"The Lust" Rears Its Beautiful Cyclindrical Head!

Just because I haven't posted anything about my ongoing "gadget lust war" doesn't mean it isn't raging on people!

Look at this little bastard. He's all cute and shaped like a pen. Nope!
He's got a little ARM9 processor for a brain, an infrared camera in the tip, a badass microphone, a pretty loud speaker, and even a screen built into the side. Not just an ordinary pen. The "LiveScribe Pulse" (as some moron in marketing named it) uses a microdot system on special paper (which is surprisingly affordable at $5 a notebook) to sync up your notes with the recording e.g. While in your English class you start an enumerated list of things to study for in the upcoming test. The teacher is talking quite quickly and you are struggling to keep up. You think you have written everything down but three days later you come back to your notes and 6.) looks like it's written in Farsi. All you do is tap the pen to the paper where 6.) is and the pen will playback the audio at that exact moment in class where the teacher spoke that item.

So what you say? Well I kinda agree with you and truth be told the lust has already come and gone. I will be strong and it won't be this little guy that pushes me over the edge. But perhaps without you dear readers I would be $200 in the hole now?

What was the initial allure though? I've been looking for a quick way to reference, index, and backup everything I write (because I like to write) and nothing was really working for me. While I was in China the first time I kept a little Moleskine with tons of notes and thoughts about everything. Those books are hard to beat. I bet most of you would agree. It still pains me to this day but in one of my many college moves my little journal completely disappeared. I've looked everywhere (and for several years). It would have been nice to "backup" those notes I took by syncing them to a computer. The physical object would still be there but in case it is ever lost at least there is a digital copy (which I am very aware can be lost as well).

This backup scheme is a similar (fallacious?) argument to the "your house is on fire. What do you take with you?" scenario. Moms usually answer, "the boxes/books of photos." I think most people now would simply say, "My laptop." Photos, music, notes, documents, etc. They all have digital homes now. I think it is one of the better aspects of computing (minus nasty hard drive failures) and keeps homes a little less cluttered and eco-friendly.

Anyway, even though I never had a laptop in college I STILL wouldn't be caught dead with one in a lecture. I just like how easy it is to write by hand. Notebooks are cheap and easily replaceable. Maybe it's just my generation who thinks you are a dork if you bring a laptop to a lecture hall (Legally Blonde didn't fool anyone!) but they are becoming more and more common. Even a sexy Macbook Air or Vaio P weighs more than a few pieces of paper (there's a slight price difference as well) and needs to be plugged in every 3 hours.

But really to get to the heart of the matter (why I think the Pulse is pretty sweet in theory) we must go back into my childhood to understand this gadget lust.


I always loved to record things. This little fella to the right I believe came out the same year I was born. All of you who have experienced the awesomeness know there is nothing that can compare. It's like playing Super Mario Brothers. You know the graphics suck but it's a classic and there is absolutely nothing that can take its place.


Enter 1993 and this little piece of crap.
One of the first (and last) times I was completely duped by Hollywood advertising. It was originally designed as a non-working prop for Home Alone 2 but "it was made into a retail version, brought on by a massive letter-writing campaign by young fans of the film." I was not one of those "young fans" but I did get it for Christmas and was mildly thrilled. Now the Talkboy didn't really have anything on the old Fisher Price except for its size, portability, and doofy "extending" microphone. I think I broke mine in less than a year. The one cool feature it did have was pitch shifting. Still, again with the slight nostalgia. I was 12 years old.

The rest of my tale isn't that exciting. I had a microcassette recorder in high school which basically just succeeded in embarrassing several people I felt like messing with. My recording career got its first big break with Gary Miyasaki's Yamaha MT4X four track recorder at the end of high school. God I loved that thing! I realized in recording and mastering the "Dresdens" album in 1999 that this would be sort of fun to do all the time and that I was at least slightly good at it.

My third year of college (after two years of recording really funny stuff on my newly purchased four track with my good friend Jimmy) I moved up to the big boys: ProTools 6 with a wide array of State Owned (and locked up) microphones ranging in price from $100 to several thousand dollars. Now this was all well and good but I completely lost portability in all those years. I never got a pocket digital recorder because the audio quality completely sucked compared to the stuff I was working with at the time. Portable DATs are WAY too expensive (even now). I also take really good notes so didn't need to record lectures. Plus who wants to deal with a huge 2 hour unlabeled wav file on Calculus??

So it's not really rational to want the "LiveScribe Pulse" purely for the audio recording itself (minus nostalgia and nerdiness) unless you count the referencing ability that renders that aforementioned 2 hour wav file completely usable and linked to visual notes. However, the fact that you can sync your hand written notes to a PC or Mac and index them is VERY seductive. If I have a huge notebook full of writing and I can simply type "Husserl's founding of Phenomenology" into my computer and find exactly on what page I wrote it but then can also copy and paste those notes into a paper I'm writing then I'm one happy little philosopher. The Pulse does not have OCR yet but there is a search function built into the software. Unlike most things and food, Technology and Jazz Musicians often improve with time!

