Randy White Comedy / Stand Up

Sometimes, you have to move beyond the blog – so I went and laid out some thoughts in front of an audience.

Postcard From A Transition Movement Hot Zone

The following is a guest column written for The Oil Drum. Randy White is a municipal sustainability expert, was a member of Portland’s Peak Oil Task Force, and is the Founder of Bright Neighbor, LLC.

It’s no secret that Portland is a pretty radical city. While mainstream America is still learning how to make the leap to full-time sustainability activities, Portland, Oregon is a major hot zone and leader in the human revolution. The intent of this article is to offer an opinion and insight into strategies, collaborations, and technologies that are occurring in our city to solidify life-supporting social constructs.

We All Have Our Problems
Portland is dependent on energy and money just like any other city. With over 500,000 people, we have the 23rd largest economy in the US at $88.6 billion dollars. We have crime, poverty, homelessness, and hard-working people who would love more time off to pursue more joys in life if only they didn’t have debts to pay.

The fact is, not enough people here have the skills, resources, or contribute to the system to say Portland can become a completely self-sufficient city. While science has determined the amount of calories and nutrition needed for human bodies to survive, only each individual can determine what is needed to satisfy each of our own living requirements. Right now, people around the world are searching within themselves to determine what this mother-of-all-market-corrections means in the context of their own life. In countries around the world, people are reflecting on survival, whether it means scrambling to meet basic needs such as food and shelter, or committing one’s life to helping others survive as we dismantle nuclear weapons.

Indeed, finance industries and governments continue to try and figure out how they can game the now collapsing currency market, and around the world thousands of loose-knit social movements and groups are acting together, radically altering the balance between commercial and non-commercial economies. Portlanders are trading sink repair for firewood, worm castings for books, and organizing into sustainability groups, meeting to discuss a multitude of survival strategies. The cool part is that it is in the most relaxed manner I could have imagined. You know something cool is happening when the art community gets involved. To see scholars, artists, chefs, teachers, farmers, faith leaders, bureaucrats and other various communities coming together to discuss survival in a civil manner is surreal. It is also the beauty of the Portland conversation, because empathy, understanding, and cooperation are now winning out over personal greed.

Let’s examine some of the conversations taking place, and how people are organizing to do what we can locally:

Food, Food, Food
Portlanders will practically strip naked and make love to the soil. Our city is full of a diverse ecosystem of people and cultures who love and worship local food, soil, and farmers. The cool thing to ask at parties is “So what do you grow”? Little kids wear shirts that say “I Love My Farmer”. They worship apples – and I’m not just talking about their phones and computers.

As mobile as the city is with its fantastic bus and rail system, we have no problem getting around to all the amazing restaurants that showcase seasonal, locally grown vegetables in their menus. Our chefs strive to use local ingredients, as long as the cost doesn’t put them out of business. Our citizens have one of the highest percentages of CSA subscriptions. The fact is, we love food. So when it comes to loud-mouthed know-it-alls, you can bet Portland likes to brag about it’s success with food.

Using a variety of technologies to list events, food experts are leading the conversation. If you know how to grow food, fix soil, and install edible landscaping, you are all the rage. Take a look at this quick video and you will see what the job of the future looks like.

Presently, Bright Neighbor offers a “Lawns to Gardens” service, helping match people to homeowners willing st share their lawns. We are connecting Gerding Edlen’s newest building CYAN/pdx to Portland land owners to help create more garden activity and boost our local local food system.

Our April 17th kickoff of the Bright Neighbor Community Revolution Tour will include boosting lawn farming production, water harvesting, and permaculture practices throughout the city.

Transportation
This one is real easy. Portlanders either walk, bike, drive, ride, or rail it to and from where they need to be. If you need to get there, you can get there cheap, you just have to consider whether you will be exposed to the elements and how much time it will take. But we know we will get there somehow.

