Becoming an Ultimate Hiker

"In every walk with nature one receives more than he seeks." --John Muir

I thought I was ready.

"My final training hike spanned 22 miles at ~6,000 foot elevation and I came in at just under 8 hours. Finishing the full 26-mile hike in about 9 hours is within reach and I'm excited for the challenge." --Me, 10/18/2012

Ha!

Little did I know I was in for one of the most grueling, fulfilling, challenging, and wonderfully inane things I have ever done. The buildup to the Ultimate Hike is about CureSearch and raising money for a good cause. I don't want this to be lost, as it is the real reason for being involved in this event. I have been fortunate this year and I wanted to make sure I shared some of that good fortune with good causes.

The Hike however was personally driven. It's a challenge I wanted to undertake, though even in this moment I can't say why. Going in I thought I could take it head-on. I'd trained, prepared, planned, and was amped to go. As I learned, you can always hit the trail, and sometimes the trail hits back. This is my story of becoming an Ultimate Hiker.

Section 1: 04:55, 0 miles

Route goes South to North

The SUV lurches to a halt at the end of a dirt road, about a 1/4 mile off the highway. It's still dark, not even a hint of dawn on the horizon. Headlights are our only means of pulling together our final gear.

I'm already dealing with my first challenge - forgetting my headlamp. I've got two small MagLites from my truck. They're not going to cut it, even together. Enter my providence: a giveaway pen from a vendor at a trade show 2 week ago. At the tip of the cap is a rubber end so that it can be used as a stylus and the other tip is a powerful-for-its-size LED light. Clipped to the side of my visor, it's just enough distance to keep me from killing myself, which the MagLites can function at my feet.

We snap a group photo and we're off!

Here we go!

Constantly looking for markers in the dark.

The only part of the trail which put me in a perilous position occurred during this leg. I was between the hard-pushing leaders and those trying to save energy. I felt good keeping the leaders' lights in site, as it gave me a sense of what was coming as I dealt with my diminutive light source. At a tight set of turns however, I lose track of them just as I come to a narrow cut over a minor rock slide. To my right is a drop that is pure blackness beyond my small field of vision. It is probably not an extreme distance down, but I'm not going to test it. I slow to get through the cut carefully and then speed up once I'm clear. I need to have some vision on people until sunrise.

Hurry up giant orb of light!

Official PCT logo

The early leaders

The sun finally appears!

Rounding the lowlands

I'm part of the lead group all morning. We're pushing a good pace, not feeling too overburdened and way ahead of folks. We cross 5.5 miles and start to look out for the 1st aid station. I was excited for this because the timing was almost perfect. The sun had been up for only 20 mins and I was ready to ditch my early morning gear so I can run even lighter.

Section 2: ??:??, 7.2 miles

Route goes South to North

At mile 7.2 we stop and throw each other a series of quizzical looks. Where's the aid station? We finally connect over radios and realize that we've totally blown past where the checkpoint was supposed to be (their fault for not being there). We take a break and decide the only direction to go is forward. It'll stink to carry the cold weather gear an extra 6 miles, but I've got enough water and snacks to not need to double back. The trail starts to meander a bit more as we start to get into more rolling hills. The trail cuts hug the side of some deep gullies and provide some cool formations.

Beginning to get into more rolling hills

Cool formation above the trail

More trees starting to appear

Section 2: 08:33, 8.9 miles

We got another phone call telling us to slow down, lunch won't be there in time. We slow down. In hindsight, I regret this. We were moving at a good clip (a bit under 3mph) and are not expending excessive energy to do it. We've got an extended break coming and should have pushed to the spot. We reach the highway just as the first people out of group 2 catch us. Damnit! I feel we lost about 30 minutes worth of pace because of the calls for us to slow down. Oh well.

Midpoint: 10:16, 12.8 miles

Lunch break! Finally we get to offload our heavy gear. Reloaded on some sandwiches, chips, pickles, etc. Also changed gear, spending some time in flip-flops to revive my feet and then change into fresh socks.

Those who did the Hike last year start to talk about the next section and it begins to sink in: I'm not even half way and the hard part is yet to come. This is where a long hike becomes The Ultimate Hike.

