Envelopes from people who have sent me AOL cds.

Monthly Statement:
December 2005
2917 - TOTAL AOL cds accumulated as of 12/31/05
38 - non-AOL cds (including, but not limited to, Earthlink, Juno, Excite and Peoplepc.)
3 - 3.5 inch AOL floppy discs

Of course for this month, I was concerned with getting my project ready for the exhibition. I think it went very well. My 'Pillars of Decency' were great! It was weird processing and organizing them, and seeing them assembled into two, 6-foot tall, 50 lb. pillars, and one much smaller one. I brought all the packaging for all the cds into the gallery space, but we couldn't figure out a way to show them, as there wasn't quite enough space. Recycling the byproducts of this project is going to be a major thing to figure out.

I posted some videos of my project here and here. This one is actually from November, but I forgot to post it then. So now you can get a little behind the scenes...

I didn't accumulate that many cds in the month of December, probably because it was the holiday season, and I was a bit slack on reposting my requests for cds on craigslist and freecycle.

For more information on what it takes to make a cd, see this document put out by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Process:
I will accumulate as many AOL cds as possible until September 2006. I will enlist the help of friends and strangers through word of mouth, emails, craigslist, freecycle, and other existing social networks. The CDs are accumulated from where they are forced upon the public; primarily from people who have received them in the mail, or from publications where the cds are inserted as advertisements.

I will stack them and build "Pillars of Decency" (a funny comment on the wastefulness of this form of advertisement). The more I get, the taller the "Pillars" will be!

When the year is over, I will donate them to --> http://www.nomoreaolcds.com/

What I would like from you is the following:
1. Your AOL cds! - The ones you and your friends, family and neighbors receive in the mail! Whenever you find some, keep them and think of me.
2. Get the cds to me. - If you live in the New York City area, I can probably pick them up, if you have a bunch, or you can mail them to me (sorry, I have $0.00 budget for this project, so I can't reimburse you for postage. However, I will offer you fame and good feelings by mentioning your name in thanks when the project is exhibited. If you send them "Bulk Mail" it will be cheaper!)
-OR- Send me an email, and we'll figure out how to get the CDs to me. (see below for addresses)
3. Tell your friends! - Talk to, or email your friends, family, coworkers, strangers, etc. about this project. The more the better!That's it.
I very much appreciate your time and effort in making this project a success, and welcome you to check out the website frequently, as it grows every month!

Eric Brown
93 Bright St.
Jersey City, NJ 07302
eric@dogseat.org