tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53404224342057007382024-03-12T23:39:59.416-07:00Mr. Polehn writesLife, opinions, etc...Daniel Polehnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03209911982798898578noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340422434205700738.post-25158629159845968102021-01-18T11:48:00.003-08:002021-01-18T11:48:48.578-08:00Some Goals for 2021I have had a lot of time by myself recently. I'm working away from home for a few months and my family hasn't been with me for several weeks of that. I've tried my best to use that time for some productive self reflection, contemplation, navel gazing, etc. The product of that is a list of goals for the year. I wanted to put (some of) these out there publicly for some positive social pressure.<div><br /></div><div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Recreation & Relationship</h2></div><div>To start off, I'd like a little more fun in my life. And I'd like to have that fun with people who I cherish.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Have at least one meaningful, memorable one on one experience with each of my children. </h3><div>This time apart from my family has highlighted just how valuable time spent together is. We're pretty good at finding ways to have fun all together at home. We play board games, read books aloud (we read the first four Harry Potter books last year), spend time outdoors, etc. But I have not been very good at spending one on one time with my kids. </div><div><br /></div><div>I don't think this needs to be extravagant, but I do think it needs to be memorable and fun for each kid individually. </div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Go on two backpacking trips</h3><div>I went on my first backpacking trip this last July. It was a great way to camp. Had lots of time for good conversation, climbed a small mountain, got lots of peaceful sleep. It was beautiful. I want more of that in my life. I had a few lessons learned from the last trip. I packed too much and we planned too many miles each day. When we got back my feet were a wreck. These two trips this year will be shorter and easier, though hopefully no less enjoyable.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm hoping that at least one of these trips can be a meaningful, memorable one on one experience with one of my kids... but, we'll see.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Read six books just for fun</h3><div>Something that might be clear from looking at the sparse archives of this blog is that I enjoy reading. However, I tend to read with a purpose in mind, to learn something specific that I want to apply to my life. While I find learning to be very fun, I'd also like to start reading just for pure enjoyment more often. Maybe more fiction? Maybe some non-fiction on random topics that interest me but don't necessarily add value in any obvious way? I'm not putting a lot of guard rails on this one. </div><div><br /></div><div>Likely this will include the last three Harry Potter books.</div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Health and Fitness</h2><div>Goals to help future me be an active gray haired old man.</div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Injury Free Exercise</h3><div>A few years ago I was trying to <a href="https://dpolehn.blogspot.com/2017/08/about-goals-and-failing-them.html">do too much too quickly with running</a> this resulted in a knee injury. That put me out for a lot longer than I wanted to admit. After finally caving in and getting some physical therapy (dang you pride) and some clear, professional guidance on how to prevent that in the future I've been able to start back up again. <br /><br />This is probably a meta goal that I should have every year. However, I'm going to make it a focus for this year because my tendency is to push myself harder than is wise. I need to build some habits that will carry me into the future. The visions for this looks like a lot of low pace, low intensity cardio (zone 2 heart rate training) with a healthy mix of strength and mobility exercise. Mostly running, at home yoga and calisthenics.</div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Personal Best 10k Time</h3><div>While I ultimately want to get back into triathlon, running is the most accessible endurance sport for me right now. It's also the one with the right mix of being challenging and fun. As noted above, training for this is going to be mostly a lot of running slow, "building my aerobic engine". However, I'll also add in a little interval and threshold workouts, which I've never done before. </div><div><br /></div><div>My personal best time according to Strava is <a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/1537009057#3336358032">51:34</a>. I would be pretty impressed with myself if I could get down below 50 minutes but for this sake of this goal, I'll take 51:33.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Weigh less than 180 lbs</h3><div>I've been overweight for, dare I say it, my entire life. While I'm considerably less overweight than I have ever been before, I'm still just above the "normal" BMI range. Being less than 180 will put me right at the top end of that "normal" range and is definitely in the realm of achievable this year. Target date is May 1st.</div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Financial</h2><div>Nothing terribly interesting here. <a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/dave-ramsey-7-baby-steps">Working the baby steps</a>.</div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Have a 3 month emergency fund.</h3><div>Get a little more financial peace of mind, being able to handle the unexpected. </div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Add to college savings</h3><div>I'd like to set my kids up to be able to get a higher education without going into debt. This years small goal is just to get each of their accounts up to $5k. Not nearly enough for full tuition, but a humble start.</div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Learning & Creativity</h2><div>Something that came out of this period of self reflection is the fact that I'd really like to have my own business someday. Mentally and emotionally this is seems risky and too disruptive to me. I know I can make it feel less so by eating this elephant one bite at a time.</div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Read 4 "business" books.</h3><div>I'd like to read at least one book a quarter to better understand the inner workings of business. This can be any subject but I'll probably gravitate towards the operations side of things.</div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Read 2 "leadership" books</h3><div>Potentially related to the above but not necessarily. I'd like to have a better tool kit around how to communicate and motivate a team more effectively.</div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Sell Something</h3><div>Selling is an aspect of business I know the least about. While this is not something I'm passionate about, I'd like just a little more experience in my life. Even if this just a well crafted craigslist post for a piece of furniture I no longer need, I'd like to sell something this year. </div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Write a business plan</h3><div>Stretching my creative muscles a little more, I'd like to write a business plan. This doesn't have to be something I actually want to execute on, but simply thinking through and writing out the creative process of starting a business. Who knows, maybe something could come of this excersize.</div><div><br /></div>Daniel Polehnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03209911982798898578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340422434205700738.post-4137295863869422432020-04-17T08:40:00.005-07:002020-04-17T08:45:44.850-07:00Book Review: Tribes<i> Tribes</i> by Seth Godin is a quick read on leadership. I read this book because it was listed on "Books every leader needs to read" or some such similarly named list. <br />
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There are some good bits to glean out of this short book. I'll try to condense them here:<br />
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Managers are not by nature leaders. Managers allocate resources to accomplish a defined outcome. Leaders change things by setting a vision and building a tribe around that vision.<br />
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Tribes are everywhere big and small. Mega-tribes, sub-tribes, etc.<br />
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Leadership is inherent risky. But far less risky than our minds tend to think. This is evidenced by the many failures of several highly successful leaders. (Think Elon Musk and the <a href="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/QB5_ZVxx2xyRihfKGJF8uCoU1QU=/319x565:2177x1644/920x613/filters:focal(927x1003:1339x1415):format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65766800/1183883122.jpg.0.jpg">Tesla Truck presentation</a>).<br />
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Find people who are doing exceptionally better than average and amplify their influence on everyone else.<br />
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Leadership is about challenging the status quo. It is scary. You will have opposition.<br />
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More people have the opportunity to be leaders today than at any point in history.<br />
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<i>Insert inspirational internet age influencer adage here. </i><br />
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Godin seems to be a very marketing focused writer. Marketing is not one of my primary interests. I'm also not a huge fan of the unstructured layout of the book. There are no chapters, only sections with various titles, seemingly randomly arranged. It reads more like a bunch of excerpts from a blog than really well thought out book. <a href="http://seths.blog/">Seth is a prolific blogger</a>.<br />
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This isn't a horrible book. It might serve as inspirational material for someone to make a big change. I just don't see it as offering anything different from many business and leadership blogs today. Maybe this is a result of Godin's influence on the ethos of today (the book was first published in 2008) but I doubt it. Either way it now reads as very unoriginal. According to Godin the fact that I'm not super inspired by this book must mean that I'm a proponent of the status quo. Maybe I am a "sheepwalker."<br />
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Either way, if you are looking for some inspiration to become a leader, save yourself some money and space on your bookshelf. Find a great blog, there are many, maybe even Seth's. If you are interested in reading this book, keep an eye out at St. Vinnie's in The Dalles. That is where my copy will be sold at an excellent discount.Daniel Polehnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03209911982798898578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340422434205700738.post-79538294184511053092020-02-28T15:37:00.002-08:002020-02-28T15:37:46.472-08:00Book Review: Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right NowI recently (actually weeks or months ago now) finished reading "Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now" by Jaron Lanier. This short book covers what is quite possibly one of the biggest issues of the current era, the toxic influence of "social media" on individuals and culture at large.<br />
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The book raises issues about more than purely "social media" sites like Facebook and Twitter, attacking the business model that many web services are operated on. I can't bring myself to fully agree with every point raised by Lanier. <br />
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Ten chapters present ten different arguments for why you should opt out of most of interactions happening on the internet today. However, I believe they can be summarized in two key points.<br />
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<b>Social media is bad for your health.</b> Your emotional, social, psychological and spiritual well being are degraded by the use of social media. These sites tend to reduce our ability to have empathy, increase irritability and all around turn us into jerks. All this adds to stress, which is notoriously bad for our physical health as well.<br />
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Fake users and "artificial intelligence" (which the author points are is just a term we throw around for a particularly smartly written software) have some impact on the very idea of what it means to be a person. Additionally, advertising has the nearly explicit goal of behavior modification. Couple this with individually curated "feeds" and it is a recipe for taking away mental free will. <br />
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Lanier also makes the argument that current tech culture is creating a new religion of sorts where <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technological_singularity">the singularity</a> is the ultimate goal.<br />
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<b>Social media is bad for our communities.</b> Global and local communities Fake news accounts and other bad actors intentionally manipulate people into believing untrue things (alternative facts). When Truth is hard to discover underneath a thick layer of uncertainty and fiction how can society as a whole make clear decisions? How can democracy continue to make progress with misinformation being spread with the assistance of mass behavior/thought manipulation tools?<br />
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In Lanier's argument that's what social media platforms and indeed all advertising are, is mass behavior manipulation tools. Part of the argument against these platforms is not that they are bad on their own. Sharing and connecting with friends and family as well as the global community are a good thing. Much of the argument for deleting your accounts <b>now</b> is that the business model these platforms are built on needs to be better. For example the users on Facebook create the content which other users come to see, building the platform and making it attractive to advertisers. However, the average Facebook user creating this content does not get compensated for it in any way other than having the ability to participate on this platform.<br />
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I'd recommend this book to anyone on the fence about whether or not continuing to participate in social media sites is good for them personally or for society as a whole. It is an easy read and intriguing. Lanier has many years of experience in the tech industry and comes from a fairly unique perspective.Daniel Polehnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03209911982798898578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340422434205700738.post-83774426250561742422019-11-28T15:18:00.001-08:002019-11-28T15:18:31.914-08:00Happy Thanksgiving<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div>Daniel Polehnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03209911982798898578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340422434205700738.post-11400425391880817852019-10-30T06:45:00.001-07:002019-10-30T06:45:57.762-07:00Overcome evil with good.Romans 12 is a beautiful passage of scripture. You can say that about many parts of The Bible but this description of life following the risen Jesus is beautiful. This morning reading this section I realized how nicely this wraps up: "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."<br />
