We just completed another nasty political season … and everyone says … whatever happened to politeness in society?? Well, I bring you the "Living Past"

The first presidential election I remember was in 1964, Johnson versus Goldwater. I was eight years old at the time, and here are some memories from that era which I still can recall today:

• The Cuban Missile Crisis: As a young boy I was fascinated when the US Air Force suddenly moved many of their B-52’s to the airbase near my home in Duluth, Minnesota. Northern Minnesota was out of range of Cuban missiles.
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• The assassination of President Kennedy: In November of 1963 I was called a "walker" at school (age 7).  This meant I walked home for lunch every day, and then came back to school for the afternoon.  Do "walkers" even exist anymore? Regardless, I learned the tragic news about President Kennedy as I entered the school grounds after my lunch at home.  It was very obvious that something unusual had happened.

If you want to learn more about the 1960’s … or some other eras, take a look at these old political television campaign advertisements. Commercials could also be rather insulting in the past:

The Living Candidate – 1952 to 2004

• Barry Goldwater
• We will bury you! (in fact your children will grow up to be a communist)
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• Lyndon Baines Johnson – LBJ
• A Daisy and Nukes

Happy Thanksgiving … and for my readers who are U.S. citizens,  be thankful we live in a free society.

Last Summer I met Andrew McAfee at Wikimania. I was very impressed with this Harvard professor, both because of his obvious intelligence, but more importantly his ability to consider new ideas and incorporate those ideas into his teachings. Over the last two years, he decided Web 2.0 was for real, and started researching the adoption of these tools within the corporate environment. This past weekend he posted to his blog, along with screen shots, a very interesting analysis of a company whose intranet is a case study in the use of these knowledge management tools.  It is definitely worth a thorough read;

• Andrew McAfee:
  The Impact of Information Technology (IT) on Businesses and their Leaders

This is the area where I grew up … the stark beauty of a November day on the shores of Lake Superior. I live down in the Twin Cities now, but still get home often …

• Flash Video – Lake Superior: Gales at Splitrock Lighthouse

All work and no play … not a good idea! Thus, I spent much of yesterday hanging out with lots of other accordion players at the Northeast Minneapolis Accordion Festival. Aside from playing in an accordion band yesterday morning with 25 other musicians (download sheet music), last night I folk danced while listening to the music of Orkestar Bez Ime from the country of Rogaria! Here are some sample sound clips … start your toes tapping and get up and dance!

• Dedo mili dedo (Macedonia)
• Kopanitsa Medley (Bulgaria)
• Liljano mome (Bulgaria)
• Pina cand nu te iubeam (Hora dupa Anton Pann) (Romania)

Want a CD? I have no vested interest, other than a love of Rogaria!