Russell Atkinson's Blog, page 36

California heat wave

If you live in the western half of the United States or follow U.S. news, you know that the west is experiencing a severe heat wave right now. It’s 95ºF right now at 2PM. People tend to judge climate issues by the standards of their own locale, and that’s not always applicable to other areas. So I thought it could be useful to clarify what’s going on here.

The real problem isn’t the heat. It’s the fire danger and the drought. Because of the Pacific Ocean, the air near the coast where I live (about 30 miles inland, on the other side of the Santa Cruz Mountains from the ocean) cools off pretty well at night, even during a heat wave. I went for a run this morning at 8AM and it was a comfortable dry 69ºF degrees when I started. This is very different from last summer when I went through a similar heat wave in Austin, Texas while visiting family. It doesn’t cool off overnight and it’s much more humid there. So it was more uncomfortable. I don’t even have air conditioning in my house. I can keep it tolerable just by opening up the windows and skylights overnight or early morning, then closing up tight during the day. So I don’t deserve your sympathy right now.

Climate change is real and I’m sorry that it has somehow been made political. Thermometers are instruments, not liberals or conservatives. The change is measurable and the connection to carbon emissions and other greenhouse gases is undeniable and inescapable, although some will deny it. That whole range of issues is political because so much of our economy is tied up in autos and fossil fuels, which means money and livelihoods to so many.

At the moment there are no huge forest fires burning, but I expect the next several months to produce many. The air will be a major problem for millions and even worse will be the loss of homes, maybe lives, for those who live in the danger areas. I don’t foresee any of this changing until something redresses the overarching environmental, economic, and political problem of humankind: overpopulation. What we really need is for most of us to die.

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My music playlists

Musical taste is personal, of course, and beyond dispute, although it can be fun to argue about it. I like to tell people that rock ‘n’ roll ended in 1968 and nothing after that was rock and none of what was called rock was worth listening to. That usually gets a strong response. It’s not true, of course. I like a few things in the rock genre after that date and you’ll find some in my playlist below, although not much. You see, I left for my year abroad in the fall of 1968 for Japan and returned the following summer. There was no American rock music there and when I returned, it seemed everything had changed. I didn’t like the rock stuff that was playing except for the oldies, so I listened exclusively to the oldies stations.

I also learned some great ragtime guitar while in Japan from a fellow American guitarist. I spent law school learning to love ragtime, boogie woogie and blues. Over the next few years the so-called rock on the radio was no longer rock n roll but Acid Rock or Heavy Metal or Disco or rap or Emo. I began to appreciate earlier eras’ music and close vocal harmony: barbershop quartets and the Andrews sisters, bluegrass, and big band (swing era). Of course, I still like the original rock and roll I grew up on. There are things I sometimes like that aren’t on my playlists, such as ambient music or string quartets because I have to be in the right mood for those. There are also things from early decades I never developed a taste for, like modern jazz or pop “standards.”  I like bluegrass and delta blues and a few country songs, but in general I don’t like mainstream country. Anyway, below is what I listen to now. I have these on my computer and play them through my stereo in my office and on my phone where I can play them through bluetooth in the car. You aren’t going to find much below recorded after 1968, and what was, is largely stuff written and first performed decades earlier.

The performers I listen to most often are Carl “Sonny” Leyland, Eubie Blake, Doc Watson, Trebor Tichenor, Chuck Berry, Pat Donohoe, Mary Flower, Stefan Grossman. There are a few songs for which I don’t have the name of the performer. Those may have been recorded from YouTube or a radio show, although I always try to find a commercial recording and buy it. I believe performers should be paid. It’s broken into three playlists, so you’ll see some of my favorites repeated. That’s also why they start over alphabetically twice.

