I'm Back

I'm sorry that it has been so long since the last time I posted a blog. I have no excuse, I'm just being lazy.
Not too much has been happening. Jim told me how much he wants for his land ($25,000). I would have to come up with $6,000 for a down payment and closing costs. In a year or so I could do it.
I'm just wondering if it's worth it. If the book "Aftershock" is accurate, real estate prices will be down to 30% of what they are now in a year or two. Maybe I should just be patient and wait for the prices to come down. I would like to have a survivalist homestead for the depression or hyper-inflation (whichever we are stuck with).
I'm a bit lazy to really look forward to having my own garden and animals, but if that is what it will take to survive, so be it.
I need to get over to Lansing or Harper's Ferry and price mobile homes on the river. It might be that I could find a reasonably priced house right on the river. That way if I have to fish for food I could throw a line right out of my living room window. I'm thinking that the river would provide plenty of food for a long period of time.
I've been buying a lot of silver and gold. I'm giving up on that for a while. I need my money for buying camping supplies and food. If I don't pay Jim for his land I'll have a lot more money for survivalist things. About all that I really need is a tent and some propane bottles.
Talking about the collapse of the economy, the Dow sold off by over 200 points, today. Gold went up pretty strong. I think others are looking at things like I do. I'm not the only one who expects things to fall apart. Ammunition is still hard to come by, especially .22 long rifle. I go by Wal-Mart looking for ammo every few days. It's getting better but they are still pretty much sold out. Maybe the downturn in the stock market is due to the anticipated "tapering" of quanative easing. In layman's terms that means that they might not be printing as much money to keep interest rates down. Of course, that might be just the thing that starts the collapse. Only time will tell.
Saturday,I'm going treasure hunting. There was a treasure lost, not to far from here in the 1930's. A kidnapping gone bad resulted in the ransom being lost just off of a rural road. I'm going to try dowsing for it. I'll have to walk 10 miles or so but I believe in dowsing so I feel that it's worth a shot.
My keyboard ran out of power so I shut down in the middle of things for a while. I'm back home, using the desktop. That reminds me, the fan on my desktop is starting to make a grinding noise. I'll have to replace the power supply soon. That is a pain in the butt. I might just buy another desktop from Luther and use the old hard drive. I could use the new hard drive as a backup. They are no more than $90 for another desktop, there. I'll have to check their auction webpage.
I'm setting up a fund-raising program at work called Sumac. Today, I started copying contacts from our contact list into it. We're using the free trial version. It turned out that the thing that makes it a trial version is that it only lets you have 100 contacts. Tomorrow we'll see if we spring for the full version and load the rest of the 450 contacts. It's something to do. That place gets a little boring, most of the time.
Just for fun I think I'll show you the two Childer's etchings that I have for sale on Ebay, right now.

The train is named "Talkin Durango Flues" I forget what the other one is named; but they can both be found by doing a search of Malcolm Childers on Ebay. I'm only asking $100 to start the bidding. I feel confident that someone will make a bid. I have happy buyers in Spain, Falls Church, VA and Reno, NV.
Later
Craig

The Joy of Not Working

I just finished a book titled "The Joy of Not Working" by Ernie Zelinski. It's really good. I think I'll read it a couple of more times for all of the information to soak in. It talks about the soul-sucking drudgery of working in today's corporate world and dropping out to live on much less income but more freedom.
I feel that it is applicable to retired people as well. It's a whole book on what to do when you have more of your own time instead of selling it to the highest bidder.
I'm planning on heading out west, next year, and panning for gold. My first place to go will be Happy Camp, California. There is a club named "The New Forty-Niners, there. They own the rights to placer mine on miles of the Klamath River. I'll go there and get trained on dredging for gold. Later, I'll head out on my own and see if I can find gold elsewhere.
I lent the book "The Joy of Not Working" to Gary T. He has trouble with his job and it might encourage him to quit. I also loaned him "Illusions" by Richard Bach. It's a metaphysical book that Gary said was beyond him. He couldn't see how matter could be an illusion since he has believed in it his whole life. I told him to try to dissolve some clouds for himself. Maybe he'll try. I have about a 95% success rate with that.
Jim told me that he would sell his acreage in Harper's Ferry for $25,000. I'll try to buy it. I went by the bank today with some questions about that. I found that they would want 25% down and they asked if it was susceptible to landslides. I told them that I didn't think it was.
He also wanted an appraisal done; I'll have to ask Jim to do that.
I'm going to have to come up with $6000 for the down payment and the closing costs. I think I can come up with it if I sell my etchings.
The advantage of this place is that it fits in with my survivalist thinking. It's near the Mississippi River and I could have a garden and livestock on it as well. It's also good for hunting. I would feel a lot better if I had it; I could also use it as a target range for sighting in my various guns.
The disadvantage is that there would be hidden costs that would come up. Such as: installing a septic system, drilling a well, putting in fences and buying farm implements.
It might not be worth it. I got into the expense of having my own land back in the eighties, in California. I know that it adds up.

