Beware the Ides of March & idle thoughts

Did this rune stone mark the final resting place of Fram the First?

This thrilling saga may end in Minnesota ....

Many people know the story of the Kensington Rune Stone. It was found in 1898 by a Swedish farmer, Olof Ohman, near Kensington, Minnesota, and is purported to be the record of a Scandinavian expedition from Vinland westward into the heartland of the American continent.

Here is a version of the generally accepted translation of the runes carved into this stone:

[we are] 8 Goths (Swedes) and 22 Norwegians on a journey of discovery from Vinland to the west we had camp by 2 skerries a day's trip north from this stone we went and fished one day after we came home we found men red with blood and dead. AVM save from evil have men at the sea to look after our ships 14 day's journey from this island year 1362

Here is a version of a newly-completed translation of the runes carved into this stone:

[we are] 8 Goths (Swedes) and 22 Norwegians on a journey of discovery from Vinnie's cabin after trying to sack Rome we had camp by 2 skerries a day's trip north from this stone we had fish fry and beach party one day after we came home we found Fram the First had been left behind with the Skraelings AVM save him from himself have men at the sea to look after our ships 14 day's journey from this island winning lottery number 1362

Now then. There are many who believe this stone to be genuine and many who do not. Needless to say, being directly descended from Fram the First, I have absolutely no doubt as to its authenticity. Just to engage in theory for a moment, perhaps the disappearance of Fram the First is directly related to the accounts of blue-eyed, blonde-haired, Mandan Native Americans. These accounts, of which there are a few, arose from the French fur traders who penetrated the region in the early 18th Century. Mandan "bull boats" and lodges have design similarities to Scandinavian counterparts. Just possibly, Fram the First was the first, and found eventual happiness with a Mandan bride along the banks of the Missouri River.

On a more ominous note, there has been speculation that the Kensingson Rune Stone was more than a simple message left for posterity. It might have been placed to mark the gravesite of Fram the First. Rumors surfacing around Norway a few years after the sack of Sarzana in Italy were that Fram the First met his end shortly before his 28th birthday while trying to lead his merry band of raiders home. The date, March 15, was suggested as his final day upon the surface of the earth and his first day beneath it. Even more chilling was the suggestion that he was assassinated by disgruntled Swedes, who wanted his gold and were jealous of his seafaring skills.

Furthermore, it is well known in literary circles that no less an author than William Shakespeare was aware of this tale regarding Fram the First's demise, and was torn about which assassination he would commit to writing: Fram's or Julius Caesar's, since they both happened on the Ides of March. We all know which death Shakespeare chose to memorialize in the end. Personally, I think Shakespeare made a bad decision.

Just as a precautionary move, we will continue to examine archaelogical and other records in case still more information might become available regarding the saga of Fram the First.

Random things about things ....

I carry two cell phones. (Sometimes, I forget to carry two cell phones.) One is for plain stuff, where the number is known to half the population between Canada and Mexico; one is for personal stuff, where the number is known to few. The one for plain stuff has a loud, straight ring. The one for personal stuff sings out, "Don’t Cry," by Guns n' Roses for its ring.

I stopped at a music store yesterday. I looked at and priced guitars. Man, that would be a kick. I'll see how I feel about it next fall when the November gales confine us seafarers to port. Other than for writing, I'm pretty much ambidextrous. From which side should I learn to play a guitar?

I have a friend who has been to 23 Bob Dylan concerts. She and her eventual husband followed him around the country the summer after they graduated from college, back in the 1990s, just to experience the event in different places. Such an adventure would be fun, wouldn't it? But, which band would be worth listening to that many times these days?

I am not looking to escape life, rather to throw a noose around it, gather it in, and put together the material for a new run at it. A thousand jobs in a thousand places will not happen, but there is every reason to roll the dice again and no reason not to.

