On Desire

Since I’m making a movie, I can get away with documenting everything. Writing daily, describing insights and epiphanies ad nauseum. This blog is a strategy for generating interest in the project – coming soon to a theater near you… Clearly I am a social media savvy filmmaker!

Let’s flip it. What if I just had an urge to share, to pass my memes around? What if i just wanted attention, to be listened to? The whole movie thing, even the adventure of sailing Around Lake Michigan solo in 16 foot catamaran… what if it all is just a plea to “look at me!”?

My ex-wife would’ve agreed. She thought that my outgoing and gregarious habits were a sign of deep insecurity. Thus the prefix ex. She might have been right, maybe I was/am deeply insecure… but I think joyful contact and rapport with others is a healing force. Cowering in a closet gets me nowhere.

The path of recovery from addiction starts with recognizing and admitting the addiction. Disabled athletes blow us away because of what they achieve *through* limitation.

We face a world crisis that seems to big to cope with. National governments are puppets to profit and unable to act. It’s frigging scary. What can we do with the fear?

If I am sailing just to get attention, fine. If my limitations can be leveraged to make a miracle, what’s the problem? Driven by my insecurity, perhaps I’ll discover a wonder. If this entire project becomes an enormous public pratfall, a disaster – so what? I’ll take what’s at hand and give it a whirl, painting with the full palette – confidence and insecurity. The creative principle is consciousness. When we pay attention everything becomes useful.

I want to demonstrate the art of glorious mistakes and fortunate accidents. Arthur Dent learned to fly by falling and accidentally missing the ground. We learn when we forget how to fail.

Familiarity breeds contempt, which is another way of saying – fuggedaboudit! Failing is painful at first. The trick is to fail big time, over and over until the novelty wears off. Then try even crazier stuff, schemes so totally out there that eventually genius kicks in and voilà! If not success then at least another blog post.

Yesterday Hello World had a soft landing and went into drydock. Movie!

10-04-28 Hello World soft landing and drydock variable / full screen
10-04-28 Hello World soft landing and drydock fixed size

James Cameron’s life is shifting because of his super blockbuster, Avatar. Democracy Now interviewed Cameron yesterday. Here’s where to find it.

WBAI NYC archive for Tuesday April 27, 2010 8:00am (audio)

Democracy Now archive Tuesday April 27, 2010 (audio or video)

ondesire.com archive mp3 (audio)

Notice how calm I appear? Tomorrow gear should start arriving via ground shipping including the voice of Hello World, Winslow’s Torus. I’m a Taurus too!

Hello World has yet to go into the shop for fiberglass patching, but I think I’ve got everything I need to do the job. We’ll start today.

Total pre launch expenses for services, parts and materials should be under $2500. Deft deployment of the indy filmmaker’s friend – low APR credit cards – makes it possible.

We’re also enjoying amazing gifts and discounts. Patagonia has offered their corporate purchase program to the project, Dan Kelchak is giving a break on the repair of the Larrivee, Winslow is contributing a bell for Hello World, Julie continues to hook us up with pro bono social media guidance and the tribal citizens are activating their networks, both real life and virtual. I expect the generosity and collaboration will continue – it’s awesome and thrilling.

We are not doomed, my friends. Acting together we can turn this around.

Will Around Lake Michigan make it to Cannes or Sundance? It doesn’t matter. The success of a project isn’t measured by critical acclaim or money made – that’s so 20th century. It’s measured in how much hearts open and awareness expands. ALM is already blowing me away because of the resources, humor and love flowing to it.

I put myself out there as the ambassador of an idea – we can discover a sustainable civilization. It’s whacky sure, but doable. The idea basically asserts that humans are not doomed, nor are we inherently toxic. We can be a benign and eventually benevolent presence on the planet. Let’s roll up our sleeves and figure it out, let’s redefine what matters, redesign our desire.

Holy ship that’s huge! What else have you got going on today? Crazy job, messy divorce, health issues? Ok, we’ll give u a couple weeks to square away your troubles and wrap up what’s not working, then you’ve got to come out and play!

Whether or not you dig my clown pirate schtick, we can each ask ourselves what we REALLY want. If we accept suckiness as our destiny, that’s what we’ll get by default. I’ve got nephews, nieces and cool friends who are breeding. I cannot accept suck as their future. I myself want to have a good reason to dance, sing and make an utter fool of myself. “Aw, leave him alone, he saved the planet!”

Be a human for heaven’s sake. Our destiny isn’t supposed to suck!

As Jim Allegro used to say, ideas are alive. This project begins to breathe. We are all coming back to life.

A day driving around and hooking up with experts.

I dropped in to see Chuck of Northern Welding Specialties first, but he wasn’t there. He told me via cell that he was teaching at the college and perhaps we could meet after 3:00. I didn’t get back to his shop until 5:30 and missed him. We talked again and agreed that I can email him some drawings of the cargo brackets I’d like him to fabricate.

Next I swung by the indy Apple store City Mac to pick up a spare power supply for the Macbook Pro. I got to see Zeb and Greg. I also got to touch an IPad. They’ve sold a couple dozen already and Apple is not able to keep them stocked, but that’s typical for new product introductions.

1. √ Macbook Pro power supply [Apple] $80

Rolling down 31 toward town, I pulled into West Marine, a big box vendor and our local supplier of West Systems products for fiberglass repair. Bob sold me 2 x 200 feet of thin anchor line for Hello Word’s double anchors. He had given great guidance last August but I could only afford 2 x 50 feet of line then. The longer lines will allow Hello World to safely anchor in water up to 30 feet, greatly expanding our overnight options. Andy asked me about the trip as I hadn’t seen him since early September 2009. By coincidence he had moored his boat next to Hello World when she was anchored in Grand Traverse Bay. He had also recently come across a scrap of paper in his wallet with the ondesire.com url scribbled on it. A friend saw it too and assumed it was some kind of porn site.

“Hey Andy, what’s that all about, eh?” Nudge, nudge, wink wink!

“On no, it’s this guys sailing blog, honest!”

We also wondered about the guy who had been rigging a 40′ cat for kite sailing and a big ocean trip. He had eventually launched, but neither Andy nor I had heard what happened to him.

1. √ 2 x 200 anchor rope $200

Oryana food coop was the next stop. The managers there let me buy a stack of thin plastic containers provided for bulk nut butters. These and yogurt containers are ideal for mixing fiberglass. I also bumped into Christie and invited her to the launch on May 8.

1. √ x2 paper towels [Seventh Generation] (fiberglass)
2. √ plastic bulk containers [Solo] (fiberglass) $5
3. √ bandaids [All Terrain]
4. √ non deet insect repellent, [Badger]. Green Ban is nor longer stocked.
5. √ x2 ribbon floss [Toms]
6. √ apples, bananas, ginger, carrots, liquid soap [Bronners], bread [Pleasanton Bakeries], cheese [Organic Valley

Down 8th Street from Oryana is Brick Wheels. They had worked on Zilliax's Miyata bicycle last September, but their mechanics were booked up until after My 8th. They recommended City Bikes, so that's where the handlebar replacement, tuning and brake work is happening. Should be ready by 5/6.

