Paragliding (video)

Paragliding is one of the most basic forms of human flight. There is no engine, no rigid frame, nothing but a fabric wing. The wing is much like a parachute except that it allows the pilot much more control. Once “inflated” by air entering from forward motion, the wing takes shape and provides a decent glide ratio. By using thermals and other currents, the pilot is able to inscrease his altitude in the same manner as soaring birds. Take a look at the video.

That’s some impressive flying from various spots around the world. There was a time when I wanted to try this sport. However, cross-country flying is more my style as regular readers of this blog have seen. Still, I have tremendous respect from people who are able to excell as this sport. You have to channel your inner eagle to ride those currents.

Published in: on July 13, 2011 at 1:26 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Up Close and Personal

In Clandestine, James Ellroy takes the reader inside the world of one ambitious cop. Fred Underhill is a young LAPD officer who cleverly dodged service in World War II and makes no bones about his desire to climb the rungs of the police department. He finagles and manipulates, breaks the law and justifies his actions, all in a quest to advance his career. His foibles are many, including an early penchant to pursue women for one night stands and a desire to maintain his golf game.

One of Underhill’s female conquests turns up dead and he notices a pattern in this and another murder. At this point the fuse is lit. Underhill goes beyond the law to catch a killer. In the process, he falls for an assistant district attorney, Lorna, who looms large in everything he does. He also encounters a future James Ellroy larger than life but entirely believeable character: Dudley Smith. Smith and his crew co-opt Underhill, leading him down the road of self-destruction at full speed. Underhill soon implodes as his case evaporates based on new evidence. He subsequently loses Lorna but never his desire to solve the case. Toward the end, the story goes on a rambling quest half way across the USA as Underhill, the crusader turned knight errant, redeems himself by ultimately catching the killer.

Where Clandestine excels is in the vividness of the characters. Underhill, his early partner, his commanding officer, his lovers, and his golf partners, all of them are drawn with the skill of a master. James Ellroy pulls no punches, dilutes no dialog, and reveals everything raw in the course of this story. At times, the emotionally intensity may seem overwrought, but the setting is 1950’s LA, a place where the bloom was off the rose and the thorns sharper than ever. Read, enjoy, and contemplate why other authors don’t measure up, especially the recent slew of flat, thinly worded mystery/thrillers that lack any measure of proper development. Ellroy is a master of the genre. This early example of his work proves the point.

Published in: on July 9, 2011 at 12:31 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Wicked Winds Down Under

Truth, by Peter Temple, is as much a character study as it is a crime story. At the center of a whirlwind of crime, family dysfunction, and political corruption is Inspector Stephen Villani. Villani is a well-schooled detective, capable of hunting down the bad guys. His wit and wisdom lend credibility to this side of his character. Then there are the added dimensions of his estranged wife, daughter on the streets, and varied affiars. Through it all, Villani makes tough decisions, weaving between the difficult and the impossible with varied results.

This being the second Peter Temple book I’ve read, I was ready for the clipped sentences, odd references to things not properly explained, and insider jargon. Temple does a fine job of authenticating his police dialog, but at times this can be challenging if one is not tuned in to subtleties. While I appreciate the desire to render things accurately, a bit more clarity would have gone a long way. And this book will take you a long way. From a guy who steps into multiple murder scenes, who juggles his emotionally inaccessible father, who wrestles with how to handle a drug addicted daughter, and who somehow manages to do his job. There’s a morality play in here, one that demonstrates how the world rarely forgets and less often forgives, but continues on, carried by people like Villani who never give up.

Published in: on July 5, 2011 at 12:38 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Let Freedom Ring!

The Liberty Bell, currently silent, in Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Let freedom ring. And responsibility, too.

Published in: on July 4, 2011 at 12:11 pm  Leave a Comment  
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