This is #3, extolling the virtues of #2.
If you can’t have a powder day, fresh corduroy is the next best thing. After a day of fresh corduroy or powder, a good IPA (and this is a good one) will cap off things very nicely.
I need to get a headband like that Dude has… The hair too…
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You can watch a lot of videos on YouTube about people dropping into Corbet’s Couloir. Back flips, front flips, helicopters, all of it way over my head. I skied to the top of Corbet’s, took my skis off, and walked up to the edge. Looking down I gained a whole new respect for the athleticism required to ski this bit of insanity. I’m glad I took the opportunity to investigate.
Speaking of insanity. I’ve been thinking about summer skiing in South America, specifically Argentina and Chile. The good news is you can go skiing in South America when it’s summer in North America, the bad news is, it’s not worth the trouble unless you have the strength and stamina to boot-pack at 10,000 feet elevation. The lift-accessed terrain in Valle Nevado, Argentina is less than spectacular. A better bet is Portillo in Chile. More difficult to get to, but better terrain than Valle Nevado. If I were twenty years younger, I would go to Portillo and spend a portion of each day boot-packing. That’s not an option anymore.
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Life is full of surprises. I was recently on a four-day ski vacation in Jackson Hole with my Sweetheart. She was in a women’s ski camp and I was free skiing. Day 1, first chair, I rode up the mountain with this fellow. We started chatting and I learned a good bit about him. Retired, avid skier, and among other things, a former professor at Whitman College. That part intrigued me. I asked him where he did his undergraduate work, and he told me Whitman College. Now my interest was really peaked. Since he seemed about my age and my Sweetheart also graduated from Whitman, I asked him off-handedly if he knew my Sweetheart, as a matter of fact, he did. He told me with a huge smile that they had dated in college!
My new friend (and I suppose former rival — of sorts) skied together all day. He was leaving the next day for two days of skiing at Grand Targhee but he was coming back to JH on Friday. We made plans to ski together on Friday, which we did all day. He’s a terrific guy (which I assume speaks well for me…?)
He’s returning to Whitman next month to present a guest lecture. My Sweetheart and I will be attending. I’m looking forward to seeing my new ski friend again.
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Spring Skiing on Mt. Bachelor in Oregon, rockin’ classic ski sweaters. These are Delaine classic merino wool sweaters made in the USA. Reminiscent of the finest ski sweaters imported from Germany and Austria, but made right here. They make you ski better too!
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Who doesn’t celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? A very dear friend of mine is a proud Irishman. He doesn’t speak with a brogue, but he is as Irish as you can get in every other regard. This dinner is celebrated in his honor.
3 lbs Corned Beef Brisket
1lb Baby Carrots
1lb small Yukon gold potatoes
Beef Broth
2 Yellow Onions
1 head Green Cabbage.
Garlic
Soda Bread
I went to two stores looking for Authentic Irish Soda Bread. It’s a small town and I couldn’t find any — so I made it myself.
4 cups Flour
2 Tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
5 Tbsp Butter (cubed and softened)
1 cup Raisins
(I prefer Golden Raisins over Currents)
1 Egg
1 - 3/4 Cups Buttermilk
Whisk dry ingredients. Add cubed butter and mix by hand. Stir in Raisins. Make a hole in the middle of the dry dough mixture and add whisked Egg and Buttermilk. Fold until well mixed. Turn out onto a floured surface and press into a ball, work the dough until it has a consistent texture but do not overwork. Place the dough in a cast iron skillet approximately 8” in diameter. Dough should be slightly mounded, score an “X” on the top, and bake for 30 to 45 minutes at 400 until a toothpick comes out clean.
The dinner was delicious.
May your troubles be less and your blessings be more and nothing but happiness come through your door! Old Irish saying.
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I use the Grammarly application when I write. Most of my writing is done for this blog. These stats were accumulated based on 163,412 written words in the last 19 weeks.
