Bradley's Blog:Jason Bradley is a freelance writer, editor, and blogger. Jason blogs about transportation, hobbies, travel, and other random topics.
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Monday, September 29, 2014
The Finland Phenomenon: Fantasy land for teachers
How about fantasy land> Finland treats teachers better than bartenders?
stone camp: off grid small cabin camp
from youtube description: "Teddy and Kathy Carns are couple who live up in the Southwest Pennsylvania Mountains at an isolated off the grid dwelling named the Stone Camp. Without a connection to the national energy grid, most ""Off the Gridders"" live a level just above camping and definitely don't choose this way of life by choice. But for Teddy and Kathy, this situation is ideal."
Watched this video, and was pretty amazed by the way this couple uses resources. Enjoy and Employ.
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Wisconsin cabin is all windows.
I like these places as an idea for a cabin in the middle of nowhere, as they wouldn't be fitting with neighbors. Would be fun to check this place out, as it is in Wisconsin.
Paul Tregurtha: crew and Discovery Channel show
From Duluth Shipping News, read the full article at the following link: Duluth Shipping News
Captain Dayton, center in blue
Freighter running aground...another few pics.
picture from Duluth News Tribune article: click for the link
Article talks about how the ship continued her voyage..I bet the people on shore were scared!
Saturday, September 27, 2014
Longest ship on Superior runs aground: photos and Star Tribune article
from star tribune:The Paul R. Tregurtha appeared to be stuck about 50 feet from shore in Duluth Harbor on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2014.
The Paul R. Tregurtha ran aground just off Bayfront Park in Duluth on Saturday, Sept, 20, 2014. Jeremy O'Connor took this photo from the roof of the Great Lakes Aquarium, where he works.
Jeremy O'Connor, Special to the Star Tribune
Link to the article after the jump:
Lake Superior Nearshore Report looks promising: NE
LSZ144-145-280300- TWO HARBORS TO DULUTH MN-DULUTH MN TO PORT WING WI- 332 PM CDT SAT SEP 27 2014 .TONIGHT...NE WIND 5 TO 10 KT VEERING SW. MOSTLY CLEAR.
WAVES LESS THAN 2 FT. .SUNDAY...SW WIND 5 TO 10 KT. MOSTLY SUNNY. WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. .SUNDAY NIGHT...S WIND 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING NE 15 TO 20 KT WITH GUSTS TO 30 KT. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE EVENING...THEN SHOWERS LIKELY AFTER MIDNIGHT. WAVES 1 TO 3 FT BUILDING TO 4 TO 6 FT. A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY MAY BE NEEDED. .MONDAY...NE WIND 15 TO 20 KT BECOMING E 10 TO 15 KT. SHOWERS LIKELY IN THE MORNING...THEN A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON. WAVES 4 TO 6 FT.
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Pictures of fall from around the place: Shakespeare sonnet on Fall
'Sonnet 73' by William Shakespeare
That time of year thou mayst in me behold
When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang
Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,
Bare ruined choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.
In me thou see’st the twilight of such day
As after sunset fadeth in the west;
Which by and by black night doth take away,
Death’s second self, that seals up all in rest.
In me thou see’st the glowing of such fire,
That on the ashes of his youth doth lie,
As the deathbed whereon it must expire,
Consumed with that which it was nourished by.
This thou perceiv’st, which makes thy love more strong,
To love that well which thou must leave ere long.
Banjo Playing
This is a repost. Love the banjo picking at ?:45.
Gregory Isaac Asimov---not sure if he is related to the author:
Remember when our songs were just like prayer
Like gospel hymns that you called in the air
Come down, come down sweet reverence
Unto my simple house and ring... and ring
Ring like silver, ring like gold
Ring out those ghosts on the Ohio
Ring like clear day wedding bells
Were we the belly of the beast, or the sword that fell?
We'll never tell
Come to me, clear and cold
On some sea
Watch the world spinning waves
Like that machine
Now I've been crazy, couldn't you tell?
I threw stones at the stars, but the whole sky fell
Now I'm covered up in straw, belly up on the table
Well I drank and sang, and I passed in the stable
That tall grass grows high and brown
Well I dragged you straight in the muddy ground
And you sent me back to where I roam
Well I cursed and I cried, but now I know
Now I know
And I ran back to that hollow again
The moon was just a sliver back then
And I ached for my heart like some tin man
When it came oh it beat and it boiled and it rang...
oh it's ringing
Ring like crazy, ring like hell
Turn me back into that wild haired gale
Ring like silver, ring like gold
Turn these diamonds straight back into coal.
