The other guy who lives inside my skin suit is the one who does the long, kilometer after kilometer treks through foreign territory, sometimes hanging out on that little slab of plastic and newfangled chemicals suspended over my bike by two small rails.  That guy does not like the saddle.

I have found, that for me, and this is so subjective as to be near pointless, we all have different bodies, booties, ways of being, etc., all of this in mind, the seat rocks for short distances, for me this is 30k max.  Anything over and I get some serious booty pains, along with some numbness in the future Chris Bornstein making area which is never cool in my book.

Aesthetically the seat is ninja in the first degree, very smooth and technical lines.  The shock absorption is fantastic, anything that allows me to rip through the cobble stone streets of Puerto Vallarta is golden.

There you have it, rad seat for me if I am being ninja under 30k, over that and it simply causes me too much discomfort.

Thanks for being RAD Ergon!

The lens rotates to accommodate the various mounting options.

Water resistant to around 3 feet or 1 meter.

Remarkably shock proof, again, I am forced to look long and hard in the mirror as many of my impromptu tests for the shock-proof-ability of this camera came from my poor adherence to mounting procedure and policy.

so, pretty sweet camera.

Looks really cool.

I would definitely get the waterproof case, I don’t have it and wish I did for the overall protection afforded inherently.  Adds 59 more meters to the already built in 1 meter of waterproofness.  Waterproofosity, which I have also tested numerous times.

I have had some trouble for me, it’s not all been roses and glory days, and please of course keep in mind that I am an amateur camera person and even more amateur at recording with super stealth ninja cameras such as these.  Actually, amatuer brings to mind someone who has put in some length of time to the point that many of the roles and if not skils, but potentials of what is possible is known, so, in light of this, I wold be more aptly described a beginner, or newbie.  At any rate my trouble comes in the form of poor audio.

I also constantly search for almost like looking for the ghost in the machine is the ability to simply take a single shot, adding quickly that with the STORYTELLER APP available for free through the Contour website, you can edit out still frame shots with surprisingly good results.

Lack of enviro-type ideas going on is a bummer, but other than that, this is the camera that James Bond would use on a weekend outing=]

For making this wonderfully eye opening and super mega ultra rad video!

Stevecutts.com :]

This is a book I just finished, as this spans a couple of days, I finished it a few days ago.  Below are quotes from the book that hit me like a bucket of cold water to the face while in a deep sleep….

“THEY REMAIN SLAVES BECAUSE THEY CANT SEE WHAT IS BEAUTIFUL IN THE WORLD.” 

This wasn’t capitalized in the book….. but I felt it needs to be blasted out.

“Free people don’t know the value of freedom, that’s the problem.”

Now as for what the book is actually about, I have no recollection at all, not in the slightest.  I only know that it was one of those books, that for me, would be considered profound.

O.K., I admit, I read another review to help, ah, jog my memory.  This book was ninja to be sure, of course dont take my word for it, It won the 40th ever Manbooker award and it was Mr. Adiga’s debut novel!

Siddhartha by Herman Hesse

“I was looking for the key for years, but the door was always open” 

This is another RAD, super rad book which, thanks be, was gifted to me by a wonderful man from Germany, Lorenz W.  Thanks Lorenz!  It is about a boy who journeys to become a sage, that isn’t even right, he journeys far beyond what we understand, he journeys to the sublime and it is written in such a way that no matter where your reading skill level or level of spirituality, you will notice immediately 2 things.  The book is finished almost as soon as you began, and upon realizing it’s done, you understand so much of what you never even thought before.

I Am by Howard Falco

I had the distinct pleasure of speaking with this gentleman on the phone and to this day I am unsure how we came into each others orbit, and yet, I guess I do know.  This book is fantastically written especially for those of us who view things as a logic journey vice the more guttural, at least this is my view.  he, Mr. Falco, somehow managed to write down the processes that most if not all of us go through to figure things out, the pitfalls, ego traps, the signs of coming out into better understanding, he’s got it all!

