CURRENT MISSION

Learn how the U.S. economic system functions in the U.S. and abroad and its relationship with climate breakdown. When I'm not working for Apple Retail, I’m either walking a dog, tending to my small garden or a friend’s, helping a neighbor, moving someone’s belongings in my truck, listening to podcasts, or reading from collection of books I’ve acquired since graduating with a chemistry degree from UTK.

ABOUT ME

I'm reserved in character, an identical twin, more serious than I should be but do my best to drop that persona when comfortable, and occasionally treat myself to travel. I have a undergrad degrees in Religion, Philosophy, and Chemistry. I try to live minimally. I do my best to be happy with little and this allows me to enjoy what comes my way.
“I buy my freedom everyday with my frugality.” —Vicki Robin
I practice a bit advice I read from Henry David Thoreau, “voluntary poverty [or simplicity], the key to human happiness.”

PHILOSOPHY

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

"So long as a we live at all we must trust in something, at least in the coherence and permanence of the visible world and in the values and objects of our own desires" - George Santayana

“People don't need enormous cars; they need admiration and respect. They don't need a constant stream of new clothes; they need to feel that others consider them to be attractive, and they need excitement and variety and beauty. People don't need electronic entertainment; they need something interesting to occupy their minds and emotions. And so forth. Trying to fill real but nonmaterial needs-for identity, community, self-esteem, challenge, love, joy-with material things is to set up an unquenchable appetite for false solutions to never-satisfied longings. A society that allows itself to admit and articulate its nonmaterial human needs, and to find nonmaterial ways to satisfy them, world require much lower material and energy throughputs and would provide much higher levels of human fulfillment.” —Donella H. Meadows, The Limits to Growth

“The plain fact is that the planet does not need more successful people. But it does desperately need more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers, and lovers of every kind. It needs people who live well in their places. It needs people of moral courage willing to join the fight to make the world habitable and humane. And these qualities have little to do with success as we have defined it.”
—David W. Orr, Ecological Literacy: Educating Our Children for a Sustainable World

“Be kind to people and ruthless to systems.” —Michael Brooks

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I both have surfed and have hosted surfers. I look forward to hosting people who come to or through the Knoxville area. If I don't have too much on my plate between school and work I'm accepting of company for a night or two on my couch.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've couchsurfed in Chattanooga and Washington D.C. I hope the near future allows for traveling to explore more of the couchsurfing community.

Interests

I'm interested in a variety of subjects: philosophy, religion, chemistry, juggling, joggling, documentaries, independent journalism,

• books
• documentaries
• environment
• walking
• traveling
• juggling
• podcasts
• cycling
• camping
• chemistry
• communications
• economics
• law
• religion
• left is best
• the majority report
• thom hartmann
• nate hagens
• richard heinberg
• chris hedges
• michael hudson
• matt taibbi
• bill moyers
• cornel west
• herman daly
• current affairs magazine
• jacobin magazine
• chapo trap house
• jane mcalevey
• counterpunch magazine
• paul jay
• the analysis news
• the american prospect

Music, Movies, and Books

Authors - George Santayana, Irving Singer, Chet Raymo, Wendell Berry, Bill McKibben, Michael Hudson, Chris Hedges, Jason Hickel,…

Music - Stars of the Lid, A Winged Victory for the Sullen, The Weepies, Sufjan Stevens, Philip Glass, Josh Ritter, John Denver, Daft Punk, Claude Debussy, The Magnetic Fields, Jónsi, Bon Iver, Yung Life, Nat King Cole, LCD Soundsystem, Neon Indian, Arvo Part, Thomas Newman, Tanya Davis, Bombadil, Shoegaze music, Slowdive, Silver Mt. Zion, The Smashing Pumpkins, drone ambient, Grouper,

Movies - Being Human, Stand By Me, Uncommon Valor, Deer Hunter, City Lights with Charles Chaplin, ...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I've joggled (juggling while jogging) a five mile race. Put a helium balloon with a camera in the stratosphere. I worked at a homeless shelter for a couple years. I've biked a hundred mile bike race in FL with a couple friends. I was a camp counselor in New Mexico to deaf children, however, it was twenty years ago and I no longer know sign language. I've seen Jupiter's moons through my binoculars and seen the International Space Station fly over my apartment.

Countries I’ve Visited

United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, United States

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