Gregory Isaac Asimov---not sure if he is related to the author:
Like gospel hymns that you called in the air
Come down, come down sweet reverence
Unto my simple house and ring... and ring
Ring like silver, ring like gold
Ring out those ghosts on the Ohio
Ring like clear day wedding bells
Were we the belly of the beast, or the sword that fell?
We'll never tell
Come to me, clear and cold
On some sea
Watch the world spinning waves
Like that machine
Now I've been crazy, couldn't you tell?
I threw stones at the stars, but the whole sky fell
Now I'm covered up in straw, belly up on the table
Well I drank and sang, and I passed in the stable
That tall grass grows high and brown
Well I dragged you straight in the muddy ground
And you sent me back to where I roam
Well I cursed and I cried, but now I know
Now I know
And I ran back to that hollow again
The moon was just a sliver back then
And I ached for my heart like some tin man
When it came oh it beat and it boiled and it rang...
oh it's ringing
Ring like crazy, ring like hell
Turn me back into that wild haired gale
Ring like silver, ring like gold
Turn these diamonds straight back into coal.
SISU: Finnish Power link:" what is sisu? My friends thought about it for a second and told me: “it’s Finnish power“."
SISU: A.K.A FINNISH POWER
The first time I heard the word sisu, a word I heard only a few more times while in Finland, it was at lunch with some Finnish friends. It was a long day and after saying goodbye, both the word and the concept slipped my mind. The same friends said the same word to me again a few weeks later and I had to ask: what is sisu? My friends thought about it for a second and told me: “it’s Finnish power“.
What is sisu
My Finnish friends, I remembered later, said they were proud of me because I did not do it the easy way and rode my bike through the whole winter, which reached -32 degrees Celsius at its coldest point. Since I am Spanish I am no good at being at a given place at a given time, I’d probably have missed the buses and would have had to wait long for the next one in -30 anyway. There was no other way for me but to bike.
But my friends told me I also need to have Sisu to brave the elements. We looked the word up in the Spanish-Finnish dictionary, but the definition just didn’t stick in my mind. What they told me, though, is that it was related to words like “bravery”, “courage” or “determination in adversity”. Since then I knew I had to write something about the fascinating idea of sisu.
Going further with some research, I checked out what Wikipedia says about it: and, of course, it says that it’s a word with no easy translation. One of the translations it offers is to “act rationally against adversity”, but I’m not sure that that’s the same as riding a bike through an entire Finnish winter.
You can take sisu in pills.
Sisu is important in Finland, so much that many brands are named after the term, for instance the Sisu sweets in the photo above, or “Sisu Trucks” (that’s what comes up first in Google Images for the word “Sisu”), or the nationalistic organization of Suomen Sisu (official site (they “defend” the Finnish culture against intercultural mixing).
Another concept that the definition of sisu brings up is “to stand stoically against adversity”. Sisu would then be the skill to finish a task against the impossible twists of destiny. Not a bad word – or quality – as we can see.
Not all sisu is good sisu
Even though its main meaning is a positive one, Sisu can also be a bad thing. “Bad Sisu” (paha sisu, en finnish language) means malice combined with rudeness and relentlessness: putting effort towards hurting someone, or towards vengance.
Some people say that the Finnish culture can be summarized with “The three Ss”: Sisu, sauna and Sibelius (the Finnish classical composer). Some people, though, replace Sibelius for Samliakki.
I rode my bike for 30 minutes in -20 degree weather that evening. Was it sisu or not?
Have you heard about sisu before? Do you have a story where it plays a big role I’d love to hear about it in the comments. - See more at: http://en.biginfinland.com/sisu-finnish-power/#sthash.UkqVEJgC.dpuf
from the following link: http://en.biginfinland.com/sisu-finnish-power/
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Old Photo of Point Narrows Gull Lake
Great photo from back in the day on Gull Lake. I really enjoy these types of old photos.
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Mick Dodge video/SunRay Kelly
mick dodge video...pretty funny.
Homemade fur clothing is where it is at. I think this dude runs with SUNray KElly: one of my favorite natural builders.
Colbert is a mad trapper. Check out this clip.
Great profile of Colbert.
Divorced and started living a simple life. Another courageous man who is also a trapper, builder, and off gridder. Careful for that river water!
Live Free or Die: character video profiles: Amelia / Tony
Amelia
I really like the way they are trapping, and I am impressed with her skinning skills!
Tony
He was a suburbanite and now is growing all his own food. I can relate to this group and respect them for having the courage to be self sufficient in a world of commodification.
