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bigbluueglobe

Yes, It Gets Hot.

I get frustrated about this time of year when watching the news, listening to the news, or seeing the news on the internet. It's also a malady that I have in November or December. Why, you ask? Because the people that report the news/weather act like it's something completely new when it gets hot (especially in places like Arizona) in the summer, and cold (especially in places like Minnesota) in the winter. Do people have 6 month memories?

You Are At Your Very Best When Things Are Worst

I've watched a few movies the past couple of weeks that have had quotes in them that made me think a bit about humanity and what path our history is taking us.

"You are at your very best when things are worst"

"You're capable of such beautiful dreams, and such horrible nightmares"

These are both quotes from alien species, spoken to singular humans. Is it a sign of getting older, or am I just becoming more cynical over the years? I've always been a cynic, but it's getting harder and harder to be optimistic these days. I see people who I thought were good-hearted people wishing ill will to others and blatant hatred spewing from their electronic pens on the internet. Somehow, this makes me feel stronger, in my beliefs, but sometimes it makes me feel that we really are fighting a battle of good versus evil. Not a physical battle (yet), but one about what ideology will win the day. This song that I've attached is from one of my favorite movies, Henry V. In it, the good (in this case, the English army...the righteous , fights the evil (the French army)...the unrighteous. The English win despite overwhelming odds. I feel a bit like these are the odds being cast against those today that are good. Now, I'm rambling a bit, but I truly feel nervous for the future of my nation and my world.

Sometimes You Just Need to Take a Drive

Sometimes you just need a change of scenery. Looking at the same four walls every day can drain on anyone, even if they enjoy their home. Lynn and I were running some errands today, and instead of going straight home, we took a circuitous route around Colorado National Monument, which we can see from our backyard. Lynn decided she wants to live on a very small street named Wildwood Drive, which butts up to the park. We feel SO fortunate to live in a place when you can hop into the car and within a few minutes, to a couple of hours, can be at so many places in the American West that are only dreams or trips of a lifetime to others. We are blessed.

Happy Flag Day!

A friend of mine, that I worked with in Antarctica wished me a Happy Flag Day this morning. It's the 14th year straight that he is done so.

I am a flag nerd, and I'm ok with that. During a recent job interview, I was asked what my passion was. I told them it was Vexillology (The study of flags). I probably should have said something canned, in a very Miss America pageant-way like "I love helping people", or "I want to save the Earth". At the very least, I probably taught them a new word for that day and something they might have talked about at the dinner table. No. I didn't get the job.

As for our flag. It's more than a piece of cloth. It's a symbol of a people. E Pluribus Unum. Although I see American flags flying much more predominately here in the United States, than in many other countries, I think a lot of people have forgotten what people have given over the years for the ability to fly this flag. Up to, and including, giving their lives. It truly is one thing we can all rally around, no matter our differences.

Writing What I Want To Write

The world is a different place. When I started writing on bigblueglobe, I maintained the site for people who wanted to know what I was doing, and not what I was saying. My love will always be travel, and I will comment on that frequently, as this is primarily a travel blog. However, I want to talk, and anyone who knows me knows that that won't be a problem for me. Talk about current events, local and global issues, my wife's burgeoning business and how I'm contributing to that, etc. In general, a mishmash of human interest topics. I will probably be making some visual and structural changes to the blog as well. I hope it will be fun for you to read, and I hope that if you're reading this now, you will continue to read in the future.

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Are you connected to the tourism/travel/hospitality industries or travel media in any way? If so, please specify how (kindly include any relevant company names/Web sites!).: I am the Senior Air Services Representative at McMurdo Station, Antarctica. I manifest passengers for air trips around the continent of Antarctica including remote field camps and South Pole Station. I also manifest passengers leaving the continent to Christchurch, New Zealand

On which destinations & travel topics can you advise members especially well?: Antarctica, New Zealand, Colorado

What destinations are you most interested in learning about?: Egypt, Croatia, Namibia, Bhutan, Japan, South Africa, Iceland, Chile

Other travel / language expertise?: I've traveled extensively in the American Southwest, New Zealand and Antarctica. I have spent 77 months of my life living in Antarctica.

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At 9:18pm on November 27, 2010, Ed Wetschler said…: Tom, you have the most interesting job I've seen on Tripatini or anywhere else in a good long time. Do you take many photos in Antarctica, or is condensation inside the camera too much of a problem down there?

At 7:18pm on November 27, 2010, Tripatini said…: Tom, welcome to Tripatini, the worldwide travel community the New York Post dubbed “Facebook for travelers.” On Tripatini, you can mingle with travelers and top travel experts alike, so everybody learns how to travel better and smarter. A few tips to get you rolling:

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