An English Animist in Maine

Posting

2009-08-03T13:43:00.002-04:00

You have probably noticed that I don't post here much anymore. The truth is I am posting mostly on Facebook which is so easy to keep up with and update from the cell or wherever I happen to be.

I am not sure how much I will post here in the future but feel free to 'friend' me on Facebook and read my posts there.

http://www.facebook.com/joanne.toone

Foraging in the woods

2009-07-12T20:12:00.005-04:00

Ghost Flowers.

The blueberry motherload.

Wild flowers on my driveway.

A lone chanterelle.

Farewell Dinner

2009-07-10T08:53:00.007-04:00

Mayleen leaves for Arizona on Saturday. I will miss her. We had a farewell dinner last night and of course a group photo by Michael.

[left to right] Michael, me, Mayleen, Lynne, Shannon and Kevin.

Feral women at the cabin

2009-06-22T22:59:00.006-04:00

So last weekend was a woman's weekend out at the cabin. I love the cabin - I want to live at the cabin! I had such a great time with my best women friends Mayleen, Lynne and Shannon - Shannon took the pics so you can only see the three of us:

Next time we must take a tripod so we can snap pics of us all!

More Dmitry

2009-06-20T00:01:00.003-04:00

This is my favorite slide:

This talk was presented at The New Emergency Conference in Dublin, on June 11, 2009:
Excerpt:

1. Good morning. The title of this talk is a bit of a mouthful, but what I want to say can be summed up in simpler words: we all have to prepare for life without much money, where imported goods are scarce, and where people have to provide for their own needs, and those of their immediate neighbours. I will take as my point of departure the unfolding collapse of the global economy, and discuss what might come next. It started with the collapse of the financial markets last year, and is now resulting in unprecedented decreases in the volumes of international trade. These developments are also starting to affect the political stability of various countries around the world. A few governments have already collapsed, others may be on their way, and before too long we may find our maps redrawn in dramatic ways. [more...]

Porcupine came to dinner tonight!

2009-06-19T20:16:00.004-04:00

He/she is way up in the top of this tree in the middle - you can just make out a dark blob!

I had no idea that they could climb trees. I was totally freaked out when sitting on the deck about to play mud relic I could hear a really loud chomping over to the right above me. I looked up and came face to face with this critter. He/she was huge. About 6 times the size of Clover! I am glad he/she is eating the tree and not my veggie patch. I snapped some pics quickly and left the creature to his/her meal. Hope I didn't freak it out too much - it sure looked shocked to see me.

Ecotherapy or Applied Ecopsychology

2009-06-17T07:03:00.004-04:00

This arrived yesterday and I can't wait to start reading it. Sometimes I wish I had finished my Masters degree in Ecopsychology, but I wouldn't use the degree so I console myself with the fact I can get all the knowledge and experience without actually receiving the diploma.

There was a great article in the Huffington Post about the author and the book:

Slowing down to nature's pace by Linda Buzzell

Images from a rainy day in Maine

2009-06-14T18:35:00.006-04:00

For some reason today I felt the need to simplify and tidy the rooms in my house. Today I tackled the living room and the bathroom. Still need to work on the others. I removed all the pictures from the wall. Got rid of a lot of junky stuff that was cluttering up surfaces and moved books back to book cases. I feel so much calmer without the clutter. The remaining clutter belongs to my room mate and I will gradually move it out. There is something about playing a simple string instrument that makes me feel I really don't need a whole lot of stuff.

The rain is great for my veggie and herb patch. Something is eating my veggies but I guess I am OK with sharing. We all need to eat, right?

It was beautiful outside today - everything is lush and green from all this rain. Luckily I mowed the lawn yesterday - just in time.

The birth of a musician - I hope!

2009-06-14T17:58:00.010-04:00

I am not posting this because I think it's good. It's more that I want to document the progress someone can make when they attempt to learn an instrument with no prior musical experience. The look on my face is determination and concentration, but I am actually loving it! This is my very first fiddle tune and I am playing it way slower than normal but it is a start. Apologies for quality and sound of video - I shot this on my $100 camcorder and edited with Windows Movie Maker, not the $6,000 camera and Final Cut Pro software, that I haven't worked out how to use yet! So here is mud relic and me on a rainy sunday afternoon:

Sunday Morning, Rain is Falling!

2009-06-14T12:26:00.007-04:00

Rainy Sunday mornings are natures way of telling us to stop, slow down and play music. That's my theory anyway.

I had my second dulcimer lesson with the amazing Pam Weeks on Friday and I am still in love with this instrument. I have two weeks before my next lesson so plenty of time to memorize some tunes. I recently signed up for Dulcimer Players News and can't wait to get my first copy in the mail. Their web site has some cool pod casts to check out and a video channel on YouTube too.

Here is one of their podcasts. I hope to play like this one day!

I think next year I will be attending many dulcimer festivals across the country but for this year I have two events I plan to check out. The first is Maine Fiddle Camp in August which is aimed at fiddle players but also attracts players of other string instruments. Also, my teacher Pam will be one of the staff there.

In October, Pam is joining with some Maine Guides from Maine Audubon to host Borestone Mountain Music Weekend. The weekend includes hikes with our instruments on our backs to go out and play at different summits and ridges on the 1,600 acre sanctuary. Pam is doing a dulcimer workshop and then a concert on Saturday afternoon. I can't wait for that one.

[image of Borestone from Audubon web site]

This has been a relaxing weekend so far, filled with music, yard work, music, fire, friends, bees, music, rain, music and more music. Just the way life should be.

Trip to the Cabin in the Woods - Map 18, Maine

2009-05-31T21:13:00.008-04:00

Shannon got the fire going on arrival. Nice and toasty.

Pretty plant on the trail.

The cabin in the woods.

THE SAUNA!!!

Cabin on arrival.

Kevin relaxing.

Working on finger technique.

Refreshed after the sauna.

K & J's knives!

Shannon and Kevin jammin.

Angel Falls in the rain.

Mud relic getting some sun.

The trail by the cabin.

J and K jammin.

Buckets of cold water for after the sauna.

Wonderful hand tools.

My very good friends, Kevin and Shannon.

Paul Hawken's Commencement Address

2009-05-28T20:09:00.005-04:00

Usually Commencement speeches are pretty lame and boring. This one, given by environmentalist and author, Paul Hawken at the University of Portland, earlier this month, is neither lame or boring:

"Hey, Class of 2009: you are going to have to figure out what it means to be a human being on earth at a time when every living system is declining, and the rate of decline is accelerating. Kind of a mind-boggling situation -- but not one peer-reviewed paper published in the last thirty years can refute that statement.

Basically, the earth needs a new operating system, you are the programmers, and we need it within a few decades.

This planet came with a set of operating instructions, but we seem to have misplaced them. Important rules like don't poison the water, soil, or air, and don't let the earth get overcrowded, and don't touch the thermostat have been broken. Buckminster Fuller said that spaceship earth was so ingeniously designed that no one has a clue that we are on one, flying through the universe at a million miles per hour, with no need for seatbelts, lots of room in coach, and really good food -- but all that is changing." [full speech]

One of my favorite quotes from his adress:

"Ralph Waldo Emerson once asked what we would do if the stars only came out once every thousand years. No one would sleep that night, of course. The world would become religious overnight. We would be ecstatic, delirious, made rapturous by the glory of God. Instead the stars come out every night, and we watch television."

How true this is!

Memorial Weekend

2009-05-25T10:36:00.001-04:00

Walking at work

2009-05-24T08:08:00.003-04:00

I am still very aware of all that is going on in the world but I am trying to find ways to make my life the best it can be. One way is to cut down on my stress at work and to make more time for me. As well as taking every Friday off between now and September I am taking an hour every day at work to walk by the ocean and enjoy the beautiful place I get to work beside. These images are from my walk on Thursday. Yes - it was me who wrote happy summer in the sand. I am still just a kid at heart! I went from the beach back to a project meeting in the office feeling totally rejuvenated. We just need to take more time.

Sunday with the Grove

2009-05-24T07:58:00.005-04:00

Last Sunday I spent time with my US family, the Grove of 4. As always, we took the opportunity to have a photo shoot courtesy of our resident professional photographer Michael. Here are a few pics that link to the set of photos Michael took that day.

Click here for photo album

Dulcimers are cool

2009-05-23T22:50:00.003-04:00

So this weekend I borrowed my good friend Shannon's Mountain Dulcimer and Paul has given me a few tips to get started. Next thing I know, this relatively unknown instrument is suddenly hip and being played on American Idol:

I love this instrument. Will post some pics soon. Right now it's hard to choose between planting and dulcin'.

The Road movie and doomsteads in the MSM

2009-05-15T21:55:00.008-04:00

I am trying to be less of a doomer but my morbid curiosity and interest in psychology still draws me into the dark side. I read 'The Road' earlier this year and now I am eagerly awaiting the release of the movie later this year.

Check out a preview of the movie.

