S. Evan Townsend's Blog, page 19

Swimming with Manta Rays

I can't believe I've never posted about this before.

I have been, for years, fascinated by manta rays. I think they are beautiful animals as they gracefully "fly" through the ocean. And they are huge. 

So, I was at this meeting about politics in Washington State a long time ago (when I was in the corporate world). The meeting was put on by a business association. And every year they gave away two tickets to anywhere Alaska Airlines flies. I sat at a table after a break and all these attractive women sat at the same table. I felt kind of lucky. Then they did the drawing for the airline tickets. And I literally said, "I never win these things." Then they called my number. I had won the tickets.

My wife and I decided to go to Kona, Hawaii with the free tickets. We'd never been there. So I made hotel reservations and rental car reservations and we went to Kona.

I'd heard about people scuba diving or snorkeling with manta rays. What they do it they go at night and shine bright lights up from the bottom of the ocean and that attracts plankton and the plankton attract manta rays.

So I was talking to the activities person at the hotel and told her I'd like to go snorkeling with manta rays. And she set it up for me (it cost money, of course).

We went at sunset on a boat that went out from the harbor a ways but not very far. Once we got there, they gave us snorkeling masks and pool noodles. The noodles were to go under our ankles to keep our feet from hitting the manta rays. Apparently they have delicate skin.

The mantas that came were small. Nothing like the one in the picture above. But they swam around under us, scooping up plankton with their large mouths. And I loved every second of it. They are such majestic fish. So graceful. I still treasure that memory.

Have you had any experiences you treasure? Let me know in the comments below.

Radio Interview

Today at 4PM EDT (1PM PDT), I will be interviewed on Books & Entertainment. I'll be reading a short excerpt from SMUGGLES OF MARS. Tune in! It's going to be fun.

I'm All Screwed Up

My brain is amazing. Or it was when I was younger. I can remember things in detail from my childhood. I used to be able to read something once and know most of its salient points. Made studying real easy.
In the 1990s I wrote Rock Killer. It has 74 "speaking" characters. I never wrote anything down, I never had to have a "book bible." I kept it all in my head.
Now I'm writing a novel with 34 speaking characters. I had to make a list of every character, job, title, etc. to keep me straight. And I keep finding continuity errors as I edit it.

But my brain is also screwed up. I know I'm bipolar. Technically, I'm type-2 bipolar with dysthymia, That means without meds I'm depressed most of the time but I have manic episodes.  

But I swear I'm also dyslexic, especially when it comes to numbers. I have to be very careful when doing math to make sure I use the correct numbers, especially if the numbers are complex. You tell me "286" and I'll write down "268." Dyslexia is also why I'm a poor speller and proofreader and a slow reader, I believe.

Also, I think I am a bit on the autism spectrum. Not a lot but when I get OCD on something, I really get OCD about it. When I was a kid, I think my spectrum-ness (is that a word?) was more pronounced. I knew I was smart and didn't fit in with other kids and I lived in my head most of the time (unless I could escape into television and later reading). As I got older, I strived to act more "normal" around others. And I think it worked. But I still have problems in social settings. I'm a strong introvert. I just fake it well.

How does your brain work? Are you happy with it? Let me know in the comments below.

Life on Io?

IoI was watching Star Trek: Picard season two on Paramount+ and (slight spoiler) someone was said to find sentient life on Io.

Io (pronounced eye-oh) is the inner-most Galilean moon, that is, one of the four moons discovered by Galileo in 1610.  Due to its proximity with Jupiter, tidal forces keep the moon's core molten and there are numerous volcanoes on the moon spewing molten sulfur.  Some of the volcanoes shoot the sulfur 200 miles above the surface.

My immediate thought was "no way." Io is a very hostile environment. I've been doing research on Io for a book I'm hoping to bring out soon. Io has volcanos with molten sulfur leaving them at over 2,400 miles per hour (I calculate that here and confirm it here). Sulfur dioxide is the primary constituent of a thin atmosphere on Io. Its surface is mostly that sulfur dioxide plus silicas. Io contains little or no water.

