Video: How to pickle your own vegetables
The practice of preserving vegetables by storing them in salt or vinegar and allowing them to ferment is very ancient. As early as 2030 BC, cucumbers brought from their native India … Continue reading
Michael Simms: A Note from the Editor on the Vagaries of Publishing Poetry on the Internet
Once again, a poet has emailed me, peeved that a poem of hers that appeared in Vox Populi is not anything like the version she sent me. The line-endings and … Continue reading
Michael Simms: The Legend of the Piasa
The recent flooding in St. Louis reminds us that we are powerless over the violence of nature. We believed that our grandfathers had tamed the Mississippi, transforming the roiling waters … Continue reading
The Vegan Kitchen: Book Recommendations
My friend Corinna is worried about high blood sugar and other incipient health problems, so she asked me to recommend a few books to help her get started on a … Continue reading
The Vegan Kitchen: Roasted Potatoes Mon Amour
There are hundreds of varieties of potatoes, and nutritionally they vary widely. In order to get the maximum health benefits of this beautiful tuber, select the most colorful with the … Continue reading
Video: Rita Hayworth is Stayin’ Alive
This video mash-up by the German auteur known as “et7waage1” brings together a collection of clips featuring Rita Hayworth dancing to “Stayin’ Alive” by the BeeGees…. I know, I know… … Continue reading
The Vegan Kitchen: Our Philosophy — No Fakin’ Bacon in our House!
In the coming weeks, we’ll be posting a number of recipes for dishes we regularly prepare in our home kitchen. Just to be clear, here are a few of the … Continue reading
What was the Trail of Tears?
The Trail of Tears was a series of forced relocations of Native Americans in the United States following the Indian Removal Act of 1830. The removal included members of five … Continue reading
The Vegan Kitchen: Blueberry Breakfast Smoothie
My son Nick is a professional carpenter whose job is physically demanding. Often he works outside in cold or damp weather, so he needs hearty food to nourish him through … Continue reading
Credit Suisse Global Economic Report: Shrinking middle class a worldwide trend contributing to social instability
The annual Credit Suisse Global Economic Report, which is the most comprehensive and up-to-date source of information on global household wealth, has been released. Unlike other studies, this report measures and … Continue reading
Michael Simms: A Parable about Publishing
A man in a hot air balloon realized he was lost. He reduced altitude and spotted a woman below. He yelled: “Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a … Continue reading
Michael Simms: The Woodcarver
A Fable There was once a young woodcarver who loved to walk through the forest. One day in a part of the forest where he had never been before, he … Continue reading
The Radical Art and Life of Diego Rivera
El Vendedor De Alcatraces — Portrait of Angelina Beloff 1909 — Colonisation, The Great City of Tenochtitlan, detail from the mural, Pre-Hispanic and Colonial Mexico, 1945-52 — Cultivation of Maize … Continue reading
Michael Simms: A Few of my Favorite Jailbirds
But I’m Starting a New Life: A Words without Walls Anthology, Anthony Ciotoli (ed.) Chatham University, Pittsburgh, 2015 Many important writers and poets have spent time in jail or prison, … Continue reading
