Idealist Cafe

Vegan Diet Experiment, and another Gentle Reminder to update your feed

noreply@blogger.com (Russ) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:43:00 +0000

If you are reading this you need to update your feed to get the newest updates!
New Idealist Cafe Blog feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/idealistcafeblog

There is a new post at the updated Wordpress blog:
Experimenting with a Vegan diet

Arrival in Bangkok, Khao San, and Grand Palace

noreply@blogger.com (Russ) — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:52:00 +0000

I just posted the second entry about my Thailand trip. If you're reading this it means you're probably still seeing my old Blogger feed. So make sure to update your subscription feed to my new Wordpress feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/idealistcafeblog

And here's the latest Thailand post I just posted:
Arrival in Bangkok, Khao San, and the Grand Palace

Oh yea, and make sure you update your feed!

Update your RSS feed! Blogger to Wordpress conversion complete

noreply@blogger.com (Russ) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 19:00:00 +0000

Update, new feed and blog address
New Feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/idealistcafeblog
New Blog address: http://idealistcafe.com/blog/

I had mentioned in my last post that I'm making the switch to Wordpress. Well, it's now complete. And I've decided that rather than deal with trying to figure out how to redirect the feeds and all that, that I'll just start a new one. (Unless anyone knows a clean and easy way...)

So for all you subscribers, please update your feed readers to use this new feed:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/idealistcafeblog

I was able to import all my old posts and comments, so all the content is over on the new wordpress powered blog. And I will probably redirect the old blog to the new one, so if you visit the site it will still all be the same, just now powered by wordpress instead of blogger, only the RSS feeds will be different.

The conversion process was pretty easy, I will probably write about it later on... Only hard part was customizing the template to match my old layout.

Goodbye Blogger, it's been nice knowing you.

noreply@blogger.com (Russ) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:49:00 +0000

Well, I'm not technically abandoning Blogger right now, but they are making a move which will essentially make it impossible for me to use their service anymore in the future. I can't say I'm disappointed since I've been wanting to move to Wordpress for some time. The only hold up with doing that has been the fact that I would need to totally recreate my template, and quite honestly I just don't feel like doing it.

But anyway, today I get an email from Blogger saying that as of March 26 they will no longer support FTP publishing, claiming that the resources to maintain that are too high. Their claim is that "only .5% of active blogs are published via FTP." I find that statistic rather surprising. That would mean that only 1 out of 200 bloggers using the Blogger service actually post files to their own host?

They say that the two alternatives are a Blogspot URL or a "Custom Domain", neither of which I would consider viable alternatives. Suggesting use of a Blogspot URL is just ridiculous, as there is no way you can run a company or a reputable blog (with some exception) without your own domain. So I guess their alternative for those who want their own domain name is what they call Custom Domains, which is basically taking your custom domain name and pointing the DNS to their servers. I suppose this is a workable alternative, but if you have your own hosting plan already and your site is more than just a blog (which mine is), that doesn't really work without creating a subdomain or moving all my non-blog files to their own separate domain.

It seems like their target audience is people who are new to blogging and don't have a host yet, or those that have no interest in creating any sort of brand name and are ok with a blogspot sub-domain name. Perfectly fine, but it's just rather strange since when I signed up years ago, the Custom Domain solution didn't exist so I was forced to use FTP publishing to my own domain. And now it seems like they are abandoning those like me...

My one remaining option though, (and certainly not one they are promoting), is to make the jump to Wordpress, and in doing so gaining PHP support for my blog files, and continuing to publish files to my own servers. For all the trouble I've been having with Blogger with their code limitations over the past few years, I'm happy to move to Wordpress. I'll probably just keep my old files as they are, and move forward with Wordpress as if it were a new blog.

I guess this is goodbye Blogger.

FYI, when I do this, I'll make sure to let you all know so you can update your feeds if it's necessary.

NPR Segment - Humans Were Born To Run Barefoot

noreply@blogger.com (Russ) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:23:00 +0000

It now seems that barefoot running is picking up steam. I first started experimenting after I read the book "Born To Run" last year, and am still working at building up my calf and achilles muscles as well as my distance. As anyone who has read about or tried barefoot running, you know that once you get past the adjustment period, it's more comfortable and less painful than running in shoes. Aside from the dangers of glass, rocks, and the like, the posture adopted while running barefoot is, especially for me, much more comfortable due to the lessened impact on the heel, which had always caused me pain.

So I was very happy last night when I caught a segment about barefoot running on NPR on my way home from work. As I've learned first hand, and as the anthropologist in the NPR segmente found during his studies, "runners in shoes usually landed heel first. Barefoot runners landed farther forward, either on the ball of their foot or somewhere in the middle of the foot, and then the heel came down — much less collisional force."

I am happy to see that with each passing week that it seems that more research, stories and dialogue are coming into the mainstream about barefoot running. So I'm happy to share this NPR segment from last night with those that are interested.

Study: Humans Were Born To Run Barefoot

Related Links:
Barefoot running update plus Vibram Five Fingers

Stuck in Guangzhou Airport without our passports

noreply@blogger.com (Russ) — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 20:37:00 +0000

First view of China from the skyEntry 1 from our Thailand trip

We were sitting there in Guangzhou Airport without our passports. It wasn't exactly how we wanted our trip to Thailand to start. Up until a few hours ago, things were fine. There were no problems boarding the plane in Los Angeles, and the flight to Guangzhou went off without a problem. We knew we'd be in the Guangzhou airport for 7 hours before our next flight, and though typically there is no red tape to navigate nor Visa concerns as long as you plan to stay in the terminal, from my research it looked China had some extra tight restrictions for American citizens arriving there, so I put in a call to the embassy prior to leaving to be certain that we would be fine. (Just trying to contact someone at the consulate was no trivial task!) As expected, we were told that as long as our stay was less than 24 hours and we stayed in airport terminal, we'd be fine.

