Trigger Hippie

A Look at the Occupy Wall Street Consensus Model

2011-10-15T06:49:00.000-07:00

Creating Personal Presence: Look, Talk, Think, and Act Like a Leader - Book Review

2011-09-26T19:21:00.000-07:00

Let me preface my comments by pointing out that I have never read a book focused in this arena before. Honestly, I have seen a number of books promoted in a manner similar to Creating Personal Presence and have been turned off simply because they appeared to focus on rudimentary or superficial issues when it came to the idea of becoming a more successful entity in a corporate sense. That being said, I was extremely impressed with both the depth and positive nuance of Creating Personal Presence. I was surprised at how captivated I became with the content of the text and how easy it was to draw correlations between the examples in the book and the realities of my own performance.

I envision the book as a primer in teaching leaders the ability to develop the personal skills required of a leader. I’ve managed core groups of leadership (in the Army) who are responsible for ensuring the well-being of different aspects of company operations. While I am always blown away by the technical competency of those I’ve worked with, I find myself constantly having to work with some of my most proficient section leaders in learning how to present themselves properly as a leader as well as how to project authority through their presence. I would love to be able to assign Creating Personal Presence as a resource to assist my management in developing the interpersonal skills that allow them to translate their competence into holistic leadership abilities.

I felt that the material was presented in a manner that was balanced in terms of maintaining a positive and encouraging atmosphere while at the same time demanding improved performance. Booher avoids blame and instead focused on how to develop leadership despite individual circumstances. I enjoyed that the book assumes an amount of personal success on behalf of the reader dodging the ever looming “bootstraps” mentality. I found that by starting from a level at which technical competence was assumed allowed the book to be more inviting. Overall the material had more of a coaching/mentoring feel to it.

I like that the book incorporates the author’s research into the field citing the exact nature of specific studies and even including the questions posed to those interviewed. I think these add weight to the ideas presented and clarify the author’s authority in the field. The narratives do an excellent job of creating opportunities for personal introspection and add entertainment value to the text. I found myself drawing similarities between my own performance and the characters discussed.

I found that the book addressed a topic that I struggle with both in my actual job and in my Army career… that is learning to convey what I know in a manner that other people flock to. It’s one thing to know a field, but it’s another to be able to convey that knowledge. The book does a terrific job of explaining presence and why it’s important to advance in the work place.

Home Free Bagels and Social Entrepreneurship

2011-05-21T08:29:00.000-07:00

Ashoka an organization working to “allow social entrepreneurs to thrive and enables the world’s citizens to think and act as changemakers” points out that Social Entrepreneurship provides an opportunity for people to take charge of their communities in a way that enables positive growth while at the same time working for social reforms. Ashoka feels that, “Rather than leaving societal needs for the government or business sectors to address, social entrepreneurs are creating innovative solutions, delivering extraordinary results, and improving the lives of millions of people”.

Taking a step back, it’s important to understand the essence of Social Entrepreneurship… “Unlike traditional business entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurs primarily seek to generate “social value” rather than profits. And unlike the majority of non-profit organizations, their work is targeted not only towards immediate, small-scale effects, but sweeping, long-term change” (PBS 2005). Social Entrepreneurship steps outside of a number of pressing societal conventions. They create business that don’t rely on traditional metrics of profit and sales volume but instead add additional measures of success hinging on their ability to effect social change within their community. The terms Social Entrepreneurship and Social Enterprise are often used interchangeably, the main emphasis being on extending the traditional focus of capitalist business ventures to have a primary focus on their ability to create social change. A social enterprise has an obligation to operate in ethically, socially, and environmentally responsible ways. It differs from traditional enterprise in that the priority is social justice rather than personal wealth.

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Chris Sullivan and getting an opportunity to talk to her about her personal venture in Social Entrepreneurship, Home Free Bagels. Her plan strives to provide homeless members of the community with tangible stepping stones while at the same time satisfying a dearth of locally produced bagels. As she puts it, “Home Free Bagels is a social venture that seeks to provide employment opportunities for individuals experiencing homelessness, while also generating profits that benefit the Asheville Homeless Network. We make a bagel that exceeds the quality of any other in town, and we sell our delicious product wholesale to local coffeehouses and restaurants. In doing so, we present motivated and hardworking individuals from the homeless community with an opportunity to bypass the frustration and humiliation they often face in the employment market. I have personally watched enthusiasm turn to disappointment when an individual is turned away from a job that seemed to be a sure thing. One gentleman told me of a time when he reported for his first day of work, brought his sleeping bag, and the employer immediately turned him away. Stories such as that, plus a lack of quality bagels in Asheville, were the catalyst for Home Free Bagels. We value dignity, integrity, and loyalty, and seek to provide an environment that allows employees to foster these qualities, simultaneously building self-respect. Working for Home Free Bagels is more than a job and a paycheck; it’s a vessel for reintegration into mainstream society”.

Chris is passionate about the necessity of community investing in social entrepreneurship. She points out the success of President Obama’s campaign in asking people to donate in small amounts in order to build a grassroots effort that everyone felt part of. At the heart of her business model is her unwillingness to make compromises in quality or in her dedication to Home Free Bagels’ workers. She is absolutely committed to paying a living wage and making sure that Home Free Bagels honors its own ideals from the start.

While Home Free Bagels are currently only available in Asheville, North Carolina, the model that Chris has developed offers a perfect example of Social Entrepreneurship/Social Enterprise. Home Free Bagels is witnessing local success finding its way onto the counters of several local stores and cafés, but there is still a need to build capital in order to ensure the longevity of the project. Chris continues to engage in a grassroots style fundraising campaign to continue to build a foundation for Home Free Bagels’ success. It may seem odd for a business to solicit contributions, but as Chris points out those contributions are an investment in the community and a demonstration that Social Entrepreneurship is important to the people of Asheville.

You can get more information on Home Free Bagels (and contribute to the cause) on Facebook. Also follow them on Twitter for the latest developments and information.

Are the internets filtering our search results?

2011-05-21T00:55:00.001-07:00

How To Build a CFL Grow Light Fixture - CHEAP!

2011-03-27T13:41:00.000-07:00

I think this is going to be my next project so that I can start my peppers early this year.

Beet Chips and Genesee

2011-03-13T15:53:00.000-07:00

I've wanted to subscribe to a Community Supported Agriculture vegetable box for a while now, but I am afraid of what kind of weird vegetables I might end up with. So I've decided that before I commit, I should try seeing what kind of recipes there are out there for some of the stranger vegetable varieties I might run across (and those that are typically not well-liked by anyone).

I started out with beets and decided to go with fried beet chips. It took me a couple of batches to get it right, but I finally came out with a workable product on the last batch. They actually went rather well with the white bean chili we were having.

If you care to try them yourself (I'd recommend at least trying them), you can follow these steps. I tried using seasoning salt instead of the sea salt I recommend below and I wasn't happy with it.

You need:

A bunch of beets (or at least one to two large ones)
A deep fryer (I used a Progressive Multi-cooker because it doesn't destroy the kitchen with grease and it's easier to control)
Frying Oil
Sea Salt
A mandolin (for better slicing if you have it)

Directions

Heat up the frying oil to 400F
Slice the beets into thin wafers (as thin as you can possibly get them)
Place small batches of beets into the hot oil fry. I fried them about 5 mins each batch, but you can probably get away with less if you can slice them thin enough. Fry them until the beets have curled in on themselves and the bubbling in the oil has almost completed subsided.
Remove from the oil and place on paper towels. Use another paper towel to remove the excess grease.
Salt immediately to taste
Enjoy!

Also for beer fans (in Asheville)... I found Genesee Cream Ale at the Ingles by the tunnel. You can pick it up for $12-something a 30 pack. I enjoy it... it's on the same level as PBR, but it's cheap, it's smooth, and it's cheap. It's worth trying when you don't want to dive into something heavy.

Jamey Johnson - The Guitar Song

2011-01-21T09:50:00.000-08:00

Jamey Johnson returns to country's roots with songs of desperation and heartache delivered with powerful and notoriously sad guitar riffs. Johnson avoids much of the peppiness and materialism that has come pervasive among today's pop-country chart-toppers instead looking to revive the melancholy romanticism on which the genre was built.

Johnson's laments demonstrate his loyalty to his native Alabama as he explores his travels, his debt, and his love lost. Normally, I am no fan of country music, but I found the bluesy, folky feel of Johnson's "The Guitar Song" to be centered around the core that most country music has strayed away from. His music is explosively emotional and his lyrics are vivid allowing the listener to understand his state of mind as he languishes through each tune searching for some meaning or some identity that eludes him.

"The Guitar Song" is worth checking out, its 25 tracks has a little bit of something for everyone in his throw back to 1970s southern rock/country. Honestly, Johnson would present some serious competition in a remake of the "Smoky and the Bandit" soundtrack.

If... and Christmas!

2010-12-29T11:21:00.000-08:00

If… Rudyard Kipling

IF you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,

Or being hated, don't give way to hating,

And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;

If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

And never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

' Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,

if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,

And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

So I found this poem when I was reading Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (which incidentally is not a bad book… I picked it up in some transient location somewhere out of a lack of things to read… I’m rationalizing). I found it to be remarkably reflexive of the whole deployment experience (the poem, not Bridget Jones). While things here gone well overall, the experience is still at times trying. Deployment has a way of stretching your every last nerve in every direction. Enduring the experience is an accomplishment in and of itself. Surprisingly after the experience is over, it’s generally positive in hindsight. I know I have dozens of “one time at band camp…” stories that I subject my fellow soldiers to all the time gloating about how wonderful of a time I had in Afghanistan. The work of transitioning a deployment from a reality to a memory is the most difficult part… an endurance test of its own nature… one that I think is captured in Kipling’s poem.

In other news, we just finished up with the Christmas holidays. I set the Christmas tree on fire just yesterday. I understand that lighting Christmas trees aflame upon the conclusion of Christmas is not a tradition, but I highly recommend that we make it one as it provides a youthful anticipation reminiscent of Santa Claus. The crackling and uncontrolled flames alongside the wanton sense of destruction make for a very positive experience. Above you will see a picture of the Christmas tree in the days before Christmas… note its unsuspecting look of innocent ambition… it never saw what hit it.

I helped cook breakfast on Christmas morning. Cooking is one of my favorite pastimes (aside from setting Christmas trees aflame… and using the word aflame) so it allowed me a little release. We cooked sausage, scrambled eggs, and pancakes for approximately 80 soldiers with wonderful results. The morning looked grim at first after a handful of near electrical fires (due largely with issues related to scaling down 220 volt power sources to 120 volt power). With a faithful crew of electricians/cooks we managed to put breakfast on the table just in time. The breakfast was nice as it gave us a break from realizing that we were away from home on Christmas morning. The amount of work that people put in organizing and setting the whole venture up reflected the spirit of the holidays.

After the breakfast, I had the pleasure of getting to watch my daughter open her presents over Skype. She was extremely happy about all the tape and paper that she got, and did not seem too annoyed by all the toys that she had to separate from them. One remarkable thing about this deployment has been the proliferation of technology as part of the soldiers array of crap they carry around with them. Unlike my previous deployment, we can enjoy special moments in person by proxy via webcam in the privacy of our rooms (instead of in shared computer lab facilities). We have better access to stay in touch with those at home. Honestly, I think soldiers have surpassed the military in their ability to use modern infrastructure to communicate. I know more about what individual soldiers have done all day and how they are feeling through Facebook (across a wide variety of locations within Iraq) than I know about them through the official military channels. Sometimes I feel like I live in a BestBuy commercial.

Well that’s it for now...

Life following leave

2010-12-16T12:23:00.000-08:00

So I have a tendency to stop posting when the situation shifts to such a state where the emotional vividness or the social mechanics of the situation become difficult to articulate absent the context of such a “unique” time and place. It’s most likely laziness or lack of literary adeptness on my part, but it’s sometimes difficult to describe what’s going on here as so little of what happens stands out as events that can be easily be isolated and relayed. In fact, everything here is interwoven into some incredibly complex, utterly disturbing, and distortedly civilized tapestry that creates an abstraction of humanity which stands as a piece of postmodern art. Most things that happen here only make sense here and only through the lens of the experience that has brought us to this point in the deployment. I struggle with accurately relaying that content. Not to mention that most of our conversations and antics are not to be repeated among polite company.

I enjoyed a wonderful leave for a large part of my absence from blogging. Leave is truly a bittersweet thing during which the military is kind enough to give us our lives back only to cruelly rip them back away from us once we truly begin to feel again… once we truly understand what it is we are missing. I relished the moments to see my daughter walking around for the first time and exploring the world in a way that only a mind unblemished by the negative aspects of humanity can do. I had the opportunity to experience the anticipation of a new baby in a way that’s not possible here given the complexities of living in two realities. It was a chance to enjoy the experience without worrying about arbitrary deadlines and issues of contrived experiences. I glimpsed briefly into the incredible difficulties that my wife has experienced in playing the role of two parents, working, and dealing with the emotional turmoil of deployment. I will never completely understand what she has endured, but I am humbled at her ability to take on the other part of a deployment… the part that gets far less glory and very little press recognition. In short, I had a vacation to be a whole, real person again.

