No Pura Vida in the American Dream

I’m always excited when somebody puts in their two-weeks-notice. Especially, when they do not even have a job lined up. It does not matter if they are going to travel, go back to school, change careers, or just take a break…that person has a bright future ahead.

On the contrary, my father worked 80-hour weeks over the course of a twenty-year construction career (to support the family). He was beginning to shop for an RV he could travel with and only had a few years left until retirement; however, he got cancer and died early. I rarely saw the guy for the last ten years of his life because of his work schedule. I would love to have shared what were my teen years with him…but this was the American Dream…you work hard, and…then what?

I understand that “Pura Vida” is situational, generational, cultural and individual. I have a family member that swears, “All I want to do is check in, check out, and not even think about work the rest of the time.“ I am envious, in ways, because I find that it is difficult to simply checkout, especially the older I get. But, for me, there is always so much I want to do, and I could die tomorrow, so everything I do must count.

The new generation will no longer depend on working 25 years within a specialty field, as trades are evolving ever so quickly, and the craftsman is dwindling. The technology era will allow people to work from home, spend time with their families, walk their dogs, and take extended vacations. There is no such thing as a retirement because you love what you do, and you do this until you die.

The problem is that it is often difficult to find something that you love to do while making money doing it. Unappealing jobs are fine in the short term, but the fact that a job that nobody wants exists in the first place, speaks of a larger systemic problem. For example, if handling garbage is a job no one wants, then maybe we should not be creating garbage to begin with. Our society is completely disconnected from that which they buy, use, throw away, and this is connected to where, how and why you work in the first place.

I’ve been in the workforce for twenty years now, changed careers at least three times, and have no regrets, as I would not appreciate that which I do now without having experienced things as I have (a "Candide" mindset). I put a tremendous amount of time into everything I do, but once I hit a certain level of proficiency, I seem to move on to something else. Now at age 38, I have been a musician, a biologist, a chemist, a property manager, a designer and a biomimic. At age 58, I look forward to have been an architect, a city planner, a movie-script writer, director, actor and lastly…a father.

Related Songs:

The Features-The Temporary Blues

http://www.toms.com/our-movement

http://www.newmansown.com/

http://classiclit.about.com/od/candidevoltaire/a/aa_candidequote.htm

Humans, Bears & Coyotes

A typical scavenger diet includes just about anything. Coyotes are scavengers, as are pigeons…so what are humans?

Most mammals exhibit signs of being true omnivores, but they typically prefer one to the other (herbivory vs. carnivory) as they have evolved to depend on certain nutrients. Even within the same family (bears), digestive tracks have evolved to favor one over the other, such as pandas eating eucalyptus (local & readily available material), & polar bears depending on meat (very minimal plant sources available).

Humans are not scavengers, but opportunistic eaters. We have teeth, digestive tracts & salivary glands that can process nutrients from both meat & plant, but we are not dependent upon one or the other. Along with the domestication of both plants and animals, a multitude of dietary options has become available, so why be a vegetarian when our bodies tell us that we are omnivores?

Being a vegetarian is merely a cultural &/or individual choice, and for ecological, ethical &/or health reasons.

Health Reasons:

First of all, I do not equate being a vegetarian to being healthy. It takes a lot of work to make or order vegetarian meals. I have been an on & off again vegetarian for over 25 years, so I have found some quality vegetarian staples in my diet, but I still struggle with the overwhelming meat-eating culture (97% of the US population).

For instance, most meals depend on a meat source as the main course, so the vegetarian option is often the same meal without the meat which leaves a high starch & cheese diet. I spent a week at an organic farm (Serenbe Farms) once that I assumed would understand how to make a balanced meal, but after four days I was just starving and caved into eating chicken because I needed protein (sometimes you have to listen to your body).

Also, sometimes, the vegetarian option is just not healthy. For instance, a grilled chicken option is more healthy than a deep fried veggie patty, so in these cases, choosing to be healthy triumphs over being a strict vegetarian.

Ecological Reasons:

The root of all sustainability issues begins at the dinner plate. If we start and end our day unaware where our meal came from, then our entire day is destined for a human versus nature mindset. The industrial revolution introduced the main spike of unsustainability through mass-production techniques; the dependence on fossil fuels (pesticides, herbicides & travel); and massive infrastructures and genetic engineering techniques that deplete ecosystems. Community gardens are beginning to flourish in most large cities, whereas meat farms will always depend upon a mass-production scale on the outskirts of the city and being unsustainable.

