Argentina 2010

Mom's Gone, and She Took the Kids

As planned, Mira has taken a trip to California to last about three weeks.  She'll be spending time with her parents in Sonoma County, and some time with friends in the bay area.  Rory and Caedryn are looking forward to seeing grandma and grandpa.  Robert saw the whole family off today at the Cordoba Airport.  Mira left on the same flight with Bob and Gertie.  The whole troop is  taking a Cordoba-Santiago-Miami-San Francisco return flight.  That should be fun. Robert, needless to say, will be spending a lot of time watching sports and sleeping in while the family is away.  There's a lot of World Cup to watch over the next three weeks.

A Long Time Coming

After 2.25 years of growth, someone got his first full fledged haircut today. Very undignified.

English, What is it Good For?

One drawback of living in a non-English speaking country is that one can get trapped trying to explain English language complexities to curious folks. Usually to poor results in Robert's case.

Here's an example.

"Cheap at half the price."

Is this a compliment on an object's value? Or a criticism of its price? A questioning of its quality? Something else?

Explanations and references to authoritative usage are invited from the viewing public.

Landis-Armstrong

The best comment I've seen on the latest Floyd Landis antics, accusing Lance Armstrong, George Hincapie, Levi Leipheimer, and others of doping.

From a New York Times reader:

"Of course Landis was doped. So was Armstrong. Doubt it? Think carefully: In Operation Puerto, Jan Ulrich, Ivan Basso, Joseba Beloki...literally every member of the peloton that had been anywhere *near* Lance Armstrong were swept up in that scandal. Are we to believe that someone 6-10 years older would be able to keep up with young guys who were doped over 21 days and mountains too high for most of us to walk up? I'm sorry, I'm not buying. Superman is dead. I don't doubt Landis' credence, here. I'm just amazed the idiot would spend 2 mil to defend a lie. He could have gotten a bargain and a book tour selling out the peoloton- he's been on Lance's team, most of whom were doped, too. Tyler Hamilton, Flyod, Ekimov..."

Editors Wanted: Bad Children's Literature

Why, with all the young children's stories published every year, can we not find enough that make sense and follow a standard narrative form?  Most stories out here in child-rearing-land could be cut in half and still be too long.  Illustrations, of course, are often the point. But when one finds a book that is both well-illustrated and competently written, one has a true prize.  Thus far, we've come across only two authors that fit the bill.  Maurice Sendak and Beatrix Potter.  And bad examples?  Here's some of the more egregious.

#1.  Edward's Exploit and Other Thomas the Tank Engine Stories.  1993.  A Random House PICTUREBACK.  No author named.

Incredibly obtuse, the action in these stories jumps from one scene to the next without any explanation.  We can forgive the Britishisms that escape us on first reading, but surely essential action sequences should be explained.

In the story, The Deputation, a pair of twin train engines named Donald and Douglas remove snow from the tracks. Clear enough.  Here's how the action unfolds.

"Presently, they came to a drift which was larger than most. They charged it, and were just backing for another try, when . . .

"Help! Help!"

"Losh sakes, Donald, it's Henry!  Don't worry yourself, Henry.  Wait a while.  We'll have you out."

Henry was very grateful.  He saw all was not well.

"The twins were looking glum. They told him Sir Topham Hatt was making a decision. "He'll send us away for sure."

"It's a shame!" said Percy.

"A lot of nonsense about a broken signalbox," grumbled Gordon.

"That spiteful brake-van too," put in James.  "Good riddance.  That's what I say."

"The twins were splendid in the snow," added Henry. "It isn't fair."  They all agreed that Something Must Be Done, but none knew what.

Percy decided to talk to Edward about it.  "What you need," said Edward, "is a deputation."  He explained what that was.

Percy ran back quickly. "Edward says we need a depotstation."

"Of course," said Gordon, "the question is . . . "

". . . what is a desperation?" asked Henry.

"It's when engines tell Sir Topham Hatt something's wrong," said Percy.

"Did you say 'tel Sir Topham Hatt'?" asked Duck thoughtfully.  There was a long silence.

"I propose," said Gordon, "that Percy be our--er--hum--disputation."

