Nelson Mandela (1918-2013)

Today one of the great men of our time passed away. It was not a surprise, given his age and his recent health problems. But it was still a shock when I heard it. I had always admired this larger-than-life figure who sacrificed so many years of his life fighting for freedom and justice in his country, and then reached out to his former captors to ensure a peaceful transition from apartheid to democracy.
The first live news story I can remember watching was Mandela's release from prison in 1990.

Nelson Mandela's "walk to freedom",12 February 1990

(From the Guardian newspaper, UK)

USA Today collected several of Mandela's best quotes.

My favorites:

• "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."
•  "I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear."
• "Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies."

I will pay tribute to Mandela with one of my favorite quotes from the Sermon on the Mount.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God." (Matthew 5:9)

The Mountain

Mount Rainier as seen from American Lake, Lakewood

This is what I see on a clear day. 14,410 feet of stratovolcano. It is beautiful but its history of lahars (volcanic mudflows) and its proximity to populated areas makes it one of the world's most dangerous volcanoes.
The Puyallup Indians called it Takhoma or "Mother of Waters" because its glaciers are the source of the Puyallup, White, Cowlitz and Nisqually Rivers.  George Vancouver named it after a friend in England (who never got anywhere near it) but the Indian name lives on in the city that was built on their land.

The Gettysburg Address (as recited by Johnny Cash)

150 years ago today (Nov 19, 1863) Abraham Lincoln gave a 2 minute, 272-word speech at the dedication of the military cemetery at the Gettysburg battlefield. He thought it would soon be forgotten, but it became one of the most important speeches in American history.

First post/introducing myself

My name is Patrick Pastor. I live in Lakewood Washington. I have lived here most of my life. I work for Skookum Corporation (a contractor) as a Quality Control Clerk at the Central Issue Facility on Joint Base Lewis McChord.