Author Archives: marcia

Lyrid Meteor Showers 4/21-22

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The Lyrid Meteor Shower

Every year in late April Earth passes through the dusty tail of Comet Thatcher (C/1861 G1), and the encounter causes a meteor shower–the Lyrids. This year the shower peaks on Monday morning, April 22nd. Forecasters expect 10 to 20 meteors per hour, although outbursts as high as 100 meteors per hour are possible.

Lyrid meteors appear to stream from the bright star Vega in the constellation Lyra:

In fact, Lyrids have nothing to do with Vega. The true source of the shower is Comet Thatcher. Every year in April, Earth plows through Thatcher’s dusty tail. Flakes of comet dust, most no bigger than grains of sand, strike Earth’s atmosphere traveling 49 km/s (110,000 mph) and disintegrate as streaks of light.

Lyrid meteors are typically as bright as the stars in the Big Dipper, which is to say of middling brightness. But some are more intense, even brighter than Venus. These “Lyrid fireballs” cast shadows for a split second and leave behind smokey debris trails that linger for minutes.

Occasionally, the shower intensifies. Most years in April there are no more than 5 to 20 meteors per hour during the shower’s peak. But sometimes, when Earth glides through an unusually dense clump of comet debris, the rate increases. Sky watchers in 1982, for instance, counted 90 Lyrids per hour. An even more impressive outburst was documented in 1803 by a journalist in Richmond, Virginia, who wrote:

“Shooting stars. This electrical [sic] phenomenon was observed on Wednesday morning last at Richmond and its vicinity, in a manner that alarmed many, and astonished every person that beheld it. From one until three in the morning, those starry meteors seemed to fall from every point in the heavens, in such numbers as to resemble a shower of sky rockets…” [ref]

What will the Lyrids do this year? The only way to know for sure is to go outside and look.

Experienced meteor watchers suggest the following viewing strategy: Dress warmly. Bring a reclining chair, or spread a thick blanket over a flat spot of ground. Lie down and look up somewhat toward the east. Meteors can appear in any part of the sky, although their trails will tend to point back toward the radiant–i.e., toward Vega.

Vega is a brilliant blue-white star about three times wider than our Sun and 25 light years away. You might have seen Vega in Carl Sagan’s movie Contact. It was the source of alien radio transmissions to Earth.

fr/spaceweather.com

CHROMOSCOPE April 14-20

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The theme this week is watch what you wish for.  This will be coming up in all areas — your personal life, communities, cities, countries, politicians, nations, corporations, etc.  So expect there to be a lot of movement in terms of dealing with the past, facing the future, and owning up to stuff.  All in all a most curious week.

Overall Color for the Week:     Chocolate

Desire, passion, fulfillment, disappointment, these are all things that will be coming to the fore this week.  You are in a situation now when a kind of tiredness is setting in.  This comes from a sense of having waited so long and not feeling as though there has been any positive response.  Moreover, and paradoxically, it is related to a sense that things are happening but not as you expected.  There is much emotion in the air this week.  Allow yourself to feel.  It is all good.  These feelings hold a truth, a new realization, that needs the water of tears in order to grow.  This is a good week for knowing who your community is and for being in contact with them.  There is support on all levels in that.  What you are feeling, they too are feeling and it is a good idea to share.

On the larger scale, there is a huge shadow over the earth this week.  It will make itself known in outbursts here and there.  Gaia is moving, and she is wanting to come out of the darkness that has been placed upon her by the work of men.  She will bring new light into the Earth this week in her own way.  Look for this.  The ley lines are becoming more and more activated.  Perhaps you will be feeling a tug to another place.  Honor it.  Take a look at it and research the area that is calling out to you.  There will be shifts also within certain political areas as things get shaken up on many different levels.  Expect an outburst from the population of a small country that has been held down for many, many years.  This is not necessarily political, but perhaps related to the use of GMO seeds or unhealthy practices.  The stock market will have a crazy ride, but will generally end the week on an upturn.  There is a new light coming upon the political scene, a popular figure, a person of the people.  Look to the area in which this happens.  There is an old, old secret there left from the Seed Race.  There is also a new kind of challenge to the human body that will be making itself felt.  It is both a physical thing as well as a magnetic thing.  It can disrupt the electro-magnetic field of the body.  This is not good.  It is not clear just who is behind this, however it will be making itself felt first in the world of the animals where it is being tested to determine the effects upon herds.  The week is crazy as craziness becomes the theme for those who are wanting to maintain their control.  The foundation, however, is irrevocably shaken.

