I just got around to sifting through the photos.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Baby Elephant Walk
When I was in Nairobi last summer, I made my second trip to the Sheldrick Animal Orphanage to gawk at the cutest little baby elephants, running around, kicking soccer balls, being fed with bottles. It's a cute overload.
I just got around to sifting through the photos.
I just got around to sifting through the photos.
At start, no has lyte. An Ceiling Cat sayz, i can haz lite? An lite wuz.
You're thinking - "Oh no they di-in't!"
But yes, they did.
LOLcat Translation of the Bible. Seriously.
But yes, they did.
LOLcat Translation of the Bible. Seriously.
Book #2 and #3: Caliban's Hour and Switcheroo
#2 Caliban's Hour by Tad Williams
fiction, (c)1994, 201pp
rating: ****
In the tradition of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern is Dead, this book is a re-telling of Shakespeare by a minor character. In this case, it is a retelling of The Tempest by the Shakespearean sidenote of Caliban, part of the comic relief in The Tempest. The book opens with a confrontation between Caliban and a now-middle-aged Miranda in her castle in Naples. He threatens to kill her after he spends one hour telling him his full story and explaining how she and her father ruined his life. Caliban tells her in his own words about his early childhood on the island with his mother, Sycorax, and describes the arrival of Prospero and Miranda and how their appearance changed his life.
Williams takes Caliban from being the butt of a joke to a thinking, feeling human being who was deeply wronged by the two protagonists of The Tempest. Williams prose is rich and detailed enough to satisfy most readers and in the end, he presents Shakespeare's version with this brief line: We arrived at the house on the hillside at least, to discover the game was played, the story told, and we three by comic afterthoughts..
People familiar with the story would probably appreciate this book more than those with no prior knowledge of The Tempest.
#3 Switcheroo by Olivia Goldsmith
fiction, (c)1998 , 265pp
rating: *
I don't know if it's that I've gotten older, more cynical and more discriminating or if Olivia Goldsmith's writing has fallen down a very slippery slope into the worst kind of chicklit possible. I'd like to think it's the latter as I remember liking The First Wives Club very much when it first came out, as well as Flavor of the Month. So, it was actually with anticipation that I dove into Switcheroo, a book I found collecting dust in our garage.
The plot is a simple one. Sylvie, a successful, forty-year old woman discovers her husband is having an affair with a younger woman. Upon confronting her, she discovers that the younger woman (Marla) is a dead-ringer for a younger version of her. Marla wants to be married and Sylvie wants the romance back. So off the go for a little bit of plastic surgery so they can switch places for two weeks - Marla to secure Bob as her husband, and Sylvie to get back at him.
The premise of this book is awful and ridiculous. It's poorly written. It re-treads themes from her earlier book (plastic surgery to get ahead, husbands having affairs with younger woman) but without any of the subversive aspects that made them better than simple chicklit. This book has the odious character of Sylvie's mother who tells her she'll never find someone better than Bob and not to make waves about his affair. Cheating is seen as an inevitablity in this book, as is the wife's forgiveness. The only wife that didn't forgive her husband for cheating is painted as a shrewish woman that no one could possibly love.
And surprise, surprise - all the women (except the shrew) find their happy endings though not necessarily in the expected way... oh wait, all of the ending was expected for me. I do not recommend this book.
fiction, (c)1994, 201pp
rating: ****
In the tradition of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern is Dead, this book is a re-telling of Shakespeare by a minor character. In this case, it is a retelling of The Tempest by the Shakespearean sidenote of Caliban, part of the comic relief in The Tempest. The book opens with a confrontation between Caliban and a now-middle-aged Miranda in her castle in Naples. He threatens to kill her after he spends one hour telling him his full story and explaining how she and her father ruined his life. Caliban tells her in his own words about his early childhood on the island with his mother, Sycorax, and describes the arrival of Prospero and Miranda and how their appearance changed his life.
Williams takes Caliban from being the butt of a joke to a thinking, feeling human being who was deeply wronged by the two protagonists of The Tempest. Williams prose is rich and detailed enough to satisfy most readers and in the end, he presents Shakespeare's version with this brief line: We arrived at the house on the hillside at least, to discover the game was played, the story told, and we three by comic afterthoughts..
People familiar with the story would probably appreciate this book more than those with no prior knowledge of The Tempest.
#3 Switcheroo by Olivia Goldsmith
fiction, (c)1998 , 265pp
rating: *
I don't know if it's that I've gotten older, more cynical and more discriminating or if Olivia Goldsmith's writing has fallen down a very slippery slope into the worst kind of chicklit possible. I'd like to think it's the latter as I remember liking The First Wives Club very much when it first came out, as well as Flavor of the Month. So, it was actually with anticipation that I dove into Switcheroo, a book I found collecting dust in our garage.
The plot is a simple one. Sylvie, a successful, forty-year old woman discovers her husband is having an affair with a younger woman. Upon confronting her, she discovers that the younger woman (Marla) is a dead-ringer for a younger version of her. Marla wants to be married and Sylvie wants the romance back. So off the go for a little bit of plastic surgery so they can switch places for two weeks - Marla to secure Bob as her husband, and Sylvie to get back at him.
The premise of this book is awful and ridiculous. It's poorly written. It re-treads themes from her earlier book (plastic surgery to get ahead, husbands having affairs with younger woman) but without any of the subversive aspects that made them better than simple chicklit. This book has the odious character of Sylvie's mother who tells her she'll never find someone better than Bob and not to make waves about his affair. Cheating is seen as an inevitablity in this book, as is the wife's forgiveness. The only wife that didn't forgive her husband for cheating is painted as a shrewish woman that no one could possibly love.
And surprise, surprise - all the women (except the shrew) find their happy endings though not necessarily in the expected way... oh wait, all of the ending was expected for me. I do not recommend this book.
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Sicko
Last night, I saw Michael Moore's most recent documentary called Sicko, about the ways that HMOs and the American health care system are failing Americans every single day. Sicko begins with stories of Americans that are without health care - but Moore quickly tells us that this documentary isn't about the people without health insurance; rather, it's about the people with health insurance. He then devotes the next thirty to forty five minutes visiting with people who were denied health care for themselves or their loved ones because they were deemed not covered under their health care insurance policy. He discusses some of the legislation that has gone on in area of health care reform, and how all of these attempts failed. (Lest you think only Republicans will garner Moore's scorn, he takes a few well-deserved digs at Hillary Clinton as well.) He also discusses the idea of socialized health care, and in the grand tradition of Bowling for Columbine, Moore takes his show on the road. He visits France, Canada and England to talk to patients and doctors in the socialized health care systems in these countries. The movie ends with a dramatic (and probably over-sensationalistic) trip to Cuba with people who helped in the World Trade Center attacks and were then denied proper medical care by the US government for related illnesses (respiratory diseases, post-traumatic stress, and other undisclosed problems).
