It was warm.
We walked to the fish fry tonite. The boys were working there.
"E" was a runner at the fry- taking orders and running to the kitchen to get them filled. "S" was on the deep fat friers. He likes to stay there past the fish fry hours because his cousin lets him drive around the town late at night.
He is 16 and two weeks fresh with his drivers permit.
We walked behind the little one as he rode his bike ahead of us. Blooms are on all the pear trees and the smell is overpowering- It was nice to see the sun again and the heads of tulips seemed to show their bright yellow and red colors off in agreement.
Thick clumps of grass in patches still lie in many of the lawns, short semi-circled green stains marked the sidewalk from the wet wheels of lawn mowers as they made turns. The humming of mowers in the distance, the men in the neighborhood, home from work, lose themselves in their thoughts as the mowers lead them across their yards.
The discussion with Colette was about her work, their spring vacation to Atlanta, what they saw and who they stayed with. Little subjects of no consequence-but it brought a lightness to the evening.
In a week this night will be forgotten. Tonight, there was no great revelation- no great event- yet in the back of my head it will still have substance- maybe more than any other moment this week.
I often ask God to keep moments like these in a place, so I can go back and remember then when everyting seems hopeless and lost.
It's almost midnight. I am typing while I listen to my oldest boy sing and talk to the cats.
In a moment I will go up and tell him to settle down.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Re-entry
Home again from a trade show that started Sunday- Took a xanax before bed- Slept for a few hours. Up now. Trying to see where I belong.
Everyone was home from holiday which I didn't go on because I was working- its always nice to be welcomed home with hugs. The boys are wonderful-
Rentry is always difficult- Adjusting to different rythyms- schedules and emotions of other people can be difficult. I always feel a bit wobbly when I come home. Cranky is another word for wobbily, isn't it?
When you travel, you really don't have to think much about other people. I suppose it's selfish. If you do it too much you become very selfish...
Taking next week off- mostly because my body is telling me so. Not going anywhere, although I don't want to housebound- the temptation to work would be too great.
Thinking art museum, garden and a trip to Grailville- Maybe taking an afternoon and walking their labrynth. The tea room in Obrienville next to the Bon Bonarie is also a thought. I have a couple of art projects lurking in the basement that might creep up. We'll see where that goes.
It is nice to be here-
Everyone was home from holiday which I didn't go on because I was working- its always nice to be welcomed home with hugs. The boys are wonderful-
Rentry is always difficult- Adjusting to different rythyms- schedules and emotions of other people can be difficult. I always feel a bit wobbly when I come home. Cranky is another word for wobbily, isn't it?
When you travel, you really don't have to think much about other people. I suppose it's selfish. If you do it too much you become very selfish...
Taking next week off- mostly because my body is telling me so. Not going anywhere, although I don't want to housebound- the temptation to work would be too great.
Thinking art museum, garden and a trip to Grailville- Maybe taking an afternoon and walking their labrynth. The tea room in Obrienville next to the Bon Bonarie is also a thought. I have a couple of art projects lurking in the basement that might creep up. We'll see where that goes.
It is nice to be here-
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Radiobucks?
From the ugly rumour department-
Fact: Radiohead doesn't have a label. They dropped out of their agreement with EMI last year. They have been working on their new release for about a year.
Rumour: They have signed with Starbucks. To fans, this is like Jesus signing with Walmart for distribution newly updated version of the Bible
Like the logo though-
UPDATE 3-30-07: The band denies- it. No surprises!
Monday, March 26, 2007
A Story I Heard Today
A man I know has diabetes. His kidneys are finally failing. He went in for a kidney transplant, but the doaner program was six years out. This left him almost no options.
One of his three sons offered one of his kidneys to him. He told him that there was no way that he was going to take the kidneys of one of his children.
The man's wife and the three sons got together and told the man that he was being selfish- that he was depriving them of a father, a husband, a grandfather- The son went in for testing, proving that he almost a perfect match to the man's blood type.
The father was worried that since he suffered from diabetes, he would pass it onto his son. If he took a kidney now, he would rob his son of a chance for a long life if the son developed diabetes.
Tomorrow they are going in for the operation. The father finally agreed to the operation.
