whispering a prayer in the fury of a storm

Find a Grave, Revive a Blog

2011-03-27T23:51:00.001-06:00

The older I get the more I appreciate obituaries and tributes to those who are no longer with us. A few months ago I re-discovered the Find a Grave website and was pleasantly surprised to find it contains photos and information on the following loved ones.

Since landing there a few times, I decided to join up, so I've now got a little bio there and posted a couple of pictures I had to Adine's entry and some text to Dee's. While aggregating Dee's stuff in the great condo sale prep, I found the URL, login and password to his Dee's Believe It blog from 2004-2005. It was nice to read some of Dee's strong opinions again and I took the liberty putting in a link to his photo and Find a Grave info.

Failed, then Tried Again

2011-03-22T18:25:00.001-06:00

ARUP blood services asked me to donate platelets a few years ago. They hooked me up to their machine, my blood pressure dropped within a few minutes and the donation came to premature end. My donor file was marked, "Whole Blood Only." But last week, as someone was combing through some database searching for the ideal platelet donor, my file emerged as one of the good matches for a particular need. ARUP called and asked me to try again. This afternoon I did. The whole process worked smoothy. I wonder if they'll remove that "Whole Blood Only" designation from my record.

This Is Not Paul Gauguin's Tahiti

2011-03-15T12:44:00.000-06:00

South Mountain Resort near Phoenix might

stand-in for an island paradise, depending on your

camera angle. I shot this on a business trip in 2007.

I've never been to Tahiti but I certainly thought about it this morning as I listened to Susan Stamberg's NPR feature on the Paul Gauguin "Maker of Myth" exhibit of at the National Gallery.

A key element of the of the story is that the Tahitian imagery Gauguin conveyed in his paintings wasn't true to reality. "It's widely accepted that artists reinterpret reality, but the trouble is that Gauguin (1848-1903) insisted that his depictions of island life were true — factual representations of a serene, sensual, primitive place. The French tourist industry was something of a co-conspirator in this; it wanted tourists to travel to the Polynesian colonies," reports Stamberg.

Sgt. Pepper and Edna Adine

2011-03-12T20:20:00.000-07:00

A Refreshing Take

2011-03-11T15:33:00.003-07:00

A lot of conservative pundits have understandably applauded something that happened at that religious school south of Salt Lake recently, but here's a refreshing liberal take in support of the much discussed honor code and it's high profile enforcement.

Rooting for BYU's Sex Ban
by Jonathan Zimmerman
http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/117785783.html?cmpid=15585797

Fred Rogers congressional testimony remains relevant today

2011-03-09T10:20:00.000-07:00

According to the Wikipedia, in 1969, Rogers appeared before the United States Senate Subcommittee on Communications. His goal was to support funding for PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, in response to significant proposed cuts. In about six minutes of testimony, Rogers spoke of the need for social and emotional education that public television provided. He passionately argued that alternative television programming like his Neighborhood helped encourage children to become happy and productive citizens, sometimes opposing less positive messages in media and in popular culture. He even recited the lyrics to one of his songs. The chairman of the subcommittee, John O. Pastore, was not previously familiar with Rogers' work, and was sometimes described as impatient. However, he reported that the testimony had given him goosebumps, and declared, "I think it's wonderful. Looks like you just earned the $20 million." The subsequent congressional appropriation, for 1971, increased PBS funding from $9 million to $22 million.

Wonder of Wonders

2011-03-08T19:34:00.000-07:00

Do you ever wake up with a song in your mind and you're not quite sure how it got there? This happened to me this morning. I found myself humming this song and sub-vocalizing these words from Fiddler on the Roof:

Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles-
God took up Daniel once again,
Stood by his and side and- miracle of miracles-
Walked him through the lions den!

Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles-
I was afraid that God would frown,
But like he did so long ago, at Jericho,
God just made a wall fall down!
When Moses softened Pharaohs heart, that was a miracle.
When God made the waters of the red sea part, that was a miracle too!
But of all God's miracles large and small,
The most miraculous one of all
Is that out of a worthless lump of clay,
God has made a man today.

Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles-
God took the tailor by the hand
Turned him around and- miracle of miracles- Led him to the promised land!

When David slew Goliath (yes!), that was a miracle.
When God gave us matter in the wilderness, that was a miracle too.
But of all God's miracles large and small,
The most miraculous one of all
Is the one I thought could never be:
God has given you to me.

Limericks for Work

2011-02-20T14:30:00.000-07:00

my.uen is a rich treasure

It helps teachers to a great measure

Communication

Is the foundation

And using it well is a pleasure

At UEN we embrace learning

It keeps our minds constantly yearning

We help great teachers

Become tech leaders

And for this, their praise we are earning

Parents give their children lots of thought

They fight hard for them to be well taught

Their kids should do well

And always excel

UEN helps this battle be fought

Warm springtime will soon be upon us

With UEN spring can be a plus

With games and great vids

Adults, teens and kids

Can make their cell screens a world campus

Brain awareness month helps us all think
But brain injuries really do stink
So to avoid pain
And protect your brain

A good helmet is the missing link

We’re pushing out a new LMS

Learning Management Systems are us

Campuses and schools

Will all use these tools

Utah teachers and students they’ll bless

A teacher lad who called himself Dan

Went a searching for a lesson plan

At UEN he

Found tons that free

Now his principal says Dan’s “The Man.”

A writer who called herself Annie

Of UEN was a fan, you see

She used Pioneer

Her research was clear

Now she’s an author of fantasy

A poor entrepreneur from Panguitch

Was seeking to make a great sandwich

At UEN he

Found recipes free

He’s now rich from his Panguitch sandwich

Bob loved the planet of Venus

But not quite so much as Uranus

At UEN Bob

Found science to laud

And now he is seen as a genius

My Blog Returns - With Some Humor

2011-02-17T22:32:00.001-07:00

I graduated in May. My mom died in September. It's been a busy time, but it's time again to resume my blog here. And to celebrate I've got some awful, original jokes:

What do Twitter fans do at Halloween?

They go trick-or-tweeting.

What do wicker basket-weavers do at Halloween?

They go wicker-weaving.

What do alcoholic milk cows do at Halloween?

They go liquor-teating.

a few summer pix

2009-08-23T14:40:00.002-06:00

In no particular order we have July 4th at the Pittam's, a couple of days after Memorial Day at the Salt Lake City Cemetary, and a quick shot out the window of my cab as I left my business meeting in San Francisco in June.

view from Merrill parking lot

2009-01-08T22:31:00.001-07:00

view from Merrill parking lot,
originally uploaded by rfin.

up or down

2009-01-07T23:03:00.001-07:00

up or down,
originally uploaded by rfin.

frozen hoops anyone?

2009-01-06T22:19:00.001-07:00

frozen hoops anyone?,
originally uploaded by rfin.

leaving work

2009-01-05T19:16:00.002-07:00

winter blinds

2009-01-04T20:24:00.001-07:00

winter blinds,
originally uploaded by rfin.

sun glow, blinds, snow, slats, glass

after breakfast shot

2009-01-03T11:04:00.003-07:00

snow night

2009-01-02T22:45:00.001-07:00

snow night,
originally uploaded by rfin.

a bit of a clearing, but there's more snow on the way

goal setting

2009-01-01T22:07:00.001-07:00

goal setting
Originally uploaded by rfin

How to Make Ice Cream in a Bag

2008-12-09T15:53:00.001-07:00

another Thanksgiving list

2008-11-27T20:23:00.004-07:00

Counting my many blessings on this Thanksgiving night...

