Book Review: The Road

The Road, by Cormac McCarthy, is a post-apocalyptic story of a man and his son, trudging through America towards a coast. The reader isn’t informed about what the apocalyptic event was; we’re just to understand that all life EXCEPT humans was annihilated in some event ten years prior. Many humans turn to cannibalism to survive. Father and son try to maintain their humanity (sans cannibalism), while trying to survive along their journey.

While the relationship between the two was kind of sweet, it wasn’t enough to sustain a story that 1) made no sense, 2) went on and on and 3) ended far too neatly in what was supposed to be uplifting but wasn’t, necessarily. An example of the nonsensical nature of the story was that if an event caused all other life to be extinguished, how did humanity make it out alive in the first place? And after ten years, how could humans survive without the necessary bacteria and other interdependent species? And if bacteria, insects and fungi weren’t around to break things down, why weren’t there huge piles of undecayed, dead matter? You get the picture.

The story, if one reads it as just narrative, has so many holes in logic and begs so much suspension of disbelief to make it ridiculous. Even if one takes it as an allegory of the devolution of human behavior when there is no hope for the future, then a MUCH better story is P.D. James’ The Children of Men (see review below). James introduces a single, inexplicable event that starts the devolution, but the rest of the story is consistent and well, sadly plausible. Do yourself a favor: skip this one.

The gift that keeps on giving

Otherwise known as “the smartphone saga continued.” Last Friday I finally received the prepaid return label from “The New AT&T” to return the defective smartphone for credit. Ironically, that morning I had mailed the phone back after getting account credit for mailing it myself. I looked at the postmark. It said August 15th – which was a full week AFTER my first call to customer service about the return. So they waited for a full week to mail the thing. Why? My guess is that they could have more time with my money – see I was charged for BOTH phones until I returned the defective one for credit. Now, there could be other explanations why the label wasn’t mailed immediately. Incompetence comes to mind. What do you think? Did they think I would just forget about this if enough time elapsed? Just keep the defective phone?

I mailed the phone UPS two-day so I could track it. Now the thing MUST have been received by now (I’ll have to track) and yet my bill still reflects the replacement phone charge. How do I know this? There’s a feature on my new phone in which I can get the up-to-the minute balance on my account. The irony just kills me. {Sigh} I guess I’ll have follow-up with ANOTHER phone call to customer service to 1) confirm that they’ve received the blasted thing and 2) inquire about exactly when I’ll be credited for the returned phone…hopefully before my bill is due!

Gentle readers, there could actually be more to this story yet! Stay tuned.

Update 8/25/07: I called The New AT&T today, after confirming with UPS that the returns center had in fact received the defective phone, in order to find out when my account would be credited. I suspected I wouldn't like the answer and I was right: the credit will show up on my NEXT bill. This means that I'll have to pay $483 on this bill and have to wait ANOTHER MONTH-PLUS for the actual credit. The customer service person had the nerve to say "we appreciate your business." Of course you do, dear, you're making out like a bandit on me!

"Pregnant and homeless" revisited

Day before yesterday, after work, I was again accosted by a female demanding money because she was "pregnant and homeless." I found out that there's a homeless shelter around the corner, so the female residents must get together on this one and develop tactics - unfortunately for them, they all use the same message. Also unfortunately for them, the mere thought of irresponsible pregnancy makes me disgusted, ie, not motivation to give them money. And lying about being pregnant makes me even more disgusted. And anyone demanding money from me for their sorry life when I'm leaving from a long day of GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT is sadly mistaken to think I'm going to give them anything except a lecture.

You'll be happy to know that I didn't read her the riot act OR punch her like I wanted to. I just kept moving along home. I'm so civil it's not funny.

Cow + Yak = new commodity?

Here's a recent WaPo article about two guys who are hybridizing cows and yaks in hopes of developing a new meat-commodity. The skinny is that they want to combine yak's much lower fat content with beef's consistency (yak meat is stringy). Let's see if this "yattle" thing takes off. I'm "game"!

