A Perspective on War

I have a lot to say on this topic but will keep this posting brief since I want to pictures to speak for themselves. A while back I came across a slideshow of picture of the devastation of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The pictures are outrageous and incredibly disturbing. It is hard for me to view these images and read the stories of the countless lives destroyed by this one action and feel it was worth it. Of course I was not alive at that time and others who were have very different thoughts on the decision to drop the bomb, but you can't look at these images and not be moved and ask why...

We live in a time where war is constant. My own country is fighting three significant wars at this time and don't look like stopping any time soon. I can't help but ask if there is any other way to solve problems. The crazy thing is that people say that peace will come when the war is over and those who we are fighting are out of power...

It doesn't make sense to fight and kill in order to create peace. Being peaceful creates peace. Direct action in non-violent ways creates peace. These images are why I pray for peace and hope no government chooses to destroy like this ever again.

For more info on the pictures visit the following websites:

International Center of Photography & The New York Times

Whew! ... Lots new to report...

So, it has been, literally, forever since I last posted (ignore the irony)... A few things have changed:

• I lost my job at the shelter and have been a landscaper/excavator in order to pay rent
• I had a brand new laptop stolen from my house just after being shipped to me
• My girlfriend and I have decided to move back to Portland to be closer to my family and for me to find a new job asap
• So, hence, we are leaving LA, which is definitely my second home and a city I love dearly (great weather all the time, incredible diversity, fun eateries and neighborhoods I've found and grown to love)

All of this has been happening in the last couple of weeks and I'm still in recovery mode from it all, but plodding ahead and making key decisions for the future. If you are a praying-type, please pray for us as we figure all this out and for my job situation in Portland.

*More to come soon (I promise)...I have lots to say lately!

Gotta Watch this Video!

Why I love riding my bike

So, I am a bike junkie. I love riding my bike. I especially love the simplicity of riding a single speed road bike with only a front brake. I am very aware that one of the significant factors to why I love riding my bike is the fact that I live in sunny Southern California where the weather is significantly more pleasant than most other locations in the U.S. (including my native Oregon). One drawback of living here is the very "un-friendly toward bikers" culture here in LA. I couldn't even count the number of times I have been brushed by passing cars, honked at for riding on the road (many drivers don't understand that it is illegal for bikers to ride on the sidewalks), slammed through enormous potholes that slowly break down my wheels and joints, and directly hit by a non-observant driver (actually I can count that this only happened once - thank God!). So, not all is perfect in the happy biking world I live in.

I am in a position that I don't have to own a car because I choose to ride my bike and take public transportation. This is true even though I could cut my commute in half by driving and not have to endure the above-mentioned discomforts. I am a huge proponent for the investing in and using public transportation. There are many factors to this. I believe in better access and transportation for those who can't afford to own a car, I believe in lessening our negative impact on the environment by using forms of mass transportation and biking, I believe in the positive impact of commuting with the diverse group of people that ride public transportation, and, finally, I believe in the physical well-being that biking regularly brings to the individual.

Believe me, I'm not an anti-car person. I would really love to have a car for those longer trips, but I'm able to make due with what I have currently. I write this not to push my interest and passion on others, but to promote thought or conversation by those who dismiss other forms of transportation other than driving as ridiculous and impractical. I encourage others to use these forms of transportation if they are available instead of driving. It might be scary or uncomfortable at first, but believe me it gets better and you become very thankful for the availability. Keep this in mind the next time you travel in the city and encourage your kids and friends to try it out.