The weather channel predicted rain, and rain it did. I woke up in my hotel room, took a shower, blowdried my hair and then looked out the window… it was pouring. Another stop was instantly added to the itinerary- I must get a rain coat, or a poncho, or an umbrella, or even a large-sized trash bag. SOMETHING that would keep me from being miserable in the rain. Unfortunately, everyone else had the same idea.
I went to Ross, the security guard laughed at me when I asked if they had any raincoats left. He informed me that over 150 people had asked him that same question within the last hour. Then to Target, no luck. Then to some sort of fashion discount store, no luck. Then I did what I should have done all along- Walmart.
I got my umbrella, a hat AND a hoodie for extra measure. I was prepared! The music festival was wet… that’s the best adjective I can think of for it… but not the only one.
The Austin City Limits Music Festival was also packed with amazing musicians such as Flogging Molly, Citizen Cope, Mos Def, K’naan, the list goes on and on.
The music was amazing, but I cannot lie, the amount of shivering and THO left me running to the exit after only about 5 hours. I was cold. I was wet… but I was impressed.
The lead singer walked up to the microphone with a Guinness in hand. “Guinnes is a good breakfast.” Keep in mind this was at 4:00 PM… I should have brought him some cereal and some 8th Continent Soymilk. J But what do you expect from an Irish Punk band- love them!!!
And Mos Def- with all of his worldly inspirations hit the stage and banged on the drums and impressed me as he always has. He has been on the music scene for a long time, and he has only gotten better.
ACL Music Festival was AMAZING! Next stop is the Texas State Fair. First, I am stopping at a Kroger’s to pick up some snacking for the road. I have had a recent addiction to Bare Naked Granola.
If you aren’t hanging out with me on my tour yet- make sure you do!
sustainable |səˈstānəbəl|
adjective
able to be maintained at a certain rate or level : sustainable fusion reactions.
• Ecology (esp. of development, exploitation, or agriculture) conserving an ecological balance by avoiding depletion of natural resources.
• able to be upheld or defended : sustainable definitions of good educational practice.
This is all I knew about sustainability before my visit to Arizona State University. When I had arrived, I thought sustainability and “going green” were synonymous. Turns out there is a whole new term for the surge of companies “going green”: Green Washing. Anyone can really claim to “go green”, you don’t get certified in it, and most of it is a PR- lion through a fiery hoop act- to make consumers spit out ooh’s and ahh’s.
Sustainability seems, for lack of a better word, more pure than that. So when I sat down with Bonnie, the Director of Sustainable Business Practices at ASU, I asked: what exactly is sustainability?
There are many ways to define it, some are more correct than others… but here are a few that might help you understand:
“Sustainability is eating food your great grandparents would recognize.”
“Sustainability is living like tomorrow matters… and the next day.”
“Sustainability is focusing on your actions, and realizing the impact they make on your environment, the economy and the community.”
The most cohesive definition I have found however goes a little something like this:
“Sustainability is related to the quality of life in a community — whether the economic, social and environmental systems that make up the community are providing a healthy, productive, meaningful life for all community residents, present and future.”
ASU is home to this nation’s first School of Sustainability, and they are proud of it! And on top of that- they should be! Not only is ASU one of the nation’s top green universities, but you can tell the faculty and the students are committed to a vision of full sustainability, and making that vision come true.
But as Bonnie said: “It’s not easy, it’s very difficult. We have come a long way, but we most certainly still have a long way to go. Oil tankers don’t just turn on a dime. But once we get there, the impact will be immense.”
An awesome organization they have at ASU is called Campus Harvest. There are plants all over the campus that produce edible food. A couple of years ago, the lemons, oranges, dates, bananas, etc. would fall to the ground and be hauled off to the landfill. Campus Harvest however, allows students to volunteer their time to go out and pick that produce. These natural, local, edible treats are then used by the eateries on campus to make food for the students! I had the pleasure of eating at Engrained where I met with several sustainability evangelists, including Katrina, the Sustainability Manager of Engrained. Try the quinoa burger- veggie and delish!
Besides the delicious food, the students, faculty and staff at ASU are focused on changing not just their community, but the world. They work on such things like turning algae into biodiesel fuel, and finding new ways to create clean water in third world countries, and ways to achieve conservation in a social context. I’ve met and seen lots of people who care, but here you can find people taking action and trying to solve. That was what was so unique about this establishment.
I know what you’re all thinking: But how can I make a difference???