Monday, April 15:    Salmon Pink

There are a lot of things that you have had in the works, and now you are feeling that they need to be done.  You are feeling a new sense of urgency, that you want to remove yourself from a lot of the old stuff that has been hanging around for so long.  The day’s energies give you momentum in this task, moreover they are even pushing you forward.  Accept this assistance and take a second look at many of the things that you have been making excuses for.  The time for excuses is coming to a close.  There is a new light on the horizon, and if you want to see it clearly, you need to make some changes.

Tuesday, April 16:    Silky Red

Things are not going to hold together very well today, and there will be a whole lot of slipping and sliding going on.  Because of this, it is imperative that you spend some time grounding and centering yourself.  When you do this. You will begin to see what is happening beneath the surface.  There is a new understanding that will come your way.  This is going to affect you as the year progresses, especially as you become more aware of the many layers of things.  It is very easy to become befuddled by what appears on the surface.  There is more going on below the surface, and this is true especially today in relationships with people.  It is a good idea to choose your words carefully and to listen well.  You have been waiting for a sign to come your way, and it is coming.  Unfortunately, it is coming in pieces.  Part also of the patterns that are around these days.  If something strikes you as important, even critical, note it.  There is more to come.

Wednesday, April 17:    Slate Blue

This is a day for knowing what belongs to you and what you do not want.  This is true in all areas, including emotions, advice, guilt, fear, fondness, possessions, etc.  There are things that you have held back from doing, being, having, wanting because of stuff that was dumped on you when you were young or perhaps things carried over from other lifetimes.  This stuff is no good and it can trip you up on your path to Ascension.  Let it all go.  The first thing to do is to see these things for what they are.  There will be a number of opportunities today to understand just what this means.  You can find yourself faced with decisions or encountering events that will allow you to take a different approach. You will know them when they arise.  It is time then to go within, into your heart center, into the deep knowing and connection with the Universal Consciousness and to open to that flow.  Wow!  You can just feel the attachments snap away.  They have no power over you unless you allow them to.

Oregon’s Newberry Volcano Activity Report

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Volcano activity of April 12, 2013 – Update, Newberry volcano seismicity (Oregon, USA)

Last update: April 13, 2013 at 3:02 am by By

Update Newberry volcano

Interesting press release from CVO this evening.  While they’re playing this down, it is interesting that there are (and have been) many more earthquakes than they mention in the report (for days now!)!  The events plot beneath the most recent vent area,…not where geothermal exploration this past year had triggered earlier activity on the western flank of the volcano.  I had been watching these events, but obviously not closely enough!!!  I’m sure the deep low-frequency event within the shallower activity got their attention.  This is a rhyolitic volcano (so there are few analogs to precursory activity) and the seismicity at Chaiten and more recently at Cordon Caulle began at around 8 km depth!!

Maybe nothing,…maybe something!!!  Definitely the most interesting seismicity in the Cascades for a long while!!!

Screen Shot 2013-04-13 at 4.52.05 AM

Earthquakes at Newberry, April 08-12 – 
April 12, 2013
Between 04/08 – 04/12, five earthquakes were located within or along the margins of the Newberry caldera by the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (PNSN, http://www.pnsn.org). The first two occurred at 04:19 & 04:20 PDT on 04/08 and were followed over the next 20 minutes by eight smaller (and therefore unlocatable) earthquakes. Three days later at 5:01 PDT a “low-frequency event”, so-called because it lacks higher-frequency waves that are commonly observed in regular earthquakes, occurred at a depth of ~8 km. Finally on 04/12 two additional earthquakes occurred at 02:28 and 04:06 PDT. The largest of these five events was a M 1.2. These five events appear as orange or red (two most recent) circles in the below map-view plot.

