Friluftsliv: Log Blog Connections

In Tribute

2011-10-06T08:49:00.002-08:00

Here is Steve Jobs famous commencement speech at Stanford:

This is just great tango!

2011-09-29T21:24:00.000-08:00

Carlos Barrionuevo & Mayte Valdes Al Compas del Corazon 110924 from El Gringo Cachafaz on Vimeo.

This is just great tango!

Six Killer Apps of Prosperity

2011-09-27T04:33:00.003-08:00

Here is an intersting varient on Burke's connections and trigger theory: Over the past few centuries, Western cultures have been very good at creating general prosperity for themselves. Historian Niall Ferguson asks: Why the West, and less so the rest? He suggests half a dozen big ideas from Western culture -- call them the 6 killer apps -- that promote wealth, stability and innovation. And in this new century, he says, these apps are all shareable.

Aurora Borealis explained

2011-09-21T22:37:00.000-08:00

The Aurora Borealis from Per Byhring on Vimeo.

Alaska home construction

2011-09-18T10:08:00.001-08:00

Been a while since I posted. We spent our summer in Two Rivers working on our retirement home. This has been a humbling experience, as I discovered that I don't know a thing about home construction. What a geat learning opportunity this has become.

2011 National Senior Games, Houston, Texas

2011-06-22T07:28:00.003-08:00

Mark Twain

2011-06-22T07:26:00.000-08:00

The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read them. - Mark Twain (attributed)

Memorial Day

2011-05-24T06:24:00.002-08:00

Why I work out

2011-05-20T04:12:00.000-08:00

Here is a great article from the new York Times about Olga Koltelco, a 91 year old athlete in the Master's Track and Field Games. My friend Mike Madden sent me this. Mike is my best friend, and he is the one who challenged me to participate in the senior games when he sent me some throwing equipment for my 60th birthday. Now I'm hooked. People like Mike and Olga are an inspiration to me.

Dilbert strikes again

2011-05-18T04:18:00.002-08:00

Argentine tango at the Library of Congress!

2011-05-12T05:07:00.000-08:00

National Jukebox is another new resource at the Library of Congress. National Jukebox provides historical sound recordings from the early 20th Century. For example I was able to find this excellent recording of the Argentine tango Volverás made in 1925 by the Argentine Orquesta Típica de Caro

Nicely done tribute to Martha Graham

2011-05-12T04:32:00.000-08:00

Seven Quotes From Mark Twain

2011-03-28T04:44:00.000-08:00

I picked up these quotes from the blog Dumb Little Man. I find them very useful. Mark Twain really had good advice for life.

1."I have been through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened."

2.“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

3.“When people do not respect us we are sharply offended; yet in his private heart no man much respects himself.”

4.“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.”

5.“When angry, count to four. When very angry, swear.”

6.“Don't go around saying the world owes you a living; the world owes you nothing; it was here first.”

7.“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear.”

Impact of the washing machine

2011-03-21T08:52:00.000-08:00

Here is an excellent presentation on the impact of the washing machine:

Dilbert strikes again

2011-03-17T04:38:00.002-08:00

Dilbert is funny today.

Iditarod 2011

2011-03-14T04:42:00.001-08:00

Here is a nice video of Aliy Zirkle near Nikolai on the 2011 Iditarod. She is having an excellent run this year. At the moment, she is resting her team at Shaktoolik before going out on the sea ice protion of the route. This is often the defining moment for dog teams as they have to deal with the totally different environment of the sea ice.

Born to Run

2011-02-14T04:15:00.000-09:00

My friend Charlton introduced me to the book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. The book has been a revelation for me. Now there is a TED Talk by McDougall:

Jack LaLane

2011-01-24T09:06:00.000-09:00

Jack LaLane was my personal hero. He pioneered physical fitness to everyone and was truly an inspiration!

So how well do you know your Star Trek?

