This I Believe

Ron Borst

July 23, 2012

This I Believe Essay

I Believe Recycling Can Change the World

I like the new definition of green. I have a friend who is a fishing guide down in Winchester Bay, Oregon. Winchester Bay is where the mighty Umpqua River meets the Pacific Ocean. Once, while fishing with my friend Terry, we launched the boat and motored down the bay and dropped anchor. I baited up and I cast my gear, let it sink, clipped the bail and put it in the rod holder. I lit up a Marlboro and grasped my coffee to warm my hands. I sat there drinking my coffee and smoking while I watched the tip of my pole. I finished my cigarette and opened my pack, pulled out a ziplock sandwich bag and put the butt in the bag and zipped it up. As I put the sealed up ziplock back in my pack, Terry smiled. It is more than just not throwing cigarette butts into the ocean, but rather a proactive respect for the environment and your neighbors and our children. Recycling is a huge part of that, and in my opinion, an epidemic that can be reversed. I believe recycling can change the world.

Surveys of landfills worldwide have produced data that show an alarming percentage of recyclables in the landfills. Ocean surveys have produced disturbing amounts of plastic in the water column that house a majority of ocean life. The results of these two surveys and their effects can be traced directly to humans. Much of this, or even most of this waste, could be reversed with better recycling practices and an active civic spirit from me and you. 

 

I believe an expanded policy of recycling is in order, and education is the beginning of this process. By implementing education at the grade school level, and educating the general public, we can start to implement a more efficient re-use of daily materials.

I believe the next step is encouraging youth to pursue innovation, civic activity, reform, and even careers in recycling. An awesome example of this is Oregon's own Focus the Nation, a non-profit located in Portland, Oregon. I believe what they are doing is crucial to environmental change and an awareness that creates proper recycling practice. Their web address is: www.focusthenation.org.

So what do we do at home to facilitate better recycling practices? A few simple things such as treating the material as valuable and separating it into containers to recycle, is a great start. Things that get put out with the trash routinely could be a part of this process of better recycling. Examples of some of these materials are: plastic grocery bags, cereal box liners, egg cartons, the plastic six pack holder, electronics, appliances, light bulbs, batteries and most paper and plastic products. 

 

I believe a change in recycling attitude can lead to a more productive recycle and re-use social awareness. Taking on better personal practices, encouraging legal change, and teaching our children better environmental nature can only be a positive to humans, Mother Earth and all of her creatures.

For further awareness go see www.earth911.com, www.solv.org, and your local garbage company. Ask yourself as you finish this essay, can I recycle more efficiently? I am as true blue as they come and I truly believe in the virtues of recycling.


Note: I wrote this as summer hit in 2012, and the concept is 60 years old. "This I Believe" essays were started on Edward Murrow's 1950's television show, and continue today at thisibelieve.org.

Steelhead Tips Part Five

Colors. They ask it over and over:

"What is the best color for catching steelhead?"

I used to say stuff like, "It depends." Nowadays, I make up some long-winded story about how "certain" combinations will catch the biggest of all steelhead. And in the toughest of conditions. With the worst gear. But, for now, I will tell the truth. Or will I?

In all my history, trampling the muddy banks of emerald streams, two colors stand starkly in the repertoire of steelie luredom. Cherise, a "hot pink" super bright and enticing color to tip a hook with, and chartreuse, the limish, yellowy, ultra bright green.

These colors are popular because they are bright AND natural. The obvious visible aspect is not lost on the natural pink hues that resemble things like shrimp. The typical pink background of maybe a fish gill, or even the striped side of another fish, is enough to mimic reality.

The same can be said for bright greens. The super-visible chartreuse resembles the whites of a fish belly, the color of small baitfish, and sand shrimp. Steelhead love sand shrimp. And that exact point gets us to our tips.