59th St. Bridge SongSimon & GarfunkelA Beautiful LifeBill MonroeA Real Slow DragScott JoplinAbove My Head, I hear Music In The AirGas House GangAll Shook UpElvis PresleyArkansas BluesEubie BlakeArkansas RambleMary FlowerAt LastEtta JamesBackwater BluesAlbert AmmonsBad Moon RisingCreedenceBarnyard ShuffleChet AtkinsBasin Street BluesBing CrosbyBeat Me DaddyAndrews SistersBert WilliamsButch ThompsonBetty & DupreePeter Paul & MaryBill Bailey Won’t You Please Come HomeThe WeaversBlowing Bubbles BoogieCarl Sonny LeylandBlue ChampagneManhattan TransferBlue MoonMarcelsBlues Stay Away from Me (feat. Eg Kight)Lisa BialesBoll Weevil BluesEubie BlakeBoogie Woogie StompCarl Sonny LeylandBoy From New York CityManhattan TransferBut on the Other Hand BabyEtta BakerBuxtehude organBuxtehudeCall MeBlondieCarle BoogieFrankie CarleCataract RagScott JoplinChain of FoolsAretha FranklinChattanooga Choo ChooGlen MillerCool WaterSons of the PioneersCountry HonkRolling StonesCreole BellesScott JoplinCrow JaneEtta BakerCSL BluesCarl Sonny LeylandDancin the BoogieSylvan ZinggDaydreamLovin’ SpoonfulDays Beyond RecallTrebor TichenorDeep Ellum BluesBill Foss & Meredith AxelrodDelta CrossroadsStefan GrossmanDengozoRagtime SkedaddlersDid You Ever Have to Make up Your MindLovin’ SpoonfulDixie BlossomsRagtime SkedaddlersDixie QueenTrebor TichenorDueling BanjosKeith BillikEasier Said Than DoneThe EssexEubie’s BoogieEubie BlakeFare Thee Honey BluesLisa BialesFennarioJoan BaezFizz WaterEubie BlakeFoggy Mountain BreakdownOsborne BrothersForty-Second StreetBoswell SistersGee WhizPat Donohoe & Mike DowlingGet RhythmRev. Horton HeatGimme ShelterRolling StonesGoing Down the Road Feeling BadEtta BakerGood VibrationsBeach BoysGrapevine GayeMarvin GayeHammerheadCarl Sonny LeylandHandful of KeysJudy CarmichaelHeart Of GlassBlondieHe’ll Have to GoJim ReevesHenri’s BoogieHenri HerbertHey BabyBruce ChannelHit the Road JackRay CharlesHot Rod LincolnCommander CodyI Ain’t Got NobodyJudy CarmichaelI am a PilgrimDoc WatsonI Feel GoodJames BrownI Got You, BabeSonny and CherI like It Like ThatChris KennerIf You Don’t Want Me BluesEubie BlakeI’m WalkinFats DominoIt Don’t Mean a ThingRooftop SingersJackhammer BluesThe WeaversJava JiveManhattan TransferJesu, Joy of Man’s DesiringLeo KottkeJinglesJames P. JohnsonJittersMary FlowerJust Walk On InunknownKeep A KnockinLittle RichardKilakila SlackRaymond KaneLady MadonnaThe BeatlesLei ‘Awapuhi (Yellow Ginger Lei)Bob BrozmanLet the Good Times RollLee & ShirleyLet’s Twist AgainChubby CheckerLeyendaThibaut GarciaLollipopChordettesLong Tall SallyLittle RichardLoud BoogiePreacher JackLucilleLittle RichardMalaguenaChet AtkinsMaple Leaf RagJoshua RifkindMemphis BluesEubie BlakeMidnight SpecialLeadbellyMiss DeltaMary FlowerMission BellDonnie BrooksMississippi MudMcGuire SistersMoonlight BoogiePreacher JackMr Freddy BluesCarl Sonny LeylandMule Skinner BluesFendermenMusic Hall StompunknownMusic in the AirGas House GangMy Dixie DarlinNashville Bluegrass BandNa Hoa SlackRaymond KaneNight Owl BluesLovin’ SpoonfulNight TrainBuddy MorrowNutRockerB. BumbleOld Time Rock & RollBob SegerOn The