the zero house… pretty cool, some features:

• Off the power grid, no energy bill: uses solar energy with power to last a week with no sunlight.
• Only 650 square feet, but it includes 2 bedrooms, a full bathroom, living room, kitchen, storage, heating & air conditioning, and decks.
• Rainwater is collected, holding up to 22 000 gallons.
• Closed cell foam insulation.
• Compost unit underneath collects waste with ventilation through the roof.
• House is built onto the ground using helical anchors.

What I’d really like is a teleportable house!  It would be invisible, and could teleport in personal enviroments… so that although it may seem you are sleeping outside, it will feel like you are inside and protected from all the elements.  So really it would be kind of like an invisible house suit.  And all your waste would be teleported out of you, food into you, dirt disintegrated, and it would be powered by happy thoughts. 

But until then I guess this’ll have to do…

“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”
-Mother Teresa

I found some pictures drawn by children from Darfur, and they really affected me, so I wanted to share a few. Without much adieu:

Abd al-Rahman, Age 13
“I am looking at the sheep in the wadi [riverbed, or oasis]. I see Janjaweed coming—quickly, on horses and camels, with Kalashnikovs—shooting and yelling, ‘kill the slaves, kill the blacks.’ They killed many of the men with the animals. I saw people falling on the ground and bleeding. They chased after children. Some of us were taken, some we didn’t see again. All our animals were taken: camels, cows, sheep, and goats. Then the planes came and bombed the village.”

Taha, Age 13 or 14
“In the afternoon we returned from school and saw the planes. We were all looking, not imagining about bombing. Then they began the bombing. The first bomb [landed] in our garden, then four bombs at once in the garden. The bombs killed six people, including a young boy, a boy carried by his mother, and a girl. In another place in the garden a women was carrying her baby son—she was killed, not him. Now my nights are hard because I feel frightened. We became homeless. I cannot forget the bad images of the burning houses and fleeing at night because our village was burned…”

Doa‘, Age 11 or 12
Janjaweed descend on a village on horses and camels, a woman flings her arms in the air as she is targeted for sexual violence or execution. A soldier takes a woman to be raped. She has a cell phone next to her head: “She wants to call the agencies for help.”

Salah, Age 13
“There were soldiers from Sudan, Janjaweed, and planes and bombs. I saw the Janjaweed take girls and women. The women were screaming. They seized them, they took them by force. The pretty ones were taken away…Girls were taken, small girls too, I think 5 and 7 and 14. Some came back after four or five hours…some we haven’t seen again.”

Magda, Age 9
“We were running from the burning houses. Janjaweed and soldiers with guns and planes and bombs came, all together, quickly. They were shooting…my uncle was shot. I saw them taking women and girls away. All of us—my family—we were screaming and running from the Janjaweed to hide in the wadi [riverbed or oasis]…holding each other by the arms to keep together. Here in camp we are safe, but my father…he was lost.”

Ala‘, Age 13
Like many other children, Ala‘ witnessed conflict between rebel groups and the Janjaweed. This drawing depicts a rebel soldier first shot in the arm, then executed by gunshots to the groin. Ali, a teacher in a refugee camp, said the rebels are killed this way to emasculate them. “They [the Janjaweed] know what they are doing,” he said. “They are doing it with purpose.”

You can view more drawings here

Indeed, the irony became savage today when Annan went on to invoke Edmund Burke’s famous declaration, “all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” For “nothing” is precisely what Annan and the US administration of Bill Clinton engineered in response to the desperate plea for intervening troops from Lt. General Romeo Dallaire, UN force commander at the time of the genocide in Rwanda.

