There was a City Weekly article on bartering at Pazzo in today’s globe. Since I’ve been looking at public companies for my End Times Index, I’ve become considerably more sanguine about the emergence of a parallel barter economy. It’s shocking how few of the absolute necessities of life are provided by companies that are held by the public, and you’d hope (or maybe I just imagine in my blurry edged utopian fantasies) that private companies would be able to be more flexible in their exchanges.
An article in yesterday’s Washington Post notied that people are increasingly consigning collectibles on Ebay (at small businesses which list items for people) which, in my current frame of mind, speaks of a desire and willingness to look outside of conventional sources of exchange.
We need to build BarterBay – that’s a thinker though; Many have tried and it’s thorny without a real world component – which may be the way to go (keeping it local is what made craigslist and freecycle work).
Books, Printing Presses, and Broadway?
Gutenberg the Musical has opened in Watertown creating quite a stir and some mixed reviews. Where else could you find a leading character named after a font? Helvetica.