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

Labels: interesting, link-friday, random

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.

Labels: random, San Diego

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.

Labels: poetry, random

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

Labels: interesting, link-friday, random

Shantaram
Gregory David RobertsAs promised last week, here is my review for one of my favorite books of all time, Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts.

The book is very long, over 900 pages (!), but because it is so action packed it can be a quick read if you have the time to let yourself get involved. In brief, the book is about a man who escapes prison in New Zealand and ends up in Bombay working as a slum doctor. Thus the book is about the life he build in Bombay, and follows him over several years, first as a slum doctor, then moving on to mafia man and then mujahadeen fighter. The twists and turns of the plot make you want to keep reading, never knowing what will happen next. What makes this even more interesting is that, while fictional, much of what happens is based on experiences from Roberts' life. In real life Roberts had been a former heroin addict who managed to escape from prison in Australia and ended up in India. There is debate as to which events in the book are true and which are not, however Roberts claims that most of it is fiction. Never the less, there is at least some that is based on true events, and the book is sure to hold you attention.

In real life Roberts is ultimately recaptured to serve out the remainder of his prison sentence, and it is during this time that he wrote much of the novel, which makes the story even more amazing. There are many parts of the story that seem like they could be exaggerated, scenes that you wonder if could ever have really taken place, but the reality is it doesn't matter since this book is a novel, and a great one at that. He manages to write in such a way that as the reader you feel like you are experiencing the heart and soul of Bombay, and being taken to places that you will likely never venture on your own.

Shantaram is a real piece of work, and I would highly recommend it to most anyone, especially if you have an interest in adventure, travel and/or India. That said, there are parts that contain extremely violent events, so keep that in mind before picking it up. But if you choose to read it, you will not be disappointed.

Related Links:
My Top 10 Books

Labels: books, interesting, random, reading

Mt Whitney Summit -- August 2008There are days when I feel accomplished, and there are days when I feel down. Sometimes life seems to get a little boring, and the days begin to pass in the blink of an eye. So I've decided to write this post in an effort to keep myself inspired and to remind myself not to let my life get too boring as I quickly approach my 31st year. There are some things that I've accomplished that I can look back upon to remind myself that I am living, and there things I want to do to make sure I keep living. On days when life gets frustrating and starts to seem pretty boring, I remind myself of these things that I've done and can continue to be proud of. And along with that, I have to keep reminding myself of all the things out there that I want to do!

So here is my list... What are your accomplishments and goals? How do you stay motivated?

Done and/or accomplished:

• Summitted the highest mountain in the continental United States (Mt Whitney) in one day (up and back, 22 miles, 18 hours, 6000+ ft elevation gain)
• Driven across the United States (3 times, once alone, twice with a friend)
• Bicycled from San Diego, California to Phoenix, Arizona, 400 miles in 7 days
• Backpacked Spain alone for two weeks and also ventured into Morocco
• Completed a half marathon
• Left my family and moved to California by myself
• Went to the 2003 NCAA Final Four Basketball tournament at the Louisiana Superdome
• Taken a train some 3000 or so miles across the United States
• Driven the gorgeous Pacific Coast Highway up the California coast to Monterrey
• Fasted on water only for 4 days

Things I want to do: (Not limited to just this list :) )

• Finish a marathon or longer race
• Take an overnight hiking/backpacking trip
• Ride my bike up the Pacific Coast
• TRAVEL more (Asia, Africa, more of Europe, South America, anywhere really)
• Live in a van or RV for at least a month
• Hike some or all of the Appalachian Trail
• Become self employed

Labels: adventure, biking, hiking, inhibitions, lifestyle, personal development, random

I always enjoy reading other people's Top 10 lists, and I thought to myself that I've never done one. Usually I'm not great at picking favorites, but just for fun I decided I'd put together a list of ten books that I've thoroughly enjoyed over the past few years, plus a few extra just because I can't narrow it down to ten.

Keep an eye out for some reviews of these books in the future. I have actually written some for another site I used to run, so over the next week or two I'll try to get a couple posted up here. Also, for a list of all the books I've read over the past couple years, take a look over here.

Here is my list (in no particular order). What are some of your favorites?

