Ann summed it up nicely the moment the movie ended, “So she fell out the bottom of one caste system into the top of another.” This film is based on the novel by William Makepeace Thackeray, and like some of the movies based on Jane Austen and E.M. Forster books it left me grateful that I haven’t been forced into a life of obsession with class, marriage, and pedigree. Although, maybe that’s just because I’m not ambitious enough…
Another gorgeous, sunny day of Morrison bouldering. As beautiful as the weather was, I’m getting tired of hard overhanging problems. After a couple of nice warmups I flail the rest of the time on one or two moves. Ann may have had the right idea bagging the boulders and climbing up to the ridge with a nice view of Denver to the east and Red Rocks Ampitheater to the west.
For a low budget Western, this film manages to convey something unique. A lot of films have tried to capture the harsh beauty of the desert Southwest, the indominable spirit of wild horses, and unavoidable cruelty of wild west society, but this movie succeeds at these things in a way that manages to be captivating but not romanticized. Thanks to Ted for recommending this one.
I used custom techniques I learned from my mom, including using rubber cement to make batik-style patterns, to color some eggs. This was thanks to Ann who gave me a basket of eggs with a card, some dye, and said rubber cement. In the end they really didn’t look too bad, but I must say Mom is still showing me how it’s done.
A sci-fi flick inspired by Isaac Asimov’s short robot stories. It’s not bad - there are a lot of neat effects and a bit of exploration of Asimov’s “3 laws of robotics”. I was surprised to see a Fox movie criticize the idea of compromising freedom for security. It still doesn’t touch my favorite robot movie so far, Small Soldiers.
Still better than the run-of-the-mill action movie, but not as original or interesting as the first one. The amnesia plot device really worked in the Bourne Identity to make an interesting character and motive. This time that motive is watered down with a much more tired revenge story, which seems to require a lot more car chases to keep the pace up. The stylishly-shaky camera work got on my nerves a bit. That, combined with a scratched disc, left a bit of a frustrated aftertaste.
The hike up distinctive Horsetooth Mountain, visible from much of Fort Collins, makes a great afternoon outing. I went up with my friends Jess and Alan in just over an hour, with great views along the way of Long’s Peak to the southwest, the reservoir below, and the plains spilling out to the east. The hills around here have a wavy, dreamy look that appeals to me. The little scramble on enormous-crystalled monzonite makes for a satisfying finish.
Pete and I met Walkin’ Jim on our 1996 Pacific Crest Trail hike, and Pete recently gave me this book. Of all the distance hiking books I’ve read so far, this one does the best job of conveying what a really long walk can be like, and how it can affect the rest of your life. I have a lot of respect for Jim, a man who has embraced the hiking lifestyle honestly and completely.
I can’t recall why I picked this movie. It’s about terrorist attacks in New York, and was made in 1998. I didn’t get much out of it.
This is a biography of Marin Luther made by Lutherans, and clearly Luther is the hero of the film. Catholics might still feel slighted by it, but I don’t think it goes overboard as I feared it might. Luther’s character is kept quite human, and not all of the Roman Catholic Church authorities are simply corrupt, indulgence-peddling subjugators. The film manages to be thought provoking, not too evangelistic, and features some fine performances.
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