When it comes to fuel supply solutions, some Portlanders have electric vehicles, and many are discovering that you can make ethanol from hundreds of non-food supply threatening feedstocks other than corn. As for ride-sharing, people are getting to know their neighbors to work on cooperative projects and partake in resource sharing. For instance, if you need a ride right now, you can just call up your friends or discover your neighbors via one of the many Internet technologies. You can always use the Internet and phone to find a ride and share resources. The question is which technologies to use will make it easiest for communities.

Fixing our local commerce system
One high-brow conversation among Portland communities is talk of fixing our money system and the restructuring of the economy based on a non-fiat based local currency. The challenge with this movement is an assumption that outstanding debts can or will be canceled or repaid using any new system. The beauty of this movement and conversation is that even if we don’t solve the new riddle right away, the conversation is fascinating and the beer is great. Even thinking about the idea of replacing the world’s current broken money system is exciting in and of itself. The questions being asked have to do with real value, the meaning of real wealth, and property rights. It is being talked about by all political parties, all religions, and all citizens.

We are asking:
Who grows my food?
Who supplies my fuel?
Are my water need secured?
What is worth more, a knife or a variety bag of seeds?
How does the community determine each person’s value?
How do we know who is trustworthy and who isn’t?
How long will dollars matter?
Am I capable of doing what it takes to survive?
What is my purpose if not to make money?

The conversation in Portland revolves around a common realization that our community is quickly developing an entirely new system of accepted social values, logistics, and supply chains. I will end this postcard from a transition hotzone with the opinion that emerging businesses are using a variety of technologies to bring new food supplies into pop-culture at maximum velocity. More of our citizens are contributing real value to the community through hyper-involvement at the neighborhood level, and Portland will continue to lead the way in defining modern community survival trends.

What’s cool that is going on in your city?

Privacy Is The New Transparency

To the folks on Mashable that think they know markets had better listen up. Privacy is the new Transparency.

Social innovation and technology are starting to stink. I am neck-high in communications technology development, and the abuse of it is making me just want to throw my gadgets away except for my i-pod so I can rock out to tunes while I’m gardening.

Facebook sucks, because you never know when someone is going to blackmail you with naked pictures.

Thurs., Feb. 5, 2009
MILWAUKEE – An 18-year-old male student is accused of posing as a girl on Facebook, tricking at least 31 male classmates into sending him naked photos of themselves and then blackmailing some for sex acts.

Seriously, things are getting out of hand. The watchdog group Privacy International is sounding an alarm about Google’s new phone tracking system, Latitude. “As it stands right now, Latitude could be a gift to stalkers, prying employers, jealous partners and obsessive friends,” Simon Davies, director of Privacy International, said in a new report.

So let me just lay it out on the line. Here are the hot trends that will be followed by money in 2009 – because my company is making money with them.

1) Walled Gardens & Private Clubs Will Soar

It sucks to not know if the person who you are chatting with is real or not. I’m no fan of Ronald Reagan, but he had one thing right: Trust, but verify. Just like the real world, you are allowed into some clubs and not allowed into others. You will start to see a lot more “Pay To Enter” groups, clubs, and social networks, because privacy is something that people will still pay for. It’s no big secret that humans like to have fun and enjoy sex and drugs and other social taboos. It’s whether or not it hurts your relationships and ability to earn money that matters. And relationships are where it is at. So businesses that capitalize on private, licensed walled garden community technology as well as free, community supported social networks will win.

And I’m just kidding about Facebook sucking – Facebook rocks. I see it as a vital player in helping America deal with our upcoming liquid fuels crisis. President Obama will be issuing orders through it, and it’s not Facebook’s fault anyone can use technology to do harm if he or she is a bad person. My bet is that they mimic and monetize Bright Neighbor’s member verification process.