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We can fight evil without seeking out revenge. We can live wisely without thinking of ourselves as wise. We can be humble. And, above all, we can love and serve God and one another.<br />
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Transform your mind.Daniel Polehnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03209911982798898578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340422434205700738.post-90391707979815574122019-10-29T06:42:00.002-07:002019-10-29T06:42:59.010-07:00If you write a blog and never post it to Facebook will anybody read it?My guess is no... Let's test the hypothesis!<br />
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Facebook and similar "social" feeds feel so bad to my soul. I find them as a total waste of time and it's time to really really delete these things once and for all. <br />
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I've been hanging onto Instagram as I find it much less toxic. Pictures often give off a more positive vibe than your aunts reshare of politically slanted news or your neighbor's cousin's wall of text complaining about how there is not Olive Garden within 100 miles of their house. However, that doesn't change the fact that I am the product being sold on this Instagram. Algorithms are being worked out to find just the right number of post to leave in between advertisements for me to feel most engaged and most likely to click. Which news parody sites or webcomics I should like next are also constantly being updated and reconfigured based on my behaviour. <br />
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Facebook and its subsidiaries are not the only companies with this massive soul crushing business but their the worst by far. Bye bye.Daniel Polehnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03209911982798898578noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340422434205700738.post-39930139040782622832018-07-10T17:18:00.000-07:002018-07-10T17:18:29.859-07:00Favorite Things: June 2018 edition<h2>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://practicingtheway.org/">Practicing The Way</a> / Bridgetown Podcasts</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bridgetown is a really interesting church in Portland, OR. They have a focus on following the practices of Jesus. Taking the things we see in Jesus's life and turning them into practical things we can put into practice ourselves. Practicing The Way has a bunch of material on practical things to try in order to change your lifestyle be me more like Christ's. It's an old concept but one I feel is lacking in modern Christianity, that followers of Christ should end up looking/living like Him. The sermons that go along with the site are available in podcast form and are very interesting and engaging. Worth a listen.</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2205007309"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Beartown</span></a></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I just finished the novel Beartown a few days ago. I have to recommend this book. It reminded me of a slightly less dark Swedish version of "13 Reasons Why". The plot centers around a youth hockey team in a struggling rural town. The hockey team is really the Beartown's last hope of survival. Their neighbors in Hed by contrast seem to be doing pretty well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There was a lot ot relate to in this story. I Grew up in a small community without much going for it. A town where sports is important to many people (it might be gone now, but there was a mural of <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/dayleke01.shtml">Ken Dayley</a>, a pro pitcher who made it to the world series and went to The Dalles High School, on the wall of High School gymnasium when I was a kid). While unemployment and drug use were rampant in The Dalles, nearby Hood River seemed to have everything going for it. It was easy to make comparisons between Beartown and Hed and the rivalry we felt as kids between The Dalles and Hood River. That's not the main focus of Beartown but the part I related to the most.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Beartown is full of insights into social issues and problems with growing up. I don't want to spoil the book to much but this story (though fictional) is a great example of the problems with what I can only describe as "rape culture" which can be sneakily prevalent in our communities. I'm excited to pick up the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36373463-us-against-you">next book in the series</a> (once it's out in paperback).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>One silly note</b>: This book was originally written in Swedish. It wasn't immediately obvious to me before I started reading that this was a translation. As a result a lot of the prose and dialogue felt really clunky and unnatural to me. Realizing that this was translated made some of the clunkiness a lot easier to look past. </span></div>
Daniel Polehnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03209911982798898578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340422434205700738.post-90544433662045551542018-06-17T02:35:00.001-07:002018-06-17T02:47:55.120-07:00A Special 2018 Kind of Father's Day Message<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've been seeing a fair bit in the news coverage lately about federal policy changes which have resulted in children being separated from their parents at the border of the United States. In the short amount of time that these policy changes have been in place the US has separated at least <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44503318">2,000 children from their parents</a>. This is leading to the <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/trump-admin-will-house-migrant-kids-tents-tornillo-texas-n883281">erection of tent cities</a> to house children because the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/14/us/family-separation-migrant-children-detention.html">re-purposed Walmarts</a> we have been housing immigrant children in are near full capacity. This according to the President of the American Academy of Pediatrics, as well as anyone with common sense, is <a href="http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-kraft-border-separation-suit-20180503-story.html">horrible for the mental and emotional health of children</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As a father and a US citizen I'm outraged by the trauma these children are experiencing at the hands of the federal government. And things have taken an even more irritating turn. Our Attorney General, who is quoted as saying the KKK "</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2016/12/02/jeff-sessionss-comments-on-race-for-the-record/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.e00194c17625">were </a></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2016/12/02/jeff-sessionss-comments-on-race-for-the-record/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.e00194c17625">OK until I learned they smoked pot</a>," <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44499048">cited the Apostle Paul</a> in defense of this policy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'd like to take some time to address everything that is wrong with using the Word of God to uphold this policy. </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> T</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">his Father's Day,</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> let's see what The Father might have to say about how we treat foreign children.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Lord Cares for Immigrants and Foreigners</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Throughout the Old Testament God's People are immigrants, exiles, slaves and sojourners. When they are given their own land to live in The Lord gives them this command:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Exodus 23:9</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> You shall not oppress a sojourner. You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Deuteronomy 10:17–19 </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.</span></blockquote>
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Furthermore the prophets later <a href="https://esv.org/ezekial+22:6">rebuke Israel for mistreating foreigners</a> and Jesus when teaching on how to be a good neighbor uses an outsider (a samaritan) as the righteous example.<br />
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A full reading of scripture makes it clear God cares about immigrants and expects his people to treat them with kindness.<br />
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The Lord Cares for Children</span></h2>
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If the fact that Jesus teaches us to call God our Father doesn't say enough about God's love an affection for children, consider some of the following. The Lord provided Israel with <a href="https://www.esv.org/Deuteronomy+21:15/">several</a> <a href="https://www.esv.org/Deuteronomy+24:16/">laws</a> <a href="https://www.esv.org/Leviticus+18:21/">to protect children.</a> Reading through scripture it is clear that God <a href="https://www.esv.org/Psalm+127:3/">sees</a> <a href="https://www.esv.org/Psalm+128:6/">children</a> as a <a href="https://www.esv.org/Genesis+15:1-5">blessing</a>.<br />
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To top things off Jesus when asked by His disciples "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven?" Jesus tells them to become like children and continues:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="passage-display-bcv" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; padding-right: 6px;">Matthew 18:5-6</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="passage-display-version" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline;">(NIV)</span></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="text Matt-18-5" id="en-NIV-23733" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"> </span></span></blockquote>
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The Lord loves children and expects his people to do them good and not harm.<br />
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The Lord Calls Out Corrupt Governments</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The text cited by Attorney General Sessions reads:</span></div>
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Romans 13:1–7<br />
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Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. </blockquote>
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And this is a good and perfect word. We, as God's people, should respect, obey and honor those who have been put into authority.</div>
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However, Sessions' using interpretation of Romans 13 one might come to the conclusion that the government is somehow above God. The government is put in place by God. So therefore everything the government does must be ordained by God.<br />
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This is simply not in congruence with the rest of scripture and appears to be used to try and shutdown <a href="https://www.christianpost.com/news/evangelical-leaders-condemn-trump-separating-immigrant-children-from-families-border-224629/">christian critics</a> of this policy. </div>
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From Moses demanding that Pharaoh let his people go, to Elijah and all the other prophets who rebuked the kings of Israel and Judah our job is clear. When a government's laws come into conflict with God's laws it is our duty to question and call out that government.</div>
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Daniel Polehnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03209911982798898578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340422434205700738.post-89993362752804521122018-06-04T21:12:00.000-07:002018-06-04T21:12:56.246-07:00Favorite Things: May 2018 Edition <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">New series of monthly (my intentions at least) things I'm really enjoying...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ride Report</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://ride.report/">Ride Report</a> is an app which uses your phone's location data to automatically keep track of your bike rides. For each ride it asks you a simple survey "How was your ride." After collecting enough survey data from rides Ride Report can generate a map showing the worst and best rides for a city. Some cities are even using this data to make better transportation decisions. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm not sure if this app will work at a smaller scale for a city like The Dalles, but the idea is very cool. The more people the use it the more helpful it will be. At this point I've only ever said my rides were great and being the only user in town this is very unscientific. I highly recommend using this app for fun and better city planning or at least better informed fellow cyclists.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Libby</span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://meet.libbyapp.com/">Libby</a> is an app which allows you to borrow ebooks through your local library. For some reason it is much easier for me to get through a book quickly if I have it as an ebook on my phone. Libby combines the convenience of ebooks with the price of the public library (AKA free). The ereader itself has a different interface but is pretty comparable to Google Play Books and Kindle in my opinion. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are a few drawbacks to getting your books this way however. Popular new books have very long wait times. If you place a hold on a hot new piece of fiction you might have to wait for six months plus. Also, the duration of the loan is shorter than a normal book from the library. Only 2 weeks. So if you're like me and it takes you a while to work your way through a novel this might not always work for you or you'll have to be interrupted in the middle of your story (this happened to me while reading Carrie). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you use a public library (or at least <a href="http://wascocountylibrary.com/">The Wasco County Library</a>) and have a device to read ebooks Libby is wealth worth trying out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This <a href="https://www.goodfruit.com/nick-anderson-a-young-grower-from-the-dalles-oregon/">article</a> and video interview of my cousin Nick Anderson reminds me of how blessed I was to grow up on a farm. Having a family life that requires you to learn how to work and parents who teach you how to have fun doing it is one of the greatest gifts a child can have in my mind. I can't really take my kids to work with me so this one of those virtues I'll have to pass on to my kids some other way. </span><br />
