Thom Hartmann - The Crisis of Western Culture

A good interview of Thom Hartmann regarding his new book Threshold: The Crisis of Western Culture.



Enjoy hearing the good news,

Bp

[via Canukistani Kate]
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German Biological Illustrations from 1904 --- Gorgeous Stuff

The book is Ernst Haeckel's Kunstformed der Natur (Artforms of Nature). The prints are fantastic, classy, beautiful, etc. Check out the wiki commons page here for more. [I must admit, it also makes one wonder just how many tattoos out there in the world are based on this work, I'm just sayin']









Enjoy awesome art inspired by science,

Bp

[via the always-classy Dani of Dani Boynton Photography, Canukistan]

Free books online, no joke

The Burgomeister's Books is a site where you can find scads of books for free.

The terms are completely reasonable. You can only download 5 books in a two week period. And when done, you nuke them from your hard-drive.

It's a free service, but the kind host does appreciate donations to keep it going.

Enjoy public access to goodies,

Bp

[via Canukistani Kate, illustration is The Librarian, by Guiseppe Arcimbolo, via Wiki Commons]

Word of the day: Balanoculture

I received an email a few months back from an uncle who was trying out making some Acorn meal. I thought, "man, these guys are as weird as I am."

Reading Oak: The Frame of Civilization by William Bryant Logan prompted Tom's experiment. Although I haven't read the oak book yet, Logan wrote another book that I found quite a great read, Dirt: The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth.

As for the word of the day, here is the body of my uncle's email, quoting the book:

I just finished re-reading an excellent book - Oak: the frame of civilization. Here's a review of the section that got me going.

Chapter Three, "Balanoculture," (defined as societies whose diet staple is the oak acorn) discusses evidence the oak tree's earliest contribution to civilization was to feed people. Recent research suggests not all early humans were big game hunters who eventually converted to farming. Some of our human ancestors were balanophagists. As an example, the archaeological site at Catal Huyuk, a settlement 8,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent (modern-day Turkey), offers clues its residents ground and ate acorns as their diet staple. Once its tannin is leached out, the acorn is highly nutritious and surprisingly filling. (Logan personally sought out Korean acorn jelly and thought it even an appetite suppressant--Slim*Fast(TM) buyers might soon be trekking to their neighborhood Korean food stores.) The crucial fact for theories about what our ancient ancestors ate is acorns are much easier to harvest and store, for calories spent, than chasing animals.

Interestingly, California is home to some of the finest remnants of balanoculture. As an example, if one travels two and a half hours northeast of, say, the Bay Area, one crosses Highway 49 to reach the town of Volcano, where the Indian Grinding Rock State Historical Park preserves a legacy of those early Californians, the Miwoks: some 1,185 mortar holes, the largest collection of bedrock mortars anywhere in North America. Miwoks used pestles in these mortars to grind acorns and did so for five thousand years until early in the twentieth century.

As an aside, here are the quotes that make up the signature text of all of Uncle Tom's emails. I'm so pleased to come from a sane family.

"Nature is the art of God" - Dante

"No amount of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted" - Aesop

"Technology is of no use to us if it is used without respect for the earth and its processes" - Aldo Leopold

Enjoy the wisdom of relatives,

Bp

Andrew Zuckerman: Wisdom

Here is a link to an excellent project by Andrew Zuckerman. He interviewed a wide array of deeply interesting people, and got them to pass on their wisdom to the next generation on film, both moving and stills.

When you click around, you will see that there are links to the book, short film, portraits, and behind the scenes.

It's great to see these faces and personalities deliver quotes and anecdotes.