Moreover, “nothing” also comes perilously close to defining what the international community is providing in the way of means for halting current genocide in Darfur…

It is incredible to me that what is happening in Darfur is happening.  It’s shocking to me that I don’t remember reading anything about it in the paper the past couple of days…. not even in the back pages!  I mean, this is genocide!  What’s even scarier is that it’s not the first time something like this has happened, and not the first time we have turned our backs.  I’d have thought we’d of known better by now. It’s a commonly held belief that things have to effect us before we can effect them… but why?  It makes sense, but I don’t understand it!  It’s so confusing to me, and its not fun to think about, but it tears me up.  Everything I do seems senseless in the face of these horrible things.  I’m really confused, nothing makes sense right now, so I’m going to stop writing.  Here are some links to some interesting sites, some regarding Darfur, some not:

• http://savoheleta.livejournal.com
• http://coalitionfordarfur.blogspot.com/2005/08/genocide-and-statistics.html
• http://hrw.org/doc?t=africa&c=darfur
• http://www.passionofthepresent.org/
• http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3496731.stm
• http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2007/mar/14/comment.sudan
• http://www.americanthinker.com/2006/12/how_the_media_and_the_left_hav.html
• http://www.amnestyusa.org/Darfur/Reports_and_Background/page.do?id=1041056&n1=3&n2=52&n3=1172

Although statistics are hard to track or validate in Darfur, here are some general ideas:

• The conflict has affected more than 2.6 million people in Darfur and Eastern Chad (US Govt., UE, UN)
• 1.85 million people are displaced within Darfur (UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs)
• 15,000 people die each month (International Coalition for Justice)
• 200,000 have fled to refugee camps in neighboring Chad (UN High Commissioner for Refugees)
• More than 20% of children under five years old are suffering from severe malnutrition and many are dying each day (UN World Food Program)
• Only 50% of persons in need are receiving food assistance (UN World Food Program)
• In March 2005, UN Undersecretary-General Jan Egeland, warned that as many as 3 to 4 million people could need food aid in the coming months.
• In April 2005, the World Food Program announced that a drastic funding shortfall would force them to cut food rations by one-half for one million Darfurians.

“Happiness is not a destination. It is a method of life.” -Burton Hills

I recently found myself in a truly tragic dilemma.  I was the owner of not one – but TWO ipods! oh me oh my oh woe.  So I thought to myself, “myself, two must become one,” and I set out making it so. 

I decided to sell my ipod, but, almost simultaneously, I decided to give away any money I received.  Now, mind you, I am not inordinately rich, I honestly could’ve used the money… but what’s money?  I needed hope more.  I was tired of complaining about all the wrong things in the world, I was tired of bitching and whining and moaning… I wanted my life to be more about “the doing” than “the saying.”  I needed to believe that people could still be good, and it had to start with myself.

So I sold my ipod for $160 and decided to share what I earned with 16 strangers ($10 each).  But I wanted to do more than just give, I wanted to share the spirit of giving….. and I wanted a glimpse into these peoples lives… I am always fascinated by how beautiful people are whenever I get the chance to talk to them individually (not so much in groups, haha).  So, starting with myself, I asked each of these people to do 4 things for me:

1. Name something, anything, that they loved (the idea for this question was mercilessly ripped from someone else’s bleeding literal heart, or rather, mind. I claim no ownership.).
2. Play a group game called “Eat Poop you Cat.” Basically, the first person, me, writes down a phrase, then passes it to the next person.  That person draws a picture based on said phrase. They then pass the drawing on to the next person, and that person writes a phrase based on the drawing (without any knowledge of the original phrase), and so on until the game ends. 
3. Name the first song that comes their mind (you can find a playlist of all these songs to the right [in the sidebar] under a heading “sharing is caring.” You may download these or listen to them here. [perhaps as you look through the pictures? ])
4. Choose someone else to give $10 to.

I’m really happy I did this.  There’s really nothing more to say, I’m just glad. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Ericsson San Pablo Chu

1. Love. Giving. You.
2. I am not young enough to know everything.
3. Woman – John Lennon

Robert Gagnon

1. My 3 Children: Kyla Dawn Gagnon, Dion Lionel John Gagnon, Rebecca May Gagnon
2. See picture above (I will post scanned higher res versions of each page later).
3. I’ve Got Friends in Low Places – Garth Brooks

Robert was the first person I met willing to do any of the things I asked. I think most of the people I asked prior (mind you, I was only asking a certain ‘type’ of person… someone I thought needed the money) were weary of finding someone else to give $10 to.  Interesting – I faced a similar dilemma earlier in the process…when I was first trying to sell the ipod.  My original idea had the buyer picking the first person, but no one responded to my ipod ads for a good cause (I even put up posters).  So I just sold it regularly and picked the first person, Robert, myself.

