Ms. Darby

On a gloriously Pacific Northwest-style sunny Sunday afternoon, we had just come from seeing the indie movie Wendy and Lucy to meet up with friends for a late lunch and a couple of Bloody Marys. On the way home, David suggested we go to the Humane Society “just to look”. Having suggested that to him many times before with no bites, I was excited to see the tides turn.

Once inside, we turned the first corner and that’s when we saw her, peeking around the concrete half-wall in her doggie cubicle, looking up at us with that wrinkled forehead and those satellite seeking ears. David fell in love at first site, and wasn’t interested at ALL in looking at any other dogs. I thought that we should look at EVERY dog there, just to make sure we weren’t missing our destined canine, knowing full well we had already found our girl.

After a week of waiting, and talking to landlords, and scrounging money, and trying to decide if this was the right time, and going back to see her again for a longer visit, David brought her home on March 6th, 2009. Her name changed from ‘Tinka’ to Lucy*, and our lives changed from dogless to a home full of dog love and dog hair.

Lucy was six months when we brought her home; timid, nervous, and a little shell shocked, I think. She slept like a rock her first night with us, maybe feeling like she could finally let down her guard. And from that day forward, we feel so privileged to have her in our lives, because she brings us so much laughter, joy, and magic. This girl has taught us to be more patient, to laugh more and not take anything too seriously, to pay better attention to things, and to enjoy each day.

She is orange and muscular, with eight tiny little white hairs at the very tip of her tail and black spots on the back of her pink tongue. She’s an athlete, a trickster, and a wildly energetic playmate. She loves other dogs, is transfixed by cats, and loves to try to catch squirrels and black crows. She is crouching dingo, hidden Lucy, as she gets low in the “tall grasses” (in her mind) prior to pouncing on other dogs at play. She can take a walk without a leash, comes when she’s called (well, almost always), and can’t stand to be away from her people. She doesn’t like water much unless she’s at the beach or the river, prefers baths inside to ones with a hose, and she loves lettuce, walnuts, and cucumbers. She will straight sleep on top of you, and wake you with loving kisses. She grunts and groans and grumbles, and can make an entire game out of sparring with one, single, tiny kibble. She is fluent in canine AND English, and is the softest furred mutt in all the land.

One night early in our canine relationship, David and I went out while Lucy tried her new spot in the large, tile covered bathroom with the European-style shower. Upon our return, the bathroom was full of water, the rugs were soaked, and there wasn’t a dry area ANYWHERE. Yet, the water was off, and Lucy was bone dry. Not even her paws were wet. Since then, we have known that she is a shapeshifter, and catch her taking the form of coyote, deer, and penguin, along with her native African Bush dingo spirit.

I suppose it would be fair to suggest that we’re a bit obsessed and mono-focused on Lucy, and some might say fanatical, since we literally spend every day gushing about this most amazing dog with whom we spend our days. But we really wouldn’t have it any other way, and as the proud caretakers of this magical and loving girl, we’ll own your name-calling, smiling every step of the dog-walking way.

*her namesake is the dog in the movie we saw on the day of our first meeting, and also one shot in Portland, based on a Portland writer’s book of short stories)

Filed by darby at 9:10 pm under General
No Comments

It’s that time of year again; the time when we index the past year and assess where we’re at and where we’re heading. Most of 2008, I was concentrating on where I was heading, quite literally and physically. I’ve now arrived here in the Pacific Northwest, securing the place I’ve desired and the work I’ve desired, so it looks like, from where I’m sitting, at least, that 2009 will be about refining. Polishing the already beautiful gems I have and adoring them, taking extra care to appreciate their uniqueness.

Still in a slight state of transition with a whole new universe to discover, I want to make sure I listen more and talk less while I chart my path. For any of you who know me, this is BIG. I tend to “interject” while others are speaking, and trying to not do so is a challenge, but one I’m ready to take on.

I want to also learn the bass guitar, a la Kim Deal. Or maybe like Aston “Family Man” Barrett, of Bob Marley and the Wailers fame. Or George Porter, or Bootsie Collins – I wanna bring the funk, ya know? Or Mike Rutherford, for any of you Genesis fans…Or perhaps I’ll just spend 2009 trying to rack my brain to see how many bassists I can name. Besides Getty Lee.

Happy New Year!

Filed by darby at 12:12 pm under General
7 Comments

The soil is fertile here in the Pacific Northwest, just they way you picture it would be in the world’s largest temperate rainforest. We, as humans, are definitely a part of nature, but it seems to take us quite a bit longer to adapt to our surroundings. At least to the point of feeling settled, like, say, a pine cone can adapt and settle from its former tree to the forest ground.

Perhaps it’s all of the extraneous stuff we bring to the new place; books and beds, couches and chairs, dishes and coffee pots, plus the TV, armed with blankets and pillows and clothes and candles, we arrive to a new place called home with not just ourselves, but our belongings, all looking for a place to be. To settle.

But finally, settle, we have. It has been fairly easy, really. Because people are smart here, across the board. And creative. And open, curious, and interesting. They like to read books, and have decent, if not totally elevated, senses of humor. While I realize this is a huge generalization just longing for pointed fingers to examples of people who do not fit my nicely crafted mold, it seems that the general vibe of the human species here is remarkable. And I haven’t yet mentioned the amazing food, coffee, wine, and general love of music found at every turn. And I mean EVERY turn.

