Almost every day I have the pleasure of meeting someone new who turns out to be a genius in their own right. But there are those times when you meet someone so extraordinary, that you need to take a step back and stew on it for a while. Two weeks ago I had a blast meeting this person for drinks, which segued into dinner down at the Shores. Uncertain of why I asked to meet up after a party at SIO, he was a bit perplexed and nervous. What’s her angle? Her hidden agenda? It’s simple. I meet fascinating people on the Mesa and want to learn who they are, apart from the science. So the pressure has been mounting as I put off writing about our colorful conversation, worried I would not do his story justice. Who is this intriguing mystery man I speak of? None other than the quirky yet legendary B. Greg Mitchell.
There is too much to take in about this genius mind. Peeling back the layers, I learn about his passions, projects and restless soul. Greg is an explorer, who travels the world studying algae. Trips to Antarctica and the Arctic and Central Pacific are the norm for this globetrotter and he has been known to practice his yoga headstand on a meter of Arctic sea ice. Dude even worked for NASA Headquarters as Ocean Biology Program Manager. Naturally I had to bring up the scene from Spies Like Us. “No Amanda, I didn’t do the G-force training.” Bummer. His current work is the study of microalgae photosynthesis from laboratory, to commercial, to global ocean scales. “Take a deep breath”, he says. “Microalgae in the ocean produce half the oxygen you breathe. Pretty important for ocean ecology but they are also so efficient we need to put them to work.” Therefore, he has spent twenty plus years preaching mass culture of algae to mitigate and wastewater nutrient loading, and believes algae is the solution for biomass CO2 for fuel and animal feed. Greg is thinking long-term solutions to save our planet. So why aren’t we listening? With oil prices crashing, it’s no wonder that many have gone back to their myopic views. But Greg points out that algae is for conserving water, and feeding the pigs, cows, and chickens, not just fuel. “Bring on the future of farming!”
Humble, Greg always diverts me to other scientist’s research, eager to share their discoveries and how they can play an integral role in solving our planet’s most pressing issues. Wait, you can turn sewage into potable water? Seriously? And the very scientist who discovered this now lives in San Diego! And what about a better system to capture rainwater and run off?
I ask Greg what made him want to be a scientist. He looks at me with his kind eyes and reveals it was an article he read in Surfer magazine about 1967. On the cover was Black’s Beach and the article said the marine biologists at Scripps were pioneering big wave surfing at Black’s. At the ripe age of 13 he set out to become a Marine Biologist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, where he could surf daily at Black’s. His story came full circle at the Moore’s Cancer Center Annual Luau & Legends of Surfing Invitational at the shores that he surfed in for the SIO team. When speaking of that very article to a former SIO student and world champion surfer Ricky Grigg, Ricky turned, smiled and replied, “I wrote that.” Gotta love life’s moments of serendipity. That article changed a boy’s life and perhaps will change our lives as he brings his passion of oceanography as a solution to a world running out of natural resources. Greg still loves to surf Black’s, where the morning crew refers to him as “the professor.”
This man has a mind that does not rest. Greg, how do you do it? How do you shut it down? Turns out, when not traveling the world or throwing rock ‘n’ roll shindigs at SIO, Greg found the time to write an entire musical based on the music of U2. A frickin’ musical? U2 sent him a cease and desist letter but that did not stop him. He went back and decided they’d write all original scores. Walking to our respective cars under the drizzle outside Piatti’s I yell to Greg… “You fascinate me!” These minds on the Mesa are a true wonder.
What’s come out of our memorable meet up? We are now on a mission to mindful and game changing discussions with our local scientists able to solve San Diego’s water crisis together. Last week I also ran into Imperial Beach mayor and surfer Serge Medina and he is all in. Something is definitely in the works for a rockstar event on Water up on the Mesa. There are also talks of exclusive soirees set on the terrace of the BellaV and Sanford Consortium. Guest list to include grad students and post docs from SCRM’s member institutes and SIO. Greg says it best, “Let’s gather, dance brainstorm, and change the future with a little bit of rock ‘n’ roll for inspiration!”
