1. Built by Gabriel Amadeus, a Portland-area designer extraordinaire and fun-enthusiast. When not riding bikes or organizing bike events you can find him building and welding every sort of bike imaginable. And some that aren’t.
Photographer: ichad

2. “This is Sailor Neale, with another of his crazy creations. This particular bike is jointed in the middle, just behind the handlebars. It folds fully in half if you don’t pay attention. You steer by using your hips to swivel the central joint, and then using the handlebars to simultaneously steer the front wheel.”
Photographer: doviende

3. The Reverse Cowgirl, built by Mark Veno. “It was displayed at PDX Airport when they had the Oregon Handmade Bicycle Exhibit. I was the only non-professional builder exhibiting.”

4. “West Coast Chopper”
Photographer: tinou bao

5. The Ross Island Explorer, a fully amphibious human-powered tallbike-paddleboat.
Photographer: megulon5, member of C.H.U.N.K.

6. Burrito-recumbent, complete with suspension and sound system / Builder: Doc
Photographer: Mark Veno

7. For when you really don’t want to worry about getting a flat.
Photographer: RJL20

8. “A rock n’ roll/punk kid rode this to the Coffee Bean in Playa Vista the other day. Love that it has an old-fashioned horn on the handlebars.”
Photographer: pink_fish13

9. Good for carting around…whatever. / Builder: Chris Martin
Photographer: Mark Veno

10. Alan Sikiric’s Mutandem: “Only from the fields of muck and hazardous grime known as the Jerz could something so horrifying arise!”

11. The very definition of an art bike.
Photographer: anarchosyn

12. One of the craziest tall bikes out there, and pannier-ready to boot!
Photographer: doviende

13. A burrito built by Mark Veno: “When I moved to Portland I was inspired by the existing bike culture and built my first tallbike. I try to make my freakbikes as usable as “real” bikes. Soon I’ll be moving to San Diego to spread the freakbike love to SoCal.”

14. “No idea about who this is riding the chopper, just happened to snap it on Wells Street. I think he is part of the Chicago Critical Mass group.”
Photographer: swanksalot

15. Not quite training wheels…
Photographer: BruceTurner

16. Five bucks to anyone who can categorize this bike, being paraded by a member of Rat Patrol.
Photographer: JOE M500

17. When two wheels just aren’t enough, you need the Six Wheelie.
Photographer: bilbord99

18. There are choppers, and then there are these.
Photographer: tandemracer

19. Not exactly a freak bike, but there is something freaky about these kids and their penny farthings.
Photographer: Mild Mannered Photographer

20. Tank! / Builder: Sailor Neale of the East Vancouver PedalPlay metal studio.
Photographer: Foxtongue

Community Connection

Matador has published some of the best bike-related content on the web, covering topics such as The World’s 15 Most Bike Friendly Cities, 6 Reasons to Go By Bike, How to Be Good (Better) Drivers and Cyclists, and How to Choose a Touring Bicycle.

Many members of the Matador community are bike freaks themselves, including one of our newest arrivals, Doubleclutch. Browse the community profiles to discover more folks fired up on bicycles.

Ford Focus

photo by car-dealers

A car for the chronically ugly. The Focus has undergone several unfortunate redesigns through the years since its introduction, but like your Aunt Flo and her endless makeovers, Ford hasn’t yet found a cure for its unfortunate appearance. It looks like the car can’t decide if it’s a sensible sedan or a sporty rally car, so it tries to look like both and fails miserably.

Hyundai Matrix

photo by airforceone

Finally, a vehicle for those who find mini-vans too intimidating. The Matrix profile includes a bizarre uneven window line that makes it look like it was pieced together from spare car pieces from the junkyard. It would probably be nicer looking if it had been. The vehicle of choice for retirees and their groceries.

Chrysler PT Cruiser

photo by splattergraphics

You’ve got to hand it to the PT Cruiser. This ugly bastard has been around for a long time and endured years of ridicule for its harebrained, retro-inspired design. Yet, here we are, on the heels of Chrysler declaring bankruptcy, and the Cruiser refuses to go away. If there is a nuclear apocalypse that wipes out all civilization, the only things that will survive will be cockroaches and PT Cruisers.

