Fernhill Track

Tuesday afternoon in Queenstown, Swedberg and I hiked six miles on the Fernhill Track above Queenstown. Using data from my Garmin 305, I generated the following views of the hike in Google Earth and an elevation graph from Garmin Training Center software. I also included a couple of pictures that I took along the way. I embedded the KMZ file in Google Maps at the bottom of the posting.

Starting from the top of the Skyline Gondola at 2,600 feet, we dropped down to 1,800 feet to pick up the Fernhill Track. From there, we climbed up to the snow line at just over 3,000 feet before dropping back to Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu. The mountain range on the far side of the lake in the pictures is called the Incredibles.

click on the photo for a larger copy!

View Larger Map

Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition

During the trip to New Zealand, I finished reading Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition by Daniel Okrent. I bought the book last summer after seeing the author interviewed on the Jon Stewart Show. The book examines the events leading up to the passage of the 18th amendment, the years during prohibition and then passage of the 21st amendment.

The book looks at the history of alcohol consumption in the United States. The per capita consumption of hard alcohol in the 17th and 18th century is almost unbelievable. By the early 19th century, Americans were drinking the equivalent of 90 bottles of 80-proof liquor per adult per year. By the end of the 19th century, the country saw the rise of German brewers and an explosion growth in beer drinking and the number of bars.

I have always scratched my head and wondered at how they were able to pass a constitutional amendment outlawing the manufacture, sale, or transportation of "intoxicating liquors". The book does a nice job of showing how a number of factors came together at the same time to make it possible. A set of factors as varied as Woman's suffrage, the Jim Crowe laws and World War I and bad feelings towards Germans came together to push prohibition forward. Surprising to me, one person--Wayne Wheeler--was largely responsible for taking advantage of the opportunity and making the constitutional amendment a reality.

Interestingly, the 16th amendment allowing Congress to levy an income tax is largely the work of the prohibitionists. Through most of the 18th and 19th century, the United States government was largely financed by taxes on alcohol. In order to outlaw alcohol, there had to be an alternative source of income for the federal government.

The best part of the book is the years during prohibition. It is absolutely amazing how out of control things were. The criminal justice system was swamped. Organized crime expanded to deal with the lucrative business. There was widespread corruption among those charged with enforcing unpopular laws. Prohibition was an abject failure.

The book suffers a little from a nonlinear style at certain points as well as just the overwhelming number of people and places. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book and would it give it a solid B grade.

As an odd footnote, the author Daniel Okrent is credited as the inventor of Rotisserie League Baseball, the precursor to modern fantasy baseball. He appears in the ESPN 30 for 30 film titled Silly Little Game.

Parents Behaving Badly by Scott Gummer

I finished reading Parents Behaving Badly by Scott Gummer. I saw the book on a summer reading list of sports books put together by NPR. With Jack's baseball team traveling to San Diego for a tournament in July, I bought it and threw it into the bag. I didn't start reading it until we were at Lake Shasta in August.

I was hoping for a book that focused on the antics of parents at Little League Baseball games. Instead I got a story that focused on the marriage of a 40-something couple, particularly the trials and tribulations of the husband.

From the opening kid's birthday party, it is a story largely told though the eyes of the father. While the plot includes a season of baseball and the running amok of Little League baseball parents, this is one of several secondary story lines.

I was hoping for a book that focused on a team and a league for a season. Unfortunately, the baseball season does not really start until page 85 of a 210 page book.

The book is a light, quick read. Setting aside that the book was really not what I was expecting, it is just not a very good book. I recommend skipping it.

Appetite for America by Stephen Fried

While we were at Shasta Lake, I finished reading Appetite for America: How Visionary Businessman Fred Harvey Built a Railroad Hospitality Empire that Civilized the Wild West by Stephen Fried. I had seen the author on the Jon Stewart Show and ordered it from Amazon. The book has been sitting in my pile since April of 2010.

Rarely do I pick up a book that surprises me as much as this one did. I will start rather than finish by saying that I enjoyed this book a lot.

The book looks at the life of Fred Harvey. Harvey is credited with creating the first restaurant chain in the United States. He developed the Harvey House lunch rooms, restaurants, souvenir shops, and hotels which served rail passengers on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and several other railroads. The book continues the story with Harvey's son and grandson.