When we had checked in with China Southern Airline in Los Angeles, the agent was unable to check us through to Bangkok, presumably because the second leg of our flight was with Thai Airways. This raised a red flag in my mind, but she assured us that it would be no problem. We were told that we would simply need to claim our bags and go to the transfer desk to check in for our next flight. So after getting off the plane in China, I was a bit surprised to see that after a short walk we arrived at China's immigration and customs, and I could see the baggage claim on the other side behind them. Right away we told the immigration officer that this was not our final destination, so he asked to see our ongoing tickets. We tried to lay it out as simply as possible, saying we didn't have any because they were not able to be issued in LA, but that we had no intention of leaving the airport. All we wanted to do was claim our bag as we were told to do, and check in for our next flight. We were let through and told to "wait over there", while our passports were handed off to someone else who promptly disappeared. A little group of passengers started to form near us, all of whom seemed to be having a similar problem. Eventually things became quite chaotic, but eventually someone came over and found us by holding the passports up in the air and then scanning for the faces which matched the passport photos. Our passports were returned to us and several others, along with what looked like boarding passes. We were then ushered through to a secondary security check.

At the gate, ready to goTurns out that it was only a temporary boarding pass, and the passports only stayed in our hands for a few minutes. After we were brought through more security, and assured that our bags would be handled and routed to our final destinations, we were shown back into the terminal. But our passports and passes were promptly taken away from us again, and we were brought to a room in the lower level and furthest corner of the airport, and simply told to wait, have some lunch, and that our passports with new boarding passes would be brought to us "soon."

Well, to make a long story short, there were about 8 of us in total from all the incoming flights that morning who were inexplicably placed in this situation, and after 5 or 6 hours of waiting sans passports, we were located and our passports and boarding passes were handed over to us. There were no explanations, and I still don't know what the reasons were. Though it was certainly a strange 5 hours in the airport with no passport, and it turned out to be ok in the end. Because this happened to so few of us, all I can think is that 1) because we didn't have our ongoing boarding passes and didn't have Chinese Visas, they wanted to make sure we stuck around, 2) it was some confusion because we all had multi carrier flights and they were trying to do us a favor but procuring the boarding passes for us, and due to our early (6AM) arrival or extended layover, there was some logistical reason we couldn't get our boarding passes ourselves or 3) it was simply some matter of inexplicable Chinese confusion. It was also quite possibly a combination of the three, though personally, my guess is that it was theory #1.

So eventually we boarded our Thai Airways flight, and though only three hours, it was one of the most pleasant flights I've ever been on. Comfortable plane, friendly staff, and good food and free booze! Arrival in Bangkok went smoothly, and after clearing immigration we made an ATM stop then went straight out to the official taxi stand and were soon zipping along to our hotel in the Banglamphu district, near Khao San Road. The taxi ride took maybe 45 minutes, and cost about 400 Baht. (This included a 50 Bath taxi fee for leaving the airport, 70 Baht for tolls on the tollway, and tip.)

Next up, our first night and day in Thailand...

See entry and more photos here

Related Links:

Back to semi-reality from Thailand

noreply@blogger.com (Russ) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 01:27:00 +0000

I spent the past 14 days in Thailand (with a 5 hour stint in Narita, Japan). My New Year was spent on the beach at the Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan, and then I spent some time in the Krabi area, including Krabi Town, Koh Phi Phi and Ao Nang. So needless to say it will take me a few days to get back to reality. If I can get my ass in gear, over the next few weeks I will try to post some photos and some of my journal entries from the trip.

Hope all is well with all of you, and that you had a holiday as good as I did!

Looking down to Koh Phi Phi from viewpoint

The best, yet least discussed, solution to healthcare

noreply@blogger.com (Russ) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 21:26:00 +0000

With all of this raging healthcare debate lately, it seems that the focus (besides the cost I mean) is on medical care and fixing people. While I of course think each person has a right to have affordable medical coverage, I also think the priorities of our health care system (now and in the future regardless of what Congress comes up with) are wholly messed up. We all know that the majority of the money in the system is spent on curing and healing those who are not well. But what you don't hear very often is the word "prevention".

Sure, in some ways you do, as in don't smoke, exercise daily, eat from the major food groups. But if you go to the doctor with high blood pressure, or any of the many issues related to obesity, the doctor doesn't ask how often you eat fast food and how many servings of vegetables you eat daily. And though the course of action may be to lose weight or to change diet, it's usually left at that with no further specifics. And quite possibly that option is skipped over in favor of some sort of pill or medicine.

Everything about healthcare is about fixing health problems. This whole health care debacle would be mostly a non-issue if people would just start taking responsibility for preventing these problems before they manifest themselves. I think that a portion of the money poured into health care should be about health education, and furthermore, I think the government should shift its focus from medicine and curing diseases to preventing them through diet. Start some incentives for organic farming, and tighten up the rules on commerical farming, especially when it comes to what goes into the food that people eat that they think is healthy. A nice salad covered in pesticides? No thanks. A pork chop or steak filled with antibiotics and artificial growth hormones? Not for me.

There are many theories about healthcare, and we've all heard the one about how it's most profitable for the industry if people keep getting sick. But regardless of how much it's true or not, the fact remains that over half of the money spent in the health care system is for treating people who are sick with preventable diseases, including heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, and even certain cancers.

As proof, I use myself. Growing up and even through college I have always eaten a fairly balanced diet. I use that statement loosely, but even when the quality was low and I was eating crap like fish sticks and chicken patties, I still ate side salads, fruits, and vegetables. And on occasion I also ate fast food, or out at restaurants. My health was standard, though nothing to make note of, and like everyone I got sick a couple times per year.