• Shantaram - Gregory David Roberts
• Dharma Bums - Jack Kerouac
• The Sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemingway
• Siddhartha - Hermann Hesse
• The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
• A Farewell to Arms - Ernest Hemingway
• Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoevsky
• Life of Pi - Yann Martel
• Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen - Chris McDougall
• A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail - Bill Bryson

And some runners up:

• Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert
• On the Road - Jack Kerouac
• Into the Wild - Jon Krakaur
• Veronika Decides to Die - Paulo Coelho

Labels: books, random, reading

Photo credit Matt HammI have been thinking a lot lately about how social media has changed how we communicate. But not in the way you might think. It is obvious that sites like Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter have changed the game, but not only have these platforms made everyone connected in simple, straight forward and immediate way, I think they have also made the majority of people more accessible and approachable. Of course this has some obvious downsides like spam and stalkers, but now our worlds are much smaller and people who would have otherwise been unable to be contacted can now be located and contacted in less than a minute. Obviously, this has downsides too, but I'm focusing on the positive aspects. In a way, it has leveled the playing field for everyone since there are all sorts of people from all walks of life and of varying degrees of success all using these same platforms of communication.

Every day I take in quite a bit of media, including blogs, Twitter feeds, news, and also good old fashioned books and magazines. In the past (before online social media), there were distinct lines of separation between people and all the different medias of the time. There were publishers and consumers, writers and readers, and most everyone belonged to some group or category, whether it was based on their career, what they read, or what they did for work. But now, no matter how we fit into the picture, most anyone who does anything online is just a tiny piece of this great social media puzzle. From CEOs to cubicle drones, Hollywood stars to high school geeks, once we starting tweeting or reconnecting with friends on Facebook, we're all in the same game.

I've had this thought several times before, but it all came together for me today. What prompted it is this book I'm currently reading, Born to Run. In brief, the book is about running, the Tarahumara people of Mexico, ultra marathoners, and the art of running. So as I'm reading, I note the different people the author mentions, then it hits me... This is a non fiction book, I wonder if I can get some background on these people online? Next think you know I find the Facebook page of one person in the book, the Twitter feed of another, and the blog of another! I mean, ten years ago could you read about someone in a book, and then go find their personal ramblings online? Of course not! There was barely even an internet then.

Another book I've recently read is Scott Stoll's Falling Uphill. In the past I would have never thought twice about how to even contact someone who had written a book that I've quite enjoyed reading, but after a blog post I wrote about the book several weeks ago, he's now following me on Twitter!

Chris Guillebeau, internet rock star and non conformist, found a post of mine where I linked to him, and he sent me a direct email message thanking me. (Side note, he replies to everyone who messages him, whether on his site or on Twitter.)

I mean seriously, when I was a kid it would take some time to work up the courage to send a letter to my favorite basketball players to ask for autographs (not to mention the time it took to find the contact info and write the letter by hand), and if I received a response within a month or two I was ecstatic. Now, I could send Shaquille O'Neal a tweet and he'd probably reply to me in less than 24 hours.

Even something as simple as a comment thread on a blog can bring together different people who have never met for random dialogue. This simple interaction is something that would have been virtually impossible years ago. There are blogs that I follow and comment on where this happens regularly, and there are people online who I've never met or even spoken to who I would consider friends.

There are a million examples to illustrate these points, and most certainly there are downsides too. I'm sure that some of this online interaction has become a substitute for just walking outside and chatting with people the old fashioned way. Hell, I'm guilty of this too. Have we lost some of our innocence in this? Is it a good thing to be a little nervous to contact someone who is very successful, or to approach one of our idols? Or is it good that the playing field is now even, and that even if it's a perverse sort of approachability, we're all equals if we want to be? There are plenty of people who don't get this online interaction and are leery of it. My girlfriend doesn't quite buy into it yet. And I know there are plenty of others out there who don't as well. To many people, there is something about being "friends" with someone you've never met, or acting like you know someone based on their daily ramblings, that can certainly be a little weird.

The internet, and especially social media, is a weird beast. It takes normal everyday people, brings some of them extraordinary success, rockets others to superstar status overnight, while allowing them to still be your neighbor in relative anonymity, and without the paparazzi. Hell, Dooce was just named number 26 on the list of most influential women of all time.

What do you think? Have our perspectives just changed? Other thoughts?

Labels: interesting, internet, lifestyle, random, thinking

Photo credit: fr1zzThis post may be a little too new-agey or "out there" for most of you, in fact it's even a little too new-age for me too. But I've been having some interesting coincidences in my life happen recently that I can't ignore. They are related to the 11:11 phenomenon. Before you write me off as someone who's losing his mind, let me also say that I am not an overly spiritual person, nor am I into metaphysics or anything like that.

According to Wikipedia:

Numerologists believe that events linked to the time 11:11 appear more often than chance or coincidence. This belief is related to the concept of synchronicity. Other authors believe it is an auspicious sign, and others that it signals a spirit presence.

I have always heard of coincidences with numbers, and have had them happen before in the past, and quite honestly I always attributed them to confirmation bias. But lately I have been having a LOT of weird 11:11 coincidences and it seems that it's more than just coincidence, though I'm still not entirely sure.

