« February 2004 | Main | April 2004 »

March 31, 2004

MEDICAL MYTHS DEBUNKED

These comes from Web MD, and are particularly relevant because I have a friend who incessantly swallows her gum, and who thinks that standing out in the cold and rain causes you to get sick.

True or False: Chewing gum takes seven years to pass through your digestive system. I was surprised to learn that the answer to this question is false. I was brought up with the belief that this was true, so I'm always telling this friend of mine that what she's doing is damaging. Who knew! From Web MD:

The gum component itself is pretty indigestible, but will "pass" in a mass and will not stick your insides together, either. This one probably got going when exasperated parents tired of buying more gum after half an hour because their kids had chomped, then swallowed, their allotment. Also, swallowing gum was seen as ignorant and lower class.

True or False: Staying out in the cold and wind and rain will give you a cold. My friend's wrong on this one. She thinks it's the weather, which as we'll see below, is not the case. From Web MD:

Colds are caused by viruses, with enough variations to give you a choice of 200 versions of a cold (which is why you get them over and over again). Because viruses get into healthy cells, it's difficult to kill them without knocking off the good cells. This is the job of your immune system, which usually clears out cold viruses in a week or two. You can get the virus through inhaling infected air droplets sneezed or coughed by an infected person, or by touching something that an infected person has touched and then transferring the germs to your mouth or nose. You don't get it from cold air, slush, wind, or other wintry conditions. So what's the best way to ward off this miserable virus? Wash your hands, often.

Okay, well, there you have it. I'm off to wash my hands and swallow some gum!

Posted by Mikal at 1:00 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

TODAY'S POST...

... will come later in the day. I was up lateer than normal last night, and then up earlier than normal this morning. With so much on my mind right now, I'm afraid of what I might write... so, I'll let it simmer a bit and will be back later in the day (or evening) with something more insightful or funny or dorky to share.

Posted by Mikal at 7:33 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

March 30, 2004

The following poem is from Danzel Washington's directorial-debut film, Antwone Fisher:

Who will cry for the little boy, lost and all alone? Who will cry for the little boy, abandoned without his own?

Who will cry for the little boy? He cried himself to sleep.
Who will cry for the little boy? He never had for keeps.

Who will cry for the little boy? He walked the burning sand.
Who will cry for the little boy? The boy inside the man.

Who will cry for the little boy? Who knows well hurt and pain.
Who will cry for the little boy? He died and died again.

Who will cry for the little boy? A good boy he tried to be.
Who will cry for the little boy, who cries inside of me?

Inspired by a true story, Antwone Fisher is--in my humble opinion--a must see film.

March 29, 2004

Saturday afternoon was great. Itíd been a while since weíd spent an entire afternoon together, and I didnít realize just how much I missed being with her until it was all said and done. The last time we spent more than two solid hours together?... gosh, it must have been around two years ago. Much to my delight, she hadnít changed one bit. Her lines and curves were just as I had remembered, and her touch and feel was something straight out of my dreams. Pleasantly, once we got into the groove, I found that I still knew how to ring her bell, if you know what I mean!

Seriously... do you know what I mean?

Saturday afternoon was great. For the first time since moving to Indiana [in March of '02], I took one of my bikes out for a long ride. For a while now Iíve been wondering if itíd be possible and/or prudent to ride a bike to and from my office (rather than drive my big honking car). With the weekend weather cooperating, I decided to give it a shot. To set the stage, for those of you who donít know of my home / work coordinates, I live downtown, just a short walk from Monument Circle, while my office is way up on the north side of town, 11 miles away on East 96th and North College. To the casual observer, it probably appears as if thereíd be no safe way of making the journey to and fro by bicycle. None of the roads have bike lanes or connecting sidewalks, and even if they did, not many people I know would feel safe around drivers who, for the most part, never have to contend with bicyclists. Lucky for me, the Monon Trail, which rambles within a quarter-mile of my office, now stretches all the way down to 10th Street.

