But isn't that the beauty of it? What happened to enjoying the journey, not just the destination? It seems these days no one wants to put in the time and work required to do anything, they'd rather just become a virtual musican or kung fu blackbelt. Even relationships and friendships are easier in the virtual world. I hope we can return to a time when we value work and discipline, when we see the beauty of "wood shedding" for hours in our bedrooms to master our hero's solos instead of faking them in minutes on a cheap piece of plastic.

I spent time with them in the rain forest of Peru. This was their second trip to the region and this time they were determined to check off everything they "missed" the first time. They tried to shuttle the rest of us and our guide through dense jungle, past amazing howler monkeys and stunning tucans, in search of some elusive little brown job to round out their checklist. The rest of the trip they complained about the food, the weather, the insects in their tents, the mud that slowed our progress.

They might have seen the light when the wife convinced the husband to join the rest of us in staking out a clay lick overnight in hopes of seeing a tapir. When the 400 beast came crashing through the brush right below our lookout, the husband finally admitted that maybe it had been worth the effort and discomfort. I hope that they brought home such memories, and not just bragging rights to their birder friends.

For those wondering about the connection with perfect pitch and music, I highly recommend reading up on the life of Olivier Messiaen. His perfect pitch enabled him to walk the forest, notating bird songs by ear. He'd then set the birdsongs to match the color of their feathers, or the setting sun. His music is gorgeous and he kept detailed notes on his own composition process and synesthia.

This has been one of the most historically significant weeks in the history of our economy and yet Salon focuses yet another front page story on Palin?

Read Fighting for Acceptance if you're looking for a book on the subject that is better researched and less cliche ridden.

MMA does have some budding scribes, they just don't seem to be hired to write books and articles for mainstream journals, instead leaving such things to boxing fans who don't fully understand or appreciate the sport. If the author wants to understand why MMA athletes "generally aren’t very good at avoiding punches" I'd suggest he slip on a pair of MMA gloves and spar sometimes. It's amazing to feel the difference between what slips between a pair of boxing gloves and a pair of "little gloves" as we call them.

As a coach and competitor in this sport I'm saddened to yet again read an introductory article on MMA that neglects to include female athletes at all. Till Dana White can swallow his prejudice, or at least till he sees dollar signs, women won't be in the UFC, but we're out there at smaller shows all over the world.

If you're an Alaskan, MAV. No one in Alaska has called them "mobiles" since the beginning of time. Far from a calculated move on her part, she's just being an Alaskan here.