2011-01-11T04:15:00.002-09:00

Kardemommeloven

2011-01-05T04:48:00.001-09:00

I just came across a wonderful children's book in Norwegian from the 1950's. Folk og røvere i Kardemomme by by Thorbjørn Egner. It's a fictional town where there is only one law: Kardemommeloven (The Cardamom Act).

The law is simple:

Man skal ikke plage andre,
(One should not bother others,)
man skal være grei og snill,
(you should be nice and kind,)

og for øvrig kan man gjøre hva man vil.

(and otherwise you can do whatever you want.)

It's now a famous expression in Norway. I love it.

Three Good Resolutions for the New Year from Daniel Pink

2011-01-04T04:17:00.001-09:00

Here are Three Good Resolutions for the New Year from Daniel Pink: The resolutions are from a new book Practically Radical: Not-so-crazy Ways to Transform Your Company, Shake Up Your Industry, and Challenge Yourself, by William C. Taylor.
1. I resolve to help my organization (and me personally) become “the most of something” in my field. It’s not good enough to be “pretty good” at everything. The most successful organizations (and people) are the most of something—the most elite, the most affordable, the most elaborate, the most approachable. For so long, companies were content operating in the middle of the road. Today, with so much change, so much pressure, so many new ways to do everything, the middle of the road has become to road to nowhere. What are you the most of?
2. I resolve to embrace a sense of vuja dé. We’ve all experienced déjà vu—looking at an unfamiliar situation and feeling like you’ve seen it before. Vuja dé is the flip side of that—looking at a familiar situation (an industry you’ve worked in for decades, problems you’ve worked on for years) as if you’ve never seen it before, and, with that fresh line of sight, developing a distinctive point of view on the future. The challenge for all of us is that too often, we let what we know limit what we can imagine. This is the year to face that challenge head-on.
3. I resolve to look for new ideas in new places. The more I study innovation, the less enamored I become of “benchmarking” the competition. What good is it to compare yourself against “best practice” in your field, especially if “best practice” isn’t that great to begin with? The most creative leaders aspire to learn from people and organizations far outside their field as a way to shake things up and make real change. Strategies and practices that are routine in one industry can be revolutionary when they migrate to another field. Do you have new ideas about where to look for new ideas?

My Blackberry is not working

2010-12-23T06:00:00.002-09:00

Lars Monsen

2010-12-03T04:13:00.000-09:00

Lars Monsen is my favorite Norwegian outdoorsman.

Today he posted on his Facebook page the following (translation below):
Jeg har takket nei til media (fordi jeg er nok synlig som det er, og fordi jeg ikke ønsker å mene noe om alt) om å uttale meg om den enorme kulda vi har for tida. Er det kaldt? Hvor? Røros og Anarjohka, kanskje, og da helst 0400 om morran. Hvilket lys! Hvilke flotte lyder i naturen! Så vakkert og stemningsfullt! Skriv om det!

I have declined to talk to the media (because I tell it like it is, and because I do not want to have an opinion about everything) to comment on the immense cold, we have at the moment. Is it cold? Where? Roros Anarjohka, perhaps, preferably in the morning 0400. What light! What beautiful sounds of nature! So beautiful and evocative! Write about it!

Nice way to tour Scotland

2010-11-22T06:22:00.002-09:00

Sunday with Ron and Gar

2010-11-15T06:12:00.004-09:00

Human Rights

2010-11-13T04:08:00.001-09:00

While the world media focuses on Burma's release of Aung San Suu Kyi, Iran arrests 3 female lawyers returning on a flight from Turkey. One of them is Maryam Kiyan Arsi, the lawyer for Kobra Najar who was sentenced to stoning a while ago.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

The Competition

2010-11-05T04:10:00.001-08:00

Over the years, I have faced some interesting competition in marathons. In the 1994 Marine Corps marathon Oprah Winfrey beat me: She ran the marathon in a time of 4 hrs, 29 mins; I finished about 10 minutes behind her. It was pouring rain in that marathon, and all I remember is being wet and miserable. My good wife Cathy had a dry t-shirt for me at the 15 mile mark, and that helped a lot. I don't mind at all that Oprah beat me, because a lot of people beat me in the marathon. But Oprah missed the point. She met her goal, then stopped. It may have been her choice of personal trainers-- sometimes these personal trainers push their clients too hard. Marathons are about daily life style. It's what you do every day in the practice of living that matters. Running and exercise need to be daily habits. As Aristotle said: Excellence is a habit. Hopefully Oprah has learned from the up and down battles she has had with her health, and I hope she tries another marathon.