The ride was cake. I took my time and made it up to 96th St. in right around an hour or so, but unfortunately I didnít take the time to look around the outside of my office building to see if we have bike racks or not ('doh). If we do, thereís a good chance that Iíll get back to being a bike commuter, at least on a part-time basis, starting almost immediately. If it turns out that we don't have bike racks... well, I may have to rethink my plan. The manager of our building is pretty particular about the property, so I doubt I'd be able to get away with keeping a bike in my office.

March 26, 2004

Q: What's on the nightstand next to your bed?

Q: What one show on television do you try never to miss?

Q: What condiment always tastes good to you no matter what itís on?

Q: Would you rather sleep on the most luxurious mattress you can imagine or have your face appear on a postage stamp or your favorite cereal box?

March 25, 2004

Today I give you the Final Four of the NCAA men's college basketball tournament: Duke, Kansas, Vanderbilt, and Xavier. There you go! This is not a prediction. IT IS A FACT! You see, these are the only teams from the Sweet 16 that posted a 50% or better player graduation rate. Sixteen of the initial 65 teams had player graduation rates of 25% or less. Click here to read the full story from The New York Times yesterday, "Graduation is Secondary for Many in Final 16." (NOTE: You might need to login to read the article... feel free to use the Beli-Blog's account... the Member ID is 'beliblog', and the Password is 'readit'.)

Does this mean major men's basketball is just another farm club for the NBA or just a money making machine for a few persistent colleges? Is this information (trend??) OK? Is it disturbing? Or do we have more important things to worry about? I am naturally biased as my alma mater (Brown) NEVER makes it to the tournament, but it also, like many other colleges, elite and otherwise, nurture scholar-athletes, not athletic students (scholars?). Is this OK? Does everything have its place or is something out of whack?

March 24, 2004

This past Saturday--ironically, the same day that the site went down (click here if you mised yesterday's explanation)--marked the One Year Anniversary of the launch of the Beli-Blog. Thatís right, on March 20, 2003, I launched this very website / blog. (Click here to see the first posting, or click here and scroll to the bottom of this page to see the first few postings ever.) Since I'm such a numbers freak, here are a few to ponder:

Since the site first launched last March,

335 individual blog postings have been either by myself or Guest Beli-Bloggers like Lee, Brad, Ford, or Matt (thatís comes to around one posting every 1.09 days or so).

Visitors like you have left over 1,300 comments since the site first launched.

On average, 250 different people per day, according to what's called Unique Machine Identity, have continually chosen to visit the site on a daily basis.

Some 140 different Four For Friday questions have been posed and answered.

I could go on and on with the numbers thing, but I have a strong sense Iím probably the only one thatíd care, so I wonít bore you any further with my silly fascination with site statistics. I will, however, say this... when I launched Belicove.com, I said that by posting my thoughts and observations throughout this site--and by inviting family, friends and acquaintances to visit and comment--that I had hoped to expand my world and learn more about myself and that which is around me. In short, that, and a whole lot more, is exactly what has happened. I've learned sooooo much about myself and about a lot of you since last March, and I know that my world's a better place as a result.

So, a big 'THANKS' is extended to everyone who chooses to read me and the others who comment and post to the site. You know who you are... you're amazing people, and I'm continually amazed right back.

March 23, 2004

If you're a regular Beli-Blogger, you may have noticed that Belicove.com recently experienced an outage. From midnight Saturday thru early yesterday afternoon, the site was unreachable due to the fact that I mistakenly allowed the site's domain registration to expire. The company I originally went thru to register the domain had an outdated e-mail and mailing address on file for me, so they weren't able to reach me to see if I was interested in renewing the domain. Luckily, there weren't a ton of "Belicove's" lining up to snatch the Belicove.com domain once it expired. A few phone calls made at the start of business Monday morning, and 36 hours later the site is back up and running. So, for all of you that were worried about my well being or who weren't able to check in with me because of the e-mail's that bounced, my apologies. All's well that ends well, and this one seems to have ended well, well.

March 19, 2004

Q: Today is the 86th anniversary of the creation of Daylight Savings Time--the main purpose of which is to make better use of daylight and save on demand for electricity. How do you feel about Daylight Savings Time? Do you look forward to its arrival, or could you care less?

