The Live More Lightly Songbook

Live More Lightly at Vancouver Community College

Vancouver Community College is having a celebration and I have been invited to present my workshop as part of the activities for students.

The theme of the Sustainability Fair, “Green 365 @VCC” fits in perfectly with the idea that we can live more lightly. I will be handing out my sheets with 50 things that “we each can do” on April 28th at the Broadway Campus (aka King Edward Campus) 1155 East Broadway and on April 29th at the Downtown Campus, 250 West Pender Street. Contact info and map here. Song performances will occur at noon and 12:45pm, so participants are welcome to come down and sing!

I am really excited about this opportunity and hope that many of the students will get involved.

Blu-ray Camcorder Purchased

After all of my painstaking research I went and bought the new kid on the block, the new Hitachi Blu-ray DZ-BD7H high definition video camera. Hitachi does have a commitment to the environment in Japan, but is not as dedicated to recycling globally as Sony. They do have The Hitachi-zaidan Foundation, founded to advance environmental causes and they make environmentally friendly rapid transit and other industrial machines. They also support global initiatives and education. If their environmental record had been poor, I would not have bought the camera.

See my previous research on environmental initiatives by electronics companies.

I have not received any funding and I have been spending so much time on this and other music projects that I have not been making as much money as I should. So I tried to be frugal and bought this camcorder “open box” at Future Shop. It was missing some parts, the proprietary USB cable and the charging and A/C cables and transformer. This has made it difficult to use because I can’t download any video from the 30 gigabyte HD without the cable. The customer support at Hitachi, particularly Tina and Lorne have been very helpful in giving me part numbers and assisting with my problems. I have now ordered the parts and when they arrive there will be a lot more video on this site.

The camera captures video in High definition Blu-ray that can be burnt on to special disks (over $20 each) or downloaded to a computer. It also acts as a still camera saving on to a compact SD card flash memory. High definition and Blu-ray are new territory for me and I am sure I will have some difficulty as I don’t have a player or DVD in my computer that is compatible. It seems I always have to get more stuff, no matter how much I already have!

It will be fun to work with the video and to be able to document my progress on this and other projects. Now I need a wide angle lens, lights, tripod and protective case — at least I can start with the camera and get some video on the site.

Knight News Challenge 2008

It is time again for the Knight News Challenge, a contest that funds ideas for using open source internet tools.

Funded by the Knight Foundation, the contest seeks to assist the development of internet news that serves a constituency of readers.

There are only four rules. Winning entries must:

   1. Use or create digital, open-source technology;
   2. Use news and information to serve the public interest;
   3. Benefit at least one specific geographic community;
   4. Be innovative.

The Live More Lightly Project entered an application last year, but was unsuccessful. This year, I will try to make the case that I [Victoria] am an internet griot or troubador who is delivering the message of personal responsibility for the environment. Changing the world, one personal action at a time.

The project has evolved since last year, but because I have received no funding, my progress has been slower than I hoped. I will post my application here for comment.

Live More Lightly Knight News Challenge Application — You still have time to vote for me.

I only asked for $5,000. because that would be enough to do the tour and really investigate the on-line streaming video concept. Unfortunately, I have been turned down again. I will keep on trying to get the needed funding to complete my project.

WordPress Upgrade to 2.6.1

Using Fantastico in Bluehost I was able to smoothly upgrade my WordPress install this morning. Although WordPress urges me to upgrade to 2.6.2, Fantastico sees 2.6.1 as the latest version, so I cannot upgrade further at present. I also activated the podpress plug-in and some other multi-media tools. I look forward to exploring streaming content on my blog, both audio and video.

When I first installed WordPress, I had never administrated content management software before. The default is to install to the root folder, so that is where I put the program. Now, I am thinking about expanding the Live More Lightly Site to include a regular web site in addition to the blog, I find the root install is a problem. I have since installed and administer WordPress on other websites and it is just as easy to install to a new folder and link to the blog from the site menu. I would advise anyone installing WordPress to build a home page and put a link to the blog on that page. This will allow for easy site expansion as more links can be added to the home page and the blog will remain in the second-level folder where it was installed.

To avoid having to reinstall and reconfigure my site, I am constructing a Site Map page that will help to direct readers to the content they want to view and to the static pages that give information about the project. Many people find the three column layout confusing as there is so much information and different filtering options. The Site Map should help to demystify blog navigation and I welcome feedback when I get it published.

News Flash: The Live More Lightly Guestbook Page is now functional using the DMS Guestbook plug-in. Try it out, then I will know it works for sure.

SLR Camera – Image Capture

Now I have had the opportunity to look through two examples of excellent camera technology, I find myself increasingly attracted to continuing the experience. The first time I held such a camera was at the Madu Sari gamelan performance, “New Javanese Shadows“when a friend of mine asked me to hold his camera. My first impression can only be described by referring to a Hindu myth often told about the young Krishna. For those not familiar with Hindu mythology, the incarnations of the god Vishnu are many, but this story is about his time as the human Krishna.

