***BE THE CHANGE***

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Running: April = 50 Miles



With tonight's run I logged 50.11 miles for the month April.  Good stuff, for sure, but I know I can do better.  I hope to get that number closer to 60 miles for the month of May!  With all of the travel I have planned this month this goal may prove to be difficult to achieve...but I'm up for the challenge!

Humor: Facebook Funniness!



Anyone for Scrabble?

Politics: Tellin' It Like It Is...

Tells It Like It Is

Um, let's just say that 'someone' stuck these Stayvocal.com Bush Bubble stickers around the parking structure of my office building about a year ago.  After a WHOLE YEAR, one of the stickers finally produced a reaction.  Trust me when I say it took every ounce of self-control to NOT decorate these stickers myself.  Did I mention that they've been up FOR A YEAR?!  

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Running: Fastest Mile Challenge


And one more thing...I'm competing in this challenge for the fastest mile.  I'm currently in 15th 16th place (See13).  According to Nike+ site everyone with times faster than mine are men.  The 2nd fastest woman behind me is currently in 19th place.  And the third fastest woman is in 27th place!  

Yep, some things never change...keepin' up with the boyz! w00t!

Running: 5 More Miles...



Still a little sore after a brutal Boot Camp workout last Saturday followed by a speedy 6 mile hike in Topanga Canyon.  Seriously don't know what I was thinking...my leg muscles are still recovering hence the slightly slower pace today.  Really tired...all for now.  G'night!

Politics: I Heart Bill Maher!

















Saw Bill Maher and Tony Snow at the Gibson Amphitheater last night.  Completely entertaining!  

I'm pretty sure that I was the youngest person in the audience.  I'm guessing the high'ish ticket prices had a lot to do with this.  And I got the sense, from the stream of folks who started walking out early, that not everyone could appreciate Maher's colorful 'style'....which I love, btw!

Great job, Bill.  You never cease to amaze me with your wealth of knowledge!  Bravo!

Monday, April 28, 2008

Photos: The Princess!

The Princess

This is my niece, Lorelei.  She's 4.5 years old and she lives in a princess-filled fantasy.  It's next-to-impossible to get candid photos of this one.  However, when I do they're usually priceless.

Guess Where That Ended Up?

Yep, I'll give you one guess where that braid ended up!

For a few more snaps from our recent trip to Fillmore click here.

Art: The Snow Angel Maker



My friend, Alessandro, shot this recently.

From Sandy:
This short 5 minute one on one interview focuses on an artist by the name of David Fitzpatrick, who after being struck by Parkinson's Disease has gone on to dedicate himself to creating snow angels. His art and methods are unique and original.

Snow AND desert angels are righteous!

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Politics: ModMan, Ink - Spark

The Fire Starters...
The Fire Starters

A couple of weeks ago I blogged about the making of ModMan's Obama In 30 Seconds submission.  An update from ModMan:

"MoDMaN is busy, MoDMaN is making movies for FlowTown Films, MoDMaN likes talking in third person today... The latest video we've done is a political advertisement for Barack Obama's campaign. It's part of the MoveOn.org contest to create a 30 second spot that they will air on national television. Please take a minute and watch [and vote for] the "Spark" video here.

The contest will have several criteria for advancing a video to the final rounds but one of them is the number of views, so if you like what I've created pass this on to friends who might be interested. It's a cool concept to get people involved and I'm very blessed to have had the support of friends and associates who helped it come together in the first place."


Spark the Vote!

Music: Radiohead on Conan :: Bush = A Twat

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Running: Slow & Steady...New Farthest



I think I could benefit from longer breaks in-between runs...this afternoon was incredibly tough and it felt a lot slower than it actually was.   No fun! I ran 5 miles on Saturday, walked 3 miles on Monday, then ran 5 miles on both Tuesday and today. Definitely needing more recovery time...feeling it, for sure. Will be at a conference down in the OC tomorrow so I'll get a break and can reassess on Friday,  I suppose.  Tired...it's late.  Have to be on the road early tomorrow morning so here are the deets:

Mile 1: 6'39"
Mile 2: 8'18"
Mile 3: 7'04
Mile 4: 6'41
Mile 5: 7'04

Wanted: Hipster, Coward, Fan Of The Cure

From la.metblogs.com...

Apr 22, 2008 2:33 AM

dear LA,

so today i was driving west on Santa Monica just past Wilcox (by the dragonfly) and some guy came out of no where and hit me! we both pulled over and he said he was going to give me his info and he just took off!!!!!!!! he hit me so hard my car door will not even OPEN! I spent the whole night in the hospital hook up to a machine to monitor my baby who was in obvious distress!

