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I actually just watched Forrest Gump again because leleboo said she hated it - I can see why she hated it, but in a very Hollywood way, there's certainly a charm to it, although it is maximally contrived. One thing's for sure: It made a lot of money.

I don’t know how many people will ever use this, but this novel - although written in English by Gurnah - contains numerous terms that may be unfamiliar to the western reader. I’ve written this little glossary to help explain these words (and also the characters), along with the first page of the book in which they’re referenced. This is for the hardcover edition with the burnt-orange colored cover. These are not spoilers unless for some perverse reason you read it from start to finish. The final entry is the only one I couldn’t figure out. —- ABDALLA (presumably “penis”) 7 ABDULRASAK (Yousuf’s “merchant in Herat”) 108 AFREETS (in Arabian mythology, powerful jinns) 112 AGA KHAN (a British-Indian Imam) 80 AJEMI (a bread from Zanzibar (?)) 104 ALHAMDULILLAHI RABI-L ALAMIN (praise God) 58 AMIN (“Amen” in Swahili) AMINA (Khalil’s sister) 204 Ten ANNA (1/16 rupee) coin 4 ASHA (Hamid’s child Yusuf befriended in Olmorog) 107 ASKARIS (soldiers or police officers) 169 ASLI (“original” in Swahili) 63 ASTAGHFIRULLAH (“I seek God’s forgiveness”) 95 Uncle AZIZ (a seyidd who took Youssef as rehani) 3 BA (short for baba, papa) 24 BACHUS (the truck driver for Yusuf’s journey) 53 BAGAMOYO (Yusuf’s father’s original landing) 14 BAFTA (long, narrow pieces of cotton) 109 BANYANS (Indian merchants in Southern Africa) 74 BATI (a young girl in Marungu, attracted to Yousuf) 167 BIRI (a cheap cigarette) 53 BISMILLAH (an invocation to Allah to begin a thing) 19 BOHRAS (Shia Muslims living in Western India) 74 BORAKH (“Buraq”, winged horse prophet rode) 95 BUIBUI (black cloth worn as a shawl) 36 BWANA (sir) 58 CHATU (a harsh Sultan in Marungu) 141 CHILDREN (3) (of Hamid and Maimuna) 69 — (ASHA (11/F), ALI (M), and SUDA (M)) 99 COMORO(s) (island nation of Mozambique) 60 COOLIE (an offensive term for an unskilled laborer) 79 DHOW (1-2 mast sailing ship) 14 as a DHUL QURNAIN (Iskander, slayer of (Ma(Gog)) 41 DUKA-WALLAH (“shopkeeper”) 80 Two EUROPEANS (at train station) 1 FAZA (sea landing in north of Kenya) 15 GANESH (elephant-headed God of beginnings) 81 GERMANS 7 GOG and MAGOG (two groups of Turks) 83 GUJARATI (from Gujarat state in India) 74 HAKIM (learned person) 38 HAMDANI (Arabic for “much praise) 222 HAMID SULEIMAN (man who owned inland shop) 63 HAMIDI MATANGA (a Swahili trader) 143 HARBANS SINGH (Kalasinga, the town mechanic) 74 HERAT (3rd-largest city in Afghanistan) 105 HIRIZI (arm amulet with a verse from the Koran) 198 HOTEL COOK 5 HUJAMBO BWANA WANGU (“how are you, sir?) 57 HUSSEIN (a store owner from Zanzibar in Olmorog) 82 IBLIS (leader of the devils in Islam) IDD (“EID” - a Muslim holiday involving feasting) 17 INDIAN storekeeper and family 6 ISHA (1 of 5 Islamic prayers, in the early evening) 103 JANAB (an Islamic title, “sir”) 53 JENNET AL ADN (“garden of Eden”) 80 JICHO (“the eye” - dhow that took father’s family) 15 JINN (an intelligent spirit of lower rank than an angel) JINNEYEH (“Jinniyah”, feminine form of “jinn”) 200 JUMA’A (Friday) 39 JUU KWA JUU (“top for top”) 189 KAABA (the center building of Mecca’s mosque) 207 KAFIR (an offensive term for a black African) 75 KAKANYAGA (the boatman to Chatu) 142 KALASINGA (Harbans Singh, the town mechanic) 74 KANIKI (Calico strands tied around the waist) 109 KANYENYE (a divided district of Sofala) KANZU (whitish robe, tunic) 17 KARIBU (welcome) 58 KASKAS (a tribal land of Turkish people (?) 106 KAWA (Youssef’s (fictional) home village) 5 KHALIL (Youssef’s young caretaker / employer) 21 KHALIL’S SISTER (Also taken by the Seyyid) 203? KHOIKHOI (S African/Namibian hunter-gatherer) 165 KIFA URONGO (“living death”) 22 KIGONGO (town on return trip) 76 KIJANA MZURI (“beautiful boy”) 52 KIKOI (traditional Swahili cloth) 58 KILIFI (port town in SE Kenya) 46 KILWA (home of father’s first wife, a bit inland) 14 KIMWANA (“darling”, “beloved”) 98 KIPANDE (a type of baseball-like game) 8 KIPUMBU WE (a derogatory term meaning “silly”) 25 KISIMAMAJONGOO (neighborhood errand boy) 36 KISIRANI (bad luck) 49 KISWAHILI (Swahili) 22 KIYAMA (doomsday) 29 LAHODA (captain of a dhow) 14 LAMU (small island in NE Kenya) 63 LUFITA LINDI (port in SE Tanzania) 46 MA AJUZA (an old customer, hits on Youssef) 30 MAFIA ISMAND (an island off of mid-Tanzania) 104 MAGENDO (“magic”, contraband in Swahili) 45 MAIMUNA (Hamid Suleiman’s wife) 63 MAKKA (“Mecca”) MALAI (clotted cream (used in Indian desserts)) 25 MALUUN (cursed / thrown out of society) 25 MANDAZI (fried bread, bofrot, or puff-puff) 19 MANYEMA (a powerful, warlike, Bantu tribe) 73 MAREHEMU (dead) 24 MAREKANI (the United States (?)) 