A Learning Vacation

What's so great about a vacation?  Most people live their lives in order to take one.  It becomes really, after the kids and that ultimate vacation called retirement, the most important day-to-day motivating factor in their lives (well sex has to be up there on the list, but the vacation is usually viewed as an enhancement mechanism).  But what do most of our vacations end up being?  I would venture to say a waste of time.  Why?  Because of this idea in our heads that vacations are meant to be a time of severe self-indulgence.  And, truth be told, that never leads to a very high level of fulfillment.  I would put forth the proposition (based on experience) that the more self-indulging our vacations are, the less fulfilling they are.  Our vacation becomes something we need a while back home to "recover from."  So why not look at the vacation from an entirely different paradigm....a learning paradigm.  That is, make your vacation an opportunity to enhance your knowledge and experience of a part of the world you aren't that familiar with.  Maybe it's a different culture.  Maybe it is an opportunity to learn that there is a natural world out there to be marveled at and protected.  Maybe it is to learn a little about history, geography, or how to live a more sustainable life...how to get by with less since the people you experience on your vacation seem to be doing it.  Maybe, like Liz Gilbert in Eat, Pray, Love, there is some spiritual element that you could discover.  Or, you could learn to say a few words in a different tongue.  There are countless opportunities available in almost any vacation venue you can imagine that is outside your normal sphere of experience.  Of course, I come at all this with a bit of bias about Costa Rica, but Costa Rica is just one out of thousands of vacation learning opportunities.  Interested in learning more?  You can always contact me at Package Costa Rica, but try to seek out opportunities and experiences that are about a bit more than just being pampered.  After all, don't we receive a bit too much of that as it is?

A Plague on America?

Obama is treading water and bleeding at open sea and the blood-thirsty sharks are circling, waiting for the right opportunity to dart in for the kill.  This whole scenario has played out before.  In case you forgot, hearken back to 1994.  Clinton was president, the country suffering from severe (though not equally as severe) economic woes and Newt Gingrich and crew were circling for the kill.  And with their "Contract with America" they took a big bite out of Clinton....of course, old slick Willy was a little too sly not to use the wave of public discontentment to his advantage. In short, he basically co-opted their contract.  Doesn't all this smack a little too much of "marketing for power."  In other words, do any of these cats really care about what is good for the country, or are they just devising a scheme they hope will allow them to stay in those posh D.C. offices and keep the invites to the cocktail parties flowing.  If that sounds cynical, well, how can you not be?  I breezed through this new version of Newt's contract, the so-called "Pledge to America."  No doubt, people out there are sick and tired of the economic mess that the world has gotten itself into and this document does  a fine job of tapping into that frustration.  But I don't believe re-releasing the capitalistic monster will in the long run be the enduring answer to the problems facing people and planet.  And that is basically what this pledge document is all about, using patriotic rhetoric aimed at fomenting a tea party tirade at the polls in November.  Throw the bums out and replace them with what, more bums?  Is that really the answer?  Repeal everything that Obama has been able to pass and turn the clock back to the way things were before we got ourselves into this mess.  And then what?  Do it all over again?  I really don't believe any of these politicians are speaking for the people.  That's hard to do because "the people" do not speak with one consistent voice.  There are many in society who actually approve of what Obama has been able to accomplish.  If these new versions of the 94 Gingrich wrecking crew are successfull, the pledge to American may end up being a plague on America, indeed a plague on the entire planet as we continue down the path of mutually assured materialistic destruction.  Is that the change we need right now?

Who is the Walrus?