Again, I may take my own advice in my gadget article and wait for a newer and better version to come out (I hear the Pulse 2 is powered by blowing into it). The important thing to note here I guess is that technology is capable of "improving" things as simple as a pen. This should make you afraid.

Hey Kate!
If I buy you one of these things will you get me the other two for Christmas?

A Smaller Post

This blog was originally intended for me to give updates on my health goals with sprinkles of other commentaries now and then. It seems to have turned into the opposite! Several Homeric articles (that only a brave few dare read) and no information on how the whole health thing is going. Well today I'm going to change it around! Prepared to be bored!

Sunday: Rode my bike around SLO (15.82 miles)
Monday: Rode my bike to work and back (10.28 miles)
Tuesday: Rode my bike to work and back plus 35 minute lunch ride (18.44 miles)
(update: I'll just keep adding to this post as the week goes on)
Wednesday: Rode my bike to work and back (10.28 miles)

Running total for this week: 54.82 miles

Since the construction on Broad makes it pretty dangerous to ride there (not to mention that I've popped 3 tubes now because of all the metal in the road) I took a suggestion from my friend Ben to ride a different route. Although it adds almost 1.5 miles to my round trip ride it is much safer and WAY more scenic. The route wasn't possible last year because a clutch piece of construction off of Orcutt wasn't finished. Here's a graphic for those with reading disabilities.


Yes, my architecture friends! I did use Illustrator to draw those beautiful paths!

Muenster Cheese. I like it. Had no idea it was American.

From the Muenster Cheese article at Wikipedia:

Muenster cheese is an American cheese, vaguely related to the French Munster cheese. The name Muenster is derived from a English transliteration of Münster, a city in Germany. The original name of the French cheese comes from alsatian abbey of Munster in the vosgian mountains. Munster simply means monastery, altered from latin monasterium.

Muenster cheese is a smooth textured cheese with an orange rind and a white interior. This washed-rind cheese is made from cows’ milk. The orange color is derived from vegetable coloring. It usually has a very mild flavor and smooth, soft texture. In some cases, when properly aged, it can develop a strong flavor with a pungent aroma. This cheese is commonly served as an appetizer. Because it melts well, it is also often used in dishes such as grilled cheese sandwiches, tuna melts, and cheeseburgers.

What would it take to "green" the computer industry?

I've had several questions in regards to the "tongue biting" in my last post about how computers are presented in The Story of Stuff. Just so I didn't make a total ass of myself I went back and watched the entire video just to make sure my comments below were framed in the proper context (I hadn't watched the whole movie from front to back in about a year since it is over 20 minutes long). For those of you who would rather skip the viewing (long or short) here is the first section on computers (at 13:10 in, under the Consumption heading) quoted in its entirety, and checked by me, from the footnoted script (located here).

"I opened up a big desk top computer to see what was inside. And I found out that the piece that changes each year is just a tiny little piece in the corner. But you can’t just change that one piece, because each new version is a different shape, so you gotta chuck the whole thing and buy a new one."

Where did she (Annie Leonard, the "host" of the video) get this information? It seems that she attended a workshop called "The Literal and Figurative Story of the Computer" in 2005 sponsored by the Environmental Grantmakers Association in Mohonk, New York. You can find a full description of the course (from the original 2005 webpage) here. Or you can just read the best part right now:

The many inner parts of computers are rarely seen, touched or understood—here’s your chance. Computers are manufactured and disposed of all over the world, and the global impacts are stunning. E-waste is toxic (contributing 70% of the nation’s hazardous wastes) and the volume is rising—three times faster than any other source of municipal waste. Meanwhile, more than half a billion obsolete personal computers sit idle in closets and basements around the world. What should we do with them? Come grab a screwdriver and hear about the life cycle of the computer and promising solutions for reducing both the volume and toxicity of electronic waste through the patchwork of state and global initiatives.

Seeing as this was late 2005 maybe we can give Annie somewhat of a break. This course seems to have its heart in the right place and the presenters seemed to be extremely intelligent from their bio blurbs. Perhaps her oversimplification is meant simply to make a point and get me to write this post about it. I would venture to say that E-waste is probably much, much, much worse in 2009 (although I don't have the research at hand to justify this claim). I think most people would agree with me unless there is a new form of municipal waste that streaked to the #1 spot. I've recently noticed it's even become fashionable (more on this later) to have 2-3 computers. One or two of these would be at home (desktop and/or laptop, media center, etc.) and the other is a netbook/lifestyle PC/ultraportable that fits into a small bag. I can't see this trend REDUCING waste. But before I really start to comment let's look at the second half of Annie's story.

This section of the movie (at 14:11 in) deals with the "fashion side" of computing.

I’ve have had the same fat white computer monitor on my desk for 5 years. My co-worker just got a new computer. She has a flat shiny sleek flat screen monitor. It matches her computer, it matches her phone, even her pen stand. She looks like she is driving in space ship central and I look like I have a washing machine on my desk.