For a time as two lives overlap, two generations are giving life to each other. The father gives life to the son, the son gives life to the father. Together they complete each other and make each other whole.
There is an beautiful elegance to this- May the operation be a success and may they live long lives together.
Godspeed Dan and his son!
One of his three sons offered one of his kidneys to him. He told him that there was no way that he was going to take the kidneys of one of his children.
The man's wife and the three sons got together and told the man that he was being selfish- that he was depriving them of a father, a husband, a grandfather- The son went in for testing, proving that he almost a perfect match to the man's blood type.
The father was worried that since he suffered from diabetes, he would pass it onto his son. If he took a kidney now, he would rob his son of a chance for a long life if the son developed diabetes.
Tomorrow they are going in for the operation. The father finally agreed to the operation.
For a time as two lives overlap, two generations are giving life to each other. The father gives life to the son, the son gives life to the father. Together they complete each other and make each other whole.
There is an beautiful elegance to this- May the operation be a success and may they live long lives together.
Godspeed Dan and his son!
Pigtown Fling Recap
Monday Morning! ARRRGGGHH!!
Pigtown was INCREDIBLE! Saw some old friends, met some new- Danced my ass off and felt like a SPAZ! Short notes before I get in the shower and start my day-
Friday night- Started at 8pm and danced til midnight! The band was Airdance which at once was traditional but with a very jazzy, almost funky flair. Saw the usual gang of dancers- met some new people from Memphis, Cleveland and Columbus. All very nice- made a mental note to try and visit those places for dancing if schedule permits.
Saturday- Went to advanced Contra in the afternoon. Almost understood contra corners (which I have never really gotten). The gym where the dance was, was hotter than hell- sat down in the only airconditioned room in the complex afterwards- ended up doing something called Nia dancing, which was being held in the nice airconditioned room-
The dance is almost impossible to explain to any other human being in words. I call it "yoga booty ballet" from the infomercials on TV, although it's different.
My particular version was "cereabal palsy on parade".
If I ever thought I had the Funk, the Funk, (like Elvis) had left the building many years before I got there.
Met some people who were absolutely delightful (one was a fellow Nia dancer with much more Funk than I), all were easy to talk to and laugh with. Went to dinner with them at Pompilio's in Newport. They shot the movie "Rainman" there a million years ago. Was able to talk to them about my favorite things- Art, Mediation, Food, Travel, etc.
Had a great time.
Went back and danced until 10 pm, when I turned into a pumpkin and had to go to bed in order to catch a flight on Sunday to work a trade show in Chicago. Found out later by one of my dinner partners who was wearing a pedometer that she had danced the equivalent of 24.7 miles!! Wow!
I wanted to keep on dancing dammit!!
Sigh! It's almost 7am- gotta get in the shower- iron my shirt and eat breakfast!! No fair!!
Pigtown was INCREDIBLE! Saw some old friends, met some new- Danced my ass off and felt like a SPAZ! Short notes before I get in the shower and start my day-
Friday night- Started at 8pm and danced til midnight! The band was Airdance which at once was traditional but with a very jazzy, almost funky flair. Saw the usual gang of dancers- met some new people from Memphis, Cleveland and Columbus. All very nice- made a mental note to try and visit those places for dancing if schedule permits.
Saturday- Went to advanced Contra in the afternoon. Almost understood contra corners (which I have never really gotten). The gym where the dance was, was hotter than hell- sat down in the only airconditioned room in the complex afterwards- ended up doing something called Nia dancing, which was being held in the nice airconditioned room-
The dance is almost impossible to explain to any other human being in words. I call it "yoga booty ballet" from the infomercials on TV, although it's different.
My particular version was "cereabal palsy on parade".
If I ever thought I had the Funk, the Funk, (like Elvis) had left the building many years before I got there.
Met some people who were absolutely delightful (one was a fellow Nia dancer with much more Funk than I), all were easy to talk to and laugh with. Went to dinner with them at Pompilio's in Newport. They shot the movie "Rainman" there a million years ago. Was able to talk to them about my favorite things- Art, Mediation, Food, Travel, etc.
Had a great time.
