The ability to post comments anonymously following a story is the worst thing to happen to journalism in the last century.

What is wrong with this?  People who are most likely to post are those with an opinion outside the mainstream (at opposite ends of the political spectrum)  or with an ax to grind.  This inevitably leads to a shouting match, as neither side is willing to to give an inch.  Thus the electorate is further polarized than ever.

Secondly, if a person doesn’t have the balls to put their name on their writings they are worthless cowards. Let us take a writer in our own local paper: we’ll call him “Libertas”.  Libertas posts incessantly regarding every possible topic.  He is a self-proclaimed expert on any subject.  A story about a local spelling bee will inevitably lead to a lengthy diatribe on the dangers of socialism.    How did the local spelling bee lead to socialism? SOMEHOW!!!

Thirdly, it has taken away from the original story.  For instance, a recent story regarding our local food pantries being low over the summer as people are less apt to give in the summer, was a well-intentioned story on the part of our local paper.  The main gist of the story was that their supplies are plentiful around Christmas and during the school year as schools do food drives.  The need is still great over the summer, but giving is down. Bringing the public’s attention to a need in the community.  The comment section on this article Shanghaied the article into a discussion about the recipients of food bank services being “worthy” or “unworthy” based on their personal habits.  This lead to a discussion about “free lunch” programs at schools and this naturally lead to a long rant on the dangers of socialism.

Does this lead the media to create stories that are more controversial?  I think so. Look at the media in general.  Rush Limbaugh, Rachel Maddox, Glen Beck…on and on and on. Mainstream? No. Rather than an unvarnished relaying of facts, journalism is more about heated arguments and polarization.  Not good for a democracy that depends on cooperation and compromise to make any real progress.

Deepwater Horizon explosion in the Gulf of Mexico

234 years ago we declared our independence from Britain because their rigid class system and monarchy did not fit with our American values and plans.  Their system was riddled with inefficiencies and more concerned with appearances than making any real progress.

Apparently, we did not learn our lesson from history as we watch BP (British Petroleum) blunder in the Gulf of Mexico with the Deepwater Horizon oil well.  Tony Hayward, head of BP, was more concerns with ass-covering and public relations from the moment that the oil well exploded on April 20th and killed 11 Americans.  This Better-Than-Thou Brit has the audacity to tell the victims’ families, “I wish I could have my life back too.”

While I have always admired President Obama’s ability to build consensus, this was not a consensus-building moment.  It was a take-charge moment.  An General Alexander Haig “I’m in charge!!” moment.  The United States needed to seize control of the oil well and do what we do best; get down to business to tackle a problem. Instead, what we got were weeks of delay and dithering and even weaker attempts to wrestle a grizzly bear with Handi-Wipes.

So how did we get in this mess?  Clearly, the worst industrial accident in United States history.  The same way that India got into the Bhopal Union Carbide accident that killed 15,000 people and crippled 100’s of thousands of people and just recently commemorated its 25th anniversary.  We allowed corporations to make their own rules which were rubber-stamped by regulators.  When corporations have as much influence over the government ( as in India pre-Bhopal accident) situations like this are bound to happen.  Drilling for oil a mile under the ocean with pressure more than a ton per square-inch is a dangerous feat.  It calls for adequate safety measures and a system of checks and balances.  Most importantly, it calls for accountability.  What PERSON is accountable? When asked by investigators WHO was in charge of  Deep Horizon oil rig, survivors were unsure.  By PERSON, I mean what single human being, not what corporate or government entity.  When individuals are held accountable ( rather than the THEM of organizations)  better results are inevitable.

Let’s take charge of this mess and leave the ass-covering for later.

When Susie and I rolled up the the concert Saturday night, “Jack and Diane” was being played and I stopped slack-jawed sure that none other than John Mellencamp was making a guest appearance.  In reality, it was none other than Schneck Medical Center’s Andy Hagedorn.

The concert was part of a Leadership Jackson County project to benefit the Starve Hollow Nature Center.  The band is comprised of Andy Hagedorn, Facilities manager at Schneck, Dr. Luyen Le ( surgeon) Dr. Kris Williams (orthopedic surgeon), and Dr. Dave Hartung (family physician). Not only can this group wield a scalpel, but play a really eclectic array of songs equally well.  From Johnny Cash to Black Crows.  Susie and I both commented that the band seemed to be having as much fun as those watching.  Frontman Andy Hagedorn’s self-effacing style and humor added to the fun environment.  He only lost it when extra-large panties were tossed on stage by a group of nurses.

I look forward to seeing more of their venue’s in the future.

A month ago I had knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus and remove a Baker’s cyst on my left knee.