Upcoming events on the Mesa (I’ll be at the fun table…)
San Diego Women in Finance: Economic Outlook 2016 So. How about that 2016 Economy? Need an expert opinion to help you through your next dinner party? Why not learn from our local expert, Ryan Ratcliff? Ratcliff is Associate Professor of Economics at USD, specializing in forecasting, macroeconomics, and financial economics. Before making his way to San Diego, he was with the UCLA Anderson Forecast, spent time doing market research with the Franklin-Templeton family of mutual funds, worked as a market analyst for the U.S. Treasury’s Mexico Task Force, and at the Frankfurt Headquarters of Deutsche bank. Sprechen sie deutsch? Be sure to make it early to network a bit. If you don’t know a lick about Finance you can chat him up about world travel at the very least no? Discussion begins at 6 p.m. sharp. Sponsored by TriNet. January 21, 5:30-7:00 p.m., TriNet Group Inc
Steve Todd at the Engineering Leadership Forum You had me at multiple… career paths. Steve Todd, VP of Strategy and Innovation at Boston’s EMC, will be speaking Friday at the Engineering Leadership Forum. One of his topics will touch on his success navigating through multiple career paths. Any entrepreneur out there will be able to relate. Todd is the author of Innovate with Influence, Innovate with Global Influence, is a Top 10 Innovational blogger, VP of Innovation, and an active participant in EMC’s Innovation Conference… Man, we should drink every time I write the word “innovate.” Bottom line, you wanna meet this guy. RSVP and let them know you’re coming. I’ll bring the flask. January 22, 12-1 p.m., Gordon Engineering Leadership Center, UCSD Jacobs School of Engineering
Salk’s Science & Music Series Couldn’t be more excited about Salk’s upcoming Science & Music Series this Sunday the 24th. A little jazz at Salk will be a fun twist and the slated speaker is one of my favorite usual suspects during lunch at the BellaV. I’ll never forget the time Sreekanth and his colleague were at my register and his friend ordered the Bella Vista in “Omelette format.” Format? Classic. Gotta love me some scientists. Sreekanth (also known up here on the Mesa as “Shrek”), is Assistant Professor of the Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory. His lab is studying nematode C. elegans, that’s a fancy word for worms. Studying these invertebrate organisms allows his team to better understand how neural circuits in the brain “transform environmental stimuli into appropriate behavioral outputs.” In other words, they are studying a worm, with a much simpler nervous system than humans, to understand the difference between a healthy brain and a brain afflicted by diseases, such as autism or depression. This will be a fascinating talk paired with some swanky saxophone and clarinet. Sunday… at the Salk. January 24, Salk Institure
“South China Sea: What is the Future?” and The China Lymphoma Project Global Conference Double header on China this Tuesday. First up, the School of Global Policy and Strategy’s Panel on the future of the South China Sea. Donald Emmerson (Stanford University), Susan Shirk (China expert and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State), and Stephan Haggard (Director Korea-Pacific Program) will lead the discussion on how impactful the sea spanning from the Malacca Strait to the Taiwan Strait is to that region’s dynamics. Second batter up that is going to hit it out of the park, the China Lymphoma Project. Researchers from across the globe come together with the community to discuss China’s current cancer crisis. Organizer, cancer survivor, and patient advocate Jamie Reno is taking his mission global. This conference is the first of its kind and will help strengthen the ties of friendship with China while helping save lives. “South China Sea: What is the Future?”: January 26, School of Global Policy and Strategy China Lymphoma Project Global Conference:January 26 at the Sanford Consortium
“Racism has always played a role in the debate on modern immigration. They just won’t admit it,” claimed Ruben Navarrette Jr. at last week’s San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce Luncheon. Mmhmm, straight talk! Navarrette, a Harvard grad, wrote for our local Union Tribune before moving on to appear as guest host for CNN, CNBC, Fox, PBS NewsHour with Lehrer. He also provides regular commentary on NPR’s Morning Edition and tours the country giving talks. The Chamber snagged our San Diego local for this luncheon surrounding the upcoming elections on both side of the border and how it will influence on cross-border commerce. More often than not you see people sneaking away to network some more in the halls or immersed in the latest tweet on their cell phones rather than the conversation on stage. That was not the case last Thursday. You could hear a pin drop in the Presidential Ballroom of the US Grant.