Road AgainCanned HeatOperatorManhattan TransferOrange Blossom SpecialThe Bluegrass BandOver In The GlorylandBroken Circle Bluegrass BandPallett on Your Dirty FloorStefan GrossmanPeter Gunn ThemeBlues BrothersPierre’s BluesAndrea ValeriPinetop’s BoogieBing CrosbyPolice Dog BluesStefan GrossmanPretty WomanRoy OrbisonQuarter to ThreeGary U.S. BondsRabson Blue BoogieAnn RabsonRadio HulaLeward KaapanaRagtime NightmareTon Van BergeykRailroad BillEtta BakerRainbeau medleyCraig VentrescoRaise the DevilMary FlowerRaunchyBill JustisReelin and a RockinChuck BerryRockin’ Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie FluJohnny RiversRoll Over BeethovenChuck BerryRoute 663 Men & a MelodyRueben’s TrainBroken Circle Bluegrass BandRunawayDel ShannonSaint Louis BluesBoswell SistersSea CruiseFrankie FordSee See RiderStefan GrossmanSan Francisco Bay BluesPeter Paul & MaryShimmy Like My Sister KateDitty BopsShirt Tail StompBenny GoodmanShoeshine ManTom T. HallShort PHC RagPrairie Home CompanionShuffle BoogieAlbert AmmonsSing, Sing, SingBenny GoodmanSixteen TonsGas House GangSomeone To LoveBuddy HollySomething DoingCraig VentrescoSouth Nashville BluesSteve EarleSpanish FandangoEtta BakerSpirit In The SkyNorman GreenbaumSt Louis BluesDoc WatsonStackaleeunknownStatesboro BluesRoy BookbinderStayin’ AliveBee GeesStompin The GrapesTrebor TichenorSuitcase BluesCarl Sonny LeylandSunday StreetDave Van RonkSwaneeGeorge GershwinTake a Chance on MeABBATake FiveDave BrubeckTequilaChampsThe CraveButch ThompsonThe End Of Our RoadGladys KnightThe Midnight SpecialThe WeaversThe MillwhistleJalan CrosslandThe Stars and Stripes ForeverEubie BlakeThings Is ‘Bout Comin’ My WayMike DowlingThinkKatharine McPheeDistant LightsTrebor TichenorTim Sparks Guitar BoogieTim SparksTutti-FruttiLittle RichardTuxedo JunctionGlen MillerTweedlee DeeLaVern BakerUntitled Ammons OriginalAlbert AmmonsWalk (Back to Your Arms)Tami NeilsonWalk Don’t RunVenturesWarm BabyLovin’ SpoonfulWayward WindGogi GrantWhen I Go WalkinJim Henry & Brooks WilliamsWhen You’re Next To Me (Album Version)Mitch & MickeyWill The Circle Be UnbrokenBroken Circle Bluegrass BandWipeoutSurfarisYazoo Basin BoogieStefan GrossmanYes, You Done ItCarl Sonny LeylandYonder Come the BluesLisa BialesYou Got to Know HowLisa BialesZorba the GreekChet Atkins88er on DecaturCarl Sonny Leyland96 TearsQuestion Mark & the MysterionsA String of PearlsGlen MillerAlexander’s Ragtime BandEubie BlakeAnything GoesCole PorterApacheVenturesApeda RagTrebor TichenorArkansas BluesEubie BlakeArkansas RambleMary FlowerAt LastEtta JamesBaltimore TodoloEubie BlakeBarrelhouse DragCarl Sonny LeylandBloomington Breakdown (Live)Craig BrennerBlow Your WhistleDelmore BrothersBlue ChampagneManhattan TransferBlue FandangoMike DowlingBoogie Bugle Boy AndrewsAndrews SistersBoogie Woogie DanceMary FlowerBoxcar BoogieDr. JohnBumble BoogieB. BumbleBuxtehude organ (regal)BuxtehudeCareless LovePinetop PerkinsCharleston RagEubie BlakeColonial GlideTrebor TichenorCome Softly to MeFleetwoodsCompletelyCaro EmeraldCorrina, CorrinaMickey BakerCreole BellesRagtime SkedaddlersCrow JaneStefan GrossmanCSL