Our Plans for the Next Four Years

[alarmrider]

1. Increase the emergency food/energy/communication/self-defense items.

2. Save more money, diversify current investments.

3. Move to South Carolina.

4. Stay informed.  I mean really informed.

That's the basis of our plan, but I would be interested in any additions, or ideas.

Regards,
AR

[Chris_]

1. Increase the emergency food/energy/communication/self-defense items.

Already done in our household.  We have a year's suppply of food and water on hand - enough for my extended family should they be displaced.

2. Save more money, diversify current investments.

Stockpiling tangible gold and silver rather than "investments - I'd rather have a return OF my money at this point than a return ON my money.

3. Move to South Carolina.

Quite comfortable here in Galt's Gultch, thank-you.

4. Stay informed.  I mean really informed.

That's the basis of our plan, but I would be interested in any additions, or ideas.

Regards,
AR

As for my plan, I've got a few tools that I need to add to my shop at home - a mill/lathe, MIG welding rig - before I have the ability to fabricate or repair on my own, anything that my family or neighbors might need.  Those tools are fairly high on the priority list since Tuesday.

I'm buying copies of PGP for my home computer as well as my extended family.  I want the ability to speak ill of Teh Obamination without having to look over my shoulder.  My sources tell me that I can pass VOIP and Video signals through PGP encryption without modification to either software.

My wife and I are still discussing whether we will send our son to the Publik Skool down the road from us, and just de-program all of the indoctrination they're gonna hit him with every night, or keep him home and home school him.  I'm leaning to the latter; my wife - the stay at home mom - leaning toward the former.

I'm about 90% complete in fabricating up tri-pod mounted solar panels to feed a battery bank as an independent power source.  I'm contemplating supplementing that with a small, tri-pod mounted wind generator for night and foul weather operations.  I already have a considerable stock of propane for the camp stove, and I can run the breadmaker off a 750watt inverter tied to the mini-van's battery if need be.

I already own every tool I need to continue in my vocation of training - engineering - independently.  I'm looking forward to completing my fab shop to compliment that set of tools. 

The current recession is tied to consequences of Congress and the Federal Government's complete inability to control themselves when it comes to spending taxpayer money.  The fact that we have Teh Obamination in the Oval Orifice is going to be like handing the 535 town drunks the keys to the *******ed distillery.  It'll take a recession and turn it into a depression inside of 18 months, and the Obamatons are constitutionally incapable of doing what it takes to either avert it before it happens, or effectively deal with it once it's begun.  FDR and his Marxist ****-up called the New Deal was comparative economic genius next to these clowns and what they'll do.

That's what I'm battening down the hatches for.

[alarmrider]

Excellent points.  I need to add a few things to the tool list.  Additionally, we just got a new medical kit that is much more extensive than the old one.

Excuse my ignorance, but could you explain "PGP"?

Thanks,
AR

[Chris_]

Excellent points.  I need to add a few things to the tool list.  Additionally, we just got a new medical kit that is much more extensive than the old one.

Excuse my ignorance, but could you explain "PGP"?

Thanks,
AR

PGP stands for "Pretty Good Protection".  PGP is encryption software.  It's algorythms are designed so that even if your communications are intercepted, a heavy-duty computer without the encryption key would still take YEARS to break the encryption by "brute force".  Last I saw, it sells for about $50.00 a copy.

[DumbAss Tanker]

Retire.  Transition over from daily commuting for work to homesteading on the farm.  Lots to do on the homeplace.

[Chris_]

Got plenty of guns and ammo but have started the following:

1.  Forming a holding company in the Republic of Ireland that will eventually own my rental property (sold at a "loss" of course, and recapitalized there), as well as my primary residence.

2.  Open bank accounts in Isle of Mann  (their banking laws consider the American IRS as a "terrorist organization")

3.  Cut my present level of employees by 20% at work by the end of January

4.  Retire by the end of the first quarter, and live on our Roth stuff......No taxable income.......period



doc

[alarmrider]

Do you think that the Bambi government can get to your Roth?

I know they are planning to eat 401K's. 

[Chris_]

Retire.  Transition over from daily commuting for work to homesteading on the farm.  Lots to do on the homeplace.

Sounds like a beautiful life you have planned, DAT.  If I were 30 years older, I might be envious of you.

