Idealist Cafe

I meant to write this article a few weeks ago, around the year anniversary of my cross country Amtrak train trip, but it sort of slipped my mind and the holidays kept me busy. I had almost forgotten about this trip, but then was remembering as the holidays were approaching, and figured it would be a nice trip to document here. Most people I knew at work thought I was crazy to take a trip like this, but I had a good time and would still do it again, though making a few changes.

The trip was by Amtrak, and originated in San Diego (Santa Fe Depot) with the final destination being New York City. I took the Pacific Surfliner from San Diego to Los Angeles, then the from LA to Chicago, and finally the Lake Shore Limited from Chicago to Penn Station in New York City. To make it even more interesting, I declined a ride to the train station from my beach apartment and instead opted to take the city bus instead. I also opted for the Metro North from Grand Central to Stratford, where I was picked up by my mom and grandparents.

It was quite a trip, approximately 42 hours to Chicago, then another 20 or so to New York, and when you add in a 4 hour layover in Chicago and the 2 hour journey up to Los Angeles, plus the transportation on each end, it took about three and a half days. Not to mention the train was about 4 hours late arriving into New York putting me there close to midnight, which foiled my plan to visit Rockefeller Center and see the holiday festivities and made it more urgent to catch a late train to Connecticut where I was getting picked up.

The one way Amtrak ticket itself was pretty cheap, about $180 dollars, which combined with a one way plane ticket back to San Diego put me probably a bit cheaper than standard holiday round trip airfare. Keep in mind that this was a coach seat, so I had no bed or shower. Beds and rooms can be obtained, but then the price increases dramatically. I can say for sure that the train is FAR more comfortable than an airplane, even in coach there is plenty of room, and you can bring pretty much as much luggage as you want. The obvious down sides to a trip like this are the lack of suitable food, the lack of a bed, the lack of cleaning amenities, and the obvious fact that you have to sit for so long. Though wandering the train and spending hours away from your seat was possible and actually appeared to be fairly normal.

The only things that I would do differently were I to do it again would be to pack my own food and bring more in the way of entertainment. There is so much space for personal storage that this would not be a problem, and had I known how bad the food would be in the cafe car, I would have done this.

A couple things to note. If you are in coach you have no access to anything more than a bathroom barely large enough to stand in. I started the trip taking bird baths every few hours or so and changing my cloths, but after a day this became futile and I accepted that in the recycled train air I would end up grimy and stinky regardless of how often I cleaned, so I just accepted my dirtiness and began taking pride in the fact that I didn't shower for over four days. Also, on the older trains there is a serious lack of plugs to plug appliances into. The newer train from San Diego to Los Angeles has one in each seat, but the older long haul trains don't. They are scattered though the coach car so you need to ask your neighbors, or you can fight for the couple that are in the cafe or lounge cars. A train trip might be better suited for reading and journaling than using a laptop or other device that needs electricity.

In Chicago the layover was enough time for me to get to the Sears tower, down to the river and Michigan Ave where I wandered for a while, and I even had time to grab a bite to eat and a beer. If you are a smoker there are some stops where the train stops for 10 minutes and give you time to get off. Just ask the attendants how long the stop will be and they will tell you if you have time or not.

Any other questions about a trip like this, just post a comment and I will do my best to reply.

Related Links:

Cross Country Amtrak Trip and Photos

Labels: amtrak, green travel, public transportation, trains, travel, traveling, United States

A few weeks ago, while drinking into work in the rain, I noticed that the sprinklers on the side of the freeway were on. Not only is this ridiculous, but it is especially ridiculous being that San Diego is basically a desert with very little of its own water supplies, and the city has recently said that unless water usage is decreased soon we will have mandatory water rationing. So I decided to write a little letter to the mayor's office. Here is is:

Hello Mayor Sanders,

I have read in the past months of your efforts at promoting water conservation in the city. Also, I had seen that you declared a water shortage emergency this past summer which called for residents to voluntarily cut back there usage or face mandatory cutbacks later on.