This year in the New York City marathon I expect to face competition in Today show weatherman Al Roker and the Subway guy Jared Fogle, who lost 245 pounds by eating Subway sandwiches. I'll look for them both on the course. We are all winners in the marathon.

Course tour of the NYC marathon

2010-11-04T05:10:00.000-08:00

Today I'm going into the city to pick up my number and registration materials for the new York City Marathon. This will be my 26th marathon since 1978, when I ran the Omaha marathon while a student at Creighton Law School. I've run New York five times, so I know the course well. It is one of the more difficult marathons for me to run, because of the crowds. I find the bridges to be a real challenge as well. I've never finished with a particularly good time, but it's still a fun experience. Here's a good description of the course:

Fall in Alaska

2010-10-19T04:40:00.000-08:00

Here's a nice video of our friend Aliy Zirkle training her sled dogs on a beautiful Fall day in
Two Rivers.

Winter Photography

2010-10-18T08:05:00.000-08:00

Here's a great video of winter scenes from one of my favorite blogs, Hiking in Finland:

John Wooden and Winning

2010-10-18T04:04:00.000-08:00

Here is a great blog entry by Vern Gambetta from Elite Track:

"Steve Odgers send me an email yesterday reminding me that it was John Woodens birthday and that Coach Wooden never spoke to his teams about winning. Never speaks volumes when you think of the championships and wins his teams accumulated. The message here, a message I have seen in everyone that are consistent winners, is that they focus on the process, not the outcome. If you pay attention to details, have a plan and get absorbed in the process then the winning is an outcome. Conversely think of the losing teams and organizations you see. They are always talking about winning. There are banners and slogans everywhere, but bottom line they are focused on the outcome and they make losing a self-fulfilling prophecy. They seem to find a way to lose. Winners find ways to win to because they have paid attention to the process. If they do lose there are no excuses, just learning, then back to the process."

This just re-enforces what so many others say about the importance of the process. It's what you do every day that defines you, not the short term results of winning or losing. If you focus on each day and get the best you can out of it, then the wins and losses will take care of themselves.

Born to Run

2010-10-11T14:18:00.000-08:00

My running friend Charlton Macado recently recommended the book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. The author studies the Tarahumara Indians of the Copper Canyon area of Mexico, who are noted for astonishing feats of mountain running. He also makes a strong case for more natural running forms that can only be learned by running barefoot. This book is a good companion to Chi Running. I tried some barefoot running on the local football field today and it is a very different experience. You can't run barefoot for very long as a heel striker. You naturally start landing on your forefoot.

This is a great book and I highly recommend it.

Practice

2010-09-30T04:08:00.000-08:00

How do you best move toward mastery? To put it simply, you practice diligently, but you practice primarily for the sake of the practice itself. —GEORGE LEONARD, MASTERY

Amazing 8 year old wins trail race!

2010-09-28T04:06:00.000-08:00

This kid is absolutely amazing!

Tai Chi and Running

2010-09-17T04:17:00.000-08:00

While the book Chi Running has some weaknesses, I am thoroughly inspired to alter my running form according to the posture and energy flow principles of the the Chinese art of Tai Chi. I am discovering (late in life) the importance of posture in all movement. I first encountered it in Argentine tango, where posture is the key to every move. I have since encountered it in throwing the discus and javelin in the Senior Games. Posture and body movement are the difference between great throws and mediocre throws.

