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Unraveling a Curly Community
It has been a year since I have washed or combed my hair. For anyone with “normal” hair (aka straight hair) this would be unimaginable. I bet that you think my hair would look a lot like the image below. 
However, my hair now is the best it has ever been, with soft curls and minimal frizz. Even after a year my hair is still recovering after decades of being stripped of moisture from shampoo and harsh styling products that would leave my curls crispy. But I existed under the illusion that my hair was under control. I was in a cycle of an addiction to styling products that the beauty industry likely would have preferred I never questioned. And under the control of hair stylists that would cut my hair just like it was “normal” hair. In fact, quite a few years ago when I switched most of my other products to be lower impact on me and the environment (check out the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep page that is a data base of personal care products and the impacts that they have on your health) my hair was the one area that didn’t change because it had taken so long to find a routine that sort-of, kind-of worked. The thought of starting the struggle again was terrifying. That was until one year ago, while killing time between the end of work and an evening meeting, I stumbled upon the Curly Girl Handbook at a bookstore and on a whim went ahead and bought it.
The book opens with the author’s story of struggles with own curly hair and peppered throughout the book are “curl confessions” that I instantly could relate to. The core idea in the book is that curly hair is different and that as a person with curly hair reading this book you are not alone. In fact there are at least 6 types of different curly hair that all have different style and maintenance requirements. I easily identified my hair as corkscrew curls. Curls that contract as tightly as a French Poodles if cut too short – Check. A high frizz factor – Check. Hair that appears thickly textured when you look at it all together, but is baby fine and delicate when looked at in a single strand – Check. Hair that soaks up as much conditioner as you feed it – Check. A spring factor of 9-12 inches – Check. It was an amazing feeling to finally have someone, even if it was a far away author, understand my hair after feeling alone when it came to hair for so long. And it jived with my wish to choose products that were lower impact, non-scented and just cheaper. And through this book, now in its second run, and the connective powers of the internet (such as http://www.naturallycurly.com/) there is a curly community emerging.
Now, back to the no washing and no combing part because that is where people get hung up when I start talking about what I’ve done and perhaps it is the reason you still are (or perhaps aren’t) reading this. By no washing, I actually mean no shampooing (referred to by the author as no-poo). But in turn I have started cleansing my scalp and all my hair actually needs is lots of conditioner (as much as it can absorb, which turns out to be quite a bit) rather than being stripped of moisture and natural oils by detergents in the shampoo. And while conditioning, I detangle my hair with my hands, so no combing or brushing is need later when it would disturb the natural formation of the curl and create a halo of frizz. It is all part of the “curly girl method” (there is a chapter each on kids and guys at the back of the book, but overall the book is pretty focused on the experience of women).
So if you are a curly girl (or curly guy that is OK reading a book with “girl” in the title), I would recommend taking a look at this book and the online communities that have come around since perhaps that last time you looked.
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Masthead photo courtesy of Monkey Mash Button
The List by John Horn
The List by John Horn
The Lamrich Wedding List
An Apocalypse Planning Guide
According to the Mayan calendar, we have 329 days until the end of the world. If you haven’t started planning yet (nothing like a “DEADline”), I’ve started to put together a planning guide of things to do to get ready for the impending disaster that will ensue.
Check something (if not many things off) your bucket list.
Our time on earth is limited. We all have lots of things we would like to do someday but it is so easy to let the routine of busy schedules get in the way. If you don’t have a bucket list of things that you want to do someday, make one, and then prioritize a couple of things that you can do this year. It will help with the mental preparation for the end of the world if you know that you have a few less things outstanding.
Explore apocalyptic/dystopian scenarios through novels and film.
While the earlier debate in this series of computers vs. zombies may have you
convinced of how the end will come, it seems to me that there are lots of other options for how the world could end. It could be a flood, it could be a nuclear winter, it could be a plague, it could be World War III, or it could just be the end of the world as we know it with corporations, governments, the media, and/or all of humanity changing how we live in terrible, horrific ways. Thankfully, the human imagination has explored countless scenarios already through the genre of dystopian novels and film, and even has the sub-genre specializing in apocalypse. Wikipedia has compiled extensive summary, so check out a few to see what we might be in for.
Prepare a community asset map.
When the apocalypse comes, you will not be alone. You need to look around you to think about how your community will cope. And this shouldn’t be an exercise in who is the best candidate to be the “Piggy” on your island. Instead, I would suggest that through your networks and neighbourhood there are many strengths and opportunities that you haven’t yet discovered. You need to look around you in a positive way to maximize your chances during the apocalypse and work together to leverage the skills, knowledge and resources that are on hand or can be developed.
Develop outdoor skills.
While the world is ending, odds are food, water, energy, transportation and many of the other things that we enjoy in our everyday lives will stop being as readily available to us. Plus zombies tend to congregate in urban centres. One of the best ways to prepare
for this is to head outside and start learning skills like building fires, sleeping outside, purifying water, traveling by human power (hiking, skiing, canoeing), and protecting food stores from wildlife.
Begin a physical training program.
It might come down to survival of the fittest, so a key part of apocalypse preparation should be physical conditioning (as tempting as it might be to live on a diet of beer and cheese the last couple of months). You might need to doing some outrunning, some climbing, or some squeezing into awkward spaces if you want to survive. So the generally recommended mix of cardio, strength and flexibility training is likely a good baseline for end of the world preparation. Zombies are slow, but persistent, so focus on endurance training.
Pack an apocalypse emergency kit.
Most of us aren’t even ready with a 72 hour emergency kit that the federal government recommends for natural disasters. So that isn’t a bad place to start and there is already a great Gumboot post on this. Since we don’t know how it is going to go down, it would likely pay to have the kit remain fairly light weight and portable in case you need to be on the move. The bonus is that it shouldn’t be prohibitively expensive and if you already have camp gear most of it can play double duty. Thinks about adapting this kit to include tools practical to both dig gardens and for zombie defense.
Have a plan for December 21.
A combination apocalypse and solstice calls for special plans. Whether it is a grand party or more low key celebration, you should do have something to do that day to keep you busy up until the end, however it might come. It is a great chance for reflection, celebration, and exploration of the potential if tomorrow does somehow come. And most importantly, a time to feast and share.
And in the off chance that the Mayans were wrong, by using this list you still have done something you’ve always wanted to do, explored a genre of literature and film, got to know the strengths and potential of your community, are in better shape, explored the great outdoors, have an emergency kit on hand, and had the great party. Not a bad way to spend 2012.
Digital Fill – Our Communities from Space
Sometimes there’s stuff that’s just too cool not to share. I feel that way particularly about space based images. Here’s a terrific new video that I discovered thanks to Gumboot correspondent Theodora Lamb.
It’s a time lapse sequence of photographs taken by the crew of expeditions
28 & 29 on board the International Space Station from August to October,
2011. And it is just stunning.
Banner photo courtesy of Universe Today.
The Xmas List by John Horn
The List by John Horn
The List by John Horn