The smartphone saga

Well, my current cell phone was crashing and I thought, I'll upgrade. Thinking that it would be nice to have more functionality on my phone (email, PDA, with a complete keyboard, etc), I decided to buy a Treo 680 - expensive at over 400 clams, but then there was a rebate included for $200. Still expensive, but I thought, I'm making an investment that's going to make my life easier. Or so I thought.

Well, the first phone arrived and I tried to activate, per instructions, on the web. Mind you, I went thru my existing AT&T/Cingular account online to order the upgrade in the first place, so theoretically I'd just follow instructions and my phone would be activated. But no. So I called the customer service activation line and the helpful person stated that no, in fact, the new upgraded phone wasn't even associated with my account and they would have to associate it and activate it. Fine, do that.

Oh, but that wouldn't be the end of it. I couldn't access any of the menus on the phone, at all, or make calls, so I called them again. The woman tried to assess the problem and concluded that the unit I had was defective, and that I should return it. Ok. But that meant I had to also get a replacement. So the next day I called their Online Sales Dept to discuss return and replacement. The guy was exceeding nice and helpful, ordered the replacement and requested that a prepaid return label be sent to me. Now, mind you, the new phone is charged to me until the old phone is returned and credited. They use two-day delivery for the phone, but regular snail-mail for the return address label. I rec'd the phone yesterday. The label hasn't yet arrived.

So, I go online to activate the new phone. I get an error message that says that all phones associated with my account are activated and if I think this is in error, I should call a number. By that time it's late & I figure I'll just call today. I called a few minutes ago only to get the message that the customer service function is not open, that I should call back during regular business hours. At this point I'm in the possession of two hideously expensive paperweights.

But the story gets better: you know that $200 rebate I mentioned? Well, I read the fine print and in addition to buying the the phone at full price, I also must sign up for what amounts to service (voice & data) plans costing $80 per month! I pay $30 and change for my existing phone plan and I knew I would be spending a bit more per month, but $80? Oh, and that's not including taxes.

At this point, I'm ready to return both phones and order the cheapest upgrade phone I can get. All thanks to the "New AT&T"! Thanks guys!

More on this as the story develops...

UPDATE 8/13/07: I called AT&T this morning and a very nice customer service person walked me thru activation (both of the phone & SIM card). The phone still said No Service. She advised me to go to a specific store and have the SIM card replaced because it must be that the SIM card was defective. I thanked her (while starting a whole new frustration) and hung up. I conveyed this to DH Jeff & he said let me look at it, whereby he popped out the battery & put it back in. And guess what? I now have a useable phone. Yippee! Now all I have to do is choose an appropriate plan, sync the bluetooth and set up Palm OS and all will be well. I'll still have to suck up the full cost of the thing, probably, because I don't want to pay $80 a month.

UPDATE 8/15/07: I checked the data plans available and got one that suits for $15/month for messaging and internet, to be added to my existing voice plan for which I pay $30/month (and don't even use all the minutes), for a reasonable total of $45/month. Now, with their "great deal," I would have paid $220 MORE for the first year WITH the $200 rebate, as compared to the plan arrangement I chose WITHOUT the phone rebate. What a rip-off. And did I mention that I haven’t received the pre-paid return address label to return the defective phone? If I haven’t received it by the time I get home this evening, I’m going to have to call AGAIN to see what’s up. I mean snail-mail doesn’t take a week for a damned label!

Talking to a coworker recently, I discovered that she had had a very similar experience with AT&T/Cingular. Word to the wise out there – read everything and ask questions before buying and signing up for anything, especially with the “New AT&T”; evidently, it’s all about getting you to pay the highest possible price before you realize what you’re getting into!

UPDATE 8/16/07: Last evening I had NOT received the dang return label for the defective phone. So, I called this morning and now I have an address where I can send the phone & a credit on my account for the postage. A little victory.

