Charmed, I'm sure

The past three months have been a trip. Check it out:

August 5: Terminated employer, gave 2 weeks' notice.
August 19: Last day of work at Previous Employer (yippee!)
August 20: Purchased airline ticket to San Jose, Costa Rica
August 20-27: Sublet apartment to roommate's brother, sold furniture, moved everything I own into a very small closet and my small hiking backpack, gave up all keys to everything, let friend borrow bike.
August 28: Flew to Costa Rica
September 1: Started three weeks of Spanish classes in Playa Samara, Costa Rica
September 18: Traveled to Monteverde , La Fortuna , and went white water rafting on my way to meet my dad in San Jose
September 24: Met dad at fabulous San Jose hotel, visited Manuel Antonio with him, toured San Jose
October 1: Flew back to NYC

During October: Couch surfed, learned to drive a pedicab, half-heartedly applied to jobs (until I found the one I eventually took -- I worked really hard on that one), enjoyed New York, rode my bike an average of 15 miles/day.

November 1: Moved into new, fabulous Williamsburg apartment
November 5: Interviewed for what is now my new fabulous job
November 12: Received job offer
November 13: Accepted job offer
November 14: Commencement of 3-week stress-free vacation in anticipation of new job start on December 8

Yes We Can. Sí, se puede. Favorite quotes so far.

The next president of our country, Barack Obama, had the following to say. And then really super dramatic music played. It was awesome.

"I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face."

"This victory... is the chance for us to make the change we seek."

"Each of us resolves to pitch in."

"We rise or fall as one nation, as one people."

To those whose vote I did not earn tonight: "I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president too."

"the true strength of our nation.... comes from the enduring power of our ideals: liberty democracy and unyielding hope."

"To reclaim the american dream."

Pedicab-o-ween

Halloween is a great way to break in a new pedicab driver. I had a great time anyway. 

Most surprising comment of the night? 

"Is that a dude?"

Yep. People thought I was a tranny. I guess that means I looked like I was trying pretty hard to look cute and feminine... but jacked.

I corrected most people, but for a certain few leering guys, I informed them that I used to be a dude. Usually made them back off a bit. 

Joe the Plumber

My mom told me this joke when I was a little girl. It kind of reminds me how a certain political candidate is using his new-found blue-collar friend. I feel bad for Joe the Plumber.

Suzy came home from school one day and announced "Mommy! I made a quarter today!"

Her mother said, "That's great! How did you do it?"

"The boys said if I climb the flag pole they'd give me a quarter. And boy do I know how to climb the flag pole."

"Oh honey. You know they just wanted to see your panties. Don't do that again."

"Ok, Mommy."

The next day, Suzy comes home from school announcing, "Mommy, Mommy! Today I made a whole green dollar!"

"I told you those boys just want to see your panties."

"Don't worry mommy, I didn't wear any panties."

It's debatable

For the first time in the McCain-Obama race, I watched an entire presidential debate last night. My reaction? Disturbed, appalled, and perplexed. I honestly don't understand how someone who cannot answer a question is allowed to progress so far in a political race. I think that in many ways all candidates are trying to at least appear to offer a better life for as many of their constituents as possible and that people have different perspectives on what might work to achieve that. Clearly, no one has 100% amazing foresight and everyone makes mistakes. We can't predict the future, as hard as we might try.

The point of signing up to be a leader is to have the ability to represent and make decisions on behalf of your constituency and to be able to convey policies, changes, relationships, etc. to the people you lead. This requires you to be able to understand other people and have them understand you. It's called "communication" in some circles. John McCain is incompetent. I thought it was an interesting strategy to underhandedly attack Obama's eloquence. What? You mean his ability to utter an entire sentence without getting distracted and to listen to and then actually answer a question? Or was it his ability to coherently talk about his own policy ideas and not just repeatedly attack his opponent with the same non sequitur argument?

If we end up with the "wrinkly white haired dude," I might have to go back to Costa Rica--or become a community organizer dead set on counter-acting the problems he and his cohort create. I suppose that would be a more positive way to deal with it.

What I really don't understand is how you can be "undecided". I think those people are lying.

Hay Mucho Trabajo

You may or may not know that I am planning to run a triathlon in October. Haven´t decided which one, but it will definitely be sprint distance and hopefully involve beer or some sort of spirits at the end of it.

 

I was feeling pretty athletic today and it was hot hot hot, so I threw on my speedo onezie and my rash guard (for sun protection) and set out to take a swim. On my way, I decided to run. So I ran ALL the way to Jesse´s Gym. It seemed really far away. As far as I can guess, this link will lead you to my route (for the lazy, it turned out to be less than a mile). Then I got in the water and decided to swim, like real swimming, not just catching waves and/or letting them thrash my body around. I decided I would swim to the thatched roof house which seemed like it was about 200 or 300 meters away. I guess I dont really know how far that is in real life, but let´s just say I did not make it before saying to myself "maybe you should just catch some waves". So I did. I´m not sure I actually know how to swim properly. I definitely don´t put my face in the water and that seems to be key. Maybe next time I will wear goggles.

 

This whole triathlon training thing is going to be pretty fun (and by fun I mean pathetic)... Oh and my bike handicap? Um, let´s just say the "FearGiant" MTB single speed conversion isn´t exactly going to do the job.

Bob Barker didn´t make it to rural Costa Rica

There are a lot of strange things here in Sàmara... like cattle fields with beach and palm tree back drops, cowboys on bicycle, wild herd dogs, horses roaming the street, tough guys riding beach cruisers, etc. However, one of the most surprisingly strange things is the abundance of dogs with cajones. (I suppose the abundance isn´t so surprising if you really think about it, but I think you know what I mean.)

 

"Help control the pet population; have your pet spayed or neutered."