Went back and danced until 10 pm, when I turned into a pumpkin and had to go to bed in order to catch a flight on Sunday to work a trade show in Chicago. Found out later by one of my dinner partners who was wearing a pedometer that she had danced the equivalent of 24.7 miles!! Wow!
I wanted to keep on dancing dammit!!
Sigh! It's almost 7am- gotta get in the shower- iron my shirt and eat breakfast!! No fair!!
Saturday, March 24, 2007
The Mystery of Weight Loss Part 2.1
It's not all our ancestors fault. Or the mountain lions. Or the Wooly Mammoths.
Some times its our childhood influences.
I ate lunch at Moe's this afternoon by myself. There were parents across the way from me with two small children. The little girl who was their daughter, maybe 4 years old, was looking everywhere but her plate. The mother is yelling at her to hurry up and eat. The father is telling her that there is so much food on her plate and it's a waste not to eat it.
Talk about mixed signals. Essentially they are telling her- Eat fast and eat a lot.
Amazing. Simply amazing.
Some times its our childhood influences.
I ate lunch at Moe's this afternoon by myself. There were parents across the way from me with two small children. The little girl who was their daughter, maybe 4 years old, was looking everywhere but her plate. The mother is yelling at her to hurry up and eat. The father is telling her that there is so much food on her plate and it's a waste not to eat it.
Talk about mixed signals. Essentially they are telling her- Eat fast and eat a lot.
Amazing. Simply amazing.
The Mystery of Weight Loss Part 2
One of the problems with losing weight has to do with Wooly Mammoths.
Our stomachs and our brains are disconnected by about 20 minutes. It's a lot like the time delays that they use for callers on radio talk shows. We can stuff 2000 calories down our throats in 10 minutes, and our stomachs will still tell our brains- FEED US MORE.
This is a design that is left over from 20000 years ago when food when food wasn't sitting on a shelf waiting to be eaten like it is today. You might not eat a full meal every day (in those days it was probably some hairy beast that you killed every week or so).
What happened was our stomachs disconnected from our brains so that our bodies made us overeat. That way we would have extra calories that we would store in our bodies, not at the super market- I don't know why it is 20 minutes. Maybe that is the time it takes for a mountain lion to catch the scent of a fresh kill? Eat quick otherwise it's gone- or you maybe you'll be gone too!
Anyway, this mechanism enabled us to go a few more days until the next Wooly Mammoth accidentally fell onto our spears.
Problem is there is too much food and too little time in our busy hectic lives. Our prehistoric bodies aren't meant for all this abundance. We are eating the equivalent of a Wooly Mammoth every day.
Thus one of the primary reasons why Europeans are skinnier than us-
They eat SLOWLY. They might take an hour to eat lunch. Smaller portions, slower eating.
Shhh....That is the primary key to losing weight. The food companies and restaurants don't want you to know that. They want you to eat more, faster- They have figured out exactly how many calories that you need to eat and if it was up to them they would have you to eat more- They are in existance to make a profit.
They really, really don't want you to eat less and slower.
Remember that and get ready to fight them. Your weapons are your fork and spoon (and of course your mouth)!
Think 20 minutes- Make yourself a meal, or when you eat at a restaurant and make sure you taste your food. Your mom was right when she said, "don't bolt your food!"
I hate it when she is (was) right!
Also, at a restuarant, tell them to keep the bread basket away from you. Offer it to the next table. The tortilla chips as well. When they bring them out, you will eat every one of those pieces of bread or corn chips. Your prehistoric brain won't be able to stop you. You will eat them quickly and your stomach won't know it until it is too late. Then you will be stuffed, uncomfortable and feel like crap.
That's what happens at Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and Fourth of July (Labor Day, Memorial Day, you Birthday, Vacation, and so on).
More on visual cues on the next section- There are some sneaky things going on that you need to know.
Our stomachs and our brains are disconnected by about 20 minutes. It's a lot like the time delays that they use for callers on radio talk shows. We can stuff 2000 calories down our throats in 10 minutes, and our stomachs will still tell our brains- FEED US MORE.
This is a design that is left over from 20000 years ago when food when food wasn't sitting on a shelf waiting to be eaten like it is today. You might not eat a full meal every day (in those days it was probably some hairy beast that you killed every week or so).
