Don't Read This Blog

Okay, read it if you must, but it won't do your body any good. I came across an article today that discussed a topic very near and dear to my heart. It was about the fact that the people alive today are the first group in human history who elect to spend more time staring at screens than experiencing the things they choose to display on them.

We're lazy, and its upsetting. I love the outdoors and crave sunlight but even I have a mild internet addiction. The fact of the matter is, we don't get out as much as we used to, humanity, and we're suffering the consequences. ADHD, depression, mesothelioma (from asbestos), we're not the species we used to be. I for one can attest that the less active I am over a given stretch of time, the more sluggish I get. Some of that might even go into explaining why people are so much more apathetic than they used to be. We sit by and watch our government erode our country's reputation (I'm Canadian) because we are too depressed and lazy to do anything about it.

Sometimes I think I would love to run a business because of all the innovative experiments I could try to increase productivity (the psychologist in me is alive and well). I would only hire people who lived within walking or biking distance and offer incentives to commute using only human power. I would have mandatory staff days on local trails. I would prop the door open and force people to breath fresh air instead of stale recirculated stuff we are all so accustomed to. Then I would track productivity and see how much my interventions made a difference. I suspect the changes would be more dramatic than you think.

I have never met anyone who isn't happier after a fun day outside. Even the most nature-phobic people I know are sudden converts when I force them into a canoe or onto a trail. Once I even persuaded my friends to use one of the 2 days we spent visiting Montreal to wander around aimlessly with me instead of going shopping. The result? The best day of the trip by far. The effects soon fade and people fall back into old habits, but the love of being outside is in there, I've seen it in everyone.

Now this is the part of the post when I usually try to encourage people to get up, get out, and have fun but today I'll approach it a little differently. You are going to do whatever you want, regardless of what I say in an inconsequential blog post. Just consider that sometimes what you think you want isn't what will make you happy. Sitting inside all day may be comfortable and running around in the rain might seem like a chore, but it's hard to predict how much a charge of endorphins can help brighten your day.

Cheers,

Steve

The article that me thinking: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/29/nature-deficit-disorder/

Photo credit: http://www.wallpaper-valley.com/nature.php

The Wisdom of Jason Segel

Christopher Hitchens once said that "wit... is the unfailing symptom of intelligence." That likely explains why so many of the smartest people I have had the privilege of knowing are also the ones that can incapacitate me with laughter. It is also why when someone demonstrates an ability to make me laugh, I am inclined to listen to what they have to say on matters uncomedic.

Jason Segel has been one of my favourite actors for quite a few years. I loved his creepy roommate routine in "Knocked Up" and his care free, fun-loving character in "I Love You, Man" keeps me reaching for the DVD player when I'm feeling down. So, a few years ago, when I was working long days for an environmental company, spending 8 straight hours in a car listening to the radio, I was surprised an excited on the day that Jason Segel found his was onto the airwaves.

What he talked about on the day that I happened to be listening was not a new movie or TV project. That was probably what he was supposed to be doing, but in true good-guy fashion, he let the interview go wherever it wanted. The topic shifted to his philosophy for living a good life, and what he said has stayed with me. The Jason Segel tenets of existence are collectively referred to by their creator as "Healthtronics" and are, in their most basic form:
1) Be kind.
2) Exercise.
3) Pursue a passion with vigour.

Now sometimes in life, revelations don't come in the form of completely novel ideas. Occasionally, all it takes to make something meaningful is to have your own value system articulated clearly and concisely by someone you respect. I can't say it had never occured to me to be kind, be fit, and be passionate; but I never thought to explicitly use those three rules as guiding principles for my day to day life. As far as value systems go, they don't get much easier or more fulfilling.

Time and time again when I've felt lost or uncertain, I've gone back to these ideas and let the rest of my problems sort themselves out. It's not very often that I come across something that sticks in my mind verbatim years after I hear it. But when it happens, the idea is probably one worth sharing.

Cheers,

Steve

Original Jason Segel interview can be heard here: http://www.edge.ca/Blogs/ABlogByAdam/BlogEntry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10024472

I'm Back... With Books!