I had never heard of the concept of 11:11, but a few months back I read an article by Steve Pavlina, and to be honest, I kind of laughed it off as a little kooky. Not that I don't think there are "signs" or other things in our lives that can help us confirm our thoughts or feelings, but I'm still a bit skeptical of anything too radical or seemingly "out there". Mind you, I read Steve's article months ago, so it's not as is the topic was fresh in my mind. Which is part of what is nagging at me now, since I'm seeing all these coincidences, I think that maybe it could be more than confirmation bias. I don't know about it being a bridge or a pathway to another reality or anything like that, but I'm starting to believe there just may be some message behind it. If nothing else, perhaps something my subconscious is trying to tell me.

This started happening maybe a week or so ago, and I've had quite a few moments of 11:11 coincidences happening since then:

• Almost daily while I'm at work I check the time while at my desk and it's 11:11. This had never happened before that I can remember, but now it's almost daily.
• The other day I decided to do some Googling about the 11:11 topic, and while I was reading an article I had this feeling and I said to myself, wouldn't it be funny if it just happened to be 11:11 right now? So I looked over at my clock and it was exactly 11:11
• A few days back I was microwaving lunch while at work, and I left the kitchen and then came back and walked over to stop it to check my food, after I stopped it I checked to see how much time was left, and 1 minute and 11 seconds were left
• I stayed up late the other night to work on the computer after my girlfriend went to bed, when I got into bed I rolled over to check the time, and it was 11:11.
• I typically get hungry sometime between one and two o'clock for lunch, and I looked to see the time the other day and it was 1:11
• Was online paying bills the other night, pulled out my debit card. Expiration date? 11/11
• I took a $20 bill out of my wallet the other day, and someone had written in pen on the bill the number 11, really big...
• My girlfriend likes the band Rodrigo and Gabriela (check out their website), I just recently found out that they have a new album called 11:11 with 11 songs on it coming out this fall. Additionally, I found out that Regina Spektor, an artist who I like, has a CD called 11:11 too. (I realize these aren't really coincidences, but it is interesting that I found them both out this week.)

I know this probably is making me sound a little nuts, but there have been even more than this, and it's just been really strange to me, since like I said, I don't usually look for these coincidences or number patterns, and the topic was not even on my mind recently. I'm not sure how to interpret this, but I am trying to be more aware of my thoughts and what is happening around me to see if there is any insight I might be able to find that may be related to these occurrences.

Labels: 1111, interesting, random

I know I have at least a few readers out there. Some of you I have exchanged emails with and some have commented in the past, so I know you're out there, but I'm curious about those who read but have never commented.

So now I'm putting out the invitation. Feel free to drop in and say hi, post a comment or say hi over on Twitter. If you have a blog, feel free to put in a few notes about it. Since you read my blog, I'm interested in what you're writing. This isn't a request for spam, but I'm certainly interested in helping everyone, including myself, to build a little network here online.

Currently blogger automatically inserts the nofollow attribute into all links that are in comments, so unfortunately your link in my comment won't help your page ranking. But just so you know, in an effort to increase reader interaction here I am in the process of trying to remove it. The only reason I can't do it now is because I self host my blog, and also use a custom template. I am hoping that when I have the time make the switch to use the new blogger layouts that I will be able to allow comment links to be followed by search engines.

So anyway, feel free to say hi!

Labels: random, updates

I came across this video today. Brings back memories for when I was planning my Spain and Morocco trip. I had really wanted to ride on the Marrakesh Express, but sadly though I made it into Morocco, didn't make it down to Marrakesh. Oh well, next time. Until then, enjoy a live video of Crosby and Nash rockin' it, well rockin' it 70s style.




Related Links:
Day Trip to Tangier, Morocco

Labels: morocco, random

I've had strawberries growing in my garden for a few months, but unfortunately have only been able to eat a few because they seem to disappear from the plant the day they reach optimal ripeness. I've just chalked it up to the birds or the ants, though I did catch my cat lurking in the garden too. And I'd be surprised if a colony of ants could make a strawberry disappear, but who knows?

But the other morning I had quite a surprise. Every single jalapeno on my jalapeno plant had disappeared. There were probably 10 or more that were an inch or two long last time I looked. This was definitely not the work of ants, nor was it due to the cat or dogs. Is it possible that the birds at all of them?

I did do a google search and saw that birds can eat hot peppers no problem as the heat of it does not affect them. But wow, has this happened to anyone else before?