I feel like it's necessary for me to discuss my feelings about Michael Moore. I love Michael Moore. Ever since my economics teacher my senior year of high school made us all watch Roger and Me, I have eagerly looked forward to each of Michael Moore's movies. Yes, I know he is spreading liberal propoganda - but I'm okay with that, because mostly I agree with him. Yes, he has gotten more and more sensationalistic since his humble Roger and Me beginnings, but his first priority is to entertain and sensationalism sells. And does he skirt around facts sometimes? Oh, sure. But in this day and age, what good media personality doesn't fudge a few facts now and again?
For instance, I know that there was some fast talking about the benefits that new mothers get from the French health care system. Mothers with three or more children get more special favors than those with less because the French government is trying to promote the growth of the natural born French population. I also know that taxes in countries that have socialized health care are far higher than taxes in the United States. He never gave the figure, but for people in the higher income brackets in France, income tax can top out around 58%. I think there are similar figures for Canada and the UK (though I can't be bothered to look it up). Personally, I'm not bothered by that in the slightest, but some of Moore's more moderate viewers would likely pause at that kind of figure. However, not all of Moore's facts are fictionalize, and people from Canada should watch this movie with the smug satisfaction that they will live an average of three years longer than any American. (And Americans looking to go to Canada should look up http://hook-a-canuck.com/.)
All that being said, this movie's message should be non-partisan. Our health care system sucks. It sucks big time. And cancer and the HMOs don't care whether you're a democrat or a republican. They don't care if you're a born again Christian or one of those guys in Berkley whose been sitting in a tree for the last year. Cancer can still get you, and the HMOs will still try to spend the least amount of money possible on your care. And this is the health care system that George Dubya Bush says is, "the best in the world."
I am going to close out this entry with three stories. As anyone who knows me knows, I have traveled a fair amount in the last ten years. I can think of three times I have been seriously ill in the last ten years - once was in the US, once was in Tanzania and once was in Belgium.
Incidence #1 - 2002: I was a senior in college and still covered under my parents' HMO. I woke up one morning with a sore throat. I waited a few days to see if it would go away, and when the condition worsened, I made an appointment to see a doctor. However, in order to see a doctor in this particular HMO, you have to see a nurse practitioner first and get a referral. I saw the NP, she sent me for a throat culture, diagnosed me with strep throat (without seeing the test results) and sent me home with a prescription for omoxycillin. I got a call from the test center a couple of days later saying that I had come up negative for strep throat, but the pills seemed to be working so I ignored the message. 48 hours after the pills ran out, my symptoms came back worse than ever. So, I made a new appointment. I still didn't have a referral, so I had to see another nurse practitioner. She sent me for another strep test, and fast tracked the results. It came up negative. Having two negative strep test in hand, she prescribed me another course of the same antibiotic and sent me on my way. Once that course of treatment was finished, my symptoms came back even worse. I had a fever. It hurt to turn my head. I was feeling numb patches on my face. At that point, I saw a third nurse practitioner who left me in the room while she got advice from an ENT. She diagnosed me with pharyngitis and gave me a course of much stronger antibiotics which finally did the trick. This process took over a month to complete. The total cost was admittedly low - no co-pay to see the NP, so only the cost of the drugs which were subsidized. I think I ended up paying around $30.00 when all was said and done.
Incidence #2 - 2004: On my first trip to Tanzania, I contracted both malaria and giardia at the same time. Yes, it was miserable and yes, I was taking anti-malarials, and yes they were the ones that are 97% effect. I am blessed by being extraordinary in every way. I was uninsured in both America and Tanzania. My doctor's visit was free. My medication was the equivalent of $10 for both ailments. When I left Tanzania, I still felt like I was having residual digestive distress. My consultation with the doctor was $175.00. She ended up not doing any tests at all (because I couldn't afford them) and just wrote me a prescription for a broad spectrum antibiotic based on my description of my symptoms. This cost me another $123.00.
Incidence #3 - 2006: I came down with a horrible flu/food poisoning/something vile in Belgium. At this time, I was insured in the US, but my insurance didn't cover international travel. (As an aside, I am in one of the few graduate programs in the United States that does not provide their students with health care. I paid $500 quarterly for my insurance which did not include any prescription benefits.) The woman I was staying with eventually forced me to see a doctor. She said that they had some kind of "consultation hours" and no appointment was a necessary. I would just have to go and wait my turn. Having spent some long hours in emergency rooms in the past (At different times, I broke both my leg and my arm as a child), I was not looking forward to this. But in under and hour, I was able to see a bonafide doctor. He ran some tests and wrote me a couple of prescriptions. Finally, the dreaded question of insurance came up. Because I was not in Belgium on a visa, I would have to pay for my health care. My doctor visit was 21 euros. The three prescriptions he wrote me (anti-nausea, sleep-aid and some kind of decongestant) were an additional 30 euros.
I feel like it's necessary for me to discuss my feelings about Michael Moore. I love Michael Moore. Ever since my economics teacher my senior year of high school made us all watch Roger and Me, I have eagerly looked forward to each of Michael Moore's movies. Yes, I know he is spreading liberal propoganda - but I'm okay with that, because mostly I agree with him. Yes, he has gotten more and more sensationalistic since his humble Roger and Me beginnings, but his first priority is to entertain and sensationalism sells. And does he skirt around facts sometimes? Oh, sure. But in this day and age, what good media personality doesn't fudge a few facts now and again?
For instance, I know that there was some fast talking about the benefits that new mothers get from the French health care system. Mothers with three or more children get more special favors than those with less because the French government is trying to promote the growth of the natural born French population. I also know that taxes in countries that have socialized health care are far higher than taxes in the United States. He never gave the figure, but for people in the higher income brackets in France, income tax can top out around 58%. I think there are similar figures for Canada and the UK (though I can't be bothered to look it up). Personally, I'm not bothered by that in the slightest, but some of Moore's more moderate viewers would likely pause at that kind of figure. However, not all of Moore's facts are fictionalize, and people from Canada should watch this movie with the smug satisfaction that they will live an average of three years longer than any American. (And Americans looking to go to Canada should look up http://hook-a-canuck.com/.)