I ate some hot rice and beans from Oryana's deli on the ride over to Scuba North. Captain Jack was there, he and Charles Craw had originally certified me as a NAUI diver in the late 80's. Jack recently sold Scuba North but is continuing to work there, in his words, "Now I am making money instead of loosing it!"

My big 80 cubic foot tank is just too bulky and heavy to bring on Hello World. At Scuba North I checked two sizes of pony tanks, 19 cubic feet and 30 cubic feet.  I originally wanted to go with two 19's and Jack explored hooking them together with discontinued fittings. Twining tanks is more common in Europe these days, so there are no USA distributors for new parts. Two small tanks would be easier to fit than one big one, but to use them together during a dive I would either have to buy a 2nd regulator or twin them, European fashion. With the gear Jack had on hand both tanks would have to be empty to break them apart - not a good solution.

Jack also explained that the water accumulation would reduce the capacity of the 19 faster than the 30 and that it would be a good idea to dry the small tanks before every fill. Here's the specs...

19 cubic feet

height = 21"

diameter = 4.5"

wieght = 9 lbs

price = $125

estimated dive time at 30 feet = 19 minutes

30 cubic feet

height = 22.5"

diameter = 5.25"

wieght = 14 lbs

price = $145

estimated dive time at 30 feet = 25 minutes

With a diameter of 5.25", the 30 would just barely fit in the Pelican 1720 rifle cases - .25" to spare. This is probably the way to go, a good balance between the 19 (short dive time) and the 80 (too bulky to carry). I'm going to ponder this a few more days.

1. √ extra backpack strap for small tank [Seaquest] $20
2. √ shoulder pads for backpack [Dive Rite] $16
3. √ repair kit for skin out wetsuit [Aquaseal] $20

I bought a strap to fit a smaller tank to my backpack, padding for the shoulder traps, and aquaseal kits to to fix repair the dings in the Gul skin out wetsuit.

A sweep past along east bay gave me a chance to drop off the thumb drive Jeff had loaned me and to visit Interlochen Guitar and Dan Kelchak, the project’s luthier. My Larrivee parlor guitar was stepped on at a party right after I got it -  almost broke my heart! Dan patched it up, almost good as new. Since then the Larrivee’s been west to the beaches of Hawaii, east to the canyons of NYC and even camped on North Manitou Island. To survive sailing Around Lake Michgan, the Larrivee needs love. Dan and I came up with a plan for rehabilitation. He’s going to reinforce the internal structure, securing delicate wood struts and panels that have broken loose or split. After that, I’ll sand her back and secure the vulnerable injury with fiberglass. Her sound might not be as bright, but she be solid for years to come. His part of the project will run about $200.

1. √ repair Larrivee guitar $200

I dropped off the drowned iPhone at the UPS store for return to Apple. Out of warranty replacement is $200, I should see it this week.

1. √ out of warranty replacement iphone returned to Apple $200

Finally I drove down to Bear Lake to borrow the grinder and fordham tool for the fiberglass repair. Me and the men spent the evening finishing the Firefly TV series on Netflix.

Take my life
Take my land
Take me where I cannot stand
I don’t care, I’m still free
You can’t take the sky from me

Heading into Traverse City to shop and run errands. Here’s my list…

Oryana

1. bug repellent (no deet) [Green Ban] (1)
2. food

Backcountry

1. paddle head or new paddle
2. sawdust bag (waterproof)

The UPS store 14th or garfield the ups store

1. return iPhone 3GS [Apple]
2. repair ID

Scuba North

1. go see Scuba North ponies 19, 30, 40 cu ft
2. out wetsuit[Gul] in car
   1. repair
3. harness
   1. compatible with dual ponys + PVC dummy?
   2. padding for pec/bicep

Brick Wheels

1. bicycle [Miyata, Steve Zilliax] in car
2. needs tune
3. replace handlebars
4. valve adapter

Dan Kelchak

1. Parlor Guitar [Larrivee] repair, stabilize back [Kelchak]

City Mac

1. laptop power supply [Apple Computer Macbook power supply] (1)

West Marine

1. West Systems faring and structure supplies
2. mixing cups (yogurt containers – recycled)
3. paper towels
4. x2 200 ft of line (30 ft depth x ~5-7)
5. sample line in car

Sailsport Marine

1. extra rivets for the jib traveler tracks (tight, no play)
2. rudder (spare)

Jeff’s house

1. drop off thumb drive

Richfield Trailer Supply 470 Us Highway 31 231-943-4700

1. flat hook straps

Shop and Save (Benzonia)

1. tape measure
2. white gas
3. 20′ rope, 30′ drawstring, 200′ twine
4. zip locks
5. x5 NiMH 9v battery (2)
6. x20 NiMH AA batteries (4)
7. jumper cables
8. grinder

Bear Lake

1. fordham tool
2. bits

Much ordering, inspections and organization. I’m driving up to Traverse City tomorrow or Tuesday for a shopping day.

Fiberglass work has not started, I expect to prep the garage for Hello World today and maybe even get her in there. Structural damage is spread over 5 spots totaling 1 square foot in area. The hull bottoms need to be faired and all repairs painted.

Compared to last fall’s rebuild, this work should take about 5 days from prep to paint. As long as there are no surprises once repairs start, launch will be on schedule. I’ll be posting progress.

I’m introducing a new variable to the equation – saddlebags. The idea is to deploy uncrushable waterproof storage so the Larivee parlor guitar can come along. One scenario involves strapping Pelican 1720 rifle cases between the hulls and tramp. I could also keep them on “on deck” and eliminate one of the big dry bags.

The cases weigh 20 lbs each. Hello World can carry 500 lbs but I want to stay well under the max and only carry 400 lbs. I weigh about 180 lbs + 40 lbs of cases = 220 lbs total. That leaves 180 lbs for gear or the equivalent of three decent sized backpacks – 1 for wilderness camping, 1 for production / power and 1 for scuba. Don’t forget the bike. Doable.

On the Master Checklist, orange text is for items that need to be inspected, tested or acquired. Green text is for items ordered. Checked items are on hand and ready to go. Monitor our progress towards launch on the Master Checklist… like watching spring shoots poke up out the dirt!

http://www.ondesire.com/2010/04/18/master-checklist-alm-2010/

It’s 5:15 am, a bit early for me to be up. On my way back to bed after taking a leak I knocked over a mason jar of water. Groping in the dark for some clothes, towels – anything to mop it up… remembering belatedly to snatch my phone and computer from harm’s way. Loathe to turn on the lights and spoil my natural melatonin rush. Disaster narrowly averted, except I didn’t much feel like falling asleep after. Time then for the morning post.

Dream before I kicked over the water… A friend and I were kissing, (let’s call her Eve). I said I was waiting for her to take a break so we could be together. She said she never took breaks. I know there’s something there for me.

47 is old, at least to my 17 year old self image. Back when I first discovered intimacy and connection – I guess I just got stuck there. I still feel the world with the heart of a cocky teenager, only more confidently. A sensual and intimate kid, deeply romantic, a sex god – I knew that I wasn’t destined for hearth and home. My passion wasn’t going to wear down and find a familiar groove. The way of the lone wolf was waiting.

I don’t have a steady lover – that’s the point. There’s possibilities, prospects but my attention strays. I can’t cozy down with anything less than the ultimate… so keep moving. Settling for less seems like capitulation, the end of dreams. Rather, let me howl in the desolate heath and run wild, forgotten.

