Sun., Aug. 22: Rollerblading or skating or skateboarding

ALL INFO AT:
http://www.endomondo.com/event?e=tJj1VGT61Rw

Rollerblade, roller skate, or skateboard with us along Hudson River Park bike-way/skate-way (Manhattan, New York City)

We will be on bicycle/skating designated concrete trails the whole time.

We will stop upon consensus as many times at we like.

DATE: Sunday, August 22, 2010.

START TIME: 11 a.m.

END TIME: 3:00 p.m.

Start: Pier 45 at Christopher Street, Manhattan, New York City

ROUTE: Head uptown to 120th Street and then back down to Pier 45. If we have not gotten enough by then, we can go down to Battery Park City and back.

Call to join/rejoin the group if you get separated from us: 212-966-2060, cell.

I did much of this route about a while ago. With my GPS-enabled smart phone, I tracked my ride with Endomondo, and I listened to a fascinating YouTube interview at the same time. If you can do it, at least track with Endomondo. It's fun to hear the voice come in to tell you how far you've gone so far, how long the ride is estimated to take, given your mileage goal, and what your lap time average is. Lap time, I assume is the time it takes you to ride a mile.

See you there!

... Pamela R.

Sun., Aug. 15, 2010: Eleven-mile bike ride along Hudson River Parkway (bikeway)

My hope is to connect with other Spartanista Vegans in a spirit of self improvement.

In my personal life, I try to schedule time for regeneration. Nearly always, those times take place at Hudson River Park, witch includes a bike trail all along the Hudson. Discovering this place was a great day in my life. I even marked the day with an exuberant entry to my voice-recorder diary I keep (more on that later).

I love to hang out at Pier 45. Lately, I've discovered bike paths (concrete) higher up on the island's (Manhatan's) west-side bikeway.

Two hi-tech gadgets/programs have come into my life recently: One, a Blackberry smart phone; Two, Endomondo.com. The first allows me to listen to TalkingStickTV.com on YouTube while I'm out at about (riding my bike). The second allows me to plot my bike rides and even schedule events with which others can join me.

I just scheduled my first event at:
http://www.endomondo.com/event?e=tfn32ZXRyNQ

TITLE:
Cycling along Hudson River Park—Aug 15, 2010 | 11:00 AM | 11.61 miles

DESCRIPTION:
Easy biking along Hudson River Park, from the Staten Island Ferry to George Washington Bridge.

We will be on bicycle-designated concrete trails practically the whole time.

We will stop upon consensus as many times at we like.

DATE: Sunday, August 15, 2010.

START TIME: 11 a.m.

END TIME: 5:00 p.m.

MEET AT: Staten Island Ferry entrance, Lower Manhattan

Call join/rejoin the group if you get separated from us: 212-966-2060, cell.

I did much of this route on Monday evening (Aug. 9, 2010). I tracked my ride with Endomondo, and I listened to a fascinating YouTube interview at the same time. If you can do it, at least track your ride with Endomondo. You'll need a smart phone (w/GPS) for that... It's fun to hear the voice come in to tell you (1) how far you've gone so far, (2) how long the ride is estimated to take (given your mileage goal), and (3) what your lap time average is. (Lap time, I assume is the time it takes you to ride a mile.)

... Pamela R.

Down with addictions

What is an addiction? Gabor Mate (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-APGWvYupU) defines addiction as something that causes a person harm for which that person has a compulsion to continue doing even though he or she knows it causes harm. A victim of an addition has almost no control over it and usually needs help from an outside source to overcome it. Mate says it is something that gives a person temporary solace or alleviates stress. People have propensities for addictions, Mate notes, to varying degrees. These propensities get their impetus from abuse and insecurities experienced early in life. It's been proven that those who are victims of sexual, mental, or violent abuse in infancy and/or childhood are the most at risk of addictions later in life. But many people who who never experience these more blatant assaults, can still have propensities for addictions. Gabor Mate attributes these to the very makeup of modern society. He blames the nuclear family that is incapable of giving us, one and all, adequately nurturing environments in which to grow. Children need elders in their midst, many elders. Young persons need constant direction, sanctions, admonishment, interaction and intervention from adults. A two-parent household doesn't cut it; it isn't enough of what a child needs, Mate posits. Today, children are more likely to be motivated by the immature pressures from peers, sending the general message all around of insecurity and stress—again, a non-nurturing environment to be raise within.

I am paraphrasing and generalizing. I suggest people read Gabor Mate's books, which can easily be found with a Google search.

Everyone needs to ferret out their addictions. Even a person raised under the best of circumstances (or seemingly so) where abuse was absent; addictions can result.

Ultimately, once we start understanding the causes of our addictions, we can perhaps circumvent them. We are, each of us, the masters of our own fate.

Start with a plan: First, admit to your addictions, then connect to other fellow Spartanista Vegans, then go for the hard work. We have a goal here. We have a cause. We have motivation. It's a start.

Our higher power is a great cause, that is, to take down the forces that are wrecking our world.

Let's get started.