Q: Do you do anything significantly different when the people you live with are gone overnight or are out of town for an extended period of time? In other words, if the or people you live with, i.e., roommate, husband, wife, kids, mother-in-law, etc., are out of town, what changes for you when you're left home alone?

Q: What's the longest stretch of time during your adult life that you've been out of work?

Q: Are you in a pool for this year's NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament? If so, who did you pick to win it all? (Alternate Question #1: Who do you think will win this year's NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship? Alternate Question #2: Why should we not care either way?)

March 18, 2004

Needless to say, I was shocked last night to hear an NPR radio broadcast on the U.S. House debate over a resolution to praise the results of the war in Iraq. House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R) lamb-blasted the incoming Spanish government AND that country's recent electorial outcome. This entire Iraq-thing and war on terrorism has been one, big, botched surgical job by a bunch of zealous political surgeons.

"Here is a country that stood against terrorism, and had a huge terrorist act within their country, and they choose to change their government and to in a sense appease terrorists," House Speaker Dennis Hastert said.

Where does this line of reasoning come from? How on earth can the act of a country's citizens voting in an opposing political party be an appeasement of terrorism? The voting is a democratic statement by the country's citizens, not an act of support for terrorism. I think it shows the immense lack of understanding that many in the White House and U.S. government have in international relations and coalition building.

Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R - TX.) said:

"If we follow the example of the new Spanish government and we accept failure in Iraq and permit the victory of the terrorists, there will no counting the number of people around the world who will suffer the consequences."

Does Mr. DeLay have a looking glass into the future? Withdrawing troops that were duped into supporting a war is not acceptance of failure. It's a statement to the U.S. government that support is waning for the approach we've taken on the war of terrorism. Regardless, once again, we have the White House attempting to make blanket statements of moral authority to all people, countries, and political movements who oppose the Bush agenda.

March 17, 2004

The e-mail message read as follows:

Dear Mikal:

I hate to tell you this, but the FastDater event is cancelled/postponed at this time. The great location that we had secured for this event has gone out of business, temporarily we hope. One of their kind investors stole all of their monies out of the bank for them. They do hope to re-open soon. I sure hope they can because Jaguars is a FINE†location, and they were jewels to work with. At this time we're trying to secure another Gay venue to have a FastDater event at. When this is done I will let you know if you'd like. Thank you for signing-up anyways.†We will keep you informed.

Sincerely,

Kelly & Diana
FastDater Indianapolis

Just my luck. I finally decide to move on and try my hand at meeting eligible single women in a new and unique sort of way... thru this 'speed dating' thing everyone's raving about these days... and the first event I sign up for is exclusively for gay men. How funny is that!

March 16, 2004

WEATHER: "Be careful out there; it's going to snow! That's the last thing I heard as I left the office yesterday afternoon. It was said affectionately, of course, but I couldn't help but notice the overly concerned tone with which it was shared. Hoosiers take their weather quite seriously, especially snowy weather. While in other parts of the country where I've lived--including Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Texas, New Hampshire, and Colorado--there's just 'weather,' here in Indiana there's 'WEATHER,' which includes a universally-held concern about 'BAD WEATHER,' i.e., snow. Turn to any local news channel when a snowy front is about to move thru, and you're bound to be hit upside the head with one weather alert on top of another. It's as if they've never seen snow in Indianapolis, yet each and every winter the same thing happens... it snows. I suppose that I don't really have a point here... just ranting about how big a deal Hoosiers make out of snow.

TERRORISM: Just a few short days after widespread terrorist attacks in Madrid, Spain, and that nation's voters tossed out the country's ruling Conservatives in favor of the Socialist party. How large a role did the attacks play in the electorial outcome? The ruling Conservatives, according to pre-election polls, were expected to win big. They didn't. I hate to say it, but it's true... terrorism works. It's hard to deny this in the world we live in today. Normally, we wouldn't give a rat's ass to Spain's election results, but as we all know, these aren't normal times. Spain's outgoing Prime Minister was one of the first, and one of the only, European leaders to support President George W. Bush's invasion of Iraq... an invasion that was unpopular with an overwhelming number of Spanish people. What 'best practices' have terrorists taken from the events of the past few days? Do they now feel that they can influence national elections? Might they be so bold as to strike elsewhere as elections approach? Let's hope not!

