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April 30, 2003

STUDY SUGGESTS THAT FISH DO FEEL PAIN

I have long been an advocate to halting all forms of recreational fishing (for more on this unique point of view, visit my "The Case Against Recreational Fishing" site/page by clicking here). Well, CNN is reporting this morning that scientists in Scotland have found that fish do feel pain and stress. For more on this development, click here.

Having this new knowledge in hand, why would anyone proactively choose to intentionally harm another living creature for his or her own recreational experience? Help me to understand why millions and millions of otherwise caring individuals continue to participate in catch-and-release fishing.

Posted by Mikal at 8:15 AM | Comments (9) | TrackBack

April 29, 2003

IF YOU LIKE ART...

... you'll like this thing. Warning... you'll need Flash and a high-speed Internet connection to view this thing.

Posted by Mikal at 6:02 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

April 27, 2003

Someone calling her/himself 'beepmachine' took the time yesterday to score 28,496 points on this, a Flash-enabled version of the classic game Kaboom. My high score, after seven pathetic attempts, was a measly 259. Since no one won last Tuesday's Contest, the same offer applies... high score (among those who read this message and who post their scores via the comment button below -- between Sunday the 27th of April and 11:00 PM on Thursday May 1st) receives two T-shirts from my collection dating back to 1986. Multiple Entries Are Allowed and Encouraged. Click Here to play Kaboom.

April 25, 2003

If it weren't for yesterday's capture of Iraq's deputy prime minister, Tariq Aziz, everyone might easily be prone to pointing out today that "Belicove" sounds an awful lot like "bellicose." You see, for about an hour yesterday afternoon, every major news outlet website was running the following headline (or something very similar):

US rejects 'bellicose statements' from N. Korea

Apparently U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Thursday that talks on North Korea's suspected nuclear weapons program ended a day earlier than expected in Beijing, and that the United States would not be intimidated by "bellicose statements" from Pyongyang.

On a slow news day, Powell's use of the "bellicose" card made for a great headline; that is, until news broke about the capture of Iraq's deputy prime minister, Tariq Aziz. Quicker than you can say 'no thanks' to bowl of 45-day-old Gumbo, nearly every news outlet droped the 'bellicose' thing in favor of the news about Aziz. And I for one could not be happier. Just imagine what my friend Luke goes thru on almost a daily basis (click here to see for yourself).

In honor of the taxes we paid on April 15, let's talk "pork." We knew that the unprovoked attack on Iraq would be expensive (what, $72 Billion at the last count), and maybe you don't mind paying for that, but did you know this year's war budget includes money for researching an eel in Lake Champlain?

This happens all the time. Even before the war, members of Congress slipped in their pet projects ó wherever they could.

Congress' pork barrel patrol, Citizens Against Government Waste, named Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) as its April 2003 Porker of the Month for strapping on the feedbag and earmarking emergency wartime funds to pay for an agricultural facility in his home state.

The stated purpose of President Bush's request for supplemental war funding was to support the Department of Defense operations in Iraq and the Department of Homeland Security. More specifically, "to provide our troops with the resources necessary to fight and win the war in Iraq, to respond to increased homeland security needs, and to strengthen the capabilities of our allies."

So how is it that the Ames, Iowa agricultural research station received a $98 million earmark in the supplemental war budget? According to Senator Harkin, these funds are crucial in order to combat bioterrorism in the form of animal diseases. He further went on to claim that the lab in Ames will be "one of the key elements in our national effort in the war on bioterrorism."

That's a bit of a stretch, Senator, and a disgrace as well. At a time of war, the nation looks to elected officials to set an example of leadership and an unwavering commitment to our men and women risking their lives overseas. Every dollar spent on pork barrel projects is a dollar that does not go to protect the nation and support our troops (not that I'm crazy about that, either).

Now is not the time to squander precious resources on pork projects, particularly when the Ames facility received a $33 million earmark less than eight weeks ago in the fiscal 2003 Omnibus Appropriations Act. Senator Harkin also secured a $50 million earmark for this project in last year's supplemental appropriations bill, which was also intended to help fight the war on terrorism. Demonstrating the lack of need for more money, there was no request for any funds for this facility in the President's fiscal 2004 budget.

Why ship everyone's money to Washington, D.C., only to have it shipped back, minus handling costs to the most politically connected states? Maybe so politicians can use our money to do favors for friends, and suck up to those who might vote for them?

April 24, 2003

In a personally unprecedented move, Dawson Cummings took five unassisted steps last night between his father Paul and mother Michelle. Dawson ñ a precocious one-year-old who earlier this month reached the top of the stairs in his Lafayette, Colorado home ñ surprised both mom and dad by plopping off the couch (once the episode of COPS he was watching on TV was over) and taking five bold self-initiated steps.

Witnesses to the remarkable feat told AP reporters that Cummings smiled gleefully with each step, while simultaneously holding his breath until reaching the outstretched hands of his mother. "Dawson has shown much progress in the walking event this week,î Michelle Cummings told the AP. ìHis breathing regularity was definitely not at 100%, but we still have time to work on that. After all, he just turned one a few weeks ago."

After Dawson's first successful unassisted walking experience, his normally non-pushy parents encouraged him to try again (and again, and again, and again). Unaware of his super-human accomplishment, Dawson was more than willing to try time and time again. It wasn't until a big 'swing and a miss' that landed him clean on his ass that he decided for himself that he was done for the day.