This is a great series that chronicles the low impact lifestyle of some unusual back woods hipsters. The videos include some great footage, but for those people who don't want to see where their food comes from, some of these videos may leave you a bit squeamish. I am a fan of reality television shows that educate viewers on the animal life you must take to eat meat.
I really like the way they are trapping, and I am impressed with her skinning skills!
Tony
This is a great series that chronicles the low impact lifestyle of some unusual back woods hipsters. The videos include some great footage, but for those people who don't want to see where their food comes from, some of these videos may leave you a bit squeamish. I am a fan of reality television shows that educate viewers on the animal life you must take to eat meat.
Live Free or Die: NH state motto and new series on Nat. Geo.: Rewilding
video on Thorn, one of the characters in the series
Live Free or Die explores one of America’s most remote subcultures, following five people who have left the modern world behind to live in backwoods and swamps where they hunt their own food, build their own shelters, and survive only on what they can produce with their own two hands and sharp intuition. -Sarah Bibel
via press release:
“Being in the Wilderness for Me Is Being Alive”
National Geographic Channel Follows Five Americans Who Have Left Their
Mainstream Lives to Survive off the Land in Live Free or Die
New Series Live Free or Die Premieres Tuesday, Sept. 30, at 10 PM ET/PT
on National Geographic Channel
(WASHINGTON, D.C. — September 2, 2014) Americans today constantly have their eyes locked to screens — their phones, tablets and televisions. Workweeks are getting longer and the retirement age is getting older. There’s an obsession with money and material goods. But there are a handful of people who are rejecting these ways of life. They’re moving away from the cities, living with only the bare necessities, pledging to Live Free or Die.
National Geographic Channel’s new series Live Free or Die examines one of America’s most remote subcultures, following five individuals living in the country’s backwoods and swamps with few of the trappings of modern society. Freed from the constraints of a technology-fueled existence, they are modern-day pioneers who rely only on skill and intuition to harness the natural environment. Live Free or Die premieres Tuesday, Sept. 30, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on National Geographic Channel and in December internationally in 440 million homes in 171 countries and 45 languages. For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com/livefreeordie and follow us on Twitter at @NGC_PR.
See more after the jump:
Friday, September 19, 2014
Instructables link for making a sup...most of it is made of the pink foam insulation stuff.
I will stick with the traditional or hollow wood design, but this is a good one in terms of finances.
Lake Superior Surface Temps.
Click for Lake Superior [Full Lake View]
Click to move to the next image to the [North] [East] [South] [West]
Click to move to the next image to the [North] [East] [South] [West]
DIY WOODEN SURFBOARD/Superior Surf Report/ Brilliant Allegiant Air
 |
| WOODEN SURF BOARD ....My next DIY project for this winter. slabwood surfboard |
http://www.swaylocks.com/forums/building-solid-wooden-surfboard
http://www.mahaloboards.com/DIY-Surfboard/
--I am looking for flights via allegiant to get to see Amrie, and surf with her. This is my favorite airline:
http://www.allegiantair.com/
$LSZ142-143-192100- TACONITE HARBOR TO SILVER BAY HARBOR MN- SILVER BAY HARBOR TO TWO HARBORS MN- 925 AM CDT FRI SEP 19 2014 ...SMALL CRAFT SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION... .REST OF TODAY...SW 10 TO 15 KT WITH GUST AROUND 25 KT. WIND DECREASING TO 5 TO 10 KT LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. SCATTERED SHOWERS
LATE IN THE MORNING. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS IN THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON. SHOWERS LIKELY IN THE AFTERNOON. WAVES 1 TO 3 FT BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT IN THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON.AND AFTERNOON. SHOWERS LIKELY IN THE AFTERNOON. WAVES 1 TO 3 FTBUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT IN THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON. .TONIGHT...SW WIND 5 TO 10 KT BECOMING W IN THE LATE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. SHOWERS LIKELY IN THE EVENING. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE NIGHT. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AFTER MIDNIGHT. AREAS OF FOG AFTER MIDNIGHT. WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. .SATURDAY...W WIND 5 TO 10 KT. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AFTERNOON. WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. .SATURDAY NIGHT...NW WIND 5 TO 10 KT. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. WAVES 2 FT OR LESS.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Max Schaff's bike from his 4Q Conditioning blog
I have been following the 4q conditioning blog for a long time. Long before I ever typed a word on any blog of my own. Great blog. Here is a pic. from his blog of the bike, and I really enjoy his writing content, themes, and think everyone should follow his blog. He has built many cool bikes for Born Free, but I still remember him as a great pro skater from the Bay Area of California. He updates his blog, and I really enjoy his writing and other creative endeavors.
