tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63767515864355353512024-02-21T06:02:44.615-06:00Humble Pile ChicagoThe home of Chicago's finest breaded meatballs...nettleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15308570445849959019noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376751586435535351.post-24070969817088174652009-07-19T23:41:00.003-05:002009-07-20T00:00:07.016-05:00Ecological Sanitation or Shit Composting?From the beginning, Humble Pile was a liberating experience for me. I was familiar with the concept and I had shitted in outhouses before but HP meant that for the first time their was a bucket in my very own bathroom. I never knew about all the trouble that toilets caused until I first heard the words "shit compost." First off, it just doesn't make sense to contaminate freshwater with your poop. Freshwater and poop don't mix. Then, you got this freshwater that has been processed in all these expensive ways so that it is potable. That processing uses tax dollars and a whole lot of petroleum-based energy. It is expensive water. Nope, no reason at all to poop in that. In this day in age, any freshwater is valuable. Unfortunately, the world is becoming a place where drinking water is scarce. Us Chicagoans think we can take advantage of the fact that we live next to the 6th largest lake in the world. Still, you can tell from any beach in Chicago when you notice the shoreline from year to year: the lake is receding; its water level is getting lower every year.<br /><br />Not only does sewage treatment squander drinkable water but it also creates a lot of pollution in the form of waste solids. These aren't new discoveries. Ecological sanitation has been widely successful in Africa and Asia, particularly as a method of transforming shit into soil in places where there are high rates of waterborne illnesses and potable water is scarce. The world as a whole is already faced with major sanitation problems. Almost half of people globally don't have access to a sanitation system¹. The effect of global climate change is that these issues will become a reality for even more people around the world. A great place to read a little about this is an organization called Sustainable Organic Integrated Livelihoods (SOIL). They advocate for "ecological sanitation" too, although I prefer the term shit composting.<br /><br />¹ "Ecological Sanitation;" Sustainable Organic Integrated Livelihoods (SOIL); <http: org="" php=""><br /><br /></http:>Cardinal Boyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13386701998402444533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376751586435535351.post-90064635088894872992009-07-19T23:30:00.007-05:002009-07-20T00:06:52.362-05:00Mushrooms in My Bucket<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mtB5qMS7hWs/SmP7ZNTTk0I/AAAAAAAAAA8/XsgFWHatnEs/s1600-h/Mushroom_pile1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mtB5qMS7hWs/SmP7ZNTTk0I/AAAAAAAAAA8/XsgFWHatnEs/s200/Mushroom_pile1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360404391986959170" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mtB5qMS7hWs/SmP7YzSm2NI/AAAAAAAAAA0/ChtUaQ0qL0M/s1600-h/Mushroom_pile2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 170px; height: 188px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mtB5qMS7hWs/SmP7YzSm2NI/AAAAAAAAAA0/ChtUaQ0qL0M/s200/Mushroom_pile2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360404385004706002" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Here's the shaggy mane mushroom, or <span style="font-style: italic;">Coprinus comatus</span>. It moved in on our bucket early on, before many other decomposers had reached it. The shaggy manes mushrooms are growing out of the brown paper we had used to cover the top of the pile to absorb moisture. The black stuff behind them is actually spores that they have released over the pile. The older mushrooms that have already released spores are wet and inky looking. This is their method of dispersal, where the cap dissolves and the spores are released into the air. Some are so spent that they are just inky stems barely peeking out of the ground. Coprinus mushrooms start out looking velvety, hence the name, with a layer of delicate white fibers covering the cap and stalk. Their velvety fuzz becomes a mane of shag. Over time, these mushrooms grow again from the spores and the cycle of breaking down the organic matter below and creating rich soil continues.<br /><br />There is something incredible about soil. It is full of space! A single tablespoon of clay is like a small galaxy of flat crystals stacked on top of each other, full of surfaces for stuff to attach to. For an ionic molecule, there is enough surface area in that tablespoon of clay to cover a football field! There's all sorts of things attached to the insides of clay bits. The same goes for the leaf litter and soil in the backyard. It's a whole world contained within the universe of a few square inches. There's spiders, red wigglers, millipedes, moles, grubs, beetles, ants, mice and tons and tons of fungi. All these guys live inside all the crevices and nooks in the litter layer that they make their home. Below the leaf litter, if you dig around under there, you'll find the layer of organic matter, the humus (hyoo-miss). Humus comes from all the pooping going on. The humus appears because the leaf litter is eaten down after time, by smaller and smaller things all the time that eat the leaf bits into smaller and smaller pieces. After a while, the bits are so small that you get a rich, black humus that smells like excellent food. It's so protein-rich, in fact, that a person could survive on it if they got lost in the woods.