When asked what motivated him to attempt such a dramatic exploit, a overly confident Dawson responded, "Well, I was sitting with Dad on the couch when all of a sudden Mom came down the hall holding this cool piece of string in her left hand. Bottom line, she looked like she was having more fun than Dad, so I bolted.

Dawson's father, Paul Cummings, who was an early-stage walker himself at a similar age, shared these brief thoughts:

"Dawson has achieved a great milestone today. Iím so glad that I was able to witness such bravery and courage. He sure takes after his old man. And it's true, that COPS TV show was over, but American Idol was just about to come on, so heís lucky we were in an unusually prolonged commercial break (otherwise my undivided attention would have been elsewhereÖ Iím pulling for that Ruben Studdard to win the whole darn thing)."

April 23, 2003

AFP, the world's oldest established news agency, is reporting that senior aides to U.S. President Bush met the day before yesterday to consider ways in which to "punish" France for its oposition to the U.S.-led attack on Iraq. According to AFP, meeting participants did not arrive at any specific decisions but are expected to gather again next week in an effort to reach a consensus. Quoting now from the AFP article:

Among the ideas discussed at Monday's meeting included bypassing the North Atlantic Council, NATO's governing body, in favor of the alliance's Defense Planning Committee from which France withdrew in 1966, the officials said.

But perhaps more significantly, participants also looked at possibly not inviting France to numerous US-sponsored or -hosted consultative policy meetings held regularly with Washington's European allies, they said.

"Traditionally there have been meetings of senior officials with the Europeans and we could dispense with them altogether, expand them to water down French influence or just cut France out altogether," a second official said.

Excuse me, but wasn't our own country founded on principles that included the notion that not everyone has to agree with everyone else, and that punishment for having a different opinion just isn't right (I know, not a very eloquient way of saying it, but you get the point).

It makes me sick to my stomach to think that I pay taxes -- which in turn pay the salaries of people who entertain such possibilities. It just sickens me. How about you?

April 22, 2003

The first person to correctly attribute the following quote will receive two T-shirts worn by me (Mikal Belicove) in the mid-1990s.

"You know the world is going crazy when the best rapper is a white guy, the best golfer is a black guy, the tallest guy in the NBA is Chinese, the Swiss hold the America's Cup, France is accusing the U.S. of arrogance, Germany doesn't want to go to war, and the three most powerful men in America are named 'Bush', 'Dick', and 'Colon.'"

In order to qualify, your entry must include name and date references, along with proof (in the form of one or more believable Internet links). And no, Matt Holzmann, a link to your own Blog displaying a similar quote doesn't count (but much to your credit, I did find the quote on your site, but not who said it).

April 20, 2003

A depressing thought: The Iraq war proves that in the year 2003 AD, the world has not essentially changed since 2003 BC. A military power can attack a weak nation, conquer its territory and plunder its resources. There is no world law, no world moral order. Might is right.

The weapons are of the 21st century, but they serve 19th century aims. This is a classical colonial war. Iraq is becoming an American colony, to remain so for a long time.

The pretexts come from the old colonialist phrase-book. A country is conquered in order to "liberate" the natives from their cruel tyrants. Their resources are stolen in order to raise their standard of living, give an elementary education to their children, and keep a colonial administration that will teach them democracy.

This is also a divine mission. The missionaries always come with the army, and sometimes even precede it. The cross and the canon, religion and oppression, the church and the plunder of resources go very well together.

For the poet laureate of the era, Rudyard Kipling, that was the "white man's burden." But when colonialism retreated, it left behind a social, cultural and economic desert, which persists in the "third world" to this day.

The triumphalism of America, Britain and Israel is a little misplaced.

The only superpower in the world has attacked a little country of 26 million people, starved for years by sanctions. A mighty and well-fed army, equipped with the most sophisticated arms the world has ever seen, confronted an army that has been largely disarmed before the fighting even started. The powerful air force that controls the skies without opposition was sent against a country whose air defenses have been bombed for years beforehand.

In a modern war, control of the air is the decisive factor. Sixty years ago, when the air force and its weapons were much more primitive, Field Marshal Rommel told Hitler that the Allies' domination of the skies made it impossible for the German army to maneuver and bring in reinforcements. Therefore, he said, his army would be unable to defeat the Anglo-American forces once they succeeded in securing a bridgehead on the French coast. If we don't destroy them in the first few hours, he told Hitler, the battle is lost. The Fuehrer did not listen to his advice, and the results are well known.

If this was true then for the mighty Wehrmacht, it was true now a thousand times for the battered Iraqi forces. From the first minute on, no Iraqi tank could appear in the open without being destroyed from the air. No division and no company could occupy a position, let alone move, without the missiles and bombs pounding it to dust. Decent hunters do not shoot at sitting ducks. But that is exactly what happened in Iraq.

There is nothing for the Americans to boast about. Tommy Franks will not go down in history as one of the great leaders of armies, next to Alexander and Napoleon. If the Iraqis held on for 21 days, that itself was an achievement.

Saddam Hussein can take no credit for that achievement. As it turns out, he was not only a brutal and cruel dictator, but a stupid one to boot. Clearly, he had never read a serious book about strategy, and did not receive good advice from his generals. That is one of the troubles of dictators, dating back to biblical times, when Absalom, King David's rebellious son, rejected the good advice of Ahithophel: generally the dictator does not listen to advice, and the advisors tend to tell the dictator only what he wants to hear.