Section 3: 10:51, 12.8 miles

First take a look at the trail map:

Route goes East to West

Notice how much it meanders in the first half (right side of map)? That's because here's what happens to the topography:

At this point we are at the second dot from the left. Time to climb! Being the PCT, it's not like it's intensive switchbacks, but still, it's long, steady uphill climb that is a real test. My only frame of reference is the slow realization that I'm gradually moving higher and higher off the valley floor where we had lunch.

About 1/2 way up off the valley floor where we had lunch

As I get higher, the trail crosses a series of crazy rock slides. The one below was over 50 feet across. As I stepped through it I could hear rocks underneath the rocks I was stepping on shifting, grinding, and maybe moving. The thought of doing this with a fully loaded pack seemed very unappealing.

See the trail going from the lower right corner back towards the tress? Crazy!

This was the first section I started to pull on my training. First I thought about the Harvey Moore Trail at Cuyamaca, which meanders up at a steeper, meaner pace. I did that, I can do this. I thought of the Lone Pine Trail at Mt. Laguna that climbs fast and long. I did that, I can do this. Finally the trail plateaus and we meander the second half of the section at a decent pace, though my body is really starting to feel it. I powered out miles 15 to 20 on the Big Meadow Trail. I did that at 6,000ft, I can do this at 7,000ft.

Section 4: 13:46, 19.6 miles.

Route goes East to West

I don't know how long I stopped at the last aid station. All I remember is stumbling up, getting some concerned looks from the support team and flopping into a chair with some water. For a moment I feel nauseous, but it passes. I would have only wanted to stop for 10 minutes, but I probably did 20. The final section stands in front of me, one final push. It starts with another 750 foot climb - peaking for the hike at 7,750ft - in about 2 miles, but after that it's all level or downhill. I block out the pain and focus. This is happening. I will do this.

Every step I take over the next 2 miles is steady and deliberate. My legs ache and my lungs burn. I push on. On the course of the final climb I've passed another primitive camp, my 3rd of the hike. It was probably around 21 miles. In about 10 hours, I've passed 3 places where people stop to camp overnight. People do this in 3 days???? This thought occupies me for the final 1/2 mile, fueling me to the final crest. 

The final overlook.

At long last the trail stops rising and finally begins to cut into the side of the mountain. It begins rounding edges, tight but with purpose. My breathing and heart rate steady with the trail and my overall pace improves. I'm in awe over the next mile or so. This is the PCT as I imagine it - a thin presence that carves a tight trail along the steeped edges of the West Coast mountain ranges. At this point I'm probably delirious, but I can't help feel a little euphoric. This is a trail blazed by the feet of 200 years of true pioneers and I'm leaving my own mark on it. I really try to savor the final steps.

Tight cut to a portal.

Can you see the cut of the trail around the edge?

Misstep to the left, not the right.

I cross an access road and suddenly I'm greeted by a magnificent view. Big Bear Lake! I didn't mark the time, but all I could think was, "X hours ago, I left that shore to start this journey. I'm almost back!"

I pass another hiker who's taking a break to rest his weary knees.
Me: "Please tell me that's not a mirage."
Other hiker: "No way man. We're almost there."

Time to descend!

The last leg

Finally I hit the last milestone - Cougar Crest Trail. I bid the PCT adieu and start to descend. 2.5 final miles. Everything hurts, but I somehow find myself unwilling to stop and press on. I can feel it. I look through every tree branch for the flash of a tent or van that will signal the arrival point. I pass one of the trail guides:
"Man am I glad to see you!"
"I knew if I came up this way I'd find someone."
"How much further?"
"About 1/2 a mile."
I push on. The trail levels and widens. I pass numerous people headed on a mid-afternoon hike. Hike? Ha! They're barely doing a constitutional! My feet are burning, my body aches, but I push on a little harder.

Then, at long last...

End of Section 4: 16:50, 26.8 Miles

I'm finished!!! A small group is at the end with a line of paper ribbon. I choke up on my trekking poles and hold them in the air as a jog past like it's the end of Chariots of Fire! Everyone is hugging and high-fiving. Each has done it our own way, for our own purpose, but the end we share together. I celebrate the only way I would ever want: with a 22oz Firestone Union Jack IPA. Some people have champagne, others a flask of various liquors. We clanks glasses smile and congratulate each other.

