Reading Catch-22 (2007-03-16/28)

Joseph Heller's Catch-22 appears to illustrate the insanity of war. Many have warned about the perverse incentives war creates--Dwight D. Eisenhower's farewell address (with its warnings about the military-industrial complex) and M. Scott Peck's People of the Lie (with its analysis of the My Lai Massacre and comments on standing armies) come to my mind. Catch-22 illustrates it with mostly-humorous stories of contradiction.

I wish, however, that the fictional stories of wartime insanity hadn't totaled 453 pages in my paperback copy. I had been reading it since finishing Don't Let's Go to Dogs Tonight, and I became bored with the theme. The book club for which I read Invisible Man selected Catch-22 to "fulfill my hipster quotient." Unfortunately I finished Catch-22 in Colorado Springs and so missed the monthly meeting to discuss a book.

In Colorado Springs (2007-03-26/30)

As we drove past the "Garden of the Gods" exit sign on I-25 in Colorado Springs, CO, my business partner asked, "What's in Garden of the Gods?" "Rocks," I replied.

During March 26-29 we had travel days and three days of meetings with a client to improve our communication and teamwork, as well as address upcoming project milestones. On the last day of meetings one of our client's staff drove me through Garden of the Gods to see the rocks myself.

At the IMA (2007-01-03/03-25)

As I sit in a University District cafe, my Remember the Milk list tells me that I've gone 35 times this year--roughly three times per week--to University of Washington's Intramural Activities Building. The $50 per quarter is a good investment! I want to maintain a healthy cholesterol and weight--and have a flat stomach--, so Ryan and I (and often friends) spend 20 to 30 minutes on the elliptical machines and then do some free weight lifting with our arms. Afterward I usually feel energetic.

On the Lower Route from Marangu to Kibo (2000-03-08/11)

After reviewing a book set in Africa, I began recording in this blog stories of my trip there, especially of my climb of Mount Kilimanjaro, and the people I met along the trail. Below is an outline of these events, from Marangu to Kibo.

I woke up at Marangu Hotel to a beautiful sunrise. After we packed and ate a large breakfast, the staff gave us a briefing and assigned us our guides and porters. I had a team of four:

• my porter,
• my guide,
• my guide's porter, and
• our cook.

We got into the truck—my guides and porters climbed in back while the driver showed me to the passenger side of the cab. Then we were off to Marangu Gate. From Marangu Gate we climbed over several days to Mandara and Horombo.

From Horombo Hut to Kibo Hut, the moorland vegetation gave way to alpine desert. Most people put on jackets.

From some points on the climb from Horombo Hut, I could see Kibo Hut at the base of Kibo as a tiny metallic sliver in the distance. My picture of Kibo from one rise includes for scale people on the trail ahead.