Stability Index

NPR had an interesting story recently on the availability of Coca Cola as a measure of the stability of a country. I found it very interesting. It ties in nicely with an often-used measure of development by members of the Foreign Service: cost of a Big Mac. (In some cases acquiring a Big Mac involves a plane ticket to the nearest city that has a McDonalds.)

For every Foreign Service post there is a list of items to bring with you (because you can't find them there). Common items: peanut butter, salsa, "Mexican" food (actually Tex-Mex or American-style Mexican foods such as taco seasoning and shells), and often various Asian food items (unless you're talking IN Asia, of course). Many people help use this information to help them decide on where such a place falls in their priority, along with other factors such as language, climate, crime, pollution, pay, quality of housing and medical care, and, for those with kids, availability and quality of schools.

This started a train of thought: what other measurements do we use on an everyday basis to decide if something is good/bad/tolerable? As you drive through a neighborhood, what visual clues do you observe that frames your opinion? Lawn care? People walking the neighborhood and what they're wearing? Children playing? Graffiti? Skin color/ethnicity? Make/model/age of cars parked? Each person has his or her own criteria, I'm sure. After 17 years of marriage (celebrated just a few days ago, thanks), Emily and I don't have identical criteria. In one Arlington neighborhood, some combination of factors made her nervous and state that she'd probably not be comfortable there. I totally missed whatever it was. I admit the development wasn't as nice as some others, but I recall I really liked the mature oak trees that shaded both the front of the buildings and the street parking. Since we never actually made it into the unit, it really didn't matter. (We've since decided that the condo market in Arlington and Alexandria is just too expensive. Condo fees are ridiculous.)

This pretty much sums me up:



View it here on its official site. Not having access to the hard copy of the Washington Post, I had forgotten about this comic strip. Now I'll have to wade through the archives.... *sigh* ...yeah, tough gig.

Movie updates

I think my last movie post was after seeing Iron Man. I did manage to see Indian Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull while we were still in Monterrey, but that was about it. Since getting back to the US, I've only managed to catch Hancock.

As for Indy, I enjoyed it. I still like the first movie best and would rank this as my second or third favorite, probably third after Indian Jones and the Last Crusade (the second film, Indian Jones and the Temple of Doom, is my least favorite; I think the makers were trying far too hard to push the "gross factor" envelope just for titillation). I wasn't crazy about the scifi twist to this one and had some serious trouble suspending disbelief with the rain forest action sequences (one minute you need a machine to break trail for you, but the next there are parallel trails sufficiently smooth to race down at full speed?). The dialogue and action were pure Indy magic, though, so it all worked out. I did enjoy seeing Indy's old flame back in this one; that was a nice touch. The makers obviously set the stage for potential sequels and a "passing of the fedora" to a new generation, but I honestly don't know if that will ever happen. I doubt that a different cast (and possible director?) could pull off the same magic.

Hancock was better than I expected. Emily and I went to see it a week or so ago and both of us enjoyed it. It was grittier and less comic-booky than many of the "super hero" movies. I wish they had given more detail on the back-story, but I guess that would have detracted from where they were trying to go in general. I generally enjoy Will Smith and he didn't disappoint. Now that I think about it, this movie really only had four actors: Will, Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman, and Jae Head. The rest barely even registered. Given its commercial success, it could easily spawn a sequel, unlike the last Will Smith movie I saw (in Mexico): I am Legend.

At the rate I'm going I won't get to see several of the spring/summer films before they disappear: Prince Caspian (only one listing in my area now) and Incredible Hulk (dwindling fast with all the other summer films coming out). I might manage it, but I think I'll be lucky to catch Hellboy II, Wanted, and Dark Knight at the rate I'm going (not to mention the cost: way cheaper in Mexico!).

So, I recommend both Hancock and the new Indy movie. On the DVD side I have a bunch of titles to buy that I missed in the theater in the last two years: Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Golden Compass, Resident Evil: Extinction, The Seeker... notice a trend here? I'm big into SciFi/Fantasy, comic book adaptations (although I didn't read that many as a kid), anime, and some action films. Most comedies end up annoying me more than entertaining me. I enjoy a good drama or period piece, but I generally catch them on TV or rent them. My reading runs the same way, although I do read a good bit of news online (politics, general current events, lots of science and tech, etc.).

Back in the USSR... er, the USA

It's been a few weeks since I posted. I blogged about part of our journey back from Mexico, then got too busy and didn't get back to it. We arrived back in the Manassas area on July 1. We're staying with Emily's parents during home leave (federally mandated vacation for Foreign Service personnel - time to "get reacquainted" with the home country and avoid "going native").

We had planned to buy a condo in the Arlington/Alexandria area, live in it during Albanian training, and then rent it out as an investment property while we're overseas. Unfortunately this didn't work out. The condo fees changed the attractively-priced condos (under $200K) into the equivalent of $300K properties. This changed the scenario from one in which we could break even on rent (or at least bleed cash minimally) to one in which we would lose a considerable amount of money every year. Since condo fees would be out of our control, there was no way to even be sure how much money we'd lose. (I've heard stories on NPR regarding condo fees and the current foreclosure crisis.)

It now appears we'll be renting a small house very close to where we'll be training in Arlington, close enough that we'll be able to walk to class every day and probably walk home for lunch as well. The best part is that the cost will be covered by our per diem, so there will be no net out-of-pocket expenses. Actually, I take that back: the best part is that it'll be relatively stress-free, unlike buying a new place, fixing it up, furnishing it, finding a property manager, etc. etc. ad nauseum.

Emily's been doing some landscaping around her parents' yard (I helped a bit). Meanwhile I wrapped up my last (extended) class from NVCC, a Java programming class. I am glad it's over. At the moment I'm only signed up for one class next semester, and plan to audit it: Introduction to Italian. Yes, Emily and I will be attempting to learn TWO languages before departing for Albania next spring!

I hope to do a post later today or at least this week of some pictures from our final days in Monterrey (some distant vista types, more butterflies and hummingbirds, etc.). Meanwhile, here's a picture I took a few days ago. A moth got in the house the night before and he posed on the bathroom soap dish, before I gently escorted him outside. I love the camoflage.

And the journey continues....

Today we managed to make it back to Virginia, Bristol specifically. We're overnighting at, wait for it, the La Quinta Inn. We looked up the rules and it turns out we don't have to get our car inspected until we arrive back "home." In this case, Emily's parent's house, which is fairly close to our old house in Manassas, as well.

Tonight's dinner was, again, Taco Bell. Beer was provided by WalMart, Blue Moon Honey Moon Summer Ale. For the first time in our trip, it rained a fair amount, thought thankfully it wasn't seriously heavy.

We hope to stop by my dad's place in Harrisonburg on the way, assuming all continues to go well on the trip.

My new favorite commercial: Mastercard's Mr. Bill. I've loved Mr. Bill since I caught his episodes on Saturday Night Live when I was in grade school or thereabouts. Gosh, commercials in English. What will they think of next?

Gas update: $3.99 outside Bristol, TN. Probably so high because it was a) not a truck stop and b) pretty much the middle of nowhere.