119 MARIMBO (the island conduit to the fierce Chatu) 148 MARUNGU (mountain in Kenya, 140 km from sea) 73 MASHAALLAH (a wonder of God) 47 MASKINI (“very poor” in Swahili) 99 MDACHI (“m” + Dachi ( “German”)) 176 MECHANIC (Indian, trader with Hamid) 71 MFIPO (the chief of the Elders on Chatu’s island) 153 MGANGA (traditional medicine man) 38 MIKOKONI (coastal town in far SE of Kenya) 202 MIRAJ (the night the prophet ascended to Heaven) 95 The MISTRESS (Kisirani?, lives inside the shop) 37 MKALIKALI (town on return trip, N of large river) 176 MKATA (a village in East-central Tanzania) 121 MNYAPARA WA SAFARI (Foreman of the Journey) 34 MOFA (a pancake-like bread) 25 MOGUL (an Indian Muslim from a power group) 80 MOHAMMED (Aziz’s shopkeeper before Khalil) 202 MOHAMMED ABDALLA (the Mnyapara wa Safari) 34 MOHUN SIDHWA (Kilimanjaro train station master) 57 MOMBASA (port city in SE Kenya) 63 MOROGORO (inland city in eastern Tanzania) 110 MPWELI (a town on return trip, close to the coast) 177 MRIMA (name for mainland facing Zanzibar) 46 MTOTO WA SHETANI (“child of the devil”) 183 MTWARA (sea landing in south of Tanzania) 14 MUKKI-YUKKI (Mukki is a village in India) 74 MUKKI (Indian money lender?) 46 MUSLIN (a delicate cotton cloth from Mosul, Iraq) 109 MZEE HAMDANI (the old gardener) 36 MZUNGU (a European government employee) 78 NABI NUH (prophet Noah) 81 NEEMS (Indian iliac, nimtrees, mahogany family) 20 NYIKA (“bush”, “hinterland”) 71 NYUNDO (Mwene’s chief “courtier” on a journey) 118 OLD MEN ON THE TERRACE (3) 32 OLMOROG (government station ½ up mountain) 81 PEMBA (island off Tanzania, N of Zanzibar) 201 PEMBE (the spirit of the island shrine) 147 POMBE (an African beer made from millet) 75 PRIMUS (a small cooker that burns paraffin) 103 QADHI (magistrate in a Sharia court) 242 QASIDAS (odes) 36 RAJAB (seventh month of Islamic calendar) 100 REHANI (a secured loan) 47 silver RUPEE (16 Annas, Yusuf stole from father) 11 RUMI (a 13th-century Persian poet (?)) 103 SAID (Sultan of the Omanis in times past) 130 SALAAM ALAIKAM (“peace unto you”) 77 SARUNI (soap) 40 SEYIDD (a Muslim of high stature) 20 SHAABAN (8th month of the Islamic calendar) 73 SHABAB (youth) 39 SHAMS (“Sham?”, Syria (?)) 104 SHEBE (former old slave of Zulekha (deceased)) 221 SHUKA (a sash worn in parts of Africa) 82 SIKUFANYIENI MASKHARA (“Dead to the world?) 105 SIMBA MWENE (Mohammed Abdalla’s overseer) 109 SIMI (a knife or sword favored by the jKikuyu) 126 SLEEPING PORTER KILLED BY HYENA (124) SOFALA (formerly the chief port in Mozambique) 130 SUFI (“msufi” - deciduous, flowering tree) 20 SURA (one of 114 “chapters” in the Koran) 95 TAJIRI MKUBWA (rich, big businessman) 5 TAYARI (a city in SE Kenya, cut into ten towns) 130 THIRD STORE (containing contraband) 70 UDI (aloe wood, a perfume from Zanzibar) 37 UNGUJA (largest, most-populated Zanzibar island) 83 USUMBARA HIGHLANDS (north of Kawa) 7 VIBARUA (day laborers for Germans et al)) 6 VIPUSA (“rhino horns”) 189 VUMBA (or FUMBA?) Malina’s childhood town 228 MFIPO (Chatu’s village elder chief on Marungu) 153 WAH (great) 53 WALLAHI (word of oath) 60 WALII (benefactor, guardian) 243 WAUNGWANA (“people of honor”) 99 WANYAMWEZI (Bantu group from Tanzania) 33 WASHENZI (savages who worship demons) 6 WASOMALI (Somali) 33 WAUNGWANA (a cultured freeborn, or patrician) 20 WITU (coastal-ish town in middle Kenya) 51 WOMAN KILLED BY CROCODILE 122 YALLA (“let’s go”, “come quickly”) 98 “YA SIN” (36th sura in the Koran) YUSUF 1 Yusuf’s PARENTS 2 ZANZIBAR (island in north of Tanzania, by Kenya) 14 ZUB (“penis”) 53 ZULEKHA (Aziz’s (first) wife, flirts with Yusef) 217 ZULEKHA’S 1ST HUSBAND 221 ZUMA (some sort of derogatory nickname?) 25 ZUWARDE (I haven’t found the translation) 182