What does my love status have to do with a boat ride, the earth, anything? There must be some reason (other than back story) to touch this. Standing on a whale, fishing for minnows. That’s the dream life by analogy. The big awakening is right here, yet we scramble for tiny insights. What does that dream mean?

It means get up sucker and get ready. Only 13 days until you’re married to wind.

A brief postscript.  While I was sleeping, my excellent brother became the 2nd most viewed male on a popular (and competitive) online dating site, and he’s 10 years older than me… Way to go, bro!

Beautiful. Inventory and ordering continues today, with a bit of general organization around the house.

Yesterday I became 6.5 lbs heavier when I started wearing a scuba weight belt. Carrying extra weight is an easy way to challenge the body and build strength, even when just walking around the house. I ran 3 miles with it too and felt fine. A year or two back I owned a weight vest designed for training firefighters but sold it after a few months. It was too much of a hassle to wear it with less than 15 lbs. The belt I hardly notice.

I’ve been writing for an hour just about every day for the past few weeks. That’s the drill with any serious practice – do it daily. My writing might improve if i keep this up, imagine that! Once on the water it could be challenging to keep the longer posts coming. I may only be able to check in on days of easy wind.

Gear ahoy!

Getting close now. Order of operations seems to be holding together, it’s spooky that I’m mostly on schedule. Everything can go right between now and launch… it’s possible.

I am noticing more, recognizing the unfolding of a larger story. A lot of ideas to fit into a coherent movie… I guess I started this, mostly just made myself available and let the pieces fall into place. Is this what I want?

How it began… On location in 2006 shooting my first movie with a budget. For the next two years I spent most of my days free climbing the first movie learning curve. Daughter of God – http://dogthemovie.com. I kept the fridge full with freelance production work for NYC dancers.

In 2008 I spent yet another perfectly good summer sweating in a tiny apartment staring at screens. The DOG project has merit and is worth finishing, will be finished. Is anything worth giving up a whole summer of diving Crystal’s blue, of running barefoot in the forest, of waking up to waves lapping?

Here’s the deal… Daughter of God is set in a post apocalyptic world, it’s a post apocalyptic surreal romantic comedy, sinister in the sense that some humans still dream of asphalt plains resplendant with the snaking migrations of countless multi-colored cars. It’s over tho, human population has been devastated, industrial infrastructure deleted and nature is reclaiming the cities. Certainly there’s toxic aftermath, sure the survivors are traumatized, but they dress snappy!

Meanwhile, back in RL I’m listening to Democracy Now every morning on WBAI radio. Assembling a fictional apocalypse seems pretty pointless when an actual apocalypse is nigh – I can never match the Pentagon’s special fx budget, let alone Gaia herself.

I wondered… Is DOG the best use of my time right now? Wouldn’t I rather be swimming? How about that super hero correspondence course I just aced?

That’s the setup. In the autumn of 2008 Kai invited me to make a documentary about sailing in Hawaii and – of course – sustainability… Well? What would Jesus do?

That was earth momma’s little joke. Come summer 2009, Kai abandoned Desire and Pele for a motor sailor… and I noticed there was a 30 year old Hobie Cat in my driveway.

Is this what I want? To act as an agent of Earth disguised as a pirate filmmaker? Hours drifting wind free followed by contact improv with Shiva? Three months of wilderness occasionally interupted with regionally brewed stouts and porters? The making of a saint?

I say, Yes.

Are we feeling it? Today was the last day of asking for a while. I’ve contacted Apple, Brunton, Verizon, Patagonia and Light and Motion asking for help with ALM, gear mostly. Patagonia already said no. In the process I learned that Yvon Chouinard never uses a computer, ever – not even email. I assume that means no Google either, no Wikipedia, no Youtube, no Netflix and definitely no Facebook. Can you imagine? No FACEBOOK?!

Kari and I talked about something else last night. She’s not a big science fiction buff, but I asked her if she had seen the first Terminator – cause that’s illustrates where I am at.

Remember when the scary Terminator shows up in the club to kill Sarah Conner, and she realizes it’s coming for her? She’s skittering around the bar and folks are dropping like flies from gun blasts – it’s madness, chaos, apocalypse. Just as she about to be snuffed there’s a moment of reprieve as Kyle counter attacks, temporarily disabling the Terminator. Kyle reaches his hand to Sarah and says the immortal line – “Come with me if you want to live.”

That’s ALM by analogy. “Come with me if you want to live.” We’re in trouble for sure, the Terminator is about to get up and waste our sorry asses. We can lie down and watch the world fry, wallow in our own ignorance and trauma or we can bust a move. We need some workable strategies, now.

Well, I’ll have to yank a few more corporate chains on Friday but it’s 10:oo pm and time to turn in. Sweet dreams all.

Kari was over last night for dinner and we talked about guns, earthships and vision quests. She used a big cutting board as a model of Hello World, sliding it back and forth on the counter top as if it were tossed in a slow motion tempest. She talked about her training for scuba and snorkle and how you always take a buddy on the water.

“Doing what you are about to do, alone on the water, says you are willing to die for what you are willing to live for. It’s a prayer out there.”

I mentioned that I wasn’t sure whether it was Geronimo or Crazy Horse, (it was Roman Nose) who laid down on a tiny raft and got stormed on for 4 days. After that bullets couldn’t touch him.

I never thought about this aspect of the trip. Sitting with the awareness this morning I felt reluctant to even relate our conversation – but this is an open source inspired project.

Those who are ready to read this post will. Those who are following and paying attention may share my epiphany. Wow. That about covers it.

Joe Campbell advocated following your bliss. Bliss or passion. Zeal. Zealot.

Back around again to desire. What do we want? Are we ready to have what we want, where that takes us? Each of us has a built in compass that we’ve been taught to fear. Humans are only clever animals after all, they’ll rape and murder given half a chance. Our nature is savage, red in tooth and claw. Monsters from the id, Morbius.

If we buy that, then desire is the last thing we’d ever dare to explore. Desire comes from our nature, desire = nature. See where this is going? By denying our desire we deny our nature and that’s how trivial and self destructive life ways are imposed upon us.

Ah, what a grand opera this truly is, I begin to see it now. Over and over authentic experience has been replaced with the mediocre, the slaughtered labeled savages and erased from history. That’s why we’ve got to keep digging up so called sustainability and relearn it, reimplement it, re-remember it. Taught to fear what we are.

What am I?

take me, sneak up and surround me
smother me in the unknown, unseen
unfathomed
the darkness of depth, underwater
danger and cold
almost death only to awaken
live again, breath in sunlight
but I lie a little
you are not a cold night nor dangerous
merely mysterious
warm and friendly in fact
at least as April nights in Michigan go

You might notice an unusual use of pronouns in this project. “We” usually replaces “I” when discussing the trip. That’s because Hello World has it’s own identity and presence, it’s not just Dan Kelly sailing Around Lake Michigan, it’s Dan Kelly and Hello World. When sailing we become a cybernetic / symbiotic fusion of two sentient beings, so technically “I” would be appropriate, but we’re not always sailing. Sometimes she and I are lounging on the beach or rolling at anchor in the swells.