It dawned on me this morning, while flipping channels from a "network" news show to the indomitable Fox News, that "we" are in some deep doodoo.  The network news show was featuring a story of how some 20,000 walruses are bunched together on a beach on the northwest coast of Alaska.  Why are they there?  Because there is no ice for them to swim to.  Why is there no ice?  Because the earth is getting hotter!  Flash to Fox News and the feature story in the same moment was a women in South Carolina who bagged (that's hunter-talk for slaughtered) a 1,000 pound gator.  Why did she do it?  Was the gator some threat?  No, she just wanted a trophy of a stuffed gator in her living room....and for Fox News, that was newsworthy.  Right after that came some Texas politician heading a movement to save the traditional incandescent light bulb.  The one threatened to be replaced by CFL bulbs that are much more energy efficient.  His reasoning?  Well the government shouldn't be in the business of telling us what kind of light bulbs to use, for starters.  And, second, the CFL bulbs contain a smidgen of mercury and if they begin breaking in homes around the country we are bound to see hospitals jammed with poisoned victims.  What is really going on here?  In my opinion we are witnessing a so-called "conservative" (although what they are trying to actually "conserve" is a bit beyond me) movement that is a serious threat to people and planet.  All that seems to matter is that some notion of "traditional American values" be restored.  That the country is on the wrong track and the proof is in the increasing size of government and the decreasing size of bank accounts.  All to often, it seems to me, "traditional American values" is just a code-word for unconstrained capitalism...what I have often decried in my other blog as "capitalism run amok."  I truly believe that this brand of conservatism breeds a view of capitalism as if it were ordained by god himself and if you're not worshipping at that alter, well then you're just a heretic worthy of being burned at the stake.  I prefer to cling to this heretical belief that there are some things in this life more important than money and material.  The relentless pursuit of those things appears to have gotten us all in a lot of trouble.  So why does this movement and its unfair and out of balance forum seem to be gaining so much traction these days?  I am not so sure that it is.  Maybe it's just a Fox News illusion (wishful thinking).  Or, maybe folks who are drawn to it are kinda like the walruses....they just don't seem to be able to find anything else to swim to.  And, just like the walruses, the slightest jolt might send them into a panic in which they stampede over the rest of us....that's what has me a bit alarmed.

Never too Late to Make a Difference

I saw An Inconvenient Truth last night and again this morning for the first time.  I guess that admission shows that I am a little late to arrive to the sustainability party.  But, what the hell, I'm here.  Better late than never, as they say.  All the facts, graphs and photos were indeed impressive and convincing.  I guess I am convinced about the veracity of global climate change more from a "proof is in the pudding" perspective than a scientific "cold-hard-fact" perspective.  And that proof seems to keep coming at us in ever alarming and increasing quantities (witness the Pakistan floods as the latest and greatest example).  However, what impressed or impacted me most about this documentary was the personal nature in which Gore revealed the motivations behind his mission to save the planet.  The near death of his son and his realization that maybe the remaining and waning years of his life be about something important, something larger than himself.  We all have that same choice to make.  Live for ourselves, or live for some larger impact.  Gore made that choice and it may end up being the difference between having an inhabitable planet, or not.  And, after all, he is just a guy (one of privilege perhaps and one who is a little too flat at times and possesses an awkward professor-like demeanor) with a heart that truly wants to make a difference.  I believe right now the world needs more Al Gore's.  Sure these days his personal problems are making headlines and his critics are frothing at the mouth with every opportunity to dump toxic waste into his otherwise clean cut image.  But he is bringing a message to the world that is important to hear and people are listening and taking action.  And that, my friends, is what is required to make a difference.  However, "lynchpins" are only good for initiating movement.  The actual moving towards real progress is up to the rest of us.

Low Impact Life

Dave Cantebury and Cody Lundin

There is a survival show I watch from time to time that pits two survivalists, with acutely differering approaches to the subject, against various forces of natue.  One of these guys is Cody Lundin, a self-described "minimalist" who has spent the last 20 years of his life barefoot.  The other is Dave Cantebury, an ex-military guy who always seems to be good at "rustling up some meat" while the two are battling against the elements.  Cody is more of a gatherer than a hunter, but I have noticed that he never refuses one of Dave's kills.  Their survivalist approaches differ almost diametrically in that Cody is bent on making the smallest impact possible, whereas Dave really doesn't care about all that, as long as he survives the ordeal he is up against.  Dave's theory of eat or be eaten is similar to the general everyday approach to life of "upwardly mobile" people in developed countries of the world.  I will call it the "island unto myself" theory that all that really matters is whether or not I get mine.  A "survival of the fittest" mentality, if you will.  And "mine" is whatever I can kill driven by my hunger to eat, to survive.  Cody on the other hand usually stays back at the camp and gathers the bare minimum the two need to get through the night.  Personally, I like Cody's approach.  That is, not to fight against nature, but to "go with its flow."  Society has now reached the point where we have actually become a formidable foe against nature.  Wasn't that way 100 years ago, but technological and population advances have made it so today.  In short, we are making our impact....we are getting what we claim to be ours....and then some!  But nature is beginning to fight back.  Our planet is beginning to reveal the consequences of our increasing impact.  Maybe it is time we begin to adopt more of a Cody Lundin attitude about life.  That walking lightly upon this hallowed ground we call home is a better way.  Maybe Cody's low impact style is the best method to insure our future survival.

Got a Passion to Write?

Calling all authors....