This is what most people would define as "perceived obsolesence." I think the single greatest example of this in computing / gadgetry is the iPod. Say what you want about Apple but you have to hand it them in the marketing department. Usually a new product rev makes the front page of local newspapers. These things are HIGHLY visible. As for "perceived"...you can tell instantly how "hip" someone is by their iPod. If you saw a chick rocking a pink iPod Mini at the gym you would laugh your ass off. Don't lie to me.

Let's take a step back though and look at the big picture. We are talking about computers here but it is easy to see that this issue is social, political, economical, philosophical, psychological, etc. There isn't an easy fix for this problem. Freud and Bernaise helped create a monster. Those of you who know what I'm talking about can nod your heads slowly and for the rest of you...I'm not a talented enough writer to explain it quickly.

Now let's narrow our focus again. Computers (we'll just say laptops and desktops for now) change all the time. Some of the changes are small (a processor bump from 2.0 GHz to 2.1 GHz for example). Some of them are "large" (like the new Nehalem microarchitecture that integrates the memory controller and eliminates the need for a front side bus). Some of them are just related to power (the battery in new 17" Macbook Pro for example). Annie Leonard completely understates the complexities of computer evolution. Everything is changing, not just the "piece in the corner."

But the question remains: How on earth could we make this industry green? The short answer: we can't (at least not in its present form). In our current free market economy it makes sense to make things highly fashionable and ready for the dump. How else can these giant corporations survive otherwise? If those corporations go bankrupt (by say a complete consumer blackout) what happens to all the employees? How do those newly unemployed people vote? Is the crime rate affected? etc.

The brainstorm that follows is by no means meant to be comprehensive. This is a blog, a sketchpad for ideas. I am literally writing this as I think things up (with very little editing). Take it with a grain of salt.

• Standardization - Why are there nine thousand adapters for cell phone charging? Why doesn't Intel and AMD agree on the same socket size so that regardless of size or power consumption of the "piece in the corner" it would be easy to replace with upgrades? There need to be standards for development that everyone can agree to and move forward with. I don't think anyone would feel threatened by moving all cell phone charging and data transfer to a mini-usb plug?? Would you lament that stupid iPod/iPhone plug for even a second upon its future demise? Would everyone be alright with AMD and Intel becoming one giant super-corporation though? Macs and PCs becoming one and the same?
  
• Consolidation - I just hinted at this. One brand of computer, One OS (and its not Linux), One type of processor, One God, One Currency, One Government! EEK! It scares me even thinking about it (except the Linux part) but some of it has merit from a "green" standpoint whether you like it or not. If there were no free-market competition you have to admit that waste tonnage and emissions would plummet. Perhaps innovation (and numerous other things) would as well? At least there would be no need for sexy marketing campaigns because you would literally have only one brand to choose from. Perceived Obsolescence would stop all together (especially if things were designed to last as long as possible). If you were allowed one government issued laptop every five years (and were heavily charged to replace it) think how much would change.
  
• Less Emphasis - Jesus! Does everyone need their own personal computer? I'll donate mine back. I work with them all the time and I'm getting to the point of over-saturation. I'm ready to be a cave dwelling ascetic. For the sake of productivity and human progress we are spending countless hours learning, buying the latest book, maintaining, and backing up computers. While there are some fields were computing is absolutely essential there are other fields where it is a nuisance. There are also no alternatives. How could anyone hope to get through college without their own computer? It's next to impossible.
  
• Internet based services - We're getting to the point where it doesn't matter what computer or OS you are using. You have access anywhere (well...) to your web calendar, bookmarks, email, etc. If the trend continues think about how easy it would to......
• Socialize Computing! - You didn't think I would say it did you? Well I did. If the coffee shop already had computers there (state issued of course....oops maybe I should have said "Coffee Distribution Center") then why would you need to drag around your $899 doofy little tribal tattooed underpowered netbook PC?? Your state issued girlfriend wasn't really all that impressed anyway. If your data was backed up and protected by a well designed online system you wouldn't have to buy that extra hard/flash drive or optical media. Again, waste would be reduced. True it would be harder to watch porn and not get caught....damn it! Lost 75% of you right there.
  

I'll make two final points.

1. It seems there could be an endpoint on some things in the computer industry. Microsoft Word can only launch so fast. Phones can only get so tiny. These things still revolve around humans with hands and eyeballs (for now!). As long as we are flesh and bone with normal human brains there will be a point where exponential jumps in computing power will only be needed for niche researching (and gaming of course!). When all the marketers have been shot and no one can tell or care what year something came out in we might be in a better place then we are right now.
2. Computers actually ALREADY help the environment in some ways. We should push for expansion in these areas. Think of how many physical CD sales the iTunes Store (or Pirate Bay) prevented. Think of how much software was downloaded instead of burned onto optical media and packaged into cardboard boxes surrounded in plastic. Think of how many physical manuals were made into PDFs and posted online. Think of how many photolabs went out of business because of digital cameras and social networking. Think (if people stopped printing things out needlessly) how much paper (in theory) was saved by people checking the news online, buying their books online, and participating in online banking and bill paying. I'm not saying these systems are perfect but they are "pregnant with a future."