1. food, family, friends, and the thought of fruitcake
2. conversation, conservation, and even occasional consternation
3. heat and heaters
4. flavors, fall and feet
5. fingers and toes, eyelashes and whiskers
6. ideas, ideals, insights
7. flowers, carpet, motion and music
8. water, ice, steam
9. pools, lakes, rivers and oceans
10. puddles, droplets, mist and moisture
11. laws, in-laws and santac laws
12. ice cream in hot chocholate
13. uphill, downhill, berms and mountainbiking
14. bugs, Beatles, brooms and bedrooms
15. homes, garages, studios
16. faith, fortune, fire
17. dogs, cats, fish
18. tuna, salmon and steak
20. textbooks and testimonies
21. time, clocks, ticks, tocks
22. locks, sox, rocks, crocks
23. reality, relationships, recordings
24. optometrists and ophthalmologists
25. spring, summer and raking leaves
26. light and shadow
27. photography, telephony, xeroxography
29. medicine, doctors and nurses
30. students and educators, writers and reporters
31. painters, poets, priests, privacy
32. gardens and sculpture, razors and clippers
33. lawns, mowers, shovels, gravel
34. bulbs, tulips, light bulbs, fireflies
35. glowing, growing, grazing, giving
36. algorithms, Al Gore, rhythms
37. Gershwin, Obama, Putin and Rachmaninoff
38. images, intensity, insurance
39. keys, keyboards, diving boards, school boards
40. committees and individuals
41. groups and grapes
42. dreams, drowsiness, delight
43. sight, senses, selections
44. clips, quotes, crops, notes
45. jokes, joy, gestures
46. day, night, dawn, dusk
47. twilight, tonight, tomorrow
49. blankets, belts, batches
50. bachelors, masters, doctorates
51. beauty, benevolence, belief
52. gifts, givers, greatest hits
53. numbers, nails, nutrition
54. miles, smiles, trials
55. pens, pencils, scissors, glue
56. brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles
57. parents, children, cousins and kin
58. cities, states, nations and continents
59. planets, worlds, stars, space
60. rockets and science, rocks and signs
61. plans, pears, prophets
62. serendipity and synchronicity
63. vocabulary, virtue, vitality
64. blinds, windows, walls, wood
65. trees, triumph, tales, totals
66. minds, hearts, souls, swimming
67. seniors, juniors, rookies, rainbows
68. snow, sunset, settlements
69. nieces, nephews, newspapers
70. colleges, colleauges, comrades
71. professors, professionals, protocols
72. order, organization, oratory
73. reading, writing, encoding, decoding
74. gadgets, inventions, innovation
75. games, champions, quests, questions
76. competitors, companions, comedians
77. references and refrigeration
78. natural gas and electricity
79. sunlight, saving, satisfaction
78. resolution, repentance, redemption
80. seconds, minutes, hours, days
81. vweeks, months, years, decades, centuries
82. breath, death, wealth, health
83. mobility, ability, responsibility
84. holidays, vacations, routine, rest
85. expectations and exceptions
86. bicycles, boots
87. rules, rails, railroads, rubrics
88. cards and yards
89. cars, trucks, roads, destinations
90. transportation and communication
91. minds, merit, machines
92. verbs, nouns, language, grammar
93. stories, scenes, sequences
94. consequences, harvests
95. correspondence, collaboration, coaching
96. dialogue, direction, decisions
97. beginnings, bounties, butterflies
98. moderators, narrators, neighborhoods
99. content, contentment, conditions, creativity
100. endings, conclusions, peace

foiled

2008-10-25T19:34:00.002-06:00

You've been gone from the office a few days. When you return you find almost everything in your cubie wrapped in foil. This isn't a photo stolen off the Internet, this actually happened, I know because I took the picture. No, it wasn't my cubicle, but it did happen fairly close to where I work.

four years ago

2008-09-26T21:33:00.001-06:00

sunday concerts - then and now Originally uploaded by rfin.

She's a young 84. Still takes piano lessons. This morning she played excerpts from Rhapsody in Blue while I got a few shots. So glad her church solo 61 years ago caught dad's ear in Detroit. They bought the Steinway in 1954. Dad provided a matching grant to go along with her savings. There were actually two major additions to the family that year. The other almost 51-year-old that's a part of this photo is the proud son behind the camera.

anxiety may be hard wired for some

2008-07-08T04:58:00.003-06:00

Hmmm...

Anxiety, Shyness May Be Long-Lasting Traits FRIDAY, July 4 (HealthDay News) -- The brains of people who suffer from anxiety and severe shyness may respond more strongly to stress and show signs of being anxious even in situations considered safe by others, say researchers at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. They studied brain activity, anxious behavior and stress hormones in adolescent rhesus monkeys. Those with the most anxious temperaments showed higher activity in a part of the brain called the amygdala, which regulates emotion and triggers reactions to anxiety. The anxious monkeys had more activity in the amygdala in both secure and threatening situations, the study found. When the monkeys were tested again 18 months later, the results were the same. "The brain machinery underlying the stress response seems to be always on in these individuals, even in situations that others perceive as safe and secure," Dr. Ned Kalin, chairman of the department of psychiatry and HealthEmotions Research Institute, said in a prepared statement. It has long been known that children with an anxious temperament are at increased risk for developing anxiety disorders, depression and substance abuse. The findings indicate a brain mechanism that's present early in life predisposes people to anxious temperament, and that it's difficult for someone with this temperament to be calm because their brain is wired in a way that keeps them tense and anxious. The study was published July 2 in the online journal PLoS One. More information The Center for Mental Health Services has more about anxiety disorders.

Washington Takeaways - Day One

2008-07-07T09:53:00.007-06:00

Just finished my first day of meetings. Here are some of the takeaways from the morning sessions:

22% of our nation's minors are living in poverty. That's the highest rate for a developed nation.
Gas and food prices are now number 1 and 2 on national polls about priorities. Education used to hold the top spot. It is now ranked 3rd.
Excellent education depends on parent involvement and parent involvement is improved with effective strategic communication.
Quick notification of a problem resolved saved the day when middle school students inserted an X-rated video clip into the morning announcements. The school's fast response via email calmed parents before the rumor mill got to them. A few parents wanted to see the video. ;)
Big life lesson in a 10-word sentence, all 2 letter words: "If it is to be, it is up to me."
Lincoln asked if the nation could survive half slave and half free. Since education is the proven passport to first class citizenship, now we should ask can our nation survive half educated and half uneducated?
Civil rights progress didn't become actionable until MLK nationalized the issue. Blacks had been mistreated for decades, but with nationwide awareness, injustices became apparent to Americans throughout the nation, not just those in Selma or Birmingham.
Which generations do these statements match: Just Do It, Just Did It, Won't Do It?
Gen-X parents want reliability, trustworthiness, speed and convenience. Their trust is not unconditional. They take note of slights. They seek options, custom solutions, warm, group discussion and feedback. Baby Boomer admins should remember these three R's: relationship, relationship, relationship.