From the Iraqi point of view, it would have been right to avoid battle in the open desert, where a modern army has an immense advantage, and to draw the invaders into the cities. But for that purpose, Saddam had to dispose his army inside the cities and prepare for a Stalingrad-like defense.

Instead, he exposed his elite Republican Guard outside Baghdad, in the open, where they were systematically destroyed by the U.S. air force. Inside the city itself nothing was prepared, no plan, no command structure, no adequate arms. It fell like a rotten apple. Neither the American generals nor the commentators expected this. Neither did I.

Saddam had his chance to go down in history as the leader of a glorious, if hopeless, last stand. But now his appropriate memorial is the decapitated bronze statue that starred on television.

This war was waged simultaneously in two arenas: in the field and on television. There was hardly any resemblance between the two.

Television was an accompaniment to previous wars. But in this war, television has become an integral part of the war itself, one of its major battlefields, if not the most important one.

From now on, TV is a component of the armed forces, along with the army, the navy and the airforce. Like them, it is directed by the command structure.

The aim is to engender in the mind of the home audience, world public opinion and perhaps even in the mind of the enemy a picture of the war that has no connection with reality. That is easy, because there is no more mendacious instrument than television. He who controls it, controls the picture of reality, and thereby the mind of the viewer.

For example: in order to support the claim that the aim of the war was to "liberate" the Iraqi people, it was essential to show the Iraqi population welcoming the liberators with joy. Television delivered the goods.

Nothing easier: simply fill the frame with a hundred jumping and shouting people, in order to create the impression the a whole country is jumping and shouting. Nobody will ask: Who the hell are they? Where did they come from? Who called them together? Did they get anything in return? Aren't they, by chance, the same people who jumped and shouted a few days ago "with our soul and blood we will redeem you, Saddam?" And where are the other 5 million inhabitants of Baghdad? What do they think and feel?

During five very long hours all Western TV stations (and Al Jazeera as well) concentrated on showing a crowd of Iraqis trying to bring down a giant statue of Saddam in the center of Baghdad. A discerning eye could notice that the crowd was no more than a hundred people, certainly half of them journalists. The statue-smashers acted manifestly for the camera. But television-wise, that was "the Iraqi people." This picture will remain fixed in the mind of the world as the defining image of the "liberation."

Only Thomas Friedman, a very arrogant and very patriotic observer, independently interviewed Iraqis and reported that they indeed were glad to be rid of Saddam, but that they viewed the Americans as foreign invaders who should leave at once. Nothing of this kind was seen on CNN.

In the Iraqi campaign, every Western (and, of course, Israeli) journalist was a soldier with a job to do under the command structure. The point was reached that Donald Rumsfeld, in a Washington briefing, directly ordered the American journalists in Iraq to interview Iraqis and get stories from them about Saddam's atrocities. Sure enough, within hours such stories came pouring in.

Joseph Goebbels would be bursting with envy. George Orwell would not be surprised.

How will things develop from here on? It has been said that it is hard to prophesy, especially about the future.

One thing is certain: the Americans did not conquer Iraq in order to leave. They intend to remain there for a long time, even if they succeed in setting up a puppet government. They came to control the oil sources and the Arab region, and for these purposes they will stay on.

But even if they should wish to leave, they would not be able to do so. Without an American dictatorship taking the place of Saddam's, Iraq would fall apart. The old ethnic, religious, regional and tribal divisions would only deepen if an American-appointed puppet government were to establish "democracy."

Western democracy developed over centuries in organized communities with solid community values. Only a fool would think that it could be imposed from above, by force, on a society organized on quite different lines, by family and clan, and with quite different values. A real Arab democracy, when it comes about, will surely be different in nature and appearance from the Western kind.

The mob-rule that found its expression in the orgy of violence and looting under the auspices of the U.S. Army, including the looting of hospitals, is a bad omen indeed. It is the height of chutzpah, when the U.S. commanders, who have destroyed the civilian infra-structure, say that law and order must be restored by the Iraqis themselves. Thus, millions are abandoned to anarchy.

The animosity between the Kurds and the Turks in the north, as well as the connection between the Shiites and nearby Shiite Iran in the south, will cause the occupiers many headaches. After some months of quiet (if at all), they may be faced with a Hezbollah-style guerilla war.

Will that prevent an American invasion of Syria and/or Iran? Perhaps it will, perhaps, on the contrary, it will push the Americans towards new adventures, in order to distract attention from the results of the this one.

In order to foresee what's coming, I ask myself: what would I have thought and felt, if I had been an Arab? If I were, for example, Ahmad, a young Arab student at Cairo University, what would I feel at this moment?

First of all, humiliation. Once more a magnificent Arab hero has turned out to be a toy soldier, talking big and failing the first test. Once more an Arab army has mostly given up without a fight. By comparison, a growing admiration for the Palestinians, who have been standing up to the mighty Israeli military machine for more than two years, who have sacrificed more than 2000 people and whose youth stand in line to sacrifice their lives.

On top of the humiliation on the field of battle, the humiliation in the political field. A foreign invader has marched into the center of the Arab world and taken control of its resources, and the great Arab nation is paralyzed, unable to react. Its cowardly leaders hold on to their seats and accept handouts from the occupier. Who will save us?

