Project Sunshine

[mobile_bob]

i agree, and it is likely we are past peak oil back in about '04 or '05

however there is likely enormous quantities off in deep waters, but we all know that is about
as likely as a space program to another galaxy right now.

my point basically is its going to take a variety of things to get to sustainable power.

living in ever larger houses, consuming more and more of everything, is likely not going to get us there.

bob g

[vdubnut62]

Crofter, yes we do have to make the changes on our own terms. I guess the old saw "reduce, reuse, recycle means more than ever.
I rely heavily on renewable resources. I cut fire wood ,dead if I can get it and use a lot of discarded, storm damaged wood.Ii drive a car that gets 35mpg.
My Dodge is a different story, but I have put 60K miles on it in 10 years, hauling a piece of equipment or firewood .
I live in a 75 year old 975 sqft house, and have a big garden.
Now my focus in on cogen again after the death of my Dad, and a bunch of drama that I didn't sign up for.
If I  manage to hang on until the mortgage is paid, I may well just become one of those people that disappeared!
Ron

[mobile_bob]

Ron:

i figure disappearing is not an option as it draws attention in itself, so i have a plan

i plan on portraying myself as "that crazy old bastard that lives up on the hillside"

most folks get all cleaned up to come to town, i on the other hand plan to wear the same pair of manure laden coveralls
to town, never wash them, and look as though i am talking to myself anytime anyone is looking..

then return home and remove the nasty coveralls, hang them on a nail in the barn till the next trip to town.

nobody pays much attention to a crazy, stinking old dude that lives out in the sticks.



bob g

[Crofter]

Good stuff Bob; likely quite a few of us with the same hymn book, Lol!

Bucky Fuller put a lot of thought into greatly improving the efficiency of a lot of our worst energy hogs and found that it wouldnt sell. It was contrary to the interests of the the financial kingpins. We could easily have cars that get 100 mpg (imperial) and would be easily kept on the road for 30 years. Not good for GDP!

I decided long ago that I did not want to spend so much of my life force to have the conventional large house that triples in cost with its mortgage. I remember when the song came out " 16 tons and whaddya get; nother day older and deeper in debt"

I can identify with looking too poor to rob and too crazy to mess with! It is not so easy to make the system serve simplicity. If we could shed a lot of wasteful  activity we would have more time to smell the roses. Just think the money that went up in smoke this weekend on fireworks! Now there is some real essential bang for our bucks. It sure wouldnt be hard to compile a list of things we could well do without. I will trade you hockey for football and flip you for survivor TV serials. So you think you can dance? Man what dunces we are! Self inflicted or expertly manipulated, take your pick.

[rcavictim]

Frank,

You cut your lawn!   

[mobile_bob]

he didn't cut it, i ate it!

burp!



bob g

[vdubnut62]

Ron:

i figure disappearing is not an option as it draws attention in itself, so i have a plan

i plan on portraying myself as "that crazy old bastard that lives up on the hillside"

most folks get all cleaned up to come to town, i on the other hand plan to wear the same pair of manure laden coveralls
to town, never wash them, and look as though i am talking to myself anytime anyone is looking..

then return home and remove the nasty coveralls, hang them on a nail in the barn till the next trip to town.

nobody pays much attention to a crazy, stinking old dude that lives out in the sticks.



bob g

I follow quite well, reference the avatar of me in my old ragged Liberty's. If you occasionally make an unwanted person think you shot at them, that goes a long way toward the persona of the crazy SOB that lives yada yada.....
Yes I can do that here,.. and I have. Really.
Ron

[vdubnut62]

I have seriously had Officers tell me that "if you HAVE to shoot him, make sure he's dead and drag him in the house"
in reference to a problem with a neighborhood drug dealer.
  Sorry that the world just isn't the same place it was when I was a kid.
Ron

[rcavictim]

Because of chronic disability caused by a not-my-fault highway head-on and and the Cooperator's Insurance Company that cheated me for benefits I deserved I have (a.) very limited good-time where I am able to work on projects, and (b.) next to no $ to buy stuff.  That means I've had to resort to recycling and repurposing what society throws away as a source of building materials.  In this regard I have been fortunate that we have lived through a period where there has been a great deal of useful waste to be had.  With the hard times now upon us I fear many more will take up the 'hobby' of grabbing stuff for it's scrap metal value. In fact this is already easy to see in my neck of the woods.  This phenomenon makes it tougher for fellows like me that want to actually use these materials for our own use, not just to drop them off at the scrap dealer in the anticipation of a few pesos in exchange.

The junkyards owned by the scrap dealers no longer contain the wealth of gearboxes, electrical cabinets, motors, transformers, compressors and other quality treasure they did just ten years and more ago.  All the good stuff is long gone to China where it was melted down to make cheap throw away junk which we happily paid our hard earned money for.  We paid good money for that stuff that was sold as scrap the first time, then we paid hard earned money for it a second time after giving it away to the Chinese.  Individually humans can be quite clever, collectively humans are not very intelligent. 

Ten years ago I began the collecting of bits and pieces with which to build my ambitious wind turbine.  Had I not started then, I would never have been able to pull this project off.  I was fortunate to discover two old scrap collectors in my general area who were both approaching the stage of winding down and getting rid of quality stuff they had hoarded for decades as they are both now in their 70's.  These two sources are now cleaned out.  Without them I never would have been able to source the gearboxes, tracked crawler and steel pipe I repurposed to make my machine on such a tiny budget.  If I were to try to start a project like this now on the budget I used it would be a non-starter.

