Weblog » Archives » June 2001

  • 141 I wanted to share this with everybody. It is from my friend Kris. I have written a few times about a "conversation with God" type of thing and am interestd in the topics of theism, atheism, and the history of belief…

  • 140 It is very strange.....I often have a very real need to write, to express myself, and I know I have some thing to write However, the problem is that I have not written for so long, and have acumulated so many ideas…

  • 139 I find it totally silly sometime the way librarians divy out Internet time. I was just kicked off the computers at the Homer Public Library because they only allow 1/2 hour at a time, and only 1 time per day. Now I…

  • 138 Homer Public Library I finally got a day off from working on the damn salmon boat, and I am enjoying it. I have a ton of ideas to write "fishing stories" on, but am limited in the time I can use the computer here a…

  • 137 Hello All- Homer, Alaska has been quite the experience so far, culminating yesterday in my first trip out on a salmon boat. To say the least it was an adventure, we were gilnetting for salmon in the Cook Inlet and …

  • 137 ON stealing ideas from other people- if I take one person's ideas without permission it is plagiarism, but if I steal from everybody then it is research (unknown) in my quest to find a voice I often find myself re…

  • 136- It seemed like the perfect crime as I looked at the boat and thought about how much fun it would be taking it for a spin. There were literally thousands of boats along the Spit (a mile long protrusion into the Ka…

  • 135 On Writing for the Homer Daily News There was an ad in the local paper the other day advertising for a position with the Homer newspaper. It is a position that includes some writing and some photography. I like to…

  • 134 Homer, Alaska, another beautiful day here in Homer. The summer has been absolutely great and my visit to Homer puts he icing on the cake. I am going to try my hand at salmon fishing for the month of July. The seaso…

  • 133- Ok it is the solstice and what am I doing- sitting in a frickin public library writing about the solstice. Like Thomas Jefferson said, "my religion is a very personal thing, it is between my God and me" The solst…

  • 133- next fall (actually starting Aug 12th) I am going to be starting a new teaching position out in Mtn Village, teaching 8th grade. my students will be Yupik people, this experience will very unique as well as challe…

  • 132 Homer, Alaska As they say on the Simpson's ......ahhhhhh Homer. This is a very spiritual, cultural, artistic, little place on the end of the Kenai Peninsula and I am very happy to be spending the solstice here. I…

  • 131 Wow it is like a dream come true. The drive down to Homer was absolutely breathtaking and the town of Homer is very unique as well. I took a bike ride on the Homer Spit (which in a 4 mile long gravel bar that goe…

  • 131 Ok I need to catch bus. I am heading gown to Homer, Alaska to write the next chapter in: "Mark's Alaskan Odyssey" It promises great scenery, lots of wildlife, culture, a chance to camp out on the "Homer Spit" and…

  • 130 On Why I believe that drug testing constitutes "unreasonable search and seizure" I am for the safety and well being of the public. I am for a enlightened, honest citizenry. I support laws that make sense and are e…

  • 129 On the War on Drugs, and specifically on the Alaskan Initiative to Decriminalize and Regulate Hemp. Let me just preface this by saying this is not the opinion of another drug crazy person trying to get drugs legali…

  • 127 It is time to start a new chapter in my Alaska adventure and it will be called Homer, Alaska. Traveling is something I love to do. I enjoy being in new places, experiencing new things, and meeting interesting peop…

  • 127 well happy Father's Day everybody. I am in kind of a state of limbo today, not quite sure what to write about. seems like a good time just to go out and reflect on things and write later. It is a beautiful, sun…

  • 126 I guess that will do it for today, I am tired and my brain hurts. It is a beautiful day here in Anchorage, the type of day that was made for being outdoors and contemplating life, or being with friends. It is the …

  • 126 Mark Talk's With God Continued. "Good Day God, how are you today" "A bit sad over the State of the world I created" "Well you created it...why don't you do something about it" "I have....many times....it just do…

  • 125 Let me just assume for a second that the a few of the tenets of Christianity were true, what would be the implication. Lets say that I read the Old Testament and part of the New and I come across some of these idea…

  • On a place Called Hell. 124A I am an Agnostic. It is something that I take very seriously. There are many compelling reasons for me to be an Agnostic, but one of the most compelling is the vanity of the authors of the …

  • 124 ON LOVE- To find love, love and be loveable. Love may start with a smile, grow with a kiss, and end with a tear. Do not cry over someone who will not cry over you. If love is not a game, why are there so many pl…

  • 123 I asked for strength And I received difficulties to make me strong. I asked for wisdom And I got problems to solve. I asked for prosperity And I got was given a brain and the strength to work. I asked for coura…

  • As a teacher I am dedicated to lifelong learning. I am finally learning how human I am and how very capable (and guilty) of mistakes I am. Sometimes I think I must be the world's worst teacher, however, I have learned t…

  • 122-On Attempting Others to Think as We Do. It is OK to be different and it is OK to listen to and learn from others points of view. I think of of the great strengths of our society is that we are so diverse and out o…

  • 121-On Neglecting The Development and Refinement of the Mind, and not Acquiring the Habits of Reading and Studying. "Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body" (Addison) When I think back on my own life and t…

