CURRENT MISSION

Fighting climate change by spreading the word about the need for CARBON PRICING (see Interests below)

ABOUT ME

I like to keep my plate full (see Philosophy below). I try to confound expectations. Dog-friendly.

PHILOSOPHY

You'll never know how hard you can shake the pinball machine unless you make it tilt now and then. (anybody remember pinball machines?)
Corollary: I tell myself that I like to keep a full plate, but you never really know when your plate is full until things are falling off the edge. So, if you're not getting everything done that you'd like to, it's okay.

More things in this world are counter-intuitive or paradoxical than are straightforward.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

When I travel, CS is the best way to meet locals. When I host, it adds variety to hanging out with my local friends.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

The travelers I've hosted have been great! I haven't surfed much myself, because it's usually easier to stay at hostels or Airbnb, but CS is awesome just for meeting folks for drinks and for having adventures, both at home and on the road.

Interests

-I'm pretty serious about scuba. In 2011 got my technical diving certification in the Red Sea (Hurghada, Egypt) and started to use it in Alaska and on a trip to Chuuk (Micronesia) in December 2011. More tec training in Roatan in 2013, and a sidemount course in Taganga, Colombia, in 2017. Also really any sort of outdoor activity--hiking, camping, canoeing, kayaking, biking, maybe a little bit of cross country skiing. I bought my first kayak in 2020. Exercise is the only proven way to stay young. Indoor exercise is ok too -- mostly I like weightlifting.
-Travel of course! Goes well with diving, and all those other activities.
-As a medical school professor, I teach neuroanatomy and have done research on how genes function. I feel lucky to have a job where I get paid to think about such interesting stuff!
-I also have a strong interest in drug policy reform. I was one of the leaders of the campaign that made cannabis legal in Alaska in 2014.
-After that success on drug policy, I've turned my attention to fighting for solutions to the climate crisis. As a member of the Citizens' Climate Lobby, I'm focused on getting the US to enact a revenue-neutral carbon tax, also called "carbon fee and dividend". Economists and energy policy experts say that some form of carbon pricing is the first, most important step we need to take if we hope to end carbon pollution before its too late. Check it out at https://citizensclimatelobby.org.
-I'm learning Spanish, and even though I've had 6 semesters of university classes, I know I need an immersion experience. Hoping to spend a few months in Spain one of these days soon!
-Let's see, what else... I like to cook. Although I can make just about any dish you can think of, more often I keep it simple, along the lines of Michael Pollan's seven words: "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants."

• cooking
• exercise
• traveling
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• canoeing
• kayaking
• camping
• scuba diving
• anatomy
• biology
• teaching
• drug policy reform

Music, Movies, and Books

My reading, music listening, and movie watching habits tend toward omnivory. But I'll try to get more specific here one of these days.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Got up close and personal with a whale shark while diving in the Galapagos. Diving with any kind of sharks is always amazing. Actually, diving is always amazing, no matter where.

Teach, Learn, Share

It's a funny thing-- teaching is my profession, yet I'm not sure what I could teach to my fellow CSers that they'd be interested in learning. I can probably answer any questions you might have about neuroanatomy, or cell/molecular biology. Not what you had in mind? I'm not certified to teach diving, but I'll be happy to share a dive with you.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Enlightened conversation :-)

Countries I’ve Visited

Belize, Cayman Islands, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Egypt, France, Guam, Honduras, Indonesia, Maldives, Mexico, Micronesia, Federated States of, Netherlands, Palau, Philippines, Spain, Turks and Caicos Islands, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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