On one occasion, when Krishna was still a child, he revealed his true god-self to his mother by asking her to look in his mouth. When she complied, she was astonished to see the entire universe inside the mouth of her child. When I looked into that camera, I saw a glimpse of the infinite — I was astonished. The photographer who owned the magic box enthusiastically started informing me of the technical details in a language full of numbers that I did not understand. This machine may be described by numbers, as the universe can be modeled mathematically, but the impact of the revelation I had experienced created a bookmark in my mind that I return to in wonder.

My next reaction was more practical, as the Virgo reasserted her presence. If everyone had a camera like that, my opportunities for employment as a graphic artist would be seriously reduced. There was no noise in the image, it was balanced and in sharp focus. If the capture mechanism was as pristine as the view, the images would reflect a hyper-realism that would need few adjustments. My daughter later comforted me by pointing out that many of these cameras are owned by individuals who can cause them to malfunction and that composition skills are still required. Even the best images can benefit from layout, design and story, so my production skills will still be needed.

The term “multi-media artist” has often been applied to my skill sets in production. I know that if I am not being paid, I do music, music technology and saving the world. Some practical part of me knows that my time will not allow any more addictions. I am already being drawn away from my “Live More Lightly Project” too much by other musical entanglements. I have to complete a book prototype this month. Move on. Continue reading SLR Camera – Image Capture

Where Did the Summer Go?

It’s raining in Vancouver again and I know this is a foreshadowing of the winter to come. A warning to finish up with summer affairs quickly because the remaining sunny days are shortening. There is still time for a ride during the autumn and I hope I can get my bike ready to go on a test run before the rain rolls in and parks.

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Progress of Live More Lightly Project

Book Portion

Cover – draft complete, photo rights purchased, still writing material for the back

Interior – 3 sections planned: First Edition is for everyone, Second Edition is for Choirs

Front Matter (Title, CIP, Dedication, Index, Foreword)
Workshop Guide
Sheet music (positioned so material lays flat in the middle of the book)
Section break photo page (2)
Environmental Suggestions (for song lyrics)
Music Materials (instructional material on basic rhythm patterns and melody ideas)
Creative Commons License

Next Step: Finalize draft so that number of pages can be used for print quote.

Remaining tasks: Source paper disk sleeves for book insert, try a few more fonts, source line drawing for logo, disk label and song sheet cover, source environmentally inspiring photos.

Disk – 4 sections possible

Music (includes recording of the song with and without vocals and helpful loops for practicing)
Parts for printing in booklet form
Workshop support materials (includes poster and other materials that may be helpful)
Possible power-point of workshop material
Possible demo video of sample workshop

Next Step: Create a demo book and CD

Remaining Tasks: Finalize “Basic Arrangement” with piano accompaniment, Record material, Video workshop, Create Power-point presentation, Complete support materials

Workshop Portion

Local workshops in Vancouver being organized.

Next step: Create sample workshop video and workshop promotional material.

Motorcycle still not ready to tour.

Next Step: Get luggage and camera on-bike.

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A project like this can be daunting, but I am trying to organize the tasks into bite-sized sections. Project administration is another area that is receiving a lot of attention. There are grant deadlines coming up and I am trying to balance the time invested with the possibility of actually getting a grant. Sponsorship is another possibility, but I will have to be careful to keep the focus on the individual actions that people can do and not a corporate agenda.

I have been encouraged by the response to my blog and the many encouraging comments that people have made. When I tell people about the project I get different reactions, from supportive to completely negative. It does take a certain kind of stubbornness to see a project like this through to the end. By this time next year, I hope to have my video recorded and my journey completed.

Life-Cycle Responsibility

Time is slipping away so fast with so many details to take care of to realize the Live More Lightly Project. One of the reasons this project is so complex is that I have taken life-cycle responsibility for the product that I am producing. The product in this case is a multi-media book, but the principals apply to anything produced. In this post, I will refer to the concept of the universal product as a “widget”. The recent rush to re-cycle widgets properly is to be applauded, but the idea of considering the environmental impact of every aspect of producing and maintaining the product is often overlooked.

My particular widget, the “Live More Lightly Songbook and Workshop Guide” will be printed using the most environmentally friendly processes available. The included disk will have to be made from virgin plastic, so the choice will be based on price, although I plan to choose a company that uses environmentally sound practices when they can. This is the point where many producers believe they have done enough, but I continue to examine my practices: can I live more lightly?

I am writing the book using a computer that I built from mostly re-cycled parts and the notebook I bought to take on the tour was manufactured by AsusTek, a leader in re-use and re-cycling of its products. I am using Ubuntu Linux on both computers (the notebook came with Vista, so it is dual-boot) because I believe that open source software is more efficient and uses less resources. This is a statement I can’t provide academic proof for, but I know it saves my resources. With Windows and Mac computers I have to spend time working to be able to afford the product, then after spending considerable sums of money, I usually have to spend hours troubleshooting. With Linux, if you can get it to work — it is yours. I want to have good karma on this project and use legitimate software only. The software I am using in Ubuntu would take me months of work to afford because I do not want to be a software pirate.

