Episode 3: Us and Them Mentality

Pete and Zac are back and better than ever! Ever wonder what politics without competition is like? So do we, and this episode has all sorts of that and more as we hash out what the windmill debate might look like if we focused on community instead of competition. Tune in and find out!

Zac – Part Robot, Part Chia Seeds

Before we even ask, ill clear it right away. The robot thing is a reference to a meme or comic of sorts that Peter sent me many moons ago. It had on it a breakdown of common personality types, and a corresponding ‘nickname’ for each. According to some tests, im an INTJ (architect or mastermind or other depending on the site), and this little comic had that type pegged as robots. So i ran with it, as a canned answer to explain aspects of my personality to others when they asked me “how/why do you do that??” I thought it was comical and fitting enough. I fast for 16 hours every day, i awake to perform a yogic ritual every morning, i push my body to its limits for fun, and i enjoy the finer things in life, like folding laundry and walking right beside the cement path to school. So if you wonder how i do what i do, or why i do it, its cuz im a robot.

I planned this to be a sort of introductory piece on me as a person. If (when) this project takes off in one form or another, i plan to pour my energy in, and i hope i am not alone in doing so. As such, and is mentioned in the podcast, this is in some small capacity, a recruitment to find like minded people interested in such a daring, wild idea. If i am planning on building a society with anyone, they ought to have an idea of who i am, so here it is.

I am a student of history and life. Currently finishing my last semester of a history undergrad degree, with sights set on further education of some sort down the road. While i know not what i want to do with my life (or degree, much to the chagrin of my parents) i do know what i like and enjoy, and what i do not. I enjoy challenging myself, and making things, seeing a finished product and expanding my own repertoire of skills and experiences. I grew up dreaming of being ‘The Guy’ on the History Channel, and so in that theme, i have aimed at moving into the history production realm, whether that be teaching at a university or college, or making documentaries and podcasts for public consumption.

I love the outdoors, and will now share a quick story.

I spent a night alone in a tent last winter. By my estimation, i was at least 50 minutes to the nearest house, in the pitch black (no moon), which required snowshoeing to my vehicle and driving through some deep snow to the highway. After digging three feet of snow out into a flat rectangle to fit my tent and getting it pitched, I barely got my fire going in time for dark, and managed to scorch one of my mitts in that fire while cooking my dinner of quinoa. I eventually got tired of sitting in a snowbank, and so i retired to my tent where i would shiver my way through the next 10 hours. If you have ever heard wolves howling, it is incredible. I had never heard them, until 4am that morning while lying in my tent trying to keep warm, i heard in the distance a pack begin to howl. So i spent the next hour cuddling with the bearspray and machete i had for company having no idea how far they were and having a scene from The Grey or that awful movie where the friends get stuck on a ski lift and then one by one get eaten by a pack of wolves. Anyway, i made it out.

That night taught me a lot, and is just one in a long line of memories i would like to continue adding to with me experiencing and learning from and from within nature. I would just as soon be summitting a trail in Waterton Parks as reading through a good book. I love to hike, bike, explore, and ramble through nature. On my list of to-dos is completion of the Triple Crown of Hiking; not the Waterton one either, the big 3 (Pacific Crest, Continental Divide and Appalachian). Along with that is to spend a night in a hand build survival shelter.

I do not want this to get too long, and i will be sure to share more details later, but i must end with at least explaining the Chia Seeds thing. Its quite simple actually. 10oz water, 1 tbs chia seeds, and a couple squirts of lime or lemon juice. Shake/stir it, let it sit for 5, and shake/stir again. Drink up, its super good.

ZW

Episode 1: The Idea and The Inspiration

The first podcast where Zac and Pete discuss what the whole thing is about, a free living and alternative society intended to create deliberate living and happiness through hard work and the ability to dictate what, when, how, and why one lives. We ramble about some of our inspirations and aims, some of the ideas that helped this idea begin to bloom, and what we’re after in the long run. Please bear with us as this is not only our first episode but also the least organized and simply an introduction to the bigger question.