Save Trestles!

In February I attended the California Coastal Commission hearing scheduled to approve or reject a proposed toll road that would cut through San Mateo State Park and end directly north of Camp Pendleton. It was an excellent experience as I was one of thousands of people there to voice my support in the proposal being rejected. The outpouring of support was a beautiful example of grassroots activism at its finest and I would like to think our efforts played a role in the commission rejecting the proposal 9 to 1. Despite the victory in this battle the war, of course, rages on.

Rather quickly after their defeat the Transportation Corridor Agency began organizing in an attempt to circumvent the commission’s ruling and be granted permission to build their toll road. They have a powerful ally in Governor Schwarzenegger who despite considering himself a “green” governor seems to have an interest in destroying our national park system. Today I found this article in the LA Times that discusses the Governor’s recent decision to remove Clint Eastwood and Bobby Shriver off of the State Parks board in response to their opposition of the toll road. Eastwood was apparently surprised as Schwarzenegger has always been aware of his support for our state park system. Eastwood remarked , “You’re not going to get people who are interested in state parks who want to build freeways through state parks,” which I think points out the silliness of a state parks board made up of people committed to destroying them.

Unfortunately, I have also heard from people close to the fight that the TCA’s next move is to lobby the federal government to push the proposal through. How would the federal government have any jurisdiction you ask? Well in a stroke of evil genius, the TCA has figured out that if they frame the proposal in terms of that generous term “national security” the federal government has to help. Apparently they are going to make the claim that due to the proposed toll roads proximity to Camp Pendleton, it is in the interest of national security to alleviate traffic and provide an alternative means of entering and exiting the base. This of course makes no sense but neither does a lot of things we do in the name of “national security” so it has a chance of working.

I am not writing about this to discuss my feelings on the toll road (most of the readers know where I stand on that) or even the history of the proposal (but if you would like I can provide that), but instead to document that the fight continues on. I will try and keep you all updated of the developments and the different ways we can help fight this thing.

A few links if you are interested: Save Trestles, Surfrider, The TCA.

Question:

It is no secret that oil companies have all made record profits the past few years as gas prices around the world soar to record highs. But here is my question: What is more annoying, the fact that these companies will continue to make this kind of money through our collective hardship, or that the profits they are making will allow them to continue to produce more of those “we may rape the earth but we do care” commercials. You know, the ones like Chevron made here. Is anything funnier and more anger inducing than those?

Anyway,  my personal vote is for the latter. Just wanted to see where you guys landed on this.

Thanks for the Comments

Thank you both for the advice regarding my current situation. You both make good points and I think you have helped me determine that I should keep as many options available as possible, so barring any unforeseen drop in ranking prestige from USD Law (new rankings come out next week) I will likely plop down the $150.

On a related note, Dad, can I borrow $150? Just kidding…

A Big Decision

A few months ago I was accepted into the University of San Diego School of Law. Not coincidentally, a few months ago I wanted to attend law school. As those close to me know, my position on the latter has changed dramatically rather quickly. I thought I had made my mind up about what I was going to do. My plan was to defer my acceptance and take another year to investigate other options to help me feel secure in making the best choice for me. However I am growing unsure and now I feel my hand being forced a little. The first date that requires action is April 1, which seemed very far away in February but is now right around the corner. I would need to place a deposit of $150 in order to hold my space in the incoming class. So in order to defer I would need to sign a contract sooner than this which essentially means I would need to get that done this week.

Right now I am a little unsure of what to do so I thought I would put it out there and ask for advice. Here are my thoughts:

1.) If I defer I am bound to USD Law School in the fall meaning I cannot apply to any other legal programs. I would lose my scholarship but be eligible to potentially receive another next year. There are no guarantees though and this does scare me. If USD gets a more competitive applicant pool I am stuck paying full price. Furthermore, in my year off I may decide that law school is right but that I want at a more prestigious school like UCLA. It would be hard to totally remove this option.

2.) On the other hand, if I do not defer and then in a year decide that law school is for me, there are no guarantees I will be accepted at USD again. Crazy things happen and I have learned to never assume things like that will work out.

3.) This sounds stupid but $150 is a lot of money. I know I am not poor but I am definitely still at a point financially where I dont’ have $150 lying around. To me it is a steep price to purchase a little more “time to think”.