Navarrette kept the entire room engaged with his prodding/provoking opinions about what is wrong with the current immigration crisis. He also shared thoughts on the most talked about candidate since Palin, good old Trump. Navarrette pointed out that Trump isn’t building a wall and denying access. Trump is the one who acknowledges that immigrant workers are the best and hardest workers in our country. As a businessman, Trump understands their value. Navarrette also added later in his talk that “Mexican Americans did not have a strong a work ethic as immigrant Mexicans.” This man is not afraid of sharing his opinion. “A ‘phsycological wall’ already exists” so even if Trump wanted to build one, there is no need. Funny, just a few days later my six-year old asked why we can’t just go through the door to get back and forth through Mexico. It is so indoctrinated in our culture we don’t event realize it. There needs to be a paradigm shift.
Navarrette said it best. The US and Mexico are interdependent. We are married. Divorce is not an option. We keep blaming each other but what we really need is a good marriage counselor to help us solve these problems. We need to accept responsibility for our respective actions in order to move forward. Names that he offered as possible counselors, former Mexican presidents Felipe Calderon or Vicente Fox.
“Let’s call out those demagogues trying to undermine our marriage.” When asked about how close we are to solving this issue on a federal level, Navarrette suggested at the very least twenty years. Ouch! SD Regional Chamber’s Power Woman and VP of International Business Affairs Paola Avila followed up with a strong point, suggesting that in the end, the solution would need to be piecemealed. Looks like the San Diego Regional Chamber is just the right group to lead the way on a local level. Our cross border mega region Cali-Baja Miracle Coast No Boundaries is perfectly poised to pave the way for our nation. Wouldn’t it be grand if San Diego serves as the shining beacon for others to follow suit?
Life on the Mesa: Saving the World With Algae
Talking surf, science and soirees with local SIO marine biologist, B. Greg Mitchell
Archive
OCTOBER 23, 2023
The Problem With Bright Red Tuna
Many Americans still think bright red tuna means it's fresher (it's not)
You know the tuna I’m talking about. It’s easy to mistake for a cube of watermelon. It’s the color of a Lyft logo. Appears to be glowing a vibrant, tantalizing purity. Tuna that bright red or pink means it’s… what, extremely fresh? Bursting with nutrients?
I thought this was widely known, but a chef recently told me very few of his staff members were aware of this, and almost none of his customers. So, especially with the recent proliferation of poke joints, I thought I’d be helpful with this PSA of sorts.
Bright red or pink tuna means it has been gassed. In its natural state, fresh tuna is dark red, almost maroon, sometimes even chocolatey-looking.
But here’s why I personally tend to back away when I see bright red or pink tuna:
1. IT’S MUCH HARDER TO TELL IF IT’S FRESH OR NOT.
It can be left out for days and it will not turn brown. In one study, the University of Florida found that carbon monoxided tuna kept its bright red color for 11 days in the fridge. “The carbon monoxide actually hides the quality of a fish,” says Tommy Gomes, fifth-generation San Diego fisherman, host of The Fishmonger on Outdoor Channel, and owner of seafood shop Tunaville in Point Loma. “It’ll make a poor-quality fish pretty like a rose. I’ve seen them take an old piece of brown tuna [and] put the gas on it, and it comes out looking like cherry lemonade.” The gas also masks the smell of old tuna (which is one way you can tell if tuna’s getting past its eat-by stage). “Since there’s no smell, it falsifies the freshness,” Gomes explains.