Harvey was also a leader in promoting tourism in the American Southwest in the late 19th century. He and his son built the La Fonda in Santa Fe and the Le Tovar at the Grand Canyon and were instrumental in developing the Grand Canyon as a tourist destination. They are also credited with popularizing Navajo jewelry.

Sharon and I enjoyed a week in Northern New Mexico in 2007. With large parts of this book are set in the Southwest, I have added a number of places from the book to my list to visit in the future.

The majority of the story takes place over the 100 years from 1850 to 1950. Using Fred Harvey's company as the vehicle, the book is a particularly interesting look at the history of the Southwestern United States in the last half of the 19th century.

The story begins before the transcontinental railroad was completed. To someone who was raised in California in the era of cars and freeways, it is fascinating how large a role the railroad played in the growth and economic development of the United States.

A number of my favorite historic figures make cameos in the book, including General George Custer, Susan B. Anthony, William Randolph Hearst, Theodore Roosevelt and Charles Limbergh. Harvey's grandson flew in World War I and with Limbergh was one of the founders of the Transcontinental Air Transport which eventually became TWA.

The book is nicely paced and well written. It is a dynamic and splendid history.

The Confession by Olen Steinhauer

Almost two years ago, Sharon's brother Tom recommended a series of books by Olen Steinhauer. I read the first book--The Bridge of Sighs--in the series last fall. I enjoyed that book enough that I bought the second book--The Confession--and finished it on the flight to Washington D.C.

Set in a small, unnamed Eastern European country in 1956, the book has the same set of main characters as the first book; the novel revolves around a set of homicide detectives. The story takes places eight years after The Bridge of Sighs. Interestingly, the author switches main characters. The story is told from the perspective of a different detective than the first book. The novel is part police procedural, part erotic romance, part noir mystery and part reflection on totalitarian excesses.

Part of what makes the book so intriguing is how it captures the atmosphere of the place and time and what it does to the people. In communist Eastern Europe in 1956, the people have had to accept the dominance of State Security and their puppet-masters in Moscow. But with Stalin gone, neighboring Hungary is trying to revolt.

This is the second book in a series of five. The third story is set in the 1960's.  I am definitely going to add the next book to my pile.

A Life of Picasso: The Cubist Rebel, 1907-1917

I finished reading A Life of Picasso: The Cubist Rebel. The second volume of a planned four volume set, this book focuses on the inception and rise of the Cubist movement. I read the first volume a little less than two years ago and enjoyed it enough that I bought the second volume.

As I mentioned when I read the first volume, I have always been fascinated by Picasso; there is so much variety in his work. We got a chance to see quite a bit of his work in Spain last summer. We toured the Picasso Museum in Barcelona and saw Picasso's Guernica at the Centro de Arte Reina Sofia in Madrid.

After finishing the book, I turned to Sharon and said "I finished the stupid book." Obviously, this is not a ringing endorsement. After my perspective, the book spent too much time focusing on obscure discussions about the different schools of cubism and the arguments between their proponents.

The book explores Picasso's relationship with Georges Braque and their development of cubism as an art form. It also tracks Picasso's unsuccessful search for a wife through several relationships over the course of the the ten years.

I had hoped that it would provide more of a glimpse into life during World War I. Picasso lived in Paris and the south of France during the war years. As a pacifist, Picasso successfully avoided any involvement. Although inconvenienced by the war, Picasso was largely able to live his life uninterrupted.

This is not a book that I recommend for the casual reader. I struggled to get through it more than anything that I have read in the last twenty years. Nevertheless, I will read the next volume. I am interested in getting a complete picture of Picasso's life.

Like the first volume, the book has over 900 paintings, sketches and photos. Many of the key paintings from this period are either in Russia or in the hands of private collections. There are a couple that I of paintings that I am going to try and track down some day.



Three Women - State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg


Girl with the Mandolin - The Museum of Modern Art, New York


The Accordionist - Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York


Women in an Armchair - Collection Sally Ganz, New York

The Fifth Floor by Michael Harvey

I finished reading the The Fifth Floor by Michael Harvey. This is a retro-noir crime novel. Although I can't remember what prompted me to originally buy the book, I read Harvey's The Chicago Way about three years ago. I enjoyed that novel enough that I ordered his second book and put it in my pile.