Ssang Yong Rodius

wikimedia

The Koreans have gotten into the hideous car act with the Rodius. This car has an identity crisis. The front grille looks like a 90’s minivan and the back end, well, I don’t even know what to say. It features an inexplicable diagonal panel that cuts it in half and makes it look like the designer got tired and just plugged the back of an RV onto the Rodius so he could move on to his next triumph.

Smart ForTwo

photo by joshb

Hooray, my car is “smart.” It’s also a source of laughter for every other driver and pedestrian within 100 yards of it. Not only does the ForTwo (see what they did there?) look like a matchbox car, it’s about the size of one and won’t offer much protection in a crash, so not only is it an ugly car but a potentially hideous coffin.

Fiat Doblo

photo by kenjonbro

Perhaps a bit incredulous themselves, Fiat asks what made the 2008 Doblo popular, and lists “reliable technology, thoughtful design, and excellent technology” as the reasons. Thoughtful design? It looks as though they’ve added windows to every available surface of a delivery van.

Mini Clubman

photo by paulmullet

Mini has decided to take the most distinguishing selling point of their Mini Cooper and throw it in the trashcan. They’ve stretched it out, haven’t really made any proportional adjustments, and called it the Clubman. Think of it as the stretch limo of ultra-compact cars, which is sort of like having a Mickey Mouse Rolex.

Toyota Prius

photo by jasonyoder

Yes, by driving a Prius you are minimizing your impact on the environment. This is a good thing. Cruising around in a vehicle with the personality and sex appeal of a dustbuster is not a good thing. Every time I see a Prius I think of the automated transports of old science-fiction flicks like Logan’s Run or Total Recall. This is also (probably) not a good thing.

Morgan Aero 8

photo by destinysagent

After I got done laughing out loud, I decided that the Morgan Aero 8 looked like a cross-eyed basset hound. The best part about this monstrosity is that the base price is just under $130,000. Good news is that with every new Aero purchase they throw in a free monocle and top hat. It’s heartening to know that there are still rich people out there who will ignore a luxury item’s repulsiveness and waste money on it anyway. There is hope for our economy after all.

Fiat Multipla

photo by qewl.com

Possibly based on a tadpole and easily the ugliest car on our list. This car fills the beholder with a combination of pity and rage; pity because no other cars will hang out with the ungainly Multipla, and rage because someone, somewhere made money from this blunder. Holds the distinction of being the only car on the list that needs a nose job.

Feature photo courtesy of the Open Source Initiative. Photo above by Think Mapp.

Computer users typically pay for expensive software when most of what they need can be obtained free of charge. This free software is known as Open Source.

According to the Open Source Initiative, Open Source software must meet specific criteria. First and foremost, it must allow for free redistribution; its source code must be made publicly available and it must allow derived works and modifications. There is actually a long list of criteria, but those mentioned are the basic guidelines.

This means that a community of users can come together to create a program in an open manner, making for a better computing experience for everyone. It’s actually a very large community which pumps out every kind of program, from productivity to music to video to games, and all of it for free.

Linux

Although this is still a Windows world, and Apple is making big strides with OS X, but there is another operating system available. That operating system is known as Linux. Historically, Linux has been used mostly by tech-savvy folks, however that doesn’t mean that regular users can’t enjoy it either.

Screenshot by apasp.

One of the biggest barriers to entry is the fact that there are well over 100 different flavors of Linux, leaving most people confused as to which one to use. For the average computer user Ubuntu is the way to go. Just about everything necessary for a typical computing experience is included.

For those looking to give Linux a try, there are two options available. The first would be creating a dual-booting system. If that is a bit too permanent, don’t worry; it’s possible to take Linux for a test drive without installing a single thing. It’s called a live CD, and it runs the operating system directly off the CD (or DVD). The Ubuntu live CD can be downloaded here.

Mozilla Firefox

While pretty much every web browser available is free, none of them are able to make browsing the web as enjoyable as Firefox. The browser is fully customizable with the use of add-ons, sticks to web standards as closely as possible, has a built-in spell checker (admittedly, this can be hit or miss), and many other features that deliver a smooth browsing experience. It’s available for Windows, Linux or Mac OS X.

Screenshot by dlisbona.

The best reason for using Firefox, though, is the amazing amount of security and privacy features. It has a feature called “Instant Web Site ID,” which makes it easier for users to spot suspicious websites, stops users from visiting sites with potential malware, helps with avoiding anti-phishing websites, and integrates with a user’s Anti-Virus software (Windows only feature). It also has a wonderful pop-up blocker built right in.