And the afternoon:

Five trends that will impact education over the next five years: technology, pathways, environment, safety, diversity.
Who spends only 3% of their time thinking about the future? Most executives.
Care more about doing what's right than fear of being wrong.
Bring unique value in seeing patterns, take the helicopter view, spot emergent trends
The important role of strategic counselor
Getting to the heart of the matter: passion, advocacy, communication prowess
Students who used high frequency ring tones to bypass adults with hearing loss
Check out myclass, tumblr, kickapps, makingmyway.ca
Affirmation for experience with facebook, myspace, blogger, twitter, flick
Multiple pathways: primary research, spotlight non-traditional stories
Showcase vocational success and non-academic awards
Conservation ethic: use, allocation, exploitation, protection of resources
Avoiding greenwash, green sheen and green noise: really do it, not just talk
Valuing the opinions of front lines: students, teachers, custodians
Share bad news before students tell their version
If the house is on fire, first tell the people inside
Immigrants or Newcomer Families?
Diversity as a honor, a privilege to be where the world comes to learn
Diversity a real-world, competitive advantage for students

Planning Retreat

2008-05-21T12:10:00.003-06:00

We're talking about Web 2.0 blogging, Twitter, YouTube, Google Maps, 2nd Life. B. just asked this question, "Why? Why go to an interactive virtual site rather than use an existing source of content." V. says a 2nd Life presentation ended up costing an organization thousands of dollars.

three tours in four years

2008-04-20T21:28:00.011-06:00

photo from Joe's blog

1. 2005 - bike tour
2. 2006 - bike tour
3. 2007 - 5 K
4. 2008 - bike tour

Three of the past four years, I've participated in the Bike Tour event of the Salt Lake City Marathon. Last year, I ran in the 5K, but it was great to be back on a bike again this year. Two years ago my son joined us. I just re-read his blog entry about it. He's a great writer and photographer, and of course, I'm a proud papa.

I'm also glad that I got to see the event from the perspective of a Bike Marshall. That's thanks to Labako who volunteered to officially help people out, although, as you can see from Joe's post above, Dave's also lent a helping hand before in an unofficial capacity.

random words

2008-04-20T21:15:00.003-06:00

ride waves morning judge teachers snow education successfully realistic according home memorial salvation remembrance city bike crimson available presentations dear quotable alchemy annual changed other steps sum singing energy family city write Monday promises day myself anyway swimming September blizzard horizons father telephone weather storm wonder darken descend forgotten frenzy technical confer speak need falling around back first high keep day good feel schedule canyon remembering

another way to stick to it

2008-03-18T21:26:00.003-06:00

Heard about this site on NPR's Morning Edition recently. I checked it out and invite you to as well.

charlie's acting, writing, radio, etc. site

2008-02-07T17:30:00.000-07:00

Found this guy Charlie Schroeder's intriguing site today in a search for Chinese New Year. Since I'm an occasional listener to public radio's Only a Game, I may have heard his work when I'm half asleep but awake early on a Saturday morning. But about the Chinese New Year, he did a little radio piece that's pretty funny. Wonder what Liang Jing Dong would say about this?

Now this has got me wondering about the name Charlie. I've only known a few in my life, but every single one of them is quite a character. Of course maybe it's just a self-fulfilling prophecy. You meet someone named Charlie and you expect them to be unsual and they proceed to meet your expectation.

gray skies

2008-01-28T20:39:00.009-07:00

U of U golf course in winter,
originally uploaded by rfin.

calm before the storm

2008-01-27T18:35:00.000-07:00

calm before the storm,
originally uploaded by rfin.

up on the roof

2008-01-26T21:33:00.000-07:00

With today's warm weather snow on the roof started melting and some of the runoff ended up where it shouldn't, so I climbed up on the front porch roof to take a look and discovered a different way to frame the Wasatch mountains.

white hot

2008-01-25T18:01:00.000-07:00

Looking at this now, the snow and the red sign look too intense. But no photoshopping's been done. This is just how the camera captured it.

tell it again, rick

2008-01-24T06:53:00.001-07:00

I met Utah writer Rick Walton at a library conference last year. He's quiet, talented, creative, funny, thoughtful, persistent, wise, and just a family guy with an extraordinary career. I bought his book Bertie was a Watchdog and highly recommend it. Rick's also got a great page that encourages the creative retelling of Goldilocks through The Goldilocks Project, 203 versions and counting.

dreamcatchers

2008-01-23T06:21:00.000-07:00

Do I own a dreamcatcher? Yes and no. No, I don't own one of these. I think there might have been one in our house at one time. So no, not in the traditional sense. But I do like the idea of catching dreams and in the realm of literally trying to bring some substance to the thoughts and images of twilight sleep, I've found a few ideas helpful.

Decide it's worth your while to try. Are you dreams nonsense or is there something compelling there? How are you going to know if you don't have a way to catch and examine them?
Make it as easy as possible by putting something to write on and with near your bed.
Third, if it's hard to write when you're half a sleep, try using a hand-held recorder.
Don't rely on what you write as your final version. As soon as possible after you fully awake, expand the note or listen to what you've said and recall other details.
Persist. Like a lot of things, it's going to feel awkward at first, but stick with it a few days and you'll probably find that it gets easier.

my own dreamcatchers, originally uploaded by rfin.

snow connections

2008-01-22T21:36:00.000-07:00

A few years ago we endured a power outage that stretched into a couple of days. Since then, I've been more aware of how much we're connected to the grid that includes power, telephone, cable for TV and the Internet, water, sewer, natural gas, and for some areas a secondary water system. Especially when the weather's very cold, or there's heavy snow and ice, I think of how fragile my connections can become. An then, of course, there's the movement to get off the grid.

holiday storm

2008-01-21T22:24:00.000-07:00

Another storm, more beauty, another chance to get in a little shoveling exercise, the wave to neighbors passing by, to talk to a few of them, to feel the satifaction of leaving a clean driveway and sidewalks, and to see those growing piles of snow. In some jobs it's hard to see your accomplishments, but not so when you shovel snow. You can see what you've done and know you've made the world just a little safer for youself and your neighbors.

same time, same channel

2008-01-20T22:12:00.000-07:00

We get used to things being a certain way. You work and play and workship at certain days and ways, at certain times and places. Change the time or the place or the people and you change the equation. Some changes are for the better. They're logical. They're in response to other changes. But almost always there are unintended consquences--pleasant surprises and not-so-pleasant ones.

10,000 steps

2008-01-19T19:14:00.000-07:00

You've heard of 12-Step Programs. How about a 1o,000 step program? Sure enough there are such things and I've been giving it a try for the last week or so.

a latent canopy?

2008-01-18T20:17:00.000-07:00

If a canopy is a "high overarching covering of branches and leaves" is there a canopy in the photo above? Or is it a pre-canopy or latent canopy awaiting the return of summer? Also found in my search for definitions of canopy:

to create or vegetate - the generational factor

2008-01-17T17:16:00.000-07:00

Let's say you've got six basic types of Internet users (creators, critics, collectors, joiners, spectators, and inactives) and you've got seven basic generational groups (kids, teens, gen Y, gen X, young boomers, older boomers and seniors). What's your guess as to how age impacts the way people use the Internet?