 We think Henry was stuck in the snow. We have no idea why Henry would be grateful that all was not well. We can't figure out the role that the broken signalbox played in anything, or who Gordon, Henry, Edward or Percy are.  Or where they came from.  Is the something-that-must-be-done so important that it must also be initial capitalized?  What's the decision to be made?  And, last, but not least, what's a "deputation," anyway?

Bob and Gertie

As we've previously noted, Robert's parents are in Argentina this month.  They've taken off for a week to visit Iguazu Falls near Buenos Aires and then they will go to Salta for a few days.  Then they will return to Cordoba to finish out their vacation.  One of the highlights of their trip has been their very sweet rental house  here in Cordoba.  You can see some photos here.

Choir

Last night Mira had her first public performance with the Maria de Nazareth Women's Choir.  They had a quick performance at a wedding at the Iglesia Capuchine, Cordoba's coolest church.

Some photos can be seen here.  And here's a video.

School Time

La Cumbresita

As some of you know, Robert's parents are visiting Argentina for a month.  Well, this weekend we went to the tiny German town in the mountains called La Cumbresita.  As you can see, when the Roberts get together, some wild times ensue.

Film News: Metropolis: Argentina

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/05/movies/05metropolis.html?emc=tnt&tntemail1=y

For fans and scholars of the silent-film era, the search for a copy of the original version of Fritz Lang’s “Metropolis” has become a sort of holy grail. One of the most celebrated movies in cinema history, “Metropolis” had not been viewed at its full length — roughly two and a half hours — since shortly after its premiere in Berlin in 1927, when it was withdrawn from circulation and about an hour of its footage was amputated and presumed destroyed.

But on Friday Film Forum in Manhattan will begin showing what is being billed as “The Complete Metropolis,” with a DVD scheduled to follow later this year, after screenings in theaters around the country. So an 80-year quest that ranged over three continents seems finally to be over, thanks in large part to the curiosity and perseverance of one man, an Argentine film archivist named Fernando Peña.

Read the full story here. 

Una Mas Video del Barrio

Beautiful Wife

Has Robert told you about how is beautiful wife is getting along here in Argentina? Well, she is. She studies her Spanish and speaks it so well that you would think she's been here for years. It's amazing!  She's amazing! Tonight, she went to choir practice. Hear that? Choir practice. Where she sings songs in Spanish. She teaches Rory new words all the time. Robert loves her so much. He can't live without her.

Strike One

I've been peeking at the online version of the Buenos Aires Herald for a week or two now. I want to get a better understanding of the place I live. Well, strike one against journalism standards in Argentina. Here's a story that is essentially a reprint from the National Enquirer.

http://www.buenosairesherald.com/BreakingNews/View/32383

White House trembles
Is Barack Obama on the verge of a sex scandal?

The US newspaper National Enquirer has made a shocking allegation on its last issue in which it links President Barack Obama having an affair with former campaign aide Vera Baker.

The publication claims that Obama and Baker, holed up at a Washington, DC hotel, and a "security video" could expose everything.

Baker, now 35, worked tirelessly to get Obama elected to the US Senate, raising millions in campaign contributions, in 2004, the news report said. They grew close since.

In the tabloid's article, a limo driver is claiming back in 2004 that he drove “Vera to a secret hotel rendezvous where Obama was staying.”

The enquirer says that the driver’s statement is independently corroborated by the investigators and it is said the hotel vigilance cameras must have caught something, and now there is a hunt for the tape. And if by any case the tape shows up, the scandal will blow up like a nuke.

While Vera Baker insists that "nothing happened" between them, the Enquirer says anti-Obama "operatives" are digging hard into the alleged affair. Plus the newspaper indicates that Obama could still be having an affair with Baker.

However, a point that no one can quite understand is why a successful Vera Baker would relocate to the Caribbean within a year of Barack Obama becoming the President of the United States of America.

Enquirer's sources say that Baker could be paid US$1 Million to confirm the news.

Flash Haters

Cordoba Tourism

Check out the Cordoba Tourism authority website.  This might spark a few of our friends and family to come down and visit us in the sierras chicas.

I've used Google Translate on the above link, which, by the way, works pretty well.