La Cucaracha Entró

Apparently this trip (to Costa Rica) was meant to build character. Yes, that was the intention. However, I didn´t realize just how much character I would be building. I came home on Wednesday evening to change clothes (I was soaking wet from playing soccer in the rain) to find a giant tropical cockroach on my pillow (and one on my night stand too). I´m getting used to it. I go in, turn on the lights, chase cockroaches for a while, and then turn on the fan, hope for the best, and get in bed. This is big news consdering how I´ve dealt with them in the past.

 

I´m planning to extend my stay in Playa Sàmara, but I´m getting my own apartment for the rest of it.

Study Up

I found the following list written in my Series 6 study books from last Fall. I was clearly fully engaged in learning about variable annuities . . .

• must like wheat bread
• must like sarcastic humor
• must enjoy non-blockbuster films but not expect me to be an expert
• must take interest in social and/or environmental issues
• must be a little romantic with a penchant for sweeping me off my feet, but without being too mushy

• breath-taking good looks are preferable
• familiarity with/knowledge of the female anatomy desired
• personal charm required
• interest in dancing or dance class a plus
• healthy sense of competition/ambition
• willingness to travel

I'm currently interviewing qualified candidates. . .

Motley Princess Strikes Again

Life is about to get a little crazier. Tuesday was my last day of a 2+ year job that I wasn't really excited about anymore. So now I start an adventure. I'm going to Costa Rica next Thursday and not coming back until October 1. The plan is to learn some Spanish, learn how to surf, go on zip-line canopy tours, get from place to place on horseback, and generally enjoy myself. I bought a new fancy rain jacket because I'm supposed to see a lot of that. I bought a refurbished ipod nano. I'll probably buy a few other toys before I go.

Wait a second.... what about when you get back? Well, I don't know. I'll think about that when I'm away. I have some ideas, but no point in spewing out that crap here.

Rest Ice Compression Elevation (RICE)

High school health class came in handy this week. A friend of mine got into what turned out (very luckily) to be a minor motorcycle accident. He rode home from the event without a scratch on the bike and barely a scratch on him. But his ankle was pretty swollen and through a series of phone calls and internet research sessions, we determined it was sprained. So he stayed off of it. We iced it until he couldn't stand it anymore. I learned how to wrap an ace bandage. And of course he kept it elevated.

Pretty good orthopedic nursing job if you ask me. We'll see if he runs that triathlon on Saturday though.

Pray with me.

Anorexia Bicicleta

I made a few more changes to the bike. New back wheel and hub. Ditched
old cassette (the cogs/gears in the back). Replaced tires with much
skinnier ones. Removed lock holster. Removed bracket for bike pump
(since I don't have one). Removed bell (might put it back on). New
single cog in back.

All in all: Bike lost 9 pounds and a whole lot of extraneous junk and
I can carry it down 7 flights of stairs in heels. It looks kind of
like it's anorexic.

Now I need pedals to clip into, shoes, and a water bottle cage.
That'll be next month.

Converted!

A friend of mine (B) met a new friend (G) who has an art studio which he lovingly refers to as his "getting dirty space." They were talking at a party and came to the conclusion that they would help me convert my bike. So yesterday, G called B and they made plans to meet. B and I arrived at the studio and 1 hour and a few country songs later, we were flying out of there on my new single speed setup. Removed a couple of chain rings in the front, ditched the shifters and derailleurs, and shortened the chain. We also chopped about an inch and a half off of my handlebars. Way better handling. G also polished my remaining chain ring and it's so pretty.

I still need to get new wheels/tires so that I can get rid of the back cogs and really lighten this baby up, but I can already feel the difference. I'm gonna be one zippy little thing especially after chugging along on 35 pounds of bicycle. But for now, I'm still a little heavy and on an odd gear ratio, so going up hills kinda sucks, but I still rode about 10 miles today -- more than 7 of them were with a friend who lives in Brooklyn now, but was my skating and biking buddy in middle school back in Indianapolis.

Sweet Dreams II

My little sister (age 9) recently had a dream that she went to heaven. So my mom asked, "What did God look like?" Without missing a beat, she replied "He had white pyjamas with red spots all over them, bunny slippers, and spiked hair."

Of course he did.

Not So Cute

Lately, my friend Laura (soycube) has been posting about interesting-looking bugs on her blog. She seems to find them endearing and cute. Well, I had a slightly different experience yesterday morning.

I had just arrived at the office and was taking a quick post-bike ride rinse in the shower, when I saw something moving in my peripheral vision. "Oh, no, you're just imagining it as usual" I thought. Then I looked again and on the wall of my shower was a 2+ inch long water bug (some might say cockroach).

So imagine: I'm completely nude, trapped in a small room with a huge bug, with no options but to take it on. So I did, but not without repeatedly screaming at the top of my lungs. My colleagues came running down the hall thinking that I was being attacked (I was). One thought I was singing, but he obviously has very little faith in my ability.

It was terrifying. I couldn't escape (because I had no clothes on), I couldn't get help (same reason), and I had to take on this battle in the nude (which is extra terrifying when you hate creepy crawlies like I do). I felt like I was Viggo Mortensen in Eastern Promises, only I was armed with a Puma (shoe) and not a knife. But I got the job done. It took me a few hours of cooling off to be able to go back in there and remove the carcass, however. But I did that too.

Vegetable Pie II

I made another pie with vegetables. When my friend asked me to bake a pie for (what turned out to be) her fabulous summer dinner party, I was stoked. I searched for a recipe at gourmet.com with only one criterion: rhubarb. I've always wanted to use it, but never have. I found recipe that makes what they call a cake, but you bake it in a pie pan, so it still counted in my mind. Plus, the whipped cream called for whiskey, which was an awesome addition. I also altered the recipe to include real vanilla bean instead of just the extract. What a treat!

So, true to form, I'm asked to make dessert and I bring a vegetable dish!

Mermaid Parade

Saturday's event was the Coney Island Mermaid Parade. I went with friends and it was hot hot hot. Apparently many of the participants were also hot. Most of them were wearing very little clothing. I generally enjoyed it. If you want to see more colorful pictures, check the flickr feed. All photos are unedited, uncropped, even. Maybe I'll get to that one day.

