Archive for Work and Adventure – Page 26

How Chernobyl Changed My Life

Chernobyl

Thirty years ago today, April 26, 1986, the nuclear reactor at Chernobyl, Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union, melted down creating a 2000-ton radioactive blob that blew the roof off the reactor and released 10 tons of radioactive debris into the air. It is the worst nuclear accident in history. Today there is an “exclusion zone” 30km in radius and almost 1000 square miles in area surrounding the reactor site. It is uninhabitable although the London Daily Mail reports that 7000 workers are still employed in the clean up effort. These are people who lived in the area before the disaster. None are safe, and all are tested daily as they exit the exclusion zone. Estimates vary from 3000 to 20,000 years before the area will be safe for human habitation. read more

Testing the Limits of Tolerance and Compassion

Refugee Camp

9,000,000 Syrians displaced from their homes since 2011,

4,000,000 Syrians seeking asylum in Western Europe,

1,900,000 Syrian refugees in Turkey

1,100,000 Syrian refugees in Lebanon

629,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan

3000 refugees camped in squalid conditions on the northern tip of France.(above)

3000 refugees arriving DAILY on the Greek island of Lesbos

2174 Syrian refugees accepted in the US since 2012

What would Will McAvoy and MacKenzie McHale do with this material?

Will (Jeff Daniels) and MacKenzie (Emily Mortimer) are, respectively, the news anchor and executive producer characters on HBO’s drama, The Newsroom. They are also my proxies for how news should be delivered. I recently binge watched the whole of the HBO series about a fictional news network. I was upset to discover that the show had been canceled after Season 3. Though flawed in some respects, the underlying premise of this Aaron Sorkin drama is that a news network committed to excellence can, without compromising principles, deliver a quality product and shed light on what’s happening in the world. Wouldn’t it be refreshing to get our news straight up, warts and all, in spite of  “market forces” – ratings, social media, and low expectations – working against us? read more

A Lesson in Humility

Robert Heilman

Starbucks and public libraries have become offices and workspaces for the free-wheeling, untethered GenTech demographic – students of all levels, flextime workers, freelancers and other self-employed. I never gave serious thought to a full-blown retirement, but three years ago when I left the world of the regular paycheck I started looking for a work environment where I could feel comfortable and productive as I started the next phase of my work life. In that process I tried various coffee shops, libraries, public spaces, and and my own home as offices but I disliked the choking air, obligation to buy, and smelly clothes that came with Starbucks, the library spaces that never felt comfortable or private enough, and the distractions of working at home. read more

Hang Around Long Enough and You Get It

Free Stuff

Over the weekend I was riding a chairlift at Whistler with a cute blonde dressed entirely in pink. Even her skis – pink polka dots on a white background – were fashion forward. The potential for a relationship was sealed when we both got knocked down thanks to an inattentive lift operator as we were loading. After we got going again I asked her name.

“Chloe, but my friends call me Clo-Clo.”

“What’s yours?

“I’m Jack.”

“How long have you been skiing?”

“This is my 67th year. How about you?” read more

Winter Survival: Then and Now

Winter Survival Skiing

How do you feel about winter? For people who like the change of seasons it’s a turnaround. With passage of the winter solstice comes the advent of longer days and the promise of spring. For skiers winter is prime time –  a short window that opens in December with Champagne powder and closes in April with spring slush. For bears it’s hibernation time. These days I’m closer to the bears than the seasonal change folks.

When I lived in Sun Valley and later in Salt Lake there was a delicate balance at play. It was cold but when it snowed I had easy access to the world’s best skiing. Wake up. Look out the window. Check the temp. Check for fresh snow and go. When there wasn’t fresh powder I could sip hot buttered rum and read by the fire. It’s all about finding that sweet spot, the balance in life. read more