BY JON THEISS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICHOLAS HINSCH
& SCOTT CUNNINGHAM

After numerous permutations, setbacks, runs of bad luck, near misses, downright failures and a devastating fire, Shadowbox eventually became a wildly successful theater company completely unique to Columbus – until they opened a second Shadowbox in Newport, Kentucky in 2001. Their style mirrors late-nineteenth century vaudeville: kinetic, flamboyant, bawdy humor with elements of physical comedy, slapstick, socio-political satire, live music, dance and video content. Executing a show like this takes a large staff, so Shadowbox employs around thirty full-time artists who wear nearly as many hats as Guyer.

Interestingly, Guyer’s career in original theatre started on the wrong foot, a fact that he’s quick to admit. His first project, an original rock opera that he wrote, produced and directed, essentially failed – though out of this failure sprang success. “When I wrote the rock opera, it really was my best effort at the time – but it was also not good,” he explains with a flippant air of self-effacement. It was his first foray into theatrical production, and although he may not have earned a place in the pantheon of dramaturgy, he did captivate a few admirers who recognized his potential – potential that he was all too eager to capitalize upon.

POTENTIAL ENERGY

Guyer tosses the word “potential” around pretty often. It’s one of his favorite touchstones, even citing it as the driving force behind his business model. “The idea here [at Shadowbox] is to express all of your potential in one business,” Guyer says, adding, “I need good actors, good musicians, good singers and good sketch comedians who are also good waiters, good administrators, good PR people, good at marketing – you name it.” Katy Psenicka, a member since 1993, echoed the same sentiment. “I’m part of the creative team, the general manager, choreographer and director of media relations,” she says. “We do it all here!”

02
Dr. James T. Hutta D.D.S. M.S.
Specialty: Orthodontics
45 years old
James T. Hutta D.D.S. Orthodontics
470 Silver Lane – Gahanna/New Albany
Graduate, Ohio State University College of Dentistry
Residency: University of Rochester.
Words to live by/Mantra: “Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care.”

The son of a schoolteacher, the easygoing Dr. Hutta is quick to tell you about how much he likes to help young people in CMH. “I work a lot with youth ministry and coach baseball,” he says. His father instilled in him a certain amount of level-headedness and willingness to mentor future generations. When he’s not coaching, Dr. Hutta spends time at rock ‘n’ roll shows and sporting events. “U2 is the best concert I’ve ever been to – but I like progressive rock, alternative, that kind of stuff. I usually go to concerts at the Schott or Nationwide,” he says. He also likes to take his children to sporting events whenever possible – especially when Blue Jackets or Ohio State games. “We just like to have fun!” he says.

03
Dr. Rena Henriques M.D.
Specialty: Internal Medicine
36 years old
Downtown Physicians
41 N. High Street and 262 Neil Avenue
Graduate, NEOUCOM
Residency: Riverside Hospital
Words to live by: “Life is too short to not have fun.”

Dr. Henriques calls Gahanna home, and says her parents got her interested in the medical field while she was still a child. “In high school, I did a summer internship in a doctor’s office. I enjoyed working with the people and it really sparked my interest to pursue medicine,” she says. Her mother, a physical therapist, and father, a dentist, also prompted her choice to dive into internal medicine. When she’s not focusing on troubleshooting illnesses for Downtown Physicians, she says that she’s busy eating, shopping and traveling to distant locations – and spontaneous vacations are always an option. “Since my husband and I don’t have kids, it allows us to just pick up and go,” she says, “mentioning impromptu trips to Vegas, Cancun or Jamaica. My husband’s Jamaican so we love to visit there.” Dr. Henriques and her husband, an engineer by trade, share the same motto: “If you work hard, you should play hard too,” she explains.

04
Dr. Rafael Villalobos D.O.
Specialty: Plastic Surgery
45 years old
Plastic Reconstructive Surgery Associates
1151 Bethel Road
Graduate, University of Maryland at Baltimore and University of Maryland
Residency: Ohio State University Hospitals
Words to live by: “Do unto others as others would do unto you – but even going beyond that.”

Dr. Villalobos, who lives in Upper Arlington, says spending time with his wife and two children is always his priority, but giving back to his community is just as important as he avidly participates in mission work. “With my mission work, I’ve been to South America, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico and Kenya,” he says. “I just think it’s really important to give back.” He and his family also love to travel. “We like camping and traveling, going to the shore or the mountains,” he says, adding “and cooking together. We really like to explore different cultures through food. The kids enjoy Thai to Indian to Japanese.” When he’s not donating his time to the less fortunate, he’s spending time in the Arena District or eating and shopping at Easton.

05
Dr. Kalyan Lingam M.D.
Specialty: Interventional Pain Management
36 years old
Pain Care Specialists
3645 Ridge Mill Drive, Hilliard
Graduate, NEOUCOM
Residency: Harbor UCLA Medical Center
Words to live by: “Ultimately, one creates their own path. Don’t wait for things to happen.”

Dr. Lingam is a third generation doctor who realized he wanted to go into medicine while still in high school. “I was into athletics, and it made me want to know how the body functioned. My father and grandfather were also doctors, so it’s in my blood,” he says. But, Dr. Lingam does more than just study the body: he also knows the slopes. “I was in L.A. and I picked up snowboarding one weekend,” he says, adding “the first couple times, I cursed myself, but I stuck with it.” He soon found himself searching for the best snowboarding spots on the West Coast, spending time in Utah, Colorado, Washington, California and Vancouver.

06
Dr. Nina Deep M.D.
Specialty: Internal Medicine & Aesthetics
40 years old
Nina Deep Aesthetics
5150 Dublin-Granville Road, Westerville
Graduate, NEOUCOM
Residency: Riverside Hospital
Words to live by: “Appreciate the present – don’t worry about the past or the future.”

Dr. Deep didn’t think she’d necessarily delve into the field of aesthetics when she completed her medical training. “There’s isn’t a training program for aesthetics. You have to make your own way,” she says. “You’re trained to be a physician, how to care for a patient and run an office, but you have to pursue aesthetics on your own.” Even though her current field may be a bit singular, she says it doesn’t feel substantially different. “This is a totally different side of medicine, but it feels very similar.” When Dr. Deep isn’t practicing, she’s spending time with her spouse and three children at their home in Powell. “We just love to spend time with each other,” she says. “We especially love going to the restaurant Local Roots.” Her life is filled with the hustle and bustle of family life, with activities like “getting dinner on the table, driving the kids to sports practice and remembering to give them their lunch money.”

