Sugar Strike RA-03/14/24

I am one week sugar sober! Well, not entirely, I allow myself a teaspoon of sugar (agave) in my one daily cup of coffee, in addition to whatever sugar is already in regular meals and the fruit I snack on. That said, my sweet tooth has been curbed! Several years ago, I'd gotten myself down to 40 grams of added sugar a day (roughly the amount in a can of soda). But, I wanted to do better than that, so I put 20 grams of pure white sugar in a vial (see photo) to keep on the kitchen table and remind me exactly what I'm subjecting my body to. Most Americans consume way more than 40 grams of added sugar per day (according to CDC, 70grams). My tastebuds love me some chocolate chip cookies, but the thought of 2 vials of that white stuff in my body a day started to gross me out. Despite cutting down on indulgences, I couldn't break that 40 gram barrier until one morning I woke up with a very slight nausea. Nothing terrible, very manageable, even ignorable - but I'd recognized that I'd felt that way quite often and so I decided to go a day without sugar. I didn't know sugar was the culprit, but it was certainly on my radar. Anyway, it's been a solid week and I'm happy to report that I've survived! Happily, the cravings were gone pretty much by day 2. Plus, that weird slight nausea - also gone. I had hoped that other strange aches and pains would disappear, but I haven't noticed that improvement yet. This is an experiment, I don't expect to stay on strike forever, but I do hope my experience inspires you to take a look at how much of that sweet evil white stuff you're consuming, and then adjust your health improvement goals. Feel free to send in your experiences!

Sea Turtles! RA-04/22/23

Did you guess Kauai? Hawaii would be correct also! I volunteered for Habitat for Humanity there and crafted half a dozen video promos for them. Links to those 6 videos follow this nice article on their site Impactful Videos Highlight KHfH👍

Sky Blue RA-06/24/20

On a recent nature walk, I came across this happy turtle floating among lavender petals of reflected sky. We are so lucky - we live in that sky!

More Souls RA-06/01/20

The news is laser focused on the destruction, but it seems to me far more souls are interested in harmony, progress, and rebuilding. Here is just a small sample of the folks that showed up with shovels, rakes, brooms, and bags to quietly clean up. By the time I arrived at noon to help out, the mess had already been cleared by the volunteers. And yet, they continued on removing litter from the park and streets. Don't lose faith in humanity. You're a human, too.

Where Do You Stand? RA-05/14/20

I took these two photos in the same city. Above, waiting in line at the local post office. X marks the spot six feet from others. Below, I'm standing at a beautiful point in a lovely nature reserve. In both cases, I'm the same person standing. As we all do our best to deal with the sacrifices this pandemic has forced us all to make, some are standing on the shelter-in-place side, others on the back-to-work side. Both points of view have strong merit. Let's love and appreciate each other, while working together to uncover the powerful creative solutions awaiting our teamwork.

What's Reflecting in Your Eyes? RA-03/22/20

It's a privilege to stay healthy for someone else. What a pleasure to concentrate on exercise, diet, and hygiene. I feel as peaceful as these 3 trees looking out over the reflecting pond. Is the blue in the sky reflecting off my eyes, too? I smile behind the painter's mask, as I stroll along this path. How are you staying healthy for someone else? Are you facetiming old friends and loved ones? Are you dusting off shelved projects? Are you reflecting like the blue sky on this pond? Pondering (as it were) on the preciousness of life, these 3 trees and how we humans are so beautifully intertwined. I've heard that underground their roots tangle in such a way that with the help of nature, when a tree too far from the pond withers, water rushes from one tree to another and reaches the one in need.

Beep Beep! RA-04/11/19

Ever want to customize the way you honk? Maybe a child hasn't noticed they've dropped their library card while crossing the street? Maybe you want to let the driver in front of you know that the lights have changed? Maybe someone cut you off? Maybe you just want to celebrate a great day? Sadly, the car's factory horn is fixed with a sound more likely to irk than assist. Ideally, car horns should be manufactured with a range of sounds to choose from. But for now, it was simple enough to purchase a $12 horn at my local hardware store, install it, and feel like I'm doing my part toward making the road a less angry place. And you know what? It makes me feel better knowing that when my car speaks, it's more likely to cause a giggle than road rage. Maybe this concept can work for dialogue as well. I wonder what would happen if each of us installed some new softer words (or tones) when we're feeling cut off, or simply trying to help? (Click the image to hear my new horn!)