What happened was our stomachs disconnected from our brains so that our bodies made us overeat. That way we would have extra calories that we would store in our bodies, not at the super market- I don't know why it is 20 minutes. Maybe that is the time it takes for a mountain lion to catch the scent of a fresh kill? Eat quick otherwise it's gone- or you maybe you'll be gone too!
Anyway, this mechanism enabled us to go a few more days until the next Wooly Mammoth accidentally fell onto our spears.
Problem is there is too much food and too little time in our busy hectic lives. Our prehistoric bodies aren't meant for all this abundance. We are eating the equivalent of a Wooly Mammoth every day.
Thus one of the primary reasons why Europeans are skinnier than us-
They eat SLOWLY. They might take an hour to eat lunch. Smaller portions, slower eating.
Shhh....That is the primary key to losing weight. The food companies and restaurants don't want you to know that. They want you to eat more, faster- They have figured out exactly how many calories that you need to eat and if it was up to them they would have you to eat more- They are in existance to make a profit.
They really, really don't want you to eat less and slower.
Remember that and get ready to fight them. Your weapons are your fork and spoon (and of course your mouth)!
Think 20 minutes- Make yourself a meal, or when you eat at a restaurant and make sure you taste your food. Your mom was right when she said, "don't bolt your food!"
I hate it when she is (was) right!
Also, at a restuarant, tell them to keep the bread basket away from you. Offer it to the next table. The tortilla chips as well. When they bring them out, you will eat every one of those pieces of bread or corn chips. Your prehistoric brain won't be able to stop you. You will eat them quickly and your stomach won't know it until it is too late. Then you will be stuffed, uncomfortable and feel like crap.
That's what happens at Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and Fourth of July (Labor Day, Memorial Day, you Birthday, Vacation, and so on).
More on visual cues on the next section- There are some sneaky things going on that you need to know.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Pigtown Fling
Every year in March, they have the Pigtown Fling here in Cincinnati. It is a large gathering of the regional Contra Dancing community (which is a wonderful mix of aging hippies, college people, retirees and NPR listeners) that goes over three days. The ages of the people range from 10 years old to 90. We have anywhere from 300 to 500 dancers on the floor at one time- It's a sweaty riot of mass confusion, movement and most importantly of all laughter-
ANYWAY, I helped set up this year- I hung pig shaped lights from the ceiling of the caffeteria of the local high school where the dance is going to be held. As anyone who knows me knows- I HATE putting up lights- If it were up to me, I would leave Christmas lights up all year, just so I wouldn't have to put them up again. So what is the first task I am handed at Pigtown? Hanging lights- Karma has a funny way of biting you in the ass.
When I walked into the gym, where the dance is going to be- a couple of kids sitting on bikes were standing outside with confused expressions on their faces. There were a lot of middle aged people hanging signs, lights and gigantic bamboo branches over the floor of the gym.
One kids goes to the other- "Whats going on here?"
The second kid goes, "I dunno, must be a prom for old people"!
I am still laughing about that-
ANYWAY, I helped set up this year- I hung pig shaped lights from the ceiling of the caffeteria of the local high school where the dance is going to be held. As anyone who knows me knows- I HATE putting up lights- If it were up to me, I would leave Christmas lights up all year, just so I wouldn't have to put them up again. So what is the first task I am handed at Pigtown? Hanging lights- Karma has a funny way of biting you in the ass.
When I walked into the gym, where the dance is going to be- a couple of kids sitting on bikes were standing outside with confused expressions on their faces. There were a lot of middle aged people hanging signs, lights and gigantic bamboo branches over the floor of the gym.
One kids goes to the other- "Whats going on here?"
The second kid goes, "I dunno, must be a prom for old people"!
I am still laughing about that-
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Compassion
A strange word.
To most people, compassion is a sense of shared suffering. It is sensing and feeling of pain that is not yours- Sometimes it exhibits itself as action in the form of altruism.
However, spiritual compassion is a different beast. Sometimes it can be defined as a form of love. Other times is a sign of pity that leads to an action.