So what should I do? Should I sign a deferment contract this week? Should I put down the deposit and think a little more (next date is in June and it is $600)? Should I decline my admissions offer and potentially reapply next year? This would require minimal work as I have all necessary documents etc. I know the goal is to keep as many options as I can so I guess I am trying to figure out which path gives me the most. I look forward to hearing what you all may have to say.

Returning the Favor

My dad linked to my blog this weekend in an effort to boost my readership. In case you happen to land here without being directed by him I urge you to check it out yourself sometime. I will include the link on my blogroll to the left or you can click here. He has been at it for some time now and his postings are always thought provoking, well written, and kerosene for argument. He wishes to remain relatively anonymous so I shall not include his first name, although calling him my father certainly makes it a little easier to figure out…..

March Madness

I filled out my bracket today intending to compete with no one in particular in predicting the outcome of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. Generally I like March Madness. I don’t particularly follow a team (Davis never seems to mentioned as a potential participant) but I enjoy the competition and the drama that tends to occur in a win or go home setting. This year though I have not been excited and I am trying to figure out why. I was talking to Amber the other night and we had a discussion about context and how maybe March Madness and its’ popularity is a factor of other things besides just basketball.

First off, lets be honest. College basketball is just not that well played. It is weird to me that so many people follow a second rate version of a sport. NBA games are constantly televised and the quality of play is such that the best college team on the country would lose 10 games out 10 played against the worst in the NBA. So if it is not quality, then what is it that makes the tournament one of the most popular sporting events in the country. Personally I think the reasons for its’ popularity are wholly contextual and have more to do with entertainment than the love of sports.

1.) “March Madness”. While living in Northern California where seasons actually exist, I think a big part of my excitement toward March Madness was that it implied a turn in weather and the ushering in of spring. I would guess that this is true for a lot of people. Spring is an amazing time anywhere in the country and I have always wondered if somewhere along the line March Madness has become synonymous with good weather, flowers blooming, people falling in love etc. This makes me wonder what the response would be if the tournament was held in January or August. It is a perfectly human thing to equate feelings to events or objects. Imagine how different we would celebrate our Independence Day if it was December 4th and not July 4th. This is not to take away from college basketball as a product, just a potential reason why so many who are not fans of the sport are fans of the tourney.

2.) The Vacuum Effect. It just so happens that the tournament falls in a time where practically no other sport matters. Baseball and football fans are enjoying the off-season. The NBA typically has its’ playoffs largely shaped and their games become monotonous and meaningless. And of course no one cares about hockey. So the March Madness tournament comes along and all of the sudden sports matter again for a few weeks. And it is ok that the play is not that good because there is literally nothing better out there. Besides there is always the power of what I will call the reality tv effect:

3) The Reality TV Effect. You know why reality television is so popular in this country? Because writers cannot recreate the drama that humans naturally bring the world. How else can we explain the popularity of shows like The Bachelor, The Hills, Big Brother etc. Never-mind the fact that the people who star in these shows are ugly, unintelligent, one-dimensional, and mostly unlikeable. The fact is these traits typically lead to conflict, conflict leads to drama, drama leads to ratings. Well in this same light the NCAA tournament satisfies this craving. As a rule NCAA teams are often inconsistent, immature, poorly coached, lack leadership, and prone to emotional highs and lows. Well these traits typically lead to unpredictable outcomes, which leads to drama, which leads to ratings. Here is the ironic part. If the product of play was good, which is to say that the teams were well prepared, mature, and emotionally stable the tournament would be boring and therefore much less popular.

So with these three things in mind why I am not too excited? Well, now that I live in San Diego the weather now is about the same as it was in early February so I can’t even associate the tourney with great weather. The NBA season has been one of the best in recent years and each game carries with it massive playoff implications. And it is undergoing a renaissance with the level of play. Lastly, the top four teams in this years NCAA tourney are well ahead of the other 60 meaning a fairly predictable outcome. None the less I will be watching and hoping that just one upset will make it worth it. Stay tuned for my picks…..

A (Not So) Quick Thought

Last week my dad and I had an (online) conversation concerning the role of race in the current Presidential candidate contest. The gist of it was that claims of Obama as the first black candidate were misguided because of the fact he has a white mother and black father. This was before this whole Geraldine Ferraro thing which has got me thinking about the implications of race in a new light.