Screen Shot 2013-04-13 at 4.59.27 AM

Newberry earthquakes, 2011 – 2013
Map showing earthquakes located within the Newberry caldera from 2011 – 2013. Earthquakes from April 08-12, 2013, are colored orange or red (for April 12 events).

Although these five events are nothing to get excited about, they are noteworthy because only six other earthquakes have been located within or along the margins of the Newberry caldera since the Newberry seismic network was expanded from one to nine seismic stations in the summer of 2011 (none of these events would have been detected prior to 2011). In addition, the 04/11 event is the first low-frequency event ever recorded in the Newberry area. Low-frequency events are not unusual at volcanoes, and when observed are commonly thought to reflect movement of fluid (water, gas, or other) through cracks. Given that there are active hot springs within the caldera, the occasional occurrence of such events should not be surprising. An unusual feature of this low-frequency event is its depth (8 km). Since the 1980s, such “deep low-frequency events” have been seen intermittently at Mount Baker (31), Glacier Peak (9), Mount Rainier (9), and Mount St. Helens (9). At these other volcanoes the deep low-frequency events occur as part of background seismicity and have not been associated with eruptions or unrest at the surface (for more information about these type of events in the Cascades, see Nichols et al. (2011)**). Although intriguing from a volcanological perspective, these events are again nothing to get excited about.
** Nichols, M. L., S. D. Malone, S. C. Moran, W. A. Thelen, and J. E. Vidale (2011), Deep long-period earthquakes beneath Washington and Oregon volcanoes, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 200(3-4), 116-128.

from:    http://earthquake-report.com/2013/04/12/volcano-activity-of-april-12-2013/

Honshu, Japan Earthquake 4/12

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Very dangerous earthquake hits Sumoto, Honshu, Japan

Last update: April 12, 2013 at 9:09 pm by By

 

Most important Earthquake Data:

Magnitude : 5.7 ; M6.0 JMA

Local Time (conversion only below land) : 2013-04-13 05:33:18

GMT/UTC Time : 2013-04-12 20:33:18

Depth (Hypocenter)  : 10 km

Update 21:11 UTC : Based on our experience with Japanese earthquakes, earthquake-report.com considers JMA 5+ intensity as a potentially dangerous shaking. This earthquake has been labeled with an intensity 6-, which is clearly above the ER damage level.
6-    Awaji-shi Gunge*, Awaji-shi Shizuki*
5+    Minami-awaji-shi Hirota*, Minami-awaji-shi Minato* and Awaji-shi Kuruma*

Update 21:08 UTC : NO tsunami alert is called by JMA Japan

Update 21:06 UTC : The full Awaji Island area has 157,000 people.
Kobe was obviously the most famous earthquake that was around this area in 1995.
With M6 and 5.3km depth, the USGS shakemap shows intensity VIII shaking and around $10 million damage.

Update 20:57 UTC : Sumoto, the city very close to the earthquake epicenter has approx. 50000 inhabitants

A strong earthquake has hit onshore of M6.0 and shallow.
JMA intensities of up to 6- are possible – which would cause damage near the epicenter. More to follow.

Dangerous intensity locations as provided by JMA Japan

Dangerous intensity locations as provided by JMA Japan

9km (6mi) NW of Sumoto, Japan
20km (12mi) NNE of Fukura, Japan
28km (17mi) SSW of Akashi, Japan
32km (20mi) NE of Naruto, Japan
465km (289mi) WSW of Tokyo, Japan

from:    http://earthquake-report.com/2013/04/12/strong-earthquake-near-s-coast-of-western-honshu-on-april-12-2013/

Strong Solar Flares

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STRONG SOLAR FLARE: The magnetic field of sunspot AR1719 erupted on April 11th at 0716 UT, producing an M6-class solar flare. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the explosion’s extreme ultraviolet flash:

Shortly after the flare, a CME emerged from the blast site. NOAA forecasters estimate a 60% chance of geomagnetic storms on April 13th when the cloud reaches Earth. High-latitude sky watchers, be alert for auroras!

fr/spaceweather.com

Sunspot Alert

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DOUBLE-BARRELED SUNSPOTS: Earth is staring down a double-barreled threat for solar flares–that is, sunspots AR1718 and AR1719. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory photographed the pair during the early hours of April 10th:

Each of these sunspots has a ‘beta-gamma’ magnetic field that harbors energy for M-class flares. Of the two, AR1718 appears more likely to erupt. It is growing rapidly and is already crackling with lesser C-class flares. Any explosions today will be Earth-directed.

fr/spaceweather.com

Iran — Major Earthquake

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Very strong deadly earthquake in Southern Iran – At least 40 dead and over 1000 injured (also well felt in KSA and the UAE)

Last update: April 10, 2013 at 12:30 pm by By

SUMMARY 14:00- The towns closest to the epicenter have suffered greatly.
– The death toll remains at 12, however is expected to rise in the coming hours.
– Around 40,000 people are affected most of all.
– Landslides were seen.
– A M6.1 earthquake occurred at a depth of 10km in the sparsely populated Bushehr/Kaki region.
– The Bushehr nuclear facility is running smoothly.
– Rescue teams continue to work on retrieving bodies and rescuing survivors from the masonry rubble.

Shaking map

Shaking map

UPDATE 13:49- There are currently 100 rescuers on the scene. According to the rescuers, the towns of Baghani and Senate (bad Farsi translations) in Khormoj have been 100% destroyed (it is still unclear whether the entire village has been destroyed or just some buildings). There are fatalities and injuries that are expected.

UPDATE 13:41- It is as yet unclear if any houses have been affected by the major landslides and rockfalls that have occurred in the mountains.

UPDATE 13:36- The 4 closest villages are currently being assessed. Certain routes (like the highway) closest to the earthquake-stricken areas are closed. This earthquake is rated as CATDAT Red, and is unlikely to be CATDAT Dark Red.

UPDATE 13:33- Some of the aftershocks will also be lightly felt in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates and Qatar. It is quite likely however that no greater earthquakes will occur than the 6.1 that occurred earlier. The quake triggered panic in Dubai’s high-rise buildings and residents rushed out (it is unclear whether any injuries resulted). Some buildings in the Dubai Marina area have been evacuated and workers sent home according to Gulf News sources.

UPDATE 13:30- Villages in Kaki and closer have some homes that have suffered 100% destruction (collapsed according to the Iran classification). These are likely to be of masonry and it can be expected that a 5-15% fatality rate occurs in these buildings.

UPDATE 13:27- At least 12 people are reported dead.

UPDATE 13:23- The death toll has risen to 5. There are scenes of destruction in Kaki, with many destroyed houses being reported. In addition damage in Borozjan Bushehr and also Khormoj. The arrival of teams from Fars and Bushehr will allow for a better range of fatality information soon. The theoretical USGS PAGER model predicts around 200 fatalities as a median (35% chance between 100-1000 fatalities), so there is a high likelihood that a higher number of fatalities will occur than currently reported.

UPDATE:- Many aftershocks have hit the region. The death toll remains at 3, however is expected to rise.

UPDATE:- The Bushehr nuclear facility (around 100km from the quake) is functioning normally.

UPDATE:- 20 rescue personnel in 4 assessment teams, and 2 helicopters have been sent. Kaki city has some destroyed houses, and some poorly built rural houses in Bushehr (around 50-60km away) have cracking. It is expected that Kaki and Khormoj will have the most destruction.

Kaki

Kaki City

Kaki City

UPDATE:- Kaki city actually has 10,000 people. Thus, there is more exposure than first thought. Unfortunately, death rates of around 2-3% are not uncommon from such earthquakes. Red Crescent assessment teams have been sent to the scene.

UPDATE:- The Siraj highway is quite close to the epicenter and around 16-22km from Khormoj. 3 people have died, and there are helicopters and assistance being sent to the region. In addition, many landslides have been seen.

UPDATE:- The earthquake has occurred near the Borozjan fault, near a salt dome. There appears to be a town of around 2000 people from satellite images that is close to the earthquake epicenter. Good news is that it is further from Khormoj than first expected from the Iran epicenter.

UPDATE:- Finally news, from the earthquake epicenter where a M6.1 earthquake (local magnitude by IIEES, Iran) – there has been damage reported in Kaki County. In addition, there are scattered reports of possible casualties.