Anyway, before I met Robert, to be honest, I was on the verge of giving up.  I got off the skytrain at Stadium, depressed that no one was willing to take a moment out of their lives to do a good thing.   I have no idea why I got off the skytrain, I didn’t have to go anywhere near Stadium, I was sitting there, and I was just like, don’t give up, get off, maybe something will happen.  So I got off. 

I was walking down the sidewalk, moping, and I saw Robert walking the other way, he had his cap out, I wasn’t sure if he was asking for money or not.  haha, so I followed him.  After a minute, I saw him ask someone for change, so I marked him.  He looked back at me at that instance, and, I feel, was kind of freaked out, because, obviously, I was following him.  I am not a good detective.  So I caught up with him, and told him everything, and he agreed readily to play along.  I was so depressed when I first talked to him…I was scared to ask him to find someone else to give $10 to.  I was resigned that maybe I should just ask people to answer some questions and draw stuff.  But our conversation led to me suggesting it (finding someone else to give $10 to), and he did so gladly.  Thanks Robert! 

What I most remember about Robert: Robert loves Bruce Lee movies.

Juniper (A.C. Abbott)

1. Animals, the sun, love
2. Swings in the spring, on grass so green
3. The Walk – The Cure

Juniper was probably the nicest, sweetest person I had a chance to talk with.  She was just so full of life and happy go lucky, so willing to talk and inquisitive.  haha, when I first talked to her, I was still scared that she wouldn’t agree to help me find another person to give $10 to, so I didn’t mention it (thinking Robert was one of kind). But she asked me questions, and our conversation eventually revealed my hope, and she did so with vigor.  She was running around chasing people!

What I most remember about Juniper: her hippiness and her french fries.

Bo Buckland

1. My Wife, Christa
2. See picture above (I will post scanned higher res versions of each page later).
3. Stairway to Heaven – Led Zeppelin

Bo was the guy Juniper chased down.  He was a pretty willing, fun guy, he reminded me of some kind of Grandpa. He told me a funny story about how every day of his life he has managed to find a 10 cent coin.  What can I say? Fuck yeah. 

What I most remember about Bo: his red cart.

Christa Buckland

1. My son, Rocky
2. Swing set in spring.
3.  a Horse (Ride a Cowboy) – Big and Rich

Christa is Bo’s wife, Bo led me to some kind of apartment building, and I waited downstairs for them.  Around this time Robert found me, and told me excitedly that he had found another person.  I said, okay, he said he’d go get her and galloped off.  Bo came back down with Christa, we talked for awhile, then some lady came down from the apartment and told us to to get away from the entrance or else she would “spray” us.  She doesn’t see me initially (I was behind the door), but Christa’s just like, “I’m doing a survey!” and gets kind of pissed off, I say lets just move over a bit, and everything’s okay.  Christa’s nice and all, but a bit out of it, I think she is on drugs, or on the tail end of some kind of hit.  But I tell her to smile, and our conversation is nice.  She introduces me to her friend Ralph…

What I most remember about Christa: huge range of emotions.

Ralph Edward Clarke

1. My family
2. See picture above (I will post scanned higher res versions of each page later).
3. Rock & Roll – Led Zeppelin

Ralph, like most of the guys from here on in, was pretty quiet and reserved. As I talk to Ralph, I overhear Christa and Bro discussing pooling their money and doing something after. I am not exactly sure what, but am slightly saddened that perhaps I am fueling some drug deal.  But I figure that somewhere down the line, my $10 will go to them buying a bed or food, and let it be. 

What I most remember about Ralph: his eyes. They were very, just, quietly aware.