Top add-ons: ForecastFox, which gives users weather updates. FoxyTunes, which allows users to control just about any media player while browsing. FireFTP, which is by far the simplest way to upload files to a server.

OpenOffice.org

OpenOffice.org is a full productivity suite for those who might be getting tired of Microsoft Office. Included in the package are Writer (word processor), Calc (spreadsheets), Impress (presentations), Draw, and Base (database creation and manipulation).

Screenshot by Adrian Short.

The best part is that OpenOffice.org can also handle different file types, including those used by Microsoft Office. So users don’t have to worry about not being able to swap and share important files with Microsoft Office users for school or work.

OpenOffice.org is available for Windows and Linux. Don’t worry Mac OS X users, NeoOffice is the version you’re going to want to get, which has been built specifically for OS X.

Community Connection

What open source software have you used, or do you use? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.

Feature photo by petaflickr. Photo of Sexiest Vegetarian finalist Joan Jett by Spacehindu

How do you sex up vegetarianism? You give it a poll, courtesy of Peta2. Voting has begun for 2009’s Sexiest Vegetarian award, a saucy affair that pits celebri-tarians against each other for the title of Most Soy Friendly.

Peta2 is Peta’s organization geared towards high school and college-aged activists, designed to appeal to a Perez/Paris-fueled generation. The contest reminds us of the “meat-free hotties” who are “shunning flesh” in the Entertainment World and points out that vegetarianism is a great way for celebs to “keep their tummies flat.”

Peta2 is also running Cutest Vegetarian Alive contest, where normal folks are allowed to out-vegetarian each other. Christopher McClure, a finalist from New Hampshire, wants everyone to know that the “lack of cruelty within my system has shaped my face with cuteness and nothing else!”

Winners will be announced on June 8th.

Photo by youngchung

Fried Brains

1 calf’s brain per person

1 cup all purpose flour

2 cloves garlic minced

1/2 bunch italian parsley chopped

1 lemon

1/2 stick salted butter
salt and pepper

Pick the blood vessels and film off of the brains and soak in cold water overnight. Change the water every few hours. When they are properly soaked the water will remain clear.
 Blanch in boiling water for two minutes and remove onto a rack to thoroughly drain.

Season with and pepper. Roll through a pan of flour to coat evenly. Melt butter in a skillet on medium high heat. When it is frothy and begins to turn a nut brown color add brains. Sauté until golden brown, constantly basting with butter to evenly brown.

Remove and keep warm. In another skillet melt 3-4 Tablespoons of salted butter and quickly saute parsley and garlic. Remove from heat, squeeze lemon into garlic / parsley mixture, stir, and pour over brains.

Courtesy of msglaze.

Filipino Fish Head Soup

Photo by chanmelmel

1 fish head (salmon, lapu-lapu, maya-maya, tanguigue)
1 whole garlic, crushed and peeled

2 thumb-sized pieces of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

2 onions, peeled, halved and sliced

6 c. of boiling water
patis
2 tbsps. of cooking oil

a bunch of sili leaves

Heat the cooking oil in a large deep saucepan or casserole. Saute the garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add the onions and cook, stirring, for another 30 seconds. Pour in the boiling water. Lower the fish head into the hot water. Season with patis. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of the fish head.

Courtesy of Pinoycook.

Lamb/Goat Brain Curry

This chef is hilarious. “I forgot the oil. My brain is not functioning, thinking about this awesome brain curry today.”

Brain Soup (Hirnsuppe)

A traditional German recipe that is surprisingly simple, if you have some brains around the house.

1 calf’s brain
2 tbls butter
1 qt beef Stock
1 egg yolk
1 cup cream
flour

To wash brain clear of blood, soak in cold water, renewing water several times. Skin and chop fine. Melt butter in pan, add brain, sprinkle with flour, and saute 10 minutes. Add beef stock and simmer 20 minutes. Just before serving, stir in egg yolk and cream.

Courtesy of recipehound.

