<?xml version="1.0"?>
<rss version="2.0">
<channel>
<title><![CDATA[Comments for entry "Cheapatopia" at Dilbert.com Blog]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/308]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Regular thoughts and updates from Dilbert.com]]></description>
<language><![CDATA[en-us]]></language>
<generator><![CDATA[VPI.Net MyBlogAbout]]></generator>
<managingEditor><![CDATA[]]></managingEditor>
<webMaster><![CDATA[]]></webMaster>
<ttl><![CDATA[5]]></ttl>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from elhombremontanes]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/38961]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[There are many places where people could join hands to acquire an adequate piece of property and put together their Cheapatopia.  Like we see everywhere throughout time, different people, in different places, during different times are going to make their home/community/lives in the way they figure is best.

That said, I am looking for others who want to find our little chunk of space with dirt, rocks, trees, and water near Spokane, WA to garden, build, play, suffer, laugh, and grow to leave enough of the natural resources and indigenous knowledge for those who follow us.  I have been calling it the perpetual garden.  Hit me if you want to start talking about this.  I am accumulating my centavitos to go forward on this.]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[FriPMPDTE_Rndnd]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/38961]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from b2gills]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/33205]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[It would be great to use The Stack Overflow Knowledge Exchange Engine, for asking these sorts of questions. http://www.stackexchange.com/

If you want to try it out I would suggest starting on http://superuser.com/]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[FriAMPDTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/33205]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from tartanmarine]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/33039]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Scott wrote:
The first and biggest assumption is that the era of ridiculous consumption is over, at least for your lifetime.

Wait, wait! You mean if some guy makes $100 million shilling a crisis like global warming, he won't be allowed to have a huge, energy hog mansion/castle? That's un-American!]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[TuePMPDTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/33039]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from Dal_Tiger]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/32945]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[It is just as important as where the best place to live is, but how about where not to locate Cheapatopia.  From a weather and natural disaster standpoint, the east coast of the United States experiences hurricanes in the summer, middle america has the tornado, and the west coast can get earthquakes at any time.  I'm thinking the northeastern United States might be the best area weather wise, Virginia, New Hampshire, Maine area.  You have a small mountain range abundant lakes, and great views in the fall.]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[TueAMPDTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/32945]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from Raskolnikov]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/32943]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Social interaction definitely would be enhanced if Cheapotopia had great weather.  You don't want to be sweating all the time, you don't want it too cold, you don't want mosquitoes, you don't want it to be constantly raining on your parade.  That's why the San Diego area would be perfect, and the biggest chunk of undeveloped land near San Diego is Camp Pendleton, a Marine Corps base.  

Camp Pendleton could be repurposed as the &quot;Principality of Cheapotopia&quot;.  No hurricanes, no tornadoes, no thunderstorms or snow.  Just the occasional brush fire.  It would be an excellent blank canvas for the big hippie commune (if I may be so bold).

I can't wait for the next design question, because I grew up in Cheapotopia, MN.]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[TueAMPDTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/32943]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from firesbane]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/32937]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[I think that Cheapotopia should be built along the coast.  The constant winds and waves provide opportunities for endless energy.  As technology continues to improve these energy sources will become more desirable.  Being on the water also makes it easier to bring in goods.  

If the city is built within a reasonable distance to an existing airport, a light rail system could be built to take residents to the airport while keeping the environmental impact at a minimum..]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[TueAMPDTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/32937]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from RoccoPriv]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/32935]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[How about a floating city? A few folks mentioned that. Lotsa advantages:
1. City is out at sea (micronation), so creating laws that fit the inhabitants can be done, even if they make too much sense for a govt to do.
2. Can move about as weather demands. Simple: every citizen gets a vote every season, and that's where the city goes.
3. By nature, people would have to live a simpler lifestyle and be more communal.
4. You could set it up minimally expensively. Buy several large container style ships, refit. Bingo - not only a floating city, but large enough for several dozen people with plenty of room.
]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[TueAMPDTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/32935]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from arbyisme]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/32933]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[City and civilization building as a mental exercise is perennially fascinating. Utopian societies envisioned and sometimes built abound in human history. Most by far, fail in the end. Some elements of these fantasized societies spill over into reality and execution. But it is really that, just as you say an exercise.

