Solar FTW!
Apparently, only a (proportionally) small amount of the earth’s surface need
3 comments April 28th, 2008
Posts filed under 'health & wellness'
The 10 Best Foods You Aren’t Eating
No, I don’t have any idea how I managed to find myself at Men’s Health, but damn, this link is pretty cool. I need to find more “healthy” stuff to eat, and this definitely fits the bill. Now I just have to start shopping at New Seasons again, since the produce at all the other grocery stores is seriously letting me down.
The 10 Best Foods You Aren’t Eating - Men’s Health
3 comments October 3rd, 2007
No more styrofoam!
Currently I’m reading a book called “The World Without Us“, by Alan Weisman. 
I’ll admit it, I was expecting more of a “World War Z” type of book. Instead, of fictional narrative, Alan Weisman presents lots of distilled research and observation in a very piece-by-piece manner. It’s not dry reading per so, but it isn’t a real page turner either - though one of the reasons is the grim picture it paints about our long-chain-hydrocarbon filled lifestyle, what it’s costing the planet, and how long things will take to balance out once we cut . A particularly offensive bit is the amount of plastic in our oceans - not plastic bags or six-pack rings, awful as they are - but rather the amount of plastic particles – many microscopic – that are floating *in the ocean – not just on top. These little bits are being ingested by the smallest of the small and the largest of the large. And it’s all accumulated in the last 50 years. And it’s everywhere in the ocean, even the most remote places.
Even though it’s a Honda, I do drive an SUV. Sure, it gets better gas mileage than my last car (a small economy car), but it’s still a bit more than I need for everyday use. When lunchtime comes around – you used to be able to find me driving five minutes into town every day for lunch at some restaurant or fast food joint. But I’ve changed! I promise! I try to bring my lunch on most days, and when I don’t I try to eat at our on-site cafeteria to avoid the unnecessary drive into town. Sadly, the cafeteria uses Styrofoam plates for most entrees. In the past, I’ve asked our facilities manager about switching to paper plates and received a “Don’t worry, they’re pulled out of the garbage and recycled by our sanitation pickup company.” response. This hardly addresses the problem of plastic/foam plates being produced in the first place, and is of dubious value at best.
Therefore, from today forward, I will avoid using foam/plastic plates and utensils whenever possible. For lunch today? I had spaghetti and a salad from the cafeteria. I got a mild version of the “damn hippies” look, but was successfully served my spaghetti in the paper basket normally used for sandwiches. Sure, reusable plates would be even better – but one step at a time, right?
4 comments August 29th, 2007
The USDA devalues “Organic” labeling
In a move certain to benefit absolutely nobody outside of the big agricultural lobbies, the USDA rules many non-organic ingredients acceptable in foods using the USDA “Organic” labeling.
The list of non-organic foods now allowed in foods labeled “Organic”.
I hardly feel like I need to get on a soapbox with this one, but seriously folks, what good is an “Organic” label if the ingredients of the product aren’t grown organically? Methinks someone is in the pockets of corporate America yet again - and I’m looking at you sneaky USDA chuckleheads.
2 comments June 11th, 2007
Dinosaur Comics presents the much debated issue of non-human zombification.
Your thoughts?
via j75.5
5 comments June 11th, 2007
My browser went to a Woot-Off,
and all I got was this breathalyzer game.
I wonder how long I’ll have to play before I beat the high score…
Of course, these days I barely drink. I think I’ve been tipsy about once or twice in the few months, which may be par for some people, but is a significant shift for me. Nonetheless, I still cannot understand why a alcohol-detecting ignition interlock isn’t required on all new vehicles.
Seems so simple and logical, doesn’t it? Really, it’s just like a seat belt - but for other people. Why can’t we pass a law that makes sense for once?
Add comment June 4th, 2007
Projects.
As I continue to age…
Some of my interests have shifted. For instance, instead of the excess drinking and incredible debauchery that characterized the summers of my youth, I now find myself more interested in “old man” pursuits, like a having a garden, and a relatively maintained yard.
For the first time, I’ve built a garden. Well, a raised garden bed anyways. I’ve got big plans for it. Will I be able to keep it together and remember to water? Can I actually pay enough attention to it and keep it weed free? Can I find something to do with the 6 billion tomatoes I’ll wind up with if I can keep the plants alive? We shall see.
I’ve also been pondering other complimentary projects. And since the hippy side of my personality is constantly struggling for freedom, I think a rain collection system may be in order. This project would also allow me to finally meet whatever character has been selling plastic barrels out of his driveway on Gardenhome Rd for the last 10+ years.
8 comments May 11th, 2007
Buts and Butts.