It really does not matter what color you use. It is exponentially more important to have a lure that looks natural. In optimum conditions, a savvy steelheader can catch fish on most gear. Of course, there are subtle differences that come into play as experience grows. In the beginning it should be obvious that bright pink will be more productive in muddy, clouded up water, than say, a brown lure. As the obvious becomes less apparent, it is important to remain tuned in to conditions.

Lures come in every color there is, and sometimes the selection can overwhelm the novice. To those newcomers, I have one lesson: Learn techniques, not colors. After the ways of steelhead fishing are learned, the techniques like knot-tying and rigging, and the ways of the hydrology, color may not be a question. Sometimes, different conditions will change the color(like muddy water), and the choice of a lure may matter slightly. There are many steelheaders that will say things like, "on a sunny day use a silver spinner and on cloudy days use gold, or copper." I would agree, but I also stand by the moniker that "a good steelheader like myself, can catch steelhead in a rain puddle on the street." What this means is, when a steelheader learns good techniques, and studies the river and its fish, knowing "where" the fish are, is the key.

Techniques like sharpening hooks are crucial. If a fisherman chooses the "perfect" color, and a steelhead picks it up, what happens? The hook gets set, gets buried in the boney jaw, and hang on! But if that fisherman does all that without a sharp hook, it will be game over soon. That fish will get away. They know how to dislodge a hook. I have personally seen a steelie nosedive the river bottom, in an attempt to dislodge a hook.

Black is a color that most steelheaders ignore, and that fact brings us back to discussions of "natural", which is what black is. The natural looking silouette is highly productive in many conditions. In the scheme of things, when a fish sees the black lure, whether it be a jig or a spinner(or otherwise), if the things looks or acts "real", then the fisherman has a chance. I have seen fish take the bobber above my jig, and that was at the water's surface. It looked real, like a fish sucking a fly, or oxygen perhaps. But the fact is, black is a potent silouette of prey. The fish had simply made up its mind to investigate.

Red is of course the color of gills, and that is a huge attractor. White, the color of a fish skin. Green, the color of a smallmouth bass or a juvenile ling cod. It is simply to obvious to pass up. Orange is the natural color of roe(spawn sac eggs), and is of course, very attractive.

My roe is cured with sea salt and brown sugar. Nothing else. The methods that took 20 years
perfecting are for sale. But...not many have that
kind money.

My 6-10 pound 9 footer, a steal. On it is a Daiwa clearance find. Spooled with 8lb. Maxima Ultragreen.

Combinations of colors may resemble a particular fish, or a stonefly, but to target where the fish may be is crucial. I truly believe that the instinct to hit, is far too great too ignore. And that utilizing the fish's ability to survive on pure instinct, can be translated in to catching success. In light of that, my final advice is to use small, subtle lures, as they mimic the river surroundings better, and they act natural in the current's flow.

Thank-you for not littering and remember to respect nature, and all of her critters.

Steelhead Tips IV

A few weeks ago, a fella I know, mentioned that steelheading on Pacific Northwest rivers was like Zen. Yes indeed it is, but why?

This issue of  "Tips" will focus on the Zen part of steelheading, as well as ways to ensure robust rivers for our kids and for their own kids as well.

The Zen is an ancient Chinese practice of attaining enlightenment. It is an integral part of Buddhism, and has been very popular in western culture. When one is "Zen", one is at total peace, total enlightenment. Buddhism has deep respect for nature, and that makes moments on the river, "zen-like", and nourishing to one's soul.

Fishing the gin clear mountain streams that I do, it is easy to see and even hear the the quietness. The only sounds, the leaves rustling in the breeze, the water rushing downstream, over moss covered rocks and gravelly sand bars, to the final stop, the ocean. The only sights, the conifer evergreen trees and the sky gray, set the scene like some wonderful nature couch, where we watch our favorite shows.

The ambiance tends to be soothing, and therapeutic. It is my favorite thing to do, hike the Siletz River Gorge with my dogs, in search of chrome.