07
Dr. Amy Arnett Budzik M.D.
Specialty: Pediatric Emergency Medicine 47 years old
Nationwide Children’s Hospital
700 Children’s Drive – Olde Towne East
Graduate, Duke, University of Cincinatti
Residency: Children’s Hospital, Los Angeles
Words to live by: “If you have a choice of doing something you haven’t done over a something you have, choose the one you haven’t.”

Docs all have pastimes – but Dr. Arnett Budzik’s is a little off the beaten path. “I’m really a doctor and a mom (first) – but I do sing opera,” she says hesitantly. Before completing her education and firmly establishing herself as a pediatric emergency-room doctor, she took a year off to pursue her early passion – opera. “I heard ‘Magic Flute,’ and thought, ‘oh, I want to do that!’” she says. But she segued back into her other passion, medicine, after coming to terms with the not-so-lucrative nature of opera singing. Now married to an interventional neuroradiologist at Riverside, Dr. Arnett Budzik travels whenever she can. “Greece and Turkey, I loved Italy, and France is awesome,” she says. Her interests don’t just lie in Western Europe: “I love some of the big national parks in the U.S., and I’m getting the kids to all of the major cities, now – Boston, Chicago, New York – and we’re going to L.A. soon.” When she’s not traveling with her three children, she’s hanging out in the Short North enjoying one of CMH’s local eateries.

08
Dr. Elizabeth Hewitt
Specialty: Podiatry
29 years old
Step Lively Foot and Ankle Centers
Various Locations
Graduate, NEOUCOM
Residency: Riverside Hospital
Words to live by: “Underpromise and overdeliver.”

Dr. Hewitt, an avid runner and marathon participant, lives and plays in German Village. “I’m actually training right now for the Commit to be Fit half marathon,” she says of Columbus’ annual marathon that takes place in May. “I go out running with my dog Archie in Schiller Park all the time,” she adds. When she’s not running, she’s busy supporting OSU athletics. “I’m a huge OSU basketball fan,” she says, “I ran and played basketball in high school. That’s actually what got me interested in podiatry. I think being an athlete and seeing how crushing it was for people who got injuries, that’s what piqued my interest.” Podiatry offers a varied workday, allowing her to interact one-on-one with patients while still requiring that she scrub in for surgery. “I think the aspects of surgical reconstruction interest me the most. Achilles tendon repairs, knee and ankle implants – years ago, they would just fuse the bones. Now, we can actually give people the ability to walk again.”

09
Dr. Michael E. Yaffe M.D.
Specialty: Internal Medicine
53 years old
McConnell Hearth Health Center
3773 Olentangy River Road
Graduate, The Ohio State University
Residency: N.C. Memorial Hospital, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Words to live by: “The key to life is balance: personal, professional, family and social environments. Know your wants and needs, and know how to best satisfy them.”

Dr. Yaffe thinks balance is important – as evidenced by his mantra and his hobbies. “I work with people all day every day – and while I got into medicine to help people, I definitely need time to unwind, away from the public,” he says. “I like to work with my hands, whether on cars or computers.” That’s a good thing, considering the hectic schedule of an internal medicine specialist. Years ago, when his computers stopped functioning properly, he began studying their mechanics and software to fix them himself. “Taking the computers to a repairman was just difficult, so I started researching and diagnosing the problems. It’s a lot like what I do with internal medicine,” he says. “Working on cars is along the same lines. It’s meditative for me, I think.” When he’s not working on cars, he enjoys spending time with his family and enjoying the community-minded environment of Bexley, where he now calls home.

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BY JON THEISS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICHOLAS HINSCH & SCOTT CUNNINGHAM

When Michael Jenkins stumbled upon an Internet site with “Alien Tequila” on its front page, he immediately assumed it was his friend George Harris’ new project – a high-end,
ultra-premium 100 percent agave tequila produced in Tototlan, Mexico and headquartered domestically in Nevada. The goal? Produce tequila whose quality would outshine the ubiquitous Patron family of products. But how does a grassroots distribution company battle the million-dollar marketing machines of industry giants? Well, if you’re starting with an exceptional product, you’ve got the beginning of a tequila-flavored David versus Goliath battle.

Alien is produced in four distinct classes. The silver, or blanco, variety comes from the first distillation of the agave juice. The second class, reposado (Spanish for “rested”), ages for two to eight months. The añejo (Spanish for “mature”) ages for at least eight months while the extra-añejo ages for three years, each aging in Kentucky oak barrels. Harris says they tried their hand at different kinds of wooden barrels (including French oak) but the Kentucky whiskey barrels produced the best results.

Trust him. He knows what he’s doing: just ask the judges at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition where the añejo and extra-añejo just won gold medals in best-of class, edging out over 300 competitors. “Winning two gold medals from San Francisco World Spirits is such a great honor because it’s the only blind taste test out there. They’re tasting out of unmarked test tubes, so they’re going from taste only – that’s where their credibility comes from,” he says.

BY MICHELLE MOORE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCOTT CUNNINGHAM

Whether you’ve got $50, $25,000 or any amount in between, there are fitness options to create a home gym to chisel you down to the sexy, shapely you that was trapped inside the person wearing your name badge at the last class reunion.
Before jumping in, know that you’ll need motivation and space in your place. No matter how much money you invest in equipment, using your elliptical machine as a clothes hanger won’t raise your buns.

Ideas for $50
Space requirement: 6’ x 6’ space for performing exercise. This equipment will store easily in a closet or under a bed.

01. 

Audio trainers. Becky’s Fitness Company offers audio workouts downloadable into your MP3 player ($7.99 to $11.99). Each personal trainer audio file comes with an exercise list and video showing proper form. Add handheld weights and a yoga mat.
www.beckysfitnesscompany.com.

02. 

Jillian Michaels: 30 Day Shred DVD. You’ll curse her name but your body will look great naked ($10). You’ll need five, eight and 10-pound handheld weights ($30) and a yoga mat ($10).
www.amazon.com.

These workouts provide great cardio and use either light weights or your body weight to sculpt a toned, lean body. Done consistently, you will get stellar results.