Does anyone else subscribe to/purchase Saveur magazine? What do you think of the redesign that has happened in the latest issue? I just got it yesterday so haven't thoroughly looked it over, but my first reaction was blechhh! I love that magazine partly because of the (old) design. I love the articles and the pictures and the little sidebars and the extra info in the back about techniques or where to buy ingredients, etc. I always feel like I've been somewhere after I finish reading one of their stories, like the one in the March issue about the old family home in very Southern Switzerland near the Italian border, with that recipe that paired a fried egg with fresh asparagus....mmmmm! Seems to me like they messed with a good thing and the change wasn't an improvement, at least visually. I don't think the quality of the content has changed, but it just might not be as fun to read . What other publications do DR'ers like to check out? (Food related, of course!)

Selected in the 2013 NBA draft with the #15 pick in the first round by the Milwaukee Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo is a name you may not yet know, but may be forced to learn to spell and pronounce sometime in the near future. Born in Greece to Nigerian immigrant parents, Antetokounmpo is more commonly known by his American nickname, an embarrassing term which speaks more about Americans than him (you can find it easily on the internet; I refuse to go along with it even though it's more laziness than malice). This is a very obscure statistic, and it's surely one that was made up to demonstrate what a complete season Antetokounmpo is having for Milwaukee, but this year, he could become the first player in NBA history to average (take a deep breath) ... 20 points-per-game, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. Granted, that's a tailor-made statistic, but it *does* reflect what an all-around player this man is - he is the Bucks' *playmaker*, just as often playing point guard as small forward, and he's 6'11". Pundits are saying that Antetokounmpo is "Next" - and what they mean by that is: After the James's, Currys, etc. step down, who will fill their shoes? They're saying that Giannis Antetokounmpo is going to be in that group - remember him: You'll be glad you did. "Add Buzzer-Beater to Antetokounmpo's Superstar Résumé" by Ohm Youngmisuk on espn.com

I wonder how many people know that the Big 12 Conference consists of only 10 schools. If you'd like to visit all ten by car, here's the shortest route (that I could think of): <--- This is a trip down I-35, with West Virginia University at the beginning, and Texas Tech at the end. Imagine being a WVU Mountaineer, and having to play road games in this conference.

Belarus has been recognized as an independent country since 1991, and ratified their Constitution in 1994. Its capital and most populous city is Minsk. It's the home of 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature recipient, Svetlana Alexievich, who gained fame for writing in a journalistic style about the Chernobyl disaster with "Voices from Chernobyl." The most famous of all Belarusians is possibly Marc Chagall; not far behind is "The Sparrow from Minsk," Olga Korbut. Belarus is landlocked, and surrounded by five countries: The two "Ls" (Latvia and Lithuania) to the Northwest, and the big "PUR" (Poland, Ukraine, and Russia) which wraps around the rest of the country. Belarus is approximately the same size as Kansas, albeit with more than triple the population (9.5 million vs. 2.9 million). It is neither considered a "Baltic" (Baltic Sea) nor a "Balkan" (Balkan Mountains) nation.

