Message 521

I just got back from having coffee with Helen and Jim and Joan and David at Starbucks. Beech and Annie joined us until Julian came after his haircut. I did not watch a DVD last night because I watched the Sharks win their game with Colorado 3-1. After that I watched the news because I had not seen it at dinnertime, which is my usual custom.

Message 520

This message is setting a record for lateness. It is now about 9 PM PDT. Susan and her mother have flown back east for a family funeral. Jason brought all four girls up last night for a dinner at Ten Fu. Walt Umbach was also able to join us. Caroline and Ellie were out of school today so they spent the night with me. We had breakfast at El Cerrito this morning. After that we went to San Mateo to attend the Halloween Party at Beech class. In the afternoon Vanessa joined us to go back to the school to watch the Halloween parade. It was like watching the Normandy invasion. There must be a thousand students at Beech's school. Beech's class was the first to march out and around the field before taking their place in the middle. Beech's costume was Maximus Prime. He refused to tell the nurses at Packard yester what his costume was going to be. I confess I had never heard on Maximus Prime, and I was impressed that Jason knew who it was when it came up in the dinner conversation. Each of the other classes followed in their footsteps. When it was over, Beech joined Caroline and Ellie and me to spend the rest of the afternoon in Los Gatos. Shortly after we arrived I went to pick up the twins at their school. When Jason got home from work we all went to Live Oak Kitchen for dinner. I had liver and bacon and onions as usual when I go there. I am home now after taking Beech home. I caught the last few minutes of Washington week, and now I am watching the Sharks play Colorado while I write this. Ryan Clowe just scored his first goal of the year just a few seconds before the end of the second period. The Sharks are thus ahead 1-0 during the second intermission.

Message 519

Yesterday I finished reading Science. In the afternoon I took Annie to Nealon Park for a couple of hours while Vanessa took Beech to his therapy. Today I am going with Vanessa to take Beech to Lucile Packard Hospital to have new ear tubes put in. He has been getting lots of earaches again, so they need to replace the ones that fell out again. I did not watch a DVD yesterday. Instead I watched the Sharks beat Los Angeles 2-1 in an overtime shootout.

Message 518

Yesterday I finished reading The Economist and started reading Science. In the evening I watched a DVD of another Italian movie by the same writer/director as Cheeky! that I watched the day before. The Italian title of this one id Cosi Fan Tutti, the same as the famous Mozart opera, but the title for the DVD version is All Ladies Do It. This one is shot in Italy and has the same style and themes as Cheeky!, but is less light-hearted and is less successful. I give it 2.8 stars.

One of the guests on Charlie Rose last night was a Berkley professor named Alison Gopnik. I highly recommend that you watch her on the Charlie Rose web site. Her interview is only about eleven minutes long, but it deals with babies brains and how they work, a subject that has long interested me. I think all of you would find it interesting.

Message 517

Yesterday I read some more of The Economist and worked a little more on my memoirs. In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie Cheeky!, which is the English version of the title. It is an Italian film shot in London but with an Italian cast speaking Italian. In spite of the need to read subtitles, it was a light-hearted bit of fluff with not much plot, but it had lots of nudity and was fun to watch. I give it 3.7 stars.

Message 516

Yesterday I watched the 49ers lose to Houston. They were 21 points behind at the half , and they finally got their act together and came close, but by then it was too late. In the afternoon I watched the Sharks beat Philadelphia in a very good game. It seems they are learning how to play consistently at a high level. In the evening I watched PBS.

Message 515

Yesterday I was not able to join Helen and Jim for coffee as usual because I went with Maureen and a couple of her friends to see the Charlie Rose roundtable discussion at Stanford. It was fun to see Charlie do his thing in person. The six people in the discussion included some I had seen before, and they were mostly Stanford people. They talked about the economic recovery, and most of what they said I have heard before. In the afternoon Joshua came over and watched the Sharks game with me. They beat Atlanta 4-3. Josh went to Santa Cruz for a concert in the evening.

Last night I went with Larry and Judi to see a late show at the movies. It was a BBC film with an all British cast that I did not know. The title is An Education. The story is about coming of age and loss of innocence for a young girl who plans to go to Oxford. I thought it was very well done and had an upbeat ending. I give it five stars.

Message 514

After the Friday PBS shows yesterday I watched a DVD of the movie Adventureland. It is about college kids working a summer job at an amusement park. It is mostly lame, but the people are mostly good hearted, and things eventually work out. I give it three stars.

Message 513

Yesterday afternoon I picked up Beech at school and took him to his Kung Fu class. Afterward we went next door for pizza as usual. Julian and Vanessa drove to Blue Lake Springs with the kids last night to spend three nights at Maureen's place. They will be the only ones there, so they will be able to enjoy a quiet weekend.