Ideas for $100
Space requirement: 6’ x 6’ for performing exercise.

01. 

Five Factor workout. Trainer Harley Pasternak developed this workout and is credited with whipping Halle Berry into shape for Catwoman. Enough said. You’ll need the Five Factor Fitness book ($5.98 on Amazon.com), 10 and 15-pound handheld weights, a weight bench ($69.99 at Dick’s Sporting Goods) and a yoga mat.

02. 

Rebounding workout. The urban rebounder, created by practicing martial artist J.B. Berns, offers a nonstop abdominal workout to melt fat and inches, strengthen your core and improve balance and coordination. It’s a total body workout named one of the Top 100 products of 2008 by Consumer Reports ($89.95). 

www.urbanrebounding.com.

03.

Physique 57^TM workout. Physique 57 offers three DVDs: a 57-minute (KILLER) full-body workout, a 30-minute express version and a 30-minute arm and ab booster ($49.95). You’ll need a playground ball ($2.99), handheld weights ($30), a yoga mat ($9.95) and a chair.
www.physique57.com.

These workouts reshape your body—they’ll taper your back, raise your buns and add shape to your hamstrings and quads in about six weeks.

Ideas for $500
Space requirement: 10’ x 10’ furniture-free space to create a dedicated home gym.

01. 

Mini resistance gym. Try a BodyFormTM Total Fitness Platform with 10 resistance settings for each exercise it performs. It stores flat under a bed or desk ($200 at Brookstone). Add a yoga mat ($10), Swiss ball ($30), BOSU ball ($99) and handheld weights to vary workouts.

02. 

Mini free weight gym. This requires more dedicated space because it uses a weight rack, handheld weights (around $300 on www.amazon.com) and a bench ($70). Add an Aerobic Twisting Stepper for cardio to work major thigh muscles and glutes ($100 Brookstone).

03. 

Boxing gym. This is a high-impact home gym with a boxing bag, gloves, hand wraps, jump rope and timer ($300). Add handheld weights and a yoga mat for additional strength and core work. 
www.whitecollarboxing.com.
04. 
Virtual gym. Wii Fit gives you choices of exer-games like Wii Fit, Wii Yoga and Wii Active to work out at any level. You’ll need the Nintendo Wii Console ($199), the Wii Balance Board ($85) and Wii Fitness Games ($20 to $40).

If you get bored easily with routine, the following workouts offer variety while still helping you craft a killer body.

Ideas for $2,000 – $3,000
Space requirements: 8’ x 8’ hard-surface, dedicated space.

01. 


Cardio gym. Smooth just launched a new elliptical that is more versatile and ergonomic than its competitors. The DMT-X1 transforms from a traditional elliptical pattern to Agile mode (lima bean shaped motion vs. egg) for a greater range of motion, increased heart rate and muscle recruitment. It provides upper and lower body movement, conditions cardiovascular and major muscle groups simultaneously without stress on joints and recruits glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings and calf muscles to a greater degree than traditional elliptical movements ($2,099). Add a weight rack, handheld weights and a yoga mat for strength training. 

www.smoothfitness.com.

02. 

Cross training gym.The CTX Functional Cross Trainer is a light commercial piece. Its quality blows anything in the traditional “home” category away. Plus, it has a lifetime warranty. It takes a dedicated space but gives you a total body workout with over 100 exercises. Add a weight bench for additional exercise options ($2,699).
www.exerciseandleisure.com.

03. 

Exercise station gym.These stations give you the option to do bench press work, freemotion arm exercises, low pulleys for rows, abductors and adductors, high pulleys for lat pull downs, leg extensions, curls and leg press exercises. The appeal is performing hundreds of strength training exercises on one piece of equipment. Don’t go low-end. You want it to last and deliver a fluid workout ($1,300 – $3,000).

Ideas for $5,000 – $8,000

If you are planning a major investment, give yourself a space that makes you feel good (include a window and professional gym flooring). Add mounted full-length mirrors to watch your form. Though you’ll never have all of the equipment you’d find in a Lifetime, Lifestyle or Urban Active, you can build your workout around your body’s needs. So buy versatile, sturdy equipment to vary workouts and include resistance, strength and cardio training. Include a weight tree (vertical trees are real space savers) with a full rack of weights, a flat/incline/decline weight bench, an elliptical, a CTX Functional Cross Trainer and mounted flat screen TV and DVD player. Prices vary so shop around and ask for discounts when buying multiple pieces of equipment from one vendor. Some vendors (like Fitness and Leisure in Cincinnati) design the gym space for you to help you get the most use out of each piece—they even deliver and set up your equipment.

Ideas for $25,000 and above

If you’re seriously into fitness, make this investment knowing that you’ll use your home gym as often as your living room or bedroom. Dedicate ample space, perhaps 20’ x 20’, and add professional gym flooring and floor-to-ceiling mirrors. And, make sure you add flattering lighting so you can look into those full-length mirrors and still feel good about yourself. You’ll probably need carpenters or remodelers for your ultimate home gym but the results are worth it. The equipment combination is endless. For instance, if you train your lower body, include a leg press/back machine, leg extension, roman chair/back hyper extension, weight rack and full weight set, weight tree for plate weights, flat/incline/decline weight bench and glute machine. If you concentrate more on upper body, substitute the glute machine for a chin/dip or a rear delt/pec fly. To any gym, add a wall-mounted flat screen TV, DVD player, playground balls, yoga mat, jump rope, BOSU and Swiss balls for infinite options. And, though you’ll find everything on the Internet, you’ll have a more functional and versatile gym designed for your body if you work with a vendor. Plus, you have warranties if anything goes wrong.

Mobile Health:

01. 
 

The Mobile Meditator is a crescent-shaped cushion designed for meditation and quiet reflection on the road ($24.95).
www.mobilemeditator.com.

02.

If you have access to a TV and DVD player, with workout clothes you can do the NikkiFitness Fit Travel Workout DVD. Shot in China, Italy, Mexico, Florida and Chicago, it’s doable anywhere your travels take you ($19.99).
www.fittravelworkout.com.

In the end, it’s not your budget that makes your body – it’s your dedication to showing up, giving it all you’ve got and coming back the next day for more because your investment in fitness is an investment in you. The reward is both short and long-term – a killer body, more energy and better health – every day.

