tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86961742148778766912024-03-13T00:43:10.807-04:00Seth C. BurgessMy online thoughtspace. Seth C. Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559929297207143914noreply@blogger.comBlogger145125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8696174214877876691.post-78509875363399158462014-10-01T02:10:00.000-04:002014-10-01T02:37:58.383-04:00Smooth Edge Can Opener<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e2oE9l62ag8/VCuVmGwQKnI/AAAAAAAAIOQ/_ERTWQSryI4/s1600/IMG_3537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e2oE9l62ag8/VCuVmGwQKnI/AAAAAAAAIOQ/_ERTWQSryI4/s1600/IMG_3537.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mangled Can</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h4>
And then I realized it might be time for a new can opener... </h4>
While organizing the recyclables or some similar activity, I came across a severely mangled can. After a bit of incredulous inspection, I came to speculate that our sitter on the recent occasion of an evening dinner out for my wife's thirtieth birthday had either had difficulty finding the appropriate utensil to open a can to make a meal, or was completely inept at doing so.<br />
<br />
Not too long after, I received a text message from my wife while at work with the request to get a new can opener. So--I guess I'll give the sitter a break and come to the conclusion that we no longer had an acceptable can opener in our summer cottage, or our previously used wall opener had maxed out the frustration level (it's oddly located in the kitchen doorway).<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.oxo.com/images/product/large/1049953V1_3_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.oxo.com/images/product/large/1049953V1_3_.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smooth Edge Can Opener</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Anyway, when my wife asks me to pick up something, I generally aim to impress. She doesn't always give me the satisfaction of feeling that I had accomplished anything, but I shop critically and usually end up getting something different than whatever we had before or different than what may have been expected. In this case, instead of buying a simple hand-operated can opener I discovered a product at the Webster, New York Wegmans location that produces a cleaved-off can top in a way I'd never seen before--so I had to get it.<br />
<br />
This <a href="http://www.oxo.com/p-405-smooth-edge-can-opener.aspx">"smooth edge can opener" by Oxo</a> is really quite something. The night I brought it home and performed my first demonstration, my dad exclaimed something like, "That's really amazing!" The wife did not particularly agree, though perhaps she's softening to it...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://www.sethcburgess.com">© Seth C. Burgess</a></p></div>Seth C. Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559929297207143914noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8696174214877876691.post-86585768161671927162012-03-06T23:47:00.000-05:002012-03-10T21:38:12.390-05:00Lake Walker Run<i>Composed 2 March 2012 following a run around Lake Walker at Camp Shelby, MS.</i><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
It's wake up<br />
I know<br />
Sound of the grind buzzing in my ear<br />
<br />
Another day<br />
finds me<br />
In a movie script, no time to spare<br />
<br />
Sometimes when things stack up<br />
one on the other<br />
I want to retreat<br />
under God's cover<br />
Gather up those I love most<br />
head to the mountains, to the coast<br />
Always remember what that wise man done<br />
Looked me right in the eyes said<br />
DON'T<br />
FORGET<br />
TO RUN<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
An old road<br />
alone<br />
A splash of life from the drips and the breeze<br />
<br />
It's what<br />
I need<br />
When the day is long yet I am free<br />
<br />
Sometimes when things stack up<br />
one on the other<br />
I want to retreat<br />
under God's cover<br />
Gather up those I love most<br />
head to the mountains, to the coast<br />
Always remember what that wise man done<br />
Looked me right in the eyes said<br />
DON'T<br />
FORGET<br />
TO RUN<br />
<br />
Old roads<br />
not alone<br />
History and beauty's all we see<br />
<br />
It's what<br />
we need<br />
The joy of each other--no place to be<br />
<br />
When things just stack up<br />
one on the other<br />
We want to retreat<br />
under God's cover<br />
Gather up those we love most<br />
head to the mountains, to the coast<br />
Always remember what that wise man done<br />
Looked us right in the eyes said<br />
DON'T<br />
FORGET<br />
TO RUN</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://www.sethcburgess.com">© Seth C. Burgess</a></p></div>Seth C. Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559929297207143914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8696174214877876691.post-52529700314178324882011-04-15T22:38:00.001-04:002011-04-16T00:44:35.063-04:00Someone Diagnose MeIdentity crisis? I don't think so. Yet there can sometimes be an overwhelming feeling of "Who am I?" when I find myself shifting between my current roles in the world. Right now, I'm in uniform, and I have been in this role for the better part of the last month. When I'm in uniform for longer than just a few days, it feels right, I enjoy it more than not, and I want to keep Soldiering on.<br />