Back in Iraq I have quickly fallen into the daily routine of moving things around, shuffling paperwork, and gossiping like a bunch of middle-school girls. Our days are a countdown until the end of our deployment and an extended waiting period between meals. Meals are for all intents and purposes the clock that drives the Army. Our focus has started to shift on getting ready to get out of here, but there’s still plenty of time left to go. We have created a pretty rigorous social and entertainment schedule that gives us enough to look forward to push us through each day. Our nights are marked by dinners eaten with the company of Pat and Alex as we compete through episodes of Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. The weekends bring Risk tournaments (complete with complex scoring and ranking system) and movie night. Time passes slowly, but it passes in good company. For all the negative facet of a deployment, the people make up for it. The soldiers set the tone of mutual dependency and camaraderie that makes it all bearable.

The picture at the top is me following my daughter as she leads me through the airport to get my luggage at the start of my leave. And as always I promise to attempt to try to possibly post more… that’s it for the moment.

Hacked - My Latest Update

2010-10-17T12:15:00.000-07:00

Once again it’s been some time since I’ve posted here. Life is busy as usual, and I have the attention span of a hummingbird. So here’s what I’ve been up to lately…

First of all, my “planningish” website that I maintain to geek out on my professional life was hacked by Islamic hackers. I’m not kidding… this was in fact a reality. I’ve included a picture below. At first I was somewhat angered by the whole ordeal, but then I found an odd sort of irony in the whole situation as the event seemed to have no correlation to my being here in Iraq. Honestly, I am tired of being caught in some Islamic onslaught against the Western/Christian invasion (or vice-versa depending on your perspective). I really don’t have a dog in this fight… I may be passively idealizing Western culture (I’m not trying to deny that), but I am not actively proselytizing it.

I am tired of the conflict surrounding two cultures that could easily peacefully exist beside one another should their supporters decide to take a few minutes to stop shoving their beliefs down the other side’s throats. To hop up on my soapbox for a moment, I would like to ask that those who so vehemently oppose religious beliefs counter to their own to take my place. Seriously… I am missing some of the best years with my family and I find the news to be a depressing reflection of the reality that despite almost a decade of conflict, we’ve done nothing but breed extremism (both religious and political) on all sides of this problem. We should have learned our lesson, closed mindedness and extremism threw us into this battle; it’s not going to get us out.

In case you were wondering, the Arabic phrase on the picture of my hacked site is translated (by Google Translate) to mean “We do not claim to intelligence I seek to destroy intelligent”. Beautifully said. At first I was upset that intolerance and extremism had become such a problem, but I am comforted that such movements have aspired include an attack on intelligence as part of the evils of the world. I would hate to see how quickly the world could become corrupted if we had individuals capable of independent thought running around. But I digress (and put my soapbox back in the corner where it belongs).

On to more positive things… I managed to get my hacked website up and running (it really wasn’t a big deal, it just took some time to figure out) and decided to do a major overhaul in order to improve things. You can check it out a LocalPlan.org. I have been working on building some professional contacts for the website so that hopefully I will be lucky enough to be able to syndicate some writing to other websites. The Urban News was nice enough to let me publish a book review which you can read here.

Other than website things, I have been spending quite a bit of time catching up on reading and laying out some long-term education goals. I am in desperate need of someone to convince me that educational credentials are not merit badges. I finish an Associates in communications at the beginning of the month and I start a bachelors in Sociology in November. I have also been looking at some interests to pursue when I get home and at the moment I believe that I will be going after a Masters in Project Management when I get home. I start Social Deviance on November 1. I am pretty excited about it, I just hope that my picture is not in the textbook anywhere.

That pretty much concludes my ramblings. I conclude with this warning from the back of an energy drink can I purchased today after getting my hair cut. It warns that the drink is “Not suitable for: Children, Diabetics, Pregnants and people sensitive to Caffeine”. I didn’t even know that “pregnants” were a class of people, but the term is honestly less redundant than “pregnant women” as I rarely see pregnant men walking around. Unfortunately I can't take a picture of the back of the label that isn't blurry, but here is the front.

Vote for Me!

2010-08-29T13:39:00.001-07:00

Anthony Bourdain's Medium Raw Challenge

A Series of Randomness

2010-08-22T13:59:00.000-07:00

So looking at the date of my last post, I see it's been quite some time sense I put anything up. Sorry about that... I have spent most of my time knocking out civillian classes which are suprisingly entertaining (well at least they give me something to pass time with), but increasingly time consuming. I have also attempted to perform some iPhone surgeries (so far one successful and one unsuccessful).

Apparently the last combat troops left Iraq last week sometime, it makes me wonder what exactly I am and why they make me tote this gun around all time. I keep hoping that maybe they forgot to tell the rest of and we'll get to leave too, but I don't think it works that way. All in all things are the same in Iraq, there is a sort of tense vibe at times (or an air of ambivalence, I can't tell which) waiting to see what will happen for the transition to Operation New Dawn on September 1, 2010. I'm really not expecting anything to terribly exciting, but I'll take pictures if they drop confetti from the sky or anything.

We've incorporated a formalized movie night into our weekly routine. It's pretty exciting as you can see here. "Pretty Ricky" there in the middle actually passed out due to all the excitement. Actually the vote for movie night is more of a form of entertainment than anything else. It's amusing to see what your vote gets switched to and who gets a new nickname on the vote board.

I've discovered the joy of 6Pazzi, a semi-Italian type food place here on base. So far I have had the blue cheese pizza and lamb chops. Albiet pricey it's nice to escape from the chow hall food every once in a while. In a cruel twist of fate it has a structure that looks exactly like a bar, but has no alcohol.

Thanks to everyone for all the cool things you've sent. Food goes fast as we tend to get wrapped up in things and miss a meal or two. I've been reading books left and right... I keep posting the reviews on Amazon hoping that I can write enough product reviews to get them to send me free stuff.

That's all for now... I'll try to catalog all the excitement in a more timely fashion.

Vibe Roller vs. Zamboni

2010-07-23T13:02:00.000-07:00

Life in Iraq goes on, and it's interesting enough. Post curtailment (the official Army term for sending people home), we got a little busy for a while. Now it's all about trying to get into a routine. I am working on it, but the Army is revolutionary in its ability to create spontaneous emergencies spaced at random intervals throughout the day. During said emergencies we all run around trying to complete some inane report during an impossible timeframe or trying to move some piece of equipment using mind power and disposable spoons. Upon conclusion of these emergencies we will immediately return to our seats and do absolutely nothing productive for 3-4 hours (while making grandiose efforts at looking extremely busy and put off by the whole ordeal). Okay, it's not that bad, but the stop and go pace of things (often referred to as "hurry up and wait") make it difficult to successfully establish a routine.

Of course it’s very easy for me to look busy with my newly acquired 42” monitor (actually I think it’s supposed to be TV, but be real). I know a lot of you at home (like all 5 of you that read this), are saying to yourself, “That seems excessive”. Believe me it is. It’s almost difficult not to blind myself while using it, but I have found that it makes for a superior and almost immersive feel while playing Risk or Monopoly. Further, I have always wanted to experience a life of decadence and I very much enjoy both the jealousy and conversations that it brings.

Other than using my computer screen, I’ve occupied myself with operational type things and various administrative tasks. By no stretch of the imagination would anyone call me a respectable engineer equipment operator, but occasionally much to the chagrin (III Don that was just for you) of my fellow soldiers, I try. Apparently when using a vibratory roller (pictured below), you are not supposed to drive it around in circles like a Zamboni (even though the area you are trying not to flatten is in fact contained within a circular wall). Lesson learned.

I am almost done with one semester of online classes and I start another one the week after next. If the Army’s willing to pay for it, I am all about it. I am pretty excited about the “Food and Culture” class. Well I’m done for today.

Toner and the Commo Guarantee

2010-06-24T13:05:00.000-07:00

The crappiest part of this whole experience has been living with the idea, that I will have to let the next months of my family's life slip by through conversations that sound much like how you would describe your child growing up to someone who is blind. Actually they don't even sound like... more like conversations that are e-mailed and IMed like. It's not that I mean to be particularly depressing, it's just a part of this whole thing I am not happy about living with. It's a harsh mindgame to wonder what your missing at home and if you'll be able to squeeze back in the middle of a dynamic that has had to go on without you. It's weird to think about coming back as a sort of third wheel and interupting a process that has by necessity ventured on without your intervention.

Anywho... For everyone who's read the RollingStone article about General McChrystal, I am wondering what's going on here/there (for those who haven't you should - It's an interesting look into the military and the nature of our current conflicts in the easy to love RollingStone style). We haven't been able to get many details due to internet outages and what not, but basically from what I understand, President Obama was displeased about the contents of the article and General McChrystal is no more. Personnally, I didn't see anything particularly tragic about the piece, but the military and I have drastically opposing viewpoints on freespeech rights with respect to soldiers. I thought General McChrystals candor was refreshing and the level of insight that was provided into the cogs of the war machine was something that we should all be exposed to (at least in the sense of having it explained in a manner that makes sense). That being said, I still think he should have left the Burger King in Bagram open.

In terms of life here in "the suck" (seriously I go home everynight drenched in the rankness of White-Out and air conditioning *Credit to the Maintenance Team for the dig*) things are hectic as usual. The theme of the week has been internet outages and the perpetual lack of computer equipment (if anyone wants to open up a store here that specializes in the sale of HP Toner cartridges, you can make bank). We've introduced "the Commo Guarantee", a process in which our Communications Team will promise that a problem will be fixed in the next 24 hours only to repeat the same promise again once the 24 hours runs out. While this might sound annoying, it's actually nice to have a time to look forward to even if it does turn out to be a total untruth (no hard feelings for the Commo people, they do a great job).

We broke our civilian trucks (we use them to get mail and parts and it's a necessary issue of contention within the TOC) and we're waiting on parts. Fortunately, we were told since the trucks were completely inoperable we were the top priority tier. Top priority tier puts our estimated turn-around time at somewhere around September (not kidding). If anyone has a radiator and a thermostat housing for a Ford Explorer just sitting around, I know a quick way to make a bunch of soldier friends.

Special K's comic strip featured in an earlier blog post has seen particular success and we are all awaiting further editions. I intend to post more in the future, but unfortunately the humor is a bit esoteric. We all think it's hilarious though. I'd explain it, but you have to live it.

We are losing some of our fellow soldiers to a far away land known as the United States as the military continues to scale back operations here in Iraq. It's not fun watching some of the soldiers that we have come this far in the process with being sent back home (not to mention it's hard not to be a lot bit jealous). As the unit slims down, it becomes more and more obvious how far we've come in just a short number of months. At times this surreal existance seems like reality and an end doesn't appear to be a natural part of it. As we watch our friends mentally prepare to head back into the real world, the rest of us try to prepare for this whole adventure lurching forward and beginning again in a new way.

Comics a la Special K

2010-06-17T11:03:00.000-07:00

Up and coming artist Special K has blessed the unit with his graphic commentary which I feel obligated to share with the rest of the world.

Fires, books, and beer

2010-06-14T13:20:00.000-07:00

Props to SpongeBob for snagging this picture of me coming out of the office.

I suppose I lost track of time again so it's been a while since I posted last. I have been putting a lot of energy into tweaking my Amazon.com profile hoping that I can get my reviewer score high enough to get in the Amazon Vine program (apparently it's a program where you can get free stuff sent to you if you just review it). It sounds exciting enough, so I've been spending what little free time I have between work and studying trying to post reviews of books and other things (you can check it out http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/AUCOL2XUE1IX7?ie=UTF8&ref_=ya_T16_56). If you feel like it, like or dislike my reviews so I can move up in ranking.

Other than that, it's been interesting lately. We are currently going through a transition, a downsizing if you will. More on that later though. I've been keeping busy fighting various fires... literally. In the past week we've had two dumpster fires and a connex fire. None of our stuff got hurt thankfully, but I did get to use the fire extinguisher on the dumpsters (honestly how many times do you actually get to use a fire extinguisher). In an unrelated fire incident I managed to set my hand on fire. It's okay, but it looks like I was bitten by a zombie (perhaps I'll post pictures of that later). Below is a picture that LT III Don (aka FrieDaddy) took of me. I am not sure what's going on in this picture, but I believe I am still reeling from the dumpster fire.

It's been pretty hot here lately (I'm beginning to see a theme), and I have mad respect for the guys that do the real engineer work while I sit in the office all day. Today was the Army's Birthday and to celebrate, they gave out a limited number of beers with dinner. The rules for getting the beer were needlessly complex, but I guess it makes the Army feel like it gave us something. Beer here is a big deal since it's expressly prohibited by General Order 1A (aka the Fun Prohibition Rule). I didn't partake largely because having to ride a bus a half an hour for two beers really isn't my idea of a good time.

