The race consists of over 1150 miles of the roughest, most beautiful terrain from Anchorage to Nome. It has been called the “Last Great Race on Earth” and it is said to be a “race extraordinaire” which can only be possible in Alaska.  The race covers jagged mountain ranges, frozen rivers, dense forests, desolate tundra and miles of windswept coasts.  Temperatures reach far below zero and winds can cause complete loss of visibility as does long periods of darkness. These treacherous conditions will be covered by the musher and his/her dogs within ten to seventeen days.

In the early 1920’s, settlers had come to Alaska following a gold strike. The  Iditarod Trail, which is now a National Historic Trail was used as a mail and supply route from the coastal towns of Seward and Knick to the mining camps at Flat, Ophir, Ruby and beyond to the west coast communities.  Mail and supplies went in and gold came out.

In 1925, Nome was threatened by Diphtheria and was in need of serum.  Part of the Iditarod Trail was used as a highway by the mushers and their dogs to deliver this life saving serum.

Today, Alaska is the world Mecca for sled dog racing. Mushers from more than a dozen foreign countries have run the Iditarod.  It has become Alaska’s best known sporting event and some Alaskan mushers have run races in the Russian Far East.  The Winter Olympics are even considering adding sled dog racing as an event.

The Iditarod is a commemoration of those early days of the trail, a past that the Alaskans honor and are very proud of.

Who Is Playing For Change?

This is taken from the Playing for Change Website.

The Inspiration

Playing for Change is a multimedia movement created to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music. The idea for this project arose from a common belief that music has the power to break down boundaries and overcome distances between people. No matter whether people come from different geographic, political, economic, spiritual or ideological backgrounds, music has the universal power to transcend and unite us as one human race. And with this truth firmly fixed in our minds, we set out to share it with the world.

The Production

We built a mobile recording studio, equipped with all the same equipment used in the best studios, and traveled to wherever the music took us. As technology changed, our power demands were downsized from golf cart batteries to car batteries, and finally to laptops. Similarly, the quality with which we were able to film and document the project was gradually upgraded from a variety of formats– each the best we could attain at the time—finally to full HD.

One thing that never changed throughout the process was our commitment to create an environment for the musicians in which they could create freely and that placed no barriers between them and those who would eventually experience their music. By leading with that energy and intent everywhere we traveled, we were freely given access to musicians and locations that are usually inaccessible. In this respect, the inspiration that originally set us on this path became a co-creator of the project along with us!

The Effect

Over the course of this project, we decided it was not enough for our crew just to record and share this music with the world; we wanted to create a way to give back to the musicians and their communities that had shared so much with us. And so in 2007 we created the Playing for Change Foundation, a separate 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation whose mission is to do just that. In early 2008, we established Timeless Media, a for-profit entity that funds and extends the work of Playing for Change. Later that year, Timeless Media entered into a joint venture with the Concord Music Group through the support of label co-owner and entertainment legend Norman Lear and Concord Music Group executive vice president of A&R John Burk. Our goal is to bring PFC’s music, videos and message to the widest possible audience.

Now, musicians from all over the world are brought together to perform benefit concerts that build music and art schools in communities that are in need of inspiration and hope. In addition to benefit concerts, the Playing for Change band also performs shows around the world. When audiences see and hear musicians who have traveled thousands of miles from their homes, united in purpose and chorus on one stage, everyone is touched by music’s unifying power.

And now, everyone can participate in this transformative experience by joining the Playing for Change Movement. People are hosting screenings, musicians are holding benefit concerts of every size, fans are spreading the message of Playing for Change through our media, and this is only the beginning. Together, we will connect the world through music!

Please purchase a CD or other items from Playing For Change to help the wonderful cause of bringing people together with music.

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I played hooky from work and the kids skipped school today as we took off over Blood Mountain to visit and tour North Georgia College and State University in Dahlonega. We first met with the youth pastor at the Baptist Collegiate Ministry and it was after talking with him I have decided I want to go back to college. The opportunities there are endless. Mark could get involved with the youth group and go all over the world on mission trips. They even offer an extreme sports mission to Russia! They spend time in Mexico, New York and Korea. What a way to see the world and help those in need.

After lunch at Mo’s, we took off on foot across the campus. The first and most important stop, according to Mark, was the weight room. The moment he walked into the gym, he went into a trance. His eyes glazed over and his mouth hung open. He said, “I am going to live in this room.” He was in heaven. Weights and machines everywhere, loud music, hot sweaty guys and the smell of testosterone filled that room. His sister Haley and I looked at each other and smiled, then shook Mark to bring him back into our world.

