In a country where only men are encouraged, one must be one's own inspiration. ~ Tegla Loroupe

Tegla Loroupe was the 1994 Keyan woman that won the New York City Marathon. She holds numerous world records and has raced throughout the world. She now heads the Tegla Loroupe Peace Foundation, which tries to bring peace through sports. Her foundation strives to be a positive light in the midst of conflict-ridden and war-torn areas of East Africa.



I was inspired to see over 20,000 runners participate in the Nike Women's Marathon this weekend in San Francisco. It raised awareness and money toward the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, this year $14 million was raised for a total of $92 million over six years. While I'm not inspired to put on running shoes, I'm not much of a runner, but it does make me think twice before saying "I can't..." because there are many others with greater challenges that have proven that "They can..."

As I move about during my daily life, I constantly hear about the negative events of the world. However, it's stories and events of inspiration like these that remind me that there's still a lot of good in the world and there's a lot of really great people doing extraordinary things through the simplest and kindest acts.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/10/19/MN9E1A7FQE.DTL

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. ~ Albert Einstein

It is quite humbling and awe-inspiring to view pictures of the vast reaches of the universe. I am a believer and to me God is the most incredible Creator of everything from the nano-micro-scopic to the deep depths of the oceans to the infinite reaches of outer space. To believe that we are the only living beings in the vastness of the universe is hard to comprehend, but yet our 3rd Rock from the Sun seems to be the only inhabitable planet in our immediate solar system.

Einstein's quote is quite appropriate, but no matter how deep I look, I know that I will never understand it all. I know enough to be curious, inspired and hopeful that perhaps someday, I may be able to travel beyond our planet.

Pictures such as these are possible through the power of telescopes, which along with human and un-human probes, provide to us Earthlings a glimpse of the beyond. There is a great article on CNN.com about how telescopes help us to better understand the beginnings of life. For me, it comes back to the Great Creator and His magnificent architecture of the universe.

It is worth a visit to NASA's Hubble Telescope website to view their gallery.




http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/space/08/18/new.generation.telescopes/index.html

I left my heart in San Francisco ~ Tony Bennett

"The morning fog may chill the air, I don't care, My love waits there in San Francisco" These additional lines of the very famous Tony Bennett song says what many of us have the joy of experiencing on a regular basis if we live or work in San Francisco. I love this City, I've grown up here and have been very fortunate to have such an opportunity. As I stroll through downtown, it's just a flurry of activity: sailors on shore leave and Blue Angels soaring above during Fleet Week, we've got city blocks shutdown to accommodate the masses as they attend Oracle World, 49er fans preparing to head to the Stick (aka Candlestick Park) to see the match up against the Atlanta Falcons, and the hoards of tourists just enjoying our City.

Like a phoenix, this City rose from the ashes of the infamous 1906 Earthquake & Fire to be a cherished destination for tourists and natives alike. Wondering about SF, I can't help but have a smile on my facem when I'm walking, because I see it on everyone's face how much they enjoy our City, I say "when I'm walking" because sometimes when I'm driving these same tourists can be a bit trying (no matter how great they're for our local economy). Thank you for visiting our City, but can you please jump into a cab?

When you have a dream, you've got to grab it and never let go. ~ Carol Burnett

To soar at Mach 2 is an incredible dream, one that is lived by the elite squad of the U. S. Navy's Blue Angels. I'm in total awe of the Blue Angels.

Each time I hear them soaring about San Francisco as Fleet Week approaches, I still get chills as their thunderous jet engines roars above USF.

I love our country and when I see these aviators burst through the skies, it's just a great moment of joy.

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul. ~ John Muir

I came across an article on sfgate.com on the Ahwanee Hotel in Yosemite and I couldn't help but recall the wonderful visit I had when I stayed there in the winter of 2008. It's a beautiful lodge smack dab in the middle of one of God's greatest creations of nature.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/10/06/DD2U19VNKK.DTL


We all have the dedicated naturalist John Muir to thank for helping to preserve and protect this natural treasure in California and we in the Bay Area should be especially thankful that it's only a few hours to drive there to escape the madness of our daily world. John knew what he was talking about so long ago when he made this statement. Even back in the late 19th Century when things were much slower than they are today, he knew that everyone needed a natural sanctuary.

Yosemite is a true gift that can be opened over and over with each visit. I'm a member of the Yosemite Association which is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting Yosemite. Helping to preserve such wonderful places on earth will be a legacy worth passing on to generations to come.

Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity. ~ General George S. Patton

Patton would have been proud of Dr. Elena Bodnar, the winner of this year's Ig Nobel Public Health Prize becuase she demonstrated her ingenuity with her design of the combo bra-gas mask.

Being a woman, it's nice to know that my bra can be used in multiple ways. Sadly in this era of world turmoil where we are on the lookout for potential terror attacks, using a bra as gas mask is a bit of know-how that may come in handy.

