Reviews

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Hammock Camping Guide
Camping Hammocks How_To Reviews 2025

There are various configurations of camping hammocks that I'll outline below. Most are gathered with single tie-on points at each end. Some have integrated bug nets. Complete packages come with both nets & rainflies. After a brief survey of the different types, I go on to propose my criteria for the Ideal Hammock.
Équinoxe by Jean-Michel Jarre
Music Reviews Video
Jean-Michel Jarre (1978)

IMO Équinoxe is one of the best original synthesized orchestral pieces out there. His preceding album Oxygène (produced and recorded at home!) is also good, similar in form—but Équinoxe remains my favorite.
The March of Folly
Books History Reviews
Barbara Tuchman (1984)

With America “at war” [2006] on several fronts, I was stimulated to recall this wonderful and important book by the eminent historian Barbara Tuchman. The first line says it all…
My First Hammock Tent
Camping Hammocks Reviews Technology 2016

I went out last night to get some experience pitching and sleeping in my new hammock tent. It came with no instructions and there is only limited info available online. I’m getting better using a bit more tension and added a small relieving line to the fly so it can hang along the side (keeping the netting clear for viewing the trees and stars!). In future I’ll keep it rolled so it stays off the ground. I paddled in the dark to a place I’d picked out. Once you find two trees the rest is pretty easy. In fact, it’s trip-over-a-log easy compared with a surface tent! Plus everything stays dry!
Baking Good Bread On Demand
Books How_To Projects Reviews 2026

I've been a novice bread baker over the years, specifically breads leavened with yeast. I've made bagels and pizza crusts from scratch. I have a pizza stone in my oven and a wooden peel for that purpose. My last big endeavor was using my bread machine to make no knead bread (based on the famous NY Times recipe) with some success. All of this pales by comparison with the Five Minute approach outlined in the book discussed here.
Using PowerPoint Effectively
Books Commentary Reviews Technology 2009

Welcome to my Powerpoint resource page. It will evolve over time as new information and links become available. I should begin by saying that I'm not a Sourpointer. I use PowerPoint almost every week, but perhaps not in ways you'd expect. I view PowerPoint as just another tool—whose use can lead to good, bad, or even ugly results. I'm mostly impressed by how mediocre PowerPoint presentations can be. It creates a path of least resistance that often gets in the way of meaningful classroom interaction. PowerPoint was built for marketing and is great for making a pitch to a potential customer. But colleagues and students rarely want a marketing pitch. Instead they need audiovisuals that support and clarify what the speaker has to say.
Oru Coast XT Folding Kayak (Review)
Boats Camping Reviews Technology 2025

Oru kayaks started out small. The first one I saw in a sporting goods store several years ago looked like a toy. Since then they have developed several larger, more serious designs. Here is a summary of my experience with the Coast XT, their longest and most ambitious model—a 16ft sea kayak that weighs in at 32 pounds.
The Fireless Cook Book (1919)
Bookhouse Books History Reviews Technology
Margaret J. Mitchell (1919)

When I first saw this book I thought it was about making meals for a camping trip. It turned out to be much more interesting. Cooking with Insulation is a mostly forgotten technique with great potential. (The author knew this over one hundred years ago!) The concept is very simple: after heating food to the desired temperature, hang on to that heat and make it do some work!
Desert Solitaire (Review)
Books Reviews
Edward Abbey (1968)

I had the good fortune to pick up this paperback copy of Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey for reading material on my Recent Everglades Trip. It is an excellent book for both the stories and the perspective on our National Park System (of which the Everglades is a part). With all the tent time I read most of it by the end of the trip.
Through the Brazilian Wilderness (1914)
Bookhouse Books History Reviews
Theodore Roosevelt (1914)

This book records an expedition lead by Teddy Roosevelt in 1913-14 after he was president! It has the most amazing cover… embossed, leather (I assume) with a Golden Anteater?!
A Non-Tesla Owner's Thoughts on Tesla
Commentary Reviews Technology 2024

I recently did a trip with a friend in his new Tesla Model Y. (St. George, UT was the furthest west). I was amazed at how many Tesla-branded charging stations there were, and how integrated they are with the vehicle. You tell the dash navigation system where you want to go and it will route you based on your current charge, the distance, need for re-charge(s), and charging station locations.
Idiot America (Review)
Books Reviews
Charles Pierce (2009)