Enjoy allowing impressive folk to move you,

Bp

[Via Georgette]

Friends of the Multnomah County Library 35th Annual Fall Used Book Sale 2008

I'll let the Library folks speak for themselves -- sounds like one not to miss! Here is the link, and here is their info:


Friends of the Multnomah County Library
35th Annual Fall Used Book Sale 2008
Oregon’s Largest Used Book Sale
October 10 - 13, 2008

New Location!
8150 N Lombard Street
Portland, Oregon 97203
(St. Johns neighborhood, in a former car dealership building)

MEMBERS ONLY Pre-Sale: Friday, October 10, 6 to 9pm

* Memberships available at the door
* Individual memberships start at $30; Family $45; Senior 65+ $20
* No scanners, cell phones or any other electronic devices used to seek information about books are allowed during this Members-Only time.

General Sale

* Saturday, October 11, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
* Sunday, October 12, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
* Monday, October 13, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. - 50% off Discount Day
* Scanners, cell phones or other electronic devices may be used only at the book sale tables and only on individual items. Items may not be set aside to be scanned later.

Enjoy chances to revel in materialism in an easy-to-rationalize way,

Bp

[via Phoebe, photo credit at linked website]

Dude, you're missing the big book sale!

PSU Library's annual book sale is happening right now, for 3 more days. Details as per their website:

Don't miss the thousands of bargains at the Library's Spring Book Sale, May 1 - May 4, 2008.

Hardcover books $2 - Paperbacks $1 - Records, sheet music, cds, tapes, videos, maps, and magazines are priced from 25 cents to $2.

HOURS

Thursday, May 1, 12 Noon - 9 pm
Friday, May 2, 7:30 am - 7 pm
Saturday, May 3, 10 am - 7 pm
Sunday, May 4, Noon - 9 pm

[don't worry, if you aren't here right away all you'll miss is the pushy professional book buyers, with their blank stares and laser bar code readers and attitude.]

Enjoy your trip to the campus to fulfill your bibliophilic desires,

Bp

Truly Portland ride on the Max this Sunday

I took the light rail (Max) down to PSU this Sunday to meet with a study partner. It was early afternoon, on a Sunday, and the trains were nearly full to capacity. Not quite as tight as rush hour, but very bustling. Made me wonder what universe the conservitron radio personalities around here live in when they continue to claim no one even uses the Max. What??

Someone mentioned that there tends to be a big influx of "airport traffic" on mid-day Sundays -- people returning home from trips and commutes. I did notice some Japanese tourist couples, and other folks with big bags on the car.

Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised to see so many folks on public transport, it was a sunny day, and I was enjoying the people watching as I rode into town. I noticed a lady sitting near me reading The Botany of Desire, so I asked her what she thought of the book. She said his writing was very approachable, and interesting, yet still chock full of facts and figures. I hadn't realized that this was the same author as the high-on-my-reading-list book The Omnivore's Dilemna. I'm definitely looking forward to spring break or summer vacation to get reading on this stuff.

When she left the train, I looked up and noticed, for the first time, that the older gentlemen standing next to me was none other than our own former Mayor Bud Clark. He was in Carharts, and had a Hoyt Arboretum flannel vest on. He was riding with his nicely broken-in hybrid commuter bicycle. He was friendly and approachable, so we chatted about bike routes and public transit and beer at the Goose Hollow Inn, where he was headed to enjoy a pint after his ride.

This is a very cool place to live, I must say.

Enjoy our surroundings, they're conveniently placed,

Bp

Ps: the poster depicted above isn't completely random, that's our Former Mayor his'self.

Using spies, Germany to bust an illegal tax haven -- and we learn a bit more about Barak Obama

I wish the U.S. would do something like this. Gathering up all the tax money that is avoided by funneling funds through The Bahamas would be a nice start. Near the end of the article, the British journalist complains about their government not taking similar action at Isle of Man, their closest and most notorious tax haven.

Now, check out this quote from the end of the piece, which I found quite heartening:

Still, it is worth noting that a then relatively obscure senator from Illinois co-sponsored Levin's Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act and said that 'we need to crack down on individuals and businesses that abuse our laws, so that those who work hard and play by the rules aren't disadvantaged'. His name was Barack Obama.

Now ain't that dandy.

