Thought these pictures were cool

© Bruno Barbey / Magnum Photos

Favorite bagel

You Are a Cinnamon Raisin Bagel

You are warm, loving, and genuinely selfless. You enjoy comforting other people, and you easily fall into the roll of caretaker. Of all the types, you're the most likely to be an excellent cook. You tend to have something delicious for breakfast that you've cooked up for everyone.

What Kind of Bagel Are You?

Selected Olympic Photographs

Good magazine - literally!

I found out about Good magazine while browsing articles on a blog. Based on what I have read so far on its websites, mainly from the about section and a few articles, I think it is a pretty neat magazine. As the about section reads: "GOOD is the integrated media platform for people who want to live well and do good. We are a company and community for the people, businesses, and NGOs moving the world forward. GOOD's mission is to provide content, experiences, and utilities to serve this community." Since I am really into volunteer work, and plan to do it for the foreseeable future, this mission is really appealing to me, personally. I plan to check out the actual print publication in stores to learn more about it, before trying to subscribe.

More on Mindfulness

I just completed reading The Power of Mindful Learning. It certainly took a while but I was busy with other stuff. At any rate, it was an eyeopening book, and I plan to read it and Ellen's other major work, Mindfulness, again at some point in the near future. However, I would like to post a few quotations from the book that I thought give further insight into the concept of Mindfulness.

Mindfulness

Controls reality by identifying several possible perspectives from which any situation may be viewed

A process of stepping back from both perceived problems and perceived solutions to view situations as novel

A process through which meaning is given to outcomes

Developed from an actor's ability to experience personal control by shifting perspectives

Depends on the fluidity of knowledge and skills and recognizes both advantages and disadvantages in each

On Hopefulness: update

I would like to add Hopefulness as one of the qualities I admire. I had some reservations about the idea of hopefulness because it struck me as an optimism that obscured reality and, consequently, provided a false sense of comfort. But a person does not have to be blind to reality to be hopeful; hopefulness, in my view, requires basically an optimistic disposition and a willingness to imagine, and believe in, a better outcome. One of my favorite films is Shawshank Redemption, and the remarks at the end are among the most moving I have read or heard: "I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope." Hope gives life its meaning and elevates our sense of what's possible.

Live 365

My Lastfm facebook application is down for some reason. Anyway, another site I check out occasionally is live365. Although a paid service, many of the stations are free. I obviously listen to mostly folk and soul, but I also check out tunes from other genres.

http://www.live365.com/index.live

Best Comic Book Based Flick Ever

The Dark Knight was brilliant. Definitely see it, or see it again if you saw it already.

I think EW has it right: it is the best comic book based movie in movie history.

Later on, I will rank my favorite flicks so far this year.

The Eight New Natural Wonders

Surtsey Island, Iceland
Formed by volcanic eruptions in the 1960's, Surtsey was declared a natural reserve in 1965, allowing only a limited number of scientists to the island.

Pierre Vauthey / Corbis



Mount Sangingshan National Park, China
Located in eastern China's Jiangxi province, Sangingshan contains an array of forested and fantastically shaped granite pillars and peaks concentrated in a relatively small area.

John Wang / Getty



Monarch Butterfly Biosphere, Mexico
Every year, millions of monarch butterflies wait for the end of the winter season in close-packed clusters in the Oyamel fir forests.

Danny Lehman / Corbis



Sardona Tectonic Arena, Switzerland
An object of fascination for over 200 years, the region features a break in the Earth's crust, where older rocks rest above younger formations.

Pedro Rosabal / IUCN



Joggins Fossil Cliffs, Canada
The most complete known fossil record of terrestrial life, Joggins is over 300 million years old. The remains of the first reptiles are visible here.

Wesley Hill / IUCN



Saryarka, Kazakhstan
A largely undisturbed area of Central Asian steppe and lakes in the Korgalzhyn and Naurzum state nature reserves, Saryarka is a crucial stopover point for globally threatened species and provides feeding grounds for up to 15 million birds.

Chris Magin / IUCN



Socotra Archipelago, Yemen
Nicknamed the Galapagos of the Indian Ocean, Socotra is host to nearly 700 flora and fauna species not found anywhere else in the world.

