Green Violet

I now return to my uncategorized Nibblettes™. Hope you enjoyed the previous thematic entries on Biking, Tech-related, Reading/Learning, Do Something, Visual, and Political topics.

A thought dump on teen violence and a broken society

Violence among teenagers in the UK is on a massive and frightening increase. I think it would be easy to say ‘a lot has changed since I was a teen’, but I’m not sure what and I don’t really believe it.

Community forestry

Boise trees, all you want to know.

Natural insect and rodent repellants

Battle — or at least coexist with at a distance — ants, dust mites, garden invaders, mice, mosquitos, moths, roaches, and/or ticks.

Mexican food, cooking supplies

Plus some great Mexican recipes.

Women not dabbling in normal

We are a collection of 6 women, discovering life without adhering to society’s definition of normal. We strive to educate ourselves, learn from others, and share our experiences with not dabbling in normal. We are committed to creating lives of our own making and by our own definition, we know we are not alone and look forward to using this forum as a means to meet other folks who refuse to dabble in normal.

Bat bonanza! 100+ species found in 5 acres of jungle

I like bats. Bats offer a lot in the balance of things and they’re getting nudged out in some places (which neighbors will soon regret).

Where can I donate or recycle my old computer and/or electronic products?

This EPA site might give you a first step. Heard that Best Buy is jumping into doing that as well.

Enjoy this.

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

WHO the hell is Matt?

Wasabi smoochie

Villainess soaps. If that name doesn’t grab you, the idea of a wasabi face scrub should wow you.

Where my bees at?

Some background on the ad campaign. Or skip over to the movie. You gotta see the movie.

Food focus

A comprehensive online food diary & calorie counter

Less Ordinary > Carpe diem…

Practical experience on the impermanence of…

The art of nonconformity > How to be unremarkably average

Accept what people tell you at face value. Surround yourself with people who think like you. Don’t stand out. Stay close to home. Get a normal job. Do things the way everyone else does, because there has to be a method to the madness…

Upgrading to version 3.0 (of me)

This prompts me to my own. Slainte, Darragh!

What’s the focus

A different point of view. Free culture. Couchsurfers and Barcamp and Coworking.

Ask Your Lawmaker

Has been added to my “news” regular reads. You ask questions, vote on what should be followed up on, and they’ll go bug the Capitol Hill lawmaker.

I’m voting Republican

Who owns what on television?

All those hundreds of TV channels may lead you that there’s a true diversity and variety in today’s television … but you’d be wrong. A handful of large companies control what you see, hear, and read every day.

Running for Office: It’s Like A Flamewar with a Forum Troll, but with an Eventual Winner

Sean Tevis of Kansas is running for state representative. In a different way. With cartoons.

The real McCain

McCain’s not so nice. But we knew that. (The Guardian)

A slight (cough) difference between McCain and Obama tax proposals

I’m sure you’re one of the poor millionaire class that needs the helping hand.

There’s never been a great woman artist

“Only men are capable of aesthetic greatness. Women make up 50 per cent or more of classes at art school. Yet they fade away in their late 20s or 30s. Maybe it’s something to do with bearing children.”

Art & Fear:Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking (book review)

Art is made by ordinary people. Creatures having only virtues can hardly be imagined making art. It’s difficult to picture the Virgin Mary painting landscapes. Or Batman throwing pots. The flawless creature wouldn’t need to make art.

Cursivebuildings’ odd stereoscopes

Just look.

Two-Thirds Primary by Rod Hunting and Tiffany Paige

Finding by seeing. Photographers.

Notebookism and Moleskine Art

Pages from essentially the same book. Casual art.

Box of Postcards

Vintage postcard collection online.

Smoke on the … Yangtze

Hendrix, translated. Video.

David Archuleta - no, OUR David Archileta

I guess there was some kid on one of those drek-filled TV shows of the same name, but OUR David was running for Senator from Idaho on the Democratic ticket. An uphill battle in this almost-most-Republican state, but unfortunately the other Democrat (with more establishment name recognition) won. I’m hoping this guy, a member of the Shoshone-Bannock tribe, will run again. I like his tone and goals.

The Orphan Works Act

Ultimately Congress is attempting to reduce your rights as a creator (whether you write, draw, design Web sites or sing), by allowing the infringer to make the distinction as to whether or not they tried hard enough to find the owner of the work and reducing the rights of the artist, designer or author. More details.

Local air quality will bring the threat of the dreaded Feds

In brief, because no one wants to do f-all about backwards planning methodology and dependence upon cars like LA.

You have until Sept. 15 to make a noise against eviscerating the Endangered Species Act

The latest volley from Bush et al. Carrying the flag this time is local dick, er, Dirk Kempthorne. And they’re making it harder to send comment. So do something.

