Enjoy Life, have Adventures and escape Routine.

makes sense to me.

2009-12-04T17:26:45.260-08:00

makes sense to me.

Travel stories are the best!

2009-10-18T09:57:27.955-07:00

Travel stories are the best!

3. Take a deep breath.

2009-09-17T11:41:43.076-07:00

3. Take a deep breath.

I'll bet your mood improves too.

2009-09-14T11:07:02.050-07:00

I'll bet your mood improves too.

When I was writing this post I was considering put...

2009-09-11T08:43:25.736-07:00

When I was writing this post I was considering putting in some lines about not telling naysayers at all, or telling them after you've done something, Charis77d. Sometimes naysayers find out about what your doing through the grape vine and they tell you what they think without you asking them for advice.

That's a great poem by Emily Dickinson, Mono De Pi...

2009-09-11T08:39:38.857-07:00

That's a great poem by Emily Dickinson, Mono De Piedra. Thanks for posting it. I really like the line, you're straightway dangerous. You are right, if there were no Naysayers, it wouldn't be as fun to do the amazing things.

The naysayers are the ones you tell after you've d...

2009-09-10T13:06:44.343-07:00

The naysayers are the ones you tell after you've done something rather than before. Then there are those whose opinions you trust. Listening to someone's advice does not mean you have to follow it.

yes! this is something i can understand. an active...

2009-09-10T11:32:32.902-07:00

yes! this is something i can understand. an active lifestyle (whether you are doing ultra marathons or muay thai or mountaineering) can change your outlook on life. you think differently and live differently.

enjoy the martial arts! and i love your friends' quote about the "caged tiger."

this is a topic of much philosophical debate. nay...

2009-09-10T11:21:13.155-07:00

this is a topic of much philosophical debate.

naysayers remind you that you don't fit in with the rest. and so you are outcast. but who is to say your lifestyle is incorrect?

much madness is divinest sense -
to a discerning eye -
much sense - the starkest madness -
'tis the majority
in this, as all, prevail -
assent - and you are sane -
demur - you're straightway dangerous -
and handled with a chain -

-emily dickinson

Thank you for the kind words and thank you for rea...

2009-09-04T07:14:57.609-07:00

Thank you for the kind words and thank you for reading!

Wonderful blog and ur all post is really mind blow...

2009-09-04T06:52:35.530-07:00

Wonderful blog and ur all post is really mind blowing and fantastic.Great work and keep blogging.

I think there is something biological going on as ...

2009-09-02T08:03:46.047-07:00

I think there is something biological going on as well. I think it has to do with the lifestyle most people live. The problem is it's really hard to make changes to habits. People are looking for a quick fix, a magic diet, a magic pill, or an easy 5 minute exercise. It's not that simple or easy to make changes. It's actually really hard but once you make them, and they become part of your habit, It's easier to keep them. A good idea is replacing bad habits with good ones. That's why I've always been a huge fan of the Zen Habits Blog ( http://www.zenhabits.net). Gradual changes to lifestyle are the way to go. The 8 weeks program in the book is very similar to this ideology. I'm not saying everyone should be super model thin either. There has to be a balance.

I haven't finished the video but I see where it's ...

2009-09-01T20:30:20.114-07:00

I haven't finished the video but I see where it's going. I was fat before it was an epidemic. I'm sure that for some people it seems like a slender body is only a matter of self-control. I like the book Health at Every Size by Linda Bacon, PhD. It maintains that no matter what you weigh you need to exercise and eat healthy. Just remember that only one person out of ten maintains a weight loss over time. There must be something biological going on.

And the Reagan administration classified ketchup a...

2009-08-30T22:29:48.001-07:00

And the Reagan administration classified ketchup as a vegetable.

I think a food bank is really a great idea! I cont...

2009-06-25T16:30:18.271-07:00

I think a food bank is really a great idea! I contacted one in Berkley, to check it out but I have not heard back from them. I'm going to get in touch with this one though because it looks like it is actually closer my house. Thanks a lot for the information and advice John!

Dan, Here is information about a food bank that i...

