I installed “gallery” here on YooperSmith.Com

www.yoopersmith.com/gallery

Mark this page, as I will be using this one more than my old ones.

Enjoy!

You all know that I am a dirty junkie…right?

By that, I mean, that I am addicted to author Scott Sigler’s books and podcasts and now even his videos.

Download FREE audio versions (Podcasts) of all his books (or get info how at least) at www.scottsigler.com

I posted about Scott before…and I thought this video trailer was very F*&#ing cool so…here you go:

Yesterday, I achieved the goal of taking my bike to work on the Metro.  I left the house about a half hour early, I was a little worried that the train would be too full for me to fit my bike on the train that I usually use.

The return trip was great!  I left the office around 3:00 pm and there was plenty of space on the train.  I took the train to the half point of the trek and then rode my bike the last seven miles or so instead of waiting for the bus.  I think I got home sooner than I would have if I had waited for the bus…so that was cool.

I am going to keep experimenting with different ideas for better ways to get to work and using the Metro and my bike.  I still drove about three days since taking the plunge in to GREEN comutting for various reasons, but over all, I really prefer the metro/bike option.

I definately save money on gas…and I have a chance to get a work out in while I am traveling to work.

I have rode the Metro for 1 week and I really love it.  I get to work on time, and I don’t have to drive.  I really don’t like driving that much anyway, and it is refreshing to walk in between stops.

The bus/train combo that I am using costs $3.10 each way if I use cash…it’s cheaper since I got a monthly pass for $62.  I should have bought the $80 monthly pass + 1 zone, but I didn’t figure that out until after I bought it.  That just means that I have to carry 60 cents with me each way to pay for the zone pass.

I have not tried to take my bike on the bus yet.  I have seen several people with bikes on the bus and the trains.  The bus seems easy enough to do, just pull the rack down and put your bike on it.

The train is a little tricky.  You have to find a good spot on the train where you are not in anyone’s way and have to keep all your stuff together.  I am still in “observe” mode.

My first thought was that it would be nice to have the bike along for in between stops, but, the walk turns out to be very easy on both sides of the commute.  So having the bike is now more of an idea of getting a work out while doing my commute.

By the way, I rode my bike all the way to work and back on Saturday this past week.  It was a lot easier than I thought it would be.  The ride to work was pretty easy.  On the way home, I got a little saddle sore, but other than that, I was not too exhausted.

I found some spots that I would rather avoid on my bike in traffic along the way.  I had to wait at a stop light while cars were trying to get on the freeway to my right.  It would have been better if I had not been there :-).  I think there is a cross walk, so no worries.

This experiment with the metro and the bike is a lot of fun.  Riding the Metro makes me realize that I live in a hugh city.  It was hard to tell when I was driving that I was in a city, it just whoosed by like a dream.

When I used the Metro, I learned to appreciate the immensity of greater L.A.

I also really love riding my bike.  I can feel myself losing weight and I don’t even feel like I have been working out.  The bike doesn’t hurt my knees or legs at all, outside a little soreness.  The saddle sorness was there in the beginning, and I have gotten used to it.  I also bought some padded shorts to ease the pain, which helps quite a bit.

So stay tuned for more of me blathering on about bikes and public transit, I will pass on lessons learned that might help you out someday (if you live in LA and want to ride a bike to work??!?)

Part of the inspiration for my web page www.shift-your-consciousness.com was “The Shift Movie”.

I know “The Shift” is going to happen. What is the shift? It is a change in the global consciousness of humanity towards love and away from fear.

At, the end of the shift, the defence budget will be smaller than the peace budget.

Fear will still be around, but it will no longer be the prevailing emotional choice of human consciousness (as it is today).

And you didn’t even know that the opposite of fear is love…how’s that for learning something new!

Check out this video, and do your part…be happy for no good reason!

Apparently, Matt has been running around the world, and dancing in some very interesting locations. In 2008, some friends joined him…I really liked the DMZ…no joy :-(.

Thanks to Alice in San Diego…not only did she help me with my internet and TV service (I ended up canceling the account…but she helped!)…she shared a lot of fun stuff with me on the phone this morning.

I still need to check out “The Big Idea”…stay tuned.

Here’s Matt’s video….The Vimeo feed might work better if you turn off HD.

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

1. I bought a bike.  I have not OWNED a bike since I was a kid.  If you are into bikes, I got a GIANT FCR 3.  It’s a “fitness bike”, that is good for using to ride 10-20 miles…like if you want to ride to work.  I want to ride to work…someday.
2. I am riding the “Metro” today.  Metro is LA’s public transport system.  I am taking a bus to the train station and a train to work.  There is walking involved so…
3. …I am wearing work out clothes to work and taking my work clothes in a backpack.

Mostly, I am doing this for fitness.  Riding a bike is a blast.  I forgot how much fun it is to ride a bike.  It’s so fun, I don’t even think I am working out, and I am getting a great work out.  Also, my knees are pretty much shot and the bike doesn’t make that worst like running.

The only downside to the bike is that it still hurts my butt/crotch after a while.  I hear one gets used to this or learns to ride in a way to minimize this affect.  I used to ride all the time when I was a kid and it never hurt, so I think I will get used to it.

Once, I get the metro route down, I will start taking my bike with me, to ride between stops.  Next, I will ride 1/2 way to work and use Metro for the other half.  Finally, I want to ride to work one way and Metro 1 way.

Perhaps someday, I will ride both ways on my bike…but that would be 22ish miles per day, so if may be a while before I want to do that.

I love Deepak Chopra. I have read one of his books (How to know God) and watched several of his videos. Also, I listen to his wellness radio show every Saturday that I am home.

His newsletter is called Namaste, and it being summer time, I am behind on my reading…but I just checked out the June issue…and he asked me to pass on peace. He wanted me to email all my friends, but who wants more email you didn’t ask for…even if its from a friend?

Peace is a means to peace. If you want peace, you need to find peace within your mind, body and soul. In order to give peace (or use or create peace), you must HAVE peace or better yet…BE PEACE. Then you can pass it on.

This video is about a brain doctor who had a stroke.  When she had the stroke, her left brain stopped working and she slowly lost her connection with her “body identity”…and was still alive.  She felt as big as the universe and found it hard to believe that her consciousness could fit into a little body.

I hope you can check out the video—if these link doesn’t work, search for “TEDtalks stroke” on YouTube.

This is a fun video I got from Deepak Chopra’s newsletter Namaste.  If you can’t watch, or it does work, just search YouTube for free hugs.

One dude walks around with a sign that says “FREE HUGS”…eventually people start hugging.

If you know me, I hug quite a bit, so I like hugs.

Enjoy!