Additionally, now a small cucumber has gone missing, as have the buds on my pea plants. I can only guess that this is the birds. Is there a way to keep them out of the garden without having to cover it with chicken wire or something like that? Do scarecrows really work?

Labels: garden, interesting, pests, random

Do I need to say more? Follow the link for the story. Thanks for another laugh Wend Magazine!

Stoned Wallabies Make Crop Circles

Labels: interesting, random

Photo credit: clobsSometimes life just gets too busy. Work, eat, bills, sleep, exercise, relax (for a moment) work, run errands. It just seems to go on and on. Even for someone like me who tries to keep their life simple, it doesn't always work. When I am home I seem to keep myself too busy, and fall behind on all the things I want to do. Making an hour to just sit with a book never seems to happen, no matter how little is on my plate.

Quite honestly, as my girlfriend has correctly pointed out to me, I think a lot of my time disappears into the Internets. Keeping up with my RSS feeds, following Tweeters, checking the news, the weather, brainstorming ideas for my website, following links that follow links... You get the idea. In fairness though, I enjoy it, and I do also find time for other things like working in the garden, doing yoga, and watching a little guilty pleasure TV. And also, all that time spent online does keep me up to date with the world, as I seem to just devour all types of media, from blogs to news to real paper publications, but have found myself all to often starting sentences with "I read this article the other day" or "This guy whose blog I follow" and it makes me feel a little too dorky.

So when your time just seems to disappear and you can't seem to find time for the simple things, what better than a weekend camping in the mountains?


Photo credit: °FlorianSure, more than one night would be great, but when you're on a tight schedule, taking 24 hours away from the distractions of home can be a miracle cure. Just this weekend I drove out to the mountains east of San Diego on Saturday afternoon, and returned Sunday afternoon, and getting away like that worked great. The relaxation factor is much higher than if the same time had been spent at home. There are no temptations from the computer, none from the TV, and best of all there are no bills to look over and no cleaning to be done. Only the most simple tasks need to be tended to; setting up camp and preparing food. And when you drive back into town already you notice how the pace of life is moving too fast.

After a simple night like that spent relaxing -- having a few cocktails by the fire, sleeping under the stars, and reading a book -- you can return home recharged and feel like you escaped life for just a bit.

Related Links:
How to find the job you love
Simplify and De-clutter

Labels: camping, how-to, lifestyle, outdoors, random, San Diego, simple living, tips

If you are into sports, basketball, or just like seeing people with some pretty interesting talents, spend two minutes watching this video.

When I was younger I played a lot of basketball, and spent a lot of time trying to come up with interesting ways to shoot a basket, so I definitely can appreciate this video. And I know some people will say he probably makes one out of a hundred, but regardless, to make one of these shots at all is pretty impressive.

Enjoy.

Labels: basketball, interesting, random

I'm not normally one to go for celebrity or Hollywood gossip, and obviously this doesn't quite go along with the theme of this website, but seriously this whole Joaquin Phoenix thing is really intriguing to me. If you haven't heard about it, just do a couple of google searches and then come back.

So the theories circulating are that 1) he is having a breakdown of sorts and really thinks he is pursuing a career as a rapper or that 2) he is doing this all as a mockumentary about actors who lose it and go on a downward spiral and/or actors who try to make a transition into music.

I'm leading towards believing the second for several reasons. I've read about his total immersion acting techniques, and also his brother in law Casey Affleck has been there the whole time filming his antics. I would think that if he actually was losing it that Casey would maybe lend a hand rather than film the demise. And also, well, quite honestly I think acting crazy for a year in the name of making a documentary about acting crazy is far more more interesting than actors who really do go off the deep end. Those types already seem to be a dime a dozen in Hollywood.

Either way, it's been sort of interesting to follow the whole thing. I'll be curious what comes of it.

What do you think?

Labels: news, random

In typical internet fashion, I found one thing and followed a link, then followed another, then another, which somehow landed me a million miles away from where I started.

It all began when I finally decided to sign up for twitter. There are a select few bloggers who I follow regularly, so I decided I may as well follow their twitter too. I think they all use it properly and will not overwhelm me... So anyway, I'm reading Timothy Ferriss' latest Tweets and see one where he posted a list of the most expensive keywords. I have to say, while on the one hand I am quite surprised, on the other I am not shocked at all. I had figured the most expensive would be travel related or vacation related. But as it turns out some of the most expensive keywords are related to law, lawyers, and dui.

At upwards of $50 per click were the keywords settlements, loans, mesothelioma (who would think of that? not me!), and dui. Of course there are a bunch of variations, but even funnier is the one for mesothelioma lawyers san diego. Do that many people need this sort of help??

Interesting information there...

Labels: keywords, random, seo