The trash talk earlier this week made me think of trolls on the internet. Happily I haven’t encountered any troll comments on my blog or or many heinous troll comments the sustainability blogs I visit. This may just be because they are not big or are well monitored. But, I suspect it might be that this trollish element isn’t that interested (so many white women talking about home and children, a fundamentalist’s dream come true). It may also be they have not been recruited. Progressive blogs sometimes feel like swarms of trolls are directed towards certain topics or attitudes – gay marriage, feminism, etc.
The trolls I have spotted tend to be ‘concern’ trolls. The comment may have the wording of aggreement, but the intent is to negate or refute by being 'helpful'. I have seen and read various insights into trolls, their methods and how to deal with them. I'd planned to share several today. The Cox Internet technician came today for the second time and still will need to come again. It's a puzzle. Since my internet connection is on the fritz, I have to abbreviate what I’d planned. I might be able to come back later. We shall see.
I cannot make anyone stop responding to pointless or nuisance comments. You have to want to restrain yourself, because you understand that the only way to get rid of them is to fail to give them the attention they want. A "troll" is not just someone whose comments you disagree with, or even just a nasty or badly-worded comment. A troll is someone who does not, under any possible set of circumstances, care what you think about him or his comments. He merely wants attention. Negative attention will do. The more you disagree with him, the more he is able to tell himself that he is persecuted and victimized or the only voice of reason or one of the elite few who has the God's-eye view of the world or whatever his current delusion is. If he isn't merely a narcissist who thrives on feeling attacked, he's just some putz who enjoys irritating other people. Therefore, you "feed" the troll by paying any attention to him at all. It does not matter what you say in response. Any response to a troll just encourages the troll.
Besides classic trolls, we have a few resident long-winded bores who believe that the rest of us have never been exposed to some trite, shallow, bombastic rant they just heard on the radio or read in Reader's Digest or saw in a vision, and feel compelled to share with the rest of us. These people lack any possible sense of context or audience; they are incapable of noticing that the bulk of our commenting community has been exposed to the world for a while now and is not interested in any comment that starts "there is one simple answer to this the rest of you aren't getting." It does you no good to respond to this type either; they'll just re-write the same comment again, at the same length, saying the same thing, until you "get it." They are bores with no self-awareness. The cool thing about the internet is that you can just scroll down to the next comment without being "rude." So take advantage of the medium.
Television, telephone, and truck are all essential to my life – or so I used to think. They are now part of the trash heap of my past way of life. I am disposing of these three things, getting rid of these costs. Well, that’s not entirely true as I have adapted my ways to utilize all of these in a different way, with a lighter footprint and my primary search for frugal alternatives. But, I intend to ‘trash’ them insofar as I intend to be critical of dependencies, fads, addictions and my own non-conscious use. These are all pivotal elements of connection or entrée to a consumer lifestyle.
Truck – Pony Boy is my cool little 1994 Nissan truck I’ve had for 11 years. I was going to make it an Art Car and even wrote about it in make-a-(green)plan.
But I procrastinated. And then I stewed and fretted if I really needed a car besides having to pay several hundred dollars for registration renewal, insurance, AAA, new radiator and a tune up. I drive so little it seems a big expense for so little. The last two years I put off servicing and maintenance to lower my expenses. Even so the annual costs including gas were around $600. Am I trashing driving? Yes, I am. In my semi-retired life I should be critical of my own dependency on my truck because I am within walking and biking distance of most everything I need. It is simply my sedentary ways (at present) that keep me driving everywhere.
I am going to give over ownership of my truck to my son, whose car needs too much repair. It is no longer a part of my life in a significant way. I know that I can use it if I need to, but it is no longer my responsibility. And, just out of respect that I am not paying costs, I hope to avoid borrowing. This would help me increase my fitness.
Television Service– I’m just shy of a full 10 years on the dark side, my expression for getting digital cable. Since the summer of 1998 when my back went out for several weeks, I slowly turned into a zombie, even leaving the television on all night for white noise. In my prior life I’d read a novel a week and wouldn’t have dreamed of having a television in my bedroom or left on all night. But, over this last decade I went from digital cable to satellite television. My television service cost me approximately $600 last year.
