BOOK REVIEW: The Last Campaign

The Last Campaign: Sherman, Geronimo and the War for America
H.W. Brands
Doubleday Books
Copyright 2022 by the author

A while back I got involved in a discussion on what movies or TV series could not be made today. The 60s comedy F Troop immediately came to mind. Even in what was clearly a comedy, there’s not a chance in heck that you’d be able to get away with stereotyping the natives in such a manner today.

The contrarian in me started wondering what you’d have to do if you wanted to have your “pitch” for a reboot taken seriously. Obviously, the natives would have to be the only sane, decent, honorable, and intelligent characters. And you’d want them played by Native American actors (assuming you could get enough willing to take the roles).

Then you’d want to get a decent enough grasp on the history of the “Indian Wars”. That’s where H.W. Brands comes in.


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Pond in a Jar

Not too long ago, I came across this article about a biologist who happened to scoop up some pond water in a jar, just because. Looking at drops of it in her microscope, she was surprised to see a specimen of a rare and unusual protozoa – one that just might turn out to be a new species.

My mind went back decades to my own youth, when I had my own “pond in a jar” for a while. I don’t remember what motivated me to make one, but I enjoyed watching water fleas swimming, a hydra anchored to the side of the jar, and even a little freshwater clam doing its thing in the muck at the bottom.

I thought, “There’s a pond near me with a shallow area at one spot, and a good amount of plant life in it. I’ve jot the jar, why not make another one?” Continue reading →

Boston – 6

As always, a few random thoughts to wrap this thing up.

At least in “downtown” Boston, streets can change name without notice. Streets at opposite sides of a perfect four-way intersection (a “+”) will have different names for no apparent reason. Arch turns into Chauncey, Essex becomes Boylston, and Summer changes into Winter without going through Autumn (or Spring).

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Boston – 4

Of course, the primary reason I chose Boston for my vacation destination is that I could get to see a few Red Sox games at Fenway Park. Dating back to 1912, it’s the oldest MLB stadium still in active use. It’s been tweaked and upgraded and expanded over the decades, but let’s face it – the place is showing its age.

Given the oddly shaped plot of land it’s on, and the need to fit in that tiny space, there’s not much you can really do with it.

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Boston – 3

One of the things I’ve decided to do whenever I visit another city is take a walking food tour. The tour groups are small and intimate; you won’t feel lost or overwhelmed. And you’ll also get a better “feel” of the place; the way things are for the ordinary residents. Maybe a little local history, too, of the sort that doesn’t appear in the usual travel guides.

Most of the tours that came up in the searches were for the northern end of Boston, which, from the descriptions, I gather is the city’s Italian neighborhood. Those didn’t seem that appealing to me. As great as Italian food can be, it’s not that hard to get the good stuff. Even cities that don’t claim a “Little Italy” can have a couple of really good Italian restaurants.

A company called “Bites of Boston” offered a tour on the South End that fight nicely into my planned schedule, as well as looking really interesting.

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Boston – 2

The Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum is a rather small museum. Not just because it covers only one small incident, but because there’s so little physical “stuff” left over from the Tea Party. Heck, they aren’t even sure where it actually happened (not that it would matter much, given the amount of land that has been added to the Boston Neck since the 1770s). So putting it on “Griffin’s Wharf”, right off the Congress Street Bridge in the middle of the Fort Point Channel is as good a location as any.

Especially since it lets you dock a pair of period-appropriate replica merchant ships alongside.

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Boston – 1

I’ve actually visited Boston at least twice before. Once was in my college days, when I went there for a school-related function. There was no time to do any sightseeing. And I’d visited there in my childhood – either as a school trip or a family vacation. I remember being in Fenway Park, being on the observation deck of the Prudential Center, puttering about on the Freedom Trail, and visiting the USS Constitution.

But that’s it. Despite living within easy driving distance, I’d never thought of going there as an adult.

Until having to get a new car upended my vacation plans. Continue reading →

The Depths of Whiskey

Last year, I decided it was time to get myself something nice for Christmas. At about the same time, I came across an article on “Best Gifts for Whiskey Lovers” (or something to that effect). One of the recommendations was a “Whiskey Advent Calendar” – called “The Depths of Whiskey” – from Flaviar. Twenty-four samples of whiskeys (and whiskey-like beverages: bourbon, rye, et al.) from around the world, all handsomely packaged. The samples were identified only with a number (though the ABV’s were provided), so you could taste them “blind” and then go to their website to find out what it was and compare your notes with theirs.

Since I didn’t really know that much about whiskey, I thought it would be a great way to learn. So I got one. You can find and read reviews of the “calendar” on your own. I would like to note that, apparently, demand was so high that they had to make three versions. I got Version #2.

Here’s what came in that version, along with my notes – as transcribed directly from the little notebook that came with it. They’ll start with color, then aroma, then flavor, and then finish. A checkmark indicates a strong like – consider it a “Can recommend, would buy if I can find it”. The identities were “discovered” after I had completed the tasting and written my notes.

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Adventures in Bird Listening

If you pay attention to your local birds for any length of time (or with any amount of interest), you’ll soon find that some species have distinctive calls. All it takes is for you to clearly see one singing its characteristic call, and then you should be able to instantly say “Oh, there’s a blue-crowned dinglebird in the area” the next time you hear it.

Seems that some of the more easily identifiable birds are among the more common in near-urban and suburban environments. The “caw” of the crow, the screech of the blue jay, the however-it-goes of the cardinal, the sort-of-mewling of the catbird…. With a bit more experience, one can readily pick out robins, chickadees, and (in the right environment) red-winged blackbirds. Some, like house sparrows and mourning doves, are generally nothing special – but so common that they become a default soundscape.

I bring this up now because this summer, it seems my neighborhood has been invaded by song sparrows. Their call has become ubiquitous, even though I can’t ever seem to spot one. They are quite loud for such a small bird, too. Unless they have an ability to pick out a stage where the acoustics serve to amplify their song. I have no idea how they do it. The volume suggests they’re right outside my window, but other aural characteristics tend to put them many dozens of yards away.

One of these days I’ll catch one at it. Maybe I’ll ask them about it.

This, but LOUDER:

Yeah, it’s been a slow summer and I’m just padding things here. What are you complaining about? You’re getting this for free…..