PROMUSICA LOOKS TOWARD THE FUTURE WITH A CREATIVE POINT OF VIEW

BY ROBERT PASCHEN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCOTT CUNNINGHAM

The Tibetan Cultural Council told Bob Spring the drive into the Gobi Desert would take two hours. Eight hours later, “we were passing yak herders living in caves.” Finally, in the treeless expanse, the bus stopped at a little hotel next to a large inland lake ringed with prayer poles. “The air was so thin,” says Spring, a renowned clarinetist, “we almost didn’t play.” Brightly clad families with weathered faces poured into the hotel. After a meal of roast yak, Spring and his fellow musicians tuned up and played. The little hotel, in one of the most inhospitable corners of the world, erupted in applause. “Music happens in the moment,” he says.

When not playing at off-the-beaten-track locales like the Gobi Desert, performing in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, or teaching at Arizona State University (ASU), Bob Spring plays clarinet for the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra in Columbus. ProMusica, now in its 31st season, attracts the top musicians in the nation and, sometimes, the world. The ensemble talent can be split into thirds by location: the first third lives in Columbus, the second in other Midwestern cities like Chicago and Louisville, and the rest are scattered elsewhere across the country – a unique concept that’s difficult to coordinate.

“When we have an open position,” says ProMusica Executive Director Janet Chen, “we post the audition nationwide.” During ProMusica’s season from October to May, these musicians gather in Columbus like a storm. “It’s a lot of people with real strong personalities doing something together,” Spring says. “A chamber orchestra is a whole different animal.”

“It can be very intense,” says Chen, a concert flautist and former member of the Taipei Symphony. “But it’s fresh.” While full orchestras have 80 to 100 musicians, ProMusica has 34. Its smaller size makes it a bit more demanding on the musicians. “Everybody has to be involved or it doesn’t work,” Spring says. “It stretches you as a person. That’s why a lot of us come back.” ProMusica Chamber Orchestra was co-founded in 1978 by Tim Russell, who still serves as the ensemble’s conductor. Russell now teaches with Bob Spring at ASU. ProMusica’s concerts typically take place twice a month and are principally held at the Southern Theatre downtown. They play classic tunes from the era of Mozart before orchestras ballooned in size in Beethoven’s era.

While they play traditional classical arrangements, ProMusica is constantly looking toward the new horizons. They’ve had 97 premieres and 41 commissions by national and international composers. “We contact composers and ask them to write a piece for our orchestra,” says Chen. “We’re trying to contribute to the future of music.” One such composer, Joan Tower, was enlisted to do exactly that. “In the future, when you read history books, [Tower] will be one of the top composers.”

Still, keeping orchestral music relevant to a general audience takes consistent effort. “It’s actually something we talk about quite often,” Spring notes. Chen echoes the same idea, explaining that ProMusica has performed arrangements of rock, blues and jazz music. Spring has even played Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird” and Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog,” swapping guitars for clarinets and getting back-up from other wind instruments. “Boundaries have to be crossed,” muses Spring. If you listen to contemporary music and know what to keep an ear out for, you can hear its classic roots. “Alicia Keys has a song based on a work by Bach,” Chen says.

When not in the concert hall, ProMusica is engaged in the community, spending time in the schools and libraries of Columbus. “We go into social service agencies and after-school programs and work with elementary school kids,” Chen tells. “We have musicians in 16 urban and suburban high schools.” Last year, ProMusica’s “Musicians in the Schools” program doubled in size. They’re teaching composing software, coaching young musicians and performing the songs of popular films like Pocahontas and Aladdin. They’re also exploring a new program called Creative Hybrids in which ProMusica performs songs composed by Columbus students. “We’re trying to bring music to everyone’s daily life from an early age,” says Chen.

In 1997, Bob Spring stood in front of the Peoples Liberation Army Military Band and played a Rossini piece for a huge crowd in Beijing. As the president of the International Clarinet Association, he went on to found an affiliate in China. He still holds a guest professorship at the Beijing Central Conservatory, but each year he returns to Columbus to play with ProMusica.
With ProMusica, he says, “You can’t do things the same old way when the guy next to you is coming up with something creative. That’s the joy of the whole thing. Without that freedom, I wouldn’t play anymore.”

For more information on ProMusica, showtimes or performances, visit www.promusicacolumbus.org.

THESE LETTERS APPEAR UNABRIDGED AND UNEDITED.

Dear Editor

I was fortunate enough to read “World News From Every Angle: Mondokio” article by CMH Magazine. I should say that the idea of reading different perspectives on a single news article is amazing. We live in an interconnected world, that being said for an individual to be informed about that world they have to know what different regions of the world think about certain issues. Mondokio gives news readers an option to expand their horizons. Mondokio.com is certainly, something to look forward to. Finally, I enjoy reading CMH magazine’s different perspectives. Keep up the good work.

Sincerely,
Mohamed

Dear Mr. Cunningham,

As I think everyone can agree, the purity of information, or ¨news,¨rather, is something that may never be achieved. As a past intern for Mondokio International News, this became increasingly evident as I read story after story from different sources around the world. Bias is by all means an issue about which we can do very little. Is there anything wrong with that? It´s hard to say, as we have never known anything else, and it would be impossible to find something that is in fact written without a certain point of view. Bias is not the problem at hand. The problem, like Brady points out, is the fact that we value a one point of view over the other. Mondokio International News is a courageous and necessary entity in the world of news that is actively trying to combat this. Bias can´t be erased, but what can be done is give the reader a choice. And after all, isn’t that what we’re ultimately after…freedom?

Sincerely yours,
Tyler Stafford

Your January magazine was presented in my rhetoric class at OSU, and I took the time to peruse the editorial on page six. It represents a basic failure to persuade, the only people who would agree with the views expressed are those who already hold them. There are three points of failure in the rhetorical style.

First, the piece assumes that the reader is going to agree with the author exclusively because the author is a “capitalist,” possessed of an opinion “not so humble.” The author completely fails to establish credible ethos, but this is hardly surprising as the tactic of sneering down one’s nose at the reader has never been highly valued among rhetors. The arguments are rambling and digressive (by the authors own admission) but these flaws are nowhere near as damning as the immediate response of any normal person that the author is elitist and far too ethnocentric to be editing a magazine professing to be worldly and cosmopolitan.

