With the primaries behind them, candidates of both parties turn their focus to the November election and the long months of campaigning ahead.

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With all of the information on how to live a greener lifestyle and the constant talk of global warming, it is nearly impossible not to think about our individual impact on the environment. Earth Day is April 22, which gives us an opportunity to ponder what we, as a community, can do to help change the environment.

Earth Day was the idea of Gaylord Nelson, a Senator from Wisconsin who saw the state of the environment and wanted to bring it to the forefront of politics. Through the 1960s, Senator Nelson spoke across the country about environmental concerns and discovered that the people of America were noticing and caring, but the politicians were not. While speaking at a Seattle conference in November 1969, Senator Nelson announced that a grassroots demonstration would be held in Washington, D.C. “on behalf of the environment.” This demonstration would later be known as the first Earth Day.

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You knew, didn’t you … that our dependence on imported fossil fuel has begun to affect our way of life? Did you also know that the use of renewable energy creates little greenhouse gas emissions? Did you know that renewable energy use is expected to expand significantly in the U.S. in the next decade? Did you know that using renewable energy not only helps the environment, but might save you money on your energy costs?

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It’s been a long time since I heard such strong criticism of a PJS sports reporter. Bradley basketball fans are still chatting about Kirk Wessler’s column calling Bradley basketball a “renegade program.”

While Wessler didn’t actually call basketball players “renegades” on the Hilltop, he did repeat the charges from a blogger many are calling a “nobody.” One fan asked, “Why repeat something you saw on the damn internet?” Another said the Wessler column reminded him of when Phil Theobald raked Jim Molinari over the coals for his coaching skills. A third fan wanted to know what Wessler’s coaching background was and a fourth lamented that it was a cheap shot at Jim Les.

I don’t agree with all of the criticism of Kirk Wessler. It’s tough to write a column each day. I think the guy was desperate for story ideas and turned to the internet for help.

Since I’m on Bradley basketball, I might mention WMBD-TV sports director Kurt Pegler had to apologize after ridiculing the CBI basketball tournament. In reporting the Bradley victory over Cincinnati, Pegler uncharacteristically panned the event as a tournament of losers. The next night he apologized to Bradley and its players for his demeaning comments.

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March had too few days when kites remind kids that wind is a power that rivals the rainfall expected in April showers.

And central Illinois has too many of the silent, skeletal remains of windmills from decades past.

But things change; progress occurs.

Sometimes in spite of political impediments to reform. Read the rest of this entry »

It isn’t exactly the first thing I would have expected from an old acquaintance, having not seen him for some 20 years: “I’m up to 62 so far!” He was decked out in binoculars and spotting scope and was searching for birds along the Lake Michigan shore. He was referring not to the quantity, but to the variety of birds he’d managed to locate that day. Not bad for winter.

Funny how bird watching can take on a competitive edge. Maybe it’s the thrill of the hunt, or just a sense of adventure. You never quite know what you might find and it’s always interesting. After all, it takes a pretty keen eye and/or ear to locate many lesser known varieties of birds, not to mention knowledge of their habits and haunts. And each year it seems to get more challenging as many bird populations decline. Read the rest of this entry »

I listened to a hour or so of Sean Hannity on 1470 WMBD this afternoon as I ran errands before work. And as usual, I had to scratch my head at the man’s ability to pass off pure race-baiting as investigate political reporting.

Good Lord.

Were it not for the fact that I knew better, I would assume that Barack Obama was an armed militant who wanted to round up all the white people and put them into camps. Read the rest of this entry »

Agent Maxwell Smart began his day marching to his desk through a multitude of doors. The weekly TV show’s determined detective was portrayed as not-so-smart, but his entrance into work was spectacular.

Some doors Smart encountered were disguised. One, I recall, was a brick wall. Others were made of unlikely door material, but all opened at precisely the moment his foot reached the last space of floor in front of the obstruction that threatened his path.

Not all doors opened the same way, nonetheless, each opened.

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When the Creator was giving out directional ability, I apparently was not in line. Consequently, I missed out on even a smidgen of that quality allowing people to determine how to get from point A to point B without going through eight wrong ways. My brain does not comprehend instruction manuals explaining how to assemble, test for problems, hook up or reconfigure said item that is advertised as “assembly simple enough for a child.”

“It’s not easy being me,” I tell family and friends who just don’t get why I don’t get how to advance technologically. Or how to advance on the highways and byways of life. When I’m driving through unfamiliar territory, I’m clenching a paper with detailed directions. If a road is closed or there’s a detour, I start storming Heaven with requests for a sudden surge of smarts. I believe firmly prayers are answered, but God must be interested in showing me lots of scenery before I arrive at my destination.

As a positive thinker, I’ve learned to look for advantages of going through life with my directional dysfunction. There are few. I know more about adaptability than do gifted people. So I wanted to arrive at my destination in 35 minutes. Ah, what’s 20 more minutes here or there? So I was planning to use a newly purchased item today. Tomorrow will be just fine and will give me additional time to check with one of my consultants. A fancy name for a very handy husband and three gifted adult children. Guess which gene pool they inherited.)

I save lots of money because I don’t need the latest invention. I certainly don’t need all the bells and whistles on items I purchase. By the time I learn how to use a handy device, it’s nearly obsolete. I am not tempted to keep up with the Joneses or anyone else because they are out of my league. My claim to fame is I know how to program the VCR and I’m mighty proud of that accomplishment.

When I went to Bradley University as a non-traditional student, translated that means I was old enough to be a mother to most of my fellow students and some of the professors, I chose a writing class for one of my electives. Horror of horrors, we had to use a computer. In the beginning, if I made a mistake, I had to turn the computer off and begin again as I didn’t know how to correct errors. That was a long time ago and I’ve come an infinitely long way.

Such struggles do present unique opportunities. If someone wants to write directions in the most basic language, I’m an excellent test model. If I can comprehend them, they are universally understandable. I know about gratitude. If I arrive at an unfamiliar destination on time and minus heart palpitations, I’m so thankful.

Through the years I have complained vigorously about my lack of directional abilities. My complaining accomplished nothing. In the grand scheme of things, directional competency is not that important. On the bright side, I’ve learned about coping, alternatives, and laughing about mishaps. Those lessons continue to serve me well. And they require no complicated set of directions! Color me thankful!