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The Avocado Jungle is a source for current events, politics, arts and culture on the web. Editor In Chief David P. Kronmiller, along with a talented staff and guests, bring you news, commentary, analysis, interviews, humor, music, art and more. Our deeper mission is to seek truth in understanding, offering current events, arts and culture as paths to that understanding. We value and promote creative thought, intelligent dialogue, elevated debate, and informed action. If you see something that interests you on the site, please take the time to leave a thoughtful comment. Thanks for visiting.

Jungle Writers

David P. Kronmiller, Editor-In-Chief
Notes from the Jungle
Matthew Tullman, Current Events Editor
On current events.
Joyce Chen Blogging from New York.
Tharuna Devchand Blogging from South Africa.
J Lampinen
Our resident comic strip, Congo & Steve
Joanna Lord
Blogging on life, art and spirituality.
Jeremy Olsen
Director of Development emeritus and occasional commentator.
Dan Rickabus
On things musical.
Nicky Schildkraut
On poetry.

Plus guest writers and past staff, including Zach Fehst, Amy Reynolds, Aaron Vaccaro, Jae Day, Sarah Jawaid, Scott Martin, and Bronson Picket.
February 27, 2010, at 11:11 pm — Blogs | Comics — / / / /

Congo and Steve: Goals For Better Relationships

Goals For Better RelationshipsCongo and Steve from creator John “J.” Lampinen of www.congoandsteve.com. This strip, on the theme of Divorce: “Goals For Better Relationships.”

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February 27, 2010, at 9:45 pm — Blogs — / / /

Attention: Please turn off your cell phones

In a time when ADHD diagnoses are as frequent as the release of new iPhone apps, it’s hard to determine whether technology is causing shorter attention spans or whether heightened senses are demanding more and more distractions. The chicken-and-egg dilemma is something that is, however, perhaps secondary to the mere fact that it exists.

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February 26, 2010, at 2:04 pm — Arts and Culture | Audio | audio interview | Music | Music In Our House | music tracks | music video | Videos — / / / / / /

Music In HIS House: Dan Rickabus

Here’s a video from uke-rocker (?!) Dan Rickabus. His smooth-yet-gritty voice and his big, ukelele-glazed rock sensibilities are very easy on the ears.

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February 25, 2010, at 7:15 pm — Blogs — / / / / / / / / / / / / /

THE TRUTH AMENDMENT

Too often our elected officials use their official positions to spin, stretch and sometimes out right lie about any given issue that may be in debate in government. On CNN’s iReport today I proposed the idea of a Truth Amendment to the Constitution that would require any and all elected officials to swear to tell the truth in the same manner anyone in a court of law may be required.

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February 24, 2010, at 9:44 pm — Avocado Jungle Blogcast | Podcasts —

Sarah Jawaid – Listening leads to Empathy

by Sarah Jawaid Read by Jae Day. echnology has made us extremely efficient. But at what expense? If we decide that efficiency is one of the most important values, perhaps it is possible when choosing to perk an ear to what we care to hear and nothing else, we miss out on ideas and deepening [...]

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February 24, 2010, at 9:43 pm — Audio | audio podcast | Blogs — / / / / / /

Listening leads to Empathy

We can choose who and what enters our psyche. Technology has made us extremely efficient. But at what expense? If we decide that efficiency is one of the most important values, perhaps it is possible when choosing to perk an ear to what we care to hear and nothing else, we miss out on ideas and deepening of relationships, which best occur happenstance. Podcast available.

4 comments
February 23, 2010, at 6:48 pm — Blogs | Comics — / / / / /

Congo and Steve: Listening to Others

Listening to OthersCongo and Steve from creator John “J.” Lampinen of www.congoandsteve.com. This strip, on the theme of Listening: “Listening to Others.”

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February 17, 2010, at 5:15 pm — Blogs — / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Corporations and Government Can Be Your Friends Too

As a child the reading material I was forced to read in U.S. schools made me tilt my head to the side and scratch my cranium. 1984, I Am The Cheese, Alas Babylon, A Brave New World, The Metamorphosis, Crime and Punishment – all great novels but all damn depressing. So I turned to movies to find comfort and was again subjected to adrenaline pumping paranoia with the likes of Red Dawn, Wall Street, The Rescue, Flight of the Navigator, even E.T. for pete’s sake! All these films and books had something in common – government is bad, corporations are bad. Which left me wondering who the hell do you trust?

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February 17, 2010, at 7:01 am — Avocado Jungle Blogcast | Podcasts —

Joyce Chen – On government: You are what you think you are

Read by Jae Day. Our government in the form of law enforcement and committees is often vilified as the cultural stick in the mud, the overbearing control that people must rise up against. This is where definition is often misconstrued and perception misaligned. By Joyce Chen. Read by Jae Day. Podcast.

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February 17, 2010, at 7:00 am — Audio | audio podcast | Blogs — / / /

On government: You are what you think you are

Our government in the form of law enforcement and committees is often vilified. It’s “The Man,” the cultural stick in the mud, the overbearing control that people must rise up against. Call it what you will, but the government as it is often viewed today has a foreboding quality to it, a “Big Brother” kind of blank-face authority that heartlessly implements rules in order to put a damper on free will. This is, however, where definition is often misconstrued and perception misaligned. Podcast available.

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