Book Wagon! RA-08/01/18

Is this cool or what? Free books in a little red wagon placed by a corner tree on the front lawn of some reader's home. I stumbled across this last week, not far from my home. Books, actual hold-them-in-your-hands, turn-a-physical-page books! An edifying contribution to the neighborhood! What beautiful thing do you have in abundance that you could offer to the neighborhood? Can you put it in a little red wagon? Or do you have a more interesting method of delivery?

Stand & Sit Desks RA-01/26/18

Just bought a desk-riser for my non-rising desk. I'm standing as I type this ... and you know what? I like it. It's just the first day, however, I know I'm an unhealthy sitter. So, when I'm standing, I know I'm not being unkind to my bones. So far I'm happy. This is a manual model, but I'm liking it! How about you? What part of your body is aching because of the way you sit to work?

Eclipse Yourself RA-08/21/17

The August 21st, 2017 TOTAL Eclipse was absolutely heart-stirring and supernatural! Partial Eclipses (even in the 90%s) are cool for sure, but Totals are totally different -- they're a lifetime experience. Do yourself a favor and plan a trip to the "path of totality" for the next Eclipse to hit the USA (it's in 2024). I took my camera and headed up to Oregon for this latest one. Wow! Next time, I'm leaving the camera at home and basking in the beauty! At the moment of totatity, you can remove the goofy cardboard glasses, feel the cool shadow drop over you and become giddily hypnotized by a sky that must have scared the ancients half to death! No need to be scared any more, just bask in the beauty!

A Left-Handed Mouse RA-07/19/17

Can mouse-clicking result in frozen shoulder? I've been told by several people it's true. So when my right shoulder started to feel sore. I took drastic measures! I used the windows features to switch the mouse-click buttons then I lifted up the mouse and put it on the left side of the keyboard! So easy. Of course, I've been mousing like a two-year-old for a few days, but it's starting to work. Ask me in a week or two if the soreness has moved from my right shoulder to my left. In the meantime, I dare you to mix up something you've done for years. Which reminds me, a couple of weeks ago, I found a new way to wash my legs in the shower. Image that! I've been showering daily (well, mostly) for decades and just now stumbled upon a slight improvement in my method! We can still learn!

Water Fasting! RA-07/16/17

I fasted! 36 hours … I ate nothing at all. I only drank water. To my surprise … I didn't faint, I didn't even get a headache .. and I didn't get hangry. How is that possible? Might hangry be psychological - an ugly habit of privileged western culture? I lost 3.5 pounds. Best, while my stomach did feel a bit hungry .. I didn't feel tempted to eat … even while others were eating. Crazy. And sometimes in the day … I experience zen -- wahoo. There were some other logistical benefits that never occurred to me prior. It's really nice not worrying about having to feed yourself 3 times a day. No cooking. No doing dishes. No flossing! Fasting is like a vacation! I did it because my digestive system was off kilter. My stomach was mildly queasy for a few days in a row. It was hard to think of something I wanted to eat because my stomach wasn't settled. That was a few days ago. I'm back to food. I really like food. What a wonderful gift we have – a planet with all the resources needed to produce food! Yummy!

NBA V. BEACH! RA-6/11/17

How easily we forget we're living on a planet. Despite the constant pull of gravity, the heat of the sun, the roar of the wind ... we simply forget and actually have the nerve to believe our little problems are important. Sigh. Beach wins!

The 22 Pushups Challenge! RA-10/04/16

Did you know 22 veterans commit suicide each day? (That stat released by the VA a few years ago, based on average, and thankfully, I've read it's down to 20 as of this writing). Anyway, some good folks, who'd like to see that number drop to zero, posed the 22 Pushup challenge to raise awareness of the problem (often the first step in solving a problem). So, I'm doing my part in hopes that awareness will lead to help getting to the folks that need it. Or dare I dream, perhaps some troubled vets will find encouragement surfing the internet watching all of us regular folks doing pushups. Anyway, I first stumbled across Chris Evans (Captain America) doing this on Youtube and got inspired to do my part as well. I'm no superhero, so I had to break my 22 into two sets of 11. I think the vets will understand if you have to break yours into smaller sets.