2. I TRUST GOVERNMENT HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS, BUT ALSO RECOGNIZE THEY’RE NOT PERFECT.
The 1992 USDA food pyramid suggested carbs should be the bulk of our diet (they corrected that in 2005 and 2011). The government approved the fat substitute Olestra, which gave people all sorts of tummy issues. Margarine and other trans fats were also approved, then banned in May 2019. There are some smart humans in the government, but even geniuses make mistakes. So I tend to go with my gut: tuna in its natural state, or tuna treated with carbon monoxide? Easy choice.
So why gas tuna at all? Because of us. Consumers don’t like brownish fish. Tuna oxidizes quickly. It’s difficult for tuna fishermen and women to get it to market quick enough before it turns that brownish or chocolatey color. Customers erroneously think all brownish-looking fish is old or bad and will pay more for “fresher-looking” fish. So in the 1990s, the FDA allowed companies to gas the tuna and keep it artificially bright red for long stretches at a time.
“There’s nothing wrong with a hot chocolate–looking tuna loin,” says Gomes. “But, here in America, we want [it] seared on the outside, rosy pink on the inside.”
What fresh tuna should look like
Gassed tuna is also often imported and less inexpensive than fresh, un-gassed tuna, says Gomes. “So, to be fair and honest,” Gomes acknowledges, “for families on a budget, gassed tuna is one of the best alternatives out there for frozen seafood.”
In theNew York Times article cited above, a sushi restaurant owner reported his sales of tuna tripled when he started using gassed tuna. So that’s obviously good for the small business owner, as well as grocery stores. Food waste is a massive epidemic—the US throws out about half of edible seafood. If gassed tuna gets Americans to eat perfectly edible tuna they otherwise might throw out, that’s a step in a good direction.
But it’d be better if we as consumers knew that fresh, non-gassed tuna is supposed to be dark red or maroon—not bright red or watermelon pink, like a majority of the tuna I’ve seen at local poke shops. Ideally, we would look at a piece of bright red/pink tuna and think “Oh, hey there, carbon monoxide.”
The most important things about buying tuna is to trust the source (whether grocery store, fishmonger, or sushi joint). It also should be shiny and somewhat translucent, and not have slime or an off-smell.
Troy Johnson is the magazine’s award-winning food writer and humorist, and a long-standing expert on Food Network. His work has been featured on NatGeo, Travel Channel, NPR, and in Food Matters, a textbook of the best American food writing.
Entrepreneurs typically launch businesses because they’re passionate about a product or service, not because they want to manage its finances. While working to carve out a niche in their respective industries and drive their companies forward, many business owners find themselves bogged down by day-to-day accounting. Their existing accounting tools don’t provide the necessary visibility or insight, and they don’t have the time or resources to hire additional staff or a chief financial officer. That’s where NOW CFO comes in.
For more than 20 years, NOW CFO has been pairing businesses across the country with experienced accounting and finance professionals. Its outsourced model allows clients to customize solutions that match their individual needs, size, and financial challenges, whether that’s fractional or interim support, project-based services, or full-time placement.
NOW CFO’s clients range from startups preparing for rapid growth to established companies that need additional financial leadership without the commitment or expense of building an in-house team. However, many of these companies don’t fully understand their needs until they experience a “trigger” event: preparing for an acquisition or capital raise, navigating a first-time audit, or another period of transition. With a team of over 300 consultants nationwide, NOW CFO can start quickly and match the right expert to the right business.
“It’s important for companies to have financial visibility, and we can help them avoid a lot of the potholes that companies often run into,” says Mariah Block, a partner at NOW CFO’s San Diego branch. “Roughly half of our clients have an in-house finance person or department, and we’re resourced for more bandwidth when they need an extra set of hands at the staff or senior accountant level, or the controller or CFO level. Some clients use this a few hours a month and others use multiple people close to full-time. Our model is solution-based and customizable. We’re like a faucet you can turn on and off.”
With NOW CFO, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Solutions are based on the client’s individual goals, challenges, needs, and budget, meaning a client never pays for more than they need. Whether it’s a few hours of executive-level guidance or a full accounting team to support daily operations, NOW CFO meets businesses where they are and grows alongside them.