Yet another book review: The Daughters of Juarez

The Daughters of Juarez, by Teresa Rodriguez (with Diana Montané and Lisa Pulitzer), chronicles a series of horrific murders of young women (and teens) in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, over the last fourteen years, the law enforcement/governmental response to them, and the myriad theories as to the perpetrator(s). Over this period, a good part of 400 poor women were raped, tortured and strangled (and some mutilated), then dumped in desert areas and vacant lots around the city, many of them having been abducted on their way to or from work or school. The book details a rich tapestry of police and governmental brutality, corruption, blatant sexual discrimination, disregard for public safety, and just plain incompetence (which supports my long-held belief that rule of law in Mexico is merely notional).

Although many suspects have been charged and held (and tortured), it is doubtful that any of the murders can ever be considered legitimately solved because of this pervasive and persistent institutional dysfunction. In fact, one can say that this is a glaring example of how not to run a criminal justice system. It’s heartbreaking to consider that the families of these slain women will never see justice done. Additionally, it must have been so frustrating for those [few, evidently] in law enforcement and government who made efforts to run effective investigations, only to be stymied at every turn by the very system they should have been able to trust, forced out of their jobs because they wouldn’t falsify results or analyses, or even physically threatened.

Daughters is definitely a compelling, true tale and Rodriguez does a service to those affected by these horrors by airing them for everyone to examine. The book, however, suffers from Rodriguez’s lack of organization: she bounces around dates, people and events so much so that it’s hard to keep them all straight. Also, she makes a point of maudlin over-description of the women and their families so as to make them more sympathetic. This in my mind is unnecessary; most people will find the thought of someone (not to mention hundreds) being subjected to the extreme violence that these women experienced and the grief (on multiple levels) that their loved ones were forced to endure to be inconceivably horrible – no matter who the reader is. I also think Rodriguez could have used some citations to support what must have been years of research and investigation. In the end, I would recommend this book as a real eye-opener, but with these reservations.

Another locality stands up for itself

Today in WaPo Metro section is an article about another locality, in this case Culpeper County, VA, that has had it with illegal immigration. A resolution that was approved unanimously by county lawmakers affirms English as official language, e.g., printing public documents only in English. I think this right on: anyone who lives and works in Culpeper County (or anywhere in the US, to my mind) should be able to read, write and speak English. No brainer. Now, this might not seem like a lot, especially compared to what other localities are doing, but it does send a message. Lawmakers opine that the Hispanic immigrant population is just not assimilating vis-à-vis English language proficiency; therefore, if the county refuses to accommodate their language deficiency, they might move elsewhere. A small step, to be applauded.

Writing about nothing

Well, you'll all be happy to know that I've labeled every single post I've ever written, so you can pull them up by topic (side bar). I know, too much excitement for one day.

In other news, my face is breaking out like a teenager's, for some ungodly reason. For some other reason, my eyes were all puffy. Not just baggy. Gaack.

Dog days of summer are definitely here - temps in high 90s and nasty humidity. It was rather uncomfortable last evening at Screen on the Green. More on that experience a little later.

Another Book Review: World War Z

World War Z, by Max Brooks, describes what might happen if a virus got loose and caused a world-wide pandemic of re-animated people, i.e., zombies. It is cleverly told through a series of interviews with various survivors around the world about their experience with or rather against the zombie hoards and how they managed to emerge from the plague uninfected. A nice touch is how Brooks adds in “footnotes” which explain details of the subject’s narrative – what a certain acronym means, what a piece of equipment did, etc. Furthermore, Brooks effectively gives distinct voices to each of his “interviewees,” not an easy thing to do, especially given the number of subjects in the book. World War Z manages, for its outlandish premise, to convey an impression of veritas through very readable, creative, yet plausible story-telling. Towards the end, I must confess, I was looking forward to finishing Z but that was probably more a function of my impatience to start another book, than any defect in the narrative.

Restaurant Review: Sorriso

On Saturday, DH Jeff & I tried out an Italian restaurant that I've been wanting to try for a while, called Sorriso Ristorante, 3518 Connecticut Avenue NW, WDC 20008, (202) 537-4800.

