Pikes Peak

On The Road To The Summit

One of the things I have wanted to do since moving here was to drive the road up to the summit of Pikes Peak. It's just such a Colorado thing to do! Sure, I've been to the summit. I've been there a number of times; but always via the Manitou Springs and Pikes Peak Cog Rail. It is a fantastic trip and I am sure that as I get visitors in the future, I will be doing it again.

Mountain Daisy

Yesterday dawned so nice and clear, the weather forecasts were for sunny and hot weather, and so I decided that the time had finally come to do the drive. I packed the car with the cameras earlier in the day and packed a light lunch. Then Saga and I headed down to Manitou Springs.

Mountain Daisies

The drive was pleasant. I made stops along the road to take pictures of the wildflowers by the road and at some of the picnic areas along the way. We stopped a couple times so that Saga could get out and acquire more territory. And Saga also gained some friends and admirers along the way. We got comments at the picnic area about how well behaved and pretty she was. Saga loves it when people tell her show lovely she is.

Bumble Bee

We made great time. The drive to the springs was a nice, quick one and the drive up the summit was largely uneventful. There was a stop for a brief moment at the break-check stop about three miles from the summit, but they waved us through after a few moments.

More on the trip tomorrow… Wherever you are today, I hope that your day was a lovely one.

Don Bergquist – July 31, 2010 – Lakewood, Colorado, USA

Happy birthday to my aunt Jennifer

Road Trip

With all my weekend housework completed and nothing on the schedule for the day, the reason for my activity can now be made known.

By the time this posts Saga and I should be half-way up Pikes Peak!

I decided last weekend that I wanted to take one last road trip while I had time available to me on a weekday when there were fewer people on the road. So last night, I packed the cameras and a few essentials into the car, and this morning, with coffee made, Saga and I are going to make a drive that I have wanted to do for some time now.

I am going to try and miss rush hour down to The Springs and then it is up the Pikes Peak road.

Look for pictures this weekend!

Wherever you are today, I hope that you'll have an excellent day.

Don Bergquist – July 30, 2010 – Lakewood, Colorado, USA

National Talk In An Elevator Day

A Lovely Morning

The morning is cool and calm. There are just enough clouds to the east to make the sunrise interesting, and walking with Saga as the last wisps of the morning's dew settled was fun.

There are only a few things on my calendar for the day; I have to run a couple errands, finish doing the laundry, and head off to the dermatologist. Other than that, I think Saga and I may take a hike this afternoon. Yesterday's hike was preempted due to rain.

Poor thing, we got to the park and set out along one of the trails. We were perhaps a half-a-mile from the car when it started raining. Saga cast one look at me as if challenging me to keep going and then turned around and headed at a trot back to the car.

Luckily, we made if back before the heavens opened and it really started pouring. We must have been just on the south side of the big hailstorm that hit Nederland. There were a few sleety raindrops that hit the windshield as we drove home, but nothing that could do any damage.

Oh well, perhaps today will be better.

Wherever you are, I hope you have a great day!

Don Bergquist – July 29, 2010 – Lakewood, Colorado, USA

Productivity

Well wasn't that fun! Yesterday was really productive!

Knowing that if I didn't do it all, I would not get to it. So not only did I take all the furniture out of the living room and vacuum and shampoo the carpeting, I also culled my closets of all the clothing I can no longer wear. (I've lost 25 pounds since the start of the year and have lots of clothing that is just too large to wear.)

This morning, I am thinking I will get some work done in the kitchen, and then perhaps a bit of work in the dining room before going for a swim around lunchtime.

Perhaps I will take the afternoon off and head up to the mountains with Saga. There is no reason to waste what is supposed to be an excellent day!

Wherever you are today, I hope you will make the most of your day!

Don Bergquist - July 28, 2010 - Lakewood, Colorado, USA

Cleaning

I would be remiss if I didn't use at least a day of the time I have left before starting my new job to do some work around the house. So I have decided that today's job is to move all the furniture and shampoo the carpeting.

What I'd really like is to pull the carpeting out and replace it with either tile or wood but that is a project that will have to wait. I really hate carpeting, but it is in my home so I have to deal with it.

It is a big job so I had best get to it.

Wherever you are today, I hope that you'll have a productive day!

Don Bergquist - July 27, 2010 - Lakewood, Colorado, USA

I Hate To Admit It…

Don't you just hate it when this happens?

All my life my elder brother, Denis, has been "The Smart One" in the family. So I really hate it when he says something that, once again, turns out to be right! (I hate it when my brother is right. - Well, a little.)

I have an appointment with a dermatologist this morning. While in Minnesota recently at a family gathering, Denis noticed a small scab on my forehead and said that I should let my doctor take a look at it the next time I am in the office. Turns-out my doctor suspects it is a basal cell carcinoma.

What I have read is that this is not a really serious thing, but I do need to have it looked at. …just to be on the safe side. I guess this is the price I pay for all those sunburns as a child in Miami! Thanks Denis for catching that!

Wherever you are today, I hope that you're taking care of yourself.

Don Bergquist – July 26, 2010 – Lakewood, Colorado, USA

Weekend Update

Many of the things I had to do yesterday were accomplished, some were not. But I am tracking ahead on my list of things to accomplish. There is one, though, that I have decided to put off until next week. I really don't want to go out to the home improvement stores this weekend and contend with the crowds.

What good is being between positions if you can’t take advantage of working on home projects when there are no crowds at Home Depot? So some of my home projects will wait.