Set in Chicago, Harvey's second thriller to feature private investigator Michael Kelly has the ex-cop taking on what he thinks is a simple domestic violence case. Coming across the murdered body of a historian, Kelly realizes he's stumbled onto a scandal that began with the great Chicago Fire of 1871.

After reading The Colonel, I read this book and a couple of others as a light change of pace. I enjoyed the book. In the back of the book, the author recommends a number of books to learn more about the Chicago Fire. I am going to add at least one of these to my ever growing pile of books to read...

Dr. Norman Eugene Payne

I worked directly for Norm for several years after he started as COO at the Western Farm Credit Banks. He had a significant influence on both Sharon's and my professional careers.

LEESBURG, Fla./WELLSVILLE, N.Y. — Dr. Norman Eugene Payne, 74, went to be with the Lord on Saturday (Feb. 19, 2011) at his home, under hospice care.

Born in Wellsville, on Aug. 19, 1936, he was the son of Gordon and Loretta (Metzler) Payne. After graduating from Alfred-Almond Central School in 1954, and obtaining an associate’s degree from SUNY at Alfred in poultry science, he married his high school sweetheart Gladys E. Pierce on June 16, 1956. He was employed by Alfred State College until 1967. Returning to school, he received his B.S., M.S., and PhD. in marketing and business management from Cornell University in Ithaca. While in Ithaca he came to know Christ and has taught Sunday School and Bible Studies for many years. Leaving Ithaca he joined Farm Credit Banks in Springfield, Mass. as Sr. VP as Director of the Research and New Product Development Department. While there he completed the Advanced Management Program at the Graduate School of Business Administration at Harvard University. In 1989 he joined the Western Farm Credit Banks in Sacramento, Calif. as COO.

In 1998 he retired and moved to Leesburg, Fla. Norman had diverse interests and was always ready to expand his experiences. For years he enjoyed fishing with family and friends whether at Keuka Lake and the Adirondacks in New York, or Sunset Lake in Massachusetts. He started playing tennis at the age of 35, took up golf at 62, and had two hole-in-ones in his playing career. He loved traveling the world and visited such diverse destinations as Africa, Egypt, the Panama Canal, and multiple places within Europe and the United States. He provided numerous and cherished family reunions at Atlantic Beach, N.C. where he would spend hours jumping waves. His sharp wit and humor kept friends and family alike laughing while playing board and card games.

Besides his parents he is predeceased by his granddaughter, Ruth Bauder.

He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Gladys (Pierce) Payne; two daughters, Deborah (Larry) Bauder of Cary, N.C., Cynthia (Duane) Fish of Newington, Conn.; one son, Ross (Julie) Payne of Knaphill, England; grandchildren, Nathan (Gretchen) Bauder of Cary, N.C., Danielle (Anthony) Trussoni of Louisville, Ky., Anna Bauder of Cary, N.C., Joshua Bauder of Cary, N.C., Christina (Brandon) Wiens of St. Catherines, Canada, Brian Fish of Newington, Conn., Charlotte Payne of Knaphill, England, Emily Payne of Knaphill, England; two sisters, Carol (Paul) Hyland of Andover, Judith (Gerald) Perry of Andover; one brother, David (Nancy) Payne of Walworth; and numerous nieces and nephews.

A memorial service was held at 2 p.m. April 16 at the Alfred Station Seventh Day Baptist Church, Alfred Station. A private burial was held at the Alfred Rural Cemetery, Alfred.

In lieu of flowers, those wishing may contribute in his memory to the Alfred Station Seventh Day Baptist Church, 587 Rt 244, Alfred Station, N.Y. 14803, the Salvation Army or a charity of your choice.
Online Condolences may be left at www.beyersfuneralhome.com

Arrangements entrusted to Beyers Funeral Home and Crematory, Leesburg, Fla.

Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton

I finished reading Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton. This novel was found on the hard disk of his computer after he died in 2008. Like Tom Clancy and John Grisham, I have read a lot of Michael Crichton's books over the last twenty years. I have read twelve of his books, but interestingly not The Great Train Robbery or The Andromeda Strain.

Pirate Latitudes is a pirate novel set in late 17th century in Port Royal, Jamaica. It is a light fast moving adventure tale that hits the pirate story from all angles, including life in the town and abroad ship, a raid on a Spanish treasure ship and the loose code of rules by which the pirates lived.