Deconstructing Chicken

I realized recently that I've never cooked a whole chicken all by myself. I'm guessing that this is because I was vegetarian when I might have learned this from my mom, then I went to college where my food was cooked for me (and subsequently made me gain 20 pounds), then I cooked for myself but armed only with vegetarian cookbooks. So I never really figured out how to cook anything other than a boneless breast.

All of this probably explains why I used to think that chicken is kind of like tofu: flavorless and able to take on the flavors of its surroundings. Well, when you leave the bones in, it's a different story.

Tonight, at the direction of my little sister, I roasted an entire 3.22 lb chicken. Only used a bit of butter, salt, and rosemary. And guess what? It's delicious. Flavorful, juicy, and delicious.

I also made a vegetable pot pie with biscuits.

Now I'm tired.

Miracles of Science

Another ophthalmologist story.

I was there for a contact lens fitting (four months late), so I was testing them out on my way to work. When I got back on my bike, the world had suddenly changed. I felt like I was about 12 inches taller. Peripheral vision is amazing, but it was weird because it was as if I were floating or something and suddenly I could go faster and be more nimble.

Who needs a real road bike when you can see?

Eyeballs Roll, Bikes Rock

Today my ophthalmologist told me that since February my prescription has changed. So, just in case, I asked, "You mean it got worse, right?"

"No, actually, it got better. What have you been doing differently?"

The bike. It's the bike. I can't believe it! Yeah, maybe I've changed my diet or my work habits a bit since then, but the only real, significant change is the bike. I've read about eye exercises and other things you can do to improve vision, but like all exercise, it's hard for me to do it just for the sake of doing it (even with a goal in mind). However, if I work it into a utilitarian purpose, life will change. And that's what happened. I'm getting toned arms, toned legs, toned butt, toned core, and toned eyeballs... and all from my 9-mile R/T daily commute and weekend getaways. Are you convinced to start a 2-wheel commute yet?

Weekend Adventure Numbers

I could tell the stories, but it would take too long. Plus, what happened in the tent stays in the tent. So here you go:

• Travelers: 4
  
• Total Miles Traveled: ~40
• Roadkill we passed, ran over, or otherwise encountered: at least 20 including 3 robins, 3 rats, 10 squirrels, 2 raccoons, and several unrecognizable animals including one that might have been a frog
• Hours after our intended arrival time we actually arrived at our campsite: 3
• Wineries visited: 3
• Goat farms visited: 1
• Greenhouses used to wait out rain and hail storm: 1
• Round trip detour mileage due to navigational difficulty: ~3
• People our tent was intended to sleep: 2
• People our tent actually slept: 4
• Caterpillars found on my body in the night: 1.5
• Attempts at making fire: 4, including one successful attempt
  
• Attempts to use the neighbor's fire: 1 (successful)
• Number of pet birds brought by neighbors: 3
  
• Bottles of wine consumed during breakfast: half
• Caterpillar droppings on hair, clothing, and food: well, if we had known that's what that was from the start, the number might have been smaller, but since that was a late discovery, more than we can count
• Emails sent: 0
• Phone calls to "dad": 4

Countless good conversations, laughs, and good times. Can't wait to go again -- but I will be purchasing a new (to me) bike before then or significantly modifying mine. And panniers might also be a good idea. Carrying a wet tent in a backpack is not actually advisable.

Oops-ident

I shouldn't post this here because you'll worry. But you shouldn't.

Today I had a bike accident on a large thoroughfare. I was powering through a yellow light across 6 lanes of traffic (in hindsight not the most brilliant move), when I suddenly saw a car coming at me poised to make a left turn directly in front of me. Brain: "Oh Shit! Oh Shit! Oh Shit!" Body: "Slam on brakes" Bike: "Front brakes are tighter than the back ones." Back tire fishtails and throws me off. I'm lying in the road with my bike next to me. Uninjured. Slightly shell shocked. Lady from the car yells "are you OK?" I said, "Yeah, are you?" She said "yeah". I got up, a little embarrassed. She split. Still made it to work in 30 minutes.

So I went to the bike shop today and got my rear brakes repaired. Much safer.

P.S. Yes, I was wearing a helmet.

OMG I Never Celebrated

Obama is now the presumptive nominee. Hilary made a really fantastic endorsement speech. I'm totally excited, but like the candidates, a little worn out from it all. I didn't really work that hard, but I thought really hard and I suppose I campaigned by talking to anyone drunk enough to listen while the primaries were still in play.

Now we just have to prove to the world (or enough of our American colleagues) that this old man is not the answer. (As if I would paste his name on my website -- come on.) I haven't decided exactly how I'm going to participate, but I'm sure Barack and his team of amazing change maker Web 2.0 social marketers have some ideas.

So what are you waiting for?

I don't get it

How the hell are Ice Cream trucks profitable?

Low margins. Rising costs (fuel and food). General mistrust from consumers regarding cleanliness and safety.

Conclusion: they really are selling drugs.

Plus, it's the only possible explanation of the 10pm ice cream truck drive bys in my neighborhood.

Breaking the Cycle

I had questions about whether it was a good idea to ride my bike when it was expected to reach over 100 degrees today and I figured I'd regret it when I decided to take the train. I was correct. Not only did I forget my subway pass, which means I had to pay $4 cash for the round trip (obnoxious when you have over $40 in subway fare sitting idly in your purse), but it also took eons to get across town. Eons! One should not wuss out just because it's hot. That's why we have water. It just makes me angry not to exercise, so I guess I won't be doing that again.

14 Year Old Boy

I said in a previous post that we can't all look like girly 14-year-old boys (forever), but apparently I've managed to hang on to that look -- or at least that persona. This morning a guy with chisled, split calf muscles zipped past me on his road bike up the hill on the Manhattan bridge. However, after I took (as I call them) the jumps and got some sweet air, I bombed past him on the way down.

