[quote=recon40;230570]Why do you have to make things complicated.

Working on it.

Can't do it fast enough though. So, in the meantime I'm learining how to grow my own food. I have tools, carpentry skills, know how to make fire, know how to shoot, how to cook, how to navigate, etc. Don't know how to sew, though. The most basic singular necessity is covered for me and mine for about 2 years.

A "hole in the ground" is not for us. We are mobile.

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"Give me liberty or give me death!" - Patrick Henry

My daughter is a wicked archer, so if you need someone to cover your back...



Recurve bow, instictive shooting @ 50-60 ft.

@ Taurean: I've read your post a couple of times, I take back the coward thing (I wás thinking of a bunch of beer drinking desperados shooting their way to the bank, so to speak)
It remains very hard for me to understand what kind of future you're hoping to achieve by doing what you do.
You must have terrible politicians if 99% of them are liars, don't re-elect them I would say.
And you're right, we have no tornados, on the other hand we did have the whole country bombed to smithereens when my dad was a teenager.
And the Swiss are not our neighbours

And this is a better life? Holy Cow, I'm mad but......

My point is that I'm now more free than I have ever been in my life. Besides, it's a contingency plan, not the way I'm living my day to day life from here on out.

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"Give me liberty or give me death!" - Patrick Henry

[QUOTE=jef;230604]@
You must have terrible politicians if 99% of them are liars, don't re-elect them.

Yes, we have terrible politicians and all of them are liars. They live by lying, obfuscation, and distortion. Their Golden Rule is never, ever, actually answer a direct question with a yes or a no. And believe me, your politicians are no better than ours. Many start out being idealistic, actually thinking they're going to make a difference and to leave Washington better than it was, but the system corrupts them sooner or later so that by the time they're in a position to run for high office, they've learned that to have any chance at all of election, they have to play the game. And once in office, the power and priveledge are so intoxicating that getting re-elected becomes almost as important as life itself. Next to that, it's their political party, and they vote as they're expected to, even when they believe it's wrong, because to go against their party is to risk being thrown off the gravy train. Have you ever heard of a Senator or Congressman who left office worth less then when he entered? Many become millionaires on salaries of $175k/year. How does that work? And why do so many who are well off, spend hundreds of thousands, even millions, of their own money to achieve a job that pays what to them is chicken feed?

For those who think me cynical in the extreme, I guarantee there are tens of millions of Americans out there whose feelings towards Washington and the people who run it make me sound like a moderate. If you think you've lost a lot of personal liberty and wealth these last four years, wait `til you see what the next four are going to bring.

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Owning a Lamborghini transcends the banality of economics.

Jef, fair, thanks.

Politicians and the conundrum: only about 10% to 15% approve of Congressional job performance lately, but as with the mentality of less personal responsibility, most people are not willing to admit that it is their own "guy" that is part of the problem. It's always "someone else".

Neighbor doesn't inherently mean adjacent. Border to border is only twice the distance of my daily commute. I have a bad commute.

The future I'm hoping for is a bright one, but I'm preparing for a bad one.

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"Give me liberty or give me death!" - Patrick Henry

This...yes, this.

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"Give me liberty or give me death!" - Patrick Henry

Maybe we could do with a good laugh in these hard times:

1. Do not go where the path may lead, go where there is no path and leave a trail. That way they'll be able to find your remains.
   
   
2. Search for the hero inside yourself. If you can't find him, flush him out with alcohol. The bugger always shows up after a few drinks.
   
   
3. Don't waste your time being jealous of those more succesful than yourself. Instead, focus your efforts on sticking pins in little dolls of them.
   
   
4. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. And so does a journey to the pub, which is usually a lot closer.
   
5. Seize the day. Then cut off one of its ears and send it to the rest of the week with a ransom demand.
   
   
6. The secret of happiness is to count your blessings while others are adding up their troubles. And then drive past their house repeatedly, playing the song that reminds them of the person who broke their heart.
   
   
7. Never put off until tomorrow what you already put off yesterday. Today, put off something new.
   
   
8. Motivation is all about the carrot and stick. It's up to you where you stick the carrot.
   
   
9. Fools rush in where a big sign says "Fools, rush this way."
   
   
10. If a job's worth doing it's worth getting someone who knows what they're doing to do it.
    
    
11. It is a great undertaking to truly know another's mind. It's easier just to steal their identity.
    
    
12. To be happy, spend your money on experiences, not things. And buy a really good camera to record all those happy experiences.
    
    
13. Do unto others as you would if you gave a ****.
    
    
14. The best way to predict the future is to create it. But where's the fun if everything is predictable? So relax, have a drink and wait to be surprised. Even if it's a bad surprise at least you'll be drunk.
    
15. Two's company, three's a crowd, and four is ideal if you want to tie a monkey to a waterbed.