How can Hello World be a “she”? I mentioned our symbiotic rapport when under sail. If the wind is wild, the edges between boat and Dan blur. My senses stretch – I feel the taughtness of the sail, hear the singing of the wires – every creak and twist of the hulls are happening in my own body. Comparing it to sex is a cliche – it’s sex with deep trust on the edge of oblivion. It’s sex to stay alive.

Once initiated into this mystery, one can’t help but see the radiant goddess in curves of fiberglass, swishing nylon and aluminum arches. She too is an artifact of the industrial age – love has no limits. Americans can learn to cherish sailboats and earthships as much as they loved their hydrocarbon powered cars, maybe more. Take heart.

Another unique use of “we” and “us” is in reference to the tribe. Everyone who’s thinking about the trip, telling friends about it or helping to make it possible is traveling along with Hello World and Dan Kelly. Even without blog posts or tweets, I can feel your attention and presence. We are all doing this together.

What’s today about? The schedule is already slipping but that’s to be expected. We’ll have to make daily adjustments as launch approaches. Concentrating on core issues, getting ready to go.

The master checklist is about 90% complete and posted. It will be revised right up to launch day as I sort, verify and (if needed) repair items. Borrowed, contributed and purchased gear will be arriving next week.

The itinerary was posted yesterday, but it’s really just a sketch. Short of having Edgar Cayce or Nostradamus on the team, there’s no way to know our schedule in advance. The itinerary has two functions – to provide a rough idea of where Hello World and I need to be and when so that the trip can wrap well before the snow flies (August) AND to inspire the tribe to think about artifacts and where they may be – specific people and places. We’re getting action on that already.

Cultural geography is a sub-field within human geography. Cultural geography is the study of cultural products and norms and their variations across and relations to spaces and places. It focuses on describing and analyzing the ways language, religion, economy, government and other cultural phenomena vary or remain constant, from one place to another and on explaining how humans function spatially.

Just ran 4 miles, 2 backward in 21:00 minutes or 10:50 minutes/miles and 2 forward in 16:11 minutes or 8:05/minutes/mile for a total of 37:11 minutes. The backwards miles are amazing, just keep tossing the feet behind and trust.

Around Lake Michigan route 2010, version 1.0. Subject to change by whim, weather, clues, portents and synchronicity.

Actual

Point Betsie to Elberta Beach, Elberta, Michigan arrive 10-06-01
Arcadia Lake, Arcadia, Michigan arrive 10-06-02 depart 10-06-05
North of Portage Lake, Michigan arrive 10-06-05 depart 10-06-06
Ludington, Michigan arrive 10-06-06 depart 10-06-08
South of Big Sable Point arrive 10-06-06 depart 10-06-08
Grand Haven, Michigan arrive 10-06-12 depart 10-06-14
Holland Saugatauk Dunes Natural Area, Saugatauk, Michigan arrive 10-06-15, depart 10-06-23
Kalamazoo, Michigan arrive 10-06-16 depart 10-06-20 (side trip)

Actual daily average = 134 miles /23 days = 5.8 miles/day
Required daily average to complete trip by August 31  = (1600 miles total – 130 miles so far) / 67 days remaining as of 10-06-23 = 21 miles/day

Projected

Benton Harbor, Michigan 2 days
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore 1 day
Gary, Indiana + Industrial and Airport 2 days
Chicago, Illinois + Fermilab + Field Museum 5 days
Kenosha, Wisconsin
Milwaukee + Arkham House
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Manitowoc, Wisconsin
Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Escanaba + Little Bay Du Noc, Michigan
Big Bay du Noc + Garden Penninsula
Manistique, Michigan
Seul Choix, Michigan
Beaver Island
Naubinway, Michigan
Epoulette Bay, Michigan
West Moran Bay, Michigan
Mackinac Bridge, Michigan
Wilderness State Park, Michigan
Cross Village, Michigan
Little Traverse Bay, Michigan
Charlevoix, Michigan
Torch Lake, Michigan
East Grand Traverse Bay
West Grand Traverse Bay
Suttons Bay
Northport
Leland
North Manitou
South Manitou
Empire
Point Betsie

Toby suggested…
Betty the Stuffed Sleigh Dog:
Address: 6054 124th Ave., Fennville, MI [Show Map]
Directions: I-196 exit 34. Hwy 89 (124th Ave.) east about three miles to Crane’s Pie Pantry. On the right.
Phone: 269-561-2297

Sunny and chill by the lake this morning. Working through the recently posted order of operations, taking inventory and building lists. I expect to be asking this afternoon and into tomorrow – contacting a few key companies and inviting them to collaborate with gear and services. I’ll also have a list of companies whose products are already part of project. They can be approached later for help with post-production.

The lists also provide a trail of breadcrumbs for those who might like to replicate the Search in their own locale. Low impact exploration doesn’t have to involve sailing or even extensive travel – future artifacts are everywhere. The lists are modules – camping, hiking, sailing, cooking, production – that are applied to fit the situation.

Building, revising and simplifying these lists is a wonderful process. Limiting my life to just what I can carry on a boat is liberating. Being ready for whatever might arise, I can feel truly home – wherever I go. At ease. Present.

My methods will determine my results. By asking what minimum requirements are, I’m tuning into what really matters. I think that’s the basis of this whole project. Desire is what really matters most. I want to live, I want to be warm, I want to eat. The lists answer these fundamental questions.

Handling the fundamentals I suddenly realize that I’m free – everything else is clutter, distraction and entanglement. Amusing perhaps, convenient, attractive… but being able to let all of that go – that’s the beginning of the discovery. If I can find future sustainable civilizations, it will be because I am able to thow off the fetters of the present civilization, to drift free from it’s assumptions and imperatives. Empty and open to a simplier way, starting with survival.

revised 10-05-23

Light

1. √ flashlight [Sure Shot]
2. √ dive flashlight [Intova]
3. √ x4 lighter
4. √ x3 chemical light sticks
5. √ candle lantern
6. √ x5 candles
   

Hygiene Health and First Aid

1. √ scissor
2. √ tweezor
3. √ utility knife
4. √ finger nail clipper
5. √ bandaids
   
6. √ cotton swabs
7. √ hair ties x6
8. √ electric razor
9. √ floss [Toms]
   
10. √ 3x toothbrush heads [Fuchs]
11. √ toothbrush [Fuchs}
    

Shaman Rx

1. aspirin
2. √ cold sore (september)
   
3. √ sunscreen [Dr Hauschka]
4. √ x2  bug repellent (no deet) [Green Ban] (1)
   
5. √ Niacinamide Gel [LifeLink]
6. R-alpha lipoic acid [LifeLink]
7. immune boost [Banyan botanicals immune support]
8. √ Beta glucans [LifeLink]
9. CoQ10 [LifeLink]
10. melatonin [LifeLink]
11. √ Dinindolyl methane (DIM) [LifeLink]
12. √ Quercetin
13. Lugal solution
14. Steve’s skin saver
    
15. B-12 [LifeLink]
16. Zheng gu Shui (bone water)
17. Wan hua oil (joints)
18. Ching Wan Hung (burn medicine)
19. oregano oil
20. sage
    