“We pride ourselves on providing our clients with the right resources at the right rate and being able to evolve as their needs evolve,” says Block.
And clients appreciate on-demand access to cost-effective support designed to improve performance and profitability.
Luxury car storage service Auto Concierge has partnered with NOW CFO to support growth over the past year. The arrangement began with a staff accountant who covered a leave of absence, but as the client’s needs changed, they also added a controller role. This allowed Auto Concierge to put effective processes in place and navigate operational challenges. Lori Church, Auto Concierge’s chief operating officer, says NOW CFO has been an “outstanding resource” and a “true strategic partner.”
“From the controller to the bookkeeper, every professional they’ve placed has brought a high level of expertise, responsiveness, and professionalism to our organization. Their team took the time to understand our business of high-profile clients and needs, adapted quickly to our fast-paced environment, and became a trusted extension of our team,” she says. “As Auto Concierge continues to grow, having a reliable financial partner like NOW CFO has allowed us to strengthen our financial and business operations while remaining focused on delivering exceptional service to our clients.”
If you’re anything like us, it can be easy to get so caught up in taking care of everyone else, that your own needs get lost in the ether. But while this may be a cliché, that doesn’t make it any less true: You can’t give your best self to other people unless you’re taking care of yourself.
Sometimes, that looks like stopping in for your regular acupuncture or chiropractic appointment. Other days, it means giving your body the fresh, organic fuel it needs to truly feel and function at its best. And some other times still, it involves leaving your responsibilities behind for a weekend to pamper yourself at an incredible resort and spa.
Only you can decide what your truly need. We’re just here to help you find the best ways to get it.
Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa
Island living meets desert luxury at the Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa in Indian Wells. When you step onto the 11-acre property, you’ll be surrounded by sweeping view of the Santa Rosa Mountains with olive trees and fragrant citrus groves decorating the grounds. In other words, everything about this relaxed but refined resort is primed to help you let go of the stress from home and enjoy easy sun-soaked days and gorgeous starry nights.
The rooms blend calming, woven textures with Tommy Bahama’s signature tropical prints and feature private lanais, making it easy unwind the moment you walk in the door. If you book one of the four Villa Suites, you’ll be treated to exclusive Tommy Bahama furniture and unique personal touches to further that feeling of instant ease.
At the award-winning Spa Rosa, the expert team will help reset and recharge your body and mind using methods and rituals inspired by the desert. The 12,000-square-foot retreat includes outdoor soaking pools, eucalyptus steam rooms, and outdoor cabanas, as well as massages, facials, and body masks—all aimed at creating a day dedicated to you. We’re particularly partial to the Day Long Escape, an indulgent all-day affair of CDBs soaks, renewing scrubs, life changing massages, and transformative facials.
Following your treatment, continue the experience with a meal on the patio at Grapefruit Basil. We love the Hamachi Crudo, a light, citrus-forward dish featuring premium yellowtail, house-made ponzu, creamy avocado, and fresh seasonal garnishes.
Whether you’re strolling the gardens, relaxing beside its saltwater pools, or indulging in a restorative treatment, you’ll be able to escape in style and relax in luxury at the Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa.
Healcove Chiropractic
There’s no shortage of ways to stay active in San Diego—but if you really want to enjoy everything the city has to offer, you’ve got to make sure you’re giving your body its tune-ups. Enter: Healcove Chiropractic. The board-certified chiropractors and wellness professionals at Healcove are experts at addressing that stage where you’re not injured, exactly, but you’re not at 100%, either. Maybe you’re feeling a bit tense or stressed out. Or it could be that you’re not quite moving the way you want to. Sometimes, it’s just that the accumulation of days, weeks, or even years of daily strain is starting to take a toll. No matter what stage you find yourself at, the Healcove Chiropractic team can provide integrated, preventative care centered on long-term, science-backed approaches that ensure you can always stay active and live the life you want to live pain-free.