As we make plans to fish, there are some measures that can enhance the steelhead experience, and make the trip not just memorable, but altogether unforgettable. It took me my whole life to find this "steelie wisdom", but I will share it with you when you click the "Pay Now" link. Thanks!

 Daylight breaks on the lower Alsea River as the moon sets.

Okay, just kidding. Put your credit card away.

STEELHEAD TIP #1: Get ALL gear ready the night before. You don't wrap the kids' gifts on Christmas morning, do ya? Get all your tackle, gear, food & water, survival pack, rainwear, THE NET!, gloves, rubber boots, extra socks, and especially your License & Tag. I even bring an extra pen for the tag.

Tip #2: Gas up the rig early too(the night before). Don't spend the whole morning getting to the river. Get there and cast!

Tip #3: If you fish with the kids, the wife, or the dogs; then preparation for that can make the day enjoyable for the whole crew. The kids need snacks, drinks, and warmth. Always have gloves and mittens. Handwarmers inside gloves and boots do wonders. If you are not used to that, ask mom! She will know where all that stuff is, and exactly what they need.

When you bring the wife, remember that we are seeking "Zen", and some ways to make that happen are: Portable propane heaters. These little space heaters do miracles for the women who are always cold. That's not a bad thing, by the way!

One simple rule for dogs: Bring a 1 Gallon Zip-loc full of dog food. You brought your lunch. Bring the dog's their lunch too.

Tip #4: PRE TIE LEADERS! I tie mine beforehand. To tie on the river, is wasting time that should be spent casting. Or untangling the kids' lines. Pre tie leaders and store them efficiently. I store mine on homemade "rollers" made from cardboard paper towel rollers.

Homemade leader tote. Notice the "8" for 8 pound test.

Tip #5: Be resourceful, like the leader tote. Store gear in re-used containers and re-used packaging. Gamakatsu are my hook of choice. The packaging that these come in, whether quantity 5 or 500, can be used to store lures, lead, yarn, etc...

Tip #6: Sometimes people are rude and sometimes they are rude. In these cases, move on. Better to find the quiet water, instead of arguing and wasting fishing daylight. Find the quiet spots, fish are there too!

Tip#7: Preparation makes the day less stressful. But so does expectation. Have high gratitude and low expectations. Don't be discouraged if the fishing is slow or the rain is hard. Enjoy whatever it is and be grateful!

Moose, my Chocolate Lab that will NOT get his feet wet. Photo from Siletz River Gorge.

Tip #8: Litterbugs. Of all my tips, this is the most important. I will teach you everything I know about these awesome fish and the gorgeous places they haunt, but not if you litter. Thank-you for not littering!

Links: SOLVE: The clean-up Oregon specialists.
          Focus The Nation , creating civic minded youth in Oregon as well as everywhere.

Tip #9: Photos. Of fish, only if you have time. That means preparation is key. Have pliers always ready, and the same for the camera. The window of time for photographing a fish, is less than 10 seconds. If you cannot do it efficiently, with NO stress upon the fish, then do not do it. The experience should be far more gratifying than a photo. But take photos of everything else. The trees and leaves. The rocks. The kids...

Tip #10: Enjoy yourself. Yes, steelhead is a lot of work, but if you prepare and observe, you will learn. Steelhead are called "the fish of a thousand casts", which means it is not like sitting at a hatchery stocker pond. Steelhead fishing takes patience, and then more patience. Live in the moment, and enjoy the sounds of a river, as it meanders downstream, in a repeated cycle of life. Love that life!

                    Self shot with Nikon Coolpix 7600. South Santiam River, fishing with my neighbor.

Inside a Fortune Cookie: What Would Confucius Do?

The Chinese novelty. The American fortune cookie, and most likely a Japanese product. But who cares? Right? They are tasty AND fun.

The sugar(a dozen fortune cookies later, don't ask...) has got me a little excited. The message is even better.

I made a rule beforehand. The first one is your "future", or fortune. The rest are just cookies. Sugar cookies.

