Founders Blog

We Have A Project

2010-01-12T19:55:00.002-05:00

We have been given the green light for our Maine Island Challenge on Kickstarter

We will be madly setting up the project page on Kickstarter so look for updates on when we launch. Pretty exciting for us.

Our project: We are going to obtain an Option To Purchase an entire remote Maine Island, keep it from being developed and from becoming another McMansion for the wealthy. But as you may know, we have a twist! All individuals become a Landicity Steward, get a vote and get their own home designation - a micro-plot we call a PlaNut (~15.2 sq in.). You get to name you PlaNut, you get to own the coordinates and you get to visit for real and virtually. And, you get you individualized and official Landicity Steward Membership Deed with unique owner-stakeholder benefits. So, if you always wanted your own remote island -- now we can all pull together and save one plus "Own The Good You Do"!

Persistence -- A Maine Island

2010-01-05T20:55:00.002-05:00

We've been very busy but forgot our blog in a while. We have been working on some technology for photos - inexpensive Sony. And Bryan converted some of the electronics to make it all work great for capturing wildlife video

We have played with all the social media sites - Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, Ning, Second Life etc. And, worked our business model, costs and pricing

We stumbled on the Option for one island. We have several targeted for the Maine Island Challenge. And, we will be launching our program for all of you in a month or two. It takes a lot more money just to get an option than anticipated. Islands are rare and very expensive but we are persistent in getting one for you and all the stewards.

Good Night From Maine, USA -- Bob

So Close, So Far

2009-08-09T21:41:00.002-04:00

We have reached the final pre-investor stage of Landicity and the Maine Island Challenge. We have a signed option agreement, we have insurance lined up and have a wonderful Maine remote island. So close. Our financing has evaporated in the last couple of month. Now we have to locate and build a relationship with additional individuals to actually implement our model and close the option. So Far!

Let's Get An Island

2009-03-03T21:35:00.002-05:00

We have located an island off the coast of Maine that is pristine, rugged and basically unaltered.

Carey, Don and I are crafting the option to buy the island with the hope everyone will sign on to help keep the island out of development and we can all have it to share as members, an Internet community and a Maine community. Stay tuned as details develop

Goodnight from Maine, USA

It's a Maine Cold Record!

2009-02-13T15:15:00.003-05:00

Mt. Depot, Maine up near the Big Black River has recorded a new low -- a record low. In January, it was -50 degrees below zero without any wind chill factors. That is splitting cold -- trees break in half from freezing solid.

Good Night From Maine, USA!

Moose Layoff Killing Mainers in 2008!

2009-01-18T13:45:00.004-05:00

The Maine Moose is the Most Dangerous Animal in Maine!

Besides being well known and infamous for the tasty Maine Lobstah, Maine has two other significant and world-wide distinctions:

We have more then 29,000 moose in the state; more than any other lower 48 state;
We have one of the largest single herd migrations in the world -- well larger than the annual caribou or wilder beast migrations -- more than 7,000,000 mass migration of 'outta statahs" occur every year swelling our normal in state population from ~1,000,000 to more than 8,000,000 humans. See Maine Moose-Auto collision Map

Well, good news this year -- Maine Moose failed to fatally nail a single Maine or outta state driver in 2008. In years past, Maine Moose killed dozens of Maine drivers. 1997 was the last year we all escaped without a fatal suicide death hit. For us humans anyway! It has been an average auto-moose death by suicide with about 700 moose dying at the hands/wheel of drivers. Almost 3,000 were successfully hunted keeping our Maine Moose population at a nature-healthy level and with minimal winter starvation.

However, the Maine deer was more successful in their annual suicide season. Unfortunately, they got one of us drivers this year! But their population and the fall hunting count is severely lower due to the heavy snow last year.

While the Maine auto-deer collisions might be higher the the auto-moose numbers, the latter usually has a greater fatality rate for humans.

Please be careful around the Most Dangerous Maine Animal!

Good Night From Maine, USA!

Enough Stuff Already -- Be Happier Without It!

2008-12-01T09:14:00.004-05:00

Stuff Enough Already!

