Michael J. Helgerson

Upon moving to Creston my first priority (after housing) has been the process of procuring an internet connection.  To be really honest, it is the only amenity that truly defines the quality of my life.

Yes, I am addicted.  No, I am not ashamed.  I’m Gen Y, baby!

Anyway, I have not been happy with the offers made to my by the only (two) available internet providers in my new community.  I don’t want to pay for cable TV or a landline phone.  That makes internet access a bit pricey, I must say.  However, I have access to an impressively good wireless network from below, so I have paused my search for another ISP for now.

So, because I lack any television service, I have decided to make a “Media Center” of sorts that will access the internet and generate content that, well, I care about.  Thanks to programs like Hulu Desktop and other open source alternatives, this process has been surprisingly simple thus far.  That being said, I’m not very far along yet.

To create this media center I am using the Mac that previously was my main computer: my unbound iBook.
“What on Earth is an “unbound iBook?” you ask.  The story of this computer is interesting, unique, and most endearing when told using an Animal Rescue metaphor.

When certain well-armed family members of mine lived in Florida, they awoke one morning to find that someone had abandoned a poor little iBook on their front yard.  Yes, an Apple laptop was lying next to a tree in their yard.  It appeared from initial observations that the laptop was thrown from a moving vehicle and had impacted the tree.  The computer’s screen was damaged – trauma suffered through the reckless actions of its previous owner.

Obviously distressed from the experience (and likely the mainspring by which the computer was jettisoned from the vehicle), the computer had issues booting and continually “locked-up”.  [I should note at this point that the computer was being operated via an external monitor – the mode by which I still use it today]  However, with a bit of TLC (fresh install of the operating system) the computer was up and running like new…less a notebook screen.

Hence it had been “unbound”.  It is a bit of a stretch, I know.

But the rest is history.  I, with my big heart for Macs, brought the little iBook into my home.  Since then, it has been an unequivocally solid computing platform.  I am working with Sarah McLachlan to do a commercial raising awareness for half-tops like mine.  Support your local Laptop Rescue!

But I digress.

My main point is that I have a lot of time to kill here in C-Town and have been slaying that time with senseless little techno-projects that do very little other than prove to myself that, well, I could do them in the first place.  That being said, this won’t be the last of these projects

Turn on.  Tune in.  And don’t forget to drop me a line in the comments section.

After a long hiatus, I am back.

Since my last post a few things have changed…

• New job.
• New town.
• New apartment.

It has been an interesting few months.  More information on the job and my vintage 1970 apartment coming soon. With photos.

Welcome back!

Tonight I decided to become a Gawker exhibitor.

Gawker Artists is an online community in which artists of all types can post their work. After creating a profile on the Gawker website, select work is displayed in ad space on exhibitor websites. I am now one of those websites. I think it a great way to provide some free exposure to artists who choose to use the service. Plus, it is a wonderful addition to my site’s design

Above is one such example, and at the bottom of every page on my site you will see a Gawker banner. Click any banner to be taken to the artist’s profile page.  Peruse often to see different examples. I hope you enjoy!

While this post is quite late to the subject, I thought it was worth mentioning. I am sure someone else has already pointed this out.

On June 18th, Iowa kicked off the National Guard’s Vigilant Guard initiative – a measure designed to develop the emergency response capability of the National Guard and local officials. The scenario acted out in Des Moines involved local citizens who pretended to have injuries stemming from the derailment of a train carrying a highly combustible material.

At first I questioned the plausibility of such a scenario in downtown Des Moines. However, the following weekend a train carrying ethanol (an incredibly flammable material) derailed and killed one woman. Quite coincidental, eh?

Well, to say the least, my skepticism has disappeared and I am glad that Iowa’s emergency response officials have been trained to manage situations such as these. With the growing ethanol production industry in Iowa, I have few doubts there will be more opportunities in which these particular skills are called to use.

No, not more federal spending.

I’m glad the First Family has balanced the construction of a new basketball court one the White House grounds with something useful.  The First Lady has been the steward[ess] of the newly created kitchen garden on the White House’s South Lawn.  Thus far, it has served as a useful educational resource for healthy eating habits for school aged children.  But moreover, I hope it serves as a model for individuals and communities to consider growing food (that locals consume) closer to home.

It’s a bold idea but I think it’s worth the effort.  Local food systems are gaining much more attention in my profession, and the investment and commitment of the President and his family is likely to have a significant impact on the proliferation of these kinds of gardens at varying scales.

I wish I had the room for something comparable to the First Garden, but any novel about my horticultural skills would have to be called The Absent Gardener.