Here are the basic measures:
I like the last one. I think my use of unique words is pretty remarkable, and frankly, a bit surprising. Grammarly also provides a measure of (somewhat mysterious) attributes they call “Tones.”
| Tone | % |
|---|---|
| Confident | 36 |
| Formal | 32 |
| Informative | 14 |
| Assertive | 7 |
| Admiring | 2 |
| Friendly | 2 |
| Cooperative | 1 |
It would be interesting to delve into the algorithms used to determine the tone scores. I assume the percentages are in relation to other Grammarly users. So two-thirds of Grammarly users are more “Confident” and “Formal” than I am. “Confident” is the interesting one. I’ve been told by people I need to be more assertive (which is also one of the tones measured). I agree, I tend to be a peace maker and not the sort to take people on directly. I have no plans to change that. I get the “Formal” rating. This is a blog, not a ”Financial Times” article. I realize that risks losing readers, but that’s okay too. I do this primarily because I enjoy doing it, not because I am seeking an audience, and certainly not because it makes me money. The last three tones “Admiring”, “Friendly” and “Cooperative” are a bit of a mystery to me. Hopefully the “Friendly” score only applies to my writing, not my personality…
I use the free version of Grammarly. I find it most helpful correcting my spelling. It also is helpful getting commas in the right place. I hate commas and never learned the rules for proper usage of the little beasts. Maybe someday I will, but that’s not high on my list of skills to master. I’m much more interested in learning how to properly use the edges of my skis throughout the full arc of a turn.
I don’t use the paid version of Grammarly. The paid version uses AI to rewrite your shit. This shit is all mine.
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In January of this year, I became an unofficial member of the 70+ Ski Club. I officially joined yesterday. The club is only open to people over the age of 70. They have over 3,000 members nationwide, many in their 80’s and 90’s, and even a few over 100 years old!
They appear to be primarily located on the East Coast, but they do have regional chapters. I’m excited to find out if they have a PNW chapter. Even if they don’t, they sponsor several trips a year and they look like a fun group to hang out with. They even have a trip to Chile, which would be very exciting.
I’m skiing better at 70 than I ever have in my life. I know that sounds preposterous, but it’s true. This season and last season in particular I have been focused on my technique. It seems like I get a little bit better at one thing each time I go out onto the hill. Yesterday I felt for the first time what it is like to get a truly early weight shift from the downhill ski to the new turning ski. This can be amazingly boring to someone who doesn’t ski, but trust me when I say how important this is. I’ve been working on this and rolling the ankles to initiate a turn for the last year. When you watch most skiers on the hill, you will see them lifting a ski, sliding a ski, or unweighting with their body to initiate a turn. Those are all signs of sloppy, and frankly ugly skiing. What I realized yesterday is that you have to shift the weight to the new turning ski before you roll your ankles. This all takes place before you even start your next turn, in other words, while you are still in the previous turn. It’s not easy, but when you accomplish it, it gives you a smooth connection between your turns and the snow, as well as greater stability and good edging throughout the arc of every turn. It also keeps you connected to the snow during your turn transition.
Enough already. I’m boring you. What I’m doing here is entertaining myself, and documenting what I have come to realize and practice after many years of not having a clue what I’m doing. One final note. This started with a private lesson at Sun Valley from a 70+ Instructor at the end of last season. It was that lesson that set me on the path to better skiing.
I’ve been skiing for almost 60 years (one year shy of 60). It has taken me that long to figure things out. With luck, I’ll have another 30 to enjoy the fruits of my recent discoveries, and maybe the 70+ Ski Club will throw me a “100 Party” 30 years from now…
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I call this post my ode to Instagram. If this were Instagram, I would have ended the post with the caption above. The reason I have a blog is that I like to write and arguably Instagram is not the place for that sort of thing. Of course, neither is TikTok, X, or Facebook. I’ve read that people should be familiar with TikTok slang and be able to use it to relate to younger generations. (You would be correct in assuming I am an older generation.) For example, I could have added the hashtag “xyzbca” to the above photo as a means of pointing out how cool the photo was. That’s not going to happen here. I think words are enough.
I will say the following about today’s social media platforms, you don’t have to know how to read to use them. To be frank, I think it is one of the design goals of the developers. All of the social media platforms mentioned above are designed to influence us in some way. You can say that about any form of communication, this writing included, but I think it is especially true about those sites and many other social media sites. Social media presents us with unsubstantiated ideas. By that, I mean there are often few if any facts to back up the propositions being put forward. I know what you are thinking, where are your facts for this garbage you are throwing out here? It’s simple, what I’m telling you amounts to my opinion, the difference is I’m making no effort to have this particular piece of my opinion sound like fact.
All of this is what you might want to think of as a tangent. It is my opinion that Instagram is the least dangerous social media platform, but still can be used for subtle forms of influencing. It is my opinion that X, TruthSocial, and even Facebook are a waste of time. I’ve seen too many people get hurt on Facebook, and I think X and TruthSocial (and others like them) are a complete waste of time. Not only that, they are dangerous. They can (and have) led us down paths that could ultimately change our society in ways that are intended to benefit a few, rather than benefit the many. Yes, that’s my opinion.