Ethical Reasons:

Supposedly, the US currently has a surplus of food, yet Africa has declared famine for decades, and a lack of quality meals in our own public school systems are, in part, to blame for substandard learning. We’re all looking for reasons “Why?”, but policy is lacking and faces an uphill battle against money-makers and the mindsets of consumers.

Also, I do not understand the whole of society being okay with factory farms (besides the ecological reasons). It borders on sociopathic that it is okay to eat an animal that you are not connected to, that you do not know what it looked like, where it came from, what it ate, how it was treated, etc. Again, what we eat correlates to the bigger picture, that if it is not okay to have slave labor making me the shoes that I wear, I should not either be eating meat that was raised sub-standardly, in regards to health, ecological and ethical reasons.

Ultimately, all signs point to moderation. The meal should not be all about the potato, but it also should not be all about the 16 oz piece of meat either. Our bodies have evolved as omnivores because we are local-vores. If we have either an ecological, ethical or health reason for eating one way or the other, there are options available to be true to our beliefs, although some cities are more conscious of these life-choices than others.

http://www.vrg.org/press/2009poll.htm

http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/omni.htm

http://philosophicaloverview.blogspot.com/2010/09/lierre-keiths-vegetarian-myth-nostalgie.html

http://www.seattle.gov/neighborhoods/ppatch/

You Break the Chicken's Neck, You Buy It!

Have you ever snapped a chicken’s neck in half? I’m guessing most people have not, nor could most people fathom performing such a task; however, we have all eaten chicken, right? Okay, then can we say we all depend upon someone else to snap a chicken’s neck for us? We have shifted to an urban culture that completely depends on others to do the unthinkable, which translates to us becoming completely disconnected.

The inability to harm animals is a big reason I am largely, a vegetarian. I had a hunter friend once describe to me his experience of going out and killing a mountain goat, and that he “stared the beast in its eyes,” before he shot it in its head. My guttural response was “Why the F are you telling me this?  I do not even eat meat?” I’m certain he was not killing this animal for the meat, and more for the “sport,” whatever that is. I would be more sympathetic to the sport if it was for the sake of survival, & if that was the method of choice to replace factory farms.

Not being able to harm animals (even as a food source) seems quite common among many humans, and historically, required the head(s) of the household to axe off an animal’s head. Another trend that occurs is a swapping of the family cow. In this instance, two families raise their pet cow for years, only to trade it with another family in order to slaughter it (for food). Intuitively, I understand this, as it is generally more difficult to get rid of (nevermind, kill) something that you are attached to. However, this should be a tremendous flag that, maybe, you should not be eating the animal altogether if you cannot kill it yourself.

Also, I challenge either how many, or as to what age, people realized that meat is predominately the muscle of the animal (not some accessory product of the animal). I asked my 9 year old sister, “where meat comes from?” Answer: “chicken.” I next asked her, “what part of the chicken does its meat come from.” Answer: “on the outside of its body.”  I’m curious how many kids have thought this one through & to what age we become aware of both where our meat comes from, and the pure biology of animal parts & what we eat. I assume this disconnect arises from being raised in a city &/or being hundreds of miles from any version of farm culture.

One approach that attempts to make us more connected to what we eat, is a social shift in how we eat, in creating a slow culture. By taking more time to eat, we establish relationships with both the cook and the people we are eating with, and eat healthier as we digest our food slower, as we’re not trying to cram down a super size me meal in the matter of minutes. To facilitate a slow culture, San Luis Obispo (SLO) does not allow drive through windows, and subsequently, fast food chains have been less successful.

No matter where you stand, in regards to your diet, food systems are analogous to every other system in our lives, such as from where our water & energy comes from, & where our toilet water goes, etc. These are all complex systems, but are ultimately fueled by capitalistic society, is the system to which we live, and culturally is the only world to which we know, so I do not believe we will change the mindset, otherwise. However if we live in a city that seems so far removed from, or depends so much on tremendous infrastructures, that the city could not persist on its own, then we must question, not how to make the city more sustainable, but rather, should we even be here to begin with?

Must not hate humans

I often have distaste for our species. It is a struggle between creating something beautiful that either can be shared among all species, or that can be shared among humans, alone.

And “save the planet” is just pretentious. If the entire existence of earth is condensed into one year, then humans have lived for only one hour of a total of 8,760 hours. We might appear insignificant in this case, although we are making every attempt to throw away all that earth has provided in just one hour. On the contrary, humans could vanish tomorrow, but the planet will thrive on its own, new species will emerge, and biodiversity will flourish.