Well you don't have to guess because Forrester Research has checked this out and it's summarized in a beautiful graph in this Business Week Article.

the power of archives

2008-01-16T10:36:00.000-07:00

This is good news for those of us who seek to communicate via the Web and foster a sense of community with our stakeholders. Community newspapers have done this for decades. They publish news and feature stories about their readers and the readers do take notice, tell their friends and families, and clip the articles for their scrap books. The online version of this is the forwarded url, the blog mention and the profile links at MySpace and FaceBook.

'Informal' intranet is a hit in British Columbia gov't

from 110 to 6 degrees

2008-01-15T23:16:00.001-07:00

Just a few short months ago, on July 16, I was on business in Phoenix and the high temperature was 110 degrees. I wrote, "It is warm, but not really that bad. In fact I think I'll miss it a bit -- certainly this winter. I'd rather be too hot than too cold and the dry heat here makes the pools feel refreshing."

Tonight in Salt Lake the low is predicted to be 6 degrees. Cold, but just for perspective, consider the temperatures this time of year in Siberia. The predicted high in Irkutsk is 3 with the low to be -9. In Ulan-Ude the high will be -10 and the low -23. Novosibirsk will be a bit warmer with the high -1 and the low -5. Yes, these are on the Fahrenheit scale.

an oversight

2008-01-14T23:46:00.001-07:00

I see these trees everyday, or at least I have the opportunity to see them, but I've rarely taken their photograph. The other day they seemed to be a little weary with me. "Hey, we're here in all our winter splendor. We see you looking over this way, but then do you ignore us. What's the deal?"

"Ooops. Sorry. You are beautiful. You deserve a shot, more than one. I'll do better. Thanks for letting me know."

tree tree tree

2008-01-13T23:37:00.000-07:00

I still miss Fred, and I guess I always will. But sometimes I see something that reminds me of him and the tree above brought to mind his song, Tree Tree Tree.

ways to think of noise

2008-01-12T17:22:00.000-07:00

Neutral and sometimes needed
Offensive but may provide opportunities (such as sound proofing)
Indispensible to understanding quiet
Soft or not so
Entertaining? can be, often is, not very at times

favorite pic of 2007

2008-01-11T06:57:00.000-07:00

Shot on the Wasatch Crest, July 24, 2007. Hey, if you can have Christmas in July, you can also have July in January.

birthday quiz

2008-01-10T11:04:00.000-07:00

Name two musicians and a fighter who share a January 10th birthday?

The fighter is boxer and inventor/entreprenuer George Forman. The two musicians are Frank Sinatra and Adine Sundberg. Happy 87th birthday, Mom!

the buddy system

2008-01-09T08:58:00.000-07:00

I started a fitness class this morning with a good buddy of mine. We've been friends for almost 17 years now. Oh yeah, and she's also my daughter. I've also signed up for another class with some of my co-workers. The buddy system really helps with motivation. On any given day you might not feel like going to lift weights or pedal on a stationary bike, but when someone you work with is standing in your cubicle saying it's time to head to class, it's a lot harder to say "No, I'm going to be lazy today."

ain't a farm boy, ain't a song writer

2008-01-08T05:55:00.000-07:00

full color shot, with mostly blacks, grays and whites

I ain't a farm boy (though my daddy was) ain't a song writer (but that hasn't stopped a lot of folks), but if I was a farm boy and song writer, I might write something like this one winter night when my muscles were sore:

Some days shovelin' is my life
Shovelin' feed and manure
the sweet and foul
And snow and coal
the pure white and powerful black
It's all in a day's work
and it helps keep me strong
Shovelin' pure white snow and heavy black coal
Snow brings promise of good crops
and makes the world white and soft
And it means the ol' furnace
will need more coal
I'm happy to shovel to keep my family warm
Shovelin' pure white snow and heavy black coal
The world's mostly gray not just black or white
But the cold snows of winter taught me some
things are only right when they're white
Don't even think about tastin'
snow that ain't white
And some dark truths are needed
to keep us safe and warm
and I learned it all
Shovelin' pure white snow and heavy black coal

merry russian christmas

2008-01-07T06:55:00.000-07:00

January 7th is the big Christmas celebration in Russia, so if you didn't quite get enough of the holiday last month, here's a legitimate way to extend the festivities. Maybe I'll turn on the outside lights one last time tonight, although by then it will be January 8th in Russia.

warm winter swimming

2008-01-06T18:40:00.000-07:00

University of Utah natatorium

Why would you want to go swimming when it’s so cold outside? All the usual reasons:

stress relief
cardiovascular health
blood pressure regulation
increased efficiency in producing insulin
better sleep
increased metabolism
stronger immune system
improved digestion
improved sense of well-being
improved mood

Of course there’s the perception that you’ll get cold, but I’ve found that a swim actually warms me up. So instead of telling myself it’s too cold to go swimming, I’ll say a good swim would sure help me warm up today.

So one of the best reasons to go swimming on a cold winter’s day is to spend a few minutes in a warm, nearly weightless environment that will be good for you at the moment and make the rest of the day go better, too.

Utah Masters Swimming
Total Immersion Swimming

vitameatavegimin vs. v8banana

2008-01-05T19:41:00.000-07:00

Vitameatavegamin, the TV sitcom tonic of vitamins, meat, vegetables, minerals and alcohol, made a classic episode of I Love Lucy. If you haven't seen it, you're missing one of the funniest routines ever broadcast.

In contrast, V8banana, is a real health drink that sounds awful, but isn't--depending on your taste, of course. It's easy to make, you just blend:

1 ripe banana
1 can of V8 vegetable juice (5.5 ounce can)
3 or 4 ice cubes

What you get is a drink that's not too sweet but a little more exotic than either a banana smoothie or just a straight drink of V8.

see your new house live at 2:00

2008-01-04T07:50:00.000-07:00

You can see your newly renovated house on local TV today at 2:00 p.m. "I don't have a new house and I haven't done any renovations," you say, "and even if I did, a TV station wouldn't be there."

True, it isn't your personal residence, but you did pay for it and it does belong to you.

The broadcast I'm talking about is The People’s House: Rededicating Utah’s State Capitol and if you can't catch it live at 2:00 p.m. on KUED, watch the repeat tonight at 8:00. Here's how KUED is promoting the event on its webpage today.

The show repeats tonight at 8:00 p.m. and is followed by a documentary from producer Mike Dunn, With Anxious Care: The Restoration of the Utah State Capitol.

to douse or keep lighting

2008-01-03T07:53:00.000-07:00

We took down our indoor decorations on Saturday, but the outdoor lights will be up for a while, too dangerous to try to get them down when there's so much snow and ice on the house.

Usually I'm ready unplug the timer and douse the lights by early January, but this year I'm still enjoying the visual warmth they provide. True, it would save energy and save the life of the bulbs to turn them off, but I haven't pulled the plug on them yet.