I do want to learn how to do the Tango, and to do it with the right person, in the right place and with the right people on the floor doing it along side of us. No phonies allowed. A blogger in Poland who calls himself Epicurious wrote this a few days ago: "Dancing is the most intimate self-dialogue. When we dance, we drop our ego and freeze the moment of time to be in the now. We move to the rhythm of our heart while listening to the whispers of our soul." I think he got it exactly right.

Stepping up to the plate, in a manner of speaking, I began making a calendar. I have commitments I plan to keep in April, May and June, which means Independence Day would be a reasonable date to make a jump. That seems like a very long time from now, but at least the days are getting longer and the air warmer.

Music Note: Listening to Cream ....
Specifically, "Strange Brew / The Very Best of Cream" ....
("White Room" & "Sunshine of Your Love")

Beatles, Boy Scouts & mock sabbaticals ....

Quote the Beatles:
"You say you got a real solution"

One thing seems explicitly clear to me. Other than corruption, the economic problems facing the U.S. today stem from a "shop until you drop habit" by individuals and, most particularly, by government (local, state and federal). To compound the problem, the shopping has been done largely with credit rather than real money.

Now, the President and most members of Congress actually think that having government extend and expand the shopping spree with still more credit buying will solve the economic problems. Well, maybe, maybe not.

The fascinating (one of my favorite words) element here is that neither the leaders nor the followers can accurately predict what the end result will be. The design of the scheme reveals an obvious step toward the massive redistribution of wealth, and there is nothing new about that. The Greeks did it successfully; the Romans did not fare so well and suffered 100 years of civil war. (Had redistribution gone well for the Romans, Julius Caesar might not have been assassinated, therefore, Shakespeare would not have written his play and, therefore, we would not have his most excellent piece of theater to enjoy.) The U.S. did redistribute wealth to a moderate extent in the 1930s, the 1960s and, some would say, resumed doing it again in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Personally, I think a revolution has begun. I hope I am around to witness it fully to the finish, to learn what shape of government evolves from it. (This might take a few decades.) As historian and philosopher Will Durant put it: "Civilization is not inherited; it has to be learned and earned by each generation anew; if the transmission should be interrupted for one century, civilization would die, and we should be savages again."

Truly risky business and, for sure, the next few years could be absolutely, positively fascinating. In the meantime, my "real solution:" Buy gold and diamonds, and vote historians to Congress rather than attorneys.

Like a good Boy Scout, "Be Prepared"

A few days ago, someone commented that my words had a cynical tone to them. My response was to say that I was born cynical.

I don't suppose I actually was born that way, but close, and my opinion is that working as a newspaper reporter has fostered a deepening cynicism. Think about it. I've covered a couple of murder trials, been to numerous crime and accident scenes, and become of aware of many instances of corruption, malfeasance, incompetence and conflict of interest in government and business. Sometimes, as a general news reporter, you are a witness to the best in people but, more often, you are exposed to the worst.

Some people lead very sheltered lives and try to avoid hearing or reading negative news. They might go so far as to block out the words of someone who disagrees with them on political, religious or any number of issues. Fine for them, but between natural curiosity and a measure of cynicism born from exposure to the world as it is, I want to be aware of everything and anything which might affect my life. I know, from experience, that lightning does occasionally strike, harshly, mercilessly, sometimes in the form of nature, sometimes in the form of another human being. I want to be prepared physically and mentally as best I am able should such a thing happen near me.

I guess that means while some might consider me a cynic, I would say I utilize my cynicism as a tool to be a realist. Remember the Boy Scout motto.

It might be time for a "mock sabbatical"

Just to find out what is going on in the newspaper employment market, I checked out "JournalismJobs.com" today. Six openings in Florida, six openings in California, no openings in Minnesota. This website has been filled to the brim with newspaper openings in the past. What does that tell you? It tells me that any changes for me might involve another "mock sabbatical," which, actually, would be welcome.

Music Note: Listening to Scorpions ....
Specifically, "The Best of Scorpions" ....
(One of my favorites, "Still Loving You")
(Deutsche kennen gute Musik)