Greetings From Frost Lake!

What A Difference A Week Makes

I have one quick question for all of my friends, family, and associates on the right: where is YOUR outrage!?

MINOs vs.ChINOs – There’s Such Balance In Nature!

Oh, my god! I finally get it! You got me! Ha Ha! I know, I’m a little slow to catch-onto the joke, sorry. All of this vitriol and bluster from the religious right that is aimed at Muslims in General is the world’s largest installment of performance art! I TOTALLY get it now! Ha!

Je Ne Suis Pas Français. Je Ne Suis Pas Parisien.

Je Suis Humain!

The slew of hashtags reading “Je suis Parisien” and “Je suis Français,” while perfectly understandable are, in my humble opinion totally missing the point. I propose that the more apropos hashtags for the actions of this week would be “Je suis humain.”

Battle Of The Billionaires

I promise! I really had very nearly talked myself out of writing this missive. Really, I had... but then saw a post on my facebook feed, so obviously untrue - and easily refuted, once again proving the premise of my screed and – BAM! Here it is!

So Sorry To Have Offended You!

Editor's Note: 
Today's post is part teachable moment, part "apology" to the smarmy telemarketer that I believe I might have offended a moment ago...

Enjoy.

Here's a new one – well, new to me at least... I'm sitting in my office, working on my materials for a meeting Monday night when someone, calling from a blocked number and speaking in some variant of English that I had encountered before, calls to tell me that I need to "provide myself with any pen and handy paper to take down a number."

Greetings From Frost Lake

Winter is on its way! 

Don Bergquist - November 01, 2015 - Lakewood, Colorado, USA

The Power Of The Purse

Is it just me or are ALL the stories on the “Liberal Media” missing one of the main points of the story of last night’s deal approving a raise to the budget ceiling? All the stories that I have heard and read talk about how “the President won” or how the Congress averted a fiscal catastrophe by passing a deal that raises the debt ceiling; all of them seem to hold the Congress as a blameless bystander in the whole sordid affair.

Panem et Circenses

“Already long ago, from when we sold our vote to no man, the People have abdicated our duties; for the People who once upon a time handed out military command, high civil office, legions — everything, now restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things: bread and circuses.”

Juvenal, Satire 10.77–81

Idiotocracy

Why does the political right in the US insist on running wholly unqualified candidates!? 

That Ain’t Right

"That Ain't Right"

by 
Thomas "Fats" Waller

"Baby, baby; What is the matter with you?
Ah! Baby, baby; What is the matter with you?
You got the world in a jug
And you've got nothin' to do"

Happy Birthday To My Brother!

Happy Birthday, Charles!

Greetings From Frost Lake

Going, Going, Gone! 

Don Bergquist - October 01, 2015 - Lakewood, Colorado, USA

Greetings From Frost Lake!

Elk out for a walk in the Windy Saddle

Real or Reality Show?

trumpery [truhm-puh-ree]

noun, plural: trumperies.1. something without use or value; rubbish; trash; worthless stuff.

2. nonsense; twaddle: "His usual conversation is pure trumpery."
3. Archaic. worthless finery.

adjective,4. of little or no value; trifling, worthless; rubbishy; trashy.

Etymology

Late Middle English/Middle French1425-1475; late Middle English trompery deceit < Middle French tromperie, equivalent to tromp (er) to deceive + -erie -ery

Source: Dictonary.com

Happy Birthday To My Brother!

Happy Birthday, Denis!

Greetings From Frost Lake!

My Morning Commute

Greetings From Frost Lake!

Crystal Creek Reservoir
Pikes Peak Highway

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Today would have been dad's birthday. Gone but not forgotten! 

Travel, Time, and Technology

As I sit writing this entry, in the First Class Cabin of a United flight from Denver to Newark, I am left to wonder at the way the world has changed. I’ve been reading a novel set in some indeterminate period of the past (train travel is still the big and hot thing in this book) and I marvel at the way the world has changed in the past half century.

You Are What You Read

In an attempt to better understand the Neo-Conservative mind, I decided to read the tome that they all seem to hold so dear: “Atlas Shrugged” by Ayn Rand. I am only about a third of the way through it, but can say that it is an interesting view in to the psyche of anyone who holds this book dear.

Eloquence

eloquence (el•o•kwence)

noun

1. fluent or persuasive speaking or writing.

"a preacher of great power and eloquence"

synonyms: fluency, articulateness, expressiveness, silver tongue, persuasiveness,forcefulness, power, potency, effectiveness
Example:

Bread And Circuses

“Already long ago, from when we sold our vote to no man, the People have abdicated our duties; for the People who once upon a time handed out military command, high civil office, legions — everything, now restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things: bread and circuses.”

Satire #10

Juvenal

Since When!?