There is no nationalist Arab force able to offer a solution to the millions of young people from Casablanca to Kuwait city. No new Nasser enflames their imagination. But there is a religious Muslim force that provides comfort, answers, identity and self-respect. It also provides a weapon for removing the invaders and compelling the West to listen to Arab aspirations: terrorism.

And now, Ahmad thinks, after the last of the Arab armies has shown its impotence in the face of American might, there remains only the alternative of guerilla war and terror attacks.

(c) Uri Avnery 2003

If you're anything like me (I know, scary proposition), you tend to favor the cooler season over the hotter and humid ones. If you're in a region of the country where Winter has moved on, click here for a fun sledding game from Nokia (not to worry, you don't need a Nokia phone to play, but you will need to have MacroMedia's Shockwave installed on your computer).

I want to take the time to acknowledge someone who recently took the time to save my ass. Beth, this Shoutoutís for you!

Last Friday, the 18th, I had plans to take one of our authors out to dinner (for those of you who are new to my Blog, Iím an Acquisitions Editor for a book publisherÖ which means ñ in-part ñ that I'm responsible for finding the best authors to write books for the categories I manage). This particular author ñ whose name needs to remain confidential (at least until we start promoting his book) ñ was a well-placed State Department foreign affairs officer, and an analyst in the department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research during the 1990s. He's now a program director at a Washington, D.C.-based research organization, and I recently signed him to a contract to write a very compelling and first-of-its-kind book for my company.

I was supposed to pick the author up at his hotel between 5:30 p.m. and 5:45 p.m. for a short ride downtown for drinks and dinner. My plan was to leave the office between 5:00 and 5:15, take 465 East to 465 South to I-70 West, but somewhere along the way I missed 465 South (which Iím now told is nearly impossible to do, but I did), and I ended up on this road called Binford Blvd. Not knowing where in the heck I was, I called my friend Beth ñ who, incidentially, or so she claims, figured Iíd get lost, and therefore was already sort of expecting my call.

Beth, with map in hand at her home (not three miles from I was lost) got me resituated to the point where I found myself back on 465 East. But as fate or destiny would have it, five minutes later I was right back on Binford Blvd., with no appetite whatsoever for getting back on the highway. The long and short of this story is that Beth took another look at her map, and miraculously helped me get to the authorís hotel via roads I didnít know even existed.

Thanks, Beth. You saved me, big time. I owe you, bigger.

Oh, incidentally, Beth recently introduced to me an organization here in Indianapolis called Indianapolis Ambassadors . If you live in Indy, and youíre looking for a simple way to find a wide variety of volunteer opportunities (from volunteering to hand out giveaways at an Indiana Pacers game to serving food at a local shelter for the homeless), the Indianapolis Ambassadors is a great resource.

April 15, 2003

In an excellently written article in today's St. Petersburg Times, staff writer Jeff Testerman calls our attention to a Tampa, Florida-based Internet company that promises to provide "phony but authentic-looking pay stubs" to anyone who's willing to pay. From today's St. Petersburg Times:

On its Web site, the company says you might need its product if you're depressed about your lousy income and want to "look like you make big bucks." It also suggests buying a fake pay stub if "your spouse thinks you've been at work and you need proof." But a real estate industry watchdog and a federal lawsuit against the company call it an invitation to lending fraud.

The outfit Testerman refers to in the article is but one of many shocking examples of companies that are making considerable sums of money by aiding in practices that are criminally deceptive. Oftentimes, their offices bounce from state to state in an effort to find a state with a degree of ignorance or tolerance for their shady activities.

Click here for the entire article, which includes a few quotes from your's truly. And remember, since committing fraud is no accident, preventing it shouldn't be one either!

April 14, 2003

I stumbled across another fun test (thanks Christina).

I am the 1954 Mercedes Benz 300SL.
Take the Which Classic Car Are You? quiz!

So, what does this say abot me? Well, I'm apparently quite the rare breed -- only 1,400 or so of me were ever built -- mostly for racing purposes. With a dry sump lubrication system and trademark "Gull wing" door, I am said to be "very advanced" -- even today.

April 10, 2003

Have you heard the latest... the Baseball Hall of Fame has canceled a 15th anniversary celebration of the movie "Bull Durham" because of anti-war statements made by co-stars of the 1988 movie, Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins. In a letter sent to Robbins and Sarandon earlier this week, Hall of Fame President, Dale Petroskey wrote:

"In a free country such as ours, every American has the right to his or her own opinions, and to express them. Public figures, such as you, have platforms much larger than the average American's, which provides you an extraordinary opportunity to have your views heard -- and an equally large obligation to act and speak responsibly. We believe your very public criticism of President Bush at this important -- and sensitive -- time in our nation's history helps undermine the U.S. position, which ultimately could put our troops in even more danger. As an institution, we stand behind our President and our troops in this conflict."

While Petroskey's and the Hall's words and actions seem shocking at first, once I thought about it a little further, it all made perfect sense. After all...

- Dale Petroskey was an Assistant Press Secretary in former U.S. President Ronald Reagan's White House; and

- Current U.S. President, George W. Bush, once owned the Texas Rangers baseball team.

Robbins sent Petroskey a letter containing the following thoughts:

"I am sorry that you have chosen to use baseball and your position at the Hall of Fame to make a political statement. I know there are many baseball fans that disagree with you, and even more that will react with disgust to realize baseball is being politicized. To suggest that my criticism of the President put the troops in danger is absurd. ... I wish you had, in your letter, saved me the rhetoric and talked honestly about your ties to the Bush and Reagan administrations."

