Weekly Unrecommendations, Week 46: Skipping a Week

When writing weekly recommendations on your blog, it is unrecommended that you skip a week. The reason for this is that you have committed yourself to writing a recommendation every week, and so people will expect you to stick to that. In fact, they may even be sitting there at their computer anxiously waiting for you to come through with something. They have been looking forward to it all week, counting on something great from you. If you don't come through, their whole week might be thrown off, especially if you've been so consistent for so long. They may then begin to question their faith in humanity and, perhaps, their whole existence altogether. You wouldn't want to disappoint them, right? So, get it together, man, come up with something and come up with it quick. Be reliable. People are counting on you.
Okay, so, maybe those people need to relax. You're not perfect. You can't always be the person people expect you to be. They have to understand that you are human, and that you may occasionally have a bad week or have more important things to do. They should accept that fact and just get over it if, by some unfortunate chance, you don't have anything to offer them. There are more important things in life. Perhaps they just need to step away from the screen for a while and go find something more meaningful to pursue.
Still, I don't want to disappoint anyone by not having anything to offer, so I will recommend this to anyone who lives in the Boise, Idaho area or for anyone who might be passing through in the next 6 weeks or so: Winter Garden aGlow at Idaho Botanical Garden. It's a holiday celebration full of lights, friends, fun, and festivities. It's become a staple in these parts, and while I haven't yet had the chance to attend, I know firsthand what goes into creating it because I've played a small part in putting it together this year. So, if you're in the area, make it a priority to check it out. Happy Holiday Season, everyone!

Weekly Recommendations, Week 45: Watering Your Plants

I have talked to many people who claim to have a black thumb. They tell me that they can’t manage to keep any plants alive. Every plant entrusted to their care ends up dying, and they can’t figure out why. However, the reality is that they probably either just forgot to water their plants or they watered them too much. This is because most plants require very little care to keep alive, but all plants need water, some more than others. This does not constitute a black thumb, it just means that a little more vigilance is required.
I understand this issue though, because as a self-proclaimed plant nerd and an experienced plant caretaker, even I forget to water my plants sometimes, which occasionally results in a dead plant. In fact, I recently almost killed one of my favorite plants. It’s a tiny sundew (Drosera spp.) in a little pot – a carnivorous plant that my boss gave to me. I’m not sure how many days I went without watering it, but luckily I noticed, just in time, that it was looking a bit droopy. So, I drenched it with distilled water (the kind of water that carnivorous plants require) and hoped that I wasn’t too late and that it would recover. To my pleasant surprise, it sprung back and is doing just fine.
So, if you’re one of those who considers yourself a black thumb, I would recommend improved vigilance about watering your plants – not too much and not too little (this is species dependent of course, but really not that difficult to master). And if you’re like me and just forget to water your plants once in a while because life gets in the way sometimes, consider this a reminder to go water your plants. They’re nice things to have around, and it’s sad to see them go, especially when it’s due to something as simple as keeping them properly hydrated.

Weekly Recommendations, Week 44: Retch-a-Sketch blog

I'm too big of a fan of Keet's artwork and writing not to recommend Keet's sketch blog, Retch-a-Sketch, which I finally (just recently) took the time to visit. If you are not yet familiar with Keet and her work, apart from checking out her blog, you should check out her zine, Echo! Echo!. After you browse her blog, read her zine, and become a fan (which I'm sure you will), support Keet's work by sending her some dollars and getting something in return. In other words, buy stuff from her. Apart from that, I'm not sure what else to say. Keet's work speaks for itself, right?

Weekly Recommendations, Week 43: Brainscan #29 / No More Coffee #4

While I’m not typically a big fan of fiction zines, I found this one to be a good one. Ben of No More Coffee, a strictly fiction zine apparently, initiated this project with Alex Wrekk of Brainscan, challenging her to write a fiction issue of her zine and put it out as a split issue with his zine. Anyone who has ever read an issue of Brainscan (and who in the zine community hasn’t, really?) knows that Brainscan is a deeply personal, non-fiction zine, so producing a fiction issue was indeed a challenge. However, Alex performs famously, writing so much in her personal voice that even though the stories are fiction, they are completely believable and relatable. Alex’s half of this zine alone is reason enough to pick this up. But don’t think for a second that Ben does not also excel. His stories are just as intimate and engrossing. I found myself engaged and interested, despite the fact that it was fiction and that I have a general (and frankly unwarranted) aversion to the genre. The first story – Photographs of the Dead – is especially worth reading. In short, get your hands on a copy of this zine. It’s a rare chance to read Alex’s fiction, but it’s also a great fiction zine overall.

