So for this entry I’m going to write and try my hardest not to edit it soon afterward.  Because I am an obsessive perfectionist I always reread each entry about five or six times before posting.  When I don’t have time to reread, I do not write.  During these many rereads I will always change a lot.  But tonight, at 2:07am as I sit on a bed on Irving St. in Chicago beside my sleeping lover, I will attempt to be unapologetically concise.

So this is perhaps a year (like many years) of transition.  I always love being in a state of flux.  This is a place that I think Stefani and I are most comfortable in.  A constant conscious decision to improve our lives as we see fit.  Last fall/winter I was obsessed with reading the news from around the globe and was getting depressed at situations which I did not feel that I could change.  So I decided to stop paying attention to the quality of life of the rest of the world and focus on the quality of life of myself and those closest to me.

So this constant desire to improve our quality of life has led us here to Chicago.

There are a LOT of really nice people here in Chicago.  There’s also many big groups of races represented (Mexican and African American the two most notably for me).   And a lot of people who we’ve met seem to really like us which always makes us feel good.  So for those who were looking to help us out in our journey to Chicago by advising us to visit Navy Pier….it’s boring.  We knew that it would be, and it was.  We went, we rode on the ferris wheel, and left.  This of course was all done so we could tell these people if they ask, “Yes, we visited Navy Pier and it was a boring tourist trap”.  Other than that all of our other “sight seeing” (for lack of a batter word) has been relaxing.  Thanks to Google Maps linking up with the CTA we have been able to use the Chicago Public Transit system to get from place to place.   This has allowed us to take our time getting to places as well which is nice.

So apart from 10 days away from the jungle that will hopefully not be our lives for much longer, we have been staying at, eating at, detoxing with, and being trained by Mehmet and his partner Hatice to fully transition our lifestyle from eating steamed or cooked or processed food to instead eating food that has never been heated more than 105 degrees Fahrenheit (if at all).  The simple explanation for this is the digestive enzymes are damaged and the food becomes a toxin after it has been cooked higher than this (some exceptions may apply).  We believe that there is no such thing as diseases but only toxins which need to be relesed from the body.  These toxins are best released by eating raw, sweating, and taking some herbs (to name a few).  When most people think of raw food they think of a tray of celery and carrot sticks.   You would technically be right but you would also be only looking longingly at the tit that is raw food.

In the fall Stefani and I will be starting out own raw food catering and lunches.   We are not looking to have a restaurant or build a business with investors but rather have the flexibility to work to be able to live sustainably with no frills and to inspire others to lead a better quality of life.  (We recently sold our TV and put our stove and toaster out in the shed.)  This freaks a lot of people who care about us out because this does not adhere to the status quo of “normal”.  Well, I hate to be the one to say this but, “Fuck Normal” (that would be a good t-shirt design).  We have also received many endearments of respect and acceptance because we can be loving to those who may not understand (at least in our public life).

We do not wish to spend our time and money in the pursuit of saving time and money for the purpose of storing it up for a future quantity of life and a future quantitative death.  I don’t view that as very wise.  Many people die before they should die and do not enjoy life as an existence or an experience because they accepted this “normal” existence that is wrought with anxiety about the uncertainty of tomorrow.  Well, as many devoted hippies before us, we choose to focus on existing now in the moment.  This does not necessarily translate to the constant pursuit of pleasure (as some might lead you to believe).  How about a story to illustrate what I’m saying?

A friend of mine found a button on the sidewalk that was purple with the word “BE” in bright yellow letters.  He thought it was cool so he put it on an wore it around.  One of the first responses he recieved was “Be what?”.  (His reply was of course, “Just Be”)

For some reason we have made it a necessity to “keep(in’) busy” so we “stay out of trouble” (such cliche small talk) that we have massacred our quality of life.  It seems to be more about the quantity of life (time and money) rather than the quality (BE).  In essence, it’s like we’re rowing a rowboat to a giant waterfall.  The river’s already flowing.  And every time we spend our “saved” time and money on something other than just Being in the moment of our own existence, we lean back as we pull the oars forward and the boat is propelled closer and faster towards a certain but still flexible) future.  It’s almost like we’re trying ascertain a certain outcome that will never be decided by how much time or money we save.  Many people console themselves with the declaration, “You only live once” or “Everyone dies eventually” like the purpose to this life is just to row towards death with the biggest, shiniest paddles available. (Just so you know, we’re not starting to get into the whole “achieve your dreams, prosperity gospel” thing as this last sentence might be construed as).  So that’s a little bit about where we’re at.