The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

This is o e of the first books that I found myself listening to again and again and again.  So, at least you now know I am speaking of an audiobook.  The book is read by a member of the Toltec community, or at least that’s what the download I got said, and I would believe it as the voice had such a wonderful effect on me.

The book is fairly simple in that it takes what you already know and then puts it back together in a way that you would most likely have trouble doing on your own.  The finished result is magic pure and simple.

The essence of said magic can be summed up in the following from the book:

A Still Forest Pool by Ajahn Chah

FREE talks and learning materials HERE!

Ajahn Cha is one of the members of a discipline of Buddhism which seems to be thought of as Forest Monks, and I am a bit out of my league here, so if you have definitive knowledge about this, please enlighten me as well.  I do not know of discipline is actually the correct term, but, it is as it is, monks who live in the forest.  Conversely, you can also click on the above link and be taken to a website devoted totally to him and learn, which I guess I could have done as well, but, I’ve wasted enough of your time with my confusion, so perhaps you can save yourself…=]

I have read many books by Buddhist monks and thoroughly enjoy them all, this was in a period of time in Hawaii where the only things I would read were Ian Flemming James Bond novels and books by Monks on how to be at peace with yourself and the world.

I guess I was subconsciously seeking balance….

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Many of you by now have more than likely at least heard of this book and the author, who was taken hostage and tortured at one point, which is always a very heavy thing to have happen to oneself.

The story is of a young man who goes in search of that something, and at the risk of ruining one of the most masterfully crafted books I have read in my life, I will say no more.  Simply know this is an easy book to read, is thoroughly engrossing and is one of the very few page turners I have found in my life.

Not so easy to plant, trees take ten years to grow… BUT, they are super cheap to buy, either in the actual pod form which are fun to pull apart or the pre-separated tamarind pulp.  Taste is nice and sweet, but not overly sweet, loaded with vitamins and nutrients, considered medicinal.

Great with lime juice and some cayenne.  This is one of the primary ingredients for the sauce in Pad Thai!

Quinoa -

Grows like a weed, seriously, it grows so easily, try some in your backyard, you cold be pleasantly surprised!  Young plants, from 2 to 8 inches can be used whole in smoothies as a super food.

As they get larger, use the leaves and compost the stem, once they start to seed, all the ninja vibe has gone to that part of the plant so wait till they are ready to harvest and eat.

Once harvested, clean them, or buy store bought and then cook as you would rice, but they take about half the time!

Considered a complete protein, meaning it has all the necessary amino acids, alkaline, no one really has an allergy to it that I know of, chap to buy and again, easy to grow!

Amaranth -

Again, grows like a weed, young plants, from 2 to 8 inches can be used in smoothies as a super food.  as they get larger, use the leaves in salads or as a steamed dish which tastes great with a little tamari/soy/braggs and pepper, or whatever you would normally season your steamed veggies with, once they start to seed, all the ninja vibe has gone to that part of the plant so wait till they are ready to harvest and eat.

The seeds can most effectively be eaten by popping them.  They will resemble tiny popcorns but are spheres.  hey have little to no taste and can therefore be added to ANYTHING you wish to supercharge with vitamins, minerals and protein.

Allow your skillet to get very hot, add a few hand fulls of seeds, they will be tiny, cover and check often.  Add to anything.  Depending on the country, you can buy pre-popped amaranth extremely inexpensively.

I have been biking for some time now and am happy to say that I finally came up with my top Veqan/Vegetarian/Plant Based eateries list, don’t know what took me so long actually.  At any rate, know that I am the type who would rather cook for myself as I am EXTREMELY picky about not only what I eat, but how it is prepared, the portions I get ( I tend to be an “eater”), the service, I am, while on the outside a decent enough guy, internally I will speak to every last little nuance about my meal, which is why this list is so golden for any of you in the areas where the restaurants reside!

The Number One spot is currently and I am thinking will be forever inhabited by a wonderful place called:

Mary’s Secret Garden

website here!