Star Trek: The Next Generation Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard Jonathan Frakes as Commander William T. Riker Brent Spiner as Lieutenant-Commander Data LeVar Burton as Lieutenant-Commander Geordi La Forge Michael Dorn as Helmsman and Chief Security Officer Worf Gates McFadden as Chief Medical Officer Beverly Crusher Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi Wil Wheaton as Ensign Wesley Crusher Denise Crosby as Security Chief Tasha Yar Diana Muldaur as Chief Medical Officer Katherine Pulaski Colm Meaney as Transporter Chief Miles O'Brien Whoopi Goldberg as Bartender Guinan Season 1: Sep 28, 1987 - May 16, 1988 - Executive Producer: Gene Roddenberry 1.1 and 1.2 - "Encounter at Farpoint" - Sep. 28, 1987 - Directed by Corey Allen (Buzz Gunderson in "Rebel without a Cause," Primetime Emmy Award Winner for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for "Goodbye, Mr. Scripps" on "Hill Street Blues," Primetime Emmy Award Nominee for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for "Jungle Madness" on "Hill Street Blues"), Written by - Teleplay: Dorothy Fontana (Writer of 10 episodes of "Star Trek"), Story: Gene Roddenberry (Creator of "Star Trek") Featuring John de Lancie as Q (TV Executive in "The Fisher King," Donald Margolis in "Breaking Bad"), Michael Bell as Groppler Zorn (Voice of Chas Finster in "Rugrats"), DeForest Kelley as Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy (H. Norbert Willis in "The Clover Throne" and Bob Harcourt, Jr. in "1800 Days to Justice" on "Route 66"), Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as Court Bailiff (Chang in "The Last Emperor") [Star Trek or not, this Pilot was *rough* - both in terms of the acting (Troi was awful, Q functioned not only as a God-like being, but also as some sort of "nanny chorus," telling us what we didn't need to be told, and Data was seen grinning on more than one occasion (remember how awful Spock was, at first, in the original series - he was grinning too)). My biggest problem here wasn't the plot; it was the condescension of Q, telling the viewer what they're about to figure out for themselves - that is elementary-school TV. This was largely a very interesting plot, but the writers spoiled it for the viewers. I do wonder just how much the creators, e.g., Gene Roddenberry, had in mind when it came to essentially building the entire series around Q - could Roddenberry possibly have envisioned the glorious final episode before the series even began? Nah ....] 1.3 - "The Naked Now" - Oct. 5, 1987 - Directed by Paul Lynch (Director of "Prom Night"), Written by - Teleplay: Dorothy Fontana (2), Story: John D.F. Black (Co-Writer and Associate Producer of "The Naked Time" on "Star Trek") Featuring Brooke Bundy as Sarah MacDougal (Leah in "Firecreek," Elaine Parker on "A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors"), Benjamin W.S. Lum as Jim Shimoda (Kim Mei Clerk in "Another 48 Hrs.") ["The Naked Time" was George Takei's personal-favorite episode on "Star Trek," as he got to have fun prancing around the decks, shirtless, as a swashbuckler. That episode was written by John D.F. Black, and because of that, he was given credit for having written the story for this episode, a "parallel" version written for The Next Generation. In case anyone has forgotten, this is the one where "Data Does Dasha" (sorry, Tasha, and not to be confused by a porn movie with a similar-sounding name) - him being an android, one can only imagine his thrusts-per-minute - Tasha looked pretty tired when she emerged from her quarters. The Pilot featured a cameo by McCoy; this episode has a verbal reference to Kirk - this was undoubtedly to "ease seasoned viewers into" this new and very different series - it seems like a wise and prudent decision. The "Acting Captain Wesley Crusher" scene may have been the beginning of the hatred for Wesley hijacking the series (according to people who didn't like him; to me, his "precocious genius" got a bit annoying, but never went so far overboard that I couldn't stand him, plus he redeemed himself as the series progressed).] 1.4 - "Code of Honor" - Oct. 12, 1987 - Directed by Russ Mayberry (Director of "Unidentified Flying Oddball") and Les Landau (Assistant Director of "Leadbelly"), Written by Katharyn Powers (Writer of "The Longest Drive" for "The Quest") and Michael Baron (BS Degree in Organizational Systems Management from California State University, Northridge) Featuring Jessie Lawrence Ferguson as Lutan (Calder in "Prince of Darkness"), Karole Selmon as Yareena (Homeless Woman #1 in "The Soloist"), Julian Christopher as Hagon (Prison Truck Guard #1 in "X-Men: The Last Stand") [A very poor episode in the weakest season of the series, "Code of Honor" features bad writing, bad direction, and acting that should have - and could have - been stronger. I can't remember the last time I had to hunt this deeply for something else - anything else - the directors, writers, and actors did outside of "The Next Generation," and it's a shame that *this* has to be the episode with the most primitive black stereotypes in this normally equitable series (Ferengi stereotypes notwithstanding). Just look at what I found for the three guest stars - other than Jessie Lawrence Ferguson, it's downright embarrassing to even cite their other acting achievements, especially when all three people did a perfectly decent job in the episode. Karole Selmon is absolutely lovely, and was fine in her role; yet ... "Homeless Woman #1?" Ugh. For one of the writers, Michael Baron, I couldn't find *anything* else he