March 15, 2004

I'm surprised it took as long as it did for someone to challenge this one. A North Carolina District Judge has asked his county's Board of Commissioners that all references to "so help me God" and "God save the state and this honorable court" be removed from his courtroom whenever he presides over his district's sleepy little hamlet court. From an AP story:

"...the court system is seeing an increasing number of people from other cultures that are not necessarily Christian, Honeycutt expressed. I believe that the burden should not be on those individuals to speak up and request an oath that does not mention God or use the Christian Bible." The decision did not sit well with some members of the community, however. Rick Lanier, a former member of the County Board of Commissioners and an organizer of a "In God We Trust" petition, denounced Honeycutt's action. "It's totally in opposition to the very basis of our constitution, the very basis for our laws," Lanier said. "He's a judge. He should be subject to complying with the bylaws that we established and founded for our nation. Because we are a Christian nation and we've been a Christian nation for 300 years, the thing that bothers me is, are we conforming to a minority?"

Seems reasonable to me. If it's a sin to bear false witness (which most religions seems to agree on), then what is the oath for in the first place... is it not really to force religious doctrine on non-believers? One possible solution--and I've thought this for years--change the "so help me God part to something like "under consequence of perjury, which carries a sentence of 'yada, yada, yada'."

March 12, 2004

Q: The Girl Scouts of the USA celebrates itís 92nd birthday today! Did you order Girl Scout cookies this year, and if so, which kind did you getÖ Thin Mints, Caramel deLites, Peanut Butter Patties, PiÒatas, Peanut Butter Sandwich, Shortbread, Reduced Fat Lemon Pastry Cremes, and/or Animal Treasures? If you didnít order any GS Cookies this year, which kind would you most likely be accused of swiping off a co-workerís desk?

Q: Have you ever been intentionally physically threatened by someone, one adult to another?

Q: Would you rather paint with oils on a blank canvas, or draw with Crayons in a coloring book?

Q: Whatís an unusual or quirky habit your pet consistently displays? If you donít have a pet of your own, or if youíve never had a pet at any point during your life, whatís an unusual habit or thing that youíve observed in someone elseís pet (like a neighborís pet or a siblingís or relativeís pet)?

March 11, 2004

In the current issue of Orion: Nature, Culture, and Art, the nature writer Terry Tempest Williams has a new essay, Commencement: The Open Space of Democracy. I've long been a fan of Orion Magazine and Terry Tempest Williams, and many of the contemporary and past nature writers. Their insights into culture and society often reveal the scars and cut through the superficial to reach into the wound to really get to the matter (in such a physical state).

Recently, Orion has been engaging in new democratic initiatives, prompted by the turn of events from Septemeber 11, 2001. This first essay comes from their Thoughts on America Initiative. They are also publishing a series of books, The New Patriotism Series...speaking to the phrase "September 11th changed everything". "This phrase has become common in today's America, with politicians, media, and everyday citizens declaring that the world needs to be seen through a much different lens after the tragic events of September 11, 2001. It seems undeniable that the phrase will come to be seen by future generations as an accurate representation of history. This series is designed to present September 11 and the new world through the eyes of some of our nation's greatest visionaries, including Wendell Berry, Barry Lopez, Terry Tempest Williams, and David James Duncan."

Hope you enjoy the essay and find some kernels of truth for yourself:

SINCE SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, we have witnessed an escalation of rhetoric within the United States that has led us to war twice in two years. We have heard our president, our vice-president, our secretary of defense, and our attorney general cultivate fear and command with lies, suggesting our homeland security and safety must reside in their hands, not ours. Force has trumped debate and diplomacy.

Our language has been taken hostage. Words like patriotism, freedom, and democracy have been bound and gagged, forced to perform indecent acts through the abuse of slogans. Freedom will prevail. We are liberating Iraq. God bless America.