Last night I watched a DVD of the movie Grey Gardens. It is based on the true story of a mother and her daughter who were relatives of Jackie Kennedy. It was strangely reminiscent of the previous night's movie A Handful of Dust. One was about degenerate British upper classes 1n the 1930s and the other was about degenerate American rich people in the 1950s. Although both were very well made and very well staged and acted, both were downers. It disturbs me to watch people so captures by their delusions. I give them both 3.4 stars.

Message 512

I just got back from having breakfast at Heidi's Pies. Maureen was able to join Vanessa and me this morning. We took Annie to her daycare place so we could eat in peace. Vanessa had to leave early so she could help at Beech's school with an art program.

In the evening yesterday I watched a DVD of the movie A Handful of Dust. It was made in 1988 based on an Evelyn Waugh novel. It was beautifully filmed in color, mostly in England but some in Brazil. It portray upper class British life and manners in the 1930s. The actions of the people are so absurd that it is hard for me to imagine that the people were really like that, but I expect that they were.They make such a mess of their lives that you have to pity them, but it is also disgusting that when they have it all they do not make anything of themselves. It had a great cast, including Kristin Scott Thomas and Alec Guinness and Judy Dench in small roles. I give it 3.4 stars.

Message 511

Yesterday I decided not to watch a movie and instead watched Nova, Warplane, and Frontline shows on PBS. I am especially glad I watched Frontline because I had never heard of Brooksley Born. She graduated first in her class from Stanford Law School in the 60s and was later a successful lawyer and a friend of Hilary Clinton. She was appointed by Bill to be the head of the commodities trading regulatory commission where she foresaw the economic problems we are now going through. She tried to regulate derivatives but was attacked by Greenspan, Summers, and the head of the SEC (whoever he was at the time), and eventually resigned because she was prevented from doing her job.

Message 510

Yesterday I worked some more on my memoirs. In the late afternoon I watched the Sharks beat the New York Rangers 7-3. After spotting the Rangers a 0-2 lead, the Sharks came alive and dominated the game. It is strange how they keep doing this. In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie That Hamilton Woman. It is an old black and white film that is essentially used as propaganda in World War 2. It is the true story of the relationship of Lady Hamilton (played by Vivien Leigh) with the British Naval hero Lord Nelson (played by Lawrence Olivier). I give it 3.5 stars.

This morning I took Amelia to see Larry Morrill for her braces. Melanie had some oral surgery done to free up one of her teeth so it can grow into its proper place as being pulled by a new golden chain. I also had an estimate this morning to replace my awning over my big balcony.

Message 509

Yesterday the 49ers had a bye week and the Raiders were blacked out because their tickets were not sold, so I had to watch whatever NFL games were on. Julian came up in the afternoon and watched with me. As it turned out, the Raiders finally got their act together and beat the much favored Eagles, so it was a shame we were not able to watch. Julian and I watched Arizona beat Seattle, and it was good to see Kurt Warner look good. Vanessa was busy with a project, so we did not have our usual Sunday family dinner. Instead, Maureen and I went to Gombei with Larry and Judi for dinner. I always get the same thing when I go to Gombei, namely the pork cutlet dinner, and it is one of my favorite restaurants, but I usually go only about once a month when Larry and Judi invite me to join them. In the evening I watched another episode of In sector Lewis on PBS.

Message 508

Yesterday I met Helen and Jim at Starbucks. In the late afternoon Joshua came by to watch the Sharks game with me. They beat the New York Islanders 4-1, so we were glad about that, although again, the Sharks did not come alive until they were down 0-1 in the second period. After the game we went to El Cerrito for dinner.

In yesterday's e-mail a typo gave a rating for The Unknown Woman of 2.8 when it should have been 3.8 stars, in other words it was a pretty good movie in spite of being hard to understand. I corrected this typo in the version posted on my blog, but I could not correct the e-mail. Last night I watched a DVD of the Movie Anne of the Thousand Days. Even though it is a true story that I was very familiar with, I thought this was an outstanding movie. It was made in 1969 and Richard Burton was at his best as Henry the Eighth. I give it five stars.

Message 507

Yesterday I got a new refrigerator. My old one had been making a big clunking noise every time the compressor shut off. I had been told that this happens in old units when one of the compressor mounts gives way, and that it is not worth fixing it because everything else is old and near the end of its life too. I have been thinking about this for a few months, and yesterday I called a local store and had them deliver and install a new one and haul the old one away. Thus, I now have one less thing to think about, and all for a little less than $900.