I started this blog with the idea of doing something a bit different.  I spent over two years posting to my blog, 365 Reasons I Love Costa Rica.  Many of the posts expressed my feelings about living in Costa Rica.  Many also expressed my feelings about life in general.  But most, if not all, were a bit too concerned with me.  Well, I'm over it!  The new blog proposes to be more about you...or about how to serve, contribute, make a difference, and be a sustainable citizen of the planet earth.  I don't believe I have a corner on the wisdom required to be able to do those things, so I am extending an invitation to you to share your thoughts, feelings, experience and knowledge on the subject.  That's quite a bold step to take, i.e., to open up my precious blog to other writers, but what the heck.  I really want this blog, as well as the Facebook Group that is attached to it, to be a forum for sharing ideas, for imparting wisdom, for learning from the diverse experiences that each of us bring to the table.  So please let me know if you have a passion to write about doing good things for other people.  That, to put it simply, is the real and underlying theme of this tribe.  A tribe of do-gooders who would like to use their time left on earth a little wiser than maybe the previous, say, 49 years (at least in my case).  So if you got something to say, by all means SAY IT!  If you want to write, here's the drill.  Let me know (via an email, or comment to this post, or message on Facebook....whatever) and I will be in touch.  I have never done this before, so I gotta figure the ins and the outs, but I am willing to give it a try and hopefully we will all be rewarded in the effort.

1000 Homeless - 100 Beds

A dash for the Shelter

I read an article in last Sunday's edition of Proa (a special section that appears each Sunday in La Nación, Costa Rica's most reputable and reliable newspaper) about an old hotel located in one of Costa Rica's most dangerous downtown locations, what we call Zona Roja, that has been converted into a homeless shelter.  I also found out that it is San Jose's only homeless shelter.  The shelter has beds for 103.  The estimates for the number of homeless in the area range from to just under 1,000 to 4,000.  Therefore, each day when the shelter opens its doors at around 6:15 pm, there is a literal stampede of men clamouring for a night in a dry bed as opposed to a soggy piece of cardboard.  I don't know about you, but when I see a homeless person I generally have this thought...."there but for the grace of God go I."  Since many homeless suffer drug addiction, schizophrenia or some other mental or physical infirmity, it is easy to want to just avoid them. Here they often approach you at stoplights pleading for money.  It is so easy to dismiss them thinking to yourself, he's just gonna buy drugs or booze.  And I know experts would say giving them money is not helping them out of their situation.  But I often feel that is the least I can do.  I am not rich, but I can afford to give a few coins, or even a bit more than that.  And the way I figure it is who am I to question what they will do with the money.  I assume, probably naively, maybe buy a bite to eat.  I have seen a young guy who always begged by a stoplight near a former apartment.  His method was to fashion "bichos" or insects from blades of caña brava (a tall bamboo-like plant that grows in plenitude here).  I always gladly gave him a few coins for a bicho and then proudly displayed it on my dashboard until the next time.  Lately I have seen this guy at the same stoplight, but he looks a bit better than before, more clean cut and businesslike...gone is the trembling and nervousness that once had me convinced that he was another of San Jose's crack addicts.  He seems to be doing better.  So who knows what a little help might actually be doing for a guy like that.  I am a bit appalled to find out that Costa Rica offers 100 beds to the 1000 plus homeless that roam its streets.  I believe maybe the city could do a bit better.  Or, maybe a concerned citizen or two should step in and do it for them.  Whatever you might think of the homeless, one thing is for certain, they are made of the same flesh, blood and spirit as are the more fortunate that pass them by.

