Karl Miller Lugo

Husband, father, friend, @UT_COE fundraiser, connector, 1x Ironman, social media champion, Boricua, Kentuckian, Texan, and believer that we can always be and do better.

Email me: karlmillerlugo@gmail.com

Archive
2012 (31)
2011 (106)
2010 (183)
2009 (24)
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New Blog Post: When Silence Is A Lie

"When truth is replaced by silence," the Soviet dissident Yevgeny Yevtushenko said, "the silence is a lie."
 
Dr. Cornel West used this quote on a PBS show I watched tonight in describing how Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. could not stay silent about his feelings on the Vietnam War. (http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/reports/episode-two.html)
 
It made me wonder how many of us "lie" by keeping silent about our feelings and beliefs. We stay silent to keep the peace, to keep our jobs, to keep from conflict or confrontation, or just because we're too tired to "fight the good fight."
 
I have to wonder what that silence (selling out) does to our psyche, our soul, our mental health, and our physical well-being.

And I can't pay for more than one recycling bin in my city???

Getting paid to save energy, recycle? Incentives expand
http://usat.me?85432

New Blog Post: Jamie's Food Revolution USA and Weekly Update

Please sit down as a family as we did this week and watch Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. I'm a firm believer that a LOT of what we eat is the problem with not only the obesity rate in this country (that's the obvious part) but also with a lot of our health problems. We have no real idea how the many preservatives and additives in our food are interacting with each other and with our bodies to do us harm. This show will open our eyes to a lot of what is killing us and what we can do about it. The question will be: do we have the will to change? As with so much of life, we know what we NEED to do. However, are we WILLING to make the change?
 
I did not have a great workout week for various reasons. This week was the end of my base training plan, so it's now time to move up to a race training program. Not sure what that will be just yet (triathlon, cycling-only, running-only), but I'll make that decision in the next couple of days. I have a conference and a trip to Houston to get through yet.
 
Monday Core work
Tuesday Core work
Wednesday 30 minute bike ride with my son followed by a lone 30 minute run.
Thursday Off (a little core work)
Friday Off
Saturday 45 minute run
Sunday Off

Will 90 be the new 40?

http://futurity.org/health-medicine/will-90-be-the-new-40/

The obesity experts tell us that our children may be the first generation to live a shorter life span than their parents.

These folks tell us that many of them will live to be from 90 to 100 years old.

I’m confused. What gives?

Blog Post: When You Are Feeling Sorry For Yourself, Just Look Around

I had one of those days today. Sundays make me feel this way more than not and when they come at the end of an extended weekend with family, it only exacerbates it. I was feeling a bit, as the poets would call it, melancholy. Having spent a wonderful four full days with my wife and kids, the thought of getting back into our weekly routine tomorrow was making me a little depressed. After going to the movies with the family, I decided to go for a run in hopes that the endorphins would help me through the rest of the evening. Sure enough, it wasn't long into my 1.5 hour run that the mix of the warm sun with the strong cool wind had me in better spirits. As I ran, I reminded myself of the many blessings I have, not the least of which is the good health that enables me to be out there for the run. As I neared the end of my run, I looked ahead of me on the trail and noticed the unique running motion of the runner several yards away. It wasn't until I got closer that I noticed the reason for his distinctive motion. The runner was a double arm and double leg amputee. He was running with prostethes, thus his side to side hopping stride. Call it a divine/Godly message or just coincidence, it was a reminder that when we start feeling sorry for ourselves, sometimes all we have to do is look around to get our life back in perspective and ourselves in a positive frame of mind. If only that man knew how he inspired me. Here is my base training schedule for this past week: Monday: Strength and Balance Workout Tuesday: 45 minute speed run Wednesday: Strength and Balance Workout Thursday: 30 minute easy run Friday: 1 hour bike ride Saturday: Thunderstorms canceled my scheduled 44 mile Spurs and Spokes Ride Sunday: 1:15 hour run   Karl Miller
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Our Blog: http://teamtoppertri.blogspot.com/

The 100 Best Triathlons On Earth...Arguably #triathlon

No doubt these are among the best triathlons on Earth. It is my dream that I get to do even a handful of them in my lifetime. The reason I added "arguably" to this blog's title, however, is because the best triathlons on Earth are those we are fortunate enough to actually compete in. My very first triathlon was a local sprint tri with very few amenities. Nonetheless, it will be among my favorite triathlons for life. My favorite Ironman will be my first. Yes, I know there are many Ironman races more "sexy" than Ironman Arizona, but IMAZ was and always will be my first (perhaps my only). It will hold a special place in my heart forever. Isn't it wonderful we triathletes have so many incredible race venue options. Get out there and enjoy every single one you can. -Karlhttp://triathlon.competitor.com/2010/03/features/the-100-best-triathlons-on-earth_7695#ixzz0idzohcnw