did, so I simply listed his degree, and then when I researched Cal State Northridge, I couldn't even find the degree. Interestingly, Patrick Stewart is in "X-Men: The Last Stand," and I'm wondering if his influence helped Julian Christopher get his role (Prison Truck Guard #1? Ugh). I'm not very politically correct, but this episode makes even me cringe, and I'm wondering if it should have ever been made in the first place. I don't know of a good way to put this, so I'll just come out and say it: Denise Crosby has too much air time in these first three episodes. The most laughably bad moment in the episode? When millions of people are about to die, Tasha is about to engage in a fight to the death, the Enterprise is in a gravely acute diplomatic crisis with the Ligonians, and Riker - who is acting captain - has just finished making a silent soliloquy about the gravity of the situation. Then, the turbolift doors in the bridge open, and Wesley Crusher is standing there, grinning. Riker greets him as if he were working the registration desk at the Four Seasons in Fiji, smiles warmly, and says, "Care to lend a hand? Sit at ops," as he waves Wesley onto the bridge, gets onto the turbolift himself, and exits the scene with this young child strolling over to the control panel, unattended. Are you kidding me?] 1.5 - "The Last Outpost" - Oct. 19, 1987 - Directed by Richard A. Colla (Director of "Olly Olly Oxen Free"), Written by Richard Krzemien (Writer of "Kentucky Rye" for "The New Twilight Zone") Featuring Armin Shimerman as Letek (Stan the Caddy in "The Caddy" on "Seinfeld"), Jake Dengel as Mordoc (Pee Wee in "Ironweed"), Tracey Walter as Keyron (Lamar in "Silence of the Lambs"), Darryl Henriques as Portal 63 (Life Reporter in "The Right Stuff"), Mike Gomez as DaiMon Tarr (Auto Circus Cop in "The Big Lebowski") [Note: After these first 5 episodes (I'm calling the pilot episodes 1-2), I don't know how this show survived the rest of 1987. I don't think I'd ever seen any of these except for "The Naked Now," and they are all ... just ... largely ... bad. I've actually forgotten, at this point, why I ever liked this show so much. Leigh, I'm very much looking forward to watching the entire first half of Season One (which hasn't been terribly fun), and then purchasing Wil Wheaton's book - it should be the perfect quick read for me when I'm finished. I do think "The Last Outpost" is the second consecutive episode where TNG has reinforced negative stereotypes about a human ethnicity of people (with the Ferengi, you can pick your ethnicity, but they're surely being mocked as "short little mercantile, conniving opportunists who won't hesitate to cheat others"). I don't remember how I initially reacted to the Ferengi appearing on the view-screen as giants, but it certainly echoed, and was influenced by, "The Corbomite Maneuver" in The Original Series, except that Balok was just a wonderful person - the type of guy you'd enjoy sharing a glass of tranya with. My problem, in general, with the Ferengi is that the series makes them just a little too easy to hate, and there's no complexity to them at all - they're defined in black-and-white, shallow, and (I guess the current term among Millenials is, "basic"). Also, it's somewhat painful to see them jumping up, down, all-around while Riker is trying to have a discussion with Portal 63. Sure, they've now been established as a race of entities you'll hate upon their very mention, but isn't that just a little too convenient? Looking back, after having watched every episode (I've written this summary at different times), I don't remember a single moment of honor among them.] 1.6. "Where No One Has Gone Before" - Oct. 26, 1987 - Directed by Rob Bowman (4 consecutive Primetime Emmy Award Nominee for Outstanding Drama Series for "The X-Files"), Written by Diane Duane (Writer of the "Young Wizards" novels) and Michael Reeves (Daytime Emmy Award Winner for Outstanding Writing in an Animated Program for "Batman: the Animated Series") Featuring Stanley Kamel as Kosinski (Dr. Charles Kroeger on "Monk"), Eric Menyuk as The Traveler (Carney in "Der Roachenkavalier" on "Hill Street Blues"), Herta Ware as Maman Yvette Picard (Rosie Lefkowitz in "Cocoon"), Biff Yeager as Chief Engineer Argyle (George in "Edward Scissorhands") [When Troi, Ryker, and Argyle go to meet Kosinski and The Traveler in the transporter room, the cinematography, lighting, and camera angle is all wrong (see the first picture above). In the "Awkward Scene of the Episode," when The Traveler says to Wesley Crusher, "Something troubles you with the way this is configured?" there is silence, as Crusher sits there nodding for four full seconds which seem like an eternity. This episode clearly borrows something from "2001: A Space Odyssey," as the Enterprise is jettisoned one-billion light years away, in an unknown part of the universe which features fantastic lights outside the ship (see the 3rd picture), and where ideas come to life in the form of terrifyingly real characters from times past. Wesley is introduced to the viewers by The Traveler as a Mozart-like genius, to be nurtured (but not informed) by Picard - this sets the stage for him being a Boy Wonder in future episodes. Kamel overacts as the annoyingly arrogant Kosinski, both while intractably cocky, and also while reduced to a blubbering "I didn't mean to do that," before he gets largely elbowed out of the episode - why he wasn't taken into quarters, I'm not sure.] 7. "Lonely Among Us" - Nov. 2, 1987: 8. "Justice" - Nov. 9, 1987: [Note: In "Justice," Worf's comment at 5:58 on Amazon, "Nice planet," was the first laugh-out-loud funny moment I've ever had in any Star Trek episode, from either series. I want to take shore leave on this planet. This series is improving, markedly.] 