Nor have I touted the amazing natural wonders that is Oregon herself. I have kept quiet about the beauty of our region – the Pacific Northwest, and the endless opportunities for discovery on a natural level.

At times, I feel like I have lived here forever, while simultaneously, it’s as if I am deep inside a dream. Perhaps there IS something to that whole follow your bliss thing. From where I’m perched at the moment, this Campbellian way of life has bestowed so many gifts upon me that I am continuously rendered breathless. So if I am lost in a dream, I beg of you, don’t wake me up.

Filed by darby at 9:53 pm under raves, travel
6 Comments

As the movers pulled away from our Lowcountry (freshly empty) home Wednesday, it felt like I was watching the scene unfold upon me from outside of myself. It’s still all pretty surreal.

Strangely, I did not feel any attachment to our home of 3 1/2 years; not even to the sanctuary that was our house, which David and I spent many resources remodeling and fine tuning. It is and always will be in a place that doesn’t work for us.

Now, while I sit in an Omaha coffeehouse, it feels so good to be looking forward, having filled myself up with loving friends in Asheville, Cincinnati and Chicago along the way. It’s as if each mile we head North and West, I start coming back into myself, no longer viewing it from a place outside of my own two eyes, heart, and soul. I am becoming whole again, and although it is totally cliche, it is precisely what is happening. I feel like I have a solid footing, which provides me the ability to actually float at the same time.

We have already been treated to harness racing in Lexington, KY, laughing and joy in both Cincy and Chi-town, the most incredible (almost) full moon and sunset winding our way through the amazingly lush Iowan countryside, and now we walk upon the soil that birthed David.

Next, we visit the great Sand Hills of Nebraska, then to Salt Lake City to visit more good friends, then Portland, baby.

We are now among our people, and it feels so good to be back.

Filed by darby at 11:03 am under General, raves, travel
4 Comments

The thread of community building and economic partnership on a hyper local scale has been stitching itself into my life’s canvas over the past number of months. First, it was Epicurus on Happiness, who believes there are three things needed for happiness: friendship/community, self-reliance/freedom, and an examined life.

Recently, I read an interview with Judy Wicks, “owner and founder of Philadelphia’s 25-year-old White Dog Cafe, and a national leader in the local, living economies movement.” Wicks has a message that is brave, honest, and needed now perhaps more than ever. From The Sun magazine interview by David Kupfer:

Kupfer: What exactly is a “local living economy”?

Wicks: It’s an economy in which basic needs are produced close to home in ways that are sustainable and don’t harm the environment. This requires a cooperative mentality, because there’s no such thing as a stand-alone sustainable business — it must be part of a sustainable system. Individuals, or individual businesses, can’t provide for all our basic needs by themselves. We need a local food system, a local energy system, local clothing manufacturing, and green building methods. In the face of climate change and peak oil, our survival depends on community self-reliance.

In local living economies, goods we can’t produce at home, such as coffee or sugar or bananas, are traded for fairly, so that the exchange benefits both our community and the community where those products originate. We can still have a global economy, but it will be a network of thousands of sustainable local economies that trade in products that improve our quality of life. If we create products that are unique to our region — whether it’s a style of clothing, a type of cheese or wine, or a unique invention — they’ll be sought after in the global marketplace. So this movement is not anti-trade or antiglobalization; it’s about creating security at home and not depending on foreign trade for our basic needs.

Kupfer: The goal of traditional investment strategy is to maximize profits. Why are you working to change that?

Wicks: One reason that many people want a high return on their investment is that they’re afraid of not having enough money when they’re old. In indigenous societies, security in old age comes from the wealth of the community, not from individual income. If we felt secure in our communities, we wouldn’t be afraid of how we might end up. But our society often does not include elderly people in the community. We marginalize them. It’s no wonder we’re all afraid of being old and penniless. What could be worse in our society?

The alternative to the stock market is investing your money in your own community so that you receive a modest financial return and also a “living return,” which is the benefit of living in a more sustainable local economy and a healthier community. I made the decision to take all my money out of the stock market and put it into Philadelphia’s Reinvestment Fund. I get a straight financial return of between 4.5 and 5.5 percent, and the money I invest also benefits my community. For instance, it helped to finance the wind turbines that produce the electricity the White Dog Cafe buys. Money invested in the stock market, on the other hand, is just taken out of the community.

We’re taught that we’re suckers if we don’t make the highest profit or pay the lowest price. If you invest where you don’t make as much money, then you’re a loser. There’s no thought given to the effect our financial decisions have on the long-term well-being of our communities.

It is perfect mental and emotional preparation for my move to Portland. Having felt that my movements and thoughts are running completely against the tide here in the Lowcountry, I am eager to begin flowing with the river that is the Pacific Northwest. A culture that, in general, is interested in these concepts and supporting the local, living economies movement. The time for happiness, via building community, friendships, self-reliance, and some time to reflect on it, is now.

Filed by darby at 9:50 am under General
2 Comments

Today marks the fourth time this summer that the GOP in the Senate have blocked an energy and business tax bill from getting to the floor. The Wall Street Journal explains:

The bill would extend tax incentives for wind, solar and other forms of renewable energy, and would renew a host of expired tax cuts, such as the research tax credit and the state-sales-tax deduction. It would also protect most taxpayers from the alternative minimum tax in 2008.

The move failed on a 51-43 procedural vote, dashing Democrats’ hopes that their recent additions to the bill would draw more Republican support.