Several years ago, I read Under the Black Flag. This book provided a factual look at the pirates active in the Caribbean and the Atlantic Coast in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Pirate Latitudes seems reasonably consistent with the history laid out in this book.

I enjoyed the book. I picked it out of my pile of books because I was looking for something light to read after the Roosevelt biography. With so many good books in the world, it is not a book that I strongly recommend. There appears to be some debate about whether or not Crichton really ever intended it to be published. Reading this book reminded me that I wanted to read Treasure Island. Additionally, I have added The Great Train Robbery and the The Andromeda Strain to the growing pile of books on my nightstand...

Colonel Roosevelt by Edmund Morris

I finished reading Colonel Roosevelt by Edmund Morris in February. This is the third book in Morris' trilogy about the life of Theodore Roosevelt. A number of years ago, one of the people that I worked with asked what are my top five books. The list included The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, the first book in the trilogy. Since then, I have also read The River of Doubt [an amazing book!] and Alice [a biography of Roosevelt's oldest child].

Roosevelt became president at the age of 42. After serving two terms, he left office at the age of 50. Roosevelt only lived 10 more years; dying at the young age of 60. I have been fascinated about the arc of his life during those last 10 years and the fact that he died so young. This books covers that period.

In the ten years from 1909 to 1919, Roosevelt spent a year hunting in Africa, an extended period traveling and speaking on the European continent, formed a third party--the Progressive Party--and ran for president under its banner in 1912, traveled across South America and down the River of Doubt and was very involved in the politics of World War I. The last was a surprise. I did not realize that the last part of his life was so involved in the politics of World War I. All four of his sons and one of his son-in-laws fought in Europe in World War I.

I was also surprised how ignorant I was about World War I. While I think that I have a pretty good understanding of World War II after reading The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, I was unclear on the sequence of events surrounding WW I and America's role in the war. I am going to find an overview to read at some point.

I give the book a B+.  There are parts of the book were the author strays off into political and social philosophy that I did not find as readable as the biographical sections.  Nevertheless, I enjoyed finally filling in the gaps of the last ten years of Roosevelt's life.  Theodore Roosevelt led a truly remarkable life!

Blind Descent by James M. Tabor

My second book for January was Blind Descent by James M. Tabor. The book is subtitled "the quest to discover the deepest place on Earth." Sharon and I saw the author interviewed on John Stewart in June. Sharon expressed an interest in the subject so I ordered her a copy. She liked the book so much that she gave Wallen, Jim Dunn and me a copy of the book for Christmas.

The book focuses on two different cave explorers: American Jim Stone and Ukrainian Alexander Klimchouk. It looks at their efforts to find the deepest cave in the world. Stone was working in Mexico, while Klimchouk was toiling away in the Republic of Georgia. Essentially, they were competing with each other.

The books summarizes the background of each man and then chronicles their expeditions. The technical aspects of the super cave expeditions are fascinating. It is like climbing one of the tallest peaks in the world, except if you had to dive lakes and sumps in order to find a way to the top of the mountain. Additionally, you can't see the top of the mountain and you are really not sure how to get there...

Towards the end of the book, the Ukrainian explorers were free diving through a sump of freezing cold water more than a mile underground to continue their explorations. They described it as diving through a ten foot long pizza box sized hole.

This is an interesting book, but probably not one that I would have read if Sharon had not given it to me as a gift. I rate it a solid B for the stories of underground expeditions.

Dead or Alive by Tom Clancy

I finished reading Dead or Alive by Tom Clancy. Like John Grisham, I am embarrassed by the number of Tom Clancy books I have read. Beitzel got me started on the Jack Ryan books in the 1980's. Over the last twenty five years, I have read 13 of the Jack Ryan books plus Red Storming Rising. Additionally, I have read 11 Op-Center, 8 Net Force, 7 Power Plays and 2 Splinter Cell Books. While this later group of books has Clancy's name on them, they were ghost written by several other authors. In total, this means that I have read 42 books with Tom Clancy's name on the cover.

I also have to admit that I was looking forward to the new Jack Ryan book. Through the 1980's and early 1990's, I enjoyed the series immensely.

