Just what IS the Urban Rebellion, Anyhow??

...A Manifesto of Sorts...

People have been asking this of late. Although we have never developed a clichéd mission statement, we have come up with a little bit of reading for you:

The Urban Rebellion is a gestating movement. It is a concept that, if put into practice, would make the world just a little bit better, a little bit more efficient. Maybe a lot more.

The Urban Rebelion is basically an exchange of knowledge, talent, and time.

The Urban Rebellion is not a religion, a system, or a profit venture of any kind.

...How it Began...

Have you ever wandered the aisles of Wal-Mart and found yourself buying the same mass produced jeans as the next guy? The jeans designed somewhere in LA, knocked off from a designer line of two years ago, produced somewhere in China, or Indonesia, or Pakistan and shipped over here on a huge ocean liner by the million for your buying pleasure? Yeah, those jeans.
Do you ever get the feeling that you're being forced into a mold? That your personality, your diet, your spending habits, even your mood is being shaped by huge corporations somewhere in glass towers that you'll never inhabit?
Do you ever look around you and wonder how to break free of that mold- to not just survive but live, to not just consume but taste, to utilize your natural talents rather than sitting in a corporate box for38.5 hrs per week, performing loathsome and meaningless tasks..?

Nobody here is going to rescue you from your job, or your mortgage payment, or your Monday night football games on tv. But we just might give you the impetus to plant a garden, build a piece of furniture, make a personal connection, or maybe, just maybe, think just a little bit different. Perhaps all that will happen when you visit the Urban Rebellion is that we put a smile on your face. Maybe we'll give you a morsel of food for thought, maybe we'll make you angry.

We're not a bunch of vegetarian hippie environmentalists, or whatever you might call them, but we are impassioned about lowering our impact on the world we call home. We aren't gourmet foodies, but we do have a liking for locally grown, home cooked meals. We aren't avid crafters, but we love a good tutorial now and then.
We shun Wal-Mart and all that it means to the United States. We despise government corruption, corporate lobbying, and our American culture of greed and consumerism.
We love green building, handmade useful things, and spontaneous travel.
We feel that knowledge is power, but should be accessible and open to all. We want to share what knowledge we have with you, and learn what tidbits you may be able to offer us. We love interesting things outside of the common loop of the information stream, and we know that there is news everyday that is pushed down and unreported because it does not always serve the best interests of media moguls. We do not postulate conspiracy theories, per se, but we are open to discussion ;)

But while we are moving forward into a bright new horizon, we are also looking backward at the cycles and treasures of history. No civilization, no matter how progressive, can bear to leave behind the lessons and triumphs of their forebears. Getting back to some of the old ways, like canning, eating in season, and making things by hand will be good for our souls.

We will never subject ourselves to trends just because they are trends. We just want a community of people who have found a way to escape the rat race. We hope to see a system of barter and learning that will usher in a new age of personal accountability. If you're on board, let us know!

Have a great week!
~Sarah & Michael