Mike Is Outside

October 2026

Entry 163: How to Hold a Cockroach by Matthew Maxwell: A Personal Review

I highly recommend How to Hold a Cockroach by Matthew Maxwell.

Oct 23 • Michael Bradley

Entry 162: How Against the Grain Got Me Thinking About Outdoor Recreation and Finding Connection

A few days ago, I watched Against the Grain, a short documentary by filmmaker Julian McIntosh about Arjen Dekker and his passion for carving wooden…

Oct 19 • Michael Bradley

Entry 161: The Last Repair Shop and The Stories We Don’t Always Ask About

I just watched The Last Repair Shop last night on YouTube.

Oct 12 • Michael Bradley

Entry 160: Fishing, Food & Exploring North Central Arkansas: Cotter, Crooked Creek & the Buffalo River

I had work to do on this trip, so this wasn't exactly a vacation.

Oct 3 • Michael Bradley

September 2026

Entry 159: Outside the Classroom: Conservation, Education, and a Day in the Arkansas Ozarks

On a regular ol' Monday, I headed toward Huntsville, Arkansas, to spend the day at the McIlroy Wildlife Management Area as part of my service with the…

Sep 17 • Michael Bradley

Entry 158: Beyond the Journal: Why Researchers Should Take Social Media Seriously

TL;DR: Publishing research is not the same as getting it into the hands of people who can use it.

Sep 13 • Michael Bradley

Entry 157: From Oark General Store to Wolf Pen Recreation Area: A Day Exploring the Arkansas Ozarks

I’ve been hearing about the Oark General Store in Oark, Arkansas, pretty much since I moved to this part of the state.

Sep 6 • Michael Bradley

August 2026

Entry 156: Frank Lloyd Wright in Oak Park: An Easy Architecture Day Trip from Chicago

During my recent trip to Chicago, some of the most interesting architecture I encountered was not among the skyscrapers downtown.

Aug 26 • Michael Bradley

Entry 155: Exploring Chicago: Parks, Art, Architecture, and a Little Magic

Chicago is the kind of city that almost demands to be explored on foot.

Aug 26 • Michael Bradley

July 2026

Entry 154: Graduate Education Is the Human Infrastructure Behind Economic Development

A recent Inside Higher Ed article examining changing federal priorities for higher education grants highlighted familiar themes in our current policy…

Jul 22 • Michael Bradley