Mark's OT | Swap-O-Rama-Rama | Stone Soup

Submitted by mhagle on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 8:32am

https://caucus99percent.com/content/rants-muses-books-music-and-some-coo...

I initially was going to quote excerpts from this essay, but instead recommend that you read/reread it. Quoting small sections of it won't do it justice.

I found Mark's Open Thread from Tuesday to be sobering. He even says it was a sobering week. The impact was augmented coming on the backs of so many other essays here detailing society's pendulum swing to the rich and the subsequent suffering strangling the masses. And things aren't really that bad yet, but the path ahead is dark. I don't want it to be dark, but that's how it looks.

Civilization is on a roller coaster ride without brakes.

My question is . . . what do we do about it? It seems like we need to free ourselves from the corporate class and the mainstream media. They will continue to jack us around. Do we have the collective will to follow Gandhi?

Gandhi's Boycott of British Goods

https://sites.google.com/site/gandhipedia/boycott-of-british-goods

I hope for a system of swaraj. Our nonviolent disobedience will be their down fall. It is greatly important that we follow through with the principles of satyagraha. It is our most useful and deadly weapon.

Although I acknowledge that it is much to ask, I ask that you put a boycott on the goods made by our oppressors. This ban will enable us to demonstrate that we are capable of producing for ourselves and not for them. This will make India as a colony not profitable for them that call themselves our rulers and they shall take their business elsewhere. We need to go back to making our khadi back to when we as a nation maintained swaraj and swadeshi. A time we can be proud to be our own people.

How does this translate to our present situation? Create a set of tools to enable independence?

The Swap-O-Rama-Rama

What is a Swap-O-Rama-Rama? It's a clothing swap. Not only do they swap, but they modify and redesign clothes to suit their styles. What if millennials embraced this concept? What if we don't throw away our clothes, but rather remake them?
[video:https://youtu.be/NEuL1vUKByY]
[video:https://youtu.be/9t10W4FxRnI]

Stone Soup

This is a concept brewing in my soul. It is part of my fanaticism for growing food. It is based on a child's story I used to hear on "Bart's Clubhouse" and "Captain Kangaroo".

https://www.scribd.com/document/242318146/Stone-Soup-pdf

A community "potluck" meal with no "worthiness measures."

How should this play out? What are other systems to meet needs like transportation, the arts, education, housing?

Shipping Container Homes

Living near Dallas, shipping containers are pretty cheap here. We have 4. The first one we purchased, an aluminum 8 x 50, cost $1200. This last one, pictured above, is an aluminum 8 x 53 and it cost $2700 with the extra door installed. It has an enclosed combo 1/2 bath/storage room at one end. It has electrical, plumbing, wired internet, 4 windows, a plywood painted floor, and the inside and outside both were painted with insulating paint = all for under $5000.

Intentional living in a shipping container community?

Personally, I believe that climate change is going to kick us into a mode where we have to do these things to survive because shipping on the seas with the super-storms will become impossible. We would be much better off if we have these systems in place already.

Yeah . . . so I have these ideas, but am not much of an organizer.

Tags:

rich poor corporate cocksucker

Vote

Comments

Submitted by mhagle on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 8:44am

Good morning!

Hopefully this essay will provoke more discussion. It is a skeleton of thought. Needs flesh.

—

Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

Submitted by dance you monster on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 9:31am

Looks to me . . .

. . . like there are two directions occurring here.

For a Swap-o-rama to work efficiently, or shared meals, you need people close to each other. For people to adopt container construction as a residential or workplace option, you need a community with generous zoning laws and building codes, which means usually rural areas where people are far apart.

Not dissing either proposal -- there's plenty of merit in all of them -- but I think there needs also to be some overarching philosophy about where we want to end up as community, not in how many directions we can flee the corporate community that has us in its grip now. There may be (actually, there are) communities that will allow these two conceptions of living to coexist, and that brings up the next task: finding out where those communities are.

I mention all this not to be Dancey Downer but in the memory of other threads where we specifically looked at the idea of intentional communities. This is part of planning intentional community.

Submitted by mhagle on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 9:42am

Good comment

@dance you monster

Absolutely. I completely understand that this essay is missing the overarching philosophy. The stuff that ties it together and makes it viable.

I look at it in the context of our local friends and their children. I don't know if any of it can happen until we are forced to change.

—

Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

Submitted by dance you monster on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 10:15am

It HAS to happen before we are forced to change.

@mhagle

If we wait until then, we will be out of time, the time to build, the time to grow, the time to connect, the time to change the impressions we instill in those whose community we'd be entering and inevitably altering.

The groundwork would have to happen now, if it's not too late already to do something proper.

