Water Conservation – A letter to the city

posted by Russ | January 2 | 1 Comment

A few weeks ago, while driving 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 […]

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Goodbye 2008, Hello 2009

posted by Russ | January 2 | Add a Comment

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. […]

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Eating a Raw Diet while surrounded by meat eaters

posted by Russ | December 10 | 2 Comments

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, […]

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Cancer to be world’s top killer by 2010

posted by Russ | December 9 | Add a Comment

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 […]

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An experiment with raw diet

posted by Russ | November 19 | 2 Comments
Tim Ferriss Home Office

Photo Credit Jeff Hills

For 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 […]

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Graffiti – Ocean Beach, San Diego, California

posted by Russ | November 18 | 1 Comment

During my recent trip to Spain, I had seen some pretty cool graffiti. In keeping with that theme, here is some right around the corner from where I 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 artist’s 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.

Update 5/8/2009: The artist’s name is Caleb Aero. Check out his Myspace and Facebook.

Update 6/18/2009: I’ve been getting a lot of traffic on this post lately. I think people might be Googling for info about the graffiti in OB of the vandalism type? Not sure. I don’t actually live in Ocean Beach […]

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Budget and packing for 10 days in Spain

posted by Russ | November 11 | 2 Comments
What I packed for 10 days in Spain

To the right is a picture of what I packed for 10 days in Spain, and actually there are quite a few things there that I didn’t end up using. Some I would bring again since they were precautionary, but others I would scrap.

In case you can’t see the picture, here is my packing list and what I brought for my trip to Spain:

Clothes – 2 pairs shoes (sneakers and “nicer” sketchers), 3 t-shirts, 1 pair jeans, 2 pairs shorts, 1 button up short sleeve shir, 1 plain heavy-ish long sleeve shirt, 1 zip up sweatshirt, 5 pair underwear, 5 socks, windbreaker, swimming trunks
Toiletries – razor, contacts, toothbrush, etc, Dr Bronners soap (for bathing, washing clothes, shampooing), emergency toilet paper roll
Books – Spanish/Morocco guides, Spanish, Arabic phrase books, 2 reading books
Supplies – quick dry camping towel, […] Read More…
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Behavior, society, and loneliness

posted by Russ | November 11 | 1 Comment

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 […]

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