Reference library

1. √ weather [Weather 1957]
2. √ writing [Elements of Style, Strunk and White]
3. √ first aid [Wilderness Medicine Beyond First Aid, Forgey]
4. √ ropes [Ropes, Knots and Slings for Climbers, Wheelock]
5. √ scuba [NAUI Openwater I Training]
6. √ sailing [Catamaran Sailing from Start to Finish, Phil Berman]
   
7. lyrics
8. spanish[Pimsleur]
9. tai chi forms video [Ru]
   1. √ sword
      

revised 10-05-31

1. √ x2 socks wool [Icebreaker]
2. √ x2 underwear poly/merino
3. √ x2 underwear cotton (1)
   
4. √ merino top [Icebreaker Bodyfit 260 XL]
5. √ x2 merino bottom [Icebreaker Bodyfit 260 L] (1)
6. √ black cargo pants
7. √ pile pullover
8. √ wind/rain shell [Patagonia]
9. ASK *** wind/rain pants [Patagonia]
10. √ pile baklava
11. √ wool gloves cut-off
12. √ shorts [Patagonia]
13. √ bandana
14. √ dress shirt
15. √ sailing and surf shoes [Vibram Five Fingers]
16. √ hiking boots [Blundstones]
17. √ sun hat
18. √ pack towel

1. √ submersible VHF – [iCom M72]
2. ASK *** iPhone 3GS [Apple]
3. √ dry bag [Aquapac]
4. √ iPhone back-up [Apple]
5. √ dry bag [Aquapac]
6. √ Mifi [Verizon]
   1. √ Mifi interface USB
   2. √ Mifi power
   3. ASK *** summer connection

revised 10-05-19

This is based on the 09-08-31 Master Checklist, posted only 5 days before the September launch. We’re posting this 18 days before launch – that’s progress.

revised 10-05-31

Launching 23 days late and this will be the final review. Yikes, so much for progress.

1. Survival
   1. warmth
      1. shelter
         1. √ tent, poles, stakes [The North Face]
            1. check
               
         2. √ sleeping bag [The North Face, Cats Meow 2001]
         3. √ sleeping bag [Montbel, Ultra Light Alpine Burrow bag #3 2008]
         4. √ foam roll /  yoga matte [Gaiam]
         5. √ x2 tarp 4′ x 8′
         6. 20′ rope, 30′ drawstring, 200′ twine
      2. sailing wetsuit / drysuit
         1. √ skin out wetsuit[Gul]
            1. repair
         2. √ booties
            1. replace w/warmer
               
         3. √ hood
         4. ASK *** drysuit
      3. clothes – link
   2. water
      1. √ water bottles x4 [Nalgene]
      2. √ ceramic filter pump [MSR]
         1. check
      3. √ dual use – see Hello World/righting/big bucket
         
   3. cooking
      1. √ locking pot with lid
      2. √ big family pot
      3. √ 4 x bowls
      4. √ 4 x spoons
      5. √ dish soap [Ecover]
      6. √ scrungy
      7. √ wooden spoon
      8. √ paring knife
      9. √ white gas stove [MSR Whisperlite]
         1. check
      10. √ x2 fuel bottle large [MSR]
          1. fill
   4. √ food
      1. √ grains (make link)
   5. √ sanitation
      1. √ portable composting toilet
         1. √ prep
      2. √ sawdust bag (waterproof)
         
   6. sundries – link
2. Hello World [Hobie Cat]
   1. checked and repaired
      1. hull structure
         1. √ starboard bottom hole from rock impact, possibly near dune buggy blowouts UP
         2. √ starboard hull ratching hook dents under lip ~5
         3. √ port dent from stump pre 2009 launch
         4. √ ratcheting hook dents under lip ~5
         5. √ install hatches
         6. √ fair hatch surround
         7. √ reinforce inner hull under hatch
         8. √ fair and armor keels
         9. √ plate first impact
         10. safety patch
             
      2. inspect
         1. √ frame
         2. √ lines, shrouds
         3. √ mast
         4. √ rudders
         5. √ sails [Whirlwind]
         6. √ remove Hobie logo
         7. √ shock cord for trapeze (10-05-13)
         8. √ main traveler (10-05-13)
            1. thread lock main traveler
         9. √ big bucket righting system
            1. √ test
         10. √ ditty bag
         11. toolkit
         12. spare parts
         13. √ paddle head or new paddle (10-05-13)
         14. √ harness with back support and spreader hook [Murrays] (10-05-13)
         15. √ hull graphics
         16. √ x4 baolong fenders (10-05-13)
   2. Tools
      1. tools – link
   3. Legal
      1. √ Passport
      2. √ Hello World registration
      3. √ x4 vds – water proof flares [Orion]
      4. √ air horn with bike pump [Ecohorn]
      1. √ torus bell [Winslow]
      1. √ x2 life preservers for trapeze [Stohlquist]
      2. √ x1 white light
      3. √ x1 red/green light
      4. √ x2 light mount and safety line
      5. √ x2 anchor, 6 feet chain with buoy
      6. √ x2 200 ft of anchor line (30 ft depth x ~5-7)
      7. √ x2 45 ft of line (5-7 ft depth separate or 12-18 ft combined)
   4. Navigation
      1. √ gps and charts iPhone application [iNavX]
      2. √ x2 compass [Engineer] [something that won't explode or fog up]
         
   5. Production and Power
      1. production and post kit – link [Canon] [Apple]
   6. Communication
      1. √ submersible VHF – [iCom M72]
      2. ASK *** iPhone 3GS [Apple]
         1. √ dry bag [Aquapac]
            
      3. √ iPhone back-up [Apple]
         1. √ dry bag [Aquapac]
      4. √ Mifi [Verizon]
         1. √ Mifi interface USB
         2. ASK *** summer connection
   7. Bags and straps
      1. √  backpack – [The North Face Snow Leopard 1991]
      2. √ backpack – [The North Face Technical 1995]
         1. needs repair
      3. √ dry bag backpack x2 [Seal line 115 2009]
      4. √ fanny pack dry bag x2 [Seal Line Sealpack 2009]
      5. √ messenger bag with shoulder and waist strap [Tenba]
      6. √ compression stuff sack [Granite Gear]
      7. √ x6 large stuff sacks [Granite Gear] [Sea to Summit]
      8. √ x7 small stuff sacks [Outdoor Research] [Granite Gear]
      9. √ x2 Pelican 1720NF Long Case without Foam Black 20lbs w/foam ~$400
      10. √ x8 climbing carabiners [Black Diamond
          
      11. √ x4 climbing carabiners locking [Omega Pacific]
      12. √ x12 H16 cargo plates [Dan Kelly and Chuck Hunt]
          
   8. Scuba and Snorkle
      1. ASK *** waterproof enclosure for Vixia [Light and Sound Bluefin] [Gates]
      2. √ waterproof enclosure for Vixia (shallows and light duty waterproof) [Aquapac]
      3. √ pony scuba tank 30 cu ft [Luxfer]
         
      4. √ pressure gauge [Cessi]
      5. √ harness
         1. √ adjusted straps removed shoulder release
         2. √ compatible with dual ponys?
         3. √ padding for pec/bicep
      6. √ regulator [Seaquest]
         1. √ purchased 87 rebuilt 7/09
      7. √ mask [Mares]
      8. √ snorkel [US Divers]
      9. √ x2 fins [Mares]
      10. √ x2 weight belt
      11. √ x4 dive weights
      12. √ flag
      13. flag mount
      14. √ NAUI card
      15. √ bag for mask and snorkle
      16. √ check mask for leaks
          