All that being said, this movie's message should be non-partisan. Our health care system sucks. It sucks big time. And cancer and the HMOs don't care whether you're a democrat or a republican. They don't care if you're a born again Christian or one of those guys in Berkley whose been sitting in a tree for the last year. Cancer can still get you, and the HMOs will still try to spend the least amount of money possible on your care. And this is the health care system that George Dubya Bush says is, "the best in the world."
I am going to close out this entry with three stories. As anyone who knows me knows, I have traveled a fair amount in the last ten years. I can think of three times I have been seriously ill in the last ten years - once was in the US, once was in Tanzania and once was in Belgium.
Incidence #1 - 2002: I was a senior in college and still covered under my parents' HMO. I woke up one morning with a sore throat. I waited a few days to see if it would go away, and when the condition worsened, I made an appointment to see a doctor. However, in order to see a doctor in this particular HMO, you have to see a nurse practitioner first and get a referral. I saw the NP, she sent me for a throat culture, diagnosed me with strep throat (without seeing the test results) and sent me home with a prescription for omoxycillin. I got a call from the test center a couple of days later saying that I had come up negative for strep throat, but the pills seemed to be working so I ignored the message. 48 hours after the pills ran out, my symptoms came back worse than ever. So, I made a new appointment. I still didn't have a referral, so I had to see another nurse practitioner. She sent me for another strep test, and fast tracked the results. It came up negative. Having two negative strep test in hand, she prescribed me another course of the same antibiotic and sent me on my way. Once that course of treatment was finished, my symptoms came back even worse. I had a fever. It hurt to turn my head. I was feeling numb patches on my face. At that point, I saw a third nurse practitioner who left me in the room while she got advice from an ENT. She diagnosed me with pharyngitis and gave me a course of much stronger antibiotics which finally did the trick. This process took over a month to complete. The total cost was admittedly low - no co-pay to see the NP, so only the cost of the drugs which were subsidized. I think I ended up paying around $30.00 when all was said and done.
Incidence #2 - 2004: On my first trip to Tanzania, I contracted both malaria and giardia at the same time. Yes, it was miserable and yes, I was taking anti-malarials, and yes they were the ones that are 97% effect. I am blessed by being extraordinary in every way. I was uninsured in both America and Tanzania. My doctor's visit was free. My medication was the equivalent of $10 for both ailments. When I left Tanzania, I still felt like I was having residual digestive distress. My consultation with the doctor was $175.00. She ended up not doing any tests at all (because I couldn't afford them) and just wrote me a prescription for a broad spectrum antibiotic based on my description of my symptoms. This cost me another $123.00.
Incidence #3 - 2006: I came down with a horrible flu/food poisoning/something vile in Belgium. At this time, I was insured in the US, but my insurance didn't cover international travel. (As an aside, I am in one of the few graduate programs in the United States that does not provide their students with health care. I paid $500 quarterly for my insurance which did not include any prescription benefits.) The woman I was staying with eventually forced me to see a doctor. She said that they had some kind of "consultation hours" and no appointment was a necessary. I would just have to go and wait my turn. Having spent some long hours in emergency rooms in the past (At different times, I broke both my leg and my arm as a child), I was not looking forward to this. But in under and hour, I was able to see a bonafide doctor. He ran some tests and wrote me a couple of prescriptions. Finally, the dreaded question of insurance came up. Because I was not in Belgium on a visa, I would have to pay for my health care. My doctor visit was 21 euros. The three prescriptions he wrote me (anti-nausea, sleep-aid and some kind of decongestant) were an additional 30 euros.
Friday, January 04, 2008
Things That Make Me Throw Up In My Mouth
As some of you may have noticed, I was out of the country for most of the summer. Perhaps that is how I managed to miss the opening of the 27 million dollar Creation Museum in Kentucky in May of last year, further contributing to our current position as laughing-stock of the western world. For those that may not be in-the-know, this museum promotes a literal interpretation of the Bible, including the idea that the Earth is a meager 6000 years old. In order to accommodate the enormous fossil record, the museum depicts Adam and Eve cavorting with Brontosauruses and T. rexesin the garden of Eden. In fact, there are even dinosaurs wearing saddles in the Garden of Eden exhibits. I suppose that makes sense - why ride a camel, or a horse, or a llama, or an elephant if you could ride a dinosaur? Certainly, if I were cavorting in the garden of Eden, clothing-less, sex-less, and knowledge-less, I would think to make a saddle for a triceratops and ride him around in paradise to my heart's content.
The museum further asserts that the fossil record we have is a result of the organisms that were alive being distributed and buried during the great flood. The Grand Canyon is a result of all of the flood waters receding (a brilliant example of catastrophism). Apparently the museum ends with a montage about the ills of the human race (including drugs, abortions, teen suicide and homosexuality). The reason the human race has descended into evil is, of course, because too many people believe in evolution.
Wow.
So, my first factual issue with this whole thing is that the majority of Americans do not believe in evolution. 61% of Americans believe in creationism (though the number of those that believe in a literal, young earth version of creationism is mercifully smaller). It is because so many people do believe in creationism that has allowed such a place to be built in the first place. Clearly, there are plenty of other gross factual errors in what I've described here, the most laughable being that dinosours and humans were somehow alive at the same time. But I feel confident that any reasonable human being is capable of discerning fact from fiction in that account. Any unreasonable person will not be persuaded by anything I have to say on the matter.
So, instead of discussing in fine, scientific detail what exactly is wrong with the Creation Museum, I'm going to post an m4a. In flagrant violation of copyright law, I give you Dinosaurs in the Bible by Bill Hicks, one of my very favorite comedy sketches. For all like-minded scientists, listen and be amused. For all not-like-minded people, listen and go vent your righteous anger in your own blogs.
What's the silver lining on any of this? At least we're not alone in our shame.
The museum further asserts that the fossil record we have is a result of the organisms that were alive being distributed and buried during the great flood. The Grand Canyon is a result of all of the flood waters receding (a brilliant example of catastrophism). Apparently the museum ends with a montage about the ills of the human race (including drugs, abortions, teen suicide and homosexuality). The reason the human race has descended into evil is, of course, because too many people believe in evolution.
