Academic-Capital

The blog discusses current affairs and development of national economic and social health through unique idea generation. Consider the blog a type of thought experiment where ideas are generated to be pondered but should never be considered definitive as a final conclusion. It is just a pathway to understanding and one may equally reject as accept ideas as theoretical dribble. New perspectives, new opportunities, for a new generation. “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.”—Thomas Jefferson

Thursday, June 6, 2019

Taking Precautions When Hiking the Desert (Pictures)

Deserts hold a lot of rough and rugged terrain for outdoor enthusiasts. Deserts can also be dangerous places with rattle snakes, lack of water, miles of landscape, no cell phones, and no services. That doesn't mean they should be avoided but that one should take the extra precautions when walking around them.

If you are not a seasoned hiker you might want to not go too far out of cell phone range. When you can call someone for help that is going to make a big difference. There are lots of semi-rural hiking trails that have at least a few visitors a day.

Maybe you have seasoned hiking shoes and want to try something a little more isolated. In this case you will want to bring extra water, learn about survival in the desert and be sure to bring a small first aid kit. It is difficult to know when and how something will turn out.

Finally, tell someone where you are going and when they should call authorities if they don't hear from you. Its important to build in enough time so that when they do call it will be an actual emergency. Tell them your GPS coordinates and ingress/egress points.

Printed pictures can be purchased and profits go to orphanage.

Most under $40 depending on size/quality. Free Shipping!

Contact if interested muradabel@gmail.com or text 619-540-0501

PayPal for Donations (muradabel@gmail.com)

Venmo for Donations (@muradabel)

Printed pictures can be purchased and profits go to orphanage.
Most under $40 depending on size/quality. Free Shipping!
Contact if interested muradabel@gmail.com or text 619-540-0501
PayPal for Donations (muradabel@gmail.com)
Venmo for Donations (@muradabel)

Wednesday, June 5, 2019

Climbing and Hiking Mountain Ranges-Showing Respect for Life Before Life

Climbing and hiking mountains is a passion for some. I'm not going to say mountain climbing a passion for me but I will say that the outdoors is something I love very much. The world is different in the countryside. Its slower, more real, and an honest reflection of life. Ok...maybe not an honest reflection of modern life but a reflection of life before the advent of modern times.

Its one of those places where the air is fresh and crisp in the morning and leads to a rejuvenated feeling. For some, it is a place that has the greatest respect and value for life. When the birds are chirping and the critters are scampering we become again connected to our specie's past.

Not all people respect the outdoors. It isn't hard to see the beer cans, litter, and blight that encroaches on the forest everyday. Some of these actions are careless and foolish while others are more grounded in the need to create more financial value. We can see this in places where constant deforestation occurs in the name of more money. I love money, wish I had more, but also love the world we live in.

I would love to see someday society stop urban sprawl and move more toward rejuvenating existing structures, building them upwards and trying to create a more friendly eco-city environment. The technology might be available but is still out of city-planning budgets. I do believe that technology and eco-based cities are coming soon. We will be redesigning our society to incorporate necessity and new values.

Tuesday, June 4, 2019

Poem: To a future land unknown

Walk into lands unknown,
No digital paw prints stay.

A trail to somewhere,
Maybe out to no where.

That's ok!
It's where our continuum of time lay.

A world removed,
But often a few miles away.

Patron of our land,
Before it turns to sand.

Monday, June 3, 2019

Sailing into San Diego-Pictures of Boats

Spending time outdoors is probably my most important activity. It could be anything...hiking, biking, swimming, sailing, surfing, on and on and on.... When out on the ocean sailing you feel the cool breeze and you begin to experience a world that is very different than the one we know. People out there once traveled and engaged in commerce across the ocean. They made their living fishing and traveling. We now live in a data driven world so doing some of these activities will help us unwind.

Saturday, June 1, 2019

Pictures of the Bay-Rowing the Old Fashion Way!

Rowing around the harbor is great exercise. We often thing we need a $5K sculling boat. What we find is that something simple as a regular old dinghy can get you some great back and cardio exercise. You also get to take your camera and get some nice pictures while enjoying the outdoors. Right now I'm focused on trying to raise money to help orphans so please buy a print copy, donate so I can buy supplies, or donate directly to an established non-profit that will give you some tax deduction.

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If you feel more comfortable donating to an established non-profit please use https://www.classy.org/fundraiser/1984592

Friday, May 31, 2019

Early Morning Surfing-Cold and Cutting

Early morning surfing is some of the best I have ever done! I didn't think I could get up in the morning and jump into the freezing cold ocean. The sun isn't out, few die hard surfers are putting on their gear, the lifeguards are not on duty yet. The first couple of times were pure cold torture but after forcing myself to do it a few times I came to like the activity of an early morning dip!

The first thing you notice as you pull up with your coffee and gear in the back of your SUV is plenty of parking. Die hard surfers get there early before work and before the crowd.

Creepy Beach Art in the Morning

Trust me when I say don't feel like stripping off your sweatshirt, knit hat, and clothing to get into swimming gear. Even standing outside your car can be cold if the temperature is low and the dampness sets in. You might debate a few times......"I'm not sure I'm in the mood for this!" Brr......

Eventually you grab your board and head to the shoreline to do some quick stretching. You spirits rise as you see other surfers have already made their way to the water and are riding some of the best waves you are likely to experience all day.

There is almost no use going into the ocean slowly and suffering your way into the abyss. Why put yourself in that torture as the cold water first hits your feet and makes a "eye opening" way up your leg with each step? I say it is much better to just walk like the terminator out there and dive into the the first big wave. Take it like a "man" and get in there (the women surfers have no problem just jumping in😃. )!

What Happens When You Close Facebook for 7 Days?

Feeling in a devilish mood and annoyed by the constant dinging sounds on my phone I decided to take a leap of faith and close my Facebook account! With commitment I wanted to see what would happen to my world if I deactivated and disconnected for a week. I wasn't sure if there would be life after Facebook but with high hopes I jumped into digital no mans land!

This generation is more connected than at any time before and by showing them that nothing terrible happens maybe we can get their fingers off the phone. 😜

At first it was tough! I'm not going to lie! With time and self soothing words 😏I was able to keep myself away much like a person trying to quit smoking for the very first time. After my body stopped convulsing from digital withdrawal it slowly turned into a positive experience!

First, closing the account for 7 days wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. In order to do this well and reduce the nagging tendency to check back I removed the app from my phone. With no sounds to remind me that someone self-gratified their need for attention through a new post, I saw a world where even the average person has value.

Without Facebook your self-perception gets more accurate! 😱

Second, I started to pay attention to other things and loosen up my schedule to do what I want when I want to do it! I stopped looking at my clock as much and started to open up opportunities to experience new things. The day seemed to take on a new life of its own without our conscious state being distracted by others.

Third, you begin to define yourself for yourself. That means we are able to stop comparing our lives to others and focus more on what is important to us. Our brains are designed to find our social position and therefore scan others for comparison material. The problem is that Facebook is more a reflection of people pro-self and positive experiences but leave little room for a more balance perspective on the imperfections of life.

Fourth, I learned that because people are so reliant on Facebook they can get upset if they can't find you! Disappearing out of cyber-world looks like you blocked them. Make sure you post a statement and then post your phone number for those who don't have it.

Fifth, Facebook isn't evil, bad, or useless. It has a lot of great benefits like keeping people in touch with each other. However, my goal is to still keep Facebook; just not be as "connected". Check it once or twice a week for important events. I don't really need it but those people who know me and like to see aspects of my life probably want to a smiling face everyone once in a while.