Frankly, I could care less about the Baseball Hall of Fame's planned 15th anniversary celebration of "Bull Durham" (or anything else, for that matter, related to our supposed national pastime). The Hall of Fame is, in my humble opinion, a joke. If you look at the words, Hall of Fame, you'll notice that all about "Fame"... not "achievement" or "accomplishment." This is the same institution that continues to deny baseball's greatest hitter of all time, Pete Rose, access to its membership ranks because he gambled on baseball. Hmmm... let's see... the organization itself is headed up by a former Assistant Press Secretary in the Reagan White House. Yeah, I'm sure that guy's clean!

With recent research showing that 72% of U.S. citizens support President Bush's decision to attack Iraq, what does the Baseball Hall of Fame really have to be afraid of?

April 9, 2003

The President of the United States, George W. Bush, recently asked the U.S. Congress for approximately $75 billion to finance U.S. operations in Iraq. Let's see.... $75,000,000,000 divided by the current tax paying population... that comes to about $375 per U.S. taxpayer. If you're wondering what you'll get in exchange for your hard-earned money, IraqiAcres.com has the answer: LAND. That's right, an acre of land in Iraq for your $375 contribution. Click Here for more info.

April 8, 2003

Since many of my out-of-state friends and my Mom have been asking, here's more information on the whole Indiana time zone thing. Indiana is one of three U.S. states which does not Spring ahead from "standard" to "daylight saving" time or Fall back from daylight to standard time six months later. (Arizona and Hawaii are the others.)

Daylight time begins in most parts of the the U.S. on the first Sunday in April and ends on the last Sunday in October.† On the first Sunday in April, most people set their clock ahead one hour at 2:00 a.m. local standard time, which becomes 3:00 a.m. local daylight time. On the last Sunday in October, clocks are set back one hour at 2:00 a.m. local daylight time, which becomes 1:00 a.m. local standard time.

But here in Indiana, there are three time zones observed during summer (although 87 of our 92 counties actually have the same clock time) and two time zones in winter (when 82 counties out of 92 counties are on the same time). The Hoosier state's unique system for observing daylight time is said to be rooted in its once farming-dominated economy. Apparently, farmers prefer early daylight to dry their fields and an early sunset to end their work at a reasonable hour.

Bottom line... from the first Sunday in April thru the last Sunday in October, my part of Indiana (Indianapolis) is in the same time zone as Chicago. And from late-October thru early-April we're in the same time zone as New York City. So, while it may appear that I actually change my clocks to match these time zones, the fact is that my part of Indiana is always on Standard Time.

April 7, 2003

Will it never stop? This little diddy seems to suggest, "No, it won't." You think you've seen it all... I bet you haven't! Click Here To See For Yourself. Oh, you'll need $19.95 and $4.99 for shipping and handling.

April 5, 2003

An article on the BBC website raises an interesting point about the United State's attack on Iraq. Tom Carver, the BBC's Washington, D.C. correspondent, asks:

If one in three U.S. Christians consider themselves evangelicals; and

If many evangelicals believe that the second coming of Christ will occur in the Middle East after a titanic battle with the anti-Christ; and

If President Bush believes his own rhetoric ("We are in a conflict between good and evil. And America will call evil by its name." AND "There is wonder-working power in the goodness and idealism of the American people."); and

If President Bush is among the 59% of U.S. citizens who believe that what is written in the Bible's Book of Revelations will come to pass; then...

Does President Bush believe that he is playing a part in the final events of Armageddon?

A stretch? Perhaps. Worth exploring and commenting on? I believe so!

April 4, 2003

A good friend of mine, Ford Church -- a graduate student in Prescott College's Adventure Education program -- writes the following:

I am interested in a discussion on BeliBlog that addresses the distinction between outdoor education and adventure education. The terms are often used as synonymns, and there are others that swear there is a distinction. Does outdoor education need to take place outdoors? What category does experiential teambuilding activities and ropes/challenge course activities fall under. Damn it man, I need answers!

I'll complicate the question a little further by adding the term "Experiential Education" to the mix. In January of 2001, Steve Endres -- at one time a frequent contributor to the AEE Listserv -- wrote the following:

Experiential education is learning by doing. It is not a subject to learn, it is a way to learn subjects. Many subjects are taught using experiential education. For example: a science class dissecting a frog, a math teacher having students balance a checkbook, a CPR instructor having students practice on mannequins.

Adventure education is a much less well defined thing (at least to me). I think that adventure education is the process of using adventure activities to teach students. For example: a geometry class using orienteering techniques in the woods, or a group of students sailing to the Caribbean to learn about weather, the ocean, and cultural history.

So, with those thoughts and Ford's original question in mind, what do you think? Please use the "Comments" link below to add to the discussion.

April 3, 2003

Dawson Michael Cummings, son of Paul and Michelle Cummings of Lafayette, Colorado, reached the top of the stairs in his home yesterday, setting a personal-best record for stair-climbing. In what his parents call an "unexpected move," Dawson climbed 14 steps to reach the second floor of his two-story home, blowing away his previous record of 6 steps by a full 8 additional steps. "He made steady progress all the way up," said his mother Michelle (getting down the stairs appears to be a different story).

When asked what motivated him to reach this new height despite the dangers, the confident Dawson responded, "I just knew there was a trash can up there that I could play with. Since that's my favorite thing to get into, I figured it was at the top of the steps, and I just knew I could make it."