<br />
When the uniform "comes off" (literally rather than figuratively here, because a Citizen-Soldier really continues to be a person in uniform in daily civilian life, too) I return to my career in the private sector, and there is a different pressure but a very different type of fun too. And it feels right and and want to keep hitting the computer buttons and talking business and growing in my civilian career with the great company I work for, and with.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
As a full-time graduate student (again), I have tons of reading and writing and class-attending to mix in with the military and civilian roles, yet when I'm "dialed in" to the curriculum I really, really enjoy it and feel like it has everything to do with the direction I'm headed in life and I need to and want to continue to do that, too. On the surface, my graduate program has nothing to do with my civilian career, which I fully intend to continue for a long while, and it also is separate from at least my next immediate few years in the military. This adds to the "Who am I?" of my call to continue this study when I already have two major roles that do not currently coincide with it.<br />
<br />
I'm a new parent, and it's wonderful and in so many moments I feel that's there's nothing else in the world I should be doing rather than just being family with my child and my wife, and all the other family (blood or otherwise) that regularly touches my being. There's a reality of course that in order to have those moments I still need to work, maintain a home, provide food, and be an active player in the communities I live in. But in the same way, just being family is a place I really just want to stay in forever.<br />
<br />
Then there are those times when I have been given the opportunity to deliver messages. Whether to the graduating high school class, a group of Scouts, resident volunteers of a community, or the members of a church congregation...I truly enjoy bringing thoughts and ideas I have put together, perhaps well-referenced, to other people. It is a challenge for me to get started in the preparation phase of delivering a message--though when I have put in that effort, and put myself into the words shaping the message, the actually delivery is so fun! Where does this part of me fit in amongst all the different roles?<br />
<br />
I could go on and on. I truly love being connected to many communities and the various roles in which I relate to each community. I'm a business owner (DBA), I run a local media channel (Wayne County Life), I'm an elder at my church, a member of a summer residential community, an alumnus of an academic Greek fraternity who maintains ties to current brothers and other alumni, a huge fan of the Adirondack Mountains of New York State, a willing traveler, a compulsive social-media content producer, etc. etc.<br />
<br />
I don't pretend there aren't others who are also uber-stretched like me, because in many aspects of community efforts--across various organizations--I certainly see many of the same faces over and over. Yet, there is only one me, and I'm not sure how the others feel about the multiplicity of roles in their lives. I sometimes feel like I should have someone diagnose me for my tendency to say "Yes" and put myself into so many different places, and seemingly at once. Most of the time though, I just love being me. When the thought about being "too busy" comes up, I always come to the conclusion that it's much easier to be American-busy and over-committed when a person is doing the things that he or she loves to do.<br />
<br />
As for me, I love what I do. So I'll do it, and the way it works out in the big picture of life is in God's supremely-capable, creative, and gracious care. Amen.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://www.sethcburgess.com">© Seth C. Burgess</a></p></div>Seth C. Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559929297207143914noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8696174214877876691.post-31010590063190882762011-04-07T22:40:00.000-04:002011-04-07T22:40:32.265-04:00Day 06 - A Song that Reminds Me of Somewhere<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Day 6 of the 30 Day Song Challenge.</span><br />
<br />
Well. <a href="http://youtu.be/giA6QUqBsW4">"Roundabout" by The June Spirit</a> definitely reminds me of somewhere. It reminds me of the <a href="http://www.rit.edu/ritinn/">R.I.T. Inn & Conference Center</a>. I woke up to this song EVERY morning using my PC alarm when I was living there as a student. I'm not really sure why. It was loud and exciting, and a good way to get me out of bed early in the morning to head to campus for some P.T.<br />
<div><br />
</div><div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/giA6QUqBsW4?rel=0" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe></div><div><br />