It was a rainy morning, so not too many people out on their bikes. That is usually accompanied by some decent attitudes because there's an understanding that everyone who's actually out is pretty serious about their bikes. He saw me coming and waved me on, and I yelled something back at him about 35 pounds. He caught up to me on the road later and we had a nice discussion about the fact that I'm still a 14-year-old boy, and that my bike is more like a sled than a bike (his words, not mine). He also noted that 14-year-old girls do stupid shit like take the jumps too. Point taken.

Coffee Cycle

french press my coffee
delicious morning beverage
i like it a lot

Like many days, today started with a fresh pot of French press coffee. Sadly, I cannot commute with my coffee because as I learned one day with a paper cup from the bagel store, I cannot drink and drive. Not even coffee. I spilled it all over myself including my new bad-ass fingerless gloves.

I saw a bike in a catalog today that comes with a travel mug holder. I'm sorry, but that's lame. What suburb are you riding in and why the hell do you need coffee while you ride if you're just going around the block? There are way too many potholes and assholes in NYC for that to be practical. Drink it when you get there and get over it.

Speaking of potholes, there are a lot of them, and my grubby little monster of a mountain bike takes them like a champ. However, I learned today that my bike is not only heavy, but exceptionally heavy. It weighs 35 pounds! So apparently, I've been taking the hills like a champ too. So even though my boss makes fun of me for being a slave to fashion, I'm getting myself a single speed road/track bike. I won't necessarily go fixed gear, but I definitely want something lighter and more maneuverable.

Ba-a-rack-O-ba-a-ma-a!

Negligent

Yes, it's true. I've been negligent and for that I apologize.

However, I think that in some ways it's an improvement. The weather is nicer. It's easier to stay out later and be outside for longer periods, so I don't end up at home writing blog posts. So here's an update, in no particular order. I think I'll also post some things I started and never finished long ago.

1. I've been riding my bike a lot. I haven't taken the subway in 2 weeks. So all of my commuting, going out, etc. has all been done via bike or foot. I've even biked in the rain. Commute is about 4.5 miles each way, so I'm bulking up and spending an inordinate amount of money on food!

2. Because of number one, I'm thinking of investing in a lighter ride. I currently mount a Frankenstein of a mountain bike with way more gears than I need or will ever use. I'm thinking of going single speed or even fixed gear. Then I could have one of those sexy machines with no rear brake. That would be hot.

3. Also because of number one and the corresponding lack of subway time, I've significantly reduced my reading time. I'd like to get back into some books. From the end of August through about February I read something like 12 books. I haven't read a whole one since then, but I have read some magazines (like Outside and Fast Company).

4. Finished Spanish class in early May.

5. Spring concert with Grace Church Choral Society, which I should have announced here and didn't, was fabulous.

6. Other non-blogable personal and professional events.

Harlem

Biked to Harlem via the Hudson River bike path. It was a beautiful day. One of those "I totally understand why they have those t-shirts -- I LOVE NEW YORK" kind of days. The trees are all in full bloom. Pink. White. Purple Green. Amazing.

I was headed to the demonstration protesting the gratuitous killing of Sean Bell. I don't really know much about the case, so I can't in good conscience comment on the right or wrongness of the aquittal, but I can say that either way, 50 shots seems excessive. So, with a journalist friend, I biked up there to see what was going on. We got there a little late for the actual demonstration. There were a few people with signs and flyers, but nothing really noteworthy. Or was it?

I think that the expectation is that the black community would be the folks who are outraged in this event since Sean Bell was black. However, the people sticking around to the bitter end were white, asian, latino, but not really a black presence.

Another thing came to pass while we were in Harlem. My friend's bike got a flat. So, we started asking people about a bike shop. The man at what I'm calling the "Jesus Table" suggested that we go to a man who sets up on the side of the road and fixes bikes for "the children". Sounded good to me, but I wasn't quite sure about the directions. So I asked someone else. This guy said he'd lived in Harlem for years, knew the neighborhood like his hand, and had never seen a bike shop. That's why (he said) that there was so much violence around -- people don't ride bikes here. So we decided to follow the directions of the Jesus Table man. And then we encountered "The Doctor". The Doctor was a barber-shop-esque setup in a garage where three or four guys sat waiting for customers surrounded by bikes.

For $20 we got the flat fixed, tightened the brakes, straightened out the rim, and got back on the road.

The most surprising thing? The philosophy lessons. I'll admit it. I'm a little limited in what I think that most people think about religion. I think that sometimes people take things literally and I'm not down with that.

However, I overheard a woman talking on the phone with someone about tackling problems by setting the right frame of mind and letting things happen from there -- making the mind the most important, or at least the beginning, part. Then, the man who fixed the bike told us he had had 2 strokes, 2 heart attacks, spent 2 years in a wheel chair, and had beaten cancer. He attributed his current health to faith and an internalization of the divine. Deep.

10+ miles by bike. Cultural experience. Good company along the way. And guacamole and homemade lasagna when we returned home. Beautiful day.

Check This Out!

My roommate, the creative composer, fabulous (classical) guitarist, amazing editor, fantastic chef, among other things, has added a new incredible skill to his repertoire: Flash designer/programmer.

Check out his website at www.grantdamron.com to see all but the cooking skills. And if you need someone to write some music, play the guitar, edit sound, or design/program in Flash, please get in touch.

Daring Adventure or Nothing At All

I've never been a quote person. I've never thought it necessary to associate myself with a quotation of someone else's. However, I was recently, at least momentarily changed. At least for now, I'm really interested in risk and how that plays into everyday life. The rock climbing taught me a lot about managing risk in a really real, in-your-face kind of way, but other things that are a little less tangible have come up in my life and in the world around me. I look at running a presidential campaign as mitigating risk after risk and learning how to take one when needed. Foreign policy. Farm bill. Farmers on strike in Argentina. Al-Qaida.

So when I saw this quote on someone else's g-chat, I had to adopt it for my own propaganda and added it as a signature to the end of my emails. Usually I find the Quote People annoying. So judge if you must. I think it's a good thing to reflect on every once in a while.