Ok, I'm out of energy for now. I intend this to be an open ended conversation though. My rough thoughts are not meant to be the end by any means. There are countless things I left out, misinterpreted, or got just dead wrong. Please leave your comments below!

Update: Wow. Nice with the 0 comments people. Anyway, I thought of an additional item to add to my list above...

• Government Regulation - Yup. It seems to be the new American bon mot. As much as people seem to hate it most people would vote for it over Socialism (mostly because no one seems to know what Socialism the concept actually is). But getting to the point how would this affect the computer industry? How would it even be done? Well, our auto industry is regulated and most consumers seem to enjoy this. What if your laptop had to last a minimum of 10 hours without a recharge and had to come with a 5 year warantee? What if they could only release one revision of a computer every other year? What if companies that strived towards this goal of environmental stewardship were subsidized in order to cover operating expenses and keep them competitive? What if companies were fined heavily for using toxic materials in their computers? What if people only bought computers that had a transparent environmentally friendly manufacturing process? Well, this all sounds fine and dandy (some of it is already being done) but the other side has a tale to tell. Government intervention can be stiffling, kill innovations, slow down the free market economy, and become corrupt quickly. These things would have to guarded for as well. Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? It is my own personal opinion that corporations will not behave themselves if left to their own devices when it comes to the environment. They think short term profits, are responsible to petty/small shareholders, and that tends to lead to corner cutting and recklessness when it comes to the environment. Government and the people need to keep these entities in check. If it becomes fashionable (which it is) and can be marketed Capitlism can be bent to do good. Look at Apple. After enormous public pressure (and some from Greenpeace as well) they started making even better products (while still being guilty of every capitalistic flaw, especially perceived obsolescence. No one can blame them for that though in the current paradigm). When people vote with their money companies begin to listen. The problem is that they get real good about fooling us regular blokes with slogans, smoke, and mirrors. Do your research people!.....oh, and read my post on gadgets. That'll help too!
  

Gadget Lust

Ah gadgets! Men love them almost as much as boobies.

It is hard to explain their allure in words. You must simply exist side by side in time with them. But today I am going to announce the unthinkable. I am not going to buy a single solitary gadget until June! Even when the end of June comes I am only lifting the ban to perhaps purchase a new phone since my HTC 8125 will probably not live to celebrate its third birthday. Great little phone it was though.

I make these little resolutions to myself and then I tend to break them when a nicely timed excuse finds me. That's where you come in dear readers! I will keep faithful to my resolutions because I know that you will tease, berate, and harangue me into the shame that is my failure of discipline.


You see all these pictures? Well, apparently some people only look at my pictures and then leave so I was hoping to entertain them a little bit more than usual (I realize I am very long winded). But anyway, these are all things that I contemplated buying at some point in the last year (maybe only for a few minutes). I'll admit that I'm not nearly as bad as some people think I am. I own relatively few gadgets. I hear a few snickers from the peanut gallery so I guess I'll have to start a new paragraph!

Track record: I'm a tech guy right? Most of you that know me fairly well can tell that I know my stuff when it comes to the recording arts, computers, and the like. BUT what most people don't know is that I am EXTREMELY picky and downright miserly and conservative when it comes to purchasing new gadgets. Examples? OK. This may shock you though. Put on your Depends and sit down.

• I haven't purchased a Mac since September of 2004
• I haven't purchased a PC since June of 2001
  
• I have owned exactly one cellphone in my entire life
• Even though I'm an avid photographer I've only owned two small digital cameras (not DSLRs)
  
• Even though I have a degree in Music (emphasis in Recording Technology) I only own two microphones and a ProTools 002 rack that only seems to work in Panther (that's 10.3 for you kids)
  
• I've never bought a TV of any size or shape
• I've never owned a DVD player or HD anything
  
• My last gaming console was a Super Nintendo I got for Christmas in 1991
  

BUT all the above doesn't mean that I haven't ALMOST bought gadgets. In the last few weeks I've been seriously considering getting an inexpensive 720p recorder like this little Kodak Zi6 to the left. Mostly it was for unselfish reasons. I find myself being an unofficial wedding videographer quite a lot and wanted something better than the 640x480 video mode on my tiny little Canon SD870 IS. I also need something to shoot footage for my tea business. This little guy only costs $159 at Best Buy right now. Why not get it?

Well, this really is no time to be throwing cash around on gadgets. After getting a protection plan, perhaps a travel case (more on this later), batteries, and an SDHC card....sigh..that $159 turns into $259 or more real quick. What I really need to do is payoff my student loans, save for a possible move sometime in the future, and to someday get a Baritone sax (which is not a gadget ;-). I also don't actually NEED any of this stuff at all. It tends to eat up a lot of my time to learn how to put it to use properly (I do read manuals), organize/edit/store/backup the byproduct, etc. I don't know if I've mentioned this in my blog yet or not but I am extremely happy with my life and buying consumer electronics couldn't possibly make my life any better (with the possible exception of a future released 15" aluminum solid body Macbook Pro with Nehalem microarchitecture...with MATTE screen! Just kidding. I'd much rather live in Istanbul for six months instead).
None of this even touches on philosophy yet either. All of the above reasons are fairly pragmatic. This insatiable lust for technology/gadgetry has helped get us into the mess we are in today. It is fairly cliche to talk about "this economy right now" so I'm going to skip it and move directly to the marketing lie that is "earth friendly" electronics. Let me lay it out real simple:

No matter what the gadget, it is more "earth friendly" NOT TO BUY IT!