The second failure, although secondary to setting up the voice of the document as the voice of a douche bag, is no less damaging. The argument on the successful taking advantage of success presupposes that the successful achieved their victories single handedly or without the aid and assistance of others. The well-to-do in America today are able to enjoy the stability and security needed to amass large fortunes and impressive collections of automobiles because there are soldiers being paid significantly less money to fight the people who would otherwise kill the rich and powerful. The 9/11 attacks did not see planes being driven into churches or farms, they were targeting the rich and the government that the rich use to protect themselves in a very poetic, very clear fashion. The idea that the rich ought to give something back is very legitimately based in the reality that the rich cannot exist without poor to exploit.

The third failure, and this is the most infuriating, is that the author presupposes that his logic- that is to say the logic of well-to-do luxry-focused American logic- is somehow superior to other logics. The logic is fundamentally flawed in several ways. It assumes a ready supply of cheap petro-energy, it assumes security and safety not afforded in other countries, it assumes a formal education steeped in well-to-do American values (different from the values of Americans who are not well-to-do), and it assumes that the view of the world for the reader is going to be the same as it is for the author. Yes sir, you really must go into detail, you must present evidence for your views rather than a series of arguments saying that things are the way you say they are and that if we simply look around we’ll see that you’re right.

Rather than simply dispensing with your rhetoric at the end of the article, do your publication a favor and join me in class before you sit down to write another of these editorials.

Adam Locke

In response to “Letter From The Editor” regarding ‘Mondokio’

In the Medieval tale of “Camelot,” ‘Arthur’ and his ‘Knights’ sat at the ‘Round Table,’ where even the most blasphemous views were encouraged and welcomed, respectfully. Granted, it didn’t always end well, but I am referring to the Dark Ages here. Mr. Cunningham’s response seems to indicate that we are still there. If, as he asserts, there are countries and people in this world today who do not deserve the respect of being heard because, as he paraphrases, ‘respect has to be earned,’ I wonder – who does he expect them to prove their respect to? If one is unwilling to give the respect of their ear, how have they earned the right to judge anyone in such terms? It would seem in his world we are below that round table, playing on the floor in our own little squares. And perhaps to some degree this is true, but I can find no logical reasoning in his rebuttal that we each remain there, cut-off, isolated and ignorant of those sharing this ever-shrinking world. While Mr. Cunningham assumes possession of all relevant perspectives, he fails to offer even one solution. Furthermore, I find it a sad statement indeed that within the boundaries of a nation built on the principles of freedom, he seems more inclined to silence the dissident than to rise from dark ages. And so I must compliment Mr. Calestro on not only an opinion that recognizes the humanity of others, even when the matter is complicated, but further to offering a medium, a solution, to the very problem of our ignorance regarding the views of our brothers and sisters around the world. Bravo! And thank you for Mondokio.

Shad Wilhelm
Los Angeles, CA.

I think Mr. Calestro has made a very valid point about biases in media representations and being open to different points of view. This is something I encourage students to do when local events are portrayed as international conspiracies by the local media in Pakistan.

As a champion of logic and reasoning over all else Mr. Cunningham should welcome the work Monodokio is doing. If the debate is already so well resolved, such an exchange of ideas will only highlight the lack of logic and reasoning that Mr. Cunningham supposes exists outside of his home town.

Lamia Irfan
Faculty in Sociology
Lahore University of Management Sciences, Pakistan.

Mr. Cunningham,

I am writing you in response to an editorial your wrote about an article written by Brady Calestro, founder of Mondokio.

In reading Brady’s article, I believe that I understood what he was saying differently than you did based on your editorial. I thought it was a refreshing opinion about news around the world. Allowing for equal representation in the media is a wonderful idea and a great opportunity for us to see other perspectives. However, it is up to us, and our own bias, to determine the worth and value of that story – of that other perspective. Have a little faith in the human race!

As the owner of an Advertising Agency for 14 years, and having done a significant amount of public relations in our local area, I can tell you first hand how different perspectives of different media “bias” a story. However, I whole heartedly agree with Brady that the bias is simply from one person’s point of view and that we can all get a bigger picture by having more than one point of view, or in my case “take on a story”. I don’t believe, and I don’t want to put words in Brady’s mouth, but I don’t believe that he was saying that one view was more important than another, simply that we can all broaden our view of the world by understanding, or at least being exposed to other points of view on a subject.

In my case, is what one television news station reports more important and influential than another – yes it is. The station with the largest viewership is the most important to me. This is also true about media and perspectives from around the world. It truly is not that one is more important than the other, as Brady said, but it is also true that some have more reach than others, which may, have more value to some.

Regardless, I think you missed the point in Brady’s article and you’ve over exaggerated his comments. Simply stated, we would all be better off we we heard the same story from different points of view. After that, it’s up to us to make our own decisions – informed decisions. That’s what you said you’d like to hear, isn’t it?

Regards,
Cheryl Hardy

Dear Editor

I would very much like to respond to the views expressed in your editorial about the article concerning the Mondokio website. I say I would like to but I’m not sure if my efforts would be welcomed. You see, as a non-American and non-native English speaker I have no way of knowing whether I’ve “earned” your “respect”. You didn’t go into detail, you see? That’s the thing with the modern world, people from different cultural, historical and linguistic backgrounds can access your publications and website but have no way of assessing what your values are unless you express them! The fact that you’re open to publishing different points of view encourages me, which is why I’m at least trying to engage with you.

Right, how do I earn enough of your respect for you to consider my point? You did mention a “baseline criteria of reason, logic and a competent historical perspective”. I’ve thought hard about that one and have finally come up with something. Am I allowed to use nuclear non-proliferation? I am a citizen of the only country to have ever given up nuclear weapons, South Africa. You are a citizen of the only country to have used nuclear weapons against another country. Does that buy me some speaking time? Unless of course you resent my remark in which case we’re back to square one! (By the way, you’re fully entitled to retort with “apartheid” which would get you one up!)

So what can be done? This is all very painful and I’m not sure that we’ll ever get anywhere. If anything it demonstrates that we’d potentially be perpetually stuck in a kind of flame war over who has the greater legitimacy to express themselves, before even having attempted any meaningful dialogue. I really do want us to make progress but there’s no way to achieve that if we’re already fighting because of your pre-emptive strike on my right to SPEAK! It would have been far better for us to have started of on common ground.