The White House said senior advisers will recommend a veto should the Senate tax bill reach the president’s desk in its current form. The White House had earlier threatened a veto of similar legislation passed by the House.

The GOP is attempting to attach amendments to the bill for offshore drilling. But for many Republicans, it’s more a matter of principle and politics: many oppose what they say are new tax increases to pay for parts of the package and nearly all say the Senate’s only business now is acting on an energy bill that promotes drilling and other measures to boost domestic oil supply. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, added that his party sees a “need to dispose of the pending energy bill to help bring down the price of gas at the pump before turning to other matters.”

I’m speechless. For now.

Filed by admin at 2:34 pm under Activism, Alternative Energy
1 Comment

Oglethorpe’s plan for Savannah

Savannah is known for her unique and plentiful city squares that promote open space. Consequently, its present city planning department, the Metropolitan Planning Commission, tends to be examined under a microscope by planning departments and preservation scholars across the country. My impression had been that living under this microscope understandably tended the Board towards “safe decisions” and away from modern and new technologies. It seems that I was wrong, as evidenced by The MPC’s unanimous recent ruling to allow the first solar hot water installation in the Savannah Historic District during this month’s meeting on July 9th.

The homeowners of this precedent setting project are Sara Barczak and her husband Anthony Jernigan – customers of ours at OneWorld Sustainable. I met Sara at Savannah’s Earth Day festival this April. She was holding down the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy booth, while I was representing OWS. We got to talking, and I learned that she was looking into solar hot water for her home. A couple of months later, OWS, together with Sara and Anthony, began the process of submitting an application to the MPC for approval on the installation of the solar-water delivering mechanism, 20 evacuated tubes, to be placed on top of her roof.

In my research to prepare for the application, I spoke with several helpful people across the country who all had experience in attempting to marry sustainability with historic preservation, very new and unchartered territory for me.

Chris Meschuk, a City of Boulder, CO planner, generously agreed to a lengthy phone conversation to explain how Boulder has implemented alternative energy into their General Design Guidelines.

The message was clearly delivered by many planners, from Key West, FL to Ypsilanti, MI, that solar PV and hot water were the least obtrusive instruments to deliver alternative energy. And since these installations are also reversible in that they can be removed, the fear of a more solid commitment and ease of correction are both reinforced. Everyone I spoke with also agreed that the general preference for installation was on a roof NOT facing the street. This gave me pause, since Sara and Anthony’s South facing roof is also street facing. Thankfully, their pitched roof was designed for future solar, remaining virtually invisible from the street, thus helping our chances for an approval come decision time.

In my search to better understand the issues, and in turn to hopefully convince the MPC board to approve our application, I luckily happened upon Kimberly Kooles, a University of Georgia National Alliance of Preservation Commissions (NAPC) staff member. She actually answered the phone, and serendipitously explained that she was crafting her PhD on the very subject of the integration of Sustainability and Historic Preservation. What luck! Kimberly educated me and sent me innumerable articles, research links, and various precedents set throughout the country.

Thanks to Kimberly, I learned that while this subject is fairly new to us all, there is a common thread set forth by both Boulder and Ypsilanti, MI, among others. The thread is this: we need to create energy efficient homes through energy efficiency audits and upgrades, prior to implementing alternative energies for any building. These measures include envelope sealing, HVAC equipment upgrades, appliance upgrades, and more efficient lighting equipment.

I have often used a similar line of thinking while speaking with potential solar customers with the simple analogy of turning up ones heat while simultaneously opening all of ones doors and windows. While we all realize the foolishness in the above scenario, we must work together in educating homeowners to pursue energy efficiency prior to considering solar, wind or geothermal alternatives.

This thinking was presented with our application, as the Barczak/Jernigan home was built twice as efficient as their Georgian neighbors’ homes. It is a new home, built on a previously empty lot within the historic district. And it is this fact, that the home is NOT an historic home, that seemed to allow the board to recommend an approval.

Thankfully, Jack Star attended the MPC meeting and spoke during the public comment period. He stressed the importance and timeliness for the board to consider the future allowances of solar PV and hot water applications within the historic district, including installation on historic buildings. It seems many on the board, most notably Joseph Steffen, are open to this discussion and future attempts at finding a good balance at the intersection of sustainability and historic preservation.

As Chatham County has produced a resolution to become the “greenest county in Georgia” and new Georgia tax credits have taken effect on July 1st, there is no time like the present to tackle this much needed dialogue and resolution. Community cooperation together with individual’s heightened responsibility towards environmental stewardship is the vehicle we need to drive implementation of alternative energy worldwide. The first steps, of course, always begin at home.

P.S. A very sincere thanks to all of the combined efforts that helped make this precedent ruling a reality: Sara and Anthony, their neighbors Anthony Alfonso, Tom Hoffman, and Gretchen Ernest, Bill Traver of OWS, Jack Star, all of the generous sharing of information by various planners across the country, and of course, the MPC Historic Review Board.

Filed by admin at 9:28 pm under Activism, Alternative Energy, Community
1 Comment

While watching a documentary on Paul Bowles last night, I was reminded how much I truly adore language. I love interesting words, even if only in the way they sound. Or if they are just fun to say. Like Zeitgeist. Say it. It’s fun!

So, I thought it would be interesting to showcase a word a week. I want to concentrate on words I hear other people say during that week, which will hopefully help me to be a better listener. Plus, it would keep me disciplined enough to add at least one post a week to this blog. Or at least, that’s the idea at the moment.