Salted Fish Head Curry Recipe (Kari Kepala Ikan Masin)

Photo by matahati67

1 tbs oil
2 onions, chopped
4 shallots, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
¼ tsp mustard seed
¼ tsp fennel seeds
¼ tsp fenugreek
¼ tsp black pepper
3 tbs fish curry powder
200ml fish stock
1.5kg salted fish head
1 litre low fat milk
300g orange and apricot yoghurt
3 eggplants, quartered
3 tbs tamarind paste

Heat oil in awok over medium fire. Stir fry garlic, onion and shallots until fragrant, about three minutes. Add mustard seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek and black pepper. Mix well for 1 minute. Add fish curry powder and fry for another one minute. Pour in fish stock, stirring all the while. Add salted fish head, milk and yoghurt. Allow to simmer over slow fire fore 5 minutes. Add eggplant and cook another 5 minutes. Allow the gravy to reduce before adding tamarind paste. Mix well and bring to a boil. Serve hot, garnished with chillies and coriander leaves.

Courtesy of Pickles and Spices.

Photo: photo by Quasic

Spend much time on the green-webs and you are bound to stumble upon the term “upcycling.” First coined by William McDonough and Michael Braungart in their must-read book Cradle to Cradle, upcycling is commonly defined as:

The process of converting an industrial nutrient (material) into something of similar or greater value, in its second life.

So how is this different than recycling? While recycling is mostly concerned with harvesting the valuable raw materials from an item in order to prevent fresh consumption of the material, upcycling is an attempt to repurpose a usually disposable item in a creative and functional way.

Upcyclers are not collecting paper to make more paper, nor are they hunting for cans to create more aluminum (they might want the deposit return though). Instead, they are thinking of clever ways to make trash into something special.

Check out these upcycling ideas to get started:

Old Shopping Bags or Magazines Become Unique Envelopes

Sure, you could recycle that stack of magazines or the pile of paper shopping bags in your closet. Or, you could transform them into unique envelopes.

Photo: photo by Sarabbit

Cracked Teacups Become Eye-Catching Candles

If you have cracked or orphaned teacups lying around, waiting to be tossed, then this project is perfect.

Photo: photo by ecram1

Make a Purse or Laptop Bag from Soda Tabs

Though a more involved project than the two mentioned above, making a purse or laptop bag from soda tabs is not that difficult. When you’re finished, you can wear this example of upcycling with eco-pride.

Photo: photo by Orin Optiglot

Upcycling is great for the environment but more importantly, it’s a fun and creative way to stylishly show off your eco-ingenuity.

Feature photo by Andres Rueda. Photo above by TheTruthAbout…

A credit card can be your best friend when you need to buy a shiny new object that you really can’t afford, or your worst enemy when you’ve surpassed your credit limit and your bank is trying to rip you off as punishment.

Love them or hate them, credit cards have become a permanent fixture on the financial landscape of most developed countries. Yet we often take them for granted and rarely consider how we feel about them and why.

This article looks at countries from both the developed and developing world, and the differences in how credit cards are used and viewed. We discover why Americans love their flexible friends, why the Japanese are really not interested in paying with plastic, and why India has witnessed such a backlash against the spread of credit.

Japan

Despite Japan’s status as the world’s most technologically advanced nation, it remains a strongly cash-based society. Its use of credit cards lags way behind most developed countries and many developing nations too.

It’s common for smaller shops and restaurants not to accept credit cards and there are few 24-hour ATMs, even in large cities. On average, only four credit card transactions are undertaken per person per year!

Photo by the_toe_stubber.

Banks have tried every trick in the book to convert the Japanese to credit cards, but to no avail.

Significant barriers to such a conversion include the high costs charged to Japanese merchants that accept cards and high telecommunication costs, which impede responses to fraudulent transactions.

The traditional role of women in Japanese society has also been cited as a cause for the country’s low credit card penetration figures. Men and women think differently about crime, technology and other factors that influence a preference for cash or card.

Perhaps if women played the same role in Japanese society as they do in the USA or Australia, carrying a credit card would prove more popular than having a huge wad of cash in your pocket.

China

The use of credit cards in China is growing rapidly, in line with the country’s economy, income levels and middle-class population. In 2008, China had 104.73 million credit cards in circulation, a 92.9% increase on the previous year. 15 to 20 million more cards will be issued in 2009.

The Chinese were once famous for their frugality, with saving rates of around 40%, but not any more. Saving rates among today’s young, urban Chinese population – those driving the economy – are effectively zero. This demographic is finance-savvy and hungry for credit cards.

India

Credit card use has grown steadily over the past 5 years in an increasingly consumerist India. Economic reforms and growth have made foreign and domestic goods more affordable for the upper and middle-classes, while improvements to the country’s payment infrastructure (more ATMs and POS terminals) have made credit cards easier to use.