Link to Article in La Nación

Social Entrepreneurship with Toms Shoes

I am intrigued by the concept of "social entrepreneurship."  A quick search of Wikipedia reveals the following definition...."the main aim of social entrepreneurship is to further social and environmental goals."  The Wikipedia page goes on to say, "whilst social entrepreneurs are most commonly associated with the voluntary and not-for-profit sectors, this need not necessarily be incompatible with making a profit."  I can think of no better example of a social entrepreneur than Blake Mycoskie, founder of Toms Shoes.  If you don't know about Toms Shoes, then you must be living a very sheltered life.  Young budding entrepreneur Blake visited Argentina once upon a time.  He was thinking of business ideas and really liked the Argentine "alpargata" style of shoe.  But he also noticed something else...that in the poorest neighborhoods many kids didn't have shoes at all.  So Blake had an epiphany.  Why not start a company that manufactures this style of shoe and for each pair sold, give a pair away to a kid without?  And the rest, as they say, is unfolding history.  Toms Shoes has become a national and international phenomenon, with almost a million shoes given away to kids in need.  Not to mention, Blake, has become a very wealthy and influential dude.  Why the name, "Toms Shoes" you ask?  Why not Blake's shoes?  Or Mycoskie moccasins, or something similar?  Because it stands for "tomorrow's shoes."  Blake appears to not be in it for self-glory, but to really and honestly make a difference.  I like the part in the above definition of "social entrepreneurship" that suggests that it's "OK" to make a profit.  I have written about love and power in my other blog, 365 Reasons I Love Costa Rica.  I was reading about another social entrepreneur, a beautiful lady by the name of Jacqueline Novogratz, and I came across the following quote....“power without love is reckless and abusive, whereas love without power is sentimental and anemic.”   How can anyone expect to give unless there is some reservoir from which to give, some power source, if you will?  That reservoir may be a bank account, a successful business idea, or it may just be a big heart, but there has to be some enabling factor.  Blake has inspired me that maybe one can use a passion for entrepreneurship, not just as a tool for return on capital, but also for a return to people.

A Day that Went from Bad to Worse

I was in Hawaii on September 11, 2001.  The time there is 6 hours behind that of the east coast of the U.S.  So I groggily answer a call around 4:00 am from an employee of Live Oak Capital (my former company) that informed me that the U.S was under terrorist attack.  "Huh," was my foggy brained response.  And right after that (as I began to awaken, perturbed by the call), "is this some kind of a joke" (or something to that effect).  Flipping on the tube I found out quickly that no it was definitely not a joke.  I always get mesmerized by these 911 anniversaries when we relive each and every second of that fateful morning.  Surely there has never been an event in world history that was as carefully documented and broadcasted live as 911.  And each and every videotape serves as a precious reminder of just how vulnerable even the greatest superpower can be.  What is always most inspiring on these days and what always tends to make one a little prouder to be from the U.S., is the level of courage and selflessness on display that day.  Political, ideological, ethnic, religious, or economic differences ceased to matter.  For a brief moment, what mattered most was preserving life.  And many lost theirs in the attempt.  The decision by those courageous "average joes" (who in reality were anything but) on flight 93, who in an instant, as soon as they figured out exactly what the five hi-jackers were really up to, decided to put an end to their plot, is heroic beyond words that I am capable of expressing.  Likewise the courage of N.Y.C. police and firefighters who stormed into those burning buildings and then up those stairwells to hell, is also hard to describe with mere words.  And then there were the ordinary citizens, caught up in something they certainly hadn't planned for that morning, who simply helped one another.  I heard a quote today that came close to offering up at least semi-adequate words.  That the 911 tragedy showed us the worst of our enemies and the best of ourselves.  Some would use the event of 911 to provoke hatred.  I would rather remember it to inspire love, love of country, but also love of humanity.  That is what will conquer evil. Yes, 9-1-1 was a day that went from bad to worse, but that day a country went from great to greater.

Cosmosis

Supernova

Have you ever spent time pondering why things exist?  Why we exist?  I was watching a show last night and I found out.  We exist because some star exploded like a gazillion years ago and the dust left over formed our planet and us along with it.  That the fusion inside that star is what forms the molecules of all the elements that make up matter, including us, and we are just the leftovers from this cosmic explosion.  I have heard lately that famed physicist, Steven Hawking, also currently claims that science can now rule out the necessity of a "god" in creation.  That all that is necessary are the laws of physics.  Yea, but why do those laws exist in the first place?  I mean, doesn't the enactment of a "law" require some divine deliberative body?  I have to say I am more than a bit confused by all this.  So the suggestion is that "god" really is an exploded star?  But wait, what about those "things" that can't be reduced  to molecular elements.  Were our thoughts and feelings, our capacity to imagine, dream, be creative, be sad, be happy, be angry....were all those fused and then released during this cosmic catastrophe?  What are those things made of?  Can a star think?  It would seem to me that trying to explain creation in this way leaves a huge unanswered gap.  And that is, where do thoughts and feelings originate and why do we humans seem to have a corner on that ability?  In short, there has to be some originator of this intelligence, or else what makes the difference in us being just a mound of flesh versus the living, breathing and thinking person that we are?  Can an exploded star solve that mystery?  I seriously doubt it, but if someone out there can enlighten me, I am a dry sponge ready to soak up your knowledge.  But make sure you also answer this question for me in the process...what elements from that exploded star created thought...created consciousness?  Could it really be that my capacity to think about these things originated from an inanimate object that was completely devoid of that same capacity?  If that is the suggestion, then where, how and (most importantly) why did that "capacity" enter into the picture.

