The King’s Speech – Movie Review

It was a real pleasure for me to witness this modern portrayal of a lesser known, but very significant historical event – an event that profoundly influenced the world in which I now live.

On September 1st, 1939, as the inevitability of World War II rolled across the British Empire like thick English fog, King George VI was preparing himself to utter perhaps one of the greatest speeches of all time – a speech he was ill prepared to make. Because of the sudden abdication of his brother, King Edward VIII, the new king unexpectedly found himself on the throne. King George would obviously have to speak in public but his life long speech impediment stood firmly in his way. The new king’s faithful and determined wife, Elizabeth (mother to Queen Elizabeth II and grandmother to Prince Charles) had previously hired several speech therapists, but King George’s progress was non-existent – until she hired a man named Lionel Logue.

An ordinary man, Mr. Logue was anything but common. Lionel immediately went to work trying to help the king – using unorthodox methods to change the course of history. This movie is about the ultimate triumph of King George VI, a real life reluctant monarch thrust into the spotlight by circumstance beyond his control. “The King’s Speech” is the story of a man who rises to meet his obligations – even when those obligations felt like climbing Mount Everest without oxygen support. This story is about determination and determination and more determination – and I liked it a lot!

In the United States, “The King’s Speech” was rated R (14A in Canada), and I will tell you why. The movie has no sex or violence, but it does have a few scenes when the struggling king uses profanity to help him in his speech therapy. As you may already know, I’m not a fan of profanity and wish it had been omitted. I did, however, brave the occasional swarms of foul language masquerading as acting, and enjoyed the movie anyway.

The movie stars Colin Firth, Goeffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce, Jennifer Ehle, Derek Jacobi, Michael Gambon, Timothy Spall and Anthony Andrews – and they all do an awesome job of portraying this “based on true” story. 

Visit “The King’s Speech” official website.  
For more information and support materials for children and adults who stutter: The National Stuttering Association provides educational and support resources for children and adults who stutter, educators and speech therapists. Over 100 local chapters provide additional support. Visit www.westutter.org for more information.

Here's the real speech His Majesty, King George VI delivered on September 3rd, 1939

Gardening in Cold Alberta - Green Peppers & A Micro Greenhouse

Southern Alberta is not really cold in the summer, but the winters can get nasty. Here, we enjoy Chinook winds in the winter months - warm winds that melt the snow and raise the temperature as much as 40 degrees C in 24 hours. In the spring however, the Mother Nature provides us with a variety of conditions. We can have great weather for days, followed by one morning of frost. What to I do in the garden to keep the plants going? Cover them with plastic.
Typically, Southern Alberta will not be guaranteed frost free until June 1st, but most of us who plant gardens here put our plants and seeds in the ground on the Victoria Day long weekend (about the 23nd of May). We usually get a frost the morning following the full moon, and that occurred May 17th so we are probably out of the woods as far as frost goes until the end of September - if we are lucky.
I started my peppers and tomatoes from seed in early March. The plants grew in our kitchen window until about the end of April when I put them out in our most protected greenhouse. The thriving plants are definitely ready to be in the ground and most of our greenhouse dirt is already planted with flowering tomato plants and soon to flower green, red and jalapeño peppers. Outside, Diana and I prepared a special place of protection for additional pepper plants - since we had too many for our two greenhouses.

We selected a plot about 24 inches wide and 11 feet long. Then we dug a trench about 6 inches wide and 4 inches deep, all around the rectangular perimeter of the plot. Next, we planted the pepper plants - 7 of them in the 11 foot row. With each planting, we used liquid fertilizer 15/30/15 to prevent any transplanting shock. (Miracle Grow or RX-15 are two 15/30/15 fertilizer brands I know of.) We added about 4 cups of fertilizer water (1tablespoon per gallon) to each plant. Next, we placed the drip irrigation hose against the stems (we use the kind of drip irrigation hose that weeps from micro pores everywhere along the hose). With the hose in place, we took 2 large plastic garbage bags and cut them down the sides to form long rectangular sheets of plastic. We folded the bags lengthwise, covered half the plot lengthwise and placed big dirt clods in a few strategic places to hold one edge of the plastic. With the fold against the stem of each plant, we cut a + shaped hole for each plant, about 5 inches each way. We then carefully pulled the plants through the holes, overlapping two garbage bags to reach the entire length of the row. We smoothed out the black plastic and I then pushed 6 curved wires through the plastic and into the ground such that the wires entered the ground at the edge of the 24 inch wide plot and along the inside edge of the 6" x 4" trench. Each wire hoop is 88 inches long and about 1/8 diameter and is the kind of wire used for farm fencing (non rusting and fairly bendable). We pushed the wire hoops into the ground about 8 or 10 inches at each end. (Please note: the two end hoops are pushed in at about a 60 degree angle and the bottoms are less than 10 inches away from the first perpendicular hoop. This helps support the end of the clear plastic when it is stretched. Also, the hoops are placed so that none of them pass directly above any plant.) Next, we cut a piece of 2mil clear plastic 6 feet in width and 16 feet in length. (The plastic is not UV stable, but it really only needs to last about 4-6 weeks to accomplish its magic so this isn't a problem. Thin and cheap is the name of the game.) With the clear plastic cut to length, we draped it over the hoops, centered it and piled the dirt from the trench all along its edges. Approximately 4 - 6 inches of plastic was available to sit in the trench, and the piled dirt tightened the plastic nicely.
The result? A perfect micro greenhouse. Now there are a few cautions I need to tell you about before you try this at home...
First, this micro greenhouse is a closed system - meaning that no air is flowing in our out. Inside the tube, humidity levels are high and the plants use and re-use their own oxygen and carbon dioxide. This is OK for a while.