When we arrive home we will have a few new kitchen appliance waiting for us which will assist us in our transition.

It is 3:19am and I have read this post over once and I am tired.  Maybe more later.

Tonight we went to see the movie The Happening by M. Night Shyamalan.  It was a well done movie with a great storyline however the bit of graphic violence overshadowed the point of the story for some people (who probably wouldn’t have come if there wasn’t any graphic violence or promise of some suspense mixed with blood).  More about that later perhaps.

Excellent interview below.

This is pretty cool. It’s interesting to see participant’s reactions to touch and human skin contact morph from awkward to curious to excited. (video below)

One week ago I attended a Green Party Candidate and Campaign Manager Training weekend at Wilfred Laurier University.  Speaking at this was the Leader of the Green Party; Elizabeth May, Deputy Leader; Adriane Carr, and former Green Party Leader now adviser; Jim Harris.

Elizabeth shared many stories of her political life including the one below which made my heart hurt.  Please read it in it’s entirety.  Here is another story to read as well which is along the same lines

Model Parliament

Submitted by Elizabeth May on 26 January 2008 - 10:14pm.

A week ago Friday I served as Speaker of the House for the Queens University Model Parliament. It was a wonderful opportunity to be with bright and engaged young people – several hundred of them. And, as often as I have been in the House of Commons, I have never before spent an hour in the Speaker’s Chair. The Queens annual model Parliament runs for several days in the period when the House is not in session.

It was a “model” Parliament in many ways. About half of the MPs were women, as opposed to the 20.8% women in the real – and far from model – Parliament. As well, there was a substantial block of Green Party Members of Parliament. The debates were, for the most part, respectful and language was appropriate. No cross-species references occurred and I only rose to call for Order once or twice.

What may have been the most fascinating part of the afternoon was my time in the Government Lobby. Behind the curtains that run along the last row of benches on both sides of the House, are doors to long skinny living room areas. One is called the Opposition Lobby; the other the Government Lobby. In my pre-Green Party leader life, I have spent a lot of time in both. The Government Lobby was a frequent work space when I was Senior Policy Advisor to the federal Minister of Environment back in the mid-1980s. And I frequented both lobbies when I was with Sierra Club of Canada from 1987-2006. It did not strike me until I walked into the Government Lobby to await my turn as Speaker that I had not been in there since Stephen Harper became Prime Minister.
It used to have some paintings on the wall. Past prime ministers, certainly a formal portrait of the Queen. Landscapes. I know there was the occasional photo of current Prime Ministers, but when I walked in this time, I felt chilled to the bone. Every available wall space had a large colour photo of Stephen Harper. Stephen Harper at Alert. Stephen Harper in fire fighter gear. Stephen Harper at his desk. Stephen Harper meeting the Dalai Lama. Even the photo of the Queen showed her in the company of Stephen Harper. None were great photos. None were more than enlarged snapshots in colour. They didn’t feel like art.

The student with me said it was the same in Langevin Block, the Prime ministers Office. Photos of Stephen Harper everywhere.

I will advance no theories as to what this means. Why the Conservatives have chosen not keep any space for art. Is it triumphalism? That they have finally broken down the doors and stormed the castle. Why must the images of Stephen Harper be ubiquitous. Is he afraid his caucus will forget who is in charge? Not likely.

Semiotics is the study of signs and symbols. Someone can figure out what it means that these images dominate. The one thing I know is that it means something.

Me and Ron debate about the existence of right or wrong. Feel free to comment.

Ron and I ring in the new year with the first of many intellectually stimulating “vlog”. Or rather, trite rhetoric from two nobody’s.

As citizens of a “democratic” society, it actually scares me how quickly our natural human rights are vanishing at such a frightening rate. While watching what has happened in New Orleans (and other examples) before and after the flood has made me more embittered towards any positive outlook on
something called “democracy”. Is the light at the end of the tunnel only a mirror reflecting our view? As discouraging as this may be, I think that we will be fighting this battle our whole lives.

For those who have read Naomi Klein’s Shock Doctrine, the following scenario will be all too familiar.

• First came the shock of the original disaster. The flood and the traumatic evacuation.

• Next came the “economic shock therapy”. By using the window of opportunity created by “a random act of God” (with little help of prevention from the federal government) many of the corporate lobbyists and wealthy developers have since been in a mad rush to privatize the city’s public services and spaces. This applies to most notably the homes, schools and hospitals. This is accomplished by lowering taxes, deregulating the private and corporate interests, and lowering wages all in the name of a “smaller, safer city”. This translates into plans to level the public housing projects in New Orleans and replace them with condos.

