I'm also of the opinion the divisions are bad.  The sects thing won't work for us, I forsee.  I think we have have "aspects" rather than "sects".  People can float more towards different aspects of Dudeism than others.

For example, I'm more into the philosophy aspect.  Some guys might be down with the musical aspect, some guys pushing other more creative aspects.  Some the meditation/yoga/spiritual aspects.  We need to play to our strengths as individuals rather than separating into groups like an actual faculty.

That said, I know that I've been told that Dude University will become Abide University at some point, and that worlds so well for me.  I love the idea of us doing something akin to what The Idler have done, coming together as a community to exchange ideas, but academic and practical.

AU (which I think is a solid gold idea... don't all laugh at once!) could really take off if we form it outside the Dudespaper, stuffing most of the old Dude University stuff into its own corner of AU.  It can also divvy up these "aspects" and have departments (sections) for Philosophy, Music, Literature, Lebowski Studies (old DU), Lifestyle, Spiritualism, etc.  I'd certainly like to be involved in all of those aspects, rather than shutting myself away in one corner.

With the Forum, Dudespaper, Abide Uni and the Rug, I think we'd have a lot more tools to start forming a community that's more encompassing, lively and active (in the laid-back Dudeist sense, of course).  As long as we keep linking them all together rather than them being separate hangouts.

As with the workload that poor ol' Forumdude has with everything already, maybe its time to start recruiting in volunteers to help with basic admin?  The forum already has extra admin staff, so perhaps we could have people volunteer to help form and run AU, and have admins for the Rug, etc etc.

Afterall, this is a bit like an online commune, so why not start to get more communal about this sort of thing

Separation and segregation - NO
Diversity and unity - YES

That's my opinion of the matter, anywho

Fucken A! Love you Dudes. I don't exactly know where we are going, but I sure as shit am enjoying the trip with you all.

We love you too, GMS.  Wouldn't be the same without you, Gary!

... Thing is I noticed how Dude mission work can be Dudely, it is in being approachable, not in approaching. When we had the booth set up, people would just walk up an say, "the fuck you talking about?". We were not trying to pull people, just chillin conspicuously, and they came, but only of their own accord the reactionaries filter them selves out we don't need to.

Indeed!  This was the line I took in Edinburgh.  I'd hold flyers in my hand openly, but without an extended arm to directing them at people.  And, if people wanted to approach my smiling, bearded countenance and take one, they could, and if they had questions, I was there to answer.  Alas, there was a slight trend towards an evangelism from some of the group, but everyone was having fun and getting into it, so I can't blame them.  I'm not one for getting to extrovert or excited, so goes my open, friendly, downtoearth way.  It's always gotten me results in life, and I'd thoroughly recommend it

Unless you guys stop me, which is possible if you see I should be, I do intend to open an Abide center up in Maine, hopefully with in a year or so. But honestly, I have only the vaguest idea of what that would be. Should I/we, and what would that be like?

Hells no, why would anyone??  I think we need places like these.  What with the Dudeist Yoga Centre in the south of France coming into being in the near future I think we're gonna get a lot more people benefitting from Abidance, and maybe a few more bonafide dudes.

I'd love to open something like the Idler Academy.  Tom Hodgkinson really has something great going in that little shop of his!

My other half and I have a dream of opening a little bookshop/cafe where we can also hold evening events like book groups out front and roleplay gaming sessions outback.  Would love to get that off the ground one day and have an official Abiding Centre sticker/certificate for it to help further the word of Dude.  Wait... did I just form a lifegoal... *shudders and blinks* I feel funny.... 

I think I just turned into Garth from Wayne's World

I started a thread called "Desperatlely Seeking Duder" trying to reconnect with him on the forum.  Someone said he is here, but not active enough to stand up and wave himself.

We think his foumn name is Boston Rockbury, but we've not been able to pin down his real life credentials.  You can, of course, message him on the forum and see if he gets the message

I know, I know, if you will it ...

... it's an even bigger dissapointment when it fails?

I'm sorry, was that too English a response?

He is a good man and thurrah. His real name is James Postlethwaite and his email is j.postlethwaite@orange.fr

Did anyone else have anythiny to say on the last issue, about sects and Abide University, etc?  Seems we didn't get a whole lot of opinions back on what Forumdude posted (just one post back over the page).

I would like to hear more about AU though. Are we thinking strictly online, or a physical place where people can come together and learn and grow?

I'd assumed it was going to be a mix.  Online mostly, but with the oppertunity to branch out in time, either with little "franchise" sites, like the Dudeist Yoga Centre in France, or any other places that would become Abide Centres people want to set up.

I think the idea has legs, it just needs to get up out of the recliner and use them.  That may take a while of course, because we're all attached (spiritually and physically) to our recliners