According to the US Department of transportation, more than 30,000 Americans die every year in traffic collisions. If we knew that self-driving cars could reduce that rate by say 90-percent, would that make it worth it to give up our “right to drive”? Food for thought: MASHABLE – The days of humans driving their own…
Month: March 2015
Planning commission approves large motor home garage
At my second planning commission tonight, March 24, 2015, the commission voted unanimously to approve a conditional use permit to allow a homeowner to build a large garage for his motor home. The permit was required because his proposed garage is 2,000 square-feet, which is bigger than 50-percent of his home’s square-feet. He also plans…
First meeting: Constraints on Housing Inventory
My first Paso Robles Planning Commission meeting started with a very important topic. We heard from an ad hoc committee of three members of the commission. Here is a summary of my questions for the committee, staff and comments on the proposal. I submitted these notes to city staff in advance of the meeting and…
March 4-6: Attending Planning Commissioners’ Academy
As a new planning commissioners, I had the opportunity to attend the California League of Cities 2015 Planning Commissioners Academy. It was held in Newport Beach, Ca from March 4-6. Here is a highlight of some of the classes I attended and a few thoughts. AB 1234 ETHICS TRAINING State law requires elected and…
Sworn in as a planning commissioner
I had the privilege of being sworn in as a Paso Robles Planning Commission member on Sunday night, March 1, 2015. The ceremony was at the Paso Robles Inn during the commission’s annual dinner. I was sworn in as a new member with Tom Burgett. Things are moving quickly. I was interviewed for the position…
The 178-mile Odyssey was a life changing experience
Last weekend I faced the toughest physical challenge of my life to date. I joined an amazing team of runners in the 178-mile Reno-Tahoe Odyssey relay race. Over the past year, setting fitness goals has been an important part of staying focused on my health, helping me lose 75 lbs. I started with a 5k,…
Staying up late is increasing your weight
It’s well documented that getting eight hours of sleep per night is critical to good health. Here is an additional study from the research journal Obesity that specifically identifies staying up late as a related problem. Staying up late at night can lead to an additional 2 pounds a month weight gain, researchers reported Wednesday….
Study shows low salt diet increases chance of heart attacks
Ever wonder if everything you thought you knew about health is wrong? It looks like the conventional wisdom against salt could be wrong. Which is good for salt lovers like me. I discovered Celtic Sea Salt last year and enjoy it’s large crunchy grains every day. The producers say it helps to replenish the body’s electrolytes,…
In Defense of Food
I’m really enjoying the book “In Defense of Food” by Michael Pollan. He writes this “eater’s manifesto” from the perspective that we all need to be eating more real food, not the pre-packaged, fast-food variety. The book’s motto is “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.” The author writes without a bias toward any…
A lot of paleo eaters ask me if wine is OK?
My answer is usually something like this: As long as humans have picked fruit, and as long as fruit has rotted, alcohol has been paleo. If you let fruit sit around long enough, its sugars will naturally ferment with native yeasts and turn into alcohol. It’s hard to image early cavemen not noticing this and…