tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-103393882010-02-01T01:03:38.560-06:00Aspects and Concepts of Matter and Energy /<br>Form, Flame, Light, Space, Image and Imaginationmr damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291487099391860016noreply@blogger.comBlogger1242125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10339388.post-68219067921924629452009-09-09T02:22:00.000-05:002009-09-09T02:22:10.846-05:00

"Talk given at the 3rd Amazonian Shamanism Conference, addressing the commercialization and banalization of shamanism... If you want to know more about the topic of new age, plastic shamans, "Who owns native culture?" deals with every aspect of the appropriation of traditional knowledge, not just spiritual and religious practices."This video was made in 2008. Jerónimo M.M.'s blog, "Legitimos

mr damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291487099391860016noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10339388.post-15404854401731899302009-08-31T02:41:00.001-05:002009-08-31T02:43:51.796-05:00

Several years ago, back in Columbusland, I'd cart the telescope that I bought in New Mexico to various parts of the city and invite people to take a look at the most easily observable objects: the Moon, Saturn, sometimes Mars.Apparently, giving my friend's father some 'scope time made such an impression that he decided to get one for her husband the next Christmas. This instrument was twice as

mr damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291487099391860016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10339388.post-41659446668488376562009-08-16T11:53:00.003-05:002009-08-16T12:23:30.546-05:00

Silly me, I posted this to the wrong blog. But since the previous post was also about seeds and nutrition, I guess it all works out.After puzzling over it for months (and happening to see a related specimen in the medicinal garden at U-Dub), I can now report that the tall plants around the northern half of the garden are...Salvia tiliifolia (Tarahumara chia, Lindenleaf sage).I threw so many

mr damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291487099391860016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10339388.post-59682028878314561122009-06-23T18:37:00.002-05:002009-06-23T18:50:39.643-05:00

This was exciting:I've written before about the benefits of "blackseed," properly known as black cumin (Nigella sativa). The seeds of this plant are used as a spicing agent and as a source for antimicrobial, antiparasitic, I think antibiotic and immune-boosting oil throughout the Middle East and South Asia. I first learned about black cumin's culinary and medicinal uses when I lived in

mr damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291487099391860016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10339388.post-65330430272541873042009-05-11T21:40:00.002-05:002009-05-11T21:49:00.399-05:00

mr damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291487099391860016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10339388.post-59815534634568884452009-05-11T21:20:00.002-05:002009-05-11T21:26:49.515-05:00

I know, I barely visit my own digital home. I started a new blog for my organic gardening service, I've been caring for my own garden, and so on and on.Here are images and videos from an urban foraging walk led by Nance Klehm on Sunday. The next walk 'n' talk is scheduled for June 7, 3-5 p.m., at Garfield Park in Chicago. Ground ivy Plantain Yellowdock Burdock Sweet violet

mr damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291487099391860016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10339388.post-37318898736947159642009-03-25T19:43:00.002-05:002009-03-25T19:47:22.896-05:00

Astronomers Without Borders"The boundaries we place between us vanish when we look skyward. Whoever, whatever or wherever we are, we all share the same sky."The World at Night"The World At Night is a new program to create and exhibit a collection of stunning photographs and time-lapse videos of the world’s most beautiful and historic sites against a nighttime backdrop of stars, planets and

mr damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291487099391860016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10339388.post-91649984256077183132009-03-24T00:05:00.000-05:002009-03-24T00:05:56.972-05:00

"Alaskan authorities were on alert Monday after the Mount Redoubt volcano erupted five times, spewing plumes of smoke and ash some 15 kilometers (nine miles) into the air and forcing flight cancellations."The Alaska Volcano Observatory said there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the 3,100 meter (10,200-foot) volcano, located not far from Anchorage, Alaska's most populous

mr damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291487099391860016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10339388.post-1260493961353007612009-03-22T17:08:00.002-05:002009-03-22T17:14:07.498-05:00

If you live around Chicago, that is.I now offer vegetable garden installation and plant care services in Chicagoland.A weblog connected to the venture is located at backyardharvester.com/blog/.

mr damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291487099391860016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10339388.post-43435551709959327212009-03-20T17:59:00.004-05:002009-03-20T18:03:53.365-05:00

Somebody call Bobby Jindal and tell him this is what volcano monitoring is for...

mr damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291487099391860016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10339388.post-85971984510671558892009-03-20T01:47:00.000-05:002009-03-20T01:48:27.534-05:00

"Almost the entire Obama family, including the president, will pull weeds, 'whether they like it or not,' Mrs. Obama said laughing. 'Now Grandma, my mom, I don’t know.' Her mother, she said, would probably sit back and say: 'Isn’t that lovely. You missed a spot.'""Mrs. Obama, who said that she never had a vegetable garden before, said the idea for it came from her experiences as a working mother

mr damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291487099391860016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10339388.post-2689335095451723442009-03-13T08:50:00.001-05:002009-03-13T08:53:57.450-05:00

