy Chase) readmitted to the study group, the usual gang is back at Greendale for another year. But any resemblance to the McKinley High formula ends there.

 

From zany noir detection (Competitive Ecology, Episode 3), to parallel realities (Remedial Chaos Theory, Episode 4) the NBC comedy series Community continues IMO to be the byword for thinking outside the creative box.

 

 

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The Beauty Myth

 

To my everlasting embarrassment, there are pictures of me out there (actually they are in my travel scrapbook) wearing a pair of orange pants! [I should note that I went prematurely white, so I'm a classic "winter." Orange is NOT part of a winter wardrobe.]

 

Apparently my wardrobe on an early 1970’s camping trip to Prince Edward Island was exceedingly limited, because I seem to be wearing those same orange pants in EVERY picture.

 

High school photos — at the time you think you’re pretty cool. Years later, yikes! When I occasionally dust off the yearbooks, my photo—and those of my friends at the time—take me right back to another time and a whole younger image of me I barely remember.

 

But I do recognize that person I once was, who grew up to be the me right now. With, fortunately, better fashion sense. J

 

So I was, frankly, horrified when I received the latest order form for high school photos. Included among the options was one for retouching. The basic option eliminates blemishes. The premium retouch option whitens teeth, evens skin tone, removes blemishes and scars and fly away hair.

 

According to Merriam Webster, the verb retouch means: to rework in order to improve : touch up, 2: to alter (as a photographic negative) to produce a more desirable appearance.”

 

Is this really the message we, as a society, want to send to teenagers? To anyone?

 

In the UK, at least, the answer is an emphatic no. An ad for a Lancôme foundation by L’Oreal featuring actress Julia Roberts was banned this past summer for excessive airbrushing. A similar ad for L’Oreal’s Mabelline line, featuring an airbrushed supermodel, Christy Turlington was similarly banned.

 

Part of what I do as a romance writer is show two people who fall in love with each other, fly away hair and all. So it is disturbing to see a photographer offer to “improve” (for a small fee, of course) who my already beautiful teen is.

 

 

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Space: The Final Frontier of the Reckless Driver

 

…to boldly go…

 

I recently watched a Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, Liaisons (Season 7, Episode 2). During a cultural exchange with the lyaarans, two lyaaran ambassadors remain aboard the Enterprise, while Captain Picard’s heads for the lyaaran homeworld. A malfunction forces them to crash land on an unknown planet—Picard and the shuttle pilot are both thrown to the floor and the pilot apparently sustains a concussion.

 

Though it eventually becomes clear that the situation Picard finds himself in—he is rescued by a lone survivor of another crash—is not what it appears, the image of the two men sprawled on the floor of the shuttle was a forceful reminder of one flaw in the Star Trek universe.

 

Where the H*** where the seat belts?

 

The seat belt was invented in the early 19th century by Edward J. Claghorn. It wasn’t, however, until the late 1950’s that the now familiar 3-point seat belt that is standard safety equipment in vehicles today was invented by Nils Bohlin, a Swede.

 

And yet this equipment feature was, apparently, unknown—or plain disregarded—in the twenty-third century.

 

Developed by Gene Rodenberry in the 1960s, the original Star Trek television series (1966-1969) might be excused from this lack of foresight about seatbelt safety, since legislation regarding the mandatory use of seat belts only began in the 1970s.

 

But what about the twenty-fourth century?

 

Seat belts are conspicuously absent aboard the Enterprise in Star Trek: TNG (1987-1994) and Voyager (1995-2001). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Statistics are clear—wearing a seat belt dramatically increases the chance of surviving a…collision. Of course, seat belt usage would also dramatically decrease the dramatic value of many a Star Trek episode!

 

There’s a lesson in there somewhere. Perhaps it’s connected to the concurrent decline in grammatical standards.

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Taking Stock of Summer

 

Recently re-watched Judy Garland and Gene Kelly in Summer Stock (1950).

 

One of the things I love about Kelly’s dancing is the way he incorporates “ordinary” props into his dances. I say ordinary in quotes, because, of course, the props weren’t just lying around. They were a strategic part of the effect. Like the squeaky floorboard and the newspaper in one of Kelly’s Summer Stock dances.

 

Then, a couple of nights ago, I was reacquainted with one of Kelly’s early song and dance films—Cover Girl (1944) with Rita Hayworth.

 

And, as usual, this got me thinking—Gene Kelly or Fred Astaire. Each of them redefined dance on the big screen, making the moves look effortless and magical.

 

While everyone can voice an opinion on the issue, only seven women are experts on the subject. Rita Hayworth for one, who, with the making of Cover Girl was the first person to have danced on screen with both Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire (in You’ll Never Get Rich, 1941 and You Were Never Lovelier, 1942).

 

Fortunately, with a classic movie channel at my fingertips, I don’t have to take any bets or make any choices. 

 

  

 

Oh, and in case you were wondering, the other women who danced with both Kelly and Astaire are—Judy Garland, Ann Miller, Vera Ellen, Cyd Charisse, Leslie Caron, and Debbie Reynolds.

 

 

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What Would You Do?

 

 

Last month I wrote a post about a woman who wrote a diary while stranded for weeks in her van on a remote logging road.

 

This led me to watch, 127 Hours, the movie based on Aron Ralston’s book Between a Rock and a Hard Place. The book is, of course, based on his April 2003 hiking trip in Utah when his right arm was trapped by a boulder.

 

No, I did not faint at the incredibly realistic climax scene. But I do admit to holding my hand up to block the screen—or my eyes—or both.

 

Ralston had a video camera with him. His video segments during the days he was stuck in Blue John Canyon are incredibly moving and offer an extraordinary insight of the experience.

 

Which brings me to my title for this post.

 

The day I watched 127 Hours, I also heard NY Times Best Selling author Robert Dugoni speak about creating plots and memorable characters. In that  synchronicity that sometimes happens,

 

I walked away from that session thinking about something Dugoni said—“what would you do?” Whether we’re aware of it or not, as readers we ask this question every time we are caught up in a story—a story in which the protagonist must make increasingly more difficult decisions that seem to lead to worsening conditions.

 

127 Hours may be a movie, but Ralston’s story is not fiction, which makes it all that more compelling.

 

Following my convoluted brain for another few moments…

 

The next day I watched The Girl who Played with Fire, the 2009 movie based on the second book in Stieg Larrson’s Millenium series. This may be fiction, but it is no less gripping to follow Lisbeth Salandar’s (Naomi Rapace) decision-making process as she deals with being accused of a triple homicide.

 

But that isn’t what intrigued me. A journalist, for the past fifteen years of his life Stieg Larrson took precautionary measures because of threats from right-wing groups. He even wrote a book of instructions on how journalists should respond to threats of violence. Then one day when he was fifty, Larsson died unexpectedly of a heart attack. He left no will, so his estate goes to his father and brother rather than his partner of several decades Eva Gabrielsson.

 

 What would you do?—Fact and fiction offer intriguing opinions.

 

Oh, and in case you are wondering—yes, I do have a will. And no, I am not planning any vacations to go hiking in Utah, or anywhere else for that matter.

 

 

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