I'VE MOVED

Berne's World has moved!!

Find me at my new home on WordPress:

http://bernesworld.wordpress.com

Nothing new up yet, just imported posts, but new content coming VERY soon (Like Today)

Five Years??

While posting around here has slowed down a bit, it is still worth noting that this blog has now passed FIVE YEARS online...it was "born" September 3, 2004.

Wow.

If You Are Flying to Chicago From MSP...

I urge you to try Southwest Airlines. I thought I would check out their new service on the trip discussed in the previous post, and I was not disappointed.

1. There are NO BAGGAGE FEES!
2. You can sit where you want on the plane.
3. Their "home" at MSP is the smaller, easier to navigate HHH Terminal.
4. Their "home" in Chicago, Midway, is easier to navigate than O'Hare, at least I have been told so by many.
5. They don't look at you funny for requesting preboarding as if to say "How disabled are you, really?" (I've had that happen if traveling without a chair or the scooter)
6. Flight crews and gate agents are cheerful and helpful...one flight attendant sang to us and offered to take me to baggage claim and ground transportation himself when my requested wheelchair escort was nowhere to be seen upon arrival in Mpls.

Four Years

Four years ago yesterday, I started blogging.

Wow.

I Have Not Disappeared

So, I've been a bit MIA from the blog lately. I notice it has been 10 days since my last update. I've been busy with work, and distracted by other things. But, I assure you, dear readers, that I haven't disappeared and everything is fine.

Hopefully, I will have time to catch up with reading, writing and commenting in the next few days. For now, I'm preparing to leave for a quick, last minute jaunt to Grandma's with Mom...down today, back tomorrow...lots of time in the car for us.

Have a good weekend out there!

Labels Update

In case anyone out there relies on labels to search my archives, which I doubt, you may notice that the "School" classification has disappeared in favor of "BSU"

That is all.

Off to Duluth...

To visit my sister and attend the MCPA conference. Should be an interesting couple of days.

MSUSA's 40th, Other News

Attended the MSUSA reception last night. It was good to see folks again...some for the first time in over a year...fun to catch up. I was reminded, as always, what an excellent group of students, alums and staff they've got. I put a lot of myself into that organization over the course of five years, did a lot of great things and met great people in the process.

In other news:

• Realized I left a couple of folks out of the list when I redid my links. Should be fixed now.
• Discovered The Apple Blog...check it out.
• In other Apple news, the iPod Hi-Fi is dead. Personally, I found it to be overpriced, bulky and only OK sounding. Obviously, people shared my view or they would have bought it. Declaring it "end of life" is a smart move by the company.

"Berne's World" Refreshed

After the issues I had yesterday with Blogger layout, You'll notice that the template and sidebar look a little different, as I basically chose a new template, deleted all the existing page elements, and started from scratch.

I suppose since the blog just turned three it was time for a refresh.

Check the "People" list for several new additions as well.

HELP!!

Is Blogger being funky for anyone else?

I tried to make changes to my layout and it looks TOTALLY messed up. The new improved layout tools have mutinied on me! Everything is still there but I can not move anything within the sidebar...every page element is piled on top in the center, no matter which I select.

So, until I get this figured out, enjoy my really old "classic" template that was archived before the switchover to "new" Blogger.

Any thoughts, readers??

Take The Poll

I can't decide which template I like.

Readers, take the poll on the sidebar...

"Blogiversary" Number Three

It was three years ago today that "Berne's World" began with some fairly mundane test posts.

Obviously, I took to blogging and have found it to be a great way to get thoughts written down, keep a journal of sorts, and keep up with people.

Here's to another three years!

bernechristiansen.com

I bought my name as a web address in anticipation of creating a website at some point...

For now, www.bernechristiansen.com will direct to this blog.

Labels

I was going to sit here and label all my previous posts since I'm now converted to the new Blogger...I've decided that's a bit much work.

New in Berne's World

Just in case you didn't notice, I thought I should mention that there are several changes to the sidebar on my blog that have been made in the last week or so:

About This Blog:
New section, contains a link to my copyright notice, and the new Creative Commons license now being used for the blog.

Wikis:
I thought two Daybook links were redundant, so I removed one. The former Blogs and Wikis section is now simply "Wikis"

Blogs I Read:
Three additions to the blogroll-

• My Malleus Maleficarum- Michelle's blog. Lord knows where she came up with that name or what it means
• BeaverFever- Angie's new blog.
• Morgan's Log- It seems more than appropriate to recognize the guy whose class got me hooked on blogging.

New on the Sidebar

You may notice some new links on my sidebar:

"Blogs I Manage"
I thought it was time I included links to the three Senate blogs I maintain:

• Senate Weblog
• Student Services Blog
• Web Team Blog

New Additions to "Blogs I Read"

• bizefingers- Go Tammi! Glad to see she's returned to blogging.
• Downward Facing Life- I know she reads mine, and apparently she adores me (Thanks for the kind words!), so the least I can do in return is add Sara to the blogroll. Being adored is so nice :)

Another Funny Item

I was reading through a friend's blog the other day and there was this name acronym thing. Here's what came up for me, although I don't think several of these fit me. Or do they?

Brainy

Exquisite

Radical

Noisy

Explosive


Glamorous

Relaxed

Entertaining

Gorgeous

Odd

Radical


Cheesy

Hairy

Realistic

Intelligent

Sensual

Tasty

Influential

Awesome

Neglected

Slow

Eccentric

Nerdy

From Go Quiz

And I love this disclaimer for the benefit of the not so bright:"Quizzes and personality tests are non-scientific and for entertainment only." Who would be dumb enough to believe otherwise?