But maybe I should take a lesson from Jackie Gleason. I learned last night that he only let the Honeymooners run one season because he didn't want to get old. Dousing the lights now may help insure that we'll enjoy them even more next year. You can't take a vacation if you have nothing to vacate.

putting putin on my list

2008-01-02T06:39:00.000-07:00

former USSR insignia on monument in Russia

I spent some of my holiday relaxing with Time magazine's Person of the Year issue on Russian President Vladimir Putin. Here's the online version and an editorial comment about it. I think I'll add a Putin search to my Google alerts and see what this net will net on the net.

happy new year anagrams

2008-01-01T09:24:00.000-07:00

Parley's Way on a Winter Morning

Here are a few anagrams for the greeting: Happy New Year!

There are several anagram makers on the web. Here's the one I used today: http://wordsmith.org/anagram/ The intro to the site says, "Did you know that parliament is an anagram of partial men? Or, Clint Eastwood an anagram of Old West Action? Someone once said, "All the life's wisdom can be found in anagrams. Anagrams never lie."

a memory of music on new year's eve

2007-12-31T23:36:00.000-07:00

Alex on Lake Baikal

Alexander Schreiner, the longtime Tabernacle Organist who retired 30 years ago, proudly displayed a tapestry of an organ on the wall of his South Temple apartment. He told me that organ produced the best sound. Now as 2007 draws to a close, I'm also hearing strains of music that exist tonight in memory and imagination.

Among the melodies are It's a Boy Mrs. Walker, It's a Boy from the Rock Opera Tommy, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, and Ring Out Wild Bells. Back in 2004 I posted this entry and tonight I'm listening with deeper appreciation of music, text, bold ideals and a creator to make it all possible:

"Ring Out Wild Bells by Alfred Tennyson includes eight stanzas, not just the three I've sung for years in the hymn with music by Crawford Gates. Here's the complete poem.

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night,
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.
Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.
Ring out the grief that saps the mind,
For those that here we see no more;
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.
Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.
Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes,
But ring the fuller minstrel in.
Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.
Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.
Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.

Seven Communication Secrets

2007-12-11T14:29:00.000-07:00

This study largely affirms the culture I work and live in. We're not perfect at these by any means, but I'd award some points in all six areas if I were judging this as a contest, which in a way it is. Watson Wyatt Study Reveals Six Communication 'Secrets' of Top-Performing Employers The study identified these six practices of high-performing companies:

Focusing managers and other employees on customer needs
Engaging employees in running the business
Helping managers communicate effectively
Leveraging the talents of internal communicators to manage change effectively
Measuring the impact of employee communication
Branding the employee experience

I'm adding a #7 because I think it's relevant and because I prefer odd numbered lists. And the seventh secret is:

Encourage the development of projects and processes that organically engage the first six. The stuff that goes on behind the scenes to pull of following annual event is an example of what I'm talking about: Winter Chairty Drive

growing at the senior games

2007-10-21T09:13:00.000-06:00

I've now participated in three years of the Senior Games, the Huntsman World Senior Games held each year in St. George. Such an event. 10,000 athletes from 50 countries. Men and women who are thriving and striving and inspiring. More about this later.

flowers for a veteran

2007-09-24T19:12:00.000-06:00

I liked the first night of The War: A Ken Burns Film. It sure made me think a lot about my step-dad who died back in August. He was a Navy officer who fought in the South Pacific. He's written extensively about his life, including his years at war. I'm glad he got his take down on paper, but I wish I'd captured his voice and image on video. Mom's left his voice on their answering machine. I've heard it a couple of times lately. It's good to hear him again, even if it is recorded. I keep thinking how much he would enjoy this new series from Burns, but perhaps he's looking in on it even now from a considerably different vantage point. I hope so.

warming up

2007-08-07T19:16:00.000-06:00

Emma Lou Thayne gave me this great tip for writing. Before you start to write something, just warm up. You don't just launch into a tennis match, you hit a few balls first. At swim meets there's always a warm up time. Swimming for 15 minutes and then sitting around for a few hours before you compete didn't seem all that useful. But I did it anyway. And today as I swam both at lunch and after work, I realized that the earlier event did help the later one. So now I'm using the blog to warm up. I'm going to be doing some other writing tonight, but for now I've at least got my fingers moving on the keyboard. The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Yes, Truman, that's typing not writing. But even typing helps. The fingers do feel a little warmer. The words do flow a bit easier. Oh the magic of just transcribing the words you hear. It doesn't happen to me very often, but then again, how often do I take the time to warm up?

Wasatch Crest 2007

2007-08-01T08:18:00.000-06:00

Every year Dave and I try to hit the Wasatch Crest at least once. Last year we didn't make it, but on July 24, 2007 -- Utah Pioneer Day -- we again rode the crest. It was a beautiful, cloudy day. Hot in the valley, but just perfect on the mountaintop. While the big crowds watched the floats at the annual Days of '47 parade, we saw clouds floating by as we joined a parade of mountainbikers headed across the crest.

Sneak Peak of Chris Brown and Elmo Singing on Sesame Street

2007-07-11T13:50:00.001-06:00

This is great. Check it out.

can't beat carmel and monterey

2007-06-11T22:10:00.000-06:00

Got to help my daughter and son-in-law move from Monterey back to Salt Lake this past week. Fortunately there was some time for some sight-seeing. It's easy to see why Point Lobos draws more than 300,000 visitors a year. Such an incredible place. I'm glad we had a few hours to check it out.

months vs. years

2007-06-02T11:29:00.001-06:00

I knew this good neighbor only a few months, but I've visited his grave for 16 years now. He died same year my daughter was born. As she's grown strong and beautiful, I wonder what's happened to my friend. His ashes are buried here, but what adventures of the spirit has he found beyond the grave? Has he continued as a master teacher? Has he found use for his skills in language and production? And what would he say to those he left behind? To him I say, "Thanks, Richard, for what's turned out to be a brief and lasting friendship--brief in our actual time together and lasting as those memories span the years. I'm glad you moved into the 'hood, just wish you coulda stayed longer."

slippery slope

2007-05-31T08:03:00.000-06:00

French Toast

2007-05-26T22:06:00.000-06:00

A couple of weeks ago nothing sounded good for breakfast but french toast. The dog also liked the idea.

visionary thinking - three views

2007-05-17T16:44:00.000-06:00

At my son's commencement at the University of Utah we were advised, "We don't have to keep up with change—we have to keep ahead of it," by Thomas S. Monson.

At my daughter's BYU commencement we were advised, "America is still the country of a second chance. Most of us end up needing one," by Dick Cheney.

At my daughter's alternative commencement were asked, "Are our schools and our churches and our families places where we learn how to transform ourselves, where we are free to apply the lessons of history in the present, and where we are rewarded for thinking and not merely obeying, where we can be creative and thoughtful and human?" by organizer Ashley Sanders.