</div><div>I'm not sure if my roommate appreciated the role "Roundabout" played those early mornings as much as I did...</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://www.sethcburgess.com">© Seth C. Burgess</a></p></div>Seth C. Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559929297207143914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8696174214877876691.post-28812805660316033472011-04-07T22:18:00.000-04:002011-04-07T22:18:25.328-04:00Day 05 - A Song that Reminds Me of Someone<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Day 5 of the 30 Day Song Challenge.</span><br />
<br />
The first song that comes to mind that reminds me of someone is <a href="http://youtu.be/L--cqAI3IUI">"Wouldn't It Be Nice" by The Beach Boys</a>. I remember listening to it so early in a relationship that has turned into my own dream come true. I distinctly remember sending an email to her containing the lyrics through my old Yahoo! account during my lunch break as a YMCA Daycamp Counselor. That was Summer 2000. We were 16 and 15.<br />
<br />
Finding out that the actual 1960s Beach Boys video footage in the link above is not able to be embedded in a post, I searched YouTube a bit more and came across a <a href="http://youtu.be/MYyFs5jazAM">cover of "Wouldn't It Be Nice" by Sydney Wayser</a>. Apparently it was recorded live at a club in Paris, France last year. I thought it was pretty awesome, anyway.<br />
<div><br />
</div><div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/MYyFs5jazAM?rel=0" title="YouTube video player" width="640"></iframe></div><div><br />
</div><div>Might be worth checking into more of <a href="http://www.sydneywayser.com/">Sydney Wayser's stuff</a>. She seems to be a complete singer-songwriter / musician package, a French-American based in New York City.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://www.sethcburgess.com">© Seth C. Burgess</a></p></div>Seth C. Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559929297207143914noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8696174214877876691.post-49131794954764743702011-04-06T18:18:00.000-04:002011-04-06T18:18:34.663-04:00Day 04 - A Song that Makes Me Sad<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Day 4 of the 30 Day Song Challenge.</span><br />
<br />
This one's a tear jerker. If you really tune in to the lyrics and think about a person in your life who you've loved, and seen that person fade away in front of your eyes, then <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XQm7p_ET7w">"She Misses Him" by Tim Rushlow</a> will have special meaning.<br />
<div><br />
</div><div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4XQm7p_ET7w?rel=0" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe></div><div><br />
</div><div>While this song makes me sad in a way, it's also comforting to think about how even when we drift away the people that care the most will always be there. I remember sending a message to my girlfriend (wife now) when this song first was on the radio, including the line by itself "And yet they're still together, after all these years" (lyric from the song). She replied to that line with "Of Course They Are", which was not in the song, but struck me as being true. Love sticks.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://www.sethcburgess.com">© Seth C. Burgess</a></p></div>Seth C. Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559929297207143914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8696174214877876691.post-37762020095693482962011-04-03T21:23:00.000-04:002011-04-03T21:23:34.097-04:00Day 03 - A Song that Makes Me Happy<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Day 3 of the 30 Day Song Challenge.</span><br />
<br />
I am in a good place every time I hear <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73XaEvgrJkE">"Almost Home" by Craig Morgan</a>. It makes the listener really envision the scene mentally, and a cold day turns into a warm one quickly.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/73XaEvgrJkE?rel=0" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe><br />
<br />
The lyrics are the recollection of a nice, familiar dream for a man who seemed to be in an otherwise poor disposition. A passerby attempts to help the dreamer by escorting him to a shelter for warmth, and the homeless man seems upset to have been disturbed from his dream! It's such a ridiculous scenario, for this cold and wet person to have felt perfectly warm and comfortable in his situation, that one can't help but to crack a smile.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://www.sethcburgess.com">© Seth C. Burgess</a></p></div>Seth C. Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559929297207143914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8696174214877876691.post-53198466318133286772011-04-03T01:55:00.000-04:002011-04-03T01:55:03.662-04:00Day 02 - My Least Favorite Song<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Day 2 of the 30 Day Song Challenge.</span><br />
<br />
For my least favorite song, I started thinking about different songs I heard during my undergrad years at <a href="http://www.rit.edu/">R.I.T.</a> that would rub me the wrong way for whatever reason. In general it seems I just didin't like the lyrics that were depressive, singing about getting drunk, or just those "punk-rock" voices that all sounded the same to me--whiny.<br />