But then a few years ago, I started getting very interested in organic foods, and additionally I started educating myself about the benefits of raw fruits and vegetables, as well as learning the truths about the Standard American Diet. I made a considerable shift, changing my habits to a point where I can confidently say that I now eat probaly 50-75% whole and organic foods, and my intake of fruits and vegetables is way above average. I still do undesirable things like eat out at restaurants, I still have vices and eat crap (though NO FAST FOOD), I still drink alcohol fairly regularly (in moderation), I still hit happy hour for an app now and again, and I still eat red meat, though much less frequently than in the past (probably less than once per week).

But my point is, since I've made this shift to primarily organic and dramatically increased my vegetable intake, I don't get sick any more. I haven't had a true head cold in a couple years, and I survive all of the office sicknesses that go around. Even through this time of flu paranoia and the winter colds and sniffles, I have remained healthy.

I'm not making any guarantees about my long term health, but I can say that without a doubt, making a substancial (though not extreme) change to my diet, while still enjoying my vices, I've significantly improved my health. (As a side note, and probably more suited to another article, this diet shift over several years (including a month long stint of raw eating) cleared me of some mild but sometimes painful acne that had plagued me for nearly 15 years.)

This simple thing, diet, is what could change our entire health care system, and save the government millions of dollars. Support and promote organic fruits and vegetables, whole foods, and educate people about the poisons that they take in daily by eating a crappy diet with no balance. It would save billions of dollars and lives ... though the drug companies wouldn't be very happy.

Clean water should be taken more seriously

noreply@blogger.com (Russ) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 23:53:00 +0000

Photo credit: makelessnoiseThe other day I saw an article about big city water ratings in the United States, and it really got me thinking how sad it is that clean, fresh water is so hard to find. The article was brought to my attention at a good time, as just the other day I watched a program on the History Channel (I think) that spoke of the deterioration of the public infrastructure here in this country. This show was more broad in its content than just public water, but in addition to describing how the public water infrastructure is badly in need of repair, it also described roads, bridges and highway systems that are also in need of repair and in some cases close to failing.

In the article, San Diego -my current city of residence- was ranked 91 out of 100 in terms of water quality. There were 31 different pollutants found in the water since 2004, and 17 chemicals which exceeded health guidelines. This story is not new, as there are always cases of poor water quality surfacing around the country, as well as around the world.

But the thing that strikes me is just how apathetic people are about this. Good, clean water is the one thing that every single person absolutely needs for survival, and it seems that there is barely a place on Earth where the water has not yet somehow been tainted. People look around and see that two thirds of the planet is made up of water, so they see that there is no problem. And if you tell them that it is mostly all polluted, they just assume that modern technology can solve the problems. But it doesn't seem to strike them as outrageous that in just a few hundred years of industry, we have managed to create a problem of epic proportion.

Sure, here in the US we are lucky that we get moderately clean water that comes out of our tap, and yes, there are some remote places in the country left where the water is clean and potable. But those places are getting more and more scarce. And when we have to start questioning the safety of our public water infrastructure as well, it certainly doesn't paint a pleasant picture.

I mentioned that people think modern technology can solve these problems of deteriorating water quality, and to some extent it can. We can take toilet water and turn it to tap water, we can desalinate the ocean and make it fresh, but let me say, as someone who grew up drinking well water from 400 feet beneath my house, there is nothing like a fresh glass of real water that is clean, pure, and tasteless.

Another article I saw the other day described a scenario where there at one time was a small country stream and ecosystem which has subsequently filled in and paved over to build a housing complex. To me, hearing about and seeing these things is sickening. People need to learn before it's too late to they can't just keep destroying these natural systems, and more to the point, we need to start protecting our water sources before it is too late.

Barefoot running update plus Vibram Five Fingers

noreply@blogger.com (Russ) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 16:36:00 +0000

For maybe 4 or 5 months now I've been experimenting with barefoot running. I've written about this before, so I won't bore you with any old details. However, I am happy to report that after nursing my calf injury back to health, I've been able to get out and run 4-5 days a week now, mostly on rocky trails in the canyons near my house. I've not been going totally barefoot, but instead until last week have been going with just a pair of Speedo water socks. They provide adequate protection from the ground (from both the rocks in the trails and from the debris on the roads) and also are minimal enough that I've been able to adapt my running style and moderately strengthen my feet, ankles, and calves.

Because I'm still fairly new to "barefooting", I haven't been going more than 3 miles at a time, but the runs are feeling good, and for the first time in basically my whole life, I am able to enjoy running and am also able to do it pain free. I used to have all sorts of issues, tight calves, shin splints, muscle cramps, and the only way I was able to put any miles on was by stetching like crazy and slowly working at it.

So now come the Vibram Five Fingers. Initially I wasn't going to buy them because I just didn't want to spend the money, and figured the water socks were a good cheap alternative. But now after finally breaking down and buying the Vibram KSOs, I know this is not really the case. Let me tell you, the difference between Five Fingers and water socks is definitely noticeable, as was the difference between running shoes and the water socks.

The reason that I finally caved and bought them is because of my upcoming trip to Thailand. I really only want to bring one pair of shoes, and had read the the Five Fingers make great travelling shoes because they are so minimal. Addionally they are easy to pack and can withstand city walking, light trekking, beaches, and water. So rather than buy shoes for travel, I opted for the Vibrams and now can use them for running too. It took me a while to make my decision, but I finally decided on the KSOs (Keep Stuff Out) in the grey color.

Before purchasing, I dutifully followed the sizing directions on the Vibram site, which tell you to measure your foot, and go by that rather than a standard shoe size. After finding my size, I saw that Vibram was out of the grey color I wanted, but I was able to find them at Summit Hut. The price was perfect, and even free shipping!

So here is my review thus far:

First of all, don't assume your size. As noted, use their chart. My feet measured at just over 11", so I bought the size 44 which are for foot size 11 1/4". I first put them on and thought "Oh no", they seemed way too snug, and I was tempted to send them back for a bigger size. But I did some googling and found that a snug fit is standard, and actually what you want. Several people noted that the ones that felt too snug at first soon adapted and perfectly. So far I am finding the same. So rule #1 is follow the chart and wear them around the house for a few days before you give up and return them for a different size. Barring any strange circumstances, their chart will likely be more accurate than your judgement.