Doves on the Rocks RA-07/13/15

Can you believe this beautiful pigeon family was snuggling up in my back yard? I pulled out my zoom lens and snapped a few shots. Amazingly, they felt comfortable with me even only 6 feet away. Doves are supposed to symbolize peace -- right? If they're wishing me peace, I'm wishing you peace.

Water You Doing to Conserve? RA-05/01/15

California is in a rather serious drought. We've already taken out the lawn and used lava rock (looks great with cactus btw). Admittedly, however, I like a good warm shower -- and I'll get to that eventually -- but in the meantime I focused on the toilet. A lot of clean drinking water drops down in every flush - 1.28 gallons in our toilets to be exact (which is already considered frugal). But, dual flush toilets aren't expensive at all, and dual-flush replacement kits are an option. I researched them, but went nuts instead. I bought a new flapper (5 bucks) and 3 stainless steel nuts (a buck fifty) - which I strung on the chain to weigh down the flapper. Now to flush #1, I push the handle down assertively, hold for a quick beat and let go. Only ½ the water in the tank rushes out (.6 gallons?) and takes care of the "light waste". Going nuts will save 30-60 gallons a month -- 500 gallons a year! Water you doing to conserve?

Ruby-Throated! RA-12/13/14

Plant a few flowers, put out a feeder, turn your yard into a hummingbird sanctuary. No need to spay or neuter, no need for a cage or aquarium - just look out the window. They've been quite peaceful for the last few weeks, but sometimes they can be mean to each other. I suppose, just like us. They're all over, but often go unnoticed, despite their beauty, just like us. Occasionally, one of them decides to own the feeder and camps out, dive bombing anyone who flutters by. That's no fun. When that happens, the rest are always looking over their shoulders (wings?) while feeding. Most people and hummingbirds are good folk, but occasionally there are those who claim more resources than even makes sense. I wish we all could learn to share better. When you finally see the beauty in everyone, especially yourself, you realize how embarrassing it is to be the bully. (Btw, the music is an excerpt from something I composed a few years back.)

Ah Sugar Sugar! RA-10/14/14

I've recently been mortified by the amount of sugar in things. The ice cream bars that I love are 30% sugar! What? Even innocent preserves -- aren't all that innocent - some are nearly half sugar. I started making my own! Anyway, I'm doing my best to remove sugar from my blood stream, even though it's swirling up in my mind with some sort of video PSA. I'll let you know more as that germ of an idea sweetens.

E-Motion Graphics! RA-6/26/14

I'm now equipped to make motion graphics for videos. Here's my first little attempt! Smiles are on the rise! It's amazing the grace and ease with which zeros and ones can bring lines and boxes to life -- and even give them feeling. It's also amazing that seconds of video require hours to create. See my short animation sample reel: here.

Chili4Homeless 2014!! RA-3/26/14

Yesterday, I ran Chili4Homeless backwards. A reader's purchase of the book over the weekend and the brisk weather the next day inspired me to make chili, and hope the rest of the readers sponsored the event after the fact! Another difference, this time I took the video camera with me. The video is about 2 minutes. First 1/2 - Make the Chili. Second 1/2 - Deliver the Chili! Click it and have a look.

Chip That! RA-1/5/14

We freeze moments in time simply by videoing them on our phones. I wonder what the ancients would think of that. Film took so long to develop, and tape was clumsy. But we still say, "I'll tape that program," don't we? Perhaps we should say, "I'll bit that," or "I'll chip that, and watch it later." In college, I was one of the first guys to own a camcorder. After enjoying video production, Life took me in other directions. But, I've always had a passion for moving pictures. And lately, I've been quite excited by the digital video editing tools of Adobe's Creative Suite. In fact, I've decided to focus on video production in 2014. Just recently, I chipped a wedding (to see that 3-minute sizzle reel click the PLAY BUTTON). Capturing emotionally pivotal moments for people with multiple HD cameras is a pleasure. And how about the actual proposal? It's such a beautiful moment: so full of love, vulnerability, and uncertainty, I'm honored to freeze that moment in time. The stuff of life concentrated in two pounding hearts, and then balancing precariously on one knee.

