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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.
November 23, 2010, at 2:52 am — Blogs / / / / / / / / /

IT GETS BETTER

A friend shared a video on Facebook from Pixar. It touched me, perhaps it moves you too. Tolerance is something we take for granted. I’ve often felt that we don’t see and meet the real members of the LGBT community – only celebrities and stereotypes. It’s also good to see something positive come from something [...]

November 10, 2010, at 1:31 pm — Blogs / / / / /

ANNOUNCING THE MIDDLE NATION

I have launched a new site called The Middle Nation. The site was born out of a need of mine, certainly, and perhaps some other folks as well for the middle point of view of this country to have a voice. Politically I have always considered myself a moderate – someone who wants to understand [...]

September 12, 2010, at 8:11 pm — Blogs / / / /

“For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh…”

I need connection now. I need “friends”. I need “people”. I need to know what people are doing because I need to know that people are doing things. I need to “like” what other people “like”. I need to be heard, to “comment” to agree that yes, Prince is amazing and Michael will be missed. The only problem now is that my womb is empty, and my pregnancy has been prematurely terminated.

September 2, 2010, at 1:29 am — Blogs

ADAPTING TO CHANGE: REJOINING THE WORK FORCE

Clack, clack, clack!

I take off my headphones and look up from my computer and over my shoulder towards the cubicle wall behind me. Listening for the sound…

Clck, clck, clck.clck,clck!!

I stand up. And look up and around the maze of cubicles trying to locate the sound. I turn just in time to see arching up and over the cubicles nerf arrows flying, piercing the silence as their plastic machine gun hosts clack and click away.

CLACKCLACKCLACKCLACK

It must be 6 o’clock. Time to go home for the day.

August 22, 2010, at 2:21 pm — Blogs / / /

Democratize this: high school edition

There’s a certain amount of disillusionment that comes with many aspects of high school as a microcosm for the real world, but among them, student government still stands out as one of the most memorable.

August 19, 2010, at 12:56 am — Blogs | Guest Blogs | Uncategorized

Government, Politics, and My Total Lack of Passion

Politics, schmolitics- why can’t people just say everything clearly so government isn’t so hard to understand! And bring me a Mai Tai while you’re at it!

August 17, 2010, at 3:26 pm — Blogs / / / /

Mentor me mentoring you

There is no distinct path in any career we undertake, and part of being a good mentor is recognizing that and not trying to mold someone else’s future.

August 17, 2010, at 12:03 am — Blogs | Guest Blogs / /

Thank You Aarti And Susie Fogleson for Helping Me Find My Big Girl Pants!

I don’t know Aarti Sequoia, the latest winner of The Next Food Network Star, I almost know her. Her husband, Brendan McNamara, is in our web series “and Boris”; we have two scenes together where we both revel in the extreme evilness of our characters. I am friends with people who know her, but I have never actually met Aarti. Yet watching her journey, as she struggled with her own insecurities in pursuit of a lifelong dream, as someone I almost know was instrumental in helping me find the spine and determination to continue to pursue my own dreams.

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 [...]

August 15, 2010, at 8:53 pm — Blogs /

Risky Business

I had this harsh dose of reality handed to me when I received a gem, a diamond of advice in the rough, from an individual who I later learned was a drug-dealing pimp.