I am writing because I would like to see the city take further initiative not only to make more positive changes, but to also use itself as an example. One of the basic water saving tips that most anyone is aware of is to water lawns and plants early morning or late evening, however I often see sprinklers on city property running all hours of the day. Not only in parks but also on the sides of the freeway. This morning (Dec 15, 2008) I was on my way into work, and it was raining heavily, and I was appalled to see the sprinklers along the side of the 163 freeway running. To me this seems absurd, especially given the nature of the water issues in San Diego, and even more so considering the city and the mayor's office are attempting to promote water conservation. Changing the sprinkler schedules and disabling them during rain is a simple way to make a real difference.

On another note, I work near Petco Park and often see the park workers watering the grass all day long, to the point of over saturation on a daily basis. I am pretty certain this is not city property however, and understand that any water usage enforcement in this case would be impossible.

Soon after writing this letter, I did read something that says that these sprinklers along the freeway are not managed by the city, but by CalTrans instead. Of course this does not make it forgivable, but it does take this out of hte city's hands. Though I also saw an article that says CalTrans is the 4th largest water user in the city. Though if you look at that article, the biggest water user is the city itself.


Related Links:
Another Wayward CalTrans Sprinkler
With Water Cuts Near, Freeways Still Get Showered
Who uses the most water?
A letter to the city of San Diego

Labels: conservation, eco-friendly, renewable resources, San Diego, water

I am not big on resolutions, as most of them seem to just fade in time. But from time to time I re-assess my life and try to make some positive changes. For this New Year, this is what I thought to myself this morning:

I will learn to speak my mind, follow my heart, and live how I wish to live. I will be healthier and be more moderate with my vices.

Pretty simple, right?

Though I enjoy my life, and am generally pretty healthy, I could really do a lot to positively improve myself as well. There are many days where I wonder how I've gotten to this point and what I can change to improve. Most of these thoughts center on my own growth, as well as my career choices.

I talk a lot about diet, travel, and other things like that. There are many things I'm interested in, but nothing I want to go to any extremes with -- I like a life of moderation and being free to indulge extremes as well. For example, I like travel, but I like home too. I like health and my new explorations into raw eating, but I like to enjoy a few beers and dinners out with my girlfriend as well. I like hiking, exercise, and pushing my limits, but I also like lounging on the couch watching TV or reading a book.

So in the coming year my goal is to continue living a middle path, but to try to align my work and career with my interests, and also to be passionate about what I do, regardless of which extreme I am enjoying at the time.

Related Links:
An experiment with raw diet
Meat, to eat or not
Back from Spain

Labels: health, hiking, inspiration, job, lifestyle, raw diet

Let's face it, changes in diet freak a lot of people out. Raw, vegetarian, vegan ... Many people get freaked out by these terms. Many people don't get it, and when people don't get it there's usually no point in trying to explain it to them. So to clear things up right up front, let me say that I am NONE of what I just mentioned, not raw, vegan, or vegetarian. However I do incorporate all three into my regular diet. I have been doing a lot of raw eating recently, and have always been interested in vegan and vegetarian. But I'm just not ready to give some things up, like Italian sandwiches, an occasional organic hamburger, teriyaki chicken, or even -- gasp -- pizza and beer. So needless to say, I am not 100% raw, and clearly I'm leaving room for cheating, but I am enjoying the benefits of such a modified diet. Some benefits I am noticing are less moodiness when meal time comes close, more energy and mental clarity, a feeling of "lightness", clearer skin, and cleaner "insides" (if you know what I mean).

That said, I've gone out to eat with the guys from work in the past and gotten sideways looks for getting a veggie burger, for ordering tofu, and even had my masculinity questioned for eating a vegetable sandwich that I brought from home. So I know, it gets annoying when trying to eat anything different from the SAD (Standard American Diet). My recent raw ventures of late I'm sure would be even more frustrating for all my 3 times a day meat eating coworkers if they took the time to notice it.

But I think I've stumbled upon a way to avoid all the drama that having a different diet entails. First of all the fact that most of us are reaching or have already reached the over 30 year old mark makes it easier, because now health is a bit more important than it was as a 20 year old, and salads are just as sexy as french fries. But I think the fact that I am making raw alternatives to to traditional dishes is key. No longer am I a hippie eating a veggie patty or that weirdo eating fruit salads and carrot sticks for lunch. Now I have "real" food like linguine and marinara, stuffed peppers, and chili, sometimes I even get crazy and top them with crumbled raw goat cheese! And then tasty fudge and cookies for desert. And the best part .... at first glance no one even knows are living and 100% raw, and no one bothers to ask me "where's the beef?"