Khaled Fazaa / AFP / Getty



New Caledonia, France (Colony)
The tropical lagoons and coral reefs of New Caledonia form one of the three most extensive reef systems in the world. They provide habitat to a number of threatened fish and marine mammals.

Lionel Isy-schwart / Getty

Copyright © 2008 Time Inc. All rights reserved.

TLS Top 100 Movies of all time

The Times Literary Supplement, the acclaimed but overpriced book review, recently came out with its list of top 100 movies. I was happy to see that my favorite flick, Casablanca, was deemed best movie. There were a few surprises, however, like There Will be Blood (which I did not see, but will try to check out as soon as I can) and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (which I did see, and count as one of my favorites, but did not expect it to be this highly regarded). Also the comments in the "have your say" section highlight other questionable inclusions and omissions. Anyway, without further ado, here is the list.

Strawberry Swing

I have listened to some songs on Coldplay's new album and read a few articles about it, and I really like what I have heard and read. The song I like best is Strawberry Swing; and the few others I have heard are almost as good. I have also read about the record sales, which are among the best this year. I think Coldplay deserves all the sales and critical acclaim they've received. They are an incredibly gifted band and they never cease to amaze. Anyway, I definitely plan to get the new album.

Gentileza - Marisa Monte

Meaning of Mindfulness

I thought I should disentangle the definition of Thoughtfulness as being partly about Wisdom and partly about Mindfulness. Although I believe Mindfulness can lead to discernment and good judgment, Mindfulness and Wisdom are to a large extent quite distinct. I should also elaborate more on what Mindfulness is about. Most people have heard of the term in its eastern context, and indeed there are many similarities between the eastern and western understanding of the concept. According to the website mindfulness.com, the eastern understanding, which deals with meditation, means: ". . . being aware of your present moment. You are not judging, reflecting or thinking. You are simply observing the moment in which you find yourself. Moments are like a breath. Each breath is replaced by the next breath. You're there with no other purpose than being awake and aware of that moment. As John Kabit Zinn says reflecting on a Japanese mindfulness puzzle: 'Wherever you go, there you are.'" Similarly, here is how a short excerpt from an article at findarticles.com defines Mindfulness in its western context:

"Mindfulness is not an easy concept to define but can be best understood as the process of drawing novel distinctions. It does not matter whether what is noticed is important or trivial, as long as it is new to the viewer. Actively drawing these distinctions keeps us situated in the present. It also makes us more aware of the context and perspective of our actions than if we rely upon distinctions and categories drawn in the past. Under this latter situation, rules and routines are more likely to govern our behavior, irrespective of the current circumstances, and this can be construed as mindless behavior. The process of drawing novel distinctions can lead to a number of diverse consequences, including (1) a greater sensitivity to one's environment, (2) more openness to new information, (3) the creation of new categories for structuring perception, and (4) enhanced awareness of multiple perspectives in problem solving. The subjective 'feel' of mindfulness is that of a heightened state of involvement and wakefulness or being in the present. This subjective state is the inherent common thread that ties together the extremely diverse observable consequences for the viewer. Mindfulness is not a cold cognitive process. When one is actively drawing novel distinctions, the whole individual is involved."

Wisdom: selected quotations

Alex Noble: If I have been of service, if I have glimpsed more of the nature and essence of ultimate good, if I am inspired to reach wider horizons of thought and action, if I am at peace with myself, it has been a successful day.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer: To understand reality is not the same as to know about outward events. It is to perceive the essential nature of things. The best-informed man is not necessarily the wisest. Indeed there is a danger that precisely in the multiplicity of his knowledge he will lose sight of what is essential. But on the other hand, knowledge of an apparently trivial detail quite often makes it possible to see into the depth of things. And so the wise man will seek to acquire the best possible knowledge about events, but always without becoming dependent upon this knowledge. To recognize the significant in the factual is wisdom.

Reinhold Niebuhr: God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things which should be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.

Igor Stravinsky: I have learned throughout my life as a composer chiefly through my mistakes and pursuits of false assumptions, not by my exposure to founts of wisdom and knowledge.