unknownCarl Sonny LeylandDangerous BluesEubie BlakeDeep PurpleNino Temple & April StevensDeep River BluesDoc WatsonDixie QueenTrebor TichenorDogtown BluesBob CrosbyDone Tore Your Playhouse DownCarl Sonny LeylandDon’t Bring Me DownElectric Light OrchestraDown the Road ApieceChuck BerryDownhome BluesDaddy StovepipeDream RagEubie BlakeDrivin’ BluesPat DonohoeE and N BluesCarl Sonny LeylandEasy StreetStefan GrossmanEubie’s BoogieEubie BlakeFare Thee Honey BluesEubie BlakeFizz WaterEubie BlakeFreight TrainPeter Paul & MaryGet In LineMarty StuartGettin’ It DoneButch ThompsonGin Mill BluesBob CrosbyGoin BackDelmore BrothersGoin’ To Sit Down On The Banks Of The RiverMary FlowerGoing Up The CountryCanned HeatGood Golly Miss MollyLittle RichardGranadaMaestro JerardGrapevineCreedenceGreat Balls of FireJerry Lee LewisGuitar RagMerle TravisHard, Ain’t It HardCisco HoustonHarlem Parlor BluesSammy PriceHeart Of GlassBlondieHe’ll Have to GoJim ReevesHenri’s BoogieHenri HerbertHe’s So FineChiffonsHilo E-E Lili’u EBob BrozmanHonkin’Jerry ReedHot Rod LincolnCommander CodyHudson River RagTrebor TichenorI Got a WomanRay CharlesI Got Rhythm MedleyMax QI’m Blue (Gong Gong song)IkettesI’m Mississippi BoundDelmore BrothersI’m SavedUppity Blues womenIn the MoodGlen MillerIt Don’t Mean a ThingRooftop SingersIt’s All Over NowRolling StonesJerry’s BreakdownJerry ReedK.C. Man BluesPat Donohoe & Mike DowlingKansas CityWilbert HarrisonKilakila SlackRaymond KaneKing of the RoadRoger MillerLast NightMar-KeysLet’s DanceChris MontezLocomotionLittle EvaMaple Leaf RagRagtime SkedaddlersMemphis BluesDoc WatsonMend Concert Piece 1 Clarinet Bassett Horn Pt 2Prague PhilharmonicMidnight SteppersCarl Sonny LeylandMississippi Blues #3Stefan GrossmanMule Skinner FendermenFendermenMusic in the AirGas House GangMy Dixie DarlinNashville Bluegrass BandMy Honey’s Lovin’ ArmsPat Donohoe & Mike DowlingNear the Cross I Watch and PrayEtta BakerNew OrleansGary U.S. BondsNight TrainBuddy MorrowNyquil BluesAlvin CrowOld Joe ClarkJim GreerOld Time Rock & RollBob SegerOn Her Majesty’s Secret ServiceJohn BarryOn the MississippiClaude BollingOne Fine DayChiffonsOne Kind FavorLightnin’ HopkinsOver In The GlorylandBroken Circle Bluegrass BandPeter Gunn ThemeBlues BrothersPinafore (When I Was a Lad)D’Oyly Carte Opera Co.Pineapple RagTon Van BergeykPolice Dog BluesEtta BakerRabson Blue BoogieAnn RabsonRag MamaTom RushRagtime BluesunknownRaise the DevilMary FlowerRock and Roll MusicBeach BoysSchool DayChuck BerrySchubert’s Unfinished (intro)Chicago SymphonySensationGuido NielsenSentimental Gentleman from GeorgiaMeredith AxelrodShirt Tail StompBenny GoodmanShop AroundMiraclesSiboneyPat Donohoe & Mike DowlingSittin’ Here Pickin’ the BluesDoc WatsonSo FineThe FiestasSo Spaketh the BluesCarl Sonny LeylandSolaceTon Van BergeykSon of a Preacher ManErma FranklinSouthside StuffCarl Sonny LeylandSt. Louis BluesJohn FaheyStagger LeeLloyd PriceStatesboro BluesPat DonohoeSugarLisa BialesSummer in the CityLovin’ SpoonfulSunday StreetDave Van RonkSunny AfternoonKinksSweet ManJelly Roll MortonSword DanceSergi VicenteTake a Chance on MeABBATeasin’ RagEubie BlakeThat’ll Be The DayBuddy HollyThe ClawJerry ReedThe EntertainerRagtime SkedaddlersThe Good Fellow BluesEubie BlakeThese Boots Are Made for Walkin’Nancy SinatraThinkAretha FranklinThis TrainThe WeaversThree in One BoogieMemphis SlimTim Sparks Mississippi BluesTim SparksTravelin’ BandCreedenceTripling the BassCarl Sonny LeylandTweedlee DeeLaVern BakerVatican RagTom LehrerWalk (Back to Your Arms)Tami NeilsonWalk Right InGlen CampbellWhen You’re Next To Me (Album Version)Mitch & MickeyWill The Circle Be UnbrokenBroken Circle Bluegrass BandWindy and WarmTommy EmmanuelWipeoutDonna Langdon StearnsYakety AxeChet AtkinsYancey’s Bugle CallCarl Sonny LeylandYonder Come the BluesLisa BialesYou Really Got MeKinks12th Street BoogiePreacher Jack409Beach BoysA Fifth of BeethovenWalter MurphyAnything GoesCole PorterArkansas BluesEubie BlakeArkansas RambleMary FlowerAt LastEtta JamesAt the HopDanny and the JuniorsBaby LoveSupremesBach Prelude #1Ramiro SchiavoniBallin’ the JackJohn JamesBarbra AnnRegentsBetween The Devil And The Deep Blue SeaBob CrosbyBlack Bottom StompButch ThompsonBlackberry BlossomBroken Circle Bluegrass BandBlue ChampagneManhattan TransferBlue Railroad TrainDoc WatsonBlues In The NightBilly MayBoogie Woogie Washer WomanAndrews SistersBreathlessJerry Lee LewisBrown’s Ferry BluesDoc WatsonBugle Corps RagunknownBy My SideBarbara AcklinBye Bye LoveEverly BrothersCannonball RagLenny BreauCarol of the BellsRobin BullockChantilly LaceBig BopperChicken ChowderRagtime SkedaddlersChinese BluesGeorge GershwinCoffee RagTrebor TichenorCome to MeLisa BialesContentmentGuido NielsenCountry In My GenesBroken Circle Bluegrass BandCow Cow BoogieElla May MorseCowboy ManBroken Circle Bluegrass BandCrazy BluesEubie BlakeDancing In The StreetMamas and the PapasDanzaMuriel AndersonDavis-Travis RagRoy BookbinderDeep In The OzarksTrebor TichenorDifferent TimesLaurence JuberDo Not Pass Me ByPrairie Home CompanionDogtown BluesBob CrosbyDon’t Tell Your Monkey ManEubie BlakeDrive TimePat Donohoe & Mike DowlingEarly HoursCarl Sonny LeylandFare Thee Honey BluesEubie BlakeFast BoogiePreacher JackFeverLouis PrimaFinger Poppin TimeHank BallardFizz WaterEubie BlakeFlight of the Bumble BeeJose FelicianoGet Up JohnDoc WatsonGhost Riders in the SkySons of the PioneersGood Day SunshineBeatlesGrapevineMarvin GayeGreen OnionsBooker T & the MGsHeart Of GlassBlondieHe’ll Have to GoJim ReevesHoney Babe BluesDoc WatsonHonky Tonk RagCountry GentlemenHop Scop BluesMeredith AxelrodHot Rod LincolnCommander CodyI can’t sit downunknownI Got Rhythm MedleyMax QI Hear You Knockin’Smiley LewisIf I Needed YouBroken Circle Bluegrass BandImi au la ‘OeKeola BeamerImperial MarchJohn WilliamsInspector GadgetRiccardo BonciIt Don’t Mean a ThingRooftop SingersIt’s Right Here For YouEubie BlakeJamaica FarewellHarry BelafonteJambalayaHank WilliamsJesu, Joy of Man’s DesiringMichael ChapdelaineJimtown BluesCarl Sonny LeylandJohnny B GoodeChuck BerryJungle BluesBenny GoodmanKansas City StompButch ThompsonKilakila SlackRaymond KaneKindhearted Woman BluesunknownLa Vida breve, opera, G 35- DanzaSergi VicenteLast