It began with a meeting in the back room at an REI at the urging of my friends, sacrificing weekend mornings and weekday afternoons - even as my friends dropped out, raising money for CureSearch and then, finally enduring the 26.8 mile endeavor that was The Ultimate Hike itself. This experience pushed me beyond limits I didn't know I could hit. I tested my body in ways I never thought possible. In those moments however, I learned more about myself, pulling on experiences and moments that led up to this event and ultimately made it come full-circle. Anyone can do a hike. Tackling the Ultimate Hike is a different kind of animal. The PCT serves is both captivating and  treacherous. We only suffered one injury in our group, but everyone faced at least one hairy point that could have gone badly. For those who reach the end, the true nature of the journey sets in. Am I over-romanticizing it? Maybe, but that's what makes it so rewarding.

Over dinner that evening everyone has a story to share and .an ear to listen. The next day we go our separate ways. We may meet again, though only one things is set in stone: From now on, we each bear the title Ultimate Hiker.

Let's do it again! No, not really...

Life at Initech

Peter: "Let me ask you something. When you come in on Monday and you're not feeling real well, does anyone ever say to you, 'Sounds like someone has a case of the Mondays?'"
Lawrence: "No. No, man. Shit, no, man. I believe you'd get your ass kicked sayin' something like that, man."

I am Peter Gibbons. About 5 weeks ago I just decided "F$%k it!" Nothing dramatic mind you; I just decided that being constantly stressed, not taking care of myself, and sleeping poorly wasn't worth it. Certainly not for a job that I had no problem getting fried from. But of course, life imitates art...


In my professional life, I have worked for poor management; I have worked for great management; this is the first time that I've ever worked for utterly dickless management. It started with trying to navigate the over-bureaucracy. How many engineering managers do you need? Apparently a few more, because the 5 - FIVE - a tried to reach out to all refused to make an actual decision. So I decided that if they were too scared to make a call, I'd make it for them. To be fair, as soon as I vented this frustration to their boss, I had 3 emails within 2 hours. And basically they said "Um, we guess you're way is OK." Thanks deusche.


Next it progressed to openly circumventing the "rules." Mostly this was out of true necessity. It's one thing to be too chickenshit to make a decision; it's another thing to be too clueless to realize when you're submarining your own people. These clowns were doing nothing to help me do what I knew needed to be done, so I took over. I tracked down my guy directly, had a fantastic conversation, built a key relationship, and now I'm running his introduction to my own company, which apparently has a relationship with this guy that their too dumb to understand.


By this time, I'm just running rickshaw over this company. I'm coming and going as I please (Sleep until 10am - no problem; Golf at 1pm on a Friday - done). Yeah, I'm getting things done but C'mon Man, but I should have at least been reprimanded or something.


Instead - and I can't make this up - I have a Bob. You know the Bobs - the consultants from the movie. Well, I have one. Not only am I throwing people under the bus; not only am I openly circumventing the "rules" to suit my own needs; NOT ONLY am I doing pretty much whatever the EFF I want - I have a guy who I'm venting all of this to and his response is an emphatic, "Well hell yeah Keith. You're doing everything you need to do to get things done." (WTF?) As if that wasn't enough, he's also going over to all the VP and telling them, "That Keith is a real straight-shooter with upper-management potential written all over him!" (Holy WTF?)


All I'm missing is a TGIFridays waitress and a neighbor who tells me when to flip to access-cable nudity. This has just gotten ridiculous, and unfortunately the sad part is that I'm just incredibly unhappy. Maybe I'm still just hurting from the loss of my friends and mentor, maybe it's got to do with this company wanting me to be everything I swore I'd never be if I got my MBA (maybe the source of my rebellion?...nah...), maybe I'm just tired of the folks from Wisconsin saying BS like "Oh man, your culture is just like ours!" (Uhhh, newsflash, NO ONE in San Diego thinks that).


At any rate, their are only 3 options, in two phases.
Phase 1: Passive-aggressive job search.
I'm unhappy, not stupid. I've got complete control of my own situation and I have a responsibility to at least try to stabilize my team. So I figure use the situation to my advantage and pursue two options:
1a - Venato. Our L2M project lives! We've done more research, gotten more validation, and now it's just a matter of seeing if we can deliver.
1b - Go international. Specifically South America or Europe. Why not? I've got networks and connections in both and at this point it would be an incredible experience. I know I can get a job in San Diego whenever I feel like it


Phase 2: Hit the eject button
Assuming I can't make Phase 1 happen, then at the turn of the year I'm going to just go full-bore to find something new in San Diego.