Plan on raising pigs at all? 

[Duke Nukum]

I plan on laughing a lot in the next four years.

[Chris_]

Do you think that the Bambi government can get to your Roth?

I know they are planning to eat 401K's. 

Since its already been taxed, it would be difficult, but if they try.......a simple wire transfer, and they can see if the Isle of Mann banking system will have much sympathy with them.......I use the same private bank that George Soros uses, and no one has had much success messing with him........my balances would look like pocket change compared to his, but they will get me by.

doc

[DumbAss Tanker]

Sounds like a beautiful life you have planned, DAT.  If I were 30 years older, I might be envious of you.

Plan on raising pigs at all? 

Depends on whether it looks like I might need to dispose of any bodies.

 :innocent:

[mamacags]

Learn every tax loophole ever created.  We are sandbagging hundreds or thousands of dollars worth of Goodwill donations for next year.  We were going to take them in this weekend but why bother while we aren't getting our income cut by a big percentage?

Stocking up on canned goods.  Also using our leaves in a raised bed garden that I have been planning.   I have heirloom seeds that are tolerant of most climates.

I want to move to Kentucky.  It doesn't look like it will happen in the next year though.  I don't trust this state if things go bad.

Buying a ATV with a towing trailer for it.  I can't possibly carry enough ammo and guns to feel safe on my body.

Selling the pellet stove and installing a wood stove.  I hate that pellet stove, it costs us more than using our regular heating oil.  I have tons of trees so I have free fuel for a wood stove.  Plus you can cook on a wood stove if you have to.

[Wretched Excess]

the big danger is that the economy bounces back strongly in 2009, and credit is mistakenly (perhaps intentionally so) given to Obamanomics, giving him the momentum he needs to fully implement his "vision".

[CharlesD]

I'm going to go into the not raising hogs business.  We only have 1/3 of an acre, but I think it should be enough.  I was talking to a hog farmer a couple years ago and he told me about a subsidy he got for keeping his number of hogs at a certain level.  He then told me that effectively he was given $5000 to not raise another 200 hogs.  Now let's do the math.  I contact the government and using the numbers my friend gave me, I say that I'm currently not raising 200 hogs, so I want my $5000 check.  If we are successful enough with that, we might expand and decide that next year we're not going to raise 400 hogs, so that should land me $10,000.  Let's say I opt for a rapid expansion and decide that next year I'm not raising 1000 hogs.  Now that's $25,000, which isn't bad extra money if I keep running my current business as well.  That would allow me to pay off some equipment and make the business more profitable.  And while I'm at it, since not raising hogs doesn't really take up much of your property, I figure I could eventually expand to an operation that doesn't raise about 4000 hogs.  That gives me a nice $100,000 income in addition to what I'm currently making from my business, which at that point will be quite profitable because all of my equipment will be paid off.  If I'm successful at not raising hogs, I might diversify and not plant some corn as well.  I wonder what the going rate is for not growing corn.

[Wretched Excess]

I'm going to go into the not raising hogs business.  We only have 1/3 of an acre, but I think it should be enough.  I was talking to a hog farmer a couple years ago and he told me about a subsidy he got for keeping his number of hogs at a certain level.  He then told me that effectively he was given $5000 to not raise another 200 hogs.  Now let's do the math.  I contact the government and using the numbers my friend gave me, I say that I'm currently not raising 200 hogs, so I want my $5000 check.  If we are successful enough with that, we might expand and decide that next year we're not going to raise 400 hogs, so that should land me $10,000.  Let's say I opt for a rapid expansion and decide that next year I'm not raising 1000 hogs.  Now that's $25,000, which isn't bad extra money if I keep running my current business as well.  That would allow me to pay off some equipment and make the business more profitable.  And while I'm at it, since not raising hogs doesn't really take up much of your property, I figure I could eventually expand to an operation that doesn't raise about 4000 hogs.  That gives me a nice $100,000 income in addition to what I'm currently making from my business, which at that point will be quite profitable because all of my equipment will be paid off.  If I'm successful at not raising hogs, I might diversify and not plant some corn as well.  I wonder what the going rate is for not growing corn.

H5.

[Chris_]

Don't count on those farm subsidities hanging around for long.......the farmers (at least in this state) voted Republican on a ratio of 9 to 1.........

