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Wednesday, July 23, 2014

The man who lives without money

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Irishman Mark Boyle tried to live life with no income, no bank balance and no spending. Here’s how he finds it.
If someone told me seven years ago, in my final year of a business and economics degree, that I’d now be living without money, I’d have probably choked on my microwaved ready meal. The plan back then was to get a ‘good’ job, make as much money as possible, and buy the stuff that would show society I was successful.
For a while I did it – I had a fantastic job managing a big organic food company; had myself a yacht on the harbour. If it hadn’t been for the chance purchase of a video called Gandhi, I’d still be doing it today. Instead, for the last fifteen months, I haven’t spent or received a single penny. Zilch.
The change in life path came one evening on the yacht whilst philosophising with a friend over a glass of merlot. Whilst I had been significantly influenced by the Mahatma’s quote “be the change you want to see in the world”, I had no idea what that change was up until then. We began talking about all major issues in the world – environmental destruction, resource wars, factory farms, sweatshop labour – and wondering which of these we would be best devoting our time to. Not that we felt we could make any difference, being two small drops in a highly polluted ocean.
But that evening I had a realisation. These issues weren’t as unrelated as I had previously thought – they had a common root cause. I believe the fact that we no longer see the direct repercussions our purchases have on the people, environment and animals they affect is the factor that unites these problems.
The degrees of separation between the consumer and the consumed have increased so much that it now means we’re completely unaware of the levels of destruction and suffering embodied in the ‘stuff’ we buy.
Very few people actually want to cause suffering to others; most just don’t have any idea that they directly are. The tool that has enabled this separation is money, especially in its globalised format.
Take this for an example: if we grew our own food, we wouldn’t waste a third of it as we do today.
If we made our own tables and chairs, we wouldn’t throw them out the moment we changed the interior décor.
If we had to clean our own drinking water, we probably wouldn’t shit in it.
So to be the change I wanted to see in the world, it unfortunately meant I was going to have to give up money, which I decided to do for a year initially. So I made a list of the basics I’d need to survive. I adore food, so it was at the top. There are four legs to the food-for-free table: foraging wild food, growing your own, bartering and using waste grub, of which there far too much.
On my first day I fed 150 people a three course meal with waste and foraged food. Most of the year I ate my own crops though and waste only made up about five per cent my diet. I cooked outside – rain or shine – on a rocket stove.
Next up was shelter. So I got myself a caravan from Freecycle, parked it on an organic farm I was volunteering with, and kitted it out to be off the electricity grid. I’d use wood I either coppiced or scavenged to heat my humble abode in a wood burner made from an old gas bottle, and I had a compost loo to make ‘humanure’ for my veggies.
I bathed in a river, and for toothpaste I used washed up cuttlefish bone with wild fennel seeds, an oddity for a vegan. For loo roll I’d relieve the local newsagents of its papers (I once wiped my arse with a story about myself); it wasn’t double quilted but it quickly became normal. To get around I had a bike and trailer, and the 55 km commute to the city doubled up as my gym subscription. For lighting I’d use beeswax candles.
Many people label me an anti-capitalist. Whilst I do believe capitalism is fundamentally flawed, requiring infinite growth on a finite planet, I am not anti anything. I am pro-nature, pro-community and pro-happiness. And that’s the thing I don’t get – if all this consumerism and environmental destruction brought happiness, it would make some sense. But all the key indicators of unhappiness – depression, crime, mental illness, obesity, suicide and so on are on the increase. More money it seems, does not equate to more happiness.
Ironically, I have found this year to be the happiest of my life. I’ve more friends in my community than ever, I haven’t been ill since I began, and I’ve never been fitter. I’ve found that friendship, not money, is real security. That most western poverty is spiritual. And that independence is really interdependence.
Could we all live like this tomorrow? No. It would be a catastrophe, we are too addicted to both it and cheap energy, and have managed to build an entire global infrastructure around the abundance of both. But if we devolved decision making and re-localised down to communities of no larger than 150 people, then why not? For over 90 per cent of our time on this planet, a period when we lived much more ecologically, we lived without money. Now we are the only species to use it, probably because we are the species most out of touch with nature.
People now often ask me what is missing compared to my old world of lucre and business. Stress. Traffic-jams. Bank statements. Utility bills. Oh yeah, and the odd pint of organic ale with my mates down the local.

Source from: worldobserveronline

Thursday, July 10, 2014

30 abandoned places that look truly beautiful

Take a tour of the world’s apparently robust supply of statues, buildings, and temples–and witness the surprising grandeur of dilapidation.