Think about it… if each one of you just adjusted a little, it would make a huge impact. Here are some tips:
carpool, reusable grocery bags, shut down your computer when not in use, recycle, drive at or a little below the speed limit, do only full loads of laundry, go organic, buy local, bike, walk, skate board, carry a refillable water bottle, buy reusable ink cartridges…
I was told the best thing you can do is to choose a habit, just one habit, and learn everything you can about it. Where does it come from? What happens afterward? What is the environmental impact? And then take that habit and see if you can reduce, or stop it all together. It’s not easy, but if each person cared just a little bit more, and got just a little bit more educated, and became just a little bit more tolerant- I guarantee the world will be a better place today, tomorrow, and the next…
Video from ASU:
http://www.asu.edu/
http://schoolofsustainability.asu.edu/
Great Twitter resource! http://twitter.com/ASUgreen
I want to send out a very special thank you to Vanessa, Colin, Bonny, Rob and Karen at ASU! You made me feel so welcomed and opened up a new world of knowledge.
OK everyone! If you aren’t following along with me yet on my 8th Continent Soymilk Taste of Life Tour- well, DO IT! Just DO IT!
I got to jog along your pirate ships while listening to golden age hip hop. You have claimed parts of my shoulders with San Diego freckles. Your food was fantastic, and your community was happy. Is it the sun? Is it the scenery? Is it the two absolutely fantastic campuses located within your city that any student would be honored to attend? I’m gonna say the last option definitely has something to do with it!
UCSD was bustling! I mean, I dodged bikes, handed out a ton of coupons and ended up having several conversations. Everyone is ready to act, ready to learn, and ready to interact! First thing I did was go to The Price Center to buy some headache medicine… (yeah, sometimes they happen) and was amazed at seeing the tornado of people function. Outside there were chairs everywhere where students ate their food from one of the many eateries located around them in a circle. There was the convenient store, with a line that circled the entire store, but only took about 3 minutes to check out. (Now that’s an efficient program!)
And then you entered the eye of the tornado- the study rooms. There were entire buildings with laptops that looked like Apple stores. Clean, chic, modern… I wanted a bedroom like this! You could just see the concentration in the students’ eyes!
Next stop, was SDSU. Talk about an amazing campus! It was truly amazing though to see the attitude change in the students form one campus to another in the same exact city. I tried to pass out coupons, but the majority of people were either too shy to take it, or had blaring headphones that made them not even turn their heads. However, it is first week of classes… I believe a vast majority of them are still working out some Freshman jitters.
Anyway, the campus looked like a spa retreat. The main corridor was lined with luscious tropical plants and fountains. When you went down a set of stairs, you saw the entire wall covered in an amazing mural.
It made me wonder- why weren’t more people smiling? Or skipping? Or laughing? I give it a week or so for them to look around, see what they have, and all of a sudden it will hit them:
“Holy Crap! I should be smiling like I am trying to show off my canine teeth! I am very fortunate.”
Tis a matter of time! hehe… if you aren’t keeping me company already on my tour- well, then what the hell is wrong with you?!?
Every year, San Diego gets together and appreciates the amazing art that is film. This year was no exception!
The films I was fortunate enough to see:
Wyland’s Earth Day
One Water
A collection of San Diego Shorts- Including Love in Bulk
Houston We Have a Problem
*Wyland’s Earth Day*
I started my adventure with Wyland’s Earth Day. The short film was about the artist and environmentalist Wyland, who took on the challenge of painting a 2.8 acre roof in one day: on Earth day. The Earth Day tribute was titled, “Earth: The Blue Planet.”, atop the Long Beach Arena. It was truly inspiring to see the dedication of a man creating art for a cause- with the help of a few friends. The best part though? Wyland himself was there for Q&A. As I waited in line to purchase his newest book, “Wyland: 100 Whaling Walls”, he approached me, noticed my wrist tattoo and continued to show me his octopus tattoo on his forearm. He chatted with everyone that was interested, complete with hugs, smiles, and pictures.
Not only does he make amazing art, but you can check out the non-profit organization dedicated to promoting, protecting, and preserving the world’s ocean, waterways, and marine life. The Wyland Foundation encourages environmental awareness through education programs, public arts projects, and community events.
Learn more about this amazing art (and cause!) by going to: http://wyland.com/
*One Water*
The next film was about the importance and preciousness of water throughout the world. Living in the United States, it is difficult not to take our easily-accessible resources for granted. Where does water come from? The faucet right? Well in this film you see a man leading a donkey to the ice capped mountains to break blocks of ice, tediously wrap them with foliage to conserve the cold, and carefully lead the donkey, and the precious ice back down the mountains. The ice then transfers to the man’s back who lugs the ice blocks to the rest of the town. He gets his minuscule pay, and starts the process over again.
Then you see eight year old girls in India learning how to carry bowls and pots on their heads for miles to provide the only water source their family has.