Seeking Influential Indians

"Too many chiefs and not enough indians," is a complaint you often hear with respect to organizational malaise.  But in reality, I guess every tribe needs a chief and since I started this one, I guess I'm it, at least for now.  But what's a chief, what's a tribe, without indians?  So I am on the warpath (to continue my aboriginal metaphor) to recruit indians into this tribe.  Chief Costa Rica Guy needs you!  If you're wondering what in the world is all this about, then you're on the verge of a breakthrough!  And I encourage you to peruse the recently created and official CR365 Squidoo Lens.  In it a bit of the madness behind the idea is divulged.  But the idea doesn't work without you, the faithful tribes-man or woman, rallying around the cause.  What's the cause?  In a word, sustainability.  Making the world more sustainable in every sense of what the term entails.  Civilization has become unsustainable in this generation and unless "we" do something to change course, we're headed towards a bad place.  A place where the world won't be nearly as accommodating to live in.  Of course, "we" means not just our tribe, but the many tribes being formed in countless ways, often using the leverage of Web 2.0 to get their voices heard.  We are just a small part of this universe taking shape, but an integral part nonetheless.  So even if you don't join this tribe, please join some tribe.  Be a good indian and go on the war path of making a difference for a better world.....and a better you.

Lessons from Woodstock

Saw the movie Taking Woodstock last night.  It was great!  No, I wasn't at the concert.  I was nine years old.  There seems to be some great meaning in this 72 hour focal point of hippie history, indeed, U.S. history.  After the movie I was eating in the food court at the mall and I see this young dude with dreadlocks down to his belt buckle.  I asked myself, would that have been possible before Woodstock?  Maybe there should be two periods  of world history, a B.W. (before Woodstock) and an A.W. (after Woodstock).  Ok, that might be over-blowing it a bit.  So what are the "lessons to be learned" from this event, other than never rent out your cow pasture to a bunch of hippies?  Was it simply to prove to a finger wagging and highly judgemental generation that the hippies really aren't bad people?  I don't believe it accomplished that one.  No, I believe it was that in the midst of all the clamouring for super-power-dom that had young men returning to their loved ones in plastic bags, or on their own two feet, but to a less than adoring and thankful citizenry, that love and goodwill can happen.  I wasn't there, but from reports and movies it would seem that there was a lot of love and goodwill going on during these three historic days of music and mud.  It was a "happening."  An event that never can be duplicated.  At the end of the movie, allusions were made to that failed attempt at duplication, the so-called Altamont concert headed by The Rolling Stones.  However, all of us rock history buffs know that that one didn't turn out so well, now did it?  The 500,000 plus universe that was somehow shaped and formed out of virtually nothing (and the movie accurately displays that before Woodstock, While Lake, N.Y. wasn't really a "happening place") showed us all that in a world devoid of judgement and competition, love and peace can prevail.  No one was clamoring for anything in those three days, other than maybe to get a glimpse of the beads of sweat flying off of Hendrix's fingers as he artfully re-wrote the Star Spangled  Banner with his stratocaster.  Therefore, maybe the lesson of Woostock is that there are more important things in this world than just being number one.  Better to just be 1 in 500,000.  For in reality, that's really what we are.  That's freedom....

Intolerable Intolerance

I came across a news story today about some pastor of a church in Gainesville, Florida who is vowing to hold a Koran burning on September 11th.  I was thankful to hear that many in political and influential realms roundly condemn any such act.  I was less thankful that the sole reason put forth by many was that it could have the potential of further endangering troops in the Middle East.  Okay, maybe it could have that effect.  The troops are at war, so of course they are already in a huge amount of danger.  But I believe a better reason to condemn such an act is because it is imbued with an astonishing degree of religious intolerance.  Does this pastor think for a moment that such an act of intolerance towards the Islamic faith will somehow spur tolerance on their part?  Does he think that it will encourage or dissuade more young Muslims to hijack planes and slam them into our nation's grandest edifices?  Does he think there is one iota of good that could possibly come out of such a stupid, ignorant and evil, yes EVIL, act?  There is no more evil a form of intolerance than religious intolerance.  Such intolerance has throughout human history been the impetus behind some of the most cruel acts ever devised and executed against the human race.  Does this pastor somehow believe that God is looking down with favor upon this blatant act of hatred and discord?  If I sound a bit passionate about this issue, well, I am.  I have posted often about the foibles of religious intolerance in my blog, 365 Reasons I Love Costa Rica.  One's religious views are personal and based on faith.  No one can empirically prove that his view of God and the afterlife is any more valid than another.  Personally I by faith believe in Jesus Christ, but I would never condemn a Muslim's belief, or a Hindu, or a Buddhist, or anyone else.  Who am I to do so?  It is the height of arrogance to not only condemn the belief of millions of people, but to flagrantly fan that condemnation in their collective faces via such a heinous and atrocious act.  An act, mind you, that is as intolerant as many of the Islamic radicalists who, feeling justified by the kind of ignorance on display in Gainseville, choose to strap explosives on and blow Christians and Jews to kingdom come.  I will stick to the kind of tolerance that my momma always taught me that states that "two wrongs never can make a right."