The plastic is nearly all buried. All that remains to be done is to finish covering the closest edge and sweep off the patio blocks. (It the background, you can see two of the drip irrigation hoses.)

Second, if the ambient temperature gets too high, the plants will cook
So... We'll leave our micro climate alone for about a week or so - until the hottest daytime temperatures get up to no more than 78 degrees Fahrenheit. (80 degrees is the maximum upper limit if there is full sun.) When the days are warm enough, we'll stick a knife into the clear plastic and cut 3/4 circles, leaving the top 1/4 of the circles intact so they act like a flap. The circles will be about 4 inches in diameter. We'll cut one circle in each end and two along each side for a total of 6 vents. After about another week or two, the plants will be getting tall. We'll then cut holes directly above each plant so the leaves can get out of the tube. The holes will be about 11 inches across which will mean that there will not be much plastic left on top. At this point, we'll also cut out and enlarge the 3/4 circles along the walls of the tube so there's better ventilation. We'll add a few more holes to the walls too. Eventually, the clear plastic will come off, but it can remain on until harvest - and a nice harvest it will be!!!

Small Stuff - 1440 Little Things Each & Every Day

What do you think? I bet you have an opinion. Some say, “Don’t sweat the small stuff”. Others say, “Everything is small stuff.” Well, I agree and I disagree – all depending on how I look at the definition of small stuff. Today, I’d like to talk about ‘time’ – you know, the small stuff that prevents one thing after another from becoming everything all at once.

Let’s first consider the math and then we’ll move on to more pleasant considerations (unless of course you're a math aficionado and then this is a bonus situation of desert first).

In every 24 hours, there are 1440 minutes. That sounds like a lot, but for me, those daily increments can go by very quickly or very slowly. For example, I can hold my breath for well over two minutes, but each minute passes by pretty slowly! Without my accustomed steady supply of oxygen, two minutes seems like an eternity! And how about when I’m sleeping? Eight hours (480 minutes) seem to pass by in less time than it took me to hold my breath without passing out. This phenomenon of time distortion has always fascinated me – and sometimes scared me. In my short life, all 26,928,000 minutes of it – give or take, I have been both efficient in my use of time and wasteful.

In spite of my seemingly endless supply of minutes, I really ought to consider the reality that my minutes have a finite limit – I only have so many minutes allotted to me before my mortal life concludes. The thought might seem a little morbid, but if I’m to get done what I want to get done in life, then I need a plan that fits my parameters – or at least considers those parameters. So... since I don’t have any inside information about the exact number of minutes I have allotted to me, I seem to have only one of two choices. I either live each minute without regard or notice of its passage, or I pay attention and try to maximise the efficiency of each one of those minutes.

Even though any given minute may be my last one in mortality, should I be fearful? I think not. I think that I should embrace and employ and enjoy each minute that I get. Do I always do that? Sadly, no, but I believe that awareness is the first step to creating good habits. My future is going to happen no matter what I do, so I might as well try to push it in a desired direction.

Here is a personal example... About a decade ago, I began writing my book, “Three Seconds On, Three Seconds Off” – my book about growing up on the lighthouse. I was working full time and after work I built up my home-based photography business – as well as fulfilled all my obligations with my growing family. I had no time to write – or so I thought. Then something great happened. I got a Palm Pilot and a compact, folding keyboard. I began pulling the system out on my breaks at work and typing while I ate and rested. In the four years I did that, I wrote over 80,000 words – mostly about 4, 5 or 6 minutes at a time. Occasionally, on my 30 minute lunch breaks, I’d get in over twenty minutes of writing, but not always. What did I learn? I learned an important lesson about using time. I learned that if I did a little bit of writing when I could, that my writing would add up to a lot – eventually. So, what did I do? I took that Palm Pilot & keyboard everywhere. If I had to wait to see the doctor, I wrote. If I had to wait in the car, I wrote. I didn’t read unimportant stuff just to pass the time. I did spend time pondering and thinking – because I found those things important to a balanced life, but I looked for small windows of opportunity and appropriately seized them. I learned that some minutes needed to be sacrificed in order to help other people and that I should not scar my important relationships with the tip of my pen (so to speak). I learned that some minutes, however, were ‘fair game’ and those minutes were mine to gainfully employ as my obedient servants in the pursuit of my creative writing.

Today, I use my small laptop – a Samsung N210 Netbook, to get my words in order. It’s not quite as portable as was my Palm Pilot, but I can input a whole lot more words in a document than I could in the old days – and it has spell check! Today, my battery lasts longer and my data is easier to move around. I just plug in a flash drive to back up my precious files and I can easily transfer data to my archive. I enjoy the onboard thesaurus and the much bigger screen. I can even upload posts to my blog from this nice little computer. All in all, I still try to write whenever I have a few free minutes. And when my computer is not handy, and I have a creative surge, I use a paper, a Post-it note or even a dry erase board (old fashioned I know, but they work in a pinch).

How about you? What do you do to maximize your precious minutes?
 
I invite you to visit Stephen Covey.com for lots more time management inspiration.You can even join up and send me a friend request. Have fun!!

Who Do You Write Like?

This morning I found a fun place to start my day. I visited Deirdra Eden Coppel's blog and found a very cool widget! I followed the link to a program that analyses a person's writing style: http://iwl.me/
Rather curious about comparing my own writing style to the styles of others, I posted a small sample of my new novel, "Treasure of El Grado Escaso" and the analysis said that:

I write like
Ernest Hemingway

I Write Like by Mémoires, journal software. Analyze your writing!

I then posted a much bigger sample of the "in progress" novel and it still said that I write like Ernest Hemingway.
I next posted several excerpts from my yet unpublished book, "Three Seconds On, Three Seconds Off" (about my growing up on a lighthouse on the west coast of Canada) for analysis and it said:

I write like
Edgar Allan Poe

I Write Like by Mémoires, journal software. Analyze your writing!