Ah! The Green Card Party yesterday was quite nice! There was a good mix of people that I knew there. Most were either current or former colleagues at the company I worked at until very recently. It was a pleasant afternoon, cool and clear skies; and everyone had a good time catching-up on current statuses.

Today is supposed to be really a nice day here again. Too bad I don't have a hammock out under my trees… it would be a perfect day to laze around outside with a book!

Wherever you are today, I hope you're having a relaxing weekend!

Don Bergquist – July 25, 2010 – Lakewood, Colorado, USA

Parents' Day

Green Card

It is a busy day at Casa Bergquist! I have a number of things that are keeping me hoping and have only a chance to make a quick entry this morning.

I'll be attending a celebration for a couple friends and colleagues of mine who have recently received their United States Permanent Resident Card ("Green Card"). I welcome my friends to the United States!

Other than that, I have a whole list of tasks to complete this weekend and had really better get to it or I will have a hard time getting through the list.

Wherever you are this week, I hope that you have the opportunity to take it easy!

Don Bergquist – July 24, 2010 – Lakewood, Colorado, USA

Tell An Old Joke Day

So this skeleton walks into a bar; orders a beer and a mop!

E Pluribus Unum

With the debate roaring around us over two words in The Pledge of Allegiance, I would like to bring attention to one of the other arguments that is thrown about and my problem with it…

"If you atheists don't like references to God, what about money? It all says 'In God We Trust' on it. But you still use it!" is how the argument is usually phrased.

This ignores the howling error in logic that has been committed. First off, it is not the objection to the word, but the act of being compelled to admit allegiance to something one does not believe in. The less obvious and more elegant argument to be made against this is…

"When was the last time you actually spent money?"

Almost everything I do I do electronically online, via debit or credit card, or on increasingly rare occasions by check. None of those have the supposed offensive reference to God. I'm more offended by the inclusion of the Latin phrase "E Pluribus Unum" on coins (which I still occasionally need for parking meters).

The literal translation, "out of the many, one" is troubling to me, because not only is it demonstrably untrue, I am not even sure it is desirable. Each must maintain their individuality or the world becomes an incredibly boring place. But a bit of harmonious accord from now-to-then certainly would be beneficial.

Wherever you are today, I wish you peace and harmony.

Don Bergquist – July 23, 2010 – Lakewood, Colorado, USA

Happy birthday to my friend Tena

Decorum

In this, last segment on the debate about whether "under god" should remain a part of The Pledge of Allegiance, I will look at the decorum maintained by disputants in the debate. We have looked previously at the historical and constitutional components of the arguments.

The argument is made that the opponents of the inclusion of the words in the pledge is some sort of plot to steal religion from the American public. These tend to be ranting screeds that range from incoherent ramblings to vulgar condemnations.

It is interesting that these also tend to be the most entertaining to read! They often claim that the atheist side of the debate is full of angry, rude, or stupid people. Interestingly, in the news, I have seen a couple different versions of the original billboards defaced, but none of the evangelical billboards defaced. Which side has the decorum?

Aside from the laughable attempts at proving their religious beliefs by citing them (there is a god because the bible says so…), there are some quite interesting logical and linguistic leaps of faith in the discussion. Some of my favorite non sequiturs are: (From the ABC News Website Discussion Group)

One Nation, Under God...... we are weather you like it or not! – (whether)

Did God came and took away something from anyone? – (not sure what this even means…)

Like it or Leave. No one asked you here. – (No, nobody asked us here… most of us were born here!)

It's not about religion; it's about a relationship to Jesus Christ. – (I can't even parse the logic here!)

Why are athiest so afraid of a God in whom they do not believe? – (Technically, since atheists don't believe in a god, the can't be afraid of him.)

…what makes me mad is the STUPID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!athiast's – (Interesting spelling and punctuation!)

Memo to Atheists:The Constitution reads "...freedom OF religion" – (Actually, those words don't appear anywhere in the document.)

Which is not to say that there weren't examples of poor spelling and grammar on both sides, I just found these particularly entertaining.

Personally, I fall into the centrist position. I really don't think that either side has either an overridingly strong argument for their case or against the other. I agree with the countless people on both sides of the argument who said "if the words bother you, don't say them."

I had a Catholic upbringing in Florida and noticed pretty early on that my Minnesota relatives didn't say the suppertime prayer the same way we did in Miami. They added a couple extra words in there. "…we ask this through Christ [your son] our lord, amen!" It threw off the cadence in a somewhat mildly jarring way. What was my solution? Just to not say them… No biggie, no reason to expend that much time and energy worrying over it.

Wherever you are today, I hope that you will have an excellent day!

Don Bergquist – July 22, 2010 – Lakewood, Colorado, USA

Happy birthday to my friend Stacy

The Debate Rages On

In part two of this article, I intend to look at arguments made in the debate. The argument that the country was based on Judeo-Christian beliefs bears a bit of weight, but is not really applicable here. It should be recalled that one of the motivations of the founding fathers when penning the constitution was to avoid the obvious error of setting-up a theocracy or any of its trappings as was embodied by the foundation of an official state religion – see the problems that were cause by the adoption of the Church Of England and the religious intolerance which ensued. The purpose of the establishment clause is to prevent the US from becoming a theocracy.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

The self-described evangelicals claim that striking the words from the pledge infringes on their religious rights, but as is demonstrable, there is no infringement of their rights or beliefs to not have the words there. On the other hand, it does infringe on the rights of people whose religions are not monotheistic to be forced to pledge allegiance with those words in place.