In Buddhist terms compassion is defined as a cold, non-feeling realization that since all things are connected, your awareness should be extended to all things in the universe. Compassion to a Buddhist is an emitting a sense of peace outward to the universe. Action is not necessary.
Does compassion have a timetable? Does it always require action? Is guilt or fear the motivation behind compassion?
If that is true, if the motivation comes from a place of darkness, of fear of loss- is it still a worthy feeling?
Now some people say that you can't judge feelings in terms of worth. That they just are- there is no value system that can be attached. However, when looking at feelings of hate and of fear, I tend to think that they are less just than those of love.
If compassion comes from a place of love and awareness, is it worth more value than when it comes from a place of fear of loss or guilt?
Is compassion a luxury? Is it something that is outside the things we need to survive as a individual?
No answers-
To most people, compassion is a sense of shared suffering. It is sensing and feeling of pain that is not yours- Sometimes it exhibits itself as action in the form of altruism.
However, spiritual compassion is a different beast. Sometimes it can be defined as a form of love. Other times is a sign of pity that leads to an action.
In Buddhist terms compassion is defined as a cold, non-feeling realization that since all things are connected, your awareness should be extended to all things in the universe. Compassion to a Buddhist is an emitting a sense of peace outward to the universe. Action is not necessary.
Does compassion have a timetable? Does it always require action? Is guilt or fear the motivation behind compassion?
If that is true, if the motivation comes from a place of darkness, of fear of loss- is it still a worthy feeling?
Now some people say that you can't judge feelings in terms of worth. That they just are- there is no value system that can be attached. However, when looking at feelings of hate and of fear, I tend to think that they are less just than those of love.
If compassion comes from a place of love and awareness, is it worth more value than when it comes from a place of fear of loss or guilt?
Is compassion a luxury? Is it something that is outside the things we need to survive as a individual?
No answers-
Monday, March 19, 2007
The Mystery of Weight Loss Part 1
It seems a mystery to people- why do they gain weight? There is an entire Pandora's Box of emotions mixed up with it- Anger, guilt, love, self hate, need- all mixed into the elemental need to eat food. We forget in the mix that eating has the same priority as breathing air.
Without it we die.
About two weeks ago, I had an associate call me up and ask me how to lose weight. I gave him a somewhat complicated answer, one I am sure he was not looking for. I modified an excel spreadsheet that I use and emailed it to him.
We haven't talked about it since.
I know how to lose weight. It's taken me close to fifty years to "get" it, but now I do. From the outside, it seems ridiculously simple, reduce intake- increase output.
Push/Pull-
Ying and Yang.
But it's not. There are a lot of really scary forces at work here. Here is one of secrets to the mystery of weight loss-
Know what you are eating. Most people don't want to know- If we ask too many questions about that hamburger, diet coke or those fries, well we might find out some really uncomfortable facts. It's not the fat or the carbs that are keeping you fat with a meal like that, it's what is in the meal that is keeping you fat. It's the journey of how that meal got to your mouth that is important.
That hamburger isn't just one cow, but hundreds of cows that are mixed together in the big grinder, cows that have been fed during their short lives antibiotics, growth hormones and liqufied corn fats.
The fries have been fried in beef fat or worse, some sort of acetate that tastes like beef fat- that isn't even a food. It's something else that comes from a lab.
That diet coke has chemicals that are not meant for human consumption. The molecular breakdown of diet coke is closer to embalming fluid than it is to a food. The irony is that drinking the stuff will make it harder for you to lose weight.
If you know what you are eating, chances are you will make a different selection. Try and eat stuff that you can identify where it comes from- It's a challenge because there is a lot of money between you and the people who make the food that says you will never know what you are eating. I will be talking more about this later on- I will try and write it down in small bits, because it is a huge subject, but an important one.
Without it we die.
About two weeks ago, I had an associate call me up and ask me how to lose weight. I gave him a somewhat complicated answer, one I am sure he was not looking for. I modified an excel spreadsheet that I use and emailed it to him.
We haven't talked about it since.
I know how to lose weight. It's taken me close to fifty years to "get" it, but now I do. From the outside, it seems ridiculously simple, reduce intake- increase output.
Push/Pull-
Ying and Yang.