So what if we just contemplated one big-picture question today: Where could we create or connect with a community large enough to be sustainable as community, with all the skills and manpower to operate the infrastructure we'd need, while still having the option to do quirky, low-budget building?

In another thread, I mentioned Look inland, Look north, Look higher elevations, and Expect to do a lot of work for the rest of your lives. If others accept that premise, is there a small town somewhere that has been more or less abandoned, a remnant of a (relatively unpolluted) nineteenth-century mill-town or some such far enough from the big city that it has not been scooped up for loft condos? Or is there a rural area that would permit the building of a concentrated new community of sufficient size on, say, an Arts-and-Crafts-Movement or beguinage model? That's just two possibilities. There are more.

And once we determine which options are appealing, we'd need to take advantage of our scatteredness to go out, individual by individual, in his or her region to see where such places might be. Learn the codes ('cuz you won't be able to change them until you've been living there a long while), scope out the topography and existing infrastructure (roads, buildings, access to resources, power, connectivity) and the land costs, meet the people who are there now who could oppose your presence or welcome it if you displace the meth labs. And report back. Then together map out those options to see what we and those who think along the same lines would be capable of pulling off. What investment would be expected of anyone, for what outcome?

The time to do this is now, not when we are forced to change.

Submitted by studentofearth on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 12:22pm

Look North and avoid potential natural disaster areas

@dance you monster Pacific Northwest appears to be past due for a major earthquake.

In the Pacific Northwest, the area of impact will cover* some hundred and forty thousand square miles, including Seattle, Tacoma, Portland, Eugene, Salem (the capital city of Oregon), Olympia (the capital of Washington), and some seven million people. When the next full-margin rupture happens, that region will suffer the worst natural disaster in the history of North America. Roughly three thousand people died in San Francisco’s 1906 earthquake. Almost two thousand died in Hurricane Katrina. Almost three hundred died in Hurricane Sandy. FEMA projects that nearly thirteen thousand people will die in the Cascadia earthquake and tsunami. Another twenty-seven thousand will be injured, and the agency expects that it will need to provide shelter for a million displaced people, and food and water for another two and a half million. “This is one time that I’m hoping all the science is wrong, and it won’t happen for another thousand years,” Murphy says.

What is in your area?

#2.1 If we wait until then, we will be out of time, the time to build, the time to grow, the time to connect, the time to change the impressions we instill in those whose community we'd be entering and inevitably altering. The groundwork would have to happen now, if it's not too late already to do something proper. So what if we just contemplated one big-picture question today: Where could we create or connect with a community large enough to be sustainable as community, with all the skills and manpower to operate the infrastructure we'd need, while still having the option to do quirky, low-budget building? In another thread, I mentioned Look inland, Look north, Look higher elevations, and Expect to do a lot of work for the rest of your lives. If others accept that premise, is there a small town somewhere that has been more or less abandoned, a remnant of a (relatively unpolluted) nineteenth-century mill-town or some such far enough from the big city that it has not been scooped up for loft condos? Or is there a rural area that would permit the building of a concentrated new community of sufficient size on, say, an Arts-and-Crafts-Movement or beguinage model? That's just two possibilities. There are more. And once we determine which options are appealing, we'd need to take advantage of our scatteredness to go out, individual by individual, in his or her region to see where such places might be. Learn the codes ('cuz you won't be able to change them until you've been living there a long while), scope out the topography and existing infrastructure (roads, buildings, access to resources, power, connectivity) and the land costs, meet the people who are there now who could oppose your presence or welcome it if you displace the meth labs. And report back. Then together map out those options to see what we and those who think along the same lines would be capable of pulling off. What investment would be expected of anyone, for what outcome? The time to do this is now, not when we are forced to change.

—

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

Submitted by mhagle on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 1:35pm

Heat is the problem where I live . . .

@dance you monster

It depends on how hot it actually will get. Will it kill the trees? Texas has always been hot and even though it has been in the 100s, that is nothing new. This time of year you just can't be outside most of the day.

One thing rural Texas has going for it = there are few rules.