This is actually the crux of the matter for the people who want the words stricken from the pledge. Let's forget the boogieman "Atheist" that some would have you fear. There are lots of people that this phrase could offend; all of these classes of people could call these words and their official adoption a violation of the establishment clause. This clause has the potential of offending any religious practitioner of a non-monotheistic religion.

Ancestor Worship: Another example of an atheistic religion is to be found in the system of veneration of the deceased practiced throughout the world. From the pharos of Egypt, to the personal family shrines of the eastern religions, this veneration has been practiced far longer than Christianity and is a still-going religious belief.

Buddhism: A widely practiced atheistic (or more properly demi-theistic) religion has no central god. It believes in a number of supernatural beings described as lesser gods. There is no tenant of the religion to require the belief in a deity, so, technically, they could be offended by being compelled to pledge allegiance to a god.

Nature Worship: Paganism and other pre-Christian religions are still practiced widely. As these religions have no central deity but rather worship personifications and anthropomorphic representations of the natural forces, they can be defined as atheistic religions.

Polytheists: There are a number of polytheistic religions that do not believe in the concept of a God but rather in the existence of many gods. And it isn't just the dead religions of Greece, Rome, and Scandinavia that I am addressing here. The Hindu pantheon is as wide and varied as the Norse system ever was. And there are many varieties of polytheism practiced by the indigenous peoples of the Americas.

Tomorrow we will look at how the debate is being handled from the point of view of decorum.

Wherever you are today, I hope you will take a stand on something you're passionate about.

Don Bergquist – July 21, 2010 – Lakewood, Colorado, USA

Two Words

What hoopla!

Can we have a little decorum here, guys? There is a debate raging that has once again come to light in North Carolina. An atheist group in Raleigh has posted billboards reading "One Nation, Indivisible," the phrase as it appeared in the original version of the Pledge of Allegiance.

The debate is fairly simple. Do these words constitute the establishment of religion as prohibited by the first amendment to the constitution as some say or do these words reveal the intent of the founding fathers?

It is a spurious argument to say that the founding fathers intended the words to be there (as has appeared so often on a number of the discussion boards I have read). The founding fathers had nothing to do with The Pledge of Allegiance. It wasn't even written until 1892, more than a hundred years after the constitution was ratified in 1788.

Another common argument is that the words have been there this long, they should stay. The pledge is, thereby given some immutable property. This argument does not stand even the most basic scrutiny as there are at least three versions that can be found via a simple Google search. The original version as created in 1892:

"I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic, for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

The revision as introduced in 1923, clarifying what country the flag belonged to:

"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

And finally the 1954 addition of the offending two words:

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

There is also made the argument that somehow the pledge without the words is atheistic. This might come as news to its author. Francis Julius Bellamy. Bellamy, a Baptist Minister, wrote the pledge so that school children would have something to remember the reason to be proud to be an American. The addition of the words "Under God" after his death was done over the objection of his surviving daughter.

This discussion could go on for quite some time, and there is more to say, so watch for part two tomorrow.

Wherever you are today, I hope you will take a stand on some issue you feel passionate about.

Don Bergquist – July 20, 2010 – Lakewood, Colorado, USA

Fifty-Fifty-Fifty

Why are mountains higher in the US (on average) than they are in Europe?

This is an old riddle that someone once told me that has to do with the difference in definition of what a mountain is in the two places. I was once told that in Europe, a mountain is any land mass which rises by at least 1,000' from the surrounding area with at least a 2° average slope; whereas in America, the rules are at least a 2,000' increase in elevation with an average slope of 5°.

I cannot find any authoritative definition of this so I really cannot say what the rules are (and anyone out there who does have the actual definitions, it would be cool if you would comment with the specs. – thanks!) but whatever the actual definition, it does not change what I read this weekend being impossible.

There is a father and son team of mountaineers who are attempting to set a record and climb fifty peaks in fifty states in fifty days. Interesting! I am not sure how they mean to do this.

My initial take on this was that Florida (a state I know a little something about, having lived almost half my life in my native state) has no mountains. The highest point in the state of Florida is Britton Hill, up in the panhandle near the Alabama boarder.

Britton Hill rises to a breath-taking (for Florida) height of 345' and since the lowest point in the state is just at, or slightly under, sea level there is no way that the variance of the entire state could be more than 350'. The pair will have no challenge scaling the highest peak in the state.

Which led me to wonder… How many other states don't have mountains? I took a look at a topological map and there are a few candidates for being eliminated from the 50-50-50 quest. Louisiana, for example, ranges from 8' below sea level to just under 600' above. Iowa spans only 1,200' from its lowest to its highest point and as those are on opposite sides of the state, it is unlikely to meet the slop requirements. Do the pair plan to visit the states without mountains and then climb two peaks in some other state?

I hope that they don’t let a little thing like having no mountains in some states ruin their goal. Aside from being impossible to actually do as stated in the news, it sounds like a really ambitious project.

Wherever you are today, I hope you won't let little things like being impossible keep you from reaching toward your goal!

Don Bergquist – July 19, 2010 – Lakewood, Colorado, USA

Day Off

It was a success – well, almost.

I made it down to the car wash and was pleasantly surprised to see that there were two lines of cars five long when I arrived. More kept coming after me too so I knew that the car wash would be a success. The guy in the SUV ahead of me showed-up with a tent and a camp stove.

No matter what wankers there are in the world, it is refreshing to know that there are good people as well. One of the scouts sent me a comment (see the Friday posting comments) following-up on the car wash which was a big success.