It is no secret the Clinton’s play dirty. This whole campaign cycle Hillary has made both Obama’s race and religion an issue through both her own statements and those of surrogates. At first glance this would seem to backfire. The average person’s response to (inaccurate) allegations that Obama is a Muslim is so what? Bill’s claims that he “was the first black President” cost Hillary at least one delegate election if not more. So when the news began to publicize Ferraro’s statement many people likely wondered what Hillary is trying to accomplish, as most polls proved this was hurting her. There is one aspect of race that my dad and I touched upon in our debate and I am beginning to think this is issue is what Hillary is working on.

The concept of priming in psychology refers to activating parts of particular representations or associations in memory just before carrying out an action or task. Essentially it is the use of a stimulus to tap into the subconscious mind which is often the source of decisions we make. Connected to the subconscious are a lifetime of stereotypes – both negative and positive – and memories that we use to make the “safest” decisions we can. The book “Blink” by Malcolm Gladwell discusses this concept and shares an interesting study. In this study a group of African American college students, all largely similar in educational background, were given 20 questions from the GRE (the admissions test for graduate school). Half of the students were asked to provide their race. The other half were not. The students who checked that they were African American answered on average half of the questions correctly that the other group did. So what happened? Psychologists believe that this study shows the power of priming and the effects it has on our minds. When those students noted that they were African American, it reminded their subconscious of every negative stereotype regarding blacks and academic success. It is not that they were less intelligent, just that their minds had been rattled and it reflected in their performance.

Voting and campaigns are incredible experiments in psychology. Millions of dollars and man hours are spent trying to sway voters, who more often or not make up their minds quite quickly and quite privately. This is an aspect of race that has not been discussed. When Hillary or her surrogates make these statements I believe they are priming potential voters into every negative stereotype that individual may hold. If they can posit that Barack may be a “Muslim”, they are hoping that in that voting box John Q. Public might respond to those stereotypes he keeps hidden deep down out of sight from his liberal friends. If this is true, and this may be a concerted or unintentional act on Hillary’s part, I think it casts the issue of race in a different and more powerful light. It is an old game, and it is dirty, but let’s be honest, Hillary is both old and dirty.

Inspiration vs. Education

“Me got no education, me got inspiration. If I was educated I’d be a damn fool.” I heard this quote from Bob Marley the other day and after enjoying his simple wisdom I began to think about a recent conversation I had with my cousin and his wife. My cousin’s wife grew up in Brazil but attended high school in the states. We were discussing that experience and how surprisingly easy she found academics to be in the USA. This echoed similar sentiments I had heard from classmates at UC Davis which likely explains why the United States has fallen far behind other countries in standardized education. In a recent UNICEF study of 24 countries, the United States was ranked 18th in relative effectiveness of its’ educational system. This has been a developing issue that I think is cause for concern for most Americans today, especially in light of escalating budget cuts to school districts throughout the country. But this truth raises an interesting question. Assuming these studies are accurate, why does the US continue to be the most innovative nation on earth?  

American companies continue to lead in computer technology, medical research, engineering, entertainment and numerous other fields. This is where this quote began to display (unintentional?) wisdom to me. I am not the biggest fan of capitalism. The reasons behind this are not worth discussing but lets just say that like many things it is likely an ethos better theorized than applied. However, I do realize that capitalism inspires. Some of our greatest inventions have not been rooted in intelligence or education but pure passion and the knowledge that the hard work would pay off in the long run. This is what still distinguishes the US from those 17 countries ranked ahead of them.

The foundation of the American dream is that with hard work and luck anyone of us can go from pauper to prince and to a certain extent this is still the case. This becomes part of our personality and it allows us to compete with countries around the world whose citizens – although educated – lack the passion to apply their talents. It should be noted however, that more than ever this outlook is under threat. If our greatest strength is our intellectual capital than this inspiration needs to be nurtured. I don’t think anyone can argue that the last few years has seen a sharp rise in the gap between rich and poor. While certainly this may be due to the cyclical nature of the free market, we need to monitor this and maintain that inspiration at all costs. It is our greatest asset and the distinguishing trademark of our wonderful country. Let’s honor the memory of Bob Marley and protect that which fuels our innovation and greatness. 

Zen and the Art of Sport

The concept of “mindfulness” is found throughout a number of eastern religions and more recently in a number of books making up the New York Times bestseller list. Although Eckhart Tolle can take credit for its recent popularity in the west, it is a concept that was first created by the Buddha about 2500 years ago. It is the seventh element on the Eightfold Path and was considered by the Buddha to be a major step on the path to liberation and enlightenment. Right mindfulness essentially involves bringing one’s awareness into the present moment and understanding that the mind is continually chattering with commentary or judgment. Those practicing mindfulness realize that “thoughts are just thoughts” and more importantly become aware that the messages one hears during “thinking” may not be accurate or helpful, but rather may be translations of, or departures from truth. 