      17. √ mesh bag for all gear
   9. Landing
      1. √ bicycle [Miyata, Steve Zilliax]
         1. needs service
         2. replace handlebars
      2. √ aircraft cable (cargo)
      3. √ ratcheting straps (square ends not hooks)
      4. √ heavy duty chain and lock [American]
      5. valve adapter
   10. Art
       1. √ jbells
       2. *** ASK soft chaulk [Prang]
       1. √ Parlor Guitar [Larrivee] 36.25 x 13.25 x 4.5
          1. needs repair [Kelchak]
          2. armor [Dan Kelly]
             
   11. Logistics
       1. √ trailer

Time for a list of lists, a preliminary inventory. With 19 days left, we’ve got to design the optimal sequence of actions. To avoid the carbon cost of airplane flight, new gear needs to be shipped ground which means ordering within the week. Gear requests should be started first so we’ve got to decide what we want and who we are going to ask by Monday.

One of the prerequisites for asking is an effective introduction to the project. This is where the mini-movie fits in and it’s several days behind schedule. We are just going to have to make requests based on written materials with references to the long running video excerpts. There are five components to our collaboration proposal – a good idea (√), a coherent and workable plan (√), established distribution channels eg Ondesire.com, Facebook and Twitter (√), a documented mob (growing) and an articulate introduction (pending). Having a non profit umbrella would also be helpful so that contributions would be tax deductible. Since I missed my NP liaison last month, I doubt I could set this up before June 1, so I may just have to skip that. Perhaps it’s worth a phone call.

Monica Evans asked about making cash donations to the project. The trip itself is not all that expensive because it’s designed to be replicable/low budget/low impact, but post-production after the trip could cost $30k for labor and services. Asking for money doesn’t have to happen before launch, but it wouldn’t hurt to identify prospects now. I could then schedule several days during the trip to make these requests.

The origins, an overview. I’ve written deeply about the inspiration and origins of the project. Along with completing and posting the mini-movie, linking to the most articulate of these posts is vital. Methinks it might be a good idea to link first (today) and the sort out the mini-movie immediately after.

We’ve can instantly develop a starting inventory by linking to last September’s checklists, and then replace them with updates. They will also be helpful in identifying gear collaborators.

Posting our itinerary will not only trigger suggestions from the tribe about where to go and who to see, but other potential collaborators.

Finally, Hello World needs glass and rigging repair. There’s about a week worth of labor plus curing time after each patch, so this has got to begin no later than day 14 on the countdown.

So – here’s the  order of operations draft…

19 days

• inventory/checklist rebuild 4/18

• introduction with links to inspiration and origins 4/18

• inventory revised with potential collaborators identified 4/18

• mini-movie 4/18+

18 – 16 days

• asks initiated 4/19 – 4/21 + mini-movie

• itinerary posted

17 -15 days

• ordering 4/22 – 4/23 + mini-movie

14 days

• Hello World repair 4/24+

12 – 10 days

• ordering and ask follow up 4/26-4/28

9 – 8 days

• provisions 4/29-4/30

• hulls complete and float test

7 days

• preliminary pack 5/1

• trailer and transport arranged

6 – 5 days

• final orders and provisions 5/2-5/3

4 – 2 days

• complete Hello World repairs and adjustments 5/4-5/6

1 days

• final pack 5/7

0 days

• trailer to E beach, launch party, overnight 5/8

ALM 1

• launch 5/9

Here are the general questions which helped me to develop this post.

Who can help, what companies are already involved?

What companies could be involved?

What’s the itinerary so far?

What does Hello World need to be water ready?

What provisions and consumables are needed?

The On Desire tribe reached it’s objective yesterday of 100+ fans for the Facebook page and the Around Lake Michigan movie project.

“This milestone demonstrates that we’ve got a solid core of kick ass collaborators,” said Dan Kelly, ALM’s guide. “Everyone knows that the fool in front of the camera is just the red ribbon on the birthday present, a bit of whipped cream on top of the sundae. We’ve got one hell of a Sundae going down here – the works! Bananas, several flavors of ice cream, nuts… all organic and fair trade of course. Most important though, remember the big dirt ball underneath – Earth. You can’t have a sundae or much of anything without a life friendly planet, well cared for and robust.”

No one was quite sure what Kelly meant by all this, but his delivery was very enthusiastic and animated.

Angela Saxon was one of several newly recruited fans who had no idea what they was signing on for,

“now i’ve gotta figure out what On Desire is all about…”

Due to the hypnotic nature of the Facebook interface, Luke Kelly and Winslow Morgan were able to induce a powerful Svengali effect, as evidenced by Mikayla Bajtka’s and Tim Howard’s posts,

“oh yah i think thats the one my friend luke told me to join lol.”

“OK winslow I fan-ed up”

Though effective, outright bullying triggered residual resentment, as evidenced by this response from the project’s potential spiritual advisor Victoria Weinstein,

“Yo mo-fo, I did it. Okay?”

“Whatever it takes,” responded Kelly. He said some other stuff too but folks were certainly more interested in the naked swim advertised to celebrate the 100 fan milestone. Dan and the project fabrication specialist, Patrick Kelly estimated the water temperature to be in the 40-45 degree F range. Why cherries? It’s Michigan. Roll the video.

10-04-16 Swim to celebrate 101 Facebook fans variable / full screen
10-04-16 Swim to celebrate 101 Facebook fans fixed size

This is an all points bulletin. Facebook fans are needed at…

http://facebook.com/ondesire

The Facebook interface is halt and lame – I can’t argue with that. It’s a sinister black ops app, designed to identify stylish shamans and target them for liquidation – Quite so.  Casino theory has been implemented in it’s design to suck time and life force from it’s victims / members – Yes, obviously.

Fret not, we’re infiltrating the infrastructure and turning the whole scheme topsy turvy. This page is blessed, so FAN like crazy! Here it is again…

http://facebook.com/ondesire

Here’s a rough sketch of an introduction to artifacts, one of the components that’ll help explain and set-up the Search for Sustainable Civilizations. I’m running late on the mini-movie / extended trailer, let’s see what happens this weekend.

Without further eloquence…

Richard Burris, Artifacts (full screen)

or

Richard Burris, Artifacts (smaller but more compatible)

I just ran 4.5 miles in 36 minutes, so I’m down to 8 minute miles. Steadily building my wind – feels good. I have a tentative date with Brook this weekend to do the entire Swami Bua workout. I’ve being practicing pretty consistently since I returned from Brooklyn and I can feel my flexibility flowing back.

I am just about ready to release the Dick Burris / Peru sequence which I hope gives a folksy intro to the concept of artifacts.

Winslow the blacksmith has been talking about a bell for Hello World on Facebook, but I kinda hate FB’s interface so I thought it would be easier to post some illustrations here and then make some comments.

It’s important that a bell be somewhere where it can’t brain your favorite sailor in big winds. Also, it’s important that I’m able to ring it when needed and silence it completely when not. If it could be set so that wave action makes it ring, this would be handy at night and in fog. With these criteria in mind, there are two places to mount a bell, A under the bridal shroud lines (an inverted v of aircraft cable that runs from the bow of each hull and connecting just below the sail and B at the end of the main sail boom. The boom swings around a lot but the very end doesn’t ever cross the trampoline – where the sailor is stationed.