<div><br />
</div><div>Interestingly, even though I still dislike selections of the lyrics, it's actually kind of amusing and enjoyable to remember and hear some of those songs that I used to not like. So for my least favorite song today, I'll just choose a particular example I remember from then. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=su0a6m6D3XI">"Down" by Something Corporate</a>.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/su0a6m6D3XI?rel=0" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe></div><div><br />
</div><div>Again...I am actually really enjoying hearing this tune again, which is surprising to me. Somehow that <a href="http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/somethingcorporate/down.html">first line saying "Let's get drunk"</a> always put a bad taste in my mouth. I'm pretty sure it had to do with my frustation about my peers during that period of time considering "getting drunk" to be an EVENT in itself, as opposed to a consequence of something more meaningful, like spending time with people we care about.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://www.sethcburgess.com">© Seth C. Burgess</a></p></div>Seth C. Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559929297207143914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8696174214877876691.post-2949373552756931012011-04-02T00:07:00.001-04:002011-04-02T00:08:35.156-04:00Day 01 - My Favorite Song<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Day 1 of the 30 Day Song Challenge.</span><br />
<br />
My favorite song right now (along w/ thousands of others, based on its #3 ranking this week on <a href="http://www.ct40.com/">Bob Kingsley's Country Top 40</a> chart) is "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDUOcHg5ijg">Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not</a>" by Thompson Square.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/FDUOcHg5ijg?rel=0" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe><br />
<br />
"Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not" is pretty simple, as most of Country music is, and it just reminds me about how wonderful life is. Despite all the obstacles that come up for us all, we can simply fall into the embrace of our loving relationships and not need anything more than that. That's really amazing.<br />
<br />
It's also about a special relationship--when I come home from work, or just return from another room with eyes anew, this is the exact joy and energy I feel about my marriage. Hey lady, are you gonna kiss me or not? ;-)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://www.sethcburgess.com">© Seth C. Burgess</a></p></div>Seth C. Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559929297207143914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8696174214877876691.post-17480115197837923932011-02-22T14:30:00.001-05:002011-02-22T14:30:55.402-05:00Posting from a Mobile Device<p><a href='http://lh4.ggpht.com/_DLK-t37oGMM/TWQO6xDgkSI/AAAAAAAADag/qBJ5okBxBLI/1298402765135.jpg'><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/_DLK-t37oGMM/TWQO6xDgkSI/AAAAAAAADag/qBJ5okBxBLI/s400/1298402765135.jpg' /></a></p>I have been severely neglecting posting thoughts to my personal blog, so this post is a test from my HTC Incredible to see if this is a viable and enjoyable method for me. <br/> <br/> I've attached a test image which was captured directly from within the Android app for Blogger, utilizing the device's native camera. Any guesses as to what the image is? It also is possible to insert a video clip or photo already on my mobile device. <br/> <br/> I think I like the experience of posting from a mobile device to my personal blog so far--time to publish to see what formatting surprises lay in store.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://www.sethcburgess.com">© Seth C. Burgess</a></p></div>Seth C. Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559929297207143914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8696174214877876691.post-54389722865394988022010-08-30T23:56:00.000-04:002010-08-30T23:56:22.097-04:00Curse of the Distracted GenerationThrough ever-advancing technology, I've become accustomed to a personal network characterized by extreme connectedness. At any given moment in time I am generally able to reach out to to any one of the thousands of people I know, and hundreds of thousands whom I don't. At the same time, I am instantly accessible to many of that same number. Such great connectedness--while incredible--causes a problem.<br />
<br />
I used to stick very strongly to the belief that technological communication is in the hands of the device-holder, and similarly would respond to email & voicemail on my own schedule--a very comfortable method for me. Often though, any response that was less than immediate would prove to drive the person on the other end into a state of anxiety, anger, or total confusion...which I always felt guilty about causing, even though I knew the world would not end if 1 + 2 remained = x for today. Either that or I'd thoughtfully respond only to discover that the other party found my thoughtful response to be completely un-navigable, without even giving it a chance.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