True Colors - Phil Collins

Thoughtfulness and Compassion

Thoughtfulness - I wrote recently about wisdom, specifically "discernment" and "judgment", which is only part of what I interpret Thoughtfulness to mean. The other part is mindfulness. I learned about mindfulness theory by reading Ellen Langer's acclaimed book. In that book, Ellen sought to differentiate mindfulness from mindlessness, awareness from routine. But I take the idea of mindfulness to mean more than being aware; it is having a confident, positive, imaginative mindset. For a more indepth explanation of mindfulness theory, please check out Ellen's book or look up her research online (findarticles.com, for example, has a few articles on the subject).

Compassion - I define this quality as simply being humane or caring about humanity. I read a few years ago in a book about virtue ethics that compassion is essentially doing the things we would for someone we actually loved. Take for example a homeless person on a street corner who is terribly hungry: we don't "love" this person in the sense we do a loved one, such as a family member, but if we are compassionate, we nonetheless care for this person and treat them "as if" this person were close to us. Also, much like love, compassionate acts are selfless for the most part and never self promoting.

Meaning of Wisdom

Before I write about Thoughtfulness and Compassion, I want to say a few things about wisdom. I have been thinking about this word ever since Toni Morrison mentioned it in her endorsement of Obama. She pointed out that wisdom is more valuable and scarcer than experience. What exactly is wisdom and why is it so important? Here is how several dictionaries define wisdom. Two words stand out from the definitions listed: discernment, judgment. I actually interpret Thoughtfulness partly the same way (the other part deals with the idea of mindfulness). In my next blog entry I will try to talk a little bit more about this quality.

Some qualities I admire

Love - this is the quality I admire the most and informs the majority of my perspective on life and the choices I make. For me, love is more than doing things to make other people feel loved, although it is certainly that to a large extent - it is doing things that are in their best interest, even if it may appear unpopular at first glance - it is sacrificing one's self in order to ulimately lift up the person or persons one loves. Why does love make people sacrifice? Because the person someone loves is really a part (an important part) of who he or she is; this person, in other words, gives meaning, joy, hope, purpose - life itself - to the person who loves.

Dedication - in order of admiration, I like this quality second. I always strive to be a dedicated person, although I sometimes fall short. How exactly do I define dedication? I see it as being sincere, passionate and committed in one's convictions. It is following through on promises and not giving up when the going gets tough. What dedication does not mean, insofar as I would definite it, is "winning at all cost" or "putting self above service". Dedication is only an admirable quality if is conducted in a good faith way and employed in the service of worthwhile goals.

Peace - this is an important quality. For me, peace is not simply a state of mind, nor should it be confused with pacificism. A better word to describe my view of peace would be "conflict transformation." Peace, in my view, is the decisions we make and the manner in which we engage potential conflict - choosing diplomacy over belligerance, for example. It means changing the underlining structures that cause conflict or making decisions that would lead to lasting peace. (To be sure, there are instances where the methods of peaceful engagement are insufficient, such as genocide and the like, and in those cases it is advisable to utilize more forceful methods. But our inclination, I believe, should be to utilize peaceful means first and foremost).

. . .

This concludes Part 1 of my post on this topic. Next blog entry will include my thoughts on the following: Thoughtfulness, Compassion.

On Love and Change

Two songs that have been on my mind lately

Mayer

Wonder

Brief comments

Most of my blog "posts" will be done on my facebook site. I put the word posts in quotation marks because they will be mostly bookmarked articles (of topics I care about; music reviews; movie reviews; and regular columns, such as On Language, Essay feature in NYBR) and videoclips. On this blog, I will post, as I have noted previously, photographs, brief comments on random topics and my impressions of a music cd or book I particulary enjoyed.

Blog notes . . .

Some of the blog entries have been deleted. Unless I have something important to write about, most of the entries going forward would be photographs

Here is a picture of Obama at Oregon rally, as promised

Update on computer situation

I probably will not be posting as much as I have in the past because computer has been taken to a shop for repairs. Unfortunately, it would take approximately two to three weeks to fix.

Note on computer situation

My computer is not working, unfortunately. Hopefully it will get fixed soon.