Sadly, that’s what your words have prevented. By failing to consider the common ground you’ve claimed an imaginary higher ground for the small minority of people who instantly understand what you mean by “respect” and “details”. And while you congratulate each other on your mutually approved legitimacy the rest of us (the world) are meeting on the common ground and it’s wonderful. Do join us! All you have to do is to show respect.

André Dique

PS: May I suggest Article 1 of the Declaration of Human Rights as a baseline instead?

Dear Mr. Cunningham,

The editor would do well to recognize the difference between acceptance and approval. I believe Mr. Calestro’s purpose of creating Mondokio is not to promote particular perspectives, but to present them to readers, therefore giving them the opportunity to expand there own understanding of the world. We cannot gain this worldview unless we first accept that perspectives exist different from our own. This acceptance is easier once we recognize that perspectives form through bias derived from culturally specific media sources.

If these media sources espouse “ill-informed hackneyed theories,“ we do not have to approve of them; but we must accept that they do exist, and are in fact widely distributed throughout the various foreign media sources. When we insist in standing on the ramparts of fortress America, shaking the boney finger at those ideas with which we disagree, ignorant of the idea’s influence, we run the serious risk of evolving our ignorance into it’s uglier cousin, arrogance.

Sincerely,
Dan Whorton

The criticisms are appropriate if the mission is understood to be granting equal validity to all opinions, which has not been claimed. The examples given in Mr. Calestro’s article do not imply that the moral bottom line on which we must finally base our personal judgments will be indifferent to obvious injustice, but that, once shown the context of our biases, we will be more prepared to accept and understand why there can be such divergences. By providing Lybia’s take on General Qaddafi’s speech next to that of Fox News, Mr. Calestro does not intend that we should discard basic norms of justice and assume that an obviously state-run and propagandistic news organ such as al-Jamahiriya contains as much objective truth as Fox does. Nor is it to supply Fox as a norm of comparison; the suggested approach to the site is to understand that, for whatever reason, there are people in the world who read both accounts under the assumption of each account’s objectiveness, and that through a combination of understanding of each source’s bias and context and an attempt to detach ourselves as far as possible from our own biases we can come closer to seeing the various perspectives of the world not as they should be, but as they are in reality. The mission of Mondokio is therefore not as trite as appears in your criticism, but one which requires a great effort on the part of its readership to divorce itself from ideology and try to view the clearly subjective as objectively as possible.

Leopold Eisenlohr

Dear Mr. Cunningham,

I recently read your editorial criticizing Mondokio. I believe what you say is couched in truth, but that it also misses the point of Mondokio entirely.

We all know that some media outlets are respectable and reliable, while others fall short… others still fall even further short. As far as quality of journalism is concerned, Granma, the official paper of the Cuban Communist Party, is nowhere near that of, say, the New York Times or BBC. In these latter papers, the accuracy of the articles, while still biased in the sense that all information presented by the media is given some subjective spin, are a fairly close approximation of what has actually occurred. Government mouthpieces, on the other hand, are known to espouse straight-out lies, in addition to flagrant exaggerations and blatant distortions. These sources simply cannot be taken seriously, as far as what is truly happening in respect to reality.

However, that being said, these overly biased sources are still an important aspect of the modern media. It relates to the rest of the world the picture that the government paints to its citizens. It illustrates how out of touch certain groups of people are with the rest of the world. Most Cubans know that what they are hearing, what they are reading, isn’t the truth, but they can’t really be sure what is. Understanding a country’s media base is a very key part of understanding other countries in their entirety.

Self-esteem is how we know that we are successful in our lives, generally speaking, and levels of self esteem are determined by our culture. For example, in America, it is widely laudable for people to participate in a cut-throat manner in the open business market and rise to the top. These individuals are considered “successful” and their self esteem will reflect it. However, in other cultures, it is unheard of to engage in such action. These selfish individuals would be scorned and ostracized for placing themselves before the needs of others. Another example is what people find attractive. In American culture, girls starve themselves to remain thing, whereas in other cultures girls make sure to eat a full diet to retain the curves that their culture dictates are attractive.

These are just general examples. The most important part to note is that culture determines the rules of the game and determines who we are, how we define ourselves and whether or not our lives are being led correctly. That being said, people go to war to counter the threat of change. That people don’t like change is a given fact, but when you threat to change their entire being (which is essentially what you are doing), don’t believe they will take that lightly. Even if the threat isn’t open, it’s there implicitly by the mere fact that other worldviews exist. The more people who agree with us, the more likely we must be right. Those that don’t, we either want to change their minds, ignore them, or get rid of them. This phenomena is well supported by the psychological literature.

This can be expounded on a larger scale. Besides the obvious concerns of territory and resource plights, many military conflicts are caused by misunderstanding between cultures, the clash of different worldviews. We feel threatened when our way of life is.

So, to summarize, what Mondokio represents is a way to bridge that gap, an attempt to facilitate an understanding between cultures. Yes, some of the sources may not represent the paragon of journalism, but they are important nonetheless. I please hope you’ll consider following Mondokio’s progress as it continues to evolve. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

Most Sincere Regards,
Patrick Lown

Dear Mr. Cunningham,

I’m writing in regard to the quote you cited from the Mondokio article in your latest Letter from the Editor. For convenience, here is the quote: “Bias is simply the application of a point of view. There is nothing inherently wrong with that. What is wrong is the belief that one culturally-specific perspective has more intrinsic worth over another.” From what I gather, your main point of contention with this statement is that you believe certain perspectives do in fact have more value than another. You indicated that the value of different perspectives could easily be ranked according to “baseline criteria of reason, logic, and a competent historical perspective.” (emphasis added.)

I don’t necessarily disagree with the notion that certain opinions or perspectives could be found to have more value than others (assuming we could agree on a definition of “value”). I think the point of Mr. Calestro’s article is that in order to understand what is happening in another country, you have to understand that country’s “historical perspective,” if I may borrow your own language. The fault occurs when we apply our own cultural and personal biases to events without bothering to understand the perspective of the people or events being written about. I don’t believe one has to sacrifice his own perspective and values in the effort to understand someone else’s. The important thing is that the effort is made.

