Areas of Unrest

3 June 2001 - The Other Cide

QOTD: "You must have crossed the river before you can tell the crocodile he has bad breath." - Chinese proverb

Reading: Carl Hiaasen, Lucky You

Listening to: Unsung Musicals

As a quick followup to my last entry, I assume everybody knows this by now, but Prince Dipendra survived, though he's in critical condition. The surprising part is that he's been declared king, with his uncle as regent. The latest official reports are claiming the whole event was an accident, which is so implausible as to be hardly worth repeating. But what I really wanted to note was that the BBC edited their on-line story, so the mention of all the crimes was removed. Consequently, I'm not sure whether they had left out sorocide or if that was my omission. I am fairly sure they didn't list simply homicide. On a more serious note, what I'm really interested in is how this whole mess will influence the existing unrest (a long-standing conflict with Maoist insurgents) in Nepal.

I had big plans to get tons of stuff done this weekend, but I barely got started. (Which means, for one thing, that the Malta travelogue remains unfinished.) I did manage to drive up to Santa Barbara yesterday, to do a Volksmarch. And, even better, I actually remembered to take a disposable camera I had five shots left on. There was a choice of two trails and, when I asked which was more photogenic, the people at the table suggested the mission, instead of the beach. That was probably wise as it was a dreary, drizzly morning. The highlights of the walk included the street paintings in front of the mission, some stately mansions (e.g. former vacation homes of the Crocker family), the courthouse, and the farmer's market. I'm always impressed by how much architectural integrity Santa Barbara has, how much it's a city that couldn't be anywhere but in California. I suppose that being a relatively small city helps.

The weather had pretty much cleared up by the time I was driving back, so I did the last 50 miles along PCH, instead of the freeway. Driving around Point Mugu is one of the few pleasant drives in Southern California, so I always prefer doing that when I have the option.

About the only other thing I accomplished all weekend, though, was getting the car washed. This is a rare event, since the Saturn guys wash the car when I take it in for service. But, the car wash guys also vacuum the inside and are far more thorough. I also like it that they lavish as much attention on my boring little car as they do on the fancy sports cars. As for other stuff I did this weekend, I divided my time between crocheting, reading, and napping. And, of course, I watched the Tony awards tonight. I was mildly disappointed that The Producers made such a sweep. I'm sure it's a great musical and I want to see it and all, but I really wanted Jonathan Tunick to win for orchestration. I realize that I'm one of about six people in the known universe who has an opinion on orchestration, so it's a very minor disappointment. I'm also trying to figure out if I can get to New York for a weekend to see Follies. Not that the awards presentation showed it off well, but it's got some of Sondheim's greatest songs.