I am reading that many of you are searching for a commune or place of refuge. It seems to me that either these existing places are fogged over with mystery or non-existant. I am in the process of planning a sanctuary of sorts and would be grateful for any imput that any of you could offer. What kind of utopia would you create? What would be the overall theme? Where would it be? What would it look, feel, be like? List the three things that you would have to see in order to reside there. Thank you, this should be fun
1. I would create a utopia for people who just wanted to have no 'drama' and just everyone like everyone else. I would also like everyone to be into one or more performing or visual arts. 2. Peace and Art 3. Somewhere in Tennesee. It's great there. Where its not to hot or cold ever. 4. It would have a 'meeting' building for get togethers, a lounge area for chilling in, a pool, a play ground for kids, then little houses/campers/trailers/tents for residence. It would have to be pretty loose in regualtions. It would also have to have some economic support system, growing something perhaps. TV and comps would have to be allowed for me, but there would be a very tight knit community, so you wouldnt need them often. It would have to have a central place with a camp fire dealy. Yeah, its sounds like summer camp lol. 5. Lots of artistic, free people like me; an economic support s it didnt make me impoverished, even though im nonmaterialistic, i wouldnt want to starve; and lots of fun outdoor areas to commune with mother nature
1. No rules, no ownership, complete sharing of responsibilities, chores, etc. No hate. No "isms". Some would call it anarchy. I would call it freedom. Totally off the grid, little or no environmental impact. 2. No real theme. That would be restrictive. But it would be an artist colony for the most part. 3. Somewhere with mild winters and summers. 4. Yurts and tipis. The only permanent structures would be a group kitchen/bath house and a battery shed. Rainwater recovery and cisterns, graywater recovery for gardens, solar panels and wind generators, internet use via satellite, organic gardening to feed all (with the excess sold locally to pay for satellite and incidentals) Sheep for wool, goats for milk and cheese, chicken for eggs. Feel? It would feel like home. 5. People of various backgrounds/ethnicities who could accept each other and live in this environment. Respect for Mother Earth. Self sufficiency.
That sounds perfect. But there needs to be some rules, like dont kill each other. And it would be cool to find some big rocks and make a sort of shrine for peoples religion. That is an awesome description tho man, paradise.
You're more than "off the grid" with your satellite internet idea. You transcend it! At least that's my utopia. I have internet jobs and I don't want to give em up for any commune. Plus, I got myself a degree which means I'm like indentured to the system, and should accept my fate with grace. Plus, it will offer the kiddies a good education since one of my jobs is a tutor and I have access to curriculum. I am in a couple days getting a cell card for the laptop, I can hook up the the internet in many places, some big cities really fast. Satellites are for permanent places, and I'm roaming. I'd like to settle down in something like that, though. Please pass the butter.
There really is no reason that laptops and sat equipment can't be used in an off the grid environment. They draw extremely low amounts of power. In fact, I would estimate that a small PV panel would keep the average laptop battery charged on 2-3 hours of direct sunlight per day. I can live without a lot of things, but web access is not among them...