An advantage of having it at B is that it’s more accessible to the sailor. Location A might be more stylish.

Any shape of bell can be mounted at A or B. Winslow has presented a bike bell sort of design that looks interesting. He choose this primarily to minimize a tapered edge like one might find at the bottom of a bell shaped bell. Traditional bell tapers would act like a meat cleaver given a little momentum.

Since locations A and B are not near the sailor, a traditional bell would be ok. It’s really up to Winslow. Since he is offering his energy and unique vision to the project, I want to give him space to express himself. Along with the criteria mentioned above, it should be no bigger than 6-12 inches in height and not much heavier than 10 lbs.

Beauty is a feeling and this morning I have it. It’s the combination of rapport, getting fit and making progress.

In the past two days I’ve reconnected with Brook Hash, Susan Gilbert and tonight Kari Tomashik will be stopping in for a bite. My excellent nephews and I ran hard yesterday. I need a few more days on the mini movie / extended trailer but I may have figured out how to introduce the idea of future artifacts.

Still and gray tho it be today, the momentum of spring is near. Life is stewing and brewing, electric green is sizzling up though the concrete and lighting up the tips of twigs. This is a wave I can ride – renewal, awakening.

The solar panels will deploy, the wind pumps sway and twist. It’s the sun harvest and the global life support system, extant. Welcome back miracle and much thanks. Show me the science and I’ll show you the presence, live and direct.

Let me be as useful as an early leaf today, stretched taught and crispy in the brisk new day.

Calm and serene – that was the mantra of the Marietta college freshman crew team. Yeah, we were buff brothers and precisely sychronized, but coach Ralph Lindamood (1922-2001) was a savvy old coot, he knew relaxation was the third leg of the high performance tripod. He had us trained up in a sort of self hypnosis meditation tecnique. We won like crazy, our tiny Ohio College trounced team after team. It’s the tradition in crew for the loosing boats to give thier shirts to the winning boat. I didn’t need to buy a t-shirt for 10 years.

I tell this story because we can be strong and smart, but for a truly stellar outcome it helps to chill out. Get centered. I know a martial arts teacher who is exceptionally lethal and when he dances in combat he smiles. Not the manic grin of a psycho killer, but the easy smile of someone having fun – without a care in the world.

I’ve brawled as a kid, truly angry punching and grappling. What’s more stressful than fighting? What I’ve learned is that intense fear/rage is counter productive in combat. Stress makes me a casualty. It’s the same in life.

With 25 days left before launch, I could be getting worried. Three weeks may not be enough time to get everything together. Being unprepared could mean either failure to make the movie or even failure to survive. The later I leave the later my return and the colder the weather gets. I may not be looking at a balmy September like 2009.

You know what? Worrying about it won’t help. The most productive place to be in this crisis is calm, empty even. I woke up this morning feeling exceptionally relaxed and easy. It’s getting down to the wire and I’m right there, with an odd sort of smile on my kisser.

Lovely chill morning. Yesterday I surprised a fox as I came out of the house. Sienna and umber, pretty big too. He wasn’t in a huge hurry, eventually trotting off past the nitrogen accumulator (outhouse). Last Friday I passed a momma fox and her kits lounging on some cottage stairs. It’s still too early for most of the lake houses to be occupied, so the foxes have carte blanche. Never seen so many that I can recall.

Today I continue with the mini movie. I need to amp up the global life support system sequence. I think it happens after Larry does MIR the first time. Then we’ll show iconic examples of life support, balance maintained in the face of entropy. Examples from NASA, scuba and science fiction. When we play Larry the second time, we’ll be into the connection between Hello World and MIR with the rebuild and packing. The next question will be – why? Why go on this trip?

I edited a short sequence with Dick on Beaver Island, tho the sound quality isn’t stellar. He’s a mason with 68 years of experience, 40 of those working with stone. He talked about his trip to Peru and the stones there – artifacts of a technology (and perhaps even a worldview) that we moderns don’t understand.

The Peruvian stones/culture sequence leads to the trip’s premise.

“We assume that modern industrial capitalistic civilization is the pinnacle of human achievement, but if ancient people could do things that we can’t what else are we missing? If our civilization isn’t the most advanced, what does advancement look like? Certainly future civilizations must be sustainable – in accord with the planetary life support system – because we can’t stay suicidal indefinitely. We expect our kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews to have a future. Certainly to survive and even to thrive. Sustainable civilizations must emerge within the next 10-15 years. Since entire civilizations don’t just pop up overnight, they must *already* be in the process of emerging. We should be able to poke around and find evidence of future sustainable civilizations everywhere, right now. Just like the stones in Peru are artifacts of an advanced ancient civilization, so too there must be artifacts of advanced future civilizations. Can we find these artifacts and figure out what they imply, what they are pointing towards?”

“What does an artifact of a future sustainable civilization look like? How do we go about searching for them? I think it starts with asking the right questions… Listen to this talk I had with Ritch Branstrom and see if you hear any clues about the future.”

Ritch interview (already edited).

Review Ritch’s “artifacts”, bullet points.

Conclusion / credits

This is calling card weekend, three days to create a short movie that explains the project. I’ve already got a 40 minute rough cut of the September trip (presented at the Evening of Exploration in November). My plan is to scavenge the best parts of the rough cut and adapt it to a shorter format, 10-12 minutes.

I also need to develop an explanation for future artifacts of sustainable civilizations and perhaps do character development for the ALM guide, (moi).

Here’s a sketch of the “analogy”. Larry Kinney explains the  concept of the life support system with the story of the MIR space station. A linkage is presented between MIR and the Earth and then parallels are drawn between MIR and Hello World. This gets us into the rebuild of Hello World, the packing and launch sequence. It’s all very tenuous though, the connections (analogy) between planet, boat, island and space station could be more obvious. Then there’s Julie’s idea of the human body, another example of a life support system.

Another idea is present mechanisms that are familiar, iconic…

and then making the leap to a planetary machine, with interdependent systems like the familiar water cycle.

The global life support system is important to establish, because it’s invisible. Yes there’s a lot of talk about global warming, coastal flooding, killer storms, etc. but these are abstractions. Most folks take friendly conditions for granted, we don’t realize that there is a life support system in operation. We don’t acknowledge that our collective situation is akin to an astronaut in a spacesuit or a scuba diver breathing from a tank. Kai’s image was a ship in a bottle, the bottle being the atmosphere.

Once the global life support system is revealed, then human actions either conflict or align with it’s operation. Another word for actions in alignment or accord is sustainability.

Pix from the party under the catamaran on Friday March 26.

Jim, Dan, Patrick and Robert out by the cauldron.

Kate, Dan, Vince and Susan under Hello World.

Is there ever enough time to properly prepare? 28 days until launch and the to do list is daunting. To make my departure date i’ve got to handle the absolute essentials first. It’s very confusing to have to scrap great chunks of the project so that the core can be achieved.

My mistakes? I’m not the most effective manager. Initially I recruited the wrong poeple for the work I needed and found myself having to train and cajole rather than direct. Managing meant less progress on my own work – the mission critical stuff.