Related Links:
Cancer to be world's top killer by 2010
An experiment with raw diet

Labels: 9to5, health, raw diet

I saw this article in the news today about rising cancer rates, and I can't tell you how much it frustrates me to see these headlines over and over. I am no medical doctor, but I have strong beliefs and also have done plenty of reading, and I know that all these articles and studies about cancer are missing the boat. They all talk about cancer detection, smoking, and even the fact that cancer rates are rising simply because there are more people in the world. But all fail to mention any connection between cancer rates and the state of our environment and our modern diet.

People fail to realize that the SAD (standard american diet) can play just as much a role in getting cancer as smoking, drinking, or other more obvious risky behaviors. And also people fail to see the link between cancer and all the pollutants and toxic chemicals that we come into contact with on a daily basis. Too much trust is put into what everyone else is doing and what "experts" tell us. People seem to forget in the face of all these articles that as we as a society get more "modernized" all these health issues seem to increase as well. There are places in the world where cancer is all but unknown, where people live long and healthy lives, and there are also places in the world that have a lot of wealth, medical access, "modern" foods and technologies yet have some of the highest rates of cancer, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes.

People who think that the prevention of cancer is an impossibility should note the following articles:

• Studies with mice showed that is in fact possible for our body to kill cancer cells naturally
• A woman with terminal breast cancer turns to a raw diet and her cancer disappears

I realize that these are just two specific cases, but there are plenty more out there if you only look. That said, I do realize that sometimes cancer may just not be able to be prevented or beaten. But I have seen enough to show that there are ways to significantly reduce the chances of getting cancer. Most of what people eat on a daily basis is loaded with junk that was never meant to be in our bodies, and though we may not see any changes or negative effects of it, you can be sure that over time those things are significantly impacting cellular health. Same goes for all the products that we use on a daily basis, from cosmetics to electronics to cleaning products.

Some day the medical community will wake up to the fact that our bodies are capable of amazing things on their own, and that not everything can be fixed or cured with modern technologies and drugs.

Labels: cancer, diet, health, medicine, raw diet

Photo Credit Jeff HillsFor the past week or so I have been experimenting with a raw diet. I say experimenting because 1) I have a lot to learn and 2) I haven't been 100% raw, though I'd say I've been close to 90-95%. I am doing this because I have read a lot about the potential benefits of eating raw, including increased energy, more vivid dreams, less sleep, increased healing, and of course detox.

I have already learned quite a bit, and trust me, it's not all about a salad and fruit. Though that's what a lot of it has been, but my options are already expanding and I have learned to make a few tasty treats that would rival a regular processed sugar desert in taste. Also, I will say that I don't want to continue this 100%, mostly because variety is the spice of life and I also enjoy indulging in things that are not good for me like drinking and happy hour. Though I will say I will incorporate many of the things I am learning into my regular diet, whatever that becomes. (Yes I know, beer doesn't exactly match a healthy raw diet, though I still believe a positive change is a positive change, regardless. I may not get all the benefits of a raw diet if I still have vices, but it for sure still beats most people.)

Another reason I don't want to stay 100% dedicated to this is that I don't believe it is inherently wrong to eat meat. I believe that humans evolved eating many things, of which meat is one of them. That said, I do believe that the meat most people eat which comes from cows that are corn fed and beefed up with hormones and antibiotics is crap and a raw diet would beat that any day. But I am not ruling out eating chicken, turkey, beef, or other meats that are naturally and sustainably raised. In fact though I have always loved cheese, I would probably choose meat over cheese, since I believe meat is more natural for us than animal milk.

It has been a little over a week since I started, and it has not been too difficult. The worst things are the outside temptations, including lunch at work. Thus far I have not had any extreme food cravings, but this is probably because I was already a decent eater prior to this, staying away from processed foods and high sugar treats. I had a headache for a few days, though I would attribute this to giving up my morning coffee, and I did have some pretty extreme body aches for a couple days. My sleep hasn't really changed, nor have my dreams intensified. I do seem to have a bit more energy, but nothing very noticeable, it's mostly when I'm at work, I don't get the urge to doze off anymore.