My errands were finished, but not by the heat of the day. I actually postponed the last of the errands until after sunset. It was just too hot in the car when I returned from whatever store I was at… and then the drive was not long enough to let the car cool before I turned it off at the next stop.

Today, I think I am going to hide from the heat by staying inside as much as I can… perhaps I will do some house cleaning. Maybe get out the carpet shampooer. Perhaps not.

Wherever you are today, I hope you’re having a great weekend.

Don Bergquist – July 18, 2010 – Lakewood, Colorado, USA

Happy birthday to my friend Britany

How Hot Is It?

The weathercaster this morning said that the temperatures are supposed to top 100° some time this afternoon. And I have lots to do today.

When Saga and I went out for our morning walk, it was already seventy-five degrees at six forty-five! This cannot be a good sign. And it is fairly humid this morning as we had a bit of rain late last night. The park had streamers of evaporating rain rising out of the buffalo grass.

I have a pretty full day planned. I am popping over to Aurora to get my car washed and make a small donation to Boy Scout Troop 101 – they had their troop trailer and all their camping equipment stolen last week and, being an Eagle Scout myself, I really want to help them out a little if I can.

Then I have a few errands to run. I am hoping to get the grocery shopping done, pick-up my cleaning, stop by the library, and try to get back home so I can take a dip in the pool before the heat of the day.

Of course, if I don't start, there is now way that I will be finished in time so – until later…

Wherever you are today, I hope that you can stay cool!

Don Bergquist – July 17, 2010 – Lakewood, Colorado, USA

National Hot Dog Day

Scout Troop's Trailer And Camping Gear Stolen

There was an item in the news last night that a local Boy Scout Troop had its trailer stolen. It was taken from the parking lot of the church in Aurora that sponsors the troop. Troop trailers are used to store and haul all the troop's camping gear to campouts and events. This can be devastating to a troop especially at this time of year when they are doing most of their camping.

You hear a bunch more about this sort of crime recently. A couple years ago, this same thing happened to the troop that my brothers and I were a part of when we were kids; a troop my father and some of his friends started in Miami. At that time, I wrote a blog entry entreating all to please do anything they could to help the troop. I do so again. A car wash is planned for this Saturday at St. Stephens Episcopal Church in Aurora located at 1 Del Mar Circle Aurora, CO 80011.


View Larger Map

I plan to be there to offer a donation. The car wash will begin at 08:00 Saturday morning. The forecast is for hot weather, so be sure to get there early!

Scouting is an important part of growing-up for many boys and to have it ruined by this senseless act is tragic! Are times really so tough that people have to steal from children? Being an Eagle Scout as well as a former Scoutmaster, I've been through the process of getting and maintaining camping equipment for a troop. These boys work hard to get the money to buy the equipment and hard to maintain it.

I wish the scouts good luck in their fund raising efforts this weekend and hope that they will soon be prepared to go camping again!

Wherever you are today, I hope that you will take a moment to do something nice for someone in need.

Don Bergquist – July 16, 2010 – Lakewood, Colorado, USA

Sutton's Law

There is a story currently playing it up in the local media about a politician who is on the ballot for Governor. The candidate is being investigated for plagiarism. The accusation is that he used a number of quotes in a document without attribution to the source of the quotes.

There is a bunch of finger-pointing going on; he claims to have not known that the patron wanted him to write it; he claims that he though using a ghost writer would be okay; he claims that the ghost writer is the one who used the un-cited quotations. The politician is under investigation by an ethical watchdog organization.

In the story played on one of the newscasts I saw this morning, the guy dismissed the charges as a misunderstanding and dismissed the ethical watchdog organization as "disproportionately investigating Republicans."

This is what brings to mind Sutton's Law. The robber Willie Sutton is reported to have answered a reporter's question "Why do you rob banks?" with the fairly obvious response "Because that's where the money is."

The citation, which is probably apocryphal, is the basis for the medical maxim known as Sutton's Law which is a basic diagnostic tool. The idea is that when doing a differential diagnosis, the physician should start by doing those tests which would confirm the most likely diagnosis.

Why is this relevant? Well, it occurs to me if the watchdog organization is disproportionately investigating one party over the other, (and I am not saying that they do, I would have to see the statistics to make that claim) there are two possible reasons for this. Either one party is disproportionately less ethical than the other, or the organization has a partisan axe to grind. Hmmm. We would seem to have a real conundrum here.

Sutton's Law would suggest that we run tests to see if the most likely diagnosis is, in fact, true. So what's the most likely diagnosis? A little Cartesian logic might be helpful here. What needs to happen is that both charges need to be investigated. Did the politician plagiarize his articles? Does the organization overwhelmingly investigate Republicans?

Regardless of their motives, the charge of plagiarism is the easier to investigate. The fact that the organization disproportionately brings charges against one party could be a bias, or it could be that is where the ethical problems are. So, investigate the ethical charges. Investigation will either vindicate the politician or give evidence that the organization is biased.

If the politician is found to be guilty, however, the organization is not in the clear. Do they truly bring a disproportionate amount of charges against one party? If not, then the organization is vindicated. If so, look at their methods. Do they investigate in an unbiased way?

I think the point here is that it is an interesting defense to attack your accuser; which is, after all, what the politician is doing. "I am not guilty. Here is my proof that the work is mine and not plagiarized." is a defense. "My accuser is investigating more people of my party than the other." is not.

The bottom line here is that it is immaterial what the motives of the organization are. The politician is either guilty or not. Either way, it is a bad day for the politician.

Wherever you are today, I hope you're having a great day!