<br /><br />Ever tried composting kitchen scraps? If so, you might have read that you wouldn't just throw your scraps in the yard and hope that it breaks down. You have to mix your nitrogen-rich scraps with some source of fiber high in carbon, such as dry leaves, yard waste, newspaper, sawdust, napkins, ash, <span style="font-style: italic;">etc</span>. The nitrogenous waste has a very strong smell. Once you mix the two together, stuff breaks down easily and you get a pleasant, mild compost-y smell. Poo is also high in nitrogen and organic matter, just like kitchen scraps.<br /><br />That's what it all comes down to, eating and pooping. Detritivores eat the detritus, the decomposing organic matter, and turn it into soil. It's no coincidence that our poop and soil (detritivore poop) are often so similar in color. Both are things that used to be bigger and now are made up of very small bits stuck together. Both are things that are darker in color the more organic matter is present. Both have a rich smell: the more pungent the aroma, the more organic matter that has not yet been broken down. Poop and soil are made for each other.Cardinal Boyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13386701998402444533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376751586435535351.post-48529228809826510562008-08-11T17:55:00.000-05:002008-08-11T18:05:02.058-05:00Outpost-Outhouse<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirlD1PTaMB7jd4g9F1KN55Dk4fU2_opbVV7k3bCdaOLnTWt0Acx655EdcJHn1_qtcKv6hf0wTXzzFnLZROeeg0GLUKOFGLI6sgUAd221FpB1wrOZuZJtgw5V2iWl0v8AWiKawISCIj85K5/s1600-h/OutHouse.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233399764081264034" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirlD1PTaMB7jd4g9F1KN55Dk4fU2_opbVV7k3bCdaOLnTWt0Acx655EdcJHn1_qtcKv6hf0wTXzzFnLZROeeg0GLUKOFGLI6sgUAd221FpB1wrOZuZJtgw5V2iWl0v8AWiKawISCIj85K5/s200/OutHouse.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>There is my bucket – adjacent to my now guest bathroom. I’ve been using this bucket and a few others, collecting them up and devouring sawdust. I kept my collection –about two months worth of buckets – off to the side in the woods. About two weeks ago I decided to freshen up my buckets and do a transfer, a dump along the tree line to reinforce (nutrient-wise) the sand “soil” along the shore line to support the tree cover. Taking a “short cut” (those buckets are heavy!) down a rise of about 15 feet of forest floor, I, of course, tangled a foot in some branches, tripped and toppled and you can only imagine – UGH and yuck-O! Stinky, sloppy, slushy, oh my gosh: Ugh. ( I was peeing in the buckets too) Burying that mess wasn’t so bad with available materials although I had to ward off my dog who has the common disgusting canine habit of rolling in stinky stuff. Would it mean anything to him to roll in MINE? Who knows but I really didn’t want to find out. Its one thing to wash out the ground in scat of a bear or deer from his fluffy furr but my own? Ew. Humanure definitely has its EW moments. Anyway, after the clean up, some how my bucket wasn’t as attractive as it used to be and I was inspired to make a system change - And really, the rim is so small and narrow to sit on anyway. My latest is a kind of human litter box-tray. Rather than poop directly in the bucket, and have to be intimate with all that plastic, I am now using the much more comfortable and healthy squat method into an ample and plush pile of sawdust and then dumping That in to the weekly collection bucket which I will transfer to the ground weekly! - Rather than a stinky bi-monthly chore of multiple buckets. I am really happy with this. Much softer, a much warmer welcome to the mornings. </div>hthrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08401518056172898154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376751586435535351.post-34751513742040716482008-07-20T09:19:00.003-05:002008-07-20T09:24:01.150-05:00your soils' vacation spot<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq9cLpAN-_VTgsX26rGKYLuPnhFi6NwiJMIuQb1taMCQFaeg3rB2Qu_6mCNo46Rp1SJaVYf7rcjvyBfqEmhRJX7o_nBr866EDbRUSn38aGRGY-2KP37VQaWJy8L42gOcEv4u05o7HkIR4/s1600-h/binsinstorage.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq9cLpAN-_VTgsX26rGKYLuPnhFi6NwiJMIuQb1taMCQFaeg3rB2Qu_6mCNo46Rp1SJaVYf7rcjvyBfqEmhRJX7o_nBr866EDbRUSn38aGRGY-2KP37VQaWJy8L42gOcEv4u05o7HkIR4/s400/binsinstorage.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225101007492508498" /></a><br />this was the cache until end of june. there is more now, and with the project wrapping up with an bonus month of collection, these remote woodlands will be peppered with bins of your soil transforming itself into what else? soil.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376751586435535351.post-14089446130692658152008-07-20T09:15:00.000-05:002008-07-20T09:18:33.032-05:00a full bin getting picked up!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg0cZK6jvekC3zC3uKVzTGYBcPjdEMWypwVfXQNszo67L_QHyynqp-nf9IV8GiO4WSk0lboTJF4wMqHVwh49OCGGZ4_lS3QkZXL26r9M-d-_deKm7BmEFGIf7msUOOImKic-dPhO9CdrE/s1600-h/kkandbin.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg0cZK6jvekC3zC3uKVzTGYBcPjdEMWypwVfXQNszo67L_QHyynqp-nf9IV8GiO4WSk0lboTJF4wMqHVwh49OCGGZ4_lS3QkZXL26r9M-d-_deKm7BmEFGIf7msUOOImKic-dPhO9CdrE/s320/kkandbin.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225100352872949074" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376751586435535351.post-14878840456382451952008-07-13T11:18:00.000-05:002008-07-13T11:19:12.659-05:00a farewell, of sortsSadly, it had to be done. Or, perhaps it didn’t.<br /><br />A choice needed to be made about my involvement with Humboldt Pile Chicago. I decided that I could no longer participate. Instead of talking about the rational for this decision, I’d like to share what this experience has contributed to my awareness of my self and my connection with the earth.