"Face facts with dignity."

Wow. How prophet-like, how...true? What is it about an ancient Chinese proverb that is so alluring? Is it the wisdom of Confucius? Or just clever marketing? Maybe just an American's consumerism raging up again, like the worst flu bug you ever saw? Who was Confucius? And did he have anything to do with this newfound wisdom I stumbled upon?

Born in China in 479 B.C., Confucius was not know by that name. He  was known as Kong Qiu, but the translation from Catholic missionaries stuck in the west. Although his father died at a young age, Confucius' mother raised him educated and refined. As a young man, he took as small-time job as an office worker in the government's tax collecting arena. He studied education and after his mother died, and after a long mourning, Confucius entered into teaching.

Although there is no "Bible", there is a history of writings for Confucian practice. The Five Classics and Four Books provide much of the teachings. The basic tone of the teachings are instructions and advice on how to live together, in a harmonious and moral state.

In the social religion, there are creeds, or instructions to live by. These tips for life are meant to provide quality and optimism for life. It breeds respect for family and neighbor. These creeds can be found in the Five Classics and the Four Books, as well as the "Five Great Relationships" and Confucian Virtues.

In the relationships, the five that are at the core of Confucianism, "Father-son, Elder brother-younger brother, Husband-wife, Elder-youth, and Ruler-subject." These relationships suggest an inner peace and respect that is essentially the ideology of the religion. This is further enriched in the teachings of Confucian virtues, five core virtues that encompass a realm of good nature. The virtues are: Ren, meaning kindness; Li, meaning appropriateness; Shu, which is the "Golden Rule"; Xiao, meaning devotion to family; and Wen, meaning respect for culture.

The message in my fortune, about facing facts with dignity, is within the boundaries of Confucianism. It simply is an example of the "social harmony" of the teaching. To accept the facts, no matter how unsatisfactory, is a witness to the religion's teachings of changes, and is present in the Yijing Book in The Five Classics.

The idea that one can exist entirely peaceably, prosperously, and with many numbers of people is an extraordinary belief that transformed the American Chinese food industry. The novel cookie, with its readable and livable message, lives on. The core ideas of Confucius, and his followers, are ideas that permeate critical thought today, so much so, that in the 19th century, Japanese confectioners "created" the fortune cookie. They were sold to Chinese restaurants and soon were an American icon.

They still are.

A photo of "American" Portland, Oregon's "Chinatown", shot with a "Japanese" camera. Seems appropriate for this article. The message from Confucius is universal.

Thank-you for reading, and thanks to Randy Andersen, Michael Molloy, and Stanford University.

Photo by Ronald Borst. Canon XTi & EF 50mm f1.4 USM, Shutter 1/500 second at Aperture 3.2, ISO 800.

Guns In America: A Survey

A few months ago, in the days following Clackamas, I wrote a gun article. The day after I wrote the gun message, Newtown happened. The following weeks saw elevated responses of anti gun pleas for a ban on firearms. None were a solution to gun violence.

My article is also "not the answer", but it IS a means for critical thought discussion about lowering statistics of gun violence, especially among children.

A colleague wanted to expand on my perspective, and take a look at the Concealed Weapons Permit, and its influence on violence. So, I formulated a list of pertinent questions and here they are, along with results and commentary. Feel free to add whatever you think may help.

Thank-you for reading, and for your civic activity. It is appreciated.

 LBCC Students

The LBCC Gun Survey questions were:

1)   Do you own a Concealed Weapons Permit?

2)   Should a permit issued student, be allowed to carry a firearm on LBCC's campus?

3)   Should Security personnel be allowed to carry concealed?

4)   Should LBCC have a stronger police presence?

5)   Should "assault weapons" and ammo be banned?



Interesting questions indeed, and a lot of credit here to Mike Rivera for collaborating on them. The most daunting task, was to get people to actually talk about guns. My camera had most folks a bit apprehensive to be on record. "I just take photos," I reassured most of them.

