Many people who are concerned with Hubbert's Mesa want to "live off the land". It is a wonderful dream to find a place that will provide you with all your needs. By all means, if you have the ability to do so, finding a good place to crash is well worth pursuing. (If you're looking in western Pennsylvania, I can even help you.)
However, first and foremost, you need to realize that perfection is not possible. REAL real estate will always have something missing. Some deficiencies can be corrected, which is all the more reason to start sooner rather than later. Other problems are not feasible to change, you will have to decide whether it is something you can live with. Consider your needs in their time order both when deciding where is an appropriate place to live and what projects to start with. Also consider the kind of community you will be living in, including the neighbors' attitude and the local zoning codes.
What if you can't afford to move? You can still do your best to live off the land you live on, like William Hunter Duncan. You may have more to be more creative in finding solutions, but the most important advantage is that you can start doing things now, like planting a garden. Invest in your skills today and "live on the land". It may even help you save enough pennies that finding the perfect place becomes feasible.
The Long Ascent begins where you are right now.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Friday, May 11, 2012
Human Potential
As I've said before, investing in yourself is one of the ultimate forms of savings. There is quite a large body of literature about self-improvement, of which I have read quite a bit. I'm going to share with you some of my favorites. Before I do that, however, I would like to turn it on its head. Improving yourself certainly is in your own self-interest. As we come off Hubbert's Mesa, we will not be able to rely on machines as much as we have. Necessarily we will have to rely on ourselves more. Making sure that everyone is living up to their full potential is the best way to resist collapse.
Now for my short list of the books I've found most helpful in improving myself:
Now for my short list of the books I've found most helpful in improving myself:
- Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz
- Getting Things Done / Making It All Work by David Allen
- Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
- The NIV Student Bible [Zondervan]
This is the second self-help book I ever read, and the first I ever read deliberately. When my family went on a six-week long car trip the summer after sixth grade, I didn't think to bring anything to read. All I could find in our travel trailer was "Everything You've Always Wanted to Know About Energy but Were Too Weak to Ask" by Naura Hayden. This book was at the top of her list.
Back then cybernetics was still a relatively unknown word, and even to this day I'm not sure how many people understand that it is the science of goal-seeking. The basic point of this book is that we all have goal-seeking mechanisms in our psyches, but they are below our conscious awareness and beyond our direct conscious control. This book is about reprogramming ourselves by changing our self-image.
There are a multitude of "time management" books out there. In my opinion these are simply the best. What he describes is not a single system but rather the characteristics of successful systems. Getting Things Done is the simple how-to guide and is more appropriate for people looking for steps to follow. Making It All Work is the follow up that provides a more conceptual framework for people looking to design or tweak their own system.
This is the fundamental guide for creating value. Once you get the central theme, it can get a little repetitive, but that's to make sure that you do get the central theme. One of the important things that distinguishes this book from other books on getting rich is that it is completely independent of monetary and political systems. Even if you are just living with one other person on a deserted island, the concepts in this book will serve you well.
I think this is the latest version of the Bible we used when I took a two-year Bible study through CCO. I've looked at a lot of different editions of the Bible. The NIV translation is the one I've found easiest to read. In addition, I found the commentaries in the Student Bible were the most accessible to me when I was just starting out.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Going to Market
Tomorrow starts the new season for the Slippery Rock Community Farmer's Market (SRCFM). The theme for this season is "Grow by Growing". I'm particularly excited for the new season, as I have been preparing to participate as a vendor. This is a bit of a homecoming for me, as I attended regularly the first two years, mainly selling sprouts and pizzelles. If I recall correctly, it has already been ten years since we were in the unpaved parking lot behind the bank on the main corner of Slippery Rock. Most days I would come home with no more money in my pocket but with a lot of different produce.
This is the earliest it has ever started, and at the beginning they will be selling seedlings to raise funds for the market. I will have a few of my own seedlings to sell this year, although if I don't sell any, I'll go ahead and use them myself. (That is a major part of my "business plan", to literally "eat my losses". I won't expand beyond what I can use until I'm sure others want to buy my stuff.) I also have packaged up some biochar to sell; I've been holding back from using it myself in case people want to buy any. (Don't worry, I will give you the full details on biochar in a future post -- hopefully with pictures.)
I tried last year to get into selling at the farmer's market in a major way, to the extent of buying a 10x20 foot greenhouse. I knew my place was windy but didn't realize how major a problem it was until I found the twisted wreckage of the greenhouse lying next to my house, one side still attached to the ground. I realized then that I would need to focus on staying low to the ground. I've been building frames and planter boxes for that, a few of which I will have on display tomorrow if people want to order them. I've actually had decent success starting seedlings in the cheap plastic peat pellet greenhouses, surrounded by 2x6 frames with a lath lattice on top.