At a local level, I’ve stopped going to a park nearby my house as the animal cruelty just consumes me, and a walk with my dog (that is supposed to be relaxing) has become anxiety ridden. We recently found a red-eared slider turtle with a fishhook in its mouth that appeared quite rusted, so who knows how long it had been in there. There is another duck that has lost a leg due to fishing line cutting off its circulation. I could try to “save” an animal everyday here, if that was my life goal, so I need to reassess why it is I come here &/or what it is that I can give back to.

It is a matter of “What are you going to do?” Are you going to start a crusade to save every animal in the park? Are you going to help one or two animals out of thousands, and stress yourself out so much that you do not sleep, & alienate your loved ones. There is no right or wrong answer; although, it seems some of us (as we get older) go down the road of becoming bitter toward the world, so if anything, I’m being cognizant that we can all place efforts elsewhere & not become this person.

I bring up the park example because there is a higher leverage point in creating change then simply helping an animal as you find it. I believe that no one should leave an animal that needs help alone to die (especially when the damage was done by a human), in the same way humans, as a species, are obligated to help anyone that is lying, suffering in the middle of the street.

I believe environmental laws can be established at a larger ecosystem level, perhaps according to a mountain range or watershed. And then all the social stuff can be addressed purely at the community level, and the city hall (beyond a certain capacity) could be eliminated. A “Friends of the Park” could reinforce a park culture that requires better habits from its users. All of this being said, there are strong mindsets that may proove to be potential hurdles in moving forward for all species that include:

1.     human domination over nature is our right

2.     those with the most toys wins

3.     And there is simply nothing that you can do to make a difference.

I imagine people can go a life time searching for their fit into society, while others might not even consider what their individual legacy (as a person & as a species) might be once they are gone. Again, it all comes down to, "What are you going to do?" By the way, we found a reptile veterinarian that offered to perform the surgery on the turtle & release him back to his pond “pro-bono."

The King of Pop Killed the Newspaper

My dad bought the Arizona Republic newspaper on the morning that Nixon resigned (1974). He also bought the paper when Elvis died (1977). I know this because years after my dad died (1993), I found them preserved (wrapped in a garbage bag) in the attic (1996). These were quite nostalgic for me, but after years of toting them around the country I offered them for free on Craigslist in Seattle (2003), of which had immediate takers.

In 2009, a few of us were at a Mariners game when we began to hear rumblings that the “King” had died. Elvis? We did not make the connection immediately as we were merely nostalgic over the constant playing of “Thriller” & “Beat It.” A couple of hours later, we were at the Showbox Sodo having a couple of drinks & the bartender had not heard the news yet, as my friend screamed at him, “Remember me on this day! That I told you that Michael Jackson is dead!!!”

The experience of walking by a newsstand in the morning and being shocked by a headline from an event that was already days old is gone. And if having immediate access to the web, simply on a computer, for over a decade now was not enough, smartphones have sped up the transmission of information even more. Cars marketed as sources of internet information is merely a missed opportunity at this point as GPS, blue tooth and windshield projected odometers have existed for decades. Any last safety concerns are merely a design challenge, not a hindrance.

Successful newspaper companies will transform archaic business models that sell “newspapers” to selling “the universal transmission of information.” Online news content that appeared quite limited just ten years ago, now would make a company appear out of touch if their main page did not have the news of the hour. Although the New York Times, for example, still sells subscription packages (online & paper), most headlines deemed newsworthy are freely available to the public as it happens.

Not unlike editorials that newspapers publish from respected columnists, ESPN.com has published a blog called Page2 for over a decade. Sports fans hardly go a day without checking out ESPN’s headlines. Page2 is a great way to then allow readers to dig deeper & follow their favorite author or sport’s columnist. Hunter S Thompson was one such contributor that consistently posted on Page2. The greatest thing about these type of posts is that the “news” continues to be relevant. It is not a headline that somebody died. It is a punch-line, that like it or not, tells why we should care, and reading some of these posts over ten years later, still offers some ire, that is either angry or just overt hilarious. That is the news that blogs seek to provide that traditional news sources had missed out on (both TV & paper news).

Maybe once thousands of Americans kill themselves due to brain tumors & auto accidents connected to prolonged phone usage, the next trend will not be a technological one, but a social one. One that seeks to cut all ties to email, facebook, & tweets. This is a slow culture that embraces the challenge of not knowing. One that acknowledges that humans will never know everything, so what value comes in knowing the second that Michael Jackson is dead, for his music will go on forever.