This starts by providing truly individualized care. Every patient can expect a thorough 60-minute consultation session that includes a posture and movement screening. This allows the team to develop a completely personalized plan. That plan might include chiropractic care, acupuncture, or massage therapy, as well as functional fitness training, vibration and sound therapy, and Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization, a clinical rehabilitation method that retrains the body’s stabilization systems. Whatever the team recommends, you can be sure that it’s tailored to meeting your body’s needs today and the future.
There’s a reason that San Diego Magazine named Healcove the “Best Chiropractor in San Diego”—don’t wait until you’re struggling with an injury to find out why. Book an appointment today for holistic, integrated care that helps ground and heal your body before it reaches a crisis point.
Juice Holler
West Coast wellness culture meets the community feel of Southern Appalachia at Juice Holler. Juice Holler’s menu consists of made-to-order smoothies and smoothie bowls, as well as grab-and-go cold-pressed juices, wellness shots, salads, and more. It operates from the blissfully simple premise that fueling up with food and drink that’s guilt-free and good your body should be simple, accessible, and, above all else, delicious. And if you haven’t yet made it out to the Encinitas café, which opened just this year, let us be the first to tell you: Juice Holler delivers on each and every of these fronts.
We love the Supercharger smoothie, a mood-lifting and body-fueling option made with banana, almond butter, blue spirulina, maca, grass-fed whey protein, raw cacao nibs, medjool dates, and coconut milk. We’re also partial to the Thrive Alive smoothie bowl, where avocado, mango, sea moss, spirulina, mint, coconut milk, and agave are mixed and topped with coconut, chia seeds, strawberry, mango, and chocolate drizzle. The wellness shots include the Detoxifier, a cleansing blend of kale, cucumber, lemon and spirulina, plus a shot specially designed to fight inflammation (named, fittingly, Anti-Inflammation). Probiotic overnight oats, lemon turmeric bars, and strawberry shortcake chia pudding are other standouts on the grab-and-go menu.
Much of the vibe feels beachy North County chic—think green tile with orange and pink accents, grounded with greenery and natural wood—but Juice Holler founder Kelly Sergott, a longtime Encinitas local, has also enfused the space with her Kentucky roots. In Appalachia, a holler is small valley between hills and mountains, where nature reigns, community is king, and nourishment comes right from the land. At Juice Holler, Sergott has created a holler for the busy modern times, using local ingredients to create a spot for people to come together and enjoy fresh, fast, feel-good fuel for their day.
Everwell Acupuncture
We’ve all had that experience with a medical professional where we’ve felt rushed, ignored, or misunderstood—and ultimately, like we didn’t get the answers that we needed. But at Everwell, the holistic acupuncture practice located in Solana Beach, the care team wants to transform your understanding of what healthcare can look like.
Patients at Everwell experience care rooted in intentional listening and radical empathy—and trust us, those aren’t just corporate buzzwords. This place actually puts those ideas into practice. You will always be given the time you need to tell your story— initial in-take appointments are two hours long—and you can rest assured that your story will be believed. Every single question and concern will be addressed by a dedicated practitioner who wants to find the specific solutions that work best for you, and you’ll receive care that’s aimed at healing the body, mind, and spirit.
Everwell’s highly trained, doctorate-level practitioners blend evidence-based acupuncture with the practice of classical Chinese medicine. (If you’ve never tried acupuncture before or aren’t sure if the team will be a fit, we’d highly recommended Everwell’s complimentary 20-minute consultations.) Research shows that by stimulating specific points on the body, acupuncture activates a natural healing response in the body, helping to restore balance, regulate the nervous system, and improve overall wellbeing. This allows the practice to address an incredibly wide range of conditions from chronic pain and autoimmune disorders to digestive issues, from stress and burnout to headaches migraines, fertility and postpartum struggles, hormonal imbalances, sleep concerns and more.
At Everwell, you can expect to feel heard, trusted, respected, and cared for. This is a space that doesn’t want to be just another healthcare provider you visit; it wants to provide patients with dedicated partner who will be there for their entire health journey.
