Observations about Ecology and Economy – Rainforest Dispatches, Introduction

Introducing a series of explorations and soliloquies from the Clayoquot Sound area on the west coast of Vancouver Island during a summertime water outage in the midst of a temperate rainforest. While figuring out what happened, Uncle Weed recollects the tense logging blockades in early 1990s and compares current conditions through lens of deep ecology and sustainable development practices.

Throughout this 9 part series, he wanders the region and examines the tension between fishing, logging and tourism industries then adds ideas on promoting the economy while protecting the environment along with spiels on clearcuts, salmon, camping espresso, user fees and flak jackets.

Downcast podload:
Observations and Soliloquies about Ecology and Economy – Rainforest Dispatches, an introduction – 6:55

Your input on this topic is invited – particularly if you participated in the protests or traveled to this area. Consider leaving a comment and/or recording an audio missive of your own to use in a future episode. Let me know where you stashed your blockade memories or other rainforest thoughts by emailing: choogleon (at) uncleweed (dot) net or via Twitter @choogleon and/or @uncleweed, etc.

Music
Theme: Bex – Lonesome (Lost) Traveler
Seque: Wm. Lenker – Heaven Holds a Place
Interlude: Geoff Berner – Light Enough to Travel

This is Part 0 of 9 (or more) in the Rainforest Dispatches series on Choogle On with Uncle Weed

Subscribe:
via RSS feed - iTunes - Email

Riverside Tokes for Phelps on the Varley Trail – Choogle On #78

On Lynn Valley’s Varley trail, Uncle Weed discourses on fascist sponsors and greedy PR hacks reacting to young Mr. Phelps’ situation, plus talk of value of art vs. artist and listener email about parenting advice, blind shopping cart incidents, and a situation with a Briton arrested and incarcerated in Japan plus a spiel on Group of Seven artist Frederick Varley.

Jump in the water for Riverside Tokes for Phelps on the Varley Trail – Choogle On #78 (.mp3, 30:14, 28MB)

Thanks

Chip in NH for editing/production

Bonus

Pro-pot group smokes Kellogg for axing Phelps – Olympic Sports
Bursting with indignation, legions of legalize-marijuana advocates are urging a boycott of Kellogg Co., including all of its popular munchies, for deciding to cut ties with Olympic hero Michael Phelps after he was photographed with a pot pipe.

Phelps acknowledges photo showing Olympic swimming star smoking from marijuana pipe – ESPN
While the newspaper did not specifically allege that Phelps was smoking pot, it did say the pipe is generally used for that purpose and anonymously quoted a partygoer who said the Olympic champion was “out of control from the moment he got there.”

Flashback: Phelps’ 2004 DUI didn’t cost him Kellogg’s endorsement | NORML’s Daily Audio Stash
Michael Phelps was convicted of illegally using a hard drug (alcohol is a hard, though legal, drug and Phelps was 19, not legal age to use it) when caught driving a car, running a stop sign, and pushing the legal limit for intoxication. Michael Phelps could’ve caused a serious accident and injured or killed himself and others. Kellogg’s didn’t seem to have a problem with that being “not consistent with the image of Kellogg”.

John Feinstein – Phelps Made a Mistake, But His Handlers Made It Worse – washingtonpost.com
Michael Phelps screwed up. Of that, there is no doubt. He went to a party in Columbia, S.C. in November and got caught on camera taking a hit on a marijuana bong. Someone sold the photo to a London tabloid and it ran in the newspaper this past Sunday.

Michael Phelps Should Not Be Sorry | The Cosmic Tap
Michael Phelps has nothing to apologize for. I understand the reality he faces, however, and why he has to say what he said. But let’s go beyond the breathless theatrics and think about the core issue. “He broke the law,” the pundits are saying, as if that is necessarily the end of the conversation. Sorry, but Phelps was not wrong; our marijuana laws are wrong. Really wrong.

Why Michael Phelps can’t bring his bong to the pool. – By Brian Palmer – Slate Magazine
On Sunday, a British tabloid published a November photo of Olympic champion Michael Phelps smoking a bong. Fortunately for Phelps, the World Anti-Doping Agency prohibits marijuana only during competition periods. How does a drug make it onto WADA’s list of…

Phelps is now the top Olympian of all time. Here’s what it takes …
US swimmer Michael Phelps made history yesterday when he scooped a record-breaking 11th Olympic gold medal. He has now topped the podium five times in Beijing. After his latest victory, he revealed the secret behind his six-days-a-week, five-hours-a-day training regime: an extraordinary 12,000-calorie daily diet, six times the intake of a normal adult male.