I've long felt that there were multitudes of ways to increase income and decrease spending at the Federal and State levels without raising taxes. Taking decisive action against the individuals and corporations that avoid billions in dollars of taxes each year through offshore accounts like those discussed above would be a good first step.

If you want an education on the problems with U.S. tax policies and the upper upper super upper class -- check out the fantastic book Perfectly Legal: The Covert Campaign to Rig Our Tax System to Benefit the Super Rich--and CheatEverybody Else. This isn't some conspiracy wingnut author either, he's a twice-over Pulitzer-prize winner.

[via Babs]

Enjoy learning about possible solutions, even if they are pipe dreams at this point,

Bp

Quantum Bees!?

In his book The Biology of Belief, Bruce Lipton asserts that Biology is the only field of science that really hasn't integrated quantum theory -- it still lives mainly in a Newtonian universe. Other scientific fields, not the least of which being physics, have embraced the Quantum Mechanics possibilities and used them to great effect -- see further cell phones, microprocessors, etc. When biologists begin to speak in terms of the realities of the quantum world, they tend to be laughed off the stage.

How does this relate to bees? It looks like Barbara Shipman, a mathematics professor at the University of Rochester, is beginning to use quantum theory to guide her thinking about bees and especially bee navigation and communication.

It is, specifically, the Bee Dance that is the focus of her work. Here is a quick video showing the dance and talking a little about what is currently known. Here is another video talking about how the dance "incorporates" vector calculus to stay accurate as the day continues and the sun moves. These two videos make the behavior seem specific and complex, but the mechanisms they propose don't hold a candle to the subtlety and complexity of Shipman's theories.

Shipman wants to try and figure out how bees gather, process, and communicate the navigational information they transmit during the dance. Her search took her quickly into advanced mathematics and quantum field theory. The article does an admirable job bringing such esoteric scientific topics to a readable level, and is well worth the effort.

Enjoy the intrigue of the world around you,

Bp

[via Babs, excellent catch!]

Quote from my current reading: Annie Dillard

Here is a paragraph out of the book I'm reading, Annie Dillard's Teaching a Stone to Talk. She has just spotted a weasel for the first time, and is describing it.

Weasel! I had never seen one wild before. he was ten inches long, thin as a curve, a muscled ribbon, brown as fruitwood, soft-furred, alert. His face was fierce, small and pointed as a lizard's; he would have made a good arrowhead. There was just a dot of chin, maybe two brown hairs' worth, and then the pure white fur began that spread down his underside. He had two black eyes I did not see, any more than you see a window.

There are more outrageous or esoteric quotes to pick, but that one caught me by the directness of her language, her varied use of sentence structure, and the unusual analogies she makes.

Enjoy your literary heroes,

Bp

No Country for Old Men -- review of sorts

This movie was a shoe-in for me on many levels. For one, Cormac McCarthy was a revelation to me as a writer. Blood Meridian blew my mind -- it was violent, gorgeous, biblical in sweep. Like nothing I had ever read, except maybe Faulkner.

So, I'm supposed to be talking about the movie. What can I say, it's awesome. The Coen Brothers do a fantastic job in their sincere, dry, in your face way. Their adaptation from the book is excellent, the dialog is just pitch perfect (sorry for the cliche, but it is).

Every actor on the screen just pops, especially Tommy Lee Jones. He's one of my favorites anyway, but he really nails this performance. It's like it was written for him. When he finished the movie with the last few lines of dialog, it was like watching a gold-winning gymnast peg a landing. Ok that's a horrible analogy. It was a dam near perfect confluence of writing and acting.

The movie has multiple oscars written all over it.

It's a violent movie, don't be mistaken. It's about a psychopath -- no bones about it. It is a rough film.

I'm just going to leave it at, if you like the Cohen brothers, or Cormac McCarthy, or modern noir thrillers, or Tommy Lee Jones just go see it. Trust me. If you are squeamish, you probably want to stay home for this one, or be prepared to cover your eyes a few times.



Enjoy your artistic heroes,

Bp

How to start picking wild edible mushrooms

I have a request from the comments! I feel so, official.