At the end of the day, the best part of this deal is that they bought us for cash. I've got the money in the bank and no one can take it back. I live in one of the absolute best places to live in the world and I have the perfect combination of education and experience to be incredibly successful anywhere I want. there are worse ways to be, so why not be everything I want or more?


Peter: "That's a really good idea."
Lawrence: "Fuckin' A, man!"

Article: Product Manager vs. Product Owner

All too often I run into companies that have resigned themselves to having two different people covering the product role.  

Usually the way they split it is they have one person responsible for interacting with customers and stakeholders (which they often call the product manager), and another to interact with the development team and manage the backlog (which they usually call the product owner).

The reasoning is typically because they don’t have someone with either the skills or the time required to commit to covering both.

There are many “product managers” that are not technical enough to effectively engage with the developers, yet management hopes to utilize them.  And there are many “product owners” that show no inclination or ability to get out of the building and interact with customers, yet management knows this is critical.

As appealing as this strategy may sound, I want to use this article to try to explain why this approach typically yields very weak product and little innovation.

I have written earlier that this approach has two common negative consequences.  This first is that there is no clear owner (neither person takes responsibility for the product), and the second is a common lack of respect or understanding between the two (the “product manager” doesn’t appreciate the technical complexities, and the “product owner” doesn’t appreciate the customer’s pain).

However, this approach has an even more fundamental issue as well:

In order to make the many hundreds of large and small decisions a product owner makes every week, he needs to have deep understanding of the customers.  Deep customer knowledge is what informs the decisions.  It is actually the main thing a capable product owner brings to the party and it is what distinguishes him from the others on the team.

Similarly, when interacting with customers and identifying problems and opportunities, it is the knowledge of the technology and what is possible that informs the discussions and the potential solutions.  This is what distinguishes a product person from other roles such as marketing, user research or sales, and why it’s essential that the product person has the direct customer interaction.

It is precisely this combination of deep customer understanding with the ability to apply technology to solve customer problems that enables a strong product person.

I know this doesn’t make it any easier to find people that are willing and able to do both, but I do hope that more company leaders come to understand how essential it is to find product people that can cover both aspects of the role.



 (http://www.svpg.com/product-manager-vs-product-owner/)

Uncertainty and Belief

"The future is not set, there is no fate but what we make for ourselves."

Confidence will get you killed;
Arrogance will get you beat;
Idealism will blind you to the world;
Cynicism will keep you on an island.

     What cuts the middle for me is belief. Belief in my friends; Belief in my colleagues; Belief - above all - in myself. My life has twisted and turned in many incalculable, uncertain directions. Not bad for a kid who had bracketed himself for the better part of 20 years.

     In that time I made many mistakes, but experienced many wins. And even in the face of great misfortune, I feel that I've rebounded stronger every time. In a way, that has made me embrace uncertainty. I think that for the most part people fear uncertainty. To them it is risky, unpleasant, even dangerous.

     I have learned to take uncertainty head-on. Not by brute force mind you - that would be deadly - but rather by calculated moves accepting of all outcomes. If one sees an undesirable outcome and seeks only to avoid it, he or she will be drawn into it like a black hole. If one only focuses on a pre-determined "perfect" outcome, one risks consumption of mind body and soul. I find that accepting all outcomes - good and bad; known and unknown - allows one to avoid all traps. In a way, it provides guard rails to keep one's capability to discern the best possible outcome at any given moment.

     As I see it, the path to doing this is belief; and especially the belief that one will continue on successfully regardless of the decided outcome of any given moment. I think the following key elements allow one to do this:

1. Always keep your head on a swivel. Outcomes don't sit on a linear road waiting for you to trip over them. they exist in a broad ocean, ready to be discovered. Uncertainty will always exist in this state, but it cannot be allowed to stop you, as opportunity may be lying just beneath the surface.
2. Never fear failure. If one believes that failure is a key foundation of success, failure will never be fatal.

     I have seen many amazing things in my life; fought many battles; faced much uncertainty. Here I am. Still strong, still healthy, still with a thirst for adventure. As such, a new wave of uncertainty seems to be building on my horizon,  and with it - hopefully - comes opportunity. Do good things lie ahead?

I believe so...

Economic Ramblings, Part Deux

Warren Buffett got me going again. I won't rehash what I wrote last week, though I will throw out a few grins at the notion that I think like Buffett [:-D]. No, instead I want to briefly rant on the snake oil economy that America is allowing our politicians to sell them.