<br /><br />That’s just it “connection with the earth”; a phrase that is utilized profusely these days as we’re scrambling to find solutions to the complete mess we have made of our home. I have been sensing this loss, my deep loss of connection, but I couldn’t even begin to identify what that “connection” looked like, felt like. Well, my time with Test Hole definitely brought all that crap to light.<br /><br />In the past few months, my perception of this loss has narrowed. Luckily, I have met new folks with a wealth of knowledge who have shown me that the earth is more powerful than I had ever imagined. Even under all of this urban toxicity, its rhythm is strong and generous. And the best part, your own body – no matter what size, color, scent or flavor – carries and creates an ingredient of that generosity everyday. How absolutely freakin beautiful is that!<br /><br />My decision to quit was purely logistical. The honest conclusion: do I miss the Test Hole, not really. Do I miss my connection, yes. I would say that if I built a composting toilet outhouse in my backyard I’d definitely say adios to the indoor one. Also, if you’re going to poop in a bucket with multiple folks, it’s important to be on the same page about cleaning methods. It takes a lot of trust (and work) to share shit chores with a housemate.<br /><br />This doesn’t mean that I’m through with composting my poop and piss; I’ll just have to find out what works for me as I reside in this system of a city. Gotta run and pee, maybe I’ll reach for a jar…s.finkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114544759919050596noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376751586435535351.post-74350581352542286362008-07-07T09:09:00.002-05:002008-07-07T09:11:34.080-05:00make friends with maggotsjust an update :<br /><br />i have been hearing about maggots in some of your bins - it is fly season afterall. houseflies seem to be everywhere. since i haven't run into this with my toilet or storage bin, i would suggest using more sawdust and dumping more often.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376751586435535351.post-83289956877376355442008-07-03T16:47:00.003-05:002008-07-03T16:56:53.127-05:00Peek-a-poo!So in June I was in Missouri for a week in a rustic setting that included outhouses. It was really nice to continue to not poop in water, but honestly I missed the intimacy of a bucket. The outhouses there were the traditional 'long, dark drop' type which made pooping a very anonymous deposit. I like being able to see my poop in the bucket. It's an important indicator of how different foods and I get along and how my body is doing. Before CT scans and other fancy medical gizmos, poop, sorry, <span style="font-style: italic;">stool</span> was a really important way of diagnosing various afflictions. <br /> <br />While looking at my poo, I notice all sorts of things like undigested seeds from serviceberries I foraged. I picked some seeds out of my poo with a stick and am doing an experiment to see if there is a difference in germination rates between serviceberry seeds that are digested away from the fruit and seeds that have been mechanically separated from the fruit. Stay tuned as the moon waxes...<br /><br />SayreUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376751586435535351.post-80029172426255564312008-06-22T19:35:00.001-05:002008-06-22T19:37:11.928-05:00human versus animal• 1,000 humans produce as much total solids as: <br /> 20 dairy cows <br /> 60 beef feeder cattle <br /> 280 feeder pigs <br /> 6 200 laying hens <br /> 11 000 broiler chickens <br /><br />• 1,000 humans produce as much Total Nitrogen as: <br /> 40 dairy cows <br /> 90 beef feeder cattle <br /> 340 feeder pigs <br /> 7 000 laying hens <br /> 12 000 broiler chickens <br /><br />• 1,000 humans produce as much Total Phosphorus as: <br /> 30 dairy cows <br /> 70 beef feeder cattle <br /> 190 feeder pigs <br /> 3 800 laying hens <br /> 8 600 broiler chickens <br /><br />• 1,000 humans produce as much Total coliform bacteria as: <br /> 30 dairy cows <br /> 1 300 beef feeder cattle <br /> 10 000 feeder pigs <br /> 130 000 laying hens <br /><br /><br />Dairy Cattle - mature cows <br />total manure per cow: 68.7 L / day <br /><br />Beef Cattle - feeders <br />total manure per animal: 21.3 L / day<br /><br />Pigs - feeder pigs <br />total manure per pig: 5.8 L / day <br /><br />Chickens - laying hens <br />total manure per chicken: 0.2 L / day <br /><br />Chickens - broilers <br />total manure per chicken: 0.07 L / day <br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">from: 'human versus animal: a comparison of waste properties'<br />fleming and ford, university of guelph, july 2001.<br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376751586435535351.post-28237553953958593882008-06-20T22:49:00.001-05:002008-06-20T22:51:06.448-05:00satellite pooper from michigan!Oh! And poop~ okay I am joining the group as an outpost of the outpost. Here are my current habits/functions.<br /><br />5 gallon poop-n-pee ala heather<br /><br />I am on bucket #3 and think I have something workable. I do have the luxury of keeping and using everything outside on lots of land. So smell is not an issue or detectable but system is working. I am putting about 3-4” of sawdust on the bottom of the bucket and begin pooping after awhile (doesn’t take too long as I’ve been following a high-fiber diet). It gets so high that I can’t poop freely. (I sit on the rim.) at that point, top it off (fully) with sawdust and move it to a pee only location. Then I pee into it (no t.p. anymore) until the sawdust is moist (sponge damp like good compost – usually determined! Hee hee! or is its feeling appropriately heavy. At this point, I am just letting the bucket sit in the forest but soon I’ll run out of buckets and have to dump. How long will it take to be less/non stinky, messy, recognizable? I was thinking of introducing worms that I find in the local soil to help speed things along.