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all." Helen Keller

Modeling and Modeling

The article linked above explains the shitty market in terms of its reliance on findings in 19th century botany and the presumption that acts in the market are random. Um... duh! My previous post about dealing with the delicate psyche of a beauty school student is not so unlike the conundrum of dealing with a fickle, emotions-based market. Is this really so surprising?

The article points out that risk models (quantitative computer models used by financial institutions to keep themselves out of just the hot water that they're in) failed to predict the explosion in the mortgage market. However, another kind of risk model, one I'm more familiar with, is one that is a little more qualitative. The kind of work I'm involved with looks at the risks to our society/environment via information about a company's impact on those parts of our lives, not pure, simple financial implications. The Christian Science Monitor has something to say about why funds like that did a little better amid all of this torture in the mortgage crisis. Kinda makes you think that those factors might indicate financial risk as well. Maybe the financial risk didn't come directly from the company, but how do you like having a saggy ass economy.

It's late. This is terrible. Sorry.

Treacherous...

When you sign up for a $20 haircut at Aveda Institute, you take a bit of a risk, so you take a deep breath and hope for the best repeating the mantra: it's just hair. it will grow back. i can afford to get it fixed.

Many have the theory that you just ask for a trim when you go for this $20 haircut in order to avoid disaster. However, we have to remember that we're dealing with people here, not just some Flowbee haircutting machine. You have to work with the (delicate) psyche of a beauty school student. In my opinion, one has to find the right balance between confidence and caution in order to make this work. Asking for just a trim starts the relationship with an air of mistrust, which is no way to begin if you want to survive.

1. Know what you want when you go in. Stylists at this level are not generally ready to create on-the-fly, even though they might try. Be firm, but gentle about what you want.
2. Instill a sense of trust.
3. Give compliments when they are due.

Otherwise, you might get what the woman next to me got: your hair stuck in a blow dryer! She asked for a trim, just a boring trim.

Let that be a lesson to you.

It's not a race. It's a race.

I wish we had a better shorthand term for the election. The linguistics involved with "running" a campaign or "race" make it all too close to sport -- to a game.

This is not a game. This is the future of our nation and the well-being of its people. We need a leader who is focused, determined, honest and willing and able to take a risk when necessary.

Barack Obama exhibits honesty, sincerity, and a willingness to express what he believes to be the truth, whether that is what people are asking for or not. You're not going to agree with every single decision that any of the candidates make. I'd much rather know where those points lie than to expect the candidate to do one thing when he or she does the other depending on what mood he or she thinks the American people are in.

A campaign shouldn't be about strategy -- it should be about honesty. How am I supposed to figure out which candidate I trust to lead my nation if all they are doing is strategizing to get my vote instead of telling and showing me who they are, how they lead, and what they believe in?

As a candidate your job, nay, your mission, is to accurately present yourself in order to help people get to know you as a leader and let them decide which candidate fits best with their own goals and beliefs. As incumbent, you listen to the people who chose you to lead them and help make the goals of those people real.

My goals for this nation include broad themes like equal access to education, freedom from persecution, fair treatment, clean environment, etc. For the most part, the democratic candidates agree on the goals, but where they differ is in implementation.

What's brilliant about Obama's campaign and leadership style is that he has delegated not only to his staff, but to all of us. He puts it on the American people to stand up and make a difference. He is already leading us by encouraging and empowering us to lead ourselves. That's freedom and equality in balance--not easy.

We have a lot of work to do. The current president and his administration have left us a big mess including a national debt that is quickly outgrowing even its larger-than-life Times Square home. We need someone who can delegate. We need someone who is running for office on principles -- on his or her own principles -- not running on what the "other guy" isn't doing right -- not running on what they think people want to hear. We don't have time or energy for simply attacking other candidates.

YES WE CAN! Sí, se puede!

Find 35 Minutes

You must. Because there is a speech out there worth listening to. Listen while you're cooking dinner or getting ready for work or download it to your ipod and listen to it on the train. Or read it.

Never have I heard such a soberly delivered speech incite me to action more strongly.

Yes. I'm talking about Obama's speech today on the topic of race -- but really on the topic of unity of this nation -- a consistent theme along his path to the presidency.

Like my objections to the blog mentioned in a previous post, he encourages us to divorce the idea that race is something that defines our differences:

"For the African-American community, that path means embracing the burdens of our past without becoming victims of our past . . . it also means binding our particular grievances - for better health care, and better schools, and better jobs - to the larger aspirations of all Americans . . ."

He's made the case (or the reminder, if you will) that "legalized discrimination" through generations of exclusion from property ownership, unions, police and fire departments and other means of amassing wealth has caused a divide between black America and the rest of America, and that a lack of other community bonds and services have exacerbated the problem.

He talks about deep-seated resentment in both the white and black communities. How both are destructive unless dealt with in an honest, progressive way.

And like he continues to run his campaign, he encourages all people to make small steps. You don't have to become a large scale community leader to make a difference. You don't have to donate the maximum to the campaign. You don't have to make politics your second job. You don't even have to write a blog post about it. You do what you can, because you can, and because there's only one place to start.

Even if you're not voting for Obama, please vote.

On Fiction

In a previous post, I noted that I need to read more fiction. I think I might need to qualify that statement. I need to read more heartwarming, cheerful, inspirational, funny fiction. I just finished A Thousand Splendid Suns (Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner). It was amazing, but intense and mostly intensely sad. He's such a good writer that you really get wrapped up in it and I think my mood is affected by it. So I'm looking forward to something a little lighter next.

Stuff (relatively) Wealthy People Like

There's a blog out there called "Stuff White People Like" which aims to poke fun at white people by waxing anthropologic about their quirky, illogical, or silly desires. (You can google it. I'm not linking.) However, these include wanting multilingual children, Priuses, modern furniture, and hating corporations. These are not the desires of white people. They are the desires of relatively wealthy people and I'm a little disgusted that it is encouraging people to conflate the ideas of being white and being well-off. Don't get me (entirely) wrong: it's funny and I find myself identifying with the posts. I'm just offended by the title and the "white" theme... am I just not getting it? Am I overcompensating for my own latent racism?