75,000: Record crowd for Obama in Oregon

Photo later on

Quotations on Justice / Peace

Extreme justice is extreme injustice.
[Lat., Summum jus, summa injuria.] - Cicero (Marcus Tullius Cicero) (often called "Tully" for short),
De Officiis (I, 10

The principles of justice are chosen behind a veil of ignorance. - John Rawls

Peace is the work of justice indirectly, in so far as justice removes the obstacles to peace; but it is the work of charity (love) directly, since charity, according to its very notion, causes peace. - Thomas Aquinas

Without forgiveness, there's no future. - Desmond Tutu

I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice. - Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865), speech in Washington D.C., 1865

Peace, in the sense of the absence of war, is of little value to someone who is dying of hunger or cold. It will not remove the pain of torture inflicted on a prisoner of conscience. It does not comfort those who have lost their loved ones in floods caused by senseless deforestation in a neighboring country. Peace can only last where human rights are respected, where the people are fed, and where individuals and nations are free. - The Dalai Lama

Many that live deserve death. And some die that deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then be not too eager to deal out death in the name of justice, fearing for your own safety. Even the wise cannot see all ends. - R. R. Tolkien (1892 - 1973

True peace is not merely the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice. - Martin Luther King Jr

Brief amendment to blog entry below

I should perhaps mention, also, that counterterrorism is a legitimate rationale for the use of force. Although I do think, and Just War does go into some detail about this, that civilian casaulties should be avoided and it is important to always take the moral high ground. That said, there are a few topics archived on my myspace blog that I thought were interesting, and I will probably post one of those blog entries here in the near future.

Plains of Rural Texas

The Texas Hill Country, a swath of about 15 rural counties just west of Austin and San Antonio, has not changed much in the last 10 years. In the heart of the region is Enchanted Rock State Park, where cattle roam.

Photo: Mark Graham for The New York Times



Along Route 16 between Kerrville and Medina, Tex.

Photo: Mark Graham for The New York Times



A foggy sunrise on Lake L.B.J. near Marble Falls, Tex.

Photo: Mark Graham for The New York Times

Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company

Happy Mother's Day

Eustress, or epiphany of forgotten ideals

I could have named this entry “the times, they are a-changin’”, after the classic Bob Dylan song. Certainly this was the - somewhat nostalgic - impression I got after a discussion I had with my sister about life in New York. But it is the experiences, filled, as they are, with fond memories of a life that was alternately marked with grandiose dreams and uncompromising hardships, which made life in New York so indelibly meaningful. And although I do not see myself living in New York again for any extended period of time, those experiences I have had still continue to color the life I live today and my hopes for the future in ways that are not readily apparent. For example, my three favorite magazines all have the name “New York” in them. Also, I recall, as a student at a university coincidently with the words “New York” in its name, occasionally browsing journal articles on political theory in the computer lab – a seemingly idle way to spend one’s time, but possibly prescient given my current interest in ethics? Actually I believe those periods of unbridled hope are what’s important; they are the reason I remember New York so fondly, in spite of all the not so good things; and those times, and others like them, are why I am grateful for all I have been blessed with in life.

Picturesque, Avant Gardens

Jardin des Hesperides, 2006
This installation in Montreal has paths of stark white seashells winding through local green algae and vetiver grasses dotted with wild irises. A saffron-coloured lantern looms oversized and weightless in a reflective pond.

Cao Perrot Studio



Glass Bubble, 2006
Monika Gora formed this glass bubble overlooking the Malmo harbour in Sweden. Inside, the climate allows tree ferns, camellias, citrus and magnolias to grow.

Monika Gora



Le Havre, 2005
Designer Claude Cormier organized this basic palette of five colors across thousands of strands of thin Christmas balls.

Claude Cormier



Oak Savanna Vineyard, 2004
This pond is bounded by two fifteen foot high curving walls, with an added decked platform, which provides a diving point, a space for family gatherings, dinner for two and fund-raising events for a party for 300!

Ron Lutsko



Heiner Metzger Platz, Neu Ulm, 2005
An in innocation typical of designer Herbert Dreiseitl, the sheets of water give the illusion of liquid curtains

Herbert Dreiseitl



Tokyo, Japan, 1998
At the Kohjimachi-kaikan hotel, Shunmyo Masuno's tranquil planting and gentle waterfall evoke the serenity of an outdoor garden.