<br /><br />Honestly my motivation here is really to process and breakdown sawdust. We have and use a sawmill here and have PILES! Of it and nowhere to put it as we can’t put it in the soil or NOTHING WILL GROW THERE. Hey, do you know if that quality of being able to grow anything totally transformed after composting? Presumably yes, but I always eave room for my ignorance.<br /><br />I am very curious about the characteristics and suitability of consequent soil/compost.<br /><br />Is there a good/better/best thing to plant in such a soil?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376751586435535351.post-46475376951736204172008-05-27T21:48:00.004-05:002008-06-02T17:42:02.039-05:00The First Bin!This is a transcribed audio interview with Nance and the fabulous winners of the 'first full bin' award...enjoy!<br /><br />--------------------------------------<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nance: </span>Do you want to say something about your first two weeks’ experience with Humble Pile?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sara:</span> Well, ah, my first two weeks of experience it wasn’t as trying as I thought it would be. Like, you know pooping in a bucket it kind of feels like camping inside my house. I like the fact that I get to get toilet paper now for free. I get the<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVnx4Z7Engns8F1DNCZED8okDsQUSX0fe0eOToantIaU-4j38fHmJxsye6fOOAR6V1dX0vW78YpCF8mACcn9CPWghz2v63B78waoW8dQVRkObhvJ-B3HKKBlmEbaQtDN8CVGFAZ2kw0HgG/s1600-h/mark_firstbin.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVnx4Z7Engns8F1DNCZED8okDsQUSX0fe0eOToantIaU-4j38fHmJxsye6fOOAR6V1dX0vW78YpCF8mACcn9CPWghz2v63B78waoW8dQVRkObhvJ-B3HKKBlmEbaQtDN8CVGFAZ2kw0HgG/s320/mark_firstbin.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207417813578352018" border="0" /></a> non-bleached napkins from Whole Foods and just snag a whole bunch, put them in my purse and bring them home. Sometimes it’s a little bit hard at night when I’m half awake and have to use the bathroom; sometimes I just use the regular toilet because I don’t want to deal with the bucket. So far so good. Every time I flush the toilet….<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Andrew: </span>I heard the toilet flush the other day I washed the dishes the other day and said, “Who flushed this toilet?”<br /><br />Joanna’s been using the flush toilet because she’s been to lazy to come upstairs, she said “I know it’s such a lame excuse, but I just haven’t made it up to the summit” so I put a bucket downstairs for her.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Eduardo: </span>She likes to save water. That’s why she’s not flushing the toilet all the time.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nance:</span> Any questions for the last two weeks of Humble Pile?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chad: </span>it’s been great it’s really like first nature. It’s intuitive. It doesn’t feel like anything different, to be honest. The smell of it, but that’s OK.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mark:</span> I had a near emergency which is I want to ask if I could spot on the bucket, and I thought, I wasn’t thinking and I did it like I would on a toilet I just stepped on the one side of the bucket and put my weight on it and the bucket fell over. And it was mostly full and like my heart stopped I thought there’s gonna be this big pile of shit on my bathroom floor. And I was like ‘oh shit’. So luckily I, while I was holding my breath, none of the logs did. That was my only close call.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Andrew: </span>I’m, um, definitely a proponent of more that one or two handfuls per log.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sara:</span> Yeah!<br />Andrew: Because it’s definitely stinky if you don’t cover up the entire log. And here we turn to Chad!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chad: </span>Way too much sawdust!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mark: </span>That’s what I think. Me and Chad are kind of on the same page.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Andrew:</span> That’s why it stinks!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chad:</span> It’s does not stink! I mean, you’re gonna have two different smells. You’re going to alternate smells one or the other. It’s not like it’s gonna get rid of one.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mark:</span> I kind of agree with Andrew. Like, I thought it smelled but I wouldn’t want to have any, like, I’ll just say uninitiated guests into the bathroom.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Andrew:</span> Exactly.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mark:</span> Because, I was bragging to my brother was bragging that it “doesn’t even smell” and he opened the lid and he’s like “oh man!”<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chad:</span> It’s poop, man! I mean, Jesus!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mark:</span> But is it going to be more palatable to people as a feasible movement? You know, um….<br /><br />(laughter)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nance:</span> A “feasible movement” ?????!!!!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mark:</span> NO pun intended!