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Daniel Polehnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03209911982798898578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340422434205700738.post-77631339847354591662018-05-08T14:48:00.001-07:002018-05-08T14:49:33.365-07:00How to not dread running.<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s warming up and the sun has been shining (kind of). You could almost say it was running season. I have to admit however, at the when it first started warming up this year I was dreading starting to run. Memories of last year's misery haunted me and I was seriously contemplating giving the whole thing up. Ultimately I did give running one another shot.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So how are things going this year?</span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Pretty darn well actually. Better than ever even! This year I’ve earned PRs for every distance Strava keeps track of, I haven’t suffered any injuries and I’m genuinely enjoying myself. This is much better than last year. Last year I had a short and fairly miserable season, plagued with injuries.<br /><br />Last year I had <a href="https://dpolehn.blogspot.com/2017/03/warm-season-running-goals.html">a few goals tied up with running</a>. I wanted to run longer and faster than I ever had. I had really detailed goals for each week of the summer, how far I should be running and at what pace. I tried to make sure I never broke the <a href="https://www.runnersworld.com/running-tips/the-10-percent-rule">“10% rule”</a> adding too much distance each week, but this still <a href="https://dpolehn.blogspot.com/2017/08/about-goals-and-failing-them.html">totally backfired</a>. I ended up with pain in my knees, which I absolutely did not want to mess with. Once that was cleared up I had persistent shin splints that I finally couldn’t tolerate any longer.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnsBuEbnnt-DqTRJp-JLY2uQkQJa7iwJtRK-tlcE96n0xtL6qPIXYwNsgXPq2peYKXDWPsAwh7LcngOFO4PwxsxliRmTf9zvUTk8p6eqrpmdm8dCp1Jw8Zi-cM7tnweB_72T2i-Me5JpF5/s1600/IMG_20180420_134809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="The nearly embarrassing amount of gear I feel like I need to run..." border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1428" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnsBuEbnnt-DqTRJp-JLY2uQkQJa7iwJtRK-tlcE96n0xtL6qPIXYwNsgXPq2peYKXDWPsAwh7LcngOFO4PwxsxliRmTf9zvUTk8p6eqrpmdm8dCp1Jw8Zi-cM7tnweB_72T2i-Me5JpF5/s320/IMG_20180420_134809.jpg" title="" width="285" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So what am I doing differently this year?</span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This year I have no goals around running. Well, almost no goals. The only goal I really have is that I get out and do it and enjoy myself without getting injured.<br /><br />I think last year I was worried I wouldn’t get out and run, unless I had very well defined goals I was aiming to reach each and every week. Turns out I really enjoy running and don’t need much extra motivation to get out and do it. I just feel great afterwards. I had a lot of monotonous runs last year. Same route, same distance, over, and over, again. This year I’m changing things up and keeping things interesting. Different routes, short, long (long for me right now is 10k), easy runs, fast runs, easy runs that turn into fast runs. I’m even starting to throw in some track workouts.<br /><br />I’m also not pushing myself nearly as hard. I’m not really focused on building my base too much. I looked at what was a normal distance for me last year (20 km per week) and am just sticking around there for now. I also, added back in some weight training to my routine. I’ve found that if my legs are strong I just feel like I’m a lot more comfortable running long distances and am less likely to get injured. There is a flip side of this however. Push too hard with squats and deadlifts and your legs are too tired to run well. Worse yet overworking your legs could make you more injury prone. Again I am finding what is comfortable and sticking with that for a while only pushing myself when what I’m doing feels way too easy. No more adding 5 lbs to my squat weight every time I walk in the gym...<br /><br />If you feel like you’re in a rut or want to give up your running routine these are my suggestions at the moment.</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Relax. Let go of any unnecessary overly specific goals. Just get out there and have fun</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Change things up. Don’t get stuck doing the same thing every single time you lace up your running shoes.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s ok to stop building your base. If by the end of the week you can’t imagine adding another 10% in distance the following week, don’t. Stick with what you know you can do or even back off a bit. There’ll be time to continue building your base later.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Do what feels right for that day: If you “need” to run a 10k today because it’s what you planned, it’s ok to do shorter. Vice versa if you only plan on doing a 5k but feel like you have a lot more in you, go for it.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Add strength: Throw some weight training into your routine but don’t push it too much.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />If you’re a runner how are things going for you this year? Trying anything different than last year?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>P.S.</b> Ironically enough, shortly after writing this post, one of my knees has started to give me trouble. It appears to be a classic case of <a href="https://www.runnersworld.com/runners-knee">runner's knee</a>. I actually think this has a lot to do with the fact that I cut back on weight training over the last month. Most of these injuries as caused by being too weak or too inflexible. It's all a learning experience I suppose. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was, however, able to recover enough in time to run the <a href="http://dpolehn.blogspot.com/2017/04/cherry-festival-10k-photo-tour.html">Cherry Festival 10k</a>. And, I think my overall attitude towards running this year has made recovery a lot easier to deal with. Still not 100% and I'm starting to really miss the meditative feeling of running but not having extra unnecessary goals nagging me into starting too early is nice.</span></div>
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Daniel Polehnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03209911982798898578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340422434205700738.post-22744529548546852252018-04-16T14:45:00.000-07:002018-04-16T15:15:52.936-07:00Life is Shot: Photo Journal #1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhizFTBehA2NYy6lDr_PNhVyQ9wtPlXOBiPecncG85mFDzy5DfoIBEvJ2I0k-I6sy4YWw9zcL2DHEZv8y_TlSCDXSx13L5NupuCuaOpwskPcMuI9iNlnx2grsLu7geFl-MfLam1BEzZk1Kn/s1600/MVIMG_20180325_181324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhizFTBehA2NYy6lDr_PNhVyQ9wtPlXOBiPecncG85mFDzy5DfoIBEvJ2I0k-I6sy4YWw9zcL2DHEZv8y_TlSCDXSx13L5NupuCuaOpwskPcMuI9iNlnx2grsLu7geFl-MfLam1BEzZk1Kn/s320/MVIMG_20180325_181324.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Some days you come home and there are just chicks in you laundry room... But how can you say "no" to that face?</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQb5QNEOXuT6PVJUf8LX1eY__2A3jKDvS8nfwkBYRHeaecaOeOp7V46b2FjBAgPJvjHYUOrwJ3JKRhsbV7GI7bWTdyiTEWZ-95FiarZhQjbYH4c8MFDyMiuuzzyGmsaJTnMWcEoN8NLm2W/s1600/MVIMG_20180401_205639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQb5QNEOXuT6PVJUf8LX1eY__2A3jKDvS8nfwkBYRHeaecaOeOp7V46b2FjBAgPJvjHYUOrwJ3JKRhsbV7GI7bWTdyiTEWZ-95FiarZhQjbYH4c8MFDyMiuuzzyGmsaJTnMWcEoN8NLm2W/s320/MVIMG_20180401_205639.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhykOn2joOXEmKKhYaHoLyeLD6yrv9iEGUNVFc9GtvB5b8SrXS_vysdagvUWIukuIl_Psp_XN2XNYiqdATSx5bxzlFRSEX5VhjgbGtYUvkwYU5PDUZBLUMd27vR40Mai_eAgzR5Np_36jzh/s1600/MVIMG_20180401_205634.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhykOn2joOXEmKKhYaHoLyeLD6yrv9iEGUNVFc9GtvB5b8SrXS_vysdagvUWIukuIl_Psp_XN2XNYiqdATSx5bxzlFRSEX5VhjgbGtYUvkwYU5PDUZBLUMd27vR40Mai_eAgzR5Np_36jzh/s320/MVIMG_20180401_205634.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: start;">Easter art by Lucy</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Easter outfit by mom</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZX79fg0osYlwWKLngLe4iLCp2eNXp6d9YrVmfScmJnw8xXoPQjtZII7jFdKAftMALgRwcQ2wi9QtSnejkeL_jBBl9zghYpgI9i3RZ1mq9ok5SYEQGqPVDd9DXBoN9ELkk2mGQD2rd3HPc/s1600/00070IMG_00070_BURST20180408193726.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZX79fg0osYlwWKLngLe4iLCp2eNXp6d9YrVmfScmJnw8xXoPQjtZII7jFdKAftMALgRwcQ2wi9QtSnejkeL_jBBl9zghYpgI9i3RZ1mq9ok5SYEQGqPVDd9DXBoN9ELkk2mGQD2rd3HPc/s320/00070IMG_00070_BURST20180408193726.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRdcS0ppYn5FLQ1i7EpDa3gdQPKjGvV-rS33OuvtuEF2YDlTE46cEzi3HPPKcPYAlDt2X-dk4TAdraqE9zdmAfgsg0vLsmA6g2Jen2eVeqDuBMvfoEcmnDGyHktjPvfqT-y83Aq4-C7yrG/s1600/IMG_20180408_193723.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRdcS0ppYn5FLQ1i7EpDa3gdQPKjGvV-rS33OuvtuEF2YDlTE46cEzi3HPPKcPYAlDt2X-dk4TAdraqE9zdmAfgsg0vLsmA6g2Jen2eVeqDuBMvfoEcmnDGyHktjPvfqT-y83Aq4-C7yrG/s320/IMG_20180408_193723.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jesse decided (on his own) it was time to stay the night at grandma's house. He was pretty disappointed to find out it wasn't.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Brace for impact during every elevator ride.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lucy has lost both of her top front teeth. He bark is worse than her bite.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mystery of the month: Who is this green haired super saiyan?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Short silly video: Lucy can ride her bike with no training wheels. Kid's still love rolly pollies. And Jesse is apparently a <a href="https://youtu.be/CqybaIesbuA">Chris Tomlin</a> fan.</span></div>
Daniel Polehnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03209911982798898578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340422434205700738.post-19780426033861669532018-04-12T15:14:00.002-07:002018-04-12T15:17:32.140-07:00Great Novels: It<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I had never read Stephen King before, so <a href="http://dpolehn.blogspot.com/2018/02/my-7-favorite-books-read-ink-2017.html">reading <i>It </i>last year</a> I didn’t really know what to expect. In fact I have to admit that in school I never understood the kids I saw carrying around tomes from the library with "Stephen King" written on the cover. I didn't much like horror movies and couldn't imaging reading the book version for fun. However, based on the fact King literally wrote the book <i>On Writing,</i> I had high hopes for a great novel. <i>It</i> did not disappoint. The characters feel super real, very alive and relatable. By the end of the book, characters I found really annoying I grew to love and I felt sympathy for the psychopathic school yard bully.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As I mentioned, King’s character development in <i>It</i> is amazing. Even the seemingly tangential characters have personal details and deep backstories. Probably the best example of this I can think of is Stan Uris’s wife Patricia. Most of one chapter is spent describing her experiences growing up as a jewish girl in New York and her marriage to Sta</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">n. Despite the fact that her whole existence is limited to this one chapter </span>— knowing the details of her life makes finding bloodied Stan in the</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> bathtub that much more chilling.</span><br />
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Likewise the setting, fictional Derry Maine, is so well detailed it feels real. This is done mainly through the “Derry Interludes,” diary entries from Mike that detail his historical research on the town in an effort to find out what It is. <br />
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There are so many themes covered in <i>It</i>, it would seem nearly impossible to list them all. <i>It</i> is a book about childhood, religion, friendship, racism, anti-semitism, faith and growing up, all muddled up with a whole lot of supernatural. One of the themes that stuck out most to me is society’s lukewarm acceptance of violence. This town has major spikes in murder every few years and has horrific violent episodes that the locals simply shrugs off. “Who cares, it happened in Derry.” <br />
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When Beverly is being chased through town by her maniacal (It possessed?) father, all the adults in town turned away and pretended like nothing was happening. These grownups cowardice and lack of care is on full display, and I believe it paints a portrait of much of the attitude towards violence in the United States (historically especially violence against women and girls). We’d rather turn a blind eye than get our hands dirty stopping what we know is wrong. This plus all of the race hate motivated slaughter in The Derry Interludes makes <i>It</i> a very timely piece of fiction, even now thirty-some years after being published.</span><br />
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If you’ve read <i>It</i> (and know me) you might be able to guess which scene I like absolutely least of all. I really just did not need a prepubescent multi-partner sex scene. I really <b>really</b> didn’t need it. I’ve tried to rack my brain as to why King would include this scene at all. It happens near the end of the book. The adult versions of the characters involved don’t even remember it until very late in the story. Late enough for it to have no impact on the outcome of the plot. Even if they did remember it, it really doesn't matter anyway. It adds almost nothing to character development. I can see that this scene demonstrates the closeness of their childhood friendship, the transition to adulthood and is Beverly’s desperate effort to keep the group together. However, this whole scene was totally unnecessary and at the end felt very unimportant and just plain gross.<br />
<br />In contrast, earlier in the book there is a similarly sexually uncomfortable scene between two of the antagonists Henry Bowers and Patrick Hockstetter. In this scene we get to see another side of the crazier-than-Henry Patrick Hockstetter’s psychopathic life. We don’t have a lot of time to get to know Patrick before he is removed from our tale by It. So, every little detail builds his character. This homosexual experience also leaves Henry conflicted and confused driving his own insanity deeper and ultimately firming his position as It’s pawn.<br />
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There are similarly graphic scenes of murders and horrifying deaths of children. When Derry is collapsing and the building falls on what’s-his-face. This scene is so pointless I don’t even remember the characters involved. It's similarly needless and gross (violent), yet it bothers me a lot less than the kiddy sex scene... It would seem my mind is much more accepting of grotesque violence than sexual impropriety. Maybe there is a little bit of Derry in me, and maybe that’s the point of this otherwise pointless scene.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>P.S.</b> I haven't seen the movie yet, though I hear it is very good. I also hear it is missing the most controversial scene in the book as well as bunch of other changes. Also, I don't know how they are going to make an entertaining movie out of just the adult timeline scenes from <i>It, </i>but I'm sure I'll be proven wrong...</span></div>