Nevertheless, only 4% of Indians own a credit card, one of the lowest rates in the world. It seems that traditional values of thrift and prudence have endured here.

Photo by Carol Mitchell.

In addition to this cultural bias, high interest rates (typically 24% per year), high fees, hidden charges and poor customer service have all acted to dissuade Indians from using credit cards.

Lenders maintain that high rates and fees are necessary in a country without a robust credit checking system, where account holders can disappear without a trace.

One reason for the high charges that banks don’t give so readily, however, is that a large proportion of prudent Indians pay their full credit balance monthly, thus depriving card issuers of interest earnings from revolving credit.

United Kingdom

The UK has had a long love affair with the credit card, ever since the Barclaycard was launched in 1966, becoming the first credit card available outside of the US. Today, cards are more popular in the UK than ever, with the average UK consumer owning 2.4 credit cards (to go with their 2.4 children!).

Credit card fraud has become an increasing concern for UK residents and has received a high level of media coverage in recent years. In 2004, the cost of credit card fraud was particularly high: estimated at 500 million. In response, the UK and Ireland implemented the EMV standard (known as Chip and PIN) for credit and debit card payments.

This means that all credit cards now come with a built-in microchip and a cardholder must supply a PIN number rather than a signature during a transaction.

United States of America

The USA is the credit card’s ancestral home. It was here that the first merchant credit scheme was used in the 1920s and where the concept of different merchants using the same card was founded by the managers of Diners Club, in 1950.

Photo by moacirpdsp.

The USA is the most credit-card-intensive country in the world, with an average of 5 cards per person. US consumers use credit cards to pay for one quarter of all their retail purchases.

The disjointed nature of the US banking system has helped promote credit cards there. Historically, Americans found it easier to use credit rather than direct banking facilities when travelling interstate. The use of credit cards has now become completely entrenched in the US’s ultra consumerist society.

Brazil

In the recent past, Brazil’s unstable economy has acted against the widespread introduction of credit cards. Corruption made it difficult to enforce contracts, so debtors didn’t pay and creditors didn’t lend. Banks found it very hard to check potential customers’ credit ratings because of the lack of skilled labour and the high cost of technology.

The potential credit card market was small anyway, due to low and unevenly distributed incomes. Brazilians had nothing against credit cards, but risks were high and so, in turn, were interest and default rates.

In 2009, Brazil is a very different country. It now has the eighth largest economy in the world, thanks to many years of protectionist economics and a highly skilled IT workforce. The nation’s top three credit card issuers (Banco Itau, Banco Bradesco and Banco de Brasil) are furnishing credit cards in ever-increasing numbers: in 2008, there were 261 million credit cards and a further 210 million debit cards in circulation in Brazil.

Canada

Despite Canada’s proximity to the USA, its attitudes to credit cards are very different. Here, debit cards (which Canadians often refer to as ‘Interac’ after the Interac Direct Payment system) are far more popular.

In fact, Canadians use debit cards in more transactions than credit cards or even cash, making them world leaders in debit card use, with an average of 71.7 debit card transactions made per person, per year.

Photo by nicolasnova.

The many Canadians that do opt for a credit card will find that charges are far less hidden than they are in most other countries. The Government of Canada maintains its own list of fees, features, interest rates and reward programmes associated with the vast majority of credit cards available. Its database is published quarterly on the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada website. There’s even an interactive tool that will find the best credit card for you.

Australia

There are 13 million credit cards and a further 28 million debit cards circulating among Australia’s 21 million strong population. The popularity of credit cards is considered to be a central cause of many Australians’ debt. In May 2008, credit card debt in the country reached a record high: the average balance on each individual credit card account was a staggering $3,299.

Identity theft, inextricably linked to credit card use, is common in Australia, a country with one of the highest incidences of cyber crime in the world. 1.1 million Australians have experienced identity theft and it costs the economy $1 billion each year.

Perhaps the stereotype of the laid back Australian is true: research shows that 70% have still not taken any steps to protect their identity.

Community Connection

How do you use / abuse credit cards? Please share your comments below.

Photo by stuckincustoms

Driving across the long, barren stretches of highway through the Mojave Desert, I get this bittersweet feeling of coming home after a long time of being away. I see the light rising up—the hellish illuminations of Las Vegas—a city cradled by mountains on all sides; it looks like a smoldering fire pit, or the mouth of a volcano ready to blow itself wide open.

