Big Dog

I’m rarely impressed and but right now I’m looking for words.  If you think robots are still a far cry from being anything like the movie iRobot…you better come out of your cave. Read More…

Posted under Watch This

Youtube Download

I love the holidays! I get to re-connect or meet for the first time with my ‘nerd herd’ friends and family that hook me up with new technology! This thanksgiving I discovered Tube TV. Read More…

Posted under Tips and Tidbits, Videos, Web Tricks

What marks success?  I’m not talking about who’s the fastest or makes the most money.  I mean, if you look at the real successes over history, both good and bad, what is the common denominator.  As an entrepreneur I’m constantly studying what makes someone or something successful.  It’s probably one of the most important things I do on a daily basis and for some reason I stumbled across the answer the other day on my Facebook page and didn’t know it, until now.

Take a moment for yourself and think back on the who, what, when, where and how’s that have made the largest, most significant impact in your life.  I would bet the gas in my truck (not as valuable as it was 2 months ago, but still) that I know it’s root.

Here’s the answer: Read More…

Posted under Can I Quote You?, Tips and Tidbits, Videos, Whacky Stories & Thoughts

Jumpin Wally!

Have you ever seen the “deer in the headlights” look up close, say about 6 feet.   Although I’ve never been hunting for mule deer in the Black Hills of South Dakota I ‘tagged’ my first deer this season.  Burned onto the walls of my memory is the ‘dreaded’ look from an 8 point buck staring my Ford Ranger down on Sheridan Lake road.  I usually give big bucks the benefit of the doubt about not getting in the way.  After all they must know something lasting all the past hunting seasons.  In my precious few moments I named the gravity bound cousin Read More…

Posted under Videos, Whacky Stories & Thoughts

As you might have notice, South Dakota was just nailed with a blistering blizzard that left 100’s of cars sitting idle as decorations on the landscape we usually know as roads.  I admit that I was one of the destined many that found my way into the night to test the ’stay off the roads’ warnings.  I make a little side money delivering bundles of newspapers to carriers in the middle of the night, so being a man of commitment, I was going to give it my best.  I learned many lessons along the way. Read More…

Posted under Videos, Whacky Stories & Thoughts

I couldn’t stand to stay inside today so I set out to discover something, anything, new on highway 44. Charles led the way and off to Rimrock Hwy we went. It’s called Rimrock highway for a reason you know. Both to the south and norther, flashing through the trees are towering limestone ridges and cliffs carved by Rapid Creek over the years. I haven’t spent much time on Rimrock Hwy (44) except for visiting Black Hills Caverns and Crystal Cave while on my way to Rochford, SD. I thought I would have to dig a little in order to find anything worthwhile but underneath it all I knew there was something magical about these giant cliffs. Read More…

Posted under Off the Beaten Path, Outdoors, Videos

Today, while listening to the Dave Ramsey show (2 hour podcast, 3 seg), Dave shared a very inspiring nugget called the “American Creed” that he remembered before dawn as he woke up a bit frustrated with the world.  Here it is as I’ve copied it from Dave Ramsey’s website,

———————

Click to listen to Dave Ramsey speaking and reading \”The American Creed\” by Dean Alfange

I Do Not Choose to Be a Common Man

The Honorable Dean Alfange was an American statesman born December 2, 1899, in Constantinople (now Istanbul). He was raised in upstate New York. He served in the U.S. Army during World War I and attended Hamilton College, graduating in the class of 1922.

It is my right to be uncommon—if I can.

I seek opportunity—not security. I do not wish to be a kept citizen, humbled and dulled by having the state look after me.

I want to take the calculated risk; to dream and to build, to fail and to succeed.

I refuse to barter incentive for a dole. I prefer the challenges of life to the guaranteed existence; the thrill of fulfillment to the stale calm of utopia.

I will not trade freedom for beneficence nor my dignity for a handout. I will never cower before any master nor bend to any threat.

It is my heritage to stand erect, proud and unafraid; to think and act for myself, enjoy the benefit of my creations and to face the world boldly and say, “This I have done.”

By Dean Alfange

______________

*Originally published in This Week Magazine.
Later printed in The Reader’s Digest, October 1952 and January 1954.

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As a entrepreneur that knows the hardships of breaking away from the herd, I found this extremely inspiring Read More…

Posted under Can I Quote You?, Ideas

I’m a video guy, yes I admit it.  And video is finding it’s way to be permanently attached to each and every one of us.  SmartAlec Adventures is on its way to being the leading ‘local yocal’ guide in the Black Hills and we love cutting edge ideas that help get the word out.  What word exactly?  Well, that is the question isn’t it?  For all the SmartAlecs out there, we have long list of words that we’ll be sharing over time but sharing just got easier.

This October, Qik lets you use your cell phone to stream LIVE video onto the web.  Imagine being at a concert or convention and sending the signal ‘live’ to the entire world.  It’s true and it’s at qik.com, a social video website.

I’m excited about this techonology because I would love to show people what it’s like, live, to be hanging on the side of a rock near Sylvan Lake or maybe getting the VIP tour at Bear Country in the winter when they are closed and the resident bald eagles are back for the winter.  If my phone has Qik and a built in GPS, I might can even send a video PLUS my exact location from where the video is coming from!

