This was a great July. I got to see my cousins from
down south, albeit, I wish it was under better circumstances, but I was also
able to head south, myself, and spend some time with the daughters and
grandsons. I also hung out with my brother (always a good time) and some long-lost
friends, all part of the road trip. My buddy, Gunnar Gallaher got my Vespa
running again. It’s always great riding around town looking like a character
out of a Dr. Seuss book. I suppose it’s more like riding a piece of art. I’ve
made it halfway through my GoodReads reading challenge. All in all, a nice long
month with a lot of activity.
In the Garden of Beasts – Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin by Erik Larson: In 1933 William Dodd, a college professor and the head of the History Department at the University of Chicago was appointed to be the US Ambassador to Germany. He along with his family was at first ensorcelled by their new European home. Witnessing abrupt and drastic changes coming into play by the rise of Nazism and mistreatment of Jews made them realize they were dwelling in a powder keg. Dodd conveyed his concerns to the US government which fell on deaf ears. And his daughter, Martha, became entranced with the young and high-spirited officers of the Third Reich, having affairs with them, including Rudolf Diels, head of the German gestapo. I’m finding this book a fascinating study on the rise of where Germany went wrong. Mucho thanks to my good friend, Neil Campbell for turning me onto this magnificent read. Like all things done by Erik Larson, it’s a history lesson so fantastically done it makes you wonder why you didn’t know this stuff before.
Civilization V on PC: I always find this game to be daunting. Yet, when I begin a new game it’s as if I enlist for a hitch in the US Army. It’s as epic as a boardgame that covers your entire kitchen table and every bit as beautiful. I remember playing the original Civilization when it came out in 1991 per a recommendation by my friend, Ed Humes. I skipped other iterations through the years until Civilization V popped up on a Steam sale at an irresistible price. There are still aspects I find confusing. I still don’t know whether to make each and every city I build to be as big as possible. I still get curb stomped by most armies that attack me, but it’s a game I still have fun with even when I lose.
Need for Speed: Most Wanted on PC: The original game which came out in 2005 was a theme park of hammy acting cut scenes, cop evasions, dazzling graphics and a cheesy storyline. I enjoyed it thoroughly despite never being able to finish it because of the very last sequence of the game requiring me to jump across a broken bridge and make an escape that segued into the end credits. (I never could do it.) In 2012 Criterion Games released a game that was more the spiritual successor to the Burnout series than the original NFS: Most Wanted. The game was lauded for its multiplayer, but received negative reviews for its lack of a singleplayer story, which is my main gripe with the game. Like the original in which you beat rival street racers and earn their cars, this game contains the same mechanic, but there are no cheesy cut scenes or hammed up actors! I am enjoying the game, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not nearly as good as the original.
The Guns of Navarone on 4K Blu Ray: Knowing my love for war movies, my daughter, Ginger, gifted me this great film. Based on the novel by Alistair MacLean, which I read years ago, this movie is true to the book and garnered an Academy Award in 1961 for Best Special Effects. It’s a typical “action movie for guys who like action movies.” The 4K transfer is stunningly beautiful. Colors simply pop out of the screen and the soundtrack is boisterous enough I had to turn the subwoofer down to keep my wife from awakening. Unbeknownst to me, the original 1981 Castle Wolfenstein game which probably pioneered stealth mechanics was inspired by this movie. And Call of Duty: United Offensive (2005) has a mission inspired by events in the movie and its scenery. No wonder I liked this movie so much!
Light Blue by Dolce & Gabbana: a summery light cologne I had discovered on Amazon (though I purchased it elsewhere.) We’ve had this conversation before, but I wear fruity spicy in the summer and musks in the winter. It’s just the right thing to do. Though I’ve gotten compliments on this outdoorsy springtime scent, it’s not my favorite. It’s redolent of citrus fruits with a blend of a Florida beach sunset, but I think my Armani Code nails it all a little better. With that said, I don’t get many compliments on the colognes I wear, and I still struggle with the correct way to apply them. I think it’s a fine line between taking a bath in it and putting on enough that lends itself to that classic moment when you walk by a group of people and there is something so deliciously subtle about your passing and it turns out that it’s the cologne you’re wearing.
Heat on 4K Blu Ray: Ah, where do I even begin with this movie? I’ve seen it on VHS and owned it on DVD and Blu Ray through the years, and now I recently picked up the newly released 4K Blu Ray, and all I can say is it’s a remarkable transfer of an amazing story of two men who are so individualized that they are authors of their own selves. There are no protagonists in this film, it’s all about the antagonists. It’s perhaps the most character driven movie I’ve ever seen. One man, a cop, and the other a robber, so much alike in that fortune plays no part in their lives. It’s all cause and effect; and one mistake makes it impossible to unravel the strings of causality. This movie was the basis of numerous Grand Theft Auto games and was based on real life incidents occurring in the early 1960s. Michael Mann, who made the film, once saw a portrait of a gun sitting on a coffee table with the silhouette of a man standing in the background. This was the basis for his creation of this film.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine on PC: I’ve only ever caught fleeting glimpses of anything Warhammer. I know there are dual universes, one which is sort of medieval fantasy and another far into an interstellar future. Space Marine is the latter, in spades. Basically, a hack and slash shooter, it’s along the same lines as a Doom game. I’m having fun with it, but I can’t see it being any more than an 8–12 hour game (which it actually is.) The Orks’ British accents are a little off putting, but it’s good clean bloody fun. And the impetus that brought me into this whole thing was the trailer for the upcoming Space Marine 2. Color me interested.
Spark 40 Amp: Quite simply, the best guitar practice amp I’ve owned. This thing does everything but make coffee. It has over 50,000 effects in the guise of numerous stomp pedals and amplifiers. You can voice ask it to play a song (through Bluetooth) and it will not only play the song, but show you the cords and play them slowly so you can mimic the song on the guitar. It has a tuner, and also creates the perfect bass and drum backing track for your own noodling.