Wow.
So, my first factual issue with this whole thing is that the majority of Americans do not believe in evolution. 61% of Americans believe in creationism (though the number of those that believe in a literal, young earth version of creationism is mercifully smaller). It is because so many people do believe in creationism that has allowed such a place to be built in the first place. Clearly, there are plenty of other gross factual errors in what I've described here, the most laughable being that dinosours and humans were somehow alive at the same time. But I feel confident that any reasonable human being is capable of discerning fact from fiction in that account. Any unreasonable person will not be persuaded by anything I have to say on the matter.
So, instead of discussing in fine, scientific detail what exactly is wrong with the Creation Museum, I'm going to post an m4a. In flagrant violation of copyright law, I give you Dinosaurs in the Bible by Bill Hicks, one of my very favorite comedy sketches. For all like-minded scientists, listen and be amused. For all not-like-minded people, listen and go vent your righteous anger in your own blogs.
What's the silver lining on any of this? At least we're not alone in our shame.
Dolls
When I was young, my parents took me to an amusement park in Florida. I was enamoured of this woman (one of the park employees) that dressed up in a big, yellow southern belle dress. So, before we went home, my parents bought me this doll of the woman in the dress I loved.
I loved this little carousel music box when I was younger. As it plays its tune, the horses go up and down and the platform spins around. Now it sits on a shelf in my old bedroom and gets covered in dust.
Someday, when I have space (insert maniacal laughter here) I will rescue some of these things. Maybe not the doll (because dolls are kind of creepy - I feel like they're always staring at me) but definitely the music box.
technical
camera: pentax *ist ds
lens: 100mm macro
settings: f2.8 @ 1/30 (doll) @ 1/60 (carousel)
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Iowa Caucus
So, did everyone but me know how all of this works?
I have always lived in states where there are primaries, and I blithely assumed that a caucus was pretty much the same as a primary, and that an older word was used for the fun of it (kind of like how Louisiana has "parishes" instead of counties). But I was watching the news the other night and they started talking about "old style democracy" and standing under banners and other things like that. So today, I looked up the Iowa caucus and damn it's cool!
For the democratic party (which I am a part of - shocking, I know), each caucus goer stands under the banner of the candidate they want. People who are undecided can mill around and be persuaded by the supporters for different candidates to stand under a particular banner. Eventually a halt is called to all of this, and there is a head count. Any candidate that has a certain percentage of the vote (15-20%) is considered "viable". Those with less are declared inviable and their supporters have to stand under the banner of one of the viable candidates. After that, there's some more convincing and cajoling, and ultimately another head count is taken. All of the head counts are reported to the state and and overall count is made and the results are announced.
I want to participate in a caucus now! It almost makes me want to move to Iowa.
...
(I said almost.)
I have always lived in states where there are primaries, and I blithely assumed that a caucus was pretty much the same as a primary, and that an older word was used for the fun of it (kind of like how Louisiana has "parishes" instead of counties). But I was watching the news the other night and they started talking about "old style democracy" and standing under banners and other things like that. So today, I looked up the Iowa caucus and damn it's cool!
For the democratic party (which I am a part of - shocking, I know), each caucus goer stands under the banner of the candidate they want. People who are undecided can mill around and be persuaded by the supporters for different candidates to stand under a particular banner. Eventually a halt is called to all of this, and there is a head count. Any candidate that has a certain percentage of the vote (15-20%) is considered "viable". Those with less are declared inviable and their supporters have to stand under the banner of one of the viable candidates. After that, there's some more convincing and cajoling, and ultimately another head count is taken. All of the head counts are reported to the state and and overall count is made and the results are announced.
I want to participate in a caucus now! It almost makes me want to move to Iowa.
...
(I said almost.)
The Lady or the Tiger
For those that might not be living on the right coast (as opposed to the left coast), the big story on Christmas was a 16 year old boy being killed by a tiger at the San Francisco zoo. And by big story, I pretty much mean the only story; when I got back to my parents house after stuffing myself with garlic dip and cheeseballs at my aunt's house for Christmas, it was quite literally the only news story playing on every channel. The news rotation went a little like this: tiger attack, tiger attack, weather, christmas lights, then back to the tiger attack again.
At first everyone thought it was a horrible accident. Then more news came out about the possibility that these three boys (aged 16, 19 and 23) might have been taunting the tiger. (Three young men in a group doing something stupid and irreponsible?! Why that seems so unlikely!) Then the newspeople said we'd all have to wait until the two boys who were mauled but not killed to be released to find out what really happened. But then those two boys lawyered up like all innocent people with nothing to hide, so we're kind of back to the beginning again with a dead boy and a dead tiger and not a lot of other information.
Here's my take. Did the zoo screw up? Yes. People are idiots and the zoo people should be prepared for any kind of totally asinine behavior from people visiting their zoos. Never underestimate the power of people in large groups to do the most illogical, dumb, disrespectful, and dangerous things. And when people come screaming to your door, yelling, "A tiger has escaped and is mauling us!" it's probably worth an investigation, no matter how implausible it sounds at the outset (see my previous comments about the power of stupid people in groups.)
Did the kids screw up? Oh yes. I think they were taunting the tiger. I think they were probably doing stupid and dangerous things - perhaps one was "double dog dared" to jump into the tiger pit. I would wager that some action on their part could be construed at the proximate cause of the 16 year old's death. I feel pretty sorry for the tiger who I suspect was just doing what tigers do.
So tomorrow the zoo opens up again and there is going to be a little memorial inside for people to leave a token on. The best part? Zoo-goers can leave their little remembrance for the kid ... or for Tatiana the tiger, may she rest in peace.
At first everyone thought it was a horrible accident. Then more news came out about the possibility that these three boys (aged 16, 19 and 23) might have been taunting the tiger. (Three young men in a group doing something stupid and irreponsible?! Why that seems so unlikely!) Then the newspeople said we'd all have to wait until the two boys who were mauled but not killed to be released to find out what really happened. But then those two boys lawyered up like all innocent people with nothing to hide, so we're kind of back to the beginning again with a dead boy and a dead tiger and not a lot of other information.
Here's my take. Did the zoo screw up? Yes. People are idiots and the zoo people should be prepared for any kind of totally asinine behavior from people visiting their zoos. Never underestimate the power of people in large groups to do the most illogical, dumb, disrespectful, and dangerous things. And when people come screaming to your door, yelling, "A tiger has escaped and is mauling us!" it's probably worth an investigation, no matter how implausible it sounds at the outset (see my previous comments about the power of stupid people in groups.)