Like I said, I was watching this great film, called Let It Come Down: The Life of Paul Bowles, and a fellow composer/author – Ned Rorem – used the word slapdash. Is that not the greatest word ever? Slapdash…let it wash over you.

The word was used to describe Bowles’ musical education, and I’m not sure if there could possibly be a more perfect word to convey what Rorem was trying to get across. He said more with slapdash than he could have said with 10 adverbs AND adjectives combined.

slap·dash
–adverb
1. in a hasty, haphazard manner: He assembled the motor slapdash.
–adjective
2. hasty and careless; offhand: a slapdash answer.
[Origin: 1670–80; slap1 (adv.) + dash1]

Filed by darby at 9:35 am under Word of the Week
1 Comment

Ever since I’ve moved to the land of outlet malls (well disguised outlet malls, thankfully), I find myself especially drawn to the Banana Republic outlet.

This may not be odd to most, but I never quite found myself to fit the “B.R.” demographic. Ever since I realized I was never gonna take that African Safari and make like Meryl Streep in Out of Africa back in 8th Grade, the “B.R.” dream of wearing khaki short suits fell by the wayside.

The original draw was that this place has really GREAT deals, and clothes that, mostly, fit me well. Add to that the fact that my black and more funky clothes never quite worked within the Southern environment (not the only thing that doesn’t work, but I digress…), and I found myself more and more drawn to “B.R.” to fulfill my functional, mostly business, fashion needs.

Now that I work from home and don’t find much need for business casual clothes, I still find my car heading straight to the local Banana Republic. I have also found that some of the things I think are FANTASTIC for the brief moment while I’m in the store turn out to lack that luster once I get them home. But this week, I experienced an epiphany to explain my (unknown) initial draw to the place.

The epiphany is this, dear friends. The music. EVERY time I am in there, I am groovin’ on the tunes. I sing, hum, and even sometimes semi-groove – publicly – to the music that is played. EVERY TIME. Of course, this is where I fit the demographic. Which seems a tad disconnected to the clothes, I might add, but I think I realized that I subconsciously go there for the music. Because in the last 4 visits, I have purchased nothing, but not been disappointed in the least by not finding anything.

Instead, I have come away, almost gleefully, not even realizing why until the other day. When I was all, like, what is this song? I know this song? But it’s not the song I think it is. But it is. All this within the first 5 notes…and it is a remake of one of my favorite Ryan Adams songs, called Amy. And I have discovered Mark Ronson in the process, which I am quite thankful for. This is an incredibly beautiful song, originally, and this remake takes it to a different level. I would put the MP3 here for your listening pleasure, but it is SO INVOLVED (especially since I only have the MP4 version, etc., etc….)

Go get it. It’s 2 bucks, if you get the original Ryan Adams’ version AND the Mark Ronson remake. SO WORTH IT. Trust me.

P.S. I was also re-invigorated with New Order’s Love Vigilantes during my recent Banana discovery, too. Reminded me of my high-school friend (and prom date), Matt Vidmar. He owned and sported the classic Substance all-white t-shirt back in the day. I love the 80’s.

Filed by darby at 7:53 am under Arts, General, rants, raves
No Comments

Our relationship with food is an interesting delve into passion, survival, hedonism, disease, and social interaction, among other things. I love food, and although I am a picky eater and trying desperately not to be, cooking is my chill zone. I love to get into that rhythm, where the timing is like a precise and lovely mambo, with the aroma of spices and sauces wafting through the space, mixing with the music playing in the background. Ahhhh, the kitchen, that hearth of home that everyone gravitates to, especially once they are drunken.

The biggest joy I derive from cooking is seeing the ones I love enjoy what I’ve made. Although I probably rebelled against this seemingly gender based role, one reeking of June Cleaver goodness, (not goddess), I eventually just allowed myself to do what I found joy in. Cooking fits that bill, and I have since been re-inspired with the hopes of helping our household to be more vegetarian.

While I have been around vegetarians and vegans since my late teens, I grew up on the Irish cooking of a very meat and potatoes based diet. (Still, it was GREAT food). This has made it a challenge for me to find my way towards doing things creatively with vegetables, so that even I would enjoy it, a kid who hated all vegetables except corn. (Which is a grain, anyway…) All that said, I will likely not want to pass up the amazing taste of Argentinian Beef and a fresh Chimichurri sauce every once in a while.

While I work my way away from meat and have always loved falafel, tempeh, and pasta, introducing TVP and tofu (I can’t get past the texture) is tricky for me. Still, I love the way I’m feeling after only a few days of eating some hearty vegetarian fare. Not to mention the enormous environmental benefits to be had from consuming less meat.

Plus, I have been infatuated with the idea of self-reliance forever. And if I am fulfilled with a vegetarian diet, I don’t ever have to confront the killing of 4 legged animals, an act I am incredibly freaked out by. Unless, of course, it’s all wrapped in a nice plastic cellophane, removing me completely from the enormous miracle that it took to get that cow, chicken, turkey, and pig so easily in front of me. Geez, how I long to respect and appreciate the food that I consume much more than I presently do.

