2006 is coming

We have no New Year's eve plans and I hope it stays that way. The snow pack at Schweitzer is currently building, so that downhill skiing on New Year's Day appears attractive. If we start early on January 1, we'll avoid much of the holiday crowd, impeded by late night partying. Until then, we'll avoid the downhill slopes, cluttered by the holiday skiers - and try more skate skiing.

In the last few days I've been reading some semi-recent Chomsky interviews discussing, among other items, the situation in Iraq. Many people I know swallow the party line - be it democratic or republican. It is refreshing to hear from Chomsky, who does meticulous and thorough research and then reports the dispassionate, unvarnished conclusions. It threatens the party liners, who must then apply labels to him in an effort to discredit his conclusions. They never critique the underlying research, just apply labels.

Richard
2005.12.30

Fantasy Films Post Narnia

I was watching a documentary earlier this week on the creation of the first film in the Narnia series and had a glimpse of the next generation of fantasy films beyond Narnia. It goes like this:
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1. The main elements/characters of the film will be imbued with artificial intelligence capabilities including the ability to learn.

2. Initial resources will be granted to those entities and the artificial world will be started.

3. The story will not be guided by an external plot, but evolve according to the artificial intelligence capabilities, the initial resources, and probability.

4. The evolution and outcome of the story can vary from one viewing to the next.

5. Some film goers will like it; film critics will go nuts.
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Note for those who prefer to call the Narnia stories religious rather than fantasy, please excuse the fact that I don't see the distinction.

Richard
2005.12.18

New Tricks for an Old Dog

With snow a bit too thin for carefree downhill skiing and the back country heavily tracked, what do we do while waiting for new snow? Eli got into skate skiing a few years ago and I tried it once at the end of last season with marginal success (I didn't quite die). While still bewildered by the experience, I purchased skate skis and poles on sale. Now a season later, I rented boots and tried skate skiing both Friday and Saturday on Schweitzer's rather hilly xcountry trail system.

Eli picked up the skate skiing technique immediately, back when she first started - as expected for one who is Norway born. However, I am a slow learner. Nevertheless, I was moving more toward aerobic output on Saturday, after a 93.7% anaerobic Friday. So that's my new sport going into my 65th birthday.

Although the Schweitzer xcountry terrain is challenging, the scenery is special - and as my technique improves, the pain should subside. I am already enjoying the activity. Today I researched boots on the web and also talked to some informed people and, as a result, ordered a pair costing a mere fraction of my yearly salary.

We may go out again a few times before my boots are delivered. Perhaps the added exposure will persuade me to burn the new boots upon their arrival.

My 65th birthday next Tuesday may see me skate skiing with Eli in the later afternoon and then catching dinner at L'Arcadie, the French restaurant at Schweitzer. But if there is sufficient new snow, our plans will assuredly change.

Richard
2005.12.17

Another Insincere Winter?

It's too early to tell, but the start of our North Idaho winter is looking uncomfortably like last year's drought. The Schweitzer ski area is open, but in dire need of new snow. We've done some xcountry and outback skiing and are still hoping for a heavy winter. I bought new skins for our back country skis, but need to trim them to size. Maybe that will happen today.

Wednesday and Thursday nights we'll stay at Schweitzer for our annual celebration of events grouped around this time - our anniversary, my birthday, and the winter solstice - but not yet Christmas. We'll celebrate Christmas later with friends, when the appropriate time comes. Our sons, Nik and Jim, will also join us then, according to current plans.

Although I have resigned at work effective January 1, I will continue to work on a part time basis. Eli just finished her studio art degree (her second baccalaureate), but will continue to take art classes until June closes down the academic year.

Next academic year's work activities are, as yet, unknown. There are two non conflicting possibilities which may or may not materialize, one in Canada and the other in Macedonia. By April, we'll know more.

Richard
2005.12.13