#2.1 If we wait until then, we will be out of time, the time to build, the time to grow, the time to connect, the time to change the impressions we instill in those whose community we'd be entering and inevitably altering. The groundwork would have to happen now, if it's not too late already to do something proper. So what if we just contemplated one big-picture question today: Where could we create or connect with a community large enough to be sustainable as community, with all the skills and manpower to operate the infrastructure we'd need, while still having the option to do quirky, low-budget building? In another thread, I mentioned Look inland, Look north, Look higher elevations, and Expect to do a lot of work for the rest of your lives. If others accept that premise, is there a small town somewhere that has been more or less abandoned, a remnant of a (relatively unpolluted) nineteenth-century mill-town or some such far enough from the big city that it has not been scooped up for loft condos? Or is there a rural area that would permit the building of a concentrated new community of sufficient size on, say, an Arts-and-Crafts-Movement or beguinage model? That's just two possibilities. There are more. And once we determine which options are appealing, we'd need to take advantage of our scatteredness to go out, individual by individual, in his or her region to see where such places might be. Learn the codes ('cuz you won't be able to change them until you've been living there a long while), scope out the topography and existing infrastructure (roads, buildings, access to resources, power, connectivity) and the land costs, meet the people who are there now who could oppose your presence or welcome it if you displace the meth labs. And report back. Then together map out those options to see what we and those who think along the same lines would be capable of pulling off. What investment would be expected of anyone, for what outcome? The time to do this is now, not when we are forced to change.

—

Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

Submitted by mhagle on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 1:59pm

Upper Michigan

@dance you monster

I mentioned in another comment that Upper Michigan has very inexpensive real estate. Doesn't look like there is much going on there. Where I looked was around the town of Octonagon. Might be good to be close to Lake Superior. No high elevations though. Others who know the area will know more about it. I just traveled there and looked around after studying Zillow properties.

#2.1 If we wait until then, we will be out of time, the time to build, the time to grow, the time to connect, the time to change the impressions we instill in those whose community we'd be entering and inevitably altering. The groundwork would have to happen now, if it's not too late already to do something proper. So what if we just contemplated one big-picture question today: Where could we create or connect with a community large enough to be sustainable as community, with all the skills and manpower to operate the infrastructure we'd need, while still having the option to do quirky, low-budget building? In another thread, I mentioned Look inland, Look north, Look higher elevations, and Expect to do a lot of work for the rest of your lives. If others accept that premise, is there a small town somewhere that has been more or less abandoned, a remnant of a (relatively unpolluted) nineteenth-century mill-town or some such far enough from the big city that it has not been scooped up for loft condos? Or is there a rural area that would permit the building of a concentrated new community of sufficient size on, say, an Arts-and-Crafts-Movement or beguinage model? That's just two possibilities. There are more. And once we determine which options are appealing, we'd need to take advantage of our scatteredness to go out, individual by individual, in his or her region to see where such places might be. Learn the codes ('cuz you won't be able to change them until you've been living there a long while), scope out the topography and existing infrastructure (roads, buildings, access to resources, power, connectivity) and the land costs, meet the people who are there now who could oppose your presence or welcome it if you displace the meth labs. And report back. Then together map out those options to see what we and those who think along the same lines would be capable of pulling off. What investment would be expected of anyone, for what outcome? The time to do this is now, not when we are forced to change.

—

Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

Submitted by Wink on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 2:59pm

Somewhere near the

@mhagle
Great Lakes ain't a bad idea. The winters suck - about 5 months long - but the other 7 months aren't bad. Water is good to have. Lake front would be cold, but sweeet. The closer to water the better, no need for Nestle bottled.

—

the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.

Submitted by Wink on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 2:46pm

Agree. The time is

@dance you monster
sooner rather than later, and the sooner the better. Waiting until "we absolutely have to" is too late. Way too late.

#2.1 If we wait until then, we will be out of time, the time to build, the time to grow, the time to connect, the time to change the impressions we instill in those whose community we'd be entering and inevitably altering. The groundwork would have to happen now, if it's not too late already to do something proper. So what if we just contemplated one big-picture question today: Where could we create or connect with a community large enough to be sustainable as community, with all the skills and manpower to operate the infrastructure we'd need, while still having the option to do quirky, low-budget building? In another thread, I mentioned Look inland, Look north, Look higher elevations, and Expect to do a lot of work for the rest of your lives. If others accept that premise, is there a small town somewhere that has been more or less abandoned, a remnant of a (relatively unpolluted) nineteenth-century mill-town or some such far enough from the big city that it has not been scooped up for loft condos? Or is there a rural area that would permit the building of a concentrated new community of sufficient size on, say, an Arts-and-Crafts-Movement or beguinage model? That's just two possibilities. There are more. And once we determine which options are appealing, we'd need to take advantage of our scatteredness to go out, individual by individual, in his or her region to see where such places might be. Learn the codes ('cuz you won't be able to change them until you've been living there a long while), scope out the topography and existing infrastructure (roads, buildings, access to resources, power, connectivity) and the land costs, meet the people who are there now who could oppose your presence or welcome it if you displace the meth labs. And report back. Then together map out those options to see what we and those who think along the same lines would be capable of pulling off. What investment would be expected of anyone, for what outcome? The time to do this is now, not when we are forced to change.

—

the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.

