Alright, Time To Get Back On The Horse

A whole year has gone by and I haven't posted once, but now I'm back and going to start posting regularly again. No excuses and no explanations. I've just been too busy.

I'm going to start off by posting this interesting company near Seattle that creates tree-houses. What with economic calamity staring at us in the face and many of us not blinking (or even looking up from our media-saturated stupor), I think that it would be fun (read essential) to consider the options that a breakdown in the social/economic/governance fabric could enable.

With that pretentiousness over, I present......

TreeHouse Point  

When we were kids, the coolest kid had a tree-house and everyone wanted to hang out there. We seldom grow out of our childhood dreams. Those of us that do lose something important about being human. Having said that, check out this website . The houses are quite beautiful and the interiors even more so. As the site says, "TreeHouse Point is an intimate alternative for individuals and groups who seek comfort and style in friendly and natural surroundings. All accommodations are well designed and artfully decorated, with touches like handmade beds, original art and charming vintage furnishings." I couldn't agree more. They also will build a tree-house for you.

Oh, and if you have four minutes to spare and you'd like to see more, watch this............

There Should Be A Law.....

Have you ever wondered how the mechanism of law making works in Congress? This chart shows you how.

See how easy it is?

Gardening Makes You Smarter

I love Scientific American. This article reports on a study that shows that exposure to certain bacteria in the soil actually increases memory, intelligence and serotonin levels while decreasing anxiety. Maybe that's why I like to garden so much.

Economics 801

Yeah, that's right. True post-graduate level stuff here. When are we going to learn that things don't necessarily scale? This 10+ minute cartoon explains research that points out that more $ doesn't necessarily equal better performance. This certainly gives weight to the notion that we should de-incentivize greed, because it's not performing as promised. Money IS NOT what people ALWAYS want.

Watch.

We Won't Find Aliens Because They're Playing XBox

This opinion piece in Seed Magazine serves up a provocative theory on civilization's progress as being a self-limiting proposition. The basic idea is that once a civilization develops technology, it inevitably uses it to seek ever more self-absorbed and narcissistic pastimes, eventually effectively abandoning real life for virtual existences. All you have to do is imagine the visors from the SyFY show "Caprica" to see the dangers of addiction inherent in such pursuits.

Do Children Pick Your Vegetables? (part two)

I applaud the efforts of anyone involved with teaching our children where food comes from and what is needed to make it grow. This effort sponsored by GOOD, LAUSD, The USDA People’s Garden Initiative, The Environmental Media Association, The National Gardening Association, The Urban & Environmental Policy Institute, The California School Garden Network, and Mia Lehrer & Associates, teaches lessons that only nature can provide.

As the article states, "A school ... garden not only helps children understand where their food comes from, it teaches ecological literacy and teamwork, nutrition and problem-solving."

We should be doing this in EVERY school.

Do Children Pick Your Vegetables?

Well, do they?

Step Right Up! Git 'Yer College Education Here!

For the longest time I have been suspicious of the quality of college education. There have been plenty of Americans going to colleges and universities, but I haven't seen much of the amazing futures promised in commencement speeches. In fact, it seems like the vast majority of college graduates exhibit the same small mindedness and lack of imagination of past generations.

Seth Godin seems to agree. In a recent blog post he decries the coming meltdown in higher education. These seem to be his major gripes (mine, too).

1. Most colleges are organized to give an average education to average students.
2. College has gotten expensive far faster than wages have gone up.
3. The definition of 'best' [school] is under siege.
4. The correlation between a typical college degree and success is suspect.
5. Accreditation isn't the solution, it's the problem.

I'd add to that, that I think colleges and universities are far more concerned about their reputations and continued growth than they are their student's educations and futures.

His solution? Get out, meet interesting and effective people. Learn things from them. Use libraries. Gap years, research internships and entrepreneurial or social ventures after (or during) high school are good ideas, too. We're sending our daughter to Costa Rica this summer.

Here's a link to Godin's post on the issue.

Cheap Homegrown Energy

One of the worries today is getting electrical power to the developing world without burning stuff (coal, oil, trash) to do it.

The folks at Catapult Design in San Francisco have one answer.  Tiny wind turbines built with materials easily found at the place where the power is needed.  Check out this video of people solving the problem.