I've been paying particularly close attention to the special economic system we have going here, which seems to revolve around hard to come by items such as printer cartridges and Kuwaiti water (it comes in little bottles that don't get hot before you finish it). Other items can be traded for engineering work or any number of food items. My item of the week to obtain is fire extinguishers (to replace the used ones from the dumpster fires). I have an acquisition team looking for those along with spray paint... another commodity here.

Until later...

Office of the Schizophrenic HQ Platoon

2010-06-06T12:33:00.000-07:00

Despite All My Rage...

2010-06-06T11:59:00.000-07:00

View from the porch.

The Wall

How it feels. Except, I am not as happy about it.

How Starbucks Saved My Life

2010-06-05T13:17:00.000-07:00

Book Review
Starbucks tends to get a bad rap when it comes to its effect on our communities and our social lives often viewed as a corporate Satan hell bent on destroying our way of life. Michael Gates Gill has another point of view. After being forced out of a career working as a ranking member within the corporate hierarchy, Gill finds himself out of luck and running low on business prospects. He ends up in a Starbucks and waywardly steps into a position as a 64 year old barista.

Gill’s story follows his own path learning the treacherous ropes of the coffee trade and reflects on his transformation from cruel corporate lackey to an enlightened employee who throws himself into a job he never would have wished on himself before. While at times How Starbucks Saved My Life comes off as Starbucks propaganda, Gill’s transformation is very genuine. Starbucks places him into the harsh world that he has somehow avoided during his rather privileged life.

How Starbucks Saved My Life holds nothing back. Gill readily confesses the mistakes he has made throughout his life and looks for a way to pay his penance. His interaction with customers and his fellow employees shows how fulfilling life can be when we are not caught up in the pursuit of a career or a better life. Gill’s account is sometimes painful as he reveals his past sins and the tragedy of the sacrifices he chose during his former life. How Starbucks Saved My Life provides an unparalleled perspective into the things that are truly important in life and reminds the reader what they might be missing or could miss if they don’t place their focus in the right place.

Laundry Day

2010-06-04T11:40:00.000-07:00

I am beginning to like laundry day more and more, mostly because I come down from the TOC early and actually get to spend some time in my CHU. I am not particularly good at laundry and the Army complicates it by putting 57 pockets that you have to check on your uniform prior to throwing it in the washer. It always seems to take longer than it should, but that's probably a function of my impatience toward the task.

Above you can see my poster that I use to remind people that I don't care where the company vehicles are. I proposed the pony as the company logo (we're called the Stallions), but the idea did not catch on as well as I had hoped. People said that it was offensive, but it looked super masculine to me (I am contemplating changing the rainbow to camouflage to see if the idea can gain traction). The SeaPony has to do with the fact that we are attached to a unit that has a Seahorse in its patch. I originally proposed that we use the SeaPony as the company logo, but people didn't catch the logic that seahorses are also very masculine because the males get pregnant (I mean you have to imagine how secure the seahorses must have to be with their manhood to even go there). We still haven't adopted a logo yet, but I'll get one of my ideas across eventually.

Other than that, life goes on. I keep meaning to take pictures, but it's always dark by the time I get back down to the living area. My running shoes came. So far they've gotten mixed reviews. I'll post some action shots and let the people in the states judge my fashion sense according to current fashion standards (Iraq tends to lag in that regard). Right now I am waiting to start online classes. I am pretty excited about that as it gives me something to focus on. I am taking Human Sexuality and Small Group Communication. While they seem random, I am finishing an Associates in Communication with one class and starting a Bachelors in Sociology with the other class. Like I said it gives me something to do during my free time that doesn't involve hemorrhaging money to military sponsored retail outlets (there is a Pizza Hut, a Taco Bell, a Burger King, and an Italian restaurant here... truly war at its finest).

That's all for now... I am off to rotate the laundry.

Sun tea, iPods, and other assorted things

2010-05-27T12:44:00.000-07:00

Life in the TOC (tactical operations center) can be very slow. First off, the TOC is basically just a glorified office with radios and lots highspeed Army computer and technology things (by highspeed, I mean you could pick them up at Best Buy for $49 and they would actually work). While there is always something to do, it can be on the monotonous side and it closely resembles the movie Office Space. Instead of the TPS reports we have the PERSTAT (a list of where everyone is). We hear about the PERSTAT throughout the day and attempt to work through the various reasons why it doesn't have the correct cover sheets or doesn't match the memo that came out. Occasionally important people come in and we have to yell special phrases and stand in certain positions until they order us to stop. I suppose it is humorous through an outside perspective.

In order to keep ourselves from devolving any more rapidly than we already are, we find various ways to amuse ourselves. Recently, I have found the lovely temperatures in Iraq are perfect for making tea in the giant, dirty bottled water containers we get. With the climate here, it's possible to have it steeped to perfection in about 15 minutes and through the miracles of refrigeration we can knock it down to about room temperature in about 24 hours. It's exciting because its a deviation from water, water with half a packet of Gatorade, or water with a full packet of Gatorade. We also have Rip-Its a Red Bull knock off, but I have to slow down on those as I think I start to annoy people after 3 back-to-back. It's probably not exciting to anyone outside of here, but the prospect of being able to do anything that even slightly resembles cooking is entertaining.

As far as the iPods go, I have heard more Lady GaGa on this deployment than I thought physically possible. Admittedly, she occupies some space on my iPod as well, but she gets a lot of play time and invokes much thoughtful discussion (usually involving her gender or how she looked in specific videos). The unit that we replaced was generous enough to gift us iPod speaker docs, and I don't know what we would have done with out them. The TOC runs 24 hours shifts and the iPods really never stop playing (they do switch as different shifts come on to accommodate varying music tastes). It's interesting the mixes that get played as well as the common ground that everyone agrees to. Bob Marley seems to be the median.

Care packages have started to come in. Our parent unit gave us several boxes sent by an elementary school in California. The TOC is now decorated with a barrage of Policy Memos, letters from school children, shift rosters, maps, radio frequency lists, and other assorted important paperwork.

That is all for now...

Sometimes Awkward Phase

2010-05-26T12:35:00.000-07:00

Now that the Company is for the most part together in one place we begin a somewhat awkward phase of the deployment. Learning to live here and learning to live with each other for the long haul. For me at least the realization that we are now in Iraq and this is our lives for the next however many months is somewhat daunting. Not too mention that (as much as I genuinely love everyone here), we must deal with being "married" to the people we deployed with.

While bonds are certainly strong in situations such as these, it can also be tested while everyone learns to live in even closer proximity to one another. So far everything is going well in that department aside from the occasional bickering. It's hard not to be frank and honest with people that we eat with, sleep within slapping distance of, share meals with, and go on shopping excursions with. Occasionally we (okay I) come off to blunt or just have a bad day (picture of my bad day poster forthcoming).

We have much better living conditions now compared to the open bay barracks of Wisconsin and the festival tents in Kuwait. We now live in 10' X 10' CHUs (containerized housing units). Thankfully, I have a great CHUmie and we don't work together directly so it's not likely that we will end up in some horrific homicide situation. The work spaces are still somewhat confined and we work 12 hours shifts so those of us that work together see a lot of each other. It always amazes me that we can continually generate new topics of conversation during the waiting part of "hurry up and wait".

As far as the people go here, again I think they are all great. We have already been through a lot together and our first weeks on the ground have shown us that our strength as a unit will ultimately affect our personal resilience. Having been through this process before, I know that it's much like a family. We will all have our falling outs but ultimately we are in this as a team. It's all a process as a Reservist to slowly let go of some of our individuality in order to make sure that everyone is taken care of. I think in many ways, being here is much easier than being the family member left at home because we have a stable set of stand-ins for those that we left behind. They may not be as attractive and they are a lot weirder, but we know that they will be there each day (mostly because they lack few other options).

Until later...

A Day in the Life of...

2010-05-25T12:11:00.000-07:00

After learning from the comments on the last post (and Facebook comments) that people really are interested in the mundane details of our lives here, I have decided to attempt to share some of those details.

Much of my day consist of staring into a computer (well actually two - one for secret stuff and one for non-secret things). I am largely confined to the 5 foot radius around my computer, but occasionally I am fortunate enough to attend various meetings (by occasionally, I mean at a minimum daily). All of my work involves coordinating training activities and the various components of actual missions. It seems relatively simplistic and straightforward, but the Army is extremely efficient in creating bureaucracy and inflicting it upon people. Not to mention the overall mission structure is complex and there is a lot of coordination that must take place due to the fact that our trucks and soldiers now carry more electronics than a BestBuy (I was going to say Radio Shack but do they even sell electronics anymore?).

While I very much enjoy my actual job, I spend a large portion of my day yelling, complaining, and threatening people about the use of our civilian vehicle (referred to as a non-tactical vehicle or NTV in Army speak). The NTV turns each day into a perverse game of capture the flag in which everyone tries to get the vehicle and obscure its where-abouts while every third person who walks by my desk ask where it is. Despite a number of systems put into place to keep track of these vehicles (we only own 2) it continues to prevail as one of my more frustrating issues (this along with people not filling the water refrigerator back up).

Other than that life here is somewhat surreal. Every office and living areas is contained within large concrete walls and it's like living within a giant maze. Somehow we have all figured our way around, but navigating involves memorizing a series of landmarks in order to find the correct concrete cube containing your destination. I get lost trying to find my room every other day. We walk everywhere or take public transit (there is actually a good bus service here and we own a bus for the company). The buses are small little Japanese creations that somehow fit as many people as a normal bus in like 1/4 of the space. The roads are really bumpy and torn up (which is somewhat of a travesty considering we are horizontal engineers and horizontal engineers build and repair roads).

Until later...

And I'm Back

2010-05-23T12:41:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about what and how to write in order to update people what's going on during this deployment, but it's not possible. Accurate descriptions evade this experience for a variety of reasons. One of those being OPSEC (or Army speak for operational security). On a tangential note, I hate Army acronyms. I suppose they are meant to be time saving devices, but seriously how can you save time when you spend more time explaining the acronym than it would have taken to actually utter the words which it abbreviates. I digress. It's difficult to explain what I see here because descriptions could endanger the lives of the people I work with as illustrations might provide clues as to which threads might unravel our defensive and offensive mechanisms. Our trucks, the living areas, our water supplies... now describing seemingly inconsequential pieces of the larger picture of Iraq life might give away too much information. I'm not trying to be paranoid, but it's a very fragile feeling to be here, outside the security of home. Many people's lives balance precariously on pieces of technology that the enemy... no, the terrorist...no, bad people... no, the other side needs very little information on in order to undermine.

Secondly, this place is depressing from many aspects. It's an environmental travesty for one. The entire base is littered with plastic, water bottles, wrappers, discarded pieces of scrap metal, worn vehicle parts, or abandoned defensive positions. Oddly we don't really seem to care. "Draw down" is the phrase of the day and aesthetics are most assuredly playing second fiddle. We live in what feels to be a bubble (or a series of connected bubbles) in the middle of a desert. Somehow despite the surroundings we manage to enjoy all the luxuries of the states (in terms of running water and food items). Not that I'm complaining about the food or the showers but it's still depressing when you think of our ecological footprint here.

Other than that, it's difficult to figure out what we can write about and what we can't. The stuff that filters out isn't all that interesting to talk about. There are a lot of really powerful dynamics changing within the Army today, but most of them are difficult to understand from the outside. The others are dangerous to get caught up in. While it would be great to bring them into the public forum, that's not the nature of this beast.

I'm trying to figure out how to balance the limitations of what can be posted here against my need to show what the deployment is all about, but it's going to take some time. Until then...

Pictures thus far...

2010-05-10T12:56:00.000-07:00

Here we are getting on the plane to start our trip to Iraq. 20+ hours of travel time just to Kuwait.

Here is the best picture I have of the Ziggurat in Ur (it's really close). I will get a better one soon. I tool this with my cell phone camera. Why I still carry a cell phone that I can't get service on is beyond me. Force of habit I guess.

A Dusty Grey, Smelly Place

2010-05-09T09:36:00.000-07:00

After a few days of flying. Wandering around bases in Kuwait. Lots of trying to find WiFi. Lots more reading. And a pretty vicious mosquito attack resulting in an oddly swollen hand (I look like I'm wearing a Hulk hand), I've finally arrived at my destination in Iraq. It's dusty, somehow muddy, hot, and everything is surrounded by 20ft blast walls. It's very difficult to get oriented as it's completely flat and everything moves from one group of walls to the next. The ground is stained by salt everywhere and there is only sparse vegetation. At times it seems that the ground, the horizon, the walls, buildings, and the sky are all just different shades of the same color.

We have a lot of work ahead over the next few days working to pick up on all the work habits of the unit we are replacing and assuming control of their projects. Hopefully everyone is acclimated by now, but if they are anything like me it's hard not to be completely exhausted by all of this moving around. I'll try to post some pictures soon. Until then, Happy Mother's Day everyone!

Food Rules - Book Review

2010-05-08T02:50:00.000-07:00

I was admittedly somewhat skeptical when Michael Pollan’s Food Rules was released. It seemed to be trendy, cliché, and just another manner of jumping on the local/organic bandwagon. I say this being a complete fan of all of Pollan’s other works, but my impression from the publicity was that he had gone the way of many celebrities and was simply pushing a commercial product. I was wrong.