Did the kids screw up? Oh yes. I think they were taunting the tiger. I think they were probably doing stupid and dangerous things - perhaps one was "double dog dared" to jump into the tiger pit. I would wager that some action on their part could be construed at the proximate cause of the 16 year old's death. I feel pretty sorry for the tiger who I suspect was just doing what tigers do.
So tomorrow the zoo opens up again and there is going to be a little memorial inside for people to leave a token on. The best part? Zoo-goers can leave their little remembrance for the kid ... or for Tatiana the tiger, may she rest in peace.
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
#1: Things Fall Apart
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
fiction, (c)1958 , 206pp
rating: *****
When I was going through high school, there was an upheaval in the California english curriculum. There was a back lash against the traditional reading lists packed with traditional classics (all written by dead old white men) and the introduction of a curriculum packed with contemporary literature punctuated by the occasional Shakespearean play. Thus while I never read Great Expectations or Heart of Darkness, I did read The Handmaid's Tale (by Margaret Atwood), Woman Warrior (by Maxine Hong Kingston) and Beloved (by Toni Morrison). Surprisingly, Things Fall Apart fell between the cracks and became a casualty of a fluctuating curriculum, despite its being written by a Nigerian man. Therefore, this is my first time reading this very interesting novel.
Things Fall Apart is mainly about Okonkwo, one of the leaders of the Umuafia tribe that is part of the Ibo culture in Nigeria. Okonkwo is a classic hero with a tragic flaw - his desire to be unlike his father. So, while he has the admirable traits of being a self-made man who works hard for his life, he also rules his family with a proverbial heavy hand. The first two thirds of the book show an unflinching picture of what tribal life is like. While there is a great emphasis put on the role of traditions and family, there is also a realistic portrayal of the more violent side of tribal life. The last third of the book deals with the arrival of the colonialists and how they change the traditional tribal life. Okonkwo gets caught in the middle of a shifting world and his tragic flaw ultimately leads to his tragic end.
This book is told in a very spare style, more like a fable than a story. However, the spare style is still sufficient to paint a rich picture of Ibo tribal life. This book is also an excellent commentary on the problems and pitfalls with colonialism in Africa and how even good deeds can be undone by religious zealotry. A really good read, and I'm quite sure I would have enjoyed it in high school as well.
fiction, (c)1958 , 206pp
rating: *****
When I was going through high school, there was an upheaval in the California english curriculum. There was a back lash against the traditional reading lists packed with traditional classics (all written by dead old white men) and the introduction of a curriculum packed with contemporary literature punctuated by the occasional Shakespearean play. Thus while I never read Great Expectations or Heart of Darkness, I did read The Handmaid's Tale (by Margaret Atwood), Woman Warrior (by Maxine Hong Kingston) and Beloved (by Toni Morrison). Surprisingly, Things Fall Apart fell between the cracks and became a casualty of a fluctuating curriculum, despite its being written by a Nigerian man. Therefore, this is my first time reading this very interesting novel.
Things Fall Apart is mainly about Okonkwo, one of the leaders of the Umuafia tribe that is part of the Ibo culture in Nigeria. Okonkwo is a classic hero with a tragic flaw - his desire to be unlike his father. So, while he has the admirable traits of being a self-made man who works hard for his life, he also rules his family with a proverbial heavy hand. The first two thirds of the book show an unflinching picture of what tribal life is like. While there is a great emphasis put on the role of traditions and family, there is also a realistic portrayal of the more violent side of tribal life. The last third of the book deals with the arrival of the colonialists and how they change the traditional tribal life. Okonkwo gets caught in the middle of a shifting world and his tragic flaw ultimately leads to his tragic end.
This book is told in a very spare style, more like a fable than a story. However, the spare style is still sufficient to paint a rich picture of Ibo tribal life. This book is also an excellent commentary on the problems and pitfalls with colonialism in Africa and how even good deeds can be undone by religious zealotry. A really good read, and I'm quite sure I would have enjoyed it in high school as well.
More Movies, etc.
As I'm sure you could see with the last photo entry, Operation: Fly Around In A Really Loud Tiny Plane went well. We did not plunge into the side of a highrise in baseball player fashion. Rather we cruised around between 1500 and 4000ft getting a really awesome perspective. Next time D and I are both back in California, we're going to fly back to NYC in his plane. This takes a lot longer, but it will be way more fun.
We saw a post-flight movie, Charlie Wilson's War. At first, I was not particularly enthusiastic about this movie since I generally don't like movies about recent history. But it surprised me - it was funny and interesting and I wasn't bored despite knowing how it was all going to end. Phillip Seymour Hoffman was clearly the standout performance in the bunch. I also appreciated that the movie didn't end with us winning the covert war in Afghanistan, but also showed how we royally screwed up the clean up from the war (sound familiar?)
On New Year's Eve, I saw National Treasure: Book of Secrets with my parents. Dad's choice, but I liked it. I think these movies get kind of a raw deal because of when they're released. Book of Secrets was a fun, entertaining movie that didn't try to be anything it wasn't. If these movies (this one and the first Treasure movie) had been released in the summer, they would be hailed as fun summer blockbusters. But because they are released with all of the movies trying for Oscars, they are panned. Plus, the National Treasure movies have no blood and no extreme violence, which makes it an action movie fit for kids AND adults. That's pretty rare in the current movie industry where most action movies are strewn with the guts of all of the "redshirts".
I've also been Netflixing up a storm, trying to catch up on all of the movies I didn't watch for most of the year. I saw Stardust (fun fantasy movies which reminded me a bit of older fantasy movies before the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings phenomena) and The Hoax (boring bio-pic, though Richard Gere did a good job acting in it).
I love vacation. Flying! Movies! Reading! Dissertation? Nah.
We saw a post-flight movie, Charlie Wilson's War. At first, I was not particularly enthusiastic about this movie since I generally don't like movies about recent history. But it surprised me - it was funny and interesting and I wasn't bored despite knowing how it was all going to end. Phillip Seymour Hoffman was clearly the standout performance in the bunch. I also appreciated that the movie didn't end with us winning the covert war in Afghanistan, but also showed how we royally screwed up the clean up from the war (sound familiar?)