But it's not. There are a lot of really scary forces at work here. Here is one of secrets to the mystery of weight loss-
Know what you are eating. Most people don't want to know- If we ask too many questions about that hamburger, diet coke or those fries, well we might find out some really uncomfortable facts. It's not the fat or the carbs that are keeping you fat with a meal like that, it's what is in the meal that is keeping you fat. It's the journey of how that meal got to your mouth that is important.
That hamburger isn't just one cow, but hundreds of cows that are mixed together in the big grinder, cows that have been fed during their short lives antibiotics, growth hormones and liqufied corn fats.
The fries have been fried in beef fat or worse, some sort of acetate that tastes like beef fat- that isn't even a food. It's something else that comes from a lab.
That diet coke has chemicals that are not meant for human consumption. The molecular breakdown of diet coke is closer to embalming fluid than it is to a food. The irony is that drinking the stuff will make it harder for you to lose weight.
If you know what you are eating, chances are you will make a different selection. Try and eat stuff that you can identify where it comes from- It's a challenge because there is a lot of money between you and the people who make the food that says you will never know what you are eating. I will be talking more about this later on- I will try and write it down in small bits, because it is a huge subject, but an important one.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Nordic Walking
Happy St. Patty's Day! You remember how I mentioned that Nordic Walking looked 'dorky'? Well, for the last two days I have been "dorkily"(is that a word?) walking around the neighborhood.
This sport ROCKS!!
For some reason, the walking in Finland resonated with me, maybe not at the time- but as some people know, that is how I mentally process things. I need to creep up on it.
In Finland, I was cranking without the shin splints and joint pain I normally feel with outdoor walking. Indoors, on a treadmill everything is good, outdoors it really hurts on everything from my feet to my hips. A lot of this is because I was an ex-swimmer, my upper body was always stronger than my legs. Now I can use my upper body when I walk. SWEET!
I got these poles yesterday- I have taken two walks- I averaged about 2 miles per. Two things- I didnt feel the usual pain in my hips when I walked up the hill, the second is that my lats felt the burn because I was walking pretty fast. I cranked on OK Computer on my Ipod and watched the spring time clouds pass overhead as I moved through the development. Some people driving took a double take, I am sure that this is the first time this has been seen in this part of the world.
My life is shaping into this weird combination of insanity and wonder lately. This is a healthy symptom I suppose. Between the Veganism, Contra, Radiohead, Carbon Emission Worry Wort and now Nordic Walking I am sure I fit some demographic.
Maybe I am becoming European. Its like Euro-borg, "La résistance est futile"!
This sport ROCKS!!
For some reason, the walking in Finland resonated with me, maybe not at the time- but as some people know, that is how I mentally process things. I need to creep up on it.
In Finland, I was cranking without the shin splints and joint pain I normally feel with outdoor walking. Indoors, on a treadmill everything is good, outdoors it really hurts on everything from my feet to my hips. A lot of this is because I was an ex-swimmer, my upper body was always stronger than my legs. Now I can use my upper body when I walk. SWEET!
I got these poles yesterday- I have taken two walks- I averaged about 2 miles per. Two things- I didnt feel the usual pain in my hips when I walked up the hill, the second is that my lats felt the burn because I was walking pretty fast. I cranked on OK Computer on my Ipod and watched the spring time clouds pass overhead as I moved through the development. Some people driving took a double take, I am sure that this is the first time this has been seen in this part of the world.
My life is shaping into this weird combination of insanity and wonder lately. This is a healthy symptom I suppose. Between the Veganism, Contra, Radiohead, Carbon Emission Worry Wort and now Nordic Walking I am sure I fit some demographic.
Maybe I am becoming European. Its like Euro-borg, "La résistance est futile"!
Monday, March 12, 2007
Around and back again
Strange landscapes and surroundings- I am back, trying to work with anxious people with whom I have no patience for- people who think they know everything but don't...trying to do this through a cell phone and computer which is driving me mad.
Saw a lot of interesting things on my trip.
Thursday night, I was a at a crowded disco in Helsinki where they played music from the 80's, smoked and many people drank to excess.