Kind Word BluesMary FlowerLast Train to ClarksvilleMonkeesLiloa’s MeleSonny ChillingworthLily RagEubie BlakeLoves Me Like a RockAlison KraussMac’s BoogieDr. JohnMain Street BluesMary FlowerMaybelleneChuck Berry(MChapdelaine) GrapevineMichael ChapdelaineMemphisLonnie MackMidnight RamblerRolling StonesMidnight SpecialGlen CampbellMind HeistLondon Music WorksMinute Waltz (No 4)Arthur RubinsteinMoney, Money, MoneyABBAMule Skinner BluesFendermenMusic in the AirGas House GangMy Dixie DarlinNashville Bluegrass BandMy Old ManunknownNight TrainBuddy MorrowNon-Stop Boogie Pt1Preacher JackOculus ex EterniSymphony XOh BoyBuddy HollyOld HymnsGas House GangOld Time Rock & RollBob SegerOle Miss RagScott JoplinOver In The GlorylandBroken Circle Bluegrass BandPeaches And CreamRagtime SkedaddlersPeggy SueBuddy HollyPepper SauceRagtime SkedaddlersPeter Gunn ThemeBlues BrothersPHC Jug BandPrairie Home CompanionPolice Dog BluesStefan GrossmanPowderhouse RagJason HarrodPreacher Jack pt2Preacher JackProud MaryCreedencePut Your Brakes OnJohn CampbelljohnRabson Blue BoogieAnn RabsonRagtime Band 53 secG R SolRagtime_PianounknownRailroad BoyGoldebriarsRaise the DevilMary FlowerRecuerdos de la AlhambraChristopher ParkeningRescue MeFontella BassRing of FireJohnny CashRip It UpLittle RichardRoute 663 Men & a MelodySabre DanceLoris TjeknavorianSawmill Piano MenCarl Sonny LeylandSea CruiseFrankie FordShe’s Not ThereZombiesShirt Tail StompBenny GoodmanShout for AlbertCarl Sonny LeylandSilver BellCraig VentrescoSimple GiftsMuriel AndersonSing, Sing, SingBenny GoodmanSister Rosetta Goes Before UsBroken Circle Bluegrass BandSitting on Top of the WorldDoc WatsonSlow BoogiePreacher JackSogno Di PrimaveraCraig VentrescoCumberland GapFlatt & ScruggsSpann’s StompOtis SpannSpikedriver BluesDoc WatsonSpirit In The SkyNorman GreenbaumStatesboro BluesRoy BookbinderStayin’ AliveBee GeesStompin on the RapahannockLeo KottkeSugar BabeMark SpoelstraSun Flower Slow DragBrent WatkinsSunday StreetDave Van RonkSurfin’ USABeach BoysSweet Georgia BrownDoc WatsonSweet Home ChicagounknownSweet Little 16Chuck BerryT S Eliot Society RagTrebor TichenorTake a Chance on MeABBATake your burden to the LordPrairie Home CompanionTeen BeatSandy NelsonTequila & Green OnionsPat DonohoeThat Cherry RagTrebor TichenorThe Double EagleCountry GentlemenThe Down Home BluesEubie BlakeThinkKatharine McPheeThink It OverBuddy HollyTobascoRagtime SkedaddlersTrouble in MindunknownTurkey KnobCountry GentlemenTuxedo JunctionManhattan TransferTweedlee DeeLaVern BakerTwo of a KindPat Donohoe & Mike DowlingUnchain My HeartRay CharlesWalk (Back to Your Arms)Tami NeilsonWalkin n SquawkinCarl Sonny LeylandWaltz in A-flat (Brahms)Chet AtkinsWest Virginia (gospel)Prairie Home CompanionWhat’d I SayRay CharlesWheelsString-A-LongsWhen You Want ‘EmGeorge GershwinWhen You’re Next To Me (Album Version)Mitch & MickeyWhole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ OnJerry Lee LewisWill The Circle Be UnbrokenBroken Circle Bluegrass BandYakety YakCoastersYancey On State StreetCarl Sonny LeylandYonder Come the BluesLisa BialesYou Never can TellChuck Berry