Having first worn them around the house a few times to get used to them, I've now also worn them out for one long walk with the dogs and two runs. They held up great and the snug feeling has gone away and I forget I have them on. My only problem so far (besides foot fatigue) is that I have a big dog that likes to be so close to my side that she steps on my feet, and obviously, the Vibrams provide no protection against that. I can't fault the Vibrams for this issue though, because their goal is to be minimal. But this does lead to some concern about the durability of the tops of the KSOs. Will roughness and scratching from the top cause the material to rip or tear? Also, I have already stubbed my toes twice, once when my dog got too close, and once on something random. I guess you take for granted how much shoes (or water socks for that matter) actually protect your feet. But with these two exceptions, I am overwhelmingly impressed with these Five Finger shoes so far.

After two runs in them, I have to say, "Wow!" I thought the water socks were minimal and let me "feel" the ground, but these Vibrams simulate barefoot so much better. (In fairness, water/aqua socks are cheap and closer to barefoot than sneakers, but it does not simulate barefoot like the Vibrams). The trail has never felt so rocky, and I had to be careful not to step on big stones since it actually was hurting the bottoms of me feet, something that I only rarely experienced with the water socks. But in time I think this will be fine as my feet toughen up. And as others have noted, it is certainly amazing that I was able to feet sand and grass between my "toes", and even the mud squish under my feet!

All in all, my "barefooting" is going well, but after my conversion from the water socks to the Vibrams, I realized that I still have a ways to go to stengthen my feet. My leg muscles feel fine, but I am noticing significant fatigue in my feet and arches, something I briefly noticed when I switched from sneakers to the water socks as well. I guess this is phase 2, one step closer to real barefooting!

Related Links:
Barefoot running update #2
Barefoot running update

Some Friday Fun and an update

noreply@blogger.com (Russ) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 14:47:00 +0000

I've been keeping myself way too busy lately, catching up on a lot of personal things, planning an insane trip to Thailand for New Years, and also working hard on a new eCommerce site I'm building. Oh, and not to mention working my normal job.

But for now, I just want to share a few Friday Funnies. Enjoy!

Low Resolution Girl - Halloween costume
http://kindacarsick.com/post/230881676

Pimp My Jet - Costa Rican Style
http://matadornights.com/pimp-my-jet/

Religion Flowchart - Which one are you?
Religion Flowchart

Opening bottle of wine with shoe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9s89FqNpXO4&feature=player_embedded

Related Links:
Friday Interesting Links

How to Keep 10,000 Plastic Bags out of Landfills by doing Nothing

noreply@blogger.com (Russ) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:23:00 +0000

I consider myself to be a pretty eco minded person, I wouldn't go so far as too say I'm extreme when it comes to conservation and minimizing waste, but I do exert a fair amount of effort to try to minimize my impact, especially when it comes to over consumption and blatant waste. And I certainly would consider our (Americans) use of plastic a blatant waste.

For my part, I always bring my reusable bags when I go shopping, and I even go so far as to use an empty bread loaf bag to pick up dog poop rather than throw it out unused. These days when I make my lunch I reuse one ziplock bag for several weeks, rather than dispose of it daily, and I also use a tupperware to pack my sandwich and vegetables. Right there, assuming that I make lunch 3 days (and eat out 2) per week, multiplied over 49 weeks (52 minus a measly 3 for vacation), that would ordinarily be 294 bags if I used one for chips or snack, and one for sandwich. But typically I reuse one bag for three or four weeks in a row before it becomes too nasty, and my use of a tupperware removes the need for half of them right away. So that puts me down to only 37 per year for 147 days of lunch. Not great, but a significant reduction from average.

But we all know that you can be the most efficient person in the world, and it's just a drop in the bucket compared to the waste of a business. So I now have a way to save another 245 plastic bags per year by doing nothing. How do I do this? I realized a year or so ago that the cleaning people swap out the bag in the trashcan at my desk if there is anything it.

So the solution? It's simple. I bring my trash to the office kitchen to dispose of it. And just like that, I don't use my trash can and they don't change the bag. (I've experimented to ensure that this is the case.) Just like that 245 bags removed from the landfill.

So above and beyond the hundreds (likely thousands) of plastic bags I save per year by carrying my reusable shopping bags and implementing these simple strategies, I now can include another 500 bags (a low estimate combining lunch and work strategy) that I am saving from our landfills.

If every person made these three simple adjustments, we could save hundreds of thousands (probably millions) of plastic bags from the landfills. Even at a small company of 20 people, these three virtually unnoticeable lifestyle changes would save 10,000 bags from our landfills over one year.

As you can see, making a difference is not that hard.

My Green Product Recommendations

noreply@blogger.com (Russ) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:02:00 +0000

I have seen some people posting recently asking for green product recommendations, so I guess this is as good a time as any for me to post my own. Green products are sometimes a catch 22, they are clearly better for the environment and most often for us as well, but a lot of times the products are much more expensive, and worst of all, sometimes they just don't work! Well, here are the products that I have found to work for me and would definitely recommend (though I can't control the price), based on five years of trial and error.

Just a heads up, these links below take you to Amazon, as much as I'd love for you to head over there and buy stuff so I can make a few bucks, keep an eye on the prices, check some of the third party sellers on Amazon for the same products. I don't know why some of the listed prices are so expensive

Cleaning Products

Seventh Generation Dish Soap
- 2nd runner up Ecover Natural Dishwashing Liquid, but it doesn't foam as nicely which makes you use more
Seventh Generation Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Ecover Dishwasher Powder or tablets

Green Works (yes I know it's a Clorox product, but what can I say, it works. I also use a water/vinegar mixture)

Personal Hygiene

I'd like to note that I have found a few good cheap soaps (bar, hand, and washing machine soap) at Trader Joe's. I know TJs is debatable, but when I look at the ingredients they seem to be ok. That said, I'm looking for a new all purpose hand soap that is not outrageously expensive, so feel free to comment.