On New Year's Eve, I saw National Treasure: Book of Secrets with my parents. Dad's choice, but I liked it. I think these movies get kind of a raw deal because of when they're released. Book of Secrets was a fun, entertaining movie that didn't try to be anything it wasn't. If these movies (this one and the first Treasure movie) had been released in the summer, they would be hailed as fun summer blockbusters. But because they are released with all of the movies trying for Oscars, they are panned. Plus, the National Treasure movies have no blood and no extreme violence, which makes it an action movie fit for kids AND adults. That's pretty rare in the current movie industry where most action movies are strewn with the guts of all of the "redshirts".
I've also been Netflixing up a storm, trying to catch up on all of the movies I didn't watch for most of the year. I saw Stardust (fun fantasy movies which reminded me a bit of older fantasy movies before the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings phenomena) and The Hoax (boring bio-pic, though Richard Gere did a good job acting in it).
I love vacation. Flying! Movies! Reading! Dissertation? Nah.
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
A Good View
We did a little hour long air tour around the San Francisco Bay area.
D: I'm going to bank a little so you can get a good shot.
ME: gasp!
D: The hills are alive ...
ME: ... with the sound of music.
more hills
The air traffic controller warned us to watch for flying birds because of this little wetland sanctuary/slough near the airport.
Vast urban sprawl.
D: I'm going to bank a little so you can get a good shot.
ME: gasp!
D: The hills are alive ...
ME: ... with the sound of music.
more hills
The air traffic controller warned us to watch for flying birds because of this little wetland sanctuary/slough near the airport.
Vast urban sprawl.
Happy 2008
I spent yesterday night in bee-utiful California with my parents and our family cats and dog, drinking coffee (not alcohol) and watching movies. This was a huge improvement over last years disaster of an evening. And today I going for a spin around the San Francisco Bay with my friend in his plane and having lunch in Half Moon Bay.
Much. Better.
Here's to a relaxing and uneventful 2008.
Much. Better.
Here's to a relaxing and uneventful 2008.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Tree, Takes 1 & 2
Took this photo a couple of days ago of an ivy branch wrapped around a tree branch.
I sort of liked the weirdness of the random in focus parts, but the more I look at it, the less I like it.
So, today, I took this one:
Better, but still not right.
I sort of liked the weirdness of the random in focus parts, but the more I look at it, the less I like it.
So, today, I took this one:
Better, but still not right.
50 Book Challenge Round Up
I DID IT THIS YEAR!
I've read exactly 50 books. Here are some of the highlights.
# of books read: 50
- female authors: 20 / male authors: 23 (authors only counted once)
- nonfiction: 4 / fiction: 46
* general fiction: 20
* children: 4
* fantasy: 11
* mystery: 5
* historical fiction: 6
- Longest Book: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at 784pp
- Shortest Book: Silk at 91pp
Best Books
------------------
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
Seriously, if you haven't read any books by David Mitchell, what are you waiting for? This is a beautiful book that starts on a slave ship, rockets through time up to the future, then goes all the way back again. Each of the time periods is connected nominally with the period before and after, though all of the connections aren't apparent until the reader reaches the end. Beautifully written, really interesting, and a fantastic read.
Lady Oracle by Margaret Atwood
One of Atwood's earlier novels (pre-Handmaid's Tale) about a woman trapped in her life and fakes her death to escape. The book is about her life in its entirety, including her obesity, poor relationship with her mother and bad relationships with men. Easy to relate to, and wonderful to read.
One Perfect Day by Rebecca Mead
One of the non-fiction books I read this year, about the way that American weddings are less about love and more about consumption. Mead traces the production of wedding from the manufacture of the poufy white dress in a sweatshop in China to the marketing of carefully engineered wedding videos. If you've ever been in one of THOSE weddings, you should read this book.
Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
Both a mystery and a study in the way that traumatic events can shape the lives of people, Case Histories is a fascinating read. It's rare that a book does everything well, but I was interested in the mystery, interested in the characters, and the book left me wanting to read more from this author.
As Simple As Snow by Gregory Galloway
This book traces the relationship of Anastacia and the narrator, two misfit high school students. Halfway through the book, Anna goes mysteriously missing, and it is up to the narrator to piece together the clues she's left behind to figure out what happened to her. There is plenty of room for the reader to come to their own conclusions as well. This book won some sort of "young adult" fiction award, but there is more than enough here to satisfy even the most discriminating readers.
In Search of King Solomon's Mines by Tahir Shah
I want Tahir Shah's job. He is a travel writer who choses insane places to visit and goes on crazy, unconventional journeys in the most amazing of ways. This book takes place in Ethiopia where Shah goes in search of the King Solomon's legendary gold mines. Shah is never condescending and seems to really care about the people he meets along the road. He is often self-depricating and very funny. If you like Bill Bryson, you will love Tahir Shah. If you don't like Bill Bryson, well, you'll still like Tahir Shah.
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
I feel like I was the last person to read this book. The Time Traveller's Wifeis an unconventional romance between Henry (a time traveler) and Claire (a non-traveler). Part romance, part science-fiction, this book shows the way that Henry and Claire have known and influenced each other throughout their entire lives, thanks to the mystery of time travel. Beautifully written and totally original.
(and of course, Harry Potter).
Most Disappointing
-------------------------
My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk
A convoluted murder mystery set in Istabul involving the illuminated manuscript trade. While the historical bits about illuminated manuscripts were interesting, this book is bogged down in senseless exposition and strange, uninteresting subplots.
Stiff by Mary Roach
A book about what happens to human bodies after we die. Too much trying to be funny, and not enough science. If I pick a book out of the "science" section, I want to learn while I'm being entertained.
Shopgirl by Steve Martin
Flat and unemotional chick-lit written by a man. Steve Martin tries to be a serious author. Kind of.
An Imperfect Lens by Anne Roiphe
Three young french scientists go to Alexandria to discover the cause of cholera. I found this book to be almost clinical in the descriptions of the love stories between two of the main characters, and in the descriptions of the progression of cholera through Alexandria. I just couldn't get into this book.
The Dress Lodger by Sheri Holman
Henry is an early anatomist, and Gustine is the young prostitute that helps him acquire bodies during the cholera epidemic in England. Unlikeable historical fiction. I wanted the disease to win.
I've read exactly 50 books. Here are some of the highlights.
