And While I Am At It . . .

New Year’s Resolutions 2013

1.       Eat consciously

2.       Cycle more

3.       Take time away from technology

4.       Finish my MBA

5.       Spend more quality time with family

6.       Take more pictures

7.       Write a regular blog post

8.       Read more great books

9.       Sleep regularly

10.   Volunteer

What are your most important resolutions?

Been a While

I was recently reminded of how I have let my blog spot kind of wither in the shadow of the holiday season. I hope everyone has had a super holiday and I promise to be more regular on post. Speaking of regular - I watched two movies last night that could potentially change the way I think. At the very least, they have me seriously thinking about food and how I eat. The two movies were Vegucated (2010) and Fat Sick and Nearly Dead (2010). Both of these can be found on Netflix and they are worth watching. Though, I would start with Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead and work your way to Vegucated. Once you have seen them, you will know why.

So, I mentioned that these two movies have the potential for some serious change in my life. I am not one to jump on radical diets or fads nor have I really ever limited myself to what I eat -- that's about to change. I love exercise and for those of you who know me, I am a cyclist that consumes my share of pavement once a week. Even with all the exercise I have decided that something is missing from my life. That something is raw vegetables. I have been onto this notion for a while now, even going so far as  buying a Nutri-Bullet and making green smoothies. After watching both of these films I have decided to kick my raw green vegetable consumption into overdrive.

Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead shows exactly what I have been saying for so long -- Americans do not eat enough green matter in their diets. I can only speak for myself and it is fair to say that I certainly don't eat many vegetables. As a matter of fact, I rarely eat them at all. This is changing though and, as I embark on my quest for green, I have noticed that I start craving all sorts of things green as I walk through the produce section of the grocery store. I want to make a drastic shift in what I take in because I know that it can make a deference in health but that is not the only reason.

This is where Vegucated comes in -- this is really a documentary that focuses on the ethics of eating. This is something I have given little thought and, I am sure I am not alone here. This movie has the potential to change the way you think about what you eat, either that or taint every piece of meat you consume thereafter.

So, what of all this? As I enter 2013, I am trying to make a very conscious change by beginning to think about what I eat, not only from a health perspective but also an ethical one. I have dedicated myself to more plants for food. I think it is important for me and the planet. Along the way, I hope to inspire a few people. Who knows what is possible? Happy Eating!

A Slice of Pi -

I had the chance to go see Life of Pi this past weekend and I must say, if you are interested in a movie that makes you think--this is it.  It is a film where the viserial and the intellect come together in balance and harmony-a visual yin/yang relationship.  Life of Pi is a tour de force of inner exploration that is unbelievealby well captured on film by director, Ang Lee. 

 Based on the best-selling novel by Yann Martel, Life of Pi is a magical adventure story centering on Pi Patel, the precocious son of a zookeeper. Dwellers in Pondicherry, India, the family decides to move to Canada, hitching a ride on a huge freighter. After a shipwreck, Pi is found adrift in the Pacific Ocean on a 26-foot lifeboat with a zebra, a hyena, an orangutan and a 450-pound Bengal tiger named Richard Parker, all fighting for survival.

The movie is a feast of color and imagination.  As much as the movie is spiritual, it is also simple in much the same way that the Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff is simple, or not. In this simplicity of setting and space it is beatifully created and acted from beginning to end.  In all its beauty, the twist at the end is something that will have your brain up working long after the light goes off for many nights to come. 

Have you seen Life of Pi?  What did you think?  What was your favorite part? Why?  Anything that you did not like?

-Kevin
Thought Spot Space

First Things First -

The heroes in my life have always been teachers.  I don’t remember how this started but it remains largely true today.  As a lifetime educator, I am also keenly aware that this must have been an odd sort of behavior as a kid.  Most of my friends liked sports stars or Marvel Comics characters – I liked Mrs. May or,  Dr. Poole.  These were the people that had the biggest impact on my life and I can say, made all the difference in the person I have become.  As such, I have always surrounded myself with a community of lifetime learners.  What an experience it has been, being able to have my heroes around me everyday even as childhood has faded to a memory. 

With this in mind, Thought Spot Space is a creation that stems from that same love of education, literature and culture that has always been a part of those learning communities that I have been privileged to take part.  Enjoy.