Submitted by Wink on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 2:38pm

Intentional community appears

@dance you monster
to be the only way the 47% is going to survive. Whether RV community, Shipping container community, TeePee community or high rise co-op community, intentional community communities are going to be the way to survive on $1400 a month.

—

the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.

Submitted by thanatokephaloides on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 3:14pm

a possible solution

@dance you monster

For a Swap-o-rama to work efficiently, or shared meals, you need people close to each other. For people to adopt container construction as a residential or workplace option, you need a community with generous zoning laws and building codes, which means usually rural areas where people are far apart.

A possible solution here would be to purchase a large piece of rural land with a minimum of inherent restrictions on it; build a close-knit container/mini/alternate housing community on it; and proceed thence.

—

"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

Submitted by Wink on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 5:25pm

Here's one on the U.P.

@thanatokephaloides
4 acres is small - 40 would be better - but the 150' of lakefront is sweeet.

Lakefront Property

Land would support ten home sites, 100' x 100' each, with plenty of "right of way" so everyone could get to the lake without walking thru back yards.

—

the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.

Submitted by Deja on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 5:45pm

Comparable "houses" only 30k?

@Wink They dropped the price to $75k. I wonder what comparable unimproved lots on the lake actually run. Still cheap, though.

Submitted by Wink on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 7:00pm

True. But when looking

@Deja
for places that could support a sustainable or "intentional" community I look for access to water (the closer the better); enough land /structure to support at least ten people /families; potential garden space, and cheap. Not necessarily in that order.
This is a small property, barely supports my minimum requirements, but just shows that even something this small can comfortably support a small community. Paddle your canoe out on the lake, toss in a line, and you have bass for dinner 2, 3 times a week. All "members" would need is a 53' container, used RV or mobile home, or build their own home. So, for another $10K or $15K one is living large on their own 100' x 100' lot.
Not saying that this is the spot - took me 10 mins. to find it - just saying there are plenty of places like this one from the canyons of Manhattan to the Pacific surf.

—

the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.

Submitted by Deja on Mon, 07/31/2017 - 1:09am

You're a pretty fart smeller, Wink ;-)

@Wink
Seriously, though, very thorough and well thought out plan. I like it!

Submitted by Wink on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 5:38pm

Here's one on the U.P.

@thanatokephaloides
4 acres is small - 40 would be better - but the 150' of lakefront is sweeet.

Lakefront Property

Land would support ten home sites, 100' x 100' each, with plenty of "right of way" so everyone could get to the lake without walking thru back yards.
At $75K it would be $7,500 ea. for ten people / families div. by 60 months (5 yrs.) = $125 /mo. plus interest, or about $150 /mo. total per unit. After five years you own your 100' x 100' lot.
It may not be the spot we need, but it's a lot like the spot we need. Decent living space, next to water for under $200 /mo.

—

the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.

Submitted by Deja on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 4:37pm

Houston has no or little zoning

@dance you monster Of course, it is almost literally hot as all hell most of the year (100f right now), and with climate change happening in real time, a more northerly option is a must.

That said, I'm sure there are cities out there who would be willing to make some changes regarding container homes. Even uber uptight Austin (not the population, the control freaks making the regulatory ordinances - like requiring a permit to reattach an aesthetic piece of a roof that was blown off by a storm), allows chickens in the city limits. So, I'm certain there are cities out there somewhere that would allow container homes - might even encourage them.

Same for community gardens. They're being allowed all over the country, finally.

Submitted by Arrow on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 9:39am

Morning

Gee those containers are less than they would cost to ship here to ecuador.
Maybe I can pick me up some in Guayaquil.

Have a good one and very inventive of you.

—

I want a Pony!

Submitted by Steven D on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 10:03am

Best stone soup ever

requires limestones.

Take my word on this.

—

"You can't just leave those who created the problem in charge of the solution."---Tyree Scott

Submitted by mhagle on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 1:36pm

LOL

@Steven D

Although I have to confess it took me a moment!

—

Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

Submitted by thanatokephaloides on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 3:16pm

You're doing better than me, mhagle!

@mhagle

Limestones??!!??

Do they go well with tequila or something?

—

"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

Submitted by riverlover on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 6:14pm

I prefer granite stones

@Steven D But they are all erratics here. I lost a bunch collected set in my driveway this year by rain. Drive is in dire need of repair. Moolah. Crushed stone. If only the rain would stop.

—

Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.

Submitted by thanatokephaloides on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 8:17pm

granite

@riverlover

I prefer granite stones But they are all erratics here. I lost a bunch collected set in my driveway this year by rain.

And, of course, you can always take those stones for granite......

[ducking]

—

"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

Submitted by Lookout on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 11:14am

Be the Change you want

Looks like you're on your way mhagle. How do you use all your container structures? AirBNB?

