Jennifer Jones Austin is a complete stranger to me. But in the coming months you’re going to hear me talk a great deal about people just like her. At the age of 41 this mother of two is suffering from leukemia. Though with this serious form of cancer Jennifer’s prospects for survival will increase dramatically if she receives a bone marrow transplant.
But first she needs a donor. A successful transplant requires a very specific tissue match. The most likely donor candidate will be a person who shares her genetic ancestry. Unfortunately, African-Americans represent only 2 percent of the pool of registered donors in the United States. The chances of Jennifer finding a match are quite low. Read the rest of this entry »

Eco-Champion candidate Deanna-Kavanaugh-Jones

This is hardly a political endorsement. The good works of people on behalf of the environment rise well above the discourse of rhetorical posturing in the self-serving quest for social power that is politics. But as we are a democratic society it often falls to majority rule to determine even the distribution of scarce philanthropic resources in the support of worthy causes. So vote Deanna Kavanaugh-Jones for Eco-Champion. : http://tr.im/qkfb
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Deanna has done a great deal to galvanize the social power of the outdoor industry to take direct action in protecting wild and scenic places across the country. As a co-founder of the online social networking platform Conservation Next she’s helped to raise awareness for not just one environmental cause, but dozens. Working through the Conservation Alliance Deanna and a dynamic team of outdoor professional women have made it possible for Conservation Next members, known as Nexters, to get personally involved in the preservation of endangered areas near their homes as well as the remote regions they love to visit. Using the power of social networking Nexters can receive alerts for political action campaigns, get involved in clean-up projects and share resources and information concerning the natural areas they cherish.
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The Eco-Champion grant of $15,000 donated by outdoor equipment, footwear and apparel company The North Face will allow Deanna to continue her work and further the cause of wilderness protection. But in order to receive this award she needs your help. Click this link: http://tr.im/qkfb to cast your vote. Share this post with your network of friends and ask them to lend their support as well.

I think it’s safe to say that social media is here to stay. In the six month since launching the Joy Trip Project I’ve managed to connect with thousands of people all over the world. I’ve managed to jump on just about every social media platform imaginable and the latest is the music site iLike.

The JTP isn’t necessarily a provider of music. But as a series of MP3 files with audio featuring musical elements I figured it might make sense to use this service to hopefully make the stories bring to you every week a little easier to listen to and hopefully share with your friends. Find the new iLike fan page for the Joy Trip Project at: http://www.ilike.com/artist/The+Joy+Trip+Project

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So far I’ve been really lucky. Several supporters of my work have made it possible for me to travel a little and gather more compelling content. I aim to keep that going with several new editions of the podcast coming out, plus new posts to this blog and the photo stream throughout the summer. As it turns out though, finding these stories isn’t hard. There’s no shortage of interesting people doing exciting things with their lives, many for the benefit of others. The challenge is in packaging all these stories and delivering them to you in a manner that is convenient for you to enjoy. I hope iLike will help. Read the rest of this entry »

I just donated $20 to This American Life. A plea for cash came across my Facebook groups update list asking members to support the show’s free podcast. Apparently it costs $150,000 just to accommodate the bandwidth. So I plunked down my credit card and forked over the money.

As the Joy Trip Project struggles to meet its own fundraising goals I’d frankly feel like a hypocrite if I didn’t pony up to support those with similar objectives. Supporting TAL is a no-brainer because at some point I’d love nothing more than to contribute a story. Hopefully that particular bridge hasn’t been burned. I met Ira Glass as the Sundance Film Festival three years ago and made the mistake of telling him that his groundbreaking radio show has no business on television.
But I digress. Personally I’m a member of about 50 different “Causes” or “Groups” on Facebook. This is perhaps the only financial contribution I have ever made. I’ve never attended a fundraising event or a volunteer workday. But I’ve taken no small measure of pride for suggesting to my friends that they should join the groups I “support.”

Even though it’s never been easier to connect with people and their causes, I suspect that very little real engagement is actually happening. The coffers are still short of the full mark and trail maintenance work parties are poorly attended. I for one have been pretty slack in my real world support of those activists who are working toward the change we all say we want.
Slactivism was the subject of an essay by Youth Radio producer Nico Savage last year on the now defunct Public Radio show Day-To-Day.  He suggested that Facebook “Groups” and “Causes” do very little move forward an agenda of change and actually encourage a new form of apathy and falsely convinces people that they’re actually accomplishing something.
If more people had truly supported Day-To-Day with financial contributions or even letters appreciation for its daily dose of quality journalism, it might still be on the air today and its host Alex Chadwick wouldn’t have to sell his interviews on street corners for 50 cents.