This instant-gratitude expectancy creates in me a sickening sense of duty to try not to disappoint the person on the other end of a message, even though in most cases I am 100% sure that my best thinking is not immediate. I used to feel--without conscious consideration--that I simply owed my best. Now, people care little for the best, unless it's also the fastest, the most anxiety-quenching, and the most self-affirming.<br />
<br />
My lack of ability to keep up with voicemail or email or other personal communication has taken me to the extent of making my most recent New Year's Resolution "to be responsive". And I meant just that--it doesn't matter the depth of my response, simply that I do respond. In so many cases the meat of a message is either only about helping the sender achieve their own success, or about some related shallow topic, and nothing more. I haven't necessarily achieved my resolution completely, though I have kept it in mind at all times and have done pretty well with it.<br />
<br />
Yet this kills something inside of me. It takes away the meaning of conversation, and generates distracted behavior that is constantly seeking to make everybody happy, instead of tackling whole issues and visioning the bigger picture.<br />
<br />
What I really don't get is why the folks who reach out and shake you to see why you didn't respond to something quicker, or the ones who are completely perplexed when their question is responded to a couple of days later (acting as if they had never asked the question in the first place) are the same folks who stick their nose up at you and make comments when you are responding to someone else in their presence. It makes no sense. If you demand immediate responsiveness, then embrace the distracted behavior you build in the people around you. Otherwise, relax. Trust the person you are corresponding with to treat the relationship thoughtfully and with due diligence. Reminders are OK, though not accusations or vulgarities.<br />
<br />
There is one way, one place I can go to escape distraction completely: the Adirondacks. And that's because there's no cell phone signal in the heart of the wilderness. Maybe I'll just go there, and stay.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://www.sethcburgess.com">© Seth C. Burgess</a></p></div>Seth C. Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559929297207143914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8696174214877876691.post-32452749438206975772010-02-05T01:00:00.000-05:002010-02-05T01:00:39.689-05:00Meetings, Meetings, MeetingsMeetings have been filling up my weeknights lately.<br />
<br />
It's sort of odd, as I've made a conscious effort to say "no" to more and more things of late. I'm trying to discern the line between my <i>interests</i> and my <i>commitments</i>, so that I am putting my energies into the right things.<br />
<br />
In general, I'm attempting to ALWAYS choose in favor of my Top 5 passions. It just seems there may be an excess of opportunity for me to engage in these passions right now. Granted, I took my very first Passion Test on 1 June 2009 so its probably time to take it again. I believe 6 months was the recommended re-take time. Have I really become so fulfilled in my Top 5 passions in the last 7 months that I no longer feel attention is needed in those spaces? Is it time to "lock-in" to a few things resulting from my passion-fed choices and push away some others?<br />
<br />
The meetings are not driving me mad--yet. I enjoy all of them. What I do need to figure out is the rest plan. If I spend 11 hrs. out of 24 at my daytime job, then 3 hrs. at a meeting, and 2-3 hrs. doing a less-than-necessary amount of work to keep my head above water for my personal business, military training preparation, action-items for group involvements, and general correspondence--there's not much time left to eat, sleep, do household items, or talk to my wife or read my books.<br />
<br />
With basic living items at the bottom of my current priority list, I know I'm not doing enough of the right stuff. A part of it is going to be purposefully skimming off further layers of my <i>interests</i> that are somehow disguising themselves to me as <i>commitments</i>. Then, I have to swap in some additional attention on my real <i>commitments</i>. Rediscovering clarity will be important.<br />
<br />
For now the meetings are going to stay (the regular ones) and on those nights I have to restrict myself from additional work at home. This is going to be fun.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://www.sethcburgess.com">© Seth C. Burgess</a></p></div>Seth C. Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559929297207143914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8696174214877876691.post-68320691930963656552009-12-01T02:59:00.000-05:002009-12-01T02:59:33.190-05:00Creative MadnessSleepless nights--what's up with them?<br />
<br />
Perhaps it's more restless than sleepless.<br />
<br />
Is it the full moon that causes them? Or too many things on the mind? Why am I driven to "create" during this time, write down ideas, organize records, draw plans...<br />
<br />