Do a litte googling out there for information on Qik to see if your phone can use the application.  I found a interesting blog and found them on Twitter, Facebook and I’m sure there in other places too.  Check this out  to learn how it works on an iphone.

Technology is awesome, especially to share things!
Have fun out there!

Posted under Ideas, Watch This

I love a little mystery, especially if it has anything to do with history.  The historical marker near the parking lot of Halley Park is titled “Rapid City Founder Camp Site”.  I stumbled upon the marker a couple of years ago, it says

“Near a perpendicular sandstone cliff a short distance North of here and across Rapid Creek was the first camp of those hardy pioneers who founded Rapid City.  Here John R. Brennan….(listing 10 others) made their camp on Feb. 24, 1876, and the name of Brennan, where he carved it in the sandstone cliff, is still to be seen….”

Now if that isn’t an invitation for the adventurous type to stomp right on over the creek in search of the inscription, I don’t know what is!  Of course, I didn’t do it right away because I thought…’pffft, if that is true I certainly would’ve heard about it before now.  After all I grew up in Rapid City!’

Well today was a new day and I decided to throw a beautiful Friday evening to the adventurous winds and take Charles to find the camp site.  We drove over Rapid Creek on the small bridge near the back 9 of the executive golf course to avoid a long trek around the creek on foot and found a parking space.  We started down the well worn 4 wheel drive trail to “M Hill” or Cowboy Hill, and kept an eye out for a ‘perpendicular cliff.  Read More…

Posted under Off the Beaten Path, Outdoors

As I begin to relate my experience at Old MacDonald’s Petting Farm, a quick stop as we head into the thick of South Dakota’s Black Hills, I must confess: I underestimated the pigs. It’s just that they looked so unimpressive as we watched them eat in their pen - shoving their snouts full into the dirt to get a nibble of the hay, that thin line of drool bubbling at the side of their mouths. And then it didn’t help when they all fell asleep in the starting gate as the time for the pig races approached.

Pig Races!

I had heard the pig races were “funny” and so I was expecting a gloriously amusing disaster - pigs sleeping at the word go, running in the wrong direction, a combination pig race, greased pig contest. Boy, was I wrong. Thirty seconds before the race began, those pigs woke up and practically knocked down the starting gate, so eager were they to drink the Kool-Aid at the end. And then they all sprinted around that track so fast I barely realized what was happening. Well, maybe not “they all” - the one named Sausegawea was willing to drink the mud puddle instead of the Kool-aid to avoid sprinting the last 15 feet. My expectation, of course, reveals my lack of farming experience, and it’s folks like me who are the prime targets for Old MacDonald’s Petting Farm: folks who didn’t go to many state fairs growing up and who are even a bit nervous the first time we let the goats eat food out of our hands. There’s no need to be nervous, of course, and even my daughter figured that out before we left - she was willing to pet a rabbit, a sheep, and a goat (This is the girl who, when smaller, took five minutes to build up the courage to touch a dandelion). Petting or feeding an animal is a simple pleasure, I am aware, but looking back to it, I’m pleased that we enjoyed it as much as we did, pleased that we’re not jaded so much that we miss the thrill of creatures up close.

My only regret is that I underestimated the pigs. Don’t make the same mistake I did - and if you’re betting, go with the little one. He’s quicker than you think.

Quick Look:

Where it is: Hwy 16 just before you get to Rockerville (if coming from Rapid City) and just under 15 minutes from Rapid City, South Dakota. It’s on the way to Mount Rushmore, which makes it an early stop on the SmartAlec blue route. See the map for more.

Cost: Adults: $9; Seniors: $8; Children over 2yrs: $6; Children under 2: Free  (2008)

How much time: Leave yourself two hours and most of the kids will be persuaded to leave without getting grumpy. That way you’re also sure to catch a pig race.

Works well with: Since it’s on the way to Mount Rushmore, this can be a nice stop to satiate the kids’ interest for the day. It also can be a quicker stop than places like Reptile Gardens or Bear Country, which could allow you to do more when you leave, like attractions in the Hill City or Keystone area, which are each only about 15 minutes further down the road. If you’re spending a quiet day without too many activities, consider following SmartAlec’s directions to the Stratobowl Rim Trail - a short hike that begins about 200 yards from the Old MacDonald parking lot.

Best time to go: Anytime, really, since the animals don’t settle into a lethargy that will ruin your experience and the pig races take place every 90 minutes. The grounds are generally unshaded, though, so if the sun is a concern you may want to avoid the mid-day heat.
Highlights:

• The pig races: Don’t miss them!
  

  Kid with baby goat

• The tameness of animals: After visiting the potentially charging buffalo in Custer or the predators of Reptile Gardens and Bear Country, it’s great to be somewhere where a kid can con a goat into climbing on his back.
• Sanitation: Hand-washing stations are set up in a couple places, making it easy to get those little fingers clean before heading off to lunch.

Good to know:

• Kids even two years old have to pay for entrance.
• Kids under two might get frustrated when you don’t let them touch anything, and you probably do not want them to touch anything, since they generally can’t keep their fingers out of their mouths.

Posted under Attractions