  • 120-On Refusing To Set Aside Trivial Preferences. When I think about the mistakes or misconceptions of modern man, one thing comes to mind, and that something is: "Why do paople insist on holding onto trivial preference…

  • 119-On Insisting That A Thing is Impossible just Because we cannot Accomplish it. Where would we be today if the naysayer's of the world would be listened to. 100 years ago many people thought that everything that coul…

  • 118-On The Tendency to Worry About The Things That Cannot Be Change or Corrected. If we think about all of the things we worry about, I am sure we would find that many of the things we spend a great deal of time worryin…

  • 117 ON The Delusion That Personal Gain is made by Crushing Others. When we think of how to get ahead in life we think of a great variety of ways to accomplish those ends. Inevitably in our society (capitalistic and m…

  • WEb log 116 Eurospring 1996 One of the highlights of my undergraduate education at Bemidji State University was having the chance to take part in an overseas study experience in England. Europsring is the name of the …

  • web log 120 Today I am going to plug for my web site on Manifest Destiny a bit by introducing some of the artwork that was included on the site. Manifest Destiny was the basic notion that the United States had a destin…

  • 121- What is a writer's voice? Is Xanga a good place to experiment with different types of writing? Should a beginning writer use a variety of styles in order to see what is right for him/her? Just a few questions to…

  • 120 Hey I decided to try a new design. What do you think? For those of you interested in history or art, I have just finished up a new web page on Manifest Destiny and would like you to take a look. I put it under my …

  • 117a On Drugs and the Media Ok so people use drugs for a variety of reasons. To feel good. To escape from an unbearable situation. To rebel. To experiment with a the "forbidden fruit". Peer pressure. To increase social…

  • Web Log 118 by Mark J Biberg In the ongoing debate on drugs and the absurd war on drugs there is a lot of confusion and consternation by many of the people involved. So instead of sitting idly by and doing nothing I th…

  • weblog 116- On Drugs >From: >To: >Subject: Recommendation from mbiberg@hotmail.com >Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2001 16:44:37 -0400 > >Check out this weblog from mbiberg's Xanga Site! > >weblog from mbiberg's Site (http://www.x…

  • WEb LOG 115 As long as I am going to write a on whole "Drug" question I want to add this previous weblog into the debate. >Check out this weblog from mbiberg's Xanga Site! > >weblog from mbiberg's Site (http://www.xa…

  • 116 I am going to sign off for today.... I have accomplished my goals at least as far as writing on Xanga goes. the next thing I am going to tackle is to write a few reviews of web pages. let me know if you would l…

  • 116a Mark Talk's With God It started out kind of strange, I knew I had an appointment, but wow I was actually going to get a chance to sit down and talk with GOD. I waited nervously as God was running a little late, b…

  • 115 What is the purpose of Public Libraries? I wrote a piece the other day on the "Censorship in Anchorage" in which the Mayor of Anchorage ordered taken down a bulletin board display that advocated tolerance and accep…

  • 114 I just finished looking at this really neat sight by Prometheus and he was doing something really neat. He has created a Xanga page called review_source and it is a place that people can go to to read reviews on Xa…

  • WEBLOG: 113 The Past, Memory, and Existence. By Mark J Biberg When my father died a few years ago (1994) it seemed like he was gone forever and I would never hear from him again. I thought that he would no longer ha…

  • 112- Memory Some comments in general before I write my featured essay of the day on: "The Past, The Memory, and My Existence" I recently read a quote by davidlongley that said "when you are at peace with yourself, anyp…

  • Hello All- I would like to take a minute to thank all of the people that have made comments on my entries. They mean a lot to me and that is how I generate new ideas. A big thanks to: TrishtheDish, lynxie, Virgin_suici…

  • 112 Propaganda-Who are we , a bunch of mindless consumers. We are so surrounded by propaganda that we hardly take notice of it. Could it be that we are effectively becoming immune to propaganda? What is propaganda? …

  • The Death Penalty-111 At 7:14 (CST) this morning Tim McVeigh was put to death by lethal injection at a Federal Pen. in Terre Haute , Ind. This short commentary is not going to be about McVeigh- if ever anybody deserved…

  • 110 Kinda a gloomy day in Anchorage today- but I am excited because I am taking another step in my journey.... I am heading down to Homer, Alaska- described by many as the "Paradise of Alaska", it is going to be very e…

  • 109-On Critical Thinking in the Electronic Era. In the past it was much easier to discern what was to be taught and why. In the 19th century most people received information in the written form. Language skills and the…

  • 108-On The Privacy of the Internet What are our expectations what we write something on the Internet. When I write something on my Xanga site, it is with the expectation that it will become public knowledge and at leas…

  • WEBLOG 110 On The Gay Pride Bulletin Board at the Loussac Library. The Mayor of Anchorage recently ordered that a bulletin board at the Loussac Library be taken done because it was deemed as advocating the lifestyle o…

  • Weblog 109 On the Execution of Timothy McVeigh. Convicted OK City bomber Tim McVeigh gave up the appeals process yesterday and will be put to death by lethal injection Monday morning in Terre Haute, Ind. McVeigh was o…