I was recently introduced to a concept that has fascinated me for the last week or so: the ecomuseum.  In today’s lexicon, the name conjures up images of so-called “tree huggers” perusing exhibits documenting man’s declension into a way of life solely sustained by the abundance of non-renewable resources.   And, indeed some people have interpreted the term that way; while their version is more friendly, I prefer the former.

The term has a much richer history than the current trends toward “green living” and “sustainability”.  Originally a French term – ecomusée – the ecomuseum can be understood in this way as the ecology of culture.  In this way the development and life of a culture is understood a much larger scale.  Basically, it is a landscape or path in which the journey serves as the cultural narrative for that place.  A living history if you will. The ecosystem aspect of it comes from the interaction of an area’s landscape, natural resources, history, culture, and economy that form a narrative of a region. Together these aspects form a synergy, where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

Having a deep interest in historic preservation, I was more familiar with this term cultural landscape; the more accepted name here in the States. Yet, cultural landscapes don’t get the same kind of attention in the United States that well-preserved buildings do. While there are plenty of “living history” experiences still around in the United States, I think they miss the real beauty that is captured by many ecomuseums throughout the world.

From canadianlookin on flickr

Take the Crowsnest Pass in Alberta, Canada.  An area mined heavily in the 19th and 20th centuries, this region has a heritage centered around a legacy of extract ice industries.  In 1903, the town was almost completely destroyed by a massive landslide later named the Frank Slide.  Much of the town was excavated, but the landscape was radically changed by the 600 ft high rock that dammed a local river and destroyed a large tract of the railroad and mining infrastructure.

Today, the area remains a testament to the tradition of mining in Crowsnest Pass, with the region’s settlements intact and preserved after mining activity resumed following the landslide.  The road by which you can view the region is actually built upon the pile of rock which devastated the community at the turn of the century.  In this way, Crowsnest Pass stands as a living example of an economic heritage and the interaction (and domination) of man over nature… and vice versa.

I think that that kind of living narrative and is underutilized framework for understanding the history of an area.  Places like Williamsburg are reconstructions or fabrications of a cultural narrative.

Maybe the American landscape has been too degraded for many of these kinds of narratives to remain intact.  The Peter Blakes of the world would think so.

Update:  I found this great image that really helps define what an ecomuseum is supposed to represent.  It was created by the two french men who coined the term ‘ecomusee’ in the first place.

Click the image above for a larger view

I found this map recently and was really intrigued by the amount of detail that went into creating it.  The designer that created the illustration spent five months combing real and fictional locations and people into the landmasses of the map.  The map has been circulating around the web for quite some time, but it is still quite incredible.

A more detailed look at the specifics of the map can be found here.

As it turns out, the map is available for purchase.  Add that to the holiday shopping lists of your favorite blogger.

Having lived in Ames for quite a few years, there have been some notable news stories with a local flavor.  But, in recent months, there has been a strange trend arising: students young men falling from or within apartment buildings. Having witnessed the aftermath of a neighbor jumping from his own (albeit lower) balcony, I beg the question: why?

Maybe this isn’t atypical in college towns generally, but it seems unprecedented here in Ames.  I will be interested (as are some of you) if the City Council of Ames chooses to address this issue – particularly in the student dominated area of Campustown.  Perhaps they will outlaw certain building types or accessible balconies altogether?  Maybe not?

Will the property manager take steps to reduce this kind of activity?  Both the incidents I linked to above occured in Legacy Tower, a property occupied predominantly by ISU students.  I don’t think Campustown Properties could have prevented these incidents even if they had tried.  Yet, it does present them with a considerable amount of “bad PR”.  Thanks to SirTopham (edit: originally from Ron White’s stand-up but still applicable) for the Quote of the Day:

“You can’t fix stupid.”

Update:  It seems the young man who fell down the elevator shaft wasn’t an Iowa State student, but was just visiting a friend.  Still, quite a concerning piece of news.

Although I have no real concerns about maintaining my personal anonymity on this blog, I will use a series of monikers to represent those close to me who obviously want no part in this venture.

• Wo-Beau Editor’s Note: In lieu of using the female equivalent of “beau” in French (i.e. “belle”), I decided to make it rhyme.  It should be clear to whom I am referring.
• SirTopham
• TheGovernor

To those implicated in this post, when you comment your name will be reflected like it listed above.  Additions will be made to this post as I come up with more people who may have an interest in reading this.

Oh, and if you take issue with the name listed above or have a suggestion for a name of your own, leave a comment on this post and we will work something out.

A recent college graduate searching for his next step.  >> [SUGGESTION BOX]

Where better to document my journey than on the interweb?

The unspecifics of what will follow can be found on the “About” page to the left.

Welcome!