I have been mostly raw now for a little over a week, and have not had meat or dairy for 5 days. I do think when I ease back into a more "typical" diet I will probably keep a lot of these habits, and I will probably replace cheese with goat or sheep cheese, and possibly raw cheese if it's economically viable.

What else? I guess that's about it. Anyone have any thoughts on this? Or some good food ideas?

Oh I went to Blissfull Food last night and it was really good. There was a portobella walnut pate that was awesome (and could have passed for meatloaf), a great "sushi" roll, some spring wraps, and then sorbets, truffles, and live chocolates for desert!

Labels: health, raw diet

During my recent trip to Spain, I had seen some pretty cool graffiti that I have previously posted. In keeping with that theme, here is some right around the corner from where in live in Ocean Beach, San Diego. Both of these are located on Bacon St, I believe on the Seedless Clothing office. On the second one, you can see the name next to the woman if you look closely. Also, notice the electrical box next to the car, hehehe. I'm not sure who the artist is, but the whole thing is pretty cool.





Related Links:
Graffiti - Granada, Spain
Graffiti - Barcelona, Spain

Labels: graffiti, ocean beach, photos, San Diego

I have been meaning to post this since I got back from Spain. To the right is a picture of what I packed, and actually there are quite a few things that I didn't end up using, some I would bring again since they were precautionary, but others I would scrap.

I actually only wore 2 or 3 different shirts the whole time, so I could have not brought one or two that I never wore. Also, brought two pairs of shoes, one "nice" pair of Sketchers in case I was out for dinner, and a pair of running sneakers. Only wore the sneakers, so I could have scrapped the other pair. I only read one of the books that I brought, so the others (not the guides) were overkill. The Lonely Planet guides were essential for me though. I also didn't use the quick drying towel or the lock that I brought. Those two things I would probably pack again though since they take up such little room. The other stuff I could have gone without, though on a different trip they may have been useful.

As for budget, my plane fare was around $1000 to fly from San Diego to Barcelona, and then Malaga to San Diego. Not great but also not bad. Expenses while in Spain totaled about $1200 for the 10 days, and this is after the exchange rate. This includes everything including hotel, food, drink, transportation, obligatory gifts, and incidentals. I wasn't trying to go on the cheap, but I also didn't want to go 5 star, so I am happy. While I was there the exchange rate was hovering between 68 to 72 cents to 1 Euro, so I spent approximately 850 Euros. This means I was well under 100 Euros per day, which makes me happy. And if I take out the transportation it drops to about 80 Euros per day. I am proud to say that I never took a cab and I really utilized the public transportation. I realize this total is a lot if you are a budget traveler, but also considering that it's Europe and how the economy is doing, I feel that I was right around where I hoped to be, as the same trip could have cost a LOT more.

If I break it down further, I spent an average of 40 euros (~$58 USD) per day on hotel, and this is actually skewed high because of the cost in Barcelona. Which then means I was spending about another 40 euros per day on food, drink, and local transportation. This actually breaks down quite nicely, since some days I was having only one cheap meal with a beer or two, and others I was spending a bit more to enjoy myself. Then add in coffee and probably a grand total of $150 on random gifts to bring home for the family, and there you have it. A great 10 days in Spain on an average budget which could be increased for more luxury or decreased to fix a shoestring budget.


Related Links:
Barcelona to Cordoba by Train
Barcelona, Spain
Graffiti, Barcelona, Spain
Graffiti, Granada, Spain

Labels: budget, packing, spain, travel

I am by nature a shy and reserved person. People who I know at home know this about me. In the past when I have traveled away from my home, whether for a weekend road trip or for a jaunt overseas, I find that I am much more outgoing, and many of my inhibitions I carry at home are stripped away. I have often tried to make sense of this, wondering why I suddenly get this new ability to socialize and step over boundaries that would often stop me while in my normal bubble of "real life". It was so noticeable that during a trip to England in college my friends started calling me "International Russ". They saw this new uninhibited side of me and my seemingly newfound ability to be social and draw people close.