<br /><br />(laughter)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mark:</span> Because you know like my uncle said to me a couple of years ago, he was saying that Ireland was “backwards” He’s like, for example, people are still shitting in outhouses. You know and I’m thinking that we’re “backwards” because we’re shitting in flush toilets, ya know. And then my brother is like “this is like this: no one’s gonna NOT have a toilet in America. That’s why these expensive compost and dry toilets are being sold because they’re shaped like toilets and you could still feel like you’re using a toilet. And they have fans so you’re house doesn’t stink. So if there’s a way we could do it without all that contraption and plastic.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chad:</span> I don’t know man, I think it’s an enculturated response to poop. That it smells bad. If you could retrain yourself and reeducate yourself. Like it doesn’t even really smell that bad to me.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Andrew:</span> But our poop is really close to our refrigerator! People who shit in the woods and do what we’re trying to assimilate here their poop is not anywhere near they eat.<br /><br />(laughter)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Andrew:</span> Nowhere near the river where they wash and get their fish.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sara: </span>Yeah we’re dirty.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Andrew:</span> It’s think it’s a fine smell but there’s a reason that no matter where you’re at, no matter what culture you’re from shit is shit and it stinks for every person.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mark:</span> I’ve walked into our bedroom and smelled shit and that’s not good.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sara:</span> Then I don’t know what you guys are up to! Why isn’t it in the bathroom?!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Andrew:</span> The bathroom is right off… The bedroom is just basically the same door to the bathroom.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nance:</span> I think you need to dump your bucket more often.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sara:</span> I don’t smell poop in my bedroom. Just to let you guys know, it’s not smelling anymore.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Andrew:</span> I would like to share a little anecdote that didn’t get recorded yet. So, Sarah’s friend Nancy came over and I was in the kitchen doing dishes, and doing something, eating and Sara was in the bathroom and Sara shouts through the door “Nancy did I tell you yet that we poop in buckets?” And Nancy was like, “No, you didn’t but that’s so funny because just earlier today my coworker and I were talking about this lady on the Southside that’s spreading around all these buckets and having people poop in them!” And Sara and I were like, “I think that’s the same person! Is her name Nance?” So that was a fun time.<br /><br />(laughter)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chad:</span> It’s not an obsession or anything but we would, I’m 40 and just a few years ago, me and my friends would send pictures of our shits to each other cause… who doesn’t look at their shit after they shit?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sara:</span> I look at my shit.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chad:</span> I know. It’s just a natural thing. There’s something about it.<br /><br />(laughter)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Andrew:</span> I have to look at what’s happening.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mark:</span> Eduardo, when you poo, do you look at it?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Eduardo:</span> Um, yeah.<br /><br />(laughter)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mark:</span> Do you look at mine?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Eduardo</span>: I want a visual of what’s going on there.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sara:</span> I do have to say that pooping in the bucket, my poop does look a lot smaller than in the toilet.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mark:</span> I think mine looks bigger!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Andrew:</span> It feels bigger than life in the bucket!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chad:</span> I tell you why. The amount of pressure that goes into a poop, I’m really fascinated by what comes out!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nance:</span> The product of your energy.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chad:</span> Yeah, basically.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nance:</span> You’re packing in one right now!<br /><br />(laughter)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mark:</span> So how many people have you had conversations with?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nance:</span> You guys are the first. You guys are the first ones who loaded up a bin.<br /><br />(laughter)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nance:</span> I have to put a #1 on your bin!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mark, Andrew, Sara, Chad:</span> Yah!!!!!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376751586435535351.post-36766367111326776522008-05-27T20:33:00.001-05:002008-05-27T20:34:46.714-05:00Sayre discovers the steathy aspects of bucketpooing...<span style="font-weight: bold;">Sayre:</span><br />so, just to fill you in on some delightful testhole developments...<br /><br />I am finding that I am holding my poo when I am out so that I can poo in my bucket at home instead of a flush toilet.