The term 'doomers' use for a homestead is 'doomstead' and it looks like the term is drifting into the MSM, at least on ABC news:

Economic Survivalists Hunker Down for Doomsday; Recession Triggers Movement Toward Self-Sufficiency

Self sufficiency and simple living has been my goal for some time now, so I continue to move toward this whatever the future holds. I want to own less, to have less things to break down and to enjoy what I already have.

In a recent email with a friend we decided that all we really need in life is 'fish n chips, a pint, pals, music and the woods with a few strange cocktails thrown in for good measure'. That is enough to make me content for sure.

Homesteading Arts Cooperative

2009-05-11T05:11:00.004-04:00

Just found out about an interesting new Homesteading Arts Cooperative being formed in Wells. See below for more info.

Broad-Winged Farm
Wells, Maine

We have a new name and are completely revamping our programs here in Wells. First of all, we have canceled all of the courses that were scheduled for this year and will be concentrating on guiding survival trips and organizing the Maine Primitive Gathering. Our focus has shifted away from classes because our priority is building community. We have realized that we cannot go to the next level by organizing community based on the monetary system. To fill this void we are starting the Homesteading Arts Cooperative based upon integrating primitive skills, hunting and gathering, modern scavenging, and permaculture into our modern lifestyle. The idea is to wean ourselves partially or completely off the current economic paradigm and help people become empowered through sustainable living. Here are the dates for HAC gatherings for the rest of this year:

June 27
July 25
August 29
September 19
October 24
November 14
Dec 12

Mallory & Claudia LaBrie Stephens
Broad-Winged Farms
mallorystephens@yahoo.com

I have a garden

2009-05-10T10:30:00.006-04:00

Thanks to Kevin and John's hard work on Friday night (and yes I do mean night - they did this in the dark!) I now have a 16 x 22 feet garden to grow veggies. I still need to work on it before I can plant anything but my friends have done the heavy lifting for me. Yay!

Kevin came back Saturday morning to help till the patch some more and then I spent a blissful afternoon with my ipod getting dirt under my fingernails. To end a beautiful day I took a walk in the woods and spent a couple of hours hanging out on the bridge. I would have had a fire that night, but we had an amazing downpour and thunderstorm so I went out walking in that instead.

Today I am off to Jim and Lisa Marie's place to work with them on their land.

Paula Cole - Me

2009-05-10T10:01:00.003-04:00

This is one of my favorite songs and I love this video treatment of it.

Watch more The Fire videos on AOL Video

Another day in paradise...

2009-05-08T07:52:00.002-04:00

Driving to work this morning was wonderful. Everything fresh after the rain we have been having. We really needed this. I have a horrible feeling I will have to mow the lawn before I get a chance to dig it up for veggie beds.

I finally made a decision to take 'Sharon's' advice and 'Adapt in Place' so I will not be selling the house. I think it is the right decision, for right now, because as soon as it was made I felt a weight lift from my shoulders. Now I am very excited about the summer and what I can achieve where I am.

Work stress is becoming less and should be better when my 4 day weeks start in June.

This weekend I will be working on the land at home and then helping a friend on their land. Trees coming down, brush being cleared and much more.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Fiddlin

2009-05-03T23:01:00.005-04:00

Today my friend Paul took me foraging for fiddleheads. It was my first time and I had an amazing day picking nature's bounty on an island or two only accessible by canoe. They taste wonderful raw and I can't wait to use some of them in soup and freeze the rest. I know what I will be doing tomorrow night.

Heading to Philly

2009-04-29T05:23:00.002-04:00

My posting has been a little light recently due to this being the most stressful time of the year at work. Heading to Philly this afternoon for an overnight and coming back late on Thursday.

Very excited about getting to see Sharon Astyk this weekend and also a trip to forage for fiddleheads. But, until then, work calls! Hope you are all having a great week!

Firsts

2009-04-25T16:48:00.008-04:00

It has been a good week for firsts. I had my first shooting lesson and target practice on Monday night. I shot a .22 and a 9 mm pistol. By the end of the night my accuracy had improved but still needs work.

In true Maine style we went from cold and wet to full on summer weather, currently 80 degrees here. Last night I had the first fire of the year. I love fire so much, I am a fire sign after all!, and it was great to spend the latter part of the night staring into it and trying to make sense of life, the house and my plans. A friend yesterday told me I was in Paradise and I sometimes feel like I am. Some time ago another friend told me I have a history of starting over - I thought about that and it really is true. I can see the pattern. At the moment I am considering a new option which hadn't occurred to me before.

Pics from last nights awesome fire:

Moving the fire pit to the sandy area where I ripped out the pool was a great idea. I don't have to constantly put out mini grass fires now.

Food+Farm at SPACE

2009-04-23T08:30:00.004-04:00

Haven't been to SPACE for a while now but it looks like it's time to go back for this series of events Co-presented by SPACE and the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association

There is plenty of info on the SPACE web site and also an article in the Portland Press Herald.

Hoop House Raising in Brunswick

2009-04-19T20:46:00.009-04:00

I spent the afternoon at Debbie's in Brunswick with the Brunswick Permaculture Meetup group. We raised a hoop house with the help (and tools) of Brett. I have more tool envy after today but it was a really great project.

The two date stamped photos were taken by Ted who organizes the Brunswick Permaculture Group and there are more of his photos along with more of mine at the link below.

More photos on the meetup web site

The World According to Monsanto

2009-04-19T20:01:00.004-04:00

If you are in Brunswick tomorrow night you can catch a showing of The World According to Monsanto at The Frontier Cafe, Fort Andross for free at 6:00 pm.

If, like me, you can't make that showing, you can watch the movie online (1 hour 48 minutes):

TT in The (London) Times today

2009-04-19T11:06:00.002-04:00

More Transition Town coverage - this time it's in The (London) Times on Sunday:

Why we forgot how to grow food.

"All over the country, people are starting to think about producing food. Some because they fancy a bit of the River Cottage lifestyle, but many — including Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall — have been inspired by the growing Transition Town movement. Transition Towns were started by an Englishman, Rob Hopkins, after a stint working as a teacher in Kinsale, Ireland. At the time, he never imagined that oil might one day run out. “But then I showed students a film, The End of Suburbia. I have to say it was as traumatic and shocking for me as it was for the students.” The film made it clear that no aspect of life will be the same after cheap oil runs out — which it suggested will happen very soon. “When we got over the shock, we set about looking at Kinsale,” says Hopkins. “We examined how the town might look in 20 years if it adapted instead of pretending it wasn’t happening. We came up with a vision, then backcast it to see how to get there, year by year." [full article]

Goldman Sachs running the Plunge Protection Team?

2009-04-19T08:59:00.002-04:00

I have been reading a lot about this over the week and it would make perfect sense. Here is a link to an article by Eben Esterhuizen in the Huffington Post from Tuesday:

"Is the current stock market rebound based on fundamentals, or are more sinister forces at work? Tyler Durden, one of the best financial bloggers around, have found some circumstantial evidence that suggests the mysterious Plunge Protection Team (PPT) has recently been boosting the stock market. And some might say Goldman Sachs is running the show..." [full article]

Transition Town Movement in NY Times

2009-04-19T08:38:00.004-04:00

I think it is great how fast the Transition Town movement is spreading.

There was an article in the NY Times Magazine this week:

The Green Issue: The End is Near! (Yay!)

The article is about Sandpoint, Idaho, the second official Transition Town in the US, the first being Boulder, CO.

One thing that is really cool is how the Permaculture Movement and the Transition Town Movement overlaps. I am heading out this afternoon to a Brunswick Permaculture Meetup. Many of the folks there are also in the Transition Town Brunswick Meetup. The two go hand in hand just perfectly.

Heist - Summer Movie Release

2009-04-18T19:58:00.007-04:00

Heist tells the story of how Wall Street orchestrated the greatest theft in history -- the robbery of Americans’ prosperity, savings, and retirement security. Here is a 15 minute trailer to whet your appetite:

A synopsis of the movie is on the official Heist movie web site.

Heist should be released this summer.

Argentina's Economic Collapse

2009-04-16T21:27:00.006-04:00

After watching Salbuchi talking about the Argentinian Collapse I researched the topic to see what else I could find out. Below is an interesting documentary, lasting about an hour, of events leading up to the collapse which resulted in a 57.5% level of poverty. It explains the corruption of a government that authorized mass privatizations leading to huge public debts. As usual the corporations and the banks made a killing and those in government benefited from cash incentives and the average Joe (or Palo!) got screwed!

G W Crew Treasure

2009-04-16T18:50:00.004-04:00

I am a recent convert to G W Crew (as a friend of mine refers to Goodwill) and shop there whenever I can. Instead of adding books to my Amazon list I wait and see what I come across by chance. Totally scored today with a Deepak Chopra book on 'Boundless Energy', a 'Moosewood Restaurant Cookbook', a Bill Moyers book on 'Healing and the Mind', and Rodale's 'The Classic Preserving Guide'. These would have been over $60 new and I got them all for under $10. I love G W Crew!