Okay, so this semester might have gotten out of hand, and I might have gotten caught up with a lot of things that didn't involve writing. For that, I apologize. However, this blog is not dead. Even as I write these words I feel a weight being lifted from my conscience and the sense of satisfaction I only get when I share some thoughts.

Over the past few months I haven't done much other than keep up with my assignments, work out, and read. I made the mistake of buying a Kobo ereader and the multitude of books that were immediately at my disposal following that purchase combined with the required reading and writing necessary not to flunk out of my program have left me with little time for anything else. Subsequently, I don't have a lot of thoughts to share. With this in mind, I've decided to default to everyone's favourite type of post... Book reviews!

I'll just briefly share my thoughts about three books that I've managed to work my way through in the past couple months.

1) The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

This book profiles the interesting case of a woman named, as you might have already guessed, Henrietta Lacks. Mrs. Lacks was diagnosed with cervical cancer in the 1950's and passed away soon after. However, her doctor used the cells he collected from her tumour to create a human cell line that has proved to be immortal. The thing is, all cancer cells are immortal. What makes this case interesting is that the cell line created from Henrietta Lacks has proliferated in labs all over the world and has been used in basically any experiment the average person can name involving human cells. They have been sent to space, blown up in atomic bombs, been used to test cancer drugs, and about a million other things.

Now you might expect that the Lacks family would be happy that Henrietta's cells have been used to help so many people in so many ways, and you would be partially right... but not entirely. The issue is that Henrietta never gave consent for her cells to be used and her family have not been given any share of the hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue that the cell line has helped to create. This book is a great expose about the rights a person has to their tissues after they have been removed from their body. The discussion spans medical ethics, law, racial equality and a host of other topics that fuse together to make one hell of an interesting read. This book had me thinking about how much I can claim to own my own body for weeks after I finished reading it.

If you have any interest in science, biography, or medical history, check this one out. You won't regret it.

2) The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks, and Giants of the Ocean by Susan Casey

I had this book recommended to me by a former colleague some time ago and since that person's past recommendation has panned out so well up to this point I decided to add it to my Christmas list. I finally got around to reading it this month and, despite not being overly interested in the topic, I have to say I really enjoyed it. The book contains a profile of the current science of wave dynamics juxtaposed with the adventures of a gang of big wave tow surfers based in Hawaii.

Knowing nothing about big wave surfing going into the book, I was surprised at how engrossing the chapters that focused on it were. I fully expected that the storeys about monster swells and hanging ten were the parts that I would need to endure to get back to the science and was shocked to find the opposite. The research presented in the book is nothing really new or surprising. There are some interesting shipwreck stories, but overall I found myself just turning paged in the hope of getting back to the life or death quest to ride the world's biggest waves. The people profiled in the book don't fit the stereotype you would imagine of surf culture. They are relatable, respectable, down to earth, and intelligent.

Read this book for the adventure, not the science. You'll be youtubeing tow surfing in no time.

3) Marley and Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog by John Grogan

Now, I know what you're thinking. Marley and Me is a Jennifer Aniston movie. Its a sappy, G-rated family movie about a dog. Its specifically engineered to make you cry. If you asked me for an opinion on this book three weeks ago I would have rolled my eyes and referred you to my mother for any informed comment... and I would have been missing out. My girlfriend and I ended up watching this on Netflix on a night when we just wanted some light-hearted movie to curl up on the couch and not get to involved with. The next night I bought the ebook and couldn't stop reading.

A word of warning, this book is exactly what you think it is and the movie even more so. At times it is corny. At times it is lame. But if you grew up with a dog, I dare you not to love it. John Grogan is a gifted storyteller who will keep you up far past your bedtime with his dog's antics. This book will chew you up, spit you out, and leave you a teary-eyed mess, but you'll want to read it again soon after. It's funny and sad and everything a book about a dog should be. I loved every page and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Of the three books outlined in this post, this was my favourite. It wasn't even close.

Anyway, glad to be back. This was fun. Enjoy the books. Talk to you soon.

Steve