What green products do you use?

Related Links:
Green & Eco Friendly Products

The best time of year in San Diego

noreply@blogger.com (Russ) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:41:00 +0000

Everyone thinks summer is the best time of year in San Diego, but I'm here to tell you otherwise. Actually let me back up. Everyone thinks that San Diego is 75 degrees and sunny year round. While it comes close, I can tell you that's not the case. I might even go so far as to say there are seasons here.

Having grown up in New England, I can attest to the fact that the seasons here are quite different than what many people are used to, but still, we have seasons. Summer goes from May to mid September, then some fall weather kicks in until November or December, then a month or two of moderately chilly nights and cool days with some rain, then spring for another month or two, then summer. Summer is hot and dry, so everything turns brown, and winter is the green season. So ok, not what most people would consider seasons. (Note: the weather here varies considerable as you move away from the coast. Coastal weather has less variation, during the day it's not as hot and at night it doesn't drop as much. As you move inland the nighttime temps go lower and the daytime temps go higher. It is not abnormal for the high/low temps during the summer at the beach to be 75/71 and then just 10 miles from the coast to be 100/65.)

Anyway, this time of year, October and November, are the absolute best! The heat of summer is finally gone, as are the tourists, the air clears up (and there are finally wispy fall clouds!), and the nights cool down. Instead of the dog days of summer where it's 75 degrees in the middle of the night and sleeping is uncomfortable only wake up and have the mercury well into the 80s by 8AM, we now have 75 degree days and once the sun goes down the it cools off enough to even pull out the long sleeves and sweatshirts. And that cool breeze that comes in overnight and actually makes the extra blankets appealing!

There is just something in the air this time of year (and during spring as well). The breeze is cool and refreshing instead of hot, and the sunsets without the summer haze and fog are just amazing. Even though I always talk about wanting to get out of San Diego, this time of year is what makes it for me. And the best part? Don't let anyone hear me say this, but maybe it will rain soon... The last actual rain storm that I can remember was probably six months ago.

And that is the power of Twitter!

noreply@blogger.com (Russ) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:49:00 +0000

Every week I get these emails from Travelzoo, usually I don't pay much attention. Well, I have been thinking about going up to Los Angeles (well, Carson) again to see another Galaxy soccer game, and out of nowhere I get an email from Travelzoo informing me that there is a 50% off promo for the game I want to go to. Sweet!

So all excited I follow the link to buy the tickets, and it turns out that to get the promo on Ticketmaster you need to enter a promo code... Uh oh, no code was in the Travelzoo email or the linked page on their site. So I look all over their site for a way to ask questions. Can't find one. The contact page is just a generic "comments" form. Bummer. Replying to the email probably won't get a reply. So I try Google. Nothing.

Oh wait, Twitter! I find them on Twitter, said an @Travelzoo tweet, and there you go, less than 2 hours later I get the promo code!

And that, people, is the power of Twitter.

This weeks barefoot running update

noreply@blogger.com (Russ) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:54:00 +0000

I guess it's about time for my barefoot running update. The first couple times I tried to run barefoot I had extreme soreness in my arches and the lower part of my leg, I'm not sure of the muscle, but basically from the calf down to the ankle. There was no pain, but I definitely could feel the soreness, especially when I would get up after sitting for a few hours.

Two weeks ago I finally made it to Sports Authority to buy a pair of aqua socks. I know, not the most stylish footwear, but they do seem to work as far protecting my feet while still allowing barefoot style running. Right around the time I first tried going barefoot, I was having recurring calf pain while running in my sneakers, but since I've gotten the aqua socks, things are feeling better. I'm not even up to three miles yet, but considering that after my first attempt I made it probably barely a mile barefoot (after 1.5 miles with sneakers) and was unable to run for 5 days due to soreness, I'd say I'm doing pretty well. Earlier in the week I ran 1.5 miles in the aqua socks, then another mile barefoot, and then yesterday I did 2.5 totally barefoot, in the grass though, not pavement.

Regardless, I'm happy to report that my feet are feeling great, the soreness is pretty much non-existent, and I'm making good progress. I do have a bit of achiness in my feet and achilles, but again, a good ache, not pain.

Here's to hoping for three barefoot miles tomorrow!

Exploring the mud caves, Anza Borrego Desert State Park

noreply@blogger.com (Russ) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:18:00 +0000

Ocotillo plant in the desert, there is life!Being that desert season is coming here in San Diego, I figured I'd share some information about the mud caves out in the Anza Borrego desert. They are great to explore, all you need is a headlamp or flashlight, and a sense of exploration! Bring some water, make sure there's no rain in the forecast, and don't get lost!

Following is an excerpt of my write up about the mud caves, including information on how to get there, and some photos! Also, if you're in the area, check out my hiking page where I've reviewed some local San Diego hikes.

Entrance to mud cave in the desert I had always heard of the mud caves out in the Anza Borrego desert, and the fact that they are supposed to be some of the best in the world was enough to finally get me out there. I used the "Afoot & Afield San Diego County: A Comprehensive Hiking Guide" book as my rough guide for getting there and keeping my bearings. It turns out that I just used it as sort of a general guide, and then once there explored on my own. This isn't so much of a hiking trip as it is an exploring trip, but depending on the condition of the "roads" and the type of vehicle you have, there can definitely be a fair amount of walking. As a worst case scenario, if you have a sedan or low style car, and want to get a good taste of at least a few caves, be prepared for 2-4 miles of walking. With a car and decent road conditions, you can safely and easily drive to pretty close to the first of the caves.