But you could consider going into the "Section 8" housing business.......if you have the stomach for it........it should be lucrative.....

doc

[Peter3_1]

Section 8 housing worked for Tony Rezko....for a while. The best thing, if you are going to do it is get a minority person as a partner. Husband, wife and an indian or something. So you've got a woman ("minority") and an Indian minority") and a jp businesman. Further, actually BUILD what you bid to specs EXACTLY , USE A no change without a specified (and lucrative for you) additional/overrun payment. EVEN and ESPECIALLY when it is to REMOVE something from the plans and ALWAYS get the change request  signed, notorized, 4 copies, two to them, one to your lawyer and one to wave under their noses when they bitch, and they WILL

yES, IF YOU ARE CAREFUL, SAC. 8 HOUSING CAN EARN YOU A BUNDLE, if you, it WILL positively BUST you.

[Chris_]

Don't count on those farm subsidities hanging around for long.......the farmers (at least in this state) voted Republican on a ratio of 9 to 1.........

But you could consider going into the "Section 8" housing business.......if you have the stomach for it........it should be lucrative.....

doc

What's lucrative?  The trashing of your place on a constant basis?

[Peter3_1]

A friend cleared about $500 K building 25-30 free standing homes and a 110 unit Apt complex locally. Delevered to spec and on time. That is, 18 months all told. Not so bad, and he has no problems with the law, either.

[Ptarmigan]

PGP stands for "Pretty Good Protection".  PGP is encryption software.  It's algorythms are designed so that even if your communications are intercepted, a heavy-duty computer without the encryption key would still take YEARS to break the encryption by "brute force".  Last I saw, it sells for about $50.00 a copy.

I've used PGP. It's free to download if my memory serves right. There are open source versions out there. Not really easy to use from my own experience. I am sure it has changed since. It is also used as e-mail verification that it is coming from that person. PGP encrypts at least 128 bits I think. Decrypting PGP would take multiple Pangaias or billions of years until it is broken.   

[Ptarmigan]

Economy booms and bust happen every 10 years. I don't really think there will be an economy boom anytime soon. Of course I could be wrong. You really cannot predict the economy. I still think the worst is yet to come and it will come likely during Obama's term.

[Wretched Excess]

Don't count on those farm subsidities hanging around for long.......the farmers (at least in this state) voted Republican on a ratio of 9 to 1.........

But you could consider going into the "Section 8" housing business.......if you have the stomach for it........it should be lucrative.....

doc

ethanol, for all intents and purposes, is a farm subsidy.  it is government creating an artificially high price for a commodity in the marketplace.

[Chris_]

ethanol, for all intents and purposes, is a farm subsidy.  it is government creating an artificially high price for a commodity in the marketplace.

Although they are not payments directly to farmers, they do increase the prices for grains.......however, the family farm has been taking it in the back for so many years that for most of us it is nice to turn a profit for a change, and perhaps replace some aging equipment........as we will do this year.  Outside of corporations that are planting millions of acres, nobody is getting rich farming nowadays.

The only factor that keeps the farming industry from collapsing entirely in the US over the past 40 years, is the fact that 80% of the farm land (not corporate owned) in this country is owned free and clear.  If farmers had to pay mortgages on purchased land starting from scratch today, combined with the cost of equipment, they would go broke in two years......

Our family farms slightly less than 1,000 acres, and the only subsidy that we have ever received was forced upon us by the state.  We have a small river running through the property, and we were REQUIRED to refrain from planting a setback from the river for a "wetlands preservation" initiative.  We are comprensated for it, but the amount does not offset the amount that that land (which is rich floodplain) would produced if planted in an average year.

I think that the initial joke was about hogs, so we have wandered far afield from the initial topic, amd since I've never been involved in livestock, I don't have a clue about subsidies for that......

doc

[Chris_]

What's lucrative?  The trashing of your place on a constant basis?

Building them....not managing them......that is someone else's problem.

After all, our new president thinks that everyone should have "equal access to housing".....someone is going to have to build all of those "free" housing units (since his target demographic sure as hell can't afford to actually buy them) .......look at how many homeless he has to make disappear during his first term......

doc

[CharlesD]

I have a lot of respect for farmers.  They're all outstanding in their field.