1. Christ of the Abyss, San Fruttuoso, Italy

(Italian: “Il Cristo degli Abissi”) is a submerged bronze statue of Jesus, of which the original is located in the Mediterranean Sea off San Fruttuoso between Camogli and Portofino on the Italian Riviera. It was placed in the water on 22 August 1954 at approximately 17 metres depth, and stands c. 2.5 metres tall. Various other casts of the statue are located in other places worldwide, both underwater and in churches and museums
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Kolmanskop, Namib Desert

(Afrikaans for Coleman’s hill, German: Kolmannskuppe) is a ghost town in the Namib desert in southern Namibia, a few kilometres inland from the port town of Lüderitz. It was named after a transport driver named Johnny Coleman who, during a sand storm, abandoned his ox wagon on a small incline opposite the settlement.[1] Once a small but very rich mining village, it is now a popular tourist destination run by the joint firm NamDeb (Namibia-De Beers).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kolmanskop
Via: photography.nationalgeographic.com
Via: photography.nationalgeographic.com

3. Dome houses, Southwest Florida

Built in Naples in 1981, the futuristic igloos seen above may not be around much longer. Falling into disrepair, one dome home owner seeking to restore the vintage vestibule has encountered nothing but exorbitant fines and bureaucratic hassles in the process.
http://all-that-is-interesting.com/floridas-bizarre-dome-homes
Via: reddit.com
Via: reddit.com

4. SS Ayrfield, Homebush Bay, Australia

SS Ayrfield (originally launched as SS Corrimal) was a steel-hulled, single screw, steam collier of 1140 tonnes and 79.1m in length. It was built in the UK in 1911 and registered at Sydney in 1912. It was purchased by the Commonwealth Government and used to transport supplies to American troops stationed in the Pacific region during WWII.
http://www.afloat.com.au/afloat-magazine/2008/may-2008/The_Wrecks_of_Homebush_Bay
Via: photoree.com
Via: photoree.com

5. Wonderland Amusement Park outside Beijing, China

Wonderland is an abandoned amusement park construction project located in Chenzhuang Village, Nankou Town, Changping District, People’s Republic of China, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) outside of Beijing. Originally proposed by the Thailand based property developer Reignwood Group, and designed to be the largest amusement park in Asia (to have covered 120 acres (49 ha)), construction stopped in 1998 following financial problems with local officials, while a 2008 attempt to start construction again also failed.The site, which features a number of abandoned structures, including the frame work of a castle-like building and medieval-themed outer buildings, is being reclaimed by local farmers.

6. Fishing hut, Germany

Fishing Hut in Lake of Berchtesgaden National Park
Via: onebigphoto.com
Via: onebigphoto.com

7. Holland Island, Chesapeake Bay

Holland Island is a marshy, rapidly eroding island in the Chesapeake Bay, in Dorchester County, Maryland, west of Salisbury. The island was once inhabited by watermen and farmers, but has since been abandoned. It is located in the Holland Strait, between Bloodsworth Island and Smith Island, six miles west of Wenona, Maryland.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holland_Island
Via: baldeaglebluff
Via: baldeaglebluff

8. The Kerry Way walking path between Sneem and Kenmare in Ireland

The Kerry Way (Irish: Slí Uíbh Ráthaigh) is a long-distance trail in County Kerry, Ireland. It is a 214-kilometre (133-mile) long circular trail that begins and ends in Killarney. It is typically completed in nine days.It is designated as a National Waymarked Trail by the National Trails Office of the Irish Sports Council and is managed by Kerry County Council, South Kerry Development Partnership and the Kerry Way Committee. The Way circles the Iveragh Peninsula and forms a walkers’ version of the Ring of Kerry road tour.  It is the longest of Ireland’s National Waymarked Trails.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerry_Way
Via: leiraenkai.deviantart.com
Via: leiraenkai.deviantart.com

9. Pripyat, Ukraine

Pripyat (Ukrainian: При́п’ять, Pryp’yat’; Russian: При́пять, Pripyat’) is a ghost town near the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, part of Kiev Oblast (province) of northern Ukraine, near the border with Belarus.The city has a special status within the Kiev Oblast, being the city of oblast-level subordination (see Administrative divisions of Ukraine), although it is located within the limits of Ivankiv Raion. The city also is being supervised by the Ministry of Emergencies of Ukraine as part of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone jurisdiction.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pripyat
Via: reddit.com
Via: reddit.com

10. 15th century monastery, Black Forest, Germany

The monastery was founded in 1084–85 in the Black Forest, by the source of the Brigach, against the background of the Investiture Controversy, as a result of the community of interests of the Swabian aristocracy and the church reform party, the founders being Hezelo and Hesso of the family of the Vögte of Reichenau, and the politically influential Abbot William of Hirsau. The intended site was initially to be at Königseggwald in Upper Swabia, but at William’s behest St. Georgen was chosen instead. The settlement, by monks from Hirsau Abbey, took place in the spring and summer of 1084; the chapel was dedicated on 24 June 1085.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._George%27s_Abbey_in_the_Black_Forest
Via: abandonedography.com
Via: abandonedography.com

