2014: A New Direction

You may or may not have been wondering where I have been all year. I'm guessing not. But if you have, here is your answer. I've been focusing full time on my other blog, Awkward Botany. It's a blog all about plants, and it's for everyone - even for people who don't like plants. Why am I spending all of my time over there? Well, frankly it's because I have to learn to focus my energies on one thing in particular. I end up spreading myself too thin otherwise. I can do a dozen things and do them okay, or I can do one thing and do it well. I'm not sure how well I'm doing, but I'm giving it a shot. The problem is that I have lots of other blog ideas (and non-blog ideas), so it's hard to stay focused on just one thing. Regardless, if you want to be in touch (and I hope you do), please point your cursor here and give it a click. You just might like a bit of what there is to read. If not, at least there are some pretty pictures. Oh, and tell your friends, please - that's how movements start. Thanks!

Monthly Recommendations: December 2013

I am doing something different for this month's Monthly Recommendations post. Seeing how it is the end of the year, I have decided to select a few of the things that I recommended this year in my monthly posts and re-recommend them. These are things that I think are totally worth checking out. Consider this the highlight version of this year's recommendations.

Blog

Brave Hannah - Yes, it's my sister's blog. Yes, that makes me a little biased. But it's a really great blog for anyone interested in eating real food, staying active, and generally living a healthy and positive life. If that's your thing, then give it a look.

Book

Answers for Aristotle: How Science and Philosophy Can Lead Us to a More Meaningful Life - I read a lot of books this year - way more than usual - but this book by Massimo Pigliucci is by far the most intriguing book I read all year. I think about it regularly and intend to read it again soon. Yes, it's that good.

Zine

Dream Whip #15 - Dream Whip is one of my all-time favorite zines. Bill Brown's writing is simple yet so profound. Getting to read a new issue of Dream Whip was a highlight of my year.

Podcast

Caustic Soda - When I recommended this back in August, I had only listened to one or two episodes. I honestly didn't fully comprehend what I was listening to at that time, but I knew I liked it. Now that I've listened to nearly every episode, I think I can safely say that I am a bona fide Caustic Soda Jerk. With healthy doses of humor, lightheartedness, caution, and seriousness, nobody discusses "caustic" themes like these guys. Give it a few listens, and you'll find that - just like a train wreck - you won't be able to turn away.

Music

The Kingons - Because I am convinced that everyone needs a little pop punk in their lives every now and then. (Or in my case, the more the merrier).

Review of Elephant Mess #27

 

 

Recently, DJ Frederick posted a very kind and thoughtful review of my zine, Elephant Mess #27. I appreciate his words very much, and I encourage you to check out his blog - One Minute Zine Reviews - where you can read other reviews that he writes as well as find out about all the other worthy projects that he is involved in.

Monthly Recommendations: October 2013

Read

Pie Any Means Necessary: The Biotic Baking Brigade Cookbook - Activists pie-ing people for a cause. Making protest fun again.

Listen

Sandra and Zora Knauf (of Greenwoman Magazine) were interviewed on We Dig Plants, one of the many fine programs on the Heritage Radio Network. Check it out!

See

Autumn is here. Get outside, enjoy the cooler temperatures, and observe the beautiful fall colors. But first, read a little about the science behind why leaves change color in the fall. Just one of the many plant themed posts on my brother blog, Awkward Botany.

Monthly Recommendations: September 2013

Read

Grow: How to Take Your Do It Yourself Project and Passion to the Next Level and Quit Your Job by Eleanor Whitney - Eleanor is a long-time zine writer and do-it-yourselfer, and her book is a great introduction for anyone considering turning their DIY project into a successful business and a full-time job. She also writes a great blog: www.killerfemme.com

Listen

Sawbones - Part of the Maximum Fun network of podcasts, this podcast covers "all the odd, weird, wrong, dumb, and just gross ways we've tried to fix people over the years." Who knew that medical history could be this interesting and fun?!

Watch

This is an entertaining and informative video about green roof technology:

Awkward Botany

This isn't my only blog. If you'd like to read more of what I have to say, consider visiting Awkward Botany. It's my blog about plants. I'm a plant nerd and love all things plant related. Awkward Botany is where I express my plant nerd self. Whether you are plant interested, plant curious, or plant ambivalent, I am certain that you will find something of interest here. It's worth checking out.

Monthly Recommendations: April 2013

The Memory Palace -  Obscure stories from history told by Nate DiMeo, a man with a very fine voice and a gift for words. Now part of the Maximum Fun network of podcasts.

Shareable.net - A community committed to sharing. Enough said.

Answers for Aristotle: How Science and Philosophy Can Lead Us to a More Meaningful Life by Massimo Pigliucci - "...the relationship between science and philosophy in guiding our lives is complex, but surely one way to understand sci-phi is to let philosophy (informed by science) guide us in principle, and to use science (steered by philosophy) as our best bet for implementing those principles." Yes, I know it's cliche to say, but this book really changed my life.