One last note: my playlists change regularly. If you’d seen them three years ago, they’d have been quite different. In three years, they will also have changed. I’m not claiming that this list represents a final realization of the unquestioned best in music.

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Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke

Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Darren Mathews is a black Texas Ranger involved in an investigation of multiple homicides in an East Texas town overrun with Aryan Brotherhood types. I thought this was going to be a hackneyed storyline filled with clear baddies – white racists – and clear good guys – Darren and the poor black folks of Lark. The plot and characterizations turned out to be more nuanced than that and I found myself drawn into the story by halfway through.

At times the author could write beautifully, but there were a number of grating faux pas (plural?) that an editor should have corrected. In several scenes there were three, four, or even five men involved or talked about and the text was full of he, him, his when it was unclear which man they referred to. This was especially bad when Darren’s familial relationships were first discussed and then at the end when everything was explained about the homicides. You really have to work to understand how everyone is related to each other and to past events.

The ending was disappointing to me but I’ll avoid spoilers by leaving it at that. The final chapter was an obvious, and very clumsy, setup for a sequel. Another major shortcoming I can’t let pass is the horrible description of police procedure. Apparently neither the Texas Rangers nor county sheriffs in Texas have ever heard of Miranda warnings. If this were real life, every crime solved would have been unprosecutable. Darren would have been fired or demoted.

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Google maps timeline silliness

When I bought my Google phone a few years ago, I was intrigued by the timeline feature that showed where I had been over the last month. Eventually I stopped paying much attention to it, especially once the Covid lockdowns hit. Lately I began to pay more attention to it again, and realized another reason why I had stopped paying attention to it: it’s wildly inaccurate.

If I get in my car and drive somewhere, such as to a restaurant, the park, or a friend’s house, it accurately shows the location, although recently it thought I had been to the restaurant next door to the one I’d actually visited. However, the data that is completely off-the-mark and hard to explain are the figures given for walking, biking, and driving. The numbers it gave me for May were: 5 mi. on foot for 1 hour (based on the icon), 5 mi. on bicycle, and 117 mi. in the car. This makes no sense. I don’t even own a bicycle and haven’t ridden one in years. If I go the site and click on specific days, e.g. the days I run (with my phone), there are usually entries showing I ran several miles, although the same run, which I know is 6 miles, is shown anywhere from 5.6 to 7.6 miles in Timeline. Sometimes the distance driving in the car to the park is included in the run distance. Other times, the entire run and drive is categorized as a drive. Other days I do hike with a friend. How does that all add up to 1 hour in the summary page? I like to think that I run so fast it thinks I’m actually driving, but I know that’s not the case. Those days are long gone. Someone at Google needs to seriously upgrade their software for this feature.

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Brake, not break

Since I bought a new car recently, I’ve been on a couple of car forums a lot. I see a very common mistake there and in many other places: people writing break when they mean brake. The things that stop a vehicle or machine are brakes. The term break and its forms broke and broken refers to something ruined or that has come apart. It also refers to a spell of rest or cessation of activity, like take a break.

Even mainstream companies and advertisers make this mistake, which seems odd and unforgivable to me. Here’s an example I saw recently:

I’ve seen posts from people telling me the proper way to break my car. I don’t want to break my car.

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Uncertain antecedent

One particular language mistake that I see occasionally and hear quite often on news shows is the uncertain antecedent. It’s a stylistic error, not a grammar one. Here’s an example:

Bob told Tom that his brother had called him and was drunk. He was very upset.