UPDATE:- It is generally bad news in Iran as there are no reports from ISNA, IRNA or Fars News currently on the earthquake. All major agencies have given a shallow 6.2 to 6.3 earthquake (GEOFON, USGS and EMSC). It is expected however that the earthquake may be slightly deeper than first thought which may reduce fatalities. Iran has a very low Q value, meaning that generally earthquake waves reduce in energy (attenuate) faster with distance.

UPDATE:- Many towers have been evacuated across Dubai and in the Middle East given the light shaking. The area of main concern however is the epicentral region. Bushehr at 90km from the epicenter should have been spared major damage, but the closer towns probably not.

UPDATE:- A M5.4 aftershock has also occurred, which will have added to the possible damage.

UPDATE:- There are approximately 3000 people living in the intensity 8 shaking zone according to the USGS PAGER model and 15000 people in the intensity 7 shaking zone. Khvormuj is a city in and capital of Dashti County, Bushehr Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 31,667, in 6,966 families. It is around 25km away from the epicenter.

A strong earthquake has been felt across the region. Magnitude 6.2 in southern Iran can often cause major damage especially when at a shallow depth. It is worth remembering that the 2003 Bam earthquake had a magnitude around 6.5, and caused around 25,000 deaths.

A M6 earthquake struck the same region of Khormoj in 1976 on the 22nd of April causing some damage but no fatalities.

It has been felt intensity IV in Dubai (probably long period waves in a high building).

This current earthquake has been felt in Bahrain, Qatar, UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Most important Earthquake Data:

Magnitude : 6.1 (IIEES Local), 6.3Mw (USGS Global)

Local Time (conversion only below land) : 2013-04-09 16:22:51

GMT/UTC Time : 2013-04-09 11:52:51

Depth (Hypocenter)  : 12 km, 10km

for more information and updates, go to:    http://earthquake-report.com/2013/04/09/very-strong-earthquake-southern-iran-on-april-9-2013/

Please note, there is some good information on the above captioned page  which states emphatically that earthquakes cannot be predicted.  I would suggest that you check it out.

Chromoscope April 7-13

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April 7-13

The theme this week is whole lot of shaking going on.  This includes values and allegiances.  It is time to see things for what they are.  Open the vision of the heart.  Stay centered and grounded in the core and listen to the truth out there.  If you can do all that, you can make it through.

Overall Color for the Week:    Sea Blue

This is a week of shake-ups in all areas.  It is well to start out each day with a grounding ritual and a centering.  It is time to know all the things that you are, that you can do that make you powerful.  This is a time in which it is no longer advantageous at all to try to follow the world views of others.  All those imposed guilts and fears need to be seen for what they are.  This can involve some really difficult, yet ultimately liberating, soul-searching.  This is a week for seeing the sun come out of the shadows and for knowing that the shadows only exist where you have not allowed the sun to break through.  There is no thing that is too much for you.  Yes, things can be overwhelming, but there is that light inside that will take you through it all.  You have prepared for these times, and you know instinctively what it is that you are to do.  Honor your intuition.  Listen to the clues.  There are people out there for you.  Your community is moving together inevitably.  There is joy in the recognition of that.  Heed those times of déjà vu, of synchronicity, of serendipity.  These are assurances, signs if you will, from the Universe that all is well.  You are not alone.  There is something you need to be learning this week, the book, the medium, the element will come to you this week.  Embrace it.  Accept it.  This is a time for receiving.   One other thing, the physicality is shifting more and more.  There can be some physical issues this week.  Go within and know them for what they are.  Some might require some additional care or action.   Also perspectives are shifting and this can cause some tough moment