After returning home from these trips, I always try to maintain this new attitude, but it always seems to fade. I have often wondered why this is, why it is that I have inhibitions at home though not on the road. In applying normal logic it seems that if I can behave one way while in one place, I should be able to behave the same while at home. I think everyone knows that it is easy to let loose vacations or during travel. The conclusion I had come to was that while home there are certain behaviors we all have, behaviors that people have come to expect of us based on who they know us to be, and if we stray from those there are consequences. The consequences may be tiny or they may be more significant.

I am straying from my topic here, but my point is basically that while we are home and in our daily routine, we in a way have become victims of our past actions and have created a perception of ourselves that people come to associate with us. And while traveling, all this is stripped away, and there are no prolonged consequences of changes or deviations from our normal behavior. This may or not make sense to you, but what prompted it was this article that Wade of Vagabond Journey had wrote earlier.

Here is an excerpt:

"You can start up conversations with dozens of people a day when wandering and not a single one of them has any inherent consequence. If you talk to someone and find that they do not understand what you are saying, then you can just move onto another person. If you make a friend and realize that you do not like him then you can just leave. If you find that you are in a setting which prohibits conversation then you have a full range of options to change it. When traveling you are essentially outside of the box of all convention - you are in a land of little social consequence. You can say anything to almost anyone and it does not really matter."

And more:

"You are a traveler, you can do or say anything to anyone and there are little social consequences. The traveler is the ultimate social wildcard, you can go between all classes and sects of a culture equally, as there are no boxes to put you in."

I think that addresses the root of what I am talking about. I also realize that it doesn't have to be this way, that my inhibitions while home are a result of fear, apprehension, and social conditioning.

Labels: fear, inhibitions, loneliness, social conditioning

It's getting to be that time of the year again where the holidays are rapidly approaching and the though of gift giving is looming. Typically my family goes small on the gifts, just a little something for each person, but nothing extravagant. We are a simple family, and we don't really need anything. So, I have decided that this year I am going to attempt to do some charitable gift giving, and rather than give a material gift, I am going to donate in the recipient's name instead. But I want to match the donation to something meaningful. So my girlfriend who loves animals may get a donation to the Humane Society in her name, my mom may get a letter stating that she helped provide two families with seeds to cultivate a family garden or that she gave a family an Earth Basket with bees, honey, and seedlings. Has anyone done this before? Do you have any charity suggestions?

Labels: charity, gifts

I am in the process of testing Technorati, hopefully to increase my readership. I have never actually used it before and am not really familiar with it. But anyway, I figure I'll give it a shot. Anyone who uses it have any opinion of it?

Technorati Profile

Labels: Technorati

It just came out in local news here in San Diego that Mayor Jerry Sanders is proposing some serious budget cuts. Among some of the cuts are the following:

• Four of seven deputy chief operating officers will lose their jobs
• Operations suspended at nine recreation centers, seven libraries and all six of the city's customer service centers
• The number of civilians in the SDPD's admin staff and community service officers will be reduced by 37
• The number of fire companies active on any given day will decrease from 60 to 58

On the bright side, they claim that all cuts are in the office, and that the number of police officers and fire fighters won't be affected.

I realize times are tough and you have to do what you have to do, but to me Rec Centers and libraries are what make communities ... well, uh, communities. So I went ahead and wrote a letter to the mayor and my councilman. Here is what I wrote:

I am writing in regards to the recently proposed budget cuts. I understand the financial crisis and I understand doing what needs to be done. While difficult, I respect you doing what is best for the city. However, as a resident of San Diego for eight years, I have really enjoyed the community feel of the local libraries and feel that they are an important service for the people. I've always thought it was so great that every community has their own library. That said, I can understand the need to cut back, and also can certainly see that for the amount spent to maintain these services that they might not be deemed worthwhile. And of course I realize that there is a much broader impact here than just losing some libraries. I know that this extends far beyond the library closures, and that many other city services are affected. However, as a resident of Ocean Beach and a frequent library user, it saddens me to know that our local library may be closing.

