Joe and I are at the beach with my family. I’m looking forward to a week of sun and relaxation. I brought a big stack of books with me, so hopefully there will be a lot of reading as well.
what I’m reading: the one-hour activist
Generally, I have an aversion to anything that sounds like a quick fix. If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is. (And don’t even get me started on The 4-Hour Workweek.) Which is why I was a little skeptical of The One-Hour Activist.
But I have to say this is a really useful book. It outlines a series of actions you can take to advance causes that are important to you.
Verdict: This should be required reading for every high school civics class and for anyone who wants to take a more active role in government.
organizing, part 2
Physical organizing gives way to virtual organizing. My desktop before (above) and after.
organizing
I often have a hard time easing my guilt about taking a weekend off from the studio. So I make deals with myself. Yesterday, it was “you don’t have to work in the studio if you clean-out and organize your closet.”
500 miles!
Today I logged my 500th mile on Nike+. Even though that’s only a fraction of the miles I’ve run in my life, its pretty cool to have an official record of logging 500 miles.
The problem with running so much is that you tend to go through shoes a lot. (You need to replace your running shoes at least every six months.) I’ve got a closet full of shoes that I need to do something with. Which is why I was happy to find RecycledRunners.com. The site helps you find places for donating or recycling your used running shoes.
what I’m reading: asphalt nation
If you read Asphalt Nation at roughly the same time you’re listening to The Omnivore’s Dilemma, you may start to think that American is doomed. Asphalt Nation looks at all the ways the car is ruining America, the historical precedents for favoring the car over other modes of transportation, and some suggested solutions.
The other thing that happens when reading any book while listening to The Omnivore’s Dilemma is that you start to compare the two. And Jane Holtz Kay is no Michael Pollan. While the information is good (and sometimes scary) the delivery is a little bit dry. Plus, the book is a little dated at this point. (It was published in 1998.)
Honestly, I agree with everything Kay says. I think we need to take steps as a society to become less car centered. I also agree that its going to be a long, slow battle that we can never completely win but should keep fighting anyway. But at this point, the solutions aren’t anything new (walk more, bike more, expand mass transit, etc.) and the overall story could be told in a much more interesting way.
Verdict: Most of the information and statistics can be gleaned from bike and walking advocacy websites. Hold off until Michael Pollan decides to dabble in the car-free lifestyle. (A Natural History of Four Modes of Transportation, anyone?)
countdown to the beach
Next week, Joe and I are heading to Ocean City, MD for a week at the beach with my family. And to prepare for our beach trip, I practiced by riding my bike to the post office today wearing flip flops. (Because flip flop bike riding is a key beach-going skill.)
walk score
Another cool find from Ode Magazine, Walk Score analyzes how walkable your neighborhood is by measuring distances to nearby amenities. Its not exactly accurate however, since it doesn’t take into consideration things like sidewalks and street widths. (Which the site fully admits.)
My neighborhood got a sad 45 out of 100, while my parents’ beach house in Ocean City, MD scored only slightly higher with a 52 out of 100. Yet, I know from experience that Ocean City is much more walkable than where I live now. (Considering that Ocean City actually has things like sidewalks.)
Still, its a pretty cool little tool.
spiritual capitalism
I just read this article from Ode Magazine called “The gospel according to Adam Smith.” The article focuses on spiritual capitalism – the idea that doing good can be synonymous with making money.
I was immediately reminded of a company I came across the other day – Kind Bike. I loved Kind’s mission statement so much that I wish I could steal it for my own:
“We believe the triple bottom line – people, planet and profits – should be at the core of every company’s value system.
We believe that any product should have value beyond mere possession.
We believe that simple and easy should translate into every aspect in which a company is involved.”
The article also mentions a book called Business and the Buddha: Doing Well by Doing Good. This is definitely going on my must read list.
(Thanks to Christina from Taboo Studio for introducing me to Ode!)
remember me?
Even though I have, um, zero, experience with advertising, I still feel compelled to critique just about every ad I see. I think the bicycle industry (both manufacturers and advocacy organizations) is missing a key opportunity to promote themselves right now. Can you think of a time in recent memory when Americans’ have been more receptive to cycling? Yet I haven’t really seen an increase in advertising for cycling.
Then I saw this ad campaign on Bikes Belong‘s website. (I haven’t seen it anywhere besides their website.) The campaign relies on the idea of nostalgia to encourage people to return to their bikes.
Now, if you ask me, nostalgia is not the reason cycling is on the rise. There are a number of reasons people are interested in cycling – rising gas prices, reducing carbon emissions, combating obesity. I don’t think nostalgia falls high on the list.
I’d love to see more people bicycling, especially as transportation. Hopefully the bicycling industry will create some more compelling ads. Or perhaps I’ll have to make some grass routes ads myself…
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