Pilot's Log

This past week on PBS, POV's documentary, "My Perestroika" was about the last generation of Russians to grow up under the Soviet system, who witnessed the fall of the Union and the subsequent confusion, desperation and strangeness that followed and continues for them.

Meanwhile, TH¡S had shown the William Hurt/Richard Burton version of Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four. I've never read the novel, but I own a copy of Gyorgi Dalos' 1985: What Happens After Big Brother Dies and a Scholastic weekly magazine that has a condensed drama script version of the Orwell story.

I'm sure you're wondering where I'm going with this train of thought.

I'm not sure myself.

I think America is approaching the kind of historical crossroads that many nations have faced over the centuries. Perhaps by this time six years hence, we'll be talking about the Former United States of America...all a nation has to do to fall apart is for its citizens to doubt the premise that the system to which they have been born is morally superior to all others in existance. Maybe the falling-apart has already begun and the majority doesn't see it happen. Perhaps they'll wake up someday to empty Wal*Marts, no burgers at MickyD's and TV footage of tanks on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Or the opposite happens--the masses see their predicament, stand up...and the shotgun sings its song. And the United States stays what it is, in name only, for some generations.

Either way would be a nightmare.

Oops. I only told half of the story the other day. The one about shopping and the toy car that turned out to be a little too small? Okay. A little more...

At the same Dollar store where I was looking at the toys, I went the next aisle over to the book shelf. There I found The Outpost War, which was about the US Marine Corps experience in Korea. So I bought that, handed over to Dad when I got back, and the next thing I knew he's telling me "This is about where I was stationed!" "Here it is on the map!"

This almost makes up for the movers losing his photo album when we came here.

Andy Rooney On E-Books.

Andrei Codrescu On E-Books.

I think if any man could ever replace Andy on 60 Minutes, Andrei can.

Overday I bought a copy (to replace one I gave my brother) and binge read it. The reason I bought it (again) was to see if it could mesh with the existing Hackett Continuum...and so far so good, even though World War Three lasts a little longer in Tom Clancy's version of events. Two things that had been lacking in Gen. Hackett's vision were the political and economic causes of the War and Clancy's novel fills in some of that dimension. But beyond that I can shift the dates six weeks and most of it matches.

Meanwhile, I've noticed that the Date/Day of the Week patterns for 1984 and 1985 match those for 2012 and 2013, so for planning and reality checking in that regard, I can simply use my current date book (which has calendars for both '12 & '13).

I just sent Pulse invitations to bunches of people. Would you connect with my Pulse? If you've already got a Yahoo! identity, send me an invite. Go to Pulse and "connections" and Yahoo will show you how.

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That I'm a frustrated pilot. Among other things.

Nothing like watching the film after:

1) A loved one is diagnosed with cancer;
2) And the creator himself passed away.

Now, I wasn't completely unaware of Harvey Pekar before. I'd seen Comic Book Confidential and thought his anecdote about the attempted jazz LP heist was one of the best parts. But I hadn't actually read his comics, nor did I feel any great obligation to see the movie before I'd heard about his death.

But, fate would have it, I know I wouldn't have been emotionally ready.

Nor would my mother, who saw it with me.

I'm going to have to look up his work and get a bit more read.

PS: ( This Is A Heist! )

Upcoming Games:

* Slovakia V. Paraguay & Italy V. New Zealand: All the Group F contenders are tied with only one point after one game, so anybody who wins will have an advantage going into the third game.

* Brazil V. Ivory Coast & Portugal V. DPR Korea: If Ivory Coast upsets Brazil it could change the whole tournament. DPR Korea is fighting for its life and will likely put 110% on the field.

* Switzerland V. Chile & Spain V. Honduras: The winner of the Switz./Chile matchup will likely win the whole Group H bracket. Loser of the Spain/Honduras match is likely to be eliminated.

* Mexico V. Uruguay & France V. South Africa: The winner of the Mexico/Uruguay game will advance; the French and South Africans are playing for honor.

* Nigeria V. R of Korea & Greece V. Argentina: With a win or tie, Argentina advances. (It also looks like even if Argentina loses, and South Korea wins, Argentina still would advance because they've already beaten South Korea. Am I reading this correctly?)

* Slovenia V. England & U.S.A. V. Algeria: If the Slovenes beat the English they advance. The only way for the Yanks to advance is to beat the Algerians and hope the English tie with the Slovenes.

* Ghana V. Germany & Australia V. Serbia: If Ghana beats the Germans, Ghana advances. If the Germans win and Serbia wins the Serbians advance. (Right? I only took Soccer for one semester in College and I forget my final grade.)

And that brings us back to Groups F, G & H.

PS: *Reads More* Okay...the top TWO contenders from each Group advance, not just the #1. Still, the Yanks must win against Algeria if they hope to move on to the knockout round.

* Denmark V. Japan & Netherlands V. Cameroon: The Dutch have clinched their advance and Cameroon has been eliminated by their losses to Japan and Denmark. By the chart I see on Yahoo! it looks like if Japan ties Denmark, Japan advances...?

Ow!

Mom just pre-ordered a Kobo. No further details are known at this time.

Mum's Mother's Day "gift" will be a new e-reader. She has iPad lust, but we aren't limiting ourselves to that model in our searches. We're also looking at the Sungale and the Libre, but if there are any other suggestions out there, I'd like to see them.

FP