Suhnday domestics and some thinkies,,,

A couple of texts overnight, an email, and some points in the Subconcious made connection.

I grump and grump that I am ‘below average’ in pay for the sort of things I do at the J.O.B. but around here, what I am making is close to the top out for skilled laborers.   I have even bumped into a Doc that was grumping about how he could double his income by moving 100 miles away (and he did, but thats another story)   I could do similar

but theres a caveat,,,

To make that move requires moving somewhere, where the cost of living is also higher.   MUCH HIGHER.

Just simple observations here, empirical data points:  places with higher averageds minimum wage levels have higher living costs.    When FoodStamps/SNAP gets an increase, Grocery prices get increases.  When the area Unions (coal miners here) get a pay raise, fuel costs go up.  

When the cost of labor goes up, the cost of everything goes up, and when money is ‘passed out freely’ , costs are going to go up as well.   Thats not GREED,,,   It can be seen that way, I am certain, but I see it as ‘we know the dollar is getting more and more worthless, so,,,,’   

When I was doing the PatCom thing, I would talk about moving  money into silver and gold,   And I was ‘practicing what I preach’ at that time.  But as I was talking to people about it, I used the Silver dollar in my examples of whats really going on in the world.     Here was my speil.

“In 1912, a man could walk into a hardware store, or general store and buy a brand new, in the box Colt 1911 with two magazines and a box of 50 rounds, for one $20 gold peice or 20 $1 silver cartwheels.    Now, at current ‘rates of exchange’ those same coins can STILL buy you a brand new, in the box, 1911.   Nothing has changed in the value of the product, NOTHING.  the only thing that has changed is the percieved value of the exchange medium.   They call it inflation, but in reality, its debasement,,,   Debasement is a known factor in EVERY empire fail in history.   Take away the confidence of the working man to get his fair value and the foundations of the empire start to fall apart.”

Now what I didn’t mention in that speil was that $20 might more than 10 months worth of wages for most people.   That was a time where grocery bills were written in pennies.   It was in one of the Foxfire books where I saw the ledger of a blacksmith, and saw “shoeing horse, repair tack- $.25”   (I hate that we no longer have the cent symbol on keyboards,,,, says a lot about our world these days, no?)

Fact: Nothing changed in value at the ground level, only the PERCEIVED medium of exchange, and it is becoming more and more distorted as time moves forward.   When I can purchase a decent Horse bow from China for way less than the materials to build my own; something on the order of 1/3 the cost for raw materials,,,    Thats not the best example but it does show that something is VERY WRONG in our economic system.    Balances are whacked and we are on  the recieving end of that sharp stick and most people can’t see it.   The People in high places in low swamps certainly do, and are milking that system for all tis worth, which is why we see these Ginormous spending bills with obscure wordings to hide the actual beneficiaries.

I find it hard to justify a move at this point, even though I wish to move with a vengeance.   What I make (when I get the work that is,,,) is ‘Just enough’ but with little to no headway being made.   I know I am not alone in that,,,  I keep afloat, and thats about it.   Take away the hours and I start to sink, fast.   The bills don’t just automagically take a break like the work load does,,,  But knowing that cost of living increases accompany a move,,, knowing I would need the work in advance to justify the move, not having an independent means of income (YET,,working on it,,,)

yeah,,,

Am I “How” I need to be for whats coming?   no,,, simple no.    I have a good set up, independent power and water but not in a location well defended as I found out by SikCuz moving here.   I won’t say that he will be a problem, as anything I write here could be construed against me in courts of law,,,,   I seek solutions, not problems, and I will leave it at that,,,   There are other problems to boot.   Not that I am any good at gardening, but even Unk tells me this particular ground has to be supplemented HARDCORE to grow much.   Corn never gets taller than 5′, potat’s grow in one spot only, and won’t take anywhere else, Radish/turmip/greens,,,, You have to put up a 6′ fence or the runnybabbits and deer make feast,,,, same with spinach: they do love that spinach.    Raising livestock?  purt much limited to yardbirds and goats,,, Sheep/cows don’t do well in these hills; they need much more pasture where we have woods.   (run goats for 10 years and harvest all the dead wood, then start working the sheep to make the area pasture,,,,,    Long term, it would work,    Do you think all that arable pasture in Jolly old England was just THERE?   LOL    nope, those greenhills of Britain are from centuries of sheep herds mowing the weeds down.) 

And none of it matters as much as I make it out to be.   

LOL   I just made y’all twist your head like a dog hearing a whistle,,,  

My point being this: We are where we are RIGHT NOW, and HERE is where we stand when shit falls down.     MAKE IT WHAT YOU CAN

or die,,, thats the only options.  \

I don’t want some big sprawling compound that needs three platoons of troops in rolling 8 hour shifts to keep protected, not including the people needed to keep things growing and functional to maintain the troops to defend it,,,,   That is the way of the warlord, and I am no warlord,,,  I am just a little guy with a lot of skills that somehow become inportant when shit ain’t workin’ right,,, and THAT is my strength.     That is why most of my preps are in knowledge,   practiced application,  and tools: not compounds and armories.

Now, Over at BCE’s Place, He has lots of Good news about Gretchen and her witchy healing powers, but he also poses the question of “if money were no object,,,”

Here’s my pitch,,,, IF (big IF) any of y’uns were to hit that power ball,,,, I am offering my services as a groundpounder to find you a GOOD REDOUBT, one that can be farmed, is defensible, and has other attributes/resources to utilize, and help you get your off-grid situation set up in such a way that you won’t have to worry about the Stoopid.   You front the money for the purchases, I won’t jack prices to ‘take a cut’; just need a charge account to make the buys in your name, and I only want a salary for the duration: say one year, $50,000.00 (in cash please,,,,half up front, half on completion, and open to negotiation: upwards! I am a capitlalist after all.)

Thats cheap in todays market,,,,    

And with that out there,  its time for this lazy do nuthin’ blogger to go do laundry and the other domestics stuff,,,, (and kick a mamakat off my keyboard,,,,)

Keep on livin’