 |
| Max Schaff's bike photo from 4Q conditioning blog |
Pictures from around the place. And Stable Song
 |
| "So much depends upon..."WCW |
 |
| 1987 Alumnacraft, 50 hp Mercury, $350 craiglist aluminum boat lift with sketchy winch I installed! Watch you fingers and toes around the lift! Looking north at Babe's place! |
 |
| Cobwebs on surfboard in Minnesota...hmmmm...... |
Monday, September 15, 2014
Tiny Camper Living, Campfires, and Essential Supplies
Firewood:
I cut all that slabwood, and asked the park ranger if I could burn
the firewood, due to all the restrictions in MN. I procured the slip
that certified the firewood, got it checked by the ranger, and spent
last night around a campfire, cleaning up over 40 agates I found on my
evening walk. I will post pictures today! With a little adapting,
staying in a small, organized space can be comforting, rather than
confining. |
'Here are some nice items to have throughout the day>
- lighter for starting fires
- Hand sanitizing liquid (for avoiding poison ivy and starting fires)
- Cans of Beans
- Beverages
- Sunflower seeds
- Jiffy Pop Popcorn
Here's to RV small camper living!
Saturday, September 13, 2014
Microcosm Publishing: Dwelling Portably Links and info.
http://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/2822/
These are great little zines that have all kinds of useful information on how to enjoy a life of perpetual camping!
From the link above:
"For the past 30 years, Bert and Holly have been cranking this out on a manual typewriter in their yurt. You'll find diagrams and notes on how to make tools, portable showers, find seasonal jobs, stay warm at night while Winter camping; hitchhiking and freight train hopping guides; suggestions from people who live in their car, in tents, yurts, tipis, or nowhere at all. And perhaps my favorite thing about "Dwelling Portably" are the personal stories that surround the helpful information." -Print Fetish
http://microcosmpublishing.com/uploads/hshg-pr.pdf
These are great little zines that have all kinds of useful information on how to enjoy a life of perpetual camping!
From the link above:
"For the past 30 years, Bert and Holly have been cranking this out on a manual typewriter in their yurt. You'll find diagrams and notes on how to make tools, portable showers, find seasonal jobs, stay warm at night while Winter camping; hitchhiking and freight train hopping guides; suggestions from people who live in their car, in tents, yurts, tipis, or nowhere at all. And perhaps my favorite thing about "Dwelling Portably" are the personal stories that surround the helpful information." -Print Fetish
http://microcosmpublishing.com/uploads/hshg-pr.pdf
Perpetual Camping newsletter example from Lloyd Kahn's book
Most of the snowbirds are perpetual campers/RVer's, but Kahn's book shows some down home, real deal, perpetual camping. All his books are amazing.
Check out Lloyd Kahn's BLog...I visit his blog daily!
Friday, September 12, 2014
Farmer's Almanac Winter Forecast...I am guessing snow and cold in Minnesota.
Southwest appears to be the answer, the rest just looks brutal.
This forecast is for the U.S. For the Canadian forecast, click here:
After the frigid, bitterly cold, and snow-filled winter last year, many of you are wondering just what this winter might bring. Could it possibly be as bad as last?
According to the 2015 edition of the Farmers’ Almanac, the winter of 2014–15 will see below-normal temperatures for about three-quarters of the nation. A large zone of very cold temperatures will be found from east of the Continental Divide east to the Appalachians. The most frigid temperatures will be found from the Northern Plains into the Great Lakes. The coldest outbreak of the season will come during the final week of January into the beginning of February, when frigid arctic air drops temperatures across the Northern Plains to perhaps 40 below zero. As the frigid air blows across the Great Lakes, snow showers and squalls will drop heavy amounts of snow to the lee of the Lakes.
No region will see prolonged spells of above-normal temperatures; only near the West and East Coasts will temperatures average close to normal.
Over the eastern third of the country, we are expecting an active storm track with a number of storms delivering copious amounts of snow and rain. Near-normal precipitation is expected for the Pacific Northwest, the Southwest States, and Northern Plains, while below-normal precipitation values are forecast for the Southwest States as well as the Upper Midwest and the Great Lakes. The Central and Southern Plains are expected to receive above-average precipitation.
We are “red flagging” the first 10 days of January and the first week of February along the Atlantic Seaboard for active wintry weather featuring bouts of heavy precipitation and strong winds. Another red flag time frame for widespread wintry conditions is the middle part of March from the nation’s midsection to the East Coast.
