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The real story behind Arizona’s “Bear Down” motto

UA loves the Bear Down story, even though it’s far less appealing than the myth and probably isn’t true. The story goes, star QB and class president “Button” Salmon gets critically injured in a car wreck. His dying words are to Coach McKale at his bedside, telling the team to “bear down” in their upcoming big … Read more

Steve Jobs has some advice for you

Steve Jobs died today.

I’m not usually a fan of corporate behemoths, but there was always something special about the way Apple—no, make that Steve Jobs—went about changing the world. You don’t need much more proof of the impact he had on the tech industry, or the last generation or two, or the world today than the overwhelming outpouring of emotion after his death. If you were online, you knew. He was the entrepreneur of our generation, and one of the all-time great innovators and visionaries. The 60s/70s had NASA, and the 80s/90s/00s had Steve Jobs.

No matter whether you’re a fanboy or a hater, it’s hard not to argue that Steve’s passing leaves a huge hole in our culture’s soul. Steve and Apple certainly left an indelible mark on my life. He will be missed.

Perhaps one of his more poignant moments came during his Stanford commencement address. I’ve watched this video at least a dozen times over the years. The advice he gives is even more moving today than when I heard it last.

Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life.

Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure — these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.

Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.

You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

Watch the entire speech above (or read the transcript). Either way, I promise that it will be well worth your time.

So let’s go make sure we all have our “one more thing” moment. There’s no sense in waiting.

It’s Time.

I cannot wait for tonight’s game—this has been a very long offseason. Expectations for the season Dennis Erickson needs to win at least 8 games to save his job. He’s been building this team for too long. The defense will be generally solid, especially against the run. We have enough talent on the offensive side … Read more

cave

Caves I’ve visited

One of the natural features I often enjoy visiting on my travels are caves. I’m not a caver, but I seem to find myself in many places that have caves and cave tours, and it’s rare for me to pass up an opportunity to explore yet another one. In fact, I’ve been to more than … Read more

Canyons of the Ancients National Monument

Other cool places I visited in 2010

In addition to the cool national parks I visited in 2010, I also managed to make it to a few other notable places. Many of the places were part of work trips or extra days I added on to work trips—it’s nice having a job that gets you to such awesome locales. Here’s a short … Read more

mojave_npres

Our Mojave National Preserve roadtrip

It was February 2009 when Kim and I brought friends Victoria and Terry on a short roadtrip to California. Our primary destination was Mojave National Preserve, a national park unit tucked away between I-15 and I-40 near the borders of California, Nevada, and Arizona. It was a first visit for Kim and I, who had … Read more

Urgent Call to Action: Vote in D.C. today to defund our National Conservation Lands

Dear Friends, I am contacting you today with an urgent request. Please take the next five minutes to contact your Congressperson today to urge her/him to vote against Continuing Resolution Amendments No. 92, 203 and 515. Each of these amendments would compromise our National Conservation Lands (formally known as the National Landscape Conservation System) by … Read more

horseshoe bend

National Parks I visited in 2010

2010 was an uncommon year for me in my national park quest. For years and years, Kim and I would have gone on several trips each year, all with the sole purpose of marking dozens of parks off of our list. This year, things had changed. Even so, I was able to make it to … Read more

My 33 before 33 list

On the heels of completing my 101 things in 1001 days challenge, I’ve decided to launch a new goal list for the upcoming year. Given the amount of change I’ll likely see in 2011, I decided to focus on a shorter time period and instead launch a 33 before 33 list. Like my 101 in … Read more

Some Arizona Wildcat jokes for the ASU-U of A rivalry game

Every rivalry needs some jokes. The annual Duel in the Desert is no different. Below are a few I’ve collected over the years. You may also be interested in some great plays of the Duel in the Desert, or reading up on 5 embarrassing facts about U of A, or checking out an album of UA memes. Q. … Read more