Dawson's mother, who is the president of experiential training and development resource firm Training Wheels, and who was a champion stair-climber herself in the early 1970's, shared these additional thoughts with reporters outside her home after the event:†

"It chokes me up a little to see my son carrying on the great tradition of athleticism that this family has stood for over the past decades. I never pushed him to do this. I simply let him make his own choices. My son has chosen to be a hero today. He loves the challenge, the pressure, and the feel of the carpet against his squishy little knees. I only wish my knees were still that squishy."

Dawson now appears poised to break other records in the coming months, including a possible walking event. His coach (father Paul) has hinted that there is hope for some toddling soon, but he has also cautioned Dawson's fans that until he learns to put one foot in front of another, Dawson will not be competitive in that field.

April 2, 2003

Question 1.†The Bush administration says it is waging war to stop the spread of weapons of mass destruction. Which of the following is true?

a.†The United States has refused to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, viewed worldwide as the litmus test for seriousness about nuclear disarmament.

b.†The United States has insisted on a reservation to the Chemical Weapons Convention allowing the U.S. President the right to refuse an inspection of U.S. facilities on national security grounds, and blocked efforts to improve compliance with the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention.

c.†Vice Admiral Lowell E. Jacoby, Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, testified on Feb. 11, 2003, "The long-term trends with respect to WMD and missile proliferation are bleak. States seek these capabilities for regional purposes, or to provide a hedge to deter or offset U.S. military superiority."

d.†All of the above.

Question 2.†The anti-war movement supports our troops by urging that they be brought home immediately so they neither kill nor get killed in a unjust war. How has the Bush administration shown its support for our troops?

a.†The Republican-controlled House Budget Committee voted to cut $25 billion in veterans benefits over the next 10 years.

b.†The Bush administration proposed cutting $172 million from impact aid programs which provide school funding for children of military personnel.

c.†The administration ordered the Dept. of Veterans Affairs to stop publicizing health benefits available to veterans.

d.†All of the above.

Question 3.†The anti-war movement believes that patriotism means urging our country to do what is right. How do Bush administration officials define patriotism?

a.†Patriotism means emulating Dick Cheney, who serves as Vice-President while receiving $100,000-$1,000,000 a year from Halliburton, the multi-billion dollar company which is already lining up for major contracts in post-war Iraq.

b.†Patriotism means emulating Richard Perle, the warhawk who serves as head of the Defense Intelligence Board while at the same time meeting with Saudi arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi on behalf of Trireme, a company of which he is a managing partner, involved in security and military technologies, and while agreeing to work as a paid lobbyist for Global Crossing, a telecommunications giant seeking a major Pentagon contract.

c.†Patriotism means emulating George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Perle, John Bolton, Tom DeLay, John Ashcroft, Lewis Libby, and others who enthusiastically supported the Vietnam War while avoiding serving in it and who now are sending others to kill and be killed in Iraq.

d.†All of the above.

Question 4.†The Bush administration has accused Saddam Hussein of lying regarding his weapons of mass destruction. Which of the following might be considered less than truthful?

a.†Constant claims by the Bush administration that there was documentary evidence linking Iraq to attempted uranium purchases in Niger, despite the fact that the documents were forgeries and CIA analysts doubted their authenticity.

b.†A British intelligence report on Iraq's security services that was in fact plagiarized, with selected modifications, from a student article.

c.†The frequent citation of the incriminating testimony of Iraqi defector Hussein Kamel, while suppressing that part of the testimony in which Kamel stated that Iraqi weapons of mass destruction had been destroyed following the 1991 Gulf War.

d.†All of the above.

Question 5.†White House Press Secretary Ari Fleisher stormed out of a press conference when the assembled reporters broke into laughter after he declared that the U.S. would never try to bribe members of the UN. What should Fleisher have said to defend himself?

a.†It wasn't just bribery; we also ordered the bugging of the home and office phones and emails of the UN ambassadors of Security Council member states that were undecided on war.

b.†Oh, come on! We've been doing this for years. In 1990 when Yemen voted against authorizing war with Iraq, the U.S. ambassador declared "That will be the most expensive 'no' vote you ever cast."

c.†Why do you think the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act makes one of the conditions for an African country to receive preferential access to U.S. markets that it "not engage in activities that undermine United States national security or foreign policy interests"?

d.†All of the above.

Question 6.†George Bush has declared that "we have no fight with the Iraqi people." What could he have cited as supporting evidence?

a.†U.S. maintenance of 12 years of crippling sanctions that strengthened Saddam Hussein while contributing to the death of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians.

b.†The fact that "coalition" forces have indicated that they will use cluster bombs in Iraq, despite warnings from human rights groups that "The use of cluster munitions in Iraq will endanger civilians for years to come."

c.†By pointing to the analogy of Afghanistan, which the U.S. pledged not to forget about when the war was over, and for which the current Bush administration foreign aid budget request included not one cent in aid.

d.†All of the above.

Question 7.†The Bush administration has touted the many nations that are part of the "coalition of the willing." Which of the following statements about this coalition is true?

a.†In most of the coalition countries polls show that a majority, often an overwhelming majority, of the people oppose the war.

b.†More than ten of the members of the coalition of the willing are actually a coalition of the unwilling - unwilling to reveal their names.

c.†Coalition members - most of whose contributions to the war are negligible or even zero - constitute less than a quarter of the countries in the UN and contain less than 20% of the world's population.