It has been a conspiracy all along to get us to buy stuff. Marketeers and companies have been dictating style, fashion and getting you to believe you can only feel good by buying and shoppoing for more and more stuff!

An interesting quote by a Victor Lebeau ?? around 1950s

Our enormously productive economy..... demands that we make consumption our way of life, that we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals, that we seek our spiritual satisfaction, our ego satisfaction, in consumption..... We need things consumed, burned up, replaced and discarded at an ever-accelerating rate

Have they won? Are you really that uncomfortable with yourself, with nature that you need to buy and surround yourself with stuff. Are you loved more when you get stuff? Do you love them more when you give stuff? Sad if it is true.

Check out the story of Christmas and the story of stuff (a great video)

Good Nigh From Maine, USA!

Killing Trees? Getting Junk Mail? Stop It!

2008-11-25T17:59:00.006-05:00

Here is an interesting site you might find interesting and it may help stop the flow of dead trees and carbon emitting transportion to deliver -- by stopping junk mail. It is similar to the concept of 'do not call' list. StopTheJunk

If this does not work for you, you can always send the same stopping request to the Direct Mail Association (DMA)

Green With Envy -- The Planet Earth or You?

2008-11-24T22:46:00.009-05:00

It is not the planet that is at risk. It is green with its methane, carbon, volcanoes and massive toxic thermal vents. It is we. We are just a small blip and irritant on the planet's fabric of life. The earth is healthy. It is our imposed way of life, our expectation of the way the earth should be, our lives that our at risk. We are the ones who are sick and unhealthy. Let's come clean -- green is not really about the earth, planet and nature at all. It is solely, uniquely and selfishly about us!

This is a quote sent to me by Don. I think this just about sums it up.

Hermann Scheer, Time Magazine, August 26, 2002
The globe doesn't need to be saved by us, and we couldn't kill it if we tried. What we do need to save – and what we have done a fair job of bollixing up so far – is the earth as we like it, with its climate, air, water and biomass all in that destructible balance that best supports life as we have come to know it. Muck that up, and the planet will simply shake us off, as it's shaken off countless species before us. In the end, then it's us we’re trying to save – and while the job is doable, it won't be easy.

Good Night From Maine, USA!

Eco Numbies

2008-10-20T23:00:00.002-04:00

What is an eco numbie? I propose it is the many good hearted, good natured nature extremist that want to preserve land, animals and the world as it is now. Evolution, change and extinction is not a natural option to them. Many of them drive very nice cars on their way to Whole Foods too!

It is the people who expound upon emotionally driven "fixes" yet who literally know nothing about the true outdoors and the natural order of things. They want to save Bambi but do not even understand the life span nor life cycle of a deer. "But we must preserve them" from this horrible fate!

Native Indians, native Alaskans, Mainers, Montanans, and other true native people understand the natural order of things as well as mans some times devastating impacts -- at least the increased rate of impacts.

All things are naturally, spiritually and oneness connected. Point solutions and emotionally-based actions are ill founded and don't work. Make less people, make less stuff, use less stuff, travel lite and impact little -- that works.

Good Night From Maine!

A Maine Fall Day!

2008-10-10T10:08:00.008-04:00

Mother Nature painted a great week. Her picture is beginning to fade in some areas while 'leafing' green in many spots. Apples, pumpkins, and farms are in full fall swing too. It is just awesome out there.

On a side note -- polar bears. Their habitat is changing and significantly impacting their life. While there is much argument whether humans caused it or not, the natural order of things is being changed by our behaviors to "save the bear" just as much as our warming impacts.

I believe we should only change our behavior and not rush to "rescue the bear". Nature always changes things we may not like such as making life hard for the polar bear. These bears are an awesome animal being and I would sorely miss them should they disappear. It would be sad, but natural too.

If Nature is killing off or making animals extinct should we rush in and save them just for our own personal human needs? Is this man behavior just as 'bad' as being the sole cause of warming or at least the rate of warming?

Can man stop being almighty and begin to nurture the concept of nature collaborating naturally? If we did stop, we might at least be in a more natural world even if it is not beneficial to man. We need to take ourselves down a few notches, quite a few, and step back. Nature, the Universe and animals do not function around our self-impose human-centric activities. Nature has its own rhythm and many times humans may become extinct. Man definitely would not be around if earth had not "died before". It will die again, at least from the sole perspective of humans.