All three of these thoughts are about visionary thinking, looking foward even when "Plan A" doesn't go as expected, and asking ourselves tough questions as we seek our ideals. I'm glad that I heard the speakers at all three events, and that I'm still pondering how this all fits together.

dry creek canyon

2007-05-12T22:44:00.000-06:00

The creek in Dry Creek Canyon is indeed dry, but the canyon is beautifully green. Got this shot on Friday's lunch hour ride.

proud papa x 2

2007-05-08T22:04:00.000-06:00

It's not everyday you have child graduate from college, but in the last couple of weeks I've enjoyed a double dose of proud parenthood with a daughter graduating from BYU and a son graduating from the the U of U.

The Provo celebrations on April 26 included an honor's graduate luncheon, watching and listening to the Dick Cheney speech on radio and TV and then attending the alternate commencement and hearing from Pete Ashdown, Jack Healey and Ralph Nader. Oh, and Nader applauding "the BYU 25"--which included a certain young woman who shares my last name.

Then on May 4 we were back in Salt Lake for the University of Utah commencement with Thomas S. Monson (glance backward, reach outward, press forward), a brief break to walk around the Huntsman Center and then back inside for the Engineering convocation. Yes, it was great to hear from all these famous folks, but for parents (and probably most of the graduates) it's more about the walk than the talk. Great, earned, hard fought, well celebrated, long suffered, patient, enduring, passionate, purposeful, peaceful walking of the walk of the new college graduate.

So we're three down with two more to go with the college grad program. Their school choices are as different as their personalities--a pediatric nurse, a software engineer, a writer of memoir and feminist studies. We'll have to wait a few years for the other two which may involve business, language, art, medicine--or perhaps none of the above.

happy 95th birthday

2007-04-25T21:35:00.000-06:00

Wow, Dad, you're 95th birthday is this very day. Can you believe it? 95 years since the sinking of the Titanic. 95 years since you made your appearance in Oak City, Utah. We know so much about your first 51 years. The death of your mom. Your love of livestock and agriculture. Your going to the circus and coming home to try to tricks on grandpa's horses. Your mission to Germany. Your finishing college at the U having started it as an Aggie in Logan. Your work for the census bureau that led to another bureau, the FBI. Way to put that German to good use. Your meeting our mom. Your marriage. Your career. Your daughter and then me, your son. Your stockbroker years. Your curiousity. Your gentle ways. Your love of color, creativity and mom. Your impatience with the unimportant. Your patience with me and all that mattered so much. The vacations, the Christmasses, the family reunions. The tapercorders and movie cameras and 16 millimeter projectors borrowed from a friend. The diagnosis you didn't want to believe. Your will to "beat this thing." That last summer and such a fall, such fire in the leaves and in your heart. That last Halloween. The last time we shoveled snow and drank hot chocolate. JFK in Dallas. Our president dead and you in the hospital the next day. Thanks for asking me to pray. I'm still praying, daddy. I wonder what you've been up to all these years. Have my teens, twenties, girl friends, hobbies, hopes, marriage, children, college, careers, anxiety, depression, scholarships, photos and music---have all these passed in just minutes for you? Have you seen it all or just read my blog? Happy birthday, dear Dad. I hope you'll visit soon in another dream like the one on Aunt Susan's back porch on Kayland Way, and let me know if my hunch is right, or just wishful thinking.

post 5K greetings

2007-04-22T20:17:00.000-06:00

Ran the Salt Lake Marathon's 5K yesterday. A great experience, and a particularly refreshing race when compared to the beautiful but much more difficult Canyonland Half Marathon. Today I'm a little stiff and sore, small price to pay for the opportunity to run freely, joyfully the short distance from Liberty Park to the Gateway.

oh happy day!

2007-04-21T13:57:00.000-06:00

Such great news. My son phoned to say my blog is up again. That wouldn't be such great news if perhaps there'd only been a slight interruption in service. But in this case, I haven't been able to publish since October. Six long months. I've missed writing here and I'm glad to be back.

diamonds and fragments

2006-09-08T18:05:00.000-06:00

Some things I never want to forget. Like how I felt just a few days ago when our daughter got married. What a combination of pride, satisfaction, joy, gratitude, loss, love, memory, anticipation, expectation, laughter, tears, longing, hoping, seeking, finding, standing, walking, smiling, talking, listening, seeing, kissing, hugging, wishing, visiting, packing, knowing, believing and belonging.

Then there are things you don't quite know why you remember and you don't quite remember them fully, yet there they linger. For example, there's a radio commercial from the old days of K-PIX and K-NAK. I must have heard it thousands of times. I'm sure it ran for years. If you grew up in Salt Lake City in the sixties or seventies, perhaps you remember it, too:

"From Antwerp, from Johannesburg, from diamond capitals of the world, come the fine diamonds at Diamonds Limited in the Surety Life Building. See Gordon Lobb a diamond expert with 30 years experience..." And that's all I can pull. Not the full commercial, only a fragment. I do know Joe Lee was the voice. Perhaps Ray Graham will also remember.

tips, tricks and treats

2006-08-29T16:45:00.000-06:00

Every year our Instructional Services staff gets together to share what they've learned as they've attended summer seminars, talked with colleagues, read, googled and otherwise encountered great ideas. And, as if that's not enough, there's a free lunch. Here are a few of the things I learned at this week's session:

1. PBS tops the most-trusted institutions list (2-year old research but new to me) 2. Jared has a blog. Annie has a blog. I already knew that Doug had a blog. 3. You can learn it at film school or get it free here. 4. The $100 Laptop will change the world as we know it. 5. Catchy name, great resources at netsquirrel.com.

And a couple of the things I shared from my NSPRA meeting in Chicago:

Seeking “place at the table” within your superintendent? You are the table. It goes with you. Provide unsolicited, useful information and advice. Tell her something she doesn't already know. Say things that matter. All crises happen explosively and are solved incrementally. Alliteration for effective human relations: Be simple, sincere, sensitive; focused, forceful, fair; practical, purposeful, powerful. -James Lukaszweski, Inside the Mind of a Corporate CEO

Making Daymakers – A daymaker is a person who performs acts of kindness with the intention of making the world a better place (David Wagner, Life As A Daymaker, 2003) “Every person you meet wears an invisible badge that reads ‘I’m special, I’m important; recognize me.’” (Author unknown) “Be kind. Everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” (John Watson) -Gold Mine Session by Dianne Pavia, Riverside Unified School District, Riverside California

p.s. As for tricks, there was actually only one. Lick a dime. Stick it on your forehead. Great attention getter with kids or adults, and surprising how long the dime will stick. An icebreaker to get people laughing and talking.

benefits of expressive writing

2006-08-28T16:34:00.000-06:00

The quick brown fox...
Originally uploaded by CodeFin.