Raccoon vs. Onions

A little while back, I planted some onion seeds in a plastic salad container. As the onion seeds began to sprout, I placed the container outside by my front door so that the little seedlings could get plenty of sun and eventually be ready to transplant in a yet to be determined location. After they had been outside for a few days, I observed that something had been digging in them. At first it wasn't anything major - just a couple small holes. I assumed it was a squirrel. No big deal. I would just bury the holes back in and go about my day. I wasn't too worried about it because it didn't seem overly intrusive. Then one day I noticed more digging than usual and decided I should do something about it. I found a piece of chicken wire and placed it over the top of the planter. The next morning, to my horror, the digging had advanced to a new extreme. The chicken wire had been shoved aside and what had previously been small, isolated holes had become one giant hole extending across the entire planter. I decided that what I was dealing with wasn't just a playful squirrel but most likely a menacing raccoon (especially since the deed seemed to be occurring at night). Frustrated, I dug out what I could of the onions, transplanted them into a smaller container, and placed them in a safer location, hopefully to never be bothered again. Unfortunately this means that what I had envisioned as a bumper crop of onions in the fall will now just be a meager harvest at best. This time, in the battle of Raccoon vs. Onions, Raccoon wins. Such is the life of a gardener and his constant battle against nature.

 

To read more of my adventures in the plant world, please visit: www.awkwardbotany.com

Monthly Recommendations: January 2013

The days of weekly recommendations are over. 52 weeks in a row was enough for me. However, I still have things that I feel the need to recommend, and I am also looking for reasons to keep this blog at least semi-active. So, I have settled on writing Monthly Recommendations from now until the foreseeable future. Each month I will choose 3-5 things (more or less) that I feel are worthy of a recommendation and list them here with a sentence or two about each one so that you might be enticed to check them out.

Destination DIY Podcast: A high-quality podcast exploring all things Do-It-Yourself. Going beyond just home improvement projects and crafts, this podcast aims to tell the stories of people from all walks of life who have taken things into their own hands and chosen to "create rather than consume the world around them."

 

Brave Hannah Blog: This is my sister's blog...but don't let that be the only reason you check it out. Hannah writes about food ("clean eating"), fitness, and life in general. Read her "About Me" page to find out more.

Useless Eaters: Catchy punk rock/garage rock band from Tennessee. Chaotic, messy, and fun.

Weekly Recommendations, Week 52: Awkward Botany

Mission accomplished. One recommendation (or unrecommendation as the case may be) posted every week for a full year. 52 posts in all. And you thought that it couldn’t be done. Actually, you probably didn’t have an opinion on the matter one way or another. I had my doubts, though…but sometimes I surprise myself.

So now, as the year comes to a close (and the world didn’t end), I have decided that I will turn my focus away from this blog and towards something new. Certainly I will continue to post here, and I actually have some ideas for some future posts; however, most of my blogging efforts will be focused on my new blog, Awkward Botany. It’s something that I came up with several months ago, but have yet to do anything with. It combines my awkward geekiness with my love of plants. While it is not yet clear exactly what shape it will take, I am excited to get started on it so that I can watch it grow and evolve. A quick brainstorming session yields this list of topic ideas for posts: the evolution/biology/ecology of plants, rare and endangered plants, the wonders of plants, my favorite plants, tips on growing and caring for plants, places to go to see plants, the benefits of plants, plants in the news, etc. I promise it will be interesting, particularly if you like plants, but even if you are not overly excited about plants, I hope that it will still be appealing to you in some way.

I'm not sure exactly when you should expect posting to begin on Awkward Botany, but hopefully it will happen soon, so check back often. In the meantime, say goodbye to 2012 and hello to 2013. Let’s hope it’s a good one…because for heaven's sake, we all really need it.

Weekly Recommendations, Week 49: Acrylic Sky

I am a huge fan of my dad's artwork, so a few months ago I helped him set up a website/blog so that more people could have the opportunity to appreciate (and eventually purchase) his work. I have yet to do much with the site, but hopefully that will change soon as I find more time to work on it. Either way, I encourage you to take a look at what we've got so far and then check back often for future (and hopefully regular) updates.
My dad produces nature scenes using ink and acrylic paint and collectively calls his work, Acrylic Sky. He describes his images as typical Idaho landscapes, however the majority of his pieces are not depictions of specific sites or scenes, but rather are simply creations of his imagination. A few examples can be seen on the blog with more to come soon. So, please check it out and leave a comment to let him know what you think.