Imprints RA-12/5/13

An animal sauntered across my vehicle leaving only paw prints on the hood. A raccoon? A skunk? I grabbed my camera to photograph the dried-mud tracks of the night's trespasser. To my surprise the day reflected innocent clouds trespassing across the sky. I reached up to the sun silhouetting my own paw below that of the muddy creature's signature. How eerily one we all are - day, night, rat, writer, sparrow, reader. All traveling the earth and skies, reaching. Leaving our tracks knowingly or unknowing on paths, objects, souls. What sorts of imprints have you left on your friends, family, strangers, neighbors?

Fish Wish? RA-10/24/13

Recently, I traveled to Alaska and gaped at a moose, and a pod of porpoises paddling playfully. I glimpsed the highest peak in North America, and gazed at a waterfall rushing alongside a majestic translucent blue, centuries-old glacier. I pondered destiny upon banks of rivers teaming with rock-worn salmon projecting their scraped and exhausted bodies upstream over white water rapids relentlessly rushing down from the mountains. And for what? …Some non-contact spawning and death… Whatever challenges you're having, you have to ask yourself, "Would I rather be a salmon?" If you answer yes, then I present to you the image of a grizzly standing arm stretched out over the rapid you're considering clearing. Rather than wishing you were a fish, perhaps it's time to give in to evolution and change and adapt. Which reminds me. I am now offering more creative services. In addition to wordsmithing and illustrating, I've recently equipped myself to provide quality video. So if you have a project (instructional, promotional, musical, animation, or kickstarter) or an event (wedding, presentation, sport) give me a call. I shoot in multi-camera HD and edit in the Adobe suite. My girlfriend is also changing and adapting. She just finished her master's in spiritual psychology. An interesting degree, you'll have to agree. She offers a course that focuses on personal growth and relationships. So if you need assistance in any of those areas and you're in the Los Angeles area, contact me and I'll send you more info. Stop feeling like life is running you over, stop by your local fish market and buy some Alaskan salmon. I prefer Coho, but check what's in season. Bite down on coral-colored meat and ask yourself, "Who got the better half of that deal?"

Can'taloupe or Won'taloupe? RA-8/5/13

Shaped like Earth. Warm inside like the setting sun. Pick one with a bit of give on the rind. Then give a little bit. Give a little bit of your love … send a smile and show you care. That's a prayer from the Supertramp song drawn as sweet as cantaloupe - cool, juicy, orange tasting like a 12-string sounds. Missing something round in your life? Cut open a ripe cantaloupe, then give a little bit. It's the season to enjoy nature. What else more quenching could you possibly purchase with your hard-earned money? Perhaps the fruits of our labor, really ought to be fruits. Have our wants obscured our needs? What greater gifts have we than seeds?

Feeling Purrrfect RA-7/17/13

Ever made a cat purr? Did you know that purring can heal bone tissue? Once, when I was in Kenya, I pet a cheetah (through a chain link fence) and made it purr. If you think the purr of a house cat is sweet, you should hear a big cat purr! I didn't have any busted bones at the time, so I can't attest to the healing - other than it warmed my heart. Speaking of which, if you'd like to get your heart warmed, come bring it and your achy bones to our musical purr event. It's a sound/musical meditation experience that I've co-created with yoga/tai-chi teacher Jasmine Grace. The next one is Saturday in LA: RAINPLAY.org.

Wonder RA-6/1/13

A few days ago, just after sunset, three planets made a little triangle in the western sky. Did you see it? Jupiter, Venus, and Mercury, all huddled in a little pool table triangle like cue balls floating in a turquoise sea. It was thrilling. I jumped up and down. With Pluto downgraded out of the planet club, that meant I was looking at half the planets in the solar system all at once -- the triangle three, and the planet I was jumping on. I live on a ball like that. I live on a wandering star. I'm an alien to some other being out there. Life, death and planets whizzing around the sun -- it's all a magnificent, magical, mystery. So why is it so stupidly simple to slip into autopilot and miss the view? How about you? How often do you look up at those twinkling stars? And when you do, what do you wonder about?