.
For my third and final post, I uploaded some of my novel, "In Ravenscrag's Shadow" and it said:

I write like
Stephen King

I Write Like by Mémoires, journal software. Analyze your writing!

I'm most definitely flattered!

Consequences - A Moral Dilemma!

Consequences - A Moral Dilemma!

I seems that one of my biggest challenges in life has been to accept the fact that when I pick up one end of a stick, I also pick up the other. When I jump off the diving board, no matter how high I spring into the air, I’m always going to fall and I really hope I planned ahead and made certain that there was water in the pool. Sometimes, I look ahead and make choices based on getting their projected consequences – consequences I want. I lock my car so my stuff will remain inside. I tie my hiking boots correctly and confidently expect my laces to remain secure until I untie them (and they have always stayed ties up for me). In spite of the fact however, that over the years I have made several very valiant attempts to alter the consequences of my actions, I have always been unsuccessful. 100% of the time. Perhaps it’s a good thing? Perhaps being able to accurately predict and count on a particular outcome is a wonderful thing? Why then do I sometimes want to manufacture inconsistent outcomes – inconsistent consequences?

I should be able to get what I want – right? At first glance, getting what I want sounds to me like the embodiment of the “Canadian Dream” (Of course, in the USA, it’s called the “American Dream”). After all, don’t I believe that I should have freedom? Who is it out there in this big old world that has the right to deny me of my personal right to get whatever I want in life – and out of life? Why do consequences often block my personal pursuit of happiness? Why can’t I just do what I want and have it be OK with everyone?

I have pondered these questions, as perhaps you too have pondered them. I find the questions to be intriguing. And I sometimes find them to be much more complicated than I’d like them to be.

A great many years ago, my associate Wade B. and I were discussing consequences, personal choice and religion. (A brain-full to say the least!) At the time, I was only 20 years old and Wade was 21, but we had a mature, adult moment that seemed to go beyond the wisdom of our young years. Wade and I talked about how all religions, when considered in combination, promoted a vast variety of beliefs – some the same, some only similar and some very different. We considered how some people felt that religion was restrictive, mind numbing and even claustrophobic. Some people seemed to be saying, “We want to keep on doing whatever we want - but we want to be able to get different consequences”.

Wade expressed concerned discouragement over the fact that there seemed to be an undercurrent, in some members of society around us, of opting out of formal religion and following their own personal belief systems – a personal, informal religious affiliation of one if you will. I agreed. The problem I saw with this personal religious affiliation of one idea was with the practice. After all, how do I settle on an appropriate personal code of conduct if my exclusive creative force is to allow me to do whatever I want and have it be OK? Even at age 20, the notion sounded rather selfish and self serving - not to mention arrogant.

Wade and I agreed, as you may also agree, that every human being will eventually settle themselves on a personal belief system and then at least try to live by it. Wade then, in complete facetiousness, offered a funny idea, but in the thirty years that have past since I heard it, I have often thought that he was onto something quite thought provoking. Wade jokingly suggested that we start a new church that would seem to meet the needs of all the folks who wanted to do whatever they wanted to do without the associated consequences – a personal religion outside of formal religion – a personal religious affiliation of one. Wade called his make-believe religion “The Third Church of the Stillborn Again”.
“And what is it‘s doctrine?” I innocently asked.
“If it feels good do it.”
“Wow!” I said. Does this church believe in baptism? Wade grinned and said, “If it feels good do it.”
”How about repentance of sins?”
“If it feels good do it.”
“Loving your neighbour?”
Wade grinned some more and said, “If it feels good do it.”
I laughed – we laughed together, but in the years since, I have often reflected on that day – sometimes with a smile and sometimes more seriously.

As my life has progressed, I have learned to like consequences more and more. I have learned that each and every action has a predictable reaction – a natural consequence that I may or may not like. I can always count on consequence. I have learned that while I can defer the arrival of a consequence of one or more of my actions, I will eventually have to pay the piper his full due – and if I defer, the price is usually higher. I have learned that my life goes better if I stop resisting natural law and just make choices based on their consequences. This is a no-brainer for some of you, but it took me a while to get to this spot in life – and I’m still working at staying here.

And so I return to my first question, “I should be able to get what I want – right?” My answer is “Yes!” - but I must make the choices that will ensure I arrive at my wanted destination. I have to base my focus on the results I want, not on whether something feels good at the time, or whether something is convenient, or whether taking the course of least resistance beckons to me with fair promises of success. Easy Street, in reality, is an overgrown dirt lane with vacant, weed-infested lots and not one liveable house in sight. If I am to get what I want, I have to think ahead. I have to plan my work and work my plan. I have to consider the complete consequence, not just the parts I like. I cannot cheat my way to a permanent positive result – no one ever has and I personally think that no one ever will (except on television - of course). A temporary high sounds more like an addiction than lasting happiness – you know, live for today and who cares about tomorrow. I think that it takes work to be happy – no surprise for some of you, but it was for me.

And here’s one final thought from the peanut gallery… I smiled a few days ago when I heard a friend’s definition of insanity – “Insanity is to keep on doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome.”

Now all I have to do is live by this wisdom!!! I will try, but it might be a while before I get my life to work as perfectly as my faithful bootlaces.

Review of the Samsung Netbook Model N210

Samsung N210

I bought a Samsung N210 Netbook about a year ago and I love it. I’m an author on the move and really appreciate the very long battery life. I often sit in bed and type while my wife sleeps in beside me. In the dark, the lowest screen brightness setting is plenty bright. Even in daylight, I rarely use more than a 50% brightness setting.

I’m not a trackpad kind of guy so I immediately purchased a folding wireless mouse – which I love.