The first question was a great opener(Thanks Mike!), and generally was answered with a "no", and while this is not surprising, what was surprising was that many were curious about the question. Some asked if I had a permit(I do), and others asked if the concealed weapon permit process was in jeopardy. One person asked, "Is the government taking ALL the guns?"
The results were 15 Yes & 170 No.

The second question was about using the permit on a campus such as LBCC. The idea is to grasp the safety status quo, and the perspective among college dwellers, in regard to a "gun culture" that may exist, or is even destined to exist.
The results were 130 Yes & 46 No.

Question #3 was fairly straight-forward. Security have a job to "secure" the campus. It was not at all surprising to see a favorable approach to trained security staff.
The results were 152 Yes & 22 No.

The status quo of police was not debated. It was merely asked, if campuses like LBCC need a stronger police presence. This question posed some issues with non-LBCC people surveyed. I simply asked if any campus needs MORE police.
The results were 30 Yes & 152 No.

The final question was about a ban, whether on assault weapons, or ammo, or both...In retrospect, this question should have been expanded to ask for suggestions for curbing gun violence. It would provide for awesome feedback, some which may be an excellent solution.
The results were 48 Yes & 138 No.

9mm semi auto, the author's first line in home defense.

The results of this survey are not uniform, as some answered partially. Others just had opinions about certain questions, and some did not want to comment on particular questions. As expected, I saw more pro-gun from males, and less opinions that were "loud" from women. Generally the response was "rights" and "morals", rather than a lead-in to discussions for solutions.

What does the survey say? Well, obviously that people will defend their 2nd Amendment rights, but also the opinion was obvious about government intervention: Your rules don't work! Most people I interviewed, honestly wanted the public to remedy this in the way of "church morals", and that is okay, but I believe the survey says more.

I think the survey spells out the need for better education at the grade-school level. The arena of guns should be taught, as well as society's problems in regard to guns. In my opinion, if kids knew the real consequences, before a scene like Clackamas unfolds, they may be able to avoid it, or even prevent it. In either case, children's lives are saved.

Violence in America: Steven Pinker Part 2 of Better Angels Of Our Nature

In his book, Better Angels Of Our Nature, Steven Pinker writes about violence by way of “older” means, namely places like Rwanda, violent genocide carried by machetes and starvation tactics. Pinker's point, of course, is that humans are always capable of violence, no matter technology.

But the other point is that humans have chosen NOT to carry on with barbaric and violent means. And in effect, humans have become LESS violent. Let's take a look.

In this perspective, I will try to examine Kantian theory, and how democracy grows. I will look at Pinker's “Long Peace”, and try to relate it to our future in Oregon. I will discuss Islam, and America's romantic patriotism.

As I begin, let's compare 1 unremarkable study with 2 unmistakably remarkable ones. In the early pages of Chapter 5 in Pinker, the studies of Arnold Toynbee and Lewis Richardson in the 1950's, shows substantial contrast. In my own study, a 5 question survey about gun control, interesting similarities exist between all 3 studies.

Pinker doesn't blame Toynbee for the pessimistic “In our recent history, war has followed war, and it has been ascending evermore intensely,” for Toynbee was writing at a time of wars and hatred. Pinker at the same time, ventures into Richardson's optimistic “A long future may be without war.” In my gun survey, 95% of the surveyed, did NOT have a Concealed Weapons Permit, but were overwhelmingly pro-gun.

Pinker points to the historian(Toynbee) as to being wrong, and to the mathematician as correct in predicting “the long peace.” And Pinker also questions the 20^th century violence, in a way that validates an “anomaly” status. My question is this: Can they all be wrong?

If we assume somebody is correct, does this make the others wrong? In my gun survey, the line in the sand is obvious, as it is in both Toynbee and Richardson. But only one was right. Why? And since this is about violence, what does my gun survey say about American reliance on guns, and the violent effect?