<br /><br />I have found that pooing and peeing in sawdust is very quiet, with no resonating splashy tinkling sounds. Bucketpooing is so quiet in fact, that I pooed while on a conference call and no one had any idea that's what I was doing. Tee hee hee!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nance:</span><br />you are a nutty nut nut.<br />i am soooo happy.<br /><br />imagine if they had said something like this:"what was that muffled thud?"<br /><br />what would your reply have been?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sayre:</span><br />I would have blamed it on the cats of course.<br />hee hee heeUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376751586435535351.post-55797499346061999002008-05-27T20:16:00.000-05:002008-05-27T20:18:54.585-05:00Prehistoric Pooping!Sean D. says:<br />Here's an interesting exchange I had concerning ancient poo recycling With Dr. Dennis L. Jenkins, the Senior Staff Archaeologist/Archaeological Field School Director of the University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sean:</span><br />Dear Dr. Jenkins,<br />Not knowing much about the behavior of our Homo sapien ancestors, such<br />as it might have been, 14,300 years ago, in what's now Oregon, I'm<br />curious about the placement of the coprolites you've uncovered. It<br />seems as if, if these caves were used for shelter, cooking, etc., that<br />it might have been a good idea to excrete elsewhere. I'm assuming it's<br />potentially hard to speculate, but based on your expertise, do you<br />think it's possible that certain caves were used as latrines at<br />certain times? Or perhaps just once or twice? I can imagine that these<br />individuals might not have been super-fastidious, but it seems like<br />small measures like the separation of food and feces might have been<br />survival mechanism-style behaviors.<br />Yours sincerely,<br />Sean D<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dennis:</span><br />Hi Sean,<br />People tend to defecate in particular areas of a cave (alcoves, cracks in boulders, pits in floors, etc.) or just outside it. They are more or less storing waste material that could potentially provide an emergency food source that might mean the difference between life and death. Seeds which have not been entirely digested can be retrieved, cleaned and consumed again, believe it or not. This has been termed the 2nd harvest by the Seri, I believe. Hope this helps.<br />Dennis<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sean:</span><br />Dennis,<br />Thanks so much for your reply. It's incredibly helpful information, and connects some dots for me. It makes perfect sense. I hadn't thought of "the second harvest," but I've read about such things in a sometimes questionable book called The Scatologic rites of All Nations by John G. Bourke, specifically concerning the Indians of "Lower California" and cactus seeds. I've also noticed the practice of seed retrieval from goat dung to make Argan oil in Morocco, and not least the Philippine, Palm Civet-digested Kopi Luwak coffee beans, which are so value-added that they fetch steep prices. I'm definitely sympathetic to the view that modern humans share more predilections and habits with our ancient ancestors than we may realize, which is why certain parts of regional continuity seem to ring true, not least the idea that Homo sapiens interbred successfully with those they encountered as they traveled.<br />Thanks again,<br />Sean DUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376751586435535351.post-71868823438687522402008-05-27T20:14:00.003-05:002008-05-27T20:16:55.637-05:00Innovations, injury, and family shit from MarkNance/Humble Pile,<br /><br />I sent my dad some x-rated photos of extremely anatomically accurate<br />vegetable shapes and he sent me an e-mnail back that I wish I had saved,<br />that basically said<br /><br />"That's about as funny as the news of your human-shit-composting experiment. I continue to have higher hopes for you."<br /><br />2 lines. Like a dagger.<br /><br />I told him that if we didn't shift our dogma toward shit, sex, and food<br />that our culture will end with a crash (as if it won't already).<br />____________________________<br /><br />I think I may be the first one who rececived a test hole injury today,<br />when taking my own advice I wiped my butt with that thick brown paper and<br />sustained a paper cut wound to the upper crack. Luckily it missed the test<br />hole.<br />____________________________<br /><br />I finally figured out a good wiping system, and I haven't sliced my butt<br />since that first day (I started using a softer brown paper).<br /><br />For all my fellow test holers: Revolutionizing shitting is a big piece,<br />but revolutionizing wiping is a step beyond even yet. "Sure I'll shit in a<br />bucket, no problem. I'm a bad ass (I'm hard-core, etc.)" BUT(T), ARE YOU<br />WILLING TO TOUCH YOUR SHIT? I'm not just trying to proffer a<br />"grosser-than-thou" adolescent one-upmanship yucky contest. I'm saying<br />wiping with an industrially prefabricated paper product is as nutso as<br />shitting into purified drinking water. I have been waiting for a vehicle<br />for my campaign for years, and finally through Humble Pile I have found<br />it. That campaign is:<br /><br />WIPE WITH WATER!!! It even has a certain ring to it. Here's how it works.<br /><br />My friend coined the perfect question for this proposition. It both<br />illustrates the point and gives serious post-food for thought. The<br />question is... Should someone approach you and smear shit on your face,<br />would you:<br /><br />a) wipe it off,<br />OR<br />b) wash it off.<br /><br />"Ah-ha!" most people say. But another clever friend said "I would wipe it<br />off and then wash it off." Good answer.