Potential El Niño is an Uncertain Element
As we were putting the finishing touches on this year’s long-range projections, the National Oceanic Atmospheric and Administration issued an official El Niño watch. An El Niño is a warming of the central Pacific once every few years, from a combination of wind and waves in the tropics. It shakes up climate around the world, changing rain and temperature patterns. An El Niño could result in more rain this winter for drought-stricken California and Southern States, and a milder winter for the nation’s frigid northern tier. El Niños are usually strongest from December to April, but there’s no guarantee that we will see one this winter. We’ll just have to wait and see, but in the mean time, all of us at the Farmers’ Almanac suggest you stock up on firewood, sweaters, and hot cocoa. It certainly looks like another long winter of shivery and shovelry is on tap.
What’s in store for next summer’s weather? Get 16 months of forecasts in one place. Order your 2015 Farmers’Almanac today!
Caleb Weatherbee is the official forecaster for the Farmers' Almanac. His name is actually a pseudonym that has been passed down through generations of Almanac prognosticators and has been used to conceal the true identity of the men and women behind our predictions.
This forecast is for the U.S. For the Canadian forecast, click here:
After the frigid, bitterly cold, and snow-filled winter last year, many of you are wondering just what this winter might bring. Could it possibly be as bad as last?
According to the 2015 edition of the Farmers’ Almanac, the winter of 2014–15 will see below-normal temperatures for about three-quarters of the nation. A large zone of very cold temperatures will be found from east of the Continental Divide east to the Appalachians. The most frigid temperatures will be found from the Northern Plains into the Great Lakes. The coldest outbreak of the season will come during the final week of January into the beginning of February, when frigid arctic air drops temperatures across the Northern Plains to perhaps 40 below zero. As the frigid air blows across the Great Lakes, snow showers and squalls will drop heavy amounts of snow to the lee of the Lakes.
No region will see prolonged spells of above-normal temperatures; only near the West and East Coasts will temperatures average close to normal.
Over the eastern third of the country, we are expecting an active storm track with a number of storms delivering copious amounts of snow and rain. Near-normal precipitation is expected for the Pacific Northwest, the Southwest States, and Northern Plains, while below-normal precipitation values are forecast for the Southwest States as well as the Upper Midwest and the Great Lakes. The Central and Southern Plains are expected to receive above-average precipitation.
We are “red flagging” the first 10 days of January and the first week of February along the Atlantic Seaboard for active wintry weather featuring bouts of heavy precipitation and strong winds. Another red flag time frame for widespread wintry conditions is the middle part of March from the nation’s midsection to the East Coast.
Potential El Niño is an Uncertain Element
As we were putting the finishing touches on this year’s long-range projections, the National Oceanic Atmospheric and Administration issued an official El Niño watch. An El Niño is a warming of the central Pacific once every few years, from a combination of wind and waves in the tropics. It shakes up climate around the world, changing rain and temperature patterns. An El Niño could result in more rain this winter for drought-stricken California and Southern States, and a milder winter for the nation’s frigid northern tier. El Niños are usually strongest from December to April, but there’s no guarantee that we will see one this winter. We’ll just have to wait and see, but in the mean time, all of us at the Farmers’ Almanac suggest you stock up on firewood, sweaters, and hot cocoa. It certainly looks like another long winter of shivery and shovelry is on tap.
What’s in store for next summer’s weather? Get 16 months of forecasts in one place. Order your 2015 Farmers’Almanac today!
Caleb Weatherbee is the official forecaster for the Farmers' Almanac. His name is actually a pseudonym that has been passed down through generations of Almanac prognosticators and has been used to conceal the true identity of the men and women behind our predictions.Thursday, September 11, 2014
Lake Superior and other things mom and I love about Minnesota....
My mom and I are visiting about all the things we love about Minnesota.
- please feel free to add things you love about Minnesota under comments!
- http://www.americanbear.org/
- 14 ft. waves on Lake Superior
- Family, friends, and Minnesota Nice
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
1-0, 1st in National Football Conference
Today, 12:00 PM
Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri
 |
Minnesota
Vikings
(1-0)
|
34 - 6
Final
St. Louis
Rams
(0-1)
|  |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | ||
| 3 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 34 | ||
| Rams | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
Rams
Patriots
Saints
Falcons
Packers
Lions
Bills
Buccaneers
Redskins
Bears
Panthers
Jets
Dolphins
All times are in Central Time
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