We dragged him out of there and we began our guided tour of the campus. What a beautiful place. Old brick buildings with huge white columns, trees everywhere and a beautiful mountain range framed the campus. It is small, only about 5,600 students. We all feel that this is the perfect school for Mark to begin his college career. We were told they received over 2,000 applications this fall and regrettably they were only able to reward 700 with acceptance letters. That made all of us a little nervous about whether or not he would be accepted. Mark’s SAT scores were above the school’s average scores, which gave us some hope.

The tour was great and our excitement was high. My little Mark is no longer that little boy who played with lizards. He is a grown man, 6 foot 2 to be exact, who is leaving home to begin his own life. Like I said before, bittersweet. Haley has already made plans to visit him on weekends.

We headed back over Blood Mountain and got home safely in less than an hour. We checked the mailbox and found a letter from the college we just visited. Mark tore open the envelope and began reading. I watched his face as his eyes scanned the letter. He shouted out loud with a huge smile on his face, “I have been accepted!!” Yes! Mark will be going to North Georgia College and State University. We also got his senior pictures and graduation announcements that day. It is final….my baby is graduating and going to college.

Friday was a stellar day. There are only ten more weeks of school left and I only have about six more months to have Mark with me every day. You better believe I am going to make the most of every one of those precious days!

Promise Yourself:

* To Be So Strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

* To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet.

* To make all your friends feel that there is something worthwhile in them.

* To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.

* To think only of the best, to work only for the best and to expect only the   best.

* To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

* To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to greater achievements of the future.

* To wear a cheerful expression at all times and give a smile to every living creature you   meet.

* To give so much time to improving yourself that you have no time to criticize others.

* To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear. and too happy to  permit the presence of trouble.

* To think well of yourself and proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud word, but in  great deeds.

* To live in the faith that the whole world is on your side, so long as you are true to the  best that is in you.

The 2010 Olympics were great. I really got involved in sports that I have never watched before such as the Skeleton and Curling. Since I have begun my internet marketing business, I have been blogging like crazy and that has pushed me to research and read about new and exciting things. I never thought I would have anything to say about the Norwegians and their crazy pants , but I found myself writing about them and then joining their Facebook fanpage!

One thing I have always wondered about but never had the motivation to look up is how the host city is chosen for the Olympics. Of all the cities around the world, how do they choose one? So, I started researching and this is what I found.

Any city that feels they have what it takes to host the Olympics can apply to the International Olympic commission (IOC).  The IOC will then investigate that city over the next ten months.  They will look for things such as:

1. The city must prove that it is big enough to handle Olymp ic games and the huge number of tourists, athletes, journalists and politicians. They must be able to host the games in new stadiums and must be able to house all the people in hotels and provide transportation. They must also be able to provide adequate security.

2. The residents of that city must be convinced that the expenses of covering the Olympics are worth it. The city may raise taxes in order to  cover this endeavor.

3. The media coverage in that city must be highly positive.

If the IOC decides that the city has fulfilled all three points above, it is considered a “Candidate City” and it will move on to the second phase. In this phase, the city sends in an application and fee which can cost up to $150,000. If a city is chosen to host the Olympics, it is a great honor. The city not only is able to show pride for their city and country, they are in the international spotlight and they have the opportunity to bring new jobs to the community and build up tourism.

The 2012 Summer Olympics will be held in London from July 27 through August 12, 2012.  They will be the first city to host the Olympic games three times (it was previously held there in 1908 and 1948).   Applications were submitted in July of 2003 and there were nine cities that submitted bids. These cities were Havana, Istanbul, Leipzig, London, Madrid, Moscow, New York, Paris and Rio de Janeiro.

By July of 2005 it was narrowed down to Paris and London. At the end of the fourth round of voting, London won the right to host the 2012 Games with 54 votes, defeating Paris’s 52. Various French publications blamed the Paris loss on French President Jacques Chirac’s statements before the vote that “We can’t trust people [the British] who have such bad food. After Finland, it’s the country with the worst food.” Two current members of the IOC are from Finland!

I am quoting this from a comment left on the website Positive Atmosphere.  Wouldn’t it be great if we all could apply this to our lives. I believe we would see great changes in all aspects of our being if only we could convince ourselves of the power of a positive attitude.. A positive mind anticipates happiness, joy, health and a successful outcome of every situation and action. Read the following quote and see how easy it is to make the choice to be positive.

“I once read a book called ‘The Feel Good Handbook‘ which is about changing ones cognitive thoughts to assist with depression.

One thing that I’ve always remembered is that with everything  you have a choice. Everything you say, everything you hear, everything you do are all choices. If someone says to you ‘You look really good today,’ you can choose to respond positively ‘Thank you!’ and think to yourself how nice that was….or you can respond negatively ‘are you kidding? and think to yourself, they are just saying that.’