Whose brother is he referring to, Bob’s or Tom’s, and who is the “he” who was upset? It could any of the three men referred to, although if it was the drunken brother, the “was” should have been “had been” to stay grammatical. This confuses the reader or listener. It can be clumsy or awkward to keep repeating names in order to avoid this problem, but a skillful writer can find ways to do it. One way is to use “he himself” or “his own.”

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Agent Sonya by Ben Macintyre

Agent Sonya: Moscow’s Most Daring Wartime Spy by Ben Macintyre
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sonya was the code name given by the GRU (Russian military intelligence) to Ursula Kuczynski, a German Jewess from a leftist/communist family. She was raised in Germany by well-educated and respected intellectuals in a rather privileged society. She thoroughly adopted Communist ideology and moved to China before WWII to help the Communists there resist the Nationalist (Kuomintang) government. There she was recruited by Richard Sorge, one of Russia’s most celebrated spies. She later served in Manchuria, Switzerland, and England, and underwent training in Russia as well. She turned out to have been one of Russia’s best spies throughout the Cold War. I don’t want to spoil it by giving more detail.

I’m no fan of history, especially political history, and I expected this to be a burdensome read for my book club, but I was very pleasantly surprised. It’s not weighed down with excessive biographic detail or wartime battle history. It’s a cracking good read and full of action throughout. People who enjoy spy tradecraft will love it. It’s astounding how she could have been (and was) overlooked and dismissed as a spy by Nazis and Swiss and English counterintelligence time and again. She also had quite a sexual history. She must have had quite a body from the various descriptions made of her. The author knows how to write, not just research, a story.

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Difficult cryptarithm

I recently sent a cryptarithm to The Cryptogram, the magazine for the American Cryptogram Association (ACA), but it was rejected as too hard. It is difficult to solve, especially for paper-and-pencil solvers, but it is solvable through anagramming and persistence. It makes an interesting exercise for computer programmers to write a solver. If you want to try it here it is:

Multiplication (3 words, 1-0) THE RAT
BERRY * I = ELANDS

In case you’re not familiar with the format for such problems, the * means multiply and the phrase in parentheses means that when correctly solved, the letters (i.e. their numerical equivalents) put in the order 1234567890 spell out three words. Each letter represents one digit and initial zeros are not allowed, so you know that the B, I, and E are not 0, and you know that also for the Y because the final digit of the product (S in this case) would also be Y.

I’m not going to post the solution, but you can put the puzzle into this website to get the solution.

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Read the cookies!

Is there a way to tell the advertising world that I already bought a car? I’ve been getting scads of car ads on Facebook and everywhere else that isn’t blocked by AdBlock Plus. I’ll post another picture of it. Read your D**n cookies FB, Amazon, Google, and Bing! Go back to feeding me laxative and ED ads!

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Garage striping

My garage was wired for a Blink EVSE back in 2011 for my new Nissan Leaf. The Blink was on the right side which was fine for the Leaf and much easier to install because of the workbench and washer/dryer on the left. Now with the 240V socket on the wrong side for Volvo, I have to back in to charge. Technically I can do it when facing forward if I pull in way on the right side, but only at risk of scratching up the paint on the roof of the car dragging the heavy cable over the top. The problem is that it’s a tight fit – the car in the garage, that is. If I pull in too far, I cut off access from the house to the wash/dryer workbench area where I get out of the car and if not far enough the garage door will come down on the car. Also, there’s lots of stuff on both sides that causes the warning system to sound alarms at me as I back in, and visibility isn’t good coming from the bright sun to the dark garage, especially with sunglasses on. My solution was to paint stripes on the floor of the garage so that the camera system recognizes the stripes and stops screaming at me as I back in. I’ve tested it pulling in forward and the bird’s-eye view camera system sees it perfectly and I can place the car perfectly. I haven’t tried it backing in yet, but if nothing else, it will make it easier for me to judge my positioning. I don’t expect others will need to do it, but I’m rather proud I thought of it. My butt is still sore from all the squatting. I used masking tape, spray paint, and a sort of stencil made from a cardboard box.

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