Don Bergquist – July 15, 2010 – Lakewood, Colorado, USA

Happy birthday to my friend Michael

Happy birthday to my friend Phil

Happy birthday to my friend David

Happy birthday to my cousin Nick

Twitter-er (An Apology)

Okay, I admit it. At the moment I am still a Twitter novice. I am not entirely certain how to use it to its fullest, nor do I go out and check it as often as I probably should. And That is a shame as I discovered this morning that had I done so, I would have noticed that Qwest (my internet and phone provider) apparently uses it more than I do.

I am not entirely shore how they did this, but they responded to a blog posting (from here on don sees the world - July 01, 2010) only a couple hours after I posted it! Here's a transcript of the exchange:

TalkToQwest Jul 01, 1:18pm via TweetDeck
@DonBergquist Hello, I'm sorry about the delay w/your svc, if you'll email talktous@qwest.com w/bill phone#/address I'll see if I can help

DonBergquist: don sees the world: Well, This Does Not Bode Well! - They have yet to install my internet service and Qwest has alre... http://ow.ly/17XI5W 12:33pm, Jul 01 from HootSuite

TalkToQwest: @DonBergquist Hello, I'm sorry about the delay w/your svc, if you'll email talktous@qwest.com w/bill phone#/address I'll see if I can help 1:18pm, Jul 01 from TweetDeck

So, I suppose that I owe Qwest an apology. If you look at the time stamps on the conversation, even though I didn't address my blog posting to them, and even though it didn’t go to their inbox directly, they responded in less than an hour with an offer to set things right.

I have long been a person who was willing to complain when things didn't go as they should, or people (or companies) didn't perform to the expectations. But I have equally, or more so, been a person who believes in giving credit where it is due. (I was in customer support at my last company long enough that people who are quick to complain rarely give credit where it is due and swore to always be effusive in the praise I offer.)

So, cheers! Qwest! Good job! Perhaps if I checked my Twitter-feed more often I would have spotted this and taken you up on your offer!

Now, I know that what might have happened here was that some spider has been programmed to watch for references to Qwest on the web, look for the presence of words that look like it may indicate a complaint, and issue a generic email to the source offering assistance. But that does not diminish the affect; it shows me that they care enough about what is going on at least enough that they have set-up a program to watch for complaints and offer a solution. That is still better than my old internet provider! So kudos, Qwest on a good customer service move!

Wherever you are today, I hope that you experience at least one piece of outstanding support!

Don Bergquist – July 14, 2010 – Lakewood, Colorado, USA

Happy birthday to my friend Ian

Heat Wave

Heat Wave

Summer had been on a bit of a hiatus (I guess you could say it took a Summer Vacation…) but it has returned with a vengeance. Where as in the middle of last week it fought to get out of the sixties, yesterday my thermometer topped out at 99.7°. The forecast is for a nice little heat wave for the coming seven days.

Sleeping with the windows open last night didn't afford much comfort as it was still in the eighties when I went upstairs to bed last night and this morning's weather forecast said that it was nearly twenty degrees warmer this morning than it had been twenty-four hours earlier. Argh! It is going to be a roaster today!

That's okay, though. That is why god invented air conditioning and swimming pools. It's too bad, though that kids get their summer break from school in the summer time! I can't really enjoy the pool at my complex while there are a thousand screaming kids running, splashing, and throwing things at each other in the pool. So I try and time it right… which is to say, I pick a time more-or-less at random and hope the number of children and the amount of horse-play in the pool is at a minimum when I get there. Sometimes I get luck!

The solution would be fore me to trade-up. Sell my condo and buy a nice little house somewhere with a yard where I could plant some vegetables and a nice little pool where I could take a dip. And perhaps a hot tub, for taking a nice long soak while enjoying the cool evening breezes. (Heck, while I'm at it, someone to refresh my beverage so that I can stay luxuriating longer… but now I want too much.) Not gonna happen any time soon, but a guy can dream can't he.

Wherever you are today, I wish you cool waters, warm breezes, and pleasant company!

Don Bergquist – July 13, 2010 – Lakewood, Colorado, USA

Coyotes

Perhaps it is an oversimplification, but I can certainly see why the coyote has a place in the mythical pantheon of many of the Native American Peoples. They have an almost unreal appearance when seen in the dusk times just before sunrise and just after sunset. The way they blend into the native grasses especially if there is even a slight fog is uncanny.

It was just about five and we were walking along the edge of the lake on the homeward stretch of our walk. A shallow layer of ground fog not more than a foot deep carpeted the low parts of the park. It was really thin, you could easily see the path through it even off in the distance; the fog just gave the scene that surreal look that early mornings sometimes have.

About twenty yards away a movement caught my eye. I looked to see what had drawn my attention and for a moment couldn’t see anything. Then my eye caught him. The coyote was at the edge of the buffalo grass off the path. It was almost as if he could tell I had spotted him because he then skulked off into the grass and was completely lost to site. "Where there's one coyote, there are more." I thought.

Saga was far more interested in sniffing at some intriguing smell at the side of the path to have noticed anything and I was almost convinced that I had imagined the coyote; it had been such a brief glimpse that I could easily have manufactured it out of the wisps of fog and a breeze. That is, I could have believed it but for the fact that the next time I looked, he was back.

This time there were two of them. One had come out of the grass right where the original one had hidden, the other was a few feet closer to Saga and me. They looked in the opposite direction, and then they looked right at me. Oblivious, Saga kept sniffing at something that had her full attention.