After successfully quittting last memorial day weekend (May, 2006), I recently started smoking again. In the span of just two short months, I’d suffered what seemed (at the time) an insurmountable (and angsty) heartbreak and incredible stress at work (serious layoff worries). These things, compounded with everyday life allowed me decent excuses to have a puff here and whole cigarettes there.
About three weeks ago, things in my life began to swing the other direction. Slowly, the needle on the happy-gauge began inching back to normal - but the damage was already done and I was trapped in the clutches of smoking yet again. Fast forward a few weeks to the needle on the happy-gauge getting a good workout on the positive side…. On Friday, with the support of some old friends and lots from a really awesome and special new friend - I quit again.
Over the course of the weekend, I suffered some pretty mean headaches and many urges to be less kind than I should be. Perseverance paid off, and now I can begin the not-smoking-at-work process. This means rescheduling meetings with smokers that we had setup to occur outside, and it means finding better ways to deal with stress. Outside work, it means less time at the bars (not that I spend much time there these days) and more time focusing on *not* being selfish with my time and energy.
This time around, it also means paying more attention to the other aspects of my health. I need to spend some more time on the exercise bike, while continuing to make sure that I don’t over-indulge in some things as a “reward” for doing something else right.
4 comments November 20th, 2006
81 minutes. 17.5 miles. High.
People who take exercise seriously talk about runner’s high or feeling the burn - or a number of other things that I’ve never paid attention to. I wrote that stuff off as crackpot healthnut propaganda. But tonight, I broke through my usual average of 45 minutes on my exercise bike. In fact, I punched far past that point. Like the title says, I spent 81 minutes on the bike and according to the meter, I rode 17.5 miles. At 65 minutes I started feeling good. Really good. I kept pedaling. As I pressed on, light waves of euphoria rolled over me every few minutes. I should have bought one of these bikes a long time ago. I mean, damn! I might even fix up my old bike this spring and start actually riding outside.
Also, I was catching up on episodes of “Heroes” stored on the DVR. It’s a pretty entertaining new show. Right now, I like it more than Lost, and that’s saying something.
[Update: Apparently exercising until your heart and legs nearly fail is a good way to get some decent sleep. I slept past 7! I haven’t done that in a long time. Good stuff!]
Add comment October 24th, 2006
Targeted Spam Recipes
Every time I empty my spam folder, gmail is kind enough to provide ads for Spam recipes. At first, I thought that Google was certainly taking advantage of incredibly slow advertising people. I thought it was a bit dirty to do something so shady. But a few years later, the ads still persist!
Read on for the crisis of existential advertising questions this forces me to deal with.
Continue Reading Add comment October 23rd, 2006
Pan-Seared Chicken Breast
Born of a desire to eat better, spend more wisely and and enhance my, err, marketablity, I’ve been trying to improve my cooking. I definitely wasn’t incompetent before; I’ve been feeding myself for years. Still, I felt that there were too many things that I could not competently make.
Click “Continue Reading” for the rest.
Continue Reading 3 comments October 15th, 2006
Potato Leek Soup, and other tasty stuff.
Note: Leeks are not green onions (scallions), or chives. They are leeks.
For the rest, click “Continue Reading“
Continue Reading Add comment October 15th, 2006
Hive Mind Healing
A special thank you also goes out to my friends, and surprisingly, my father.
(I don’t want to leave out the Grateful Dead and plenty of whisky, but they don’t seem as important.)
3 comments October 2nd, 2006
Delicious Baked Chicken
Unfortunately, I didn’t take a picture.
Nonetheless, click “Continue Reading” to find out how you can re-create this tasty dinner.
Continue Reading Add comment September 28th, 2006
Snack Time: Apple
Washington. Land of apples and cities that think (mistakenly) that they’re better than Portland. Of course, they do have an IKEA. And a market where they throw fish. And some of my friends. Washington is probably okay after all. But Oregon is better!
In other apple related news, I ate this one yesterday afternoon. Before I ate it, I noticed someone else’s teethmarks on the apple - like they started to take a bite and had a change of heart. Hunger won, and I ate the apple anyways. I didn’t even wash it.
Sodexho sells crappy produce. But I buy it. Not for long though! I’m starting to get into the habit of buying more than beer, cheese and frozen food at the store.
Add comment September 27th, 2006
Today’s Lunch
[Update: Giant New Picture Of A Turkey Sandwich] click here
Add comment September 26th, 2006
Public Service Announcement: Littering
T-Rex deftly explains my own inner turmoil surrounding litter.
4 comments August 2nd, 2006
Treehugger: Wave Power Project Planned for Oregon
Go wave power! Go!!