WHO HITS A 9 MONTH PREGNANT WOMAN AND LEAVES HER AT THE SCENE OF AN ACCIDENT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD??!!!!

please if you know ANYONE who fits this description or car, let me know and REPOST! the police are already looking for him, hit and run is a serious offense dumb ass!

Description: hipster, probably lives in Hollywood or Silver Lake, brown shaggy hair, parted to the side, very scruffy, no beard but had facial hair, light brown eyes wearing black matte plastic sunglasses from the 1980’s, about 5′7″, very thin, looks like every guy you have ever seen beauty bar…

Car: green mitsubishi, older model 1990’s, square body, beater, SOUTH CAROLINA PLATES, and a cure sticker on back of car

dear guy that hit me-

i will never ever ever EVER forget your face and i swear if i ever see in LA again, which i am sure i will, i am going to personally bitch slap your cure-listening-wanna be rocker-ass!

Please repost this
Thank you
Injured Mommy to be


“Injured Mommy to be” V, can be reached through her myspace with any info.

Running: Yesterday's run...


This new route (which gets me 5 miles door to door) has FIVE hills.  Fortunately the first two are the worst...it's good to get them out of the way early on.  My legs felt very heavy during this run.  Tight muscles I suppose.  Must stretch more...

Mile 1: 6'45"
Mile 2: 7'10"
Mile 3: 6'51"
Mile 4: 7'32"
Mile 5: 7'19"

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Politics: Adam Freeland- "Stuff Of Life" (Amnesty International Film)





"The new 90-second film, “Stuff Of Life”, is a powerful short on “waterboarding”, the hugely controversial practice of torturing prisoners by partially drowning them. The USA has recently admitted that its operatives have waterboarded people in the “war on terror”, and the new campaign film is part of Amnesty International UK’s online-offline “Unsubscribe” campaign, which launched in October. The campaign is mobilising support for human rights in the “war on terror”."

Music: The Original Technoviking

Monday, April 21, 2008

Green: Happy National John Muir Day!

John Muir : Yosemite National Park : 5/2007

In case you were wondering, my parents are to blame for my 'green' obsession.  Family vacations ALWAYS involved tents and fishing poles.  I knew what "Leave No Trace" and "Pack It In, Pack It Out" meant YEARS before going to Burning Man.  I grew up with an organic veggie garden in the backyard.  And my family recycled long before it became standard to put those big blue recycle bins out on the curb next to the trash bin.  

My parents were the first environmentalists that I ever knew.  And they taught me well.  My mother has EASILY read every John Muir book ever written. And my father has read at least half (he works a lot). In fact, I'm pretty certain that I knew who John Muir was WELL before George Washington. And growing up only a couple of hours away from Yosemite was like having the most amazing playground right in my backyard.  Yes, we played there often...

So today, on National John Muir Day, I raise my cup to Mr. Muir with much thanks and gratitude.  Without his efforts the wondrous majesty of Yosemite National Park would not exist as we know it.  Without John Muir it would sadly have been lost under a blanket of water much like the Hetch Hetchy Valley.

The mountains are calling and I must go. -John Muir 

I'll be climbing
Half Dome again at the end of June...63 days and counting!

Life: Dude Looked Like A Lady...

Yesterday I went over to the Red House to wash my little Zoom Zoom.  While out back in the alley I encountered quite a few old neighbors as well as some new ones.  Towards the end of Zoomer's deluxe spa treatment (washing its rims) I saw a woman approaching from the east end of the alley.  This conversation ensued...

Me: Hi!
Her (in a deep gravely male voice): Hello
Her (who was actually a Him): There's nothing hotter than a woman washing a car.
Me (laughing and trying to hide my look of surprise): Have a Good Day!

After I was done washing Z(squared) I went into the backyard of the Red House and told G about my encounter:

Me: Some Dude just came by and told me that there's nothing hotter than a woman washing her car.
G: Who was he?
Me: I don't know.  He was wearing a dress and turban.
G: (laughing...*at me*!)
Me: I think he was homeless...or a Burner.
G: You should have told him that there's nothing hotter than a man who can pull off a dress.

Burning Man: Bike Storage



Could definitely use one of these at Center Camp.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Plastics: Since you asked...(Part 2)

Hmmm I am still using my 'ziplock' plastic containers for left overs and have some nalgene bottles that I still use, but as I lose them, etc I will start replacing with other (bamboo, etc).  I don't know, what do you think - should I just whole-heartedly convert over?  Also what do you do for leftovers?

