Motley Moose – Archive

Thunder snow

northern Alabama

There can be no question that over the last century, our world has changed more, and at a quicker pace than any other time in history. I grant I could be wrong as I have not done any research in this area, but technological advances and an unprecedented interaction between almost every culture on this planet, has in my opinion, led to a massive global cultural change that is a culmination of the last several centuries that have seen increased mobility of citizens, sharing of technology and wares of all kinds, and an ever increasing share of the nations of this world have governments that have been turned over to their people, is simply astonishing.

Although the ideas of democracy and religious tolerance have existed for millennia, and technology has risen and fallen over time, it would seem at the beginning of the 21st century, humanity exists in a profoundly different world than did our great-great grandparents.  

Welcome to the Wayback Machine, a new diary series for Motley Moose. The Wayback Machine will revisit diaries of days gone by…a peek into our moosely past. The original diary will be linked to, and reposted in full, but, with a fresh comment thread. If you have requests for the Wayback Machine, use the ‘Contact the Moose’ link at the bottom of the page and let us know your ideas.

The first diary that we shall revisit is the celebratory Millennium Moose diary. It is a brief look at the beginnings of the Moose and has, in itself, some examples of our early diaries. The original diary Millenium Moose: A Message to All Moose and Lurkers was Motley Moose’s 1000th diary, one of many milestones we have passed since we launched.

As someone somewhere once said: “you can’t know where you are going without knowing first where you have been”

So, join us for a look back…

While screwing around looking for a way to exercise my Capitalist Pig inclinations and get someone in Antarctica using our stuff*, I happened across yet another expression of human coolness.

Scarlet Knight, First Robotic Ocean Glider, Crosses the Atlantic

In a different age this would have been a story that everyone knew about, like when Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh explored the Marianas Trench.

Today, however, we just do this kind of thing so much we don’t see it.

You probably missed this one. I did. That’s because so many people are doing so many interesting and wonderful things all the time that there is no way to keep up with it all. Buried in this ocean of creation are seeds that we cannot predict the impact of. While it makes for popular fiction to imagine robotic sharks carrying nuclear warheads, reality instead holds autonomous gliders sailing the currents of the world’s oceans feeding us more information than we could have imagined.

These “known unknowns” related to the major issues of our times give me hope. I know I don’t know what people will innovate in the future. Not for the environment, not for healthcare, not for agriculture and not for sociology. I can see the shape of possible futures where our challenges in these areas can be dealt with, if people get innovative in ways I know I don’t know yet. People from Rutgers to Cairo prove me right every day.

* (Hey, I’ll give it away to be able to say: “People use our gear on *every* continent.” ;~)

I swear I live on Tehran time. As they are nine and one half hours ahead of Minnesota, it is a problem;~J Heh. Must be why I am a night owl…and absolutely why I am always late:~P

I have had a rather bizarre life. At least that is what a therapist once told me during a session a few years ago. While it made me laugh, as the comment was rather blunt and crudely said, it is true that my time on planet Earth has been an unusual existence. By the time I graduated from high school, I had attended nine different schools. However, there were but two places I have always identified as home. Our family lake cabin in northern Minnesota and Tehran, Iran. Iran was the home I lived in the longest of all of the other places I resided as a child. I will always miss the place where my ability to flourish with each change in my life cemented, and where my independence and fearlessness began to manifest.

We are currently seeing profound changes in predominantly Islamic countries in Northern Africa, the Middle East, and Western Asia that remind me a bit too much of my childhood experience of living in, and our eventual leaving of Iran, in early 1979. In the mid 70’s, Tehran was a wonderful place to grow up, and though I had hoped I might at least have a chance of visiting Persia again with the rise of protest during the summer of 2009, I now see that possibility must wait a while. At this time, the Islamic Republic of Iran has a very strong hold on it’s people and no outside admonishments  or intervention will change the future of Iran. Unfortunately (or fortunately), only Iranians can change their country now.  

Last night, AOL and Arianna Huffington signed a deal whereby AOL will acquire the Huffington Post and Arianna Huffington will acquire editorial oversight over all AOL media.

A.H. describes this as a merger of visions.  Comments in response to her piece at the Huffington Post about the deal seem to be generally negative.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…

Yes, I realize I’ve been a bit more prolific lately, but this one is the culmination of some thoughts that have been buzzing for some time. This seems as good a time to nail them down.

Some time ago, the the blog Why is it Evil addressed the question of Why Chefs are Evil.

It got me to musing.  

The United States is now voicing support for a gradual shift in power in Egypt. Speaking in Munich, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, asserted the importance of supporting the country’s recently appointed Vice-President, General Omar Suleiman, and his reported attempts to work out a compromise with opposition groups. Hosni Mubarak would remain President, at least as a figurehead, if not more, until September.

Photo: Protesters continue their occupation of Tahrir Square.

New York Times/Hannibal Hanschke/European Pressphoto Agency

As a chef, I often get asked all sorts of things.  What’s your favorite dish?  What do I do with arugula?  What’s the best sauce?  How do I cook X?  Who’s your favorite chef?  What’s the best cookbook?

To follow up the series on Virginia, I’ve posted a few recent presidential elections in the state (courtesy of the New York Times). Each map comes with some brief analysis.

Capitalizing on a decade of Democratic movement, Senator Barack Obama becomes the first Democratic presidential candidate to win Virginia since 1964. The Senator performs best in eastern Virginia, especially the fast-growing northern Virginia metropolis. Western Virginia is not as enamored; parts of it even vote more Republican.

More below.