Where to build it? Anyone that lives most of their lives in a crowded urban setting have no real idea of the vast expanses of unoccupied landscape in this country. Driving across this great nation it is easy to spot vacant land, areas where no crops have ever been grown with the occasional grazing of cattle. These empty spaces have many of the attributes required to qualify.

The main source of energy would be the sun. Water and other resources are available with an abundant supply of renewable energy. Proximity to infrastructure would not be an issue. These could be efficiently built from scratch. If you need and airport, build one. Need power lines, put them in.  The idea is to build a city that has a zero carbon footprint. That could be done almost anywhere except in swampland or high mountains.

But each community should be unique and offer something that others do not have.  Franchiszation is ruining this country. Many are sick of them and seek non-franchise Mom and Pops wherever they travel.

This city could have a theme, a focus, a special attraction that would invite tourist or others to visit. Patent and trademark each one to avoid cloning. Obviously, you do not build a snow ski lodge in the Mojave Desert but a great dude ranch theme or desert paradise would work.  
]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[TueAMPDTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/32933]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from Leora]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/32932]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Just out of curiosity...does ANYONE on this blog want to live in Cheapatopia?

Surely if you value social interaction and a simpler cheaper life, you would move to a rural area or small town and enjoy greatly reduced land costs and taxes, cheaper and better food (locally grown, maybe in your own garden), and more community-mindedness (often out of necessity, but still present).  Opportunities for barter?  Many, once you get to know the people in your area, made easier if you join a local club or charity organization.  Not enough culture or elegant shopping suit you?  That's why TV and the Internet reach practically everywhere.  Got a bad case of hillbillyphobia?  Stick to the larger small towns and stay out of the Appalachians (darn, now that lady with the stick up her hiney will write another letter decrying the slurs against the Appalachian peoples).

Seriously, Scott, you're trying to reinvent the wheel here.  
Not that it isn't entertaining.


]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[TueAMPDTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/32932]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from jerryham]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/32931]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Scott you can count me out. I don't even like watching my own dog. I sure as hell am not going to watch the neighbors dog or babies just because they want to go on a cruise that I can't afford. I'd prefer the neighbors not try to talk to me either - and to the ones directly next store on the left side (you know who you are!) - quit having noisy parties in your backyard late at night while those of us that work early are trying to sleep!]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[TueAMPDTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/32931]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from Haliverpool]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/32929]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Puerto Rico! I love that place and they could use the economic development.]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[TueAMPDTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/32929]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from ThisSucks]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/32928]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Why do we have to &quot;make do with less&quot;? It is because there are too many people on this planet - there is no other reason. People, STOP making babies, you're ruining our planet.]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[TueAMPDTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/32928]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from Zume]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/32927]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Yeah.  Its at the beach!  Free entertainment.  The beach is in a zone (like the Eastern US or North Western Europe) that has a warm off-shore current that keeps down heating costs in the winter.

There are also large rivers flowing into the see so that water availability is never a problem (like areas of the Eastern US, or Pacific NW).  I live in Northern VA where we just pull water out of the Potomac so there is never a drought.

Cheapotopia probably also has a Mediterraenian type climate to keep heating/cooling down.

So, with all of that.  I think we're in Bordeaux, on the coast.  A bit foggy in the winter but the wine is wonderfull!  On Google-Earth &quot;Lacanau-Ocean&quot; looks nice.

Rob.

]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[TueAMPDTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/32927]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from drazen]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/32923]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Leaving aside my rejection of many of your premises (such as universal healthcare paid for by we young folk, to slightly improve the quality of life for the aging boomers who screwed everything up for the past 40 years, which will necessarily diminish our own) -- it is impossible to create a cheap place where everyone wants to live. 

The reason? Econ 101 -- supply and demand. If Cheapotopia were a great place to live, people would flock there, driving up demand, and driving up the cost of living. And the more conveniences you add to it, like airports or water, the more the cost would go up, because people will pay more for those. Even if you limited the population via a law (unlikely you could get away with it), you'd have people on waiting lists, people who want to sell their stake and turn a huge profit, people who want to pass the house on to their kids... I suppose that if they couldn't do any of these things, they wouldn't go there in the first place, but then, who'd want to live there when it is so obviously inefficient to them personally, economically speaking? Other than, say, people who are bad at math. 
]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[TueAMPDTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/32923]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from danielcfox]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/32922]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[San Diego.  