Weekly Recommendations, Week 42: Neutral Milk Hotel

I shouldn't have to say too much to justify this recommendation. The music speaks for itself. Plus if you haven't already heard it, then your life must be seriously lacking...so this should help. While Neutral Milk Hotel (legends of the Elephant 6 Recording Company) only produced two full-length albums and haven't done much of anything since disbanding thirteen years ago, their music is still as fresh, original, and relevant as ever. If you don't believe me, just listen for yourself.

Weekly Recommendations, Week 41: Flora's Forum

Many months ago on this blog I recommended an up and coming magazine called, Greenwoman. What you may not know is that there is a great little group blog affiliated with this magazine called, Flora's Forum. It's still in it's infancy and has yet to really blossom into what it could become, but there is still plenty of good content already there to be found. It's a blog for those interested in connecting to nature through gardening, in taking care of the planet, in living simply and doing-it-yourself, and in expressing these sentiments through all forms of art. Additionally, this blog is not just for reading but for participating, and so in order to facilitate this, writers, gardeners, and nature lovers the world over are invited to contribute. If, after browsing through the site, you decide that Flora's Forum might be a place for you to express yourself, by all means contact the editor. I intend to contribute eventually, but have been distracted by too many other things. I will join the community eventually. You can count on that.

Weekly Recommendations, Week 40: Paper Radio

Paper Radio (formerly Signals) is a zine for the radio obsessed, especially for those who pine for radio as it used to be (which is before my time, but I can appreciate the sentiment). Pirate radio, shortwave radio, AM/FM, ham radio, even internet radio, if it has anything at all to do with radio and radio culture, it gets discussed in this zine. Issue #7 includes an interview with pirate radio broadcaster, John Poet, and discusses the controversy behind his recent FCC bust. It also includes thoughts on the vinyl revolution, an interview with DJ Little Danny, Lee Widener's account of an interesting LSD experience, and much more. In issue #8, there is a discussion of telegrams, an interview with Kevin Carey about longwave signals, reviews of select Yoga Records releases, short fiction by William Jackson, and of course much more. DJ Frederick is passionate about the art and science of radio, which is made very clear in the pages of his zine. If you have any interest in radio at all, this zine is definitely worth checking out. It excels at shedding some much needed light on this under-appreciated and declining medium.

Weekly Recommendations, Week 39: Darlingtonia State Natural Site

Driving along the Oregon Coast on Highway 101, beautiful sights, awesome views, and totally worthwhile stops abound. One in particular that I highly recommend is Darlingtonia State Natural Site, which I was fortunate enough to visit on a recent trip to the coast. It's a location just north of Florence on the way to Newport, and honestly if you blink you'll miss it. It's a small site, so it's a brief stop, but it's totally worth it because it is home to a remarkable carnivorous plant called the cobra lily (also known as Darlingtonia). While this plant may be rare, the view you'll get upon visiting will not give you that impression. A short pathway will lead you from the parking lot to an opening in the forest canopy where you will find hundreds (if not thousands) of cobra lilies growing in a marshy area.  Check out what Wikipedia has to say about it, and if you're ever in the area, definitely don't miss it.

Darlingtonia State Natural Site (18 acres) is a state park and botanical preserve located five miles (8 km) north of Florence, Oregon, United States on U.S. Route 101, just west of Mercer Lake and south of Sutton Lake that is dedicated to the preservation of a rare plant.
Darlingtonia californica is a carnivorous plant, commonly known as the cobra lily, which traps insects in its hollow tubular leaves, whose top is flared into a hollow dome with a forked "tongue" that gives the species its common name. In late spring, they bear purple and yellow flowers that rise above the green cobra-like leaves. Darlingtonia are found only in wet meadows and bogs with acid soils low in nitrogen. The rare, strangely-shaped plant is the only member of the pitcher plant family Sarraceniaceae in Oregon.
The park has a short loop trail through a peat bog area overlooking patches of Darlingtonia. It is the only Oregon state park dedicated to the protection of a single plant species.