The Great Equalizer

Despite many differences in occupation, age, race, culture, politics, etc. in my neighborhood, the laundromat is different. Everyone is there to get down to business. Everyone is wearing their least attractive clothes (i.e. the things that don't need to be washed until next time). Everyone understands that you don't want them to see your underwear and you don't want to see theirs. Everyone has to deal with the same broken or stupidly programmed machines. Everyone has to watch the same stupid movies on the televisions. It's nice to have some unity and some neighborly bonding -- even if it's while you're avoiding eye contact.

Prospect Heights

I have a great neighborhood. There's a delightful mix of races, cultures, ages, income, classes, occupations, etc. Part of this mix is probably due to the rent control system in NYC which encourages people to stay in apartments indefinitely, because staying with that lease guarantees the initial rate or only modest annual increases. So sometimes, when you move into a neighborhood that's an old stronghold for other ethnic/cultural/socio-economic groups, you feel like an impostor reaping the benefits of lower rent (though not as low as your neighbors' who moved in earlier).

It's admittedly a little odd when old ladies at the grocery store call me "mami," but it 's endearing and I love it. Maybe one day that will roll off my tongue too. I'm thinking about going over to the bodega (corner store) to watch the news in Spanish with the shop keeper, but I'm not sure how well that would go -- especially since I'd need nearly everything translated since they talk so fast.

Standing in line

My dad once told me that instead of looking for the shortest line, he looks for the one with the most interesting people in it (so California, so not New York). I think I'm finally in a ((develop)mental) place in my life where I would agree that this is the best method. However, at the co-op, there's not an option. There's only one line. One terribly long line. But today I got lucky.

I ended up standing in line in front of two very rambunctious and precocious children. And since I didn't have to put them to bed or give them medicine, it was just fun.

Annica and her long-haired, towheaded little brother were shopping with dad this morning. After exclaiming, "Look at all the beautiful vegetables!" (while peering into the freezer case), Annica informed me that "Daddy married mommy, and then we had butterflies."

Seems like the right way to do it.

Is it March 4th yet?

I really wish the Texas and Ohio primaries were already done and we knew the result.

I also wish the candidates would stop being so nasty. The kids on the elephant team don't get as much press, but they also don't get caught up in bullshit debates about whose mamma did what to whom or whatever petty crap they fight about.

I wish the whole superdelegate system were fair and accurate. Somehow, I think it falls short of those lofty goals.

I wish I understood why it takes over 4 months to complete a primary/caucus season when it only takes 1 day for a general election.

Green Consumerism, Investing, Living, etc.

I think it's not just me. And I think it's not just the people I work and am friends with. I think that people all over the country and the world are starting (and continuing) to seriously reconsider some of the ways we choose to live. That's a good thing. However, like any mass movement, the mass-ive version is less attractive than the original idea -- it gets a little watered down.

Sometimes that's a good thing. Not everyone can wear haute couture (because we can't all look like 14 year old girly boys forever), but nearly everyone can wear prêt-à-porter. Likewise, not everyone is ready to commit to keeping a worm bin and going off the grid, but they can make changes like recycling, switching to CFL light bulbs, and turning off the water while they brush. When great masses of people take small steps, it's as or more powerful than when a few take some giant leaps.

All of this focus on the environment is welcome in my book, but it has its limitations. What is the environment if not the place where we (and many other forms of life) live? The thing that environmentalism, as it is typically defined, leaves out is the social system.

Environmental factors like carbon emission, chemical pollution, energy use, etc. are relatively easy to measure with the tools of science and therefore easier for us to attach numbers to and wrap our minds around. However, those factors don't exist in a vacuum. They exist in a very messy world of societies, states, emotions, and other human realities. Social issues like poverty, community unity, education, justice, labor rights, and diversity are not so easy to measure. Sure we can get data on these issues, but they're much messier and more interconnected. Plus, improvements might take a while to show up in the numbers. But this doesn't make them less important. Just because science/math can't test for them as individual variables doesn't mean that they don't exist.

That's why I like the concept of sustainability. It's not as limiting to "green" things as our typical definition of environment. But if we start using that word to replace just the scientifically measured side, we'll miss something.

If you're interested in other concepts of what we call environment, No Impact Man has some great posts about the philosophy behind what he calls "human health, happiness, and security." He also has some great things to say about bringing the environmental discussion home -- to air pollution on your street -- not just polar bears trying to find icebergs.

I clearly need to read more fiction.

Departure

In a departure from my usual electricity-saving choices, I tried something I've always conceived of as wasteful and stupid today. I went to the tanning bed. That's right I got naked, up-close, and personal with a plastic bed filled with ultraviolet light for 10 minutes. And you know what? It was a departure in more ways than one. I was hot and sweaty, and except for the lack of sand in my swimsuit, felt like I was at the beach. Ok, that might be a stretch, but on a snowy February day in New York City, it was kind of nice. The funniest part was the surprise I experienced when I saw snow outside...

Energy Policy

I find that many pundits separate energy policy and food policy, but end up categorizing them as two major concerns of our era. Are they really so different? They're even similar linguistically. When was the last time you talked about being hungry in terms of having an "empty tank" or needing more "fuel"? Are these not terms more often associated with cars?

It seems to me that we should think of these things as two parts of one whole. We need food to give our bodies energy and fuel. We need energy to produce this food--energy produced from fossil fuel, wind power, solar power, natural gas, nuclear power, and, of course, other food.

Petroleum products not only help to generate much of the food that we eat, but they actually make their way into our food. And if you think of it again, you realize that food (corn, sugar, seaweed, etc.) are being made into fuel. At that point, it all seems to come much closer together doesn't it?

Food is just the edible form of energy... not that you didn't already know that.