Question 8.†The war on Iraq is said to be part of the "war on terrorism." Which of the following is true?

a.†A senior American counterintelligence official said: "An American invasion of Iraq is already being used as a recruitment tool by Al Qaeda and other groupsÖ.And it is a very effective tool."

b.†An American official, based in Europe, said Iraq had become "a battle cry, in a way," for Al Qaeda recruiters.

c.†France's leading counter-terrorism judge said: "Bin Laden's strategy has always been to demonstrate to the Islamic community that the West, and especially the U.S., is starting a global war against Muslims. An attack on Iraq might confirm this vision for many Muslims. I am very worried about the next wave of recruits."

d.†All of the above.

Question 9.†The Bush administration says it wants to bring democracy to Iraq and the Middle East. Which of the following is true?

a.†If there were democracy in Saudi Arabia today, backing for the U.S. war effort would be the first thing to go, given the country's "increasingly anti-American population deeply opposed to the war."

b.†The United States subverted some of the few democratic governments in the Middle East (Syria in 1949, Iran in 1953), and has backed undemocratic regimes in the region ever since.

c.†The United States supported the crushing of anti-Saddam Hussein revolts in Iraq in 1991.

d.†All of the above.

Question 10.†Colin Powell cited as evidence of an Iraq-Al Qaeda link an audiotape from bin Laden in which he called Saddam Hussein and his Baath Party regime "infidels." Which of the following is more compelling evidence?

a.†An FBI official told the New York Times: "We've been looking at this hard for more than a year and you know what, we just don't think it's there."

b.†According to a classified British intelligence report seen by BBC News, "There are no current links between the Iraqi regime and the al-Qaeda network."

c.†According to Rohan Gunaratna, author of Inside Al Qaeda: Global Network of Terror, "Since U.S. intervention in Afghanistan in October 2001, I have examined several tens of thousands of documents recovered from Al Qaeda and Taliban sources. In addition to listening to 240 tapes taken from Al† Qaeda's central registry, I debriefed several Al Qaeda and Taliban detainees. I could find no evidence of links between Iraq and Al Qaeda."

d.†All of the above.

1.†d (a) Colum Lynch, "U.S. Boycotts Nuclear Test Ban Meeting; Some Delegates at U.N. Session Upset at Latest Snub of Pact Bush Won't Back," Washington Post, 11/12/02, p. A6. (b) Amy E. Smithson, "U.S. Implementation of the CWC," in Jonathan B. Tucker, The Chemical Weapons Convention: Implementation Challenges and Solutions, Monterey Institute, April 2001, pp. 23-29, http://cns.miis.edu/pubs/reports/tuckcwc.htm; Jonathan Tucker, "The Fifth Review Conference of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention," Feb. 2002, http://www.nti.org/e_research/e3_7b.html. (c) Testimony before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, excerpted at http://traprockpeace.org/usefulquotesoniraq.html.

2.†d (a) Cong. Lane Evans, "Veterans Programs Slashed by House Republicans," Press Release, 3/13/03, http://www.veterans.house.gov/democratic/press/108th/3-13-03budget.htm. (b) Brian Faler, "Educators Angry Over Proposed Cut in Aid; Many Children in Military Families Would Feel Impact," Washington Post, 3/19/03, p. A29. (c) See Veterans' for Common Sense, letter to George W. Bush, 3/20/03 http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/print.asp?id=563; Melissa B. Robinson, "Hospitals Face Budget Crunch," Associated Press, 7/31/02; Jason Tait, "Veterans angered by marketing ban," Eagle-Tribune (Lawrence, MA), 8/2/02, http://www.eagletribune.com/news/stories/20020802/FP_003.htm

3.†d (a) Warren Vieth and Elizabeth Douglass, " Ousting Hussein could open the door for U.S. and British firms. French, Russian and Chinese rivals would lose their edge," Los Angeles Times, 3/12/03, p. I:1; Robert Bryce and Julian Borger, "Halliburton: Cheney is still paid by Pentagon contractor, Bush deputy gets Dollars 1m from firm with Iraq oil deal," Guardian (London), 3/12/03, p. 5 (which notes that Halliburton "would not say how much the payments are; the obligatory disclosure statement filled by all top government officials says only that they are in the range of" $100,000 and $1 million. (b) Seymour M. Hersh, "Lunch with the Chairman," New Yorker, 3/16/03; Stephen Labaton, "Pentagon Adviser Is Also Advising Global Crossing," NYT, 3/21/03, p. C1. Perle is to be paid $725,000 for his lobbying effort, including $600,000 if his lobbying is successful. (c) New Hampshire Gazette, "The Chickenhawks," http://nhgazette.com/chickenhawks.html.

4.†d (a) See the evidence collected in Cong. Henry Waxman's letter to George W. Bush, 3/17/03, http://www.house.gov/waxman/text/admin_iraq_march_17_let.htm. (b) See Glen Rangwala's report, http://traprockpeace.org/britishdossier.html. (c) See Glen Rangwala's report, http://traprockpeace.org/kamel.html.

5.†d (a) Martin Bright, Ed Vulliamy, and Peter Beaumont, The Observer (London), 3/2/03. (b) Quoted in Phyllis Bennis, Calling the Shots: How Washington Dominates Today's UN, New York: Olive Branch, 1996, p. 33. (c) Sarah Anderson, Phyllis Bennis, and John Cavanagh, Coalition of the Willing or Coalition of the Coerced?: How The Bush Administration Influences Allies in Its War on Iraq, Washington, DC: Institute for Policy Studies, 2/26/03, p. 4.