I heard the first intelligent thing I've ever heard from a Tea Party supporter. I know, I know, but even a broken clock is right twice a day. Matt Kibbe of Freedomworks made a seemingly innocuous statement on the July 29th Real time with Bill Maher. To paraphrase, he said that the Tea Party ideology was born out of the middle class's belief that they bear the burden of socializing the bottom class AND the upper class.

Now, again, that seems like a fairly innocuous statement, no? True to form, it was lost very quickly in the show. However, consider our progressive income tax structure and then juxtapose that with the points raised by Buffett and myself about the rich underpaying vs their own workforce as a percent of their income. It suddenly gives Mr. Kibbe's statement some foundation.

This gets me to my point about how our politicians try to present our economy. The old guard wants to harangue about our manufacturing Economy - we used to make shit, then we'd blow people up with that shit for the purpose of selling them other shit to drive our economy. The new wave is the Service Economy - everybody else makes shit, but we're the smartest people on the planet, and therefore they need us to come up with the shit to be made and then provide the service to keep it running at a premium.

They're both a complete load of, well, shit. We sold the Manufacturing Economy up the river a few decades ago. The Service Economy is a Utopian dream that we won't be able to fully achieve. Instead, I'd like to introduce my own concept: the Performance Economy.

This idea is not based on any sort of hard facts, loose statistics, or abstract theories. I've conceived this idea purely my own, solely based on my own professional trials and tribulations. My concept of the Performance Economy is quite simple: The value of our economy is based on what we do.

Way too easy right? Well, let me elaborate on the most important part of my statement, the word "do." See anyone can do anything. That is the very definition of freedom, but that does not necessarily create value. Conversely, creating something that results in value is not entirely what I'm going for either, as it may only be a one-time deliverable. No, my idea bears two key indicators: measurability and successful progression.

Measurability is key to making sure that progress can be accurately tracked. From the assembly line to the board room, anything can be properly framed within metrics that define the value of work being done. Those metrics can then to transitioned and transformed into guidelines by which business can operate. Think of this as the present value of an organization or venture.

Successful Progression determines the future value of an enterprise. Anything can work once. "The Real World" has had dozens of sequels, but none will approach its success. No, the way to grow is to take the metrics of a successful enterprise and evolve them to the next step that drives the next great venture. To build on the "Real World" example, the successful progression is "The Jersey Shore."

To pull the concept away from the MTV artificial universe, consider Apple vs. Microsoft. Apple picked itself up off the mat by embracing their failures, evaluating their metrics, and adapting to a new vision. They made the iPod and it blew up. so they took the framework of the iPod and evolved it to the iPhone. Now they're at the iPad phase. What's next? Who knows, but the point is that they're already on it. Microsoft on the other hand still thinks like a PC. That's not going to work. Microsoft either has to evolve of has to fail. It sucks, but it's a Performance Economy. Either get the job done or get left behind.

Combined, the two indicators create a very simple, yet elegant hypothesis:
Growth = Present Value [Measurability] + Future Value [Successful Progression]
Like all theories, it doesn't always work, but it works more often than not. I'm ready to pick up the ball and run with it. I hope others have the stones to come with me.

Disclaimer: After writing this post, I Googled "Performance Economy" and stumbled upon this book. From the description, it seems like it is at least somewhat in line with my thinking, so at least one other person out there thinks I'm on the right track. I'll get the book and report back on my impressions at later time.

How to actually fix the economy

"It's the economy stupid!"
-- James Carville during Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign

I was inspired by Mark Cuban this week. No, not because he's going to buy the Dodgers in 2012 and restore the luster to the franchise that was once the crown jewel of baseball. This is more about Cuban's highly insightful blog post that surfaced on Yahoo! Sports.
http://blogmaverick.com/2010/05/09/what-business-is-wall-street-in/
His write-up is very plainly put. In fact, I'll even admit to being jealous as to how well he talked about how I've always felt about capital gains taxes. As such, I've decided to put my money where my mouth is and put out the 3 things that I think are key to re-strengthening our economy:

1. Reform capital gains taxes


2. Reform venture fund tax rules


3. Promote employee equity ownership

1. Reform Capital Gains Taxes

Cuban covers most of this, especially the part about promoting long term outlays into businesses. I would take it a step further and make Capital Gains a reverse tax. Basically I envision a tax rate that starts at a person's income rate (probably 25-30%) for the first years, and dropping incrementally to 10% as long as they hold the investment for 4-5 years. This promotes people putting their money into companies they believe in, letting that company grow, and then rewarding them for a long-term commitment.