Sustainable Living Expo in Damariscotta

2009-04-16T18:43:00.005-04:00

I will be working on Saturday but if you are one of the lucky ones you might want to check out the Sustainable Living Expo in Damariscotta. Hosted by midcoastgreencollaborative.org at the Central Lincoln County YMCA. They have some interesting workshops in their program.

Daydreaming our way to Shipwreck

2009-04-16T12:37:00.003-04:00

Another great article from our friends over at Culture Change:

Daydreaming our way to Shipwreck By Dave Leith

"We are like passengers on a great ocean liner utterly lost in the middle of a sea unknown -- but we don’t quite recognize it yet. Indeed, over time our view across this watery expanse has become increasingly dimmed and distorted by a constant flow of “busyness” and “distractions.

Our virtually unassailable crew and leaders from “first class” suggest the best way to maintain a preferably lopsided if not stable functioning of our ship requires our days to be filled with long periods of “productive” activity followed by shorter periods of idle amusement. So we continue to float amid the salt and water, riding the unpredictable current with a certain sense of resigned self-assurance that we’ll find our way soon enough, apparently oblivious to the ominous confluence of dangers that insidiously glimmer against a darkened horizon." [full article]

Blind Spot - Movie

2009-04-16T12:17:00.002-04:00

The trailer certainly has my attention and I want to see the full movie.

BLIND SPOT - Documentary Trailer from Adolfo Doring on Vimeo.

Part one of a review of the movie: 'How can you Kill a planet? and still live on it!'

Click on the image above for the official movie web site. You can buy the movie at filmbaby.com

I will probably make the investment and buy this one.

Quotes from the movie include:

“If we lived in a rational world, inhabited by rational human beings, viewing Blind Spot would be a mandatory prerequisite to taking any federal oath of office in the coming year. Were that to happen, there might be hope that the USA would resume world leadership and our renewed influence would be used to redirect ourselves and the world away from the unsustainable path upon which we plummeted along throughout the 20th century, mistakenly regarding the adventure as unmitigated progress.”
-William R. Catton, author of ‘OVERSHOOT’

“The next few decades aren’t going to look like the last few - not at all. And the sooner we come to terms with that, the better. This documentary is a good place to start.” - Bill McKibben, author of ‘The End of Nature’

“Doubtless Peak Oil will come, the timing is a matter of debate. However we may be better off if it is not too long delayed, because it will accelerate what must be done to prevent environmental catastrophe.” -Noam Chomsky

Germany bans Monsanto Maize

2009-04-15T19:27:00.008-04:00

YAY - I wish we would do this too.

Germany bans Monsanto

[BBC image]

"The decision, announced on Tuesday by German Agriculture Minister Ilse Aigner, is a blow to the US biotech firm Monsanto, which markets the maize. Germany is to ban the cultivation of genetically modified (GM) maize - the only GM crop widely grown in Europe." [full article]

Pacing the Cage!

2009-04-15T12:27:00.001-04:00

To borrow a song title from Bruce, I have to say this is how I am feeling at the moment. Usually when I feel this way I move house, quit a job or even move to a different country but I am not sure what to do at this time. I know I want to live a different life and I need to find a way to make that happen.

Right now my time is spent on work, friends, being in nature and community – in that order. This is something that needs to change. Last night at the Brunswick Transition Town meeting we explored moving from current paradigms to new and better paradigms, along with core values and individual responsibility (i.e. zone zero). It was a great meeting and many interesting contacts were made.

I am struggling right now with feeling like I have read enough, heard enough, watched enough and just need to DO IT! The struggle for me is - what is IT and how do I move towards IT! I know I want to stay in Maine so moving to another country isn’t part of my plan, quitting my job now would be foolish since I need to make preparations and purchases for the life I want to live, so that leaves the house. I am craving freedom and time more than anything and the house is the thing that takes up so much of my cash. It is like a cage that keeps me from doing what I need to and want to do.

I think a decision is forming but need to spend some ME time in the woods to process it all.

America is Being Looted!

2009-04-14T12:34:00.002-04:00

Sometimes my life seems so surreal being surrounded by people that don't get it IRL! No wonder I spend so much time online.

Great post from Chris Martenson over on chrismartenson.com

"Public policy appears to be in the grip of a very powerful and self-interested cabal that seemingly has no concern for the future or the health of this country and does not even see the need to be cautious enough to mask its efforts.

The fact that the bailout trajectory did not waver in the slightest while passing from the Bush to the Obama administration indicates that the bailout is not a function of who’s in political power, it is a function of something else, of some other power.

I fear that Simon Johnson has nailed it; “[the] recovery will fail unless we break the financial oligarchy that is blocking essential reform.”

By continuing on our current path, using the same people who created the mess to clean up the mess, we are wasting time, we are wasting money and we are wasting opportunity. Worse, we are risking the very sort of public backlash that has been thankfully missing from our cultural landscape for a long, long time." [full post]

Koyaanisqatsi

2009-04-14T11:48:00.004-04:00

In my communications with Snowhawke this morning his words resonated with me so strongly that I urged him to take those thoughts and post them in more detail on his blog so that others could share them.

Check it out:

Koyaanisqatsi

All I can say is YES, YES, YES.

Tuesday Morning Musings

2009-04-14T08:28:00.004-04:00

Random thoughts during my drive in to Portland today:

How the hell did I get to this age without knowing how awesome Bruce Cockburn is! His guitar playing is incredible and his lyrics more so. A friend loaned me a copy of his 'Slice of Life' solo live CD. World of Wonders, Child of the Wind and The End of All Rivers are just some of my favorites.

Driving past Smiling Hill Farm this morning I looked out to see a guy picking up litter from the edge of the field and I felt so jealous that he would get to spend the day doing that and I would get to spend the day in an office. I actually really enjoy my job but the fact that I would prefer to be in a field picking up litter all day makes me think I am kidding myself to a certain degree.

The 'sell the house or not' question keeps going round in my head and I have come to realize that for me it is a security issue. I got my first mortgage at 16 (yes I was paying out more on a mortgage than I was earning at the time!) and I have this emotional thing about owning your own home being some form of security. In reality I don't own my home - the bank does! I am getting close to the point where I need to make a decision and it is so much harder than I first thought. How do you get around the emotional need for security?

Off to my first meeting of the day so will leave you with Bruce and his World of Wonders performed in Mali with Toumani Diabate:

Psychology of Community

2009-04-13T21:40:00.008-04:00

With my interest in Ecopsychology I am always thinking about how important the emotional mind and attitude will be to individuals and communities as we plan (and much of our community will not plan) for energy descent and the changes that will be necessary in our society to allow us to become more sustainable.

I have been following Kathy McMahon's PeakOilBlues blog for a while now and decided her latest post was definitely worth sharing. I highly recommend her blog which focuses on exploring emotional reactions to Peak Oil, Climate Change and Economic Collapse.

Ultimately, the emotional response could be the hardest one to work with. It's relatively easy to teach folks how to grow food, can, bicycle, save energy etc. but changing 'the mind' can be the hardest of tasks. As a student of Neuro Linguistic Programming I learned many techniques that can help, including reprogramming and hypnosis, but there are a lot of people out there who are not prepared for what is to come and may not be able to handle the reality of their situation once they realize what is happening to them and to the world as they know it. There are not enough counselors to go round to help with this situation (and as budget cuts become more prevalent there will be even less) so it will become each and every one of ours responsibility to help our family, friends and members of community through it. For those of us that are already immersed and embracing necessary changes, it is critically important to understand others that are not in that frame of mind and to be able to see the world through their eyes in order to help them move to a more productive way of being in the world.

Pathways to Community Collapse: Can we Intervene is an interesting reflection on our community as it is today and what our chances are of changing it to better serve a new way of life. I look forward to Kathy's subsequent posts on this theme.

I may not have all the practical skills I need for energy descent, but I will continue to acquire them on a daily basis. However, the emotional and psychological dissonance some people will feel between the world as it is now, and the world as it will become is an area where I feel I can be of service.

Survivalist Realtor in Maine

2009-04-12T20:55:00.004-04:00

Found an interesting web site, survival realty, which lists survivalist real estate in the US and internationally.

There is a survivalist realtor in Rangeley, Maine.

Most of the listings I checked out on this site are expensive. I know there are some very cheap lots further north in Maine but the problem is finding work up there. The only way to do it would be to have cash to buy the land and build a cabin and some way of supporting yourself and being self-sufficient to maintain it.

One thing I know for sure, I seem to have ended up in the right place at the right time. Despite the wander lust I have had for most of my life, I have no plans to leave Maine.

Alone in the Wilderness

2009-04-12T20:21:00.004-04:00

After spending the day bringing down two trees with a hand saw and using the axe and saw to lop the branches and chop up into small lengths, I felt I really had used some of the skills I picked up at the workshop last week.

Tonight I came across a video of Dick Proenneke who went to the Alaskan wilderness to live for a year back in the 60's. Using only hand tools, he built himself a log cabin. It's amazing how skilled he was at notching those logs! I tried this when we made a log cabin compost bin at the workshop and it is not as easy as it looks.