2) The return of activities based on Maslow’s Heirarchy of Needs

This economy sucks. But hey, mountain hiking is practically free! And bowling is cheap! And people like to gather in the real world! So we will replace lost jobs with activities that help shape up our country. We are angry Americans, pissed off that we are losing access to money, but still the spoiled brats of technology and oil culture. That means we aren’t going to roll over and die just because some old fogies in Washington can’t get their checkbooks balanced.

3) Hyper-Local Community and Permaculture Becomes Sexier Than Hollywood

Please Hollywood – no more computer generated action sequence movies for a while. Batman is a weird, weird guy. We need stories that show monetary incentives that rally Americans to pick up shovels and get digging – not geomagnetically blowing up stuff and talking to armed vampires. It’s time that we all start listening to local hippies and farmers that get to say “I Told You So”, even as globalists start to freak out at the prospect of their capitalist empire of global trade shattering.

Because even though it looks like we have extra oil now that the price has dropped, it’s not the price that is the concern – it’s the supply. If someone blows up an oil terminal, we will have a real liquid fuels crisis, and immediately could suffer energy and food shortages, leading to social, business, and military pissed-offedness in a world full of really, really big missiles and boom boom sticks.

So 2009 is the year to get to know your neighbors better, even if you don’t want to. And don’t just get to know them, start hanging out with them and put yourself in an uncomfortable place for a while to get used to it. Because in case you haven’t noticed, we are arriving in Hell’s lobby. We have to take evasive action to immediately build hyper-local trust networks because people’s willingness to do things for each other, and to trust one another, depends on how well they know each other and how often they see them.

This has been my mantra for a long time, and luckily we do have so many ways to communicate with one another. It’s whether we are doing the right activities that counts more.

One last trend to report… hacked road signs. The trend is growing!

Randy White is the Founder of Bright Neighbor, a community self-sufficiency and technology company that specializes social collaborations and logistics to help communities adapt to the triple threat of economic, ecological, and energy collapse. A city dweller who has focused on reducing his impact on the planet while helping entrepreneurs forge new businesses, Randy’s expertise focuses on home-based self sufficiency opportunities. He will be speaking at the Pacific Northwest Better Living Show March 28th at the Portland Expo Center.

The Mother Of All Crossroads

My buddy Sam Drevo is a world class kayaker. He has navigated some of the fiercest waters on planet earth while simultaneously making love to and taunting mother nature. Sam looks at rapids ahead, and paddles straight into what could be the last moments of his life every time. It is his confidence, training, and humility that always allow him to come through alive, even if he knocks his head along the way. At least he has a plan for rough waters, and knows how to navigate new, uncharted territory like an expert.

And Sam has known adventurers who have made mistakes and paid with their lives. We are all fallible, right? You know you yourself have made miscalculations in the past just like everyone else, and things haven’t gone according the exact way you thought they might go.

Oh sure, you must have been smart about your plans, made all your mental details, laid out your strategy, and went for it, right? You were plotting, you see. We all plot every day, because we have to in order to survive. It could be anything from what to do in case you wash your cell phone and lose all your stuff, get that hot person to go out with you, or try to get away with something naughty. It could have be anything from trying to fake your own death, to helping fix your community. As long as you have a plan.

And right now, it seems many people have been caught off guard with this economic hardship and are just now scrambling to make a plan.

Who usually makes the plans for you? Is it your faith leader? Your boss? Your spouse? Henry Kissinger?

As we continue along the timeline of our lives, we are at the mother of all crossroads in human history. Everyone knows something really, really big is going on, but no one seems to know who to listen to about it anymore. Even as Obama takes his place on the throne, I am finding people asking themselves “what is my plan, and do I know exactly what to do?”

We can certainly make up for our past mistakes, we absolutely must. We blew it, America. We screwed up, bigtime. I have screwed up , you have screwed up, we all screwed up. Now we are facing the consequences, and we need plans that are not only ready to go, but that are already working.