Something else to consider, not just my opinion, but the opinion of a growing number of social scientists, there is an expanding body of evidence-based studies showing the negative impact of smartphones on child development. (Smartphones are of course the portal to social media.) In short, the environment created by smartphones is hostile to children’s development. Here’s one example of the research: End the Phone-Based Childhood Now. This post now officially qualifies as a screed.
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Benjamin Franklin wrote under several pseudonyms. He wrote as “Silence Dogood” for the New-England Courant, he also wrote as the “Busy Body” for the American Weekly Mercury, and most famously, as “Richard Saunders” for Poor Richard’s Almanack. One of Franklin’s most famous maxims appeared in Poor Richard’s Almanack in 1732. “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”
The Founders were privileged to have available publications from Europe that few colonists had access to. One such publication was the Spectator. In 1726, the clergyman Thomas Fuller wrote an essay titled, “Directions, Counsels, and Cautions Tending to Prudent Management in Affairs of Common Life.” Fuller’s essay contained the following maxim: “Use thy self to rise and go to bed early. This may seem like a frivolous precept, because it respects such common matters; but if it be well observed, it will contribute very much toward the rendering of a life long, useful and happy.” Franklin took Fuller’s maxim and condensed it into his famous version published in Poor Richard’s Almanack.
It’s easy to see why people had such love and respect for Benjamin Franklin.
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export PATH="/usr/local/bin:$HOME/bin:$PATH"
alias wsea=‘ansiweather -l “Seattle” -u imperial’
alias wket=‘ansiweather -l “Ketchum” -u imperial’
alias wslc=‘ansiweather -l “Salt Lake City” -u imperial’
alias jday=‘date +%j’
alias zsh=‘cd $HOME && source ./.zshenv’
alias clear=‘clear && figlet badkins’
alias rp=‘cd $HOME/RubyProgramming && clear && ls ruby .rb’
alias ror=‘cd $HOME/RubyProgramming/Rails && clear && ls’
alias pwm=‘ruby $HOME/RubyProgramming/password manager.rb’
export PATH="/usr/local/opt/node@12/bin:$PATH"
export LDFLAGS="-L/usr/local/opt/node@12/lib"
export CPPFLAGS="-L/usr/local/opt/node@12/include"
figlet B-RAD-1
echo B-RAD The Dude Abides
If you find this mysterious, don’t worry, I used to love this shit, now it’s mostly Greek. If you are inspired to set up a customized terminal, but don’t know what you would use it for, you can always use it to check the weather without having to deal with a lot of boring advertising.
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Adam Hanson in Seattle created these pieces for me. All I asked was “Give me a portrait of Bernie Sanders.” I liked what he came up with so much that I followed it up with “Einstein,” “RBG,” and “Dr. Fauci.”
Adam is amazingly talented and I feel privileged to have his work hanging where I can see it daily. If you get a chance to check him out, don’t hesitate.
Check out Adam on Instagram @addictedtopaintdotcom or his website AddictedToPaint
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Live your life in a way that prevents people from feeling compelled to say mean things about you on social media.
If you feel compelled to say mean things about people on social media, you’re not living your life correctly.
You can also avoid this nastiness by simply not participating in social media… The goal of social media after all is to control you, you’re better off controlling yourself.
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I’m skiing today. It’s a beautiful day. I can’t think of anything I would rather be doing at this moment. When Spring comes, that will change, but today could not be better.
I signed up for a ski lesson. I told the lesson coordinator I would like to be placed in an expert class. That’s just for the initial assignment. Once the lesson begins, the instructor you have been given evaluates your skiing to make sure you are in the right class. I call this the “sorting hat.” When I got to the bottom of the first run, my instructor said “You should be teaching the class.” Man, that gives you a satisfied feeling.
It was a great day. The instructor was inspiring to watch on the steep and deep. I skied better just watching him. At the bottom of one pitch, a woman skied up to me and said “You are a beautiful skier.” Another moment of feeling deeply satisfied. Two in one day. At my age, days like today come with an expiration date, that’s why you have to appreciate them.