• And now, after “petitioning the government for a redress of grievances”, the residents of New Orleans have been Tasered, pepper sprayed, and hit with batons while attempting to be part of a public New Orleans City Hall council meeting determining the bulldozing and displacing of their homes.
• (video below)

So here’s how this whole thing makes my heart hurt real bad.

The government is put in power by “we the people”. The government should not really hold any more power over “we the people” (unless we allow it) as we are the government. In the publicly owned spaces and institutions, the government allows “…the free exercise…of the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”.

However, as the privately owned lobbyists begin replacing our representatives, the government has been turning all of it’s assets over to privately owned and funded entities. An entity that is legally bound to make decisions that will create a profit for it’s shareholders. An entity that is not responsible to the people who democratically voted for them, but rather to the privately funded campaign donations (read: INVESTMENTS).

The line between public and private has been blurred. Now, instead of our free vote counting towards being a part of the democratic process, it is our own personal wealth that makes the true difference.

As this Free Market Economy is being used to proclaim a “Free Democracy” by the people, for the people, the public sphere is being bought out by the ballooning private sphere.

First, our public squares and open air spaces have been replaced by climate controlled shopping malls which attempt to recreate our streets and sidewalks with one glaring difference; We, the people, are not allowed to express the freedom of speech or of the press or the right to peacefully assemble on these premises unless we are paying money to do it.

Next, our schools. The continual goal by the private sector is to raise up a generation that is taught that their sole function is to buy and consume and watch TV and most of all, not exercise their rights. (There is much more to be said on this)

And third, our public servants. Namely; the police. As we surrender our rights over to fear of terrorism or jail or planned hijackings because we are told this is “necessary [for] the security of a free state”, we allow for the further predicament of police to be paid by the government (Corporately owned lobbyists) to “protect” the wealthy private interests from “we the people”. (I do not envy their job)

For more read this and this.

A year and a half ago Adrienne asked Steph and I to come over for a bonfire in her back yard and help entertain some guests from Florida who’s father was a friend of Adrienne’s father. So I put on my “entertaining” face and went in with “guns-a-blazing”. Often in a social situation, if I think that my job is to engage conversation I will find out as much things as I can about the guests and then direct the conversation into the taboo realms of religion, politics, or sex based on what I think their interests are. So in the process of our conversation we began discussing their lifestyle. There was one guy and two girls. All were roughly my age and all of them had degrees in Anthropology.

The guy explained how they were in the process of “re-wilding” themselves. This is a process of rediscovering the basic needs of survival by returning to a hunter-gatherer lifestyle. But they also took it one step further. Rather than just retreating from society into a cave, included into their lifestyle was the reusing of the byproducts of our consumer-driven society. Any animal that had been killed by a car would ultimately find it’s way to their dinner table. Also they would routinely go dumpster diving and rescue the excess food that had been thrown out by grocery stores. He also told me about his website called Green Anarchy which is a treasure chest of resources on many different aspects of life.

So later that night I asked them if they could “introduce” me to dumpster diving. (Adrienne and Steph weren’t really into it but they came along anyway) After traveling around to most of the grocery stores in Sarnia we realized that most of them have locks on their dumpsters which was pretty discouraging. Below is a video which shows a successful dumpster diving outing. (video below)

Another cool video I came across was a promotional video for a type of house called an Earthship. This is a house that is completely self sustainable by using tires, sand, bottles, and cans for the walls and many other post consumer recycled materials to build with. This company is based in New Mexico but there is also an earth ship being built here in Southern Ontario by a guy named Tom Wolf as a reaction to the August 2003 Blackout. (video below)

What I really like about both these types of lifestyle revolutions, is the necessary co-dependence on a group of people (a community) to attain the goal of survival. Namely: Food and Shelter. We, as a consumer driven, one-stop-shopping culture need to begin taking back control of our food and shelter away from the for profit corporation and back into our hands. The time that we could be using to produce our own food and create our own roof is spent working to pay off the debt incurred by my (each individual) consuming things that are not absolute necessities.

Each individual person needs to realize that we the people, are the government. Without each individual person, there is no government and without the government there is no corporation. Some use the word Anarchy and others the word Socialism and others, Conscious Capitalism. Either way, more and more people are discovering that strength in numbers at the polls and being on the winning political team is not the sole agent of change.

Rather, it is the need for enabling each individual to be consciously concerned about the people around them and become involved in the decision making that affects the lives of themselves, their families, and their friends.

How do I educate and inform people who say that they have no interest in anything?