Eddie Conna

chip sanft wrote:

I think the discussion here is more about how the purpose of Permies, as defined by its creator and owner Paul Wheaton, isn't the place to tell people they're wrong. There are sites like that out there, if that's what your looking for. Here it's more about a supportive environment for gentle souls who may have ideas that the general public holds to be wrong or not quite right or just goofy. I think it promotes a healthy attitude about internet discussion in general, too, but that's just me.

Chip,

I think you missed my point.  I'm all for a supportive environment.  But there is a difference between a supportive environment and one that caters to being as soft and as correct to the point where one has to walk on eggshells and be careful about every word they post for fear that somehow, somewhere, someone might find a way to be offended by it.   I simply don't find that healthy or realistic...  

The irony here is this:

Permaculture tends to appeal to those who are "bucking the norm" or those who wish to be "different" from the status quo, yet the rules seem to create a new status quo, that frankly, isn't all that healthy.  Perhaps I'm confused by the "intent" of the rules.  Are they to foster rational discussion where people can respectfully disagree?  If so, great.  Or are they to make sure no one, ever is able to be offended by what someone else thinks...  

Look, if you want to believe the world is flat, cool.  I respect that right.  I'd disagree, and wouldn't feel the need to even debate that point... until others decide to follow that thinking...

Joseph, I get what your'e saying, and agree with, well, all of it in some ways...

The free for all sites, well, suck.

And I understood how posts get "flagged" i was confused by the "bot" because it seemed.. slow?  I thought that type of stuff was instantaneous, not away later.  That's what confused me there.

I see what your'e saying about posts that seem to invite conflict...  the funny thing is, when I see posts written that way, I simply assume the writer is voicing their opinion, and not necessarily "looking" for a fight.  Then again, I don't really "get" the entire purpose of "trolling" either when someone explained it to me.  Seems like a stupid waste of time.  I guess I'm saying I try to give someone the "benefit of doubt" when I see something that can be taken two ways, one negative, and one positive.  I think I've found that often times, if you give people the benefit, it turns out they didn't let you down.  

I think this is a good feature, and have even had a post of mine "on probation", which I don't mind.

BUT, It is confusing because the post was put up, then I got an email the following day from the robot saying there was an issue.. except that issue was in the original post, so I'm lost as to why the delay with the "flag".  Shouldn't it have been flagged immediately?

So I updated it, only to later get another email saying their was a NEW issue, but the new issue was something in the original post.  In essence, the "bot" missed this issue the first time it notified me.

At one point, someone wrote me a note basically saying "thanks for fixing it, but there's some other stuff that would be good to fix."  

So I went back to try to fix the new issues, but couldn't find it.  I couldn't email the staff person who emailed me either... which would have been helpful.

Eventually, I tried to delete the post, but couldn't, so I reedited it basically removing everything because I thought that might just be easier....

So the process was confusing for me... not complaining, just saying.

Also, it seemed a little "word police-y" to the point of being as "PC" as possible.... which frankly, is exhausting.  Seriously.  I don't know how anyone does it but if you can, all the power to you.  Seriously.  I mean that.

Don't get me wrong, I think we should be respectful and tolerant, sensitive, and kind, etc.  But then I hear a story from a friend of mine  about how the other night was having dinner with his family at a nice restaurant and he said the words "....man hole cover..."  in the middle of a sentence, and someone at the next table over said, "....it's person hole cover now..."

I mean, seriously?  "man hole cover" is offensive because it's gender specific, so we now have to call it a "person hole cover"  This the stuff why i wanted to get away from people and homestead in the first place!!!

I mean, where does it go?  Do we change "Lady fingers" (you know, those tasty little cookies) to "person fingers"?  

Where does it end???   Does anyone else feel this way?  Or is it just me?    

 

I'm sure this question has probably been asked before, but a search didn't find it, so Im asking.

Before I ask the question, it would be great if someone knew of a site where one could put in the "parameters" of what they are looking for, and the site would tell them where BEST to look for land that fell within that criteria.  

But I've yet to find such a site.  If you know of one, please post it!  

Or perhaps if there was a way THIS site could put together some sort of "survey" people could take, which would involve answering a LOT of various questions pertaining to what one's homestead or location is like.  Then that info could be utilized to build a "database" of the USA, (or world) that could then be used by others to find locations that match their desired parameters.

The survey would ask questions about things like:

Weather.
Climate.
Accessibility to water
Building permits required, or not, easy, or difficult?
Soil conditions
Land Cost
Remoteness
Cost of goods
Taxes


Etc, etc.

But since that survey and database doesn't exist, I'd like to ask this:

If someone were looking for land that fit into the following parameters, where in the US (or world) should they look?

The parameters:

Forested with decent sized trees suitable for harvesting to be used for building
Water readily available, preferably in a flowing stream or river
Good soil
Decent for growing their own food
Larger amount of acreage, (over 40 acres desired, preferably 100 or more.)
Priced at or under $2,000 an acre
Remote-ish, (small town is ok), but within a couple of hours drive to a city.  
Little to NO building permits.  
Not near a nuclear power plant or military installation.


So, anyone know of said utopia?  

Maureen Atsali wrote:I stumbled on this thread by accident... and as it is a bit contentious, I'm not sure I want to touch it.  But here we go.  I am an American, born to a lower-middle class family.  Started working at age 14, always held 2 or more jobs up to age 30.  Still couldn't get ahead.  In 2011, I quit my job, packed up my kids, and left the USA.  I landed in Africa.  No, I didn't escape the need for money - but I sure don't need as much of it.  I don't heat my house, I don't own a car, I am not connected to the grid.  I grow/raise 80% of my foodstuff, I have no monthly bills.  The government still gets their hands in my pocket any time I buy from the market or a supermarket, or use public transport.  (VAT is 16%)  But in our remote village, we still barter a lot.   We recently made a deal with a neighbor to do the labor of putting sweet potato lines between our trees.  We provide the land, they provide the labor, we split the harvest.  No money changed hands.  I love that, and we make those kinds of deals a lot.  Banks here are pretty crooked and unstable, so I don't keep my money in the bank.  Instead we have, as my husband says, "four-legged bank accounts," and "feathered bank accounts."  We put our money into animals which have a ready market, namely goats and chickens.  First, they pay us "interest" in eggs and offspring.  Second, they are very "liquid" in that if we have a financial need, we can usually unload one or more in less than 24 hours.  I miss my family and friends in the USA, but I love the life we've created here.  I work hard on the farm, as hard as my body will allow, but I'm still able to be present for my kids, and have time to work on my art and writing. I have a LOT less stress.  Life moves at a much slower pace.  We make about $400 USD a month, from farm income and some related off farm income.  Unfortunately we aren't able to save much of that yet, but still, we live a pretty comfortable life, and I wouldn't go back to the USA for anything.

Maureen, what part of Africa are you in? Your situation sounds amazing...

My Trash Art.  Totem poles made from old water heater tanks, and the faces and stuff are made from various car parts, gears, old broken tools, etc.