According to the above post at Treehugger, Reedsport Oregon is slated to to be the location for a power plant driven by waves and tides!
Way to go Oregon!! Suck our smug voltage, Washington!!!
Add comment July 31st, 2006
Who wants to go to Argentina?
I want to go, that’s who. It sounds delicious.
“All you need to know about the quality of pasture in the pampas is that cows went feral in Argentina. You can still see them grazing pretty much anywhere there is a horizontal patch of grass, all now firmly back in the hand of man, but still with a happy grassy glint in their eye. This most docile, placid, and passive of large herbivores stepped off the boat, took one nibble at the pampas and made a run for it. It knew that it wanted to spend the rest of its life eating the pampas grass, without outside interference. And the settlers, once they caught some of the early escapees, began to feel the same way about the beef.”
Add comment April 12th, 2006
Hybrid vehicle purchase Incentives : Federal Tax Credits & State Incentives
Hybrid vehicle purchase Incentives : Federal Tax Credits & State Incentives
Add comment April 6th, 2006
Large Alaskan Oil Spill
I received this Sierra Club email alert from my lovely girlfriend. If you’re an Oregon resident, please let Gordon Smith know that this is unacceptable using the contact information provided below. If you’re not an Oregon resident, please let your senator know how you feel anyways, especially if they’re involved with the Senate Budget Committee
DRILLING CAUSES MAJOR CRUDE OIL SPILL NEAR ARCTIC NATIONAL WILDLIFE
REFUGE — POTENTIALLY LARGEST IN ALASKA NORTH SLOPE HISTORY
What could potentially be the worst oil spill in history on Alaska’s
North Slope was discovered last week after a BP oil operator noticed
signs of a spill at a caribou migration site. Three days later, response
workers finally found the source of the spill — a breach in an oil
transit pipeline feeding into the larger trans-Alaska oil pipeline. At
least one report from an industry expert has indicated that up to
798,000 gallons of crude oil could be unaccounted for, which could make
this second in Alaska only to the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill.
Ironically, the House and Senate budget committees are scheduled to mark
up their budget bills as early as tomorrow (Wed., March 8th). The Arctic
Wildlife Refuge represents the last 5 percent of the North Slope that is
off-limits to destructive oil drilling. We can’t take the chance the
disasters like last week’s will destroy that as-yet unspoiled wild place.
Send a quick e-mail to Oregon Senator Gordon Smith here:
http://gsmith.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Home
or better yet call his Portland office at 503.326.3386
Urge them to ask leadership to keep Arctic Refuge drilling revenues OUT
of the budget!
——
Read more for my unrelated side-note on Senator Gordon Smith.
Continue Reading 2 comments March 7th, 2006
Foetus, Yearner and Freefaller…
According to a study by the Sleep Assessment and Advisory Service, those are the titles of my three most common sleep habits.
I would say that I’m primarily a Foetus sleeper, often a Yearner, and occasionally a Freefaller.
This must mean that I’m prevailingly “tough on the outside but sensitive at heart”, secondarily of “open nature” but also “suspicious” and “cynical”, and occasionally “gregarious and brash”. Wow! This is just like reading the horoscopes!
BBC NEWS | Health | Sleep position gives personality clue
Add comment March 6th, 2006
Chocolate Milk: The New Sports Drink? - CBS News
Chocolate Milk: The New Sports Drink? - CBS News
Well, I know what I’m having for dessert tonight. Is it just me, or does chocolate milk sound really really good right now?
[Check the comments for an important update provided by the Tillamook customer service department.]
2 comments March 3rd, 2006
The English are pansies.
BBC NEWS | Politics | Campaigners welcome smoking ban
Not only do you have to acquire a National ID card to get a passport (soon to be required of people who *don’t* want/need a passport), but now they’ve gone and banned smoking in public places.
How incredibly asinine.
Sure, plenty of people are afraid of death. Fine. Go to a non-smoking bar or restaurant. Even here in the US, the free market has allowed many of these smoke-free places to pop-up over the last 10 years.
Wot you say? The non-smoking bars aren’t as fun? Tough titty. But guess what happens to a “fun” place when you cull the most raucous and least health conscious people?
Smoking isn’t a right - but neither is driving a super consuming/polluting SUV. In fact, why hasn’t anyone done a study about the kind of toxins you come in contact with “secondhand” while driving on the freeway with the heater on, or with the window down?
Next personal freedom to be targeted? Who knows; pornography, unpopular writing, or how about unlicensed digital photography? It’s a slippery slope when everyone is forced to become a victim - even when they damn well have a choice.
(incidentally, the people of Washington State are pansies too.)
Add comment February 16th, 2006