One Water was truly an eye-opening film. I have always done the normal things that seem to be common sense: turn the water off when brushing your teeth, don’t shower an entire reality TV show’s episode worth, make sure your faucet isn’t dripping, etc. etc. But isn’t there something more we could do?
To read more about this go to:
http://www.onewaterthemovie.org/
*Love in Bulk*
This has to be one of my favorite shorts I got to see! VERY CUTE! Check out the trailer below:
I can just picture it now:
New film: Love in Lean!!!!
A timid vegetarian woman is shopping one day at a Ralph’s or Kroger’s and she reaches for the 8th Continent Complete Soymilk. His hand brushes hers while he reaches for the 8th Continent chocolate soymilk. After a quick glance into each other’s eyes, hers go straight to her Birkenstocks as she blushes. He starts to whisper how firm his tofu is… they pick out a bowflex together, and leave together with visions of broccoli and Boca Burgers dancing int heir heads… love? lust? let’s just call it perfection.
(Perfect reason why I write blog posts, not make films… hehe)
*Houston We Have a Problem*
Houston We Have a Problem affected me the most. The film is about America’s addiction to foreign oil and our desperate need to find renewable energy sources that we can depend on within the US. But it is not the typical anti-oil/anti-import film that you may imagine. The majority of the film is told from the point of view of CEOs, presidents, and former CEOs of these supposedly big bad oil companies. It tells the history of the oil companies, what has happened in the past with oil crises, and how history could repeat itself in the future. Despite the controversy, even the top dogs at the oil companies concur that finding renewable energy sources is a vital necessity of the future of America.
What do you think?
To find out more about the film, visit:
http://houstonwehaveaproblemfilm.com/
Until then we all know gas is expensive. Right now 8th Continent is giving away $100 gas card. All you have to do is go to:
http://www.8thcontinent.com/taste-of-life-tour
And enter the secret code:
8CT8STELIFE
The San Diego Film Festival has been one of my favorite stops so far!!! I met some amazing people, found out about some awesome causes and learned a tremendous amount about things I think we should be teaching everyone!
Next stop: UC San Diego and San Diego State!
Keep me company on all of my journeys if you aren’t already! http:/facebook.com/8thlopez
When UCLA opened, it had four buildings, it now has 163 buildings across 419 acres in the Western part of Los Angeles… now that’s a huge campus! The campus includes sculpture gardens, fountains, museums, and a mix of architectural styles… and is stunningly beautiful. You can see the pride and tradition as you walk around the campus, seeing just as many students with UCLA shirts and jerseys as you do blond hair Cali babes.
UCLA is known for their football and their basketball team: The Bruins! They have a known rivalry with USC. USC is generally perceived as the dominant football team, while UCLA tends to succeed in basketball. Needless to say, UCLA students are proud.
UCLA students have a number of traditions including the “Midnight Yell”. “Midnight Yell” is during finals week and is a tradition where every night at midnight (starting on Sunday), students go outside and yell as loudly as possible for one minute. And they need the stress release! UCLA is rated as “Most Selective” by the Princeton Review, with an admissions selectivity rating of 98 (on a scale of 60–99).
All this stress may be worth it because not only are you getting a stellar education, but you also may be in one of the several films that have been filmed there, or you can take a quick trip to the busy streets of LA to spot celebrities or indulge in some fine dining. Truly, the best of both worlds.
I can’t begin to describe the beauty of UCSB. It is one of the only campuses in the US that has its own beach… and its own lagoon. That’s right- you heard me- its own LAGOON! Come on now! The students were just as nice as the campus’s appearance. There were protests and rallies going on and an entire group of people listening, actually listening to what the speakers were saying. I hung out, passed out coupons and chatted it up with some of the students there.
On top of flowers draping numerous archways to pass through- the campus has its own “highway” system for bicycles. About %95 of the students ride a bike around campus, smell the flowers, and get that knowledge they are working so hard to retain! Now this is my type of campus!
I know what you are thinking- you have to go here! Well, you better hit the books then! Fall 2008 admitted class had a mean GPA of 4.03. The entering class had a mean GPA of 3.84. Admission is considered Most Selective by U. S. News & World Report.
Next college stop- UCLA!!!
If you aren’t my friend already on Facebook. Well, honestly- I just don’t know what it wrong with you- add me and I’ll keep you up on my travels and you can keep me company on the road!
Driving from Utah to Santa Barbara, CA, I ended up running into Zion International Park… which stopped me dead in my tracks and made me appreciate the beauty of the earth.