I think the change has to be community oriented. In our area they have clothing swaps (mainly gals) a couple of times a year, and there's a potluck gathering at least once a month. Creative homemade Frisbee golf courses have become common in our community and different folks will host a potluck golf, dinner, and music gatherings. It used to be all old hippies, but I thrilled some young ones have moved to the mountain and joined us.

I've given up hope that there is a political governmental answer. We have to create our own garden, and adapt to the inevitable changes coming down the line.

—

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Submitted by mhagle on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 1:44pm

Wow . . . you have cool stuff going on

@Lookout

Would you say you are already in an intentional community?

The other containers . . . one is strictly storage, one has been my husband's wood shop, the last his small engine shop. Those last two have been recently mostly vacated as he consolidated all of his shops into one building.

Airbnb. Ah . . . we are not set up like that . . . way too rough and dusty here. However we stayed in a couple of Airbnbs up north a couple of weeks ago for the first time and they were fabulous.

Back to containers . . . there are one or two that could be repurposed now.

—

Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

Submitted by Lookout on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 8:45pm

I live in a random not planned community

@mhagle

but I guess the nature of country living is to learn to make do. Luckily their are many like minded folks around. I think playing music opens peoples minds? At least musicians seem to be mostly open minded. Maybe you need a seed (like music or gardening) around which communities form? Much of life is luck, and in many ways we make our own luck.

—

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Submitted by studentofearth on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 11:16am

Intential planning and throwing random seeds can be done at the

simultaneously. I have noticed while writing my OT there is great skill and knowledge in the on-line community already. We can work on different methods to share and enhance those skills and our non-corporate viewpoints.

Many of the DIY (do-it-yourself, how to clsses and Makers Spaces I have experienced are about creating the next best business idea, selling a product or creating new customers. Not on learning a skills to decrease consumption, simply shift the dollars to new buying habits.

a few ideas:
Add some special interest diaries monthly or weekly on domestic skills for lack of a better phrases. How to fix, modify or create what we have and want. Ways to create a life we are more content living and less immune to advertising and marketing. (I actually find the economic articles posted here reinforces participation in fewer corporate and banking directed services.)

Use the current OT to add how to examples when we comment. I have already learned alot from the community.

Local get togethers connected by internet (did not participate, but didn't Bernie use a model of national meetings held at the same time with some type of connectivity) Would even have a group of one if we were doing a distance learning activity.

Immersion internships at members homes who currently practice different resilience habits in their daily life. Could be a day, weekend, week with overnight guests who are there to help/learn not be entertained. The guest could stay at a local motel if they have the funds.

One or five of us get motivated enough to devote the time to make the Resilience group active.

Travel has been the hardest place for me not to continue spending my dollars the mega-corporations. I have cut down on technology and communications. Our current model for internet limits my options.

At the same time we might make the personal connections needed to make C99 Intentional Communities happen in rural and urban settings. Urban and rural connectivity and mutual support has been a model for most of humanity for centuries.

A personal note
I was really upset when I learned about value placed bespoke clothing and its status symbol to the wealthy. The skills we lost in the last few generations because it was a sign of poverty to wear homemade clothes. The wealthy kept their handmade items, bragged about the custome fit and we were convinced to buy ready made.

Knowing how to repair, remake and identify quality cloth has saved and created me more money than any single knowlege set. Ironically it is also the knowledge I have shared the least.

—

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

Submitted by mhagle on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 2:23pm

http://resilience.hagle.com

@studentofearth

I still think it could be effective to setup discussions on different topics like courses. Members of the online community can moderate (be the teacher) their areas of expertise. Plus, Moodle is setup to include many different educational tools. I think the wiki would be useful for building a collective textbook. With my hosting service I can do unlimited subdomains at no extra cost - thus http://resilience.hagle.com. Could there be a resilience.caucus99percent.com? We could use mine too. I used Moodle for many years as a teacher, so I know the basic administrative stuff. However, if some super hacker attacks us, I don't know anything about that.

I really enjoy sewing too and believe it is important we begin to re-purpose used clothes. I patch my husband's jeans and have made many seat covers, curtains, and pillows. Have you ever made a braided rug?

simultaneously. I have noticed while writing my OT there is great skill and knowledge in the on-line community already. We can work on different methods to share and enhance those skills and our non-corporate viewpoints.

Many of the DIY (do-it-yourself, how to clsses and Makers Spaces I have experienced are about creating the next best business idea, selling a product or creating new customers. Not on learning a skills to decrease consumption, simply shift the dollars to new buying habits.

a few ideas:
Add some special interest diaries monthly or weekly on domestic skills for lack of a better phrases. How to fix, modify or create what we have and want. Ways to create a life we are more content living and less immune to advertising and marketing. (I actually find the economic articles posted here reinforces participation in fewer corporate and banking directed services.)

