For GOOD 019: The Neighborhoods Issue, we asked a few talented designers, artists, and illustrators to create flags celebrating their neighborhoods. The results were published in the magazine – and are now available online. Mouse over any flag below to see the name of the artist the ‘hood that it represents, and click on the flags to learn more.

i scanned through all the flags and found the four that referenced minneapolis (loring, south, powderhorn, AND uptown were all represented! nice work 612!). of course, you know what i did next, right? i googled the designers of each flag.

call me a stalker, but information is my opiate and in this opiate i am inspired.

the south mpls designer, j-zachary keenan, has simple yet gripping aesthetic and i found myself right clicking on many of his images, tabs upon tabs of text and lines and shapes.

j. zachary keenan's south mpls flad

i wouldn’t know him if i passed him on minnehaha, but that’s the glory of these twisted ‘nets. you are connected to someone who could be your neighbor and then you are sitting on the digital domain of a designer thousands of miles away.

call it freaky, but the internet is my opiate and in this opiate i am inspired.

Driven to Discover: The Research Series looks inside the lives and work of the University of Minnesota’s most daring researchers and sees that they are in fact incredible people who make unbelievable discoveries that improve our lives, our planet, and our understanding.

a production still

it was my 12-hours of fame – and while i look forward to just seeing the finished product, i am even more excited that our research on heterosexism and homophobia in sport will reach more people. it’s important to be able to talk these issues candidly and sensitively and i hope i managed to do that without putting any feet in my mouth.

while yesterday was an amazing opportunity, it was not-so subtle reminder to me we do not yet live in a world where non-heterosexual individuals can feel comfortable being open about their sexual identities. case in point: this post about supreme court nominee elena kagan reflects how heteronormativity breeds heterosexism and homophobia in our society.

Since she happens to be an unmarried woman who has not publicly commented on her sexuality and supports LGBT rights<, many on the right are making assumptions about her personal life — and therefore her fitness to serve as a justice.

this example provides inspiration and further fodder for me as i continue researching the mechanisms and processes that allow AND prevent individuals from sharing their personal life en masse.

ambling alps - yeasayer

not the kid – communist daughter

today, for the first time ever, i hit AND held forearm stand. i probably only got two decent breaths before the above scene ensued, but those two breathes were absolutely awesome.

tomorrow, three breaths …

Training is going well – so far – we are still in the foundation laying stages as the event is still about four months away. In mid-April, I will be revving up my training for both the Lifetime event on July 11th AND for the half iron I am doing on July 18th. Go diesel or don’t bother, right?

As always, I want to thank those of you who have already donated. I am halfway to my goal of $2,000 and it’s only March! We are doing a bang-up job of helping stop blood cancer! For those of you that haven’t donated – I would encourage you to do so. Over 75% of your donation goes DIRECTING to finding a cure and helping those affected by blood cancer! The following link is both a safe AND easy way to give to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Look for more updates from me in the coming weeks – I have a feeling my adventures will be varied and involve at least one fall due to my new clip-in shoes …

my mom can fly!

because my mom is yogi, her children also like to post crazy things on facebook related to their yogic attempts – i was not surprised this morning to see this video from my brother on facebook.

because my mom is a yogi and i am nerd, i had to follow my brother up with the follow video.

this kind of impassioned, diverse environment is like brain candy for this nerd and in the midst of our discussion on technological determinism, Deleuze and Guattari, and the agency of language – i was frantically jotting down the ideas, inspirations, and new phrases that were rolling out and sparkling on the conference room table.

my love of words and the subtle way words can be used in concert was in heaven, and i warn you that i may begin to drop arborescent thoughts (a way to explain the world as a binary; as a system of ones of the others; the antithesis of rhizomatic thoughts), talk about meat space (the physical space your body takes up), and say obsolescence instead of obsolete.