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My baby loves me. She brushes me off with a charm that is difficult not to appreciate. When she has had enough of me, she tells me to “read my book.” I know when she says that she loves me because she knows how much I enjoy reading…
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I generally shy away from talking about things political and religious, but there are times when I find myself unable to avoid the subject…
I’ve never felt this concerned about my country, or the world. The worst time I have lived through up until now was the Vietnam War era. Today feels worse to me. We can’t talk to each other. That’s not just here, it seems to be everywhere. But that isn’t the only problem. We are also steering a course away from Democracy and toward Fascism. I never expected I would live to see something as catastrophic as this.
“Christian evangelists” are starting to gain the ear of like-minded political leaders. It has been seriously proposed that Christians need to assert dominion over the “seven mountains” of life — government, business, family, education, media, religion, and the arts. There is even chatter in these circles that Donald Trump should call for a “revolution.” I suspect if Trump thought he could remain in power beyond his term (assuming he is re-elected) it seems likely he would support such a notion if it allowed him to hold the reins of power. This movement also has para-military support. Just one example is a former Army major who runs an Idaho tactical weapons training camp billed as being for “Christian men who believe the times warrant a high standard of firearms readiness.”
None of this should be considered an idle threat. What is the difference between Christian Nationalism and Fascism? Nothing.
I keep reminding myself, that fear is the path to the dark side… We must be clear about what we want our country to be and who we want it to represent. I want it to represent everyone.
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When I got off the bus in downtown Seattle, a Pan-handler asked me for a quarter. Apparently he hasn’t heard of inflation. I politely told him I did not have a quarter — or any change for that matter. He wasn’t disturbed in the least, he smiled. I thought about that for a second, and then I said, “let me see if I have a dollar.” He smiled again, apparently that pleased him. I pulled out my wallet and the debit cart flew out onto the sidewalk. I didn’t want to give him that, so I picked it up and put it back in my wallet. While I had it open, I thumbed through the bills. There weren’t many bills, 2 fives and 2 twenties. I smiled at him and told him all I had were twenties (a slight exaggeration, but, under the circumstances, probably reasonable.) He smiled a genuine smile at me, engaging beyond what I would reasonably have expected, he then said, “I hope the next time we meet all you have are 100’s!” We looked at each other with something like understanding. I told him he was a very funny man. We parted, ever so slightly more like friends than strangers.
It occurs to me as I write this, I should have just given him one of the fucking twenty dollar bills. We made a connection. We are both humans. There can’t really be an argument against that, can there?
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I just started reading “The Pursuit of Happiness” by Jeffrey Rosen. Rosen is the President and Chief Executive officer of the National Constitution Center. It is not an exaggeration to say he knows more about the Constitution, its origins, and its motivation than most likely any sitting Supreme Court Justice. That’s another topic.
When I say I started reading, I mean I just started… Let me tell you, I can already see this will be one of the best books I have ever read. That is a bit of a superlative I realize. Keep in mind I studied Political Science with an emphasis on Con Law. I know, I know, what does that buy you when you’ve spent your life as a database developer and Linux programmer… Probably nothing (but I like to think a tiny bit).
I adore this quote from Cicero:
O philosophy, guide of life!
O searcher out of virtue and exterminator of vice!
One day spent well and in accordance with thy precepts
Is worth an immortality of sin.
Obviously, Cicero is telling us that one day of virtue is more satisfying than an entire life of sin. That is a beautiful thought. Imagine if we could just manage two days of virtue…
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You are my love.
You are beautiful.
It makes me proud to know you love me.
I would go anywhere with you on my arm.
I smile when I think of you.
Every moment with you Is precious.
Even though I was not given a lifetime with you,
Now that you are a part of my life,
I appreciate it all the more.
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Benjamin Franklin was a man who wrestled with his urges and flaws. He also worked hard to improve himself. He decided that working on the following thirteen virtues would make him a better man. He shared his plan with several of his friends, among them Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. (They also adopted his project in their own lives.) He worked on a single virtue for one week, then moved on to the next. He chose thirteen virtues because that would allow him to work on each of the virtues four times a year. Here is his list of virtues for self-improvement:
If one is interested in a project like this, as I am, the point is not to adopt Benjamin Franklin’s list, but to come up with a list best suited to achieving one’s own goals for bettering the self. It doesn’t have to be thirteen virtues. The important thing is to give this some careful thought, draw up a list that reflects the improvements you desire to make, and then work on each in turn, recording your progress as you move through your list. There is no record of why Franklin chose to work on one virtue at a time and record his results, but modern psychology has shown this is the best way to develop new habits and incorporate positive change into our lives.