Shunmyo Masuno

Copyright © 2008 Time Inc. All rights reserved.

In the time of Trees

Poland
"Trees are sanctuaries. Whoever knows how to speak to them, whoever knows how to listen to them, can learn the truth. They do not preach learning and precepts, they preach undeterred by particulars, the ancient law of life."
- Hermann Hesse, Wandering



Borneo
"The best friend of earth of man is the tree. When we use the tree respectfully and economically, we have one of the greatest resources on the earth."
- Frank Lloyd Wright



Morocco
"The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit."
- Nelson Henderson



Germany
"The wonder is that we can see these trees and not wonder more."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson



Scotland
"Acts of creation are ordinarily reserved for gods and poets. To plant a pine, one need only own a shovel."
- Aldo Leopold



Argentina
"It is not so much for its beauty that the forest makes a claim upon men's hearts, as for that subtle something, that quality of air that emanates from old trees, that so wonderfully changes and renews a weary spirit."
- Robert Louis Stevenson



Mexico
"Except during the nine months before he draws his first breath, no man manages his affairs as well as a tree does."
- George Bernard Shaw



China
"If you reveal your secrets to the wind you should not blame the wind for revealing them to the trees."
- Khalil Gibran

Photographs by Stuart Franklin / Magnum

Copyright © 2008 Time Inc. All rights reserved.

A retreat for Dr King

Photo: Stephen Morton for The New York Times



Photo: Stephen Morton for The New York Times



Photo: Stephen Morton for The New York Times

Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company

For the "good" of the party

Obama’s supporters are increasingly calling on Clinton to quit. This obviously seems harsh, particularly for Clinton’s more ardent supporters, many of whom feel Clinton, due to her much-talked about experience, would make a better president. We can debate whether her “experience” is all it is cracked up to be, but the bottom line is this: “experience” is no longer a compelling argument for her candidacy at this point in the campaign. The message of “change” has already won, given Obama’s current lead in the delegate count, states won and popular vote. The only hope Clinton has is through the super delegates, and the only way the super delegates will feel comfortable overturning the will of the voters is if Obama stumbles mightily or there is some devastating thing revealed about him

And therein lie the problem for Clinton: she can only win by going negative against Obama, but in so doing she is not only hurting the Democratic candidate Republicans will most likely face in the fall, she is turning off the super delegates whose support she is paradoxically seeking to solicit. I, for one, would not go so far as to say that she should leave; I think her candidacy is a historic one, and she may well have a positive role to play by creating excitement about the Democrats’ prospect in the fall. But taking things too far might further deepen the lines of division among the Democratic electorate, which could leave whoever emerges –or survives the trench war, basically – mortally wounded come the final leg of the race in the fall.

The week in pictures

Participants gathered in Union Square for the third annual New York City Pillow Fight on Saturday. It was one of many organized pillow fights around the country.



Nancy Birnbaum and her mother, Margie, strolled along Central Park South on Sunday after watching the Easter Parade on Fifth Avenue. Sunny skies and seasonal temperatures brought New Yorkers out to the parade.



Antiwar protesters march in Union Square as the country observed the fifth anniversary of the Iraq war on Saturday.



Cynthia Cowens attended an Easter service at Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem on Sunday.



Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg introduced Senator Barack Obama, who gave a speech about the economy at Cooper Union on Thursday.

Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company

2007 Youtube Video Awards

And the winners are - drum roll - click here to find out.

Profile in courage

Earlier I read an article in the IHT where a moderate Republican, who like many was heartened by Obama’s speech, relay why it is that she was so attracted to Obama’s candidacy. Discovering Obama accidentally – she was assigned his book Dreams From My Father as member of a book club – she said one of the most appealing things about Obama was that he “understands the validity of everyone’s point of view, he incorporates that into his own thinking and approach.” I have noticed that, too. Another interesting observation that gives a window into his political style and approach is his admiration of Lincoln. One of his favorite books, I believe, is Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Team of Rivals. In that book, Goodwin talked about how Lincoln included in his cabinet people who were once political adversaries. On the campaign trail, similarly, I believe I heard Obama indicate a willingness, although being avowedly progressive, to do just that if he is elected. In handling the recent crisis – and I agree that it is unreasonable to expect congregants to share the political views of their pastors – Obama’s approach demonstrated grace under pressure, honesty and reconciliation as opposed to confrontation and defensiveness. This was certainly Obama’s “profile in (moral) courage.”