How do you start out collecting wild edible mushrooms if you don't have any friends with experience? I'd say, pay someone to be your friend -- I.E. take a class. The absolute best class I've ever taken was the Wild Mushroom Conference at Breitenbush Hotsprings. It was fantastic. There was a PhD for every 6-7 attendees the year I went, and I spiked up from picking Chanterelles only (!!) to having experience and confidence with over a dozen edible species. It's a bit of money and a bit of a time commitment, but I cannot possibly suggest it more highly.

Here's the heartbreaker, you missed it for this year. It is held mid-late October every year. The date floats a bit depending on availability of teachers.

If you have the patience, wait a year and go to that, I couldn't imagine a better start.

If you can't wait a year, hook up with the Oregon Mycological Society. I met many members when I attended the Breitenbush conference, and everyone was very sweet and helpful. They are so enthused about mushrooms that it is just contagious. There are some world-class mycologists who associate with this society, a fine fine group of folks. Their conference, also, was last month. But there are trips being planned all the time, and when you get in contact with them I'm sure you could find a mushroom outing just about any weekend of the fall season.

Bare bones: go out with PEOPLE who know what the hell they're doing. Don't rely on a book, ever. Some people would scoff at this comment, but this is my opinion. Why juggle around with danger like that, there's no need. There are scads of helpful folks who are more than willing to help you get started, just get a hold of them.

Oh, and absolutely buy David Arora's books, and other field guides. I keep his All that the rain promises, and more on me when I'm in the woods, and the huge tome Mushrooms Demystified in the car for deeper investigation. There are other good books out there but I prefer his, they are what I was weaned on.

Hope that helps, and if you have any questions just let me know.

Enjoy your newest hobbies,

Bp

PSU Library Booksale! Starts today at Noon.

This dam book sale thing always sneaks up on me. Here is a link to all the exact times for the dates and times, but basically today through Sunday.

Be warned, the first 2 hours or so is super annoying, because all the professional book buyers show up with their dollies full of milk crates and their laser scanners, plowing through the books like rude borg robots.

I always score at least a few treasures at this sale, if you are at all interested in books it is worth checking in some time this weekend.

Enjoy your newly-procured piles of paper and text,

Bp

Reality meets Idealism: my current summer reading

What I have in hand and should be reading for my own and the world's betterment:

Thanks Paul Levy for lending me this one.



But the reality is, I'm making an extra trip before leaving town to pick up this book, because I can't find it anywhere in the house and I'm ... not desperate, but... anxious to keep reading in the series:

So much for betterment.

I caved, finally reading the Harry Potter series

I didn't read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in Urdu, but it sure looks cool don't it? Seeing the latest movie in the serial, I got inspired to give the books another try. The first time I tried it was just too *kiddish* for me, I couldn't get through the first book. This time I read the first one in a couple days, enjoyed it, and am on my way. They're quite imaginative and I suspect I will make it through this run. I hear the earlier ones are the hardest for adults to get through as the author was still getting on her feet and the characters are the youngest.

The Wife has accused me of "never reading fiction" many times, though I did read His Dark Materialstrilogy at her urging -- not fictional enough I guess. I really enjoyed those books, too. And Where the Rivers Change Direction as well, even while I was in school -- it's not only fiction but a book for ADULTS even, so there.

So now I'm a Potterhead, and I can join groups of dithering fans as the new book comes out. The Wife isn't as mad a fan now as she was during the first half of the series (all our books are hardbound first editions bought on or near the day of release), but we can gossip now about the characters and I won't be left in the dark.

Enjoy your summer reading,

Bp

Book Review: Two Leggings; The Making of a Crow Warrior

I know, this book was published in 1967 -- I never promised NEW book reviews, just book reviews.

Peter Nabokov writes excellent biographical and historical books on Native American culture. Two Leggings is a biography of one Crow warrior based on the field manuscript prepared by William Wildschut for the Museum of the American Indian. It's an excellent piece of writing, both for interest and for history's sake. I enjoyed it very much.