2009-06-25T09:01:26.478-07:00

Dan,

Here is information about a food bank that is doing good work in your area.
The reason I work with a organization like this in Seattle is because food is such a basic need and this need has just grown in these troubling economic times. Before people can work, study or even look for work they need food. In order to get the food to the people that need it help is needed from folks like you

Alameda County Community Food Bank
Web Site: www.accfb.org
7900 Edgewater Drive
P.O. Box 2599
Oakland , CA 94621
Map it

Phone:
510.635.3663
Fax:
510.635.3773
Executive Director:
Suzan Bateson
Email:
sbateson@accfb.org
Media Contact:
Brian Higgins
Title:
Communications Manager
Phone:
510.635.3663 X330
Email:
bhiggins@accfb.org

Population Served

Number of counties served:
1
Total pounds of food distributed annually:
14,090,191

Types and numbers of services agencies distributing food

Emergency:
38
Soup Kitchen:
34
Shelter:
21
Residence:
52
Day Care:
74
Multi-service:
27
Senior:
14
Basic programs being run (i.e. CK, KC, produce, job training)

I think the hardest part I am having, is choosing ...

2009-06-24T14:47:28.262-07:00

I think the hardest part I am having, is choosing the right charity. What I mean is right for me. Right now I am looking at the YMCA and a Hospice. I would really like to help people, but the Hospice almost scares me. Dealing with my own mortality is one thing but knowing that everyone I would be helping would die in the near future kind of freaks me out. I was also thinking of possibly organizing a 5k run that people could sponsor where the money raised goes to a specific cause.

But going back to my original indecision, there are so many charities out there.. That's why I thought it a good idea to reach out to everyone and see what there thoughts and ideas are before I choose one.

Thanks so much for the comments, this is really helpful!

i think education is important. the US is obviousl...

2009-06-24T13:47:20.921-07:00

i think education is important. the US is obviously failing in its public education, though, ironically, its universities are some of the best in the world...

so much can be ameliorated with a better educated public. it can help people rise out of poverty. it can even create a better fuctioning democracy as well-informed citizens are able to rise out of the "idiot" category and effectively participate in public discourse - see the original meaning of idiot: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiot_(usage)

there are many aspects of education you could get into. you can teach anybody anywhere anything.

but like charis above said, look for something you are into. any act of charity and volunteering is good. have fun with it!

What cause matters most to you? My heart is in ja...

2009-06-24T10:51:01.802-07:00

What cause matters most to you? My heart is in jail ministry but you need to volunteer where your heart leads you. What are the talents that you can share? The whitehouse has a website http://www.service.gov/ that can match you with work that needs to be done in your area. I have done clerical work for a charity, served as a homework helper, counseled on a crisis line,served as greeter in a library, and now I visit people in jail. There are so many things that you can do. I wish you the best!

I've been more careful with handwashing at work an...

2009-05-04T20:51:28.953-07:00

I've been more careful with handwashing at work and using hand sanitizer a lot. When a customer looked feverish and coughed the other day I sanitized the stylus for the payment touch pad after she left. I didn't want whatever she had to get caught by the next poor customer or me.

Definately overblown in the media...but one of my ...

2009-05-04T12:39:12.246-07:00

Definately overblown in the media...but one of my co-workers is a probably H1N1 case (and I work in a really small office). Still waiting on her test results.

Yeah I love coffee too. I just don't really like ...

2009-03-23T16:57:56.421-07:00

Yeah I love coffee too. I just don't really like coffee chains so much. I didn't realize that regular drip had only 5 calories! That's great news because that caffeine gum is pretty intense sometimes..

A grande drip has 5 calories and a grande american...

2009-03-20T23:05:00.552-07:00

A grande drip has 5 calories and a grande americano has 15. It's all the stuff you add to coffee that makes it high in calories. If you brew your own coffee you can save megabucks. Sorry, coffee is just my preferred caffeine delivery system. Need coffee. Need coffee. Need coffee.

You definitely escaped a total waste of time. I f...

2009-03-08T00:19:52.319-08:00

You definitely escaped a total waste of time. I followed your Yelp link. Somehow I can't see nirvana as selling office supplies door to door.

I like your postings on life in New York and San F...

2009-02-26T10:56:06.978-08:00

I like your postings on life in New York and San Francisco. I would like to read more about your San Franciscan adventures.