Continue reading Life-Cycle Responsibility

Forest Stewardship Council Certification

In my quest to produce the most environmentally friendly book possible, I am investigating printers that are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council of Canada. Their site has links to all of the FSC certified printers in the country.

Although it would be a lot less expensive to produce my book in Asia, I am willing to pay to “Live More Lightly.” I am sure that each individual who makes this choice influences other printers to change to more environmentally sensitive processes. There will always be a market for the absolute lowest cost production, but our children and grandchildren will pay for the damage we cause today. Friesen’s Corporation, one of the first FSC certified printers in Canada, produced a survey that showed that book buyers would be willing to pay more for a certified publication. I believe that the difference in price will be reasonable and that I can sell my book package for $18.95 Can/US.

I am confident that a Canadian FSC certified printer is doing the best that they can within the limitations of current technology. My father owned a printing business after being an offset printer and letter-pressman in larger firms and my grandfather was a lithographer and a craftsman in time before digital print. The toxic inks, cleaning chemicals and other air-borne pollutants aggravated his lungs and contributed to his smoking-related breathing problems. My father, who retired from the printing business many years ago, also had to deal with toxic chemicals in the workplace, but now inks are vegetable based and digital files make many other toxins obsolete.

I will have to get more quotes and weigh the environmental cost of shipping a lot of books over long distances. I won’t be able to carry large numbers of books on my motorcycle, so I will need to ship books to fulfill orders. I would like to sell my book in stores as well as through the internet and in person. To do this I need a distributor who will accept book orders and ship the books to re-sellers. Most book distributors are in Eastern Canada, and if I can arrange a contract with a distributor then I could have half the books shipped there and half to Vancouver. That narrows the choices to somewhere between Vancouver and Toronto . . . still a lot of choices.

Working on the Cover

Today I worked on the text and the cover of the book. I tried Xara Xtreme and had a few issues, but the learning curve was acceptable and I managed to try out a few ideas.

I really like the title font, but it is too light and bold seems to have no effect.

This is a different font, but I forgot to re-center
my name at the bottom.

This one has my name centered.

I tried lots of other ones, but these are my favourites . . . so far.

Xara has a few peculiarities in Ubuntu Linux. Bold seems to have no effect and there is no font sizing between set size parameters that are quite far apart. There may be a different approach to font sizing and bolding, but I haven’t found it yet. I really like the transparency and feathering controls, which are very precise. I may have to use a variety of tools to get the features I need while staying open source.

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June 15, 2008

So far, everyone I ask likes #2 0r #3. The Font is too faint and regular on #1.

Vote for #2 or #3!

Here are larger versions in the same order. I tried to make them the same size, but due to sizing for the drop shadow, they turned out a bit different.

Image #2, the bottom bar is the same colour and transparency , but I faded the title colour box back. I haven’t found guidelines in Xara Xtreme or a way of cropping the image. So everything is aligned with a trained eye, but I will have to re-do the whole thing for the real cover. The Gimp was used to crop these from a screen shot,, then back to Xara for drop shadow. I can do some tasks in Scribus too. Between these three programs, I hope to do my book in open source only. So far, it just slows me down because I know how to do somethings in each program. I can’t get CMYK or drop shadow in The Gimp, I can’t crop in Xara and I can’t scale in Scribus. I have no guidelines ( a great feature of InDesign) in any of these programs so far and I have not found an option that lets me view the grid. I know that these programs are also available for Windows and maybe for Mac OS, but I am being stubborn and trying to use Linux because it forces me to learn it.

Xara works with vectors, even treating fonts like vectors. I love the font tools as I can move, scale and even use effects easily. I didn’t use any effects on these, but I might try some out later. In this version I changed the bottom bar to a different colour and made it more transparent. I also blurred the drop shadow more effectively.

Below is the same font as #3 in the previous post above.

Environmentally Friendly CD?

Now I am getting closer to producing the book, I have to try to find the most environmentally friendly CD production process. All CDs and DVDs are made of virgin plastic because recycled plastic always has too much risk of impurities. Any impurity in the disk plastic will result in the laser skipping over that part or returning an error to the reader.

I was unable to find any company that is using a different process to manufacture disks so far, but packaging has come a long way since the plastic jewel case. Many CD/DVD duplication companies have taken the lead in reducing their environmental impact. I am listing my top picks for now and will continue to research until I have to finalize production.

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THE MMS CORPORATE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITMENT

MMS is committed to reducing its environmental footprint.When you have your CD manufactured by MMS, you are purchasing products and services from a company that is doing its utmost to reduce its environmental impact.

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Oasis Disk Manufacturing is probably the best known manufacturer of independent music projects in the US. They have a great reputation in the industry and were one of the first to supply cardboard sleeves instead of jewel cases.

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