Are you a Slactivist? You are if you haven’t taken some action to move a cause you care about forward. If you’re not, I welcome you to share your story on how you give of your time or money to make the world a better place. I’m making a list of suggestions on how to become better engaged in charitable giving. I’d appreciate your gift of an idea. Post your comments or write to info@joytripproject.com

The Madison bike community gathered in a celebration of culture Thursday evening at Revolution Cycles, 2330 Atwood Ave. Local devotes of bicycle transport showed off their rides and a new line of fashion forward clothing by designers Becky Heller and Jess Neumann for the progress female cycling socialite.

Click here for more photos>>

Jonny Copp

Boulder, CO—The body found in avalanche debris at 4000 meters on Mount Edgar (6818 meters/22,368 feet), China, has been positively identified as Jonathan “Jonny” Copp, age 35 of Boulder, CO. “Our deepest condolences and love go to all of Jonny’s family and friends—and that list of people is so long. He will be sorely missed, but we celebrate his inspiring and amazing life,” says Robb Shurr, spokesperson for the search effort.

More>>

Micah Dash

Jonny Copp

Wade Johnson

BEIJING (AP) –

The body of an American mountain climber has been found after an avalanche in an isolated part of southwestern China, the official Xinhua News Agency said Saturday.

Rescue workers were still searching for two other American members of the group who went missing on Mount Gongga in Sichuan province, Li Zhixin, an official with the Chinese Mountaineering Association, told Xinhua.

The report did not identify whose body had been found.

Wade Johnson, 24, of Arden Hills, Minnesota, and Micah Dash and Jonny Copp of Boulder, Colo., were last heard from May 20 at the base camp of Mount Edgar, a peak of Mount Gongga, according to an e-mail his parents sent to friends.

They were scheduled to fly Tuesday out of Chengdu, Sichuan’s capital, but missed the flight.

Gongga, Tibetan for “highest snow-capped mountain,” attracts both tourists and mountaineers. It is 24,790 feet (7,556 meters) above sea level, according to Xinhua.

Johnson was working for Boulder-based Sender Films, which makes climbing and outdoor adventure films.

(JTP note: attempts to find a photograph of Wade Johnson to accompany this story were unsuccessful. We regret not including an image of Wade. We’ll redouble efforts to find one and welcome contributions of viewers)

Colorado Independent

Obama-era economic policy so far has not prominently featured the nation’s farm country. But that’s changing. Policy being weighed now in Washington concerning ethanol will have a major impact in states like Colorado, home to Yuma County, one of the most efficient corn-growing regions in the country and a major producer of the biofuel.

As debate over ethanol heats up, the path the Obama Administration is steering looks to be exactly the kind of middle-way, practical political tack that chagrins progressives, in this case energy analysts and environmentalists who want to see the country take bold steps and begin to lead the world in green technology and climate change mitigation.

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Tom Coyle keeping our bike paths graffiti free. He's The Tagenator

Graffiti is one of those things you expect to see in any modern city. Madison, Wisconsin is no exception. But on the Capital City Trail it’s disappointing to see these foolish expressions of adolescent anxiety along this paved scenic path designated for bikes and pedestrians. Finishing my run this morning I came across a tag in purple spray paint that bisected the yellow line in clear view of traffic in both directions. An amateur drawing of a space alien was signed in bold letters “Soldier of Fortune.”

I was struck first by the irony. This kid needs an expanded view of the horizon if this is the most exciting thing he or she could come up with in a quest for adventure and glory. But then it occurred to me that my own pursuit of health and fitness would be scared by this selfish act at the end of every bike ride or run. I fumed as I as pace around the block on my cool down.

So I can’t tell you how surprised I was to finish the lap and see a City of Madison maintenance truck parked just a few feet from the purple alien. There in the midmorning sunshine a man in an orange t-shirt and work gloves sprayed the path stained in purple paint with a tag of his own.

“The call it Tagenator,” said Tom Coyle, a city employee and my hero. He held it up for me to see. “It cost about $300 for a drum this size. It’s environmentally friendly and it takes the paint right out.” 

In the time it took for me to walk around the block “Solider of Fortune” was no more. And the purple alien was on his way to being wiped off the face of the earth.

“I’ve been doing this for about 2 years now,” Coyle said. “I’m out on this trail every day and I just hate seeing all these tags. So I get rid of them.”

With a great deal of pride in his voice Coyle said he loves his work. “I’ve got the second best job in town,” he said. “The superintendent has the best job. But I like what I do. I’ve lived here my whole life and I want to keep it looking nice.”

I was personally impressed that despite the state of the economy Madison still places a high priority on city maintenance. Though hardly a vital civil service, I believe that removing graffiti tags is a worthwhile investment in the psychological health of our community. Our municipal bike and walking paths are one of the many reasons people love to live in Madison. And there is a certain satisfaction in knowing that dedicated city employees like Tom Coyle are out there to keep the trails tag-free and looking nice on our behalf. It’s a dirty job. But someone has to do it. He’s the Tagenator.