6.†d (a) For background, see Anthony Arnove, ed., Iraq Under Siege: The Deadly Impact of Sanctions and War, Cambridge: South End Press, updated ed. 2003. (b) Paul Waugh, "Labour MPs Attack Hoon After He Reveals That British Forces Will Use Cluster Bombs," Independent, 3/21/03, p. 4; Human Rights Watch, Press Release, 3/18/03: "Persian Gulf: U.S. Cluster Bomb Duds A Threat; Warning Against Use of Cluster Bombs in Iraq." (c) Zvi Bar'el, "Flaws in the Afghan Model," Ha'aretz, 3/14/03, http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/objects/pages/PrintArticleEn.jhtml?itemNo=272884.

7.†d (a) See, for example, the revealing comment of Secretary of State Powell: "We need to knock down this idea that nobody is on our side. So many nations recognize this danger [of Iraq's weapons]. And they do it in the face of public opposition." Quoted in Steven R. Weisman With Felicity Barringer, "Urgent Diplomacy Fails To Gain U.S. 9 Votes In The U.N." NYT, 3/10/03, p. A1) (b) U.S. Dept. of State, Daily Press Briefing, Richard Boucher, Washington, DC, 3/18/03. (c) Country list: White House, Statement of Support from Coalition, 3/25/03, http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/03/print/20030325-8.html; population calculated from Statistical Abstract of the United States, 2001, Washington, DC: 2001, table 1327. Total includes USA. The White House list includes countries whose leaders have done no more than state their support for the United States, and the listing changes from day to day, with some countries being added and some removed.

8.†d (a) Don Van Natta Jr. and Desmond Butler, "Anger On Iraq Seen As New Qaeda Recruiting Tool," NYT, 3/16/03, p. I:1. (b) Van Natta and Butler, NYT, 3/16/03. (c) Van Natta and Butler, NYT, 3/16/03.

9.†d (a) Craig S. Smith, "Saudi Arabia Seems Calm But, Many Say, Is Seething," NYT, 3/24/03, p. B13. In fact, "Though the Saudi government officially denies it, the bombing campaign is being directed from Saudi Arabia - something that few Saudis realize." (b) On Syria, see Douglas Little, ACold War and Covert Action: The United States and Syria, 1945 1958,@ Middle East Journal, vol. 44, no. 1, Winter 1990, pp. 55 57. On Iran, see Mark J. Gasiorowski, "The 1953 Coup D'Etat in Iran," International Journal of Middle East Studies, vol. 19, Aug. 1987, pp. 261-86. (c) Andrew Cockburn and Patrick Cockburn, Out of the Ashes: The Resurrection of Saddam Hussein, New York: HarperPerennial. 1999, chap. 1.

10.† d (re audiotape, see David Johnston, "Top U.S. Officials Press Case Linking Iraq To Al Qaeda," NYT, 2/12/03, p. A1; Mohamad Bazzi, "U.S. says bin Laden tape urging Iraqis to attack appears real," Newsday, 2/12/03, p. A5. (a) James Risen and David Johnston, "Split at C.I.A. and F.B.I. On Iraqi Ties to Al Qaeda," NYT, 2/2/03, p. I:13. (b) "Leaked Report Rejects Iraqi al-Qaeda Link," BBC News, 2/5/03. (c) Rohan Gunaratna, "Iraq and Al Qaeda: No Evidence of Alliance," International Herald Tribune, 2/19/03.

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Interpreting Your Score
===============

9-10 Correct: Excellent. Contact United for Peace and Justice, http://www.unitedforpeace.org/, and work to fight the war and the system that produced it.

6-8 Correct: Fair. You've been watching a few too many former generals and government officials who provide the "expert" commentary for the mainstream media. Read the alternative media!

3-5 Correct: Poor. Don't feel bad. George W. Bush only got a C- in International Relations in college.

0-2 Correct: Failing. You have a bright future as an "embedded" journalist.

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Source of Quiz
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Stephen Shalom
ZNET

April 1, 2003

A co-worker recently took the time to tell me about the Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art (iMOCA), a not-for-profit organization aimed at engaging the public to raise awareness about all forms of contemporary art and creative expression. In promoting iMOCA's inaugural exhibition (April 25-26 at the Stutz Business Center here in Indianapolis), the organization's own literature states:

"iMOCA's inaugural exhibition brings together the creative talents of Greg Hull and Jeffrey Martin for a unique installation event. Greg Hull is the innovative artist who brought the world the first interactive neon sculpture via the Internet through an installation at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Jeffrey Martin is an artist, owner of J. Martin Gallery and two-time Grand Prize winner of the Indianapolis Masterpiece in a Day Contest."

In case you didn't catch that, because apparently to some it's worth noting... "Greg Hull is the innovative artist who brought the world the first interactive neon sculpture via the Internet through an installation at the Indianapolis Museum of Art."

Now, I'm all for everyone being entitled to their own opinion and take on things, but this claim... no, the mere notion that this feat of Greg Hull's is so noteworthy that it's deserving of promotion, is laughable to me. And what's even worse is that people actually buy into this stuff and choose to talk about it as if it's groundbreaking and imaginatively authentic. For some reason or another, stuff like this always tends to rub me the wrong way.