Perceived and planned obsolescence are destroying communities and the planet. If you don't know those terms spend a few minutes looking them up. We consume twice as much stuff as people did fifty years ago. Sadly it seems that our primary self worth comes from the things we own and show off. This marketing sham from the 1950s needs to end now. Here's THE theory from the post war economy model:

-Victor LeBow, 1955

If you haven't already seen it, hop on over to The Story of Stuff. It has some very interesting things to think about. I will note that Annie Leonard's understanding and presentation of computer technology in the "Consumption" section is downright ignorant (she thinks the processor is the only thing that changes on desktops every year) but it does slightly illuminate the industry's cold consumerist underbelly. I won't go into it anymore here for brevity's sake. (*cough*)

Anyway, what can each of us do? The ongoing theme of this blog is turning out to be "the everyday." What can we all do in everyday life to make it fuller and more vibrant? Well, we are focused on gadgets today so here is a short list I came up with:

• Wait (for the next version). What is better than the gadget you are totally lusting for right now? The one that will replace it next year or the year after. Make sure you do a ton of research on something before you buy it and don't be afraid to be PATIENT! Perhaps if you've waited long enough you'll realize that you don't even need the thing. No? OK. Wait for the next version then. Trust me, it'll be way cooler and have higher numbers.
  
• Consolidate gadgets if you insist on buying them. That Canon 5DMkII you see at the top right of this post is a good example. Not only is it a phenomenal DSLR camera but it also shoots 1080p video which eliminates the need for a separate stand alone video camera (I've read there are a few bugs to work out though. See the first item in this list for advice on what to do). The iPhone is another good example although I don't own one of those either. Instead of owning a Palm Pilot (Pre? haha), an iPod, a 3G phone, a PSP or Gameboy, a GPS unit, a Koi pond, etc. you have it all in one device (that is moderately environmentally friendly. Remember what I said earlier though!). Eventually though we will all have ONE gadget that does everything and it will be call a TRICORDER!
  
• Buy high quality. A laptop that lasts 6 years is better than two laptops that last 3 years each. No brainer. It is probably cheaper to do things this way as well (although perhaps not in the short run). Most people spend more time with their computers than their loved ones. You think spending an extra $300 isn't worth it?? Divide the price difference by the amount of time you spend with the thing. It'll probably work out to be negligible in a monthly budget.
  
• Buy things you can service yourself. Does it have a replaceable battery? Does the hard drive come out easily? Can you upgrade it in the future? Investing in your existing gadgets is better than buying a new one every single time. Can't service your own stuff because you don't know how?? Find a nerd to help you and take them out for a drink, dinner, or treat them to a graphic novel or sexual favor to compensate them for their time.
  
• Take care of your gadgets. I'll be the first to admit that the special bags-and-cases-and-padded-crap industry is getting kind of ridiculous these days. You don't have to buy any of that stuff if you are a careful person. If you are a klutz perhaps you might want to spend the $19.95 on a hard plastic case with Hello Kitty on it. My phone, work laptop, and iPod all do not have protective casings and have lasted just fine (I do have several padded cases for travel though. Have you seen those guys at LAX throw bags?). Part of this step is taken care of by the "Buying Quality" advice I gave above. If you drop it from 4 inches off the ground and it explodes...never buy anything from that company again!
  
• Wait (for the why). That patience thing I mentioned earlier...use it to explore WHY you want the gadget. I realized that I am not responsible for filming other people's weddings in HD (640x480 is more than enough to get the point and for the web) and the old camera I have is probably adequate for shooting my business footage. Even if I had the dire NEED for a nice video camera I have friends in town that have WAY nicer cameras than I could afford right now (or even later). Which leads me to my next point...
• Your friends have cool gadgets. Nothing makes someone with gadgets happier than if they get to show it off and/or use it in a real life setting that will help justify the purchase. Want to play a Nintendo Wii?? One of your friends has one and they are getting bored with it right now. Ask if you can come over and play one weekend. You'll be happy you didn't buy 12 different plastic holder things, an HD TV, surround sound, and the next iteration of Zelda. They'll be happy because you are so damn impressed with their setup, brought beer, and are reigniting their gadget lust for something they already own! Need a photo shoot done? Talk to local professional photographers or photography majors. They are better at what they do than you are and it'll cost less than buying your own equipment (in the short term anyway). Plus, you make new friends and support local businesses. Not every man has to be a Gadget Lord on his own Gadget Island!

So with all that said hold me to it my friends! For the Earth, my bank account, and Kate I start this heroic journey of non-action. If I succeed I will replace my dying phone that has lasted me almost three years now. If I succeed after that I might get myself a treat in December. I realize that rewarding "gadget-abstinence" with gadgets is fairly ironic but if any of you have owned only one cell phone and made it last three years or longer I will allow you to cast the first stone!