Tonight I pumped up my bike tires and dusted off the frame in anticipation of riding in the morning. Really looking forward to getting back in the saddle. I’ve recovered from injuries  before and I’ll do it again. Injuries are one of the risks that you take living actively. Also,  I’m really looking forward to re-connected with some incredible friends.  I have missed the camaraderie of training.

Scar with staples intact where Baker's cyst was removed.

Franklin County High School Wildcats

Once again I went over to Brookville, Indiana to do my Ironman presentation for my sister Beth Wade’s English class.  As usual,  the class had a lot of great questions and were polite beyond mere words. Thank you for making me feel very welcome and at home.  I wish all of you the best of success in all your pursuits and, hopefully, will see you on the triathlon course in the near future.

Be great!

From the flames new life rises

First off, an apology to my faithful blog readers for the prolonged hiatus.  Just a ton of plates spinning at the same time and I didn’t follow my own good advice about the oxygen mask.

But the hiatus is over and new life has sprung from the ashes. Interesting digression: the idea of a bird that rises out of the fire is an almost universal mythology. Completely unrelated cultures have told of this bird, whether they called it a phoenix or something else.  Must be part of who we are as humans to appreciate the idea of renewal….OR was there such a phenomenon? I’ll leave that to you to ponder.

My last posting I went into several goals I am working on. Some successes. I can speak with someone at a call-center in Bangalore in Hindi and nearly be understood. Fascinating culture! I’m considering opening a Super-8 Motel. Definitely planning a trip to India.

I got a Sony Reader for Christmas and I have read a ton of books on it.  Really enjoy that new technology. I can discover a new book and be reading it several minutes later. Re-read for the third time The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky.

I need a good kicking in the ass to get swimming!!! I have not swam once since Ironman Florida. As much as I enjoy swimming, I don’t enjoy the drive into town and back before the buttcrack of dawn.  Next week! Who will be my accountability partner? Speak Up! There is a GoogleVoice widget on the side that actually works!

To commemorate the occasion I'm contemplating this spectacular tattoo

I have several good pieces of material to post. Everyone has a story, but not everyone is a storyteller. Keep posted.

Triathlon season is over and as the winter solstice nears, it is time to make some goals for the off-season. I find myself now with some extra time on my hands since I don’t have the 15-18+ hours a week of training for an Ironman.

1.) I’m learning Hindi. India (where Hindi is spoken)  has always been a place I’d like to travel to since I was a kid. I have read that one of the best ways to stay mentally active and fit is to learn foreign languages.  Hindi seemed like the most difficult to learn since the alphabet is so different. I enjoy a challenge. The truth is that it is fairly easy to pick up once you get the hang of the Devanagari Script. I found a great online language community called Live Mocha.  www.livemocha.com

It uses a very similar method as Rosetta Stone with the advantage of matching you up with native speakers of the language.  I as a native English speaker I am matched up with Hindi speakers who are learning English.  I submit written and spoken lessons for feedback and receive lessons from people wanting to learn English. So far it has been very enjoyable. Peebs, Avashi, Sundar9kr, Pradhyumna, Rinku, Ayush and I are having a smashingly good time. As the lessons progress we will go to online chatting in our chosen language.  My kids are getting into learning Hindi and this is a natural time to introduce them to a foreign language.

2.) Get lean and mean.  I went to the personal trainer the other day and got a plan for some strength training.  While training for Ironman Florida I had no time for any strength training.  I’m also hoping to shed 15 pounds of useless flab in the process.

3.) Get the basement fixed up. We have about 1,200 sq. ft. of basement space that could be put to better use. I plan on taking up the carpeting and replacing it with laminate that is more kid-friendly.

4.) Read the stack of books that I have been meaning to read.

5.) Do more swimming. I would absolutely love to find another venue other than the 5:00AM swim at the high school. If not, I’ll make that work.

6.)  Solve the world’s problems.

Pygmy, by Chuck Palahniuk

Chuck Palahniuk is best known as the author of Fight Club, the novel that was made into a blockbuster movie and cult film starring Brad Pitt and Edward Norton.  Chuck Palahniuk writing style is minimalistic and his themes are dark and foreboding.

In Fight Club, Palahniuk takes on the Financial Complex ( the tangled matrix of banks, credit card companies, insurance companies, stock market investors whose job it is to f*ck over the “Little Guy”) .  The central character that actor Edward Norton portrays is never given a name because he represents “The Everyman” that is a mindless pawn caught in the “system” and a bitch to “the man”.

The theme in Pygmy is no less funny and disturbing.  The central character is Pygmy, so-called because of his short stature.  Pygmy is one of a group of terrorists from a totalitarian state who have been trained and indoctrinated since age four to hate everything American and seek America’s downfall. The terrorists come to America as a group of thirteen year-old “exchange students”  to Mid-Western homes.