Over the past couple of days, I’ve made a vegetarian moussaka and peanut noodles with mixed veggies in a lemon-infused chile sauce. I’m going to make some baba ghanouj, curried celery soup, griddled pineapple and mango with vanilla yogurt, and a sweet potato roulade. All of these wonderful dishes come from a cookbook I picked up a couple of months ago, apparently when the seed was planted, somewhat unbeknownst to me. It’s called, plainly, Vegetarian, and is put together by Nicola Graimes. I can’t find it anywhere online, probably because it’s one of those mass produced books commissioned by Borders Books or something. The 126 page intro, with fabulous pictures, food anecdotes, nutritional factoids and preparation info is broken down into categories and makes for a tantalizing foray into the world of gourmet vegetarian cooking.

Bon Appetit!

Filed by darby at 7:08 pm under Arts, General
No Comments

Imagine making a midnight run, armed only with peonies and tulips, a hand spade and packet of seeds. This is a typical evening for one Mr. Richard Reynolds, the Londoner credited with bringing back the beautifully defiant act of guerilla gardening.

Jon Mooallem caught up with Reynolds sometime in April, apparently to write this wonderful treat of an article from the Sunday Times magazine a couple of weeks back. I’m obviously late to the party on these happenings, as the BBC and others have been reporting on Reynolds’ movement since early 2005. Reynolds and his crews focus on neglected public land, taking over plots of weeds and turning them into cared for public spaces. It seems they have re-ignited a worldwide movement of bewildering, another term synonymous with guerilla gardening coined by Australian gardener Bob Crombie. Or rather, it seems this natural act is becoming a part of the collective consciousness once again.

Still, the most famous group of Londoners employing these tactics should probably go to the activists associated with the group The Land is Ours, a group that occupied 13 acres of derelict land belonging to the Guiness company, for five and a half months before being evicted. Their mission was to highlight “the appalling misuse of urban land, the lack of provision of affordable housing and the deterioration of the urban environment”. And they potentially learned all this from Liz Christy and her Green Guerillas from the Bowery in New York in the 1970’s, who learned it from a couple of Brits, who must’ve read the bible at some juncture. Point is, this act of using public space for the community’s greater good has been around a long time. Everything runs in a circular motion.

And to think that I have a half of an acre with no garden growing…hmph. I always felt that I needed to own a home before I had a garden, and now that I do, I think that I need to find a place that I want to put down roots before I sow. Instead, I think, I should just stop thinking so much and perhaps pick up a hoe and take some action for a moment. (grab a hoe…did you like that? It makes me feel giddy and juvenile, so I couldn’t help but mention it…)

Enjoy the video that the Nation fashioned over two years ago, if you’d like. And if you’re feelin’ it, get yourself some tools, cuttings, and maybe a headlamp and have a go at it, yeah?

Filed by darby at 9:36 pm under Docu Potent, raves
1 Comment

Photo courtesy of Roujo

As I unloaded the last bit of our groceries onto the belt this morning, David prepared to pay as I got our bags together and helped collect our overpriced produce and organic goods. Moments before, I walked past this happy, upbeat young girl riding in the seat of one of those car slash grocery carts, smiling and sweet. When I looked at her and smiled, she beamed.

She and her mom, I suspect, were ahead of us in line, and I had come from the other end and jimmied myself past them and their many bags of groceries. When it came time for them to pay, the mom began to present a check, and the cashier informed her that “starter checks” were not accepted there. The mom asked if the woman knew anywhere that they were accepted, but the cashier said no. The mom went and collected her daughter from underneath the cart. The daughter, not knowing any better, started to push the cart away, seemingly excited for all of the goods inside. Except that they would be going home with nothing.

Breaking and debilitating emotions coursed through me, and I thought, “maybe she could write me the check and we could pay for her groceries.” Then the cashier asked her if she was coming back for her bagged cart full of groceries. The woman said, calmly, “this is all the money I have. This check. So no. I won’t be coming back for these groceries.” As she and her daughter quietly left the store, the staff began to dismantle her cart in order to get it back on the shelves for the next paying customer.

It was a rude awakening, and it made me truly sad. As we continued to bag our wine and cheese and chips and salsa, the whole thing seemed somewhat surreal. By the time David and I got to the car, I couldn’t stop thinking about it – the woman and her daughter and the idea of them going home without anything. He said that he also thought to pay for this woman’s groceries. So, what stopped us from acting? That answer is not an easy, nor quick one, to come by.

Partly, the fact that we feel pretty far removed from our community here definitely does not help us to act when our neighbors are in need. But more than that, it seems to be a sign of the times. Somewhere along the way, I, too, must have become infested with the apathy bug. And as white houses are stolen, wars are waged, and neighbors may not have enough available cash (if any at all) to feed their kids, I, simply, do not act.

The issue of this mom being legitimate or not isn’t relevant, in my mind. Once, today, I was given the opportunity to reach out and directly help somebody. Instead, I chose to do nothing. By doing nothing when given a glaring opportunity to do so, it is as good as not voting, blindly consuming, and not speaking out against injustices. All to remain seemingly “safe” in an apathetic, or at least, non-active, state.

This needs to change, and this message today brought it home, as hard as a bed of nails. No longer can I choose, every day, to pretend that I am not affected by what is happening in the world around me, merely because of the fact that David and I have the means -today – to pay for our groceries. One of these days, it very easily could be us. It has been me before, so I should know better.

Filed by darby at 9:24 pm under Politics, rants
4 Comments

I came across this article in the NY Times a week or so ago, and couldn’t help but laugh. It chronicles the rise in fry grease theft, from coast to coast. Burger King managers across the land are looking over their shoulders these days, watching out for grease thieves in the night.