There is hardly a moon/planet with a less hospitable environment for life. Especially in our Solar System. 

But, then I thought about what I wrote on this very blog about how we have found life in the most unexpected places. 

So... maybe? It might have to be silicon based, not carbon based.

Life I can see. Sentient life (that has never been mention in Star Trek canon before) is a bit hard to swallow. 

Maybe later I'll do a blog post about all the problems I have about Picard season two. Maybe.

Goodbye Masks (Mostly)

It's been a little more than a month now since the governor of Washington State lifted mask mandates for most situations (except healthcare facilities). And I have to say it's nice to see folks' smiling faces again. It's remarkable how much a simple grin lights up a visage.

Masks are also no longer required in schools in Washington State, unless a school district decides they should be (Seattle's school district has done that).

Some people are still wearing masks and that's okay. It's their choice. But it is now a choice, not a mandate.

I recently visited the Portland, Oregon area and I was surprised how many people are still wearing masks. 

Masks are still required on public transportation (that's a federal thing) until at least April 18th. 

I hate the masks. I have COPD and they made it even harder to breathe. And I'm claustrophobic and the masks made me feel trapped (I'd probably break in seconds if someone waterboarded me). I stopped wearing masks after the first time the CDC said we didn't have to any more. When they put the requirement back on, I simply ignored it. Plus, they said that unless you're wearing an N95 mask, you're not getting any protection. And since I didn't have an N95 mask, I decided not to bother wearing a cloth mask.

But I  made damn sure I had all my vaccines including the booster.

And, as far as I know, I never have had COVID.

But the best part is still seeing people's faces and their smiles.

How do you feel about masks. Do you plan to still wear one or are you glad the mandates are ending? Let me know in the comments below.

Movie Review: Belfast

When the list of Best Picture nominees comes out for the Academy Awards, I like to look and see how many of the movies I've actually seen. When the list first came out there was one: Dune. And I think that was put on the list only in hopes of increasing viewership of the ceremony on TV. Now I've seen a second nominee, and that's Belfast. It didn't win.

I went into Belfast thinking it'll be one of those good but not really enjoyable movies. I saw it was rated PG-13 so I figured the violence couldn't be too bad.

I was pleasantly surprised. Yes, it's about the "Troubles" in North Ireland in the sixties, but it's told from the perspective of an nine-year-old boy, Buddy. I believe the movie is at least semi-autobiographical by producer/writer/director Kenneth Branagh. It has humor and sweetness and danger and heroics by everyday folk. Despite two F-bombs, it's a movie you could show your great-aunt. You know, the church lady. 

Judi Dench does a remarkable job as Buddy's grandmother. His parents, while they do fight, are obviously in love. Interestingly, Buddy's father is played by Jamie Dornan, who's best known for the Fifty Shades of Grey movies.

I really enjoyed this film. And that surprised me.

Have you seen Belfast? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below.

The above photo is being used under Section 107 of the Copyright Act: fair usage.

TV-MA on Disney+

A week ago (about) my smart TV said the Disney+ app (I guess that's the right word) needed updated. So I updated it. I don't use Roku or Fire Stick or anything because the apps are built into the television. Which is cool.

When I opened the app, it immediately asked if I wanted to be able to see TV-MA content. I'm an adult, so I selected "yes." I then had to put in my password (which took two attempts) and then I could see TV-MA content.

The first thing I noticed was that the Netflix MCU series (Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Punisher, and The Defenders) were all now on Disney+! There's a third season of Daredevil I want to watch and a third season of Jessica Jones I want to watch. (I got bored about half-way through the second season of Luke Cage. And I hated Punisher. I think I've watched all of Iron Fist.) 

So, now the only reason I could think about keeping Netflix streaming was for Stranger Things which is supposed to have a fourth season eventually. So I canceled my Netflix streaming service which will save me $20 a month. I still am on the Netflix/DVD.com DVD/Blu-ray service because that's how I watch new releases since I rarely go to the theater anymore.