Earlier this summer I found this quotation while looking for something else:

“Since the Mid-1980s, an increasing number of studies have focused on the value of expressive writing as a way to bring about healing. Across our first four studies, those in expressive writing groups had 43% fewer doctor visits for illness than the control group that wrote only about superficial topics. There are probably a thousand ways to write that are beneficial to you.” -James W. Pennebaker, Telling Stories: The Health Benefits of Narrative

Although I haven't tested it out in any controlled way, the idea rings true from years of journal writing, some of it expressive, much of it not. The quote also fits in well with this one:

"What if writing were a simple, significant, yet necessary way to achieve spiritual, emotional, and psychic wholeness? What if writing were as important and basic to wellness as healthful food, pure water, clean air, and rest? Writing has helped me heal. Writing has changed my life. Writing has saved my life." -Louise DeSalvo

Note to myself: Yeah, sure, expresssive writing now and then may provide a breath of fresh air, but if you want to breathe even more of that clean air, why not spend more time in the mountains?

september preview

2006-08-26T20:55:00.000-06:00

Actually it's just a late August post. I just finished my sixth consecutive week of lawn mowing, which is also a measure of how long Al's been more-or-less immersed in Russian. The cooler weather really makes it nice to get out there in the early evening. Today I tried it with some digitized music and in the "shuffle mode" I got a taste of some of my old favorties and a few of my kid's. Mostly theirs, now that I try to remember what I heard. Not a bad mix of Sinatra, Handel, Neil Young, Dixie Chicks, Josh Groban and many I can't identify. Surely he hath born our griefs and no, no they can't take that away from me and southern man do kind of go together after all. It's kind of strange to think that if Pluto was sentient being rather than a demoted planet, I bet he'd be a bit blue if he'd heard what the earthlings decided to define this week.

an august post

2006-08-17T21:21:00.000-06:00

Getting ready for a wedding. LJ's. No project quite like this one. LD's organizational skills shining through. The first such event in our immediate fam. Is this the little girl I carried? These morning howyadoin' chats after her Primary all nighters three days a week are winding down to our last few, and then she's off to Monterey. Such a beginning for her and for all of us. Remembering riding with her driving on her learners permit as I drive with her little sister now. The last one to drive. I'm calmer, but there are still plenty of thrills. No more safe parking lots or driving ranges. We're on real streets with real dips both in the road and on it. Scanning photos for a slide show at the reception. This is the little boy at play. Mowing the lawn five times now. Trying my hand at Rosetta Stone Russian a few minutes at a time, as son in Provo gives it hours every day, seven days a week. Giving the dog at little extra attention at his request. The cat's belly fur has made such progress. So glad we didn't lose him. Almost daily transatlantic gmail chats with our Cambridge blogger daughter who is off to Berlin this weekend. Still almost daily face to face sometimes during dinner sometimes after dinner chats with the fulltime working son who lent me his street bike. Still biking, swimming, but not so much running. That bike shaved 12 minutes off my tri time just a week after a face plant and fat lip on Earl's mountain. And so it's not that I've been doing nothing while I haven't blogged. But more consisely, fine thanks, and you?

my faraway friend

2006-07-20T20:13:00.000-06:00

We bid good-bye to our 19-year-old son yesterday. Today he spent his first full day learning Russian. He'll do this for 12 weeks, and then he's off to Novosibirsk, Russia for two years. I've done this drill only once before, sending our eldest off to East Los Angeles more than half a decade ago. Back then I wasn't that sad on the day we parted. After all, I thought, we'll have letters and tapes and photos. I didn't realize how much I'd miss him and how long those two years would really be. But this time I had a reference point and it made me a little less brazenly proud, a little more soft-hearted.

While Joe was gone, I wrote a kid's story. Back then I thought it was about my daughter's friend Kara who had to move out of state, but now it seems to be more about loss in general, and the hope of redemption and reunion.

My Faraway Friend

My good friend said, "We're going to move."
I was so sad, but I thought and
thought and thought some more.

I thought...
We can write letters.
We can talk on the phone.
We can visit each other someday.

Before my friend moved...
We talked and talked and talked some more.
We said we'll write letters.
We'll talk on the phone.
We'll have a visit some day.

When I got lonely...
I wanted to visit, but couldn't.
I wanted to phone, but didn't.
I wanted to write, so
I wrote a long letter.
I drew pictures, too.
Writing felt like talking,
but not quite the same.

After I mailed the letter...
I waited and waited
and waited some more.

While I waited...
I played with other friends.
I made a new friend, too.

Then one day when I thought I didn't care
anymore my letter came back all crumpled and torn in a special plastic bag.
"Sorry your mail got mangled" it said.
Somehow my letter got torn up in the mail machines, but
was rescued and sent back to me.

That day I called my faraway friend.
We talked and talked
and talked some more.
We planned a visit together.
That afternoon I played
with my new freind.

We laughed and laughed
and laughed some more.

Antelope Island Moonlight Ride

2006-07-08T14:27:00.000-06:00

Antelope Island
Originally uploaded by rfin.

Rode the my second Antelope Island Moonlight Ride last night with Dave, Dallin and Joe. The Davis County folks who sponsored the ride fed us ham-stuff croissants, chips, a banana and Gatorade. Also discovered that dust on the camera lens when I looked at this shot.

mill creek after work

2006-07-06T14:50:00.000-06:00

Mill Creek Canyon
Originally uploaded by rfin.

Mountain biked up Mill Creek Canyon from Wasatch Boulevard to the elbow where the Pipeline Trail starts, then rode the Pipeline back down. It's a good workout and the views on the way down are definitely worth the effort to get up there. Of course you can just drive and park or have someone drop you off, but there's a sense of accomplishment in doing it under your own power.

Kate, thanks for the mention of your vocabulary experience in your blog. I'm really enjoyiong what you have to say and the way you say it. You might find it of interest that in my last couple of miles up the canyon I ended up singing to try to take my mind off the fatigue and even out my breathing. I don't know all the words to "Rock-A-Bye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody" but I gave it my best shot.

they're soaring

2006-07-02T19:21:00.000-06:00

I'm getting taste of the empty nest. One daughter is in California, one is in England, and my 19-year-old son is about to leave for a couple of years in Russia. They're not just on test flights any more, but soaring across deserts and oceans, spanning continents and cultures.

before and after

2006-06-03T22:14:00.000-06:00

before and after Originally uploaded by rfin.

Before I rode Jim's high-end street bike in the Salt Lake Marathon Bike Tour, I was used to my beater mountain bike. Now getting on the old Schwinn seems a bit strange.

This is the second year I've done the tour. Last year I rode the Schwinn. Although it's great for trails, there's nothing like the right tool for the job, and that tool today was a street bike. Thanks for giving me a taste of elite riding, Jim.

Trying out the bike was fun, but introducing a loved-one to such a great activity made my whole day. You see today was my first-born son's first Bike Tour and he was definitely tuned in to the spirit, the beauty, the energy, the comraderie, the Zeitgeist of the event. Here's what he had to say. Glad you had such a good experience, Joe!

birds do it, conduit

2006-06-01T09:57:00.000-06:00

birds do it, conduit
Originally uploaded by rfin.

I been workin' on the LambdaRail

2006-05-31T10:37:00.000-06:00

What do Promontory, Utah and the fiber optic LambdaRail network have in common?

They're both about connecting people and commerce, technology and trade. They're both about vision, achievement and big ideas that change the world. But it goes even deeper than that.

Promontory's the spot where the first US Transcontinental Railroad was completed in 1869. The railroad right-of-way which started 137 years ago in northern Utah still impacts us today as Utah connects to National LambdaRail, an ultrahigh-speed fiber optic network for education and research.

Without the physical railroad to literally pave the way, the fiberoptic rail might have taken a much different pathway to Utah. Railroad rights-of-way are not only about tracks for trains, but routes and land for natural gas pipelines, electric power transmission lines and fiber-optic cable.