I ran across a copy of Food Rules on a free bookshelf in Kuwait and picked it up out of a sense of curiosity. It’s remarkably short (both in overall length and the amount of text), but it packs in a lot of information in terms of wading through what we should and shouldn’t consume. Oddly enough he dispels volumes of ambiguity regarding diet choices without really saying anything definitive. As he does in In Defense of Food, Pollan simply provides a loose set of guidelines regarding the food we eat.

I found the book at a great time as I have an opportunity to transform my diet for the better (I must say the desert is not the place to do this as the fluctuations in energy levels during the transition are a bit rough). Pollan offers sage advice and doesn’t trap the reader into a set of overbearing dietary restrictions that take the fun away from food. In fact, Food Rules does a lot to turn eating more into an adventure where the reader can become excited about the food they put on the table as well as the people they are eating it with.

In terms of writing style, Food Rules is an easy read. It’s easy to read in a single sitting and it’s interesting enough to whip through. The illustrations are well done and add a certain vividness to the text. I recommend that you read it before your next trip to the grocery store as it allows you to feel empowered and informed about your food choices (as opposed to the overwhelming sense of confusion and frustration that usually goes along with the journey).

Cross Posted on LocalPlan.org

Gentlemen of the Road - Book Review

2010-05-08T02:37:00.000-07:00

It’s been sometime sense I’ve finished a work of fiction. Not for lack of trying, but for lack of getting into a really good story. I happened upon Michael Chabon’s Gentlemen of the Road on a free bookshelf in Fort McCoy (this will develop into a theme at some point). It was certainly the reintroduction to fiction that I needed.

Chabon provides a fast, paced and action-filled journey through the Khazar Empire as a moody, physician (Zelikman) and a weary African warrior (Amram) become unwillingly tangled in an adventure that doesn’t seem to end. The book seems to have no intended direction instead following the lead of the characters who are guided by their past demons and desires to avoid further involvement in the affairs of others.

The already complex, lives of Amram and Zelikman descend into a tumultuous chain of events involving bloody battles, plundering, and the occasional coup upon the introduction of Filaq (a weak and defenseless prisoner whom they are charged to protect). Filaq’s rather dubious origins and shifting connections to royalty manage to seal Amram’s and Zelikman’s fate and link them to an unavoidable destiny.

Chabon offers no shortage of plot twist in his beautifully descriptive short novel. He drops the reader dead into the center of the Khazar Empire and builds the environment in which the characters reside as the story progresses. Gentlemen of the Road hits the ground running leaving the reader to catch up with a story that has been ongoing for some centuries before the story picks up.

Exploring Kuwait

2010-05-07T12:50:00.000-07:00

So after enduring the heat for a couple of days, I am getting re-acclimated to desert life. It's actually very nice weather until after midday and then with the wind it feels like someone is chasing us around with a hair dryer. Kuwait is much different then Afghanistan in terms of what's available and how much money the Army has invested here. When I was in Afghanistan, it was more or less a forgotten war. Having seen trucks and equipment moving back from the Iraq border, I am beginning to think we will be in better shape this time. We went on several convoys in Afghanistan in HMMWVs with cloth doors covered in sheet metal and sand bags on the floor in a vein attempt at deflecting blasts. Everything I have seen on this deployment is fully up armored.

We went out and about on a firing range today and got to drive off the main base for a while. Other than US convoys and other US Foward Operating Bases, there really wasn't much to see. Just miles and miles of desert. We are working on completing our last training requirements before venturing into Iraq.

As I mentioned earlier, the weather is not horrible here. As the sun sets, there is usually a nice breeze that calms things down and brings down the temperature quickly. We had a brief lightning storm this evening, and right now the weather is perfect for walking around.

Very few people have gotten used to the time change, and unlike bases in the states, this base never sleeps. There are several 24 hour activity areas (including a KFC, Starbucks, etc.). As I write this some people are just waking up from naps and wandering off to see what they can get into.

I hope to have an address soon, but given the availability of everything here, I can't think of anything I would need sent. There is always a huge selection of books, including new, best-sellers. I am enjoying working my way through Michael Pollan's Food Rules at the moment (review forthcoming).

That's it for now. If anyone has any questions, please post them in the comments and I will see what I can do to answer them. One of the long-term goals of blogging about this deployment is to expose people to the behind the scenes and between the lines aspects of war (if you would call this that).

And So It Begins...

2010-05-05T16:10:00.000-07:00

So we've finally made the big move. After over 24 hours of traveling
we arrived in Kuwait (via Canada and Germany). It's not too hot yet as
we hit the ground around sunset, but we've been told to expect a hot
morning. The food in Kuwait was good and the accommodations in terms
of internet access and phones is much better than what we had in Fort
McCoy. This place has 24 hour food joints, multiple PXs, and pretty
much any recreational amenity you can ask for. We'll see how Iraq
compares in a couple of days.

I occupied my time on the flight with an autobiography of John Lennon,
a book on water and food shortages, copious amounts of caffeine, and
lots of sleep. I took some videos to show how exactly we occupy our
travel time and I'll attempt to post them soon. Other than that
things are good, everyone is safe, and everyone is happy to finally be
free of Fort McCoy.

Posted for Josh by Stephanie

Heavy Metal in Baghdad - Book Review

2010-04-30T08:44:00.000-07:00

Despite the fact that America has been locked into the Iraq conflict for over 7 years, it’s still difficult to get an accurate or honest understanding of the popular sentiments involved with the war (at least from the perspective of Iraq’s citizens). Do they want us there? How did they feel when they came? Have we overstayed our welcome? Did they see the same problems that George W. Bush saw when he pressed for the invasion? Heavy Metal in Baghdad follows Acrassicauda, a Heavy Metal band in its formative stages, through both pre and post-war Iraq. Rather than relying on an author to provide their own spin on the story, Heavy Metal in Baghdad relies on the dialogue of the band members themselves to paint a clear picture of their journey.

While at times difficult to follow (as a result of the transcript/interview format), Heavy Metal in Baghdad provides a level of insight that isn’t present in a lot of writing about the current Iraq conflict. The story allows an understanding of Iraq through the lens of pop culture without a heavily skewed perspective. The book focuses on the formation of the band Acrassicauda, but allows readers to understand how the events unfolded in

Iraq

with an inside perspective.

Following Acrassicauda from their early days as a far away dream held by the members to a worldwide focal point proves to be an emotional roller coaster. The members attempt to hold onto their dream as they struggle to find safety and escape from war torn Iraq. The reader follows their quest through the painful separations from friends and family to anxiety ridden weeks as they work their way through bureaucratic red tape holding them back from freedom.

Heavy Metal in Baghdad creates a new set of heroes in a time of tragedy. Rather than focusing on soldiers or politicians, the book shows that social change comes on a variety of levels. The passion in the book is inspirational as it demonstrates that dreams can live through almost anything, as long as we don’t lose sight of them.

The Kick-Off for the Deployment

2010-04-29T15:24:00.000-07:00

This video is the official kick-off for our deployment. On March 23, 2010 after going through a handful of "Yellow Ribbon" Ceremonies and getting ready for movement to Iraq, we left from Northfield, NJ for our flight to Fort McCoy, WI. It's been a weird journey so far (from Asheville to NJ to Wisconsin and now waiting to see how we'll get to Iraq). The police escort from NJ onto the tarmac of Philidelphia Airport was certainly a highlight thus far.

Playing with Guns

2010-04-29T15:06:00.000-07:00

Before I started out on the deployment, my family was nice enough to get me all kinds of electronic gizmos to keep me amused. My wife and I got matching Flip cameras from her parents and sister and brother-in-law. I'll start postings some videos of the things we do as I get a chance to upload them. Thank god for finally having internet. Here we are playing on the machine gun range (I can't tell who is actually shooting the gun in this shot).

On Guerrilla Warfare

2010-04-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

So, in my occassional free time. I do get to read a little bit. I borrowed/acquired this book from someone who found it on a free bookshelf somewhere on Fort McCoy.

In the midst of seemingly perpetual conflicts, it’s interesting to understand the nuanced nature of war and the variety of views that are used to justify action that steps beyond non-violent resistance. On Guerilla Warfare vividly illustrates the desperation that leads a group of people to resort to guerilla tactics. Rather than simply demonizing guerilla fighters as a disruption to efforts in attaining some form of global tranquility, Mao Tse-tung explains the mindset of the guerilla fighter.

Translated by Samuel B. Griffith II, On Guerilla Warfare provides a concise venture into the mindset of a guerilla fighter. Extending beyond a simple explanation of tactics, Mao Tse-tung explains the delicate balance between the guerilla as a soldier and the guerilla as an activist/organizer. Although brief in nature, the book manages to explain the realities of guerilla warfare rather than perpetuating the stereotype of the hardened, professional traipsing through the jungle.

Tse-tung explains the many facets of guerilla warfare including organizational structure, overarching strategy, methods of resupply, and recruitment. In addition Tse-tung delineates the varying methods through which guerillas can be utilized alongside regular military troops. Although On Guerilla Warfare is full of information on the technicalities of military insurgency, it also peppered with inspirational and philosophical knowledge regarding the nature of resistance.

Personally, I think On Guerilla Warfare is useful information for any soldier. It explains the mindset of the guerilla fighter (or the insurgent fighter) and illuminates the similarities in tactics between traditional and non-traditional soldiers. Tse-tung brings a certain sense of relevance in showing that war is not simply a one-sided endeavor.

New Boots!

2010-04-28T11:46:00.000-07:00

So after over a month of training (and around 40 days of being away from home), I am finally getting to relax with Stephanie and Samara. Instead of opting to go home (we get 4 days off before we ship out), we decided that they would come up here (Wisconsin) that way we could focus on not doing anything in particular.

Even though I've been mumbling about a day off for some time, it took Stephanie coming up here for me to understand that she was in the same situation that I was. She's just a little more quiet about her plight. For the entire time I have been away from home, she has single-handedly taken care of a rather hyper (now) 7 month old baby girl. She's been working the same types of hours I have and she doesn't get the prospect of all kinds of ribbons, patches, and awards for it. I've spent the last month hearing about how hard the job that lies ahead of us as soldiers is (its really all a matter of perspective), but its clear that those that takes the reigns of the family while we are away bear an equal level of responsibility and hardship.

While I originally thought that I would enjoy a couple of days of unconstrained freedom and the opportunity to sleep in, Samara has clearly demonstrated her ability to be in charge of how we spend our free time. I did manage to order a set of new boots (apparently the Army thinks that the boots that they issued to me and most of my soldiers over 5 years ago are more than adequate to go to Iraq). Personally I find it a bit ridiculous that we have to fork out the cash for new boots, but I find a lot of things about the deployment process to be ridiculous. I got a set of Converse boots, if they're anywhere as cool as Chuck Taylor shoes at least I'll be stylish.

On a positive note, I am excited about the group of soldiers that has been assembled for this deployment. They have come together wonderfully in the past weeks and we are operating as a cohesive unit. For whatever I find lacking in the Army as a system, I always have my faith restored by the people that make the work happen.

A Union Would Be Nice Right About Now

2010-04-15T17:01:00.000-07:00

So I am into day like 25 or 26 of mobilization. I have really not
been keeping tight track of it, as it gets a little depressing after a
while. Everyone says that the MOB station is the worst part of the
whole process (it’s where you get all your shots, straighten out your
records, train, train, train, and get all kinds of new stuff issued to
you). It’s a very slow process and it’s a stressful one. Small Pox
shots have been interesting (I already had mine 5 years ago), everyone
expresses concerns of some type of Small Pox zombie outbreak and the
vaccinations are pretty nasty looking. The timeline is extremely
compressed and there are actually two concurrent missions going on.
One mission is to train and prepare and the other mission is to
operate as if we were already in country engaged in our daily
operations.

Right now I sleep 5 hours each night (max). I have pulled quite a few
23 hour days. I keep hoping they’ll switch us over to hourly pay
because the overtime would be wonderful. It is a very surreal
experience because nothing ever stops moving, it’s a continual process
with no real breaks and no way to really tell the days apart. There
is always something to meet about and something to plan. Meals are
usually a chance to talk shop or talk on the cell phone in between
mouthfuls trying to coordinate details. The big talk right now is
getting through the upcoming cumulative field exercise and of course
the “pass” we have coming up where we get a chance to see our families
for 4 days.

Thus far we have done a lot of training on driving equipment,
operating weapons, and moving tactically. Unfortunately, I am in an
office job so most of my days are spent behind a desk typing away on
the plethora of paperwork that the Army requires for everything. I
write orders, plans, assess the safety of each action and make sure I
have everyone’s name on various sign-in rosters so they get credit for
the training. I do get a lot of time to play with the Army’s high
tech war tracking systems and radio equipment (ok radio equipment is
not really high tech at all). As expected it’s an interesting
experience and it keeps my mind occupied, but simply bearing through
the whole scene and getting back to my family is my overall mindset.