I have been interested in getting a diesel car for ages now, in hopes of putting a conversion on the engine to run it on SVO and/or WVO. Many factors have been at play in this not happening yet, but I do have an advantage. NOBODY where I live is hip to this alternative fuel option, thus providing me with all the fry grease I could ever dream of. I bet I can even get paid to take it away still where I live.

Ahhhh, the favorable aspects of living in a small(ish) non-progressive town.

Filed by darby at 9:47 am under General
1 Comment

For a clearer view of the above scene, please go here

Buzzcock Market Research in New York City conducted an online survey of over 1,100 consumers in the U.S. and the U.K., attempting to get an idea of how consumers feel about environmentalism and “being green.”

Both countries are similar in that more than 70% of those polled say they actively use energy efficient light-bulbs, and recycle paper and plastic. The most interesting part of the results is how the two countries differ in their results, shown here from a Brandweek article:

U.S. vs. U.K. consumers who:
• Recycle paper: 71% vs. 87%
• Purchase recycled paper: 55% vs. 47%
• Walk rather than drive short journeys: 36% vs. 56%
• Own or lease a hybrid: 4% vs. 1%

In short, Brits change their behaivor and actions to work towards sustainability (a word that only one in three Americans understand, unfortunately) and Americans…well, we shop. Rather than actually recycling the paper that we buy (a basic responsibility), we’d rather go out and get new hybrids and drive them all about town to our extensive sets of strip malls and super stores full of junk, not thinking to drop off the recycling along the way.

This buy-our-way-to-green psyche permeates all that we do, both personally and in our professional lives. As I work to provide sustainability initiatives and alternative energy to builders via green building programs, solar PV systems, and various other sustainable goods and services, the math often does not justify the purchase when exploring sustainable options. One glaring reason is that we fail to look at the real costs of the manufacture of goods and services . Our balance sheets and cost analyses must begin to include the real price unsustainable items wreak on our health and environment. Or, we can just wait for energy costs to rise dramatically (see California), and the payback will begin to make more sense. This scenario, of course, is inevitable and happening now whether we plan for alternative energy solutions, or not.

The real cost we pay as voracious consumers supporting unsustainable business practices is expressed every day, in the form of polluted rivers, a raped Earth, and unhealthy food systems. In animal extinction, toxic waste dumps, and overflowing landfills. And we continuously send the message that we, American citizens, approve of the businesses that produce this mess by rewarding them with increasing profits. We PAY FOR THEIR WASTE ourselves on the backs of our children’s children. We must demand that our companies’ balance sheets include the effects of their products, thus creating incentive for us all to collectively change our actions. And create an economy that rewards sustainability, rather than penalizes ingenuity and positive change.

A paradigm shift is greatly needed, and is ultimately inevitable. Wouldn’t it be a healthier option to freely choose that path, rather than have that path chosen for us, by necessity and survival? While much has been done to create awareness surrounding our dire need for environmental change the world over, it seems we Americans like the fat we have worked so hard to attain, and that trimming it is out of the question.

Perhaps our first step as Americans is to look up the word sustainable. Then, how about we redirect our hard earned (and even harder to come by) American dollars into educating our citizenry and discontinue identifying ourselves as consumers. Stewards of the Earth has a nicer ring to it, don’t you think?

Filed by admin at 10:04 pm under Activism, Alternative Energy
1 Comment

I was in Orlando last weekend, amidst the sea of childhood imaginations and restaurant row. I had a great time visiting with David’s parents, and while Orlando isn’t a place I would typically choose to visit, it is the half-way point between our homes, making it a fairly easy drive for both of us.

None of this has anything to do with Einstein, though. But cars everywhere with American flags ablaze next to airbrushed, roaring, larger-than-life Bald Eagles slapped onto the ENTIRE BACK WINDOW of a Chevy 2-ton truck made me think of good ol’ Albert Einstein. So did the one car with 12 American flags of varying sizes, just on its backside.

The reason Einstein comes to mind in the midst of this sea of flag waving is because of this quote:

“Nationalism is an infantile disease. It is the measles of mankind.”

Being appreciative for the fruits ones culture provides is one thing. I love this country, its natural wonders, its ingenuity, and the varying types of Dorito’s I have to choose from no matter where I find myself. I like that I can still basically say what I want, do what I want, and not be persecuted for either. I realize that is not true in many places, and am cognizant of the fact that I might not really even know how great I have it. At least for now…

Still, this idea of blind loyalty and adherence to ones natural born country seems idiotic and short sighted to me. Waving the flag denotes an approval of our most recent actions abroad and abhorrent behavior as a governing body. Our PEOPLE continue to amaze me in so many ways, but our government, which is symbolized – for me – by the flag, has too much egg on its face to garnish this gesture.

It also tends to instill a sort of suprioritysuperiority, too, and besides, ALL the freaky people make the beauty of the world…

Filed by darby at 6:27 pm under Politics, rants, travel
5 Comments

Me man and I enjoyed the outdoors this weekend while camping in Moravian Falls, NC – about 4 miles from Wilkesboro, NC, home of Merlefest. In honor of Merle Watson, Doc Watson’s son who died in a tractor accident back in 1985, Merlefest has been bringing “traditional plus” music to Wilkesboro ever since.

