Approaching Darkness

 I've never been a fan of year round exercise.  Rather, I do it when I have to, usually for 6-9 weeks before a major hiking trip to New Mexico.  For upcoming city walking, 4-6 weeks usually does it.  However, since our sidewalks became rather busy in the Spring due to so many people being home, I have been indoors on the treadmill and the weight bench.  This has been going on since early June now, and I have maintained fitness since then, adding stretches and neck exercises to the light weights, walking (including uphill, as the treadmill has that option), and stomach exercises.  As a result I am probably more generally fit now than ever before in my adult life.  This Friday I hope to undertake the first of my longer walks, following our local rails to trails for 6 miles.  Mild, sunny weather is predicted.  Deb will walk part way with me, return for the car, then meet me at the end about 2 1/2 hours later.  Looking forward to my first long walk in ages.

In blog news, here are some stats for my 3 most popular blogs:

1) Deep Sky NGC (my astronomy blog) has had a total of 14,469 views to date.  This is by far my most popular blog, with 129 posts.

2) Lone Mountain Homestead (my everyday blog) has had a total of 7,595 views, with a total of 228 posts.

3) Avon/Equinox SF Rediscovery Series has had 5,824 views, with 24 entries.  However, each entry has had multiple updates as I continue to read books by these authors.

We received our first issue of National Geographic Magazine today, all all-Corona Virus issue.  I reported earlier that I subscribed so that I could view their entire pull-out map collection on line.  I am slowly studying many of the maps.  Most recently I was studying a world map that was released in 1941, based on 1939 data.  There are many fascinating elements to this beautiful creation, but I was particularly enchanted with a small sidebar map which I include, below.  It is self-explanatory.

An early world map created by National Geographic Magazine back in 1941.  This is a small sidebar map featured near the top.

 

I also am continuing with my study of every topo map of New Mexico, and will try to include part of one in the near future.

 

In film-watching news, Deb had two choices recently, and both were really good.  First up was Vincente Minelli's 1955 Cinemascope creation called The Cobweb.  Starring Richard Widmark as a forward thinking doctor in a sanitarium for people who have had breakdowns and cannot cope with the outside world, it also stars Lauren Bacall, Lillian Gish, Charles Boyer, and Gloria Grahame!  Wonderful acting and a pretty good story that revolves around putting new drapes in the hospital library windows.  You've never seen a movie before than depended so much on curtains!  Good stuff!

 

Now showing on Criterion. 

 

Next up was The Heiress, from 1949 and starring Olivia de Havilland, Montgomery Clift, and Ralph Richardson.  Based on Henry James' Washington Square, Ms de Havilland gives a tour de force performance as an awkward, unattractive, and shy young woman who lives with her physician father.  Father dislikes her, always comparing her unfavourably to his deceased wife, who was apparently the world's most perfect woman.  A suitor convinces her that he loves her.  But does he, or does he only want her inheritance?  Take a wild guess.  An excellent film!

 

Now showing on Criterion. 

 

I chose Part 2 of Fassbinder's TV series, called Eight Hours Don't Make a Day. This episode is concerned with grandma's (Oma's) need to escape the home of her daughter and son-in-law, where she lives. She has found a boyfriend, and they scheme to get an apartment together.  It's a very funny episode, as they end up opening a day care centre.  Starring many of Rainer's usual stock of actors and actresses, this series was made in 1972.  Most enjoyable so far.

 

Lastly comes 1933's Footlight Parade, another Busby Berkeley showcase.  The difference this time is that the star is Jimmy Cagney.  He plays his part at a breakneck speed, cracking one-liners alongside Joan Blondell, his secretary who loves him, but it is unrequited.  She makes a perfect partner for him in this film, and they make an amazing team.  Ruby Keeler starts out wearing glasses and playing the part of a likeable nerd, but soon enough she is awkwardly dancing her way to stardom, as she usually does.  Dick Powell is there to croon.  Fun to watch, with many hilarious moments, including a singing duet between two lovers, being demonstrated to the showgirls by two men.  The one playing the female role sings while puffing on a cigar, curled up in Dick Powell's arms.  The two big show stop numbers are "By a Waterfall," a favourite song of Bugs Bunny when in the shower, and "Shanghai Lil", with Ruby Keeler dressed and made up as a Chinese girl.

