851 ukuleles and their owners rocking together. Now *THAT* is a jam session!
The late Dr. Randy Pausch gave this great lecture back in 2007. Take the hour and 15 minutes to watch it or go out and get the book and read it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=ji5_MqicxSo
http://www.thelastlecture.com/
I recently ran out of sci-fi to read so I looked at my stack of books and realized one of my birthday presents hadn't yet been cracked open. I had been skeptical due to a couple of Recod Eagle articles that made me cringe due to perceived braggartism. But I decided to give it a go and picked up http://www.amazon.com/River-Home-Explorations-Jerry-Dennis/dp/0312254156. Boy, was I wrong to be a skeptic. This book is really quite good, and righ off the bat, the author tries hard to make the reader realize that he is out to win over anyone with preconceptions. He is successful in my mind. Thanks to Jo and Jerry for the quality read, I am bummed it is done. I actually cried like I was reading "Where the red fern grows" when I read the passages at the end (I don't want to ruin it!). I want my wife to read it, if just for the TC connection, but anyone with a heart and a love for the outdoors would like it. The first 2/3rds are heavily Fly fishing, but the last two chapters are near-Hemingway quality short stories and are quite wonderful. Buy the book if you love fly fishing and reading about it. Get it from a library or friend and read the last couple chapters if you just need a good emotional outdoors story or two... Good stuff, either way. I would be overjoyed to bump into this guy on a river someday and admit my naivete when it comes to the art...
I'm still around, but I have been fairly distracted lately. My attempts to establish a workout routine have been somewhat successful, but then again, an always changing schedule makes it hard to stick to. With some nice warm weather occurring lately, I have been allowing myself the indulgence of evenings on the deck with a good book, instead of watching TV or sitting at a 'puter. I read Amerika (Franz Kafka), Ender's Game (Orson Scott Card) and Anathem (Neal Stephenson) over the last month or so. Probably better for my brain than watching Enterprise or American Chopper. Also, after spending some time removing a couple of stumps from my yard (no small task, that) we had the joy of a sewer backup and subsequent 'crushed-pipe' scare that had me quite uneasy. Luckily, it was some 'creative' plumbing, and the sewer is again clear and working and I didn't have to trench the whole yard (phew!). I have been getting out whenever possible and riding the bike. The trail I ride is young, and somewhat punishing on a rigid, but I am enjoying trying to ride it at least once a week.
So, posting to the website has taken a backseat to the rest of life for a while. Stay tuned, I'll be around...