Can we give a try to becoming and being in harmony naturally with nature and not impose or project only one view upon the beautiful world? Let's try it.

Good Day from Maine, USA

World Animals and Us!

2008-10-06T22:16:00.003-04:00

Today on the national news network it was reported that more than a third of all the animal species are at risk of vanishing. The report further noted that this is mostly due to the loss of habitat. Loss due to man, not nature.

On a small incremental level Landicity is exactly that -- simply trying to save some habitat and make you a steward-owner of the land so you become directly connected to the land. Your land and the animals land.

Saving habitat will not really have a significant or direct impact on saving the planet. It may help a little, but it won't matter. What really matters is getting individuals engaged and educated about the habitat, the animals, the natural being of things, and about the planet. What really makes the most difference is engagement and education of people; give them an ownership stakeholder position. We can conserve 100% of the land, but without the people being engaged it will be for not.

Good night from Maine, USA!

Moose Abouts

2008-10-05T21:56:00.002-04:00

Maine has the highest population of Moose of any states, except Alaska. Maine is much, much smaller than Alaska, but the Moose are big and now in rut. While Alaska may have more moose, Maine has the highest car-moose crashes than any other state.

Actually, the bull moose are in rut from about late August to October. In rut? Actually, they are horny, in heat and are looking for action. (when are humans "in-rut"? I guess always!).

Horny moose in rut are not to be messed with. They roam the woods, chase people, chase cars and come out of the woods to run the roads. They might be on the loosing end of the car fight, but they take their share of "no prisoners". The moose dies, some people do and the car almost never makes it!

Maine DOT used to keep a map with plots of every moose-car encounter. Based upon the map, most moose seem to travel on roads too. Or, at lease the ones who crash into cars!

So, as you go out into nature and watch her draw her fall canvas of colors, be on the look out for horny moose. They will chase and do just about any thing unexpected. What ever you do, don't ride a Maine Moose in the Fall.

Good night from Maine!

Man Has A Technology Plan

2008-09-15T07:38:00.003-04:00

We have technology which we understand and can deploy to 'help' the earth. We can begin seeding the atmosphere, seeding the ocean,and sequestering carbon. Wow, this is scary.

One idea is to up well ocean currents bringing the cold bottom water up near the surface. This would "help" plankton rapidly grow, thus taking in more carbon. In effect, we would create a world scale carbon vacuum cleaner; on a world scale!

While technologically speaking this might be wonderful, how will all the millions of natural wildlife, ocean environments, and the world current flow of the oceans be changed. We do not know. The oceans are one of the least explored and least understood environments on the planet.

And we want to start messing with mother nature for just our human benefit. What is wrong with that picture?

Land Will Go Fast - Forever Developed

2008-09-12T18:02:00.007-04:00

We have 5 pieces of very diverse and different large parcels to target for Landicity members. We can only pursue these when members purchase a SquarK, SquarD or SquarP and upgrade.

So, while we have our pilot land in northern Maine, it sure would be nice to have members and potential members vote and select their favorite choice. So, go vote and let's make something happen. Check out the parcels and island here Maine Land and Island

These parcels will and are having considerable interests from people from away. A prince would like to buy the island and turn it into a colossal, individual and very private 2nd, or even 40th home. What a shame for us, nature and the island. The Maine culture will receive a tremendous shock if this happens.

According to a principal, there was a man on a very big yacht literally sitting on his yacht making calls to find the owner to buy the island.

We may have already lost the opportunity for the pristine lake with ~1,200 acres. I saw a sketch plan to break it up into a couple of private "Camp McMansions".

Where Does My Water Go?

2008-08-14T19:10:00.003-04:00

Geologist, soil scientist and hydrologist types and any other wiki-type subject matter experts; where does my water go and is it really wasted?

For those of us on rural wells and septic systems and who do not simply have water and waste disapear down a big pipe, we would like to know some thing. If we turn on our faucet, and our well pumps water from the ground, and we then flush it down our toilet, where and how does it get transported -- in layman terms.