As we each can at least pitch in at the local level, we need to be asking ourselves:

- Do I have a good relationship with my neighbors?
- What skills do I have that can help the community?
- What can I do to help others that will make me feel better?
- Do I really need all this stuff I have acquired to be happy?
- How will I make rent / the mortgage this month?

In globalism, we are expected to either be a producer or a consumer. You either make something, or you use something. Then there are the middlemen – called markets. And it is the markets that are collapsing, along with the ability for people to earn money as markets cease. If you get laid off, and no one else will hire you, what are you going to do to survive?

It is for this reason that I created Bright Neighbor. We are setting up communities across the country right now, and we are here to help governments, communities, businesses, and faith groups. We are already doing it, and are teaming up with Powell’s Books to offer the new Bright Neighbor University lecture series.

In April, I will be presenting an hour long workshop called “Lawns to Gardens: 10 Strategies For Thriving Through The Recession“. Or a title like that. More details to come!

- Randy White

BONUS VIDEO:
Sam Drevo and the Down The River Cleanup Crew

On the Behavior of Staying and Keeping Warm

What is more evil:

A) Running your heating source (gas, electric, oil, etc.) at full blast at the future expense of other humans
B) Asking for assistance once you have exhausted all of your own resources?

Are either evil at all?

Are you here, do you really exist?
Why does blood flow from open flesh?
Will we actually be able to stop the planet from toasting us right off the surface?
Will we destroy ourselves with nuclear devastation and religious wars?
Is nuclear war carbon negative or carbon positive?
Will children starve to death because their parents are out of work?
Will hard working people lose their homes because of government and financial services greed?
Will people start to take part in the creation of food, not just the eating of it?
Will people voluntarily wear a warm bathrobe instead of turning on their heat?

These are some samples of the thoughts I have wondered about this morning. And these thoughts of course become explorations themselves, as we question our existence and how we will possibly feed so many people as the economies of the world collapse.

After all, people would rather play video games and sell “thin air” than get out and work the soil. But what choice do we have? The government can’t hand out welfare checks and food stamps forever, there are too many people taking and not enough people putting back in. That means there is an imbalance in the force, young Luke.

So how do we counter that imbalance?

It seems people are waking up to our desperate situation.This is when strong leaders are needed, and people need to support their leaders. George Washington would have lost the Revolutionary War against the British if France hadn’t come to his aid to help him pay his troops. Of course, he hung his troops for not showing up to work… at least these days you just get fired.

Yes, we have become a nation of pansies, crying like babies for handouts from Mom and Dad government and the generosity of people who love us. Or some kind, random stranger who helps you out because it is the right thing to do. However you survive, the question still remains:

Do you wear a bathrobe, or blast the heat?

I am in a bathrobe in my freezing ass house, and I wish I could blast the heat. But it’s not the right thing to do. Brrrrrrr.

World Leaders Admit The Planet Is Screwed

Well, world leaders are finally fessing up to Einstein’s folly – that the spread of nuclear weapons and technology of mass destruction cannot be controlled.

Eventually, there are going to be very big explosions in a city near you.

So party while you can, and be a good human. That means trying to help other communities so they don’t blow you up, and vice-versa.

This means all kids on earth need to get along or we will certainly witness one of mother nature’s big bangs.

Merry Christmas!

Do You Know How To Conquer The Ether?

I am writing a new book, called “Conquering The Ether“.

It’s about how to fix the world. Sort of.

You see, I am a marketer, just like everyone else. I try to be as ethical as possible while making a living, but every single person is in sales. We spend our lives trying to convince other people of our worldview so we can maximize our experience on planet earth. After all, we humans are all born as consumers. While some of us are born into wealth and privilege, most of us have to claw our way through life trying to just survive and thrive in the slog. It’s scary out there, and we had better get a hold of chaos again before we wipe ourselves out.

But, it seems there will always be arguing over what kind of dinosaur Jesus used to ride or who’s God and beat up the other people’s false God and belief system. But if we got past religion and hate, we would realize the things we humans all universally have in common are amazing and simple.