Ed. Sec. Duncan proposes NCAA Ban for low grades. Who is he kidding? #education #ncaa

http://tinyurl.com/ycry63p
 
Thomas Jefferson said it would require an educated populace for a democracy to work effectively. Statements like these from politicians tell me just how ignorant they believe us to be. This is the kind of tough talk Secretary Duncan thinks we want to hear. We are just as ignorant about this as we are the health system, the economic bailouts, the recession and what caused it, and on and on and on. It seems to me DC figures the more ignorant we remain, the better. Of course, then we run into the greater problem of apathy...but that's another post for another day.
The reality is that there are policies in place that allow many athletes to gain admission to universities for which they would not qualify as a non-athlete applicant. They already come in underprepared and the athletic departments spend a lot of time and money keeping these athletes eligible. The article admits "graduation rates for black basketball players are 18 percent higher than for male black students who are not athletes." Obviously, the large academic/tutoring offices in these athletic departments are doing something well.
The other important point this article does not cover is the fact many of these athletes are not going to school to graduate/get a degree in the first place. Their sole objective is to get through a year or two until they can get drafted into the professional ranks. If the student does not want a degree, is it the programs' fault when they don't graduate? Where does personal accountability come into play? This is just more of that "everyone must have a college degree" thinking. But again, I digress. That, too, is another post for another day.
The final point has to do with all the economic realities that make recruiting the best athlete and not the best student-athlete a critical necessity. Are coaches earning million dollar salaries for graduating players or for winning championships?
We might even stretch and make the case that these students being recruited into the pros will benefit the school in their future philanthropic activities on campus. As a college fundraiser, I can tell you that is the rare exception and not the rule. Go around the country and count the number of large donations given by professional athletes to their alma maters. You'll count them on two hands.
Let's quit kidding ourselves. We pay the exceedingly high tickets costs, we buy the corporate luxury suites, more of us donate to/support the athletic enterprise of schools than we do the academic enterprise, and we do all these things to see our team win. We don't want them to lead the Academic All-America count. We want them to win when it counts...on the field or the court. To do that, we expect our schools to get the best athletes and we don't blame any of them when they leave school early for the pros. We quickly forget about the bench warmers who never graduated. We are just looking to the next freshman class of great athletic talent.

TIME Mobile: Texas Governor Race: Can Bill White Beat Rick Perry?

As a Texas resident, I just had to share this.
I'm interested to know what you think. Does Bill White have a chance? Especially interested to hear from Houston residents. What do you think?
-Karl

Texas Governor Race: Can Bill White Beat Rick Perry? : http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1972070,00.html?xid=rss-tops...

Number of Charities and Foundations Passes 1.2 Million

http://philanthropy.com/blogPost/Number-of-Charities-and/21832/?sid=&utm_source=&utm_medium=en

When I read this, my questions are:

Are charities created to support needs that aren’t already being well met or met at all?

If so, does this mean there are approximately 1.2 million (realizing foundations could support many different causes) causes/needs that aren’t being addressed by other means (or not addressed effectively)?

If we can’t adequately fund many (most) of the charities around today, won’t having more of them make that more difficult?

(I realize this is an oversimplification and funny math, but stick with me for a second. I want to know your thoughts on this.)

My hypothesis is that many of these charities (and foundations) are duplicates, meaning they support areas already being supported by other charities and foundations, sometimes even in the same city. There are certainly situations where this makes sense, but I contend there are many times when it would behoove these entities to collaborate if not merge. Not only might they have a better chance at garnering support (and more of it), but the impact they could have might be doubled, if not tripled or quadrupled.

We may have gained 61,662 tax-exempt 501 c organizations between 2008-09, but I have to wonder how many we lost because of little or no funding support. According to this article, even some of this very number are already defunct concerns. (The IRS acknowledges that an unknown number of the groups classified under Section 501(c)(3) of the tax code are still on the agency's books, even though they have shut down.)

We have a GREAT need for these wonderful organizations. I hate to see them wither and die because someone didn’t counsel the founders into investigating the synergistic relationship opportunities already available locally or regionally. I also know of situations where an agency will find its synergistic partner only to have that agency’s leadership (president, CEO, and/or governing board) refuse to partner for personal, philosophical, political, scholarly, or other reasons. Pride, paranoia, envy, and/or greed can kill a lot of potential good.

Sustainability may never be promised, but you can come close through good planning and strategy. Part of that strategy may be a partnership rather than going it alone. It’s not about you, after all. It’s about those you want to help. Is it worth it for them? If you don’t think so, I would question why you want to create a charity in the first place.

High and Tight

Photo

The guard fell off the razor as I got my haircut yesterday. In order to "fix" it, the beautician had to "buzz" it all the way around. My grandfather called this a "high and tight" haircut.
At least my hair grows quickly.

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