When I read that the book was ghostwritten by Grant Blackwood, I started to have a number of concerns. The other series were ghostwritten or written by other authors and I eventually gave up on all of those.

Due to my familiarity with the characters and the story lines from the series, I enjoyed Dead or Alive, but the book has some real problems. Too many of the covert operations that are run in the book are just too clean and fast. Characters jet half across the world into a foreign country, accomplish an extraordinary task almost effortlessly and rush home. The real world is much more complicated.

Additionally, too much of the book just seems too formulaic.  While the Jack Ryan books of the 80's and 90's seemed to have some fresh ideas, Dead or Alive feels like a rehash of things that we have seen repeatedly in other vehicles.

Finally, while it has been a while since I read the earlier books, the prose does not seem as tight as Hunt for Red October or Patriot Games. After twenty plus years, the most recent Grisham books feel like they were written by Grisham. This book does not feel like it was written by Clancy.

Overall, I grade the book as a B-. Amazon lets users rate books from 1 to 5 stars. The current ratings on Amazon fall all the way across the spectrum with more people giving it one star than those giving it five stars.

The book clearly sets up the next book in the series. And yes, I will read the next book.

Jack and a couple of the books in his class started reading the Clancy Jack Ryan books this year. So far, Jack has read Hunt for Red October and Without Remorse. He is currently reading Patriot Games.

California Historical Landmark #143

Marshall Monument
California State Historical Landmark #143
See this location on Yahoo Maps in Flickr
See this location on Google Maps
This landmark is located in Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, Coloma, California in El Dorado County. There are 29 other California State Historical Landmarks in El Dorado County. The GPS coordinates for this location are N 38° 47.801 W 120° 53.646.

You can log your visit to this landmark at waymark.com.

In 1887 the State of California purchased the site for a monument to commemorate James Marshall. The figure of Marshall atop the monument is pointing to the place of discovery on the South Fork of the American River.





Erected by the State of California
In Memory of James W. Marshall
1810-1885
whose discovery of gold
January 24, 1848
in the tailrace of Sutter's Mill at Coloma
started the great rush of Argonauts.
Monument unveiled May 3, 1890.


200th Anniversary of James W. Marshall's Birth

On the occasion of James W. Marshall 200th birthday, the Native Sons of the Golden West rededicate this monument erected in his honor. Born in Hopewell Township, Mercer County, New Jersey to Phillip and Sarah Wilson Marshall on October 8, 1810, he was the oldest of jour children and only male. He arrived in California via Oregon in 1845 where he worked for John Sutter before acquiring a small cattle ranch. In 1846 he served with John C. Fremont during the Bear Flag Revolt. Marshall partnered with Sutter to construct a sawmill where he made the discovery that would cause the cry of "GOLD" to reverberate around the world.

After his discovery of gold in 1848 Marshall found some success operating a ferry, hotel and vineyard but by the 1860s fell on hard times and relocated to Kelsey. At the time of his death August 10th, 1885 Marshall was penniless, living in a small cabin. His body was brought to Coloma for burial. Immediately thereafter, Placerville Parlor #9 of the Native Sons of the Golden West in 1887 successfully advocated for the construction of the monument you see here today, the first such monument erected in California.

Re-dedicated October 8, 2010
by Grand Palor
Native Sons of the Golden West
James L. Shadle, Grand President

ESPN 30 for 30 - Pony Exce$$

Over the last several nights, I watched Pony Exce$$. This is the thirtieth and last installment of ESPN's 30 for 30 film series. The series was commissioned by ESPN to celebrate its 30 year anniversary. I have posted an episode guide for the entire 30 for 30 series here.

Pony Excess is the story of the SMU football program from the late 1970's to the present. In part, it is also the story of Dallas, Texas football and the now defunct Southwestern Conference.

In four seasons from 1981 through 1984, the SMU Mustangs had a record 41 wins, 5 losses and 1 tie. From 1979 to 1982, the backfield featured Eric Dickerson and Craig James. Nicknamed the Pony Express, the backfield of Dickerson and James led SMU to National Championships in 1981 and 1982.

To attract the top prospects in Texas and the nation, a group of SMU boosters aggressively doled out cash payments to players and their families. Many of the players were essentially under contract to play football for SMU and received regular monthly payments.