"The reason the American Army does so well in wartime, is that war is
chaos, and the American Army practices it on a daily basis."
- from a post-war debriefing of a German General

Posted for Josh by Stephanie

Count Down 0

2010-03-20T00:55:00.000-07:00

First off, no amount of time spent with your family will be enough. Time flies by and there is nothing you can do to stop it. Amidst the last minute preparations, I can't help but regret all the times that I did other things other than spending time at home. Today did not go at all as expected and a short day with the Army quickly turned into a logistical nightmare in attempting to arrange flights for people scattered throughout the country to pull this whole deployment off.

I fly out in a couple of hours and while I am in no way ready to say goodbye. I know that 20 years from now when I'm vacationing on the warm beaches of Iraq enjoying the peaceful summers it will all have been worth it... that or we'll still be sorting through the ambiguity of the situation.

Over the next couple of days, I'll be in New Jersey for a dog and pony show (a special, official ceremony in which the Army tries to make us feel better about things and tells us how to say goodbye). After that, I'll head to Wisconsin for training to complement the 21 days that we just ran through last month. It should be an interesting time there considering WI and Iraq don't really experience parallel weather patterns.

At this point I expect we'll go on "lockdown" in Wisconsin where drinking and other forms of fun are banned. Internet access will also be spotty, so I'll have to save up my cynicism for larger blocks.

Packing the Books...

2010-03-18T13:13:00.000-07:00

As I continue to put off packing in favor of watching Julie and Julia, I am still struggling with the books that I want to take on the first leg of this trip (I've got a bookshelf of titles ready to be mailed as I move through titles). I have rather expansive taste (more honestly I lack any focus in selecting what I want to read) in books as you can see by my Amazon wishlist and the books I've reviewed on my other website (LocalPlan.org).

So far I've narrowed the list down to:

The Bully of Bentonville
Land Administration for Sustainable Development
Heavy Metal in Baghdad
The Triple Bottom Line
Rediscovering Black Conservatism
Sociology - Understanding a Diverse Society

I have also added significantly to my "must bring" gear. Most of my recent additions include tactical gear (mine probing kit, rapid personnel recovery kit, poleless litter, IR strobe light, tourniquets, and Nalgene canteens).

We'll see how all the packing goes. As for plans for actually getting out of Asheville, well that's a complete nightmare at this point, but I am sure it will all come together if the Army wants it to.

In terms of my personal exit strategy, I'm trying to keep things on the calm side, but things I have forgotten today perpetually creep up. Not to mention that I put off finishing every course I was taking until today so it's been a mad dash to try to get all that finalized before going full on Army on Saturday.

Going Away...

2010-03-17T18:03:00.000-07:00

I have a deeply complex love/hate relationship with the Army. In terms of its organization and decision making capabilities, I think it needs a lot of improvement (I'm being nice). I have somewhat of an authority problem, so it's true that my own personal perspective differs drastically to the system in which I exist thus prompting a healthy amount of discord. Doing anything with the military is a frustrating experience in attempting to interact with a cold, calculating system rife with inefficiencies and devoid of logical skills.

On the other hand, the Army does have a tendency to bring out the best in people. Both in soldiers and in the people that support them. I hold the soldiers that I manage in the highest esteem. Despite the fact that I sometimes have to come down harder on them than I want to, it's impossible not to value each of them as individuals because of their quirks and personalities. As I make my transition yet again into Army life, I am struck by how generous people are in supporting us and how the network of civilians working quietly in the background makes whatever it is that we are doing possible.

As the time grows closer to moving out, I am forced to say goodbye to all the great people I know and even though I know, I'll have a great group of soldiers to lessen the void, goodbyes are always difficult. I have to show off the basket full of goodies that the great folks at Buncombe County Planning put together for me. I think they've all heard my assorted stream of consciousness rants getting ready for overseas and they've been really great about putting up with my incessant yammering about all things Army as my mind became consumed by the realization of going away.

Over the past few days, I've had to relinquish whatever sense of control I felt like I had over my own life and realize I have to turn over some of my autonomy and agency to the Army (if you know me, you know that this is unlikely to happen). Even harder though, I've had to step back and realize that I won't be around to intervene and meddle in the daily lives of my wife and daughter. I have to mentally deal with the idea that I won't be there to contribute my own amount of irrationality and emotion to any problems that creep up while I am away. In all seriousness, as hard as it is to leave my family, I feel at ease with it simply because of the people that have come out of the woodwork to support us all.

Jedi Tab

2010-03-14T12:42:00.000-07:00

While deployments generally suck in terms of being away from home combined with the drudgery of everyday military life, there are still plenty of opportunities for entertainment. Most of these opportunities are self-created, but soldiers have seemingly boundless capabilities for amusing themselves. During our free time on my last deployment our common sources of fun included duct taping one another to chairs, rearranging the living areas of others, and the "Water Head" Olympics (a series of athletic events which revolved around Olympic like sports simulated with various vehicle parts).

The surrealism of the military itself also serves as a source of entertainment. Given the overly bureaucratic nature of today's Army, it's sometimes difficult not to take advantage of the humor. As a junior enlisted, I often kept myself occupied by working to understand the complex quagmire of Army regulations and testing the very limits of those regulations. During one such venture, I orchestrated the award of the "Jedi" to a number of my fellow soldiers. The memo below was used in an attempt to dissuade any inquiring higher ups from making us remove it. We found it to have about a 50% success rate.

Preparations

2010-03-12T14:49:00.000-08:00

So admittedly, I've slacked off quite a bit on blogging, but I am getting read to fire things back up so that I can give a little insight into my looming deployment to Iraq and hopefully keep up with the real world.

This being my second deployment, I am slightly more aware of how to prepare, not that it's really helping me prepare, I'm just aware of the things that I'm putting off. Instead of making sure I was well stocked on all sorts of highspeed military gear, I've focused more on making sure I have plenty of stuff to keep me entertained (which in my case is lots of books) and things to help record the experience. During the last deployment, I didn't take the time I should have to get as many pictures as possible, and for many reasons I regret not having the memories to refer back to.

I've been attempting to get as much information I can about what the conditions are like in Iraq (you know the important things like what the chows is like, how fast the internet is, and do they have a Post Exchange on base). Last deployment I spent a bulk of my time on a small base in Afghanistan and this time I am headed to Iraq and expect to be at a larger (and hopefully more built-up base).

Just in case it's interesting my current packing list includes (it's not all-inclusive yet):

Laptop
Webcam
Flip HD Ultra Video Camera
CDs and Flash Drives
Gameboy
Digital Camera
Military ID Card Reader (we use them to digitally sign documents)
IKEA Pillows and Sheets (nothing exciting but I know they're clean)
Books (list books)
Uniforms (2 regular, one PT)
Tourniquets
Flashlights
Knives (2x pocket, 1 K-Bar)
Dip
Drop-Leg Magazine Holster
Rack-Type Magazine Holster and Pouches
About 3 full 3 ring binders with records

In case you think the list looks slim, believe me it is (we are expecting to be away from home over a year). At this point we are only allowed to carry two duffle bags and one large backpack on the plane ride overseas with us (we are also allowed to carry a personal item such as a laptop and a carry on). Last time I went, I remember how difficult it was to fit just the Army issue items into the little packing space we had (we finally got all my stuff crammed into my bags by having one soldier hold the bag while I jumped up and down into it until things were compressed enough). Currently, I have a full duffle bag full of cold weather gear waiting for me in Wisconsin and am expecting to get at least another bag worth of stuff issued before we head over.

Extremely Accurate Depiction of War

2010-03-09T18:32:00.001-08:00

The Matrix Runs on Windows XP

2009-08-31T19:25:00.001-07:00

The Scariest Words in the English Language

2009-08-29T11:44:00.000-07:00

Warning the language is a bit rough... but it's still funny.

Interesting Take on the Health Care Debate

2009-08-28T19:52:00.000-07:00

Twine... new ways to sort through information

2009-08-04T19:10:00.000-07:00

One of the things I look to learn more about is the concept of social networking as it relates to the planning profession as well as to the concepts of community development and citizen participation as a whole. One of the things that I have notices is that social networking can be quite a daunting task even in the bests of circumstances. With all the resources out there to share information (Twitter, Google Reader, Facebook, Reddit, etc.) its easy to quickly give up and just turn off to the whole idea because of how quickly you can drown in the sheer amount of information put out there by those who want to network with you (not to mention the numerous social media gurus who try to creep onto your list of contacts).

Twine offers a simple way to share links and pertinent information about certain topics called "twines". Within those twines the people that you network with can place links along with commentary referencing the usefulness of the links. Twine allows you to control the types of information that you see and organizes it in such a way that makes it easy to sort through. Twine also encourages you to share your web browsing experience with other users and even offers the ability to upload your pre-categorized bookmarks to the site.

Although Twine still lets the occasional advertiser sneak through and still gives you far more information than you could feasibly handle, the ability to pass along user tags and categorization make it a valuable tool for social networking. It is particularly powerful for community development and citizen participation solely because of the volume of information featured about those topics. Check it out at http://www.twine.com.

Asheville Transit Needs Your Comments to Keep Weaverville and Black Mountain Routes

2009-06-17T18:18:00.000-07:00

Dear Transit Patrons,

As you may have heard the future of Route #28 (Black Mountain) & 54 (Weaverville) is uncertain at this time. We do know that the routes will operate in their current configuration through the end of October 2009.

Currently there is a collaborative effort underway to retain these services. Asheville Transit (City of Asheville), Mountain Mobility (Buncombe County) Black Mountain, and the French Broad River Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) are working with NC Department of Transportation to maintain the state and federal funding necessary to continue to operate these routes.

At this time ridership on Route # 28 & 54 continues to grown rapidly, with ridership in 2009 for the Black Mountain route at 55,000 riders and Weaverville Route #54 with 27,000 riders in 2009.

If you feel so moved, please consider writing a brief statement detailing the benefits that these routes have for your and your transportation patterns, then sending it to iride@ashevillenc.gov.

Please feel free to forward this message on to others who may have concerns with this loss of service.

Sincerely,

Asheville Transit

2009-06-06T06:53:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Julie Atallah, Bruisin’ Ales, 828-252-8999
julie@bruisin-ales.com

June 5, 2009

“Beer City Bash” to be held at The Orange Peel on June 26

ASHEVILLE, NC—Bruisin’ Ales, The Orange Peel, and The Mountain XPress are sponsoring the “Beer City Bash” on Friday, June 26. The bash is a celebration of all things beer in Asheville. The event is a victory party for the local beer community, who rallied to win an Examiner.com poll by Charlie Papazian, founder of the Brewers Association, author, and one of the most recognized names in the world of beer and brewing.

The poll was an informal vote for “Beer City, USA” and included other notoriously large beer cities, such as Portland, OR; Denver, CO; and Philadelphia, PA. Asheville was the smallest city by population in the poll. In the end, Asheville tied with Portland, OR—a city five times the size claiming the co-title.

The Orange Peel in downtown Asheville is hosting the “Beer City Bash.” For the event, all draft lines at the venue will feature locally-brewed beer with all area breweries represented. Tickets are $10 per person (ages 21 and over), including two 9 oz. craft beers of your choice, a raffle ticket for giveaways, and live music. The music line-up features the bands Rat Jackson, Wilsin and Floating Action. The bash starts at 8:00 p.m. Doors at 7:30 p.m.

Proceeds from the event will go to the newly-formed Asheville Brewers Alliance and Arts2People, both non-profits that benefit the local community.

Tickets are available through www.ticketweb.com, 866-468-3399.

# # #

Interesting Video on the Threat that Sprawl Poses on the Environment

2009-06-06T06:23:00.001-07:00

Gopher 1, Josh 0

2009-05-06T17:37:00.000-07:00

I finally got all the tomatoes planted last night. For the most part I planted tomato in buckets (due to limited yard area and worries about possible soil contamination), but when I got home today, two out of the three tomatoes I planted in raised beds were missing.

I was able to quickly identify the culperet as it didn't stray far from the scene of the crime (it was busy destroying the neighbor's lawn at the time I discovered the damage). The tell-tale gopher-esque teeth marks on the remaining stem of the tomato plant confirmed my suspcisions.

I did some quick research on humane and safe gopher repellents and deduced that perhaps I could try lining my garden beds with a mixture of Tobasco sauce and water. It seemed like a good idea to put the mixture into a Super Soaker in order to expedite the process (in turns out that the force at which the Super Soaker discharges the mixture aerolizes the combination and produce a mace like substance).

My own personal discomfort aside, we'll see how the plan works. So far the gopher has left the corn, squash, and beans in the other raised bed alone, but there is no telling if he is just waiting for it to ripen. I'll try to remember to post an update about how the plan works out.

Ecofont

2009-01-07T19:06:00.000-08:00

Ecofont is an environmentally-friendlier typeface intended to save toner by making the font more or less hollow. As you can see from the graphic above, the font has holes to cut down on the overall footprint. When the font is printed in it's actual size, it is intended to appear just like any other font. Check it out at www.ecofont.eu. An added bonus is that Ecofont can be downloaded for free.