I would argue that both these men were correct. In is not so hard to predict humankind's behavior in the wake of opportunity, and it is equally not hard to predict the use of force in that newfound opportunity. New Orleans during Katrina is a perfect example, and there are many. Occupy Wall Street, was an example of the powerful reaction that governments make when civilians “forcefully” take over in a civil disobedient sort of way.

And the math is also correct, in regards to generally descending statistics of violence. But as we already know, that descent has, and is, being tested. The question here is, when humans hear the news every day, and hear that somebody somewhere, wants them dead, what does that mean for the progress Pinker has been describing? What does it say about education? Social constructs? Did Richardson ignore the ignorance, in favor of math, because he was searching for an optimistic answer?

Pinker examines the first half of the 20^th century in a graph(Better Angels, pg. 230), and the meteoric rise of death from conflict(Europe) during that time is extraordinary. Pinker cites the religious conflict of the early 17^th century as the only comparable time.

The reasons for this “romantic nationalism”, the idea that states are geographically evolved, and so are the people, comes from the unifying of ethnic groups within an area. The accompanying romantic militarism, the idea that war is “cleansing”, was accepted by more folks than claim to admit.

Does that mean that Pinker, and even Richardson, might be wrong? We are clamoring for educated people to lead the way here, and then Pinker goes off and tells us(pg. 243) that the educated had a hand in this. The question here is this: If a large proportion of educated, preach romantic militarism, who is to say stop? In Art Robinson country, how do educated folks, like OSU/LBCC professor Doug Clark and Harvard's Steven Pinker, convince the masses of the virtues of peaceful conflict resolution? We already know that Khrushchev had a handle on game theory and was “cognitive of war”, but what about the ones that do not know? How can we apply that to Occupy? Or even a traffic stop? When does an idea like Global Zero become a “social ideology”, or even better, a school curriculum?

Pinker explains the essay by Immanuel Kant(Perpetual Peace), as a reasoned democratic approach to statehood that breeds peaceful arenas. I would agree with that, but would ask why it's so defined. And I would ask if statehood itself is arbitrary and racist. Obviously, Utah is “different” than Texas. But they are America, so in the case of Israel and Palestine, what in Pinker's assessment of Kant is lost in those negotiations?

As the magnified look at relations continues in Pinker's Better Angels Of Our Nature, one can only read in awe. The statistics on violent conflict in the latter 20^th century, and specifically from 1980 to present, violence in regard to Islam seems out of proportion with the rest of the world. This struggle with religious ideology is more than it seems. Pinker discusses this as as sort of an oppression that increases conflict and reduces resolution techniques.

And so, my final question, for anyone who wants to answer:

Have humans lost a chance to reconcile with Islam? Has democracy lost its chance to sit with Islam, and learn acceptance?

In the same breath, has right wing America, lost any chance it had with minorities? With women?

And if so, what is the approach in the coming weeks? Years?

One last question...

How have organizations like the CIA, ruined democracy's reputation? Has capitalism led to consumerism, and also lessened the credibility of a democratic state?

Okay, really. Last question: Newtown, in Pinker's words, would be a “violent catastrophe”, but how would he classify the response to the shooting?

 

 Portland Oregon Police brief media on a officer-involved shooting.

 

 Suspect that was shot and killed by police, had showed "violent and engaging behavior."

 

Downtown patrol, preventing violence.

Haiku, about truth in journalism: Journalist In New York City

Journalist In New York City by Ronald Borst

newsroom noise rattles
my ears like a subway train
concentrate on truth




This poem was inspired by journalism in my life, teachers of journalism, and my birthplace- Brooklyn, New York City. The words are meant to put the reader into the mind of a journalist who is not struggling to maintain focus in a biased environment, but instead is struggling with the absence of integrity, that exists around him.

The words are not a reminder to be mindful of ethical responsibilities, they are a lesson.

Me, in Rob Priewe's(JN instructor, LBCC) office.