Perhaps I was wrong. Perhaps my eyes were playing tricks. Admittedly, my attention was split between the coyotes and what Saga was up to. (Oh, god! Is she planning on rolling in something? She certainly is interested in whatever she has found!)

The next time I looked up I was not totally surprised to see that the coyotes were gone again. So this is why the coyote has the place as the trickster god; think Loki from Norse mythology. You could never be sure what you were seeing.

I was about to dismiss it again as a trick of the light, the fog, the fact that I was thinking about coyotes, the fact that I needed more coffee, take your pick! That is I was until Saga suddenly perked-up. Her ears went up; her head snapped to look at the spot that had caught my attention. Then Saga put her hackles up and started growling in the direction I had thought I had seen the coyotes and I knew that I had seen them.

I looked at the spot I had seen them and saw nothing. Saga ran toward the spot to the extent I would let her, keeping the lead relatively short. (Great! Just what I need: Saga trying to herd the coyotes for me!) A couple more growls and a single bark came out of her and then Saga looked at me.

Either she was trying to tell me that she had scared off the coyotes or she was wondering why I was keeping her from going and rounding-up the gray, ghost-like dogs. She went back to sniffing, and I decided that the coyotes must have passed and so we continued our transit of the park, headed home to coffee and a cookie for Saga, my brave little shepherdess. I guess I can rest secure in the knowledge that Saga will be there to protect me from the coyotes – at least she will be once they are gone!

Wherever you are today, I hope that someone is looking out for your better interests.

Don Bergquist – July 12, 2010 – Lakewood, Colorado, USA

Battle of Boyne Day

Perspective

Being someone who could care less about sports (but it would take a special effort on my part to do so) you may not think I would be writing about this topic today. You may not figure me for someone who knows or cares about what city some big sports star moves to. But one would have to be a recluse of world-class stature to have missed all the hoopla over where LeBrom James chooses to play basketball.

They have talked about it interminably for weeks and any hope that it would abate now that he has made his decision seems to have been dashed by the fact that they are still talking about it two days later.

But this is not a column about that. This is a column about the people who (for reasons I cannot understand – due mostly to my rampant apathy on the topic) actually seem to care about it. This morning, as I was watching one of the newscasts I habitually watch on Sunday mornings, they played a clip of a guy who really needs a reality check.

This person appeared in a promo for the upcoming story. It is a guy who is a fan of whatever team LeBron used to play for. The guy is in tears, and is being supported by a weepy person; presumably a friend of his. He wipes his streaming eyes and declares to the camera that "This is the worst thing that has ever happened to me."

At the risk of sounding condescending, it probably has nothing to do with you dude. I am pretty certain your personal feelings didn't enter into the decision. ("It's not you, it's him.") Get some perspective! If this is the worst thing that has ever happened to you, you have lead a charmed life! You've never had anything happen to you that actually involved you? Get a grip, get a life!

Wherever you are today, I hope that this is the worst thing that has happened to you this week!

Don Bergquist – July 11, 2010 – Lakewood, Colorado, USA

Weekend Plans

Nothing special or exciting is going on here. I have plans to get the normal Saturday items done (Weight Watchers, Grocery Shopping, Laundry…) and then perhaps a hike, perhaps a swim, perhaps both.

Saga was doing her normal prissy walk this morning because we got 5/100" of rain last night. Not enough to do much more than wet the grass. But enough that she skirts the grass where possible when we are our when we went out for our walk.

There is nothing big or heavy to do around the house this weekend. Most of the stuff that I would be headed to Home Depot or O'Toole's garden shop for I was able to get these done during the week when the shops were practically empty.

I may even take a nap in the heat of the afternoon. What bliss, having only plans that are not really plans! It looks like it will be a good weekend.

Wherever you are today, I hope that you're having a great weekend!

Don Bergquist – July 10, 2010 – Lakewood, Colorado, USA

Teddy Bears' Picnic Day

Happy birthday to my friend Jennifer

Happy birthday to my cousin Dirk

Happy birthday to my cousin Becca

Hiatus

It appears that the weather has taken a summer vacation. Whereas it was over 99° before I went out to run my errands at noon on Tuesday, the temperatures over the last two days have hovered just below 70°. It has been cold and rainy for the past couple days.

Today we're supposed to get a bit of a rebound, but with the possibility of thunderstorms. Yeah! Thunderstorms!

Looking at the forecast, there is warmer weather ahead. So, I suppose I will be hunkering down in the office for the next few days really concentrating on staying in the Air-Conditioning.

Wherever you are today, I hope that you're staying cool and comfortable!

Don Bergquist – July 09, 2010 – Lakewood, Colorado, USA

ONLINE!!

Yeah! I am back online.

My local phone company came out this morning and installed my new internet service. The whole process took less than thirty minutes. No muss, no fuss, no excuses. They walked in, the installed my service, they verified it, they walked out.

It is so nice not having to head out and go to the coffee shop or the library to see what email I have, what is going on in the world, whether anyone has yet read my blog from Antarctica.

I will be saving so much money now! Not only is the service I have subscribed to cheaper than the cable service I had before, but I don't have to pay for coffee to use the "free internet" at the coffee shop because my Comcast cable modem doesn't work!

But right now I need to post this and get the modem back to Comcast so that they can quit billing me.

Wherever you are today, I hope your internet connection (and your day) is clear and trouble-free!

Don Bergquist – July 08, 2010 – Lakewood, Colorado, USA

Happy birthday to my friend Pat

Happy birthday to my friend Cindy

Happy birthday to my friend Cathy

Summer In The Hayloft

It is truly interesting what you find when you start digging. For instance, I have long known that my Great Grandfather, Ernest Bergquist, built the barn at the family homestead. I had also been told before that it had been ordered from a catalogue and shipped to its present location on the farm. (Yeah! Right, Dad! Someone shipped the barn to Great Granddad! Like how many stamps would they need for that!)