I sometimes dream of running away to the wilderness for a time but don't think I have it in me to do what he did. Great video.

More on Maine Primitive Skills School

2009-04-11T07:25:00.009-04:00

Here is an image, [taken by the MPSS staff] from last Saturday, that is posted on the MPSS web site. The crosscut saw was huge but great for solo work and I really like the two-man saw too. Since the workshop I have acquired a Gerber 4.5 inch fixed blade sheaf knife, a 1 3/4 pound hunters axe and a 15 inch hand saw and have been reading and researching about the types of tools I want to get. Bedtime reading on Wednesday this week was a book on axes. Who knew hand tools would be this much fun.

If you haven't already done so - check out the MPSS. The next workshop on my list is a weekend on Earth Living probably in mid-May. This is a introductory workshop you take as a prerequisite to some of the other more advanced workshops like Scout Skills.

I really like the atmosphere of this school, they are 'peak everything' aware and striving to lead simple, natural lives with minimal energy which is what I strongly desire. I wish I had more cash to spend since I would love to take all their workshops, but I am planning on 3-5 over the summer depending on finances. I am looking forward to taking a foraging/herbal/wild food workshop over at the Delta Institute of Natural History. Snowhawke knows of Arthur Haines and has great things to say about him. I am seriously reconsidering my diet. I have been vegan/vegetarian mostly for over 15 years but I am starting to feel that I need to move to a more 'hunter gatherer' type of diet. This might mean eating meat once a week, not sure yet. I do know I want to eat as naturally as possible and learning about wild foods is really important to me.

Out walking in the woods and down by the river with Snowhawke on Wednesday evening we both came to the conclusion that whether the crash is slow or fast we are both planning for energy descent regardless, since we seek simple, natural and more fulfilling lives living off the land and being present in everything we do. Community and friends are a big piece of this puzzle so finding like-minded people is really important. I have a feeling that the MPSS may be a good place to connect with more of these people.

Snowhawke's Druidry Blog

2009-04-08T19:54:00.006-04:00

Finally, Kevin, AKA Snowhawke, has a blog:

Snowhawke's Druidry Blog

Kevin is an amazing guy! A druid priest, my grove(s) mate, a poet with a deep spiritual connection to nature, a musician, a mead maker, writer and so much more. He has incredible perception (he knew what I was thinking in the sweat lodge before I did!) and is a true friend.

I know his blog will be powerful and inspiring. He is also very tuned into 'peak everything' and looking for ways to live more sustainably in the society we have yet to create.

He and I share similar paths, as well as a river, and I value his wisdom highly and his friendship with gratitude.

Adrian Salbuchi - Global Financial Analyst from Argentina

2009-04-08T19:48:00.004-04:00

Thanks to Mike for sending me the link to these videos on Information Clearing House.

An Argentine opinion on the Global Financial Crisis, describing the whole Global Financial System as one vast Ponzi Scheme. Like a pyramid, it has four sides and is a predictable model. The four sides are: (1) Artificially control the supply of public State-issued Currency, (2) Artificially impose Banking Money as the primary source of funding in the economy, (3) Promote doing everything by Debt and (4) Erect complex channels that allow privatizing profits when the Model is in expansion mode and socialize losses when the model goes into contraction mode.

Eat the Suburbs: Gardening for the End of the Oil Age

2009-04-07T21:33:00.009-04:00

This is a cool and motivating 10 minute video about a network 'Permablitz' based in Australia.

Permablitz: An informal gathering involving a day on which a group of at least two people come together to achieve the following:

* create or add to edible gardens where someone lives
* share skills related to permaculture and sustainable living
* build community networks
* have fun

Richard Heinberg is narrating the video.

Maybe the transition initiative will achieve this and more.

For those of you that are still unclear what Permaculture is here is a link to an EBook. Essence of Permaculture is a 16 page summary of permaculture concept and principles taken from Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability by David Holmgren.

An interesting form of bartering?

2009-04-07T21:05:00.008-04:00

An article caught my eye online at the BBC News web site:

Chimpanzees exchange meat for sex

"Chimpanzees enter into "deals" whereby they exchange meat for sex, according to researchers.

Male chimps that are willing to share the proceeds of their hunting expeditions mate twice as often as their more selfish counterparts.

This is a long-term exchange, so males continue to share their catch with females when they are not fertile, copulating with them when they are." [full article]

Not so much fun for vegetarians like me but I am sure there is a lesson in this somewhere!

More logic from Dmitry

2009-04-07T20:35:00.002-04:00

Burning our Bridges to the XXI Century

"I believe in providing a hopeful vision of the future as much as I believe in providing a sufficiently horrific vision of the present for it to be, in my opinion, a realistic one. However, I am beginning to feel somewhat thwarted in my efforts by this new compulsion sweeping the land to shoot oneself in the foot while simultaneously setting one's hair on fire. The only hope I can offer you today is that this current trend toward suicidal stupidity is temporary, and that it will run its course long before we completely ruin our chances for an orderly regression. " [full post]

Some days you just have to go to the river

2009-04-07T20:07:00.005-04:00

Some days I can't help myself - I had an early meeting at work but all night I had been listening to the Saco roar and wanted to see it's power for myself. So dressed for my meeting in a suit and heels I headed down to the river before work. Here are some shots:

I got to work late, and extremely muddy, for my meeting only to find it had been canceled. I am glad I listened to the universe and followed my heart instead of my head for a change.

Sharon Astyk in Maine

2009-04-07T09:52:00.011-04:00

Sharon will be in Cape Elizabeth on Saturday May 2 at 6.00 pm. The event is co-sponsored by Portland Maine Permaculture, Food for Maine's Futur e, MOFGA and others. There are only 60 places available. I reserved two which is the maximum you can reserve. All the details are on meetup.com

More info on the event:

Please join us for a community potluck supper (6:00 pm) followed by a timely and compelling talk by farmer and author Sharon Astyk (7:00 pm) at Sprague Hall, home of the Cape Elizabeth Grange.

About the book:

A Nation of Farmers: Defeating the Food Crisis on American Soil
By Sharon Astyk and Aaron Newton

"Once we could fill our grocery carts with cheap and plentiful food, but not anymore. Cheap food has gone the way of cheap oil. Climate change is already reducing crop yields worldwide. The cost of flying in food from far away and shipping it across the country in refrigerated trucks is rapidly becoming unviable. Cars and cows increasingly devour grain harvests, sending prices skyrocketing. More Americans than ever before require food stamps and food pantries just to get by, and a worldwide food crisis is unfolding, overseas and in our kitchens.

We can keep hunger from stalking our families, but doing so will require a fundamental shift in our approach to field and table. A Nation of Farmers examines the limits and dangers of the globalized food system and how returning to basics is our best hope. The book includes in-depth guidelines for:

Creating resilient local food systems
Growing, cooking and eating sustainably and naturally
Becoming part of the solution to the food crisis.

The book argues that we need to make self-provisioning, once the most ordinary of human activities, central to our lives. The results will be better food, better health, better security and freedom from corporations that don't have our interests at heart."

About Sharon:

Sharon is the author of Depletion and Abundance as well as the upcoming A Nation of Farmers: Defeating the Food Crisis on American Soil. This is likely to be the inaugural event for A Nation of Farmers and Sharon will be bringing books to sign. Sharon is a former academic who farms in upstate New York with her husband and four children, raises livestock, grows vegetables and writes about food and peak oil.

Strange Days - Kunstler

2009-04-06T13:11:00.004-04:00

Despite being known as a 'Doomer', sometimes I start to get complacent about the future and how long I have to get things in place. Then Monday comes around and Kunstler knocks me right back into prep mode:

"Even while a wave of reflex nausea washed over America last week, and the unemployment rolls swelled by much more than another half million, the greatest stock market suckers' rally in seventy years pulled in the last of the credulous. These are strange days. The earth is heaving and the buds swelling again -- at least north of the equator, where most of the action is -- and the global economy, which was supposed to be a permanent new add-on to the human condition, is sloughing away in big horrid gobs. But no one in charge of anything can believe it. The banking fiasco has introduced so much noise into the system that world leadership can't think straight." [full post]

Thanks Jim - I needed that.

First Peepers!

2009-04-06T09:35:00.003-04:00

OK - Spring is officially here. Last night down by the river watching the sun go down and the darkness surround me I was listening to the first peepers. A beautiful chorus that made me feel so peaceful inside.

And now for more important media coverage!

2009-04-02T11:57:00.004-04:00

Much more important than the crisis our society is in obviously:

To hug or not to hug!

"The British media called it everything from a breach of protocol to an extraordinary show of affection from the queen."

WTF!

And this makes it all OK again?

2009-04-02T11:38:00.006-04:00

G20 leaders seal $1.1tn global deal

On behalf of the G20, Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced the following steps:

Bankers' pay and bonuses will be subject to stricter controls
A new Financial Stability Board will be set up to work with the IMF to ensure co-operation across borders and provide an early warning mechanism for the financial system
There will be greater regulation of hedge funds and credit ratings agencies
A common approach to cleaning up banks' toxic assets has been agreed
The world's poorest countries will receive extra aid.