  • WL # 108 On the Lakers/ Sixers game #2 Well tonight is game two between the Sixers and the Lakers. The two teams will be hard pressed to match the excitement of game #1 , but it should prove to be an interesting next …

  • WL #107 I do not normally use this forum to rant and rave, but I guess in an attempt to feel better about this then I will. I hate banks, bankers, and the entire banking system. Are they bad people, I do not know, but …

  • WEBLOG 106 ON Waiting I had just the left the UAA library and went to catch a bus (Anchorage's wonderful bus system) and realized I missed my bus and would have to wait a while for another one. So back across the str…

  • Weblog 106 On Being Exiled To the Village Next year will be my third year of teaching. The first was out in California on board Edwards Air Force base, at a quaint little high school named Desert High School. Last ye…

  • WEBLOG #105 Hello All-This is where I will be teaching next fall. It is a quaint little village. I hope all is well. Mark Community profile (Published June 6, 2001) Mountain Village POPULATION: 755 (2000) LOCATIO…

  • WEB LOG 103 Wow it seems like yesterday that I started to write on Xanga and now I have 103 entries, they really add up fast- especially when you consider that some of my are rather lengthy essay's also. I wonder how l…

  • 102-And so I was reading an essay on Descartes and the Imagination and I fell alseep, when I awoke it was two hours later(I must have been really tired). I am going to count my weblogs, on the last site I looked at the …

  • I thought Xanga could be a neat tool to do some type of networking. Not the type that first comes to mind, like a telemarketing, or a multi-level marketing thing. More of a "if something works for you-then recommend it…

  • Well I had a good time watching the game- the Sixers pulled it out, it was a very entertaining game and I look forward to game 2 on Friday night. I used to be a big Lakers fan back when it was Showtime and Magic was run…

  • I am trying out this new service as part of a 30 day trial from Xanga on their new Premium service. We will see. The deal is you can write a weblog from usual email place (in my case MSN) and then send your email to …

  • I had written a rather lengthy weblog on "the past" and when I was in the process of spell-checking the God Damn thing it disappeared on me- so much for the new premium service offered by Xanga. It could be me. My need …

  • 97-On My Alaskan Adventure I knew when I came to Alaska that it was going to be a challenge, and now as I am in transition before my teaching contract starts, my challenge in to survive the summer on a very tight budget…

  • 96-Existentialism In the end we experience only ourselves- we are uniquely individual and it is through individual choices that I try to give some type of meaning to my existence. The concepts of theistic, atheistic, a…

  • 95How important is culture in education and in our everyday lives? By culture I mean a lot of things: language, religions, celebrations, art, music, stories, laws, dress, among other things. In this short essay I would…

  • 94-On Desert High School Two years ago, the 1999-2000 year, was my first year of teaching. I left home in Minnesota and drove accross country to Edwards Air Force Base, where I had signed on to teach Senior High hist…

  • 93-On Learning What goes into learning? A lot of learning takes place through modelling and imitation-that is it comes naturally or instinctively. However, the type of learning that I would like to talk about is the t…

  • 92-On Teaching: What makes a good teacher? This question could be taken in several different contexts. A parent that spends a lot of time with their children, passing on knowledge , stories, lessons, and other wisdom c…

  • 91-I am thankful for: -the friends that I have -having a Mother that instilled in me a sense of love, compassion, and simplicity. -for having had a Father who taught me the value of hard work, and who I believe did th…

  • 90-A Friend- A friend is: -somebody who accepts you just the way you are. -understands your past and believes in your future -as it were, a second self, a person with whom I cam think out loud. -sincere, kind, carin…

  • 89-Remembering Jamie It is a different world since you left, and even though you are gone, I have not forgotten you. When we were young, we were the best of friends. Doing things together, building forts forts, and bei…

  • Does anybody have an opinion on the length of blogs? Is it betetr to make then short, like a resume? I understand that people are busy? And I do want people to read some of my thoughts. I am getting worried because …

  • 87-On Addiction I never mention addiction in certain company. What is addiction? I sometimes talk of addiction as a type of desire, I describe it as that feeling inside, that feeling of anxiety and "a longing of sort…

  • 86-On the Movie Pearl Harbor As a student of history I would like to take a minute to comment on the latest "historical movie" that has come out. Pearl Harbor was a very entertaining movie with its share of special eff…

  • I am kinda in limbo right now, as a result of being on a tight travel budget, and not getting paid for the last teacher's workshop of the year. It was tough traveling to Alaska, knowing it was going to be a tough transi…

  • 84- On Existentialism and Education "What is the meaning of this?" I often wondered when I was a student in class a few years back. "Why do I teach this?" I continue to ask myself as a secondary school teacher when dec…

  • 83-On Death- One of the things that people do not like to talk about is death. However it is the one thing, that we all have to deal with, and it has had a profound affect on many people, especially when somebody dies …

  • 82-On Desert Storm It has been 10 quick years since that little foray into the Gulf and I thought a comment or two would be order. In Mar of 1990 I flunked out of college due to lack of self discipline and going to to …