Daniel Polehnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03209911982798898578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340422434205700738.post-52060760851647817342018-03-23T15:17:00.001-07:002018-03-23T15:17:04.160-07:00How I stopped not commuting by bike.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8-X4i3hmoBxLl55WVdc-xDqLccVV710AQ96orCsUBV76sV26ixLzUwch7zYRyYDAnEgqXydug38k8CeiOsYRmh7Hzz-KsOrneQuEjsDKv5Tst2gZ-FrKp809sh3Ix2efLuZi6yfkgnRcM/s1600/ol_betsy_n_ol_bikey.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Trading Ol' Betsy for Ol' Bikey" border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8-X4i3hmoBxLl55WVdc-xDqLccVV710AQ96orCsUBV76sV26ixLzUwch7zYRyYDAnEgqXydug38k8CeiOsYRmh7Hzz-KsOrneQuEjsDKv5Tst2gZ-FrKp809sh3Ix2efLuZi6yfkgnRcM/s200/ol_betsy_n_ol_bikey.png" title="" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Once upon a time I owned a <a href="https://dpolehn.blogspot.com/2013/10/selling-my-car.html">1994 Toyota Camry</a>. I drove it something like 6 miles everyday for a few years (a meager commute). At that time my job also involved a good amount of sitting and staring at a screen. Making the realization that I was spending about ⅓ of my day sleeping, and the other ⅔ I was spending sitting was a big eye opener. Pair this with the fact that I was weighing in at 240 lbs and it was becoming pretty obvious that I needed to make some changes in my life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of the first things I did was get a bike. At that point I hadn’t ridden a bike since I was about 12 years old. Luckily, as the old proverb suggests, once you learn you never forget. I soon started riding that bike to and from work just bout every single day. It took some time but eventually I was able to make the uphill trip home without feeling completely exhausted. I rode that bike just about every day until winter hit. However, even though the ride was only a little more than three miles one way, if I woke up just not “feeling” it that day I’d decide to fire up Ol’ Betsy and get to work the same lazy way I had been.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Every time I took the car drove instead of felt like a tiny defeat. There were several <a href="http://dpolehn.blogspot.com/2013/09/4-reasons-i-commute-by-bike.html">reasons I wanted to ride my bike </a>every day. The number one reason, as I’ve already mentioned was my health, but additionally I didn’t like harming the environment, spending money on gas, etc. I started to realize that I could very easily do much better in all these areas if I simply took away my ability to defeat myself every morning. So I decided it was time to <a href="https://dpolehn.blogspot.com/2013/10/car-sold.html">sell my car</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not only did this force me to use my own body to get to work every day, forcing me to exercise. It also meant not buying and burning gas plus a little extra cash in savings. This simplified my finances and life by eliminating the need to have insurance and keep registration up to date for one extra vehicle. These were all side benefits of my main goal which was to improve and maintain my overall health and fitness. Getting rid of the extra car all but forced me to bike to work every day (or walk in the case of the Great Winter of 2016-17) or selfishly choose seriously inconvenience my family (which is not something I want to do).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>What lesson do I hope to impart from this little tale?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Burn your boats!</span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are a few stories people like to tell about great military leaders who, after landing their armies in enemy territory, burned the boats they came on. Most famously this was done by Alexander the Great and Cortés, but there are stories throughout history and around the world of military commanders using this tactic. The point is to give yourself no option but to fight, to make retreat impossible. If you eliminate your ability to retreat you have no choice but to march forward and take your enemy head on. Most of us aren’t heading out to conquer Persia, but the concept can be applied to our lives as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you have a goal, try as much as you can to make retreat impossible. In the past few weeks simply borrowing a pickup truck for our move has made the temptation to drive to work much more alluring. This reminds me that when things get tough and sliding back on your goals looks easy the temptation to do so is real.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you want to get out of debt? Cut up and cancel your credit cards. Want to stop wasting time watching TV? Cancel cable or get rid of the screen altogether. Spending too much time on Facebook? Delete the app from your phone, or better yet delete your account.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This cannot be applied to all goals in life. However, there are many ways we can help ourselves by making failure much more difficult or retreat less appealing.</span>Daniel Polehnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03209911982798898578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340422434205700738.post-27493889172393997262018-03-16T10:44:00.002-07:002018-03-16T10:44:41.428-07:00Don't rent a house from "me" (it's a scam).<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are a lot of funny things that come with having a unique name. People say it wrong. People always want to know if you're related to the other <uncommon last name>s that they know (yes). You spell it for people without being asked.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And, if someone on the internet has your name you know they are trying to impersonate you. It's not just someone who so happens to have the same name. It's the lowest form of ID theft.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Someone is out there masquerading as me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We started hearing about this a few weeks ago, when we listed our old house for sale. Someone was trying to rent out our old house on <a href="https://classifieds.gorge.net/">Gorge Classifieds</a> and other sites, asking people to send them a deposit to rent our house without even seeing it. He was using our house to scam people. But, the thing that put it over the top is he was using my name to do it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eventually this person tried scamming someone who actually knew me. The email was forwarded to me, and, sure enough, there was my name on the from line (using an email address I’ve never seen before).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Enjoy this message from our antagonist:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From: Daniel Polehn<br />Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2018 5:48 PM<br />To: <redacted><br />Subject: 1018 Snipes St The Dalles, OR 97058<br />Hello,<br />Thank you for contacting me confirming your interest in my house. we had our house for sale before but recently my wife and I we recently had a change of mind not to sell it again but to lease it out ourselves because the realtor that was in charge of our rental property was asking too much of an agent fee which was making it tough for people who cannot afford the rent. My house is Available for Rent and ready to Move in ASAP, I also have available the RENT TO OWN Option, Pets are ALLOWED as long as they are not destructive. I relocated from my Home one Months ago when I got a better job here..I'm giving the rent out low because I just need someone to help take care o the house while I'm away,It's not about the money..It's about finding someone that will take care of the house like they own it.<br />Can we know you by telling us little bit of yourself and family and the period of time you plan staying in my home if you were eventually picked you as my tenant? Also you can drive by property at your convenience time and i can send you more interior pictures inside of my house<br /><br />Property Single Family Address: 1018 Snipes St The Dalles, OR 97058<br /><br />Number of Bedrooms:3<br />Number of Bathrooms:1<br />Rent fee: $1,200<br />Refundable security deposit: $1,200<br />Its available for rent at $1,200/Per Month *Covering all Utilities* listed as follows: Garbage , Trash disposal ,, Heating, Gas & Internet.Tenant only pay for Tv cable,Electricity and Water. There's also the payment of the REFUNDABLE Security Deposit of $1,200 set aside for damages/commitment<br /><br />Please note that I would not be available to do a one on one showing because I am very busy here with 2 Jobs and I have quite an extended family to take-care of and I also do not want to involve any 3rd party because I want a good Landlord-Tenant relationship I also have other applicants but pending that time you can take a drive by monitoring the surroundings and neighborhood and also look through the windows to see the interiors of the house, it's currently available for move in and get back to me if you are willing to get started with the Application/Rental process.<br /><br />QUICK NOTE :- Kindly ignore the for sale sign in the yard, because my initial plan was to sell the house recently but right now my house is no more for sale, I am putting it up for rent to get a serious tenant to rent the house and take care of my property.Also the keys are here with me because I had to take them back from the agent that almost ruin my property and that is why I am handling this myself as i do not trust anyone to drop my keys with.but the keys will be mail to you anytime you want to view inside of my house<br />Thanks,<br />We are looking forward to hear from you</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you can get through the terrible grammar to actually read and understand anything from this email, I'll reassure you none of it is true. I don’t even own this house. I wouldn’t fire our realtor (<a href="https://www.windermere.com/agents/charlie-foote">Charlie</a> is pretty great). I only have one job. Renting out a house would most definitely be about the money for me. It's about the money for this person too since they don't have any legal right to request money for it and are doing so. I'm pretty sure this "deposit" is actually non-refundable also.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Apparently this person is following up asking for people to pay the deposit before seeing the house. This is the kind of scam I would never even think to worry about but people are always finding new creative ways to do evil.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Bottom line</b>: if you’re looking for a rental and get an email from “me” don’t believe it it’s a scam. If you get an email from <a href="mailto:newhome.rent532@gmail.com">newhome.rent532@gmail.com</a>, about anything at all, don’t believe it, it’s a scam. Feel free flood <a href="mailto:newhome.rent532@gmail.com">newhome.rent532@gmail.com</a> inbox with inane garbage. Do not fall for similar scams. Last but not least spread the word about this scam. </span><br />
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Daniel Polehnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03209911982798898578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340422434205700738.post-63058970732695852272018-03-06T21:38:00.001-08:002018-03-06T21:38:55.974-08:00Mailing list.<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've setup a simple mailing list for sending out new blog entries via email.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you're so inclined head on over to the "<a href="http://dpolehn.blogspot.com/p/sign-up.html">Sign up!</a>" of this blog and fill out the single field form.</span>Daniel Polehnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03209911982798898578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340422434205700738.post-2739307795567555142018-03-03T10:27:00.000-08:002018-03-06T21:07:30.177-08:002018 reading list<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Near the end of 2017 I did something I hope becomes an end of year tradition. I planned out all the books I’m going to read in the next year. I read some <a href="http://dpolehn.blogspot.com/2018/02/my-7-favorite-books-read-ink-2017.html">great books last year</a> and I hope that having a plan will make this year even better.</span><br />
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</span></h2><h2><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Why would I plan out a year of reading?</span></h2><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Last year I was able to read a lot more than I have before. However, there were still long periods throughout the year in which I wasn't reading anything, and some of what I read was just whatever was in front of me, not what I really wanted to read. Like most things in life, I suspect, having a plan will help align what I do read with my goals. There are several subjects I’m interested in, and didn’t read about. There are authors I want to read more of, but haven’t made time to. And modern fiction? What is that? (I think I read one new book last year)</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I made a realization a few months back. My pile of books I want to read is much taller than the stack of books I have read in my life. Continuous learning (including learning by gaining a different perspective through fiction) is a big priority in life. Reading is a huge part of that. Combine this with constant reminder that life is short, it goes by faster and faster every year and it's time, there are only so many hours in a day and ... you get the idea. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A plan will help make that big pile of books in the want to read pile seem much more manageable and less daunting.</span><br />
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<h2><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What do I have on my list?</span></h2><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As I mentioned I want to better align what I read with my interests. As such I’m reading mostly non-fiction with a mix of classic novels and newer fiction.</span><br />
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</span> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidXea7Ghu8PBgTUXHW3iyd2n7TAx0-1TJjSAApjFoo_94dJgQAn28BS9K7kl0A7FfxGWnHbsfIbxZ_jG6atr7cPaIetI4Q0gLb2NQ-eG2RbC0bC8ApUX87bCWgtGKxlpTgW-_2j7OlD6QE/s1600/2018_book_stack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidXea7Ghu8PBgTUXHW3iyd2n7TAx0-1TJjSAApjFoo_94dJgQAn28BS9K7kl0A7FfxGWnHbsfIbxZ_jG6atr7cPaIetI4Q0gLb2NQ-eG2RbC0bC8ApUX87bCWgtGKxlpTgW-_2j7OlD6QE/s320/2018_book_stack.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the <b>nonfiction</b> side of things I went pretty heavy with newer books on christian living and theology. This includes several books by Francis Chan, one by John Piper, who I’ve been meaning to read for a long while, as well as <i>Radical</i> by David Platt. I also have quite a few historic writings from ancient times. <i>The Republic</i>, <i>Meditations</i> and histories by Thucydides and Herodotus. This much ancient writing might be a little too aggressive but we'll see. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’ve added a few memoirs involving subjects I’m interested in. Running, writing and hiking. As well as a few books on parenting and diet. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sticking to this list I hope to actually be using my time reading to get some real actual learning done on some subjects I really actually want to know more about.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the <b>fiction</b> realm I have a mix of novels from some classic writers, some I’ve read before and some I haven’t, as well as some well reviewed novels from last year. I’ve also mixed in some sci-fi and fantasy just for fun.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/35606615-daniel-polehn?shelf=2018-to-read">See my full list on Goodreads.</a></span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Do you ever plan out what you are going to read in the future?</span></b><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Have you read any of the books I’m planning to this year? What did you think?</b></span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Have books that probably should be on my list?</span></b><br />