11. Kalavantin Durg near Panvel, India

Kalavantin durg is situated aside the prabalgad,the pinnacle is in clouds during rains half of the time.  The base village for the climb is Prabalmachi.  A majestic trek and awesome place to visit during monsoon.
Via: natureknights.net
Via: natureknights.net

12. The remains of the Pegasus in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica

Pegasus Field (ICAO: NZPG) is an airstrip in Antarctica, the southernmost of three airfields serving McMurdo Station. Pegasus is a blue ice runway capable of handling wheeled aircraft year-round, and the principal Ice Runway on the sea-ice available during the summer Antarctic field season. The other two are the snow runways at Williams Field that are limited to ski-equipped aircraft. The field is named after Pegasus, a C-121 Lockheed Constellation, still visible there in the snow after crashing in bad weather on October 8, 1970. No one on board was injured.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pegasus_Field
Via: panoramio.com
Via: panoramio.com

13. Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Angkor Wat (Khmer: អង្គរវត្ត) is the largest Hindu temple complex and the largest religious monument in the world. The temple was built by the Khmer King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century in Yasodharapura (Khmer: យសោធរបុរៈ, present-day Angkor), the capital of the Khmer Empire, as his state temple and eventual mausoleum. Breaking from the Shaivism tradition of previous kings, Angkor Wat was instead dedicated to Vishnu. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation – first Hindu, then Buddhist. The temple is at the top of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia,appearing on its national flag, and it is the country’s prime attraction for visitors.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angkor_Wat
Via: theglobalpanorama.com
Via: theglobalpanorama.com

14. The Maunsell Sea Forts, England

The Maunsell Forts were small fortified towers built in the Thames and Mersey estuaries during the Second World War to help defend the United Kingdom. They were named after their designer, Guy Maunsell. The forts were decommissioned in the late 1950s and later used for other activities. One became the Principality of Sealand; boats visit the remaining forts occasionally, and a consortium called Project Redsands is planning to conserve the fort situated at Redsand.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maunsell_Forts
Via: fivelightsdown.squarespace.com
Via: fivelightsdown.squarespace.com

15. Bodiam Castle, East Sussex, England

Bodiam Castle is a 14th-century moated castle near Robertsbridge in East Sussex, England. It was built in 1385 by Sir Edward Dalyngrigge, a former knight of Edward III, with the permission of Richard II, ostensibly to defend the area against French invasion during the Hundred Years’ War. Of quadrangular plan, Bodiam Castle has no keep, having its various chambers built around the outer defensive walls and inner courts. Its corners and entrance are marked by towers, and topped by crenellations. Its structure, details and situation in an artificial watery landscape indicate that display was an important aspect of the castle’s design as well as defence. It was the home of the Dalyngrigge family and the centre of the manor of Bodiam.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodiam_Castle
Via: commons.wikimedia.org
Via: commons.wikimedia.org

16. Czestochowa, Poland’s abandoned train depot

Via: nedhardy.com
Via: nedhardy.com

17. Sunken yacht, Antarctica

In April, a 76-foot Brazilian yacht named Mar Sem Fin (Endless Sea) sank off the coast of Antarctica, likely due to ice compression and strong winds. Four crew members were rescued from the yacht, which is owned by Brazilian journalist João Lara Mesquita, who was in the region producing a documentary, according to MercoPress.
http://au.businessinsider.com/photo-of-a-sunken-yacht-in-antarctica-2012-8
Via: ruschili.35photo.ru
Via: ruschili.35photo.ru

18. Abandoned distillery, Barbados

Source: i.imgur.com  /  via: reddit.com
Source: i.imgur.com / via: reddit.com

19. Michigan Central Station, Detroit

Michigan Central Station (also known as Michigan Central Depot or MCS), built in mid-1912 through 1913 for the Michigan Central Railroad, was Detroit, Michigan’s passenger rail depot from its opening in 1913 after the previous Michigan Central Station burned, until the cessation of Amtrak service on January 6, 1988. At the time of its construction, it was the tallest rail station in the world.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_Central_Station
Source: i.imgur.com
Source: i.imgur.com

20. 1984 Winter Olympics bobsleigh track in Sarajevo

Sarajevo Olympic Bobsleigh and Luge Track is bobsleigh and luge track situated on Trebević mountain overlooking the City of Sarajevo, built for 1984 Winter Olympics.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarajevo_Olympic_Bobsleigh_and_Luge_Track
Source: flickr.com
Source: flickr.com