Our thinking might be, a gallon of water comes up and then goes back down, so is the water wasted from an environmental perspective?

Put another way, if we take a gallon out of the aquifer and then return it to the ground, what really happens? We all know water movers, flows and migrates. Have we permanently removed a gallon from the aquifer for it never to be returned? And, what is the real impact of taking a gallon out to begin with, especially if it is done slowly? Or, if it is done slowly, but there are hundreds of homes on say 1-2 acre parcels?

Can you 'go figure' this for us and tell us in layman's terms. We see it go back down in the soil, but "where does my water really go?"

Goodnight from Maine, USA

Pacific Ministroni Soup

2008-08-08T17:06:00.006-04:00

Every where we look the nature sky seems to be falling. And maybe in some areas it is -- from human's perspective. As I have always voiced my opinion -- nature can, does and will take care of itself -- just by the very definition and historical span of nature. It is more powerful and will far outlive man.

Air is polluted (it has been much more so in history), global warming is occurring (it too has happened many times in the past) and animals are dying and becoming extinct (this has happened in dramatic steps in the past). The only difference today is man.

From our view and survivability it may well be dire times. Man, like other animals is part of nature. Except for our numbers, we are more "damaging" in our behavior than maybe other animals or swarms. Whales are very intelligent animals. So are dolphins. They probably knew enough about nature to live truly in harmony with her.

We are more obnoxious, arrogant and aggressive in our thinking that we should manage, control, direct, enhance, stop and be an adversary of nature. I think the only animal, natural wildlife or species that acts this way is man. Maybe nature does know what she is doing. First, she has created the most favorable weather, environment and "home" man could ever expect to see. Humans have blossomed during this period. It has been most favorable to our global expansion.

Now, maybe nature is growing and progressing into her next billion or two years. She very well may decide to "make extinct" humans just like other numerous animals have been instantly eliminated, how the earth was instantly polluted and made caustic, how the earth was heated and frozen before. Nature does not revolve around humans and hopefully never succumbs to man's perceived intellect. Let nature's weather continue -- let man's behavior not accelerate the rate of nature "deterioration".

Nature will have a tremendous challenge cleaning up from man applying his supposed higher intellect. A good example is essentially the world's largest circulating dump in the Pacific. There is a circular current that goes up our western coast, over to China and the Asian rim and then circles back down and over to our coast again. Literally, samples taken look like minestrone soup -- plastic not broken down but broken into confetti-like pieces in every color, swirling in what used to be the pristine nature waters. And, many many animals stomachs have carried and still are carrying literally tons of plastic in their bodies. It may not actually kill them, but how would you like a couple extra stones to carry around in your stomach -- constipated for life with plastic which does not break down, even in stomachs' acid. Then there was man; with his intellect, making plastics.

I believe every manufacturer of plastics and producers of packaging should incur the full life-cycle costs of their products and not pass these costs off to governments, communities and individuals like you and me, which they are doing every today.

If they invent, market and use materials don't let them offload disposal costs to us, in our dumps and in our oceans. Right now, they make things best for them and since other "costs" are easily transferred away, they have no market incentive to do otherwise. But if different manufacturers had to be directly responsible for these costs you would see instant change. We also would see instant human behavior change. If a product had a high life cycle cost, even though the core product might be cheapest, people would not buy it and manufactures would not sell the damaging and more "life cycle" costly product.

Pacific Minestrone Soup -- is another form of man's intellect. We are paying dearly for the transfer of these plastics because their true life cycle costs were made our problem by the perspective of product versus total life cycle product impact (cost).

Goodnight from Maine, USA

Green Is Soy or a New Greenwash!

2008-08-02T21:42:00.007-04:00

I am up in Northern Maine, Guerette, Rte 161, on Cross Lake. It is God's country in the Potato Capital of the World -- Aroostook County -- "THE County".

In camp there is a candle with a sticker that says it is most green since it is a soy candle. When it burns, it is less harmful to the environment. Wow, I never knew that. I wondered how true this really is and more importantly even if this portion is true, what is the total life cycle womb to tomb greenie factor of this candle versus a bees wax candle? My suspicion is that it takes more of our human energy-type than the bees energy to make a soy candle.