On the larger scale, the hidden dragon is awakening, stirring.  All things are responding on and within the Earth.  Gaia has come forth in her compassion and love and care of self to begin the times when things truly begin to shift and find their centers.  This week will bring this out in quite dramatic contrast.  There will be startling incidents happening, while seeds of greater events are being sown.  This is part of this great and undeniable shift.  You will see things going on within the world of politics on all scales and in many different countries that will lead you to question just what is going on.  Covers will be ripped off of some of the secrets that ‘they’ thought were so well disguised.  There is a groups of people who will be making themselves known on the Internet who have information to give concerning the larger frame of reference and the existence of extra-terrestrials in the history of the world.  This will reach a larger audience and may get some peripheral coverage in the media.  Meanwhile there will be jumps in the stock market this week that will be countered and twisted as time goes by.  The Sun will be exerting a sideways influence on the Earth, and with this will come some interruptions in the electronics.  Be prepared for this.  There is something in the water that will be brought forth.  There is a cloud over the Koreas that will begin to rain.  This is a week when there is uncertainty in so many different areas.  The ley lines and power points on the globe are beginning to light up and activate, and as this happens, places in which there have been attempts in the past to cover the light will find themselves in the midst of the shake up, particularly in Asia Minor through to Nepal.  There will be a number of travel issues occurring this week, so if you are going somewhere, listen to your intuition.  This is truly a time for being grounded.

Wednesday, April 10:    Light Turquoise Blue

There are many things that you had been planning for today, but it is best just to let that all go and allow things to unfold as they will.  There are messages that you have been missing, and the current energy is lining them up in such a way that you will no longer be able to ignore them. Look to nature, the movement of the wind, the flight of birds, the cries of animals, they are reacting to what is going on vibrationally.  They are moving into a closer kind of communication with the human species as the energies of Gaia gather together those who are listening.  There is much to hear.  Know that you will be given an opportunity today.  Think on it before making a decision.  It is related to some long held desires, but you must be clear in what it is that you are wanting, and decide based upon your highest good.  Your are not alone in the decision-making process.  You deepest heart’s knowing is connected to the Universal Consciousness.  There is wisdom there.

What’s There to Share

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The Gen Y Guide to Collaborative Consumption

share.jpeg

The following is an excerpt from the essay anthology Share or Die: Voices of the Get Lost Generation in the Age of Crisis, edited by Malcolm Harris & Neal Gorenflo, available from New Society Publishers. 

 

When our parents graduated from college, the bachelor’s degree was a coveted badge of honor. It gave applicants instant cred (and usually a larger paycheck) no matter what the job. Now, having a bachelor’s degree does nothing to make an applicant stand out from the masses. And if you’re applying for a job well below your skill level because you’re desperate for a paycheck, that B.S. degree will probably get your carefully crafted resume tossed in the trash.

American youth are slowly realizing that the old system is broken, and no longer holds the answer to all their dreams and desires. We’re discovering that stable, satisfying careers can be found outside the offices and factories around which our parents and grandparents built their lives. We’re acknowledging that the pursuit of bigger, better, and faster things have plunged our country into a time of despair and difficulty. We’re convinced that business as usual isn’t an option any longer–but what’s the alternative?

Together, we’re learning that instead of waiting for politicians and corporations to fix the system, it’s possible to create a better one of our own, right under their noses. A new way of living, in which access is valued over ownership, experience is valued over material possessions, and “mine” becomes “ours” so everyone’s needs are met without waste.

If these ideas get your blood pumping, there’s good news: young people all over the world are already making them a reality. It’s called collaborative consumption, (or the sharing economy) and it’s changing the way we work, play, and interact with each other. It’s fueled by the instant connection and communication of the internet, yet it’s manifesting itself in interesting ways offline too.

If you’re ready to connect with people who can help you save money, pursue your passions, and reduce waste, here’s a quick-start guide to your sharing experience:

1. Remove all items from the box and assess

Sit down with yourself (or some friends) and talk about what you’ve got, what you need, and what you could live without. Take stock of what you’d be willing to share, rent, or give away. Write down all the things you really need to be productive/happy/connected. Then, cross out all the things that you want just to have them, and highlight all the things that involve a valuable experience. Now you have a list you can tackle through sharing.