Attempting to eliminate plastics from my lifestyle has definitely been a gradual transition.  It's tough to get rid of items that we've become so used to using over the course of our lives (i.e. tupperware, plastic ziplock bags, etc.).  And while there may be some items that you just can't let go of for practical reasons keep in mind that limiting your exposure is way better than doing nothing at all.  

One of the ways I found to get around racing right out and immediately restocking my cabinets with all non-plastic storage items was by lining the containers with waxed paper....(this is a biggie for me at Burning Man).  I also do this with my cheeses.  I wrap them in waxed paper THEN wrap plastic wrap around them to keep a barrier between my food and the plastic.  

If you'd prefer to take further steps to rid your kitchen of plastics then here are a few of the non-leaching storage items that I've transitioned into my home. 

In place of using ziplock sandwich bags I now use these waxed paper sandwich bags with a clip to keep them closed.

For leftover storage I use glass and ceramic containers like these:
(Yes, these last two items have plastic lids but as long as your food isn't touching the lids no potential leaching will occur.)

Additionally, some of the food I buy comes in reusable glass containers with screw-on lids.  These come in very handy since they're so compact and they travel well!

And one of the most recent items that I've started using (in the office, on day hikes, etc.) are these sustainable & biodegradable Disposable Bamboo Utensils.  While they do specify that they're good for one-time-use I admittedly give them a quick hand washing in order to prolong their life.

I hope this helps!  Oh, and keep in mind that many of these items can be found at your local Target, Crate & Barrel, Bed, Bath & Beyond and similar kitchen stores.  Although Greenfeet.com is my all-time favorite one-stop-shop for all things green and non-toxic.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Running: 5 More Miles Closer To My 200 Milestone


(grrrrr!)

Saturday morning runs rock!  The air is clean and the traffic is light.  Not to mention that the weather was PERFECT running temp...(even though I was STILL sweating my ass off by the time I got home).

5.15 Miles | 36'46" | 7'07"/mile | ~500 calories
Mile 1: 6'47"
Mile 2: 7'21"
Mile 3: 7'08
Mile 4: 7'29"
Mile 5: 6'43"

New farthest run to date! w00t!

Plastics: It's Official: Canada Declares Bisphenol A Toxic

Yay, CANADA!!!

"Canadian Health Minister Tony Clement announced yesterday that Bisphenol A would be listed as a toxic substance and banned the use of polycarbonate plastic baby bottles. His Ministry will also tell baby food manufacturers to get it out of the linings of infant formula cans. The chemical has been blamed for conditions including cancer, declining sperm counts and early puberty in girls.

“We believe that the current safety margin needs to be higher. We have concluded that it is better to be safe than sorry,” Mr. Clement told a news conference yesterday in Ottawa, announcing the decision as “precautionary action.”

Martin Mittelstaedt, who has been reporting on BPA for years and deserves great credit for being an early voice in the wilderness, reports:

“This is the first time in living memory that our federal government has taken such a leadership position in the world on an issue like this,” commented Rick Smith, executive director of Environmental Defence, an advocacy group. “I think oftentimes Canadians want … to know that our country is doing right in the world, and in this particular case today it's actually happening.”

The FDA in the States still says it is safe, based on two studies funded by the American Chemistry Council."

Plastics: Since you asked...Q&A

O.K. the stainless steel water bottle, I can do. But tell us, please, how can I get clean water into my home? (An alternative to the Arrowhead delivery, please.)

Thanks for caring about all our health.

Peace,
Juana

I'm getting this one installed in my office this month!  So excited!  Reverse Osmosis is the process which many of the bottling companies use to filter the bottled water that we regularly drink.  And many local restaurants who are now a part of the 'ban the bottle' brigade are offering reverse osmosis filtered tap water as a greener and safer alternative to bottled water.  w00t! You can get one of these units installed under your sink at home OR they have a less expensive 'mobile' counter top version available as well.  

If you're a renter and/or simply don't want to deal with the installation involved with an RO unit mentioned above then my second suggestion would be a natural counter top water filtration system like this terra-cotta crock from Gaiam.com.  Due to (what I'm assuming are) agricultural reasons there currently seems to be a ban on shipping this unit into California...so have it shipped to your Playa address and drive it home after your Burn *wink*.   Terra-cotta filtration has been used for hundreds of years as a safe way to filter non-drinkable water and it's still a widely used process in many Third World countries today.  Last but not least, there is my absolute FAVORITE new 'natural' crock from Aquaovo.com called the Ovopur...just lovely!  But, unfortunately, design comes with a price...

Hope this helps!
The Aquarian

Friday, April 18, 2008

Running: 5 Miles, Fastest Mile & Farthest Run...Oh My!