To get there, take 8 East from San Diego to Imperial County... read more and see photos

Related Links:
San Diego hiking page

Colorado Road Trip - Boulder, Fort Collins, and Denver

noreply@blogger.com (Russ) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:12:00 +0000

Beautiful Colorado Rocky Mountains

Memories from Colorado trip earlier this year...

After descending over the Rocky Mountains on one of the more bumpy flights I've ever had, we arrived in Denver on Friday morning. The plan was to check out the major cities of Colorado over the next four and a half days, and while we were at to sample a lot of the great breweries and pubs in the area as well. It turned out to be a sort of impromtu beer tour, but that worked just fine because it gave us direction and motivation to keep moving along. So to get started, we picked up the rental car and then headed straight to Boulder, which was the place I was looking most forward to seeing. I had only driven through Colorado, without ever having spent any time there, so this was all new to me.

I had written down a few potential places to stay, but we decided on the Quality Inn, as it was the only one I knew of that was walking distance to Pearl Street. It turned out to be a great choice, and I can say without a doubt that it is probalby one of the nicest Quality Inns I've ever stayed at. Without going into all the details of what we did, I will say that we loved Boulder, and decided on staying a second night, which gave us more time to explore. (This was partly due to the snow storm in the mountains which we opted not to drive though heading to our next destination.) The downsides of Boulder for us were that it was such a college town, and also that we found out the cost of living was pretty steep. Which makes it a great place to visit but probably not a place to ever move to. The accessibility of everything was definitely nice; bike lanes everywhere, and even a paved walking/biking trail that led from the center of town right up into the mountains. A definite plus coming from California where everything requires driving.

Some of the boulder highlights were the Mediterranean Restaurant, Mountain Sun Brewery, Avery Brewing, and the Boulder Draft House. A couple places that were great but I think maybe a bit overrated were Walnut Brewery and Jax Fish House (overpriced).

While in Boulder, someone clued us in on the Frozen Dead Guy Days Festival that was going on in Nederland, so Sunday morning we checked out and headed up into the mountains. We didn't actually see any of the festival, but we did get a pretty good idea of what it was like based on the general level of debauchery going on in town. We had a few beers and some ribs at Wild Mountain Brewery, and then went north to Estes Park. Estes Park was gorgeous, but the brewery there was definiately not worth the drive. But the scenery and the wildlife sightings near the entrance of Rocky Mountain Natinal Park made it worthwhile.

Downtown Denver at Night From Estes Park our next stop was Lyons, where we hit Oskar Blues Brewery. We loved that place and it was everything we expected. So after a late lunch and a couple beers, we hit the road again for Fort Collins. We knew nothing about Fort Collins, but after driving around for a couple of minutes, we quickly found our bearing and got a nice room at the Armstrong Hotel. I would have loved to spend more time in this small city, but due to our impending departure from Denver the following day, we wanted to get down to Denver and have a little fun there before flying out. One of the reasons we wanted to go to Fort Collins was to check out the New Belguim Brewery, as I have heard many good things about the way they run their business, especially from an environmental standpoint. But as it turned out, we planned our trip there on Monday, which was the day they were closed to the public. But we did get to check out CooperSmith's Brewery, Fort Collins Brewery (which we were pleasantly surprised by due to how small they are), and Odells Brewing. But alas, we couldn't linger because Denver was calling.

Denver was a little stressful to arrive in after spending the last few days in smaller cities and on the open roads, but after only a little bit of confusion, we found ourselves at the the Jet Hotel downtown. It was nicer than we were looking for, but with night closing in we were getting frustrated and as it turns out the rate was better than expected and the location was great.

We made it out to dinner that night, and also to the Falling Rock Tap House. The following day we finished up our beer tour by hitting Great Divide and then Old Chicago for a late lunch before heading to the airport for our flight home. All in all it was a wonderful trip. It sounds like we drank too much, but we were mostly sampling, which is how we were able to fit so much in. And as for Colorado, I really liked how easy it was to move around between the cities and see so much in such a short time frame.

Click here to see more photos

City of San Diego tells us to conservere water, then they waste it

noreply@blogger.com (Russ) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 14:10:00 +0000

I'm not sure how to feel about this whole water conservation effort here in San Diego. I've seen quite a few glaring contradictions lately that would seem to indicate to me that although they are telling us how to use our water, they aren't doing the same at the public level. Of course San Diego is a big city, and I can't expect them to know how every public water user is managing their water, but I would hope they would make their best effort to do so, being that they are running ads with the slogan "Waste no Water".

A few weeks ago, the ball park at the Rec Center near my house was watering at 11:30 AM, which is prohibited under the new water usage restrictions which prohibit outdoor watering between 10AM and 6PM. Maybe it's just me, but being that the rec centers are run by the city, I would expect them to be following their own rules. So I went ahead and called the hotline that allows you to report those abusing the waternig restrictions. When I told the woman that the rec center was watering, I think I caught a chuckle from her, hopefully she saw the irony.

Then the other morning after a run, I saw different sprinklers at the same rec center that were shooting water all over the sidewalk, which I don't believe is technically against the new rules, but again, I would expect the city to be practicing what they are preaching to the public. In fact this exact scenario is one of the things they are pushing in their "Waste No Water" campaigns. In fairness, this time the watering was at least happening in the early morning, so maybe they at least adjusted the schedules.

Also, although I don't believe that the city has any jurisdiction over CalTrans, everyone knows they are a huge water user (4th largest), and it's been well documented that they excessively water the freeway shoulders, even in the rain. And still after the water cuts, just last month I saw them watering at 9:30 AM. Granted, this is not technically prohibited, but I still take issue with this because especially lately, by 9:30 it's already over 80 degrees and rising, so I'm pretty sure a lot of this water will get wasted.

