And Now for Something Completely Different

November 27, 2021November 30, 2021 Mike Nowak biofuels, Bruce A. Henry, climate change, environment, gardening, holiday giving, holiday music, Judy Handler and Mark Levesque, Peggy Malecki, The Mike Nowak Show

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(November 28, 2021) This blog post will be short and sweet. Like many of you, I took the last few days off. Peggy wasn’t so lucky. She is publishing the December issue of Natural Awakenings Chicago Magazine. So her week looked a little different from mine. Nevertheless, Sunday’s show will be something completely different. Meaning, we will not talk to any guests. Including meteorologist Rick DiMaio, who is also on vacation.

Instead, we will play some music by friends of the show. We will also talk about some environmental stories. Perhaps even some gardening. We want you to join us with your comments and questions. Basically, we’re holding a virtual holiday get-together. Grab that cup of coffee or eggnog and relax.

Judy Handler and Mark Levesque

I have known Judy Handler for (gulp!) more than forty years. A Chicago area-native, she now makes music in Hartford, Connecticut with her husband Mark Levesque. Handler and Levesque have performed more than 2,000 concerts together in the United States & Europe. She plays guitar, he plays guitar and mandolin. If you can name a style, it’s probably in their repertoire. That includes classical, Brazilian, Latin American, klezmer, gypsy, jazz, Celtic and folk. The point is they’re very good.

Last year, they released a holiday CD called Joy to the World. It’s a veritable United Nations of holiday music. English, Welsh, Irish, Russian, Yiddish, French, Puerto Rican, Spanish, and Catalonian music are featured. We’ll play a few tunes this morning.

Bruce A. Henry

Bruce Henry is another friend of the show. I know him through his wife, Sandra Henry. She was Chicago’s Chief Sustainability Officer under Mayor Rahm Emanuel. However, he’s not an administrator. He’s a singer. And a good one. He’s comfortable performing in jazz, pop, R&B, soul, funk, gospel and contemporary genres. He just released his own holiday CD, I’ll Be Home For Christmas. It features a little traditional music, some funk, some crooning and great arrangements.

Some stories of note

Meanwhile, we might discuss some of these stories. (If we’re not having too much fun listening to music.) They cover charity, food, environmentalism, history, nature and more. Even if we don’t get to these stories, they’re all worth a read.

Give Local 2021: Chicago Mutual Aid Groups And Nonprofits Where You Can Give — Or Receive — Help Over The Holidays (Block Club Chicago)

Illinois Christmas tree shortage: Looking for a tall, locally grown tree? Shop early, farmers say. (Chicago Tribune)

A Thanksgiving History Lesson in a Handful of Corn (New York Times)

Climate change fuels a water rights conflict built on over a century of broken promises (Washington Post)

The Enormous Hole That Whaling Left Behind (The Atlantic)

Growing Crops Under Solar Panels? Now There’s a Bright Idea (Wired)

Who Wins the Feeder War? When it’s time to eat, research shows there’s a pecking order—and the winners aren’t always who you’d think. (Audubon)

How climate change and extreme weather are crimping America’s pie supply (Washington Post)

Europe burns a controversial ‘renewable’ energy source: trees from the U.S. (National Geographic)

Another Challenge for Conservation Efforts: Gender Inequity
When women lead in conservation, indicators of success often go up — yet they are routinely excluded. Could a group of local leaders in the Philippines provide a model? (New York Times)

A Tree That Was Once the Suburban Ideal Has Morphed Into an Unstoppable Villain (New York Times)

Finally, we might go one hour. We might go longer. I have no idea. However, we’ll have a good time.