I just finished reading an amazing and powerful book called "The Worst Hard Time" by Timothy Egan. It's a book about the dust bowl and the Great Depression. I'm sure the title and the meager description I just gave sound rather boring and dry, but don't be fooled!  This is a non-fiction book that reads like fiction. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down.

If you're like me, probably the only thing you know about the dust bowl is "Grapes of Wrath" and a couple Woody Guthrie songs. You probably heard that overfarming caused the dust bowl. That is true, but it's only a small part of the story.

http://www.gatheringofnations.com/

I just watched part of this on IFC the other night:
http://www.garbagewarrior.com/

It's a documentary about an architect who builds beautiful, functional homes out
of old tires, bottles, etc. and basically out of pre-used materials.

The documentary covers a lot of different topics. First it shows the homes he's
built and the unconventional people he works with. Then it shows the battle he faced
with the Taker establishment in the form of the New Mexico government (who
basically told him "there is only one right way to build"). Then it shows him
heading to Asia to help build simple, practical homes for tsunami victims.

Definitely watch this if you have not done so already! The guy is a real character,
and it's a classic taker vs. leaver struggle.

I'll be giving a talk tomorrow morning at Pancho Villa State Park at the junction of Highway 9 and Highway 11 in Columbus, NM, about 70 miles west of El Paso, TX. The topic to be discussed has been published at Associated Content, http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/280487/where_have_all_the_coyot..., "Where Have All the Coyotes Gone?".