Speaking of things you already know: Read Michael Pollan's new book In Defense of Food. It tells you a bunch of stuff you already know, but actually might convince you to take action (like quitting high fructose corn syrup and other processed foods).

Compost Craze

I keep hearing little peeps from friends and family who are saying things like "Hmm, I really don't see that grapefruit peel in the trash the same way anymore. I keep thinking that it would make excellent worm food. How many worms did you say you have? Do they multiply? Does it stink? How do you harvest it?"

Oh I encourage you! The worm bin makes you feel super wholesome... and if you want to feel a little less wholesome, think about it this way: worms are hermaphrodites and therefore have both sex organs -- they can do anyone! And from the looks of the baby worms we have, I think they do!

I'll find and post some more practical tips soon. I'm just happy that it's catching on without any direct attempts to convert people.

Winter Joys

It's finally cold here in New York, and that brought with it one thing I had forgotten about winter in the city: frozen puddles of dog pee. It's pretty nasty.

State of the Universe

This morning I walked down the street with a tangible sense of justice and fellowship and even patriotism. I woke up early and made myself farm fresh pastured eggs, toast with almond butter and red raspberry jam, a french press of coffee, and a tall glass of OJ with lots of pulp. It was pretty wholesome and fulfilling.

I'm sure it sounds entirely cheesy, but it really felt good. I walking down the street was smiling for no reason other than I just felt happy. I even laughed a little. This isn't entirely related to the fact that today was my first time using one of those fancy old machines with a curtain and a lever (they have paper ballots in MA), but also feeling a little more square with some personal issues as well.

State of the Union

Well, if I'd had any money for beer, I would have played a drinking game for President Bush's last State of the Union address, using the word "terror" or any of its derivatives as the trigger for tipping the cup. If I had done this, I would be too drunk to write this post right now.

Also, did anyone else notice the absence of the word "war" in the speech, despite the fact that most of the speech was about the war in Iraq? I believe he referred to it as the "mission." Sick.

Oh, and did you know that Nukular Power doesn't have any emissions? (just tons of toxic waste that we don't know how to safely dispose of and steaming hot water runoff that damages fragile ecosystems)

Can't someone at least teach him (and his daddy) how to say the word?

I'm sure I have other commentary, but will save it for later.


A final note on my budget: I was afraid that I might have accidentally under estimated the amount of money I spent over the course of the month, but upon review, it looks like I actually over estimated the amount, so I did have the money to buy beer after all.

On Budgeting

So how's it going, this budget? Let's put it this way.

Yesterday I asked myself, "Why in hell did you buy so many damned potatoes?"

Yeah, January's budget is spent. Plus $1.

Anxiously awaiting February, where I've reduced my budget to about 75% of January's budget. I have a secret savings project.

I really want a beer.

I found it!

I found the elusive entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge on the Brooklyn side! Turns out I rode right past it last time when I got "lost" and found myself on the Manhattan Bridge. While the Brooklyn has WAY more people on it, it's a much easier ride. Somehow, it's not just straight up and then straight down like its sister bridge, which you can see upstream. There are hills on this bridge. But that's nice because you don't feel like you're going to die at the midpoint. And it's shorter. Much shorter. It must be shorter.

I think I was in no fewer than 10 tourist photos today.

What's with...

... people on the train who insist on moving toward the door before the train has stopped -- even when there are 65 million people ahead of them? It's just rude. There's nowhere to move, people!

Success! (so far)

That's right folks, I've been able to find my keys pretty darn consistently since I decided that I needed to focus on that December 10, 2007. I was concerned that I would lose the pattern when I went to Indiana for a week, but I found a way to keep up the habit by being very mindful of other people's keys -- like my mom's car keys which I borrowed a few times. Incidentally, I think the key focus has helped me to be a little less aimless about other things like my checkbook or glasses. Also, I find myself planning things ahead (like putting my book in my bag when I think of it the night before instead of trying to remember it the next morning). This independence from my own memory is sort of liberating. I'm a little concerned that I will get complacent about it and start slipping, but it might actually be a part of me now. We can only hope.

Market ... oh irrational market

The Market is a funny thing. It (whatever it is) reacts to things like fear and excitement. The stock (and bond and futures and other things that I have no hope of maybe ever understanding) market reacts to feelings, actual real human feelings. So a recession or something like it is a product of people's collective feelings about the future and current value of any given thing. However, the actors in the system (investors and consumers) also react to things that happen in the market, like the changing price of fuel or the change in relative value of the S&P 500. So is it all just made up and a product of one big huge psychological disorder? Sounds like it to me. Luckily, one big thing might change soon, and that's the leadership of this country. I think we need one big giant psychologist to help us out of this muck. Anybody up for it? This probably makes very little sense unless you are in my mind. Maybe I'll unpack it better next time. For now, I'm off to bowl in Manhattan.

25 Going on Self-Help Guru

No, I don't think I have it all figured out, but I feel like my time of late is often consumed with actively trying to and sharing those trials, successful or not, with others. Food choices. Waste disbursement. Getting organized (or habitual) enough to find my keys. Budgeting. Is this part of quarter century development or is it just me? And if it is quarter century development, I guess I'm a late bloomer...

Bicicleta

I finally did it! I rode my bike to work.

First of all, the weather here of late has been outstanding. We have literally had the same weather as San Diego for three days running. This, while interesting and liberating (from the layers), is also a bit freaky, but that's a different post.

I was a little hesitant about doing it because I'm not a seasoned biker with my 10-pound chain around my shoulders, rolled up black long johns, worn in jeans, and chiseled calf muscles, and frankly, I was a little scared that I might get killed or seriously maimed. However, once I got on the street with my fancy new lights, I acquired a new boldness. I was running lights with the best of them (well actually more like 15 yards behind them because I was following the cues of others).

I got a little lost but still managed to make it to work in less time than it typically takes on the train. And I was also hindered by the fact that I am not the most fit person in the world. I had grammas with tiny wheels passing me on the uphill section of the (very long) Manhattan bridge. It was a little embarrassing, but I was still beaming with pride when I arrived at the office (and back home) in one piece.