Answers

2009-01-04T16:49:00.000-08:00

Ever wanted to know the answer to a question, but haven't been able to find an answer through standard search methods? Yahoo and Google both have their own brand of question and answer websites, but Mahalo allows for cash payouts based on the answers provided to questions. I believe the site is in Beta at the moment, but it seems to be extremely effective (and quick) at providing users the answers to their questions. Users can strengthen their answers with references and the individual posing the question gets to select what they feel is the best answer for their question. I have used it just for some general opinion questions with desirable results.

Change.gov

2009-01-01T11:14:00.000-08:00

The coming Obama administration has opened up a new venue for individuals to pose questions and provide feedback. I for one am pretty stoked about this level of openness and the variety of ways that the administration has embraced technology. Hopefully this will continue throughout his tenure and democracy will be further extended to individuals rather allowing organizations and corporations to maintain their stranglehold on our government.

Check it out on the Change.gov website or go directly to questions page at http://change.gov/page/content/openforquestions20081229/.

On the same line FrontSeat has generated a series of pages where users can suggest possible goals and changes for the Obama administration to implement. Check it out at http://obamacto.org/.

Projects

2008-12-28T18:06:00.000-08:00

Well now that school is over, there is finally time to work on side projects. If anyone is interested, I am working on two side projects at the moment. I am trying to put together a social community of sorts centered around military veterans in the Asheville area. You can check it out at www.ashevilleveterans.com. I am also working putting together a similar resource for "urban chickens" in the Asheville area. You can check that out at www.ashevillecitychickens.com.

Social-based Internet Technologies as a Means of Public Participation

2008-10-08T19:43:00.000-07:00

I wrote this paper for a class a couple of semesters back and thought I would post it on the internet in case others were interested in the topic. Check out the link below.

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dgs6623s_266c4x4kzch

Social-based Internet Technologies as a Means of Public Participation by Joshua Peyton O'Conner is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.triggerhippie.com.

Community Development Project - Sideline Issues 2.0

2008-09-17T20:03:00.001-07:00

Just an update on my last post about attempting to contact the police department. On Monday I received an e-mail from City of Asheville IT Department stating that the Police Department e-mails should be working. I resent my e-mail to police@ashevillenc.gov on Monday and sent the same e-mail to internet/police@ashevillenc.gov (one of the e-mails specified on their site) this afternoon. Both appeared to have gone through okay. I will post the response once I receive it.

Community Development Project - Map 1.5

2008-09-17T19:49:00.000-07:00

Here are some maps of the Oakley area I was able to obtain from the City of Asheville. I will be working over the next few days to get it in the Google Maps format in order to be able to overlay the neighborhood with areas where traffic calming and pedestrian linkages might be most vital.

Oakley Maps - Upload a Document to Scribd

Community Development Project - Policy Guides

2008-09-15T19:48:00.000-07:00

As required by the context of my assignment in the Community Development course, I need to select the Policy Guides from the Policy Guide on Neighborhood Collaborative Planning published by the American Planning Association that my Community Development Initiative will adhere to. Below are the Policy Guides that I see my initiative adhering to at this time:

POLICY 1. Comprehensive plans provide the framework for neighborhood planning and should be done within the context of a community-wide plan.
POLICY 2. Where there are identifiable neighborhoods, a jurisdiction's comprehensive plan should reflect neighborhood plans and neighborhood plans should support the broader needs of the community and region.
POLICY 3. Planning decisions should be directed to the most appropriate level. Planning decisions that have limited impact on the community as a whole should be made by, or on the basis of advice given by, those neighborhood groups primarily affected. On the other hand, planning decisions that affect the community as a whole should not be overly influenced by a single neighborhood's needs or interests.
POLICY 4. Neighborhoods should be encouraged to seek the best organizational structure that is suited to achieve their goals and objectives such as, but not limited to neighborhood associations, co-ops, development corporations.
POLICY 7. To be effective in many cases, neighborhood planning needs to go beyond addressing the physical conditions of the area and also examine issues of social equity.
POLICY 10. Citizen participation should be required in sufficient form and detail to ensure the broadest possible participation opportunity for the widest variety of residents and stakeholders.
POLICY 15. City plans should incorporate neighborhood level perspectives to the city's decision-making and planning processes. The city should also establish the neighborhood as a basic area for needs assessment, provision and improvement.
POLICY 16. City government should establish city-wide goals and criteria for approving neighborhood plans. These criteria should be developed with the participation and support of the neighborhoods. Goals and criteria should address the issue of neighborhood boundaries and how neighborhood organizations are recognized as "official".
POLICY 18. At a minimum, cities should be encouraged to provide financial assistance for a variety of categorical programs for undertaking comprehensive neighborhood vision programs, planning efforts, and establishing indicators of performance.
POLICY 19. City government should be encouraged to coordinate the resources of the city according to approved neighborhood plans. This includes funds for transportation, community policing, solid waste services, housing and community development, school and library funding and economic development and tourism among others.
POLICY 24. Neighborhood plans and planning should address a wide range of issues, but should be tailored to meet their specific needs, for example: a. A definition of neighborhood boundaries--a description of how they were derived and how they apply to municipal service areas; b. A directory of who is involved and who should be involved in the planning process; c. A vision statement; d. Overall objectives for each element of the vision statement; e. Physical plan of the neighborhood indicating proposed improvements to the neighborhood f. Specific tasks and assignments; g. Design guidelines h. Links to city-wide objectives; i. A directory of resources; j. Short-term implementation projects to build support and momentum. k. Statistics about the neighborhood, including population, employment, education, etc.; l. Maps showing neighborhood resources such as churches, libraries, parks, historic sites, neighborhood landmarks and characteristics such as demographics m. An implementation chart n. A date of adoption and date for the next review or update o. Statement of acceptance by the municipality

Community Development Project - Sideline Issues

2008-09-14T18:36:00.000-07:00

After experiencing continual problems with traffic in my neighborhood, I decided to notify the Asheville Police Department to request some means of increased enforcement regarding several traffic related issues in the Oakley area. My e-mail is below.

Hello,

I was wondering what the procedure would be for filing a traffic related complaint. I live directly on Fairview Rd and have witnessed a large number of vehicle drivers moving through the area recklessly (largely moving through the area at speeds that appear to be greater than the speed limit). I have also seen several instances of vehicle drivers failing to display the proper caution toward pedestrians and vehicles attempting to enter Fairview Road from side streets and driveways.

Additionally, there are several vehicles that move through the area playing stereos at a volume that I would consider in violation of the noise ordinance. Many times this activity takes place during the later hours of the night (after midnight) making it difficult to sleep.

Any assistance I could obtain in formalizing my concerns and attempting to achieve some reductions in the noted behaviors would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Josh O'Conner

I attempted to send the e-mail to the address listed on the Asheville Police Department's website (police@ashevillenc.gov), and have received several bouncebacks stating that no such e-mail exists (I have attempted to send this e-mail from two different e-mail addresses). I want to have a record of my conversation to use it as part of the source materials for this project (thus it is very important to use e-mail). I called Asheville Police Department's administration line on Friday afternoon and had my call forwarded to the City of Asheville's IT deparment. I was asked to place a work order concerning the problem I was experiencing. To my knowledge the e-mail address is still not operation (on Sunday, 14-Sep) and I am supposed to receive a call or an e-mail when it is.

Community Development Project - Boundary Delineation

2008-09-14T18:27:00.000-07:00

I spent quite a while trying to figure out the "official" boundaries of the Oakley neighborhood. I attempted to do some research concerning maps of the area, but I wasn't really able to isolate anything specifically. I used Google Maps to generate what I believe to be the approximate boundaries of the area. If anyone has a better idea what the boundaries should be, please let me know in the comments and I can make the changes or add you as a collaborator on the map.

View Larger Map

Community Development Project - Project Intent 1.0

2008-09-14T18:17:00.000-07:00

My idea is to evaluate and propose methods of traffic calming and pedestrian linkages for the Oakley Neighborhood (my neighborhood). The neighborhood is currently one that is transitioning in the Asheville area (in terms of becoming safer and ), but it contains many disadvantaged residents (it has a large elderly population and many residents are below Asheville's AMI). The pedestrian linkages would allow residents easy access to retail services (grocery and dry goods) as well as the neighbor elementary schools and several area employers and would allow improved accessibility to the transit system. Additionally the traffic calming will help to stimulate social activity among residents and increase the likelihood of use for the pedestrian linkages.

Community Development Project

2008-09-14T17:41:00.001-07:00

For one of the classes I am enrolled in this semester, we are required to develop an idea for a Community Development project and gather some resources and information on it. My hope is to introduce my ideas on this blog in order to allow others access to them and the ability to comment on them. The ultimate goal would be that since I selected a project that would take place in my neighborhood, that I could continue it outside of the context of class and see if I could reap any tangible results. Below you will find a copy of the assignment. As the I develop components of the assignment, I will publish them on this blog for anyone who might happen to stumble upon to comment on. If you have any additional resources that might be beneficial to me, please leave me links in the comments.

22-Sep-2008, Community Development Assignment 1 - Upload a Document to Scribd

Chicken Paper (Urban Chickens)

2008-09-14T15:17:00.000-07:00

Hi,

I wanted to post the document below to get comments on the subject matter. I originally wrote about this topic because I wanted to attempt to create a linkage between urban agriculture and ways it could be integrated into communities in and around Asheville. If anyone would care to read over this paper (originally submitted as a term paper for an Environmental Planning Class), I would very much appreciate any comments you might have. It can be accessed at the link below.

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dgs6623s_74c8jfrm9z

I pay my taxes too!

2007-09-17T21:02:00.000-07:00

I ride a bike (a bicycle not a motorcycle, but that doesn't make me any less bad ass) as part of my personal transportation scheme. I have been hit (with cars) , screamed at, flicked off, run of the road, and otherwise made to feel wrong for using the transportation network in ways that do not involve an automobile. I attempt to ride within the legal constraints that govern my use of the road as much as possible (I have found several traffic lights in town that don't respond to bicycles), but that's not to say I don't advocate my position with those drivers in particularly confrontational moods.

The lack of taxes used to be the primary argument that I was confronted with concerning personal animosities toward cycling as a form of transportation. More recently I have heard the opposition shift to a position concerning the incompatibility of cycles and automobiles posing a danger to cyclist. I have actually been told that cyclist should merely move off the road until their advocacy prompts the appropriate infrastructure. In my opinion, unless people see cyclist on the road using the existing infrastructure for their non-auto transportation needs, then no one will realize the need for changes. But I digress... In the case of the tax argument, SeattlePI has an interesting write-up concerning the actual distribution of taxes for transportation uses. It seems that drivers really aren't paying the full cost of transportation services at the pump and at the DMV. If this is really the case then drivers will have to look elsewhere to justify their sense of entitlement.

Now everyone knows that you waste energy

2007-09-17T20:05:00.000-07:00

A recent post on GigaOM showed that Google Maps is usage is seeing noted increases due to the release of the iPhone and other mobile phone ventures including Nokia are looking for ways to put maps in the hands of users. With Google and Yahoo now attempting to compete in the internet map arena, users are being granted spatially abilities that they had previously never dreamed of attaining.

The City of Haringey (United Kingdom) has found an incredibly powerful application for these easily accessible widely available tools... informing other people of your bad habits. Haringey has developed a map that illustrates the relative heat loss among the city's buildings. Although there are some potential concerns about privacy (especially here in the United States where we demand to be in complete control of information pertaining to us), similar maps could foster an unified moral imperative among community members. As map data integrates even more complex datasets, perhaps we can begin to see the carbon emissions or power use of our neighbors.

Credit goes to JETSONGREEN.com for the original post.

How to build a Utopia

2007-09-17T08:49:00.000-07:00

The New York Times posted this interesting step-by-step guide on how to fix our cities and restore a sense of community. It's unfortunate about the architects. I think that maybe that step would serve best if changed to reorient the architects... after all they are only providing a service that we demand. Yes, we, as in the majority of us, as in when we vote with our spending habits and actions.

Eat your veggies before they eat you!!!

2007-09-16T20:30:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to post this for quite a while, but alas have lacked the personal organization skills to do so. I am trying out a new method to attempt to force myself to blog more often, so we will see how it works; this is my first test of that new method. Anyway this is a piece of digital art created by Till Nowak that I ran across on Core77 (an awesome design site if you are interested in creative and innovative new product design ideas). This picture can be used to comfort those who feel that their diet lacks something when they don't get the whole dominator of nature feeling you get when you slap a steak on your plate. In this case not only are veggies better for the environment, but eating them is purely a survival tactic.

Pretty Interesting

2007-09-14T19:24:00.000-07:00

There is a lot of mainstream press lately about hybrids and plug-ins and other ways of increasing fuel economy. Every once in a while a little information about our diets and their environmental impact (other than local food) creeps onto a blog, but it's really an issue that we all lack an educational foundation on. I found this graphic to be rather powerful and felt compelled to share it here.

Random Quote

2007-09-09T19:40:00.000-07:00

Do not be too quick to condemn the man who no longer believes in God: for it is perhaps your own coldness and avarice and mediocrity and materialism and selfishness that have chilled his faith.