<br /><br />And so it came to pass, my perfect wiping system that I recommend for<br />test-holers everywhere:<br />Go to your nearest grocery dumpster (I use Red Hen bakery on Milwaukee Ave<br />where I can pick up pastries and bread along with my toilet paper: the<br />poop fuel and the clean-up product in one!) where you will find a plethora<br />of clean brown paper bags, cleanly packed in garbage bags. Use that paper<br />to wipe and then pitch it right in your montoncito humil. THEN, when you<br />are already wiped up, using a small jar, proceed to the toilet to clean<br />the rest. To take those of you by the hand who may be faint of heart and<br />walk you through it: with one hand pour the water over your crack, with<br />the other scrub-a-rub your test hole until it is squeaky clean. To prove<br />the hygienicism of this system, you can even smell your fingers afterward-<br />if done right there should only be the smell of roses on your baby-soft<br />skin. And, of course, wash your hands well with herbal soaps made from<br />dumpstered animal fat. The beauty of this is that there is so little poop<br />on your 0 that you will not have to flush the toilet, and you won't be<br />adding a bunch of water to make your pile unpresentable to diplomats,<br />senators, building inspectors, and other varmants.<br /><br />Enjoy, poop away, and savor the nutrient cycle!<br /><br />"The trouble is that once you see it, you can't unsee it. And once you've<br />seen it, keeping quiet, saying nothing, becomes as political an act as<br />speaking out. There's no innocence. Either way, you're accountable."<br /> -- Arundhati RoyUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376751586435535351.post-54289538478058707992008-05-27T20:14:00.001-05:002008-05-27T20:14:46.913-05:00Concerns about the dry commode.<span style="font-weight: bold;">Nance: </span><br />Re: drop off of the dry commode...<br /><br />how's monday morning for either of you?<br />could also do another drop monday eve.<br /><br />lemme know.<br /><br />bombs away!<br />nance<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kate:</span><br />monday morning could work. what time?<br /><br />nance, i'm really not sure how the commode will work for my situation. could we go over logistics of it before you drop it off? what do i need to do? when is it picked up? what are any precautions/things i should be aware of? i can't keep it in my bathroom, with my clientelle. the back porch does not seem realistic. i can try for that back utility closet perhaps, if i organize it better and clear it out. i'm just a bit concerned, as i am not the most organized nor conscientious person and don't want a shitstorm (litrally) on my hands. i have a hard time getting food composted, let alone poop. at any rate, i really want to be supportive, but am feeling a little overwhelmed. could we chat?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376751586435535351.post-53724806022069860572008-05-27T20:11:00.002-05:002008-05-27T20:14:05.876-05:00Nance, Joanna, Andrew, and friends coordinate.<span style="font-weight: bold;">Joanna:</span><br />Yes, the rest of the household is ready to move forward. I<br />just have a couple more questions. Is the 'can' and<br />the sawdust something that I will be able to keep in my<br />bathroom if I have a one year old who likes to explore?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nance:</span><br />i am providing you with sufficient sawdust. you can put it in a conatiner that works for you. the toilet lid can can be taped down with some duct tape and opened as needed.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Joanna:</span><br />How big is the barrel that will sit outside?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nance:</span><br />it is a 32 gallon garbage can.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Joanna:</span><br />Do you remove the entire barrel only once it is full?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nance:</span><br />yes. and then i will bring you another one.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Joanna:</span><br />How long do you think it would take to fill if there are 5 of us?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nance:</span><br />if using constantly then 2 weeks or so.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Joanna:</span><br />Sorry for all of the questions. I just imagine that once the barrel is in place and filling, it is a pretty permanent decision. Thanks!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Nance:</span><br />sure!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nance to Andrew (in same building as Joanna):</span><br />4 people on your floor, right? still one bucket or two?<br />one 32 gallon garbage conatainer for both floors.<br />joanna's household is seperate. we are talking. she has her own questions and i have tried to answer them. she will get back to me if she feels<br />comfortable.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nance:</span><br />hi joanna.<br />i just talked to andrew in your building and it is all a go for their participation in HUMBLE PILE. have you had a chance to think over if you are interested in participating?<br />btw, when i use my dry toilet, i use a fair amount of saw dust in the bottom and between usage and the only cleaning' i do is a rinse with a hose - very little to clean out.<br />each household will be getting some liquid microbes to add to their cans in order to speed up composting.<br />nance<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Andrew:</span><br />Nancy,<br />I'm cc'ing all the Pile Participants in my household on this email.<br />Firstly, I want to announce to all that Humblepile will be installing the Pile Parts on Monday morning, from 9 to Noon.