During our visit, we were lucky enough to see some amazing music. Here’s the line-up:

Levon Helm Band
Ollabelle
Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder with Bruce Hornsby
Hot Buttered Rum
Bearfoot
Allison Brown Quartet with Joe Craven
Donna the Buffalo with Jim Lauderdale and Tim O’Brien
The Avett Brothers
Peter Rowan + Tony Rice
Sam Bush Band
Carolina Chocolate Drops
Donna the Buffalo
The Infamous Stringdusters with Tim O’Brien
Ralph Stanley & Clinch Mountain Boys

Pretty sweet, huh?

Many thoughts become clear while camping, people watching, and ingesting art at this level. Among them came forth these random ponderings…

I need to learn to play the Bass. Guitar or stand-up is the question.

Where can I get me one of them there washboards? Seriously…

Um, where’s the Beer? Wine? Spirits?

Is it feasible to take a year, or 6 months, or 3 months – even, and go travel. Right now, Chile, Argentina, and Patagonia (with a “quick” sidetrip to Easter Island via Santiago) is the first big trip on my list. Second is maybe Paris and the South of France. Third is New Zealand or Ireland and Scotland. Damn it…I’ll go anywhere, really.

Oh, how I love my indoor plumbing and running water. Especially in the middle of the night when I invariably have to pee. And I’m naked. DOH!

Why is everyone so attracted to Evangelicalism? Don’t they find it highly oppressive?

It takes all kinds to make the world go ’round. Keep an open heart.

Filed by darby at 5:20 pm under Arts, travel
No Comments

A couple of weeks back, a local builder asked me and my partner at OneWorld Sustainable to look into all of the prevailing green building programs and to give them an overview of each program. While I had already investigated and learned these various guidelines to further my own personal knowledge, it was a natural extension into the tangible nuts and bolts of the green building prospect in a real world setting.

Being a part of a burgeoning “movement” is at once both exciting and challenging. As a person with an affinity for organization, efficiency, and some structure, navigating the waters on pilot* programs such as LEED for Homes and the new NAHB National Green Building Program is littered with unanswered questions that requires a DIY spirit.

One of the biggest challenges facing all LEED for Homes projects is, how much will this cost, and how does it really work?

In my area (the Southeast), the USGBC has chosen Southface as their LEED for Homes Provider, one of 12 in the country. Southface has then chosen a handful of practitioners, referred to as Provider Representatives. These Provider Representatives will oversee the project and be the liaison between the client and Southface, who then forwards all of the project documentation on to the USGBC. Any LEED for Homes project MUST go through this chain of command, and each detail passes through these many hands. And as far as becoming a Provider, that is not an option at this time, which leaves you working within the system that is in place in your area, including the sometimes lack of various third party verifiers/raters needed in order to handle the interest. Tired yet?

More challenging is trying to figure out exactly who does what, and how much each program will cost. As OneWorld will likely act as the green rater on most LEED projects, providing the blower door tests, etc., we as a community of practitioners working on LEED projects are all still figuring out what to charge for our services. Due to the uncertainty of time commitments, among other things, it is somewhat difficult to explore the unknown and then place a price tag on it at the same time.

Most perplexing is the real time needed to do the actual work. If implementing these guidelines means that 40 hours of additional third-party verification and paperwork per house is needed throughout the course of the project, how much would you have to pay yourself or an employee for those 40 hours? Most professionals at this level charge at least $125/hr, and at that (lower) rate, one is already spending $5000 just for the actual paperwork and testing needed to appease the guidelines. While I personally believe this cost to be worth it, the market has not yet met the value of these services, and it is not yet conceivable that most builders can carry that additional cost on the front end to hopefully make it up on the back end yet. Add to that the fact that most of the Providers are part of a larger firm, garnering much more than $125/hr for their well-deserved expertise, and it is hard to justify being involved in the process at all, if only to be an advocate of “green” building rather than to make a profit in the process. Which most smaller organizations can not afford to even entertain, as there are real costs associated with the work. (time, gas, mileage, expertise, etc.)

While experiencing these growing pains is par for the course with any new system, product, field, etc., it seems that those eager to “roll out” the framework need to be as instrumental in helping to apply the nails to keep it together. My hope is that the USGBC and Providers are dedicated to helping this framework to become solidified by way of providing guidance and answers to many ambiguous areas of the guidelines themselves, and the structure of the actual implementation of the projects. And I think that they are, which is beneficial as we all learn this program by trial and error.

Still, while the LEED for Homes program is taking its commercial expertise and applying it to the residential sector, the pure economics don’t quite jive as well as it does within the billion dollar, architect laden haven of the commercial program.

Don’t get me wrong; we need the thinking and elevated understanding that the USGBC has brought to the table over the years, and their work has definitely helped to pave the way for the “greening” of America’s built environment. Conversely, expecting that a builder doing mostly production work (whether it be small or large scale) pay 3-5K PER HOUSE to get the LEED stamp of approval is completely off base and unrealistic. While this model may work with high-end custom home builders, the responsibility of helping all builders “go green” more safely rests on the shoulders of the NAHB program.

We’ll see what happens, but my money is on the NAHB program taking root and leading the “green” residential programs nationwide. I would love to see a best practices forum, where real insight can be gained from the detailed aspects on any given completed project. Like cancer researchers discovered decades ago, sharing ones experiences and knowledge can only benefit the whole, much needed in our present global climate. Pun intended.

