One Last Word or Karen's got your tongue

Yes, I did write Karen, we all know Karen and Ken and a hundred pseudonyms for annoying people we met along the way. Worlds full of them, heck we are probably a Karen to someone who didn't like it when we got annoyed at something or annoyed someone. There is nothing special about it, it wasn't invented recently.  We probably use a general term like "hey asshole you think you're something special!"

Hit that nail on the head. I recently watched a video of an articulate young woman who acted like she invented Karen, I would say she is a Karen acting in a superior way to denigrate someone she has no empathy with. Everyone needs to simmer down and cut the shit, after all the Karen's I do know are fairly reasonable people and some are actually nice. But honey lose the hair!

Back to tying flies!

Peace out

Brook trout matter support conservation and natural resources before it is too late

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Sierra Club

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Stop fracking

Words Part 3

I've learned some new words and phrases this past week. Okay, I already can hear the groans, words that I've heard misused and abused lately.

Word one is privilege, like it's something taken for granted not earned or bestowed upon. The first is as a noun, which I disagree with. It sounds like you don't have to do anything but belong.

                     A special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular                    person or group."education is a right, not a privilege" 

A privilege is something you earn or acquire not by rights but through hard work. 
Or a verb
                   grant a privilege or privileges to.

                "English inheritance law privileged the eldest son"

Entitlement:

                  the belief that one is inherently deserving of privileges or special treatment. or

                the amount to which a person has a right

                the fact of having a right to something

Problems with semantics and use or misuse of words even if the definition has been changed or altered follows everyday life. Tweaking of news stories, delft editing of home made videos or bias creeps in. Not that I see anything inherently wrong with bias, how can we not be influenced by our experiences or outside influences. The real problem is perception and self entitlement, the anger middle aged woman who waited 30 minutes for her check at a restaurant being ridiculed in a video and called a name shows bias. You got to ask yourself one question, what would a reasonable person do. I know my patience wears thin when I am ignored  and have to wait any unreasonable amount to just pay and leave a tip. Maybe I don't make a scene, but I may never return. Define reasonable in an unreasonable time. Times do call for patience and understanding. 

So why do I bother? Because words are powerful and need to be used with caution. We have no right or privilege or entitlement to ruin someone's life. We do have an obligation to treat everyone fairly and as equals. 

We are going on a summer break, time to enjoy life and make more videos. See everyone in the fall, maybe!

Words part 2

Words are powerful, use them wisely! What do you see in this picture? Just what you see!

Green evergreen trees with blue skies, right? Or do you think you see more? Weeping cankers on stem, large dead branches, oh come on quit making stuff up!We all have a habit of seeing more into something than exist. That's the what people do, they expand on what they saw. Or what they think they saw. Witnesses are always not the best witnesses for this reason. 

Back to fishing, observing what's going on is more important than the rod, the line or the fly. Think about that one.

Bias

Not a political statement, just a fact of everyday life. 

Here are a few words being tossed around lately.  No particular order, just words! Definitions are expressed as nouns or verbs. Usage changes the meaning slightly. 

"Bias is disproportionate weight in favor of or against an idea or thing, usually in a way that is closed-minded, prejudicial, or unfair. Biases can be innate or learned. People may develop biases for or against an individual, a group, or a belief. In science and engineering, a bias is a systematic error. "

Preference In psychology, economics and philosophy, a preference is a technical term usually used in relation to choosing between alternatives. For example, someone prefers A over B if they would rather choose A than B. Preference can also be used in insolvency terms."

"Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior." The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concerns matters of value, and thus comprises the branch of philosophy called axiology."

Ambiguity "the quality of being open to more than one interpretation; inexactness."

Condescending: "having or showing a feeling of patronizing superiority."

Prejudice: preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience"

Conscience: an inner feeling or voice viewed as acting as a guide to the rightness or wrongness of one's behavior.The whole conscience thing was covered in my high school religion class, having a parochial education had its merits. Yes you can twist that inner voice and convince yourself right is wrong, up is down, blue is red. So here is one place where being honest with oneself is important. Here is where ethics and ethical behavior is born.

Words are powerful use them wisely!

In general terms in my former professional life, you would be ethically bound to certain parameters or standards. It would be normal to develop a bias based on prior experiences, for example; maples produce seedling that are unsightly and the branches easily break in the wind. After years of seeing damage from  maples, I would recommend their removal. Thus one could conclude all maples are bad? Mmm, really? Well my preference is to exam maples  more closely, so my bias doesn't turn into a prejudice. I would not behave in a condescending manner to any one how happened to disagree with my opinion about maples. Get the picture? You can show a bias as a preference to an alternative or differing dialogue or philosophy. 

Here is something else to consider, you can compromise your beliefs, but not your ethics! Confusing, you bet!

So what's the point? Before you post to social media or take a heavily cropped and edited video and try for your fifteen minutes of fame, you need to consider a few things.

1. Is it the truth? Really!
2. Will it harm others?
3. Is it appropriate?
4. Is the purpose to incite and antagonize others?
5. Can it be done in another manner?
6. Is it in poor taste?

Back to fishing and tying some neat flies, the world is a crazy place and you can't fix it by being angry just one day and one person at a time.

I Got the BWO Blues

Get up early in the morning can't get my act together! Yes I get up in the morning and can't find my shoes. Coffee makers broke and so am I! Can't find my waders, flies and bamboo rod, cause I have the BWO blues!!

Just how many variations on the theme are there? Considering that every one gets a thorough going over by the fish. Some seem to pass inspection and the next day the same fly doesn't even get a look.

Brook trout matter, handle them with care. No choke holds, no digging around to save your fly. Use your net for pictures. Pinch barbs or go barbless!!