Weekly Unrecommendations, Week 38: Writing Weekly Recommendations for a Year

This is both a recommendation and an un-recommendation. Committing to write weekly recommendations for a year without being able to see into the future (which no one can do, of course) is kind of gutsy and perhaps a bit crazy. I try very hard to be a man of my word, so if I say I'm going to write one recommendation a week for a year, you better believe that I intend to do it. The problem is that life gets in the way, filled with all kinds of activities and various other commitments, and following through with a commitment made without the ability to see future obstacles and interruptions is challenging. Another setback is that I did not enter into this yearlong commitment with 52 things in mind to recommend to the general populace. Instead, I started with a list of a dozen or so recommendations and figured that the rest of them would come with time, week by week. Personally, I think this is the best way to go about it, so I really have no issues with such a tactic. The trouble comes when I get super busy (as per usual), and it becomes difficult to come up with something to write about; and then, when I do eventually think of something, finding time to write about it becomes the trial. However, these are challenges I expected to face and was willing to accept. The reality is that I wanted to find something that would force me to write more. I love writing, but I just don't feel like I do it enough. Writing weekly recommendations is what I came up with to remedy the situation. So, now that I am 38 weeks into the process with only 14 weeks to go, I'm fairly certain that, come what may, I'll be able to fulfill this commitment despite the obstacles. However, I will not pretend that it's been easy or will be easy. Thus, the question becomes, would I recommend such a task to others? Yes and no. I have (despite everything) enjoyed it more than I have hated it, so if you're the kind of person who thinks they could enjoy such a thing, I say go for it. If not, I very highly un-recommend it.

Weekly Recommendations, Week 37: Shabazz Palaces

When I was a youngster, I developed an obsession for rap music. As I got older, I moved on to various other genres of music, yet I have never lost my love for hip hop. Digable Planets was one of my most favorite rap groups as a youngster. However, after two incredible albums in the early 1990's, they mysteriously disappeared, much to my dismay. Consider my surprise when I learned that Butterfly of Digable Planets (one of three members) had formed a new group, Shabazz Palaces, and not only had released a full length album along with a couple of EP's, but was also opening for My Morning Jacket on their tour through Boise, ID. Luckily, I was able to attend, and was blown away by how incredible Butterfly's new duo is. The Shabazz Palaces recordings are great for sure, but if you by some awesome chance get to see these guys live, prepare to be overwhelmed by their incredible-ness. Thus, I highly recommend any contact at all that you might have with Shabazz Palaces, but especially a live show.

Weekly Recommendations, Week 36: Seeing the Ocean

A trip to the coast to see the ocean is always highly recommended. Need I say more?

This is a photo taken during a recent trip. It's the Pacific Ocean taken in Shore Acres State Park in Oregon. Go there!

Weekly Recommendations, Week 35: Responding to Mail

I used to write letters. Actually, I still do, just not at the rate that I once did and not at the rate that I  would prefer. Embarrassingly enough, I have been letting my mail pile up for a long time now, and the duration I go without responding to letters I receive keeps getting longer and longer. I don't really want it to be this way, but for whatever reason, I just haven't made it a priority to respond in a timely manner to the letters I receive. It's disgraceful as far as I'm concerned. I'm not saying that everyone who receives letters should respond immediately - we all have our busy lives with plenty of other stuff going on - I'm just saying that I would like to do better at it. I greatly appreciate the mail that I receive from fellow zinesters and zine-interested folks, and I love the connections I've made with people all over the world. I consider my pen pals to be my good friends and confidants, and I really want to maintain the associations that I have with them. However, I have not been great at writing letters lately. Perhaps I've never really been great at it, but these days it's gotten worse. I intend to mend that though. I will do better. I am making it a point to. One day soon, I'm going to sit down and write responses to all the mail I've received over the past year or more that I have yet to respond to, and then (mark my words) I will keep up on it. I recommend that you do the same. The connections we make in life are of upmost importance, and it is imperative that we maintain these relationships. Our lives are enriched by our friendships (whether they develop in person or through the postal system), and in turn, our correspondence, communication, and attentiveness can enrich the lives of others. To get a letter, write a letter, and if you get a letter, write a letter back. To those who have written to me lately and are anxiously awaiting a reply, I promise you that a response is on it's way. And to those who haven't written to me in a while (or ever), I'd love to hear from you. I promise that it won't take me eons to write you back...not anymore anyway.