Now I am getting a case of green anxiety syndrome. It is a new form of GAS not as global as methane, but can be just as deadly at the individual level. I avoided nature deficit syndrome to only learn I now have new GAS!

I am worried sick all my other candles are deadly but I don't know. What do I do? Will I get to sleep tonight?

WOW. Is that candle thing greenwashing -- is it successful if all we are advocating is just buying more stuff -- be green by buying more green stuff?

Less is more IS Green - not all these new labels that attract our inner psychological emotions. Did this soy exist before it was labeled green? Did they change their process, supply-chain, building health and energy plan too? Or, have they changed little in most areas, except their ability to greenwash?

Is soy soap a better way to wash with bio friendly, eco friendly, natural, organic and best green detergent? Is this true and real greenwash, not the inorganic marketing, labeling and PR-ering greenwash?

Some times I wonder if all of us should just be greener by buying the same stuff, less of it, and not all these new green things. Aren't we just adding to the problem if instead of 50 products, we are now making 100 products but consuming twice as much energy, resources, shipping and stuff? Well maybe if they are replacing 50 old non-green products with 50 new green products, that might be true and good? You think they are? Now I really have GAS!

Goodnight from Maine, USA

Thanks -- We Are Up and Official

2008-07-25T15:19:00.008-04:00

Hi everyone and thanks to the many folks who have worked hard to get our site up and running.

We are launching our official out reach this week with an introduction to our "Kiss A Maine Moose" campaign.

For anyone willing to "Kiss A Maine Moose" we will offer them our Landicity Steward Membership and Deed to the Maine Wilderness.

Look for additional details here and in Facebook. We will let you know how to "Kiss Your Maine Moose".

Are we thinking straight on this?

2008-05-19T21:04:00.004-04:00

Mother Earth is a resilent soul. She has been around for billions and billions of years. She evolves, morphs and balances all the forces that travel her way.

We on the other hand, are how old? Let's get this straight. We come onto the scene because of nature's forces. We may have evolved from tiny organisms that survive thermal vents, caustic environment and just unbelievable life chocking conditions. Maybe that, maybe aliens, maybe religious creationism.

Homo sapiens, an animal a part of nature just like any other thing, creature and life and not-so-life form on earth come onto the party very late in the game and we want to set nature straight. We get alarmed when species we are just discovering are threatened to extinction. Well the fact is, I think, more species have gone extinct in nature's billions and billions of years than homo sapiens 10's of thousands of year. And, if extinction had not occurred, the question could be would we have 'evolved" into the species we are today?

Let's get this straight. Is the question really about global warming, carbon offsets? Or, is the question can we easily fix some of these 'perceived ills' simply by doing with less, including less homo sapiens on the earth. Nature has her ways regulating life. Animals populations, evolution and existence cycles over a very long period.

Humans, since we are so highly intelligent and seemingly 'above nature' just need to stop creating so many humans at such a high rate. Investing in unproven, limited, and very short lived technology is not necessarily the best or only way.

What is a Happy Earth -- Day?

2008-04-21T09:45:00.010-04:00

By the way is it happy Earth day from the Earth's perspective or from the human perspective. I suspect "happy" means different things to Earth than to us!

Heavyweights Weighing In with Question of fact?

If you remove humans from Earth will it survive, thrive or quickly die? What if you remove ants from Earth, will Earth die (as we like to know and keep it)?
And, if you weigh all the humans and then weight all the ants, which
weighs more?
Methane gas releases occur in nature ......well, naturally. Is this gas 10-15 times more lethal to nature (from the human perspective) than carbon dioxin?
And, does nature inject more of this gas than human-caused carbon foot printing? Does this gas bubble up in huge volumes from the ocean? (the answer is yes)
So then, what is the ratio of methane gas release coming from the oceans and lakes versus coming directly out of the ground (above sea level of course since I am not sure where "ground" begins)?