Read a quick blurb about this story at:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/article?f=/g/a/2009/10/02/dip.DTL&object=%2Fc%2Fpictures%2F2009%2F10%2F02%2Fba-ig_nobels_0500672547.jpg

We have a good life when we manage to live with both satisfied and unsatisfied needs... ~Kjell Magne Bondevik

"We have a good life when we manage to live with both satisfied and unsatisfied needs, when we are not obsessed by what is beyond our reach."

USF recently awarded Kjell Magne Bondevik, the former Prime Minister of Norway, an honorary doctorate to recognize his life's work to promote international human rights, world peace, religious tolerance, and democracy:

http://www.usfca.edu/usfnews/news_stories/Bondevik.html

Video of his speech can be seen at http://www.usfca.edu/stream/bondevik/bondevik_jls.html

I didn't know who he was until today, but I found his story and work inspiring. I get so wrapped up in my day-to-day life and technology that I forget there is waaaay more to life than what is contained in my little sphere.

This quote was interesting because it's about being content. That I have to stop the continuous pursuit of the elusive "carrot" and be thankful for what I have now. That life will be full of challenges and rewards, but knowing what I'm already blessed with is truly a good life.

Don't try this at home! ~ Unknown, but used often

Ok, so I'm reading "Marketing in the Groundswell" by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff who referenced a YouTube a video series by Blendtec called "Will it blend?" in which they blend an iPhone and I'm thinking nooo - really? Sure enough I see Tom Dickson blending away an iPhone and you can see it too:







Wow - so many things are swaying in my head. We've so gone beyond the nutty things we see on tv that warn us not to try some insane and idiotic stunt, but now we can get it 24/7/365 on YouTube. But the even crazier thing is that these videos made an impression on me, I'm thinking that's a tough & durable blender -- maybe it is worth $399 because I need to blend some really hard food?! Makes my Oster look like a wimp and that just won't do.

Click in and you'll see Tom blend hockey pucks, golf balls, marbles and more. If nothing else, you'd wish he could blend up a Monday so we don't have to go to work.

Some friendships do not last, but some friends are more loyal than brothers. ~ Proverbs 18:24

Throughout our lives friends have come and gone, some have hurt us or have made us laugh, but no matter what our lives have been enriched and blessed for having had the experience of these friendships. Those friends that are still in my life today know me better than my family -- what a true blessing it is.

They are the ones I will have to pay off if I'm ever famous because they have the goods that would make the Equirer or Inside Edition drool over.

Cheers to friendship and the goods that have on ya!

The Lost Weekend, 1945

Don Birnam: What kind of party did you say that was?
Helen St. James: A cocktail party.
Don Birnam: In that case, I'll join you

Yes, at last, at last it's Friday and I'm all ready for it! It's been wacky foggy week in the City (despite every weather report of the "heat wave") and the sun has finally decided to join the party and bring its warmth and light just in time for the weekend. No matter how crazy the week has been, knowing that Saturday & Sunday exists is sheer bliss.

Weekends are the reason that the "Pink Section" exists in the SF Chronicle and it's the reason why the Sunday edition of the NY Times is so thick and heavy. Sundays are honored with champagne brunches and Bloody Mary's. We can run and ride in Golden Gate Park because cars are prohibited during the weekends. The Masters and all other golf events provide the climatic endings to their tournaments on Sundays. And we are gifted with football all day long on Sundays. How can you not love weekends?

Honor God, Follow your bliss, Keep your child heart, Radiate love, Laugh and be thankful ~ Velzoe Brown

Velzoe Brown is 99 years old and she's still bringing joy & laughter by playing jazz piano. That's simply awesome! Her words of wisdom as quoted pretty much sums it up for me. She lived through the Depression and she's still able to sing about it. We're going through our Recession, may we be as vibrant decades from now.
Check out the article & give it a Digg!

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/09/22/DD6019LDHA.DTL&type=music

Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things. ~Author Unknown

Nothing could be truer. It's not only those "big moments" that matter, although they can be just as fun and rewarding, but it's all the little moments that we share with our friends that make our life richer. I just spent the weekend with my buddies at a clam bake and we just laughed at all of the silliness that comes out during the day and through just spending some time together. It's incredible to have these "million little things" moments so that when the big whammy comes, you have something to cushion it with. I hope you have those moments during the day where you just giggle a little because you remembered something funny a friend has shared with you sometime in your life.

Veni, Vidi, Vici ~ Julius Caesar

Well, since this was the initial question posted, it's the way to start my posts. "Veni, vidi, vici" was uttered by Caesar around 47 BC. It translates from Latin meaning, "I came, I saw, I conquered."
For me today, it's a cry to get up and get going. While I'm not out to conquer the world at-large, I'm out to conquer my day and hope that through it all, at the end of the day, I have something to celebrate and most importantly, am thankful for having the privilege to have lived.

Say What?!

Say what?! What does that mean to me? How does the Brainiacs or the Trivia Gurus of the world remember all of these quotes? However they mighty retention abilities work, my brain simply doesn't hold that much info, so I'm just going to have to Google or Bing it all and hope to relate it back to my day and somehow apply it to my life no matter what century it was originally uttered in.