12.30.2008

*****


Sometimes other people can better say exactly what you mean...


Ethics
In the evolution of political economies 
Of the late 20th Century 
There is an emerging pattern 
In which yesterday's vitrues 
Become today's vices 
And vice versa 
Vices virtues.

We hope this signals the demise
Of either dollar or gun manipulated
Political puppetry's
Overwhelmment of humanity.

Throughout the past state
Of innate ignorance of the many,
The informed few
Told the uninformed many
What to do
So that the many's coordinated efforts
could produce most effectively
The objectives of the few.


An omniwell-informed humanity
Does not need to be told
What needs to be done
Nor how to cooperate synergetically;
It does so spontaneously.


History demonstrates without exception
That successful soveriegn power seizers
And successfully self-perpetuating,
Supreme physical power holders in general
Will always attempt to divide the opposition
In order to conquer them
And thereafter keep the conquered divided 
To keep them conquered.


Controlling the sources
Of production and distribution
The self-advantaging power systems
Keep the  conquered divided
By their uncontestable fiat
That the individual's right to live
Must be earned
To the power structure's satisfaction
By performing one of the ruling system's
Myriad of specialized functions.


The top-gun, self-serving power structure
Also claims outright ownership
Of the lives of all those born
Within their soveriegnly claimed
Geographical bounds
And can forfeit their citizens' lives
In their official warfaring,
Wich of psychological necessity
Is always waged in terms
Of moral rectitude
While covertly protecting and fostering
Their special self-interests.


To keep the conquered
Controllably disintegrated
And fearfully dependent
"They" also foster perpetuation or increase
Of religious, ethnic, linguistic,
And skin-color differentiations
As obvious conditioned-reflex exploitabilities.


Special-interest sovereignity will always 
Attempt to monopolize and control
All strategic information (intelligence),
Thus to keep the divided specializing world
Innocently controlled by its propoganda
And dependent exclusively upon its dictum.


Youth has discovered all this
And is countering with comprehensivity and synergy.
Youth will win overwhelmingly
For truth
Is eternally regenrative
In youth.


Youth's love
Embracingly integrates,
Successfully frustrates
And holds together,
Often unwittingly,
All that hate, fear and selfishness
Attempt to disintegrate.


-R, Buckminster Fuller

12.17.2008

Cabin Fever...

Last Saturday, The Daver and I were the honored hosts of Permaculture 101.  After a bit of networking, we were provided with the finest conference room in the Greenest building on this side of the Mason-Dixon.  We had 26 students and 4 hours of class time which consisted of a basic intro to Permaculture, a virtual tour of PC in the PNW and interactive design scenarios so everyone could get involved.  The final assessment was a job well done and we made a grip of friends who hope to help us with the whole East meets West ordeal.


After finishing up this and a few other fun projects, life here at home is proving to be a little short on adventure.  It's a fine change of pace though and as you may know I rarely get bored.  My time has been well spent making and wrapping presents, sending out postcards, chatting with friends and family and reading up on the world these days.  I'm also helping my mom get ready for the influx of holiday visitors... wraping gifts, baby proofing, decorating and right now, I gotta go peel some potatoes.

12.12.2008

HybriDesign

Culture shock cuts deep.  Metaphysical deep, like a snake eating its own tail.  Nevertheless, there are lessons to be learned from all of this and learn them I will.


With that in mind, I am revisiting my native homeland but with a new pair of eyes.  Old habits, old friends and old haunts are all offering new ideas and new opportunities.  But I am also bearing witness to the bigger picture and it hurts to look at...

I've just spent 9+ months in a microculture of self relience, holistic perspectives and regenerative relationships.  I've just been dropped into the reality of America where the aforementioned qualities are scarce at best.  It has come to my attention just how much my thinking has evolved, and how critical it is to remember where I started and the path I took. 

As fun as it is to preach to the choir, it is my intent to help those who need it the most.  To do so,  I must fluidly move between these two worlds.  I must develop a hybrid dialect to communicate the values and needs of each to the other.  What this sounds like... I have no idea.  Write me, call me, talk to me and we can work on it together. Until then, Namaste'.

12.01.2008

Starting Up...

I figure, if your planning on a seriously transformative collection of resolutions for the year 2009, you had better get a running start.  As of right now, I have been Sober Grover for about 2 1/2 months of a total 365 days.  I am simultaneously working on 3 different design projects and organizing a half dozen teaching opportunities throughout the winter months. 


In the 2009 I will be designing the foundation of my multifaceted career. The facets will be Landscaper (design & build),  Educator (workshops & guest-lecturing),  Artist (illustation & design) and all around producer for myself and for all those who may need it.

7.28.2008

Island Life...

Since we last spoke, I have been enjoying more than my fair share of good times. Hence the absence of computer scanning, digitizing, internetting and blogging.   

In brief, my life as of late has been filled with incredible experiences.  Each new piece is fitted into the grand picture like a masterpiece Lego replica of the Methuselah tree.
  
I have been learning, educating, working, playing and traveling, all under the assumed identity of a permaculture designer known as Saul Malone.  I taught a workshop in Olympia, attended a fruit tasting in Portland, took a work trade tour of PC sites in coastal BC, harvested my heirloom peppers,  ate a 4 deer and 2 squirrels,  pressed 40+ gallons of apple cider, found my favorite plum (the Green Gage)  and started work on a potentially life changing project.  On the whole, it has been a grand introduction to the possibilities that life holds.  I am really starting to see how I want to live out the rest of my corporeal existence so that I may project myself into the spectrum of multiple future dimensions as an ambassador of good times, good food and good feelings.  This is a prime incentive for me to really start operating at full potential... whatever that may look like.

7.09.2008

Design, Design, Design



I love design. This is becoming very clear to me.