This short confection of a book has a serious message… When cranks become mainstream and large segments of the population take them seriously, our entire society is at risk! He's not against people with unconventional ideas, in fact he considers them to be an asset… a sort of check on the status quo. But an increasing number of cranks have won mainstream acceptance, and this is very alarming! Politics and religion are particularly vulnerable to exploitation.
Telegraph Codes (1914)
Bookhouse Books History Reviews Technology
C & B Johnson (1914)

Back in the days when long distance telephone calls were very expensive, families had various ring codes to let their loved ones know that they got there safe but avoided paying for an actual call. Ours was to let it ring twice and hang up (if I remember correctly).
El Verde Puerto Rico Radiation Experiments (1970)
Bookhouse Books History Reviews 1970

Turns out I had volume two of a three part report on a decade of radiation research done in a national forest. There is an official Fact Sheet for this program which reads in part…
Through the Fray (1886)
Bookhouse Books History Reviews
G. A. Henty (1886)

The original Luddites were millworkers who rebelled against factory automation back in the 1800s. They had a lot to lose. In the present time, to call someone a Luddite or Neo-Luddite is to write them off as a kind of techno-hermit, using a non-smartphone and writing in a paper notebook. This is a mischaracterization.
Review of Pandemic (The Game)
Medicine Reviews Science 2020

I bought this award-winning board game about three years ago not guessing how relevant it would become. Now that many of us are sheltering in place from COVID19, what could be better than a science-based game where the goal is to cooperate in order to defeat life-threatening viruses!
Headlamp Thoughts
Camping Commentary Reviews Technology 2025

I hadn't used a headlamp in five years until this one caught my eye. Mostly because of configurability and the price ($9.99). (The price suddenly jumped to $24.99 after I bought mine. (Tariffs kicking in perhaps? It's Nov 2025)
Electric Vehicles (1916)
Bookhouse Books History Reviews Technology 1916

I rescued this thick, encyclopedic volume from the trash. (Notice the page numbers are up to the 2800s!) These pages are from the chapter on Electric Vehicles. This illustration is so similar to a modern garage I was intrigued to consider what opportunities had been missed as we progressed to our petro-industry fueled present?
Advanced Elements Expedition Kayak (Review)
Boats Camping Reviews Technology 2022

I’ve used a “traditional” inflatable kayak for several years, mostly in special situations such as houseboat camping or floating down rivers. They can be very practical and lots of fun in these settings. They are bouncy and sit high in the water, more like life-rafts than kayaks. The one thing they are NOT good for is a windy day on open water! So I was intrigued when I read about newer designs that approximate the capabilities of hard-sided kayaks. Advanced Elements produces several models including the Expedition Elite reviewed here.
"Earth" by Imogen Heap
Music Reviews
Imogen Heap (2010)

I’ve been a fan of Imogen Heap for several years. Her latest album Ellipse has one of my all time favorite songs—Earth [listen]. It describes how a frustrated Mother Earth deals with her rambunctious offspring, homo sapiens. [lyrics]
Amusing Ourselves to Death (Review)
Books Commentary Reviews Technology
Neil Postman (1985)

This important book helps explain the current state of our society, media, and education. Postman begins by contrasting the two great futurist novels, 1984 and Brave New World. He concludes that Huxley made the better prediction—no need for a police state when we have television!
The Book of Birds (1849)
Birds Books History Reviews
George S. Appleton (1849)

Below is a limited sampling of historically significant pages that contain many surprising (and perhaps inaccurate) facts. Alas the Elegant Plates mentioned on the title page appear to be missing. Also missing is any mention of smaller birds such as wrens and warblers?!
Spreader Pole Hammock (Review)
Camping Hammocks Reviews 2023

I became aware of Hammock Camping back in 2016. Luckily my first hammock was reasonably well designed and built. Seven years later that hammock has taken me many places and taught me a lot! Unfortunately it is showing some wear and I've been looking for a possible replacement.
Kammok Mantis Hammock (Review)
Camping Hammocks Reviews 2022

The Kammok Mantis is most notable for the superior materials used. My favorite is the night sky bug net material, which nearly disappears on dark starry nights. The hammock fabric feels very light and sturdy, while having a slight texture that makes it less slippery. The fly is made from an extremely light waterproof fabric (silnylon). It all goes into a very small package weighing 2 lb 11.5 oz (per Kammok website).
Trekker Solo Tent 1V (Review)
Camping Reviews Tents 2024