Vi Cardinal

1. Self
2. Stick-Man (Definition)
3. Heaven and Hell – Black Sabbath

Vi was very sweet, and smiled a lot, she was very cordial and pleasant to talk to.  She reminded me of Juniper except a bit older, and a little more reserved.

What I most remember about Vi: her laughing to herself as she wrote down, “Self,” and later, “Stick-man (Definition)”

Mick

1. Music
2. See picture above (I will post scanned higher res versions of each page later).
3. Purple Haze – Led Zeppelin

Mick had a lot of one liners, but was generally straightforward to talk to.  He was always just kind of chuckling to himself almost self-deprecatingly. He gave me some jewelry he found on the street! I think its fake, but my friends a jeweler, so I will ask her… I’m hoping its worth something! If it is, I will give everything away again! haha.

What I most remember about Mick: I could never really see his eyes.

Sarah

1. My Jonnie
2. Go where your celebrated, not tolerated. I’d rather be hated 4 who I am then loved 4 who I am not.
3. Sail Away – David Gray

Sarah was pretty nice.  Later, while I was talking to her referral, Jonnie, she took it upon herself to explain what and why I was doing what I was doing with passerby’s.  She also wrote the most interesting, I think, phrase from a drawing.

What I most remember about Sarah: high energy.

Jonnie

1. Hangin’ out with my girl.
2. See picture above (I will post scanned higher res versions of each page later).
3. Changes – 2pac

Jonnie was pretty much quiet, and answered my questions in a straightforward fashion.

What I most remember about Jonnie: his smirk.

Robby

1. Family & girlfriend
2. Be nice to have one!
3. Us And Them – Pink Floyd

Robby reminded me of Kenny from South Park, haha. He had a self deprecating humor around him.

What I most remember about Robert: again, I could never really see his eyes.

Wes

1. My Girls, Hayly & Sharef, & Trees
2. See picture above (I will post scanned higher res versions of each page later).
3. Just Another Day in Paradise – Phil Vassar

Wes had a confident manner around him, pretty decent guy to talk to.  haha, it was embarrassing talking to him, because his initial answer to my question, “what do you love” was just girls and trees.  After writing that, he went down to add the word, “my” in front of “girls.” As he writes down the first letter m, I guess, “money?” and he’s like, no money sucks, and then emphasizes “MY girls” as he writes down the word, “my.” I’m like oh, not “all girls?” Then he’s like my daughters, and writes down their names, and I’m like oh, and remember why I am not good at being conventionally funny… or maybe any kind of funny at all.

What I most remember about Wes: he said he didn’t care about money.

Robert

1. Money
2. Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
3. Crystal Ball – Styx

Robert was one of the more talkative, curious guys. He was fun to talk to.  He seemed to have a lot of life, I wish I could’ve talked to him more, but at this point, I was getting a bit tired.

What I most remember about Robert: He told me about he used to run a business in the Philippines.

Roy

1. Money
2. See picture above (I will post scanned higher res versions of each page later).
3. Yes

Quiet and to the point. He was only in it for the money, I am sure.

What I most remember about Roy: He wouldn’t name a specific song!!

Robbie

1. Drama
2. More Money More Problems
3. We Fly High – Jim Jones

Robbie was pretty high energy and exuberant.  He was one of those hip hop types, he was interesting to talk to I guess.

What I most remember about Robbie: he was the cleanest person I talked to.

Cheryl Strongarm

1. My 4 children: Alysia, Ashley, Aaron & Arlen
2. See picture above (I will post scanned higher res versions of each page later).
3. Should I Stay or Should I Go – The Clash (I’m hoping this is the song she meant).

Cheryl was the friend Robert, the first guy I met, went to go find.  She was real nice and patient, apparently she had been waiting for awhile. I saw her again as I passed through Tinseltown. She smiled. I think she got something to eat.

What I most remember about Cheryl: She can’t draw Earth. haha.