Until my siblings and I found the packing crate that the barn was shipped in. The boards from the crate had been used to house the ventilation as it passed through the hayloft. That was when my siblings and I decided that the stories my dad proffered were sometimes true.

The barn was made by the James Manufacturing Company of Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin (which offered the Jamesway line of equipment). I've done a bit of research, just out of interest. It was a fairly common barn for its day. There are a number of sites out there that offer a history of the company and pictures of the products they sold. (Even the old Choreboy tracks that are in the barn are described in one of the sites I found!)

I cannot remember ever before actually seeing the hayloft empty, nearly empty, sure… each summer when we arrived to help bail hay, but never clean down to the floor. As a kid, I remember swinging from the ropes from the canted outer doors of the hayloft and falling into the loose hay that collected below. My cousins, when I was up there, recently, still swing on the loading ropes but with no soft landing, they could only swing, no plunging into soft, loose hay at the end. Bummer!

To get philosophical for a moment: Life is a summer afternoon with a half-full hayloft. It is something you have to experience to truly enjoy!

Wherever you are today, I hope you'll swing out and take the plunge.

Don Bergquist – July 07, 2010 – Lakewood, Colorado, USA

Happy birthday to my uncle Larry

Happy birthday to my friend Larry

Reall!? Can't You Do that Silently!?

The guy across the table is going to drive me nuts! (I know that many of you are thinking "short trip..." but I have two choice words for you guys. In the interest of maintaining my family friendly rating, let me just say that they aren't "happy birthday.")

It is Tuesday morning and I am in the public library (yes, Comcast is still unable to get my internet service restored!) working on my job search and the guy across the counter is reading.

At least I think he is reading. Perhaps he is trying to strike-up a conversation... but if that is the case, he shouldn't mumble so. And what he is saying makes no sense. Perhaps he is talking to the book. "Oh, there it is..." he says.

He has been mumbling at the same page of that book now for the past half-hour. I have to leave!

Still, I guess it is better than the two teenagers who are taking in voices way too loud for a library on the other side of the stack that I am sitting next to. I can hear every word of their conversation and it is really inappropriate for a public library!

I cannot wait to be able to this in the privacy of my own office again! That way the only annoyance I may have can be averted by just closing the door. That will keep Saga from interrupting me every thirty minutes!

Wherever you are today, I wish you an annoyance-free day to accomplish whatever needs to be done!

Don Bergquist - July 06, 2010 - Lakewood, Colorado, USA

Happy birthday to my friend Marilyn

Happy birthday to my cousin Ron

Oh, My God! My Dog's A Freak!

I cannot say why, but for the last day and a half Saga has been acting a bit odd. She wants to go out, then once we are out, she stands on the deck staring at the door. But if I open the door to let her in, she stares at the floor just inside the door as if it were crawling with spiders or something.

Last night, while it was raining, she wanted to go out and she stood in the rain staring at the door, oblivious to the fact that she was getting soaked. (She has always hated water!) This morning, on our walk in the park, she bolted out, did her business, and then bolted back. Once at the door she stood staring out at my neighbor's bedroom window.

Last night I might have chalked it up to the distant sounds of fireworks that I just couldn't hear (though she has never worried over fireworks before). This morning is a different story. It is not as though anyone was shooting off fireworks at five-thirty. I thought last night it might be because the weather radio kept going off (the robot voice of the National Weather Service causes her to tremble) but I doubt she would still be frightened about that ten hours later.

So, I guess I could chalk it up to her being her dam's whelp! That nut didn't drop far from the tree! Inka, the first Canaan Dog bitch I was ever introduced to (and Saga's dam) was a bit of a nutcase herself. I remember, when I was living with my friends who bred Saga, we'd be watching television and Inka would stare off into a corner of the room's ceiling which could in no way be characterized as interesting.

Then, occasionally, she'd "start a conversation" with the empty corner of the ceiling by barking, whining, and whinging at it. This would go on for a minute or two, then stop as suddenly as it had started. Inka, her part in this play satisfied, would ball herself up with her head on her back feet and snooze for a while until it was time to start all over again.

Saga had not displayed this trait of her lineage in any discernible way until recently. Perhaps it is all the time I am spending at home these days is just giving me more of a chance to see her doing it, but...

Ah well. I am sure that this is just another of the phases she occasionally goes through; no different than the phase where she used to take her cookies to hide all over the living room. I still occasionally find one tucked deep under the couch cushions. It does keep life interesting.

Wherever you are today I hope that someone keeps your life interesting!

Don Bergquist - July 05, 2010 - Lakewood, Colorado, USA

Happy birthday to my friend Helen

Happy Independence Day

Many years ago there was a comic strip I remember reading that explained Independence Day. I do not recall which particular strip it was but remember it as being one of the single-panel type (like Family Circus) in which one of the characters (a child) was explaining to another character the meaning of independence day.

The explanation went something to the affect that "Independence Day is when we stopped buying beds from the British because the taxes were too high!" Laugh, but the actual meaning of the holiday is increasingly obscured by the commercialism surrounding it. I was in the library yesterday when I overheard the librarian tell a child who had just checked out some books "Happy Independence Day!"

The cheeky little runt retorted (in a way that makes me imagine him turning and casting a scornful glance at the woman) "It's not 'Independence Day!' It's the fourth of July!" Out of the mouths of babes!

