Comments on: Protein Progress By A Bluegrass Pickin’, Neo-Country Boy

By: Miah

Miah — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 11:18:06 +0000

c vraiment cool come info . merci!

By: Hudson

Hudson — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 06:07:06 +0000

nice ill be back to check up on updates

By: Lisa

Lisa — Sun, 17 May 2009 13:03:15 +0000

Your letters and posts put a smile on my face.
I live in suburbia and have been thinking about making some kind of sustainable use out of my backyard. Kind of been going in the opposite direction though. Swimming pool, tennis.
SUV. I mean just composting seems like a big step. But everything has a beginning right? I’m already converted to the music at least!

By: OrgoCowboy

OrgoCowboy — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 04:48:52 +0000

Yeah, it’s so weird: not three days after the “redneck” discussion began here, I read an article about the Ludlow Mining Violence in the “New Yorker” which implied that the miners’ bandannas were the source of the term, sans prejudice. Thanks for the kind words, too, Eli.

By: Eli

Eli — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 17:21:06 +0000

Love your writing style, along with your honesty and lack of pretentiousness.

I’ve also heard that the term “redneck” has roots in the mining revolt.

By: OrgoCowboy

OrgoCowboy — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 19:32:32 +0000

Besides my obvious excitement about scaring my dogs even more than my solo “music” does, I think it says something that in an era of completely electronic, auto-generated loop music (some of which I love, since the best music in any genre is always transcendent), there still is a market and a collective ear for that first wholly American instrument, the banjo.

By: Will

Will — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 17:51:32 +0000

Oh, and I have a banjo. When we manage to cut loose of LA and head out East (that sounds so weird), I’ll hafta bring it for some untrained picking duets…

By: OrgoCowboy

OrgoCowboy — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 03:58:21 +0000

That is one outstanding post, Merry — I learned something in every sentence. I’ll tell ya, I saw exactly what you’re talking about in the realm of “left-wingers aren’t the only folks who understand the natural world” when I lived in Alaska. Where the difference mainly lay, I found, was in the understanding that the planet’s resources don’t go on forever, and that every ecosystem, world-wide, is connected. Meanwhile, I’ll have to look into Foxfire. I’ve never heard of it, though I surf the ‘Net with Firefox. And, man, can anyone confirm if that is true about the source of the term “redneck”?

By: Merry

Merry — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 03:32:45 +0000

Thanks for another great post. I’ve got both rednecks and hillbillies in my heritage (a Mississippi dad and a mom with family in Virginia). Though these people, may have seemed ultra conservative, many times they had knowledge of, and a love of, nature that ran deep and true. Especially the people of my grandparent’s generation. I’ve discovered that someone is slowly selling old issues of Foxfire to my local used book store and I snatch one up whenever I see one. They are full of amazing stories and wisdom of the old timers.

Oh, btw, from what I understand, the term “redneck” might have came from a group of mountain people rebelling against the tyrrany of railroad barons. They wore red bandanas around their necks. Only later did it take on the connotations it has today.

By: OrgoCowboy

OrgoCowboy — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 18:08:03 +0000

Isn’t so funny how we have a say over our terms? We decide which ones are pejorative, which innocuous. (Douglas Adams, as he did on so many crucial elements of conscious existence, waxed hysterically on this theme when the translators messed up an intergalactic peace conference, leading to billions of needless deaths.) And all for a bit of rattling of the vocal chords. But I like your suggestions, Will. If I said, “Goatboy” people would think I was referring to a “Saturday Night Live” Sketch.

By: Will

Will — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 17:20:14 +0000

Hillbilly also has a certain inbred/Deliverence vibe… what about Mountain Man (ignoring the Alaskan sojurn), Hill People, sodbuster, Ruralista… hell, Organic Cowboy kinda covers it, though you have no cows… Personally, I like “Westerner”.

By: OrgoCowboy

OrgoCowboy — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 20:18:23 +0000

It makes me so happy (or happiER) whenever I hear someone’s making it happen with sustainability. Go for it. It’s easy. And brace yourself for contentedness.

By: Rick Brown

Rick Brown — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 17:41:41 +0000

Doug, love your monthly posts - they’re motivational and inspirational. Can’t wait until April when my wife and I will attempt the same thing in the mountains of Virginia.