The story is written from the perspective of Pygmy; including butchered use of the English language.  Pygmy has no sense of humor and takes everything at its literal meaning.  This makes for some hilarious stuff.  It really gives an outsiders look at American culture and how outlandish some of our traditions are.  As a 13 year-old middle school student in an American school, Pygmy is forced to take a Swing Choir class and he cannot fathom the absurdity of this mindless waste of time and energy. ( One of the funniest sections of the book).

Author Chuck Palahuniuk

Along the way, Pygmy develops an attachment for the people who he has been trained to destroy.  This is a fantastic novel, but not for the faint of heart (like all of Palahniuk’s works).  The novel reveals some of the hypocrisies of the Christian establishments and nearly everything American is fair game for Palahniuk’s wit.

Nice Myth: Not the way it happened

My kids came home the other day from Cortland School and said that 102 of the students were going to see what it was like to ride on the Mayflower.  The fifth grade class had drawn a chalk outline of the Mayflower on the playground and they had to pack items for the trans-Atlantic voyage. 62 days, in fact.

Like many of American holidays, Thanksgiving is filled with myths.  We have a penchant for idealizing stories, when, in fact, the real version is much interesting.

The Pilgrims ( called The Separatists at the time) originally set sail from Defthaven, Holland on two ships The Mayflower and the Speedwell.  The Speedwell encountered problems at sea and both ships put in at Plymouth, England.  A total of 102 passengers left Plymouth on September 6, 1620 bound for the New World. Of the 102 passengers only 43 adults were listed as Pilgrims.  The remainder were listed as “Strangers.” These were individuals who were seeking their fortunes in the New World and not part of the separatists who were seeking religious freedom.

The group was sailing for the mouth of the Hudson River, but with winter approaching and provisions running short they had to abandon their original plans.  They anchored at Provincetown Harbor on November 11, 1620.  It was only later that they lead expeditions arriving at Plymouth Harbor. It was purely coincidence that the place they started from and the place they ended up bare the same name. The area had been surveyed and mapped years earlier by John Smith of the Jamestown Colony and was already called Plymouth.

Of the original 102 passengers on the Mayflower, only 53 remained to partake in the First Thanksgiving of 1621 with Chief Massasoit and 90 of his men. While this all sounds very We-Are-The-World, the original plans for the Hudson Bay pilgrim settlement called for enslaving the indigenous people. Squanto, the Indian, didn’t just magically know English.  He spent years in Europe as a slave before being returned to his homeland. The Pilgrims ( and the Strangers as well ) would not have survived were it not for the generosity of the indigenous people. The Thanksgiving meal consisted of five deer provided by the Indians, salt cod, wild birds, corn, squash, and native berries, including cranberries.

What I’m thankful for:

• I have a lot of wonderful people in my life. I have a great family: a wonderful wife and two great children. I have wonderful friends who are genuine and caring. I work with a fantastic group of people who are dedicated to their work and are some of the funniest people on the face of the Earth.
• I am very thankful for good health. In early September I was in the hospital barely able to move. Yet, I rebounded quickly and was able to compete in Ironman Florida.
• I live in a friendly, caring community.  I remember when I graduated from college the best sight was Seymour, Indiana in my rearview mirror.  I vowed never to return. Luckily, I gained some sense along the way and realize now what a great place it is. What we lack in hip, we make up for in our values.
• I am thankful that we have what we need.  Sure, there are things that I’d like, but when I look at it from a global perspective we live better than 95% of the world’s population.
• I am thankful for the freedoms that we enjoy.  The freedom to worship as we please, speak our mind, to freely elect our leaders.  Thankful for those who served that we all can enjoy those freedoms.
• May your Thanksgiving be a happy and healthy one.

Demonstration of the Honda Fit's versatility

If this picture wasn’t so gruesome, it would be a great advertisement  for the Honda Fit. The small car has very versatile configurations that allow the owner to haul just about anything. In this case it’s a huge buck.

Ali, a co-worker from DCS ’s husband is a conservation officer and he had promised to get me a deer this season.  I, however, would be responsible for picking it up and getting it to the processors. I  got the call on Sunday and put the seats down in the car. The front passenger seat even goes all the way forward and then folds backwards allowing very long things to be hauled.

I arrived at Darlage Meat Locker to ge the deer processed only to be told they were full for the day and to arrive before 8:00 AM the next morning. I had to pack ice into the cavity of the deer and keep it wrapped up until the next day.

When I showed up the next morning there were all these big pick-up trucks and mullet-y hunting guys waiting with their deer. They were stunned when I pulled the largest deer of the group out of this sub-compact car.  Yes! Absolutely! I just pretended that I shot it.