I’ve done slideshows on my big screen – the netbook plugged into the TV and the mouse on the couch. The system works great.
 
In all fairness to heavy Internet users, I do not use my netbook much online, but in the limited use it gets, the performance is acceptable. I’ve never seen a wireless laptop / netbook that could compare to the speed of a wired connection, so if I need to do big updates or downloads on my N210, I just plug it directly into my router.

The N210’s processor is a little slower than my Windows XP desktop with 4Gb RAM and a Pentium 4 processor. I recently upgraded my N210’s RAM to 2GB and that sped things up some. I installed Dragon Naturally Speaking 11 on the N210 and it works well, but it is a bit slow. MS Word and Dragon NS running together are real RAM hogs! The best way I’ve found to use Dragon is to record on my Sony IC Recorder, download the Mp3 file onto the N210 and then tell Dragon to transcribe the recording. The transcription process is silent and I can leave the computer to go do something else while it chugs away. The transcription is pretty accurate and I can then compare it to the recording and tweak any errors. The best part of recording my voice is that I can do it nearly anywhere and do not have to carry the computer – even though the computer is not very heavy. In this way, I get more out of my spontaneous thoughts.

Someone asked about how loud the N210’s keyboard is. In response, I visited the four keyboards in my house: my Samsung N210, my Sony Vaio Laptop and my two desktops. The desktop keyboards are two different models made by Microsoft.
What I found: the N210 had the quietest keyboard out of the four I compared. The N210′s keys have a very soft sound, not a distinct clicking, but not perfectly quiet either. As I mentioned earlier, I use the N210 beside my wife while she is sleeping and Diana doesn’t even hear the keyboard. (Diana is not a heavy sleeper.)

I always use a hard surface between the netbook and my lap, so the cooling fan (which I have never heard) isn’t restricted. I’ve been told that one of the fastest ways to wear out a computer is to let them get too hot inside. (My Pentium 4 desktop has lasted well over 5 years now probably because it has an extra cooling fan.)

In conclusion: I got my Samsung N210 to compose words, not to play games or surf the web. So far, the N210 is all I imagined my dream netbook should be. I definitely recommend it. I love the long battery life, the great look of the pure white case, the high resolution screen and the ease of it’s use. The keys are very comfortable to my touch. The only thing I don’t like is that the right ‘shift key’ is not quite in the right place and I had to teach my right pinky to reach out a bit further to activate it. (Good thing I can be taught!)

All in all? The Samsung N210 is fantastic and if I had to buy another netbook, I would get another N210. (And the red model would look very nice beside my white one!)

Read more reviews.

Hiking / Backpacking / Camping - Dehydrated Ground Beef Recipie

In my backpacking adventures in 2009 and 2010, I used this recipe and loved it. I've never seen a recipe for dried ground beef, so I invented my own and thought some of you out there might like to try it. The dehydrated ground beef reconstitutes in boiling water in just a few minutes and is a great addition of protein and flavor when added to other dried foods in making soups and stews along the trail. If you are a fan of Oriental packaged soups like Ichiban Noodles, etc, then you'll be pleased when you add a little of this recipe to the mix. Enjoy...

 

Ground Beef – Dehydrated
Original recipe by Davis L. Bigelow

Ingredients
1kg Extra Lean Ground Beef (1kg = 2.2lbs)
½ tsp Garlic powder
1 tsp ground pepper
1 Tbs onion flakes (or 1½ tsp powder)
2 Tbs water
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp ground thyme
1 tsp marjoram
¼ tsp ground cayenne pepper (more if you want the beef to be spicy)
1 bouillon cube (enough to make 1 C of broth)
1¼ tsp cornstarch

Instructions:
1. Cook meat
2. Mix in water, spices and bouillon (not the cornstarch)
3. Cook for 5 minutes
4. Drain juice
5. Cool juice and keep meat hot
6. Mix cooled juice and cornstarch
7. Add juice to meat and brown meat for at least 10 more minutes. Mixture will be dry, so stir constantly.
8. Cool for 20 minutes
9. Spread 1 C on each dehydrator screen (while loading screens, place a paper towel under the dehydrator screen to catch any juice that my drip through) and then dry until brittle - about 14 to 24 hours in a low humidity environment – longer if the ambient humidity is high. As an alternate to using a dehydrator, use an oven set to 150° F. Prop the door open slightly to allow moisture to vent.
10. Seal without air in the bag. Stores well in the freezer.

NOTES:
* 1 kg of fresh, extra lean ground beef equals 2 C of dry meat & 1140 calories
* 250 grams raw equals ½ C of dry meat & 285 calories
* When dry, ½ a cup of meat weighs 45 grams
* 454 grams = 1 pound
* Backpacking Chef has a great website with many more dehydrating ideas and tips. Enjoy...

Treasure of El Grado Escaso - My New Novel

OK, OK, enough serious blog posts. Several weeks ago, I mentioned my new work of fiction, and here I am, as promised, to tell you about the excitement.

It all began in November 2010, when my wife Diana and I went to Mexico with some friends. I went scuba diving 13 times and was awed at the sights and sounds of the southern Baja Peninsula, or "Baja Mexico Sur" as it is locally known. Before the trip, I wondered if my holiday should include doing a little research for some future writing, but when I was immersed in Mexico, my decision was obvious. How could I be surrounded by such an awesome place and not put pen to paper? 