100 Things About Berne

1. My Birthday is May 22, 1984
2. I was supposed to be born in July
3. I weighed about 5 lbs at birth
4. I have Cerebral Palsy
5. I have never known life without a cane, leg braces, or some type of shoe insert
6. I also had "Traditional" braces (teeth) from 10th-12th grade
7. I've had 5 surgeries
8. I was once in a full body cast for six weeks
9. My last operation was almost 6 years ago
10. I am nearsighted
11. I've worn glasses since 10th grade
12. I'm wearing Jeans today for the first time in years
13. I've been an avid angler since age 5
14. I had a 20 word vocabulary at age 1
15. I didn't walk till I was 4
16. I wasn't expected to walk at all
17. I get around campus in an electric scooter
18. Even "Mature" college students are giddy with delight if I let them ride it
19. My parents are Greg and Karen
20. we have a cat named Lint
21. We also have a cat named Pumpkin
23. We used to have a dog named Sinbad
24. We live on a peaceful, dead end street
25. We moved into our house when I was one month old
26. I was educated in Mounds View Public Schools
27. My high school colors were green and white (same as BSU colors)
28. Our mascot was the Mustang
29. Our family first got a computer when I was in 5th grade, it was a Mac
30. My favorite foods are steak and shrimp
31. I love to eat at Red Lobster
32. I also like Timber lodge Steakhouse
33. I wish we had those places in Bemidji
34. I have a younger sister named Jena
35. Jena was NOT named after a character on "Dallas"
36. We are a year and a half apart
37. Jena is starting her first year at UMD Today
38. She has not decided on a major
39. I am an English Education major
40. I have a minor in Political Science
41. I am a BSU Student Senator
42. I was on Student Council my senior year of high school
43. I am not a Democrat
44. I am not a Republican
45. I am probably more liberal than conservative
46. I do not think the Bush Administration deserves a second term
47. I watched a TV program about the Bushes last night on MSNBC
48. I enjoy working with computers
49. I helped my sister set up her new Dell last week
50. I am pseudo-webmaster for the Student Senate
51. I'd like to redesign it but I don't have enough expertise
52. I prefer email to the telephone
53. I send forwards, but not often
54. I have never taken a course fully online
55. I hate math
56. The worst grade I ever got at BSU was a C in Beginning College Algebra
57. BCA was the only Math class I'll ever have to take here
58. I took 3 years of High School Spanish but remember very little of it
59. I have never been to Mexico
60. I have never been overseas
61. I have been to Canada
62. I have never had alcohol
63. I do not smoke
64. I don't really care that my next birthday will be my 21st
65. I do not have a driver's license
66. I have a permit, and am trying to learn
67. People love to go places with me because I get handicapped parking
68. I know what MSUSA is
69. I have been to all but one MSUSA conference since Oct 2002
70. I've been voted Most Likely to be in the Senate Office two years in a row.
71. I love to visit my grandparents in Colorado
72. I am not afraid to fly, I enjoy it
73. I also have a grandma and several other relatives in Wisconsin
74. I have four cousins
75. Two of my cousins are the same age as I am
76. My mother is the oldest of 5 kids, dad the older of 2
77. My grandfather served in WW II
78. My Mom's dad passed away before I was born.
79. Most people call me "Bernie" when they first meet me
80. I've never heard of another person with the name Berne
81. I've never seen "Star Wars"
82. I've never read "Harry Potter"
83. I don't play video games
84. I do not know how to cook
85. I live in Maple Hall
86. I eat at Wallys about 3 times a week
87. I have attended two hockey games at BSU
88. I am not a sports fan
89. I went to one high school prom, senior year
90. I don't like cold weather
91. I haven't worn snowboots in years
93. I have Foundations of Education from 5-10 tonight
94. I have been on the Dean's List every semester
95. I don't like canned ravioli
96. I avoid Mac and Cheese at all costs
97. I also don't like hot dogs
98. I'm really tired
99. I work in the Education Computer Lab, and thats where I am
100. I edit lots of papers for people
101. I know there are typos in here, but am not going to fix them.
102. This list is over 100, so I'm going to stop

About This Weblog

This is the personal weblog of Berne G. Christiansen.

Views expressed on this weblog are solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect views of any other person or group, or entity he may be associated with.

Posts are copyrighted under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivs 2.5 License:


Terms:

• The content of this blog may be copied, shared, distributed or displayed freely as long as credit is given to the author.
• This site may be freely linked, added to blog rolls and commented on
• Content of comments remains the property of the author of the comment

You May Not:

• Use the content of this blog for commercial purposes (make money from it)
• Distribute altered versions of any blog post

Any use or reproduction of the content of this weblog MUST abide by the terms of this license. Any other use of this blog's content must be approved by the author.

Full text of the license is here.

Visit the Creative Commons Site.

(Updated June, 2005)

Wow! I was able to successfully link to a URL! It has been so long since I did HTML coding of any kind. Actually, probably about 2 years, since the time I created a website for my high school's student council. A site that has long since died. Thank goodness for Blood Appendix II...I needed a refresher course. Now, If I could just figure out how to set up a blogroll and some links to favorite sites...can't wait to get my hands on that Stone book.

It is now Friday night, the end of the first week of classes. Does anyone ever notice that the first week of class always seems extremely long? I think I will enjoy my courses, the education ones will definitely be the hardest. Ed Psych and Foundations of course. All in all, I'm fairly glad to be back. I can't help but wonder if my sister, who should be moving in to the UMD dorms tonight, will enjoy school.

Well, must eat. More later.