WELCOME.

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.
May 26, 2010, at 2:45 pm — Blogs / / / / / / / / / /

Fix it now Mr. President!

Everyone’s demanding President Obama to take greater action to stop the BP oil leak. The real reason everyone’s upset is… this can not be fixed.

April 29, 2010, at 9:16 am — Uncategorized

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

A few weeks ago I got an email from an old friend, actor and philanthropist Lukas Behnken. He wanted to get a group of his friends together to hang out. But Lukas wanted to do something more substantive than just grabbing some drinks and more permanent than say seeing a movie. He wanted to build a house – well a habitat for humanity. And how could I say no?

April 10, 2010, at 10:00 pm — Arts and Culture | Music | Music In Our House | music video | video interview | Videos / / / / / / /

Music In Our House welcomes Dan Rickabus


A performance in my home by our own music blogger, Dan Rickabus, singing and rockin’ the uke.

March 24, 2010, at 6:13 pm — Blogs / / / / / / / /

Chase Bank is chasing me away!

It was reported today that JP Morgan Chase has concluded that unemployment insurance has not only increased the time someone stays unemployed but also has caused the unemployment rate to go up. The amount of misinformation and just downright callous, unfeeling, un-American behavior in this economic crisis is appalling.

March 23, 2010, at 5:40 pm — Audio | Blogs / / / / /

Change Is Possible: President Obama Speaks To His Supporters

At 4PM Eastern, 1PM Pacific President Obama thanked his volunteers in a telephone conference call hosted by Organizing for America.

Here is the audio from this fascinating and rather historic conference call:

March 11, 2010, at 4:18 pm — Blogs / / / / / / / /

Obama Approval Among the Young at 61%

Polls. They seem to matter to people. They certainly get their fair share of attention in the media and politicians salivate over them like a TV executive looking at ratings.

March 10, 2010, at 1:57 am — Blogs / / / / /

Profit or Prophet?

We’re having a lively debate here at the Avocado Jungle on the limits, if any, to profit. Is it okay to profit off of the poor and sick? Is there a need to regulate such ideas? Are there things we should just do for one another so that everyone benefits equally?

March 5, 2010, at 11:35 pm — Blogs / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

ALLMAN IN THE MORNING

This Friday I stayed up until 5:30 AM Pacific in order to do a call-in interview with conservative talk show host Jamie Allman on St. Louis’ 97.1 FM. Instead of discussing the real consequences of the economic crisis and instead of focusing on the realities that it has brought – Allman chose to focus on me and my year of unemployment.

March 5, 2010, at 12:41 am — Blogs /

Divorce, A Permanent Solution

*Warning – this is not going to be gentle but it will be fair. Divorce in this country has become acceptable. That’s the truth. We, as Americans, love our right to divorce. We love the ability to bail. To leave. To quit. We love quitting. Love it. We love giving up more than we love admitting our own faults, more than we well…love love itself.

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.