We all pop out of our mother, eat, drink, pee, poop, mate, and hope our IRA doesn’t tank* before we die.

It’s all the stuff in-between that is the Ether.

Just what is the Ether, and how does one conquer it?

The Ether is the new world. It lost its virginity when radio was invented, picked up new territory when television first broadcast, and now is as big as the finite universe with the Internet. I contend that the election of Barrack Obama to the position of President of the United States was a great battle between the combined power of TV and Radio against the Internet.

We now know which major technology reigns supreme over the Ether, don’t we?

It’s you and me. We won. We won the battle – the collective human spirit is closer and closer to freedom than ever before. But the mental prisons we allow ourselves to remain in are there, as is laziness. So we continue to allow a very small amount of people to control the world – but all of that is quickly changing.

Thanks to human ingenuity – the Internet has become the de facto way to control pieces of both the real physical world and the telepathic electrically charged world. If you are creative, have the right team of people, and a valuable human and ecological cause – you can conquer anything your mind can project. Like money, for instance. People love to hoard money. But what happens when money is only an idea?

What is OOOOOOCH.com selling?

You tell me what they are selling. And how. And what feelings it emits inside you. It is only one example of conquering the Ether. Anyone can own it, actually. It is only a matter of time before some kid living on a few dollars a day owns a part of the Ether.

You can certainly own it – anyone with enough brainpower can own the ether, because it is cheap to own the Internet. That’s why Internet Domain name sales are still going strong, even in a crap economy. All you do is take out a plastic card, type in some numbers, and PRESTO! You own something that both exists and does not exist at the same time. Take Google. They own the Ether. They have mentally hacked your brain – and when they change something, it affects your brain patterns that have become life habit. When they change their interface, it changes the consciousness of millions of people at once. The same with other pillars like MySpace, Facebook, etc.

What will mental hackers do with these new powers?

When you make a recommendation to someone, does he or she listen and act based on what you said? If you can get people to do things you suggest – you are a power referrer. It’s when you have the power to refer and are respected for your status in the community that you wield additional power in the Ether. Your community can be reached with e-mail messages – because e-mail is an ingrained life operation for modern humans. But what does e-mailing your community mean these days? Defining community in a globalized, mentally connected world is difficult. What is community? Is it the amount of people you know where you live, or is it the size of your mailing list? Is it that starving child digging through trash for food in Zimbabwe, or is it your next door neighbor? Perhaps it is both?

The more people come online, the more important it is to be able to groom your real life interactions, as well as those that only take place in the Ether. Throw in that we are told the planet is running out of food, water, natural, unmolested ecosystems and money – and we have serious problems.

Especially when our global economies demand that we sell, sell, sell – whether it is a seminar or a candy bar – we are stuck in a world of consumptions. We can’t possibly pay back all the debts accumulated via the present money system. Because our present money system also lives in the Ether.

It didn’t used to be that way. Money used to be the thing of value itself. Remember fur traders? What is the key to understanding money that lies in the words fur traders? And what is the reason that the only sustainable option for human continuity is to go back to zero, everyone is where they are presently at on the game board, and we divvy up a fair system where able bodied people take part in various labor? But that won’t happen without massive violence – I can hardly see home owners opening the doors to any old stranger.

So what will happen to prior debts and agreements of ownership? Capitalism as we have known it is dead. I am open to anyone’s suggestions of how to navigate these new waters with so many prior debts and rules. The whole world is at tabula rasa.

But did you know about a system of farm tenancy once common in some parts of the United States called sharecropping? In the United States the institution arose at the end of the Civil War out of the plantation system. Many planters had ample land but little money for wages. At the same time most of the former slaves were uneducated and impoverished. The solution was the sharecropping system, which continued the workers in the routine of cotton cultivation under rigid supervision.

