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Showing posts from January, 2011
As I blogged previously about Sudan's South being like NY's north, They are succeding. We need to do the same in NY! http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Africa/2011/0130/It-s-official-South-Sudan-set-to-secede-with-a-99.57-percent-vote
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I went to the pistol range Saturday with a bunch of pilots for something different. You can see where my first shots were with a rented gun.
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It has been a while since I blogged. It was one thing than another. My latest trip to Europe was a success. It is amazing how problems dissolve when you have people in the same room. I flew into Munich, took the train to Marktoberdorf. After 3 days in Marktoberdorf I hopped on a direct overnight train to Venice, Italy. Unfortunately, It was a night train so I didn't get the benefit of the scenery. It felt good to maneuver the trains and stations. I hardly screwed up at all. Since I was by myself, don't know any other language besides English, and it was the first time, I did ok. Venice was better than expected. I don't recommend going to Venice by yourself. Also, I was there in winter. I can imagine how busy it must get in season in the evenings. I would definitely avoid that. Exploring first thing in the morning in Venice was cool. There are no crowds and the images were very impressive. I think it is pretty hard to take a bad photo in Venice. I have so many pictures.
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I am in Bavaria. It is quite nice here. We have about three inches of snow on the ground. Of course, the food and beer is great. One of the things that I enjoy when I travel is the weirdness that is exposed about my own native language. I am traveling between about 10 or so different languages. I wish I could learn them all. The best I can hope for is to learn one or two to an intermediate or beginner level and grow my vocabulary a few words at every opportunity. Here is a selection on a coffee machine in Germany. I see similar things in every country. Truth is stranger than fiction.
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I had a quiet weekend in Duluth. Actually, too quiet. The ice is almost gone from the roads around here. It was quite a spectacle for me. One of the images that I remember vividly is that 4 days after the snow storm they showed a snow plow on the news ripping the ice off the interstate. The plow was going about 15 miles an hour. Can you imagine if the plows only went 15 miles an hour up North? That is where all that Northern aggression comes from, well kind of. I rented the DVD "Encounters At the End of the World" Directed by Werner Herzog. It was filmed when I was on the ice. I was disappointed. The story or message might have appealed to someone, but certainly not me. Most of it was downright boring and I knew and spent time with almost everyone who was interviewed. I guess the thing that bothered me the most was that this is a big name director, Werner Herzog, of "Grizzly Man" and "Rescue Dawn" fame. The camera work was even terrible, amateurism at be
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My First Winter in the South Well the snow catastrophe continues in Atlanta. The situation is a curiosity to be sure. We had a snowstorm Sunday evening and by my accounts we received 4 or 5 inches of snow in Duluth. Now Atlanta does not have snow removal equipment or the means to deal with these things when it gets "this bad". So the snow stays on the road. It gets packed down and subsequently into mostly a 1-inch thick ice pack. Tuesday the temps today got slightly above freezing and dare I say I saw liquid water. I am not accustomed to seeing liquid water during a snow crisis. By the way, Atlanta Schools will probably be closed for a week. This whole thing is probably the biggest culture shock I have experienced in the last 6 months and over a dozen countries. I have been tending to business as I would up North. Monday they closed work when I was there. Tuesday they closed work as well. I wish I had a job on days like this that we could really call it a snow day and go
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It snowed here last night in Atlanta. The whole place shuts down. Lots of businesses closed (including mine). The snow had decent traction, a lot better than the cold micro-ice crystals we get in Berkshire NY. The snow is light to moderately heavy. I had the roads to myself coming into work before they shut down.
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This weekend there is a large Agricultural equipment show in Atlanta. I spent much of my day there. I didn't buy a tractor, but I am shopping. Should I get the Greene one (Fendt) or the Yellow one (Challenger)? There were a lot of nice machines there and I learned a bunch of stuff. I hope to farm in a few years with some nice new equipment. There is much to learn. "What the Pho?" What a great name for a Asian Noodle restaurant. It was good. It is a great way to get rid of a cold. I tried a restaurant the other night down in Atlanta called "6 feet under" It was quite good and reasonable. I have been taking the Atlanta Marta train alot lately. It is nice to be able to veg and not have to worry about the Atlanta traffic. Certainly the most critical aspect of Atlanta is the traffic. You have to plan. I am quiting the fancy health club because the traffic is so bad getting the 4 miles over there. It can take 30 minutes at some times. Crazy. Things are going gre
On June 6 2004 I listed my top ten favorite songs. I think that list needs some updating. Again, in no particular order. Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D Major Metallica: Nothing Else Matters (new) Patsy Cline: That Wonderful Someone (certainly, this is not the best version) Melody Gardot: Our Love is Easy (new) Frank Sinatra: My Way Pink Floyd: Pigs on the Wing Elvis Presly: In the Ghetto Hugh Masekela: The Boy is Doing It (new) Morten Stevens: Theme to Hawaii Five-OH Quincy Jones (and many many others): Killer Joe
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It looks like some folks got creative with tempra paint on the Kilawog Rt 11 ice flows. It gets pretty. I can't wait until we can blast some paint bombs up higher with a potato canon appropriately loaded. Err... I mean until someone comes along with a potato canon with dry paint bombs. Life is too short not to make art where you can.
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Another story about the dire straits of Upstate NY. http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/111709/us-cities-running-out-of-people . Two out the 7 worst cites are in Upstate NY. Upstate NY is being drained like a malnourished African tit for downstate pension and entitlement needs. It has never been more apparent. When times are good people can look the other way. What do people do when do when things aren't going well? It is well past the time to have Upstate succeed from the rest of NY. I cannot tell you how often I run into someone from Upstate NY. I was in Paris, France and I ran into someone from Irondequoit. I was on the Appalachian Trail and I ran into someone from Mendon. I was in Kroger in Georgia and met someone from Fairport. Like my boss says (he's from Fredonia) "they have ruined that state". None truer words. Remember the "I Love NY slogan"? Where has that tourism effort gone? Sadly it has been abandoned. Where are the lower (even just r