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June 30, 2005

NO HIGHER CALLING

Did anyone happen to catch the President's nationally televised speech Tuesday evening? If not, you may be interested to know where the so-called leader of the free world ranks military service among the many options our citizens have in terms of which career they choose to pursue. From Tuesday evening's speech:

I thank those of you who have re-enlisted in an hour when your country needs you. And to those watching tonight who are considering a military career, there is no higher calling than service in our Armed Forces.

Really? There's no higher calling than service in our Armed Forces? Wow; I for one am shocked. Just off the top of my head, I can think of around a dozen or so jobs/posts that I'd say easily rank above military service in the 'higher calling' category, including (in no particular order):

- Foster Parent
- Social Worker
- Health Educator
- Hospice Worker
- Registered Nurse
- Career Counselor
- Members of Clergy
- EMT and Paramedic
- Public School Teacher
- Rape/Crisis Counselor
- Child Welfare Advocate
- Home Health Care Aide

Don't get me wrong, I do support our men and women in uniform, but not because of this supposed 'war' we're engaged in; I support them as individuals; individuals who--for the most part--have been led astray by greed and the current administration's need to be right at all costs (even if it means putting our service men and women in harms way for reasons which to this blogger and millions of other US citizens make very little sense).

But putting that pesky issue aside for just a moment, I have to say that the President's ranking of armed service would ring a little less hollow for me--and perhaps for you too?--if our country's ruling class (the President's own family included, of course) were better represented in the military. The fact is that military/armed service is a lower/middle-class and working-class occupation, which US elites avoid like the plague, as they do almost every other worthwhile career, including those listed above (along with tons of others, I'm sure [sorry, that list is the best I can come up with at 5:45 a.m.]). Military service, at least as far as I'm concerned, is no higher a calling than is volunteering with the Peace Corp in any number of regions across the world.

Posted by Mikal at 5:45 AM | Comments (13) | TrackBack

June 29, 2005

DISCRIMINATION IN INDY

If you live or work in the greater Indianapolis/Marion County area and have experienced housing or workplace discrimination because you are gay, lesbian, or transgendered, please considered visiting this site. Sharing your story, even anonymously, just may help to get an equality ordinance passed that includes what I believe are to be impirtant sexual orientation and gender identity protections.

Posted by Mikal at 5:33 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

June 28, 2005

So this blog doesn't give the feeling of complete emptiness (except on Fridays when I post the FFF), here are my responses to a combination of the last two week's Unconscious Mutterings:

June 24, 2005

June 19, 2005

While I'm at home this morning--doing weekend chores like laundry, vacuuming, and dusting--my girlfriend is off at church, reconnecting with the faith, beliefs, and community, which have all played an important role in who she is today. And while I'm fully supportive of her going to church and all, I am somewhat puzzled by what I found here in the homestead in her brief absence.

Mind you, I wasn't snooping or looking for trouble, per se; rather, I was quite innocently vacuuming when I quite unexpectedly come upon the following:

Now, while it's true that I've been known to enjoy a few Twix bars in my day, is it absolutely necessary to ward me off with this sort of symbolism? While it does seem to be a little on the extreme side--insofar as a deterrent goes--I will tell you this... I am thinking of checking out that church with her next weekend... especially if means I get to eat those wonderfully delectable Twix caramel cookie bars, flush with smooth chocolate and that trademark caramel cookie crunch!

June 17, 2005

Q1: If you clearly saw the driver of a car in front of yours or next to yours opening and drinking from a can of beer while driving, would you call the police or 911 to report what you saw?

Q2: When you eat meals at home, what percentage of those meals do you eat at a kitchen or dining room table verses those you eat while sitting in your favorite chair or on the couch while watching television?

Q3: Was there ever a time in your life when you were convinced or pretty darned certain that you'd like to live in a specific city, state, or region that you did not live in at the time? If so, what happened... do you still want to live there, do you live there now, or has your impression of that place somehow changed?

Q4: Which would you say you posses more of... Business Acumen, Creativity, or Social Skills? Which would you like to have more of?

June 14, 2005

Here is a 1-question IQ Test to help you decide how you should spend the rest of your day.

QUESTION: There is a mute who wants to buy a toothbrush. By imitating the action of brushing one's teeth, he successfully expresses himself to the shopkeeper and the purchase is done. Now, if there is a blind man who wishes to buy a pair of sunglasses, how should he express himself? �Think about it first before scrolling down and clicking on the "Please Click Here to Continue Reading" link below for the answer.

ANSWER: He opens his mouth and says: "I would like to buy a pair of sunglasses."

If you got this wrong, please pack up your things, turn off your computer, and do us all a favor--call it a day!

June 13, 2005

This one's been sticking in my claw as of late, and no; it's not what you think.