During the vacation, one of our group coined the name of a perfect Mexican fictional character for my future writing pleasure - Rico Suave. I liked the name and as our time ticked by, I took more and more photographs to support my future creative writing. As our trip drew to an end, one of the group proposed a scenario where each member of our group randomly picked five numbers from 1 to 1500 (the number of photographs my wife and I had taken). I would then match the random numbers to the corresponding photos, put the photos together and then craft a story based on those photos. (I've included 12 of the photos in this post.) And who was to be the star of this crazy story? You guessed it, our fictional Mexican,  Rico Suave. I even got a title suggestion, "Los Aventuras de Rico Suave" - Spanish for "The Adventures of Rico Suave".
Well, the challenge was accepted and the story begun. I identified the 25 photos, added 5 of my own (not picked at random), and began to write. But the lessons I learned from writing "In Ravenscrag's Shadow" quickly rose to meet my excited efforts. Where is your plot? How do I incorporate these 30 photographs? Who is Enrico Suave? Who are the other characters? What do these people look like? What motivates them and drives the story forward? What kind of story is this anyway?

With these questions and more bouncing off my cranium like a surrounding barrage of attacks in the 1980's video game of Asteroids, I stopped writing and began preparing. First, I decided what kind of guy Rico Suave was. Then, I created a back story to support him. It took longer than I imagined it would, but when I was done, I had a deep rooted character of substance - a character that could last for a series of books - if I wanted him to. Next, I developed a plot, followed by a character arc for Mr. Suave. I then began filling in the other characters, giving them life and personality-fuel so they would add to the story. Next, I decided that because I had multiple story lines, that I needed a chronology to keep the lines separate in my head and to be able to mesh the contemporary story lines at the appropriate moments - you know, "we interrupt this exciting story line with another exiting story line". And somewhere in the middle of all this process, the title of the book changes several times. I finally settled on the perfect title, "Treasure of El Grado Escaso".

As I was working on the chronology (which I still am), I made the decision to incorporate as many actual facts into the story as I could. I am capable of making things up, but why do that when there are so many awesome things in the world of reality. And besides, when I read a fiction novel, I assume that a certain portion of the book is factual - and I very much like that. So I researched and researched and researched! I sent out emails to people who could expand my understanding of certain tools my characters would use (Like the versatile Foldspear my heroine will defend herself with or the very cool SOG pocket knife sported by one of my bad guys). I enjoyed researching, but was anxious to begin writing. As I worked on the chronology, I would catch myself writing expansions of the notes. I mean, how could I not. The scenes were just begging to be written - twisting my arms!
And so, here I am, my larger-than-it-should-be chronology is nearly done. My major characters are mostly complete (I've made character reference sheets for each). I have 30 great photographs, a great title, great back stories for my major characters, great locations for the plot to unfurl, great land and sea adventures in southern Baja, great gadgets, great bad guys, exciting treasure, great twists and turns, great romance, great heartache and of course, a great hero - and so far you only know the short version of his name, "Enrico Suave".
Stay tuned...
The adventure is only beginning...

Siamese Twins, World Peace & Homosexuality - The Davis Bigelow Test

Siamese Twins, World Peace & Homosexuality

Last week, I talked about world peace and offered my thoughts on how we can achieve it. In last Saturday’s post I said, “I think that tolerating and even encouraging reasonable differences in others are the twin keys to world peace.” I feel that these two keys are like Siamese twins that cannot be separated without the result being death. I believe that when world peace is finally achieved (and yes I think it will be one day) that it will be the collective and simultaneous embracing of the principles of tolerance and respect that will make it happen.

Last week, I also promised to tell you all how I think we can accurately determine what behaviours in others are reasonable, and should be tolerated and encouraged. The test I am about to propose is a two edged sword that cuts both ways. The test not only cuts through the rhetoric and emotion and personal preference and past tradition to reveal what behaviour is good and what behaviours should be encouraged, but it also clearly highlights behaviours that are not good and what behaviours should be discouraged. Are you ready to hear the Davis Bigelow Test? It is really quite simple and works best when applied to the jugular issues of life - especially moral and ethical issues.

Here is my theory: Take a particular behaviour – any behaviour, and by imagination, apply that behaviour (action or inaction) to every person in a society who is of the appropriate age to be included in the hypothetical test. (For example: 1st Grade education to 100% of all normal 6 year olds, or Marriage of 100% of all normal adult men to 100% of all normal adult women of similar age, or Homosexual relationships for all 100% of all normal adult men, etc, etc.) Then, in your imagination, project the result of the behaviour if 100% of the study group did it – or didn’t do it. Then, ask the tough, open-minded question. “Are the results positive or negative?” If the results are positive, then that behaviour should be encouraged and enhanced and incorporated. If negative, then the behaviour should be discouraged and quickly gotten rid of. It seems that the entire debate over what is right & wrong could easily be solved with this technique. What would happen if 100% of adults never told the truth? Or how about if 100% of all drivers displayed road rage? Or what would happen if 100% of all adults played video games for eight hours for each and every day? The list of behaviours that can be plugged into this test is vast, but each imaginer must follow some basic rules: 
 
1. The projected result must not be influenced by a personal opinion.
 
2. The projected result must be founded in fact and ideally should be based on actual, available data. (There are thousands of empirical studies to choose from.)
 
3. Some behaviours, such as, “Which side should we part our hair on?” (at least for those of you who have hair), are not significant enough to matter and should not be plugged into the Davis Bigelow Test. The categories of questions that will trigger the best responses from the Davis Bigelow Test are very toughest questions of religion, morality, sexuality, honesty, etc.

Let’s take the traditional marriage/gay marriage debate as an example. If 100% of all who wanted to marry, engaged in traditional marriage, what would be the result? How about if all we had was gay marriage – for 100% of all adults who wanted to marry? What would happen in either scenario? Would society benefit or not? The questions are not, “Would I benefit?” or “Will the result be what I personally want?” When I ask these last two questions, and I’m going to be blunt about it – I am showing my yellow belly of selfishness. I do not live alone; therefore, every choice I make in public or in private makes some difference to society, either large or small, and therefore all my choices are the business of everyone else. I have an obligation to tolerate and to give willing respect to others. And I have the right to be tolerated and respected by others. How about world peace? I think the 60’s song got it right, “Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me!”

