People support what they agree with. Often it is the purpose and not the current fact. Where current events bring out a wide lot of views, they do group on several purpose driven thoughts.
What I see:
As there have been generations of autistic long before charities sought to exploit them, they do have a history of thier own, and have found ways that work for them.
I have written a lot here about how the Guild System seemed to select Prentis Boys from those with autistic traits, then gave them a long education in a narrow field, until they became adult Guild Members.
A narrow focus, no social skills, a proven education when 99% were involved in food production. A wise choice where a few want to preserve the secrets of thier arts, and monopoly, over generations. Up to 150 years ago they were the only people in education and technology. They also aquired great wealth.
We do learn well from each other, and with a nod to Temple Grandin, it was not the most social that developed the better tools, it was the introvert that spent more time focused on their special interest.
It had been my special interest, for twenty years, and I wrote a book about it, but it did not all fit until I discovered autism. Temple's thinking opened my eyes, and I finished the book. It is about the first burst of technology that came around 40,000 years ago. An ape with sticks, rocks, fire, suddenly becomes a Technological Artist.
It fit, and so I also aquired the means of production, Digital Publishing, Binding, to where I could produce the whole thing, and over 10,000 copies a year.
Next I started looking for a place to produce, as I use up space.
Another problem is, I am full time being me, and production is full time for several people, and more, to develop the web site, produce art work, and produce other people's works. Like Lulu Press, I can do one offs, short runs, and it is becoming a large part of publishing. Writers should not have to build Publishing Houses, they should have it as a service.
I have found potential locations, small towns, rural land, where I could live with the costs. There are large buildings that have lost any economic value. Farm land is cheap. I like having wilderness close at hand.
As a one man show I have paid for everything out of pocket, some $20,000 in machines bought used then put in like new condition.
My plan is to turn book income into a land/building, place to continue.
One cannot avoid economics. Doing things cost. Doing things well costs more, but is cheaper in the long run.
Now comes growing. People are not only expensive, they want to sleep somewhere, eat, and wear clothes. I favor web based people, contract services, but if I print, bind, mail, produce web services, I need several clones that do not sleep, and I never get to go fishing, sleep, so there is a reason that villages exist.
Also I am autistic and it shows. I avoid most people. I was thinking a dog, a horse, maybe an elephant, a peer group.
Also, at 66 I might not live forever. Copyright is the life of the artist, plus 52 years. I have some thoughts on a lasting artwork, A Center For Applied Autism. I do not think any one book could be a guide to the autistic, and Temple again, We Learn From Mentors. Finding them is the problem, and there is no one size fits all.
I also think of off grid, food production, elephants eat a lot, and some related economic actions. After more than I would live with, having a Bakery, coffee and tea shop, some place that serves plain food, at all hours, becomes more jobs.
Various studies say the natural size of a village is 200. Big enough to provide basic services, a local market, and small enough to ignor.
200 would be a very small corporation.
Publishing as a Primary Employer, secondary employment in support services, food production, service, fancy pastries and good tea.
I had looked at motels, thinking writers would like to take a tax deductable vacation to visit their publisher. The idea grew, there is more money in S&H, than anyone else makes in books. Order Fulfilment Services are doing well. I have also serviced some small markets on ebay, it pays.
So add a warehouse, more living quarters, larger food service, and those coming to get a Degree in Applied Autism, or an AAA for the younger set.
It is a village with a purpose. It could use some other projects seeking low overhead, which turns into high income for the autistic.
In a past life I was in construction, the ground up, water, sewer, streets, that allows everything else. Something as simple as a trailer park, minus trailers. A campsite with kitchen, bath, and porch for loitering. I am looking at sites with local building material. Stone, timber, and Compressed Earth Blocks, the rest is Lego. One set of machines does cost, but spread over a hundred living units, public buildings, cost per person is low. Some Assembly Required.
This is not Private Property. A lease on good behavior, a job in a Company Town, with a plan for the long term use of the village. Education and Economic Development for all who come after.
There will of course be other land, and the machines to build to suit, which will produce more jobs, and a trained pool of skilled workers. Having built one, it makes sense to build another a quarter mile away.
The Earth can support about one person per acre. More in good times, but when everything falls apart, which happens often in history, an acre, a pointed stick, those survive.
To mis quote Thomas Jefferson, "The only reason for a Free People to do anything is, Enlightened Self Interest."
No other place could educate beginner autistics as well. A short stay in an autistic culture would be enlighting.
No other place could develop employment skills as well. Learning within a common neurology.
No other place could support Autistic Business as well. The whole village has self interest in seeing it work. We have the Venture Capital, Location, and Workers you need.
Because I have invested most of my income in the future, I have the support system for writers. My next step is land, and the machines to build. The Publishing Company lives in a Motorhome, so can I.
I was thinking Writer's Workshops, and Compressed Earth Building Workshops. People pay to attend such things.
Asperger's HFA type Autistics are a rare breed, perhaps several hundred thousand in the US. 200 would be 1/10 of 1% of the market. This group also accounts for most of the Inventors, a lot of writers, and others who do not quite fit in the world.
In one of my first posts here I said, All of these people are perfect and unused parts of something. What it is I do not know, but I am going to find out.
10 Feb 2012, 3:38 am