In theory, help sounds wonderful. In practice it can be distracting. Ideally we want to clone a fragment of ourselves to do a job our way and then forget about it. Poeple don’t think or act alike, so help means finding someone who is an approximation of ourselves in key areas – experience, motivation, interests. My failure to find close matches for the most important jobs was compounded by geography – it’s tough to motivate, manage and train remotely.

Melonie finally bailed in early March.  I excused Jonathan from his blogging burden soon after. Running solo was kind of a relief.

Susan Fisk has since taken over command of the Twitter front with minimal supervision and Jonathan’s been focused on his post production chops. The team transforms, adapts and persists.

I am still looking at a plateful. The only answer is to crank – increase metabolism and gobble. Perhaps not the right analogy for a low impact project? Damn the analogies, full speed ahead!

The iPhone didn’t catch the flakes flying, even though there was quite a flurry.  The top two pictures are a before / after… eventually it started to stick.  This is blog worthy because there’s only 29 days left until launch. Could we have snow in May? It’s not impossible – brrr!

I got back from NYC on Tuesday. The round trip from Beulah to Brooklyn is 1800 miles. Each 900 mile leg is about 14 hours of driving. In contrast, 900 miles of leisurely sailing might take 2 months or 1440 hours, 100 times slower than driving. It’s an apples to oranges comparison – the car trip is about nullifying geography and the boat trip is about about connecting to it. If I sailed vigorously, Hello World might manage 100 miles a day. A 900 mile trip would then take 9 days or 216 hours – still 15 times slower than driving.

Both methods of travel are good for thinking. The hazy blur of rushing road and the sparkling wind river of Hello World convert to a steady flow of insight. The following are my notes from last Friday’s drive between Michigan and New York.

Can Tiller and Roeder both be terrorists?

On April 2nd the BBC reported about the sentencing of Scott Roeder for the shooting of Dr George Tiller. The lawyer for the Tiller family, Lee Thompson called the murder an act of domestic terrorism. According to the BBC, Roeder also invoked terrorism to describe Tiller. “We do not need to be hunting terrorists in the mountains of Afghanistan. We have them in Kansas. Wichita is a far safer place for unborn babies without George Tiller.”

Can Tiller and Roeder both be terrorists? How do the terms terrorist or terrorism improve our understanding of a situation or the issues? Via an upgrade to ultimate epithet, terror variants have lost their meaning. The iconic 911 event was itself a cipher that triggered bizarre military operations and political obfuscation. Without a distinct definition, terror-isms will eventually loose their emotional charge. If so, then Terrorist Training Films may already be a bust. I sense that the BBC’s story contains some clue, a .jpg of the zeitgeist.

Unsustainable

Another example of empty language was provided by NPR sponsor Monsanto, “sustainable agriculture”. I could be wrong, but I don’t think Around Lake Michigan is going to find Monsanto in the Search for Sustainable Civilizations. Patented seeds, Round Up and RICO ready operations aren’t artifacts of anything but the cult of suicide. Either I’ve got to make that word untenable for Monsanto or else change the movie’s working title. Are there any words which are inherently resistant to corporate acquisition? What about integrated, accordant, balanced or survivable civilizations? We understand what a civilization is, but perhaps modification isn’t effective. A custom concept might be a better approach, define a plausible sound.

Lake Michigan inspired sound

Speaking of sound, what about the soundtrack angle? Steve Elrick, Melonie Steffes, Jonathan, Luke and I talked about this weeks back, recruiting folks to contribute music to the project. I could find a place for the parlor guitar maybe. I (or someone) needs to reach out to the players and pitch the idea. Here’s the shortlist… Jamie and Kirk, Susan and Vince. Melonie and Shaun, Lucas, Gretchen, Jeff, the other Jeff, Todd and Laurie, Yvonne and on and on. After the calling card.

Add the wilds in

Colin Fletchers Walking the Green World reminds me to add the wilds in. It’s so obvious that like science fiction, I’ve tended to forget that it’s central. The Global Life Support System is functional wherever the wilds are intact. That’s why my personal mission is to expand global awareness to steward and expand the wilds. Terraforming is science fiction because we don’t yet understand terra, we don’t understand how this planet wide mechanism works, much less how to replicate it. All we know is that the wilds are part of it and industrial human presence not so much. So where we find wilds, we’ve got an opportunity to learn.

The most amazing thing is that the wilds are automatic. We don’t have to pay for or repair the wilds, we just have to leave them be. That’s why it’s called the global automatic control system. It’s big and it doesn’t need to be controlled or tinkered with. It just works. We get excited about new technology, yearning after gizmos and whatsits when we are surrounded by uber advanced technology, wilderness. Our own wondrous bodies run pretty well on leaves. The kingdom of heaven is spread upon the earth and man does not see it. Well, let’s see it already.

Asthma, diabetes and cancer are the result of environmental degradation. The cure for modern epidemics is to stop killing ourselves, eh? Burning books is symptomatic of ignorance. Wiping out wilderness is akin to dragging our families into the flames.

The On Desire Facebook page now has an easy link http://facebook.com/ondesire. If you’re on Facebook, go ahead and fan On Desire for an RSS feed from this blog and contributions from other Facebook folks.

From Monday eve… Waiting at Newark airport for the arrival of nephew Lucas who’ll be riding shotgun on the return to Michigan. The intention is to drive through the night. If we can get out of here by 9:00 pm tonight we can pull into his Bear Lake house by 11:00 am on the morrow.. Fortunately I am well supplied with sencha green tea from the Park Slope Food Coop…

We made Bear Lake just after 11:00 am. The other three Kelly men gave us a hearty greeting and we all proceeded to chill, nosh and netflix the day away. By 10:30 pm I was homing in on the lake house, bed and a light coma.

Now nearly motionless in the spindly rocker, dreaming of a ginger banana smoothie and socks for my bare feet.

About 30 days left before launch.

After class, the inner circle enjoys congi and greens at Great NY Noodletown.

View from the Manhattan bridge of Chinatown and beyond.

Riding over the East River to Brooklyn on the trusty Zilliax Miata

Double shift at the Park Slope Food Coop doing checkout.

Next!

I’m in line myself, buying mangos and seltzer to supplement the upcoming Mexican takeout.

Back at the casa, Brent and Cyn.

Brent models Aveda’s upcoming super fresh “Thuggie” TM. You saw it here first.

I went to Tai Chi at the South Street Seaport seaport this morning. The usual cast of characters were present but here are two especially excellent ones.

Melinda keeping the fully mobile Aura from escaping.

Aura is Tommy and Eva’s and she has started walking since I last saw her in February. The last time I laid eyes on Melinda was about 3 years ago, maybe longer. She and her husband Robert moved into a sweet space just a few blocks away, and now she is coming to class regularly. That’s where Travis, Charles, Melinda and I went with Ru for treatments.

Travis finishing up his treatment.

Melinda and Robert’s amazing home with a view of the East River and South Street Seaport.

Check out the tallships just past the FDR.

Tea while waiting for my camera ready hair cut by Brent at the Soho Aveda.

Here’s the before shot.

In the recently acquired 2003 Odyssey with the antique cat, heading east and listening to Stevie Wonder. BK’s just 9 hours away.