Warm blood flows in my veins, so it's not vampire (I'm told). Werewolf, perhaps? What about that moon...<br />
<br />
I don't think I have any obscene connection to animals during such a time. Maybe a more intimate struggle against the beast within?<br />
<br />
Yet again, the moon in certain phases seems to drive madness. A madness causing restless and sleepless night.<br />
<br />
My acceptance is complete that in this state the air commands that I create, so I will create...<br />
<br />
I will create.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://www.sethcburgess.com">© Seth C. Burgess</a></p></div>Seth C. Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559929297207143914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8696174214877876691.post-5894015196420699682009-10-09T08:58:00.001-04:002009-10-09T08:58:04.449-04:00138g Egg in Honeyoe Falls<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><object height='350' width='425'><param value='http://youtube.com/v/aSS_1y1nrn0' name='movie'/><embed height='350' width='425' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://youtube.com/v/aSS_1y1nrn0'/></object></p><p>Smokes! A Honeyone Falls chicken farmer hobbyist found a quarter-pounder egg in his chicken coop recently. That's a big egg.<br /><br />My in-laws raise chickens and I must admit that just like homegrown vegetables, backyard-raised eggs just taste better than what you can buy in the stores. Delicious!</p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://www.sethcburgess.com">© Seth C. Burgess</a></p></div>Seth C. Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559929297207143914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8696174214877876691.post-29623220851898818092009-09-29T19:25:00.000-04:002009-09-29T19:25:38.487-04:00Blogging in the BonesWell today, it happened. The number of posts on <a href="http://www.waynecountylife.com/">Wayne County Life</a> and the number of posts on my personal blog are now equal at one-hundred and thirty-three apiece. My other leading blog sites--including <a href="http://www.adirondack46er.com/">Adirondack46er.com</a>, <a href="http://www.eriecanalhistory.com/">Erie Canal History</a>, and <a href="http://www.lakebluff.info/">LakeBluff.info</a>--together add up to 136 posts. Almost a trifecta.<br />
<br />
What does this mean? Well, somehow it means that blogging and sharing stories is part of what I do. Yes, I've received income on some freelance work as well as through some ad-placement services--yet, by and large there hasn't been any financial gain to this aspect of my world yet. I find that interest in and visibility of my work expands over time, so I'm accepting T-I-M-E as a partner in my writing adventures.<br />
<br />
I've always wanted to be a writer, yet not this kind of writer--not someone who writes quick-blurbs of news interest or event announcements or outdoor gear reviews. It seems to be part of it though. I've always accepted that to be the writer that I one day desire to be, I first have to fill all that I do with a multitude of experiences.<br />
<br />
Part of what I've been doing over the past several months has been reading into family history and I find it interesting that as a Burgess, there's a lot of writing involved. Of particular interest to me is the Rev. A. Parke Burgess, who circulated numerous publications separate of his sermons. I've come across several of the names of these re-curring circulars, one such being--I believe--"The Watchword". A. Parke's sons, Frank D. and W.C. were themselves very into writing as the proprietors of the Gazette Press in Newark, New York--producing a print newspaper that later would become the Courier-Gazette, now owned by Messenger Post Media. I'm not sure about the quantity of my grandfather's writing; I do know that my father has been recording his whole life (and mine) in diary form.<br />
<br />
Blogging in the bones? Nah--it's something more.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://www.sethcburgess.com">© Seth C. Burgess</a></p></div>Seth C. Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559929297207143914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8696174214877876691.post-28319336372067404612009-09-08T14:26:00.000-04:002009-09-08T14:26:35.655-04:00Pres. Obama's Male LeadershipHaving just listened to the live Back-to-School address of President Barack Obama to America's public education students this day of 8 September 2009, the most pressing item it brings forth for me is <i>Male Leadership</i>.<br />
<br />
What types of male leadership do we see today? There are the Brusques--committed yet ever-haunted by items of financial figures and physical pressures, there are the Jovials--accepting of everyday struggles and persistently uplifting in engagement with others, there are the Firebrands--consumed by ideals and agitators of specific interest, and there are the Ghosts--escapees of the wake of their own lives.<br />
<br />