What's Wrong With Capitalism?

A watched the newest Michael Moore movie, Capitalism: A Love Story, recently.  I have never been a big fan or follower of Moore's movies.  In fact, this is the first one I have ever seen.  But the topic is one that I am interested in, so I decided to give it a try.  It was very eye opening.  Moore's premise is that the titans of Wall Street have taken over and destroyed our economy to the benefit of themselves and to the detriment of hard working middle class citizens.  Hard to argue with that point.  I do take issue with the underlying idea that "capitalism" is the root of the problem.  No I would prefer to think "greed" and "materialism" are at the root of the problem.  Capitalism is a system that provides the freedom to achieve with minimal government interference.  If government is in the business of holding back achievement, then a lot of good that could be done, probably never will.  Would this platform that I am using right now to broadcast my blog to the far corners of our planet exist?  I doubt it.  Would we be able to enlighten our minds with unlimited information at the touch of a few key strokes?  I doubt it?  However, there are many who believe capitalism should be allowed to exist with NO government interference.  But that doesn't work either.  Why? Because of rampant greed and materialism.  Because those "titans of Wall Street" can't be satisfied until they have more money and things than they could ever hope to spend or consume and too many want to follow their example.  So government has to step in and "spread the wealth around."  It would be nice if folks would just do that on their own, but unfortunately that happens only in rare instances.  I don't want folks to get the wrong idea.  I am not against the success and achievement that a free capitalistic society engenders. What I am against is hoarding one's abilities and the fruits of their success.  That the founder's idea of the "pursuit of happiness" entails the consumption of as many resources for ourselves as possible.  I don't believe that is exactly what they had in mind.  That, my friends, is the root of greed and materialism and that is what is so harmful to people and planet.  In short, that is NOT sustainable.  So I am not here to encourage a rebellion against capitalism, but a rebellion against greed and materialism.  After all, real and lasting change has a better chance of occurring when it is a matter of the heart rather than a mandate from government.

Ticos React to New Immigration Law

Group of Ticos Living in Arizona

I read an article in the Sunday issue of La Nación about the way ticos living in Arizona, as well as other U.S. states, are perceiving the new immigration law. The perception is that this law has unleashed a backlash of anger and hatred towards Latin American people in general, regardless of whether they are in the U.S. legally or illegally. They are fearful for their loved ones. They are fearful that their children will be picked up by law enforcement simply due to the fact that they "look Latino" and therefore could be illegal. They are fearful of being detained and harassed simply because they choose to safeguard their "green cards" at home rather than carry them on their persons at the risk of loss. The prevailing line of conservative thought which suggests that "if you're illegal you have no rights" is simply wrong and promotes the feeling by many that Latinos within U.S. borders are generally inferior and don't belong. It is fomenting a brand of hatred that hearkens back to the days of Jim Crow. This law sends the wrong message and is the wrong way to combat border problems. The Obama administration is dead-on right to fight Arizona or any other state that tries to enact such a potentially damaging law. It is a human rights issue.  Folks supporting passage of Arizona-style laws need to take a long look in the mirror. Maybe you can see traits of your ancestors, who also came to this country as immigrants, perhaps even illegally. They faced ignorant oppression and discrimination of the same kind that is now being directed towards Latinos. Immigration policy is a delicate issue in a land of immigrants, in the home of the free. It may not be popular and may even be dangerous to do so, but the minority that is against this law should stand firm. The fact that the "majority" supports it doesn't matter. In Nazi Germany, the majority supported Hitler, but that didn't make him any less evil. This issue has the potential of tearing the country apart. This modern wave of immigrants of Latino origin, some even from Costa Rica, should be made to feel every bit as welcome as you would have wanted your white ancestors to feel when they arrived to Ellis Island.