So what do I have to say? I say come on San Diego, get it together. Though I did hear that city water usage is down 20% from last year, which is great, I think we can be doing better. Start by watching what's going on in the city around you. While I do applaud your efforts to educate the people, I think there could be even better results if you focused your efforts on the big users, which are businesses, the city itself, and also the contractors you have working for you. Would it be impossible to work with CalTrans to put in native freeway shoulders instead of iceplant and change the watering schedules? Then another nice step would be to stop planting grass everywhere, since almost everyone knows San Diego is not really tropical, stop pretending it is and start planing native gardens instead of lush grasses at public buildings.

Related Links:
http://www.idealistcafe.com/2009/01/water-conservation-letter-to-city.html

Can I possibly create a business based on things I already know?

noreply@blogger.com (Russ) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:57:00 +0000

I've been thinking and reading a lot about this topic lately, and about how ordinary people are learning to monetize their existing skills, and ultimately employ themselves. Is it really possible? And do I have any skill or knowledge that people would pay for?

Often I'll find myself browsing random job postings or gigs on Craigslist for non-traditional types of employment, and I'll look and think, wow, I wish I had the skills they are looking for, then I could hire myself out rather than work for someone. (By non-traditional I really mean any jobs that won't require me to sit and get paid for my time rather than my work, like most jobs in my field do)

My goal has been always to be self employed, but my major stumbling block is that I don't feel like I am an expert at any one thing or skilled enough to get paid the big bucks. I feel like I know enough to do my job and my hobbies well, but not enough to consider myself an expert. But as I mentioned, I keep reading more about success stories of people monetizing the current skill(s). Rather than going to school or getting trained in some new field that they may have been curious about, they are simply using what they already know and are learning how to simply make money doing that.

So this has gotten my wheels turning a bit. For one, I have been a software engineer for the past 8 years, and three of them have been with a small company where I am doing much more than software (web, database). But still I feel like I don't know enough to try to market myself in this field. However, I will admit that this could simply be a confidence issue rather than a skill issue, because in talking to other people it seems that plenty of people who employ themselves don't know everything prior to doing a job for someone. The difference is that they pretend that they know everything and then learn on the fly.

Here are a few other things that I could possibly market or monetize:

I have in one form or another been hosting and running my own (and family member's) websites for the past 5 years. This includes setting up the hosting, doing all the coding, the design, fixing browser compatibility issues, setting up blogs, and wading through more HTML and CSS code than normal people care to look at. I don't consider myself a web designer by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm sure the skills I do have could come in handy for some people.

I can usually find the answer to any question on any topic in a matter of minutes using the handy dandy internet. To me I consider this normal, but have realized that the majority of people who aren't computer geeks can't do this. They get caught on spam pages, with non credible data, or it takes them forever. I think I first realized how good at this I was when my girlfriend saw me find something so fast. She couldn't believe it. Now she calls or texts me when she needs an answer, and I can usually find it while we're still on the phone. Trivial, I know, but I'm sure this is a skill some people wish they had. I guess maybe I am an expert at using the internets.

I read way too many books, magazines, blogs, and other articles and now have acquired a vast array of knowledge on a wide variety of topics.

Moving away from the geeky stuff now...

I have had people tell me I am extremely knowledgeable about trails and hiking spots near where I live. I have been to and seen a ton (but not nearly all) of the things to do and see in San Diego, and apparently have ticked more things off the San Diego "to do" list than people I know that are natives here have. I know most of the neighborhoods and can point things out on a local map that people who grew up here have never heard of.
Last summer, I managed to take my average body, casual runner's legs, and an endurance that was better for happy hour than an hour long hike, and I hauled it to the top of Mt Whitney, in one day... That includes the full 22 miles and 6000+ feet of elevation gain.

I am not putting all this up here to brag, trust me. But I am trying to convince myself that I have at least some set of skills that is marketable and can make me a living. Looking at things in this light is new for me, almost revelational. All of a sudden I am seeing that -- dare I say it? -- I just might be an expert at something.

Now I just need to hone in on what that is. And determine if there is any way to take the scope of different things I know and could be considered expert on, and connect them in a way to create something of value for someone else. And hopefully something that they would be willing to pay for.

Barefoot running update

noreply@blogger.com (Russ) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:43:00 +0000

Footprints in the sand - Photo credit ApidyaThe running, and more specifically the barefoot running, hasn't been going as quickly as I would like. I am still nursing a sore calf, so any progress is limited as I can only comfortably run 2-3 days per week, and only for 20-30 minutes at a time.

Also, I have been lagging in getting to the store to get a pair of water socks to start running in. I read water socks are actually great minimalist running shoes, which around here I really need since barefoot is hardly an option, unless I make it down to the beach. (There isn't a whole lot of soft grass in San Diego.) The theory behind the water socks is that they provide a fair amount of protection against objects on the ground, but don't provide any real support and don't encourage heel striking, which is what would be avoided going barefoot.

Yesterday morning though, I got in a nice 5-10 minute barefoot run and it felt great! After my 20 minute run which was split between concrete sidewalks and a short canyon trail near my house, I went down to the ball field at the Rec Center, and did a few laps around the field. The best part was that I did a couple sprints, and I have never felt better or lighter sprinting! (Though my conditioning leaves a little to be desired)

Near the end of the barefoot session, I did notice the pads of my feet were beginning to get sore, which is good I suppose. This means I am on my way to toughening them up. And now, about 36 hours later, I do have some soreness in my arches and calves, but have come to understand this is a normal symptom when you first go out without the support of shoes. Hopefully I can continue this training, get my feet to strenghten up, and maybe by the time they are ready to go 20-30 minutes I will have a pair of water socks that I can use.

A familiar street

noreply@blogger.com (Russ) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:17:00 +0000

He approached the beach and gave his legs a break from peddling, allowing a moment to enjoy the cool and gentle breeze which flowed through his sun drenched hair. The smell of saltwater was in the air as the worn tires of his old bike rolled over the cracked concrete, producing a slightly noticeable whir. Occasionally he glanced up at the swaying palm trees that stretched towards the sky, which still didn't seem real. The streets were familiar, and the scene no different, but the experience was always new. With a grand imagination it could easily be anyone's first time.