I suppose the male leadership we should seek is a mix of such contrasting qualities, outlined with love, strength, and purpose. Pres. Obama's willingness to step in front of our nation's children and make a fatherly statement expressing confidence in all, yet a direct challenge issuing that there is a way we ought to live--I think--is an example of such male leadership.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://www.sethcburgess.com">© Seth C. Burgess</a></p></div>Seth C. Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559929297207143914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8696174214877876691.post-59644209048934827132009-08-17T11:45:00.000-04:002009-08-17T11:45:17.748-04:00The Sharpest ToolAn unsharpened tool is yet a tool <br />
hence value to harvest in time <br />
<br />
'Twill do not THE job, 'tho mayhaps A job <br />
lose Faith not ye down-trodden kind <br />
<br />
Give fair opportun'ty to each and e'ery <br />
in Spring when cleaning doth come <br />
<br />
What's considered can learn <br />
and what learns can do <br />
foot upon stage, who knew!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://www.sethcburgess.com">© Seth C. Burgess</a></p></div>Seth C. Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559929297207143914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8696174214877876691.post-90093715975145409802009-06-15T10:48:00.000-04:002009-06-15T10:48:16.018-04:00How to Play WMV files on a MacAre you looking for a way to play a WMV video on a Mac computer?<br />
<br />
Windows Media Video or WMV is a compressed video file format developed by Microsoft. Lucky for Mac users Telestream, Inc. has built a free utility called Flip4Mac which is an easy install and allows you to play Windows Media using QuickTime.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.telestream.net/update-check/wmv/wmv-update-player.htm" target="_blank">DOWNLOAD page for Flip4Mac WMV software update</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://www.sethcburgess.com">© Seth C. Burgess</a></p></div>Seth C. Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559929297207143914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8696174214877876691.post-45181088361427412432009-05-19T00:21:00.001-04:002009-05-19T00:21:50.894-04:00Find in Fine FettleOne up, one down, one up, one down<br />
that's the pace of a sleep-y town<br />
Is it enough to get a body through?<br />
What more needs I (and me) or you?<br />
Perhaps it's less and not the more<br />
we each ought be searching for<br />
Look high, look low for e'erything<br />
and then--and then<br />
one up, one down, one up, one down<br />
we find in fine fettle that 'forementioned town!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://www.sethcburgess.com">© Seth C. Burgess</a></p></div>Seth C. Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559929297207143914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8696174214877876691.post-87486787770535005982009-05-17T23:13:00.002-04:002009-05-17T23:14:08.160-04:00Computational Knowledge EngineCheck out the new <i>computational knowledge engine</i> named <span style="color: #cc0000;">Wolfram</span><span style="color: #444444;">|</span><span style="color: #cc0000;">Alpha</span>. It's a different kind of search than what Google has to offer. <span style="color: #cc0000;">Wolfram</span><span style="color: #444444;">|</span><span style="color: #cc0000;">Alpha</span> doesn't answer every question--although by looking at the <a href="http://www15.wolframalpha.com/examples/" target="_blank">example page of possible computations</a>, one can learn how to use the site as a handy and intelligent resource.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www15.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=24+march+1984" target="_blank">Wolfgram Alpha just informed me</a> that I was born on a Saturday and the 84th day of the year 1984. One of those items my parents probably could have told me, yet likely the latter they couldn't have. Oh, and as of this date (17-May-2009), I am 9,185 days old.<br />
<br />
My first night on Earth was spent under the sky of a near-perfect half moon, or Last Quarter Moon. I think I have found the perpetrator of my inescapable <a href="http://www.sethcburgess.com/2009/04/magic-hours.html">Magic Hours</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://www.sethcburgess.com">© Seth C. Burgess</a></p></div>Seth C. Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559929297207143914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8696174214877876691.post-45501037358957743122009-05-14T20:45:00.000-04:002009-05-14T20:45:47.922-04:00Great Gifting TreeA gift ungiven is a gift for all<br />
the knowing in not what 't'l be.<br />
<br />
Ideas and thoughts and caring hearts<br />
root strong in the Great Gifting Tree.<br />
<br />
The tree is tall, or short, or not<br />
there is fruit always in reach.<br />
<br />
What matters is how and why it grows<br />
not the look of the perfect peach.<br />
<br />
The tree is broad, or narrow, or not<br />
by nurture the nature takes form.<br />
<br />
Whether whole, or half, or n'ither blooms<br />
there's no need that fellows take swarm.<br />
<br />
A gift of the heart starts private, internal<br />
tho' ends quite different-ly...<br />
<br />
That gift once for one 'comes gift now for many<br />