Ventura, California

The food they serve is so meticulously prepared and so well done, the ingredients, I am at a loss for what to speak to first, so I’ll tell you a story…

I went there a total of a few times in the short while that I stayed in Ventura.  On the final time that I went, I was a bit tipsy and ordered the “chicken” sandwich.  Now, I had at some point forgotten I was in a vegan eatery, i.e., you can not order anything that isn’t vegan, it simply isn’t there.  My sandwich came and I began to eat with gusto as the taste was so wonderful, what could I do?!?

At some point I stopped and looked at what I was eaten and a cold dread crept through my veins, my god I thought, did they make a mistake and accidentally give me a real chicken fillet!?!

I immediately called over my wonderful waitress, who I think was the owner and quickly asked her if there was any chance they’d given me a real chicken and not my vegan sandwich.

She laughed and assured me that it was quite impossible and she was glad I was enjoying my meal.

Raw foods, wonderful salads, foods that mimic meat fares, great fries and a wonderful assortment of smoothies, drinks and teas are just what the doctor ordered.  Prices for what you get are rad – 8-10 dollars and you leave feeling glorious!

No. 2 – Evolution Fast Food 

website here!

San Diego, California

What a place!  Vegan fast food with options for raw main meals and deserts, even the soft serve ice cream is raw or regular!

So, to give you the best idea of what we have to offer, here is what I usually order each time I go, and yes, I share this with whomever is with me, please don’t think me a glutton, big eater, yes, glutton, not so much, unless I get into the pakalolo, then it can be dangerous=]

So, I get the swiss mushroom burger with guacamole and a side of bacon, large order of spicy chicken tenders, sweet potato and regular fries mixed with soft serve ice cream for desert.  This in one of the few places that I even bother with a desert.  I have become quite picky about my sugar intake and quality of what you get, not to mention, some of these vegan eateries give you a 7 dollar sliver of something or other and look at you like they did something great.

Not here -  They use great ingredients and give you enough that you don’t feel confused about what just happened.

In addition to what I ordered, there are a variety of burgers to choose from, different patties available, different fries, drinks, salads, super food creations, smoothies, free wi-fi and some pretty cool art=]

No. 3 – Loving Hut

website here!

San Diego California

What a concept and idea!  Started by Supreme Master Ching Hai, this has grown to a chain of restaurants [most major US and international cities] that not only promote a plant based lifestyle, but also the effects of mental focus on one’s life.  The food is incredible and varied, with a definite Asian influence.  Very inexpensive and wonderfully food with great service!

No. 4 – 105 Degrees by Matthew Kenney

website here!

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

This is the spot, one of the reasons that it is not at number one is due to the cost and the location.  While I do love my Oklahomies, I’m just not a fan of the cold and large flat desolate spots…

The food was impeccable, this is a raw eatery, hence the 105 degrees, food taken above this temperature, say to 110, you are now slowly killing off the important digestive enzymes and other nutrients in the food.  This is a “bad” thing as then your body has to create the enzymes for digestion and that is a whole ‘nother story.

So, what did I have….  I wish I would have started this sooner… I had lasagna, a salad, forgot which appetizer[s], tea and I think a beer, I was drinking at the time, it has been an on and off thing throughout this journey depending on the whims of my health and thoughts at the time, for now it is once again off and will remain so for the foreseeable future as I decided to go lush free for a year just because of the vast amounts of alcohol I drank while making wine and beer in Ensenada with my former partner on this ride!

Of this place I cold say the usual, you know, how the staff was superb, how very posh the place looked, how meticulous the kitchen was – an open view kitchen at that, but what really matters is this.  After taking all this time write this for you, after all the places I have eaten at, this stands out some 2 years later.  That’s my review=]

No. 5 Karma Kitchen

website here!

San Francisco, Califronia

What an amazing story this is.  I had the wonderful pleasure of being able to go to a Wednesday meditation put on by the founder and originator of the group Charity Focus which is now operating and expanding at a fantastic rate under the new name of Service Space – website here!