Too far with the Prepper B. S.

Maybe I've been going too far with the Prepper thinking. For those who never heard of it (Prepper) refers to being prepared; as in survivalist.
I've been buying guns and ammunition, lately. It started with reading the book "Aftershock". I just bought a couple of books on survival at Barnes and Noble.
I don't know what I'm trying to be prepared for. If the economy collapses, I'll still be living in a rual community ; where I'll be as safe or safer than anywhere else in the country. I live in a cheap apartment and I have a steady income from Social Security. I only have to provide for myself; I have no dependants. So why do I find myself buying guns and books on surviving in the desert?
I think I'm just being foolish.
I was discussing this train of thought with Sonja and she asked my if I wanted something bad to happen. We discussed the "Law of Attraction" and how I might be bringing negative things into my life by my thought. I think there is a tendency for people to think that they are more intelligent than others, just because they are more negative thinking. Maybe that is what I'm doing; but I think I'll continue buying ammo and camping supplies. There is an auction, this Sunday, where those are some of the things being sold. I'll be there.
Next year I'll run off to California to pan for gold.
Later.

Detroit, tip of the iceburg; or just a bump in the road?

By now everyone has heard about Detroit's bankruptcy. So does this portend the beginning of hundreds of municipal funds becoming worthless; or will Washington bail everyone out? I think Washington will bail out the Muni-bond sector just like they bailed out the mortgage business. After a tidal wave of defaults it will become apparent that wealthy people need to be bailed out again. They will also bail out the union members whose pensions are at risk.
They will just use quantitative easing money (which is just paper, anyway) to bail out everyone affected by the various bankruptcies.
I'm wondering how to profit from all of this. I feel certain that Detroit is the tip of the iceberg and we can expect more chaos. In the short term, interest rates will go up and trash the stock market, as well as gold.
I was thinking about buying junk muni bonds. Since I think the government will bail out that sector just like they did the banks; that might be a good, (contrarian) bet. If a person was to wait about a week or two; those bond will go down to levels lower than they deserve. I would pick the bonds of cities which may be considered "too big to fail". Detroit muni's might be my first pick. Then I might buy bonds from Michigan, which, apparently, has the same problems that Detroit has. California is also on the brink of bankruptcy, as well as New Jersey, and New York. Maybe a person should wait until they actually go bankrupt to buy them.
Of course, I wouldn't risk money that I couldn't afford to lose. I've lost a ton of money on junk bonds before. It's possible that your money in junk bonds will just evaporate, while the unions get bailed out. That is what happened with Delphi and GM.
On a different topic; I bought a .22 rifle last Sunday. It's a Mossberg that I got for $107. I was surprised that it was so inexpensive. I priced a Henry Survival rifle at $230. The Henry folds up into the stock so it would be handier, but the Mossberg will get the job done. If the economy totally collapses I'll be ready to hunt squirrels and rabbits for food. If I go out west I'll be able to find plenty of rattlesnakes for food.
I feel that this was a great step towards being independent of the civilized world.
I need to sell more of my etchings before I head out west to prospect for gold. I'll see if I can post a picture of one of my etchings here. It's named "Some with Strong Backs Waning".

I've got it hanging in my bedroom.
Later

I Won!!