I didn't ride in today because I was being wimpy about the rain, but there were plenty of other troopers out there -- including a guy riding a tandem bike alone. That has to feel a little lonely. It's like paella for two or something (movie reference).

Systems

Natural systems are complex but they are typically extremely efficient. Manufactured and managed systems often have inefficiencies and redundancies and other problems. Those that mirror the natural system often work better.

Take curbside recycling programs for example. In New York City, residential recycling is required and separate types of bags are necessary to distinguish recyclables from trash. There are fines involved for noncompliance, but they aren't really a deterrent. For the most part, this works because people are accustomed to sorting their recyclables and the system is pretty easy to comply with. However, the system is dependent on people acting in away that might be contrary to their nature and has to be enforced (which is an inefficiency -- enforcement is not a part of recycling, after all). In Curitiba, Brazil, recycling is voluntary. Homeless folks and recovering alcoholics sort trash and are paid in food and transportation vouchers. The proceeds from the products recovered goes toward social services to help the people who sorted it in the first place. Two thirds of the city's daily garbage is recycled. That's not two thirds of the daily recyclable materials, that's two thirds of all garbage. According the the New York Department of Sanitation's 2006 annual report, NY recycles 12,200 tons of garbage per week, but its total refuse (incl. recycling) collected for the week is 84,000 tons, so that's about 15%.

Which one do you think works better?

You should read about grass farming and all the symbiotic systems that farmers like Joel Salatin use on a daily basis to exploit cattle's natural propensity for acting like cattle and chickens chickens and pigs pigs (for that matter grasses grasses and grubs grubs too, but you'll have to read more Omnivore's Dilemma for that). You should read about Terracycle, the company that gets paid for its raw materials.

It's really kind of amazing and I'm not the only one that thinks this.

Part of this post talks about the complexity of systems, but underlying it all is really the concept that you can't change people's motives. And sustainability really isn't a catchphrase -- it's a necessity.

Corporate Social Responsibility

Three principles guide my reasoning on corporate social responsibility.

1. You can't change people's motives (mostly)
2. Systems are complex and can't (usually) be solved with one-size-fits-all simple solution
3. Sustainability isn't just a catch phrase

Different motives (or values), like I discussed in a recent post on food, can drive toward the same goals if carefully examined. For example, many people are driven by goals like a healthy place to live for themselves and for their progeny. Companies, driven by returning shareholders value (which is conventionally defined in terms of currency), are motivated by cost reduction and increased revenue. These goals can all be met with similar means. For example, a more sustainable environmental program would require it, on a fundamental level, to be more efficient. A more efficient system would by virtue of being less resource dependent, be less expensive in terms of currency as well.

Systems are complex. We learned from Michael Pollan that just switching to organic isn't going to do either of the things it purports to do: increase your health and decrease your environmental footprint. This is because many foods labeled organic are still produced on factory farms, processed with fossil-fuel-intensive machines, mixed with preservatives, packaged in unnecessary packaging, and shipped long distances. Eating local foods grown using non-industrial methods often can be much less environmentally destructive. However, as we learned from Sarah Murray, it's not just local either. A system that works with its resources rather than against them is more likely to be efficient and take into account the multi-faceted reality of life. Finding ways for multiple parts of a complex system to work in a symbiotic way is a beautiful thing. It's harder and it takes more time (think: evolutionary) but we're complex creatures and have created ways to adapt our modern simplistic ways back into the complex systems we came from. (I'm thinking nomad, to agrarian, to urban ... and back)

The definition of sustainability isn't CFL light bulbs and compost piles (well not necessarily). Sustainability means returning resources to the system in a way that is usable to future generations so that the system continues to thrive. Sustainability isn't as selfless as it sometimes is made out to be. Why do people have children (on a fundamental, evolutionary level)? They have children because they need to sustain themselves and once they get to a certain age, they might need some help with that. The American system isn't as family-oriented as others, but things like pensions, nursing homes, Medicaid, and Social Security are institutionalized versions of the younger generation paying and caring for the older generation--it's another product of specialization. In addition, those children, grandchildren, and other successors pass on the memory and legacy of their predecessors. It's a beautiful system and not at all selfless, though when changing a diaper or giving up a convenience to diminish waste, it can feel that way.

So if we can convince (or remind) corporations that their goals aren't necessarily in conflict with "social responsibility," maybe the world would be a better place. Our propensity towards specialization keeps us from seeing a bigger picture sometimes -- keeps us from seeing ourselves in the larger scheme and therefore disconnects us from the larger "system." As other measures of sustainability (like carbon footprints, community involvement, and employee satisfaction) gain value, maybe the way corporations view sustainability and return will change.

Budget

I thought budgeting was unnecessarily limiting and just too hard to manage. However, I've been watching my friend and her budget and she seems to have less anxiety about spending money than I do, which is not what I expected. This is because she knows what she has and what she can spend and therefore if she wants to spend $50 on a manicure, she knows that she won't have to forgo something more important.

The other problem as I saw was management. I wasn't sure what categories to use and I didn't see me cataloging them well. I don't want to get into the business of downloading my bank statement data all the time and I really can't see myself writing everything down or (worse!) keeping receipts. So I found a techy solution.

I use iGoogle as a homepage so that I have easy access to weather, news, my calendar, email, and other things. So I looked for a gadget to add for expense tracking and found one. It is perfect for my needs. It has 10 categories and tracks your spending and automatically totals everything and compares to previous months/weeks.

So, now I'm on a budget. It's based on my previous salary, so hopefully I'll be saving some money too.

New Style

This New Year's Eve celebration began with 2 hours of mani-pedis with a friend and continued into the night with a prix fixe dinner, wine, champagne, and good company. Just exactly the speed I wanted. Plus, I got to wear pants I bought in high school. While that doesn't say anything about my fashion sense, it does say something about my waistline! I still want to incorporate increased exercise into the resolution package, however.