Since taking Tai Chi classes from our friends Ron and Gar, I have become more aware of the relationship between posture and energy flow. The book Chi Running offers very good insights into applying these principles to running. I'll try to incorporate them into my training for the NY marathon.

Alaska Senior Games 2010

2010-08-29T11:54:00.003-08:00

Mountain Time Lapse

2010-06-27T11:32:00.004-08:00

One of my favorite blogs is Hiking in Finland, which is about ultralight hiking in the Nordic countries. What I particularly like about the site is the way they use photography to tell their stories. For example here is a fantastic time lapse video of a mountain camping scene. Check it out:

Timescapes Timelapse: Mountain Light from http://vimeo.com/timescapes on Vimeo.

2010-06-21T09:07:00.001-08:00

Summer Reading List 2010

Introduction to objectivist epistemology‎ by Ayn Rand, Leonard Peikoff, Harry Binswanger
Objectivism: the philosophy of Ayn Rand‎ by Leonard Peikoff
Atlas Shrugged‎ by Ayn Rand
The Fountainhead‎ by Ayn Rand
We the Living‎ by Ayn Rand
You Haven't Taught Until They Have Learned: John Wooden's Teaching by Swen Nater, Ronald Gallimore
Disrupting class: how disruptive innovation will change the way the world learns by Clayton M. Christensen, Curtis W. Johnson, Michael B. Horn

Tango

2010-06-21T04:59:00.002-08:00

Cathy and I enjoyed another great weekend of Argentine tango and tai chi. I managed to get in some good discus and javelin practice with progress in both.

Photo of the Day from Fotopedia

2010-06-14T10:29:00.001-08:00

Photo of the day on Fotopedia

2010 World Cup Resources

2010-06-08T05:37:00.002-08:00

Here are some cool resources for watching the 2010 World Cup:

1. Follow the stadiums on Google Earth: http://www.gearthblog.com/blog/archives/2010/06/2010_world_cup_in_google_earth.html

2. View the Schedule in a cool Flash program:

http://www.marca.com/deporte/futbol/mundial/sudafrica-2010/calendario-english.html

3. Watch the World Cup live: http://www.epltalk.com/where-to-watch-the-world-cup-on-tv-online-radio-and-mobile-devices/19830

Hudson Valley Tango Practica, June 5, 2010

2010-06-07T04:53:00.001-08:00

Memorial Day

2010-06-01T04:18:00.000-08:00

My sister's grandchildren enjoying Dairy Queen with Grandpa Mike.

Westchester Milonga

2010-05-24T09:26:00.003-08:00

Connections

2010-05-21T04:43:00.000-08:00

Here's a great example of the connections between inventions and thinking out of the box:

Milonga

2010-05-18T04:17:00.001-08:00

Emerson

2010-05-13T21:59:00.001-08:00

"Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Alabama Senior Olympics

2010-05-04T04:14:00.002-08:00

Milonga in Sugar Loaf - April 17, 2010

2010-04-29T04:32:00.001-08:00

Our Hudson Valley Tango group had another successful milonga with live music.

Confucius

2010-04-27T01:19:00.002-08:00

If you love what you do, you will never work another day in your life" ~Confucius

Einstein

2010-04-22T00:23:00.002-08:00

"Try not to become a man of success but rather to become a man of value." - Albert Einstein

Norwegian Tango

2010-04-20T07:48:00.000-08:00

Ron and Gar Gee of our Hudson Valley Tango group provided an excellent demonstration of tango to members of our Sons of Norway Noronna Lodge on April 16, 2010. It was an excellent evening for everyone.

Failure

2010-04-19T22:34:00.002-08:00

A man can get discouraged many times, but is not a failure until he blames somebody else and stops trying – Burroughs

Mother Teresa

2010-04-15T00:26:00.002-08:00

Do not wait for leaders. Do it alone, person to person.
~Mother Teresa

Library of Congress and Twitter

2010-04-14T21:45:00.002-08:00

The Library of Congress is in the process of archiving every Tweet on Twitter according to Tech.Chronicles - ‎http://ow.ly/1yGok . I'm holding back on my opinion of this. It may be a worthwhile project, but at what cost to the government. It may be useful for future research, or it may be just another junkyard of words. What are the possible uses of all the tweets in the world?