Use the current OT to add how to examples when we comment. I have already learned alot from the community.

Local get togethers connected by internet (did not participate, but didn't Bernie use a model of national meetings held at the same time with some type of connectivity) Would even have a group of one if we were doing a distance learning activity.

Immersion internships at members homes who currently practice different resilience habits in their daily life. Could be a day, weekend, week with overnight guests who are there to help/learn not be entertained. The guest could stay at a local motel if they have the funds.

One or five of us get motivated enough to devote the time to make the Resilience group active.

Travel has been the hardest place for me not to continue spending my dollars the mega-corporations. I have cut down on technology and communications. Our current model for internet limits my options.

At the same time we might make the personal connections needed to make C99 Intentional Communities happen in rural and urban settings. Urban and rural connectivity and mutual support has been a model for most of humanity for centuries.

A personal note
I was really upset when I learned about value placed bespoke clothing and its status symbol to the wealthy. The skills we lost in the last few generations because it was a sign of poverty to wear homemade clothes. The wealthy kept their handmade items, bragged about the custome fit and we were convinced to buy ready made.

Knowing how to repair, remake and identify quality cloth has saved and created me more money than any single knowlege set. Ironically it is also the knowledge I have shared the least.

—

Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

Submitted by mhagle on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 2:50pm

Resilience so you can be a better capitalist

@studentofearth

Many of the DIY (do-it-yourself, how to clsses and Makers Spaces I have experienced are about creating the next best business idea, selling a product or creating new customers. Not on learning a skills to decrease consumption, simply shift the dollars to new buying habits.

It's like the person who becomes an organic gardener so they can sell produce to rich restaurant owners. There isn't anything wrong with that of course, but it misses the point. Last spring I attended a cool gardening workshop, but part of the discussion was about a new local restaurant that was farm-to-table. The comment was . . . "it is more expensive, but it is worth it!" And then we went to "Homestead Heritage" near Waco. That's a giant place that originated as a group of Jesus people hippies from California. Yes . . . they grow, and sew, and build, and mill, and weave . . . and sell it all to the rich.

Even http://resilience.org has an education section of videos you have to buy. YouTube has been my best source of information, but you know . . . you are just watching random videos. Not the same as a comprehensive course.

simultaneously. I have noticed while writing my OT there is great skill and knowledge in the on-line community already. We can work on different methods to share and enhance those skills and our non-corporate viewpoints.

Many of the DIY (do-it-yourself, how to clsses and Makers Spaces I have experienced are about creating the next best business idea, selling a product or creating new customers. Not on learning a skills to decrease consumption, simply shift the dollars to new buying habits.

a few ideas:
Add some special interest diaries monthly or weekly on domestic skills for lack of a better phrases. How to fix, modify or create what we have and want. Ways to create a life we are more content living and less immune to advertising and marketing. (I actually find the economic articles posted here reinforces participation in fewer corporate and banking directed services.)

Use the current OT to add how to examples when we comment. I have already learned alot from the community.

Local get togethers connected by internet (did not participate, but didn't Bernie use a model of national meetings held at the same time with some type of connectivity) Would even have a group of one if we were doing a distance learning activity.

Immersion internships at members homes who currently practice different resilience habits in their daily life. Could be a day, weekend, week with overnight guests who are there to help/learn not be entertained. The guest could stay at a local motel if they have the funds.

One or five of us get motivated enough to devote the time to make the Resilience group active.

Travel has been the hardest place for me not to continue spending my dollars the mega-corporations. I have cut down on technology and communications. Our current model for internet limits my options.

At the same time we might make the personal connections needed to make C99 Intentional Communities happen in rural and urban settings. Urban and rural connectivity and mutual support has been a model for most of humanity for centuries.

A personal note
I was really upset when I learned about value placed bespoke clothing and its status symbol to the wealthy. The skills we lost in the last few generations because it was a sign of poverty to wear homemade clothes. The wealthy kept their handmade items, bragged about the custome fit and we were convinced to buy ready made.

Knowing how to repair, remake and identify quality cloth has saved and created me more money than any single knowlege set. Ironically it is also the knowledge I have shared the least.

—

Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

Submitted by randtntx on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 10:08pm

You have some very good

@studentofearth suggestions here. I think we could revisit your comment and expand upon it with more details.

simultaneously. I have noticed while writing my OT there is great skill and knowledge in the on-line community already. We can work on different methods to share and enhance those skills and our non-corporate viewpoints.