But, it has now been two months since I suspended service. In truth I have used the internet to watch Lost, the ABC series I’d never followed and several other television shows now available online without commercials. I have been outside more and I don’t have Air America radio on during the day. It is really about withdrawing from the accustomed habit of background noise. Period. As with most addictions, the idea of stopping was probably much worse than the reality.
I suspect it will only be a matter of time before this online streaming won’t be free (or free of commercials).
Television Sets – I have two television sets that I would like to pass along. One was given to me by a neighbor and it supposedly has a DVD player and VCR built into it. Sadly, the DVD player doesn’t work on newer DVD’s. I received a free DVD player from a neighbor on Sunday, so I don’t see a reason to keep the big set in my little house. The truth is it reminds me of my zombie life and it annoys me. The shed has a small Motorola I used in Arizona for my office / bedroom. In addition to these sets there are the two DirecTV converter boxes and remote controls. Oy. These are not costs, but they are trashy – as far as symbols.
I think Freecycle is the place for these. Analog sets days are numbered anyway. And that will be an e-waste nightmare.
Telephone – I gave up my land line telephone and service 6 years ago when it made more sense to have a cell phone alone. At the time I worked within a building where Verizon’s signal worked best. And at the end of last year I let Working Assets special offer buy out that Verizon contract. I am a big fan of Working Assets, now called Credo. I had their long distance service for a decade until I switched to the Verizon mobile phone. So much money! Last year I spent around $600 for phone service. Although my monthly fee is less with Credo, last month I only used the cell phone for 42 minutes of the 200 minutes available.
In his most recent exhibition, Running the Numbers, Jordan looks at contemporary American culture through “the austere lens of statistics.” Each image notes a staggering statistic, and portrays a large quantity of something (i.e. 426,000 cell phones, equal to the number of cell phones retired in the US every day). The image makes the statistic real, almost impressionistic in style, as it appears simple or monotone from afar but detailed up close (see the zoomed images of [. . .] cell phones below). “The underlying desire is to emphasize the role of the individual in a society that is increasingly enormous, incomprehensible, and overwhelming,” he says. This link takes you to Photographic project by Chris Jordan. I particularly liked Chris Jordan's mind boggling images of our cell phone and water bottle waste, done with an artist's eye.
The thing that really nags at me is the knowledge that these products are made with tantalum. This link details this sad saga of what goes into our technology products.
The demand for cell phones and computer chips is helping fuel a bloody civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo. [skip] Columbite-tantalite - coltan for short - one of the world's most sought-after materials. Refine coltan and you get a highly heat-resistant metal powder called tantalum. It sells for $100 a pound, and it's becoming increasingly vital to modern life. For the high-tech industry, tantalum is magic dust, a key component in everything from mobile phones made by Nokia (NOK) and Ericsson and computer chips from Intel (INTC) to Sony (SNE) stereos and VCRs.
My alternatives? This week I am looking at using Skype or some other free service and giving my neighbor my cell phone. I have about a month before she moves, which is when she needs a mobile phone. This research seems like it might benefit a lot of us who use a computer regularly. Stay tuned.
Contemporary life in America means the ubiquitous telephone, television and transportation vehicle for every adult. I am going to put that concept to the test, or at minimum I will not accept the telecom corporations holding me in ransom for services. Millions of us have been doing around the world. I've just grabbed the next number.
Speaking of next . . . What is next? Teh Toobz – I will not be giving up the use of teh toobz (see video below for a modified reminder of Sen. Ted Stevens displayed ignorance in fighting Net Neutrality a couple of years ago).
My own broadband internet account costs me around $600 a year, but last year it was paid entirely by several neighbors who each paid me about $15/month to utilize my wireless signal. They have had some problems, with one dropping out and the other two cranky about reception problems. I have had an IT guy check everything out at my computer and we can’t figure it out. To top it off, today I can barely get through and I only had intermittent connection yesterday. This is why I don't have pictures today. So this will not be a sustainable system.