In the evening, after the Friday night PBS shows were over, I watched a DVD of the movie The Unknown Woman. This is the translation of the title from Italian. It is a complex story that is revealed in a mixture of flashbacks mixed in with the present day in Italy where a woman from Ukraine tries to start a new life. It is hard to make out what the story is until it is all over, but it is worth the wait. There is a lot of sex and violence, but it is mostly about tender feelings. I give it 3.8 stars.

Message 506

Yesterday afternoon I picked Beech up at school and took him to his Kung Fu class. Afterward we went next door to the Round Table Pizza and he ate three slices, which is a new record for him. He also pulled another animal from the crane machine, but he forgot to bring it home with him. I told him we can ask if they kept it for him when we go back next week. I then picked up Eddy Solomon at his house and took him to Sultana's for dinner. Mary is out of town and had asked me to do this. He had the lamb chops that were on special, and he ate most of them. His Parkinson's disease has advanced so far that he has to mostly lie down when he eats, but he manages. His mind is still good, but his body is in pretty bad shape.

When I got home I watched a DVD of the movie Watchmen. It is another one of those movies based on what they call a graphic novel, or I would call a comic book. As a result, the plot was absurd, the action was stylized, and the characters were costumed heroes. I almost did not even finish watching it, but I managed finally to stick it out until the end. I give it 2 stars. The best thing about the movie was the music that was all from the 1980s.

Message 505

I just got back from having breakfast at Heidi's Pies with Vanessa. I overslept this morning, so I did not have time to take Annie to her day care, so Vanessa had to deal with that herself. This morning our usual tables were full so we sat with Henry and Reggie, two of the regulars that are there every week. It was a pleasure to talk to them in greater depth than our usual exchange of Helos. Last night I watched a DVD of the movie Henry and June. It is based on the true life story of Henry Miller and his wife June as derived from the diary of Anais Nin. Because I have been such a Fan of Henry Miller's writing for decades, and because I actually heard Anais Nin speak at one of the lectures arranged by my father at The Library of Congress, I found the story very interesting. However, because the impressions of the writing and the speech are so intense, I found the representation by the movie a little flat and boring. It is probably impossible to achieve this same level of intensity to the medium of film, so I hesitate to lower my rating of the movie because of its shortcomings. Nevertheless, I only give it 3.6 stars.

Message 504

Yesterday we had our big rainstorm. I think we got about two inches, and in the hills they got ten inches. It is the first big rain of the season and at least a month earlier than usual. Maybe this year we will break out of our drought pattern. I watched Annie for a couple of hours yesterday afternoon while Vanessa took Beech to the doctor for his earache. In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie The Life of David Gale. It was about opposition to the death penalty in Texas. It had a very good cast and was played as a mystery thriller, but I found the plot absurd and too contrived. I give it 2.3 stars.

Message 503

Yesterday I took Annie to Nealon Park for a couple of hours while Vanessa did her grocery shopping. Annie is a pleasure to be with, and she is learning to do more of the park things each time we go. People still mistake her for a boy though if she does not have a ribbon in her hair. In the evening Joshua brought in burgers and fries from The Dutch Goose and watched the Sharks game with me. It was a 0-0 tie after overtime, so they lost to Phoenix in a shootout. Phoenix has a new style of defense, so the Sharks will have to figure out how to counter it. Charlie Rose had a very good show last night.

Message 502

Yesterday I watched the local NFL teams disgrace themselves on TV. In the morning it was the Raiders. In the afternoon Julian invited me to watch the 49ers with him on his big TV. Vanessa was out with her girlfriends, and Julian was cooking the dinner and watching Beech and Annie. We could not believe that the same team that had come within 2 seconds of beating the Vikings could look as bad as they did against the Falcons. The dinner of pulled pork BBQed in the crock-pot was delicious though. In the evening I finished reading The Economist and watched another Inspector Lewis episode on PBS.

Message 501

Yesterday I watched Stanford lose the football game at Oregon State. Stanford was completely out-played, so the may have to give up their fantasy of winning the PAC-10. In the evening I watched the Sharks game. Again they waited until the second period to come to life, then they took over the game and won easily. I do not understand why they are making a habit of this, but I am pleased to see that they can do it when they get their act together. After the Sharks game, I watched a DVD of the movie The OH in OHio. It is a comedy about the female orgasm. It was mostly an upbeat film, but I had trouble taking the characters seriously. I give it 2.6 stars.

Message 500

Yesterday I had a quiet day at home. I have started taking a Mucinex pill once or twice a day to help me get over my cough. It is good that I have found something I can take to relieve my congestion. Finally the pledge drives are over and the National Park series is over so the usual Friday night programs are available for me to watch. After Washington Week I watched a DVD of the movie. YPF. It is a Canadian file, which I seem to have watched a lot lately. It was a semi-comedy about the trouble people have in their romantic relationships, but I found it a little tedious. I give it 2.9 stars.