Listening to the weekend talking heads programs this past weekend, the spokesperson for the "Family Research Council" came out with a statement that sounds wrong - but I have no way of proving or disproving.

Well, Excuse Me!

This classic Steve Martin line was brought to mind recently as I was reading comments to a picture I posted to a cousin’s facebook page. Without wanting to start the controversy all over again here, suffice it to say, the cousin had made a comment that the satirical picture reminded me of and the sentiment of the caption was one that we both appreciated.

Waiting For Spring

This week’s brief sprinkling of snow reminds me that winter – even though it is already spring – is not, necessarily over!

Springtime In The Rockies

Just a quick post today – the weather (as is its wont in this part of the world) has taken a quick dip into winter again – after weeks of springtime, we were treated to a few hours of winter last night and this morning that showed that once you expose denizens of Denver to spring weather they have to be re-trained for the winter.

HOME!

Being from Florida, I am surprised to say it, but you never miss the humidity until you return to it.

Departure

This morning, before heading out to have breakfast with my friend, I did a bit of study on travel alternatives. I have no idea how it will play-out as I write this at the hotel before I leave for the airport, but I know one thing for sure: I will be home tonight!

Greetings From Frost Lake!

Happy Spring, Everyone!

Departure (Almost)

I am about to meet my friend down at the pool bar for a drink. I would have been headed home from the Denver International Airport right about now, but for… Well, I am getting ahead of myself.

Indian Canyons

At the end of Palm Canyon drive in Palm Springs is the gate to Indian Canyons; a park on the Agua Caliente Indian reservation. It is another lovely example of what the faulting of the water table can do.

Palms To Pines

The actual road trip went the other way around, but in planning our day we decided to start in the desert and end in the mountains – it turned out to be a good idea!

Departure

I rarely say this about travel, but it was a LOVELY day! A friend of mine and I are taking a long-weekend to go to Palm Springs to do some geological road trips. I have been doing a bit of study of geology as of late; the first question I asked when I saw the mountains near my home when I moved here (years ago) was “How?”

…And So It Begins…

I wish that I didn’t love living here in Colorado so much. It would make it easier to seriously contemplate moving abroad for the next few months to escape the circus of avarice and deception that is the American Political System.

Vernal Equinox

Yeah! It's Finally Spring!

Tri-Color Snow Crocuses

Paranoia

par·a·noi·a (perƏ'noiƏ)

noun

a mental condition characterized by delusions of persecution, unwarranted jealousy, or exaggerated self-importance, typically elaborated into an organized system. It may be an aspect of chronic personality disorder, of drug abuse, or of a serious condition such as schizophrenia in which the person loses touch with reality.

synonyms:           persecution complex, delusions, obsession, psychosis

“Sharon’s paranoia prevented her from trusting the motives of Sam’s compliments.”

Sensationalism

sen·sa·tion·al·ism /sen'sa,SHehnl,izm/

noun

1. (especially in journalism) the use of exciting or shocking stories or language at the expense of accuracy, in order to provoke public interest or excitement."media sensationalism"

2. [PHILOSOPHY] another term for phenomenalism.

Confirmation Bias

"A confirmation bias is a type of cognitive bias that involves favoring information that confirms previously existing beliefs or biases. For example, imagine that a person holds a belief that left-handed people are more creative than right-handed people. Whenever this person encounters a person that is both left-handed and creative, they place greater importance on this "evidence" supporting their already existing belief. This individual might even seek out "proof" that further backs up this belief, while discounting examples that do not support this idea."~ What Is a Confirmation Bias?     about.com        http://psychology.about.com/od/cognitivepsychology/fl/What-Is-a-Confirmation-Bias.htm

Ridicule

rid·i·cule /'ridi,kyool/

noun
1. the subjection of someone or something to contemptuous and dismissive language or behavior.
"he is held up as an object of ridicule"
synonyms: contempt, derision, jeering, jibes, laughter, mockery, sarcasm, satire, scorn, scoffing, sneering, sneers, teasing, taunts, taunting; More...
antonyms: respect

verb
1. to subject (someone or something) to contemptuous and dismissive language or behavior.
"his theory was ridiculed and dismissed"
synonyms: burlesque, caricature, deride, heap scorn on/upon, jeer at, jibe at, lampoon, laugh at, mock, parody, satirize, sneer at, taunt, tease, treat with contempt; More...

Greetings From Frost Lake

March comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb.
~ English Proverb

…By Any Other Name…

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
 By any other name would smell as sweet."

 ~ Juliet

 (From Romeo & Juliet, Act II, Scene 2)

"Average!?"

"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

~ Inigo Montoya

(From The Princess Bride)

Greetings From Frost Lake!

Second Verse – Same As The First

“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

 ~ Albert Einstein

(Attributed)

Greetings From Frost Lake!