Common interpretation of mindfulness is that it can only be attained through meditation but Zen Buddhism teaches that mindfulness does not have to be constrained to a formal meditation session. Rather, mindfulness is an activity that can be done at any time and does not require sitting, or even focusing on the breath, but rather is done by bringing the mind to focus on what is happening in the present moment. This can apply to activities as mundane as dinner where the mindful person remains aware of each unique taste. Although it takes practice, the truth is that any activity done mindfully is a form of meditation, and mindfulness is possible practically all the time. 

This type of thought would seem to contradict many of the religious beliefs found in the west where judgement, thought, and analysis form a major function of one’s relationship with God. As a result it would seem that many western people would be incapable of achieving this state, but as is often the case a closer examination displays otherwise. I cannot remember a time in my life where sports was not an extreme passion. My passions have changed but at any given time in my life I have been both an active participant and observer of various sports. In this I am not alone. Our country takes great pride in our athletic endeavors and in many ways it is our “games” that help define who we are to the rest of the world. Despite this collective passion I always hear the counterpoint that the importance we attribute to grown men playing games is silly - especially in the discussion of salaries of the modern day athlete. And if we view sports as merely entertainment I would have to agree with this, but to me, and I suspect to a number of others, sports is far more than entertainment. 

Following my move to Encinitas this past August I have fallen in love with surfing. It is this newest passion that is helping me see sports differently and is helping me understand my interest in the first place. I believe, that without knowing it, sports teaches us the practice of mindfulness and allows to be one step closer to the liberation that all religions seek. Surfing has elevated this for me. To be successful in the water you have to be completely in the moment. One distraction and your ride is over. You must literally clear your head of all thoughts and respond only to the wave. I often have a difficult time remembering any wave later in the day, mainly because I am so focused in the moment I have no time to file away the experience in my memory. This is not to say that this is a new experience for me. Even now in a pick-up basketball game I become solely focused on the task at hand. When I played water polo in high school and college, the sheer physical nature of the sport left no room for thoughts. This is what has made sports so special to me, its’ ability to turn off the chatter. 

This is not a totally unique concept I am introducing as many prominent sports figures have discussed zen principles as part of their success. Phil Jackson attributes his success to his study of zen, and many athletes today discuss the introduction of meditation to their training regimes. But in this light Zen is seen as an external practice that is brought to the sport to improve performance. I maintain that the act of participation in itself allows every participant a chance to practice mindfulness and that this, whether consciously or not, is why so many see sports as “more than a game”.

Another Try.

So I have decided to take another shot at the blog thing, once again in a effort to keep my writing a little sharper. Despite the massive failure of my last effort, I did enjoy the process and learned a few things that I hope will make this one a little more successful. Those few who followed my blog will obviously recognize a different website and a different theme. This has been done for two reasons. 1.) Typepad and I had a disagreement on the requirements for them to host my blog. They wanted money, I no longer wanted to pay for a service that is free elsewhere. Hopefully it was an amicable separation. 2.) I am hoping the new digs inspire me to keep up with it and allow me a fresh start. Hopefully no one was too attached to the old site.

Last time around I went to great lengths to keep my identity private, which I think resulted in several goofy entries. Being that I am entertaining several career paths at the moment, one of which happens to be writing, I am going to try and get used to the action of putting my words out there with no anonymity. I am hoping it will force me to stand behind my thoughts and remain aware of the words I am putting out there. I think an important part of writing is the relationship that grows between the writer and the audience and obviously this is hampered when the author builds a wall between the two. In order to facilitate this I will not link to any other blogs whose authors wish to remain anonymous and despite the massive blow it will have to my readership I am fine with not being linked to any as well.

Secondly,  in the introductory post of my last blog I put self-imposed restrictions on the topics I was looking to cover. This came back to haunt me as I often had thoughts I wanted to share on a certain topic but felt like I was breaking my word if I chose to write on it. This time I will put no restrictions and I hope I will write on whatever topic I feel like, depending on my perspective that  moment.

Lastly, I will keep the constructive criticism I received and try to maintain shorter posts. I recognize that I have a tendency to rant and can often make the simplest subjects seem too long-winded. I will try to keep my thoughts concise here (likely with the occasional long post) and hope that makes it easier for anyone who wants to follow my thoughts. So here goes…..