Karma Kitchen is now spreading across the globe and has many restaurants adopting this style of eating, you see, when you dine there, there are no prices on the menu, the food is ridiculously fantastic and at the end, you pay what you can.  This money then goes towards the next person who comes to dine.

They have never operated in the red, always in the black, meaning, always at a surplus of money, which means we are good people when it comes to it aren’t we!

I am honored to have met Nipun and all his friends and family.  I hope with my new outlook on things, I will be able to not only help out, but help to grow this network and organization as it is truly one of the most profound and honest organizations I have found to date!

Oh, and did I mention that the food is excellent?

=]

Enjoy with Aloha!

The book is read with a cast of characters including the author M.r Brooks himself, Alana Alda, Henry Rollins [BLACK FLAG!] and of course – Luke Skywalker [Mark Hammil] and others who do a positively stunning performance.  Further, the book they are reading is absolutely wonderful.

Not only is it written well and from an original and unique view point, BUT, it has so many allusions to the world that we currently live in, so very man comments on our society, so cunningly woven in to the take that it is an absolute delight to read.

Lastlty, we are reading from the after math of the Zombie war, and it appears that we have done O.K., which, is always a great way to end something if I am reading it, or in this case, having it read to me.

Aloha!

I wanted nothing more than to be like him and do my own version of saving the world, which is why I struck out from the paradise I found myself living in to do so.

I no longer kick myself for leaving Hawaii, I used to do this often and would really beat myself up about it… it was a paradise found, and yet, it is one amongst many, there are many places of beauty in the world and until it is firmly rooted within me, there is no point in forcing myself to a place because it mimics what I wished myself to be.

The only thing is, I did it all wrong.  I came out of the gate full of hubris and big ideas with little to back them up other than a vast amount of internal fire and some basic notions.  I was trying to be “somebody”, rather than just being me….

I hadn’t yet learned how things work in the world, even though I have spent so many years figuring out all the things I did and didn’t want to do for my own life personally, learning about all the industries and their effects on the planet, how to grow seeds to plants and how to heal people, I learned so much except for how it all fits together on a scale that doesn’t need to include me as it’s center.

In the process of doing this I have done nothing but frustrate and confuse myself while slowly draining my bank account.  How much money and time I spent trying to move mountains never once even thinking to ask, does anyone want this mountain moved, and even if they do, is where I am moving it to where it is wanted?

So what now?  Well, I for sure want to ride my bike around the world, that goes without saying as it is one of the funnest things I have done to date and really don’t want to be doing anything else, except of course if an opportunity to sail comes along, that would be rad as well as is now going to b a part of my ride.  As are trains, car rides, flying carpets, maybe a lift from Pegasus and who knows what else.  I want to be back on an adventure, that’s what I had when I left home, in the process of crossing the states and coming down into Mexico it has turned into a non stop battle for me, and why should it be so?

Back to Magic.

Now it is time to simply enjoy the ride and where life takes me.  If I get the chance to do “good things” for people, of course I am the first in line and will shed my blood to do so.

I simply will no longer be trying to “make things happen”.  I’m just not that guy it turns out.  I’ll leave that to the movers and shakers.

I don’t want to be saddled with the thought that I must do a certain thing or act in a certain way when it isn’t really the case anyway, it’s just another way to bang my head against the wall.

For those who have been following with me from the beginning, muchas gracias, for you I guess the only change will be a much happier ninja on patrol, less frantic and upset always trying to DO stuff.  After all, it isn’t my job to save the world, it’s yours, and I am happy to be help out=]

Because we are what we eat.

Seeds matter more than you currently realize, and someday, if YOU allow all the food to become GMO, then and only then will you truly understand.

In the meantime, for those of you who are into food and into perpetuating your own food supply, here is an extremely simple method for cleaning seed.

Seed needs to be cleaned so that it remains unspoilt and doesn’t rot.

Please enjoy the video below which was filmed with Mr. Gabriel Howearth formerly of Seeds of Change and master botanist and guy who drives me a bit mad =]