Michael Phelps’ marijuana use puts focus on debate over the drug – Los Angeles Times

America’s narcotic of choice – Salon.com
The Michael Phelps saga is yet another example of our addiction to feigned outrage.

Michael Phelps: Puppy torturer! – Salon.com
Come on, people, all he did was smoke some weed, like Bill Gates, Barack Obama and countless other overachievers.

Phelps Marijuana Arrests By Sheriff Leon Lott Columbia South Carolina -WSI 10 News
The Richland County Sheriff’s Department has been taking a lot of heat from people in this country and all over the world. They want to know why Sheriff Leon Lott is going after Michael Phelps. Many are saying the sheriff should concentrate on more serious crimes, or at the very least, not focus solely on the Olympic champion when there were others at the party who were also breaking the law.

Olympian Michael Phelps dropped from Vancouver motivational event – Georgia Straight

If you’ve been counting down the days to the arrival of Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps in Vancouver, you’re in for a big disappointment.

Phelps was slotted to speak at GM Place on March 6 for a motivational leadership event organized by Toronto-based promoter Power Within Inc., but was pulled from the line-up due to the recent controversy caused by surfaced pictures of him smoking a bong at a college party.

…

According to a statement released by Power Within Inc., the change in programming was “due to widely publicized alleged use of marijuana by Michael Phelps.” Numerous calls made by the Straight to Power Within Inc. were not returned.

Comment to article:

for anyone that thinks this as absurd as I do, please pass your frustration along to Power Within. If they don’t hear people’s displeasure with this behaviour they’re likely to feel it’s condoned.- http://www.powerwithin.com/4105/contact_information.asp – Submitted by unclespeedo on Wed, 2009-02-25 13:57.

Subscribe

Grab the Choogle on feed or subscribe Choogle on via iTunes

More Podcast Goodness

Postcards from Gravelly Beach – Literature podcast – Feed – iTunes – Blog

Out n’ About with Uncle Weed- Travelin’ man vidcast – Show – Feed – iTunes

Ephemeral Feasthouse – Miscellanea & notes – Blog – Feed – Podcast

Clubside Breakfast Time – OlyWa Rock and Punditry – Blog – Feed – iTunes

Visit

Uncleweed.net for more writings, podcasts, paintings and photos

Follow along via Twitter @uncleweed

Thanksgiving with Absinthe and Fungi Tea – Choogle on #54

On Canadian Thanksgiving holiday, Uncle Weed and friends enjoy Absinthe from Barcelona, with carmelized with raw sugar and a magic mushroom tea infused nature stroll with a strawberry-grapefruit joint under the Trans Canada Highway where 2 people fell through the gaps.

Pour a glass of Thanksgiving with Absinthe and Fungi Tea – Choogle on #54 (19:35, 17MB, .mp3)

Subscribe to the Choogle on feed, via Chillaxin’ feed, or in iTunes

Out n’ About with Uncle Weed – Travelin’ Man Vidcast – Show – Feed – iTunes
Cannabis Cup 2002 and Nederlander Stroll – Scenes of life at the 2002 Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam plus trips to Deventer, Madurodam, Haarlem and just strolling the streets en route to coffeeshops. Featuring Uncle Weed, Cosmo G. Spacely and Gazoo.

Clubside Breakfast Time podcast - Cosmo G. Spacely’s and guests chatting about Olympia music, news, tasty food and miscellaneous sundry topics at Olympia’s Clubside Cafe or other downtown locales.

Dopefiend.co.uk – podcast network with Dopefiend, Queer Ninja, Lefty, Black Beauty, Zandor and more – see also The Grow Report

Absinthe FAQ

forgotten sippycup

London Town Wander Night – Choogle on #46

An extended length (ideal for summertime listening) features a late night walk around the heart of London Town with rambling topics from public drunkeness, Cleopatra’s Obelisk, party boats, Shakespeare’s Globe theater, Internet kiosks, Sir Drake’s Golden Hind, The Clink Jail, Millennium, Black Friars and Tower bridges, Cornish pasties, take away falafels, cellar temperature ales, Dali art, Falklands naval veterans, CCTV cameras, miscellaneous wars, royal largess, overfilled hotel baths and a spontaneous fire in Piccadilly.

Grab ahold of London Town Wander Night – Choogle on #46 (.mp3, 54:39, 50MB – and worth it!)

Photos by Victoria Potter – art’ed up by Uncle Weed

Music: Two Gallants “Feels Like Home to Me”