As I’ve traveled outside of my hometown, I’ve encountered numerous people who find it hard to believe that a man could actually hail from Las Vegas. More than once I’ve been asked if I live in a casino. No, no. There are even houses and apartments and trailer parks.

“Wow,” they will say, “must be a great place to live,” and I’m compelled to laugh in their faces. It may be okay for a tourist on holiday, but as far as I’m concerned it’s a glamorized cesspit, and if you don’t lose your ass gambling, then the dry desert heat will get it.

Photo by lostamerica

There are two types of gamblers in Las Vegas: those that gamble because they think they can beat the house, and those that gamble for sport, because to them gambling is everything and the money means nothing. If they won Megabucks they would be back in the casino the next day to start giving it back in installments.

I’ve seen my grandfather throw his social security money away every month for the last decade of his life. When he died his wife discovered winning tickets for over twenty grand stashed away in his dresser. She never saw a dime of it because in theory the money had never changed hands.

Photo by gsgeorge

The casinos seem to draw any culture and vitality from the rest of the city. There have been a few attempts at creating an art district but setting up art galleries in dangerous areas only invites despicable hipsters in, and it doesn’t clean up the trash. It only creates more.

Most of the local poets and writers hang around the bars and cafés near the university, and because of the lack of any scene, it’s easy to sift through the bullshitters, the pretentious, the sycophants, the pseudo-intellectuals, and so on. It’s cool to be an artist in San Francisco, but if you’re an artist in Las Vegas it’s usually because you want to be.

Photo by geoperdis

There are plenty of good bars by the university, where it’s easy to avoid any insufferable tourist crowds—obnoxious frat boys and Barbie look-alikes are scarce, because they like to be a part of the show, and that takes place on The Strip. As for the downtown scene, it is swarming with hipsters, and like The Strip it is overcrowded and overpriced.

I’ve found my local dens, and that’s where I spend my nights when I’m back home. I don’t know what keeps dragging me back to the neon landfill -usually women, unfinished romances, that sort of thing. It’s never long before I’m back sitting at the bar of one of my old haunts, considering another way out.

Photo: photo by elizabethboy

Foraging, or searching for food, is one of the oldest of human activities. Though we have found more complex ways to assemble a meal, foraging remains relevant today for anyone interested in cheap, locally-sourced, food.

Warning: Foraging Can Be Dangerous

You should not eat any plant, nut, or mushroom you find while foraging unless you are 100% certain of the item’s identification. It’s a good idea to compare your specimen to all similar plants, especially toxic varieties, as well. With that said, foraging can be a perfectly safe and enjoyable activity if you take the time to learn the basics.

Get to Know Your Flora

The first step to foraging is also one of its greatest benefits: You must develop an intimate knowledge of your local flora. Picking up a field guide specific to your area, like one of the Peterson Field Guide series, is a good place to begin. Study what edible plants grow naturally in your area and during what seasons. Once you know what’s out there, you can begin studying the unique characteristics of each plant so you will be able to identify them in the field.

This is not as easy at it may seem. It’s a good idea to seek assistance from someone with experience. Getting started with a mentor is the fastest, safest, way to begin foraging.

Once you’ve done some research, it’s time to search for food.

Photo: photo by ciordia

Head Into the Field

Depending on the season and where you are looking, there is a wide range of edible plants waiting to be discovered. One important thing to remember is that many edible and medicinal plants taste bitter or otherwise unappealing and are only meant to be eaten in emergency and survival situations. Instead of heading out in search of anything and everything you have studied in your field guide, pick one or two things you really want to find.

When looking for plants, remember to stay away from places that are frequently sprayed with pesticides, like railroad tracks and roads, and always wash what you find before eating. When you find something, don’t be greedy: Leave some behind for the animals, birds, and other foragers.

Survival expert Ray Mears gives an excellent demonstration of foraging in the wild in this video:

Head Into the Neighborhood

Foraging is not limited to wild and rural areas. Many urban neighborhoods have fruit, nuts, and other edibles literally waiting to be plucked by pedestrians. Fallen Fruit is an organization that advocates planting an edible urban landscape. They also maintain maps of “public fruit,” or trees whose branches extend off of public property to overhang sidewalks, parks, and other public areas. The fruit growing on these branches can be harvested by anyone so its just a matter of finding the trees.