This may seem like shameless self-promotion, and to a certain extent so far it has been. But there is a larger trend here. At the organizational meetings for the SRCFM, there have been a lot of new faces -- not just new to Slippery Rock, new to any market. As the global economy deteriorates, and as food prices rise, more people are looking to make money by selling to their neighbors, and more people are looking to save money by buying from them. Cutting out all the processing, transportation, and middlemen is a win-win situation for both buyers and sellers, and it helps build local economies while lessening the risk of global shocks.
Going to the local market to buy locally grown food and locally produced goods will become more frequent on the Long Ascent.
This is the earliest it has ever started, and at the beginning they will be selling seedlings to raise funds for the market. I will have a few of my own seedlings to sell this year, although if I don't sell any, I'll go ahead and use them myself. (That is a major part of my "business plan", to literally "eat my losses". I won't expand beyond what I can use until I'm sure others want to buy my stuff.) I also have packaged up some biochar to sell; I've been holding back from using it myself in case people want to buy any. (Don't worry, I will give you the full details on biochar in a future post -- hopefully with pictures.)
I tried last year to get into selling at the farmer's market in a major way, to the extent of buying a 10x20 foot greenhouse. I knew my place was windy but didn't realize how major a problem it was until I found the twisted wreckage of the greenhouse lying next to my house, one side still attached to the ground. I realized then that I would need to focus on staying low to the ground. I've been building frames and planter boxes for that, a few of which I will have on display tomorrow if people want to order them. I've actually had decent success starting seedlings in the cheap plastic peat pellet greenhouses, surrounded by 2x6 frames with a lath lattice on top.
This may seem like shameless self-promotion, and to a certain extent so far it has been. But there is a larger trend here. At the organizational meetings for the SRCFM, there have been a lot of new faces -- not just new to Slippery Rock, new to any market. As the global economy deteriorates, and as food prices rise, more people are looking to make money by selling to their neighbors, and more people are looking to save money by buying from them. Cutting out all the processing, transportation, and middlemen is a win-win situation for both buyers and sellers, and it helps build local economies while lessening the risk of global shocks.
Going to the local market to buy locally grown food and locally produced goods will become more frequent on the Long Ascent.
Friday, April 27, 2012
The Tree Speaks
Man is the tool of the Creator and creation. Man can help nature do what would otherwise take many years. Man belongs to the earth and the earth belongs to man. -- Coyote Thunder, in Tom Brown's "Grandfather".
Since today is National Arbor Day, I thought we should hear from a tree. Okay, it's not really a tree speaking, it's a story of a dream and a lesson that Tom Brown's "Grandfather" experienced. I am, of course, paraphrasing to condense it, but it really is a wonderful read; I hope you take the time to do so.
========================================
Grandfather fell asleep under a very large, old tree. He had a nightmare that a horde of people came to destroy the tree. Nothing Grandfather did could stop the onslaught. Eventually the tree died in agony.
When Grandfather awoke screaming, he was relieved to see the tree still strong and healthy. He did begin to wonder if he truly was any better than the hordes. True, he did have reverence for the tree, and all living things, but he still depended on killing things for his survival.
One of his elders, Coyote Thunder, came to Grandfather and knew what was wrong without Grandfather having to explain. He took Grandfather to a remote mountain gorge. As they walked silently through it, Grandfather noticed that on one side of the stream, the forest was strong and healthy, but on the other side, the trees were twisted and diseased. He could see no reason why the two sides could be so different. Finally, seeing Grandfather's perplexed look, Coyote Thunder explained that he was the difference. He took care of the strong, healthy forest, even as he fulfilled his needs. The key was that he always considered what the forest needed first. Then he only took what was a hindrance to the forest.
========================================
No matter whether we are in a forest, a garden, or anywhere else, learning to give as we take, considering the needs of everything as well as our own, will help us regenerate the world so we can all continue on the Long Ascent.
Since today is National Arbor Day, I thought we should hear from a tree. Okay, it's not really a tree speaking, it's a story of a dream and a lesson that Tom Brown's "Grandfather" experienced. I am, of course, paraphrasing to condense it, but it really is a wonderful read; I hope you take the time to do so.
========================================
Grandfather fell asleep under a very large, old tree. He had a nightmare that a horde of people came to destroy the tree. Nothing Grandfather did could stop the onslaught. Eventually the tree died in agony.
When Grandfather awoke screaming, he was relieved to see the tree still strong and healthy. He did begin to wonder if he truly was any better than the hordes. True, he did have reverence for the tree, and all living things, but he still depended on killing things for his survival.
One of his elders, Coyote Thunder, came to Grandfather and knew what was wrong without Grandfather having to explain. He took Grandfather to a remote mountain gorge. As they walked silently through it, Grandfather noticed that on one side of the stream, the forest was strong and healthy, but on the other side, the trees were twisted and diseased. He could see no reason why the two sides could be so different. Finally, seeing Grandfather's perplexed look, Coyote Thunder explained that he was the difference. He took care of the strong, healthy forest, even as he fulfilled his needs. The key was that he always considered what the forest needed first. Then he only took what was a hindrance to the forest.