My list will probably be different and may have more or less than thirteen virtues that need improvement. (One of the above is not a problem for me…) I will be tracking my project results in my private journal, this entry serves as my “project kick-off.” There is no finish line. (Some might say I’m getting a late start…) I’m aware that a good deal of time may be needed! Benjamin Franklin had this to say about the results of his project:
“On the whole, tho’ I never arrived at the perfection I had been so ambitious of obtaining, but fell short of it, yet as I was, by the endeavor, a better and a happier man than I otherwise should have been if I had not attempted it.”
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I challenged OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot to a contest. I asked each to write a poem about me, in sonnet form. What follows are the results of the contest, and my humble (if that’s possible) opinion of which AI engine is the better poet. Keep in mind the opinions of ChatGPT and Copilot are their own, fact-checking by the reader is encouraged.
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In shadows cast upon the stage, he strides,
Brad Adkins, with a poet’s heart ablaze,
His words, like stars, in midnight skies reside,
Each line a melody, a timeless phrase.
With pen in hand, he weaves a tapestry,
Of dreams and hopes, of love and loss entwined,
Through sonnets sung with heartfelt honesty,
He paints a portrait of the human mind.
In every verse, a glimpse of truth appears,
A mirror held to life’s complexities,
With wisdom drawn from laughter and from tears,
He captures hearts and sets the spirit free.
So let us raise our voices in acclaim,
To Brad Adkins, the bard who lights our flame.
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Brad Adkins: An Ode to Creativity
In Portland’s vibrant heart, Adkins weaves,
A self-taught maestro, colors on his brush,
Poster boy of low-rent art, he believes,
In everyday magic, life’s ordinary hush.
His canvas, the quotidian’s humble frame,
Brushstrokes of curiosity, whimsy, and grace,
Charm Bracelet’s symphony, a whispered name,
Collaborating with time, in life’s bustling space.
From Kalispell’s peaks to Oregon’s embrace,
He curates, orchestrates, and paints the air,
A cotton farmer’s son, a cotton field’s trace,
Adkins, the artist, weaves dreams with care.
So raise a toast to Brad, the unseen star,
His art, a sunbeam dancing from afar.
Note: Brad Adkins’ diverse work spans beyond visual art, touching music and conversation. This sonnet captures a glimpse of his creative spirit.
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ChatGPT over Copilot, hands down…
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The lake is a strand of dark blue
Surrounded by a ribbon of green marsh grass.
Ducks fly in low, landing in sequence,
They form a line paddling to the opposite bank,
Their purpose unknown.
How long has this rock I am sitting on
Been waiting here for me?
Certainly, since before I was born.
It seems likely to be here
Long after I am gone.
I picture this rock having been placed here
By the cataclysmic uplift that created these mountains,
Or perhaps it broke away from the peak above
like a disobedient child, tumbling and churning
Until it came to rest here, where I to sit.
I don’t want to leave this spot.
It makes me think of places far away,
Sights more beautiful than I can imagine,
Destinations I have yet to experience…
But I think, being here is enough.
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A bicycle tour is a bit more than getting on a bicycle and going for a ride. You’re stepping out of your normal existence, and you’re entering into an entirely new world. It’s a lifestyle apart from what constitutes “normal life.” Every day requires focus but on a limited number of tasks. This narrowing of awareness results in increased observation of your surroundings, your own feelings, and everything you are experiencing. It makes other peoples’ opinions and attitudes less relevant, not less important or less valuable, just less impactful on you. That allows you to appreciate other people without obsessing about the “rightness” or “wrongness” of what they may be saying at the moment.
Your day begins with a simple meal and a cup of coffee you make with your own hands. It’s enjoyable because you created it. Packing your gear for the day’s ride is done deliberately and with intention. So it is with a myriad of details throughout the day. The simple process of stopping and securing your bicycle becomes a satisfying and affirming ritual. Setting up camp, preparing to sleep, sleeping, and waking, are things that take on a significance that has no counterpart in “normal” life. They are immensely satisfying.
You see things in a whole new way. You are forced to slow down your perception of time and your observational perception. At the same time you are slowing down, your mind is embracing thoughts and ideas that wouldn’t normally be noticed. “Mind expanding” may be a bit of an overstatement, but it’s a good description of the mental experience that comes with the physical exertion of riding for eight or ten hours a day, day after day.
While all of this is part of the journey, the real thrill is completing your adventure and looking back on the experience. You can’t help but grow from the accomplishment. A tour is an accomplishment to be proud of. If you are like me, after you complete your tour, you’ll be asking yourself, “What discoveries will I make on my next tour…”
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