Proposal: An Airline Passenger License

INCIDENT:
I just got back from a quick weekend trip to San Diego for a friend's wedding. As you may know I have a pet peeve about how people store their luggage in the overhead compartment. So this time as I was waiting for people to board, I started thinking about all of the things that I don't like about flying. Before I leave for any trip I feel pretty anxious. It is not until I get to my destination do I begin to feel really excited. The combination of an incomplete to-do list at home, the hassle and frustration of airports, the long security lines, delayed flights, and the coordination of airport pick-ups and drop-offs can make anyone anxious.

MORAL:
Considering I fly rather often, I put some thought into how to resolve my anxieties about flying. So I came up with a proposal. My idea is that people need to get an airline passenger license. There are plenty of activities that require training before you can partake in them... why not flying? Seriously think about it... if something happened on the plane, would you like everyones first experience with opening the exit hatch or operating the emergency slide the moment when it was most needed? I don't think so.

So what would this airline passenger license involve? Well to start, a review of TSA guidelines would be good. Aren't you curious about how the guidelines were determined? Really what is the difference between 3.4 oz. and 3.5 oz. of liquid to homeland security? Follow that with training on the dos and don'ts of going through the airport security line. This is key in helping with speed of getting through the security line. Then we can round off the licensing procedure with first hand training in operating the exit doors, using oxygen masks, dealing with unruly passengers, putting on life vests while getting to the emergency exits, and of course, storing luggage properly in the overhead compartment.

This airline passenger license will take the Clear card to the next level. And if it is required for everyone, then flying will be a much better experience for all. Think about it... and while we are at it, I have some other ideas for things that should require licenses as well...

Green Porno

INCIDENT:
Growing up we have all been exposed to many educational films in school and on television... think health class/sex education. There were usually full of cliches ("Stay in school!" or "Save it for marriage!"), were poorly acted, and low low budget. But that also made them pretty memorable... well the message itself was not so memorable but you get the picture.

Well, we finally have some worthwhile educational films about how insects reproduce care of the amazing Isabella Rossellini... Yes, Isabella Rossellini. These short films called Green Porno are fantastic and make science sexy. If you don't think that is possible you just need to watch a couple of these shorts. It is not really dirty, but Rossellini's Italian accent makes anything awesome.

Green Porno

MORAL:
Don't you wish that more educational films were made by the likes of Isabella Rossellini? The straightforward and matter-of-fact manner in which Rossellini presents reproduction in arthropods is refreshing... though admittedly disturbing. But perhaps it is only disturbing because of the societal climate that we are accustomed to in the United States. If we grew up on the truth and on nature being the true reality instead of the sugar-coated half-truth that is often presented as "science," perhaps the atmosphere in America for science would be different. We can only dream...

Let's compost people!

INCIDENT:
My friend was recently on television demonstrating the ease of worm composting. It's easy and practical! After you watch her segment you will be sold too! What's great is that this segment was on Fox, reaching an audience that might not have been exposed to the benefits and ease of composting.



MORAL:
I am super excited to start composting. I have already been saving all of my food scraps for the worms that should be arriving any day now. My kitchen compost pail is already full of delicious decomposing food. It's like getting a new pet... except there are lots of them and they are very hungry hermaphrodites... oh, and you don't have to walk them. What more could you want?

What now?

INCIDENT:
I haven't posted in awhile cause I have been a bit busy with a momentous occasion in my life and it seriously took all of my focus and energies for the past couple of weeks (or rather months depending on how you count...). But now, that it is over I am left wondering, what next?

MORAL:
Have you ever worked towards a major goal? Where you are almost blinded by everything else that is going on around you and particularly by the goal itself that you can't see past it (or perhaps you just haven't thought about what happens after you accomplish it...). It's a strange place to be... somewhere in goal purgatory. It's a bit of an uneasy feeling not knowing what to focus on next, but it can also be a really wonderful place to be.

How often to you get to say that anything is possible at this moment? - A moment when in an instant you all of a sudden have more free time (well, at least perceived free time, since all those other obligations that you had before are probably still there)... A moment when you can start working on something that you have wanted to do for a long time... A moment to re-evaluate what is most important in your life. So it's really the perfect time to tackle one of those personally important things on your to-do list that doesn't have a due date. You know all of those dreams and thoughts that you have in any given day - to take up a new sport, to learn something new, or to start volunteering for a worthy cause. Do you ever wonder, when do people have time for all of these things? Well, the answer to that question is right now.