My front lawn looks like my wild field.  If I were to spend the energy and time necessary to keep my lawn cut and looking nice I would have no energy left to build my wind turbine.  You have to choose your battles. I could spend an entire day mowing, a week later it looks again like nothing was ever done.  That to me is a waste of my precious time. My neighbor across the street physically assaulted me last year in a temper tantrum rage because I told him I was unable to cut my lawn to keep it neat up to his personal standards.  This local bully has a steaming pile of cow manure right across the road from my front window.  I called the police trying to have him arrested but he had threatened the only witnesses and I failed having charges filed.  Nevertheless the police ordered him to stay away from me and have no communication.  So far he has left me alone.  This jerk has snowmobiles, ATV's and a fancy expensive holiday trailer which he hauls back and forth to Florida every winter.

I worry about when I might be the only one in the near neighborhood with electricity because of my planning ahead.  I fear I might have to justify my apparent level of comfort and 'splain to my neighbors  that they could have bought generators and wind turbines instead of snowmobiles, ATV's, holiday campers and lawn maintenance when they had the chance.  Beware those with maniqcured lawns (and possibly empty heads). Beware the mob!

When I venture to town for something mission critical I am always seen in my worn out, dirty work clothes and DIY haircut.  I know that I have the reputation that was discussed here as being 'helpful' from a security standpoint.

[AdeV]

Beware those with maniqcured lawns

Amen to that!

Who has time to mow his lawn when there's machinery needs fettling?

[vdubnut62]

That is one scenario that really bothers me RCAvic. What to do if TSHTF?  This Gulf thing gives me the willies! has anyone heard the theory of a giant methane bubble under the whole thing?  
My Dear Wife has a brain injury resulting in severe depression and  her being diagnosed as being bipolar. Unfortunately she relies on medication to alleviate her chemical imbalances and a thyroid condition.
how does one stockpile these things?
When I have power, heat and canned food, and others do not, what is my moral obligation? Do I shoot to kill and maybe survive, or share till everything is gone and take my chances?
I am very probably paranoid, but these questions really give me problems.
As a country we need a plan , but sadly will never have a collective one so that leaves highly independent individuals working together with sane groups like this one.
I do not have the words to express how much I appreciate the help and ideas posted here.
Ron

[Randybee1]

Like I tell everyone. Stock up on ammo, get a diesel generator and store a small amount of canned food! It's not a crazy idea, just cheap insurance!

Randy B

[Crumpite]

Like I tell everyone. Stock up on ammo, get a diesel generator and store a small amount of canned food! It's not a crazy idea, just cheap insurance!

Randy B

That's the way everyone used to be out in the rural areas !
There are still *lots* of folks out here who do that still. 
Just like that country-western song: Country boys can survive.

The powers-that-be have a vested interest in keeping the cows contented and milking them for all they're worth.
That means that the bread and circuses must continue, no matter what.
I don't see anything sudden and awful happening unless a comet hits the earth or something. (fat chance, really...)

I don't see anyone on this group starving or freezing to death, etc. due to a bump in the economy or an oil price jump.
Have faith in your ability to adapt to changes, prepare a little and country boys will survive !
Crumpite the Country Boy

[Crofter]

Frank,

You cut your lawn!   

To be honest that is more likely to have been my wifes handiwork. I do the string trimmer thing to keep the weeds from shorting the electric fence. She also does the haircuts on me and used to do the boys till they started earning the money to buy their own. "Utility turkeys" is how we refer to ourselves.

I think that by the time things ever got to the state of shooting trespassers, that "common law" will again be in force. The establishment will have bigger problems to deal with in the form of riots and civil disobediance in the cities. Shoot, shovel, and shut up may be their advice.

Dad worked the harvests and road the rails during the hungry thirties as he chased the seasonal work across the country. He said that almost any homeowner would find you a scrap if you offered to do some chore work, but I think that people had more respect for each other than todays generation.

Here is a boat I built a few years ago. I dont have to spend much on mass produced entertainment. I thought it not too bad for an old pipefitter!

[Crofter]

Like I tell everyone. Stock up on ammo, get a diesel generator and store a small amount of canned food! It's not a crazy idea, just cheap insurance!

Randy B

That's the way everyone used to be out in the rural areas !
There are still *lots* of folks out here who do that still.  
Just like that country-western song: Country boys can survive.

The powers-that-be have a vested interest in keeping the cows contented and milking them for all they're worth.
That means that the bread and circuses must continue, no matter what.
I don't see anything sudden and awful happening unless a comet hits the earth or something. (fat chance, really...)

I don't see anyone on this group starving or freezing to death, etc. due to a bump in the economy or an oil price jump.
Have faith in your ability to adapt to changes, prepare a little and country boys will survive !
Crumpite the Country Boy

That is what I hope for the best case adjustment to the reality of living with much less material consumption; gradual like, so people can learn to identify with different things for status symbals. I knew two particular individuals who had great pride in being tough workers and handy with any common tool. That was their whole stock in trade but they had a well earned and respected place in society. Todays youth are ashamed to smell sweaty but they have nothing much else fuel any self esteem.

Here is "Miss Fit" before baptismal