Pleasant mild weather (lots of sunshine, not much rain), very low heating/cooling cost, lots of geographic recreational areas nearby, beautiful beaches, beautiful harbor.  Currently cost of living is high (though not outrageously so), but that's largely due to real estate cost, which can be dramatically reduced with high-density housing.  High-density housing allows for high neighbor interaction with little or no transportation cost.  Strategic parks throughout the city with barbecue pits, softball fields, etc, can replace the usage of land for a house.  High-density housing has much lower energy costs as the heat/cooling from one apartment radiates to the adjacent ones.

I've never lived in San Diego, but I've often wondered if I'd be happier moving there.
]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[TueAMPDTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/32922]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from Darren]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/32920]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Someplace I wouldn't miss when the residents of Cheapatopia started cannibalizing each other, and it had to be fire bombed.]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[TueAMPDTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/32920]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from rbgos]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/32915]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[I would say somewhere around the west end of Lake Geneva.  Inconveniantly, the ideal location is already occupied by Geneva.  But it's a great location - warm, but not too hot, in the summer; you can live without domestic air-con.  Snows enough in the winter to be fun, but doesn't stay long enough to get fed up with it.  A big lake for your water needs.  Lake and mountains for recreaction.  Great scenery.  Flatter land to the west for arable farming, and dairy/beef/sheep can be farmed happily in the foothills of the mountains.  No natural disasters.  Excellent international airport.  And in Switzerland, stuff just works like it should.

Not ideal for renewable energy though - mountains disrupt the wind too much for wind turbines down low, and it's too difficult to !$%*! turbines on the top of the mountain.  For solar to be really viable you need somewhere as hot as a desert, and it isn't.  Not sure if you could get a viable hydro-electric from Lake Geneva, or maybe by creating a reservoir by building a dam half-way up the mountains?

I wonder if there is a similar situation somewhere in Eastern Europe, where things are cheaper and not already so developed.  Maybe Bulgaria or somewhere like that?

BTW I just LOVE this exercise, can't wait to read comments and contribute to the next ingredient!]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[TueAMPDTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/32915]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from JacquiB]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/32910]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[It's too hot where I live..so further south.....Australia, I recommend the mid North Coast of NSW, about 4 hours drive north of Sydney.
&quot;Perfect&quot; climate, good rainfall, gorgeous beaches &amp; inland nice hills.
Regional airport already that connects multiple times a day to Sydney Airport for international.
But you'd never want to leave.]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[TueAMPDTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/32910]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from Webster]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/32908]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. 

Webster]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[MonPMPDTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/32908]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from dlindsey]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/32907]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[This is the most interesting comment thread I've read in a while.

To the people sticking to Scott's request and posting their ideas for places, keep it up! Some good stuff there.

One thing that I think some people are forgetting or didn't pick up on is that this a one-off or small solution. It is not a proposal to take over the world or the country. Scott said it wouldn't be for everyone, so if you didn't like it, you wouldn't live there. I imagine if this sort of thing does come to pass there might be different versions catering to different tastes. Kind of like the 'Burbclaves' in Neil Stephenson's Snowcrash and maybe along with the dystopia that represents, unfortunately. Still, the point is that this is a thought experiment to provide good living standards for less money and that it would be voluntary.

To the health care debaters, also some good stuff but please take a look at this if you have the time:

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/06/01/090601fa_fact_gawande?currentPage=all

The (usually partisan) debate tends to be mostly centered on the question of state-funded or private-funded health care with a small amount of discussion around universality independent of funding (mandates, etc). Most people in favor of more government funding will say that it will reduce costs drastically while those on the other side say it will not do so or not much and will degrade the quality greatly. The article linked above shows a third way of understanding today's health care costs and what might be done about it. A really, really, good read, in my opinion. I can't recommend it enough.]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[MonPMPDTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/32907]]></guid>
</item>
<pubDate><![CDATA[WedPMPSTE_Rstst]]></pubDate>
<lastBuildDate><![CDATA[WedPMPSTE_Rstst]]></lastBuildDate></channel></rss>