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 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 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 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 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 24: Billy Childish is Dead

When I started writing these weekly recommendations at the beginning of 2012, I commenced by recommending the band, Thee Headcoats, fronted by an English gentleman who goes by the name, Billy Childish. Well, my interest in Billy Childish and his music has not waned, and so nearly six months later I am recommending a great, little documentary about the life and times of Billy Childish entitled, Billy Childish is Dead. This film, which was released in 2005, was obviously done with a very low budget and without the use of high quality video and editing equipment; however, that is actually quite fitting considering that it’s a film showcasing a man who despite his prolific contributions to the world of art, writing, and music, has very little interest in fame and fortune and has probably (without pretentiousness) made it a point to avoid such things. The film consists of various interviews with people associated with or interested in the life of Billy Childish, including bandmates, friends, lovers, and associates. Billy Childish himself is also interviewed, and his comments, stories, and quips were major highlights of the film for me. Mixed in with the interviews is footage from various shows that Billy Childish and his myriad bands have put on over the years. The footage includes performances by the Pop Rivets, The Milkshakes, Thee Mighty Caesers, Thee Headcoats, and The Buff Medways, as well as some solo stuff. The live footage was another big highlight for me, so I was pleased that the DVD included a lengthy bonus segment with extended versions of some of these performances as well as additional ones. This film is a great introduction to the world of Billy Childish, and I would implore you, if you aren’t already acquainted with the works of Billy Childish, to make yourself so. In my opinion, he is one of the few raw, genuine, unexploited, and unapologetic artists out there in this big, crazy world saturated with commercialism and pretended talent.

One of my favorite Billy Childish quotes from the film:
“The Beatles put the idea in mind that you could be in a group, and punk rock put the possibility of actually really being in one without really any talent.”

Weekly Recommendations, Week 13: The Juniper #15

This week’s recommendation is blatant self-promotion, so consider yourself warned. However, this is my blog, so I can do whatever I want, right? Plus, everyone else is using their blogs, tweets, and wall postings to aggressively and excessively promote themselves, so what’s stopping me from doing the same? Hey, everybody! Look at me! Check out how cool I am and all the cool stuff I do! Please like me and be my friend! Post, post, post, tweet, blog, post, ad infinitum.
The Juniper is my 8 years running eco-zine. It's all about living the slow/simple/small life: bike riding, gardening, doing it yourself. In this issue I talk about finding sanity by being in nature, my obsession with my bicycle, how to set up a plant variety trial in your garden and why you should do it, and how lots of things in the world are actually getting better (despite what some folks might say or think) and as long as we make the effort to stay on this course, amazing things can happen. I also include a recipe specifically for springtime. If any of this sounds even remotely interesting to you, send me an email and I'll send you a copy. I usually ask for a stamp, 50¢, or a trade in return, but a nice note should also suffice. I'd give my address here, but I'm still in the middle of a transition and don't yet know what my permanent address will be. Either way, write to me here and we can figure something out: juniperjournal@hotmail.com

Weekly Reccomendations, Week 7: The Calculus Diaries by Jennifer Ouellette

I’ve been math-phobic for as long as I can remember, but something about being a graduate student made me decide that I needed to get over it, so I picked up a copy of Jennifer Ouellette’s book, The Calculus Diaries, determined to teach myself a little calculus. It took me several months to read it, but that's definitely not because it was dry and challenging - in fact, it was just the opposite. Now that I have finally gotten through it, I've decided to make it this week’s Weekly Recommendation, because I’m certain that you will find this book as enjoyable as I did, if not more so. In her book, Jennifer takes readers on a journey through a period of time where she began to apply what she was learning about calculus to a variety of events in her daily life, including a trip to Vegas, the purchase of a new house, a Disneyland vacation, visiting the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, and a surfing excursion in Hawaii. It was amazing to me to realize just how much calculus (and math in general) can be applied to everyday life, and while I really didn’t learn much about how to do calculus (which isn’t the point of the book, really) I was inspired to make a greater effort to understand it and its importance in the world. If nothing else, at least I got some great history lessons concerning the development of calculus since much of Jennifer’s book consists of profiles of famous mathematicians and anecdotes in their lives that led to the development of certain components of calculus. If none of what I have said so far has convinced you to pick up this book, then perhaps the fact that Jennifer spends a pretty good chunk of the book discussing the zombie apocalypse will at least pique your interest enough to consider it. The zombie discussion was my favorite part of the book and totally worth the read. Jennifer is a fellow (former?) math-phobe and an excellent writer, and regardless of how you feel about numbers, calculations, formulas, equations, and other such nonsense, she will definitely entertain you while simultaneously educating you. What more do you want?

For more Jennifer Ouellete, check out Cocktail Party Physics, a blog that she maintains for Scientific American.

"shout it out, shatter your lungs"

I have a couple things to share with you on this rainy, September weekend.

First off, a prolific zine writer and one of my long-time pen pals, Laura-Marie (of Eric and Laura-Marie Magazine and Functionally Ill), recently started a zine review blog, which can be found at http://lauramarieszinereviews.blogspot.com/ Laura-Marie is passionate about zine publishing and the reviews she includes in her zines are always interesting to read, so I'm sure the review blog will be equally great. If you're interested in seeing your zine reviewed on her blog, email her for her mailing address at robotmad@gmail.com. She's interested in reviewing most any zine except for music zines.

The second thing you should check out is Chelsea Lincoln's interview on the Our Hen House podcast. Chelsea (another long-time pen pal) is the author of Flavor Vegan blog and was recently a speaker and panelist at the Vida Vegan Con in Portland, OR. In the interview Chelsea talks about being vegan, her activism and how activism can mean something different for different people, and fat acceptance among other things. Chelsea is extremely articulate and passionate, and the interview is fun to listen to, so check it out, okay!?