Jay Walker's Library of Human Imagination

2010-04-09T04:43:00.000-08:00

de Tocqueville

2010-03-28T04:33:00.002-08:00

"The American Republic will endure until Congress discovers it can bribe the public with the public's money." - de Tocqueville

Our only hope is Freedom of speech and we must defend it.

Locke

2010-03-28T02:42:00.001-08:00

Sannri RT @operationSAFE RT @roomynaqvy: I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts. ~John Locke
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

2010-03-28T02:21:00.000-08:00

Sannri RT @manikarthik The Indian festival that brings Hindus and Muslims together http://bit.ly/bY82Ur
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World

2010-03-26T08:55:00.001-08:00

I just finished an excellent book on the history of the cod trade. The author brings out some interesting facts such as the secret pre-Columbus Basque cod fishing grounds, the value of salt cod as an international trade good in the molasses/rum/slave triangle and many other intersections of military, political and cultural history that involve cod.

Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World by Mark Kurlansky

View more documents from Vette05.

Arapaho Proverb

2010-03-20T02:10:00.002-08:00

If we wonder often, the gift of knowledge will come. ~ Arapaho Proverb

Aliy and Allen on Iditarod

2010-03-12T10:18:00.001-09:00

Our friends Aliy Zirkle and Allen Moore are having a good Iditarod so far this year. You can follow them on their blog. As I write this, the GPS Aliy is wearing shows her to be about 5 miles out of Ruby, where the course takes the mushers onto the Yukon River. She is running 12 dogs at the moment. As I have often mentioned, Aliy and Allen take the best care of their dogs.

Finished Gatineau

2010-02-22T05:10:00.000-09:00

Here are some photos of the Gatineau Loppet and the wonderful time Cathy and I had there. The trails in Gatineau Park are great. The 54 kilometer Loppet was shortened this year to 49k and rerouted due to snow conditions, but it was still a great race. I managed to finish in 6:08, which is an o.k. time for me.

Wood Skis

2010-02-19T15:31:00.003-09:00

Tomorrow, I'll be doing the Gatineau Loppet on ca. 1970 Landsem wood skis. We love old wood skis. Cathy and I have several pair. I have done several World Loppet races on wood skis, and never failed to have fun.

Here's a shot of my skis after finishing the race. Do the skis look familiar?

Nancy Wake and the French Resistance

2010-02-19T05:44:00.001-09:00

What other woman would parachute into France wearing high heels, bicycle 200 kilometers through German lines looking for a wireless operator, then get drunk with a horse-- only Nancy Wake. My wife has recommended this book to me for years. It is one of the best accounts of the wartime France during the Resistance that I have read.

Freedom of Speech

2010-02-12T04:50:00.003-09:00

Freedom of speech is something I take very seriously. I am very thankful to live in a country where Freedom of Speech is considered sacred. Hjörtur Smárason in his blog Marketing Safari has written a great piece on Freedom of Speech Are you being censured? He writes:
"Connecting with people from different parts of the world and hearing about their fight for freedom of speach is a good reminder of the tremendous importance of these rights and that it is not something we can take for granted. It is something we have to always be aware of and make sure is not taken from us.
When things get tough, when people get desperate, it doesn't take long to lose the rights we take for granted. Hitler was democraticly chosen because he offered solutions to a grave economic situation. Within days after he took power, civil rights had been removed, protesters killed and the rest is history. We've seen how US citizens, as well as US visitors have lost much of their rights because of new regulations following 9/11. Driven by fear, people accepted what would have been an outrage only few months earlier.
In January last year a very moving editorial was published in a newspaper in Sri Lanka. A post mortem article from an editor who wrote about the chances of him being killed and why that was. He was killed before the article was published.
We are seeing how people are fighting against oppressing governments in China, Iran and elsewhere in the world, where journalists are jailed and sometimes dissapear, where all mainstream media is edited and censored, where access to the internet is restricted and where the government is using all methods they can think of to control access to information. China even tried to control who Barack Obama would meet with and freedom fighters in Iran are filling the streets today in their green revolution. Social media is an extremely powerful tool to fight this oppression of the freedom of the speech. We are seeing how demonstrators and independent minds are trying to get the word out through blogging, through twitter and through other channels of social media."