Lame-ass widgets! hmph!

Good'ish run...my first mile clocked in as my fastest, to date.  And this was my farthest run, to date, as well.  It was  a tougher one because I was running a little earlier in the afternoon than usual and the heat...rather the sun, kinda got to me.  

The Deets:
5.12 miles | 36'18" | 7'05"/mile | ~500 calories
Mile 1: 6'34" ***New Fastest Mile!
Mile 2: 7'00"
Mile 3: 7'17"
Mile 4: 6'47"
Mile 5: 7'00"

No Boot camp tomorrow because I have my aerial silk and trapeze class on Sunday...doing both in the same weekend would be brutal.  I've recruited some other Burners to check out the class this weekend as well.  They're gonna love it...

Art: Bizarre Bazaar at the Maker Faire





Craftiness heaven...can't wait!!!

Photos: Prospect House BBQ

Mo-B, The Ice Cream Man and their little Spark were down from Oak-town last weekend so the crew at the Prospect House threw a Homeslice-filled BBQ on Sunday afternoon!  Such a great way to wrap up another wonderful weekend! Big thanks to Special Ops and Chai Guy for being such stellar hosts!  You can click on the title link above for more pics from this set.

100% Cuteness

<span class=

Uncle Commander

Who knew Uncle Commander was such a huge hit with the Shorty-Slicers!  

(Video courtesy Dabomb.)

Art: Rejected Commercials by Don Hertzfeldt



Totally appropriate...

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Green: Say No Way to BPA!




























Can I get an Amen and a Hallelujah!?

As a HUGE anti-plastics preacher I can't begin to tell you how thrilled I am that word is FINALLY getting out to the masses (hey, 'some concern' is better than 'no concern') about the toxicity of 'food grade' plastics.  I've been annoying educating everyone I know about my concerns with plastics for YEARS now!  Dump your plastic water bottles for non-toxic alternatives such as a stainless steel Klean Kanteen, People!  And PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not drink water out of those 5 gallon plastic containers that Arrowhead (and the like) delivers to your home and office!  Those bottles are made from plastic number 7 which is a MAJOR leacher of BPA.  And (while I'm on a roll here) NEVER heat your food in the microwave in any sort of plastic container.  Seriously, how much more convincing do you need?!  Or maybe you're cool with Prostate and Breast Cancer, hormonal imbalances, etc.(?!) 

And Bravo(!) to Health Canada for being the first regulatory body in the world to call Bisphenol A (BPA) a 'dangerous substance' this week!  w00t!

From Grist.org...
U.S. health agency says ubiquitous chemical may harm kiddos.
A U.S. federal agency has declared that there is "some concern" that chemical bisphenol A can harm the development of children's brains and reproductive systems. The National Toxicology Program, part of the National Institutes of Health, issued a draft report following up on an 18-month review of BPA. The agency reported more concern than was suggested by its advisory panel, which critics alleged was biased toward the chemical industry. BPA can seep from hard plastic beverage containers, including baby bottles, and was detected in the urine of 93 percent of participants in a recent study. In light of the NTP report, congressional Democrats are asking the Food and Drug Administration to reconsider its view that BPA is safe. Canada, for once not beating us to the punch, is expected to issue a similar warning about BPA soon.

sources: Los Angeles TimesReutersThe Washington PostMilwaukee Journal SentinelAssociated Press
see also, in Grist: Umbra advises on plastic water bottles
see also, in Grist: A special series on parenting and health 

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Movies: Pixar's Andrew Stanton Discusses Wall-E


Aww, robot love!

***UPDATE: "This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by PIXAR" via YouTube.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Running: New Route & Fastest Mile!


(STILL don't know why my widgets aren't working...hopefully they'll come back online soon.)

Totally killed it tonight!!! I was actually a little nervous, yes nervous, about this run. I haven't been running as much as I'd like and it makes me feel as if I'm taking major steps backwards when I'm not able to squeeze more training into my week. So going into tonight's run I'd convinced myself that it would likely be a little slower than usual. Not to mention that I took a new route and there were WAY more hills than expected! Damn those Cheviot Hills!

The Breakdown:

Total Miles: 5.06 | Time 35'32" | Calories ~500 | Pace 7'00"/mile|
Mile 1: 6'37" ***(New Fastest Mile!)
Mile 2: 7'27"
Mile 3: 6'45"
Mile 4: 7'30"
Mile 5: 6'51

Feeling great but hungry!
Must go eat...

