Icewind's Ramblings

There is many times that something triggers our imagination back to something and recently it was one of those times for me.  I saw something that triggered a memory of story telling and great music with friends.  It was a time where I spent many nights listening to music and stories with my friends that played in Atlanta at the time in a band called Cullowhee. One of the stories told was the difference between Heaven and Hell, told by my friend, Terry Edwards.  With his customary southern drawl and laid back style he painted the picture to all of us in the audience listening. Terry would tell the story about the man who died, and when he arrived at the "Pearly Gates" Saint Peter told him he was going to take him on a tour of heaven and of hell.   First, they took a tour of heaven. St. Peter and the man arrived just in time for dinner . . . it was in a huge banquet hall and the tables were sagging with the weight of the sumptuous entrees.  Eve...

This from the Wall Street Journal’s report from tonight’s NBC’s magazine “Rock Center”, Jerry Sandusky says: “I shouldn’t have showered with those kids”. I am one not to rant too much but this really pisses me off to no end.   He states he is innocent but he did do some of those things.   Now I am not sure where you come from or what your daddy taught you but anytime that urge hits you to shower or touch children comes over ones self it is time for you to put a gun in your mouth as God intends for you to be culled from the herd of those of us who never entertain those thoughts.   Anytime there is no major flag or siren going off in ones head as they are about to do something so terrible to an innocent child, you have lost your moral compass and to my way of thinking the compass was never there in the first place or there is no way to redeem oneself to get pointed back on track.   Rehabilitation should not be an option as it has repeatedly shown that more often t...

The morning dawned much like it did ten years ago with crispness in the air and clear blue skies.   How likely is that in days of fading summer in Alaska?   The similarities keen within the consciousness of the day for many people but there is also an overwhelming sense of loss . . . both in loved ones and in a broader sense in clarity. Before the events leading up to that tragic day there seemed to be a sense of almost mystical character that was America.   It had been chiseled into our beings by our forefathers and shaped the direction of its people would interact with each other and the world.   It reminds us of all that was good in our world and how things should be for our children.   As a nation we had grown up (from another attack on our soil in December, 1941) and moved to never let such transgressions happen again.   But somewhere as a country we were lazy in not recognizing how the world had changed around us and nothing prepared us for the so...

Or . . . 72 Virgins and the Suicide Bombers . . . Do the math. I was reading an article about all of the suicide bombings in the Middle East and in Pakistan and how the tactic strikes fear into those regions where it is used.   We have had some experience with its use in the U.S. with the upcoming reminder of the tenth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks on American soil. What started out as a semi-comical look into a form of world wide terrorism used to inflict trauma to those close by slowly evolved into another remembrance of a day when America was attacked and many lives were lost.   In vain . . . I hope not but there are still people out there ready to continue their battle just as we continue to defend against it.   Once again, thanks to our military and their families whose sacrifices are given from a grateful nation! In the 1970’s film M*A*S*H the theme song for the movie and the following television series was “Suicide is Painless” a catchy tune ...

At the end of the Survivor Samoa Reunion show there was a brief clip of the upcoming season for its twentieth run of Survivor.  They called it “Heroes vs. Villains” which gave us a glimpse of who may be playing.  It started many blogs debating who should be on and possibly which side based on past appearances. Jeff Probst revealed the cast of 'Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains' during the People's Choice Awards on Wednesday night.  The cast features twenty former players that fans either love or love to hate  . . . and after seeing the roster, I can't wait until it premiers on February 11, 2010. With the production crew in the Samoa ’s filming started just after season 19 wrapped making a quick turn around for season 20.  You may also remember there was a major earthquake in the area during that time period but it is not known if that will play into the show as when it happened the only thing released was no one was hurt during the event.  Production may...

I had the distinct joy of watching Big Brother on television tonight and it was not entertaining listening to all of the chaos going on within the house. I started thinking about these young people who are our youth in America and how they approach things, problem solve, and deal with the inner workings of relationships with themselves and those around them. It was a pretty sad thing to watch the last three weeks as they have no clue what it is like to engage each other with respect, gamesmanship, and trust. If this program was viewed as a job interview for most of these housemates they would be lucky to get any job whatsoever. They could not check the box that says: “plays well with others”. The “How do you establish a working relationship with new people” question could set off an nasty tirade of swearing and first impressions about those they walked by on the way to the interview. If the question comes out as to “what have you been most frequently critic...

There is great news today being reported that the two US journalists were released from North Korea by North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. Kim Jong Il ordered the journalists released after meeting with former president Bill Clinton, who arrived in North Korea earlier in the day on an unannounced visit. Mr. Clinton left the country with both journalists aboard his plane, his spokesman Matt McKenna said. Laura Ling, 32, and Euna Lee, 36, were making a television documentary about North Korean refugees for former vice-president Al Gore's Current TV when they were detained on the border between North Korea and China in March. Now I don’t know about anyone else but I thought “Hell Would Freeze Over” Before I ever saw a news story that mentioned Bill Clinton and Happy Ending in the same sentence again. Just my thought’s on this rainy Alaskan evening. Ice