9. "The Battle" - Nov. 16, 1987: 10. "Hide and Q" - Nov. 23, 1987: 11. "Haven" - Nov. 30, 1987: [Note: Some of these recent episodes were panned by some reputable online sources; I, on the other hand, remember again why I like TNG after watching them. In "Hide and Q," Worf proved himself to be one of the great heroes of the series. Leigh, I assume Majel Barrett will redeem herself later in the series? There's nothing, nothing at all, to like about her in this episode.] 12. "The Big Goodbye" - Jan. 11, 1988: [Note: Does anyone know why there was such a gap between episodes 11 and 12?] 13. "Datalore" - Jan. 18, 1988: [Note: This is the final episode covered in Wil Wheaton's book, so if you've made it to here, buy the book.] 14. "Angel One" - Jan 28, 1988 - 15. "11001001" - Feb. 1, 1988: [Note: It's not the first season that's bad; it's only the first few episodes - the critics are wrong, and I'm loving this. In this highly structured, almost military environment, a logical person might assume that, at this point, the wonky holodeck might become prohibited, but, meh, to heck with logic.] 16. "Too Short A Season" - Feb. 8, 1988 - 1.17 - "When the Bough Breaks" - Feb. 15, 1988 - Directed by Kim Manners (Director and/or Producer of 132 episodes of "The X-Files" (xx)), Written by Hannah Louise Shearer (Writer of "Q-Less" on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine") Featuring Jerry Hardin as Radue (Deep Throat on "The X-Files" (xx)), Brenda Strong as Rashella (1980 Miss Arizona, Sue Ellen Mischke on "Seinfeld" (xx), Mary Alice Young on "Desperate Housewives," Ilene Stowe on "Fear the Walking Dead"), Jandi Swanson as Katie (Jenny Drake on "Baywatch"), Paul Lambert as Melian (Washington Post National Editor in "All the President's Men"), Ivy Bethune as Duana (Evelyn Tuttle on "Father Murphy") [I get the concept of cloaking a planet visually by bending light rays, but ... isn't there this other force called "gravity?" Regardless, Riker is positively thrilled at the possibility (and realization) of finding the mythical planet Aldea, something akin to Atlantis. "When the Bough Breaks" is an unheralded, but extremely strong, episode with a fine writer in Hannah Louise Shearer, a talented director in Kim Manners, and the sometimes-hilarious, always-alluring presence of Brenda Strong (who guest-starred with Armin Shimerman in the very funny episode, "The Caddy," on "Seinfeld" (Strong is in the first photo up above). You'll see, in the first ten minutes of this episode, that it stands above the norm, and that the slow-starting first season is (and has been) fully on-track - there is beauty, mystery, intrigue, and especially after the uninvited visit to the Enterprise, Hitchcockian suspense, animated by the telepathic powers of Counselor Troi (you get a glimpse here of how effective Troi becomes in later seasons, after getting off to such a clumsy beginning). A subtly hilarious moment occurs right after a little girl named Alexandra disappears - the next scene shows a girl playing a musical instrument, and when she disappears, the instrument simply tips over: This is absolutely a "You have to see it to appreciate it" moment, but if it doesn't slip by you (and it easily could), you might find it laugh-out-loud funny - there's obviously a stagehand holding the instrument who forces it to tip over. It is remarkable just how much Wesley has aged since Episode 1 - he has clearly entered puberty, and has gone from being a boy to a young man in just a few, short months. I'm not certain, but this episode seems to contain a very early reference to the lethal potential of climate change - how many dramas can you think of that mentioned it nearly thirty years ago?] 1.18 - "Home Soil" - Feb. 22, 1988 - Directed by Corey Allen (Buzz Gunderson in "Rebel without a Cause," Emmy Award for Directing "Goodbye, Mr. Scripps" on "Hill Street Blues"), Written by: Teleplay - Robert Sabaroff (Writer of "The Immunity Syndrome" on "Star Trek"), Story - Robert Sabaroff, Karl Geurs (Director and Co-Writer of "Pooh's Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin"), Ralph Sanchez (Writer and Executive Producer of "Boxcars") Featuring Walter Gotell (Second Officer of the Königin Luise in "The African Queen," Oberleutnant Muesel in "The Guns of Navarone," Hans Lasser in "The Hi-Jackers" on "The Saint" (xx), Morzeny in "From Russia with Love," General Gogol in six "James Bond" films), Elizabeth Lindsey (Miss Hawaii, 1978), Gerard Prendergast (Erik Slade on "Summer"), Mario Rocuzzo (Angelo in "The Locket" on "All in the Family" (xx), Andrew in "Goodbye, Mr. Scripps" on "Hill Street Blues" (xx)), Carolyn Barry (The Metron in "Arena" on "Star Trek" (xx)) 19. "Coming of Age" - March 14, 1988 - 20. "Heart of Glory" - March 21, 1988 - 21. "Arsenal of Freedom" - April 11, 1988 - [Note: "Get Off My Train!"] 22. "Symbiosis" - April 18, 1988 - 23. "Skin of Evil" - April 25, 1988 - [Note: RIP, TY.] 24. "We'll Always Have Paris" - May 2, 1988 - [Note: That's Michelle Phillips from "The Mamas and The Papas."] 25. "Conspiracy" - May 9, 1988 - [Note: My first question: The "homing beacon sent from earth comment at the very end ... what did that imply? It sounds ominous, but nothing seemed to pan out from it in later shows that I'm aware of, so ...? (Answers will be Spoilers)"] 26. "The Neutral Zone" - May 16, 1988 - [Note: And that's a wrap for season one.]

