Todd P Paul

Communal Living

I would encourage you to read the FT article on communes in the weekend paper. It looks at a brief history of intentional communities and talks about the modern movement.

They were the perfect homes for the hippy movement. Loosely structured and easy-going, communes in the late 1960s and early 1970s offered young people shelter, warmth, food and company without any of those annoying constraints of the nuclear family and suburban life. In a commune you could get up late, spend the day doing whatever you wanted and even sleep with your best friend’s partner, all in the name of rejecting conventionality. And it hardly cost you a penny.

Well, at least that was what the view was from “straight” suburbia and it provided plenty a pursed lip and sharp intake of breath around the dinner tables of provincial Britain and middle America.

Full article, free, here = FT - Commune Article

Recycling the Financial Times

On of my chores around here, is to load up the Burley Trailer and take the recycling to Uptown Recycling Center. I was over there sorting out my colored glass from my newspapers the other day and another couple drove up to drop off their recycling as well. The lady and I were both at the newspaper/ magazine recycling bin when she said, "I didn't know people who read the Financial Times recycled." I laughed to myself and responded, "Yea, we're a strange breed." She proceeded to comment on my other newspaper recycling, the Wall Street Journal, with, "I hope you don't read the editorials." I was a little thrown off by the whole conversation I was having with this total stranger. Your recycling is a personal thing and here this lady was giving me a running commentary on my reading habits. I respond, "Yea, I generally do everyday, mostly online. I think it's important to be well-rounded." She didn't respond for a while, so I finished up at that station and moved over to the cardboard bin. I was about halfway through putting my cardboard products in the bin when she came over with hers. Her husband/ boyfriend/ life partner joined her to help her finish up. I was throwing stuff in the bin right and left, when I came to a condom box. So, I threw it in the bin and said, "Yea, readers of the Financial Times and Wall Street Journal also have a lot of sex." Her husband/ boyfriend/ life partner laughed and she turned about 4 shades of red in about 2 seconds. Nobody responded and they quickly finished up and left in their car. It was all a rather surreal experience compared to my usual conversations at the recycling center with the men working there about bicycles and the Cubs. Stereotypes are fun things sometimes.