We decided, upon Jeff's suggestion, to share a bunch of appetizers rather than appetizers and a heavier entree. This turned out well. Here was our menu:

Caprese salad
beef carpaccio on bed of arugula with shaved parmesan
steamed mussels in white wine and garlic
antipasto with grilled vegetables, salami, goat cheese
bottle of red wine
espressos
lemoncellos

Sound good? It was! Very fresh ingredients & very tasty. Our favorite was probably the carpaccio. The weakest item - although still very good and fresh - was the mussels - a little more garlic needed. The staff was very pleasant, and provided as much yummy bread as we wanted. The environment was the sunny and comfortable; even the bathrooms were nice. My only thought was that it would have been nice if they offered lower-priced wines (or cut down the mark-up) - the least expensive bottle was around $30. Although, they did have a good selection of wines by the glass, but who wants to keep re-ordering glasses, hence the bottle. Anyhoo, minor detail! I definitely would recommend the place, which is conveniently located right off Cleveland Park Metro. There's a pasta dish with truffle oil that I MUST try!

Book Review: The Roaches Have No King

The Roaches Have No King, by Daniel Evan Weiss, is a clever tale of cockroach “societal” dynamics, told from the perspective of the cockroach. Mind you, this is not a book for everyone – the “Ew Factor” is very high, especially in passages concerning the interaction between human and cockroach; some may find it downright unreadable for this reason. Even the non-squeamish will want to immediately scrub down their entire home with bleach. That said, I found it a funny, creative and involving story of roach sensibilities and their take on the world around them. The grossness isn’t gratuitous – we are talking about cockroaches, aren’t we?

Hat-tip to AJ for recommending this book!

Book Review: Soldiers of God

I read Soldiers of God, by Robert Kaplan, at the same time that I read The Bookseller of Kabul (for book club) and found Soldiers to be an enlightening companion read because while Bookseller focused on one family in Kabul, its interpersonal dynamics, and how religion and culture affected its members, Soldiers gave a broader view of various groups and their political and personal dynamics in Afghanistan. Also, both books were written by Western journalists, which gave the books a somewhat similar (though by no means identical) perspective on Afghanistan, although differing in scope.

Specific to Soldiers, I enjoyed Robert Kaplan’s story telling (part travelogue, part reportage), his ability to gain access to some very insular groups, and his obvious desire to present them and their goals as accurately as possible. It was compelling reading for me as I knew little about the country, its myriad elements and history.

Blog changes

For my regular readers (all five!), you will notice that I've been changing format and adding various new things to the blog. Hopefully, these additions will make the site more user-friendly, navigable (is that a word?), interesting and maybe even useful. Let me know what you think!

40 ain't what it used to be

There was a rather triumphant (and encouraging) article in WaPo yesterday concerning the comeback of multi-Olympic medal winning swimmer Dara Torres - at age 40. Evidently, she's like a woman possessed and blowing away the much-younger competition. Nice to hear - you go girl! Read the whole thing here.

More bad news about national security

In WaPo today is an article about how the computer system that contains all sorts of border-control-related personal information on passports, visas, SSNs, etc. has poor security and is vulnerable to cyber-attacks, data theft, data manipulation. And it's costing us $1.7 BILLION!!!

First it's just disturbing that we, the taxpayers, are supporting a very expensive computer system in the name of border control (hah!) that is essentially a huge liability. Second, it's disturbing that WaPo is publishing this story for the world to read, basically advertising a significant weakness. It's like a warm little invitation for all sorts of criminals and terrorists to jump in and hack. Gee, thanks!

What's wrong with this country and its leadership (one of the things) is that there are gaping [expensive, taxpayer funded] holes in our security, starting with the systems and agencies put in place to protect us with zero accountability. Now, some may just blame everything on Bush, but this sort of nonsense has been going on for a long time, ie, before Bush. What's the rationale for allowing this to continue? How do you sell your incompetence and spend-thriftiness to the people who are paying for it? Evidently, easily. It seems that wherever one looks today, there are government approved, aided and abetted ways to ensure our demise.