Some coworkers could be figuring out how to make safer Orion crew modules. So Cool!

There’s a wide range of conversations on the coworking Google group. On any given day, we see posts from folks looking for advice as they explore opening a new space, announcements of new spaces actually opening (like the brand new Whitespace in Seattle!), discussions on how best to spread the gospel of coworking and more. One of the most popular kinds of posts is what I call the “We’re holding an informal coworking session and anyone who wants to come is invited” post. I love those because it really brings to the forefront the idea that coworking can and does happen anywhere, anytime, for anyone.

Last week, I saw one such post that really caught my eye. It was for a day of coworking taking place in Newport News, VA. on Nov. 14. I’m obviously nowhere near Newport News but the announcement still caught my eye because I really wanted to go, if only to get to talk to the folks who are likely to be there. It’s the first public coworking session organized by a group of people who have been getting together once a week since August. The kicker is that they all work for NASA! That’s right, some of the people who get humanity into space are coworking!

Apparently, a computer scientist at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) in Hampton, Virginia has a running coworking session where folks working in Public Outreach, Atmospheric and Earth Science, Atmospheric Flight and Entry Systems, and Innovation disucssing what they are working on and working in the same coffee shop each week. And on Nov. 14th, you too can work with folks from NASA and hear about the kinds of things they’re doing! How freaking cool is that?!??!?

Anyway, I am now looking forward to hearing about the first coworking session in space.

I took the image above from the NASA LRC images site. It is credited as: NASA/Sean Smith

Words are mostly failing me today. What else is there to say about last night’s amazing, historic and wonderful result? Just say it: President-elect Barack Obama. Wow.

I guess the only thing I can really tell you is that it was an honor and a privelage to witness and celebrate history in the making with a group of 30 or so wonderful members of the Office Nomads community here in our space. Although I didn’t know everyone personally, the love and cooperation and willingness to work for change that was brought to the space last night was palpable and there is nowhere on Earth I would have rather been.

For me, the night was summed up perfectly by Jacob who told me, teary eyed, that it all made him so happy because it is a kind of change that starts with small groups of people, “and that’s exactly what we have here: a community.” It was beautiful, heartfelt and succinct. We in the world of coworking helped start this change and thankfully we will have each other to lean on to help us see it all the way through.

Now, enough waxing poetic. Here are the pics from a truly awesome party!

At Office Nomads, we’re as sick as you are of hearing about the crashing economy, the rising unemployment rate and the seemingly useless efforts of Congress to stymie the bleeding. So we’re turning away from the doom and gloom and choosing instead to look toward a future when things will be better.

One of the ways we think things will get better is through the creation of a green economy and the green jobs that will come with it. (I know, the word “green” is so buzzy these days that it hardly has any meaning anymore to most of us. But some folks have the ability to make the concept of “green” feel and be real especially when it comes to jobs, so hang in there for a sec.)

To whit, over at Biznik, there’s a recording of a live call-in interview with Van Jones who just came out with a new book called “The Green Color Economy: How One Solution can Fix our Two Biggest Problems.” The interview aired as a part of Biznik’s series on “Surviving & Thriving Amidst Economic Adversity”.

Why do I bring this up here? Well, personally, I find Van Jones to be a fascinating individual with a lot of great ideas that we as a nation would be smart to follow. Susan also pointed out that, for her, “This topic is particularly interesting as a coworking space owner - the idea of supporting and particpating in local, green economies is of utmost importance to me and is definitely a part of what we’re doing at Office Nomads!”

I couldn’t agree more. Local communities are where its going to be going on in the future, especially as companies have to find more efficincies (which means less employees) and more of us strike out on our own. Coworking spaces around the country (and the world) will be thriving as a new kind of local economy starts taking root. When that happens, you can tell your coworkers you knew it was coming thanks to Office Nomads and Van Jones.