Before I entered the park- there was the cutest little side store that I stopped at to hunt down an ATM. Cowboy boots hung from the ceiling and the shop was chuck full of everything you could imagine that reminded you of the beauty and history and tradition that comes along with Utah. I purchased myself a little turquoise necklace and bought two dollars worth of carrots (8 carrots total)- and ventured out back into the feeding area. Donkeys, Lambs, mini horses Oh my! You have to be careful though, on of the two Alpacas spit on you if he likes you too much- I found that out first hand!
The owners boasted about how they have the biggest ass in Virgin, as long as you don’t go to the town church on Sundays. Needless to say, I spent an hour or two just chatting.
There is a $25 fee for a week-long pass into the amazing canyons. You drive in, park and hop on a shuttle that takes you to several different stops with different trails of various difficulty that you can hike through and see the beautiful scenery. There are literally no words to justify how absolutely phenomenal the views are- so look through the photos and see for yourself!
This is Lopez from 8th Continent Soymilk! If you haven’t befriended me on Facebook yet- do it! It is just the right thing to do.
So some of you know this story already- but I thought I would share it with everyone out there in cyberspace and give some tips about what I did wrong and what I did right in this situation.
I was in Utah and heard about an amazing road that you could drive three hours on in the desert until it turned into dirt with amazing views and natural garnets on the hillsides. Driving and driving, it seemed like it took FOREVER… but the road finally turned into dirt. I parked along side of the road- normally you would want to throw your hazard lights on, but I hadn’t seen another vehicle for two hours.
I exited my car and started walking left towards “Garnet Hill”. As I was walking, I noticed holes in the ground and some soft spots in the dirt… which usually means one thing- snakes. So I continued until I saw fresh droppings that were obviously too large to be some little harmless creature’s feces. I picked up my garnets and walked slowly and calmly (well, somewhat) back to my car, watching where I was stepping and glancing over my shoulder to watch out for any coyotes or other large cats that would find me delicious.
I got to my car and started heading back on the road I had come in on… but then that little adventurer in my head started yelling at me:
“Lopez- What are you doing?!? You drove all the way out here… and that is it? When is the next time you are going to get to drive through the deserts of Utah?”
So of course, I turned on a little side dirt road that was needless to say, not very appropriate for my little Nissan Sentra. Inching along, I drove over a crest in the dirt road that I hadn’t noticed, scraping the bottom of my car pretty bad. I stopped shortly after to get out and look under my car to see if I had done any serious damage. *On a three month roadtrip- damage to my vehicle would NOT be good!*
So I walked behind my car, squatted down, and bent over to look underneath.
And that’s when i heard the rattle. I could tell it was close, but couldn’t see it yet. I froze and literally whispered aloud: “MMMkkkkkaaayyyyyy…”
I pivoted slowly around on my heels and saw there was a large rattlesnake less than a foot away from my feet, all coiled up, ready to protect his turf. I slowly backed away, keeping my eye on the snake, hoping I wouldn’t back into another one, and got into my car.
Of course at that point I had to take out my camera and videotape the snake because, c’mon, I didn’t think anyone would believe me.
I drove away… back to civilization, with all limbs in tact.
Now here are the things I did right:
-I did not jump or make any fast moves
-I was wearing boots as opposed to my normal everyday flip flops that I rock religously
-I didn’t play with the snake like a slinky
-I resisted the urge to poop my pants
Things I did wrong:
-I did not bring a hiking stick with me (can always come in handy!)
-I went into the desert alone (OK, I’ll admit it- probably a bad call… but this is the only time I will admit it! So you better screen grab this post!)
-I did not bring a belt with me (In case of a bite, you can take a belt and tighten it around the appendage to slow the blood flow/ slow the flow of the poison. But be careful! You do not want to put it too tight or else you can risk amputation of the limb- make sure to loosen the belt/ cord as the bite swells)
If you ever run into a situation, here is an article on what to do if bitten by a rattlesnake. But they say the best advice is not to get bitten at all… which is what I did! Yay!
“You’re hiking through the forest, picnicking on the prairie, or spotting giant cacti in the desert. Suddenly, you hear a sound you’ve dreaded since you were a child–the characteristic hiss of a rattlesnake’s tail. You try to back slowly away, but the snake feels threatened and strikes, biting right through your boots. What do you do?
Rattlesnakes and their Bites
Rattlesnakes are one of the four species of poisonous snakes found in the US. Varieties of rattlesnakes, including the Eastern Diamondback, Timber Rattlesnake, and Prairie Rattlesnake, can be found in each of the 48 contiguous states. Some varieties are relatively small, but others can grow to 8 feet long. The Diamondback, found in western states, is responsible for more US snakebite deaths than any other snake.