Gary J. Flickinger II

1. My deceased grandparents, Agatha & Charles
2. Dying
3. What a Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong

Wes reminded me of the actor Norm Macdonald, except less sarcastic/comedic…. although he was still both. He seemed pretty intelligent (bookwise). It is also incredible that he chose the song, “Its a Wonderful World” to end with, being that he was the unknowing last person.  I wish I had talked to him more… I seemed to talk less and less with people the further I got, maybe I was getting tired.  But, in the end, on the way home, remembering things I had talked about with these people, I was content… more than content, joyous.  Its always amazing, thinking about how every single person you pass on the street, every single one has a life, a history as passionate, as true, and as real as yours.  Its magical, really.  Their are so many people, so many lives… I am lucky to have been a part of these ones.

What I most remember about Gary: I saw him again as I passed through Tinseltown, he stopped me and said thank you again.

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” -Aesop

“Never let a problem become an excuse.” -Robert Schuller

Here is an interesting world statistic tracking site, based on a mathematical algorithm (you can check out their faq for more info on how the information is gathered).  As of this moment, today, apparently 100, 041 people have died, and 143,287 born. Here are some other interesting figures, some of them are dated, indulge me:

• If 0.5 percent of the worlds’ spending on weapons was diverted to agriculture in Africa, then ¾ of that continent’s poverty would be lifted.
• 500 million people most under the age of five will not survive to childbearing age because there isn’t enough food to eat.  That is more than 10 times Canada’s population.
• A few years ago, the world’s 358 billionaires had more assets than the combined incomes of countries representing nearly half – 45 per cent – of the planet’s population.  Currently their are 946 billionares.
• America now has the highest inequality of income in the industrialized world. In 1940 we had the least disparity of wealth with CEOs making about 12 times that of their average worker. Now it is 180 times as much. So this as seen CEO salaries increase 500% since 1980 while wage earners salaries have dropped 5%.
• The United States is tied with Guatemala in having the richest and poorest 20% of the population.
• The Wall Street Journal just put out the 1997 Index of Economic Freedom. The two winners who they give their highest accolades to? Singapore and Bahrain. Right-wing Fascist police states where unions are outlawed.
• In addition to concentrating wealth and power, today’s fossil-fuel-based system has engendered large imbalances in energy use and social well-being. Its benefits have not been extended to roughly 2 billion of the world’s poor–a third of global population–who still rely on biomass for cooking and lack access to electricity. Today, the richest fifth of humanity consumes 58 percent of the world’s energy, while the poorest fifth uses less than 4 percent. The United States, with 5 percent of the world’s population, uses nearly one quarter of global energy supplies; on a per capita basis, it consumes twice as much energy as Japan and 12 times as much as China.
• An expert for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organizations said that if food production was organized as it is in Holland, there would be enough food to feed 67 billion people that’s 15 times the worlds population. (An argument to show there is enough food to go round).

Here is also an interesting youtube video with some more interesting figures. The first one is dated, but was more interesting for me.

A final statistic (also very outdated, but still interesting):

Instances of the U.S. dropping bombs since World War II – Compiled by William Blum:   

• China 1945-46
• Korea 1950-53
• China 1950-53
• Guatemala 1954
• Indonesia 1958
• Cuba 1959-60
• Guatemala 1960
• Congo 1964
• Peru 1965
• Laos 1964-73
• Vietnam 1961-73
• Cambodia 1969-70
• Guatemala 1967-69
• Grenada 1983
• Lebanon 1984
• Libya 1986
• El Salvador 1980s
• Nicaragua 1980s
• Panama 1989
• Iraq 1991-99
• Sudan 1998
• Afghanistan 1998
• Yugoslavia 1999

NONE of these bombings have led to a “democratic” government even though this was more often than not the reason given for the aggression 

“Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed.” -Dwight David Eisenhower

at first I thought this was a joke…. then I felt bad… then vaguely scared.  I understand where the guy is coming from, but it is intense: “SHE’S A HUMAN!” 