A Chili Day RA-5/8/13

Turned out I knew of three homeless folks on the west side of LA. They were easy to locate because they seldom strayed from their particular park bench or underpass. Plus, they populated their locations with a surprising amount of stuff. So, I cooked up the chili, put it in recycled plastic containers, and headed west. The first fellow was trying to get some sleep. He had a blanket over his possessions and his self. I would have assumed that he wasn't "home," if I hadn't happened to see him repositioning the blanket. To read more click: Chili4homeless. Btw, I'm screening "Great Gatsby" tonight, so I'll have that review soon. Currently, I'm working on a writing project and an illustration project. The former is for a man honoring his father with a biography. I'm not the ghostwriter, I'm the "with." And the later project involves painting ducks in a pond for a therapist who helps kids manage their feelings. What are you working on?

Citizen's Arrest RA-5/1/13

I hiked the rocky trails bounded by snow-capped mountains in North California's Mammoth Lakes area. The Manzanar Pilgrimage brought me up that way. One of WWII's "relocation centers" for the Japanese-Americans that were rounded up and "detained," Manzanar is a somber reminder of how fear, greed, and racism can trample our most treasured American values. As one of the speakers said (and I paraphrase), "The pilgrimage is not a stroll down Memory Lane; these issues are just as important today." Former internee and writer, Hank Umemoto read from his moving book which meanders between his experiences at Manzanar and his quest to hike the mountain beyond its barbed wire fences.

Planet Earth RA-4/21/13

It's perfect: blue water, great temperatures, hills, valleys, sandy beaches, skiing even! I'm sure I'd get dry throat on those other planets. And 8 months between sunsets on Venus - where's the romance in that? So, I've been trying to use less plastic and gas. (My motorbike Chili gets 70mpg!) How about you? What are you doing to be nice to the world? (BTW, I once backpacked all the way around it.) Monday is Earth Day! What a coincidence! That's exactly the planet we're living on.  To celebrate, I'm extending my Chili4homeless.com event to April 30th, AND cooking up a bowl of chili for a local homeless person when you buy a full-sized, signed copy of Circle Earth via my this site. I gaze up at the stars often and have come to the conclusion that Earth's a pretty cool place. Do you agree? Cool! So, what's your favorite thing about it?

"CHILI FOR HOMELESS" thru 4/30! RA-4/1/13

These chilly days remind me that it's time to cook up some chili for the homeless. You can help! Now through April 15th when you buy (directly from me) a signed copy of my uplifting book Zen Repair and the Art of Riding Chili I'll cook up a cup of chili for a homeless person. See photos & read stories from past Chili4homeless.com charity events. Btw, you hear about that homeless guy who gave back the $4k ring?

Book Proposal RA-3/19/13

After two months of careful consideration a publishing house has passed on a book proposal I sent them at the beginning of the year. A rep from this publisher impressed me during a panel discussion at a recent book convention. The chat inspired an idea for which I wrote a few chapters and drew up a book proposal. As you all know, I'm fiercely independent, so submitting a proposal proved a bit of a philosophical challenge for me. Since the impetus for the book surfaced as a result of the rep's talk, I rationalized that sending her the proposal first made sense. Btw, when publishers "Pass" on proposals, it often times has nothing to do with quality or content. My proposed book is a lovely idea and I absolutely intend on producing it as an independent writer/publisher/illustrator. I'm looking forward to writing it into ebook reality. I may even re-illustrate it. Are you curious?

Cold Weather & Warm Books RA-3/6/13

I've always liked readers. But I didn't always read. As a kid growing up in the Midwest, I much preferred wrestling my friends in the snow to wrestling written words on the snowy white page. Reading wasn't my friend. But, I befriended readers. They could tell me juicy stories, amazing facts, odd wonderful details, all without the frustration of me having to read. Even though, just like me, the readers on my chilly city block never left the neighborhood; when they finished a book, they had something I didn't have - that feeling of returning from a faraway place. And even in the depth of winter, those journeys branded each of them with a warm bronze tan.

Scroll My News RA-APRIL 2013

For a while now, been brainstorming a new method to deliver my enews to your front door. Then it occurred to me to use my front door! Right here on my front page - you can scroll through the newest goings-on, most recent quotable quips, my freshest film & book reviews, etc. You can even chime in! Took me 1/2 a day to code it. Kind of looks like a Kindle screen doesn't it? Or am I kidding myself?