The program flirted with NCAA violations. Eventually, a disgruntled former player and his family cooperated with a local television station as part of an investigative report. This triggered further investigations which culminated in the NCAA handing down the so-called "death penalty" by canceling SMU's entire 1987 schedule. This is the first and only time that the NCAA has imposed this sanction on a major college football program.

Like a number of the 30 for 30 documentaries, I was not familiar with story. This usually increases my enjoyment; I enjoyed it in part because I literally knew nothing about the topic. As I have said before, my passions do not include college football. I did find the director's style of using quick cuts between interviews more than a little distracting. Pony Excess was one of the few 30 for 30's that was two hours in length. Overall, I would rate it about tenth to fifteenth of the thirty films.

I am sorry to see the series end. Now that I have watched all 30 of the films, I am going to put together a list ranking them.

The film is available on Amazon.

Pony Exce$$ is also available on iTunes.

On the Right Track by Marion Jones

About a month ago, I watched the ESPN 30 for 30 film on Marion Jones. Shortly after that, I saw Marion Jones on the Jon Stewart show talking about her book titled On the Right Track: From Olympic Downfall to Finding Forgiveness and the Strength to Overcome and Succeed. In both cases, elements of her story did not seem to fit. Looking for something short to read before the new Clancy book came out, I ended up buying an electronic copy of book from Amazon and reading it in the Kindle application on my iPad and iPhone.

There are some interesting things in the book. Marion's experiences in prison are eye opening. She ended up serving part of her sentence in solitary confinement after getting into a fight with another inmate. Jones was transported across the country in the government's "Conair" system to testify at a trial for her former boyfriend. When she left prison, Marion spent time in a halfway house. There is a solid story in all of these experiences.

Unfortunately, Jones does not spend enough time on these story lines. Instead, the book tends to be very repetitive on couple different themes around how she is learning from her mistakes and coping with adversity. I did not find these passages well written. Marion has a tendency to prattle on and on at certain points of the book.

Jones says in the book that "I surrounded myself with the wrong people, especially men, and I blame myself for not being more discerning about those with whom I've associated over the years." She essentially says that she ended up using steroids "because I allowed the men in my life to do everything for me." I am still uncomfortable with this as an explanation of how she claims she was using steriods without knowing it.

Overall, this book is NOT worth reading.

This is the first electronic book that I have read in the Kindle application on my iPad. I was very pleased with the overall process. Except when I am flying, I tend to read in short stretches, rather than for hours at time. Under these conditions, I did not have a problem with my eyes getting tired of the screen. I really liked the fact that the kindle application syncs between my iPad and my iPhone. There were several times when I was sitting somewhere waiting that I read a few pages on the iPhone. The Kindle app would open right to the spot where I was reading and then when I went back to the iPad it would open to the new location. While I love the visceral quality of real books, I will definitely end up reading some more books on the iPad in the coming year.

South Fork American River Trail

Several years ago, we hiked on the Sweetwater Trail, west from the Salmon Falls Bridge. A new trail opened October 1 heading east from the Salmon Falls Bridge. The South Fork American River Trail runs 25 miles all the way from the Salmon Falls Bridge to Greenwood Creek.

With no baseball or basketball scheduled for the weekend, we took off early in the morning hoping to beat the rain forecast for later in the day. Much to Jack's chagrin, we hiked about 7.20 miles in just under three hours.

The first mile plus of the trail climbs about 400 feet through brush, but after that you travel through some nicer wooded areas.  Sharon and I will probably try to come back at some point and do a longer hike of 12 to 15 miles.

The Confession by John Grisham

I finished reading The Confession by John Grisham. Since June of 1993, I have read 23 books by Grisham; As I have said before, I am not sure that this is something that I should be proud of.

Set mostly in a small town in Texas, the book focuses on a young black man who is on death row for murder. As part of the story, the book examines how death row inmates are treated and the legal processes that goes on around them.

It paints a very unflattering picture of the Texas legal system and process. Reflecting after finishing it, the book seems very much like a political statement.

In more than 25 years, I have never set down a book once I have started it. About 1/3 into this book, I was bored with the storyline. I seriously considered setting it down. I gutted my way through and was pleasantly surprised that the last third of the book moved along at a much more engaging pace. I got much more invested in the book in the last 150 pages. Nevertheless, at best, I would give the book a "B-" grade. With so many great books in the world, this is not one that I would suggest people add to their reading list.