Many of the DIY (do-it-yourself, how to clsses and Makers Spaces I have experienced are about creating the next best business idea, selling a product or creating new customers. Not on learning a skills to decrease consumption, simply shift the dollars to new buying habits.

a few ideas:
Add some special interest diaries monthly or weekly on domestic skills for lack of a better phrases. How to fix, modify or create what we have and want. Ways to create a life we are more content living and less immune to advertising and marketing. (I actually find the economic articles posted here reinforces participation in fewer corporate and banking directed services.)

Use the current OT to add how to examples when we comment. I have already learned alot from the community.

Local get togethers connected by internet (did not participate, but didn't Bernie use a model of national meetings held at the same time with some type of connectivity) Would even have a group of one if we were doing a distance learning activity.

Immersion internships at members homes who currently practice different resilience habits in their daily life. Could be a day, weekend, week with overnight guests who are there to help/learn not be entertained. The guest could stay at a local motel if they have the funds.

One or five of us get motivated enough to devote the time to make the Resilience group active.

Travel has been the hardest place for me not to continue spending my dollars the mega-corporations. I have cut down on technology and communications. Our current model for internet limits my options.

At the same time we might make the personal connections needed to make C99 Intentional Communities happen in rural and urban settings. Urban and rural connectivity and mutual support has been a model for most of humanity for centuries.

A personal note
I was really upset when I learned about value placed bespoke clothing and its status symbol to the wealthy. The skills we lost in the last few generations because it was a sign of poverty to wear homemade clothes. The wealthy kept their handmade items, bragged about the custome fit and we were convinced to buy ready made.

Knowing how to repair, remake and identify quality cloth has saved and created me more money than any single knowlege set. Ironically it is also the knowledge I have shared the least.

Submitted by gustogirl on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 2:16pm

Frustrated that I am limited to this Amazon Fire

Because I feel I have a bit to contribute to this conversation on various subjects but I will be brief and skip my qualifications.

My suggestion is that each of us take on a subject related to self-sufficiency that interests us and take it to the max.

I say this from experience - For o e example, it takes a long time to turn raw ground into rich gardening soil, takes more than a year to figure out what crops/varieties are best for your locale, seed saving failures precede success, food preservation and safety, plant disease and parasite identification etc.

Learning curves are a reality whether you adopt self-!sufficient energy, trapping, animal husbandry, cabin building, chainsaw expertise etc. It all takes time to master and that is what preparation is about. So don't wait for a community - get ready for one while working to form one.

Finally, transportation has been the most critical and expensive part of my experience. Transporting tools, materials a nd supplies is necessary to get oneself to a more self-sufficient state. Just moving things 20 feet can be a problem, so transportation isn't just planes trains and automobiles...

Just my .02.

Submitted by mhagle on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 2:36pm

Yes . . . absolutely

@gustogirl

Everyone already has areas of expertise to continue developing. It's not like we would all move in together and then figure out what to do. Plus, I don't know that I would be moving anywhere else anyway.

My suggestion is that each of us take on a subject related to self-sufficiency that interests us and take it to the max.

Creating a useful body of knowledge will help us all where ever we are.

—

Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

Submitted by thanatokephaloides on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 3:27pm

10,000 recs for this:

@gustogirl

Finally, transportation has been the most critical and expensive part of my experience. Transporting tools, materials and supplies is necessary to get oneself to a more self-sufficient state. Just moving things 20 feet can be a problem, so transportation isn't just planes trains and automobiles...

This +10,000!

Reading resilience essays and comments is painful for me. I'm completely disabled. The difficulties which prevent me from working have depleted all savings and assets I've ever had. Moving myself 20 feet is occasionally a problem, much less anything along with.

So I can support your point here, for certain!!

—

"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

Submitted by randtntx on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 4:24pm

A resilient community

@thanatokephaloides does not require that everybody be capable of physical labor. Hence the 'community' aspect. It does require that everybody contribute skills of some kind to the best of their ability.
The skill of doing research, presenting ideas, organizing, teaching, and story-telling are some of the things that are highly valuable but do not necessarily involve physical labor.

I remember when you wrote an essay on Walter Crane. Well, I had never heard of Crane but for several reasons I was interested. Later, I had the opportunity to see a rare book collection (I would rather not say where) and I asked if there was anything by Crane. There were two books by Crane in the collection. They were awesome, even the librarians thought so. The point is, you did some research and then presented it which in turn had some repercussions for me and others.

I don't think we can ever have enough people to do the research and to teach. It seems to me that we have so much to learn in order to be resilient.

Submitted by mhagle on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 5:12pm

A Very Important Point About Resilience: Community

@randtntx @randtntx

Most of us here are not spring chickens. A truly resilient community includes everyone.

Thanks!