10 years could make a world of difference

If we choose. platform_flier.pdf

eBookHood

Register free to save and share your books. Yeah. Real books that you’ve heard of. How are they doing this? I dunno.

Mygazines

Mygazines is your free place to browse, share, archive and customize unlimited magazine articles uploaded by you, the Mygazines community.

Matador Study

Teach English abroad. Wouldn’t that be soemthing. Stories of those that are doing it. And tips for international travel.

11 interesting gadgets

A “Lethal Weapon” espresso machine? It gets odder from there.

24: the unaired 1994 pilot episode

This is to precious to miss. Please watch.

Learning from (Stephen) King and (Joss) Whedon : can you hear the creaking of a shift?

Joss Whedon is now in the new media entertainment space. Stephen King is, too. If we snag Steven Spielberg, I reckon a great many eyes will open, a great many hands will slap against foreheads, and we’ll see some much-needed mainstream movement towards using the ‘Net as a viable platform to deliver original content to audiences.

Pandora on the verge of collapse

Why is this happening? Last year, web radio giants were hit with outrageously ridiculous fees by a federal panel for every song that would be played on their stations. This caused a lot of services to either shutdown, or go through what Pandora has been experiencing for the past year.

Random.org

RANDOM.ORG offers true random numbers to anyone on the Internet. The randomness comes from atmospheric noise, which for many purposes is better than the pseudo-random number algorithms typically used in computer programs.

10 Likely events in 2008

Posted in January, would be interesting to read in December. (Business Week)

The Web Time Forgot

And you thought you knew the history of the internet. (NY Times)

As part of my Be Zen Clear And Free, I’ve been going through the detritus of digital clutter (with another eye peeled for the physical-realm clutter). So here are several posts on various Themes.

Tour de Fat is in Boise today

Winn says it’s a “stop and smell the roses kind of festival, with bikes and beer.” His favorite sporting event of the day is the Slow Ride. [...] Two Boise organizations, Southwest Idaho Mountain Biking Association (SWIMBA) and Treasure Valley Cycling Alliance (TVCA), will reap the financial benefits of this year’s tour visit.

Xtracycle is the forward-looking bicycle

Built to carry everything, all your transportation needs (maybe, nearly) on two wheels. You’re free.

Fans take victory ride with Olympian Kirstin Armstrong

Boise residents proud of Kirstin’s achievements. Would that it prompts more locals to the bicycling route!

Why do Republicans hate bicycles so much?

Decrying bicycles as an antiquated solution, I’m sure they’d prefer anything that takes individual control out of your own hands. Yeah, people don’t, but people can effect widespread societal change.

This is an awareness test…

Brilliant ad from England. Please do check it out. Amusing as well as enlightening.

Maureen Dowd on Obama’s tour of Middle East.

That old skill that Obama honed at the Harvard Law Review of listening until everyone at the table felt they had been heard (and agreed with) is coming in handy on his presidential dress rehearsal. [...] The Angry One can try to paint The One as having bad judgment. But who is being advised by Kissinger, the man who helped keep us in Vietnam and get us into Iraq?

My family car is an SUB and I love it

On my new “sport utility bicycle” I can cart groceries, take my kids shopping, haul a barbecue grill and make a margarita. [...] “To test whether I could abandon my four-wheel behemoth, I spent a week trying to do my errands using my new SUB. I aimed high right out of the gate: the family grocery trip to Trader Joe’s.” (Article has movie, too, and link to Xtracycle.)

What’s next for product placement?

In the US, Rupert Murdoch’s Fox network has struck a deal with McDonald’s, which has bought the right to have two cups of their branded frappuccino appear on the desk in front of the anchors on Fox 5 News.

In Italy, non capiscono “recycling”

For years, it’s been a national embarrassment. Over the past year, it’s spiraled into a crisis damaging Italy’s image all over the world: the heaps of garbage lining the streets of Naples.

The stench alone has kept many visitors away. It began more than 14 years ago, but flared up last year when official dumps were declared full. Residents with no options simply dumped their trash along streets and sidewalks.

[Berlusconi]: “Just think: 60 percent of the total garbage collected in this area is made up of packaging, which is recyclable. So for this we have an education program which will start in the schools and will reach the whole population.”

Al Gore throws down the gauntlet: 100% self-sufficient on electricity in 10 years.

From friend TB, small (houses) are the new big thing.

From friend TB, air travel response/vent. [Ed.: where is my train?!]

Things Creationists hate. “If you are reasonably cognizant of science, or theology, or even simple logic, you can probably think of others.”