Until a few weeks ago, I didn't realize I had several personal connections to both the old rail and the new one.

Connection 1: As kid growing up in the sixties I always liked May. It's the month of my birth. It's the month that school gets out. And a hundred years earlier it was the time when the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific railroads met each other in my home state. I remember liking the subject as a kid, perhaps because I had my own electric trains, and certainly because I'd been to the historic spot for tailgate breakfast of bacon and eggs with my aunt, uncle and cousin.

Connection 2: Skip ahead 35 years to 2002. I'm working at the Utah Education Network which shares space with KUED,TV, KUER-FM and KUEN-TV at the Eccles Broadcast Center. Emmy-award winning producer Ken Verdoia produced the first-ever TV documentary about Promontory. I got a chance to do a few voice-over lines of historial narration for program.

Connection 3: Then just a few weeks ago, I got involved in writing a news release on LambdaRail's arrival in Utah thanks to UEN and the University of Utah. I sat in on an interview as the U of U's science writer, Lee Siegel talked to Steve Hess, the U's Associate VP for Info Technology. When Steve told Lee about the physical routing of the LambdaRail fiber, a chill went up spine, as I realized the train story of my childhood and the 21st century story I sought to tell were so tightly connected. Read more:

A Super-Fast Link to Cyberspace (U of U media release)
National Lambda Rail (home page) (Wikipedia)
Research at the Speed of Light (KCPW story)
Promontory (KUED documentary)
Alternate Uses of Railroad Rights-of-Way (Wikipedia)
Box Elder County (UEN Counties of Utah)
Utah Education Network

the perfect spring day

2006-05-03T13:53:00.000-06:00

the perfect spring day
Originally uploaded by rfin.

first dry creek movie

2006-05-01T00:26:00.000-06:00

first dry creek movie
Originally uploaded by rfin.

Watch the video

birthday brothers

2006-04-25T08:15:00.000-06:00

brothers Originally uploaded by rfin.

We're celebrating my dad's 94th birthday today. On the day of his birth, April 25, 1912, the world was still coming to grips with the sinking of the Titanic just ten days earlier.

My dad wasn't the youngest for long. Two years later, on April 29, 1914, his little red-headed brother showed up.

Their lives intertwined for nearly 50 years. As boys they worked on farm chores, rode horses, swam naked in the Sevier River and hunted Jack Rabbits together. They went to school and college together, studying studying agriculture and forestry at Utah State University.

During World War II, Joe served in the FBI, while Rich joined the Army and served in the Battle of the Bulge.

They both married beautiful, talented, strong women who loved their handsome husbands, their children, music, art, exploration and cuisine. Each couple reared two children, a son and a daughter.

Dad died unexpectedly in 1963, but Uncle Rich lived until 2003, joking "If I knew I'd live this long, I'd have taken better care of myself." After 40 years apart, the birthday brothers are again together.

reduce clutter - help the earth

2006-04-20T14:02:00.000-06:00

For Salt Lake area readers only (unless you're planning a trip to Utah this weekend)

Tomorrow, April 21 is the eve of the 36th annual Earth Day. So what? Well, it's an opportunity to do something that will improve the environment and clear some clutter out of your garage, basement or attic.

Actually it's a two-day opportunity.

Both tomorrow and Saturday, my associates at Utah Tech Corps are holding their annual Electronic Recycling Extravaganza at Rice Eccles Stadium. It's a great chance to get rid of your unwanted electronic junk, and to know you're doing it in a way that could help some kids and the environment. Here are all the details...

Earth Day Electronic Recycling Event

What: Drop off unwanted electronic equipment including computers, monitors, printers, cell phones, TVs and radios (in working condition or not), but no microwave ovens or refrigerators.
Why: Recycling saves landfill space and reduces toxic pollution from electronic waste.
When: Friday and Saturday, April 21 and 22 from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. both days.
Where: University of Utah Rice-Eccles Stadium parking lot (southwest corner) near 1350 East 500 South
Who May Donate: Anyone with unwanted electronics (whether in working condition or not)
Who Benefits: Utah school kids who will have access to refurbished computers. Donors who get rid of stuff they don’t want and gain space they could use. All Utahns who seek a cleaner, less toxic environment.
Sponsors: Utah Tech Corps, Utah Education Network, Computers for Kids, Lowell Bennion Community Service Center , City Academy Charter School, and Lucency Corp Electronic Recycling

So, what are you waiting for. You know you didn't feel good about putting your old Mac-SE in a dumpster. Now you can give it a good home, or at least a good send off into another realm.

easter shopping reward

2006-04-17T08:41:00.000-06:00

Originally uploaded by rfin.

My daughter needed some new clothes and so did I. So we headed to Sugar House late Saturday afternoon. After we finished someone had painted the sky and the little creek just south of Old Navy in a way I've never seen before. Fortunately I'd left my camera in the car. So many times the moment doesn't last, so I ran for the camera, and ran back to the spot and got this shot. I'm glad to have a new shirt and she's happy with some new shoes, and I think my camera was thrilled to capture image.

winter warmth

2006-04-03T21:05:00.000-06:00

winter warmth
Originally uploaded by rfin.

Doesn't matter that I shot this on April 2. Everything about it but the date says winter.

my favorite puddle

2006-04-01T23:13:00.000-07:00

my favorite puddle
Originally uploaded by rfin.

forms in this little indentation in the driveway. It's always there waiting for me after a storm. Much more reliable than a rainbow. So who says you have to look up to see the sky?

behind bars

2006-04-01T23:06:00.000-07:00

behind bars
Originally uploaded by rfin.

I remember touring a juvenile detention facility sometime back in the sixties. I don't think of myself as having been behind bars, but I must have been to get this shot.

wow, my 400th flickr photo!

2006-03-30T23:13:00.000-07:00

wow, my 400th flickr photo!
Originally uploaded by rfin.

We'll leave the light on for you

2006-03-26T21:05:00.000-07:00

We'll leave the light on for you
Originally uploaded by rfin.

connected

2006-03-20T22:53:00.000-07:00

connected
Originally uploaded by rfin.

calm before the storm

2006-03-09T10:12:00.000-07:00

calm before the storm
Originally uploaded by rfin.

I took the long way home last night, up around the Medical Center, through Fort Douglas, past Red Butte Garden, through Research Park, up Sunnyside, down through the Bonneville Golf Course, below Sunset Gardens and across Foothill Boulevard. Got this shot from one of the parking lots below Red Butte Garden.

FROY

2006-03-04T14:51:00.000-07:00

FROY Originally uploaded by rfin.

First Ride of the Year, first mountain bike ride that is. Looking west from Dry Creek Canyon. It was too muddy to go much above this point, although the track showed a few others had given it a try. Friday afternoon, March 3, 2006.

snowy day

2006-02-15T18:04:00.000-07:00

and because of this great, gentle storm....

Another beautiful calm day, except for garbage hinderances. I'm jubiliant kin, loving many natural opportunities provided quietly. Remembering such tremendous unity. Vanquished while examining yesterday's zealots.

Oh, and thanks for your encouragment back in December, Sharon!