2. Connect to the power source

The collaborative consumption movement empowers people to thrive despite economic climate. Instead of looking to the government or corporations to tell us what we want or create a solution for our problems, we take action to meet our own needs in a creative fashion. This is our power source. Start looking for ways to share at school, on community billboards, by asking friends, or use the resources below (US-based unless noted otherwise):

Housing

Social Food

Personal Finance

  • Lending Club – An online financial community that brings together creditworthy borrowers and savvy investors so that both can benefit financially.
  • Zopa (UK) – Where people get together to lend and borrow money directly with each other, sidestepping the banks for a better deal.
  • Prosper – A peer-to-peer lending site that allows people to invest in each other in a way that is financially and socially rewarding.
  • SmartyPig – social savings bank that enables you to save for specific goals and engage friends and family to contribute.
  • How to Save Money by Sharing

Entrepreneurship / Work

Travel

  • CouchSurfing – An international network that connects travelers with free accommodations offered by locals in over 230 countries. There’s no better way to immerse yourself in the local culture than to stay with an friendly local.
  • Airbnb – the leading a fee-based service that connects people who have space to share with travelers looking for lodging, all over the world. Also check out similar services iStopOver, Roomorama, and Tripping. Save a ton of money and connect to the local scene through these peer to peer lodging sites.
  • How To Swap Cities – a guide on how to swap offices with someone from another city inspired by SwapYourShop.
  • Try out Vayable or Guidehop for tours and experiences created by independent locals for those seeking authentic experiences.

Land / Gardening

Transportation

Media (Books, Movies, Games, Music)

  • Swap.com – The leading online swap marketplace for books, movies, music and games.  Amazing selection. Update: now swapping everything.
  • BookMooch – Lets you swap books you no longer need in exchange for books you really want.
  • Goozex – A trading platform for video games and movies.
  • Paperback Swap – Trade paperback books for free. Also DVDs and CDs.

Clothing

Redistribution Sites (where unneeded stuff finds a loving home)

  • Freecycle – The original grassroots organization for giving and getting free stuff in your town.
  • Craigslist – This is the ultimate free classified site with categories for free stuff, shares, barters, sublets, garage sales, house swaps, tons of used stuff for sale, and more. New in town? You can set yourself up with a job, an apartment, furniture, and a date all from this site.
  • eBay – International online auction that allows you to buy from and sell to other individuals.
  • Try out Zaarly, a classified service optimized for smartphones.

Renting and sharing of general goods where you live

  • Rentalic, Neighborgoods, Keepio, SnapGoods and Zilok (US & Europe) are leading peer to peer rental and sharing marketplaces.
  • Do you want to co-own something with friends or family? Jointli and Sharezen are the perfect tools to buy, use, and manage a shared asset like cars, boats, planes, tools, real estate, and more.

Campus

  • Chegg – Rent expensive textbooks on the cheap.
  • Better World Books – Save big on used textbooks.
  • CafeScribe – A new service that lets you download electronic copies of your textbook, add friends, and share your notes.
  • GradeGuru – A leading student notesharing and social network.
  • Free Technology Academy – free college classes on open source technology and standards.
  • Open Courseware – free college course materials offered by scores of top universities from around the world. Also check out MIT’s free classes.

Other Guides:

If you don’t see the sharing solution you need, check out our huge list of how to share guides on Shareable.  Or add resources you know about in comments.

3. Press the power button

Once you discover local opportunities for sharing and collaborating, it’s time to add the power: you. Get involved. Create a profile on sharing/renting/bartering site and actually list some stuff you could trade. Contact the moderator of a local offline sharing group and offer up your goods or services. Collaborative consumption requires a venture into a social world, even if it’s only online; you need to get out there.

4. Sync with other devices and enjoy

Ideas like eBay, Netflix, and GameFly are pretty well-known examples of sharing, but it’s important to remember that options exist offline as well. Sure, the internet makes it safe for us to share with strangers, but that doesn’t mean you should forget about the satisfaction of sharing face-to-face. Coworking brings collaboration into your professional life; a local food co-op brings sharing into your pantry, and skill-sharing communities bring comraderie to your weekend hobbies.