Thomas Merton
(1915-1968)

Apple vs. Twinkie the Battle for the Farm Bill

2007-08-28T20:18:00.000-07:00

Miss South Carolina Explains the Need for Maps...I think

2007-08-28T19:05:00.000-07:00

JackLewis.net Fighting Internet Communism One Block at a Time

2007-08-27T13:31:00.000-07:00

Those who keep up with the internet buzz, you may have already heard about JackLewis.net. But for those of us just catching up, aparently he is fighting the new "good fight" and blocking Firefox users. You can learn more about the policy simply by attempting to view the site with Firefox. It's a pretty interesting read if you have some spare time. Some of the best right-wing propoganda I have encountered in a while. I find to be Jack Lewis (actually a psuedonym for Danny Carlton) to be aggressive, trite, and well condescending. I have had a round with him in this comments section and have to say I haven't witnessed such confusing logic in quite a while.

Check it out if you have the time. Witness the irony and hypocrisies. Apparently I am ignorant and therefore a Liberal. Had I not stumbled across the site I wouldn't have ever known. I have attached a sample of the irony just as a preview. Just make sure you check it out in a non-Mozilla browser.

United States Secretary of Transportation on Non-Car Transportation

2007-08-20T12:53:00.000-07:00

It was strange... this morning I pumped up my tires on my bike, wheeled it out the door and down the steps and appeared 20 minutes and 5 miles later at school. I have always been lead to believe that this phenomenon is was referred to as "transportation". Now I would think that transportation carried out under any means would still fall under the authority of the U.S. Department of Transportation. I would think that bike paths or trails are a segment of our infrastructure that needs to be increasingly emphasized.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters has a different opinion. In a PBS interview she listed bike paths and trails as diversions of our infrastructure moneys. Now I would think that someone slammed with media accusations of crumbling infrastructure would look for options that would relieve some of the pressure on our existing infrastructure rather than simply trying to repair all of it immediately and simultaneously. Perhaps with an aging infrastructure now is the best time to insert refinements and to fix the original errors that were made when it was created (such as centering the nations entire transportation system around the car).

I believe that Ms. Peters is sending a rather clear signal to those who cannot afford to own a car or those that attempt to make themselves part of the solution... the tax dollars that they invest into transportation will be used to keep drivers of cars safe, non-drivers will remain on the shoulder of the road where they belong. Equity in infrastructure is simply out of the question investments shall follow the will of the majority.

Shall we judge the country by the majority or by the minority? Certainly, by the minority. The mass are animal, in state of pupilage, and nearer the chimpanzee.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds.
-Samuel Adams

Rep. McHenry says that bikes aren't the answer

2007-08-09T18:29:00.001-07:00

Umm... though he fails to say what will save us, bikes can't be the answer because they come from the 19th century... but then again didn't coal power and cars too?

In case you couldn't tear up enough stuff with your Hummer.

2007-08-08T15:28:00.001-07:00

I ran across this video of a Russian military vehicle that uses screw propulsion rather than wheels or tracks.

Ethanol Debate

2007-08-07T21:16:00.001-07:00

I found this video and felt that I should add it to complement my previous ethanol post.

Alexandre Verdier's redesign of the Westfalia

2007-08-07T20:46:00.000-07:00

Sorry I couldn't in good conscience miss posting this thing. It's beautiful. I now renounce my goals of owning a home and aspire to own this.

More on data centers

2007-08-07T14:17:00.001-07:00

The other day I pointed to some information from Earth2Tech concerning data centers and the necessity of switching them to green energy. Since then I have seen quite a few interesting articles pop-up relating to these data centers.

Ars Technica has pointed out an EPA study which indicates that power consumption at data centers doubled between 2000 and 2006. They further predict that we will again see this figure double by 2011. These figures don't factor in developments in online technologies or unforeseeable data demands, nor do they account for power saving developments in computing technology that we might hope to see. The report did however point out some of the cost savings that could be realized by implementing energy efficient technologies.

TreeHugger posted some relatively disturbing statistics on exactly what this power usage is going to. According to the calculations posted Second Life (a recreational, immersive, online community) utilizes as much power as the country of Brazil to power its avatars. Some of the data demands that we have as a society are now an absolute necessity (i.e. 911 centers, licensing databases, flight records), but when we look at how much is going into recreational ventures the issue takes on a whole new light.

While I am continuing to beat the data center topic to death, I must point out the Sun Microsystem Project Blackbox that Inhabitat did a story on days ago. This project places data centers at the site of need and helps to satisfying informational needs with a mobile, flexible, and scalable solution. They are designed with energy efficiency in mind. Not to mention the energy savings that can be had by lowering data tranmission needs (i.e. data can be handled on site rather than request being transmitted to a distant data center and processed information being transmitted back). The project utilizes shipping containers that are designed to be placed on trucks or barges. As a personal testimonial, we used these containers for certain sets of equipment in Afghanistan and they really do offer a great deal in terms of boosting efficiency.

What if terrorists killed as many people as cars accidents have?

2007-08-07T12:54:00.001-07:00

While the tragedy of 3,000 lives lost on 9/11 has justified two wars, in which thousands of U.S. soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice, the tragedy of 245,000 lives lost in traffic accidents on the nation's roads during the same period has justified . . . pretty much no response at all.

read more | digg story

Publix reveals new committment to inundate the environment with antibiotics

2007-08-07T08:40:00.000-07:00

I have much of my time as a student working as a Pharmacy Technician in order to pay the bills. As much I loved directing the elderly population to our store restroom and informing people that the shaving supplies were on the isle with the large sign that says shaving supplies, I can't say that I am upset about not spending my time there now.

I remember Wal-Mart launching the $4 generic drug program and the backlashed it fueled throughout the pharmacy community. Stores like Eckerd, Rite-Aid, CVS, and Kerr Drug (discount pharmacy chains) have trouble competing with programs such as this because they don't have quite the opportunity as large discount retailers to recoup the loss before the customer exits the store. You know you stop by Wal-Mart, you're waiting on your prescription, you realize your underwear has become a bit worn, you stop over a pick up some more. On the way to the underwear the kids start screaming you figure maybe you'll pick up a couple of boxes of wine to relax with that night. You think, "Hey I'm better than this", and decide to class things up a bit because seriously you shouldn't have to drink such quality wine from a mason jar?. You go to get some nice red wine glasses realize they have a 20 pack and think, "Hey I should have a party!". Three hours and $250 later you leave Wal-Mart wondering if you actually saved any money.

So now, in order to attract customers, the grocery retailer Publix has decided to provide a free ($0) 14-day supply of several common antibiotics to customers of any age with a doctor's prescription. Now I am sure this will cause upper-management in pharmacy chains around the country to flounder for a competitive solution, and I am sure the poor non-chain local drug chains will continue to watch their profits dip further while hoping that superior customer service and hometown appeal will keep them afloat. But what does all this mean for the environment.

The United Nations System Wide Earth Watch has published a statement in which they said, "Heavy use of antibiotics in people and animals, encouraged by commercial pressures, risks causing significant antibiotic contamination of the natural environment and consequent development of resistance in communities of non-disease organisms." I would qualify giving away free drugs as a significant commercial pressure that could proliferate the use of antibiotics through removing a hurdle when it comes time for consumers to obtain them. As Bill Bishop, chairman of Willard Bishop, a supermarket consulting firm in Barrington, Ill points out, "Nothing sells like free".

I realize that antibiotics are vital to human health and there are problems with health care cost in this country. But, having worked in a pharmacy, antibiotics were not typically a drug that people had difficulty collecting the money for. Social welfare agencies and even non-profit groups will often gladly provide assistance for these drug purchases when necessary. Instead I think this program will cause consumers to ask for such drugs (they can be requested without a doctors visit via a phone call to the office) at much for frequent intervals and will allow them to avoid thinking about whether or not they actually need the prescription. The fast-paced lifestyle that we find ourselves in allows little time for illness and by providing a free quick fix for illness, I think that Publix is just going to exacerbate the problem of antibiotics in rivers and groundwater supplies by making a readily available and over used medical treatment more over prescribed. On a weekly basis I saw individuals come into our store to get an antibiotic for a cough they had developed two days ago or a cold that they felt coming on. Hell, I'll be tempted to do it if I think I can get some free relief.

A more intelligently constructed piece on food mileage.

2007-08-06T18:51:00.000-07:00

The article that I railed against in yesterday's post has generated a considerable amount of discussion on the blogosphere. I have seen the point made in a number of comment battles that the author was simply attempting to make a strong point about food mileage. I still maintain that the author's article was ineffectively written and poorly researched.

The New York Times on the other hand wrote an excellent article to question recent proclamations of the importance of a local-only diet. Books have been released proselytizing diets with strict guidelines on the distance that food should be obtained from (i.e. The 100-Mile Diet). To be fair, though this movement is gaining momentum as an ideal of the environmentalist, it is hardly new. The idea is sometime stated as a pillar of the macrobiotic lifestyle/diet for the purpose of holistically forming a dietary relationship with one's surroundings.

The main point in the NY Times piece is that in some agriculturally devoid areas, a diet of local-only foods could be deficient in certain nutrients. It is hardly environmentally conscious to rearrange humanity into areas where food supplies can be abundantly produced, nor would those areas be agriculturally viable for any length of time after concentrating large numbers of humans there. Not to mention that certain staple foods might not grow within certain agricultural regions, although some exceptions would most certainly be permissible with spices being an item of note. In the United States alone organizing diet according to local availability would be difficult at best. It would be down right confusing for chain restaurants. I believe that we as American crave some sort of standardization of cuisine to prevent loss of stability and personal comfort/security when traveling between agricultural zones.

A point that came up in yesterday's post, is the concept of externalities. The NY Times highlights studies that have recently tried to compare local and long distance food products through a full analysis including many externalities. The studies reveal that carbon footprints could be lower for some regions conducive for production of certain agricultural items, even when factoring in the carbon emissions created by transportation. For example, although I can get locally grown tomatoes in North Carolina it might emit less carbon to obtain the same tomatoes from Georgia because the conditions there are more conducive and would require less in extraneous inputs (i.e. fertilizer and pesticides).

Of course I have to make the plug for the veggies and point out that it requires considerable less transportation and energy to produce foods for veg*n diets. Think about it. Animals eat grains or vegetables (cows and flaked corn). Those animal foods must be grown, maintained (fertilizers and pesticides), and transported to the animals. Then the animals must be transported a processing facility before they are transported to our favorite grocery store. Veg*n diets provide considerable saving in overall transportation and extraneous outputs. I do understand that animals eat lesser quality foods than we can eat and often times are fed waste products, but there is still a savings with a veg*n diet.

What to do? Should we begin to develop regionally specific diets? Should we begin posting an items carbon footprint similar to nutrition posting? Should we all go vegan? I believe the answer is to get more answers. With a great number of environmental problems our science and information systems are finally reaching the point were we can begin providing intelligent well-founded solutions to complex problems such as this. Personal research also goes a long way into uncovering which products should absolutely be left our of our shopping carts. Also by all means don't further contribute to the problem by listening to this guy. Michael Pollan's book The Omnivore's Dilemma is an excellent read on this topic.

A collection of scary math from across the pond.

2007-08-05T20:49:00.000-07:00

An article posted yesterday on the UK's TimesOnline claims that walking to purchase necessities is actually more energy intensive than driving there. The article further proposes that we sit eat less and drive to save energy. Seriously now... What the fuck? The article does provide some clues that one could use to debate the calculations as they are all based on omnivoruous diets with heavy reliance on the energy contained within meat (which would be subject to the "rule of tens").

I would like to see the calculations that the author of the article performed in order to arrive at this conclusion. I will point out that I am sure there are several missing parts of the equation that the author failed to factor in.

Walking requires a far less extensive infrastructure than driving. Did the author calculate decreased caloric expenditure due to the fact that highway crews and their equipment are no longer essential.
Did the author calculate the overall production cost of the car in terms of carbon emissions? What about reclaiming the materials or their disposal? Did the author calculate the long term effects of having to extract material "A" from landfills after it is no longer readily available in nature.
What baselines did the author use concerning caloric intake? I would estimate that the average American would consume a similar level of calories rather walking or driving. It seems difficult to notice a difference in the two modes of transportation if that's the case.

I could go on this for a while, but I digress. It is disheartening to see pieces published as I believe they allow members of industrialized nations to justify their behaviors. I will refute the author's calculation as pure fiction and a failure to properly compute the full range of externalities. The use of fossil fuels in our cars has been subsidized for decades as we as consumers have never been asked to pay for the cost of our damages, with walking or other human-powered transportation the cost is more upfront and tangible.

So it turns out that Satan backs ethanol...

2007-08-04T20:56:00.000-07:00

I remember sitting in classes just under a year ago and hearing how ethanol had the potenial to offset gas emissions and could possibly be a knight in shining armor for the commuting community. I guess we should have double checked the math. Now we are all reeling from being brought eye to eye with the harsh implications of ramping up ethanol production. We were all apathetic when the tortilla prices increased for impoverished Mexicans. We were all dismayed when the price of popcorn started to creep up. Some of us were outraged to discover beer price increases as a result of ethanol.

