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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.
May 19, 2010, at 12:53 pm — Blogs — / / / / /

SEARCHING FOR THE TRUTH: Rapid change and the good old days

Each of us is on some sort of search for the truth, however passive or however deeply submerged beneath the layers of things like activity, pretense, prejudice and denial. Despite our inherent preference for patterns and habits and stasis, we ultimately encounter greater truth in those unanticipated, vulnerable moments scattered throughout life and it throws a wrench in the works of our world view. This column is meant to examine the reasons we fail or succeed at finding the truth when we need it. And this first installment considers the often frightening pace at which the world seems to be changing.

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May 1, 2010, at 9:45 am — Blogs — / / / /

The Educational System Failing Itself

Thinking back, my education feels like a sham: most lectures were monotonous, unidirectional recitations of prescribed textbooks or readings with many examinations and assignments requiring a simple regurgitation of the lectures in order to pass. I now currently am sitting rather uselessly on two university degrees and am unable to find employment. I feel like the approximate R100 000 spent on my education could have been used to start my own business and the four years wasted to achieve two certificates could have afforded me with usable practical knowledge and experience.

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March 31, 2010, at 6:02 am — Blogs — / / / /

Looped In

With advancements in social networking, I’ve learned that even in a new physical environment, I’m never alone. Starting life anew is easier said than done — the only way to do so would be to remove myself from technology entirely. Delete my Facebook account, cease the endless influx of email and hurl my BlackBerry into the Hudson. And tempting though that sounds sometimes, I know that in this century, it is impossible to do so without dire consequences.

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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 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.

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June 19, 2009, at 10:50 pm — Blogs | Videos — / /

Iranian Uprising: The Twitter Revolution

Huffington Post has been covering this with amazing focus. So many stories coming out of Iran because of new technology and a new kind of bravery I think. Here’s a video they have up from an Iranian woman reciting a poem while recording video of the nightly prayers – thousands of voices can be heard praying and calling out the name of God in the background. Amazing.

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June 17, 2009, at 2:13 am — Blogs — / / /

Ron Paul Campaign Lists Home Addresses

I was googling my name as horrible as that sounds and ran across something kinda disturbing concerning the now defunct Ron Paul campaign. It looks as though they have left private information in the public arena.

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June 16, 2009, at 8:59 pm — Blogs — / / /

Iran

I never thought Twitter could do any good outside of an easy joke or a momentary distraction – I was wrong – sometimes you only have a few words to get out before the Iranian Police come to take your freedom away… His arms were outstretched in a cross like pose as he was supported [...]

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April 20, 2009, at 12:00 pm — Blogs | Comics — / / / /

Congo and Steve: “Pet Peeves of the 22nd Century: Technology Edition”

Pet Peeves of the 22nd Century: Technology EditionCongo and Steve from creator John “J.” Lampinen of www.congoandsteve.com. This strip, on the theme of Technology: “Pet Peeves of the 22nd Century: Technology Edition.”

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