About Me

For the past 15 years I’ve lived a dual existence. I have had a public life as a musician and at times composer, writer of scripts and poetry (albeit, on a small scale). I have had another, hidden from the public, as a garbage hunter. The latter has been a resource for leverage and/or cost of musical and artistic expression.

"When not playing drums I hunt valuable trash"

I have to be honest, it was my friend Cory Doctorov and others over the years that stressed to me that there was artistic form to garbage hunting and a lot of positive aspects that I was not seeing. I would be a liar to say that I had some great idea or vision so it is better that I tell the down and dirty of how it all came to be. I saw it only as a financial resource or a resource for the hard tools and possessions I needed to create, record music or whatever I pleased. I tried to walk away a number of times but always came back at it harder as there was no other way for me to make circumstances work. It also gave my righteous side freedom from letting people down at jobs I respected and worked hard at, who were then disappointed when I left suddenly for "that big break" - which I did many times. It also saved my spirit the freedom to not have to work for people that might want me to participate in the mixing, selling or handling of one of many snake oils on "a shelf near you".

I have gleaned one mountain of seemingly unrelated information, anecdotes, trade secrets and dare I say facts. I have decided to share them with you here and on my blog (see blog link). I will also be periodically building up background info on myself you can take or leave. It will help explain "the path".

First, let's get one thing clear; there is dumpster diving and then there is dumpster hunting. It is my form of recycling that includes my personal code of ethics so you may not see direct comparisons to what others are doing. I am not a freegan or anything else, just one person living on the "lost industrial park island" and there is no Boy Friday. Power to all the other recyclers, dumpster divers and what not but I hope you come to recognize some of the attributes important to this style.

Cory Doctorow: Show us your "Little Brother" HOWTOs (BBtv)

Feel free to contact me with any positive thoughts, ideas, constructive criticism and pitches. Any negative attacks will likely be ignored.

I will be updating the site, blog, photos, videos etc. almost daily so there will be something new here somewhere. Be well people - in spirit, body and mind. After all, we are here to survive and live well.

Darren