I like reading history from the perspective of the people themselves. If I want to learn about a culture, I want to learn about it from the folks living in it (even in hindsight) over folks in ivory towers telling me "how it is." The first book I read in this style that really galvanized my attention was Sun Chief, autobiography of a Hopi. The guy was irreverent, honest and lewd; as well as wise and of course full of mourning. It lit me up for this style of historical writing.

As for Two Leggings -- I appreciated seeing into the Crow culture, because it is so different than most of the NA cultures I've studied so far. These folks were Raiders, pure and simple. They hunted and followed buffalo, but they were very directed (at the least, the main character was very directed) toward warfare and raiding.

Seeing various ceremonies I half-recognize from my own life (I participate in many Lakotah ceremonies and have for many years) used to hunt down and kill enemies or steal their horses is a real mind bender. It shows the "practical" side of the mysticism, as well as the fact that it wasn't always used for self and humanities' spiritual betterment. It is an excellent way for me to get some perspective on my own studies and personal history.

For folks without this direct connection to the material, this is just a rousing read about a young warrior who wants nothing more than to be raiding constantly. He's obstinate and doesn't listen to his elders until eventually, and inevitably, life shows him that he aught to.

In the end, of course, everything goes south. The Crow are one of the tribes that thought of the white man "enemies of my enemies are my friends." They contributed scouts for the cavalry, even for Custer. They expected to be treated fairly for their help, and of course weren't. The book doesn't dwell on the years of decline, it's entirely about this one man and his life and life stories. I highly recommend it to anyone who has interest in history of the U.S. West, Native American history, or Native American spirituality.

East of the Mountains, David Guterson

Well, I'm sweating out my cold in thermal underwear and sweats and a flannel cap. While thus ensconced, and under many blankets, I finished reading the Guterson novel, East of the Mountains.

It's a good book, especially if you are middle aged or older, male, and bird hunt in the Pacific NW. And who should lend this to me? Well a man who is, well... male, middle aged, and hunts birds in the Pacific NW. Go figure.

I never read Snow Falling on Cedars, but people sure seemed to love it.

What can I say, in my dazed state, about this book... It's quiet, the depictions of landscape are spot-on perfect. The writing style is flat -- like, who is that guy, Hemingway? It's not *like* Hemingway, per se, but it is flat.

The narration is written with such skill that it seems almost boring. It's not wild, it's not flashy, but it is sold -- very solid.

If you are a writer, this is a good book. If you live in the Pacific NW, it is a good book -- especially if you hunt or hike or grew up on apple orchards. For the rest of the world, I bet it is a little staid.

I know I enjoyed it -- the author managed to contemplate mortality without being heavy handed, that's not a small task.

I'll give it a B.

First Book Post

Oh how many books will I read while trying to finish the one book my wife suggested I read, the one bookthat she said changed her life in college. [I've just decided, this book will remain a link reference and shall be not be named in these profane pages, to hide my shame] Our lives are easily changed in college, granted, but the dam thing has importance for her and I need to finish reading it. We don't have the collective time or communal patience here in this little post to confront all the book titles I've polished off in the process of working through this one book. But, I will mention tonight's conquest.

Just finished reading Fishing the Northwest, which was lent to me by a good friend of mine who will be known as Stud Farmhand (there is a story here for another time). Stud has a phenomenal collection of fishing books, and I grabbed some before I left his house on my last visit. My outings have been few and far between since this newest bout of school, and some armchair fishing trips were in order.

I liked the book because I've fished some of these places, and read some of these authors before. I like anthologies because you get a smattering taste of many different styles and sometimes pick up a new name that might be worth investigating further. Mostly though, my last fishing trip was the first in many many months, and wasn't necessarily so hot for all it cost me in driving time and frozen fingers. It did, however, stoke the fire in me to get outdoors again and more often. A couple nicely written fishing stories are just the ticket to keep me on the straight and narrow, in college and in control, until summer.