The hot-button issue as the National Basketball Association (NBA) and its players negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement is NBA Commissioner David Stern's desire to increase the minimum age for entry into the NBA Draft to 20 from 18. With another wave of super talented high school seniors poised to enter the NBA, I totally disagree with the proposed change, if for no reason other than to point out that Stern and league officials are out of touch with their fans.

Each year, the NBA conducts its annual entry draft (called the NBA Draft), which is the only way an amateur basketball player can get into the NBA. To the dismay of many people, including the NBA's own Commissioner, David Stern, a number of drafted players in recent years have just completed their senior year of high school, opting to skip college altogether for a shot at he pros. According to Stern, these high school-to-the-pro rank players are immature, unprepared, and ill-advised, as well as difficult to evaluate because they have never played against a higher brand of competition, even though most will sign guaranteed, multi-million dollar contracts before they would have ever stepped foot into some grumpy old college professor's English Lit 101 class at name-your-top-ranked university.

In stark contrast to what David Stern has to say about these players, recent studies have revealed that players drafted straight out of high school are just as likely, if not more so, to become better players than any other age group entering the NBA. Studies show that on average, high school players perform better in every major statistical category than does the average NBA player. Beyond excellence in performance, those players who bypass college can earn millions more over the course of their short NBA careers than had they earned a college diploma (not that I agree that this is right, mind you, but I'll save that for a future post), and no one--I repeat, no one--is forcing any of the NBA's teams to actually draft one of these kids.

But what really gets me about David Stern's position--on this completely trivial matter--is that he also maintains that we the fans do not want to see the high school ballers mixing it up with the pros, and that even attending one year of college would make the level of competition more enjoyable for us the fans. We don't want to see high schoolers mix it up with the professionals? What, are you kidding me? Aside from the ultimate David verses Goliath scenario, when a high school player enters the National Basketball Association, he's considered a phenom. We're fascinated by phenoms, especially those with athletic ability. You put an 18-year-old onto the basketball court with the possibility that he can slam-dunk the ball in the face of someone 8- to 10-years his senior, and I'm watching. We don't want to see high school-age kids mixing it up with the pros? Yeah, right; just like we don't want to see crashes at the Indy 500.

June 10, 2005

Q1: When the time comes for you to retire, where do you see yourself living out your remaining days? Will you move to Florida or Arizona and live in a retirement community, or do you see yourself staying put, living life on your own or close to your family until such time that you can no longer function independently?

Q2: If it were up to you, would keep or change the current age requirements for driving on public roadways? How about the age requirements for voting, joining the military, or drinking alcoholic beverages?

Q3: How many household plants do you currently own? If your answer is none, is that because you fear you'd end up killing them for lack of care, or do you just not like to have plants inside your home?

Q4: Each year, more than 1,000 people are infected by E. coli at their state's annual fair. If yours has one, will you be attending the State Fair this year? When it comes to alcohol-based hand sanitizers, which are effective against many organisms, including E. coli, do use them? If so, when and how often?

June 8, 2005

FYI... I'm ripping off the 'recent moment' format from my friend and web mentor Luke over at Decisive Moments (Luke's the king of 'recent moments'... I only hope that my version is someday as insightful and inspiring as his).

Recent Moment #1: I'm sitting in a airplane headed for Chicago. I start talking to the person seated next to me. Twenty-four-year-old Alex is on her way to Minnesota to work as a backcountry wilderness guide for YMCA Camp Widjiwagan. Alex participated in Camp Widjiwagan trips as a teenager, so she's intimately familiar with the 75-year-old wilderness program with its base camp firmly situated on the edge of northeastern Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area. I learn that after staff training, Alex is leaving for Alaska to lead Camp Widjiwagan's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) trip... a 7-week backcountry trek thru one of North America's great unspoiled areas. Much to my surprise, I also learn that Alex will be leading the trip--which involves guiding five 16- to 18-year-olds--totally by herself. No co-leader and no one to provide her with relief at any point during the nearly two-month long trek. Everything I know, either thru personal experience or from having worked in and written extensively about the outdoor education/recreation industry, tells me that something's wrong with this picture. Alex, who I'm sure is an excellent guide with great skills and wildreness savy, has never once stepped foot in ANWR, nor has she ever led a 7-week trip of this kind, let alone alone. Upon my return to Indianapolis, I visit YMCA Camp Widjiwagan's web site, and right there in plain English it clearly states "...one counselor leads each group of three to five campers..." on a number of the camp's trips. Frankly, I'm shocked and blown away. Sending five teenagers out on a 7-week ANWR trip with only one guide is just asking for trouble.

Recent Moment #2: I'm standing in front of my refrigerator with my girlfriend. While she opens the door to the fridge, I open the door to the freezer. I comment, "How come freezers never seem to have lights?" We're both puzzled.