Weekly Recommendations, Week 34: Cinder Block Bookshelf

This past week I built a bookshelf out of cinder blocks and some old boards. It's likely the most common, DIY bookshelf around...and certainly one of the least expensive bookshelf to boot...but it's also pretty classy as far as I'm concerned. Most importantly, it was about time I had gotten around to building it. I have been living in this apartment for almost 4 months now with nowhere to display my books. Finally, I have at least a few books on display. Eventually, I will need to make a second bookshelf in order accommodate the rest of them. That's not important though. The point of this recommendation is to say that if you are feeling the need to make your house appear more like that of a punk rocker  - or just some young kid, fresh out of his/her parent's house - build a cinder block bookshelf. Not only will you have a place to store and display your book collection, but you will feel super DIY and punk rock in the process...guaranteed.

Weekly Recommendations, Week 33: Sleeping When You're Dead

Who needs sleep? Sleep is overrated and so old fashioned. You can sleep when you're dead. Life is meant for living, not sleeping right through it and then falling asleep...dead....forever. I also recommend laughing to keep from crying and laughing when things aren't funny.



Weekly Recommendations, Week 32: Zone 4 Magazine

Apparently this magazine has been around for a few years, but this year is the first I heard of it. It's about time, though (perfect timing, actually), because it's a great magazine all about living and gardening in the rocky mountains, and as it turns out, I just recently moved back to the "high country west." The name "Zone 4" refers to the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone, but it is definitely not exclusive to the goings-on of things in Zone 4. Instead it covers all zones in the Rocky Mountains, which includes at least Zones 3-6. The creators of the magazine insist that by producing the magazine they are filling a niche and a need that was not being filled or met otherwise. Their intention was to create a magazine that "is written by experts for real people with real concerns who want to learn more about successful gardening, landscaping, and healthy local foods raised and grown in zone 4." As far as I'm concerned, they totally nailed it. The magazine is very well put together, includes a surplus of great information and entertainment, and is a friendly and useful resource to the high country gardener. A few examples of some articles and topics that are found in the summer 2012 issue of Zone 4 include: an interview with rock garden expert, Panyoti Kelaidis, information about the Crested Butte Wildflower Festival, a Wyoming water-wise garden, vermiculture how-to, hosting a plant exchange, selection & application of manure, top plant picks for rocky mountain gardeners, rhubarb recipes, broccoli recipes, a penstemon profile, and so much more. If anything in that diverse list piques your interest, definitely check this out. It's a quality publication. 

Weekly Recommendations, Week 31: The Promise Ring "Skips a Beat (Over You)"

Every once in a while I go through a strange phase during which I listen to lots of 90's emo music. I'm not sure why exactly, it's just the way of things, I guess. The Promise Ring is one of my favorite bands from this era/genre, which shouldn't come as any big surprise; aftera all, they were quite popular at the time. Anyone familair with the Promise Ring would certainly agree that as their career progressed, they got poppier, The epitome of their poppiness came with the album, Very Emergency, in which they seemed to abandon their emo-punk roots and embrace their indie-pop sensibilities...completely. The following video will demostrate that. It shows just how poppy they became before they mellowed out and disappeared. I like how different this song is from the rest of their stuff, and how great they were at being a pop band despite their roots. By the way, this is not an official video, it's just something random from you tube. But it's entertaining nonetheless, and I recommend it because it pretty much proves my point... 

Weekly Recommendations, Week 30: Me Likes You Very Much by Lauren Barnett

If you've been following Lauren's blog for the past few years, then you already know how great this book is. But if you have yet to be introduced to Lauren's genius, no worries, this book (published by Hic and Hoc Publications) will get you all caught up. Lauren Barnett creates short and simple comics (each one getting its own page) involving quirky, sometimes crude, yet lovable characters making witty, sometimes vulgar, but also endearing comments. The characters are either animals (birds seem to be a favorite) or some inanimate object, such as a fruit or vegetable or some other food or non-food related item. The art is very simple and unrefined, however the minimalist approach is what gives Lauren's comics their character and originality. This is laugh out loud, catch you off gaurd kind of stuff, with a mix of some cute and endearing pieces presented in a very approachable manner. Visit Lauren's blog for examples, and once you're hooked - which won't take long - get your hands on a copy of this book.