—

Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

Submitted by thanatokephaloides on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 5:40pm

resilience includes everyone

@mhagle

randtntx wrote:

A resilient community does not require that everybody be capable of physical labor. Hence the 'community' aspect. It does require that everybody contribute skills of some kind to the best of their ability.
The skill of doing research, presenting ideas, organizing, teaching, and story-telling are some of the things that are highly valuable but do not necessarily involve physical labor.

I still have skills maintaining/refurbishing/repurposing electronic gadgetry. I have an 80 GB iPod Video. It was born as a 30GB iPod Video. But I found out how to do the refurbishing myself -- something Apple did not want me to know -- and that's how I got something for less than $100 that Apple wanted $500+ for.

I remember when you wrote an essay on Walter Crane. Well, I had never heard of Crane but for several reasons I was interested. Later, I had the opportunity to see a rare book collection (I would rather not say where) and I asked if there was anything by Crane. There were two books by Crane in the collection. They were awesome, even the librarians thought so. The point is, you did some research and then presented it which in turn had some repercussions for me and others.

I don't think we can ever have enough people to do the research and to teach. It seems to me that we have so much to learn in order to be resilient.

Thank you! Being Pagan by religion and anarchosocialist politically, you can easily see why I fell in love with Walter Crane the second I discovered him!

to which mhagle answered:

Most of us here are not spring chickens. A truly resilient community includes everyone.

May Ganesha, or Ceiling Cat, or the Spaghetti Monster, or Whoever it is that's in charge up there rain blessings and mercies on both of you for your kindnesses to me! Being reminded of this will make it easier for this no-asset gimp to read and think about the resilience stuff in the future!

My love, solidarity, and gratitude to you both!

EDIT: Quashed a typo.

—

"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

Submitted by mhagle on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 6:38pm

Love is essentially the key . . .

@thanatokephaloides @thanatokephaloides

Defined as kindness, compassion, generosity, gratitude . . .

Let's all do that.

—

Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

Submitted by mhagle on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 7:12pm

Can you join us in upper MI?

@thanatokephaloides

much love

—

Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

Submitted by thanatokephaloides on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 8:21pm

UPMI

@mhagle Kindly please check your private messages. Thank You!

—

"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

Submitted by randtntx on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 9:59pm

The notion of resilience is, I think,

@thanatokephaloides one of the few bright and hopeful ideas around. I am so glad that you can see that you have a role just as much as anyone in this endeavor and that you can join us in fleshing these ideas out.
Love and solidarity back at you.

Submitted by randtntx on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 9:37pm

I like that

@gustogirl take a subject to the max idea.

Submitted by mhagle on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 7:00pm

Property in upper MI

I don't know how many of you are serious. Everyone could contribute what they are able. 67 acres for $54000 5 miles from Lake Superior.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/15772-Firesteel-Rd-Ontonagon-MI-49953...

I am serious.

—

Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

Submitted by mhagle on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 7:06pm

I have been watching this real estate for years . . .

@mhagle

Thinking I would just do it on my own. But the community idea is much nicer. My family has not really embraced it yet.

Anyone else interested?

—

Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

Submitted by randtntx on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 10:02pm

I am interested

@mhagle but can think of many questions, hesitations, reservations, not to mention problems.

Submitted by mhagle on Sun, 07/30/2017 - 1:35am

I have many reservations too

@randtntx

Like I said earlier, don't know that I would ever actually move anywhere but it would be comforting to own a small piece of something somewhere north. Probably most of us are too old for such brazen actions.

—

Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

Submitted by randtntx on Sun, 07/30/2017 - 6:46am

I know,

@mhagle it would be comforting, especially as we all understand and have seen the disasters unfold due to climate/war refugees. Who knows what brazen undertakings will be required? That's part of the frustration, not being able to anticipate exactly what will have to be done.
BTW, I too think Gandhi can serve as a very helpful model in many ways.

Submitted by randtntx on Sat, 07/29/2017 - 8:25pm

I didn't have much chance to comment

today but I did see this entry and have been wanting to comment all day. I really like the converted containers. They seem to be economical living spaces. I don't know if they are the best things for extreme cold or extreme heat. Today here our temps ranged between 103-108 I think. Living spaces can turn into oven-like environments easily. I've lived in high-altitude in WY where you have the opposite problem and your living space can turn into a deep freezer just as easily. All I am saying is that I don't know. Perhaps someone else does.

I was also struck by MfQueens' essay. It was deeply sad when you think that NYC has the reputation of being the cultural mecca in the US and yet it does not properly support our artists and musicians etc. It is disturbing to me that on a daily basis we are confronted with stories that show us how much we are loosing in the form of opportunities for satisfying and rewarding work. This is a diminishing of everything; hopes, prospects, financial security and well-being. It diminishes our society and our culture. We loose a lot. It feels like we're living through a train wreck.