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</div>Daniel Polehnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03209911982798898578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340422434205700738.post-82415509065945663672018-02-24T21:21:00.002-08:002018-04-12T15:16:35.753-07:00My 7 Favorite Books read in 2017<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/mmVRhLS_SrH9vauuq27FCR4dUSBWAhMgm3GkRGR5f4bizZMaLVM2QExgxT1mwkEsINNlwApX1wvLZQPohPN2a_SGbJTryJ0Ns5iNvB8mvi_IBwAAwu7gB7C-1l8-oSNbmgWf5fyhtSBWN7_IVjbgFIxxXlj22qDZSEDCxVcjn_VDRwH5kq1Gxe5FmGBnHeZ5ZjolbUU9H5ubKHEbm_-veYYCGc_kBREQOkuQiRvhNjqeQCJ4BxNly1619aIrv-0wvjpnB6tVpReuzxTRLzHXwvUdH8fO0ucS-0BEoZu6fMbpMHpumSuevV7qmPlg7O9tYxHFmrYlYDXFe3SePgnnwweDwdKKKkUlmm1q4E8lb63T4T1CqGF3cEEKABdROOyoZpPJdMnbuW5EgFW6rfYunWpxEc2uYTs2Rl4wT9cKd905fZRTTFBfAjVIxMaGudEif9C8Zuu524MfDfQvyDbug-G_IV3_5SCqDJ2WqsV34qYM2-8LCurev5hDKLeDQjtSn2yodXZeueYPYL_GSDqgpxBwPfVsckc_ozALzMmuldg2CT9C3JfR1OphWwFYc3K34N6iikUD04We2Y5FPSXbwd1cnr8dSmWVqXjCetDA=w741-h988-no" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/mmVRhLS_SrH9vauuq27FCR4dUSBWAhMgm3GkRGR5f4bizZMaLVM2QExgxT1mwkEsINNlwApX1wvLZQPohPN2a_SGbJTryJ0Ns5iNvB8mvi_IBwAAwu7gB7C-1l8-oSNbmgWf5fyhtSBWN7_IVjbgFIxxXlj22qDZSEDCxVcjn_VDRwH5kq1Gxe5FmGBnHeZ5ZjolbUU9H5ubKHEbm_-veYYCGc_kBREQOkuQiRvhNjqeQCJ4BxNly1619aIrv-0wvjpnB6tVpReuzxTRLzHXwvUdH8fO0ucS-0BEoZu6fMbpMHpumSuevV7qmPlg7O9tYxHFmrYlYDXFe3SePgnnwweDwdKKKkUlmm1q4E8lb63T4T1CqGF3cEEKABdROOyoZpPJdMnbuW5EgFW6rfYunWpxEc2uYTs2Rl4wT9cKd905fZRTTFBfAjVIxMaGudEif9C8Zuu524MfDfQvyDbug-G_IV3_5SCqDJ2WqsV34qYM2-8LCurev5hDKLeDQjtSn2yodXZeueYPYL_GSDqgpxBwPfVsckc_ozALzMmuldg2CT9C3JfR1OphWwFYc3K34N6iikUD04We2Y5FPSXbwd1cnr8dSmWVqXjCetDA=w741-h988-no" width="150" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />In 2017 I was a lot more purposeful about reading. Actually, one of my <a href="http://dpolehn.blogspot.com/2017/04/writing-goals.html">goals</a> for the year to read and write more. I failed at my goal of writing a lot. However, I can say 2017 was the year I read more books than any other in recent memory. Here are some of my highlights from a year in books.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Scouting For Boys</span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I wrote quite a lot about this in an <a href="http://dpolehn.blogspot.com/2017/08/book-report-scouting-for-boys.html">earlier post.</a> Reading what is essentially the original boy scout manual is a lot of fun. It has a lot of practical camping, hiking and tracking instructions as well as a whole lot of scouty chivalry and yarns by Lord Baden Powell.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://dpolehn.blogspot.com/2018/04/great-novels-it.html">It</a></span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’m not much for horror books or horror movies or horrible musicals (maybe horror musicals). But It is just about one of the greatest novels I have ever read if not the longest. The characters and setting King created are extremely believable, especially thanks to the “Derry Interludes” which document the sordid history of the fictional </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Maine </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">town. It’s an excellent book which I should probably write a whole detailed review about this book, there is a lot going on in this tome. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There is one pointless and disturbing scene which was so pointless and disturbing it almost ruined the whole book for me. In a novel full of kids being murdered and horrible hate crimes, the scene that bothers me the most does not fall into either of these categories. I'm sure that says something about myself that'd I'd rather not.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A People's History of the United States</span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is another book I <a href="http://dpolehn.blogspot.com/2017/08/book-report-peoples-history-of-united.html">wrote about earlier</a> last year. If you want to read all the gory details of the history of the United States that doesn’t hold back any punches on typically idolized patriots, then this is the book for you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Saving Capitalism</span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In Saving Capitalism, former Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich lays out what he sees wrong with the economic system in the United States. Capitalism in itself is not the issue with our society (unlike what many socialists will argue). Capitalism cannot exist without a functioning government (unlike what many libertarians will argue). However, many of the functions of government in the United States which promote a healthy and fair market have been distorted to support large corporations and the super rich. In particular he picks on CEO pay, copyright laws, bailouts and several other very specific and general examples. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By the end of the book, he joins many futurists in saying that we need to establish a minimum guaranteed income for all people if we continue heading down a road towards automation and a continued reduce need for unskilled labor. A less than optimistic outlook, considering a guaranteed minimum income is quite possibly the most politically impossible thing I've ever heard of. None the less this is a good book primarily for the historic background and Reich's personal views on these issues.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Blue Zones</span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My Great Grandpa Otto was a centenarian. Though I never met him, ever since I heard about this as a little kid I’ve had a goal to live to 100 (though many of my lifestyle choices would likely lead you to believe otherwise). “Blue Zones” are areas of the globe with higher than average life expectancy. Specifically the percentage of people living past 100 is much higher in these areas. The Blue Zones paints a portrait of several of these areas in an attempt glean some insight into what makes these people and cultures so prone to long life. The last section of the book is an attempt at a guide to living longer and includes several practical suggestions. It’s an interesting read for sure even if its advice for fitness are a little boring. This book has lead to several "projects" <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BlueZonesProjectTheDalles/">including one in The Dalles</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Walden</span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Henry David Thoreau’s classic existentialist work is worth reading for more than just the argument that "walking is much more economical than taking the train" or that "if cows can live off of grass so can humans". Thoreau writes about a myriad of subjects on life from nature and neighbors to the need to read ancient texts in their original language. Something that struck me as most interesting about Walden was just how often Thoreau uses Latin or makes some obscure reference to Greek mythology and expects his reader to fully understand without translation or explanation. People in the 19th century definitely must have been differently educated than people in the 21st. Keep a dictionary and encyclopedia handy if you’re going to tackle this one. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Little Prince</span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This was a read aloud book I did with my two older girls. Mostly because Lucy had watched the movie on Netflix and developed a short-lived obsession with the story. It’s a nice short “children's’” book about love, imagination, interplanetary travel, flowers and “grown ups.” It’s short, weird and whimsical. My kids actually enjoyed reading The Little Prince, it’s one of the few longer (more than one bed time) books we’ve been able to finish reading aloud so this get’s the “read aloud book of the year” in my book.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>What are some of your favorite books you read last year?</b></span></div>
Daniel Polehnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03209911982798898578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340422434205700738.post-14065349554203214262017-10-05T09:30:00.000-07:002017-10-05T09:30:00.718-07:00We read a Magic Tree House book. I'm not so sure about the series.<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/948528.Sunset_of_the_Sabertooth" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Sunset of the Sabertooth (Magic Tree House, #7)" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1320395390m/948528.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/948528.Sunset_of_the_Sabertooth">Sunset of the Sabertooth</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/578.Mary_Pope_Osborne">Mary Pope Osborne</a><br />
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My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2141512653">3 of 5 stars</a><br />
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Plot and character development are really week. Although, this is the seventh book in the series, what do I expect at this point? At least one of my children enjoyed reading this book. The other one just shrugs her shoulders. Although, she's seven years old, what do I expect at this point?<br />
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At the end of the day the kids did remember enough scenes from this book that depict more or less what we know about life during the ice age. Mostly they learn that life was dangerous and cold, that people hunted, played flutes and painted cave walls. <br />
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I'm not sure what I think about this series of books. They are short enough I might give one more a try before writing them off completely. There are just plenty of better books for kids this age. Though, probably not very many about the prehistoric age.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/35606615-daniel-polehn">View all my reviews</a>Daniel Polehnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03209911982798898578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340422434205700738.post-38925169405038050032017-08-31T03:19:00.000-07:002017-08-31T03:19:05.670-07:00Things that make me nervous about our trip to Tikal<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/GrpRame-cObHXVDpmhqUrDg_6567MU51LrlBLC4ZITH9ktCuyINRy5Jnt9umcisWhDjzm81-0-WeERD4ZsgkeRfUqDTQxx435X9ayc8EbVxgsUEolRBFJlFFzUBBqfyuOr0ttz1L" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Tikal_Guatemala_Templo_I_2008.jpg" border="0" height="267" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/GrpRame-cObHXVDpmhqUrDg_6567MU51LrlBLC4ZITH9ktCuyINRy5Jnt9umcisWhDjzm81-0-WeERD4ZsgkeRfUqDTQxx435X9ayc8EbVxgsUEolRBFJlFFzUBBqfyuOr0ttz1L" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="200" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This Friday Amanda and I celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. It took us a bit but we eventually decided we should go on a trip and to somewhere neither of us had been before. I've always wanted to see ancient ruins and love Starwars. Enter Tikal, one of the most famous Mayan sites and home to the rebel alliance's Yavin 4 base.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-150130c4-3627-74a7-436b-9eb0d1e76768" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I don't travel much. I don't like traveling much. I don't even like thinking about travelling. It’s not that I don't want to see exotic places and do interesting things around the world. I just don't want to deal with any of the headache of getting there or any of the less than desireable things I might encounter along the way.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm pretty good at negative visualization, what some people probably call worrying. I’ll call it being prepared, though it still feels an awful lot like worrying. I guess it's how I deal with the unknown. I can't predict the future but I can take what I know and think up the worst possible scenario. Here's my list of things that are making me a bit nervous about our, I'm sure going to be really great, impending trip to Tikal. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 17pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Flying</span></span></h2>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have a secret (I suppose now public) mild fear of flying. I don't really have a problem once we are in the air. I get that there is real actual physics holding us up. I just don’t like the sensation of taking off or the several moments of negative visualization of all of the real actual physics that could take the plane down to the ground. Its thoughts about these same physics that also make landing less than enjoyable for me.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></b> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We have four take offs and landing in the trip getting to Flores (the nearest airport to Tikal) alone.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></b> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">People fly everyday, even in less industrialized countries, and most of the time nothing terrible happens. The odds are good, at least.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 16pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Typhoid</span></span></h2>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yeah sure I took some pills willfully giving myself this disease to prepare my body ahead of time. But those pills are only 80% effective. Either way I need to be careful to eat hot food and avoid the tap water. Good news is if I get typhoid I should be in the states by the time I start feeling it. Apparently it’s not that bad with treatment. I still don’t want. I </span><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Mallon?wprov=sfla1" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">might be quarantined on an island</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> somewhere.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Uw-yzddbk4Z_TNGPwA23C7ubPmABMfJuiWx4ns3vLhyRx3mZ_w7j_uTCT-WTzfdW7ITXu2rvdGNxkxvGc1yZWp8_CDgjNiAsGUJ3isAFIf53_t7a3XfGvG16_ZGrHnw4racHkIBU" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 16pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Being struck by lightning</span></span></h2>