Sounds like the ultimate extreme adventure to me – and you know how I feel about adventure!

World Peace, Gay Marriage and Every Other Tough Issue

World Peace, Gay Marriage and Every Other Tough Issue

In a previous blog post, I promised that I would soon take a leap into controversy. And here I am. Not only am I making good on my promise but I’m diving right into a very volatile area of current affairs. This week, come with me while I begin to take a hard look at world peace, gay marriage, straight marriage and so much more.

The fact that I haven’t brought controversy to my past blog posts is not because I don’t feel strongly about things. I do feel very strongly about a great many issues. Religion, morality, ethnicity, sexuality, music and greed all sit more or less at the top of my list of most-opinionated-subjects.

If Davis Bigelow is anything, he is a man who’s not afraid to speak up. What I am afraid of is speaking up before I consider my words. My parents used to tell me, “Davis, first put mind into gear before putting mouth into motion!” Good advice! So in all fairness to my candid, open mouthed lifestyle, I should tell you that in the past I have offered several opinionated comments on the posts of a few others out there on the World Wide Web. I hope my past comments have not offended anyone. I hope that this blog post is equally inoffensive.

So let’s get right to it shall we? How do we have world peace?

I think that tolerating and even encouraging reasonable differences in others are the twin keys to world peace. Tolerance and respect seem to be absent from any war I have studied. I’ve never seem contention and tolerance together in peaceful coexistence. Have you? Now, as you may have already noted, there’s also the matter of reasonable differences that I think should be tolerated and even encouraged. Who, you may ask, defines what “differences are reasonable”? Well, I have an opinion on that too – and I’ll post my opinion next Saturday morning. I have spent the past 25 years or more using a failure proof test whereby any open minded adult in possession of their full faculties can determine, yes, determine the appropriateness of a particular behaviour. Any guesses as to what the simple test is? (You have a week to guess before I spill it – and the April 2nd post is already uploaded and scheduled.)

See you next weekend!

Movie Review - “True Grit” - Starring Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, Matt Damon

Movie Review - “True Grit”

John Wayne, or “The Duke” as he's known to us old guys, was a masterful cowboy actor. He could put on a brilliant performance of toughness and skill on a horse and with guns of all sizes. John Wayne’s performances left audiences breathless and other actors wanting.

And so, when I went to see the movie “True Grit” – the new version, I was a little worried that I wouldn’t like it. I was however, not even slightly disappointed. In truth, I was delighted. I was entertained. I laughed and I felt like I was along for the ride as I watched the drama play out. The acting was fantastic and the characters memorable. My only disappointment was the way the movie ended. In the middle of the movie, I picked up on what I thought was some foreshadowing – but it turned out not to be anything at all. Now it’s only fair that I tell you that it’s been decades since I saw the original John Wayne version of this story. Perhaps that movie ended in the same way – and if it did, then that would make my next comment a little mute. But for what it’s worth, the ending of this new version left me wanting. To me, the final minutes of this new movie just didn’t seem to match the rest of the story. In fact, the way the new “True Grit” ended made me feel like the story was a meaningless tragedy. I have a soft spot for happy endings, and I was disappointed. However, other than the disappointing ending, I thought the show was awesome.

Movie Review – “127 Hours”

Movie Review – “127 Hours”

This movie depicts a real-life extreme adventure where the main character is trapped in a life or death situation. In order for him to live, he has to amputate his own arm (which is graphically portrayed). This true story is set against the breathtaking scenery of mountains and canyons and the camera operators did a fantastic job of showing off the area. I found the acting to be very good. I liked the way the director made use of flashbacks to both tell the story and to endear the audience to the main character. There was also a ‘premonition’ scene where the main character accurately sees into his future, but that scene only made sense to me as the movie concluded with a visit with the real person whom the story was about (which was very cool by the way). As I watched this movie, I was transported into the pain this man experienced - into the depths of his feelings and into the deeply personal process of how he survived mentally. I mostly enjoyed the show. However, “127 Hours” would have been so much more enjoyable had there not been so much profanity. I don't understand why those who make movies think that they need profanity. Yes, the adventurer may have used profanity in the actual event, but there is no appropriate place for profanity in any movie anytime, anywhere! So... well done for the photography and well done for the attempt to portray an over-the-top, life altering event in the life of a very brave and determined man, but... two thumbs down for the infestation of foul language which, like a colony of aggressive fire ants under my theatre seat, spoiled an otherwise fantastic movie.

Something Profound This Way Comes

Something profound has happened in my soul. Perhaps my recent lack of outdoor adventure has made me long for a fresh connection to the miraculous world I live in. Perhaps I’m just getting sentimental in my old age (not that I’m all that old though)? Perhaps I’m just more sensitive than I used to be? Perhaps the recent disruption of my income has heightened my sense of the potential frailties and seemingly endless possibilities of life? Perhaps I’ve more fully noticed the finite certainty of mortality and the fact that my time here is limited? Perhaps I’m finally mature enough to honestly acknowledge that life is hard for everyone – even if I don’t know about the hardships and struggles of others. Perhaps it’s the fact that yesterday was the remembered birthday of my wife’s mother, now passed on? Perhaps I just haven’t encountered a really big miracle for a while? Or perhaps it’s that fact that I’m a day’s drive away from the most exciting bit of action in our family? Whatever the reasons however, I’ve spent the past 12 hours in emotional awe. In the past 12 hours, I’ve laughed and I’ve cried and I’ve earnestly prayed. I’ve been washed over by warm waves gratitude. Last night I even awoke from a sound sleep and found myself smiling at the fresh news. Truly, life is a gift! Life is precious! Life is a celebration! Life is a sweet miracle that I’ve taken for granted way too many times!