I am waiting for Helen and Jim to call to meet them at Starbucks. Liz told me that Sean has gone to Nyack for the Starcraft weekend. I suppose that Jason and Jamie may well have gone too.

Message 499

Yesterday afternoon I picked Beech up at his school and took him to his Kung Fu class. He is used to this routine now, so it is working quite smoothly. In the evening Joshua brought in Mexican food and watched the Sharks game with me. They were behind 1-0 at the end of the first period, but then they came to life and won the game 6-3. The main new guy, Dany Heatley, scored a hat trick in his first home game. I was glad to see this because I was concerned that the Sharks had traded two of my favorite players to get him. I guess the manager knows what he is doing. It was too late to watch a DVD after the game, so I read some more of the NSA history.

Message 498

I just got back from having breakfast with Vanessa at Heidi's Pies. I took Annie to day care so we could have a relaxing meal. Last night I watched a DVD of the movie Foxfire, with Angelina Jolie, who I just learned is the daughter of John Voight. The movie is about teenage girls struggling with sexism and abuse by authorities, but it is rather extreme and somewhat unrealistic. I give it three stars.

Message 497

I just got back from refilling my antibiotic prescription at PAMF. Yesterday I had a cough and was not feeling very good, so Vanessa insisted on bring me a couple of quarts of chicken noodle soup plus big bottles of orange juice and soda. I ate one quart for lunch yesterday, and I will eat the second today. Last night Joshua brought in fish and chips and watched the hockey game with me. The Sharks were behind 4-0 in the second period before they came alive and tied the game 4-4. After that they let down and lost 6-4 to the Kings in LA. After the game it was too late to watch a DVD, so I read some more of my NSA history book. I am now about half way through it. Charlie Rose was great last night, so I think I will watch him again at noon today. It was about the Afghan war. I was especially impressed with Lara Logan. I did not realize she was such an admirable, high-quality person.

Message 496

Yesterday I finished reading The Economist and also this week's Science. Last night I watched the Vikings beat the Packers on Monday Night Football. I was glad to see Bret Favre win. After the game I watched a DVD of the movie Speak. It is about a ninth-grade girl who is raped at a party by an eleventh-grade boy. It is well done, but a little tedious at times. The message is that girls who are raped should speak out. I give it four stars because it deals with an important subject.

Message 495

Yesterday I watched three NFL games. The Raiders completely disgraced themselves in the morning game. The 49ers looked good in the afternoon game, and I can't even remember who played in the Sunday night game. While watching the games I also read some more of The Economist. In the evening I watched another Inspector Lewis episode on PBS.

Message 494

Yesterday I met Jim at Starbucks. Helen is in Seattle to see her granddaughter, Emily. At noon I went to Los Gatos to watch Caroline in her soccer game. Her team won 2-1. In the afternoon I read some more of The Economist. In the evening, I watched the Sharks beat the Ducks, the team that knocked them out of the playoffs last year. After disgracing themselves in their first game, they looked really good last night. When the game was over, I watched a DVD of the movie The Secret Life of Words. It was an unusual movie. It was very slow-paced and understated. Most of the scenes were filmed on an oil platform in the North Sea, where the workers are a bunch of misfits and loners, which was very realistic for that kind of job, in my experience. The only cast member I recognized was Tim Robbins. The plot unfolds very slowly, and only with the last scene do all the plot threads get brought together. It eventually gets to be a very powerful and moving film. I give it four stars.

Message 493

Yesterday was a another quiet day at home. I started reading The Economist and watched the usual news shows on PBS. This National Park series is still messing up the schedule. They did not even show Washington Week. In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie The Lucky Ones. It was a road movie about three soldiers home on leave. The only cast member I recognized was Tim Robbins, but they were all good. I give it four stars.

Message 492

Yesterday afternoon I took Beech to his Kung Fu class. Afterward I went with Vanessa and the kids to eat dinner at Round Table Pizza. In the evening I watched the Sharks lose to Colorado in the first game of the new NHL season. The Sharks looked pathetic. I also watched a DVD of the movie Martian Child. I did not realize I had seen it before until I was part way into it. It was not good. John Cusack is usually better than this. I give it 2.3 stars. Andrine called this morning to say she is reserving her house and a condo at Tahoe for next summer.

Message 491

I just got back from having breakfast at Heidi's Pies. I took Annie to day care so Vanessa and I could relax and enjoy our meal. Last night I watched a DVD of the movie Goodbye Solo. It is an unusual independent film with unknown cast and writer/director. It was very well done though, and in spite of the unattractive portrayal of old age, it was an upbeat story. I give it 3.8 stars.