Each response generates a reaction. The positive response leads you to smile, stand up straighter, and maybe even do or say something kind to someone else, and carrying on the positive energy.

The negative response leaves you feeling down, and generates more negative thinking, making you feel even worse.

It’s quite amazing the affect that a single positive comment or thought can have on not only you, but on those around you!”

Both positive and negative attitudes are contagious. I suggest we all try to choose the positive path!

Heavenly Messengers! Exclusive Collection of Irish Angel Figurines Showcase Irish Blessings and Glitter Accents! – Ireland’s angels are lovely visions of purity and grace, sent here to deliver heartfelt wishes. Celebrate their beauty and good fortune with this Irish angel figurine collection. Beginning with Issue One, May Your Blessings Outnumber the Shamrocks, soon you’ll be graced by the ethereal presence of Issue Two, May Love and Friendship Brighten Your Days. Before you know it, your collection will continue with additional collectible Irish angel figurines, each a separate issue to follow. Available exclusively from The Hamilton Collection, each of these limited-edition Irish angel figurines in the collection is adorned with a famed symbol of the Emerald Isle. A touching Irish blessing is inscribed on each angel’s flowing gown.

My problem lies here, I love to read and learn.  However, you can see by my schedule that there just isn’t time for me to sneak away into my room and read a chapter!! I have tried so many times to pull out my favorite book at bedtime and get a few pages in. But, by the time I have read about two paragraphs, I wake up to find the book on my chest and I don’t remember anything of what I just read.

My discouragement has forced me to find a solution. I came across a company called Simply Audiobooks. It is awesome because now I can listen to my favorite books while driving, or I can download them onto my Ipod and listen to them while doing dishes, cleaning house or whatever. The program runs much like NetFlix does with movies.  I set up a list of titles I want and they send them to me free of shipping. When I finish one I send it back and they send the next title.

Don’t let time steal away your love for reading. Try Simply Audiobooks and you will be glad you did, I sure am!

Actually, the sport was named when someone commented that a new metal sled, first used in 1892, resembled a skeleton. The bare-bones design provided a compact sled with metal runners, and the design caught on quickly.

How does one play Skeleton? To start, a skeleton slider grasps the handles on either side of the sled, runs as fast as possible for approximately 55 yards then dives head first onto the sled and speeds down the Labyrinth. Sliders lie on their stomachs and steer by shifting their bodies very slightly and dragging their feet. Wow, how does that sound for fun?

Of course, the equipment the sliders use plays an extremely important role in the sport. Not only is the apparatus of the sled critical, the suit and helmet are paramount in shaving hundredths of a second off the final time. It has been determined that different helmet styles work better for different sliders, which means it is important that each slider find the helmet best suited to the way they ride the sled. It seems that our 2010 Olympians have taken great pride in their helmets this year. There are some very unique and and creative helmets out there. You had better watch closely to see the decorations, as they are traveling at speeds of up to 77 miles per hour down the track!  Check these out!

I don’t blame the Dalai Lama for being hesitant about setting up an account. After all,  last year’s fake account for the Dalai Lama tricked over 16, 000 people into joining it.  But this account is legitimate.  It has Twitter’s seal of approval and has almost 100,000 followers so far. On February 21, Evan Williams, Twitter´s founder, met with the Dalai Lama and persuaded him to join. Williams later tweeted that the Dalai Lama laughed when he heard Williams´s advice to use the social networking site. The next day, the Dalai Lama´s office in Dharamsala, India, set up a Twitter page and sent the first message with information that the Dalai Lama has visited Los Angels.

When Tiger’s sex scandal was explained to the Dalai Lama, he said that all religions have the same idea “when it comes to adultery.” “Whether you call it Buddhism or another religion, self-discipline, that’s important. . . . Self-discipline with awareness of consequences.”

Tiger seems to agree, saying that in the past he had “drifted away” from the Buddhist values of his upbringing. “Buddhism,” he said, “teaches that a craving for things outside ourselves causes an unhappy and pointless search for security. It teaches me to stop following every impulse and to learn restraint.”

This seems like a great way for Tiger to curb his appetite for the pleasures of this world. I hope he can learn from his mistakes and find whatever it is he needs to recover from his downfalls. He may want to consider what Brit Hume had to say on Fox News Sunday, “He’s said to be a Buddhist; I don’t think that faith offers the kind of forgiveness and redemption that is offered by the Christian faith. So my message to Tiger would be, ‘Tiger, turn to the Christian faith and you can make a total recovery and be a great example to the world.’”

Whatever he chooses, I wish Tiger Woods the best and hope for a true recovery and reconciliation in his life.