Economic features of the system were gradually extended to poor white farmers. The cropper brought to the farm only his own and his family’s labor. Most other requirements—land, animals, equipment, and seed—were provided by the landlord, who generally also advanced credit to meet the living expenses of the cropper family. Most croppers worked under the close direction of the landlord, and he marketed the crop and kept accounts. Normally in return for their work they received a share (usually half) of the money realized. From this share was deducted the debt to the landlord. High interest charges, emphasis on production of a single cash crop, slipshod accounting, and chronic cropper irresponsibility were among the abuses of the system. Farm mechanization and a marked reduction in cotton acreage have virtually put an end to the system.

My question is – who is responsible for screwing up the entire system, and now who owns what?

It is guns, law, debts, and order that keep us in line. The law and order in the United States since 1913 has been the Federal Reserve, and they have the guns, the laws, and used to own the debts. Now they owe the debts. In 1913, they took over the gold system of money, then the oil system of money, and now guess what we don’t have enough of to cover our debts to the world?

We are trillions of dollars in debt here in the United States. Most humans can’t even fathom what that truly means. Tell me how America can ever pay that back, especially when the market has decided that it can’t afford any more new gasoline powered cars?

That’s why I learned how to grow food at home. Because things of real value will always matter. You know what will always have value?

Food. Smokes. Booze. Drugs. Sex. Influence. Rock and Roll.

Man, that sounds like living to me! Except when you die from too much of any of it. But you will die from something, so you may as well be a good person and have a good time while helping other people live a better life. You’ll live longer that way.

All in all, I am enjoying the launch of Bright Neighbor. Portland is responding very well to our new sharing system that removes money from the equation. It’s a virtual commune, money saver, neighbor greeter, business network, skills database, transportation solution, and ecological sustainability technology system. I am pleased with it so far, and there is much more of the Ether and the real planet to tend to as we grow and perfect the system.

I have very busy days now, and I write when I can. If you want to get a signed copy of my book, you can pre-order “Conquering The Ether” now.

Regards,

Randy White
Founder, Bright Neighbor

* Obviously not everyone has an IRA.

There is New Money in Growing Food in Yards, Lawns, and Backyards

Peak oil has arrived, and so now we kick in peak oil / post-petroleum market solutions.

Congratulations to you, entrepreneurial city farmers. You are leading the way in the new green economy. Forget carbon credits – look out for new LLCs forming farming partnerships.

We are even seeing the beginnings of people doing yard sharing, lawn sharing, and sharecropping in Portland. Bright Neighbor helps facilitate such partnerships between farmers, gardeners, land owners, volunteers, and customers.

If you live in Portland, join today! If you live elsewhere, let’s talk about getting Bright Neighbor set up where you live.

Yee haw everyone, here we go!

America, Prepare To Learn From The Hippies

Hey America.

Capitalism as it was working ain’t working so good anymore. Our financial system is about to go through hell. A ‘Post-US Capitalism World’ is being planned, and Americans are the last to know. Russia and China are shaking hands on the new global financial order, and lots of others are in the club. We are hated around the world, folks – and we owe everyone money.

So right now, money is not as important as learning new skills, sharing what knowledge and things you have to help other people, and talking about how you feel. We have not been properly prepared by our government. Like bad parents, they have screwed up royally, and the kids are about to get stuck with the results. You are in for a traumatic shock. You will grieve. You will mourn. You will learn how awesome it is to be a techno-hippie.

Remain vigilant as we head into some cosmic storms. We were supposed to construct heaven and the architects had us build hell instead – OOPS! Americans are smart people, we just need to stick a lever in the ground and switch the direction of our ship. We have plenty of stuff to make new things out of and survive to have a happy populace, so all you rough and tough guys who own construction companies and big trucks don’t have any excuses to get violent.

There are many, many cool things happening that will help people get through this mess just fine, and be happier for it when we get through the first few phases. So everyone needs to know things suck, and the future is going to be different than what you were told it was going to be. America’s future looks a lot more like the Oregon Country Fair than it does anything else.