Link to Article in La Nación

Anger Management 101

How much time do you spend being angry?  I know if I let that question loose on myself, I would have to answer honestly, too damn much (see even the question makes me angry).  I was perusing a blog (I won't mention the name) today that has some really useful information about Costa Rica, presented in a highly entertaining way.  However, the author of the blog always seems to be pissed at somebody.  And that just kind of makes it a turn-off.  No one likes to be around anger.  I don't even like to be around myself when I'm angry, but the escape routes all seem to be closed.  One thing I generally observe about ticos, repeat "generally," is that they don't spend much of their lives in this state that we in the U.S seem to live in constant infatuation with, ANGER (one notable exception, however, is the tico behind the steering wheel, which has some narcotic effect that turns their otherwise mild-mannered nature manic).  In the U.S. it seems that the tea partiers are all mad at Obama.  The left-wingers are mad at Fox News and the tea partiers.  The blacks are angry with Glenn Beck.  I was perusing the Facebook page of Van Jones today and I saw a beautiful photo of his family.  And there was one comment from some lady (and I am attempting to be extremely un-angry using that term to describe her) that was just insidious.  Jones' wife happens to be white and this person said this, and I quote; "What's with the white wife brother? You hate whites don't you? Your house looks messy. Hire a maid bitch."  Is that supposed to be funny, or just hateful, or exactly what?  It makes me, well, angry.  Where does all this anger get us?  Does it help us achieve some level of vindication?  Does it help produce positive results?  Does it serve any useful purpose under the sun?  I would venture to say, no, no it doesn't.  It only foments more of the same and the end of anger is destruction, in one form or another.  So I say, take a course in anger management America, or at least take a "chill pill" and just let it go.  Like Adam Sandler in that hilarious movie, in the end we will all be better off.

Apathy Kills

Visited the ACTUAR office today.  Actuar is a Spanish verb meaning "to act."  But in this case, it is also the name of the Costa Rican Association of Rural Community Tourism.  What is "rural community tourism."  Well, according to their guidebook, it is tourism that provides a chance to really immerse oneself in local culture and its environment in a sustainable way and in a way that promotes community and individual growth.  Sounds pretty cool, huh?  The organization pulls together the many rural community tourism offerings available in Costa Rica (just take look at their map and you'll be amazed at the depth and diversity of such experiences) and helps them gain needed marketing clout.  A rural community tourism offering may consist of simply a few families in some off-the-beaten, but naturally beautiful, path who ban together to give tourists a first hand experience of their way of life.  What does the tourist stand to gain?  Here is where the concept of "apathy kills" comes into view.  Apart from a stunning and upclose view of Costa Rican biodiversity, what Mr. or Mrs. Joe Tourist can gain is perspective.  Perspective of how life can be simpler, self-sufficient, self-sacrificing, sustainable and a whole lot more satisfying.  If one learns nothing more than that the effort it takes to recycle is worth it, then the rural community based touristic effort has made an impact. It amazes me how much in our consumer driven society that we become apathetic to even the smallest of efforts (like recycling) that can make a great impact on our world.  A rural community tourism experience in Costa Rica can be a wake-up call for adopting a more sustainable and caring attitude towards other people and towards our planet.  And that is well worth the effort.  I applaud Actuar and look forward to learning more about them and perhaps lending support. The name is very fitting!  Apathy does kill, but Actuar's strategy is indeed "to act" to combat it.

Talk is Cheap

Talk is cheap, which is what makes it such a good place to start.  These days, with forums like Twitter, Facebook, Squidoo and others, talk is dirt cheap.  But talking leads to thinking, thinking leads to talking, and all that thinking and talking can lead to doing. And doing can lead to a real difference.  That is the concept of the new "tribe" that I have dubbed Costa Rica 365.  Why the name?  Because it connotes time, as in the 365 days we have to do what it is we do each year. Time is a precious commodity.  It is nothing to get too worked up about and here in Costa Rica, we don't.  However, it is an undeniable fact of life that we each have a limited amount of it and therefore we should at least make the best use of this gift.  It also connotes circularity, or a cycle, which to me in turn connotes connectedness.  That is, we are all connected with each other and with our world.  And that to me is the essence of sustainability and why it is important.  Which brings me "full circle" (pun intended) to the true reason behind Costa Rica 365....to get people talking about sustainability.  Costa Rica 365 is a forum for people to think and talk, talk and think and then do something different, something sustainable. Why Costa Rica? Well, first of all it is where I proceed from and thereby exerts a great influence on everything I do and say. Costa Rica has inspired me like nothing else has in my life. I was once inspired to be successful in business...to make a lot of money. That effort led me to a whole lot of strife. Living here has demonstrated to me that happiness can be found in a less consumptive motive of life. Rampant and self-centered consumerism is destroying our planet and us along with it. It infects everything we do and say and leads us down a road of self-destruction. In short, it is both unsustainable and non-fulfilling.  So, I guess Costa Rica 365 is a way to promote ideas that are alternatives to that mindset, ideas that foster the growth and true fulfillment that comes from doing good for others, for our planet.  I welcome insights and ideas and most importantly opportunities to actually get involved in promoting sustainability.  In helping people and planet endure so that generations to come can also make the best use of their gift of time.  This is our world, our chance and our responsibility.  So let's start talking....it's free, but also invaluable!

