Help Our Wolves Live

Since I bought this army jacket at a thrift store in Brooklyn, I've gotten numerous comments from strangers around town about the HELP OUR WOLVES LIVE (HOWL) patch that was already sewn on the left breast pocket. My favorite was last night on the 6 train, when a woman came up to me and started raising her voice about Sarah Palin's insatiable love for the smell of wolf blood.Woman: "I bet she falls asleep counting dead wolves instead of sheep."Me: "Yup."Listen to wolves howlin at Closet Of CuriositiesMP3: Howlin Wolf - Shake For Me

Floyd Bennett Field

Bryce and I took a foggy drive out to Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn a few weekends ago, dodging all the mayhem that is Flatbush Avenue. Floyd Bennett is an old airport that the National Park System now runs as part of Gateway National Recreation Area. It's full of abandoned buildings that you're legally not supposed to go into, a place for people to fly their remote control airplanes, one of the sorriest looking archery ranges I ever saw, and long stretches of concrete runways that serve as roads to other long stretches of concrete runways. Nonetheless, the runway and ranges were packed, and the buildings were empty, except for the two of us and some pigeons.The real reason we went down there was to check out New York's only campgrounds. There are three of them in Floyd Bennett and, surprisingly, they're kind of awesome. They're in a field near the main hanger, and once you're in there, the tall grass and trees block the views of the concrete runways and abandoned buildings. You truly are in "the woods." There are fire pits and picnic tables, and the other campsites are far away enough from one another that you wouldn't be able to see your fellow camping groups. Not sure what it's like sleeping outside in Brooklyn, but I guess we'll find out in the coming weekends..

T For Texas

Y'all, CS is going down to Texas real early tomorrow morning, so have a wonderful rest of the week. I hope that if you too are in Austin, and for some miraculous reason read this website and want to know what a goddamn handsome feller I am, you'll come hootering and hollering on up to me and say hello. I'll be the one with the big yellow patch on my army jacket.MP3: Everly Brothers - T for Texas

Nude Hiking

NYT:

In recent years, it has become fashionable for a growing number of Swiss and some foreigners to wander in the Alps clad in little more than hiking shoes and sun screen. Last summer, the number of nude hikers increased to such an extent that the hills often seemed alive with the sound of everything but the swish of trousers.

If you want info about nude hiking in the United States, go no further than the Nude Hiking Blog.

Demoiselle Crane

Demoiselle Cranes:

Demoiselle Cranes have to take one of the toughest migrations in the world. In late August through September, they gather in flocks of up to 400 individuals and prepare for their flight to their winter range. During their migratory flight south, Demoiselles fly like all cranes, with their head and neck straight forward and their feet and legs straight behind, reaching altitudes of 16,000-26,000 feet (4,875-7,925 m). Along their arduous journey they have to cross the Himalayan mountains to get to their over wintering grounds in India, many die from fatigue, hunger and predation from birds such as eagles. At their wintering grounds, Demoiselles have been observed flocking with Common Cranes, their combined totals reaching up to 20,000 individuals. Demoiselles maintain separate social groups within the larger flock. In March and April, they begin their long spring journey back to their northern nesting grounds.

MP3: Shankhar Jaikishan - Typewriter Tip, Tip, Tip

Cactus and Succulent Society Of America

The Cactus and Succulent Society Of America:

The Cactus and Succulent Society of America (CSSA) was founded in 1929 in Pasadena, California and has grown to encompass over 80 affiliated clubs and thousands of members worldwide. Our primary purpose is to enjoy succulent (water-storing) plants through horticulture, travel and scientific discovery, with a particular concern for habitat preservation and conservation issues in deserts worldwide.

The New York Chapter meets on the 3rd Tuesday of every month at Jan Hus Presbyterian Church, located at 351 E. 74th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues. Their next meeting is on Tuesday, March 17th at 6pm. More info here* Pictured above is some Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus in Washington Heights. Eastern Prickly Pear is the only native cactus found in the northeastern part of North America.MP3: Elvis Costello - Cheap Reward

State Of The Planet's Oceans

I'm not exactly sure what Damon is doing here, but any shots of the great dark underworld abyss can absolutely do no wrong. Unless the reason they're showing them is to demonstrate how that very great dark underworld abyss is being ruined. Still, how can you not like watching documentaries about the ocean? That shit might as well be a cartoon for all I know. Maybe Cousteau was just really good at drawing. Watch STATE OF THE PLANET'S OCEANS on PBS, March 18th, 2009 at 8 p.m. Youtube: Here's a preview

Iditarod 2009

The 1,150 mile Iditarod started on March 7th.From yesterday, March 9th, on Iditablog:

Leaving Finger Lake and heading into Rainy Pass is the thing nightmares are made of - regardless of how much experience you have. Multiple drops along Happy River, combined with hairpin turns and tricky switchbacks put veterans and rookies on a level playing field. It was on this section that in 2007 some of the most tested mushers, DeeDee Jonrowe and Doug Swingley (4 time champion) were both forced to scratch, DeeDee broke her hand, and Swingley broke some ribs. Once checked in at Rainy Pass Lodge mushers can look forward to soon reaching the highest point of the Iditarod, they’re in the middle of the great Alaskan Range.Going from Rainy Pass into Rohn isn’t a walk in the park either, the checkpoint is at 1,800ft elevation and before reaching Rohn (about 40 miles away) they will hit 3,160ft and they highest elevation of the race. After this point they are considered to be in Interior Alaska. After reaching the summit, the trail quickly goes downhill and the nightmare from the run before isn’t over if warmer weather is a factor. There is a steep 200-foot hill drop running into a Gorge and, running along “Dalzell Creek”. The trail jumps from side to side of Dalzell Creek (at a few point the Canyon is just barley wide enough for both the trail and the creek). There is always open water on the creek with snow and ice bridges for the mushers to cross. In colder weather the bridges hold better, but going faster is always better to avoid getting wet!

Read Bruce Lee's blog on Iditarod.comMP3: Abner Jay - Woke Up This Morning

Severed Ways

NYT/AMG:

Many historians contend that Norse explorers settled on the North American continent long before it was "discovered" by Columbus, and this adventure blends historical research with the filmmakers' imagination in the tale of two 11th Century Vikings and their struggle to survive in a new land. Orn (Tony Stone) and Volnard (Fiore Tedesco) are the only two survivors of a bloody clash between their Viking clan and a band of Native Americans; aware that their best hope of survival is to move on, they set out to find a new territory to settle. While making their way through the wilderness of what is now the Canadian province of Newfoundland, Orn and Volnard encounter a pair of monks from Ireland who have escaped from a Viking camp.

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Phish

I never really liked Phish but somehow I've made it to about ten of their shows. The first one I went to was down in Champaign-Urbana at the University Of Illinois somewhere around 1998 or 1999. I was in high school, though looked like I was ten, and six or seven us piled in a big windowless van with a young guy named Dave (I think) and a friend's mother, who was just as excited as the rest of us. I didn't know Phish at all, although I probably pretended I did, but felt more at ease when Dave (I think) whipped out his mess of bongos and shakers that he encouraged us to play while he blasted bootlegs on the long three hour drive. I don't remember a damn thing about the actual show because, as I'm sure y'all know, the show is never the best part.Tonight is the first night of Phish's reunion tour in Hampton, VA.  What a goddamn time that'll be.PhishPhish - Brian and Robert