I know that not many people in this day and age use the free services that the libraries offer, but the reality is that there are still many that do. When I saw that Ocean Beach was one of the branches proposed to be closed I was shocked. Each time I've gone in there it seems to be bouncing with activity and I find it hard to believe that this is one of the least used branches. I would imagine that especially in "OB" the services offered at the library would be absolutely essential. People, both young and old, and both high and low income, live in OB, and having access to free internet and reading materials is critical for many of these people, especially those without private transportation. (Which I know there are a lot of in my neighborhood.) I would urge you to reconsider these closures, as I believe local libraries (as well as Rec Centers) are an essential part of each of the unique communities of San Diego, as well as critical resources for many of our residents.

Related Links:

OB Rag discusses budget cuts and library closures
Voice of San Diego discussing budget cuts and library closures

Labels: budget cuts, library, politics, San Diego

Cat in patio looking at me in Cordoba, SpainI have now added a second entry and some more photos from my Spain trip. This one is about the train from Barcelona to Cordoba, and about Cordoba in general. Enjoy!


Related Links:
My travels
Barcelona

Labels: cordoba, spain, travel

As mentioned in a previous post, I had seen some really cool graffiti when I was in Spain. Here is installment number 2. Enjoy!

View more of my photos here




Related Links:

Graffiti - Granada, Spain

Labels: barcelona, graffiti, photos, spain

From one of the blogs I regularly read comes this entry about doing the right thing for the 2008 election, regardless of your morals and beliefs. Though I agree with everything he says, I can actually see a conservative agreeing as well.

Labels: election, voting

I have added a page with a few of my notes and photos from my recent stay in Barcelona. Also, while there, when I was wandering around Plaça Catalunya I caught a street performance by a pretty good band called Barrio Candela. If was some cool music, sort of funky, reggae, Spanish, etc. Check them out below.

Labels: barcelona, spain, travel

During my recent trip to Spain, I noticed some really interesting graffiti in some of the side streets. I ended up taking a few good photos, and it also got me thinking that I've seen some cool graffiti here at home in San Diego. So over the next few weeks I will try to post a new photo every few days. Here is the first graffiti photo, taking in Granada, Spain, in October 2008. Enjoy!

View more of my photos here

Labels: graffiti, granada, photos, spain

I don't know why, but a few weeks ago I just sort of jotted this down while I was at work, and I've just recently dug it up and figured I should share it.

today
i will be firm,
i will stand for what i believe in,
i will not be fearful,
i will not back down,
i will speak my mind when someone doubts or questions me,
i will be responsible to myself,
and
i will live for myself

Labels: fear, inspiration, poetry

Photo Credit Timothy FerrissOver at one of my favorite blogs, The 4 Hour Workweek, Tim Ferriss recently wrote a post about rethinking office design for higher productivity. I really like his progressive thinking on these topics, and also really like that he finds real world examples to showcase them. This is especially important to me since I have yet to see these Results Only Work Environment (ROWE) suggestions implemented in any of the places I have worked, including present employer.

The second thing I really like about his post is that he shows his home office setup, which is pictured to the right. The simple, uncluttered, and comfortable layout all really give me something to shoot for in designing a home office, which will hopefully be my one and only place of employment. :)

Labels: 4HWW, de-clutter, productivity

On another blog I have had quite a bit of interest in eco friendly and biodegradable trash bags. Typically for my trash I actually use extra bags that find their way into my home, however I have had great luck using these biodegradable compostable 3 gallon trash bags called BioBags for collecting kitchen scraps and then composting, so I can vouch for the fact that these bags actually do biodegrade very quickly.

According to the product description they are "manufactured from GMO-free corn" and "are 100% biodegradable and 100% compostable. The 3 Gallon Kitchen bags work well in a small trash container or composter, but are also great for food storage. Since Biobags breathe without leaking, they allow heat and moisture to escape, keeping fruits and vegetables fresher days longer than regular plastic. The 3 gallon bags measure 17" x 18" and are .62 mil thick."

They also go on to give the downside of using regular plastics:

Regular polyethylene-based plastic bags can take over 100 years to break down and are not compostable. Sadly, less than 2% of all plastic bags ever get recycled. Plastic bags are everywhere, littering our beaches, lakes and Ocean. Studies estimate that over 100,000 marine animals and 2 million birds die every year from ingesting or being caught up in plastic debris.

You can also use these BioBags to pick up your dog poop!

Related links:
Official BioBag home page

Labels: biodegradable, composting, eco-friendly, environment, trash