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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.
January 22, 2011, at 11:39 pm — Poetry /

Control

“Control is like four fingers pressed together to form the tip of a chrome .66 … “

January 2, 2011, at 11:56 pm — Poetry | Writing

Teenage Angst

I’m hungry, – so feed yourself – , But you know what I need instead? My hand to my heart and a gun to my head, No fear, just a rumble growing louder, In the tunnel of my belly, Kick-starting the engine into gear, Fist to cuff, I roll up my sleeves, Wipe the beads [...]

September 27, 2010, at 11:41 pm — Poetry /

How the West Was Won

There’s a third player in this game, I’ve never met him, And I don’t know his name, But I do know that he is a man, With hands like a woman, And breath like Southern Comfort, And a voice like Billy the Kid, And a white-pearl smile, And he’s got kid gloves, And light brown [...]

August 15, 2010, at 10:06 pm — Arts and Culture | Blogs / / / / /

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE

She won! Aarti Sequeria won the Next Food Network Star and will have her own show! She frickin’ won! What a relief. And how wonderful, how brilliantly wonderful! For the last several weeks my wife and I have been on the edge of our seats every Sunday night as we waited with baited breathe to [...]

July 23, 2010, at 12:07 pm — Arts and Culture | Audio | audio interview | Interviews | Music / / / / / / / / /

An interview with Dana Castaldo of Red Light Go

"Aldo Sings", photograph by Angela Richelle. From the Red Light Go recording session at PRS in Pasadena March 12, 2010.Dana “Aldo” Castaldo, the founder and the musical heart of Los Angeles rock band Red Light Go, talked to our music blogger Dan Rickabus about his music. And don’t miss his recent performance with his wife, Claudia, on Music In Our House!

July 21, 2010, at 10:30 am — Arts and Culture | Music | music blog / / / / /

Just Jam!

Worrying about what art will be, before the art actually IS, can only hurt art. Just get it all out there, put all of your heart into something and if it sounds/looks/tastes/feels like mush, then its mush. However, the more we do it, the better it becomes. So, long story short, just jam!

July 20, 2010, at 5:24 pm — Arts and Culture | Audio | audio interview | audio podcast | Interviews | Music / / / /

An interview with singer-songwriter Adjoa Skinner

Adjoa Skinner, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, and Summer 2010 Avocado Jungle Artist In Residence.Some people just radiate energy and life. It seems those who have it might just have been born with it. Our music blogger, Dan Rickabus, had a great interview with one of those people: singer-songwriter (and Avocado Jungle Artist In Residence) Adjoa Skinner.

July 17, 2010, at 11:47 pm — Art | Poetry | Writing / /

Poetry: “Flu Season” by Joanna Lord

When you begin to dissect your fever / You begin to direct your pain / And thrive in marginal regions …

July 11, 2010, at 7:38 am — Arts and Culture | Music | music blog / / / / /

A Musical Thing

In terms of music, success typically means that someone is paying you big bucks to make your music, and you can buy your record at Best Buy. However, being the emotional-honesty-purist and societal skeptic that I am, I would beg to differ.

June 18, 2010, at 8:27 pm — Arts and Culture | Poetry | Writing /

Poetry: “James Dean” by Joanna Lord

I know what you’re planning, / Tonight, on scamming, / And frightening me…