Past Forgetting by Kay Sommersby

2010-02-03T05:38:00.000-09:00

My mother is a prolific reader and when she recommends a book it's usually a good one. This turned out to be one of the best books I have ever read. Kay Sommersby wrote this story on her deathbed. Not only is she a brilliant writer, but she has a lot of class. She tells the world of her love affair with Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower during World War II. After only a few pages, one is drawn into the book and into the dynamic personality of this wonderful woman.

Not only does she give a first hand account of the inner circle of Allied commanders during the war, she gives us a unique understanding of Eisenhower as a human being.

Sesquipedalophobia (Kissed by a Moose)

2010-01-28T16:04:00.003-09:00

Apparently Sesquipedalophobia is the fear of long words. This must be a cruel joke on those looking up their illness. From Twitter @xoix @27bslash6

Think of it as being kissed by a moose. My sister sent me this picture and the account: Kissed by a wild Canadian Moose PETE is standing on his back deck which is about two feet off of the ground, and he is about six one and 250 lbs so she ( the moose )is a fair sized critter.This picture was taken near Sudbury , ON, Canada:

Nordic Ski Marathon

2010-01-23T04:55:00.001-09:00

I'm in training for the Canadian Gatineau Loppet ski marathon. It's not easy without snow, but this stamp inspires me. It's from the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics. Sure wish I could ski with that form.

Small Things

2010-01-22T01:30:00.003-09:00

If you can't do great things, do small things in a great way. Twitter @TimOwensby

Churchill

2010-01-20T00:54:00.003-09:00

"You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life." Winston Churchill

Tribute to Bob Howard

2010-01-19T07:25:00.005-09:00

The most decorated American soldier of the modern era is Bob Howard, who died in 2009. Here is a site with an excellent video in tribute to him.

He served five tours in Vietnam and is the only soldier in our nation's history to be nominated for the Congressional Medal of Honor three times for three separate actions within a thirteen month period. (from http://rlhtribute.com/)

Milonga: Hudson Valley Tango

2010-01-17T14:57:00.000-09:00

Will Rogers

2010-01-15T23:53:00.001-09:00

"The only difference between death and taxes is death doesn't get worse every time Congress meets…" Will Rogers
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Henry Ward Beecher

2010-01-14T01:33:00.002-09:00

"Clothes and manners do not make the man; but, when he is made, they greatly improve his appearance." Henry Ward Beecher

I love this quote. What little I have gained in the latter, I owe to my wife and Argentine tango.

SP Kennel wins Humanitarian Award

2010-01-13T04:13:00.004-09:00

Aliy and Allen just posted on their blog today that their kennel has won the Humanitarian Award at the Copper Basin 300 dog sled race for taking the best care of their dogs. They ran three dog teams in the race and their care for their animals was exemplary. Anyone who knows Aliy and Allen knows how they care for their animals.

Congratulations to Aliy and Allen

2010-01-12T00:58:00.002-09:00

Congratulations to Allen Moore and Aliy Zirkle for another great showing in the Copper Basin 300 dog sled race. Allen finished second to Jeff King. All 12 of Allen's dogs finished the race.

Allen's face at the finish (from their blog) reminds me of the Mark Twain quote:
"Why is it that we rejoice at a birth and grieve at a funeral? It is because we are not the person involved."