Isn't this just BAU and no detail again? But hey, let's throw more money at a broken system - and let's all cheer about it and pat ourselves on the back!!!

Your Future in Their Hands!

2009-04-02T08:40:00.003-04:00

These sure are scary times when your future lies in the hands of the people above.

World Leaders: We can unite to defeat economic crisis. [CNN article]

"Leaders will also be pushing for more fiscal stimulus."

Do they not listen at all to the people that put them where they are today.

Scenes from the G20 in London

2009-04-01T18:43:00.006-04:00

At the G20 in London 'the people' are definitely out in force to make their point by protesting.

Here are some images from The Times Online article about the battle between protesters and police outside RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland):

An slideshow of images is available at the Times Online.

The BBC has Live G20 Summit blogging and geeks like me can follow the G20 conversations going on via Twitter.

Book Confession

2009-03-29T09:04:00.003-04:00

I HAD to purchase this book on Friday - it was calling out to me at Borders and I had no choice - it was hard to resist buying his other books that were there too. Even though I only had 3 hours sleep on Friday night and worked from 6.30 am through 5.30 pm on Saturday, I still woke up at 5 am today because I was so excited to start reading it.

I knew that Tom Brown Jr. was my kind of guy as soon as I read this on page 24:

Let Go of Names

"There is a natural tendency in all of us to give names to things. It is a way we have of ordering the world and feeling more comfortable in it. When we are introduced to a new person, the first thing we do is learn a name to associate with the face. If we can remember it the next time we see that person, we feel a bond of familiarity. We feel we "know" that person. The name in itself is only a convenience - only the beginning of a familiarity that can go anywhere or nowhere. The depths of love or friendship we finally attain with any new acquaintance will depend on how far we are willing to look beyond the name.

The same is true of things in nature. Since we can't communicate as easily with rocks, plants, and animals as our own kind, there is an even greater tendency to learn the name and be done with it. Most people collect names instead of information and experience. A new bird or mammal is a wonder to behold. But too often, once the gray-cheeked thrush or the thirteen-lined ground squirrel is matched with the illustration in the guidebook, the mystery is gone and the observer goes his or her way with nothing more than a longer list of animals. The list may be impressive, but it cannot contain much real knowledge"

This is how I have always felt in my heart and been unable to explain. It hasn't stopped me feeling inadequate sometimes when walking through the woods with friends who can name every tree or plant we come across.

I know I am going to like this guy. John Brown Jr. has a Tracker School in New Jersey.

Sometimes I am proud of my home country!

2009-03-28T21:54:00.004-04:00

It sometimes seems that here in the US there is no real concerted effort to voice the peoples anger or frustration so it makes me happy to see that 35,000 in the UK showed up today to protest prior to the G20 in London. [Full Article]

There were many other protests throughout Europe involving tens of thousands of protesters.

Where the Wild Things Are Movie

2009-03-28T21:47:00.002-04:00

I am so psyched - they are making a movie out of one of my favorite kids books:

A Farm for the Future

2009-03-27T08:36:00.000-04:00

The movie I watched with the Brunswick Permaculture group last week is now on Google video. Not great quality but worth watching.

Sharon Astyk Coming to Maine?

2009-03-26T20:26:00.002-04:00

I just found out that Sharon Astyk over at Casaubon's Book is coming to Maine for a presentation and book signing.

I read her blog every day and she is a real inspiration.

YAY!!! Sign me up.

Last U2 Video - Cedars of Lebanon

2009-03-23T22:37:00.002-04:00

Cedars Of Lebanon

Yesterday I spent asleep
Woke up in my clothes in a dirty heap
Spent the night trying to make a deadline
Squeezing complicated lives into a simple headline

I have your face here in an old Polaroid
Tidying the children’s clothes and toys
You’re smiling back at me, I took the photo from the fridge
Can’t remember what then we did

I haven’t been with a woman, it feels like for years
Thought of you the whole time, your salty tears
This shitty world sometimes produces a rose
The scent of it lingers and then it just goes

Return the call to home

The worst of us are a long drawn out confession
The best of us are geniuses of compression
You say you’re not going to leave the truth alone
I’m here ‘cos I don’t want to go home

Child drinking dirty water from the river bank
Soldier brings oranges he got out from a tank
I’m waiting on the waiter, he’s taking a while to come
Watching the sun go down on Lebanon

Return the call to home

Now I’ve got a head like a lit cigarette
Unholy clouds reflecting in a minaret
You’re so high above me, higher than everyone
Where are you in the Cedars of Lebanon?

Choose your enemies carefully ‘cos they will define you
Make them interesting ‘cos in some ways they will mind you
They’re not there in the beginning but when your story ends
Gonna last with you longer than your friend

The Big Takeover

2009-03-23T21:06:00.009-04:00

Had to link to this Rolling Stone article as it is really worth a read. Anyone still trying to understand the financial vehicles can get a lot of info from it. It is also amusing to me - but then again I do have a sick sense of humor as many of you know! Matt Taibbi does a good job explaining all those financial terms like CDO (Collateralized Debt Obligations) and CDS (Credit Default Swaps), he even has one I hadn't come across before, ABCPMMMFLF (Asset-Backed Commercial Paper Money Market Mutual Fund Liquidity Facility). I think it has quite a ring to it!

I always love articles that begin in this way:

"It's over — we're officially, royally fucked. no empire can survive being rendered a permanent laughingstock, which is what happened as of a few weeks ago, when the buffoons who have been running things in this country finally went one step too far" [Full article]

I think I enjoy the humor because I have no intention of waiting for the Government or Corporations to work it out for us! I know that my destiny, at least in the most part, is in my hands, not theirs and I feel secure in my ability to deal with life and changes going forward. In fact I welcome the challenge and the distraction from the numbness I see around me. Just need to work out how to pay less taxes so that I am not personally funding this latest 'cash for trash' scheme. That cabin in the woods looks more inviting by the day!

Someone had to prove me wrong!

2009-03-23T13:37:00.004-04:00

Since I posted about the lack of conversation about population folks have been sending me links everywhere. Some are the 'old favorites' that we have all seen but here is an interesting recent one from 'Culture Change':

"Excessive resource consumption is a huge risk for the ecosystems on this planet. It's basic math than population is a key factor in the equation. Forcing everyone to scale down to the consumption level of a Buddhist monk is realistic. Cutting all consumption in half brings the same situation around again next time the population doubles again." [Full article]

Check out the links at the bottom of the article too!

Another article over at 'Culture Change' focuses on: 'Thoreau, Economy Inspire Students to Learn Lessons of Less', which of course being a Thoreau fan I love to see.

"More than a dozen students at the north suburban high school this year committed to going without something different each month, borrowing a page from author Henry David Thoreau, who famously withdrew to Walden Pond for two years "to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what (nature) had to teach." [Full article]

Wouldn't be Monday without Jim or Dmitry

2009-03-23T12:49:00.004-04:00

Latest from Jim Kunstler:

"Capable observers are calling, meanwhile, for a robust bear market rally moving through Spring, on technical grounds that have little to do with the greater forces roistering in the background. Reality is a cruel mistress. If the stock market rally rolls out as predicted, it will surely fake-out the mainstream media. They'll conclude wishfully and foolishly that something like "recovery" is underway. They may even interpret rising oil prices as a "positive sign" that the great groaning enterprise of the something-for-nothing economy is back "on track."

"They'll be shocked sometime after Memorial Day when it all comes off the rails again. We have a lot to sort out and very little time to get on with job. Notice, I haven't even mentioned the potential for mischief and instability coming out of the rest of the world -- enough black swans to blot out the sun. Want some concrete advice? For those of you sitting on US Treasury bonds and bills, now would be a good time to get out." [Full post]

Latest (amusing!) from Dmitry:

"Yes, the Russians actually have a word for precisely the thing that has bewitched us, first accounting for an ever-increasing share of our gross domestic product, and is now responsible for our ever-larger financial black hole. That word is “фуфло” /fufló/ when applied to a quantity of something, and "фуфел" /fúfel/ when applied to a singular item. This word has the obscure English cognate “fuffle,” which the Oxford English Dictionary dates to the early XVI century but fails to define adequately. I suspect that this word has been in circulation in many languages ever since some Protoindoeuropean simpleton showed up at some archaic fair and, being none too wise, bartered his meager trade goods in exchange for what thereafter became known as a fuffle. At that point, his story may have gone two different ways. Either he could have discovered that he'd been handed a fuffle, chased after the unlucky fuffller, and summarily ran him through with a pointed stick (positive outcome) or he could have stumbled back to his village proudly displaying his prize, and perhaps even got his entire tribe to acquire a taste for fuffles (negative outcome). In the latter case, the fuffle-addled tribe could never grasp the meaning of the word “fuffle,” because doing so would have resulted in some painful cognitive dissonance. (Perhaps this psychological mechanism accounts for the fact the Anglo-Saxon tribe still has the vestigial word but no longer remembers its meaning.)" [full post]

Magnificent - The U2 craze continues!