For Earth Day, I recommend taking the day off, educate yourself, remove the media-hype as you formulate your own nature perspective, and think about "PRIORITIES of NATURE" and read a good book -- "Last Child in the Woods" by Richard Louv

".....describes the human costs of alienation from nature, among them: diminished use of the senses, attention difficulties, and higher rates of physical and emotional illness. Deficit is only one side of the coin. The other is nature abundance...." (I forget who wrote this, but they get credit)

Why Are We Trying To Freeze Nature in This Moment!?

How long is this current period between ice ages? Has it been the most conducive to human species - ever?.
Is it Global Warming, or a moment between ice ages? Is Global Warming
bad for nature, or just bad for our psychological perspective?
Humans are animals too. We are a very relative and minor nit in
nature time
Why should we try to "keep things as they are" when nature never
"freezes"? Nature just works in a very long time frame
Why can humans entirely destroy a mountain top in less
than decades? It takes nature hundreds, thousands, millions of years
to change a mountain top.
Has nature "killed" more species than humans? Has it "polluted the
environment more, or less?
Humans are animals too.
Nature will survive. And, "survive" may mean a roving black hole come
near Earth and naturally, sucks it in and alienates it -- in our view (but not nature's)
It is humans who may not like how it evolves?

Earth Day -- Learn The Facts, Stop the Hype!
Tomorrow is Earth Day. Here is my "hype"

Humans are a part of the ecosystem just like the frogs, birds, whales and all other animals on Earth. Animals "destroy" things. Not really, they do what they do and Earth, nature and the universe does what it does. It creates, destroys and is ever changing. We put the words to nature. What are whales saying about it? Changing is where humans seem to not like things!

I notice phrases "man vs nature", the "wrath of nature", "we must stop the extinction of... and "we must guide and help nature". This bothers me since many times it implies an adversarial perspective, let alone an implied attitude that nature is here for us to "control, manage, guide...". Nature is here because it IS. Our entire "wealth" as well call it, is derive from nature. Most other animals depend upon nature for survival, not "wealth". But, humans are a minuscule component with maybe a disproportion impact.

Nature is just nature, it should not be defined as part of our evolution, but it is the evolution of space, planets, ever-changing dynamics. Who are we to suggest we can "manage" nature, stop extinction, and think we even should? Extinction and the dying out of species is a natural part of nature's evolution. Humans, just like any other creature are a part not separate from this process. We should manage our behavior, not nature, in this process.

Bob with an Attitude!
I watched Adventure Alaska yesterday. I thought it was a fantastic adventure with great photography. I am envious I was not out doing awesome adventure like that.

But I noticed a call to arms about global warming in a slightly "alarming emotional" media-hype way. Even I felt like we all must stop in our tracks and act now; we must not let the polar bear (which one scientist suggested should be the poster child of global warming) perish, Maybe we should! Think deeper.

Global warming is real; humans have and are playing a significant role in it and so is nature. But a majority of informed, hope full unemotional scientists also know a bigger nature panorama is occurring. They realize one major factor is that "nature" is between ice ages and that man has come about in period very favorable to humans. It has been ideal to our species. So, does that mean "we should freeze it that way"? Keep it in this period? Save any species that may perish due to global warming? Including humans?

I believe we should not. I believe we should change ourselves, change our behavior. Not succumb to "the sky is falling" and go out and build some thing to hold up the sky -- an unnatural thing?

Landicity.com Goes Live

2008-04-07T09:42:00.001-04:00

It's been an interesting process and here it is!

The New & Improved Landicity.com Site!

New Features

All current owners please, create your "Member Account" and
"Register your Deed"
Then, "Recommend a Friend" using a RAF button. You'll get credit for each new member to the site and rewards.
When you are ready to visit Maine, apply to "Visit the Land" and

We hope you enjoy the site and check back routinely to see what new content we've been able to add. Particularly mapping and video (Bryan has some new HD camera gear he's using).

Thanks to all who have helped make this happen,

you our Members,
my co-founders; Bob, Carey and Mike,
Allure Interactive Web (Rick & Suze),
Tad (for the revised mapping)
Bryan and Pam of Oakleaf.com for video
Commerce V3

We look forward to continuing this effort in Experiential Conservation with you.

Thanks for your Support!

Don