Find out more about urban foraging and the Fallen Fruit project in this video.

Further Reading

Foraging and plant identification is an art that takes years to master. For a more thorough introduction, try When Technology Fails, Revised and Expanded, by Matthew Stein . Some other classic books about foraging and plant identification include Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and Not So Wild) Places, by Steve Brill, and The Forager’s Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants, by Samual Thayer.

Also, check out this excellent introduction video from the How To Forge:

A world of free, local, food is waiting just outside your doors, so don’t wait: Reap the harvest today.

Community Connection

Interested in other ways you can be doing things DIY? Check out our Life interview with Matthew Stein to learn more about preparedness.

Feature photo by nickherber. Photo above courtesy of Gary Vaynerchuk.

It started with gentle sobs during the car ride to and from work. Like many of us in 9 to 5’s, Gary Vaynerchuk dreaded going to work.

“I hated it,” Vaynerchuk said. “When I first started working in the [wine industry] I cried everyday. But one day it clicked for me; I saw people collecting wine the same way they collected baseball cards I was selling on the weekends. I decided to make myself into an expert and let my natural marketing ability take over.”

And take over it did. Soon after Vaynerchuk began uploading his now wildly popular video blogs on his personal site, Vaynerchuk’s internet presence skyrocketed into the web stratosphere, eventually landing him appearances on mainstream programs like The Conan O’Brian Show.

“In 2006 I saw what was happening in video with people like Ze Frank and Rocketboom and I got very excited with the potential for a social web,” Vaynerchuk said. “I knew [video blogging] would give me an opportunity to connect with consumers in a different way [so] I started sharing some of my business and social media ideas on my personal blog. People really liked it so I stuck with it.”

Now a web sensation and the first ever Social Media Sommelier, Vaynerchuk releases regular video blogs that cover topics from wine recommendations to business advice to tips on happiness.

Photo by Couche Tard

(MT): With the economy being what it is today, not everyone can afford, or even is willing to afford, that fancy-shmancy bottle of wine. What are the top three budget bottles you recommend for people to drown themselves in for 2009?

I prefer to recommend regions rather than specific bottles. Check out wines from Portugal, especially the Douro region. We’ve also seen great value out of Malbec and Torrontes from Argentina, and Sauvignon Blanc from Chile.

(MT): When we’re pressed for cash, sometimes it’s a choice between eating or drinking. If we hit up fast food joints, we can have both! What are your wine recommendations that best accommodate our favorite fast food?

With a Whopper, I’m thinking Red Zinfandel. On a budget you can produce that experience with a Primitivo from Italy, Primitivo being a relative of Zin. With that Wendy’s Chili, I have to go with Albarino from Spain. Zippy acidity to pair with that little bit of spice. Filet-o-Fish? How about a Macon? Crisper and easier to pair with food than a California Chardonnay, you can get a decent white Burgundy for under 12 or 15 bones.

(MT): Are there any wines you’d recommend with our favorite snack foods?

With Cheez-its I think Sancerre could be an interesting play. These Sauvignon Blanc wines from the Loire Valley in France have minerality and sometimes a little saline quality that I’d like with the salty crackers. With potato chips I’m thinking about Viognier. The floral elements of the wine might play very nicely with greasy potato chips. With Cheetos or Doritos I’d look for a Spanish red. Tempranillo based wines, especially a Ribera del Duero, with all that seductive up-front fruit to combat the bold flavors of the snack.

(MT): Do you currently have a favorite (or a few favorite) bottle(s) of wine? Do tell!

Not really, every wine is a different experience and I rarely bring home more than one bottle of anything. My favorite category and something I think is totally under appreciated in America is Champagne and sparkling wine.

(MT): And how doe you like to enjoy your wine?

With family and friends!

For all wine aficionados, fans, and newcomers, Vaynerchuk emphasizes trusting your own palate.

“The most important [thing is] to keep and open mind and try new things,” Vaynerchuk said. “There are so many traditional rules about pairing this with that, and so much of it is ridiculous. Wines will change with foods, and your experience of the food will change with different wines. Expand your palate by trying different things, and forget about the traditional rules!”

Remember, the point of wine is to enhance your gestation experience, so go with your own personal preferences and let your taste buds make your libation decisions!


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Are you a beginning oenophile? Check out Craig Martin’s classic article, “How to Drink Wine Like a Pro” for tips about getting started in the world of wine.