Want to lose weight? Move to Thailand!!

The picture on the left was taken on March 26th, 2006 when I first arrived in Bangkok. The picture on the right was taken right before I returned home about three months (and over 30 pounds) later. Three cheers for having a chin!! (I swear this is the only "before and after" photo I have or will ever subject you to).

There were a number of things that contributed to this positive change. I realize that not everyone can afford to just go to South East Asia whenever they feel like it. Thus I'm going to frame this in an everyday context that will be useful for a broader audience. So here we go, you can call this the "Thai Diet" if you want (all your friends will be impressed with your worldly knowledge and Google my blog. A perfect trap!!!). There are just three rules:

• Eat lots of fresh whole foods - Every single one of you has heard something to this effect at some point. Thailand is different from the US in that fresh fruits and vegetables surround you all the time without having to visit a grocery store. Fresh whole pineapple on a stick while I'm taking a walk? 30 Baht? It's cold, delicious, and good for me? Sold! Visiting a local Farmers' market in the US is a great way to emulate this. Buy just enough produce to get you through the week and plan your meals. This will reduce waste, keep your fridge happy, and support local farmers and businesses. Seriously! Do it! Why do you need your carrots from Albertsons?
• Stop eating beef - I know you don't want to hear this. You love cheeseburgers and Firestone Tri-Tip sandwiches. I'm pretty un-American for even advocating a boycott on beef! Truth is that in Thailand there are no cows. Well, that's not true. There are some that look mostly like this little fella over here. It's confusing because in basically any Thai restaurant in the United States you can get beef put in anything. This is not true most of the time in cities outside of Bangkok (a city where you literally can get anything you want). But anyway, I digress. While living in Chiang Mai I went a whole week not even noticing that I had been vegetarian. It's not hard to do because everything is delicious. Let me rephrase this thought so it sinks in: You don't ever think to yourself, "OK I'm going to be a vegetarian because it's ethical, humane, saves water, preserves crop land, and is better for me." The thought is more like "OH MY GOD THAT IS FANTASTIC!! CAN I PUT MORE THINGS LIKE THAT IN MY MOUTH RIGHT NOW?!?!?!" I think one of the problems with vegetarianism in the United States is that you truly have to be a neo-hippie wack-a-doodle to enjoy being vegetarian. The food here for vegetarians sucks. There I said it. Now I will say that I think that in California it is about as good as it gets (although I've never lived in Oregon). I have had some truly delightful vegetarian food here. The difference is that I have to seek it out here, there you are enveloped in it and don't have to think about it. (Note that I did not suggest even for a second giving up cheese. Oh cheese! Lights that do mislead the morn!)
• EXPLORE!! - Last but not least. It actuals ties into the second rule nicely as well. This coming weekend get on (Ok, stop thinking about cheese. I know! It's hard for me too!) your bike or put on some comfy walking shoes and find a restaurant that you've never tried before that has half a chance of having some wholesome food. I'll admit that in some cities this can be next to impossible. Walk to three local markets and buy some veggies you've never cooked up. I know you're not really going to do any of that but the larger theme here is to get outside and do stuff! It really doesn't matter what. Since I didn't have a car or a bike in Thailand I basically just walked everywhere (if it was really far I jumped in a Tuk-Tuk). I went on Architecture tours. I walked along the Mekong. I went river rafting. I tried to find the Post Office. Before I start getting too romantic you get the point right? Just go do stuff. It's that easy. You know that physical activity that you kinda like to do sometimes? Go do that. The longer you sit with your books and your laptop and your emo playlist and get all intellectual on the world with your dumbass blog the fatter you ge--

UPDATE: Something I forgot to mention that helped facilitate the "EXPLORE" aspect above (and just exercise in general) was FREE TIME! It is almost cliche to mention that Americans work longer hours than medieval peasants but it really does contribute to our declining health as a nation. When I lived in Thailand I obviously couldn't work! I was studying quite a lot (since that's one of the main reasons I went) but I chose to do most of that at night or during the hottest hours of the day. What did that leave me? Plenty of time and daylight to explore, think, be creative, write loved ones, etc. Sunlight is just good for your body and soul. Go ahead and hurl your "highfalutin work-dodging liberal jerk-off" insults. My unicorns, vocal jazz arrangements, and rainbows will protect me.

I admit that changing our culture is a little out of my reach (presently) but there are small battles you can win everyday. Watch a little less TV, only visit Facebook once a day, stop reading stupid blogs by authors who refuse to be concise, etc. The biggest change you could make would be to find a way to ditch your day job or find one outside or spend less money and take out fewer loans by living within your means or _____. For more (conventional) ideas and ways to "Take Back Your Time" visit TimeDay.org or just do a general search. Just don't spend too much time doing it ;-)

P.S. On average, we work nearly nine full weeks (350 hours) LONGER per year than our peers in Western Europe do. What would you do with nine weeks off?