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<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Uw-yzddbk4Z_TNGPwA23C7ubPmABMfJuiWx4ns3vLhyRx3mZ_w7j_uTCT-WTzfdW7ITXu2rvdGNxkxvGc1yZWp8_CDgjNiAsGUJ3isAFIf53_t7a3XfGvG16_ZGrHnw4racHkIBU" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="flash-2515710_960_720.jpg" border="0" height="102" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Uw-yzddbk4Z_TNGPwA23C7ubPmABMfJuiWx4ns3vLhyRx3mZ_w7j_uTCT-WTzfdW7ITXu2rvdGNxkxvGc1yZWp8_CDgjNiAsGUJ3isAFIf53_t7a3XfGvG16_ZGrHnw4racHkIBU" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="200" /></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The forecast in both Flores and Tikal call for thunderstorms literally our entire trip. I’m not terribly excited about climbing to the top of temples towering over rainforest canopy when there are lightning strikes all around.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<h2>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Violence</span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the years after Guatemala’s civil war it was pretty common for armed men to attack busses and other and other seemingly random acts of violence. While by all accounts today Guatemala is a much safer place, especially around Flores and Tikal, it is still not the safest place in the world. Guatemala City is among the <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/the-most-violent-cities-in-the-world-latin-america-dominates-list-with-41-countries-in-top-50-a6995186.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">50 most dangerous cities</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in the world (although Baltimore and St. Louis have higher homicide rates than Guatemala City). Most of this violence revolves around the drug trade. So, as long as you avoid the city and the Mexican border, which we are, you should be safe.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Despite all these unknowns I am very excited to visit a place so different from mine. All recent information I can find about travelling to Guatemala suggests that it is a beautiful country and is not terribly dangerous. Also, I spend the vast majority of my time within walking distance of the very spot I was born.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There is a big world out there.</span></span></span></div>
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Daniel Polehnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03209911982798898578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340422434205700738.post-20077629246160595982017-08-26T17:02:00.003-07:002017-08-26T17:02:29.265-07:00Book Report: Scouting for Boys<h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 20pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some background</span></span></h1>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-2627ed92-20f7-db9d-868f-9669325a2519" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">First off, I should explain why I, a grown man living in the United States in the early 21st century decided to read a book written to British boys at the beginning of the 20th. A few times I told someone I was reading this book I got a queer look (or innuendo about what “scouting for boys” meant). So here goes.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My oldest daughter had just started to be involved with </span><a href="http://www.girlscouts.org/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Girl Scouts</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. She had been to a few meetings and my wife and I were discussing whether she should really be involved with one more activity. That’s probably the opposite of how things should go, but it is the sort of thing that happens more often than not in our house. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Anyway, this led me to reflect on my own experiences with Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. While I didn’t last very long in Boy Scouts I realized that Cub Scouts was probably one of the most important things in my life at the time. There were a lot of good memories from the kids in my Webelos group. I was taught what it means to be a good citizen and was encouraged to develop a good character. And, I learned a few skills I don’t think I could have learned any other way than going through a scouting program.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After hearing my wife report back from a Girl Scout camping trip and other the other Girl Scout gatherings, it became clear to me that Girl Scouts is not very much like the Scouting programs we have for boys. After reading the Daisy Handbook and looking at the Girl Scout website it looked like Girl Scouts is focused on STEM and nature experiences as well as developing good character and fiscal responsibility in girls. These are noble goals to be sure. However, they didn’t strike me as exactly what the Scouting movement was all about in the beginning. This made me what to research the Scouting movement in general. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ZGzXx7OozfrQUd33JERTCRJZeZW_Klgmlxi-AZXCVOYMpW0s5kaN6RiaAoLpjZQwJVhcqmx7dcbBB11g_5HhJT00KVMJLznI34l4QBnNBFIoeY4xTp8W4FwisqYNZQ1ukkXeihN" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Baden-Powell_ggbain-39190_(cropped).png" border="0" height="400" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ZGzXx7OozfrQUd33JERTCRJZeZW_Klgmlxi-AZXCVOYMpW0s5kaN6RiaAoLpjZQwJVhcqmx7dcbBB11g_5HhJT00KVMJLznI34l4QBnNBFIoeY4xTp8W4FwisqYNZQ1ukkXeihN" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="342" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Scouting movement began when Lord Robert Baden-Powell, after years of experience as a military scouting, wrote a small book on the subject called </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Aids to Scouting</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. This quickly became popular with young boys as a means to learn scoutcraft and have a good bit of fun. Adults started teaching the subject to young men and the movement grew quickly and organically. The idea of young boys being taught military scouting apparently terrified B-P (as he’s affectionately referred in the scouting movement), he decided, after holding the first scout camp on Brownsea Island, to rewrite his book as a guide to being a “peace scout” for boys. Soon after girls wanted to be involved as well. Scouting evolved over several decades and many organizations started including subjects outside of traditional scout craft (see selling cookies and after-school STEM programs.) to appeal to a more modern audience of young people.. Now most organizations around the world have co-ed scout troops. So, groups like the Boy Scouts of America and Girls Scouts USA are the exception not the rule.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Seeing that internationally most scouting programs are co-ed peaked my interest. I don’t see a lot of value in segregation and I think my daughters would be interested in getting outdoors, learning survival skills, tracking animals, etc. I started looking for similar organizations for younger kids in the US. There are a fair number of co-ed scout-like programs for children which are open to everyone regardless of gender identity, sexual preference, religion or lack of religion (all of which the BSA has an iffy history with at best). While I’m sure most if not all of these are great organizations most of them did not seem “scouty” enough to me.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Enter the </span><a href="https://www.bpsa-us.org/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Baden-Powell Service Association</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (BPSA), they do not have any restrictions on membership, co-ed groups (as long as the adult leadership is co-ed as well) and a traditional scouting program. They attempt to base everything on the original teachings and writings of Lord Baden-Powell as much as legally and logically possible. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
</span></b></h1>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 20pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On to the book</span></span></h1>
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<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/uQUjCgu9c7Q7135bJMLmzVk_oE978-BGX3BxIpy_aDRisbQ6dKutVjMkre-naWNnGyazkN8Kzp9cB_NpqkHY9xJ9SvnQKZJHHP_5XnFXD_Wu1ZXIKCUYpsa9vIKK_ABBy3TXyso4" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="ScoutingForBoys.jpg" border="0" height="400" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/uQUjCgu9c7Q7135bJMLmzVk_oE978-BGX3BxIpy_aDRisbQ6dKutVjMkre-naWNnGyazkN8Kzp9cB_NpqkHY9xJ9SvnQKZJHHP_5XnFXD_Wu1ZXIKCUYpsa9vIKK_ABBy3TXyso4" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="268" /></span></a><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Since BPSA bases its program in large part on Scouting for Boys they have it available to</span><a href="https://www.bpsa-us.org/pdf/yarns00-281.pdf" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> download</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> for free. I’d been meaning to read this for a while. I’ve heard it’s full of fun useful information to begin with, whether or not you are interested in Scouting. Seeing as how my interest was suddenly peaked I couldn’t resist downloading the PDF and tearing through it. Its pages did not disappoint.</span></div>
<br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Scouting for Boys covers a wide range of subjects. Camping, tracking, pioneering and first aid all get long sections as well as citizenship, chivalry, the worldwide brotherhood of scouting and the British Empire. The book also outlines the patrol system, court of honour, scout promise, law, motto and slogan. All of these give scouts a chivalrous moral code and make Scouting the fraternal order that it is.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I found the patrol system and the court of honour particularly interesting. Traditional scouting places a lot of the responsibility for leadership on the young people themselves. In fact after reading some other scouting material from the 1940’s I discovered that essentially the (adult) troop master’s job was to train the patrol leaders and their seconds to earn their tenderfoot and other badges. The patrol leaders were responsible for teaching and training all the others scouts. Through the court of honour the patrol leaders also run the whole troop, with only guidance from the scoutmaster. That’s not at all how I remember Boy Scouts being ran when I was a kid. This is great for developing leadership in children, which is a skill not easily taught in school or most other activities.</span></div>
<br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Scouting is mostly intended to be learned through games. Scouting for Boys suggests several games for patrol leaders to choose from with adult leaders acting as referees. Some of these are pretty intense. For example one game for teaching “sea scouting” called Whale Hunt involves two patrols of scouts rowing separate boats from opposite direction with the goal of harpooning a “whale” made from logs let loose in the middle. The patrol that reaches the whale first harpoons it and starts rowing back to their side. The other patrol tries to catch up with them to harpoon the whale to row it back their own side. The result is some kind of crazy row boat tug-of-war which I imagine lasts quite a while and doesn't sound terribly safe.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 20pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In conclusion</span></span></h1>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There really is a lot of great content in this book and I would highly suggest it to anyone who is even mildly interested. One thing to keep in mind however is that this book was originally written over 100 years ago. As a result much of the first aid suggested in the book is no longer recommended. You really shouldn’t cut open and attempt to suck out the venom from a rattlesnake bite for example. Also there is a lot of very imperialist colonial language. Keep in mind that Lord Baden-Powell was a Lord in the British Empire, clearly someone with a fair amount of privilege. Referring to local guides as “your native” just doesn’t quite sound right to my modern ears. There are a few sections particularly about health where B-P makes native peoples out to be very ignorant. At this same time however he clearly admires these same people for their abilities to live an outdoor life and all around good character using them as examples for scouts to look up to.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Traditional scouting sounds like a ton of fun. Enough so that I’m seriously considering starting a BPSA group in The Dalles in the near future (my wife and I agreed I should wait at least until this step of the </span><a href="https://thepolehnjourney.wordpress.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">adoption</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> process is finished). Until then, I’ll be trying to live and act a lot more like a Boy Scout.</span></span></div>
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Daniel Polehnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03209911982798898578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340422434205700738.post-81083926924751447242017-08-12T23:14:00.004-07:002017-08-12T23:14:59.875-07:00About goals and failing them.<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Earlier this year I made a few goals for myself. One was to <a href="http://dpolehn.blogspot.com/2017/03/warm-season-running-goals.html">run</a>. A lot. The other was to <a href="http://dpolehn.blogspot.com/2017/04/writing-goals.html">write</a>, a lot more than I have. Sorry to say I haven’t kept either of these really well. Sometimes life get in the way, sometimes things don’t work out the way you hoped, sometimes you set the wrong goals and sometimes you just plain fail. I’d like to say life got in the way and things just happened, but I have to be honest.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Running</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Major failures in the running department. As you can see from the graph below, things were going pretty well for a time. Right on track. However, around the 30k per week mark I started to have nagging shin splints. Not so bad that I was ready to give up running (the proper cure for shin splints) but bad enough I knew I should back off. So I did, only to later end up with shin splints before during and after every running session. It was finally bad enough for me to realize I needed to lay it off completely, like you are supposed to. This resulted in about one 5k run per week. Now I don’t have a problem with shin splints but I do have this random knee pain which makes me question lacing up my shoes. That knee pain is still a problem. Considering it is in only one of two knees and only really flairs up after a run, I’m fairly certain it is a legitimate injury of some sort and needs rest.</span><br />