I guess it is no worse than the commercialism of any other holiday religious, civic, or patriotic. Santa fights high prices on candy at the local drugstore. Labor Day is the day to commemorate the hard-won rights of workers by spending your hard-earned money at 50% off sales. If they are remembered at all, civic holidays (such as Colorado Statehood day – August 01, 1876) serve only as filler materials on the evening news. And need I mention that there is no seeming tie-in between the chocolate distribution habits of a certain rabbit and the commemoration of the central mystery of Christianity?

So, in order to attempt to reverse this trend, I have decided to use my daily screed today to truly commemorate the hard-won independence of the country. I hope that you will remember that today is the date we commemorate the adoption of the declaration of independence. Two-hundred and thirty-four years ago the second continental congress approved of the Declaration of Independence (which two-days earlier they had resolved to draft).

The declaration is a statement, and indictment of the monarch of Great Britain (with whom the colonies were already at war) stating that as of the adoption of the document, the colonies considered themselves to rightfully be an independent nation, free from the tyrannies they suffered under the reign of King George III.

While not officially law, it is often quoted as the law of the land by some in the more radical media who seem to forget that, at the time it was drafted, the citizens of the "US" were still British subjects. It is not, law. But many of the ideas that Jefferson and the others on the committee of five who created the final draft included in it, are created and protected by the constitution which was created much later.

Today is the day to remember the initial steps that bought America, at terrible cost, its freedom. I hope that you will take a moment to reflect on the people who keep the United States a free nation. And remember we are a nation (to quote Abraham Lincoln) conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

So, my fellow Americans, I hope that wherever you are today, you will have a happy Independence Day!

Don Bergquist – July 04, 2010 – Lakewood, Colorado, USA

In Congress, July 4, 1776

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such disolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Independence Day

Happy birthday to my friend Chris

Saturday

It is amazing how much more laid back Saturdays are when you can get all the things that you would normally do on the weekends during the week. It's just after seven on a Saturday and my to-do list has only one thing left on it because I have been home all week.

Though, I am certainly hoping that this ability to get my errands run on the weekdays comes to an end soon, it is an interesting change from the work-a-day world.

Interviewing continues. I have been speaking with a few companies this month that seem interested in talking to me further. One will have to see what comes of the most recent interviews.

It does not appear that my presence will be required in Minnesota at this time, so I may pack Saga into the car and go up into the mountains for a few days. That would be nice!

Wherever you are today, I hope that your weekend is a great one!

Don Bergquist - July 03, 2010 - Lakewood, Colorado, USA

Greetings: McMurdo Station!

I wish to send my personal greetings to all the people braving out the dead of winter in McMurdo Station. I understand that it is the middle of your long night down there and, according to the stats on your home page, it is well below freezing, so I just thought a bit of color might brighten-up your day! Uh, night? (Do you still have days and nights in the winter?)

Actually, I don't know anybody down there, and with the exception of a colleague of mine who worked there for a year some years ago, never have. I just think that it is cool to think of the research that goes on down below the antarctic circle and know that with cold winds blowing snow at you for months, perhaps a bit of the summer colors might cheer you up. I thought pictures of sunrises and flowers might brighten your day. (Do you still call it day just because it is the AM hours?)

Besides that, this is a shameless ploy to put McMurdo Station into my blog in the hopes that someone down there finds the blog as the result of a search and visits don sees the world. There. I've said it. I hope that someone from McMurdo finds my blog and takes a look.

And I am not strictly looking for McMurdo. It was just the first one that came to mind. If anyone from the Amundsen-Scott South Pole station or the Palmer station happens upon the blog that would be cool too.

The real ulterior motive is that I want to see if I can get a visitor from the only continent that has yet to visit my blog. I know: I'm a shameless self-promoter and realized that my friend Mike has only five continents represented on his map (I didn't see a hit from Asia when I looked) and I had six. So I thought that if I could get someone from the Palmer Station, the South Pole Station, or the McMurdo Station to trip across me in a Google search, and take a look to see what it was I was saying about then, I would then have had visitors from all seven continents. That would be cool.

Well, that's the story. I hope that someone from WAY down under notices the page in Google and takes a look but if not... eh. You can't b lame me for trying.

Wherever you are today (er, tonight?) I hope that you're having a good day (or night)!

Don Bergquist - July 02, 2010 - Lakewood, Colorado, USA

Happy birthday to my friend Tonina

Well, This Does Not Bode Well!

They have yet to install my internet service and Qwest has already pissed me off!

It has been nearly a week since I called to place an order for internet service at my home to replace the service that Comcast cannot restore. Monday when I called I was told that the service would be installed Friday (tomorrow) and that they would take care of getting everything taken care of. I was also told that I would get a call and an email to follow-up on the order.

I called this morning to see what the deal was, as I had received neither the promised email nor the promised call. They did have a good reason, though, the reason was that the order was not going to be filled until the middle of the month. The installation was scheduled for the twelfth.

After discussing it with the rep on the phone today, it was moved up a bit. But not much. I don't know what I am going to do if Qwest eliminates themselves as well as Comcast. There are not that many ways to get internet service in my are. I suppose the next step will be mobile internet, but I have heard that can be ungodly expensive.

Oh well, as my friend and mentor, Ruthann used to say, "We'll just have to jump off that bridge when we get to it."

Wherever you are today, I hope that nobody has pissed you off this morning!

Don Bergquist - July 01, 2010 - Lakewood, Colorado, USA

Canada Day