Hunter S. Thompson Page 2 achives: http://totallygonzo.org/gonzowriting/hst-hey-rube-espn-page-2/

Blogging as a Change Agent

Donella Meadows left her Environmental Studies post at Dartmouth over twenty years ago to publish a column for the Global Citizen. She felt that her sustainability message would reach more people through this new forum rather than through the channels of academia. Now, over ten years later, her column has archived quite nicely online and serves as inspiration for millions of people worldwide that also wish to publish their voice.

Perhaps, the largest opportunity for blogs is that anybody can write one, so there is a challenge in finding a writer that not only says something provocative, but publishes a post on a predictable basis. This is the opportunity for major news players to incorporate public refereed news formats in blogs. This would be a decentralized and distributed model vs. a large centralized power news organization that may not offer a diversity of slants on topics.

8/12/11: I've updated the following guidelines based on reflections over my first 6 posts and couple months of free-writing:

I assembled the following guidelines from numerous online sources:

1. Focus on the content!!! Don’t get caught up on the design of the blog
 Response: Sure, but I'm starting to think it would be nice to integrate some images into each respective blog. Also, I found an architect's blog that uses Wordspress.com, and its not just the design of the blog, but the organization seems far better than this Google Blog that I'm using. I'll reflect on this further when I get to blog 20.

2. Provocative post headlines. The title should provide direction & focus. If the title has no energy, then you should question the power of what you are about to post.
Response: I could not agree more. The title alone can inspire creative writing. I also found value in jotting down every title that came to mind within the free-writing exercises themselves, even if they suggested a completely different path, that way I can come back to them a later time.

3. Start with something outrageous, then tell a story.
Response: I've found outrageous to be quite difficult. One way we've integrated this into biomimicry design charrettes is the use of a randomizer which forces you to create things with unorthodox combinations, and this more times than not results in some intriguing combinations of designs, so a similar use might be used to spur creative thinking in blog posts.

4. Be a resource. If you find yourself continuously scouring the web for a certain topic, then odds are others, too, are doing the same.

5. Make it scannable. A reader should be able to get the jist of your post in just a few seconds.

6. Make every word count. Word counts vary tremendously (between 350-800 words). Too short of a post might lack intrigue or substance while a long post may either require further editing or even be broken into two posts.
Response: 500-600 is ideal. I found anything more is often redundant or ineffective. Also, 500 words results in a one page, font size 10 and takes about 30-45 minutes to write. I also would choose to not post, over posting. There were several times that I felt obligated to post (due to my self imposed deadline), but I waited and the post is so much better for it (Of course a professional writer could be so lucky to have that convenience).

7. One person’s distraction may be another’s muse. Know what works for you.
Response: I can free-write at just about anytime & anywhere. One time I was at a Widespread Panic show &  I had to step away & sketch out some thoughts, so its important to not lose these moments. However, so far, I need at least a solid day away from distractions to digest multiple free-writings into something cohesive, & then need another day just to edit the final, before I post. This is where, I felt, that I would be completely inefficient if I was getting paid to write, but again, I expect to only get better., right?

8. Provide links or citings at the end.
Response: My citings were often last minute ideas that I felt were needed to bring things together & take my post beyond just thoughts in my head. What is nice about adding links is that you do no have to explain every little tangent, it is okay to be a little vague, if anything, perhaps that would be opportunities for discussions in the comments, once the blog gets distributed among enough people.

9. Lastly, SEOs (Search Engine Optimization keywords) might be considered for people to find your blog through searches.
Response: I have not yet added these, but this blog is formatted to support SEOs. Of course, once I decide that I want these to be accessible to anyone, I'll want to update my posts, accordingly.

Consulted links:

• Leo Baubata’s blog. This blog is current and he has kept weekly entries for years: http://zenhabits.net/about/  
• Donella Meadows Global Citizen archive: http://www.sustainer.org/dhm_archive/ 
• Janine Benyus advice for inspirational writing: www.biomimicryinstitute.org/downloads/TipsToGiveYourWritingWings.pdf  
• 4 pillars for writing blogs: http://www.problogger.net/archives/2007/07/19/the-4-pillars-of-writing-exceptional-blogs/ 
• 10 tips for blog writing: http://www.problogger.net/archives/2005/12/30/tens-tips-for-writing-a-blog-post/
• Wordpress.com blog:  http://archizoo.com/