2009-03-22T21:55:00.003-04:00

I couldn't live without my music and my U2 craze continues! I am back to their 'How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb' Album. Magnificent is what can be heard in the Xterra most of the time - VERY LOUD!

Magnificent
Magnificent

I was born
I was born to be with you
In this space and time
After that and ever after I haven't had a clue
Only to break rhyme
This foolishness can leave a heart black and blue

Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love can heal such a scar

I was born
I was born to sing for you
I didn't have a choice but to lift you up
And sing whatever song you wanted me to
I give you back my voice
From the womb my first cry, it was a joyful noise...

Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love can heal such a scar

Justified till we die, you and I will magnify
The Magnificent
Magnificent

Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love unites our hearts

Justified till we die, you and I will magnify
The Magnificent
Magnificent
Magnificent

Thomas Jefferson Quote

2009-03-22T20:54:00.004-04:00

Just catching up on what's happening over at The Automatic Earth and saw this great quote:

"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have." - Thomas Jefferson

Right on TJ!

World Water Day

2009-03-22T19:54:00.014-04:00

If I didn't have to work today I would have joined in the World Water Day events taking place in Maine. Water is a resource we take for granted here in Maine except when a town or two votes against Nestle (Poland Spring) sucking their aquifer dry. I share the same water table as Hollis and just a few minutes away is a field full of their wells pumping up the same water as the houses around it but bottling it and selling it at a premium. Yes, I know they bring jobs to Maine but I still don't feel it's right for a corporation to be able to take our water and market it!!

World Water Day has been celebrated (if that's the right word!) on March 22nd since 1992 and there were a number of events here in Maine and throughout the world:

Peace Action Maine event

Transition Initiative Portland event

Events throughout the World

Local web sites dedicated to saving our water:

SOH20 - Save our Water

Defending Water for Life in Maine

Considering we will go to war for oil, I have no doubt that in the future we will go to war for other depleting resources like drinking water or food.

A new movie, 'Tapped', about the bottled water industry is previewed on YouTube. It features Maine and Poland Spring in this trailer:

Apologies for the video spilling out over my blog template - I don't feel like coding new html tonight to accommodate the video but the video is worth seeing so wanted to post it anyway. I know - I am just a lazy geek tonight!

Spring clean up - the beginning

2009-03-22T17:51:00.005-04:00

Friday I took a last minute vacation day to check out the spring storm damage in the woods. It was great to spend time doing physical labor instead of sitting at a desk but it made me very aware that I know nothing about forestry management or have the tools I need to do this kind of work. I spent a lot of time dragging huge tree limbs to the brush pile and sawing through trees that were too large to move.

Two tree limbs that came down and need moving.

This tree has snapped but is too high up for me to get to and still too connected for me to break it up.

Snow plows are wonderful but they tear up the land really bad!

This is a small tree that came down - it took 20 minutes for me to drag it to the brush pile. Most of the brush pile is still under snow.

Another snapped limb. I don't know what to do to help the tree grow or if I need to do anything where the limb broke.

The day wasn't all destruction. I saw a lot of little shoots of green coming up.

I need tools and more knowledge for sure. Hoping that the Axe, Saw and Knife Workshop at the Maine Primitive Skills School will help.

Paying Workers More to Fix Their Own Mess

2009-03-18T19:35:00.009-04:00

I already said I was angry about the AIG bonuses, but, as an ex-investment banker I am not at all surprised. I paid out million dollar bonuses as a matter of course - both to get people in - and as a way to get people out (and yes - I do accept responsibility for my small part in creating the problem which is why I try to share my experiences with others). But, Paying Workers More to Fix Their Own Mess is a little hard to take when taxpayers monies are involved. Nationalize them and take control or let them sink or swim on their own dime! I would love to get paid to screw up - I just have to work evenings and weekends if that happens - and usually it's because others around me have screwed up and have no idea how to fix it!

I am glad to see some anger at last directed at the people who got us into this mess but it's directed at such a small part of the puzzle. All the posturing going on and the Government saying they won't stand for it is just serving as a great PR diversion and ensuring people don't wake up from their daydream-lives and start thinking too much about the bigger issues like the crazy way we have structured our society for infinite (impossible - we only have one planet) growth!

There is so much artificial 'good news' out there right now that folks are already thinking it's all over and we are well on the way to recovery. Meanwhile here in Maine people are losing their jobs and houses and wondering how to pay their bills!

On a lighter note - since we 'the people' own 80% of AIG - we can be part of the AIG Extreme Makeover

I'm taking a break from this crazy existence we all share, to celebrate the light and the Spring Equinox on Friday! My soul is screaming for a day in the woods! I can't take it all too seriously - as Carlin said we are just a 'failed mutation' after all! A mere blip in the history of the planet.

Happy Spring wherever you are!

There's no pill for this kind of depression

2009-03-15T19:47:00.005-04:00

One of my daily reads is the Wall Street Journal online. Usually the articles are purely financial but this one addressing the whole psychology of what we are going through struck me as an interesting topic for the WSJ:

I spoke to a Manhattan-based psychiatrist who said there is an uptick in the number of his patients reporting depression and anxiety. He believes part of the reason is that we're in a new place, that "When people move into a new home they increasingly recognize the importance of their previous environment." Our new home is postprosperity America; the old one was the abundance; we miss it. But he also detected a political dimension to his patients' anguish. He felt that many see our leaders as "selfish and dishonest," that "our institutions have been revealed as incompetent and undependable." People feel "unled, overwhelmed," the situation "seemingly unsalvageable." The net result? He thinks what he is seeing, within and without his practice, is a "psychological pandemic of fear" as to the future of things—of our country, and even of mankind. Read the whole article...

Population?

2009-03-15T16:11:00.004-04:00

You know - I spend a lot of time online reading MSM as well as more 'under the radar' sites and forums but it amazes me no end that there is plenty of coverage of the global economic collapse, peak oil and climate change (in that order), but nothing whatsoever about the population problem.

The population issue is at the root of all of our problems but nobody seems to be talking about it!

Why is that?

AIG bonus update

2009-03-15T10:16:00.004-04:00

I think Edward Liddy read my rant last night:

Treasury pressure leads to AIG scaling back bonuses

Druid Chef

2009-03-14T22:48:00.004-04:00

This is Barrie - last year at Druid Camp in the UK - he kept me and all our fire circle fed. I just love this tripod and fire - want want want.....

Are they taking the piss?

2009-03-14T21:51:00.009-04:00

Apologies to my US readers for the English eufanism but come on! Enough is enough. They already took the next generations money and now AIG are paying $100M in bonuses to the very folks who took them (and therefore you and me!) to the edge. The difference is we are still there clinging to the cliff edge by our finger nails - they are back to liquid lunches and expense accounts because if you haven't heard yet - the crisis is over and they are all making money and showing profits again! Oh joy - I am sure the millions of families in tent cities and motel rooms are overjoyed that the investment bankers are back on their feet! What crap! I know exactly what prolonging the crash is doing for them but it does nothing for you and me.

NY Times article on AIG bonuses

All of a sudden the US government seems very British in asking AIG to renegotiate the bonuses. Renegotiate - my ass!

Anyone else think it is very strange that when I checked the FDIC's web site Friday night that for the first time this year they did not close any banks on Friday! So all of a sudden there are no dead zombie banks! OR are they waiting for the big one! Why the hell is our money going to the banks to enable them to pay higher premiums to the FDIC so that when they go bust our money is insured. Wait a minute - do you get that - you and I are paying them to insure our own money. I prefer to cut out the middle man and to keep it under my mattress. WTF!

It's enough to make me head for the hills and earn just enough to NOT pay taxes to these jerks!

It's not surprising that the G20 summit next month has the UK police launching the biggest police operation for a decade. If the protesters are half as angry as I am it will be a protest to remember.

I really want to see this movie

2009-03-14T11:37:00.003-04:00

The Age of Stupid is released in the UK on March 20. It is about a guy living alone in 2055 looking at old footage of our current times and asking questions that we should be asking now! I really can't wait to see it:

Official movie site

The end of a love affair!

2009-03-13T20:55:00.004-04:00

I was seduced at an early age by ‘C’. ‘C’ gave me everything I ever wanted and I didn’t have to wait or worry about not getting what I needed. ‘C’ helped me to buy apartments, houses, sports cars and exotic vacations. My love affair with ‘C’ allowed me to be seen at all the right restaurants, clubs and gigs in Europe, keep a string of race horses, to ski the most wonderful mountains, lie for weeks on tropical beaches and wear the right labels the minute they were in fashion. Many times ‘C’ came with me on skiing/shopping trips to Boston and Maine when I lived in London. Moving from the UK to Ireland, to France, back to the UK and then to the USA ‘C’ was my constant companion, never denying me anything my heart might desire. I broke up with ‘C’ when I arrived here in the USA, for a brief period I had no need for ‘C’ in my life and discarded the relationship, like last year’s Gucci pants, with no regrets. All bets were off.