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<img alt="Displaying Photo note" src="https://keep.google.com/media/1OF1XgdrwtttvRWA25p6vc0HuNiR5eQ0?accept=image/gif,image/jpeg,image/jpg,image/png,image/webp,audio/aac&sz=w1920-h939" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Needless to say that my running goals are all on hold for the time being. My pride is not worth a permanently damaged left knee. I also won’t be doing a triathlon or any other races this summer for that matter for the vary same reason. But did I have the right goals in the first place? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A better goal for a non-competitive “athlete” like myself would be to simply participate in some events and to maintain a healthy lifestyle while doing so. Pushing yourself to the point of injury is no smart goal, even if it is S.M.A.R.T. Sure I ran a lot this spring, but I also let myself eat junk and gain weight. Mix those together and you have a formula for injury.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Writing</span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you’ve been following along with blog you'd notice I haven’t posted to this thing in several months (not counting <a href="http://dpolehn.blogspot.com/2017/08/book-report-peoples-history-of-united.html">last week' post</a>). That’s below my minimum goal of one blog post a month and way below my goal of one a week. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While my excuse here is that I really don’t have time to commit to writing, the truth is that no one has time to commit to writing. As many people say you have to make time for writing or for any of your other goals for that matter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I did write a few short stories, rough drafts at least. Writing fiction sounds like a lot of fun to me if not a little challenging. The actual process of creating characters, plots, scenes and putting words down on paper is a lot of work. Like most things though, I understand this takes time to learn and to feel comfortable and gain confidence.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've read quite a few books (which I plan to write about) in the last few months, more than I normally would in a few month span. I've also been<span style="background-color: white;"> journaling, which I can't say I've ever done with any regularity.</span> So this goal hasn't been a complete wash. However, my main, most publicly visible goal of posting to this blog has been an utter failure.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All<span style="background-color: white;"> in all I’ve failed at the goals I set out. However, I’ve made progress on writing and had some PRs with run</span>ning. That’s the beauty of making goals I suppose. They still add value even if you don’t (or can’t) reach them.</span><br />
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Daniel Polehnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03209911982798898578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340422434205700738.post-52431823918270876332017-08-03T09:21:00.001-07:002017-08-03T09:21:56.375-07:00Book report: A People's History of the United States<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A People's History of the United States</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> by Howard Zinn</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is probably one of the most cynical takes on American history ever written. It is blatantly and openly biased, intentionally seeking to tell the stories that the author feels aren't told through the traditional narrative of US history. Despite being openly antagonistic </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A People's History</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is full of citations from first hand and second hand sources as well as quotes from other published history texts. In other words it takes many of the bleakest points in American History (chattel slavery, native genocide, worker suppression) and does a great job proving that, yes, things really were "as bad as all that." </span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-9e172c27-a8e5-614f-68d5-e35c56bde714" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On the whole I'm happy to read a starkly different telling of US history, especially in relation to our foreign policy. Zinn leaves little doubt around the imperialistic ambitions of many of the United States military conflicts (especially the Mexican American and Vietnam Wars). He implies that every armed conflict the US has engaged in, including the revolutionary war and WWII had imperialistic motivations. I find this a bit of a stretch but the arguments are compelling nonetheless. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The one major problem I have however is that</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> A People's History</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> delves to deeply into a mentality of class warfare. I don't think it too outlandish to say this book is read a bit pro-communist. Too much of this classist snobbery, "us v. them" mentality has polluted our national dialogue with its false dichotomy. It’s stink of what Lord Baden-Powell would call cuckooism. It may be naive, but I can’t help but think pitting the proletariat squarely against the bourgeoisie is a recipe for violence and disaster. In a happy society mutual respect should flow freely between classes. This sort of idealistic outlook seems impossible in the US, but I won’t be party to fanning the flames of class warfare. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This being said, the book tells a heroic tale of the labor movement in the US. When you read about ladies working with toxic material, working 60+ hour weeks and being paid in company scrip (imagine working at Walmart and being paid in store credit), a system that resembles slavery much more than a free market exchange, the problem is clear. The unionizing and strikes that took place around the turn of the century were clearly necessary. You have to be some kind of special plutocratic libertarian to be ok with that level of mistreatment.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ultimately </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A People’s History</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> attempts and is successful in portraying the overall story of US history from a different perspective, one with fewer heroic and altruistic characters. With something as complex as the history of our country it is important for citizens to know every fact available, shaded in every hue. This book is biased, but its bias is so clear that the message and the history both are not lost. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As my kids get older and are ready to intellectually and emotionally understand the darker parts of our past (beyond the simple “people did some bad things”) I’d likely use parts of this book as supplemental readying for <a href="http://dpolehn.blogspot.com/2017/03/what-i-learned-from-being-stay-at-home.html">homeschooling</a>.</span></div>
Daniel Polehnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03209911982798898578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340422434205700738.post-49729005640542636032017-05-08T23:12:00.001-07:002017-08-12T23:18:21.647-07:00Redistricting Oregon.<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Earlier last month Oregon Secretary of State Dennis Richardson </span><a href="http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/04/dennis_richardson_unveils_comp.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">announced</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> his plans for a </span><a href="https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/3677787/Richardson-Redistricting.pdf" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">constructional amendment</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to place the task of redistricting into the hands of an independent commission. Currently Oregon is one of the many states in which redistricting is handled by the legislature themselves. Democrats in the state were </span><a href="http://www.bendbulletin.com/localstate/5258600-151/democrats-reject-richardson-plan-for-redistricting-panel" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">quick to reject the plan</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> as a Republican power grab, an attempt to gerrymander the state. </span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-c8829188-ebd2-1f76-c226-e751c7234f52" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> In 2011 something that hadn't happened for </span><a href="https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/citizen_engagement/Reports/Redistricting.pdf" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">several decades</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> occurred in Oregon. The legislature was able to pass a redistricting plan without challenge from the Supreme Court or the Governor. This is especially surprising because the House of Representatives at the time was evenly split between Democrats and Republicans. The redistricting bill passed with a wide margin. You could say that the redistricting plan of 2011 was bipartisan, but were districts still gerrymandered?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 20pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Gerrymandering in Oregon?</span></h1>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> By many metrics used to estimate gerrymandering in a state, </span><a href="http://www.governing.com/blogs/by-the-numbers/most-gerrymandered-congressional-districts-states.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Oregon ranks near the top of the list</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Many conservatives and other observers believe that gerrymandering is already the </span><a href="http://www.oregonlive.com/argus/index.ssf/2011/05/gerrymandering_has_become_the.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">norm in Oregon</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. If you take a look at the districts I live in, senate district 30, divided into house district 59 and 60, the borders don’t exactly make much logical sense. Half of Wasco County makes up an odd shaped pan handle on a large blob.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="461" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/lboEM_eQgImdV0rADxbphWBrX48nLKJ9lSsKYBnj9XSXsniP-jTJ4WWFbjrTNkBghogizv5OclYKUhaApjxTsvN61KnLedSHXqkyH1S5gh-2B4VwEgNjUnn4S-7FqnRD7jwkhxIa" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="444" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/BB_YdeyySApg356hsr1ot5dGHw35zRjhUWljqWdY89MYBqLHhLxFN4X0zQX9m8EIuwrgwl16EaYXFjUM-sEvzVURpqU8PIY_foAaPqr0y3aHKURuC1XIp1ToIt8oJNWNPIUFdGOW" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="600" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Below is a map of how house districts looked before the last round of redistricting. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="477" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/UwskwTPWDHKH9KB1n7hPLqGcI-brLIpimpIcu6SiYOBXNOpARToa2GJRPVCpKSk_aorohZ41FuaXJ0tUUNpnfEsAQrCxSxoxGRs0KXZw6vynWI43GVswNLJ-5n84W1pzQa4kqa1x" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> As you can see overall things are similar. However, by the criteria that districts should be as compact/circular as possible, a few districts certainly look a bit more gerrymandered. Districts 59 and 57 specifically had been significantly redrawn, with Wasco County and the City of The Dalles split in half. What was the effects of this redistricting? I’ve pulled some data from the </span><a href="http://sos.oregon.gov/elections/Pages/electionhistory-stats.aspx" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Oregon Secretary of State’s records available online</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to find out. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In both of these districts Republicans gained a slightly larger voter registration advantage over Democrats after redistricting. How much of an advantage did incumbent Republican gain? The effects of the 2011 redistricting can most clearly be seen through election results. Senator Ted Ferrioli has only ran opposed twice in the last decade in 2016 when he did have a competitor he won by a 40% advantage. Senate District 30 is so uncompetitive and has been for so long it is not even worth considering the effects of redistricting. So, we will focus on Rep John Huffman in House District 59.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> When we take a look at the results for elections before 2010 we see that Huffman enjoyed a fairly wide margin in most elections with one very competitive election in 2006. In 2010 (the election before redistricting) Huffman saw a huge advantage winning by at least 30%, and has every election since redistricting cracked the surprisingly left leaning Wasco County in half.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Some of the advantage in both the senate and house districts may simply be the result of long incumbency but it is clear to see that Republicans in these districts enjoyed an advantage before redistricting and that advantage has increased since then. Similarly in senate district 29 and house district 57 have similarly enjoyed very safe election in house district 57 Greg Smith had several contested races before 2011 in which he won by a large margin, since redistricting he has not seen a challenger on the ballot. Bill Hansell, in senate district 29, has won every election by a wide margin (once by 37%, later by 61%) since his district was redrawn. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I’d argue that the redistricting plan of 2011 was a bipartisan bill mutually beneficial for incumbents of both parties. All representatives mentioned above in office at the time </span><a href="https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2011R1/Measures/Overview/SB989" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">voted for the bill</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. 2012 the Democratic Party saw gains in both state houses. Since then incumbents have enjoyed a 100% re-election rate with most districts without incumbent candidates being held by the same party as before. As a whole districts in Oregon were not competitive before the 2011 redistricting and are even less so now. Gerrymandering is clearly a problem though perhaps not in the partisan sense we typically consider it.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 20pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A balance of power</span></h1>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> With Democrats now in firm control of both legislative houses, Dennis Richardson is not the only Republican looking to change the way Oregon redistricts. Senate Minority Leader Ted Ferrioli has proposed </span><a href="https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2017R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SJR9" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">several</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><a href="https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2017R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SJR10" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">constitutional</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><a href="https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2017R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SJR11" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">amendments</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><a href="https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2017R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SJR12" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">to</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><a href="https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2017R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SJR13" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">establish</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> an “independent” redistricting commission. The problem with the senator's many proposals is that none of them establish a commission free of influence from the legislature, in them members are selected by legislative leadership. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> The Secretary of State’s proposed amendment has been criticized for being complicated. Perhaps it is a little convoluted. However, the overly complicated method for selecting committee members is clearly designed to prevent undue influence from the legislature or any political party. This complexity also limits any direct influence the Secretary of State would have over the process, less power than the office has historically experienced.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Legislators should have no part in the creation of legislative districts. An independent redistricting commission will be a new and needed check the legislature to solidify members or parties in positions of power. </span></div>