No comment neccessary really.  What’s notable about this one is that it is actual “news.”  Its funny what “professional” news programs are resorting to to keep viewer’s attention.  Hey, I get it, no one wants to listen to actual news ALL the time.  But sometimes I think that is becoming too convenient an excuse…. it feels like we’re a generation feeding on redirection, placebo.  Heres a quote from a later article:

 When it was suggested he take his antics to the US and party girls Paris Hilton or Britney Spears, he said: “I reckon I’d be too high class for them.”    Corey said he had been asked to host hundreds of “informal” parties, but talk of being offered $10,000 to host nightclub events had so far come to nothing.    He had no regrets about refusing to take off his sunglasses in an interview with A Current Affair’s Leila McKinnon – an exchange that seems destined for classic status.    ”I reckon it’s hilarious and so do my mates,” he said.    Asked if his new fame had helped his chances with the ladies, Corey said: “They either want to get to know me or they hate me, there’s no in the middle right now.    ”It’s fun, it’s awesome. I’m famous, I like being famous.”              

Here a guy apparently saw a girl on a NY subway…. basically its a glorified missed connection, but he set up a website and everything, and apparently the two of them met.  Kind of a nice, really, also kind of creepy. I’m not sure which, I guess it depends on how it all turns out.  This link has an interview with the two of them: http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3843059   

Lastly, here is an article that just made me say, “wow” out loud.   Its about twins who were separated at birth and unknowingly, um, married each other.  Yeah.  http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/01/11/twins.married/index.html  

I recently posted a petition, if you read it earlier and forwarded it, please backward it.  It is a hoax.  That said, be aware that some of the atrocities mentioned in the petition do in fact happen, if interested check out the below sites…. it is just the myth that the petition alleges instigates said actions that is false.http://www.saps.gov.za/org_profiles/core_function_components/fcs/hoax.htmhttp://www.snopes.com/inboxer/petition/babyrape.asp 

One week’s worth of food by various cultures

• Germany: The Melander family of Bargteheid
• Food expenditure for one week: 375.39 Euros or $500.07

• United States: The Revis family of North Carolina
• Food expenditure for one week: $341.98

• Japan: The Ukita family of Kodaira City
• Food expenditure for one week: 37,699 Yen or $317.25

• Ital: The Manzo family of Sicily
• Food expenditure for one week: 214.36 Euros or $260.11

• Mexico: The Casales family of Cuernavaca
• Food expenditure for one week: 1,862.78 Mexican Pesos or $180.90

• Poland: The Sobcnyscy family of Konstancin-Jeziorna
• Food expenditure for one week: 582.48 Ziotys or $151.27

• Egypt: The Ahmed family of Cairo
• Food expenditure for one week: 387.85 Egyp tian Pounds or $68.53

• Ecuador: The Ayme family of Tingo
• Food expenditure for one week: $31.55

• Bhutan: The Namgay family of Shingkhey Village
• Food expenditure for one week: 224.93 ngultrum or $5.03

• Chad: The Aboubakar family of Breidjing Camp
• Food expenditure for one week: 685 CFA Francs or $1.23

• Vancouver: Me (Ericsson S.P. Chu)
• Food expenditure for one week: priceless. (or $42.93)

Some interesting links to a couple of articles I read that are in somewhat, sometimes, kind of, maybe, relation to the prior post.  They’re pretty much one big article, but its 15 pages, so I’ll give a short summary on each, and if it interests anyone, feel free!

what is a blog?  http://www.economist.com/surveys/displaystory.cfm?story_id=6794172

a fantasy world where people make their own films http://www.economist.com/surveys/displaystory.cfm?story_id=6794220

participatory media good or bad? http://www.economist.com/surveys/displaystory.cfm?story_id=6794256

are many minds better than a few? the wiki principle http://www.economist.com/surveys/displaystory.cfm?story_id=6794228

brief history of mass media and internet http://www.economist.com/surveys/displaystory.cfm?story_id=6794156

journalism is becoming interactive http://www.economist.com/surveys/displaystory.cfm?story_id=6794240

about podcasting http://www.economist.com/surveys/displaystory.cfm?story_id=6794210

what is a media company? http://www.economist.com/surveys/displaystory.cfm?story_id=6794282

just testing