2. Reform Venture Fund Tax Rules

This is kind of similar to point 1, but addresses a MAJOR tax loophole. Basically the way a venture fund works is that an investor (or set of investors) wants to pool some money to be used to start businesses that hopefully mature and payoff within 5-10 years. This pool of money is given to people who run the fund - Fund Mangers - who then vet business plans and decide how to spend the investors' money. The money starts companies, creates jobs, pays salaries, and eventually - hopefully - cashes out gains for the investors (subject to my 5+ year rule above).

So what's the problem? Well, at the top of the totem pole, investors pay a fairly low tax rate. I'm OK with this because they are putting their money on the line. They are paying salaries, they are absorbing the risk, they've (hopefully) paid their fair share climbing the ladder. On the opposite side of the spectrum, the companies that have been invested in are paying employees who are paying regular income taxes. The problem for me comes in the middle - the Fund Managers. They are taking someone else's money, collecting 2% immediately off the top as their fee (remember these fund are millions of dollars), putting the rest into new companies, then taking 20% of all profits. The 2% fee and 20% cut of profits are all treated at capital gains, and therefore taxed at 10%(ish). HUH?!?! It's not their investment - the money came from someone else. This is their JOB. They should have to pay income taxes just like the rest of us. Think about that. If you work for a venture-backed company, the guy paying out your investors' money is paying 15-20+% less of their income to the government than you. How the hell is that fair?

Sorry fund managers. You've sold the government a bill of goods and it needs to stop. You are getting paid - as in payroll, income - to be a fiduciary for someone else's money and sit on a board of directors. Make some money, become an investor yourself, THEN start paying only capital gains. This is true top-5% loophole. 95% of the country should be with me on this.

3. Promote Employee Equity Ownership

This is a personal cause for me. I'm not a fan of venture and their tax loopholes and their "10x!" (their absurd benchmark for a "successful" exit). Employee ownership is an answer to this. Obviously it falls apart if you need a lot of start-up capital (ie: to build a factory), but the high-tech world allows for many new options. I could see myself starting a company where I ask a team to work for 3-6 months for a sizable piece of the company. When we get going and make some sales, the windfall goes directly to the guys who made the company work. The best example of this is SAIC. Their founder - Dr. Beyster - decided to start paying out some of the 80% equity of his company to his employees. Over 10 years, he went from 80% owner of a million-dollar company to 5% owner of a billion-dollar company. Which would you like to have? I thought so.

Government can easily help promote this. Tax breaks, grants, worker programs could all be linked to some employee equity benchmarks. It should come at minimal cost to government (maybe even gain if it keeps people employed). Again, common sense approach that promotes medium- to long-term job opportunities.

Hopefully we (Americans, the people) are learning from this. The "super committee" is garbage. I hope they pull something off, but they probably won't and things will stay ugly for a while. I have full-faith in the American people, and no matter what we will finally put ourselves back to work - most likely in spite of our assclown politicians. The steps above would help. We'll see if anyone has the guts or balls to enact non-self-serving policies.

Language

Two things caught my interest today:

1. This article: http://www.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/08/10/handwriting.horror/index.html?iref=obnetwork


2. My friend Amanda's comment on my chat status: "Stop using big words"

Now, it is a paradox that I critique those two things. I hand-write like an engineer and Amanda is a highly intelligent person who will more than likely push her kids to do things like have good handwriting and a strong vocabulary.

That being said, it still irks me how much I don't see that happening around me. When I was hiring a minion earlier this year (OK fine, "intern"), I was amazed at the poorly constructed the emails I received. These were Masters level kids, who supposedly are coached up by career people and they wrote like I was inviting them to a kegger at my house.

The same drivel has crept into all aspects of how we communicate. Spewing rancor is more effective than presenting a coherent point; verbal communication has become so cumbersome that everything must fall into 100 character texts and twits; if in the unlikely event something is written, it seeks to inflame emotions over inspiring the soul; and don't get me started on Internet comments.

They say write what you know. I tend to write what I do because I can only "know" so much at any given moment in time. I believe it is a privilege to get to express my thoughts, opinions, and experiences without censor. And I believe that right bears the responsibility of good-faith conjecture. It's too bad I also believe I'm in the minority.