What is a Volunteer Vacation?

I have had the notion from time to time of offering a traditional Costa Rica vacation package with a twist.  And that twist would be allocating some portion of time to volunteering.  The volunteer part would not just be about sloshing out ladles of soup in some downtown San Jose soup kitchen.  No, it would have as its purpose doing some good, for yourself and others who need your help AND your hope.  This element of the trip would consist of real cultural immersion.  After spending several nights seeing the side of Costa Rica that most tourists get to see...the surface side...you would dive into the unseen part, the part that is even more naturally and authentically beautiful, but also the part that folks who actually live here experience every day.  There is no limit to what such a vacation might look like.  It could consist of spending a few days helping out on an authentic campesino organic farm, learning to take a few sustainability clues back home and live in a more organic and sustainable way.  It could mean immersing yourself with a few nights stay on an indigenous reserve, learning their culture while participating in some community need, such as helping to build a community center, or place of worship, or school.  It could mean getting involved in some conservation effort, such as planting trees in a re-developing forest, or helping protect turtles who have arrived to Costa Rica's shores after a long journey to lay their eggs and promote their species.  It could mean a whole host of things like the aforementioned.  Most of all it could make your Costa Rica vacation much more meaningful and impactful to you.  Why do we take vacations anyway?  Is it not supposed to be a time of physical, spiritual and mental renewal.  A "volunteer vacation" can give you a chance to sip those fruity drinks with the little umbrellas by the pool at the swanky resort and then roll up your sleeves and get down and dirty doing something that really makes a difference.  That's real renewal that will last beyond your first stressful day back home.

volunteermatch.org (a place to begin your planning)

tropicaladventures.com (not accepting volunteers at the moment, but peruse their great site for ideas)

Thoughts on Iraq

Caught a few glimpses of Obama's speech marking the end of combat operations in Iraq, what most liberal democrats call Bush's war.  Of course, Obama is not, nor ever was, fond of this war.  His speech last night alluded to that fact numerous times.  This morning, the Fox News pundits were on the attack, picking apart the speech and questioning Obama's motives.  Was he trying to appeal to the "middle class" while appeasing his hard-left base?  And how dare he bring the economy into the discussion.  More blaming Bush was really what it all amounted to.  There are numerous good reasons for being extremely cynical about the war in Iraq.  It would seem that some measure of victory appears to have been accomplished, but I guess time will tell the real story.  However, being a simple guy, I tend to think of it like this....picture a schoolyard full of playful children.  Then along comes this really big and bad kid.  He loves nothing more than torturing and tormenting the weaker kids, which include the majority of the kids on the playground since this kid has been set back a couple years and stands head and shoulders over the others.  In short, he is the classic bully.  But then there is this good kid who really is the only one out there who can take on the bully.  The bully really is no threat to him, but he just can't stand sitting there and doing nothing about the situation.  So he acts.  He puts the bully in his place and the playground becomes peaceful again.  Isn't that what happened with Iraq?  Saddam Hussein was the bully and his own country and neighbors were those he loved to torment the most and he did it all while thumbing his nose at the one "super power" who had the ability to put an end to it.  Bush decided to end it.  Saddam Hussein is no more and the Middle East at least has a better chance of becoming a more peaceful place.  That is probably a very naive way to look at the overall picture, but it does hold a grain of truth.  All tricks aside (and truthfully there appear to have been quite a few of those played to win initial support for this war), the result was positive and isn't that what we should be focused on now, to the praise of those who made it happen...those "good kids" who brought down this really dreadful bully.  They made the difference when no one else would or could.  I believe at this moment a thank you is in order. Maybe that is all that Obama really needed to say last night.