Don’t be afraid to let sharing/bartering/collaborating go viral in other areas of your life as well. You’ll discover, as Rachel Botsman does in What’s Mine is Yours, that “over time, these experiences create a deep shift in consumer mindset. Consumption is no longer an asymmetrical activity of endless acquisition but a dynamic push and pull of giving and collaborating in order to get what you want. Along the way, the acts of collaboration and giving become an end in itself.”

from:    http://www.realitysandwich.com/gen_y_guide_collaborative_consumption

The “Mutual Class”

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From the Middle Class to the Mutual Class

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Americans have the tools and money to create an America where all workers are employed, whose every square mile is beautiful; whose cities are safe playgrounds for children; whose food is fresh and affordable; whose waters are clean from sea to crystal sea.  An America run by Americans for Americans is fully capable of rebuilding all homes so they’re earthquake-proof, hurricane-proof, tornado-proof, flood-proof, drought-proof, fireproof, and bank-proof.  When Americans take control of money, we are wealthy enough to build an America where it’s easy to stay healthy and to get healed; where costs of living get smaller and our lives get bigger.

What blocks these goals?  Both Us and Them.

On the one hand, all of America’s institutions have become too big to change.  Like sumo wrestlers in a basketball game, they move too slow.  Big Government, Big Oil, Big Insurance, Big Finance, Big Agriculture, Big Highway, Big Education, Big Military, Big Prison, Big Police, Big Poverty — these feed on disaster and control.  They no longer exist primarily to fix problems, but to grow.

Then on the other hand, millions of us are employed by these institutions to enforce the past.  Millions of us depend on their stocks.  Many of us watch their commercials and obey their laws.  Many prefer dull safety to risky action, even to save America.  We drive straight, even when the road curves.

Therefore American politics wallows like a car stuck in mud with an elephant sitting on the roof, dragged by a lazy donkey, going nowhere but deeper.

As a result, the Middle Class dream has become a burden sinking millions through mortgage, insurance, utilities, tuition, credit card fees, cars and fashion.  Consumerism by liberals and conservatives alike has depleted America’s essential resources and our national sovereignty.

The next American generations will never achieve Middle Class excess.  That’s good for the planet and tough for them.  Fortunately, though, Millennials can become a prosperous Mutual Class by starting genuinely nonprofit mutual aid systems that enable them to live well by sharing resources.  Such programs were widespread and successful one hundred years ago.

Through them we create millions of jobs that revive our neighborhoods.  We give ourselves raises by lowering prices.  And all our current skills are employed while we enjoy new talents.

Young and old, we will become the government as we create these regional food systems and regional stock exchanges, establish green co-housing programs and green labor administrations, reduce dependence on fossil fuels toward zero, replace automobile space with train and bike space, convert vacant urban land into greenhouses and orchards, develop co-operative health plans and clinics, issue our own education credentials and our own community money.

Such local systems prepare us to take power by creating parallel authority.  By taking power together we regain time for creative individuality.  We move from dependence to ownership.

The Mutual Class will also pioneer Mutual Enterprise — local businesses committed to community, ecology, and social justice.

Let’s look at a sample Mutual Day.  We start with sex and music, then breakfast.  We walk or bike to work, four days per week.  After three hours work, we return home for a long lunch and sex, or we eat with co-workers: we discuss work plans, utility and durability of product, marketing, sales, prices and wages.  Then two more hours of work.  We have time and energy for an afternoon stroll or game, then prepare dinner, make music, make love (Why so much sex?  Because we’re relaxed).  We finish with an evening stroll in our beautiful neighborhood.

To achieve such better dreams, Americans must at the same time confront anti-American institutions.  Laws that forbid urgent change are a cage for us to die in.  Regulations must be broken when they block American liberation from debt, layoffs, foreclosure and bankruptcy, earthquakes, tornados, floods, heat waves, cold snaps, blackouts and traffic jams.

This is merely the revolutionary American tradition that ended slavery, gained votes for women, won the eight-hour workday, secured civil rights, and started this nation.  By contrast, conferences and elections are powerless displays.

Yet the most direct path to deflate bad authority is to withdraw personal dependence.  Time to leave the car in the mud and get back on track.  Use train, bike or feet rather than car.  Shop less and shop local.  Move your money into a local bank or credit union.  Insulate your housing.  Be a creator, not a consumer.  Eat less meat or none.  Have one or fewer children.

The next America will look entirely different than the one we know.  We’ll have fun building it and our grandchildren will thank us.  America went to the moon.  Now America will go to the future.

 

from:    http://www.realitysandwich.com/middle_class_mutual