The venom in a rattlesnake bite is largely hemotoxic, which means it is damages tissue, particularly in the circulatory system. The venom also contains neurotoxic components that hinder the nervous system. The venom of baby rattlesnakes typically contains more neurotoxic components than that of adult snakes.
If you get bitten by a snake and don’t know if it was a rattlesnake or not, look at the bite. If you see two fang marks, the snake was poisonous. You will also have pain and swelling at the site of a rattlesnake bite, and may feel weak or nauseous, or have a rubbery taste in your mouth.
If You are Bitten
First, don’t panic. Of course, that’s not easy when you’ve just been bitten by a rattlesnake, but it’s important. If you panic or run, the venom will move more quickly through your system. Get away from the snake. Try to catch a glimpse of the snake, because antivenin is snake-specific. Do not try to catch or kill the snake for identification, though. It puts you at risk for another bite. Call emergency medical services immediately, if you are able.
After you call emergency services, or before you go for help, try to immobilize the bitten area. Remove anything constricting, such as rings or shoes. Try to fashion a splint, keeping the bitten area below the heart. If you have a snakebite kit you may try to suction out the poison, but do not cut the bite or put your mouth on it. Both can introduce bacteria, making the bite more difficult to treat. Wash the area with soap and water, but do not apply ice to the area; it makes the bite worse.
It’s important not to use a tight tourniquet around the bitten limb. If you cut off blood supply, you put yourself at risk for amputation. You may tie a cord or piece of cloth around the bitten area to slow the flow of venom, but make sure you can slip a finger under the tie. Also, remember to loosen the tie as the area swells.
Hopefully, help will arrive shortly. If you must move in order to call for or get help, wait about twenty minutes from the time of the bite in order to slow the flow of the venom. If you know that it will be several hours before help arrives, lie still, with the bite below your heart. Use a blanket of some sort to preserve body heat.
Of course, the best way to survive a rattlesnake bite is not to get bitten in the first place. If you spend a lot of time outdoors, familiarize yourself with the types of poisonous snakes you may come in contact with, and their habitats and habits. Remember that snakes are most active when the temperature is warm. Always be alert to the possibility of snakebites when the weather is warm and you are in a place frequented by rattlesnakes.”
OK! Well this is Lopez from 8th Continent Soymilk signing off! If you are not keeping me company on the road yet- make sure to add me on Facebook!
So I heard of this place tucked into a neighborhood with these amazing sculptures and statues and just had to go.
If you follow your GPS- you will here it say “You have arrived.” You look around, crane your neck, and just see a neighborhood. Around the corner is a school, but that can’t be it. You start walking down the sidewalk and all of a sudden on one of the fences aside a house you see a sign that indicates Gilgal Garden.
Walk inside the iron fence and you are greeted with benches, and flowers, and a sense of serenity but also a sense of confusion. While each sculpture has a story behind it, they are eerily realistic when depicting a person’s head on top of a cat’s body, or a stern man with all of his sculpting tools surrounding him like a temple of perseverance. I sat on a carved bench and started to read the hundreds of quotes and scriptures that were engraved in the stones. This place isn’t very large… but it will take hours for you to ingest everything it has to offer.
Definitely worth checking out! This is Lopez from 8th Continent Soymilk! Next stop: Fiesta Mexicana. Make sure to keep me company on my Taste of Life roadtrip and add me at facebook.com/8thlopez
Safe Travels!
Wikipedia’s Say:
The Gilgal Sculpture Garden is a small public city park, located at 749 East 500 South in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The park, which is filled with unusual symbolic statuary associated with Mormonism, notably to the Sphinx with Joseph Smith‘s head, was a labor of love designed and created by LDS businessman Thomas Battersby Child, Jr. (1888-1963) in his spare time. The park contains 12 original sculptures and over 70 stones engraved with scriptures, poems and literary texts. Gilgal Sculpture Garden is the only designated “visionary art environment” in the state of Utah.
And then you entered the eye of the tornado- the study rooms. There were entire buildings with laptops that looked like Apple stores. Clean, chic, modern… I wanted a bedroom like this! You could just see the concentration in the students’ eyes!
Not only does he make amazing art, but you can check out the non-profit organization dedicated to promoting, protecting, and preserving the world’s ocean, waterways, and marine life. The Wyland Foundation encourages environmental awareness through education programs, public arts projects, and community events.
There is a $25 fee for a week-long pass into the amazing canyons. You drive in, park and hop on a shuttle that takes you to several different stops with different trails of various difficulty that you can hike through and see the beautiful scenery. There are literally no words to justify how absolutely phenomenal the views are- so look through the photos and see for yourself!