ESPN 30 For 30: The Best That Never Was

Running on the treadmill, I watched The Best That Never Was over a couple of different nights. This is the twenty-ninth and next to last installment of ESPN's 30 for 30 film series. The Best That Never Was is the story of football star Marcus Dupree.

Marcus Dupree was raised in Philadelphia, Mississippi. This town is notorious for the murder of three civil rights workers in 1964. The movie Mississippi Burning was based on these murders. About the town, Martin Luther King actually said "This is a terrible town, the worst I've seen." Before starting to examine Dupree's career, the film explores the history of the city.

Marcus Dupree was one of the most highly recruited high school athletes ever. Willie Morris wrote a novel about the process called The Courting of Marcus Dupree. I have brought an electronic copy of the book for Kindle on my iPad that I have started to read.

The never before seen footage of Dupree playing high school football in Philadelphia is amazing. It literally looks like a man playing amongst boys. They claim that he returned every kick-off for a touchdown. The footage from his first year at Oklahoma is equally amazing.

From there, things start to go wrong. Dupree drops out in his sophomore year at Oklahoma, plays the 1984 and part of the 1985 season with the USFL New Orleans and Portland Breakers and then after 5 years away from football played the 1990 and 1991 seasons with the Los Angeles Rams.

This is one of the few films in the 30 for 30 series that is two hours in length. Nevertheless, it does not drag; there is a lot of ground to cover in the game footage and the interviews with the key people. I was particularly intrigued by the interviews with Barry Switzer; he was coach at Oklahoma when Dupree was there. I am not sure that I would buy a used car from Switzer.

Like a number of the 30 for 30 films, this was a story that I really did not know very much about. I enjoyed it and would place it in the top half of the 30 for 30 films.

Bill Simmons did a podcast with the Jonathan Hock, the film's producer, that is a nice supplement to the documentary.

The film is available on Amazon.

The Best That Never Was is also available on iTunes.
 

ESPN 30 for 30 - Marion Jones: Press Pause

I watched Marion Jones: Press Pause. This is the twenty-eighth installment of ESPN's 30 for 30 film series.

After a very brief look at Marion Jones' career and accomplishments, the documentary focuses on the period starting with her confession to lying to federal agents. It replays her public statement on the courthouse steps, looks at her life in prison, touches on her getting reacquainted with her family after prison and examines her efforts to get in shape and play in the WNBA.

Jones talks more about having lied to federal agents than acknowledging that she used steroids. She and others makes vague references to the “bad men” who corrupted her life, but the subject is danced around. It’s not clear whether access was conditional or the film maker was merely disinclined to question Jones’ past actions and relationships.

It is interesting that Jones actually served time. I am not personally aware of any other athlete who has been accused of using steroids or lying about using steroids that has gone to prison.

This is one of my least favorite 30 for 30 films. When I eventually rank all of the documentaries, it will fall in the bottom ten. Several times, I checked the DVR to see how much was left because the documentary was dragging; I was getting bored.

The film is available on Amazon.

Marion Jones: Press Pause is also available on iTunes.
 

The Bridge of Sighs by Olen Steinhauer

My book for November is The Bridge of Sighs by Olen Steinhauer. Sharon's brother Tom recommended the book to me last year while we were at a crab feed.

The novel is set in 1948 in a small, unnamed Eastern European country. It is a country devastated by World War II and still occupied by Russian troops. The main character, Emil Brod, is a 22-year-old homicide inspector in the People's Militia.

The book's trail of murder, blackmail and wartime secrets eventually leads Brod to a divided Berlin. During a key section of the book, he observes firsthand the non-stop activity at Tempelhof Airport during the Allied airlift. The Berlin Blockade from June 24, 1948 to May 12, 1949 was one of the first major international crises of the Cold War.

The Bridge of Sighs is the first in a five-book series of thrillers chronicling the evolution of the fictional Eastern European country during the Cold War. Each book is set in a different decade.

About 100 pages into the book, I was starting to feel like I wasn't going to enjoy the book. Just at that point, the plot spun around and raced off in a very different direction. I ended up being drawn through the rest of the novel. Overall, I would give it a strong 'B' grade. I enjoyed the book enough that I have already the second book in the series.