So all of you Nascar lovers who are about to get the shock of your life as America falls in the world, it is not a sign of weakness to talk about your feelings. You and your buddies can talk about how fucked everything is over beer, but at least be open to what the hippies and geeks have to say. We do have answers and a clear path to get America through this so everyone can be happy, eat, and learn new skills. Think about it this way – you get to goof off like you are in school again. Yee haw!

Because our universities have failed us, and America needs to go back to school and lean about making rain barrels, aquaculture, windmills, alcohol fuel, urban farming, passive solar – the whole works.

In each of our local communities, we can all pitch in and help fix the ship, there are lots of ways we will pull through this. I am so excited to show people all the cool things in store for transitioning to a radically sustainable culture. It will be better than Willy Wonka’s Factory!

How Well Are You Surviving?

So, how are you making it out there?

Still have your job? Still have food on the table?

I hope so. We have it pretty good here in America, even if we are homeless. We pretty much keep ourselves in line because we live in a “civil” place in the world. Maybe if gas prices keep going lower, everything will be okay again, right?

Wrong.

As oil and gas see-saw back and forth in price, do not be fooled. Excessive dependence upon a non-constant energy resource makes life precarious, especially when that resource runs out. And if you look at the historical record, gas prices always drop around election time. Duh.

But that isn’t what’s important. What is important is that you are doing well. It’s getting tougher out there, and we are in for some rough times ahead. But if you are fed, you are ok. Everyone crashes and burns at some point, just look at the Irish.

So if the shit hits the fan and the whole thing goes “KABLOOEY!”, we still have people that care. Instead of acting like idiots, there are lots of plans in place and people ready to help as a back-up in the event of a total system failure of America’s government and business infrastructure.

That’s because we are now entering the phase when America’s third backup takes over. And that means when business and government fail, you can count on the power of community to help save America.

We live in a country, where no matter what your politics or religion, there are people that care about other people, and they volunteer. They are community leaders and workers. They are nurses. Fire responders. Medical technicians. Social workers. HAM radio operators. Community farmers. There are too many to name here. These are the people who will still show up to help other people, even if the financial system crashes, we have hyper-inflation, and people’s money loses its value and meaning.

And that would give us enough time to stay calm, listen to the smarter leaders, and rebuild a new American economy. The main man with the plan is David Blume. David Blume is America’s new George Washington, only he doesn’t advocate killing. His book Alcohol Can Be A Gas is already creating big, positive waves throughout the country.

In Portland, members of government, the community, and business are using Bright Neighbor to solidify the social glue. We are growing a community that is working together self-organize, share resources and knowledge, and team up to do everything in Dave Blume’s book. Right now we have businesses starting up to build alcohol stills, broker deals between suppliers and new customers, and community members going in together to implement change at the local level.

We aren’t jumping ship, rather switching ships.

We are embarking on a journey with ecological business, and its new entrepreneurs are succeeding as they take care of the earth and her inhabitants. What we really need are for bankers to give loans to entrepreneurs that are willing to take risks as newby ecologically smart upstarts. The winners in America’s new economy are, for example, permaculture-based business entrepreneurs. Also, ecologically trained teachers can use Bright Neighbor to teach large classes of new business people. For real estate agents looking for a new career that pays well, “Alcohol Can Be A Gas” is the smartest book they can read on how to make money right now.

David Blume is empowering his readers in a wide variety of industries, including tech, automotive, urban farmers, restaurants, real estate, politicians, and bankers as they learn about new growth business opportunities.

I am now making a good living because of David Blume’s book, and if you want to know where the money is, it lies within those pages.

PS – Hey musicians! Learn how to share gear with one another – we need you to keep people’s spirits up! Hey painters – start painting some awesome murals on drab stuff! Hey poets! Get a real job!

Just kidding.