I found out yesterday that I won a pennyweight of gold in a raffle that was held in California. I contributed to the legal fund of a club named "The New 49'ers". I won one of the consolation prizes of 1 pennyweight of gold. I called them and they said that they would be sending it out next week. That is the first time that I've won anything for the last 30 or 40 years. A pennyweight is 1/20 of an ounce of gold and worth about $64.
I'm hoping that this shows a turnaround in my life. I've been doing a lot of spiritual studying lately and maybe it is starting to show.
I was also told that my school will be paid for by Experience Works; and I'll be getting paid to learn Spanish. I figure that Spanish will help me wherever I end up.
The other night I went to Wal-Mart and bought a .22 rifle. I now have a complete arsenal. I can use the .22 to hunt for rabbits and squirrels if it comes to that. The Mosin is too large for squirrels and is most useful if there is a war. I might need it for bears that I might encounter panning for gold. The 12 gauge shotgun can be used for pheasants and rabbits, as well as geese and ducks. I need to get some ammunition but that is relatively inexpensive.
I'm taking a lot of test for Experience Works. So far, I've passed them all except for the English test (which I retook and passed the second time).
I'm going to mark down the etchings that I'm showing at Java Johns for "Ridiculous Days". That's an annual celebration we have here where the merchants take their goods out to the streets. I'm marking them down by about thirty percent to move them.

Collier and Focus

I've been reading "The Life Magnet" by Robert Collier. In a few of the later chapters, he discusses the importance of having focus in one's life. He seemed to feel that it's important to keep a goal in life to maintain your health and youth. In fact, he believed that the key to longevity was to be future-oriented.
His position was that as long as you kept working for something in the future your body would regenerate and you would stay young. He maintained that since every cell in your body would be replaced in 11 months, that you are constantly renewing anyway. He felt that the reason we got old and sick was that we lost our focus on the future. When we lose our hope and focus our bodies start to betray us. It might be small at first but it accumulates and eventually we get old and die.
I feel that I've been going through that process, lately.
It started when I lost $7500 on the stock market. Of course, I've been losing large sums of money on the market for some time, but things really deteriorated when I borrowed money to trade the market, last year. After losing that money I came down with shingles. Then I had to move while I had shingles.
Life has been pretty adverse since then.
It has forced me to go back to studying Christian Science and to read a lot of metaphysical books, like the ones by Collier. The process of becoming more spiritual has been similar to steering an oil tanker. It takes a while for the changes to become apparent. I do think I'm making progress.
I have a new job and I'm making headway on paying down my loans. I have more silver and gold for the pending economic collapse. I now have 2 guns, again for the economic collapse. I'm seeing 2 counselors. One is a wellness coach and the other a counselor at the VA. The VA counselor had me start an account at a website called OKCupid. That is a dating website. All sorts of good things are happening and I'm very grateful.
I have to make a little more money by selling my etchings and also the Nook. I've decided that I've had it with the Nook. I can't seem to do any blogging with it and it's really no better than my old Macintoshes. I'm going to see if I can barter it for something more useful.
I tried to post one of my newer etchings but it didn't take. I'll just post a picture of Java Johns instead. That's where I've been blogging and spending this afternoon. And now that I think about I spent most of the morning here as well.

One negative book cancels out ten positive books

It seems that one negative book "Aftershock" by Weidermeyer has canceled out several books by Collier, Eker, and Dyer. I find myself shopping for food, guns, and gold on the certainty of a coming depression.
He makes a compelling case for a depression based on the devaluation of our currency. We are over 17 trillion dollars in debt as a country. He feels that we will have 50% unemployment, 100% inflation, and a housing market that will go to 30% of it's present value.
I've been basing my purchasing decisions on fear. That is why I bought a gun and gold rather than using that money to purchase more etchings by Malcolm Childers. I probably missed an opportunity to triple my money because it was tied up in survivalist things. By the way I missed the opportunity to buy 3 of Malcolm's expensive etchings for $150 each. I did buy one for $100 but I was bidding for some gold at the time this opportunity came up and I was afraid to bid on the etching since I might have had to pay for a bunch of gold as well as the etchings.
Collier's book "The Life Magnet" points out the parable of the Prodigal Son to demonstrate that God loves us no matter how far away we move from him.  When the son came back he was rewarded with all sorts of gifts and such. It implies that God just wants us to turn to him for our sustenance rather than  depend on ourselves or material means.
I think I've been relying on the book "Aftershock" for my financial decisions, lately. I'm probably making bad purchases based on the fear that he is drumming up. I suppose he is just selling gold or books or something. Ten minutes ago I bid on a 10 ounce silver bar. I hope that I don't get it. I've got to quit buying things on E-bay. I just don't have the money. All that I can hope to do to get ready for the financial collapse is to hang on to my job and hope for the best. I've done fairly well,so far.
Later