Regards,
Dave Darby

Letter to the Editor,

In your most recent Letter from the Editor, you addressed a quote from the 360 article from Brady Calestro of Mondokio International News. In your criticism of it, you have offered support for why organizations such as Calestro’s are so important. “Bad” worldviews do exist, as you said, the problem however, is not that they exist, but that they are unknown, unaddressed, and therefore unrelinquished. It is useless to criticize the political ignorance of populations that support or harbor dangerous and poorly informed beliefs without addressing why they believe and espouse these things.

Cultural sensitivity and awareness should not be confused with cultural relativism. While Calestro states that the application of one culturally specific worldview or political bias is not inherently superior or inferior to another, he does not state that all of these worldviews are created equal. He does, however, imply (and later explicitly state) that understanding alternative political worldviews is essential to understanding both our own, and why cross cultural conflicts arise. It is unthinkable, for example, to understand Tripoli’s inflammatory oratory posturing in such wildly inappropriate venues without looking into the historical and cultural origins of Gaddafi’s talking points. It is essential, in order to understand the West’s inability to meaningfully engage Iran, to be able to see what sort of news her citizens are reading, what they are saying and what ideas they have about the outside.

You state that most opinion pieces are reactionary and based on ill informed facts, and this incredibly true. However tragic it may be, the fact is that many people, through laziness or a genuine inability to access good information, only internalize these sorts of facts and theories, and those of us who do have access to good information need to understand the foundation of these other views in order to be able to address them. In order to get to a point where our discourse is based on “a baseline criteria of reason, logic, and a competent historical perspective,” we must first address what the actual baselines being used are.

While worldviews such as Gaddafi’s, Ahmadinejad’s and the like certainly not “good” or helpful, they are important, and can not be eradicated or even addressed if they are neither known or understood.

Respectfully,
Morgen Morrissette
Columbus

Mr. Cunningham,

As a strong supporter of print media in any form, let me start this letter by saying that I appreciate the work you’re doing, as well as your willingness to support Columbus social entrepreneurs like Brady Calestro. Mr. Calestro’s article in the recent issue of CMH was a welcome highlight, a well-realized argument that achieves greater pertinence when you consider the state of the fourth estate in these uncertain times.

That said, the flippant, curt response you gave in your “letter from the editor” was a poor move. I can only assume that the response was meant to serve as a sort of patriotic rallying cry for us red-blooded Americans who have shrines erected to Adam Smith in our basement, but throwing platitudes at the wall to see what sticks isn’t the best way to fortify your belief system…especially if you’re in the business of selling words.

However, since you are the publisher and editor, I can assume that you understand both the theory and practice of reason, so I’m hoping you can clarify a few things for your readers. I’ll start with your words:

“Wouldn’t that be a wonderful world? The fact of the matter is it isn’t – and the powers that be should accept that every perspective from every country can’t and shouldn’t be given the same degree of respect and legitimacy for reasons too obvious to mention. Anyone remember the phrase – ‘Respect has to be earned?’ Consider the world today. Must I really go into detail?”

Well…yeah, you must. First, definitions of both legitimacy and respect are tenuous things, notoriously hard to grasp. For me to understand your argument, I need to follow your understanding of these concepts. Let’s consider respect, using Iran as an example. I’m sure that both you and I agree that Iran’s government is a terrible threat to both human rights and world peace, and the global community at-large would be better served with a true democratic system in place over there. Does this mean we stop listening to Iran? As evidenced by the stirring wave of student protests last June, large segments of the Iranian population vehemently disagree with their rulers. To stage such a massive uprising under an iron fist takes courage and resolve…and earns respect. Where would you draw the line? Do we dismiss all Iranian perspective as sheer lunacy because of their political and religious leaders, or do we take a closer look at the complex problems facing us today?

Judging from your magazine’s content, it would appear that you reserve respect for capitalism and wealth. Does this mean we shouldn’t listen to “poor” nations as well? A cursory glance at Mr. Calestro’s website reveals, for example, the reaction of a Tanzanian newspaper to the recent earthquakes in Haiti. While the reverent tone of the article is no surprise, and the author does not have access to any new information, it is the perspective that Mr. Calestro mentions which captures attention. The author wonders aloud if his “very poor” country could survive such a disaster, and then goes on to advise studying Haiti so that Tanzania can learn from the aftermath. A call for education and self-sufficiency from a formerly-socialist country in East Africa. Is this a perspective that has “earned respect,” or does the country need to be a little richer before we start listening?

Furthermore, and perhaps most importantly, what does “respect has to be earned” mean? Who’s the judge here? The world isn’t a football field or a rap album, and reductive statements like “respect has to be earned” turn complex global issues into rote propaganda, something I had assumed your magazine was above doing.

I turn to your words again in conclusion. “Give me an opinion based on reason and logic any day – not ill-informed hackneyed theories posing as a valid perspective.” You would do well to follow your own advice.

best,
Noel Welsh

Having read the piece written by Mr. Calestro of Mondokio International News and the subsequent “Letter From the Editor”, I would just like to point out a few things that have come to mind in regards to this discussion.

To begin, a question: What are those reasons that are “too obvious to mention” in regards to why “every perspective from every country can’t and shouldn’t be given the same degree of legitimacy”? To assume that we all think the same thing or in the same way, or have the same understanding of something, is dangerous and it directly underscores why we need Mondokio International News and the like. Mondokio identifies the events that media all across the world are talking about and, through translation, provides access to the kind of information on which people in other nations are basing their opinions. Being aware of the nature and content of this information is invaluable. A successful diplomat or a negotiator knows not only the ins-and-outs of his/her home nation’s policies, views, etc., but also those of his/her region or area of responsibility because it helps them understand WHY people think the way they do,and thus why they behave the way they do. It’s the same here. We can communicate much more successfully with people from other other parts of the world on things that we may heartily disagree on, provided we understand what is informing their perspectives.

I am not in disagreement about the preference for opinions based on reason and logic; however opinions based on reason and logic are not the exact opposite of those that are “based on second-hand subjectivity and false information”. Think about Fox News! Often, the most ridiculous conclusions are made based on “reason” and “logic”. The problem is, unless we individually witness everything that happens in a day, even those of us who make use of reason and logic may be making opinions based on false information. We are assuming our information is accurate because we TRUST the news sources from which it is received.