[UPDATE] Technically, LEED for Homes is out of pilot, but there is still a ton to figure out. Also, the USGBC is in the midst of creating the LEED for Homes Volume Pilot, for builders with a development with over 50 single family houses. The intention here is to help offset the cost of a house plan that is likely to be built over and over again.

Filed by admin at 4:10 pm under Building Programs
No Comments

Renzo Piano’s California Academy of Sciences. Pic from Vanity Fair

It’s been a while, dear internet. And I know that I say that mostly for myself, because truly, I write on this here blog to create a database of sorts for future recollections. But then, some people started to read it. And then, some more. And while it was never about that for me (I was actually inspired to start it by my dearest in order to have a repository for documentary ideas while pursuing a never fulfilled dream of working towards being an audio documentarian), I feel some sort of responsibility to update it often, which I have not been successful with, lately. C’est la vie.

Between the intense realizations of our global crisis that seem to emanate from every cell in the universe straight to my bare bones and trying to digest our collective realities here on Earth, it seems that Spring has come despite all of this bad news. And she is as beautiful as ever. With her, she brings the regular characters; hope, life, rebirth, possibilities…

And with all of this heaviness, I have compiled a list of thoughts that seemed to hit me all at once today, while the squirrels frolicked, red-headed woodpeckers pecked, and flowers sang forth their songs.

Madonna looks fricking fantastic. She’s almost 50.

I believe that I am afflicted by pangs of the Imposter Syndrome, sans the fact that I am not an academic.

I HAVE GOT to get to San Francisco in September, maybe even October, but no later than November to see Renzo Piano’s newest marvel of a building, the California Academy of Sciences. It is the “greenest” museum ever built and sits within SF’s awesome Golden Gate Park. Mr. Piano is pulling a Frank Lloyd Wright, creating the best of his long line of fantastic work late in his career. He is 70.

Bobby Kennedy, Jr. is a bad-ass, with the blood of a band of fighters coursing through his veins. I love the work he has done, is doing, and will do in the future. Rock on, Mr. Kennedy!

I should probably get a subscription to Vanity Fair. The writing is great, the pictures are, too, and the editor slams the Bush Administration openly and proudly and OFTEN.

Teeth whitening hurts.

Camping is fun, cuz when didn’t you ever NOT want to make a fort?

Music will always save our souls.

Filed by darby at 6:59 pm under General
4 Comments

Sy Safransky, the founder, editor, and publisher of the fantastic independent, ad-free magazine, The Sun, writes a one-page section (mostly) every month called Sy Safransky’s Notebook. Here are two of my favorite entries this month:

The Winter Solstice arrives, and not a moment too soon. These long nights stir up too many ghosts. I’m ready for the days to start lengthening again. But who am I to question the movement of the seasons? My wish for some kind of eternal springtime is laughable, like Bush’s plan to bring democracy to Iraq. As if we had a surplus of democracy here in the United States. As if all our democratic institutions were humming along to peak efficiency, and everyone’s basic rights were being respected, and we were all feeling so magnificently equal that we could afford to give some of it away. But I digress. Forget Bush. Forget the sad fact that the future hasn’t turned out the way my high school social-studies teacher predicted. The light returns – no matter how many times we’ve been wrong. The light doesn’t vote for president, or run for president, or care who’s president. The light doesn’t study itself in the mirror, compare itself to last year’s light, wonder how many light years it has left. The light isn’t afraid of darkness. When the light arrives, darkness flees.

Today I’m thankful for the word Gratitude, a word in which I can make myself at home. It’s not a prestigious Park Avenue condominium of a word like transcendence or a palatial mansion of a word like enlightenment. Gratitude is four walls, a ceiling, a floor. And a chair? Yes! And a window!

Filed by darby at 10:39 am under Arts
1 Comment

While working on a project the last month and wanting some texture, I came across the Wolf Gordon Earth Safe books in the showroom, featuring rice papers, grass cloths, and wood veneers “manufactured with sustainable materials and processes that are environmentally sensitive.” I am interested in more specific information, like, “Do your wallcoverings include binders, inks, dyes, fungicides, pesticides, pastes, or flame retardants,” which all contribute to poor indoor air quality with the outgasing of VOC’s?

Unfortunately, none of that information is available, and when I had asked for a spec sheet, I had to provide a vendor number. I realize that this is par for the course in the world of interior design, but since the advent of these intertubes, I believe a company’s goal, especially if that company is touting “green” products, should be transparency.

While my customer service rep, Jose, was extremely accommodating, the only useable information I received, for my purposes, at least, was the permeability rating. It’s 147, for the record. Which doesn’t mean all that much, since there isn’t any standardized permeability rating method in the wallcovering industry. A positive exists in that this particular Wolf Gordon wall covering does not have a backing, making it less a factor in being a party to any mold issues.

Through research, I learned that the Earth Safe line is part of a what Wolf Gordon calls its Ecological Reclamation Program. At the end of the product’s life cycle, the wall coverings can be returned (for credit) and applied to a variety of alternative, secondary uses. This line is composed of natural, renewable or recyclable materials and cellulose harvested from managed forests.

It would seem that the representatives at Wolf Gordon would be eager to share this sustainability program information on its “green” product spec sheet. I’m not sure why they choose not to. Hopefully, as consumers get more savvy in the questions that they ask and designers become more insistent in transparency and full-disclosure when it relates to “green” products, we can all raise the bar and elevate what will pass for “green” in our respective industries.

Filed by admin at 10:04 pm under Walls
No Comments