Daniel Polehnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03209911982798898578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340422434205700738.post-8880876019749612692017-05-02T14:21:00.001-07:002017-05-02T14:22:15.470-07:00April Goals Update<h2>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Running goals</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Since setting some <a href="http://dpolehn.blogspot.com/2017/03/warm-season-running-goals.html">running goals</a> for the year I've increased my weekly distance by about 10 km more or less meeting my target distance for each week. I've also done better than I expected at improving my pace so far. I participated in the <a href="http://dpolehn.blogspot.com/2017/04/cherry-festival-10k-photo-tour.html">Cherry Festival 10k</a> run where I had a new personal record time for a 10k (57:46 according to <a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/953196664">strava</a>). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">However, this last week I've started to feel sluggish and worn out every run. I've been running three times a week since I started adding distance. One of those runs for the last several weeks has been a 10k. Last weeks pace was the first time since I started that I did not make my pace goal I felt pretty miserable all week. I think it's time to run four times a week at shorter distances and not have a weekly 10k until it's a necessity to reach 40k per week goal. I'm only about half way through my goal of building up to that distance per week and I don't want to feel miserable the entire time. So far this week 4 runs 7k or less feels much more manageable.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEK3auBzY8Uk90j0sxv_ffIFcXqaDS8DR274LxN-nKsf-jtuqqUwLCZZc36YGkb5XoLBY5u-hcKmSYemGRHIyJzLUSK2hvOMaieb-exUYAc9npFAJkWm-znj5hMB0zEcut4jO0o6K0Kcr6/s1600/image+%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEK3auBzY8Uk90j0sxv_ffIFcXqaDS8DR274LxN-nKsf-jtuqqUwLCZZc36YGkb5XoLBY5u-hcKmSYemGRHIyJzLUSK2hvOMaieb-exUYAc9npFAJkWm-znj5hMB0zEcut4jO0o6K0Kcr6/s400/image+%25281%2529.png" /></a></span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlaFHsiahyphenhyphen3_cpUR0le0na_MAAYV0htpW_XOMZRAWrLrPP8YPLy7-yI0LbPp3Gx8xnEIki14xpFXLyddo50m-z2Rii7JMBK0ZkpTrxjn6yRVfpR_083NRj5b-obsQIBrG47ywzoQMtQwrE/s1600/image.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlaFHsiahyphenhyphen3_cpUR0le0na_MAAYV0htpW_XOMZRAWrLrPP8YPLy7-yI0LbPp3Gx8xnEIki14xpFXLyddo50m-z2Rii7JMBK0ZkpTrxjn6yRVfpR_083NRj5b-obsQIBrG47ywzoQMtQwrE/s400/image.png" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Writing goals</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dearest readers I have failed you! I only contributed 3 blog posts to the cosmos last month. I guess I should try for at least five this month. Putting a sufficient amount of research and thought to make a well formed opinion is a lot more time consuming than its sounds. I did write a first draft for a little short story which is none too exciting and will probably never see the outside of my drive folder,. Better than nothing which is really <a href="http://dpolehn.blogspot.com/2017/04/writing-goals.html">my goal</a> I suppose.</span></div>
Daniel Polehnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03209911982798898578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340422434205700738.post-76486729843115397942017-04-20T09:35:00.003-07:002017-04-20T10:42:29.081-07:00Cherry Festival 10k photo tour.<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://thedalleschamber.com/northwest-cherry-festival/">The Dalles Cherry Festival</a> is coming up (Saturday April 22nd this year). Despite the cheesiness and the crowds, this is actually one of my favorite "local holidays." The 10k run is one of my new favorite traditions. The run has been around longer than I have and goes right through where I grew up. It's about time I started to "enjoy" it.</span><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"""April 22nd – 3k and 5k are out and back, with a nice uphill at the start. The 10k does a LOOP, with rolling uphill the first half, then enjoy the nice 9+ miles of downhill to the finish. Paved, scenic, orchard country roads. Awards to the top 3 in each age division, all runs. Great random prize drawings! Proceeds will benefit TDHS Cross Country Teams. Registration forms available at The Dalles Chamber office."""</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you're following along at home and can convert customary to metric in your head a run with 9+ miles of downhill is a comically long 10k. Despite the obvious typo this is actually a really nice run, especially this time of the year when the grass is green and the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. In a few weeks the hills will be brown and the blossoms will be a distant memory. This is one of those rare years where the Cherry Festival is actually going on the same time as the blossoms are in bloom so enjoy it.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Despite the long history and the beauty involved with this route there is almost no information to be found about it online. I couldn't even find any Strava segments, which is a real shame because Strava segments make everything more fun. I've created one for the 10k route and several smaller sections. With the Strava segment we can now race each other year round. ;) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The official race starts at 8:00 with registration starting at the Dry Hollow School field an hour earlier. All the runs start at the fork of Three Mile and Dry Hollow. The 3k takes a right and goes up Dry Hollow and back. The 5k and the 10k both climb up Three Mile Rd.</span></div>
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<span id="goog_1653254854"></span><span id="goog_1653254855"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> First climb</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Both the 5k and the 10k route start off climbing up Three Mile Road. The elevations stops climbing right around where the turnaround is for the 5k route. To stay on the 10k route you simply keeping making right turns at every major intersection past this point. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What used to be an orchard.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTWNNskvmVdUep34CDn6fK9fQEfHOvs1_q4FCS8hgBPq_7z2vJvDcJmlruAuHmsJhFBY2E49XeVeUoopvUZECPrN4An6bTh5UD53FXjAazD8AzrGShUZmApUWxQImLFakUh5D9mU8C4Cu/s1600/GOPR0119_1492566108126_high.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTWNNskvmVdUep34CDn6fK9fQEfHOvs1_q4FCS8hgBPq_7z2vJvDcJmlruAuHmsJhFBY2E49XeVeUoopvUZECPrN4An6bTh5UD53FXjAazD8AzrGShUZmApUWxQImLFakUh5D9mU8C4Cu/s640/GOPR0119_1492566108126_high.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Somewhere near the 5k turnaround</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<h2>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Second climb</span></h2>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After a nice little downhill ending just past <a href="http://www.renkenfarms.com/">that one farm from <i>Curious George</i></a> you start off climbing again. You can get a quick peek at Three Mile Creek here. Probably not recommended for your optimal time.</span><br />
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<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="405" scrolling="no" src="https://www.strava.com/segments/14631343/embed" width="590"></iframe><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheqsC_6ulcRqNhs2Nq0lO-B-wjOm1rKUxkqMcj0MFsBcor2IVC7AOeJkV3YtbaMBRhtn2aPuSFBKYtF0lC84zT3GaOBi4nVKGP21d-dhQ6t2UAW4flQppxW3YjanH2xAjBBDCed5HjziAv/s1600/GOPR0124_1492566108126_high.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheqsC_6ulcRqNhs2Nq0lO-B-wjOm1rKUxkqMcj0MFsBcor2IVC7AOeJkV3YtbaMBRhtn2aPuSFBKYtF0lC84zT3GaOBi4nVKGP21d-dhQ6t2UAW4flQppxW3YjanH2xAjBBDCed5HjziAv/s640/GOPR0124_1492566108126_high.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6PRVKzjzuK5O-Zb4JSmqjZW9xfOLn8X7QQInqt3kv5oTsBpuxcLpmEzIXBGBwv9nD6yzkRY2huecln-6e01YPe_e_2ABpp-8mF66v1Xiu9XI8t75q_O8yYk6cpUZvz0rA3ODHdC9RY79R/s1600/GOPR0129_1492566108126_high.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6PRVKzjzuK5O-Zb4JSmqjZW9xfOLn8X7QQInqt3kv5oTsBpuxcLpmEzIXBGBwv9nD6yzkRY2huecln-6e01YPe_e_2ABpp-8mF66v1Xiu9XI8t75q_O8yYk6cpUZvz0rA3ODHdC9RY79R/s640/GOPR0129_1492566108126_high.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Take peek at Three Mile Creek.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgiy0XwtxdYEb4WQCaxoLHcUuwKrGXKs2xkOvNoM-F8gDXyUm8Xj-cN9q86P5NzHwHm3o32KcbEc4RtimT5N1F5dE7qE1b3U2TaDz2iiCB9ZB8h-o7c5bTKbvPxkxZGqXUSlhBJrCHTzLQ/s1600/GOPR0132_1492566108126_high.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgiy0XwtxdYEb4WQCaxoLHcUuwKrGXKs2xkOvNoM-F8gDXyUm8Xj-cN9q86P5NzHwHm3o32KcbEc4RtimT5N1F5dE7qE1b3U2TaDz2iiCB9ZB8h-o7c5bTKbvPxkxZGqXUSlhBJrCHTzLQ/s640/GOPR0132_1492566108126_high.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pleasant Ridge</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQgmD6r5ODmxJkBuZL5AQFKQLGN1MPLjrwn2m2WQKPPaiyX5XskMt9v6Ma-6i4djEIqQyxgMlnYxFcz6Nw9-AzYtqJBm4lJRFkoEoN0UIXBlud5cj1YkYlR9ZH-bh_8oZR9ly-Oxq8ySmc/s1600/GOPR0135_1492566108126_high.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQgmD6r5ODmxJkBuZL5AQFKQLGN1MPLjrwn2m2WQKPPaiyX5XskMt9v6Ma-6i4djEIqQyxgMlnYxFcz6Nw9-AzYtqJBm4lJRFkoEoN0UIXBlud5cj1YkYlR9ZH-bh_8oZR9ly-Oxq8ySmc/s640/GOPR0135_1492566108126_high.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turn right at the stop sign to Dry Hollow Rd to stay on the route.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_TpQYMv6wXGTd2_hXGO5195s93qFLcHlg9DWfQBgZvjMtb1Bzrqvvm3DDQ53bHJvGLDPAA2qCB3SIy0Fl5E9PaNfK8cqUmHzrSGWtF3KvASy-0kezd49wjU4CY4-AWRm5rzpJerSUFspp/s1600/GOPR0143_1492566108126_high.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_TpQYMv6wXGTd2_hXGO5195s93qFLcHlg9DWfQBgZvjMtb1Bzrqvvm3DDQ53bHJvGLDPAA2qCB3SIy0Fl5E9PaNfK8cqUmHzrSGWtF3KvASy-0kezd49wjU4CY4-AWRm5rzpJerSUFspp/s640/GOPR0143_1492566108126_high.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking at Three Mile Canyon from Dry Hollow Rd</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<h2>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rolling hills</span></h2>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After the second main climb there are a few more ups and downs. I for one am done thinking about hills at this point, but there they are.</span></div>
<h2>
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="405" scrolling="no" src="https://www.strava.com/segments/14643605/embed" width="590"></iframe></h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv_6sxBn2kBjuXkugX4slIYe1Qph3KExPXns9oOQEha6W7ZsjBgw9sPbjgrpiAH6yTzDNoVHFXINuwmQ8U-r0rdOwPfwxHppaYPFAhEzMIhnpQsdXpFt4e9DW1Er2Ce-SqpsArYl8uiaVZ/s1600/GOPR0149_1492566108126_high.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv_6sxBn2kBjuXkugX4slIYe1Qph3KExPXns9oOQEha6W7ZsjBgw9sPbjgrpiAH6yTzDNoVHFXINuwmQ8U-r0rdOwPfwxHppaYPFAhEzMIhnpQsdXpFt4e9DW1Er2Ce-SqpsArYl8uiaVZ/s640/GOPR0149_1492566108126_high.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSqxXXNPFMQiW2oK9cnFqokKs4Yd6CDyj_BmBsRL_KA5ZOjhkUpzDMNECt3yS8Pj6GQZ9EqRYGIMWTtNWt5n3mPV37nxbUFCGfklgTTO_SWUtSX_8omLmrMeY6U1paojhklEziRxOlQjLP/s1600/GOPR0150_1492566108126_high.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="556" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSqxXXNPFMQiW2oK9cnFqokKs4Yd6CDyj_BmBsRL_KA5ZOjhkUpzDMNECt3yS8Pj6GQZ9EqRYGIMWTtNWt5n3mPV37nxbUFCGfklgTTO_SWUtSX_8omLmrMeY6U1paojhklEziRxOlQjLP/s640/GOPR0150_1492566108126_high.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPjzZIMECNHMNp9T0Sb0z-U5Z_Wr4-OpnDcLKeuhnyVGmF3TACsPSp90qZKTymQNsQtpwWsmJU7eihQVvYBrx8WZAbfM4SkzR1fnjMuXUBnxNqA_Q82_dtPDnHICOWMRRpM03iiEUwrozj/s1600/GOPR0161_1492566108126_high.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPjzZIMECNHMNp9T0Sb0z-U5Z_Wr4-OpnDcLKeuhnyVGmF3TACsPSp90qZKTymQNsQtpwWsmJU7eihQVvYBrx8WZAbfM4SkzR1fnjMuXUBnxNqA_Q82_dtPDnHICOWMRRpM03iiEUwrozj/s640/GOPR0161_1492566108126_high.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Take a peek at Mt. Adams's peak</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUwA7ySBBGBkAoZIfKQ62I2clilJ5XX_lHhBV77QG7CvzlYmjl2ZkGTYFi670uAZXO72qOVFA33yFtWZ8I4Fou9n_n1h1UMsj5SXvgPLckAEt2JtVHuj_r1a3sW1gzmpjsnuncPEJICC3Q/s1600/GOPR0162_1492566108126_high.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUwA7ySBBGBkAoZIfKQ62I2clilJ5XX_lHhBV77QG7CvzlYmjl2ZkGTYFi670uAZXO72qOVFA33yFtWZ8I4Fou9n_n1h1UMsj5SXvgPLckAEt2JtVHuj_r1a3sW1gzmpjsnuncPEJICC3Q/s640/GOPR0162_1492566108126_high.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keep right here to stay on the route</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqP3CyQTRjcr6Cu9EC4UWsJyGVeErL-ZAUkdiLiw8yE2sqp8uWPyagmzIShWH8R639rHbGT0Ri9or1rAbk8wnz8zhm05-_OF75HqoC6Bg2Vk90zgBS0nz-dQdvXMoXsTyg0tmDpd41mg3p/s1600/GOPR0164_1492566108126_high.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqP3CyQTRjcr6Cu9EC4UWsJyGVeErL-ZAUkdiLiw8yE2sqp8uWPyagmzIShWH8R639rHbGT0Ri9or1rAbk8wnz8zhm05-_OF75HqoC6Bg2Vk90zgBS0nz-dQdvXMoXsTyg0tmDpd41mg3p/s640/GOPR0164_1492566108126_high.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dry Hollow Creek currently not dry.</td></tr>
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<h2>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's all downhill from here</span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then comes the fabled 9+ miles of downhill. There might be some way to continue going downhill for 9 miles from here but not to the end of the 10k.</span><br />
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<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="405" scrolling="no" src="https://www.strava.com/segments/14603182/embed" width="590"></iframe><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ8KcZADmxtM1B-hSaKwaSE64CvETfXIkas-0Ub3ilVdNakx9Od04QwespE3y_gTmRbyIU1Sem055OY0eGQLDLVqgNvHKKqP6AvhmjWr4SzhNVJdAB5vu8oiy3rq349HFwz5uvhB3Hy7Tp/s1600/GOPR0172_1492566108126_high.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ8KcZADmxtM1B-hSaKwaSE64CvETfXIkas-0Ub3ilVdNakx9Od04QwespE3y_gTmRbyIU1Sem055OY0eGQLDLVqgNvHKKqP6AvhmjWr4SzhNVJdAB5vu8oiy3rq349HFwz5uvhB3Hy7Tp/s640/GOPR0172_1492566108126_high.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More road and more orchards.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9o5KWJbZvzJLPpVXHe3nxWb863zub6lOBNtOGRIA-u0s4RFC48xmje7UIPv-5bMLrwGyktgl3uoSKLOiY7jDYxmWyV87sc6hT1Je-_CSiAR7lJJKaxToojIFsrMt77ghyphenhyphenhl-4F379ma-c/s1600/GOPR0193_1492566108126_high.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9o5KWJbZvzJLPpVXHe3nxWb863zub6lOBNtOGRIA-u0s4RFC48xmje7UIPv-5bMLrwGyktgl3uoSKLOiY7jDYxmWyV87sc6hT1Je-_CSiAR7lJJKaxToojIFsrMt77ghyphenhyphenhl-4F379ma-c/s640/GOPR0193_1492566108126_high.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First 10k of 2017 done.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Get out there and move me lower on the leaderboards.</span><br />
<a href="https://goo.gl/photos/2vi2TCC8NiCkW8ZY6"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">See more photos from this route.</span></a>Daniel Polehnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03209911982798898578noreply@blogger.com0