I'm currently watching the terrific NetFlix series, "Narcos," which details, as its main subject, the rise and fall of Pablo Escobar. Escobar merits his own thread in the History forum, but you can get a very good, mostly accurate (but not entirely accurate) history of him through "Narcos" - this is a wonderful series that people will enjoy watching, as well as learning a great deal about Escobar and the Medellí­n Cartel. I recommend it highly, and hope to see your comments both here and there. (Obviously, this thread in our History forum is factual, and is about Escobar as a historical figure; in "Narcos," it's about the show, as well as about the character in that setting whether the material is true or not. I do hope you watch the series - it's really special.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UohQDYZcqE

I received an email from Twin Springs Farm confirming that the new crop of gold rush apples are now available at the market's they supply. I shop at the Columbia Pike market on Sunday mornings, but Twin Springs sells at many area markets. IMHO, gold rush is the best apple; it is juicy, tart and a bit sweet and can be kept for s long stretch. Good for eating and cooking but almost too good to waste if it were to be buried in a pie.

I wasn't sure what to think about "Cobb" going into it: It was a box office flop, that was mildly acclaimed by critics, which is generally right up my alley; in this case, I think I knew *too* much about baseball to enjoy it as a "regular" film critic would - it was just not a good film. The film focuses on Ty Cobb's final year of life, during which a famous sportswriter (Al Stump) is writing a biography of him. After the film, I still don't know what to believe about Cobb: Was he *that* much of a hateful man, or was this overplayed? I don't know, but if this story was true, then Cobb was simply despicable. Nothing about "Cobb" moved me - I didn't like the interplay between Cobb and Stump, and that's pretty much all there was in the entire film. I'd be very curious to hear from some other film lovers and baseball fans, as to what this film meant to them. I didn't "hate" it so much as I didn't "like" it, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, not an art-house film lover, and not a baseball fanatic. What else is left? I *do* like the fact that they took a very small slice of Cobb's life (his final slice) and spent a great deal of time exploring this, rather than doing a "cradle-to-grave" biography of him. Is that a compliment? I think it is.

For a very un-Trek like approach to moral issues, check out the Babylon 5 episodes "Believers" and "Confessions and Lamentations." Next Gen was Star Trek updated for the 90s; Babylon 5 is the gritty answer to Trek that Deep Space Nine tried to be but rarely succeeded.

Jason Wingreen is a man you could go an entire lifetime missing, just because he never got a big break, but I've discovered he's been in at least five things I've watched in the past couple of years: 1976-1979 - He's Archie Bunker's business partner Harry Snowden in 26 "All In The Family" episodes: And was in three "Twilight Zone" episodes: May 6, 1960 (Season 1, Episode 30) - The modern-day porter in "A Stop at Willoughby": Nov 17, 1961 (Season 3, Episode 10) - Mr. Shuster, who leaves town in "The Midnight Sun": May 23, 1963 (Season 4, Episode 18) - In a fairly big role, the Director, trying to reign in Burt Reynolds, in "The Bard": Dec 6, 1968 (Season 3, Episode 12) - In a bit part, the ill-fated Dr. Linke (dressed in orange) in the Star Trek episode "The Empath": Who knows how much else he's been in, or whether or not I'll notice him? But I'm glad I can recognize him with his own thread. Wingreen has lived a long life, and has had a fruitful career:

Okay, who was lucky enough to see the legendary Danny Gatton play live? His reputation is not just local - my Lyft driver in LA not only knew who he was, but put on a recording of Gatton playing after getting *very* excited that I mentioned his name. "Danny Gatton: World's Greatest Unknown Guitarist" by Phil Harrell on npr.org Tom Principato talks about Danny Gatton (I've seen Tom Principato play - he's no Danny Gatton, but I *love* his sound and stage presence). "The Humbler" is a documentary about Danny Gatton in the works. IndieGoGo page. "New Film Reveals Mastery, Tragedy, of D.C. Guitar Hero Danny Gatton" by Neil Augenstein on wtop.com You can just tell by the way Gatton *perfectly* imitates Chet Atkins - with a super-clean base line accompanying the upper register in two distinct voices - without even trying, that this guy had licks coming out every pore of his body.

Wow, you will simply not believe who makes a cameo (via photograph) in the very first sketch of Season 1, Episode 1. (You have to watch at least up until "Slick Johnson" (less than ten minutes)).

At nearly three hours in length, "Hoop Dreams" may seem like an arduous proposition, but it's going to be three of the fastest hours you've ever spent watching a film. I saw it on release in 1994, saw it a second time last night, and on both occasions, I was equally riveted. Steve James spent five years filming the lives of *** SPOILER ALERT *** William Gates and Arthur Agee, *** END SPOILER ALERT *** two promising 14-year-old basketball players from Chicago, and detailed the lives of these two amazing young men, their families, and their dreams of getting into the NBA. That's really all you need to know about the film - the most intelligent, wisest thing Steve James did in making this movie, was to let the story tell itself, barely speaking at all except when absolutely necessary. This "light-touch" approach makes the movie all about Gates and Agee, and displayed a maturity and confidence by James which, if it wasn't there, could have ruined a fantastic movie. If you've never heard of Hoop Dreams, I cannot recommend it strongly enough. Roger Ebert gave it four stars, and at the conclusion of his review (which I advise not reading until after you've watched the film), writes that "It is one of the great moviegoing experiences of my lifetime." The added bonus of an extra 20+ years of time makes Hoop Dreams all the more fascinating and poignant, once you find out what happened to some of the characters.