Just two nights ago I attended my very first and only Loris 2028 concept album release party. The books were hot off the press and sold like trippytronic, sci-fi, dub, concept album, artbooks at a really killer concert. They are all indiviually numbered and come complete with a 13 track CD and a 15 page illustrated guide to future world. They will be for sale in Bellingham, Seattle, Vancouver, Portland and online just as soon as we can so if your interested in plants, animals and/or machines just let me know. In the meantime you can check out the artwork at Loris2028.blogspot.com. Once your there you might take a moment to contribute your interpretation of the story untold. It is our intention to have our audience provide us with their own literary creations and you can do this by posting on the website. Write a poem, a fable, a haiku or a whole novel, just write and we would love to hear from you.

The secondesign was recently executed off farm. A fellow intern and myself completed our first landscape design installation, working entirely independently. It was a learning experience, a lot of fun and a success all at the same time. As I move on into this crazy world, I should hope to carry this practice with me. Perhaps on my new free bicycle which I scored while in Bellingham. It is gunmetal, and I traded a copy of my CD Artbook for it, which is a pretty sweetdeal and integrates perfectly with my summer goal of Publication, Publication, Education and Transportation. Upon completion of these tasks I will level up into a fully mobile sustainable design studio.

The thirdesign is the most fresh. Just this afternoon, i attended the opening ceremony of our brand new (*mostly reused materials) chicken coup. Complete with Beer, Compsting produce and Cockfighting, a good time was had by all, except guillermo, who lost his position as top cock to the new heavyweight champion Subcommandante Marcos. They are now my new neighbors, and seeing as they wake up so early, I ought to head to bed.

But before I go... I am the happiest, luckiest most priveleged and greatful young man to be surrounded by such an amazing community and environment. I have never felt so great in my entire life. To anyone and everyone, may the best days of your past be the worst days of your future.

PS- I will get a picture up soon

5.21.2008

Projections



It took a while for me to realize that the the things I tell people are often quite true. That, or I say it so much that it eventually becomes the truth. Either way, I am currently working on various independent design projects and I have more in sight. As I knock one down it leads to two more, like some sort of herculean hydra. The fear of spreading myself to thin has recently enetered my considerations, which I have taken as a good sign that I am learning from past mistakes. I guess that all I can do is holdfast and keep steering towards the ultimate goal... A dirigible, a nurselog, a hobbit hole with gardens on the roof, and a passive solar design that regulates its own temperature all year round maintaining optimal conditions for the growth of various bonsai fruit trees which produce the most delicious specimens in the entire community, nay, on the entire island, and a capable woman who likes to read out loud and a well trainded dog, a flock of animals to shepard in a pasture, a reputation as some sort of wizard, a pet corvid, a removable seasonal wall in my kitchen, a chinampa to call my own, ents in the woods around my home, a bike that can carry 4 people, a library and studio, my friends, my family and pen pals... lots of penpals.

5.05.2008

GreaThings


A great thing happened to me today.

For a very long time, I have had a vision.

Simple and beautiful, it encompasses life and death and presents the interdependence of the two in a model that is as tangible as it is beautiful. The design will develop as time passes but the most critical elements were secured this morning using nothing more than an ax and some friends. A well weathered snag was felled by a team of fellow designers. Swinging an axe isn't rocket science but it sure isn't as easy it sounds. Like so many things, the essence of jacking lumber is form and placement. Likewise, the design and development of my very first Nurse Log!!! will pay close attention to both form and placement. I'm gonna bury half of it so its cantilievered off of a hill side, I will innocculate it with the spores of slime molds and fungi, the strict linear characteristc will be allevieated by the scattering of smaller nurseloggy bits all of which will be troughed out filled with compost, manure and soil, planted with various berry bushes and then obscured in a carpet of sphagnumoss. The goal is lush green loaf of life and death, that harbors all types of organisms and is easily observed from the saftey of my bed. I may even pirate a drip irrigation line off of the water sytems running near my tent platform. And if I do it all right, you would never even know I'd done it. Basically, I am living my dream and I wish you all could be here... and you can, anytime you want.

4.17.2008

Fear of Missing Out


I would like to apoogize for the lack of upkeep. I have been quite busy at my new internship. We work from sun up to sundown and in the evening we read and write. I have taken a liking to this whole real mail concept and I would like to collect as many addresses as possible If you give me your location you may soon receive a physical postcard hand made by your truly. They often contain jokes, stickers and some of them even come with treasure.

Soon I will post a few pictures of my newest project. Its my personal living space. The plants neeed a little time to come in though. All I can say at this point is that I may enjoy landscape architecture even more than I love taffy and god I love taffy.

Take Care.

3.03.2008

Smart People


All feelings of hopelessness are laid to rest in the presence of creativity.

There are people working their minds bodies and souls to right certain wrongs and to understand and preserve the integrity of life. These are real people, who you can meet, know, walk and talk with. They are all around us, working for our benefit, unbeknownst to those who will reap the harvest that they now sow. Keep them in mind as you go about your lives. Trust their judgement and it will serve you well.

2.05.2008

Warshipping


Recently, my world has been a little tumultous. It gets tiring trying to solve all of the worlds problems all of the time. Instead, I end up solving none of them... ever. It would be a lot easier if we were all trained in a military and forced into action with out the possibility of questioning our purpose. Then forward progress would be as easy as asking someone else what to do. It would all channel up to one grand decision maker whom the entire force would warship. No choices, no opinions, just right and wrong.

It would be a lot easier if someone else was living your life and you just had to watch and comment.

Until I am done decomposing... happy winter.

1.10.2008

Breezes


After tying off a few more loose ends I am even less connected than before. It has been fun. Learning my through all of this should be enough to fill my schedule until March. Maybe I will see you en route.