For many of us, the war on terror is not something that has been initiated outside our country, but inside our country as well. We wonder who to trust and what to believe.

I have always believed democracy is best practiced through its construction, not its completion -- a never-ending project where the windows and doors remain open, a reminder to never close ourselves off to the sensory impulses of eyes and ears alert toward justice. Walls are torn down instead of erected in a counter-intuitive process where a monument is not built but a home, in a constant state of renovation.

It was within this context of witnessing America at war and contemplating democracy that I accepted an invitation to deliver the commencement address to graduating seniors at the University of Utah on May 2, 2003. I was to receive an honorary doctorate degree in the humanities. Nothing could have meant more to me than to be recognized by my own school in my own town. They know who I am and who I am not. We share a history and history is always complicated. For me, personally, the stakes couldn't have been higher.

Before the speech, I had had the great pleasure of meeting with a group of graduating seniors. What I heard were mature voices, steady minds, speaking from a generation that had witnessed the beginning of two wars, Afghanistan and Iraq, while students at the university. They were not interested in ideas or language that polarized people: Christianity vs. Islam; republicans vs. democrats; Mormons vs. non-Mormons; wilderness vs. development. They talked about alternatives, solutions, how to speak a language that opens hearts rather than closes them. These students were acutely aware of complexities and hesitant to take sides before considering all the evidence.

I had fifteen minutes to speak from my heart to these young people on their graduation day. My heart was pounding.

Click here to read the complete essay...

March 10, 2004

Martha Stewart got to be a very wealthy woman by lecturing the nation on proper domestic behavior. That fact alone makes her early-March conviction on federal obstruction-of-justice charges succulently amusing. Tempting as it may be to view the Stewart trial only as a morality play, we must acknowledge the larger issues at play here: the integrity of the justice system and the accountability of publicly traded corporations. Some of Marthaís supporters will argue that federal prosecutors needlessly threw the book at their hero, and that she was an attractive target because of her high profile. Theyíll also suggest that any prison sentence she might receive is too harsh. Well, Iím here to tell ya that theyíre doubly wrong!

Those who intentionally mislead investigators assault the very foundation of our criminal justice system. If lying to investigators carried no consequences, the result would be more corruption and crime. Stewartís conviction sends the message that the rich and powerful can't always break the rules with exemption from punishment.

Furthermore, publicly-traded companies depend on the good will of investors like you and me. When the elite knowingly profit from insider info, they abuse that trust and they abuse the system itself. While Stewartís conviction does not do away with the need for the government to pursue more outrageously bad or reprehensible instances of corporate corruption, it should prompt other titans of business to be more heedful of the consequences related to taking care of their personal friends and associates. As Stewart herself was fond of saying so damned smugly, that's a good thing.

March 9, 2004

It's been a while since I've proposed any new rules (for an explanation of the 'new rule' concept, click here). Today's proposed rules all revolve around politics. As always, feel free to chime in with new rules of your own.

New Rule #1: You cannot run for political office if you haven't first finished out the term of your current position (unless of course you're the incumbent running for reelection)... maybe it's just me, but I'm sick and tired of all of these United States Senators and Congress people abandoning their responsibilities to those who elected them just so they can run for higher office. If you're elected as the Senator or Congresswoman from such-and-such a state, you should be required by law to finish out that term. People voted for you to represent them for a specific reason and for a specific period of time; not so you could run for some other office while you're on the taxpayers' payroll.

New Rule #2: Similar to New Rule #1 (see above)... If you've been elected to represent a specific constituency (either at the state or federal levels), you may not seek or accept a position in the President's Cabinet or as an Under Secretary or Special Advisor for this-or-that for the reigning administration if you haven't first finished your other elected term. This one, too, should be a no-brainer, but time and time again elected officials jump ship for greener pastures, which totally invalidates the results of original election. You can't tell me that the only people qualified to fill Cabinet positions or other high-ranking posts are members of the U.S. House of Representatives or Senate, or even sitting governors. This great country of ours is packed to the gills with talented people who would be honored to bring new ideas and solutions to fruition.