I wanted some comfort food last night, so I (re-)watched "Star Trek Generations." This movie has one of my personal-favorite openings of any movie I’ve ever seen (okay, okay, “Raiders of the Lost Ark” might be a tad better), but still: I’m surprised Captain Harriman didn’t offer Captain Kirk the helm when he gave the order to “Take us out” on the Enterprise B - it would have been touching, although the way Kirk is playing his role (at least initially), he’s being a bit aloof, and “touching” isn’t in keeping with his demeanor. Oh my goodness - when Kirk found out there were no photon topedoes, and just now said, “Don’t tell me … Tuesday,” I braced myself for what I fear is going to be some awful filmmaking and acting. This was not funny, it was not cute, it was … for children. (“Computer, remove the plank!” was pretty damned funny.) There is *no way* that Jordi (or Data) would implant the emotion chip without first consulting with Captain Picard. That said, Data “hating his beverage” was highly amusing, in an obvious kind-of way. Picard’s grief scene over the death of his brother and nephew was so well done that every other foible in this movie, at least up until this point, can be forgiven so far. Data’s amusing “Life Forms” song is performed in D-major. Unfortunately, it was negated by his stupid, “Oh, shit” comment. The extended saucer-crash scene was really well-done. I’m certainly no expert at being able to tell whether or not it was realistic, but to these layman’s eyes, it was very much so. I wasn’t even sure I’d seen this movie, but I remember Kirk’s “Oh my” scene like it was yesterday, so I’m certain I saw it upon release. As a film, there isn’t all that much here; as a bonus, extended, "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode? I think it’s just keen.

Rashaan Salaam had two *major* football achievements: 1) He won the Heisman Trophy in 1994 2) He was the youngest NFL player ever to rush for 1,000 yards in 1995 Tragically, Rashaan Salaam passed away today. May you have found peace, sir.

It's going to be a great deal of fun tracking ongoing auction records for artworks as this website ages (clicking on the tag Auctions will always get you a fairly updated list of threads). "Balloon Dog (Orange)" by Jeff Koons sold for $58.4 Million at the Christie's Nov 12, 2013 auction, breaking the previous highest price for a Koons artwork of $33.7 Million, and also shattering the previous world record for "most money paid for an artwork by a living artist" of $37.1 Million for "Domplatz, Mailand" (1968) by Gerhard Richter, which sold in May of 2013. "Koons's Puppy Sets $58 Million Record for Living Artist" by Katya Kazakina and Phillip Boroff on bloomberg.com "The Most Expensive Art Ever Sold at Auction: Christie's Record-Breaking Sale" by Kathryn Tully on forbes.com

I'm not sure why some movies seem to be virtually unobtainable online, at any price; while others are only available for rent; and still others are available in various places for free. "The Shawshank Redemption" is one in the latter category - for whatever reason, it is available in high-definition on the internet, free-of-charge (if you Google it, you'll find it, but I was watching my version here). This is a film that I didn't love in the theaters (I was 33), but I enjoy a bit more now that I'm older - maybe it's the subject matter, or maybe it's because I can take my time watching it (I've been watching it over several days), or maybe it's because I'm fully aware of the importance and charisma of Morgan Freeman. Regardless, I like this movie, but don't necessarily love it. I'd be curious to know how others feel about it.

And this thread could just as easily go in the Art forum, or the History forum - I'm actually thinking about moving it to the latter. I've decided to pick up my copy of the AIA Guide to the Architecture of Washington, DC (my copy is the 3rd Edition), and study it a bit. The link is to the 5th Edition, which came out in 2012 - if it's substantially different, and people want to attend this party, I'll spring for it, since a lot has changed in the past 21 years. After the introduction, Tour A starts off in Capitol Hill, with an 8-page description of the Capitol (and more detail later about certain aspects of the Capitol). Anyone interested in doing a pseudo-walking tour with me? I want to actually see these things, rather than simply reading about them - I had no idea, for example, that the Capitol had corn-cob and tobacco-leaf capitals (a capital is the top part of a column). Also, I always thought Robert Mills was responsible for the Capitol Dome; here, he doesn't even get a mention (although I'm sure he'll be mentioned in the Washington Monument (*) section) - Thomas Walter is credited with making the dome as high as it is today (it looked really "squat" in bygone eras), and I cannot imagine it like that after having seen the current version my entire life. Did you know they extended the east face by 32 1/2 feet in 1959-1960, and in the process, added *102 rooms*?! If anyone wants to do an on-your-own group tour of DC's architecture and discuss it here, I'm game. (*) Who knew that before the Washington Monument, the world's tallest building was the Cologne Cathedral? Boy, I certainly didn't.

Carmen McRae was a great jazz musician, not merely a singer. Here she sings "Round Midnight," the Thelonious Monk tune. Carmen was a life-long advocate for Monk's work. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzX_4ncaNjs