On Friday, I tried my hand at Nordic walking- which is kind of dorky looking- but something I think I am going to try over here.
On Saturday, I went to the World Ski Jumping Championship, where I froze my butt off and watched people fly down a huge ramp, going 100 Kph and flying more than 120m.
Went to a party afterwards that played Finnish top 40 hits- All the Finns danced until the wee hours of the morning.
Visited Pekka's house- he was a painter at the beginning of the 20th century in Finland.
Now its 4:00am and I am awake. I am supposed to go back on the road again this afternoon.
My life is weird.
Saw a lot of interesting things on my trip.
Thursday night, I was a at a crowded disco in Helsinki where they played music from the 80's, smoked and many people drank to excess.
On Friday, I tried my hand at Nordic walking- which is kind of dorky looking- but something I think I am going to try over here.
On Saturday, I went to the World Ski Jumping Championship, where I froze my butt off and watched people fly down a huge ramp, going 100 Kph and flying more than 120m.
Went to a party afterwards that played Finnish top 40 hits- All the Finns danced until the wee hours of the morning.
Visited Pekka's house- he was a painter at the beginning of the 20th century in Finland.
Now its 4:00am and I am awake. I am supposed to go back on the road again this afternoon.
My life is weird.
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Finland
Just arrived here- haven't been since 2001. Long day- Cincinnati to Dulles, Dulles to Frankfort, Frankfort to Helsinki. Slept about 3 hours on the plane- Losing consciousness as I write this.
Staying at the Hotel Krapi (no I am serious link below)....No place to shop or sights to see....feels like I am being punished somehow.
http://www.krapi.fi/new/english.php
Staying at the Hotel Krapi (no I am serious link below)....No place to shop or sights to see....feels like I am being punished somehow.
http://www.krapi.fi/new/english.php
Friday, March 2, 2007
Technocracy
Two things from the web- This was a movement from the 1930's- yet it resonates with todays world pretty accurately- especially with the world view of the separation of classes-
"The social and economic system proposed by the Technocratic movement and the organization Technocracy, Inc., which believes that modern technology and a government organized on a scientific basis can lead to a society of abundance."
We have made a commitment to technology and we are living this abundance, it has paid handsomely- but at what cost? What cost to our planet, our children's lives and our future as a race?
Another clip that came to my attention:
"Like an Old Testament prophet, David Walker has been traveling the country, urging people to "wake up before it's too late."
But David Walker is no wild-eyed zealot. David Walker is an accountant, the nation’s top accountant to be exact, the comptroller general of the United States. He has totaled up our government's income, liabilities, and future obligations and concluded the numbers simply don’t add up. And he’s not alone.
Its been called the "dirty little secret everyone in Washington knows" – a set of financial truths so inconvenient that most elected officials don’t even want to talk about them, which is exactly why David Walker does.
"I would argue that the most serious threat to the United States is not someone hiding in a cave in Afghanistan or Pakistan but our own fiscal irresponsibility," says Walker.
The entire story below- Why isn't anyone talking about this?
http://cbs2.com/topstories/topstories_story_063203213.html
"The social and economic system proposed by the Technocratic movement and the organization Technocracy, Inc., which believes that modern technology and a government organized on a scientific basis can lead to a society of abundance."
We have made a commitment to technology and we are living this abundance, it has paid handsomely- but at what cost? What cost to our planet, our children's lives and our future as a race?
Another clip that came to my attention:
"Like an Old Testament prophet, David Walker has been traveling the country, urging people to "wake up before it's too late."
But David Walker is no wild-eyed zealot. David Walker is an accountant, the nation’s top accountant to be exact, the comptroller general of the United States. He has totaled up our government's income, liabilities, and future obligations and concluded the numbers simply don’t add up. And he’s not alone.
Its been called the "dirty little secret everyone in Washington knows" – a set of financial truths so inconvenient that most elected officials don’t even want to talk about them, which is exactly why David Walker does.
"I would argue that the most serious threat to the United States is not someone hiding in a cave in Afghanistan or Pakistan but our own fiscal irresponsibility," says Walker.
The entire story below- Why isn't anyone talking about this?
http://cbs2.com/topstories/topstories_story_063203213.html
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