When everything goes right on a sailing trip, there's usually not much to tell. Maybe you've read some of my "very boring sailing travelog"s. They're not so interesting; not much happens.

Earlier this year, I went on a sailing trip in which, suddenly, nothing happened. That was a little bit more interesting than those trips in which very little happened.

It's called Kraken because I wasn't sure what else to call it.

Tags: site | sailing | not-sailing |

As an occasionally obnoxious person who tries to talk his friends into strange activities, I was glad to read the autobiography of an occasionally obnoxious person (John Pollack) who talks his friends into doing something strange, and thus brings joy to the nation of Portugal. They built a boat out of wine corks, netting, a little wood, and a sail--then they rowed that boat down a river (the sail was kind of a bad idea).

This book also taught me about peripatetic pancakes, perhaps the best idea ever.

Tags: book | Garth Goldstein | Garvin Heath |

This is a blog; it is largely about books. Today the blogosphere is abuzz with news about a book: the new Harry Potter book is out.

I spent the day sailing. Thus, I had a fun time with Piaw and Lisa. Lea W. was there, awesome as ever. Speaking of blogs, I met pioneering blogger Eric Case. Vianna was there; I met her sweet patootie Dan. These were good people to spend a day with on a boat. There was fun sailing; there was relaxing sitting; there was enlightening conversation.

Afterwards, I got to meet Lea W's housemate Jonathan Blow. I've only been hearing about this guy for, like, forever.

We went to Lalime's, a restaurant which I'd heard about often, but had never tried.

Old friends, new friends. A restaurant I can cross off my list.

Have I made all of the Potter-reading people envious? I hope so. I hope they try to one-up me by going outside more often on nice days. Then I can borrow someone's copy of the new Harry Potter book.

Tags: book | name dropping | yarr

As a French explorer, the great ship's captain and navigator Dumont d'Urville helped advance English colonization. D'Urville explored some uninhabited spot on Australia's Eastern coast. This told the English that they'd better hurry up and put a colony there before France did. D'Urville explored New Zealand's North Island. This told the English that they'd better hurry up and put a colony there before France did.

If only the French colonists had been half as competent as d'Urville, the Pacific would have sounded very different today.

Tags: book | colonization | Pacific