Yet this weekend, some other neighbors were talking about utilizing wireless internet for all of the people in the park. One internet customer’s broadband is paid for by an employer. If we can place his signal where the other 20 or more of us can receive it with our wireless cards, we will be set.
This will be an ongoing project. But I am thrilled that I could save about $150 a month and $1,800/year with the elimination of my current truck, telephone and television expenses. The energy savings from no television is another calculation and something to shared. I am thrilled that I have begun this process and I'm convinced my fears of withdrawal were overrated. Baby steps back to a simpler life.
This may be my last posting or one of infrequent postings until I can figure out what is going on with my connections to the internet.
The thing is, I am not a consumer and I may only be guessing, but I believe there are many millions of people who don’t realize the limitless potential of re-purposing trash. So for those who are compelled to buy – during this time of transition – there is at least this refreshing alternative to using any more natural resources.
Re-purposing, local artists and millions upon millions of ideas, trash items and stuff. I snagged many of these images from Inhabitat a website rich in sustainable design ideas. I have referenced this website before and I am especially excited about their participation in international designs that function for the many, rather than simply for the wealthy few. The Hippo Bottle and Glasses for Global Poor were an examples of this.
I still believe that eliminating the consumer addiction is the ultimate direction. But it took a century to get us this brainwashed as a nation into this mess. It will need some real re-education to manipulate the sheeple away from destructive consumerism; euphemistically labeled progress. Speaking of labels, this designer jacket is exclusively labels.
For me, there is the delicious irony of glossy design magazine pages used to create three different products from three different designers. And an additional irony is trash basket made from trash.
Computer or typewriter keys have always captivated me as objects. And using phone card punch outs – or even credit cards could be a great protest jewelry in this transition time – revolutionary time.
And what about honoring books in our lives by using them as the designer has done here?
Not one of these ideas couldn’t be ‘borrowed’ for a Do It Yourself project for gift giving or barter or simply for oneself. Maybe the label jacket is a stretch for most of us, but the concept is a good one. So, before you give away those clothes, check the label – it might be useful.
Update:I want to bring a brilliant comment into the body of this post, because it shouldn't be overlooked. Commenter Rosa writes,
I have this half-thought-out theory that about 50 years of modern art and craft-as-art (say starting with Pop Art) have been about dealing with the overwhelming plenty of industrial consumerism, and we are starting to see the beginning of post-plenty art.
Just like cooking by looking at what is available and making something delicious out of it, this art of looking at what is there and transforming it through skill, instead of thinking of something and finding the resources to make it, isn't so much a technique as a world view.
But it's a really important shift.
If Rosa would develop this I would guest post it. This is indeed a shift in perspective.
n.Disparaging, often insulting or vulgar speech about another person or group.
trash-talked, trash-talk·ing, trash-talks
intr.v.To speak disparagingly, often insultingly or abusively about a person or group.
What united millions after another lost (stolen?) election in 2004 was trash talking about George Bush.After the near worshipful and fear-based strictures against criticism of the pResident – the first mocking put downs were a wonderful relief. And with the monstrous disappointment of that election, fury was unleashed.
And indignation became addictive. We should have all been prepared for that after observing the decades of hate radio from the right. It is a sad and sorry thing to have this indignation addiction. I am katecontinued and I am indignant . .. perpetually.
But, it grows old. Randy Rhodes on Air America was the first trash talker posing as a progressive voice to piss me off. I simply stopped listening to her. But the list kept growing and growing. This last 5 months I am sick to death of the ugly misogynist slurs against Hilary Clinton and the racist, anti-Muslim hatred against Barack Obama. Melissa McEwan at Shakesville has been cataloging these hits. As of today there are 94 on the Hillary sexism watch .
I mean, how great has it worked out for conservatives that the reality-based community has failed utterly to perceive a comprehensive reality about either of its remaining candidates, not to mention cast aside all that rigorous adherence to fairness, accuracy, and cynicism about the media and rightwing frames on which the leftwing blogosphere was ostensibly built?