New Rule #3: The United States President and Vice President should be elected separately from one another (not as a ticket)... OR... the Presidential candidate who receives the second highest number of votes in the general election is awarded the Vice Presidency: Bipartisanship is a wonderful idea, but rarely does it ever happen for the right reasons. Put a President and Vice President from opposing political parties into the same White House and we're bound to secure an administration that works on behalf of all of the people more of the time.

March 8, 2004

For the better part of the last 20 years I've been hearing a lot about how good of a chef my brother is. From kitchens in Connecticut all the way on down to the U.S. Virgin Islands, my older brother Kenny has been preparing meals for every population you can think of (okay, maybe not the "prison" population, but after tasting his food myself on a recent trip to Vermont, I wouldn't be surprised if prison inmates attempted to break out of jail just so they eat his food). But the final product--the plated dish, if you will--only tells a small part of the story about my brother.

Earlier this month, while I was visiting family in southern Vermont, Kenny--who is currently the Executive Chef at the Lodge at Mount Snow--treated me and host of family and community members to some of the best eats' I've had in a long time. Getting to spend time with him in the kitchen--where I got to see first-hand 'the master' at work--that was the really special part of the visit (aside, of course, from all the time I got to spend with my Mother). Like I said, for years I'd been hearing how great Kenny was at his craft, but like any younger brother is supposed to do, since it's always been my own brother telling me how great he was, I tended to listen to it all with a bit of brotherly skepticism (after all, this is the guy who had me believing for the longest time that he was *the person* who sang all of the songs on the radio when we were kids... apparently, Kenny had a trap door under his bed, which he used only late at night to make his way to *the* radio station, where he recorded each and every song I'd ever heard on my transistor radio... so pardon me for not always buying into this 'great chef' story I'd been hearing about all of these years). But you know what... it's not a story; my brother can cook, big time!

But like I said before, Kenny's plated dishes only tell half the story. Getting to spend time with him in the kitchen, and seeing firsthand the care, passion, and thoughtfulness that goes into each and every meal he prepares, was such a huge and unexpected surprise. The last thing that I thought would happen, as a result of helping out in the kitchen, was that I would walk away feeling proud of who my older brother has become... but that's exactly what happened! All these years--and I mean no disrespect when I say this--but all of these years I thought that my brother was some hack short order chef, which of course, couldn't have been further from the truth. He's nationally certified in food service sanitation, knows more about the chemistry of food than anyone I've ever met, and has even developed an entirely new style of cooking... a fusion of Classic French, American, and Carribian cuisines he calls "Triribbian."

The bottom line here is this... I have an entirely new appreciation for my brother. How he operates in the kitchen is a reflection of who he is outside of one. I love ya, bro. Thanks for the eats AND the lessons. Keep on keepin' on! You're the best.

March 7, 2004

Mikal always seems to be ahead of the curve. Maybe it was the actual report, or it may have been the discussion on the Beli-Blog on Wednesday, March 3rd, but the NY Times editorialized about the recent report of the US Catholics. Click here for the link to the NYT's Friday, March 5, 2004 editorial, "There Must Be Consequences." [NOTE: You can use the Beli-Blog's account to login to the New York Times website... the Member ID is 'beliblog', and the Password is 'readit'.]

March 5, 2004

Q: Are there any conspiracy theories that you totally buy into?

Q: Earlier this week, Champ Bailey agreed to a seven-year, $63 million contract with the Denver Broncos, making him the National Football League's highest-paid cornerback (in case you don't know what a 'cornerback' is... it's a defensive player who generally lines up on the outside of the offense's formation, and is almost always assigned to guard a wide receiver or that area of the field where a wide receiver is expected to run to to catch a pass). Considering how much Bailey is being paid to guard wide receivers (which by my count is approximately $562,500.00 per game before taxes), is it fair to expect that a touchdown should never be scored against him?

Q: What's one image, scene, or event that you wish you had a camera handy for but didn't?

Q: What time do you wake up on the average weekday verses either Saturday or Sunday?