# of books read: 50
- female authors: 20 / male authors: 23 (authors only counted once)
- nonfiction: 4 / fiction: 46
* general fiction: 20
* children: 4
* fantasy: 11
* mystery: 5
* historical fiction: 6
- Longest Book: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at 784pp
- Shortest Book: Silk at 91pp
Best Books
------------------
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
Seriously, if you haven't read any books by David Mitchell, what are you waiting for? This is a beautiful book that starts on a slave ship, rockets through time up to the future, then goes all the way back again. Each of the time periods is connected nominally with the period before and after, though all of the connections aren't apparent until the reader reaches the end. Beautifully written, really interesting, and a fantastic read.
Lady Oracle by Margaret Atwood
One of Atwood's earlier novels (pre-Handmaid's Tale) about a woman trapped in her life and fakes her death to escape. The book is about her life in its entirety, including her obesity, poor relationship with her mother and bad relationships with men. Easy to relate to, and wonderful to read.
One Perfect Day by Rebecca Mead
One of the non-fiction books I read this year, about the way that American weddings are less about love and more about consumption. Mead traces the production of wedding from the manufacture of the poufy white dress in a sweatshop in China to the marketing of carefully engineered wedding videos. If you've ever been in one of THOSE weddings, you should read this book.
Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
Both a mystery and a study in the way that traumatic events can shape the lives of people, Case Histories is a fascinating read. It's rare that a book does everything well, but I was interested in the mystery, interested in the characters, and the book left me wanting to read more from this author.
As Simple As Snow by Gregory Galloway
This book traces the relationship of Anastacia and the narrator, two misfit high school students. Halfway through the book, Anna goes mysteriously missing, and it is up to the narrator to piece together the clues she's left behind to figure out what happened to her. There is plenty of room for the reader to come to their own conclusions as well. This book won some sort of "young adult" fiction award, but there is more than enough here to satisfy even the most discriminating readers.
In Search of King Solomon's Mines by Tahir Shah
I want Tahir Shah's job. He is a travel writer who choses insane places to visit and goes on crazy, unconventional journeys in the most amazing of ways. This book takes place in Ethiopia where Shah goes in search of the King Solomon's legendary gold mines. Shah is never condescending and seems to really care about the people he meets along the road. He is often self-depricating and very funny. If you like Bill Bryson, you will love Tahir Shah. If you don't like Bill Bryson, well, you'll still like Tahir Shah.
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
I feel like I was the last person to read this book. The Time Traveller's Wifeis an unconventional romance between Henry (a time traveler) and Claire (a non-traveler). Part romance, part science-fiction, this book shows the way that Henry and Claire have known and influenced each other throughout their entire lives, thanks to the mystery of time travel. Beautifully written and totally original.
(and of course, Harry Potter).
Most Disappointing
-------------------------
My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk
A convoluted murder mystery set in Istabul involving the illuminated manuscript trade. While the historical bits about illuminated manuscripts were interesting, this book is bogged down in senseless exposition and strange, uninteresting subplots.
Stiff by Mary Roach
A book about what happens to human bodies after we die. Too much trying to be funny, and not enough science. If I pick a book out of the "science" section, I want to learn while I'm being entertained.
Shopgirl by Steve Martin
Flat and unemotional chick-lit written by a man. Steve Martin tries to be a serious author. Kind of.
An Imperfect Lens by Anne Roiphe
Three young french scientists go to Alexandria to discover the cause of cholera. I found this book to be almost clinical in the descriptions of the love stories between two of the main characters, and in the descriptions of the progression of cholera through Alexandria. I just couldn't get into this book.
The Dress Lodger by Sheri Holman
Henry is an early anatomist, and Gustine is the young prostitute that helps him acquire bodies during the cholera epidemic in England. Unlikeable historical fiction. I wanted the disease to win.
#50: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams
fiction, (c) 1991 , 306pp
rating: ***
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy has long been on my shelf of "frequent re-reads". So, for my 50th book of the year, I picked up Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, the first book of Douglas Adams' less well-known series. I use the word series loosely, as there are only two books. Adams left a third book, Salmon of Doubt unfinished at the time of his death.
The plot of this book is convoluted at best, but I'm going to try and describe it. The book starts with a series of unrelated events: an electric monk on a horse going through a door in a desert; a young woman going on a date; a young computer programmer having dinner with an old college professor. As the book goes on, these threads start to come together when a side-character is murdered. At that point, Dirk Gently (finder of missing cats and saver of the world) enters the picture to solve the crime using the interconnectedness of all things. Are you confused yet? You should be, because I was. Through a series of strange plot twists, including a time paradox, all things are resolved. To say anything about the plot twists would be to give too much away, so I'll have to leave you with just these things.
The only - the ONLY - reason this book works at all is because Douglas Adams is so clever. His satire of academics and computer programmers is dead on. A lot of the dialogue is really snappy, which is partially why his books lend themselves so well to radio shows and other serials. On the downside, I found the character of Dirk Gently to be irritating instead of endearing. Many of his monologues seemed to be an excuse for Douglas to show off just how freakin' clever he is - which turned me off, as a reader. The ending of the book seemed sort of slapped together as all of the pieces conveniently fall into place within a space of thirty pages.
If you like Douglas Adams' humor, and you've got nothing better to read, go ahead and pick up this book. But I wouldn't go looking for it.
fiction, (c) 1991 , 306pp
rating: ***
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy has long been on my shelf of "frequent re-reads". So, for my 50th book of the year, I picked up Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, the first book of Douglas Adams' less well-known series. I use the word series loosely, as there are only two books. Adams left a third book, Salmon of Doubt unfinished at the time of his death.
The plot of this book is convoluted at best, but I'm going to try and describe it. The book starts with a series of unrelated events: an electric monk on a horse going through a door in a desert; a young woman going on a date; a young computer programmer having dinner with an old college professor. As the book goes on, these threads start to come together when a side-character is murdered. At that point, Dirk Gently (finder of missing cats and saver of the world) enters the picture to solve the crime using the interconnectedness of all things. Are you confused yet? You should be, because I was. Through a series of strange plot twists, including a time paradox, all things are resolved. To say anything about the plot twists would be to give too much away, so I'll have to leave you with just these things.