What has happened? Well I will tell you. After weeks of coping with a slow leak of amniotic fluid, after one lengthy air ambulance ride, after weeks of hospital bed rest, after plenty of prayers and worry and boredom, and finally, after 35hours and 45 minutes of actually trying to have a baby, last night, by caesarean section, my youngest daughter gave birth to her first daughter. A healthy, black- haired beauty, Airyanna Ellissa Marie immediately claimed her father’s heart and took over mine shortly thereafter (and I haven’t even seen her yet). Last night, as I awaited the news, I was reminded of my own delivery room vigil for each of my four children. I recalled my own overwhelming joy as my three daughters and one son drew their first breaths and claimed my heart and then claimed the hearts of the rest of the family. I remembered my own worry for the life of my sweet wife and the joy I felt when she was finally out of danger. I felt anew my sense of profound appreciation for my wife’s sacrifices in bring our children into this world. In years, now long past, it was my privilege to witness the miracle of birth, and last night it was my son-in-law’s turn. When he phoned to give us the news, I heard it in his voice – his life had been forever changed. He was a father. He had a healthy daughter and a recovering wife! He too had seen the miracle of birth. Life was great - even though it had been stressful and exhausting only minutes before!

And so I have one thing left to say... Welcome to our family little Airyanna! I can’t wait to meet you! Thank you for reminding me of how precious life really is!

BOOK REVIEW - "The Stone Traveler" by Kathi Oram Peterson - Narrated by Jason Tatom

BOOK REVIEW - "The Stone Traveler" by Kathi Oram Peterson  - Narrated by Jason Tatom

It’s difficult to review a book that takes the reader to ancient America, in Book of Mormon times, without automatically comparing the writing to that of the “Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites” series (by Chris Heimerdinger). When I first began listening to the narration of “The Stone Traveler”, on the unabridged CDs, I worried that I wouldn't like it as much as I did the “Tennis Shoes” series. However, I was not disappointed in the least. As an audio connoisseur of books, I'm not often drawn into a story like I was into “The Stone Traveler”. Narrator Jason Tatom, did a brilliant job of rendering the saga. The plot began innocently enough, but soon became an all out roller coaster ride full of twists and turns, and delightful surprises that I certainly didn't see coming. I was definitely entertained. In my opinion, Kathi has created a true masterpiece of fiction blended with great actual history. It was a pleasure to begin the book and an even greater pleasure to complete it. Well done Kathi Oram Peterson! Any chance of a sequel?

"In Ravenscrag's Shadow" - Chapter 45

In Ravenscrag's Shadow
By
Davis L. Bigelow
Copyright 2011

Chapter 45

Multiple motors sent exhaust into the night air. The procession of one car and three vans wound their way out of the Midnight Lake Campground. Down the dark dusty road they drove, the Kilronan Valley only vaguely visible in the faint starlight that was mostly covered by clouds. Stan Calderbank lay in the back of Richard and Carlea’s van, Alida at his side, her hand in his once more. Within the van’s dark interior, even the voices of six-year-old Gerald and four-year-old Grant were switched off. The only sound reaching Stan was the gentle rumble of rubber on a well-maintained gravel road.

Minutes passed. Before long, they all turned left onto the main highway. A convoy of four, the two worried families accelerated down the pavement towards the hospital.

“Welcome to Peebles.” Gerald Calderbank read out as Richard sped past the sign.

“That didn’t take very long!” Grant added, and the forty minute spell of silence was finally broken.

Ten minutes later, Glen and Stan both lay on clean white cots in the emergency room. The Peebles Hospital was a small one, and it took another fifteen minutes before the on-call doctor arrived.

Another half an hour found the wizened physician scrutinizing a bank of backlit x-rays. Alida sat nearby. Stan lay still, eyes fixed and wondering. Then the old doctor turned. White-coated and suntanned, he began to speak. The old man’s voice was filled with certainly. “Well Mr. Calderbank.” He stated, glancing briefly at the intense gaze of Alida, “You are a very lucky man.”

In spite of herself, Alida put a hand to her breast and let out a little puff of air. The doctor continued, setting his hand reassuringly on Stan’s arm and nodding slightly as the words cascaded expressively from an aging throat. “The break to your femur is clean and I think it can be set it without difficulty.”

The lines on Stan’s deeply tanned face relaxed a little. “Thank you.” He rasped.

The doctor smiled warmly and continued, “I’ll give you some more Demerol and while it’s taking effect, I’ll tape your ribs. Two of them are broken.”

Stan nodded.

“Then I’ll set and cast your leg.”

Stan nodded again.

“Considering what you’ve been through, your injuries could be seen as being relatively minor. The prognosis of a full recovery is very promising.” The doctor gently patted his wrinkled hand on Stan’s arm. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

An hour later, Stan was wheeled back to his waiting wife. Alida arose. The graceful woman smiled as she moved closer to her injured husband and caressed his strong hand with her delicate fingers. Tears cascaded quietly down her delicate features. Stan’s injuries were an unpleasant surprise. “But he’ll be OK now.” She told herself.

Tentatively, Alida lifted the sheet that covered Stan and inspected the doctor’s handiwork. She nodded approvingly and shot he husband an empathetic look. Stan glanced down at his broken leg. It was encased in a fibreglass cocoon, but the familiar throbbing was strangely absent. The big man’s brain and body were still numb from medication, but his thoughts were his own.

The big man looked up at his wife. He studied her high cheekbones and small nose, her red lips and the tiny wrinkles framing at the corners of her pretty mouth. Finally, he found her opal eyes, pools of sapphire where it seemed he could swim forever.

“I’m sorry.” He finally said.