So now I only have Disney+ and Paramount+ (for Star Trek shows, mostly) and Amazon Prime streaming services. I also still have Dish for television programing.

What streaming services do  you use? Do you think I'm nuts to cancel Netflix? Let me know in the comments below.

The above photo is being used under Section 107 of the Copyright Act: fair usage.

Television Review: Hawkeye

I know Hawkeye first streamed on Disney+ a while back (around Christmastime I think). I didn't get around to watching it until recently (I was finishing up The Expanse). Also, I was a little nervous about Hawkeye after The Falcon and the Winter Soldier went political.

But Hawkeye is great fun. Lots of action and adventure and zero politics. A few twists and surprises, too. And if you've watched Daredevil on Netflix, there's a surprise for you, too (no spoilers).

The thing I liked about Clint Barton/Hawkeye was his concern about his family. Until circumstances forced him to separate from them at Christmastime, he was all about his kids and wife.

plays Kate Bishop and she's not only beautiful, but a fun character. You may remember Ms. Steinfeld from True Grit and Bumblebee. She's a talent and has a bright future ahead of her.

I really liked Hawkeye. More than I expected to. It's mostly fun. And the "Rogers, the Musical" part is hilarious (don't worry, that's early in the first episode). If you have Disney+, I strongly recommend Hawkeye.

The above photo is being used under Section 107 of the Copyright Act: fair usage.

Book Review: The First Conspiracy

I enjoy history, especially U.S. history. And George Washington is my favorite Founding Father. So when I found out about The First Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington I had to read it. 

"It reads like a novel" is often a compliment given to non-fiction books. But Brad Meltzer (with Josh Mensch) writes a book that while as readable as a novel, knows that it's history. Characters move in and you wonder what their role is, and later you find out. You learn about the early days of the American Revolution and what it was like for Washington and his soldiers (it wasn't fun). And you learn about the conspiracy and how it formed and who was behind it.

The only issue I had with the book is the authors over-sell it a bit. It's an interesting story but it ended rather mundanely as the plot fell apart due to the actions of the revolutionaries. I did learn that John Jay, (the first Chief Justice of the United States) was involved in intelligence for Washington. And that because of this plot, Washington learned he needed not only intelligence, but counter-intelligence. 

If you're interested in history, especially of the Revolutionary War period in the United States, I highly recommend this book. 

The above photo is being used under Section 107 of the Copyright Act: fair usage.

Life, the Universe, and Everything

The other day (like a month ago) I was thinking about life. Not how life as a human on Earth tends to be a constant struggle. But is there life elsewhere in the galaxy or maybe even the solar system?

I would be surprised if there's not life somewhere in the galaxy. Intelligent life? Maybe. But definitely life.

If we do meet aliens, they are either going to be cavemen or god-like beings to us. Why? The universe is 13.8 billion years old. Now, it wasn't capable of forming and sustaining life for all that time (it was too hot, there weren't enough heavy metals, etc.). According to this article, life was probably able to form in the universe for the past few billions of years. 

Humans have been around for only about 100,000 years (and for about 90,000 of those years we, too, were cavemen). So if we meet aliens, they are likely to be hundreds of thousands if not millions of years more advanced than we. Or be cavemen.

But life doesn't have to be intelligent. And there's where it gets interesting. On Earth, we have found life nearly everywhere. There's life in coldest Antarctica. There's life around thermal vents in the ocean where the water would boil if it weren't for the crushing pressures. These "extremophiles" live in places were temperature, pH (acidity or alkalinity), pressure, radiation, salinity, energy, and nutrient limitation would kill most organisms. 

So if there's life in places we can't fathom on Earth, what about off of our planet. Most scientist cite Europa (a moon of Jupiter) or Enceladus (the largest moon of Saturn) as places off Earth but in our solar system where life could exist. There's even speculation about Titan (another moon of Saturn) which has methane seas and water ice mountains. Someday, maybe, we'll find this life with robotic probes. Probably not in my lifetime.

What do you think about life off of Earth. Does it exist and, if so, in what form? Let me know what you think in the comments below.