Recent Moment #3: On the suggestion of someone in my health & weight management class, I purchase my first-ever Ugly Fruit. Four days later I comment to myself, "Man, I'd better eat that thing or throw it away before it gets any uglier." I cut it open like a grapefruit, and much to my surprise, even though it looks like a compressed orange on the inside, it tastes like pear. I discover that I like Ugly Fruit and that I think it'd be even better served chilled.

June 3, 2005

Q1: What's the longest road trip you've ever taken or been a part of? Did you enjoy the drive or was it a pain in the you-know-what?

Q2: How old is the oldest person you now know or have ever met? Would you like to be as old as that person?

Q3: Earlier this week, 91-year-old W. Mark Felt revealed to the world that he in fact was 'Deep Throat', the man who frequently met with Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein in Washington area parking garages to confirm information or fill in gaps from other sources related to the Watergate affair. Felt, who at the time was the second in command at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), is being hailed by some as a hero, while others say he violated the ethics of the law enforcement profession by talking to a newspaper rather than turning his information over to a grand jury. W. Mark Felt... hero or not?

Q4: Do you like your feet? Are you comfortable wearing open toe sandals, or do you prefer to keep your little piggies covered up at all costs?

June 1, 2005

Jeremy Bentham, the English philosopher, famously referred to the discussion of fundamental rights as "nonsense on stilts." He argued that actions should be determined as morally right or wrong based wholly on whether or not they maximize pleasure and minimize pain. He thought it ludicrous that anyone would consider rights independent of utility. As Americans, however, we believe we are entitled to certain fundamental rights irrespective of the general welfare, and as the second amendment illustrates, we really like our guns. So when Doug Jackson, an elected member of the Tennessee state legislature, recently proposed an amendment to his state�s constitution resolving that "the people have a right to hunt, fish, and harvest game," it garnered immediate bipartisan support.

Now, as a fisherman and a fishing guide, I'll admit this all seems a bit strange to me. It's not that I don't agree with him on some level that I have a right to hunt and fish on public lands that my taxpayer dollars support, it's just that I'm not sure I see the rational necessitating a constitutional amendment protecting such a right. Or put another way, I drink a lot of coffee, but I'm not asking the government to protect that right. Furthermore, I am happy to give up my "right" to fish for a certain species if the regulatory agency in charge of managing the resource tells me it's in the fisheries best interest. It would be a colossal waste of time for the government to protect my right to drink coffee with "a right to drink coffee amendment," and I'm inclined to think the same holds true when it comes to hunting and fishing.

Of course there is nobody who is seriously threatening my ability to drink coffee, but there are those who would tell you that animal rights advocates are a clear and present danger to hunting and fishing on public wildlands nationwide. Tennessee state Senator Jeff Miller is one such individual, and toward that end, he recently pushed through an NRA-inspired amendment to Doug Jackson's bill extending its scope to include "hunting and fishing for all game and fish species by all methods and means available to citizens under the laws, regulations, and restrictions of this state at any time during the ten years preceding the ratification of this amendment." Senator Miller, perhaps a suspicious man by nature, appears to believe it is his duty to use constitutional amendments to preemptively protect people from whatever he views as an immanent threat. For example, recently Miller was instrumental is the passage of another Jackson bill--the one that defines marriage as a contract between one man and one woman. "This fight was forced upon us by those who are seeking to redefine marriage in court by cozying up to activist judges," said Miller. I fear the slickness of the slope when every threat becomes a constitutional amendment.

So this isn't really about my right to hunt and fish, I guess. Rather it's an openly politicized and partisan preemptive strike masterminded by the pro-gun lobby and aimed at weakening the power of the animal rights lobby. Behind the politics, however, is a bill that could be disastrous to the state's wildlands and wildlife. What happens, for instance, when the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) needs to change hunting or fishing regulations in the best interest of conservation? What happens when an animal that was legally hunted in Tennessee sometime in the last ten years, suddenly winds up on the endangered species list? It's not hard to imagine where our litigious society could take us in these situations, and although TWRA officials are confident that a federally listed species would be protected by the state even if the amendment with the NRA language passes, they fear it would require significant funds to litigate such cases--funds that could and should be better spent on conservation and management.

Senator Miller recently said in regard to the defense of marriage amendment, "Activist judges liberally read their own thoughts and views into constitutions in order to 'find' rights which don't exist." But it seems to me, Mr. Miller, that the "right to hunt and fish amendment" is a fishing trip if ever there was one, or as Bentham would put it, it's nonsense on stilts. Anyway, I'll be maximizing my own pleasure while enjoying a cup of coffee when I leave the dock to fish tomorrow morning--it's my right after all.