========================================
No matter whether we are in a forest, a garden, or anywhere else, learning to give as we take, considering the needs of everything as well as our own, will help us regenerate the world so we can all continue on the Long Ascent.
Friday, April 20, 2012
A Little Blue Ball
As people get ready to celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd, I want to remind you of a famous picture:
This perspective is critical to guiding our path on the Long Ascent.
Friday, April 13, 2012
A Penny Saved...
... is two or three pre-tax pennies earned.
Seriously.
If you work in the United States, you pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on the very first dollar you earn. (I'm not well-versed in the tax codes of other countries; some are better, some are worse.) Your employer pays an equal amount, too, and if you're self-employed, you get to pay both. That's almost 1/6 of your income off the top, unless you happen to earn more than the cap on Social Security taxes.
Next comes income taxes. If you're poor, you do get a break. You can earn almost $10,000 before you start paying federal income taxes. If you have children, you can do even better through the Earned Income Credit. But once you start earning more, you can end up paying up to 35% of your income to Uncle Sam. Add to that state income taxes of up to 11% (for Hawaiians who earn over $200,000).
If you spend what money is left, you may have to pay state and local sales taxes up to 9.45%. At least you get to see that. When I was in Poland, the 22% sales tax was included in the sticker price. Other countries hide their sales taxes as "value-added taxes" that the companies pay.
Of course, part of the money that you pay for stuff you buy goes to other peoples' wages, which gets taxed all over again. If the money goes to a corporation and generates any profits, they get taxed again; if it pays out a dividend to its stockholders, they get taxed once again on that.
Direct taxes are not the only issue. Other expenses are involved in having a job, such as commuting and having nice clothes. I have known several couples where they ended up better off financially when one person quit working and took care of the household.
Cutting expenses by doing more for ourselves will get us further on the Long Ascent.
Seriously.
If you work in the United States, you pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on the very first dollar you earn. (I'm not well-versed in the tax codes of other countries; some are better, some are worse.) Your employer pays an equal amount, too, and if you're self-employed, you get to pay both. That's almost 1/6 of your income off the top, unless you happen to earn more than the cap on Social Security taxes.
Next comes income taxes. If you're poor, you do get a break. You can earn almost $10,000 before you start paying federal income taxes. If you have children, you can do even better through the Earned Income Credit. But once you start earning more, you can end up paying up to 35% of your income to Uncle Sam. Add to that state income taxes of up to 11% (for Hawaiians who earn over $200,000).
If you spend what money is left, you may have to pay state and local sales taxes up to 9.45%. At least you get to see that. When I was in Poland, the 22% sales tax was included in the sticker price. Other countries hide their sales taxes as "value-added taxes" that the companies pay.
Of course, part of the money that you pay for stuff you buy goes to other peoples' wages, which gets taxed all over again. If the money goes to a corporation and generates any profits, they get taxed again; if it pays out a dividend to its stockholders, they get taxed once again on that.
Direct taxes are not the only issue. Other expenses are involved in having a job, such as commuting and having nice clothes. I have known several couples where they ended up better off financially when one person quit working and took care of the household.
Cutting expenses by doing more for ourselves will get us further on the Long Ascent.
Friday, April 6, 2012
The Language of Patterns
It has been decades since Christopher Alexander wrote A Pattern Language, but it is still a very important book in eco-architecture. While much of the contents are dated, the concept of laying out a system of patterns which build on each other is a very valuable one. In fact, this has been my archetype for this blog.
This goes far deeper than "Towns, Buildings, Construction," (the subtitle of A Pattern Language). The more famous John Archibald Wheeler, physicist, struggled with the implications of quantum theory. In particular, there is a relatively famous "double slit" experiment (described in better detail in The Ghost in the Atom) which challenges our notions of reality. If electrons go through a single slit, they end up in a simple bell-shaped curve. If they go through two slits, they interfere with each other and create a much more complex pattern. Where it gets really strange is if they slow down the electrons so only one is going through at a time, the complex pattern is still generated. The electrons still interfere with each other, even though only one is present at a time.
Cutting to the chase, what this really means is that all our formulas, theories, and laws don't really matter. All we really have are patterns to recognize and follow.
I will try to be your guide to the patterns you will encounter on the Long Ascent.
This goes far deeper than "Towns, Buildings, Construction," (the subtitle of A Pattern Language). The more famous John Archibald Wheeler, physicist, struggled with the implications of quantum theory. In particular, there is a relatively famous "double slit" experiment (described in better detail in The Ghost in the Atom) which challenges our notions of reality. If electrons go through a single slit, they end up in a simple bell-shaped curve. If they go through two slits, they interfere with each other and create a much more complex pattern. Where it gets really strange is if they slow down the electrons so only one is going through at a time, the complex pattern is still generated. The electrons still interfere with each other, even though only one is present at a time.
Cutting to the chase, what this really means is that all our formulas, theories, and laws don't really matter. All we really have are patterns to recognize and follow.
I will try to be your guide to the patterns you will encounter on the Long Ascent.
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