As discarded lovers often will, ‘C’ continued to seduce me declaring undying love and under pressure I soon came around and our relationship went from strength to strength as I convinced myself I could not live without ‘C’. To be fair, ‘C’ stuck by me for six hard months when my income was under 1.5K a month and I needed to pay out over 3K a month. ‘C’ was constantly by my side as I returned each year to the UK for vacations. ‘C’ enabled me to stay in a home I could not afford and shielded me from the harsh reality of living within my means.

‘C’ was no less of an addiction to me than alcohol is to an alcoholic. Come to think of it ‘C’ has kept me in the most excellent French Champagne for the last 10 years too. But, I think I have finally turned the corner and I am at last ready to claim back my power and end the love affair.

No longer will ‘C’ control me like a puppet, no longer will ‘C’ seduce me into believing I can be happy if I continue to be in this relationship and buy into this insanity. At times, I look back and don’t recognize who I was before. If you knew me then you would not know me now!

The illusion is shattered, I have seen the man behind the curtain. Every dollar I have goes out to pay off ‘C’redit companies until I am no longer beholden to them! The damage was deep and the cost enormous but I am half way there and will never go back.

My Moment of Surrender

2009-03-12T20:56:00.006-04:00

This morning I had the perfect 'Moment of Surrender'. Driving to work - the sun rise was amazing to my left and on the right I could still just see the almost full moon - exquisite beauty - listening to the latest U2 album at full blast. I just had to pull over and take it all in. Sometimes I feel like the luckiest person in the world and feel like my heart will just explode with happiness!!

Here is what was playing at the time:

The lyrics really resonate with me about the current times:

I tied myself with wire
To let the horses run free
Playing with the fire
Until the fire played with me

The stone was semi precious
We were barely conscious
Two souls too smart to be
In the realm of certainty
Even on our wedding day

We set ourselves on fire
A girl could not deny her
Its not if I believe in love
If love believes in me
Oh believe in me

At the moment of surrender
I'm falling to my knees
I did not notice the passers by
And they did not notice me

I’ve been in every black hole
At the alter of a Dark star
My body s now begging
Though it’s begging to get back
Begging to get back
To my heart
To the rhythm of my soul
To the rhythm of my consciousness
To the rhythm of yes
To be released from control

I was punching in the numbers at the ATM machine
I could see in the reflection
A face staring back at me
At the moment of surrender
A vision of a visibility
I did not notice the passers by
And they did not notice me

I was speeding off the subway
Through the stations of the cross
Every eye looking every other way
Counting down till the pain will stop

At the moment of surrender
A vision of a visibility
I did not notice the passers by
And they did not notice me

To end a perfect day I just arrived home and stood in total darkness outside for some time. A million stars were staring down at me. It makes me feel so small and our problems so minute in the scheme of the universe.

Somehow I find that comforting.

Slideshow: Transition Town Westcliff in UK

2009-03-10T20:08:00.002-04:00

Dmitry on Russia Today!

2009-03-09T19:17:00.005-04:00

He always explains it much better than I can and I totally agree with him. Stop giving money to dead banks and dead corporations that will fail anyway. Let the inevitable collapse happen and use that cash instead to feed people who lose their jobs, keep people in their homes and start to build a new society based on the reality of energy descent and local economies.

Don't Fear the Reaper?

2009-03-08T10:07:00.005-04:00

OK - well Obama actually said 'Don't Fear the Future' but he might as well have said Reaper!

I really do like this dude but he has to start telling the truth about the economy. Come on - I'm a big girl - I can take it. In fact I want it! Then we can start to rebuild our society in a way that makes sense for all of us, not just corporations and fat cats! But, it looks like TPTB would rather have a slow crash than a fast crash and we can't just sit around and wait for that to happen!

NY Times article with full detail of his 35 minute speech aboard air force one on Friday.

CNN article briefly highlighting main points.

Does anyone really believe any of this rhetoric any more?

When the Government finally admits that they have no clue what to do, after spending our future generations money, and comes clean with the US public they are going to be so mad!

Well - much as I love to watch and listen to all this - today I have to work on more meaningful things like how to help my community and friends get through this transition while the goverment rearranges the deck chairs on the Titanic!

Latest Read

2009-03-07T16:45:00.006-05:00

Since the weather right now is wonderful and tomorrow expected to be the same, thought I would share with you my latest read as I sit and relax on the deck in the sun! David Holmgren was the co-originator of Permaculture along with Bill Mollison.

I think food is one of the most important issues in our future so I am trying to find out more about how to grow food and to live sustainably within nature's limitations.

Transition Town Brunswick

2009-03-07T16:15:00.006-05:00

Had a great meeting with the Transition group in Brunswick. About 30 people are in the group and a lot of them are also in the Brunswick Permaculture group too. They are in the process of consciousness raising and showing videos and presentations about peak oil, climate change and economy.

Two videos they touched on are:

The truth about climate change or 'Wake up, Freak out - then Get a Grip' (WUFOGG)

Wake Up, Freak Out - then Get a Grip from Leo Murray on Vimeo.

Another was a trailer from this movie on Cuba's energy crisis and how they dealt with it - 'The Power of Community':

Both these are worth watching. The first is about 11 minutes the second around 50.

I will probably go to the next meeting in April. Their plan is to create an 'Energy Descent Action Plan' for Brunswick. It's a very positive initiative.

Check out the Transition Town Brunswick meetup group online.

You can find out more about the Transition Town Initiative which started in the UK on the following web sites:

Transition Towns WIKI

Transition Culture Blog

Transition US Network

and a link to the first Transition Town in Totnes, Devon, England:

Transition Town Totnes

At the meeting in Brunswick I also met the woman who runs Merrymeeting Community Shares. A network of locals who are bartering their time to each other - a local currency initiative. Definitely worth checking out if you are in the Bath/Brunswick area.

Wow

2009-03-06T20:21:00.003-05:00

I have so much to post about and will get to it over the weekend. It's been a crazy week and I just got in after a surreal dinner/drinks with work colleagues and clients who seem to be living in a totally different reality to me.

Just checking the markets at the end of the day and the thing that strikes me most is that Smith and Wesson was one of the few shares that increased today. So the normally, reality based, American dream-believing public has more faith in firearms than any banking system or corporation or pension fund.

I guess I can't argue with that right now!

I do have more positive information to report and will post again tomorrow.

Kunstler on Monday

2009-03-02T10:32:00.004-05:00

Monday's just wouldn't be the same without Kunstler's post:

"The last desperate act of the banking system in the face of Peak Oil's no-more-growth equation was to engineer species of tradable securities that could produce wealth out of thin air rather than productive activity. This was the alphabet soup of algorithm-derived frauds with vague and confounding names such as credit default swaps (CDSs), collateralized debt obligations (CDOs), structured investment vehicles (SIVs), and, of course, the basic filler, mortgage backed securities. The banking system is now choking to death on these delicacies."

"If Americans think they've been grifted by Goldman Sachs and Bernie Madoff, wait until they find out what a swindle the so-called "American Dream" of suburban life turns out to be." [more]

February Progress Report

2009-03-01T11:36:00.004-05:00

Feeling very good about what I achieved in February:

1. Cashflowed 2.5K of dental work. At the end of next week I will be able to smile again! YAY

2. Paid off Bank(rupt) of America. They can take my 4K, wipe clean my credit card and I will never deal with them again.

3. Paid Maine State taxes. I pay very little tax during the year and usually pay the Fed and State taxes at the end of the year. This year I got back from Feds and paid Maine so it worked out fine. Can't bear to think the Fed or State might have my money to earn interest on during the year.

4. Downsized books by 350 this month. I know I can do more but now it is getting harder to part with the ones I have left.

5. Ran every possible scenario on what to do re my living situation and I have given myself to the end of March to make final decision. My plan is to the sell the house in Spring (hopefully!), rent something as cheap (and safe) as possible for a year to save up for land. Once real estate falls more (and it will) I think a lot of folks will be glad to get some cash for a few acres.

6. Feeling more healthy than I have in years. My weight finally stabalized at 125lbs once I stopped being stressed at work, drinking so much alcohol and cut out sugar. This feels good and since I can get into clothes I haven't worn for years this probably is the weight I am supposed to be. Still getting lots of exercise and planning to get a bike in March/April.

So March will be the month I make decisions about the house, pay off at least one more credit card and continue to build my stamina and strength. I am also meeting up with folks in Brunswick to talk about a Transition Town Initiative there. It will be great to find more like-minded people to network with.

Potential Snow Day!

2009-03-01T11:22:00.002-05:00

Trying not to get too excited but we could be in for another big storm with anywhere between 6-18 inches starting after dark tonight and going through to early evening on Monday. What wouldn't I give for another chance to spend the day snow shoeing in the woods and this time I can be out while the storm is raging! YAY!!! Let's just say - I have everything crossed right now!

The Emperor's New Clothes?