Japanese Proverb

2010-01-10T17:10:00.002-09:00

Fall seven times and stand up eight.-Japanese Proverb

Lunch at the Blooming Hill Farm

2010-01-10T16:57:00.005-09:00

Every Saturday, some Argentine tango friends gather for lunch at the Blooming Hill Farm. Below, Cathy and Ignacio enjoy a copy of the Fairbanks newspaper.

This is not a club, only friends at the farm.

2010-01-10T04:17:00.002-09:00

Hypocrites

2010-01-09T05:16:00.003-09:00

Life is short, art long, opportunity fleeting, experience treacherous, judgment difficult. Hypocrites

Curchill & Goethe

2010-01-05T22:03:00.003-09:00

Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.~Churchill

He only earns his FREEDOM and his life Who takes them every day by storm. ~Goethe

#IRANELECTION

Jefferson

2010-01-05T16:16:00.002-09:00

"Errors of opinion may be tolerated where reason is left free to combat it."

Thomas Jefferson

Liberty

2010-01-04T22:24:00.004-09:00

"Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth."
George Washington #iranelection

Minus 20

2010-01-01T19:55:00.001-09:00

Cold day in Alaska but the cabin is warm.

Ibsen

2010-01-01T09:56:00.002-09:00

A man should never put on his best trousers when he goes out to battle for FREEDOM and TRUTH~ Henrik Ibsen

Quote

2009-12-23T12:12:00.002-09:00

Stephen Covey "Live out of your imagination, not your history."

Don't Eat the Marshmellows

2009-12-22T07:23:00.000-09:00

Copenhagen

2009-12-21T01:17:00.006-09:00

President Obama returns from the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference on Air Force One to find the treaty is already working. It's just amazing how fast the accords took effect. A huge snowstorm blanketed the entire East Coast.

In the meantime, snowmen below are celebrating the end of global warming after the successful Copenhagen conference.

Sons of Norway Christmas Party 2009

2009-12-19T13:33:00.002-09:00

The Norrona Lodge of the Sons of Norway celebrated a lutefisk free Christmas in Pearl River, NY, on December 18, 2009. A good time was had by all.

Russian Proverb

2009-12-19T03:02:00.004-09:00

A mere friend will agree with you, but a real friend will argue. Russian Proverb

The Winter War: Finland 1940

2009-12-18T04:11:00.004-09:00

Thanks to Tea at Trinain, I have discovered an excellent resource for Scandinavian studies: The Sword and the Sea remembers the Soviet invasion of Finland in 1939 and how the heroic Finns, although they had to sue for peace, were able to retain their national sovereignty. The Winter War is an amazing piece of history to follow.

James Madison

2009-12-15T17:20:00.003-09:00

"The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted."

James Madison

Wordsworth

2009-12-15T01:19:00.002-09:00

That best portion of a good man's life; his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love. William Wordsworth @Liturgy on Twitter

Alexis de Tocqueville

2009-12-13T15:43:00.002-09:00

There are many men of principle in both parties in America, but there is no party of principle. ~ Alexis de Tocqueville from @johnsykes1035 on Twitter

My Favorite Coach

2009-12-11T09:35:00.000-09:00

Quote

2009-12-11T01:25:00.003-09:00

My mother buried three husbands, and two of them were just napping. ~Rita Rudner

Einstein

2009-12-06T15:10:00.002-09:00

It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer. ~Albert Einstein

@CragerInc from Twitter

Robert Hutchins

2009-12-03T01:29:00.005-09:00

The object of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives.

Robert Hutchins

Robert Hutchins' ideas are worth re-visiting in today's No Child Left Behind testing environment. I see our schools focusing more on test preparation and less on education. That's the wrong way to go. Hutchins, the Dean of Yale Law School and president of the University of Chicago, advocated educational perennialism-- the idea of teaching principles, reason and problem solving that could be used in a variety of situations in real life. I often tell my students to "teach themselves to teach themselves." Those students who can be independent learners will survive in tomorrow's job market.

Winston Churchill

2009-12-01T17:48:00.002-09:00

"History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it." Winston Churchill

And he did!

@justinthesouth on Twitter #socialvillage