Courtesy of Elena: what if, indeed?!

Weekend in Pasadena, California

Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company

Thoughts on the Democratic primary

This primary election is an unusual one in many ways. Supporters of Clinton and Obama – most of whom are Democratic voters, though some are independents or new to the process - have obviously been extremely passionate, and unfortunately some of have resorted to tearing down “the opposition” rather than speaking in a fair and constructive way about both candidates in the race, particularly given that (at least with regard to Democratic voters) each belong to the same party. But there are several issues that make this primary election different from ones in the past: first, it is the first campaign in history where the two final contenders include a woman and a person of color; second, it is first primary election where cable television and the internet, and blogs, have played such a prominent role in terms of the dissemination of information and framing the discussion; and third, it is the first primary election, at least that I could recall, where the generational split among voters was so pronounced. I believe all these factors have added to the fierceness of the discussion on the blogs. On the one hand, this could be viewed as a good thing: having such an outpouring of citizen participation invigorates the political process and holds candidates more accountable to the views of voters. On the other hand, thought, there is a danger that the immerging polarization could become further entrenched as the election comes to what seems likely to be a bitter end; if this is the case, it could well have negative repercussions for eventual Democratic nominee in the general election.

Although I have lived abroad, and consequently do have a somewhat “international” perspective on this election, I would have to concede that, due in part my relatively young age of 29, I cannot assess this election from a historical perspective, at least in any significant depth. Most of the campaigns I have witnessed actually date from the ‘92 election to present. I tend not to think, however, that the election so far has been “mild.” There have been scurrilous insinuations about drug issue, “fairy tale,” Manchurian duplicity, and the current controversy surrounding Obama’s relationship to his former pastor (which has been discussed and analyzed incessantly by media talking heads, at the expense of more pressing issues in the campaign and, of course, Obama’s standing in the polls). Clinton, in my view, has faced less negative attention in this election, either from the press or from the Obama campaign; her complaints about negative coverage always seemed calculated to force the media to scrutinize Obama further, which obviously they have now done full-court press. Do I think this is how elections should be conducted? No. I believe some press scrutiny is warranted, but excessive negativity could have the effect of turning off voters newly interested in the process and reaffirming the cynicism of those who have been disengaged. As someone who has participated only occasionally in political campaigns (the only candidates I have ever for prior to this election were Hillary Clinton in her first New York senate run and Gore), one of the things I was most attracted to in Obama was his desire to change the gridlock in Washington by giving voters a greater voice in how things are done. Over the past couple weeks or so, that hope has been severely tested.

Thoughts on future blog postings

I have decided, on second thought, to leave my myspace blog postings at myspace. Also, I probably will not post pictures as regularly as I suggested in an earlier blog post. Instead, I will just post random thoughts about subjects I may be thinking of or that are currently in the news. I may even post some of my blog postings on the Times website here. Anyway, that's basically all for now.

What is there to say?

Nothing much happening. Just hanging in there - reading, going to work, watching silly stuff on TV - you, the usual. I saw a couple trailers of movies scheduled to open in the summer. Some of these movies - The Incredible Hulk, Batman - seem really exciting and I look forward to seeing them. What else? I haven't gone to the video store in a long while. Not that I really need to: I have seen most of the good movies (or the movies I thought were good, at least) that opened last year. Anyway; that's all for now.

Rock carving on a grand scale

Rock carving on a grand scale. By dating mineral deposits left behind in caves, geologists traced the rate of erosion of the Grand Canyon's formation. They found that the canyon's origins go back at least 17 million years and that there were originally two not-so-grand canyons that subsequently merged about six million years ago.
Photo: Doug Powell

First blog entry

This is a test entry as well as an introduction of sorts. I hope to post stuff on this blog periodically, probably once per week. I will also look into updating some of the stuff I posted on my myspace blog on this blog. And, in addition to the random musing about god knows what, alot of my blog postings will be pictures of important places, special events and so on. Anyway, I am excited to be doing the blog thing; should be pretty interesting.