Later as he sat in the sand time stood still, and with the backdrop of ever present waves, memories were made. The far away clouds hung over the mysterious blue water, grey and dreary, but the sun still shone overhead. When he was there, it was all just a moment. But time has no bounds, and everything etches itself into the past. Though tomorrow is an eternity away, eventually things start to move, and with the right memories it is all recalled as he rides down a familiar street and glances up at the swaying palm trees stretching towards the sky, which still at times don't seem real.

Compromising

noreply@blogger.com (Russ) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 22:15:00 +0000

I had written this article about compromise almost a year ago, and realized that I never even published it. It was sitting in my drafts, so I guess no time like the present to dig it up and send it out to the world!

I'm not trying to give any advice here, this is about me sorting out things in my personal life, things regarding lifestyle and prioritizing. And even though this was originally written a year ago, a lot of it still holds true.

In general I am a pretty happy person, I am laid back and easy to get along with. But also, I am prone to over thinking and overanalyzing, and as anyone knows, both of those things can get to you. I feel lucky to be where I am, I have a roof over my head, things in my house, a girlfriend, and I get to do a lot of fun and interesting things that a lot of people never get to do. (Even little fun day trips like this!) I know that I should express more gratitude for all the great things that I have in my life.

However, at the same time, I feel like I need more. Not more things, not more money, but more life. I feel a yearning deep down inside that I am meant for more, that there is more for me to do. And these thoughts lead me to sometimes feel stagnant. Not that anything about right now is bad, but that there is more that could be. And often I find it hard to find a balance between what I want and yearn for and what I currently have. Sometimes feelings of contentment conflict with these yearnings, and finding middle ground and stability is hard for me, and finding this middle ground is something I need because it will then allow me to nurture my personal relationships, while at the same time not compromising my ideals or my happiness.

I understand that life is about compromise, that you can't give into every whim and every want, that sacrificing for those you love can be a reward in itself, however the questions that I ask myself is:

How much is the right amount? Am I being too selfish when I indulge my yearnings? And my compromising too much of myself? How can I stay happy and true to myself and grow into the person I want to become while also being responsible to my current obligations?

Quite often I feel that my life is very dualistic. I am usually happy and satisfied to go home to a quiet and modest home, happy being an average person with an average life. But then there are days where I wonder if I am following a path which will always leave me wondering what's out there if were to follow another path just a little further. I know that life is a journey, that we reach points that we have to make choices. Compromise is a part of life. I know this. But where and when is it time to draw a line in the sand, to learn to be content or to indulge the yearnings that are deep within? How do we know when compromise is right and when it's wrong?

Friday interesting links

noreply@blogger.com (Russ) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:00:00 +0000

I'm pretty sure that come Friday everyone is looking for something besides work to do, so I've decided to start a new feature here that I'll publish every Friday morning. I guess for a lack of anything better to call it, I'll call it my Friday Interesting Links until I can come up with something better. If you have any you want to share, let me know, and I'll be sure to credit you for bringing it to my attention.

So here are my votes for this week, just a few I've found that are worth sharing:

Videos
India Monkey King scales new heights - YouTube video, 1:35
You'll never do this on a bike - YouTube video, 6:21 via Wend Magazine
Hanuman the traveling cat - LonelyPlanet.tv video, 2:58
New Wedding Dance - YouTube video, 5:09

Articles
Denver Post Barefoot Running Debate - Barefoot running article, thx barefoot ted
How to send food back at a restaurant - Bohemian Revolution

Thoughts on manifesting the things I want

noreply@blogger.com (Russ) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 13:57:00 +0000

I have been thinking a lot about my life lately. About things like abundance, positive thinking, manifesting desires, and living the life I want. I am by nature a person without a lot of certainty, I am always double thinking, over thinking, second guessing, and oddly I know a lot about what I don't want but not a lot about what I do want.

Just recently I read this post by Steve Pavlina and it made me realize, even though I am great at dreaming and I want a lot out of life, I am not a great manifester. Which subsequently got me into an email conversation with a friend of mine who is currently in the process of manifesting the perfect life for herself.

It started with me writing an email, asking her if she thought I am inadvertantly manifesting scarcity in my life because of what I believe and my values. I have strong feelings about consumerism and over consumption, and I don't think money buys happiness. (I do believe that security can help happiness though.) So my question to her was, being that I don't think material abundance is necessory nor is it something I am interested in, does that mean that am I putting myself into a mindset of scarcity? Monetarily and materially I am quite happy with what I have, but I got to thinking if these feelings of contentment were in turn creating contentment in other areas where I may be lacking. And finally I was curious her thoughts on what I could do do align my beliefs and desires with a state of mind which would manifest abundance in other areas of my life, not necessarily relating to finances.

And of course, she had some very good feedback for me.

To address my question about financial abundance and being content, she made some good points that I had been thinking about. That it's not about overconsuming, but rather having enough/plenty of money, and having things you want that were made with care and that will last. And I suppose that if money is what it takes to do the things I want, regardless of whether it is a lot or a little, then that means having abundance. And a great way of looking at it, she said that if she chooses to shop at a thrift store, it's not about being cheap, it is about the treasures that can be uncovered. That it's about the ability to find the best things for her (or anyone), without needing to think about the price tag.

She told me that she visualizes her life being abundant. And suggested a gratitude journal, saying it helped her. Each morning she would write down 6 amazing things, things really crazy amazing to align herself with what she wanted to manifest. Then, before bed, she would write down 5 things that were positive and abundant things about the day to remind herself that she is already happy with the life that she is living.

The things she told me were all very positive and I am going to try to integrate some of them into my life starting today. We will see over the next few weeks if visualing happiness, success, and abudance can help me make some changes in my life.