Weekly Recommendations, Week 29: Jason Anderson Live

I go to a lot of rock shows. It's one of my most favorite things to do. The best part of seeing live music is being part of the experience, being pulled into the music and participating in something singular...a moment in time that can't be repeated. Whether it's dancing like a maniac to the music or just bobbing your head, singing along at the top of your lungs or just mouthing the words, live music is all about the experience...and it tugs at every sense. If all you want to see is people playing instruments and singing, you can turn on your TV or find a video to watch on the interwebs, but if you want the full experience, you absolutey must be there in person, present and available. Of course, some folks don't do live music well. They don't create an atmosphere where all senses can be involved, where the soul can come alive and get lost in the sound reverberating through the body. These performers are boring and offer little more than what a TV screen or computer monitor can offer. Jason Anderson is not one of those performers. Jason Anderson endeavors to create an unforgettable experience, replete with crowd participation and energy overload. His shows are extreme with emotion, passion, courage, and heart. He gives everything he has regardless of how few people are there to see it. Whether it's a completely acoustic show in a stranger's living room or a poorly attended show at a hipster bar, Jason Anderson comes completely alive when he performs. He bears it all with heart on sleeve and guts hanging out. If you ever have a chance to see him, I implore you, do not miss out of the opportunity. For information on upcoming Jason Anderson shows, go here.

Weekly Recommendations, Week 28: Growing Things: A Guide for Beginning Gardeners

Growing Things is a little zine that Joshua put together out of desperation after seeking for a good zine about basic gardening to include in his distro (Ms. Valerie Park Distro) but not finding anything suitable. With promptings and contributions from friends, he took the initiative to produce the publication that he found lacking. Joshua starts out by making it clear that he and the other contributors are not experts and have no formal training in gardening (especially the science thereof), and that there are myriad ways of going about things. What works for one may not work so well for others. I am pleased that he stated this upfront because as an avid gardener (and as someone who is trained in the profession), I did find a few of the things in this zine to be a bit “off” from my experience and perspective. However, I also agree that everyone’s gardening experience is unique, and in fact, Joshua’s summary of the zine provides very succinct examples of how starkly different the experiences of gardeners can be and how, as I have always felt, gardening is a trial and error, seat of the pants adventure regardless of how long you’ve been doing it or how trained and educated you are concerning it. The content of the zine is exactly what you would expect from a zine about basic gardening: making garden beds, container gardening, planting, weed control, insects, composting, seed saving, watering, plant nutrition, etc. Some of the writing is less about the how-to and more about the joy of gardening. All in all it’s a very informative zine and a great introduction to the world of gardening. Joshua was correct in (albeit reluctantly) deciding to put together the zine he had been wishing existed, because the outcome is a very approachable, well put together, straightforward gardening primer. You can get a copy for yourself by sending $3 + $1 shipping in US or $2 outside the US to Ms. Valerie Park Distro PO Box 2645 Olympia WA 98507.

Weekly Recommendations, Week 27: Evolution: How We and All Living Things Came To Be

The book, Evolution: How We and All Living Things Came to Be by Daniel Loxton, is a short, illustrated book that introduces and explains the Theory of Evolution in the simplest terms so that anyone can understand it. The general concept of evolution is actually quite simple, but there are many people that still don’t know much about it or that don’t quite understand its mechanisms. Loxton’s book does a great job of solving issues like this with its simple language, helpful graphics, and overall straightforwardness and readability. The illustrations are very well done and help to compliment the text so that the concepts are easier to relate to and understand. Apart from addressing the main concepts of evolution, Loxton also spends a portion of the book addressing questions that people who are skeptical about evolution might have, including questions concerning the existence or lack thereof of transitional fossils, the diversity of life and the complexity of some organisms, the origin of life, and religion. This book is designed to be a resource for teaching children about evolution, which is essential for understanding biology and science in general, but it could also be useful in explaining evolution to adults who, for whatever reason, have not been exposed to these concepts. It could also be a great book for those that have been trained in the field of biology who just want to brush up on the main ideas. Either way, I highly recommend taking a look at it. I’m certain that it will have something to offer everyone, regardless of one's level of understanding concerning evolution.