Perhaps my most important point, though, is in regards to the very statement that created this mess: “What is wrong is the belief that one culturally-specific perspective has more intrinsic worth over another.” The truth in this statement could not be more profound. History has shown time and time that said belief oppresses, harms, enslaves, and disrupts economies, lives, and attempts for peace. When reading your response, it seemed that your feeling was that “of course, perspectives from nations such as the U.S., Britain, etc., have more intrinsic value because they support democracy, freedom, etc. Without question, these perspectives are more legitimate and valuable because they do not support terrorism, communism, or any other kind of -ism”. Perhaps I am wrong, but I think that, simply, you presented an opinion that seemed to say that American/Euro-centric values naturally have greater legitimacy and value and that you support the status quo. We may disagree on things, but if we condescend to others by assuming that our perspectives and beliefs are more important, legitimate, whatever, we will just be reaffirming their misinformed belief that we have giant egos and that we aren’t working to improve their lives as we improve ours.

Michelle Hughes

As I continue my quest to challenge Columbus chefs to create a most extraordinary single bite, the CMH amuse-bouche carries on. This month, Sage American Bistro is the restaurant of choice, and Chef Bill Glover is the man behind the flavors. As always, this one bite wonder is available to all CMH readers upon request and free of charge. Be sure to include Sage in your dining line-up for March and ask for the “CMH amuse-bouche.”

Now let’s get down to the good stuff – a most delectably focused bite in which every ingredient is aligned to highlight the star. This wonderfully gamey treat reflects Chef Bill Glover’s food philosophy that every taste should be clean, focused and elegant. It looks like Columbus loves this philosophy as reflected by numerous “Best New Restaurant“ awards earned in 2009.

Back to the bite. The truffle aroma is distinct (arguably among the top five flavors in the world), and the presentation features towering vibrant green and bright white cubes with succulent brown and creamy taupe atop a crostini square. The square foundation is crunchy toast that provides the texture for a bite with complex flavors: tart apple, gamey poultry, smoky cognac and the savory one-two punch of hummus and truffle.

Texturally, the toasted crostini immediately contrasts the velvety smoothness of the white bean hummus. The apple cubes – crisp and acidic – provide a starchy crunch underscored by sheared, verdant chives. The aroma is dominated by the luscious white truffle vinaigrette playing against the star of the show – a French pheasant and cognac sausage. Each and every flavor points to and accentuates that meaty, mouth-watering bird – a suitably rich, bold protein that grounds the bite. Chef Glover admits that pheasant is his favorite type of poultry because “it takes so much finesse to cook perfectly,” adding, “my first time ever eating pheasant I was at a neighborhood Christmas party. It was served with what was more or less apple butter. The apple and pheasant was such a strong sense memory from my young days. That kind of memory has prompted me to put flavors like these together over the course of my cooking career.”

“I just knew this would work based on the components. The sweet, the salty, the sour, but you can’t overwork it,” he contends. Indeed, this scrumptious bite is meant to be savored.

01 | What do you do with the Ohio State Laboratory for Artificial Intelligence Research (LAIR)?
The LAIR is actually simply a name for what all AI faculty do in our department. We research visual perception, speech understanding, natural language understanding, learning, and general cognition in our department. Within that, my long-time research colleague John Josephson and I work on issues related to building programs that solve problems by making use of knowledge about the world.

02 | Can you describe Artificial Intelligence (AI) and what you do for those of us who aren’t scientists?
The basic idea underlying AI is that the mind is an information-processing machine. Alan Turing, the great British mathematician and the founder of computer science, proposed, immediately after WWII, that thinking was computing. He thought that as computers became faster and better, we should be able to build a mind in the computer that was so human-like that people interacting with it could be fooled into thinking that they were dealing with a real human mind. This goal was broadened later into building a robot that would see, hear, learn, understand language and solve problems.

03 | Where is this science applied? What does it do for normal, everyday people?
It turns out that even though we are well short of the ultimate prize – passing the Turing Test – a lot of progress has been made in many subareas, especially in terms of practical applications. Optical character recognition machines and automatic speech recognition programs that you can buy for under $100 today came out of AI research. On the web, you can access computer programs that translate pages of documents from one language to another. Such translation is quite hard actually. We have computer programs that can automatically diagnose malfunctions of complex systems, and design devices that can be as good as those done by human designers in certain areas. All these technologies that are commonplace today came from research in AI.

04 | How much of what you do relates to robotics?
Robotics is very important for AI research as a whole, even for those of us who don’t work in that area. Ultimately, progress in various subareas will contribute to building robots that are as adaptive, flexible and smart as we are.

05 | How close does our current science come to science fiction movies like I, Robot or A.I.?
I think we are not that close, though many colleagues would say that I’m shortchanging the field. It is not clear to me how to give robots the kind of self-awareness or subjective consciousness that we have. But even beyond that, the more we work on understanding the mind, the more complex, interesting and mysterious it seems.

06 | What’s the most fascinating advancement in the field you’ve seen in the past five years?
My answer will be controversial, but because of the difficulty of the main problem, people have turned to problems that are smaller and practically useful. There has been a lot of incremental progress: better learning algorithms, improved speech recognition compared to five years ago, ways of applying AI to the web to get more relevant information when we search, etc. They are all important but they don’t excite me that much. I keep going back to the big question. I have been proposing that one thing that is missing in current ideas of how to build general intelligence – their inability to think in images. Most of the ideas for general intelligence think that thinking is thinking in words. I think, however, that thinking is largely, though not exclusively, thinking in images.


07 | What are you most excited about for the next 
five years?
By their nature, breakthrough ideas are hard to predict, since if I knew where they are going to be, I’d be working on them. I certainly think there will be incremental progress on all aspects of AI. But the big breakthrough? We will wait and see.

08 | Where does the United States stand internationally in the AI field?
It’s still the leader in the field, by a long shot.

09 | What is being requested from AI experts? Which people or organizations are making those requests?
One way to answer the question is asking who is funding the research and who is hiring the best of our graduates. The US government, including the military, are still some of the biggest funders but we have received support in the past from many major companies like IBM and Boeing. The top R&D departments at Google, Microsoft, IBM and Texas Instruments hire our graduates, for example.

10 | Should AI emulate natural intelligence? Can natural intelligence be simulated?
Good question. For many specific problems, there is no particular reason to emulate natural intelligence, at least in complete detail. But there are tricks that can be combined in ways different from the ways nature deploys them so we can learn from nature, but build machines that are different from natural intelligence.