This One Person Tent from River Country Products is a clever hybrid of single and double layer designs. The head of the tent has generous mesh panels for ventilation. The foot is completely enclosed in waterproofed nylon, allowing the rainfly to be much smaller (saving weight and volume). This is a unique design I have not seen elsewhere.
Meteor 3p Tent (Review)
Camping Reviews Tents 2025

This nominal Three Person Tent from Sierra Designs is an asymmetrical, rectangular, wedge design. The asymmetry shifts the maximum interior height towards the head end where it is most useful. The sides (and doors) are nearly vertical thanks to a short spreader pole across the top. (Note that the tent reviewed here has been discontinued. The newer lite version costs twice as much 🙁 and has a bright orange fly.)
Marmot Tungsten 4p Tent (Review)
Camping Reviews Tents 2023

Lightweight aluminum poles define the four corners and are connected by a hinge at the peak. The segment nearest the ground is “pre-bent” to keep the sidewalls near vertical. Two end sections are blue to help guide setup.
Edward Tufte Short Course
Books Reviews Technology 2007

Just back from attending this short course by the master of intelligent design himself Edward Tufte. It was well worth the time and effort! I'd recommend it to anyone who prepares or presents information with a computer (ie, just about everyone!). His insights are numerous and often challenge conventional wisdom. His bottom line is to enhance communication by increasing the dimensionality and resolution of data. The course included copies of all four of his major books, highlighting the most recent, Beautiful Evidence. The photo shows his discussion of Powerpoint's role in the Columbia disaster, which I reviewed in 2005 and is included in Beautiful Evidence.
Flashlight Thoughts
Camping Commentary How_To Reviews Technology 2020

I'm not too fond of headlamps for a few reasons… they are generally too bright when you are working close, shine in people's faces when you look up, and kill your night vision. And what about your hat?!
Binge Watching Great Movies About Real Conspiracies That Affect Us All
Books Commentary History Reviews 2016

I was on a short business trip recently and had a chance to view three new movies about real conspiracies that affect us all. This prompted me to go back and re-watch some documentaries from the recent past. Talk about dark night of the soul! Here are my brief reviews in no particular order…
Folding Bicycles
Reviews Technology 2007

While I was in Philadephia over the summer I was amazed by the number of folding bicycles. About half of all the bikes I saw were folders. Of course they make eminent sense for urban dewellers. I’ve always been interested in “packable” bicycles, and have a thirty year old three-speed folder gathering dust in my garage. The concept has come a long way since then! Over the holidays I bought two Dahon Speed D7 bikes for $299 each. They’re an exquisite bit of engineering for the price. The principal flaw with the older design, a telescoping seat post, has been replaced by a single long piece. The 20 inch wheels are a nice compromise, the components are good, and the road feel is solid. Folding the bike takes less than a minute, and two of them will fit in the trunk of a small car!
The Cackle Sisters
Music Reviews 2005

I’ve always enjoyed yodeling, both alpine and the more bluesy American variety. So this public radio piece was a pleasant surprise. In spite of my interest I had never heard of this duo from Minnesota; they recorded only a handful of songs.
The Demon in the Freezer
Books History Reviews
Richard Preston (2002)

This is one of the scariest books I've read in a long time—and it’s not fiction! Published in 2002, it chronicles the strange tale of Smallpox, its world-wide eradication, and the lingering threat of its return. Millions are alive today thanks to the efforts of D. A. Henderson (who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002), the World Health Organization, and an army of public health workers. Smallpox is probably the worst disease the human race has ever known, and now it’s gone—well almost… The demon lives on in at least two freezers, one at the CDC in Atlanta and one in Russia. But there is no way to know how many other caches exist. In a cruel twist of fate, the fact that smallpox no longer exists in the wild makes it well suited for bioterrorism. It is the biological equivalent of an atom bomb. This New Yorker article by Preston summarizes the major themes of the book.
The Plague (Review)
Books History Reviews
Albert Camus (1947)

The Plague by Albert Camus is a allegorical novel set in the modern city of Oran on the north African coast. The principal character is Dr. Rieux, who confronts a series of medical, ethical and moral dilemmas as an epidemic of bubonic plague breaks out and the city is quarantined. Rieux must overcome his fear, loneliness and despair in order to function while conceding that he is mostly powerless in the face of his microscopic enemy. He is not alone. A number of memorable characters share his sojourn, each of them responding to the crisis in different ways: escape, repentance, debauchery, suicide, work, fantasy...

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