"The $410 billion spending bill signed by President Barack Obama this week includes about $900,000 for the Adler Planetarium for the 'overhead projector' that became controversial during the presidential campaign."The machine is actually a sophisticated $3 million to $5 million light-projection system that beams images of the stars, planets and galaxies onto the ceiling."The museum wants to spend

mr damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291487099391860016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10339388.post-85144956591207208812009-03-10T02:27:00.001-05:002009-03-10T02:29:23.397-05:00

I saw a post about Fukuoka's book, "The One-Straw Revolution," on the Arthur blog about an hour ago. Please bear with me while I throw many related links at you."Masanobu Fukuoka's book about growing food has been changing the lives of readers since it was first published in 1978.* It is a call to arms, a manifesto, and a radical rethinking of the global systems we rely on to feed us all. At the

mr damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291487099391860016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10339388.post-70977221330369099142009-03-09T21:31:00.001-05:002009-03-13T08:55:37.277-05:00

Here's something quick to post, since I'm preoccupiedwith a three-headed monster of project:my flickr map (3,028 images added)

mr damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291487099391860016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10339388.post-16000360905396695282009-02-27T16:42:00.004-06:002009-03-03T11:41:59.770-06:00

Yes, I know that it might snow in Chicagoland this weekend. There are little flakes falling at this moment, in fact. However, the lunar new year has come and gone, which means that it's technically spring.[If you're wondering what I mean, since March 21 is still weeks away, it's OK. Just go with it.]Anyhow, I have collected and purchased many, many seeds varieties in the past year. Even with a

mr damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291487099391860016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10339388.post-54378196895555737952009-02-25T10:49:00.003-06:002009-02-25T11:17:30.561-06:00

Apparently, Louisiana's Gov. Jindal made some barb about the money spent by the USGS for volcano observation. That's right up there with McCain bringing up the multimillion dollar "overhead projector" at Adler Planetarium during the debates.Perhaps if Jindal lived near the Cascade Range, or in Hawai'i or Alaska, he'd understand what volcano monitoring is about and why it matters (see the

mr damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291487099391860016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10339388.post-4697564935427890282009-02-21T18:15:00.001-06:002009-02-21T18:17:03.801-06:00

mr damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291487099391860016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10339388.post-70515308813021863412009-02-20T15:48:00.000-06:002009-02-20T15:48:11.829-06:00

Data on Datura has been updated.I had a few species misidentified,and there were new photos to add.

mr damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291487099391860016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10339388.post-9455136490224194782009-02-19T10:32:00.003-06:002009-02-21T16:19:47.932-06:00

"Food accounts for about 13 percent of the nation’s trash -- it is the third largest component after paper and yard trimmings -- and about 16 percent of New York City's."'There’s a growing awareness of its value,' said Elizabeth Royte, the author of "Garbage Land: On the Secret Trail of Trash." 'We had a recycling revolution, now we need a composting revolution...'"Composting does not have as big

mr damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291487099391860016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10339388.post-98166608897976502009-02-13T18:52:00.000-06:002009-02-13T18:53:32.004-06:00

This is the progression of the garden from 2007 to the present day (minus the time while I was away).When I returned from Korea in August 2008, the first thing I did was go out back and gather seeds. As I did that, I discovered several skeletonized Datura pods left over from 2007. I figured that they might still be viable, so I added them to my Datura repository (seven species and counting).I

mr damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291487099391860016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10339388.post-42400187215165967422009-02-11T15:50:00.010-06:002009-02-13T18:25:18.402-06:00

In Frenetic Katmandu, Finding a Quiet Space"Tucked on the eastern outskirts of Katmandu, Boudhanath is both an eye of calm within the capital’s dusty pandemonium and a sanctuary of Tibetan Buddhist culture amid a nation dominated by Nepali Hindus."Many of its thousands of residents, in fact, have come directly from the old country. Since the Chinese invasion of Tibet -- nearly 60 years ago --

mr damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291487099391860016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10339388.post-68358212824015656922009-01-29T12:06:00.000-06:002009-01-29T12:06:24.262-06:00

mr damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291487099391860016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10339388.post-57880808643281913052009-01-29T11:40:00.000-06:002009-01-29T11:40:09.307-06:00

A video that focuses on the occurrence of parabolas in nature and engineering.It was produced for the podcast distributed by Radio Lab.

mr damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291487099391860016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10339388.post-19496619090383316842009-01-27T16:53:00.005-06:002009-01-27T17:05:40.147-06:00

From The New York Times:"When my young sons were exploring the streets of Brooklyn, I couldn’t help but wonder how good crushed rock or dried dog droppings could taste when delicious mashed potatoes were routinely rejected."Since all instinctive behaviors have an evolutionary advantage or they would not have been retained for millions of years, chances are that this one too has helped us survive

mr damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291487099391860016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10339388.post-50919363655834028192009-01-24T01:24:00.001-06:002009-01-24T01:24:25.663-06:00

From The New York Times:"The nonprofit group Kitchen Gardeners International wants to inspire people to grow their own food in home gardens. (The group's) 'Eat the View!' campaign has targeted the ultimate home garden: the White House lawn."The concept of a White House garden is hardly a new idea. Presidents throughout history have tried to grow their own food, and there was even a White House

mr damonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291487099391860016noreply@blogger.com0