Yesterday, I turned the scary old age of 31st and started sharing 31 resources that rock my world with you. I didn’t finish, so here’s part two: 16-31. Since I have a wide range of quirks and interests, I’m sure not all will appeal to you but am equally positive that you’ll find something you love. In alphabetical order, here’s the second installment.
16. Fisher Price Theater. I started reading Dork (the best comic book of all time) when I was still in middle school, but these comics, like the reading assignments they re-enact, are classic. Check out Catcher in the Rye (and page 2). Of Mice and Men. The Lottery.
17. Marissa Bracke. Self-described as a “can-do-ologist, perpetually Curious George and daily adventurer,” Marissa writes brilliant and charming posts. Two recent favorites include The Seven Dwarves of Social Media and Bippity Boppity Bullshit: Lessons From Cinderella, Midnight & Moxie.
18. The Onion. I used to pick these up in Chicago and smuggle them back to Waukegan when I was still in college. Now I live in Wisconsin (the Onion’s homebase) but have to get my copies in Minnesota. Go figure. Anyway, unless you’re living under a rock you’ve probably already seen Amerca’s finest (and funniest) news source. Highly recommended for riotous laughter.
19. Productive Flourishing. Charlie Gilkey helps creative people take meaningful action and change the world (or “do epic shit,” as his t-shirt says). In a world cluttered with to-do lists and action items and phones ringing and papers piling up, his free planners are a breath of fresh air… a perfect blend of flexibility and structure. Plus he has excellent blog posts, jam sessions with Johnny B. Truant (audio samples available if you poke around) and a beautiful site design that feels spacious, clean and expansive. (Besides, anybody who taught Philosophy or writes posts with titles such as “How to Blog Like Shakespeare” immediately gets on my A-list.)
20. Robb Wolf. Hands-on the best site on Paleo Nutrition in the world. Includes the Paleolithic Solution: a really long heady podcast that you might actually listen to. A little bird told me Robb is writing a book, too…
21. Rosi Sexton. She’s a fighter, a writer, a mother, a sports therapist, a soon-to-be osteopath, a PhD, and a former classical pianist. And her blog is always thought-provoking.
22. Shea Moisture. Two ladies lived in Liberia when a civil war destroyed most of their family’s personal possessions. They immigrated to the U.S. and, unemployed, started selling soap (using a family recipe) on the sidewalk in Harlem. The company buys ingredients directly from women’s cooperatives and indigenous farmers in Africa, paying above market prices. They work with organizations such as ECOSERVE and AFRICARE to protect the integrity of the ingredients and ensure sustainable harvests. And they partner with organizations such as The Liberian Education Fund and Todee Mission to build schools and provide access to education for impoverished girls in Africa (many of whom supply ingredients used in the products). AND the soap is yummy.
23. Spezzatino. A gorgeous online food magazine that raises money for the Healthy Food Bank, a charity that purchases basic nutritious food for local food banks around North America. The magazine features beautiful photography and fascinating articles, interviews and essays around each food, penetrating beyond the surface level and addressing it from various angles (political, historical, cultural, edible…) Plus you can download a sample issue for free.
24. Stiletto Spy School. OMG. If someone rich wants to give me a present (or I can snag a media pass somehow)… I, too, would like to learn how to mix the perfect martini, get private lessons from a coupier, brush up on hand-to-hand combat followed by exotic dance moves, play with Glocks and Uzis and M16s, and learn how to use my wiles to avoid enemy agents.
25. Stumptuous. Krista Scott-Dixon is the older sister I’d always wished I’d had. She’s brilliant: smart, witty, funny, irreverent… AND she lifts heavy things. Stumptuous is more than a workout and nutrition site. It’s like sitting in on a slumber party with the coolest and smartest people you know.
26. Systems Thinking. This is the one souvenir I’ve retained from my career as a teacher, and it is brilliant. The Waters Foundation has great resources for teachers and non-teachers alike.
27. Usual Error Project: Why We Don’t Understand Each Other and 34 Ways to Make it Better. As someone who wants to improve her communication (but is allergic to NVC), I found this *free* e-book refreshing, interesting and accessible. (Did I mention the e-book version is free?)
28. The Well Stacked Back. Esther Gokhale looked to native people, ancient Greeks and young children to synthesize what kinesthetic principles led to their ease of movement and back health. Her book and website are great. Her seminars are even better.
29. Wendy Cholbi. Bite-sized pieces of hope and safety to help release you from your technology fears and stucknesses. Like a sleuth (or detective), Wendy can solve even the most confounding computer mysteries. In a nice and non-scary way. She even found my disappearing mailing list. Wendy offers Wordpress installations, e-classes, open office hours once a week, a fun newsletter and more.
30. The Weston A. Price Foundation. It’s a nonprofit organization which works hard on disseminating the research of nutrition pioneer Weston A. Price, a dentist who conducted ethnographic nutritional studies across diverse cultures, synthesizing dietary principles held in common by cultures that were not ailed by modern diseases. Tons of information and research, and occasionally recipes for things like broth. Yum!
31. Wild Fermentation Sandor Ellix Katz (aka Sandorkraut) is not only an herbalist, activist, cyclist, author and craftsman, he’s also a fermentation revivalist/fetishist, and his book (Wild Fermentation) is par excellence. Sandor is living with AIDS and considers fermented foods a huge part of his healing… and his recipes are exquisite, easy to follow and fun. I have a friend who went to one of his workshops. I’m jealous.
So that about wraps it up! I hope you found at least one great new resource you’ll enjoy as much as I do! Now I’m gonna go eat more flourless chocolate cake.
Very cool list. Stiletto Spy School! Wow. (unreal about the onion. Every time you mention another thing you can’t get in town I think “That too? Come on, guys, get it together!”)
To be fair, they don’t have the Onion in most cities… but yeah, we’re excited about the possibility of moving next winter. I’m glad you liked the list!