Maybe, just maybe, we shouldn’t have been so quick to stomp the shit out of her, or slay the golden calf for him—and hand to conservatives the perfect opportunity to make us look like we got it backwards, even if we didn’t.
We’re going to go into the general election with what looks to be a weak candidate either way, when we had the chance for the total opposite. And that won’t be Barack Obama’s fault, and it damn sure won’t be Hillary’s, no matter how many of the numbskulls who got us here try to blame her for their own idiocy.
I haven’t followed much of this horse race as I worked since last year to turn away from the political race to concentrate on the real life, grass roots work of living a sustainable life. But, I did read enough to know that Obama’s supporters became pretty crazed. I remember this group energy from the Daily Kos. This blog was another fauxgressive (Melissa McEwan’s word) site that has swarmed and attacked opposing opinions for some years now. But, lately I have been reading more of the attacks from the media, from
Clinton supporters and GOP against Obama. Melissa’s survey of these attacks against Obama I noticed in April that she titled, Shakesville Doesn’t Cover Campaign Racism, where she lists almost 40 links “to get you started.”
Don’t get me wrong. I like snark and I read a couple sites with snarky humor. But, lately the misogyny and ugliness about women is getting too difficult to witness. This has been an ongoing struggle within my life. Laughter can be cruel and a weapon. I have been guilty of crossing lines. I am not proud of this. But the more conscious I become, the more difficult I find it to show disrespect in this way. And when I do, I am quicker to own up to this. It is not okay.
The number one weapon to shut women up is to say, “You have no sense of humor, I was just kidding.” Absolute bullshit, it’s talking trash. It all comes back to respect – or not. Update: I just read something by Melissa McEwan that made me realize I hadn't differentiated between indignation and anger, directed anger. Let me quote from this short but but vital Feminism 101: On Anger post:
Progress is dependent on people who get angry, because anger—productive anger, motivating anger, directed anger, rational anger—is the root of all progress.
Feminists/womanists and their allies know that change comes by virtue of anger.
A blog from the writers in Ithaca (home of my alma mater) is called Groovy Green. My theme of trash comes up in their piece today on food waste where they ask and answer:
How much food does the average American family waste in edible food each month?
122 lbs.
That’s how much enters the waste stream each month from the average American home (family of four). Ridiculous, sad, and incredible at the same time, isn’t it? A study conducted in 1995 estimated that 96.4 billion pounds of edible food was wasted each year — not to mention all of that probably went straight into the landfill. Imagine the recycled compost that could be generated from that!
The fascinating graphical representation of our monthly waste, as created by the NY Times, is shown below. Click on it to be taken to a much higher res, readable version.
It is as though the raw materials are dug out of one hole in the ground--a mine or an oil well--only to be transferred to another hole in the ground--a landfill--with a very short stop at my house in between. Indeed, in 2006, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, some 28% of our municipal waste, by weight, was packaging and containers. No Impact Man
I just loved that succinct way of describing trash. This is really dumb. Today I felt inspired to follow through on an idea I had a while ago. As soon as it came to me I raced outside with scissors and chalk and pulled some black landscape cloth out of an outdoor pot where I’d stuck it months ago. I marked and cut and came inside where I pulled out the sewing machine and stitched my creation together. May I present my impetuous whimsy – Mr. Trash Dummy.
So I have been trying to reduce my trash for 4 ½ months, but I don’t have a good sense of how well I am doing. Here is one foot of trash (get it?) from the last 2 weeks. I really have no idea how long it will take to totally fill up my trash dummy. This isn't very scientific, but it is gratifying in a childishly simple way.
I compost my food scraps, I have almost no mail or junk mail and this goes to my worms too. I recycle, though that is pretty minimal too. The bits and bobs of plastic and foil, plastic from my restaurant take out containers. I recently bought a so-called earth friendly detergent. So I will have that big container at some point. I return my egg cartons to the farmer and often use yogurt containers. This should be interesting.
