Blog Archives - Page 19 of 22

May 16, 2013March 4, 2020

The Center of Attention

On May 5, 2013, a new bison was born at Jackson Fork Ranch. I have no doubt that this “little” calf is going to be the center of attention at Jackson Fork Lodge this summer.

Until the calf gets dirty, it’s still a relatively pristine white, and it will stay that way until the dust and dirt of the prairie turns it a toasty light brown. Legend has it that there were not any white bison on the Great Plains prior to 1800 but you’ll need to come to the Lodge to hear this fascinating story! At 75 pounds, it has some growing to do; bulls typically reach 1,000 pounds or more by adulthood.

What’s the gender? We don’t yet know, as we must keep our distance for now! (Best not to cross a momma bison.)

May 14, 2013March 4, 2020

After The Dream Phase

Over the years, I’ve observed that my ideas usually follow a progression that starts with what I call the “dream phase.” That’s the time I think about a new idea, talk about it with people I respect, and give it enough time and oxygen to develop.

A lot of my ideas never get out of the dream phase; after rolling them around in my head, I realize the idea isn’t all that compelling or won’t work for some reason. But when an idea survives the dream phase and starts to become a reality, it’s very exciting for me.

Over the past few years, I’ve been thinking a lot about how technology is remaking education and what that means for Opportunity Education Foundation and its mission. I can’t imagine a better way to spend my time because I believe education will be the catalyst for breaking the cycle of poverty in both developing nations and the poorest parts of the United States. And as I’ve thought about all this, I’ve been dreaming about developing a digital curriculum, designed for a tablet computer, that Opportunity Education Foundation could give away to children in the areas of greatest need.

Well, I am very excited these days because Opportunity Education Foundation’s tablet project is moving from the dream phase to the reality phase. We’re starting in Tanzania with a 1,000-kid pilot program that will launch in January 2014. Based on what we learn from this relatively small test, we will expand the program. Over time, I hope it will reach children in all the countries where the Foundation operates, and maybe further.

The Foundation’s tablet team just got back from 10 days in Tanzania, where they tested an early version of the Opportunity Tablet. The idea was to see how the kids interacted with the hardware and software, and then to improve that experience before the pilot begins in January.

These are kids who had never before seen a tablet computer and, in most cases, never seen a smart phone. But they were quick to figure out the tablet interface and put it to work right away — something that was truly amazing to see.

March 3, 2013March 4, 2020

A Special Night for Opportunity Education

Last Friday evening, March 1, was a special night for the Opportunity Education Foundation, which helps to give hundreds of thousands of kids in Africa and Asia access to quality education and which I’ve been privileged to support for the past eight years. We were in Dallas, Texas, at the Verizon Theater at Grand Prairie, for the first-ever Opportunity Education Benefit Concert, an exciting event headlined by the talented young pop star Kelly Clarkson.

It was a wonderful evening, filled with great music and good feeling. For me, the best part was seeing so many young people having such a good time while hearing about the foundation’s important work. It was also inspiring to hear Ms. Clarkson, whose mother is a teacher, talk about the link between education and opportunity – how America became known as the Land of Opportunity because of the access to good education that so many of us take for granted and how the Opportunity Education Foundation is working to give children all over the world the same chance to succeed.

I’m so grateful to Ms. Clarkson for supporting our efforts and helping to spread the word about Opportunity Education’s vital mission.

December 17, 2012March 4, 2020

Marching in Pasadena

One of the great joys of my life in recent years has been assembling a prize-winning herd of magnificent Percheron mares at my Jackson Fork Ranch. These are truly glorious animals, descendants of a breed of powerful draft horses that were brought over from France in the mid-19th century. Though we’ve been at it for not much more than four years, our Percherons – under the direction of my capable ranch manager Jonathan Harding – have already made more than their share of history. In 2010, they became the first all-mare hitch to win the Calgary Stampede’s prestigious World Champion Six Horse Hitch Competition – an amazing feat that they repeated in 2011. And this past year they earned a coveted finalist position in the North American Classic Series.

Because a number of the mares are pregnant – the result of a comprehensive breeding program we’ve initiated with a herd of prize-winning stallions from Windermere Farms in Spring Hills, Pennsylvania – we have reduced their competition schedule for the coming year. But they won’t be totally out of public view. On New Year’s Day, our Percherons will be marching in the world-famous Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California, pulling a Jackson Fork Ranch wagon custom made for us by Hanson Wagon Works of South Dakota. To be asked to play a part in an event as celebrated and historic as the Rose Parade is a point of tremendous pride for all of us at Jackson Fork Ranch. The nobility and beauty of these animals is awe-inspiring, and I’m delighted to be able to share them with the world

December 13, 2012March 4, 2020

The Struggle Continues

I’ve long felt that being a good citizen means not just watching from the sidelines but getting actively involved in the big policy debates of our time. It was in this spirit that I started a non-partisan advocacy group called Taxpayers Against Earmarks back in 2010. Taxpayers Against Earmarks focused on educating the public about the dangers of earmarking, and early in 2011 we were happy to see Congress declare a moratorium on this fiscally irresponsible practice.

With the earmarking campaign behind us, we decided to take on an even bigger challenge — the larger issue of out-of-control federal spending and the crushing burden of government debt it leaves in its wake. We renamed our group Ending Spending and for the past two years, we have been doing what we can to educate the public and help elect political leaders who understand the importance of balancing the budget and reducing the debt.

This promises to be a much longer campaign than the one against Congressional earmarks, but it’s a battle that must be waged. With this in mind, I’m pleased and proud to report that my sons Todd and Pete are coming to work with me at Ending Spending. Given the critical importance of getting our fiscal house in order, it’s more important than ever for groups like Ending Spending to continue making the case for smarter spending and smaller government. And with Todd and Pete’s help, that’s just what we’re going to do.