March 4, 2004

While last Monday marked my Motherís XXth birthday (again, not to worry, Mom, I wonít divulge what the ëXXí stands for), it also marked another significant and important milestoneÖ Week 20 and the end of 'Phase One' of the Lifestyle Strategies of Central Indiana's medically supervised weight management and counseling program I've been enrolled in. During the 20 weeks spanning from October 13, 2003 thru February 23, 2004, I lost approximately 60 pounds, and started what I believe will be a lifelong commitment to a specific set of health and weight management goals. Last night marked my first Phase Two class, which is more of the sameóweekly sessions aimed at providing education, structure, and accountability towards my goals, all in a supportive group environment.

From an overhead presented during last nightís classÖ

That piece is better known as "Autobiography in Five Short Chapters," and is included in Portia Nelsonís classic and well-thought of book, Thereís a Hole in my Sidewalk. I share it here because Nelson's words speaks eloquently to the many things going on in my life where health and weight management choices, i.e. food, diet, and exercise, are concerned, and because I suspect that the analogy will seem amazingly timely for things going on in other people's lives, also. It's all intertwined, this 8th grade world of ours, and the more attention we choose to focus towards what we're really up to--and conversely, what we're capable of--the easier and more enjoyable life can be for all of us (myself included). It's a constant struggle... choosing the right street, the correct path, or recognizing and avoiding the potholes along the way... but once you do--oh, once you do--it can slowly or quickly (depending on your perspective) becomes so worth it. In at least one area of my life--20 weeks and 60 pounds ago--I didn't know this. Today I do.

March 3, 2004

In case you missed it, late last week the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops released the results of the first-ever, national study of child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. The report, based on survey responses from ninety-seven (97) percent of dioceses, found that the total number of priests with allegations of abuse against themselves was 4,392, which represents around five (5) percent of all priests in the ministry between 1950 and 2002. In all, the number of individuals who were specifically identified in the report as having made allegations of abuse against priests was 10,667 (with eighty-one (81) percent of alleged victims being male and nineteen (19) percent being female).

It's a given (isnít it?) that the actions in question violate the beliefs of any church in such obvious and fundamental ways that there shouldn't be room for discussion. But there has been discussion, and cover-ups, and, for lack of a better word, betrayals. These alleged pedophiles are figures of authority. It is that power over their victims that makes it possible for many of them to get away with it for years, or with multiple victims. Did the Catholic Church know what was going on? In many cases, sadly, the answer is a resounding "yes." Did it respond in a timely and affirmative manner? Sadly, again, the answer in most cases is "no."

And now thereís this study/report that reveals that over the last 50 years, approximately four (4) percent of all priests were responsible for molesting nearly eleven thousand (11,000) young children across the country. Is that number the final total? Probably not. There are surely people who never came forward for all of the obvious reasons, and who are trying to live privately with their wounds. Most victims though have been very public, waging a war of sorts against the institution they feel has let them down. What do we make of all this?

The problem, at least for me and a nice old lady I spoke with yesterday afternoon on a plane ride from the east coast back to Indiana, is this... how does one reconcile the beliefs at the core of any religion with the actions laid out in last week's report? How could anyone serving those principles engage in such unprincipled behavior?

March 1, 2004

After wasting a total of twelve hours of my life dealing with Qwest Communications and being without the Internet all weekend, I tried to go into the deep recesses of my mind to picture what life was like before the Internet. It was such a scary thought that it made me cringe, huddle in a corner with my blanket, and shiver incessantly. I mean seriously folks, I know there was a time in our lives when we managed without the Internet, but how did we do it? How did we communicate with each other, conduct business, entertain ourselves, get our news?

I have been so crippled without the Internet this past weekend that I couldn’t submit a new course proposal to Western State College. I couldn’t update the Community Adventure Program Blog. I couldn’t keep up with my friends via email, read what was happening in the world on the New York Times website, or check the Boulder Weekly Calendar to see what was shakin’ in Boulder this weekend. Life as I knew it ceased to exist without this crazy technological tool called the Internet. Ok, I know it sounds pathetic and that I had alternatives for communicating with my friends, getting my news, submitting my proposal, etc. However, being without the Internet this weekend showed me just how dependent on technology I really am, and to be quite honest it freaked me out!