Joyful surprise from the Great Gifting Tree.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://www.sethcburgess.com">© Seth C. Burgess</a></p></div>Seth C. Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559929297207143914noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8696174214877876691.post-83927280538574372202009-05-11T20:33:00.001-04:002009-05-11T22:04:38.060-04:00Land Shark StadiumThe Miami Dolphins' football stadium has been renamed again, this time to Land Shark Stadium. New owner Stephen Ross and singer Jimmy Buffet unveiled Land Shark Stadium's new logo Friday 8 May 2009 at a stadium-hosted concert. The Land Shark name comes from Jimmy Buffet's branded beer <a href="http://www.landsharklager.com/" target="_blank">LandShark Lager</a>. I think it's kind of cool.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DLK-t37oGMM/Sgi-rciJPLI/AAAAAAAABJ0/hT8IXuya7hk/s1600-h/LandSharkStadium_Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DLK-t37oGMM/Sgi-rciJPLI/AAAAAAAABJ0/hT8IXuya7hk/s320/LandSharkStadium_Logo.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Land Shark Stadium will be hosting Super Bowl XLIV in February 2010.<i> LET THE FIN BEGIN</i>!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://www.sethcburgess.com">© Seth C. Burgess</a></p></div>Seth C. Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559929297207143914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8696174214877876691.post-75821765014153951692009-05-06T12:11:00.001-04:002009-05-06T12:12:18.772-04:00Forget the Banks, Help StudentsPresident Barack Obama's new ideas for direct federal lending to college students seem well-founded. Apparently, the banks that are making most student loans currently are earning healthy profits due to taxpayer money subsidizing the lending process. Check out a relevant video here: <a href="http://my.barackobama.com/StudentLoans" target="_blank">http://my.barackobama.com/StudentLoans</a>.<br />
<br />
As a quick note, nearly all college students who accept loans have absolutely no visibility of the process, nor do we think to question it. We simply understand that money is coming from somewhere to get us through the next semester, and we'll deal with the rest later. Not until the first notification of payment due arrives does an interest in Subsidized Direct Loans vs. Unsubsidized Direct Loans, etc. arise...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://www.sethcburgess.com">© Seth C. Burgess</a></p></div>Seth C. Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559929297207143914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8696174214877876691.post-55826355459348639082009-04-22T10:25:00.002-04:002009-04-22T10:28:54.345-04:00How to Create a Tilda on a MacEvery wondered how to make a tilde on a Mac computer? How to write in Spanish using tilde accent marks instead of losing the rich pronunciation-modifier? Well, here is my step-by-step how-to method, adapted from one I found on About.com:<br />
<ol><li>Press and hold 'option' + 'n'<br />
(you should see ˜ appear with an underline)<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>Release both keys<br />
(you should still see ˜ with an underline)<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>Press character you wish to have under the tilde<br />
(underline will be replaced with letter you have typed)<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
Ññ<br />
</span></li>
</ol><br />
Having difficulty? Post a comment below.<br />
<br />
*Author's note: The word <i>tilde</i> is displayed in the title of this post as <i>tilda</i> to represent the <a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tilda" target="_blank">common misspelling</a> that many English-speaking Googlers are likely to enter into a search.<br />
<br />
Source: <a href="http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/finetypography/ht/tilde.htm" target="_blank">How To Type Characters With Tilde Accent Marks (About.com)</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://www.sethcburgess.com">© Seth C. Burgess</a></p></div>Seth C. Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559929297207143914noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8696174214877876691.post-62148558191755850402009-04-10T11:22:00.004-04:002009-06-15T10:35:00.247-04:00How to Create Umlauts on a MacEver wondered how to make an umlaut on a Mac computer? How to write in German using umlauts instead of a substitute vowel + 'e' ending ('ae', 'oe', 'ue')? Well, here is my step-by-step how-to method, adapted from one I found on eHow.com:<br /><ol><li>Press and hold 'option' + 'u'<br />(you should see ¨ appear with an underline)<br /><br /></li><li>Release both keys<br />(you should still see ¨ with an underline)<br /><br /></li><li>Press vowel you wish to have under the umlaut<br />(underline will be replaced with letter you have typed)<span style="font-size:x-large;"><br /><br />Ää, Öö, Üü</span></li></ol><br />Having difficulty? Post a comment below.<br /><br />Source: <a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_9305_umlaut-mac.html" target="_blank">How to use an Umlaut on a Mac (eHow.com)</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p><a href="http://www.sethcburgess.com">© Seth C. Burgess</a></p></div>Seth C. Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559929297207143914noreply@blogger.com10