21. Craco, Italy

Craco is an abandoned commune and medieval village located in the Region of Basilicata and the Province of Matera in Italy. About 25 miles inland from the Gulf of Taranto at the instep of the “boot” of Italy. It is typical of the hill towns of the region with mildly undulating shapes and the lands surrounding it sown with wheat. It was abandoned in 1963 due to recurring earthquakes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craco
Source: i.imgur.com  /  via: reddit.com
Source: i.imgur.com / via: reddit.com

22. Russian military rocket factory

These incredible pictures were taken by a young Russian woman after she crept inside a factory belonging to one of the world’s top manufacturers of liquid-fuel rockets. Lana Sator found her way into one of NPO Energomash’s huge factories outside the Russian capital Moscow, without coming across a single security guard – or indeed any other employees at all.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2083556/Meet-girl-blogger-sneaked-inside-Russian-missile-factory–
Source: lana-sator.livejournal.com  /  via: i.imgur.com
Source: lana-sator.livejournal.com / via: i.imgur.com

23. Abandoned mill from 1866 in Sorrento, Italy

The Valley of the Mills, “The name Valley of the Mills, derives from the existence of a mill – functioning since the beginning of the ’900′s – used for grinding wheat. Attached to the mill, rose a sawmill which furnished chaff to the Sorrentine cabinet makers. Everything is completed by a public wash-house used by the women. The creation of Tasso Square, since 1866, determined the isolation of the mill area from the sea, provoking a sharp rise of the percentage of humidity, which made the area unbearable and determined its progressive abandon.”
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/photo-contest/2012/entries/167692/view/
Source: logicalrealist  /  via: i.imgur.com
Source: logicalrealist / via: i.imgur.com

24. Cooling tower of an abandoned power plant

Photographer Richard Gubbels out of Utrecht, Netherlands shot these amazing photos inside the cooling tower of an abandoned power plant.
Source: flickr.com  /  via: i.imgur.com
Source: flickr.com / via: i.imgur.com

25. House of the Bulgarian Communist Party

The House of the Bulgarian Communist Party was built in another era, however, one that long ago crumbled along with the way of life it embodied.  After the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, Bulgaria moved into a new age of parliamentary democracy.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2117506/Monument-troubled-past-Inside-crumbling-communist-HQ-Bulgaria-afford-maintain-demolish.html
Image by Dimitar Kilkoff / Getty Images
Image by Dimitar Kilkoff / Getty Images

26. Abandoned city of Keelung, Taiwan

Source: flickr.com  /  via: i.imgur.com
Source: flickr.com / via: i.imgur.com

27. Lawndale Theater, Chicago

When the Lawndale Theater of North Lawndale, IL closed permanently in the mid 2000s, it had been in use primarily as a church. The balcony was sealed off from the main level when the theater was converted into a church.
http://afterthefinalcurtain.net/2011/07/19/lawndale-theatre/
Source: ebow.org
Source: ebow.org

28. North Brother Island near New York City, New York

North Brother Island is an island in the East River situated between the Bronx and Riker’s Island. Its companion, South Brother Island, is a short distance away. Together, the two Brother Islands, North and South, have a land area of 20.12 acres (81,400 m2).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Brother_Island,_East_River
Source: ny.curbed.com
Source: ny.curbed.com

29. El Hotel del Salto, Colombia

Tequendama Falls (or Salto del Tequendama) is a major tourist attraction about 30 km southwest of Bogotá, the capital city of Colombia. The thousands of tourists who visit the area to admire the 157 metre (515 feet) tall waterfall and the surrounding nature, make a stop at another nearby landmark as well, the abandoned Hotel del Salto.  The luxurious Hotel del Salto opened in 1928 to welcome wealthy travelers visiting the Tequendama Falls area. Situated just opposite to the waterfall and on the edge of the cliff, it provided a breathtaking view to its guests. During the next decades though, Bogotá river was contaminated and tourists gradually lost their interest to the area. The hotel finally closed down in the early 90′s and was left abandoned ever since. The fact that many people in the past chose that spot to commit suicide, made others believe that the hotel is haunted.
http://desertedplaces.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-haunted-hotel-at-tequendama-falls.html
Source: alveart
Source: alveart

30. Nara Dreamland, Japan

Nara Dreamland (奈良ドリームランド Nara Dorīmurando?) was a theme park near Nara, Japan which was built in 1961 and inspired by Disneyland in California. On August 31, 2006, Nara Dreamland closed permanently.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nara_Dreamland
Via: steampunkopera.files.wordpress.com

Monday, July 7, 2014

Do you know which things make Life Memorable...!

Do you know which things make Life Memorable..?? :)

> Power-cut; On the Night Before Exam :D

> Enjoying; A Boring Movie with Friends :)

> Dancing; In Shower on a Hot Day :)

> Caught by Police; When Not having License :P

> No Balance; When Ur Beloved's Miss Call :(

> A Long Walk with Best friend...!