<br /><br />Nancy--there were a couple of questions. How much peeing is allowed in the bucket, ie. when you just have to go #1 does that go in the bucket too? Also, if there are four poopers in one apartment, we will need two buckets, can you spare two for us?<br /><br />/Andrew and friends<br /><br />ps Look Sarah, this research team in Antarctica that composted poo used rocks to secure the lids before they emptied their buckets.<br /><a href="http://huey.colorado.edu/77DegreesSouth/environment/08_HumanWaste.jpg">http://huey.colorado.edu/77DegreesSouth/environment/08_HumanWaste.jpg</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Joanna:</span><br />Hey All,<br />I believe we were all in agreement with to set up the 32-gallon drum in the backyard to be used by all in the house (4 upstairs) and me. 2 buckets for them to poop in and one for me; again all being dumped into the same 32-gallon loader.<br />I feel comfortable moving forward at this point, as I believe we just really gotta try it out to see if it is going to work for us.<br />Have a great day all!<br />JoannaUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376751586435535351.post-16749299538724477732008-05-27T20:08:00.001-05:002008-05-27T20:11:10.981-05:00Nance and Adam try to work things out.<span style="font-weight:bold;">Nance:</span> <br />hooray! i am ready to get you your 'humble pile' set up!<br />hooray!<br /><br />please choose one of the following dates and time<br />slots or suggest another one. set up should only<br />take 20 minutes or so.<br />sunday 27th<br />9-12<br />6-9<br />monday 28th<br />9-12<br />6-9<br />tuesday 29th<br />9-12<br />6-9<br /><br />thanks.<br />nance (testhole)<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Adam:</span><br />hi Nance!<br />Indeed this is exciting ...<br /><br />BUT<br />before you truck over here, I need to clarify with you that this can actually work for my living situation. So, please read the following description of my abode and let me know how this could work:<br />I live on the second floor of a house in a three-bedroom apartment (with two roommates). We have a humble gated-in plot of earth, maybe 7 by 7 feet, in front of the house. My relatively small bedroom doubles as my yoga/meditation practice space. We have a pretty expansive living room/dining room space. We ferment kombucha in the dining room area. Large kitchen, small bathroom, grimy roofed-in back deck.<br /><br />The reason I tell you these details is because I'm simply unsure where I would be able to do my humble piling... It seems unlikely that I'd be able to store the container in the bathroom, because it's a really small space, and I don't know if it would be sanitary to shit and do sun salutations in the same couple feet of hardwood floor? The back porch is a possibility.<br /><br />Please excuse my reservation -- I just don't want you to waste your time coming out here if I can't actually participate. But I would very much like to, if it seems like it will work! So, let me know what you think.<br /><br />Thanks for your time,<br />Adam.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Adam:</span><br />Nance,<br />I feel I am being very high-maintenance about this already, I am sorry about that...<br />If this is going to work for me right now, I do think my house is a better option than the studio, just because the space is small and constantly in flux.<br />I have a basement that I could even crap in, especially because it's warmer now AND the basement already smells bad.<br />Maybe the next time you're in my neighborhood you could stop by and possibly drop off the stuff if it seems like it's feasible for me to do my business.<br />Thanks for your patience.<br />Adam.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Nance:</span><br />it's fine, adam.<br />no extra patience extended in your direction.<br />i am here to hold hands on this one.<br />just let me know when i can deliver a bucket toilet and if you want to coordinate with someonelse's barrel drop or what one of your own.<br />barrel = 32 gal trash container.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Adam:</span><br />Nance,<br />My other roomie expressed some reservation about the test hole ... not insurmountable, but quite frankly I'm starting to now question whether this is a good time to insert a revision into my routine. The concern is that, amidst the grad school madness, I'll just forget about the alternate route and/or not dispose of my "goods" in a reasonable time. And space is not ideal. I think I'm going to pass on this round of things, with the intention that I can get involved at a later date if it becomes a sustainable (sorry I know you don't like that word) method for some people in the city.<br />Sorry about this, and I appreciate your assistance in thinking about it anyhow.<br />Warm wishes,<br />Adam.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376751586435535351.post-3217818009156191192008-05-27T20:06:00.000-05:002008-05-27T20:08:30.240-05:00Nance and Kevin arrange a dropoff...<span style="font-weight:bold;">Nance:</span><br />hooray! i am ready to get you your 'humble pile' set up!<br />hooray!<br /><br />please choose one of the following dates and time<br />slots or suggest another one. set up should only<br />take 20 minutes or so.<br />sunday 27th<br />9-12<br />6-9<br />monday 28th<br />9-12<br />6-9<br />tuesday 29th<br />9-12<br />6-9<br /><br />thanks.<br />nance (testhole)<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Kevin:</span><br />Monday 28th 6-9 works well. I will need a little support.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Nance:</span><br />tues a.m, it is.<br />support you will have.<br />the entire journey you will have support.<br />nUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0