Authorized U-Turns

I was biking to work this morning when I realized I forgot to make an important bank deposit. I had a nice bit of inertia going but I was reminded of the best piece of advice from a book I read last year on the recommendation of a friend. Although it is fairly long I am going to quote it in its entirety.

If you’ve ever ridden in a car with GPS satellite navigation system, you know how it works. Plug in your destination, and the system -- using satellites to plot your current and final points -- tells you exactly what to do when. Turn left after 400 feet. Stay straight. Get in right lane. But let’s say you make a mistake and miss a turn or turn onto the wrong street. The GPS doesn’t berate you, doesn’t scold you, doesn’t tell you that you might as well drive off a cliff, since you made a mistake and missed First Avenue. Instead, all it says, very politely, is this: “At the next available moment, make an authorized U-turn.” The GPS recognizes the mistake matter-of-factly and simply guides you back onto the right road. The GPS allows for mistakes and tries to help you correct them. That’s the kind of mentality we want you to have. You’re going to make wrong turns. You’re going to turn left at the hot dogs, make a right at the blueberry pie (or Avila Valley Barn Pie! -Chris), and occasionally merge onto the interstate of banana-nut pancakes with a side order of sausage patties. Does that mean you should steer off the dietary cliff and fall into the fatty crevasse of destructive eating?

Of course not. What it means is that you need to pay closer attention to the road signs and the instructions about how to make it to your final destination. It also means that you can’t beat yourself up with a basket of croissants every time you lick a little whipped cream off your finger. So what you’re going to do -- right now -- is acknowledge that you will face obstacles. And instead of falling into the avoidant and defeatist mentality by drop-kicking healthy eating the moment you make one bad choice, you will confront it.

Needless to say that I did in fact pull a U-Turn and made the deposit. Huzzah!

One quick closing thought though. When I was college, and even for a few years afterward, I had the "ultimatum mindset". I would set lofty New Years' Resolutions, craft impossibly difficult plans that I somehow thought I could pull off, and then I would invariably slip up just a little bit. Back then the slip up would sink the entire ship. I would binge or find excuses to stop doing what I planned or drift into apathy. No longer. I allow myself failure but then I am quick to make that U-turn. In the end it is much more forgiving, sane, and healthy. Make the change today.

Sprinkle some Cheerios on it

I think there are lessons to be learned in everyday life. This morning while having breakfast I realized that the food in front of me was quite the amalgam of life experiences even though it looked pretty Spartan.

• Post Wheat (and) Bran cereal - The most boring of the three ingredients in terms of story I must admit but was probably the most work. If anyone has ever hunted for a cereal that is low in sugar , high in fiber, and completely lacking in High Fructose Corn Syrup or Hydrogenated Soybean Oil you know that it takes an embarrassingly long time to do. Anyway, I think I tried about 6 different ones before settling on this one. Apparently I get a B+ for my efforts. Moving on!
• Vanilla Soy Milk - When I lived in Thailand there was no milk anywhere (and if you did discover some it was extremely expensive and questionable since its origins were unknown/very far away). I found that I drank milk mostly out of habit in the US and not because I was particularly attached to it. Soy milk was abundant, cheap, and delicious everywhere. 'Nuff said. There will be several future posts dedicated to Thailand so I don't want to overdo it here.
• CHEERIOS! - You wondered when I was going to bring it up, well, here's your payoff. Even with the goodness of Vanilla soy milk the taste of wheat and bran can still be akin to eating wood. That's where the Cheerios come in. I don't buy them (so no guilt there :-) my girlfriend Kate does. It is her breakfast cereal par excellence and I agree that it is delightful. When local strawberries aren't in season and all the blueberries around come from South America I turn to those little happy O's.

Some of you (hopefully not many) may look down your nose at me and say, "you spent all that time getting a wholesome, healthy breakfast together and then you ruin it with Honey Nut Cheerios?!?!?!" I agree that it is slightly inconsistent but it's usually only a handful, about 10-20%, of the overall volume. In addition Honey Nut Cheerios really isn't too bad for you at all. There are worse things to add to your breakfast. Sometimes if you get too entrenched in the calorie hunting battle you forget to have fun and loosen up a little. The cheerios remind me to quit being such a sourpuss!

What is the point of literally walking you through "what I have for breakfast" (which is the very definition of TMI)? It is to illustrate a point. I LOVE what I eat for breakfast. It isn't hard. It is integrated into my life without difficulty. I am reminded of the battles that I am fighting (and winning slowly) with weight loss. I am reminded of the charm, grace, and honesty of an exotic country that helped turn my life around. I am reminded of the person I love most in the world. It's simple and effective.

Ultimately I think we are all responsible for loving our own lives. No detail is too small. You hold the pen in your hands. Fashion yourself a story that reminds you how great life is. Don't forget to sprinkle a few cheerios on the things that don't taste good too ;-)

Wendy

My first post below illustrates one step of two recommended by that Zen Habits article I keep referencing. The other step (if you lost track the first one I mentioned is basic public accountability) is to "make things enjoyable."