Alida’s soft voice spoke. “It’s alright my love. You’re OK now.”

Stan closed his eyes, gratitude filling his soul like hot chocolate trickling into a tall mug. Visions of his family paraded across the stage of Stan Calderbank’s memory, the procession led by his beloved Alida. Following her, all dressed in their finest, came his three sons and their sweet wives. Five precious grandchildren ran in their wake, energized by boundless youth and overflowing with the pure joys of life. Children’s laughter flooded the warm air.

Then the big man was in the water – frigid water! Skull Creek boiled over his vulnerable body. Death reached out to claim him but he was delivered. Suddenly, he heard the deafening roar of the grizzly. He felt the hot fetid breath and spewed spittle strike his face, but he lived on. “Why was I spared?” The question burned in his mind.

Next, Stan lay on the field of boulders under Ravenscrag Mountain awaiting a rescue that seemed to forever elude him. He felt the pains of a broken body. He saw the fog. He felt the bonfire. He felt the distress of hunger and thirst. He recalled the lurching travois and their narrow escape in the truck. “I know.” He thought. “I know why my life had been spared.”

Stan Calderbank opened his eyes. His face was wet with tears he hadn’t realized were even flowing. His Alida stared down at him, compassion for him adorning her slender face, her eyes sparkling with mists of emotion.

“I’m sorry... I was unkind... to you.” The big man rasped, swallowing hard. He squeezed Alida’s hand in his. “I’ll do better... in the future.”

Alida reached out her delicate fingers and touched Stan’s broad face. Then she bent down and kissed him tenderly, her own tears spilling. “I love you Stan.” She whispered.

“Big C?” Glen’s familiar voice cut into the tender moment.

“Yeah?” Stan rasped, turning his head and wiping his eyes. With a pair of professionally made crutches under his arms, Glen McPherson approached Stan and Alida. The small man’s face was clean, if one didn’t count the beard stubble. Glen was smiling. The stubborn Scotsman had stark white bandages on both his knees and his left ankle was cradled in a yellowish fibreglass cast. The narrow cut on his face had been cleaned and then stitched shut. Stan’s eyes silently examined the cut for a moment. It had looked much worse before. It definitely gave his small friend a more roguish appearance!

“I haven’t seen... you move so... fast in days!” The big man eventually said.

“We’re quite a pair.” Glen said, grinning. “How are you doing?”

“Much better... but I’ll be... laid up for... a while.” Stan lifted the sheet to reveal his cast.

“Nonsense!” Glen countered, an indomitable twinkle in his eyes. “If it makes you feel any better, in the 1976 Olympic Games, a Japanese gymnast named Shun Fijimoto broke his femur during the floor exercises. He was so committed to winning a team Gold Medal that he got a cast, just like yours, and competed in the ring exercises.”

Stan was listening, but rolled his eyes a little as the small man continued.

“The ring exercises didn’t require the use of Mr. Fujimoto’s legs until the end of the performance when he flew through the air, twisting and turning and flipping before landing hard on a thin mat!”

Stan and Alida both winced.

“Shun Fijimoto gave a flawless performance on the rings and landed his dismount perfectly, holding the landing for just long enough to secure the Gold Medal for him and his team.”

Stan grimaced at the thought and Glen went on with the story.

“Afterwards, when they interviewed Mr. Fujimoto in the hospital, he was asked how he did it. Like a true champion, he smiled and said, “The pain shot through me like a knife, but now the pain is gone and I have a Gold Medal.”

The bold gymnast’s words hung in the air for several silent seconds. In spite of his suffering, Stan smiled. He too was alive – and he had something much more precious than a Gold Medal. The big man gave Alida’s hand a little squeeze and his eyes met Glen’s. Glen saw deep gratitude there, but there was something else too. “Life truly is… about living.” Stan rasped.

Glen nodded, but remained quiet for a few moments while his smile melted into contemplation.

“Well,” Stan finally broke the silence. “Are you ready… to drag me back… to Maple Creek… to get our stuff?”

Glen grinned wryly, “Ok, but this time we’ll have to take a roll of duct tape and some real crutches - just in case!” Then he winked at Alida, a rakish smile climbing his ruddy cheeks. “And maybe you and Lillie can accompany us too! Stan’s just too heavy to drag by myself!” 

*******   The End   *******

PS. A heartfelt thanks to all you readers who visited my blog and read this novel - my very first one. The only editor this manuscript has seen is me, and since the manuscript has been circulating, I have been made aware of a few minor errors. I hope the mistakes haven't spoiled the story for any of you. Adventure should never permit interruption by spellchecker!!! When this novel is formally published, and I do plan to publish it soon, I hope all the mistakes are corrected. Stay tuned for more on publication.

If you can spare a minute, I would very much appreciate knowing how you feel about the book, plot, characters, spelling or whatever. Any comments are welcome, so please be honest. You can email me at davisbigelow@gmail.com. Also, if you do email me a comment, please also indicate whether of not I am allowed to publish your words on some future day. If you will allow me to quote you, please indicate how you'd like your name to appear at the end of the quotation. And... if you just want to be anonymous, that works too. My goal in writing this novel has been to have a bit of literary fun - and I have. Hopefully you did too.

My next project is a short story / novella  about a fictitional character in a Mexican sea port. There will be some scuba diving, spanish speaking, mystery solving and plenty of adventure - and who knows what else I'll toss in before I'm done. I should consider some romance too, cuz like Brooks and Dunn's song says, "Put a girl in it!" The bottom line is that I'm gunna have some fun with the project - and of course, I'll share it with you all. Due to having to work for a living (what is with that anyway), I write slowly, but I'll post about this very fun project as it comes together. Thank you for you interest. Hasta luego! (And "Yes", I do speak a little Spanish.)

Davis L. Bigelow