The only - the ONLY - reason this book works at all is because Douglas Adams is so clever. His satire of academics and computer programmers is dead on. A lot of the dialogue is really snappy, which is partially why his books lend themselves so well to radio shows and other serials. On the downside, I found the character of Dirk Gently to be irritating instead of endearing. Many of his monologues seemed to be an excuse for Douglas to show off just how freakin' clever he is - which turned me off, as a reader. The ending of the book seemed sort of slapped together as all of the pieces conveniently fall into place within a space of thirty pages.
If you like Douglas Adams' humor, and you've got nothing better to read, go ahead and pick up this book. But I wouldn't go looking for it.
Friday, December 28, 2007
I Am Legend: The Dog Always Gets The Short End of the Stick
There seems to be some kind of universal rule in movie-making where if a dog is featured in a storyline as the best-friend/loyal companion of a main character, something awful will happen to it.* That should tell you just about everything you need to know about I Am Legend, a movie I saw two days ago (not my selection).
I think the problems with I Am Legend can be summed up by three major flaws.
(1) I Am Legend is a zombie movie. Zombie movies can only be good if they abandon all hope of serious movie making and either descend into camp or play it like a straight blockbuster/thriller style movie (like 28 Days Later). I Am Legend does neither of these things. Through the first half of the movie, it attempts to be a "serious" film and explore the mental issues that the main character has after living entirely alone (with the exception of his faithful pup Sam). Robert Neville (played by Will Smith) spend much of the first hour wandering around Manhattan conversing with his dog and mannequins that he's set up around the city. While these scenes are supposed to be poignant, they end up being merely laughable.
(2) About halfway through, there is an abrupt transition between being a "serious" film and being an action/thriller. There are explosions. There are roaring albino zombies. There is gunfire. It has nothing to do with the first half of the movie.
(3) Will Smith can be a serious actor given the right script. While I didn't love The Pursuit of Happyness as a film, Will Smith was very good in it. But this is a bad script, and while Smith does the best he can with it, there is only so much one man can do. In the first thirty minutes, Smith tells his puppy dog to be careful, because he's not immune to the contact version of the virus. I'm surprised a little banner with the word "foreshadowing" didn't unfurl across the bottom of the screen.
The more I think about it, the less I liked it.
* This rule is null and void if the dog has a humanlike ability to communicate via voice overs (i.e. Dr. Doolitte or the Incredible Journey) or via the ability to communicate complex information through a stream of woofs (i.e. Lassie).
I think the problems with I Am Legend can be summed up by three major flaws.
(1) I Am Legend is a zombie movie. Zombie movies can only be good if they abandon all hope of serious movie making and either descend into camp or play it like a straight blockbuster/thriller style movie (like 28 Days Later). I Am Legend does neither of these things. Through the first half of the movie, it attempts to be a "serious" film and explore the mental issues that the main character has after living entirely alone (with the exception of his faithful pup Sam). Robert Neville (played by Will Smith) spend much of the first hour wandering around Manhattan conversing with his dog and mannequins that he's set up around the city. While these scenes are supposed to be poignant, they end up being merely laughable.
(2) About halfway through, there is an abrupt transition between being a "serious" film and being an action/thriller. There are explosions. There are roaring albino zombies. There is gunfire. It has nothing to do with the first half of the movie.
(3) Will Smith can be a serious actor given the right script. While I didn't love The Pursuit of Happyness as a film, Will Smith was very good in it. But this is a bad script, and while Smith does the best he can with it, there is only so much one man can do. In the first thirty minutes, Smith tells his puppy dog to be careful, because he's not immune to the contact version of the virus. I'm surprised a little banner with the word "foreshadowing" didn't unfurl across the bottom of the screen.
The more I think about it, the less I liked it.
* This rule is null and void if the dog has a humanlike ability to communicate via voice overs (i.e. Dr. Doolitte or the Incredible Journey) or via the ability to communicate complex information through a stream of woofs (i.e. Lassie).
Thursday, December 27, 2007
#49: Greenfire
It has been my goal to read 50 books this year (and it will be my goal to read 50 books next year too). Since I've been getting flak for not posting here, perhaps I'll make more use of this space for book reviews and such.
Greenfire by Louise Titchener
fiction/fantasy, (c)1993, 306pp
rating: ***
Another book from the unread books from my youth. I'm pretty sure I probably bought Greenfire in 1993 when it was new. Had I read it when I was actually 13 years old, I might have really liked it. However, as an older and (at least, I would like to think) more sophisticated reader, it lacked something. Greenfire is a bit of fluff that, while mildly entertaining, is certainly not worth searching down.
Greenfire follows the story of Reawen, the demigod of water. She (and the other three elemental demigods) derive the majority of their power from magic stones. The king of the Peninsula ticked each of the domi (demigods) out of their stones and is using them to rule his kingdom. Reawen sets out on a quest to win her stone back and regain all of her powers. As she continues on her quest, she realizes that all is not what it originally seemed - the domi have been capricious and cruel and the kingdom that King Brone has established has people she comes to care about. Add in a war with a neighboring kingdom and a feud between wizards, and that's basically all of the main plot points of the book.
Greenfire is totally predictable and the writing is trite. It's not necessarily boring though. It would be a great book to bring on a plane or other long trip where you want something to occupy your mind, but not something that needs a lot of concentration. Bonus is that I wouldn't feel bad leaving it in whatever place I arrived in.
Greenfire by Louise Titchener
fiction/fantasy, (c)1993, 306pp
rating: ***
Another book from the unread books from my youth. I'm pretty sure I probably bought Greenfire in 1993 when it was new. Had I read it when I was actually 13 years old, I might have really liked it. However, as an older and (at least, I would like to think) more sophisticated reader, it lacked something. Greenfire is a bit of fluff that, while mildly entertaining, is certainly not worth searching down.
Greenfire follows the story of Reawen, the demigod of water. She (and the other three elemental demigods) derive the majority of their power from magic stones. The king of the Peninsula ticked each of the domi (demigods) out of their stones and is using them to rule his kingdom. Reawen sets out on a quest to win her stone back and regain all of her powers. As she continues on her quest, she realizes that all is not what it originally seemed - the domi have been capricious and cruel and the kingdom that King Brone has established has people she comes to care about. Add in a war with a neighboring kingdom and a feud between wizards, and that's basically all of the main plot points of the book.
Greenfire is totally predictable and the writing is trite. It's not necessarily boring though. It would be a great book to bring on a plane or other long trip where you want something to occupy your mind, but not something that needs a lot of concentration. Bonus is that I wouldn't feel bad leaving it in whatever place I arrived in.
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