The blog of a North Country Swede!

Saturday, January 29, 2005

Walking the dogs ...

My day revolves around walking three dogs ... Odin, Pepper, and Yoda.

Odin is the house dog where I live. Pepper and Yoda belong to friends. The feminine half of Pepper's ownership duo is on vacation in Los Cabos with the senior feminine member of my household -- go figure. Yoda belongs to a neighbor family where the masculine half of the ownership duo has had a liver transplant. (<--should I have used "female" and "male" instead of feminine and masculine? I like "feminine" MUCH better than "female", and "male" only a little bit better than "masculine" ... so I will leave it the way it is, thank you! ... but still I am troubled by it ... I don't want to use "male" with "feminine" because Claire and Wissa (I don't know where Kelli is more than half the time) would (maybe?) pummel me with unkind words.)

Anyway, back to the dogs, I get up and take Odin for a quick pee run before 7:00 AM. My next dog encounter is to go walk Yoda for his morning pee/poop run around quarter to eight. After which I drive down an pick up Pepper, give him the opportunity to pee if His Highness chooses, and then bring him back to the house until I take him and Odin up to the South Mountain Reservation for a major run.

Whew! I'm tired already ... think I'll take a snooze and then get back to you.

Wednesday, January 26, 2005

So what about "terrorism"?

Do I want my government's agencies to protect me from being blown up by someone for whatever purpose? Of course I do ... not just blown up, but harmed, period.

Do I want my government's agencies to to protect me by preventing someone to harm me? Yes, of course.

However, what if an ounce of prevention isn't a pound of cure, but a ton of provocation? Ah, therein lies the rub.

Maybe we should start with some basics ... like what is "terrorism" anyway?

Merriam-Webster Online defines terrorism as, "the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion."

Merriam-Webster further defines terror as, "4: violence (as bombing) committed by groups in order to intimidate a population or government into granting their demands ."

Right about now in this discussion international governmental activities become very interesting indeed.

If "terrorism" basically is a first group of persons committing acts of violence against a second group of persons in order for the first group to get the second group to give in to the demands of the first group, then who in today's world is (or should we say "is not") committing acts of terrorism against whom?

So ... am I being protected by acts of prevention which are provocating others to act to protect themselves by acts of prevention against me?

Are we all becoming blind and toothless ... as in an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth?

In condemning all violence did Ghandi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., have it right after all?


Tuesday, January 25, 2005

Keeping to some kind of regular schedule ...

Back in my old hippy days ... scratch that, I never was a REAL hippy, though I did get to Haight & Asbury as a tourist in the mid-60's ... but back then we used to talk about contemplating our navels.

Some of my blog stuff has the look and feel of contemplating my navel.

But I'm not knocking it ... just making an observation about the relative impact a particular activity has on the bigger scheme of things.

Whatever ... I still should have some sort of schedule if I plan to hold anyone else's interest. I have several themes/threads going. I need to continue them on a regular basis so as how I don't discourage people from checking back.

That's contemplating my navel type stuff ...


Monday, January 24, 2005

A New York City Point of View

OK, OK, two blog entries in one day after nine days since the previous one ... is not the way to run a railroad ... meaning there should be a regular schedule if I'm gonna attract a committed audience ... uh huh ... I know.

Anyhow, I have to link you to an incredible visual presentation of New York City: Jim Galvin's New York City Point of view website:

www.nycpov.com

It's an "unique way to visit the New York City in 360-degree panoramic virtual tours."

Check out Sponge Bob.

He's going to add map pointers so you know where the pov is. If you think that's a good idea (like I do) you can e-mail him at:

jimg@nycpov.com

By the way, that e-mail address isn't linked here. If you do send Jim an e-mail, would you copy me at:

hglindquist@yahoo.com

Thanks. I appreciate it. (Welcome to Mayberry!)

A link to the spirit of Alaska

The Steese Review is taking shape under the banner, "A link to the spirit of Alaska."

Last weekend's update places Susan Stevenson's photograph, Hand from the Heavens, as the lead with links to her other websites. We are particularly proud/pleased/{add your own adjective} to be able to provide access to her work, both photographs and journals.

Interior Alaska

Living in Alaska


For next weekend's update we plan to focus on Mark DeLoach's experiences as a pilot of small planes in Alaska aka bush pilot.

Check it out and let us know what you think!

Hilding "Gus" Lindquist
Editor, The Steese Review

Saturday, January 15, 2005

easyInternetcafe

So I did my thing and went over to Nick's on West 49th Street and Seventh Avenue in Times Square, but instead of wandering down to the Village, I turned right on West 42nd Street and went to the easyInternetcafe just on the other side of Madame Toussads Wax Museum which is past the marquee for the Lion King, all on the south side of West 42nd Street, west of 7th Avenue.

It's like $3.50 per hour to use the internet at the easyInternetcafe, and they have another deal where you can get 4 hours for $5.00. I haven't figured that out yet.

So I sent out some e-mails because it's kind of special nerd stuff to send e-mail from the heart of Times Square. I mean, don't I have something better to do in Times Square like gaze at all the electronic message boards and multi-story high video screens?

No, sorry. Although I do like to watch the people streaming by as I eat my tuna salad sand at Nick's.

Wednesday, January 12, 2005

Working, working, working ...

I've been working.

On The Steese Review ...

On the Cool Writer's Group blog ...

On my play, Hunting the Road Kill Moose ... (no link as yet)

On my play, On His Steps ... (no link as yet)

On Yahoo Group, Alaska-Living, stuff ...

On Yahoo Group, coolwritersgroup, stuff ...

On my Authors Den site ...

I've been busy working.


Thursday, January 06, 2005

Fiddler On The Roof

Fiddler On the Roof is my favorite theatrical event. I have seen the movie numerous times. I have listened to the music countless times. I have seen it performed live in Seattle.

Nothing compared to yesterday afternoon. I saw it live on Broadway at the Minskoff Theatre on West 42nd Street., the 2 o'clock matinee performance.

Row D, seat 105 ... so close I could see each expressive wrinkle in Harvey Fierstein's face as Tevye. It was as good as it gets! And let me add this to the first set of accolades, John Cariani was so good as Motel (he received a Tony nomination) that I had tears rolling done my cheeks from laughing.

From humor to the pathos of the pogrom, through the travail of the wrenching of age-old traditions, the dramatic story is amplified by the powerful musical score.

But ... and this is THE qualifier ... beyond all that is the cast. On Broadway in a musical the audience finds the best of the best ... in each and every role.

With the indescribable experience of experiencing the best of the best comes a surge of feeling, of being part of that specific event ... then, there ... that is intoxicating. And like any natural high, once felt, draws the individual back from across any distance in time or space. It becomes a dream of returning.

Another thing, I sense in this the realization that the experience, no matter how often repeated, will never become stale. Like cool water quenching thirst, good food quenching hunger, loving sex satisfying lust, ... . What is more, walking through Times Square and the Broadway Theater District to get to the performance is like foreplay.

I am ready to go back to Broadway as a theatergoer ... just like I am ready to go to Interior Alaska as a tourist. Inherent in both is the feeling that the exitement will never end ... all I have to do to feel the thrill is take another step into the pull of the dream.




Saturday, January 01, 2005

Who's in charge?

The effects of the Southeast Asian natural disaster will be felt for generations.

The effects of the Middle Eastern man-made disaster will be felt for generations.

I think our President thinks both disasters are God's will.

I wish some journalist had the courage to ask President Bush what he really thinks about God's hand in global affairs.

I think we should know Bush's opinion about who he thinks is in charge around here. Maybe it would help explain why he responds the way he does.