 

Now showing on Criterion.
 

 I haven't forgotten about the DIA.  Perhaps next time.

 

Mapman Mike 

 

 

Friday the 13th

 Usually a lucky day for us witches and warlocks, we'll see if the skies clear and another astronomy observing night presents itself.  I've had four nights so far in less than a week, and anticipating a 5th one.  Usually November is dark, wet, and dreary.  However, like this year, it does occasionally surprise.  I leave home around 5:15 pm and return around 11 pm, so observing at this time of year does not mess up the body clock.  However, I have to drive through some heavy traffic to get there at that time.

In other news, I saw my specialist regarding my vertigo.  He has me full time on beta-histine.  It's been a week now and it might be helping--no attacks in over 10 days now.  My recent record is 13 days, so I'm hoping to break that one.  The air pressure seems to be easing up a bit, too, and the tinnitus is reduced.  So things seems to be improving.

My days are filled with writing up my astronomy notes, maintaining my piano program, reading, and watching movies.  As usual I'm a bit behind on our movie watching, so here goes.  Deb's most recent choice was the 1974 Swallows and Amazons.  We had seen it many years ago, and tuned in to see it again.  It's amazing how slow moving this wonderful children's picture seems in 2020, with nearly all kids movies these days moving at lightning speed.  Imagine kids sitting down today and watching a movie about kids sailing around a lake, camping out without adults on an island, and exploring.  I don't think the average child of today would last 10 minutes in front of this film.  Anyway, I still liked it, and would be willing to read more by Arthur Ransome.  I have not seen a more recent film version of this book, but will watch out for it.

The 1974 version, now showing on Criterion. 

 

Deb also chose Dames, a Busby Berkeley film from 1934.  Starring Ruby Keeler, Joan Blondell, and Dick Powell, it's pretty much a snoozer until the frivolous frolicking begins.  The expense of doing those final dance numbers must have been atrociously expensive.  Girls in bed waking up, girls ironing in their undies, girls in bathtubs--good old pre-code Busby.

 

 Scene from Dames, now showing on Criterion (until November 30th).  The movement of the dancers and the set up is pure Escher. 

 

I chose a series of short films by John and Faith Hubley, which included an interview with their four children talking about growing up in the household. Two boys and tow girls, the boys being oldest were used in several of the films. Our favourite is called The Moonbird, from 1959, and features the boys (ages 6 and 3) talking and singing in an improvised story about the two of them going out at night to capture a moonbird.  We were laughing all the way through. The older boy knew the story, but the youngest just sings and talks his way to stardom in this 10 minute short film.  Another really good one is called The Hole.  In it, Dizzy Gillespie and George Matthews improvise a conversation between two labourers in NYC working down in a hole.  Again it is very funny, but also projects the fears of 1962 regarding atomic war.  Others viewed include Tender Game, Date With Dizzy, and a documentary entitled Of Stars and Men.  All are good, and the animation is very distinct and original.

 

Now showing on Criterion.  Scene from Of Stars and Men, showing the Hubley family.  

 

Scene from Moonbird.

My next choice was from 2011, called Almayer's Folly. Directed by Chantal Akerman, this is probably the best filming of a Joseph Conrad story that I've ever seen.  Set in the 1950s in Vietnam, it deals with the same colonial issues that Conrad wrote about in his first novel in 1895.  The story follows the novel closely, and Akerman dwells long on many of her fine shots, allowing the full psychological impact of the situation to sink into her characters and her viewers.  A truly amazing film, and I am sorry it's leaving on November 30th.  I will read the book soon (complete works of Conrad for $1.99, now on my Kindle reader), and would love to see the film again.  A great film!  I used to read so much Conrad back in the day, and really loved his writing.  It's been awhile.

 

 

Nina, as played by Aurora Marion, whose life is destroyed when she is taken from her wilderness home to be educated in a white boarding school.  On Criterion until the end of November. 

 

Mapman Mike