2009-02-25T19:05:00.005-05:00

So I watched Obama's State of the Nation speech last night and really wanted to be positive about what he said. He mentioned things that are important like alternative energy, education, health care and global relations, but he still didn't talk about whats really going on. He even mentioned growing the economy again and getting lending going! It's as if he's going through the motions and telling the people what he thinks they want to hear (and maybe they do!) when really he must know we are in big trouble and have no way of continuing this path to destruction.

I want to hear him tell us that we can have The American Dream BUT it won't look the way most people think it should. How about a New American Dream where we live sustainably in community, working together for a better life where we have more time than money and get to enjoy the world around us and focus on friends and family rather than things. How about creating jobs in small farming operations producing food we can actually eat and education that actually makes us into creative thinkers instead of sheeple who do what the media tell them will make them happy. We really do have everything we need on this planet and in this country except the motivation to really change things for the better and a leader who dares to speak the truth. Guess we will have to do it ourselves and that is what I am planning for now.

The whole time I was watching the crowd cheering him on and giving him standing ovations all I could think of was the tale of The Emperor's New Clothes where he is standing there naked in front of his subjects, having been duped into buying a new set of clothes that is supposedly invisible to stupid people, and they all pretend he isn't naked because they don't want to be thought of as stupid. Well - I am sorry - but last night Obama was naked and the crowd were pretending he wasn't. I cannot believe that all those people don't know what's happening so I can only assume they are too full of fear about losing what they have to acknowledge the situation that is unraveling before us. The reality is many of them will lose it whether they plan for it or not!

If you didn't catch the speech there is a great write up of some points over on The Automatic Earth.

Full text of the speech is available on The Whitehouse web site.

The US is behaving like the proverbial frog in boiling water - it is heating up slowly so the frog doesn't jump out!

We need to jump out and make change people! We are on our own!

Power on!

2009-02-24T12:21:00.002-05:00

Just heard from a neighbor that the power is back. Kinda sad really - I enjoy camping out in my sleeping bag and reading in candlelight. I slept better last night than I have in weeks! Came to work at 6am to shower and change and eat! Oh well - good practice!

Waiting to Chat!

2009-02-23T18:23:00.004-05:00

Waiting for the chat to begin so hanging out online. Just in case you thought I took all the afternoon to relax here is some more shoveling I did this afternoon before heading to work. I will sleep well tonight - eventually - probably in my sleeping bag since I have no heat!

Took me an hour to clear the deck - can only do this with a good beat - had O.A.R. blasting on the ipod! It would only take 30 minutes but there is always a lot of singing and dancing involved in clearing the deck!

OJ in the snow to give me energy - you really don't need it in the fridge when you have this much snow outside.

Dressing for work. Yes mom, dad - your ex-investment banker daughter really does wear fatigues! Don't worry - I haven't bought a gun - YET!!!

Snow Shoe Fun in the Sun

2009-02-23T17:56:00.008-05:00

Forget the gym, forget the DVD workouts - just go out into the woods after a big storm and you will get the best workout ever. I am at work now - no power at home so have to work from 6-9 PM at the office. But I had such a great time in the woods this afternoon that it is worth it.

When I got home from my exploring, my neighbor Georgia, had three bags of free food for me! Lots of veggies, fruit, cheese, bread and yoghurts. Thank you Hannafords!
Gotta love free food right!

Scenes from an Early Morning Snow Day

2009-02-23T10:36:00.004-05:00

Here are a few snaps from earlier. Rick came by to plow and I did the shoveling. This man has been plowing my drive for the last six years for the same price! Gotta love neighbors.

Sustaining the Unsustainable?

2009-02-23T09:41:00.002-05:00

Just catching up on Kunstler's Monday am post and drinking the first cup of coffee for a month. With the amount of digging and shoveling I have done since my last post I think I earned it.

Here is an excerpt from Kunstler today:

"No good, in fact, will come of a campaign to sustain the unsustainable, which is exactly what the Obama program is starting to look like. In the folder marked "unsustainable" you can file most of the artifacts, usufructs, habits, and expectations of recent American life: suburban living, credit-card spending, Happy Motoring, vacations in Las Vegas, college education for the masses, and cheap food among them. All these things are over. The public may suspect as much, but they can't admit it to themselves, and political leadership has so far declined to speak the truth about it for them -- in short, to form a useful consensus that will allow us to move forward effectively. One of the sad paradoxes of politics is that democracies do not seem very good at disciplining their citizens' behavior. The wish to please voters and the influence of campaign money overwhelm even leaders with mature instincts."

Check out the rest. I pretty much agree with everything that Kunstler writes.

Weekend Update

2009-02-23T06:36:00.014-05:00

Wow - a wonderful weekend and now I have a snow day at home. It really doesn't get much better than this. Have to host an online chat tonight between 7-9 PM (hoping to still have power - have lost it 3 times since 3.30 am and had to finish 'The Road' by candlelight!) but other than that I have the day to play in the white stuff. YAY! I will post some pics later but for now here is my weekend in brief:

Friday - made decision to cancel my trip to Las Vegas. Despite the fact the vendor wanted me to go so much they were going to foot the bill - I decided I have no desire to leave Maine right now - especially to go to LV. Watched very cool DVD "King Corn" about how we have decimated the farming culture here in the US, and now farmers produce corn that is not edible by humans but used only to feed cattle AND they make a loss so the government subsidizes them. Hey - how about paying them to grow real food that is safe to eat. Sorry - my logical self got in the way there. There is a lot more to this and I highly recommend the DVD to anyone that hasn't investigated the crazy system we have here in the US!

Saturday - It is amazing how much energy I have now that I have so much less stress, I am eating more, better, keeping fit and drinking less caffeine and pretty much no alcohol. I feel like I could take on the world! Got a lot of chores done - recycling, financials, made cookies (a first), went to library, hung out with friends etc. even mended an item of clothing (I have never ever mended anything in my life: "oh - the button came of those pants - time to throw them out and buy new!"). Shocking I know and something I intend to change! Saturday night I saw another DVD. This time Jared Diamond's "Guns, Germs and Steel". Another recommendation for anyone that hasn't seen it.

You can actually watch the whole thing on YouTube and here is part one to get you started:

Sunday - I took a chance on the storm and headed to Pleasant Mountain to visit with a friend who lives off-grid on the side of the mountain. When you park it takes 10 minutes to walk up a very steep side of the mountain in snow shoes to get to the house. The trail hadn't been broken in a week so it was hard work - but worth it. I always get such clarity on that mountain. Many thoughts/feelings became clearer to me while I was there. I stayed for a long time but by mid-afternoon the snow was coming down so hard I was in danger of getting snowed in so I headed back home. The snow didn't reach Buxton until later that evening but when it came, it came fast. Such beauty.

And now - Monday morning - snow day and nothing much I have to do until tonight. So I am heading out into the fresh white stuff. There is really nowhere I would rather be.

Happy Monday!

Green Allies and Food in the Forest!

2009-02-20T20:34:00.007-05:00

Since I have pared down my book collection I am allowing a few select new books to come into my home. But, the only books I will allow in now are reference books that can help me to become more self-sufficient. Here are the three that arrived in my mail box today:

I have been wanting a copy of The Forager's Harvest since last year when a friend convinced me that I could be eating the roots and flower buds of the huge amount of milkweed that lines my drive. Not to mention all the other goodies that I haven't yet discovered.

This guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs is going to be a good friend as I work more with our green allies to promote healthy natural healing.

I just know there is food out there in the forest that is being offered to me on a daily basis if I could only sense it! This book on Edible Wild Plants will help me identify what's out there.

If the supermarket runs out of food - between the gardens and the woods I know I can keep myself and others fed.

What If? Ron Paul

2009-02-19T18:41:00.005-05:00

I don't know enough about Ron Paul to say if he could have been a great President for this country but I heard this today and wondered if he gets it much more than any other in power.

Find out more about him at Campaign for Liberty

I may have overlooked him before but he sure has my attention now!

Housing Quandry

2009-02-19T13:47:00.005-05:00

I still have a quandry on where I want to live. Sell the house? Build community at the house and work the land? Buy land and build tiny low impact house? Move into an established community? Get a tiny apartment - join a CSA and stash money away before making a decision. You get the picture - total confusion!

Meanwhile I dream of a little hobbit house like the one above. Check it out.

Whatever I do, I know I want to heat with wood and use minimal solar power for electricity. Candles once it gets dark is just fine with me as long as I can stay reasonably warm and heat food. I prefer candlelight!

Talking of heating food (and potentially a house) - this (or an older version of something like this) is what I would love:

Civil War in Mexico?

2009-02-19T12:32:00.005-05:00

Many universities have warned students against going to Mexico for Spring break but it seems the violence is coming over the border to meet us in the US.

Article on drug violence in Mexico

Article on kidnapping capital of the US - Arizona (now second to only to Mexico City in the world!)

Article on violence in Cancun from the BBC (where they now have army patrols in the street)

Article and video on Mexico border protests

And yet still I know folks that are flying down to Cancun for a relaxing break away from it all.

Come on people! Get real!