Stories in the press which originally favored ethanol in its rise to political power have begun to fade away. Jeff Goodell published an article in Rolling Stone last week that will likely be a powerful tool for those evangelizing the "don't put food in your gas tank" side of the issue. The title reveals the no punches held nature of the piece. It is titled Ethanol Scam: Ethanol Hurts the Environment And Is One of America's Biggest Political Boondoggles.

I still predict that non-corn sources of ethanol will be researched for quite sometime and will continue to be touted by our politicians as the savior of all humanity. Cellulosic ethanol is the next fuel alternative lurking in the shadows as we attempt to find a way to convert "waste" from agricultural and forestry operations into "go juice". I question the intelligence of this move as this supposed waste is extremely important ecologically as a source of soil nutrients necessary for the regeneration of botanical materials. Not to mention that leaving the "waste" on the ground (where it is intended by nature and physics to stay) would aid in preventing soil erosion and further nutrient loss. I guess that once we remove all the waste that would have decomposed and naturally fertilized the soil and add our own synthetic fertilizers. But wait won't the transportation needs of this switch-up require increased quantities of fuel of some sort.

People mock those who attempt to invent the perpetual motion machine, but so far the proposals I have seen from the ethanol supporters seem to be a type of perpetual motion machine. We will require large inputs of petroleum based products to get ethanol production ramped up to a level where it can even begin to offset a percentage of petroleum demands and then we will have to continue to invest the ethanol we are "harvesting" to apply ecological patches that need to be put in place along the way. I would imagine the economics of the situation function in a similar manner.

The photo in this post is originally from TreeHugger. Maybe later this week I will rant about the new consumer push for plug in hybrids.

Use the sun as your pen

2007-08-04T12:49:00.000-07:00

I ran across a post on Instructables that was well worth repeating. There is always a focus on how the sun and solar energy can help mankind do more work and be more productive, but what about fun in the sun.
The instructions give step by step detail on using the sun to engrave images into wood using items you probably have lying around the house. I haven't tried it yet, but it looks to provide a humane alternative to popping ants with a magnifying glass.

Carbon Conscious Consumer launches campaign to slow carbon emmissions

2007-08-04T09:21:00.001-07:00

Carbon Conscious Consumer has taken advantage of Web 2.0 social technologies and is seeking to affect reductions in carbon emissions through actions of individual consumers. Users can pledge to not drive for one day each week and can earn rewards by encouraging others to sign the pledge.

read more | digg story

Carbon Conscious Consumer launches campaign to slow carbon emmissions

2007-08-04T09:20:00.001-07:00

Green Base Jumping! Just cool.

2007-08-03T18:01:00.001-07:00

Sent to you by Josh via Google Reader:

Green Base Jumping!

via EQUITY GREEN by Garrett on Aug 03, 2007

This video is crazy...base jumping off the blade of a giant wind turbine. Now we're talking sustainability!

Things you can do from here:

Visit the original item
on EQUITY GREEN
Subscribe to EQUITY GREEN using Google Reader
Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

The Greening of Computing

2007-08-02T15:07:00.001-07:00

You may notice that I tend to post a lot on computing and computer related things (i.e. Google Maps). Well it might be because I am a nerd and I seek justification for my love of computers. Thankfully for my interests the recent "Green revolution" spawned by threats of global warming also extends to the technology industry.

Earth2Tech, a recent entry to the blogosphere, did an excellent writeup today on the importance of green data centers. We all tend to focus on greening the devices and commodities that we see everyday, but what about those hidden computing centers from which we retrieve our information services such as e-mail and online documents. The article states that energy costs are approaching costs greater than 30% of the informational technology total. If you ponder it, these are systems that are always on and due to the global nature of the internet there isn't really a time when power demands can be scaled back. Hey, people across the international date line need MySpace too. The industry have every reason to focus on longterm investments in alternative localized energy sources as the cost of their energy needs begin to approach equipment cost.

Help is on the way for the conscientious, tech-savy consumer, enter Zonbu. Zonbu is lower-end computer device that uses 1/3 as much power as a standard light-bulb. The device is intended to use with your daily tech gadgets (cameras and iPods) and to provide access to internet based computing needs. It's Linux based and not really intended as a full fledged computer for gaming or power hungry applications, but lets be honest how many of us are really using our computers other than the internet, device management, and productivity applications. The pricepoint is reasonable at $99, though it does require a subscription service ($12.95/mo) for data storage. EcoGeek claims that you can make up for the subscription fees in utility savings. You can also purchase it straight out for $249. The subscription service includes support and firmware upgrades as well as centralized back up on the Zonbu servers. It's an excellent idea and I might be sold on the subscription based on the simplicity of such a device. Check out further information on EcoGeek and MetaEfficient. I wonder how energy efficient the Zonbu data center is.

In further green computing news, Inhabitat pointed out that Western Digital has begun releasing harddrives with energy efficiency in mind. Western Digital claims that these drives will save 13.8kg CO2 annually when compared with similar drives. If manufacturers continue on this trend then data centers may be able to quickly take advantage of economic savings through energy conservation.

Bike Sharing Goes Hi-Tech

2007-08-02T07:53:00.000-07:00

I've seen a lot of information lately about bike-sharing programs being implemented throughout Europe and even select locations in the states. I personally love this idea as I can see definite need for multi-modal transportation that is flexible and doesn't require the immense forethought that our current transit systems are sometimes associated with. Maybe you missed your normal bus and need a quick way to cut accross a few blocks to catch an alternate route. Perhaps you can ditch your car for your in-town errands following a lengthy commute.

Streetsblog had a pretty interesting post on a program in Berlin that uses cell phone technology to lock and unlock the bike. The program does away with the need for bike lockers or designated racks through its innovative self locking mechanism. A user who wished to check out the bike simply calls the number on the bike and the rear-wheel locking mechanism is released. When the user is done with there errands they call the number again to re-lock the bike leaving where it sits. The service charges about 6 cent a minute and is administered by the government. Check out the full post.

Oh God No! Not The Nalgene

2007-08-01T17:04:00.001-07:00

Treehugger (who incidentally was purchased by Discovery today) featured a rather disturbing article on the iconic accessory of the outdoorsy environmentalist. It turns out that the rumors floating around about Nalgene bottles and hormone disruptors might have some ground. Check out the full post for more information.

Whatever shall we switch to? Glass? I think not. I can't chuck a glass bottle in my pack and ride the bike wherever without risking loss of limb or at a minimum digits. I checked out Sigg bottles, but I seemed to remember some scare about Alzheimer's and aluminum as kid. It must have been big as I have no such cookware in my kitchen (suggesting that the metal was somehow subconsciously stigmatized at my hands). A quick glance at Wikipedia shows that the research on the Alzheimer's/Aluminum link is inconclusive at this point, so who knows if they are entirely safe.

Then again with cities beginning to ban bottled water (due to litter though the disposable plastic bottles are linked with the same horomone disrupting problem as the Nalgenes) the race to find a new, rugged container is one. Anyone have suggestions?

Map where your meat comes from..

2007-08-01T15:03:00.001-07:00

Just to meld the whole herbivore slant of this blog along with the posts on information systems and mapping, I decided to post on Factory Farm Map. Factory Farm Map allows users to examine the geographic distribution of factory meat farms around the U.S. The data is broken down to the county level and is intended to show where the highest levels of animal farming associated pollution would be found. I wish there was a similar interface for veggies so that people could understand the importance of recruiting local foods to combat centralized food production.

New domain name

2007-07-31T19:52:00.000-07:00

So for anyone that has visited this blog before you may have noticed a new domain name. I am still not sure why I decided to register for a domain name other than it was cheap and that I had the "Trigger Hippie" idea floating around in my head after hearing it in a song the other night. It stems from a certain duality that I find in my life stemming from a devotion to my military career and subsequently my little family within the military that means so much to me combined with my passion for our natural world. I have been pondering a set of tatoos on my calves and have been stuck on the idea of a tree of life on one calf and a fallen soldiers memorial on the other. So since I am sort of a nerd, I ended up with a domain as an attempt to hold off on blowing my money on a tat. Check out GoDaddy for cheap domains if you are looking to disguise your frugality and want to get some flair for your blog and your e-mail.

Rockin New Shirt

2007-07-31T19:32:00.000-07:00

So normally I don't sport shirts displaying my non-meat eating preferences as to avoid being accosted by those attempting to justify why they chose to adhere to certain dietary patterns in a seeming effort to compensate for some feelings of guilt.

I am not judging. Trust me. I find myself very defensive of any action that I feel guilty about (i.e. needlessly driving my car) and at times I find that guilt compels me into an almost offensive state.

Like I have mentioned in earlier posts, I am working on re-gaining my vegan footing after a rather extensive hiatus. I am vegan for a variety of reasons, mostly for environmental reasons, but also because I have issues regarding needlessly depriving something of life. Anyway, back to the shirt. I found it. I thought it was fun. AND it was on clearance. Here's a picture. If you like it, I suggest you visit the site soon as they are closing down the e-commerce site soon.

Down with plastic bags! And paper too!

2007-07-31T19:27:00.000-07:00

I know most everyone out there understands the evils of the plastic bag, but this video from GOOD Magazine provides some figures to shock you into remembering your reusable tote bags.

More Details on Carbon Neutral PC

2007-07-24T09:33:00.001-07:00

In February, PC World announced that they were working on a carbon neutral PC. Since then, there has been little news. Last week when the Independent ran a story on it with some new information, which CNet has summarized nicely.

read more | digg story

On Vacation in Savannah

2007-07-21T07:35:00.000-07:00

Well, no interesting things to post at the moment as I am on a short vacation to Savannah, GA. If anyone wants to see some examples of how transit, open space, and just a generally liveable downtown can be done correctly this is the place to visit. An interesting trivia fact is that Savannah managed to escape the wrath of the Civil War so it has a surprising amount of its original architecture still intact. The worst part about the trip has been trying to find vegan-friendly foods. I have to say as far as the vegeterian options on the menu, this is no Asheville,NC.

Google Earth... Now more than just seeing your house from space

2007-07-18T12:38:00.001-07:00

There has been incredible development in the types of models created for Google Earth. Now you can visualize not only the earth but all of the components of our solar system (including the sun) in the correct spatial scale.

read more | digg story

A Random Conglomeration of Green Things

2007-07-17T19:15:00.000-07:00

First off there has been a decent amount of press on the net about attempts to get a "bike sharing" project of the ground in NYC. I guess that's the downside of living in the southeast... we have to wait until all the progressive ideas to migrate from up North and out West. Check out the program details here.

The Google Earth Blog showed off some more of the capabilities of the Google Earth platform. As web developers and businesses get behind the application, more and more ways of porting large and complex datasets are starting to surface. The blog features information about an GE overlay filled with power production locations for the western United States.

Headway came up with an interesting idea in terms of increasing transit ridership. Create your own signage and spread the gospel of transit guerrilla style. Rather than depending on your local transit authority to provide route schedules on each individual sign (my relatively small town of ~100,000 people has 900+ officially registered stops), find the schedule for the stops that you use most often and take responsibility for maintaining a route schedule (replacing it when it weathers and keeping it up to date). Also on Headway more on the iPhone and its transit uses as programs such as "MuniTime" make real-time transit information available showing when a bus or train will arrive at a particular stop.

Some minor waves have surfaced in legislative circles over the past few weeks concerning the concept of hot gas. R-Squared Energy Blog has done a couple of interesting write-ups to despute media claims (which for the most part have stated that due to the chemical properties of gasoline, consumers are being sold less energy per gallon of gas during hot summer days because gas expands in volume when it is heated). I have to wonder that if the media claims hold any water, aren't gas stations purchasing hot gas (since I don't think that gas tankers are regrigorated) and then turning around and selling that gas to consumers? In fact isn't everyone in the gas industry exposed to the higher temperatures? Maybe the summer price of gas should be higher as the cost of storage and transportation goes up for the sales side of the industry.

WorldChanging found a program in India that helps its customers eliminate waste. Consumers apparently pick a container for waste to use within their home or office and the service helps to sort the waste (i.e. recycling, composting, etc.) in order to help the customer to understand how to reduce their "trash".

I'll try to do another run down of items I have "starred" in my Google Reader (a terrific program for staying on top of the current events or blogs that you find of particular interest) within the next couple of days. Please feel free to leave comments on any items that you would like to see me cover more often.

World Wide Wind Turbine Shortage

2007-07-17T18:22:00.001-07:00

"A worldwide shortage of wind-turbines has been caused by a sudden surge in demand and the frenzied industrial growth of China creating delivery delays that could take years to rectify.

read more | digg story

The economic and political foolishness of paying for carbon reduction

2007-07-16T20:22:00.001-07:00

Consistently saying that we have to pay to reduce carbon (or the inverse, that we can't afford not to reduce carbon) may be morally appealing, but it is politically -- and environmentally -- toxic, because it reinforces precisely those beliefs that are preventing us from implementing laws that would actually start to reduce carbon emissions.

read more | digg story