Food: In Honor Of National Grilled Cheese Month



















April 19, 2008
5pm-9:30om
Grilling Starts at 5:30PM sharp!
Free To The Public
Crystal Springs picnic area in Griffith Park
Los Angeles, CA 

"The 1st 6th Annual Grilled Cheese Invitational will be mankind's greatest achievement since the invention of fire!" says Tim Walker, the event's founder and organizer. "This year we will have more cheese than ever before. More competitors, more sammiches, more everything!"

Leave it to Burners!


Also, in honor of Nat'l Grilled Cheese Month...






Clementine in Century City is running a month-long Melt The Vote campaign in celebration of National Grilled Cheese Month.  You can read their blog for in-depth campaign coverage.  Better yet, you can visit their restaurant and enjoy yourself some gourmet grilled cheese yumminess!  Check out their Official Sample Ballot and don't forget to Melt the Vote!  

This week's lineup-

-PHILLY CHEESE STEAK ribeye steak grilled with onions, peppers and jalapenos topped with American and Provolone cheeses on a Freedom roll

-PANINO DELIZIOSO fontina, salami, ham, roasted tomatoes, olives and basil on panini bread

-GOUDA AND MUSHROOMS with pickled onions and dijon mustard on whole grain bread 

-CHORIZO CON QUESO Spanish dry-cured sausage with havarti and pickled jalapenos on country white bread

Mmmmmm, cheese!

Monday, April 14, 2008

Photos: LA vs WAR

Yep, action-packed weekend, indeed!  The Eastsiders and I rallied yesterday and managed to squeeze in the final day of the LA vs. WAR show taking place @ the Firehouse in Downtown LA.  Totally STELLAR show, yo!  And, yes, it was hot downtown...but absolutely worth it.  

Complete propaganda overload...if that's even possible.  With over 250 pieces of art plastered all over the walls we must have circled the venue at least three times.  Did not want to miss a thing!  Most of the prints, posters, stencils, originals, limited editions, etc. were for sale and due to the number of really amazing (as well as totally moving) pieces we ALL had a very hard time narrowing down which one(s) were going home with us...

Mine:

Stencil by Ben Collison
"Every time you point your finger at someone...there are three fingers pointing back at you."

Stop The Killing...
Bring 'Em Home...

Coming to a Target near you...
Bang
You can read more about Patrick Martinez's Toy Soldier guerilla art campaign in Juxtapoz.

Hard to decide...
Overload

Stuck...
Stuck

The rest of the very fascinating photos from this set can be viewed here.

LOST: Sawyer's Nickname Supercut

Politics: Barack Obama Loves You!




BARACK OBAMA EMAILED YOUR DAD AND TOLD HIM HOW GREAT YOU ARE

(Go ahead...click on the link.  You know you want to!)

Music: Erykah Badu's Very Sound Advice

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Photos: BCAM @ LACMA 4/2008

After Boot Camp yesterday morning I was (surprisingly) able to muster up the energy to join Ilya for an afternoon exploring BCAM, the newest addition on the LACMA campus. So glad we went. There are some really stellar pieces being shown in BCAM's inaugural installation. No cameras allowed, natch. However, I was able to snap a few shots with my iPhone for your viewing pleasure. I highly recommend checking out this exhibit. Especially if we continue to have 90+ degree days here in Soul Cal. What better way to get a break from the heat than by getting out and exploring....ART!?

BCAM @ LACMA-
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Chris Burden "Urban Light"-
Chris Burden "Urban Light"
(I must get back there one of these evenings to get a shot of these all lit up at dusk!)

Jeff Koons "Tulips"-
Jeff <span class=
(I just wanted to hug them...perfect hugging shape.)

John Baldessari "Tips For Artists..."-
John <span class=
(...duly noted!)

Richard Serra's "Band"-
Richard Serra's "Band"
(I love Serra's work but my favorite, by far, is his Wave installation in Seattle's Olympic Sculpture Park.  These massive pieces are meant to be viewed outside in open space....ahem, like the Playa!)

To view a few more snaps from our BCAM adventure click here.

SIDE NOTE-ABLE: I returned home from this lovely outing with Ilya (who I was introduced to at Burning Man last year) yesterday afternoon to find a large white envelope postmarked from Seattle in my mail.  It was filled with all sorts of artistic goodies (which made me giggle like a giddy little school girl as I sorted through the contents) from yet ANOTHER friend who I met on the Playa for the first time last year!  Thanks again, J9!  You're SUPER FLY, my Playa Sister!  Love, love, love the creative treasures you sent my way!  Feeling incredibly grateful to have both of these wonderful new friends in my life. Once again, the Playa has delivered in a BIG way!