I already knew this lesson well because I had tried numerous diets and brutal workout regimes, all of which flamed out in a month or two at best.

You can motivate yourself to do something you don’t like to do, using positive public pressure as motivation. But if you really don’t enjoy it, you’ll only be able to keep it up for so long. And even if you could do it for months and years … is that something you’d want to do? If you don’t enjoy it, why do it for very long?

In terms of exercise I actually don't mind going to the gym three or four times a week. Many people do find it very difficult to do so and I will address that issue at another time. Truth is that sometimes I felt like I needed to be in the world rather than looking at it from behind a window. Did ancient peoples do this sort of thing to lose weight? NO! of course not. In fact if you were fat back-in-the-day everyone knew you were rich and loathed/envied you. Now that trend has sort of reversed. Strange no?

ANYWAY, ancient peoples didn't ride bicycles either but at least we're getting closer to the real world here. I may have let the cat out of the bag early but basically in 2007 I decided to really make an effort to ride my bike for fitness on a regular basis.

This commitment really went well. Why? Because I really enjoy it. San Luis Obispo is a gorgeous city and the countryside around the city is even more beautiful. There are grapevines growing everywhere, rolling hills, and fairly decent cement. The problem I soon discovered is that I couldn't ride very long without a.) getting really tired b.) getting really sore c.) combination of the first two. I knew that the soreness would go away but the fact that my old bike was slow and amplified every bump in the road was not soon to disappear. I knew that I could never enjoy a long ride (20+ miles at a time) on my clunker and so I decided to invest in myself and get a nice road bike. 

Now granted the one I was riding was in my possession for about 8 years. I'm not advocating "bike lust" as my girlfriend would say. I'm not upper middle class enough to throw around thousands of dollars on a new bike every year. I paid my dues and spent almost a year researching and saving. Luck saved me though. I found a barely used bike (which is really hard to do for an XXL frame or 61cm in road bike speak) for a very, VERY nice price (about $3k less than MSRP) and shelled out the cash not knowing if I would ride it beyond the first month.

I am happy to report that about a year later I have ridden over 1,100+ miles (mostly commuting to work and joy rides) and have worked cycling into my regular day to day weight loss routine. I would discuss some of the philosophy behind choosing to ride a bike as doing your part to help alleviate traffic, clean up the air, and curb greenhouse gases but this post is getting long enough as it is.

As for the title...I named my bike Wendy. Let's just say that her color and warm childhood memories contributed to the name. I'll tell you more someday, I have a plan for that though and it must wait until later.

So it begins (the epic blabbermouth first post!)

I was reading a post on the Zen Habits blog about six  months ago. It was in regards to motivating yourself to make a lasting change in your life. One piece of advice in particular stayed with me: Positive public pressure is one of the best ways to help you reach a goal.

So here it is ladies and gentlemen! You are my public pressure. I don't need to know who you are but I want to hold myself accountable to an audience larger than just myself. According to Zen Habits,

Post your goal on your blog and post regular updates. It’s important that you not just post the goal but also stay accountable with the updates. Encourage people to ask you about your goal if you don’t report your progress.

My goal, shallow as you may perhaps think it, is to weigh under 200 pounds for the first time since I was about 14 or 15 years old. If a warning flag has just gone off in your mind please allow me to explain my situation and reasons for setting this goal. I assure you that it is not unhealthy or spurred by dubious self loathing or instability of character.

Currently I am close to being in the best shape of my life. I have a sexy, gorgeous, super intelligent, wonderful girlfriend whom I intend to spend the rest of my life with. I am not depressed or longing for human companionship and/or attention. I say none of this to brag but simply to let you know that I am not fragile or in need of psychological analysis. So perhaps I should admit that maybe I do want to look a little better in a three piece suit ;-) but here are the main reasons why I am doing this:

1. My family has a history of heart disease. While doing a health assignment in college I discovered that nearly everyone on both sides of my family has died due to heart complications. Since I am also extremely tall (about 6'5" if I stand up straight) I feel like I am doubly susceptible to obesity induced health/heart problems.
   
2. I have a very sedentary job. Basically I am a cube monkey. I write code and mess with computers all day. There is no sunlight and there are few calories to burn. I don't plan on doing this sort of thing for much longer but it does slow down my weight loss dramatically. Thus I need some good motivation at the end of the day to get me moving.
3. It's something I've been working at for a long time. My peak weight back in 2000 (my freshman year of college, go figure) was 288 pounds. I can't believe that I'm writing "for the last nine years" but for the last nine years (!!!!) I've been slowly whittling that down to my current weight of 218 pounds. It has not been easy and there was no magic diet. I had to rewire my entire life to do it.
4. I want to help other people who have struggled with obesity. There are many things I have learned and been taught in my adult life. I want to share that knowledge in the hopes that perhaps just one person can learn just one thing that may help them live a life more free from pain and enable them to perhaps find peace on their own someday.

This blog may border on the boring sometimes. I intend to record tiny little things I do such as riding my bike to work and taking a hike on the weekend. My hope is that it will keep me honest and dedicated though. I love helping other people and that may be the one thing that I've been missing all this time!