Seriously, I think there is something to having a visual. In Fake Plastic Fish, Beth Terry photographs her plastic trash and weighs it too. I am partial to the human shape. I think this will be my way of showing myself how well I am doing with eliminating trash. And possibly I can come up with a use for Mr. Trash Dummy.
Screen Beans in the Microsoft world are still my favorites.
Main Entry: dum•my
a: a person who is incapable of speaking b: a person who is habitually silent c: a stupid person
a: the exposed hand in bridge played by the declarer in addition to his own hand b: a bridge player whose hand is a dummy
an imitation, copy, or likeness of something used as a substitute: as a: mannequin b: a stuffed figure or cylindrical bag used by football players for tackling and blocking practice c: a large puppet usually having movable features (as mouth and arms) manipulated by a ventriloquist dchiefly British : pacifier 2
one seeming to act independently but in reality controlled by another
a: a mock-up of a proposed publication (as a book or magazine) b: a set of pages (as for a newspaper or magazine) with the position of text and artwork indicated for the printer
When I started my mobile home remodel three years ago, I left the shed in the back out of most of the original work. These snapshots are a sort of show and tell or the shed's rebirth into a welcoming space.
This photo show how shed-like and utilitarian the little structure was when I bought the place (not the land). There was a huge storage container, 72w x36d x42h sitting in the path right outside the shed door. As a space planner I was miserable with the lack of traffic flow for any real functionalityof the back area, hinged storage box and shed. Added to this was a fence and a gate that swung in the path of the shed door.
The previous owner put down carpet inside, a counter and shelves. He claims he worked in this windowless box of mold. (I’d bought after a winter of flooding rain and mold was everywhere. He also said his teenage kids slept there when they came to visit and to surf or scuba. BTW, the big mystery box was for all of the scuba and surfing gear I guess.
My first project was to demo that storage box and paint the shed exterior to match my add-on rooms.
During the construction phase I found all kinds of broken mirrors in the park dumpster and put them to use as fragmented surface for the fence. I spent a winter experimenting with adhesives I had left from projects. I finally had to admit defeat and purchase adhesives made for mirrors. My goal was to give the narrow (3’) walkway in back some light and sparkle. It definitely opened it up. I then painted the top fence with all of the leftover paint from my home remodel and past home projects. This gave my exterior the smile it needed.
The piece de resistance turned out to be a 15 minute inspiration to paint the pavers black and white. They were pink like the scalloped border bricks I STILL haven’t eliminated. Blek. Lava rock was everywhere and I had to find more pavers from neighbors and around my place to fill in where the big box had sat.Damn. It was a spontaneous decision that proved to be the signature element of my home. Who knew?
Two summers ago a friend I hadn’t seen in years came and helped me finish the shed into a guest house. We were helped by a neighbor who put in two windows and the shelves. All of this was barter or friendship. I am blessed.
Twice I have rented this little tiny room out for several months at a time. This has helped me survive my losses in income. My lease disallows subletting, so I really can’t do this on the up and up. I could probably rent it for storage if I would get rid of everything in there, but then I’d not have it for tools and overflow.
I asked that same neighbor to mount the bed frame mobile home at the back and up high enough for me to put an under-counter refrigerator inside. The original mobile home back door was mounted at counter height just inside the door. There are two shelves under this counter for all of my storage boxes.
As a guest house it really isn’t practical. Nobody I am friends with now would stay in this little room without a toilet, refrigerator or microwave. And heat in the winter or air conditioning in the summer are also an issue.
I think that the ultimate use will be clearer to me as I become more adept in my sustain-ABILITY. Like the word responsibility, I actually hear the emphasis in my own head as ability, a self measurement.
So many, many things to learn and know. This little shed, like my little home, was a wonderful training project.
It is time to stand up and make some noise. I am entering Act III of my life as a progressive feminist. Let it be conscious, deliberate, low impact for earth's resources, but high impact for the politics of humanity.
BTW I will be swearing - a lot probably. If you take offense I think the best idea is for you to step away.
