Welcome to my world, folks! The world of a collapsing empire.
OK first, in case my ramblings are too crazy and trust me, they are, here are some links to read.
www.survivalblog.com
"The bison survival blog" I can't tell you where, but I can tell you where to look!
www.ranprieur.com
www.urbansurvival.com
"Club Orlov" run by Dmitry Orlov, again, can't tell you where, just give ya a hint
"The Automatic Earth" a very good blog, google is you friend (for now!)
These should lead you to other good ones.
What is happening to millions, is they're finding themselves living on half, then 10%, then 5%(!!) of what they used to make. In 09, I worked pretty hard during the 6 months I could work, and made about $4000 for the year. This is not a month, this is a YEAR, folks! I did well. I realized I'd worn out the motorcycle I was riding, a little 250cc, with all the commuting, and myself, and sold that, and decided to take it more easy in 2010. I made about $1500 for the year. Not month. Year. I feel I am one of the lucky ones. I live on a place and do some chores, watch the place when the land owner's traveling, and now, look after the chickens. The place went from feral old english games that kinda wandered onto the place, got fed scratch thrown around indiscriminately, and experiencing horrific predator losses, to 2 flocks in coops, being fed and watered properly, competently, and hygienically, by me. We've already got our basic "survival ration" of eggs, production would go down if we had to give up feed pellets but we'd be OK.
We are heading into the bigger, better, busted'er, 1930s. Feel welcome to become a wild-eyed conspiracy nut or survivalist, while most of what you'd believe in then would be false, it'd help you a lot! Let me give an example: When I was running my business, I got to know a banjo player who'd play at the Sunnyvale farmer's market. He's a full on conspiracy theorist, on the run from The Beast, the Illuminati, the whole 9 yards. This has led him to play music on the street (it pays him WELL) and stay off of the info-grid, stay out of debt, avoid expenses like the plague, etc. He's sure the Number Of The Beast will be required to buy/sell, as I said he believes all this stuff. OK all well and fine. Fast forward a few years, the economy's in crash mode, most everyone's lost their jobs or looking over their shoulder nervously, I'm homeless, my niche of the economy is at 10% strength, and ol' A-'s still out there, playing his banjer, making good money, out of debt, the only difference being he got a used car because he decided Greyhound isn't worth it anymore (began to get worried about being robbed, a rational fear for a change). The guy's the smartest guy in the room! To me the lesson is, of course all this Big Brother, Skynet coming alive and sending the T-1000's, zombies, Chinese occupation troops on the way, pick a nutbag theory, is all a big load of bosh. But believing in such, or acting as if you believe in such, is a much better adaptation to the current times than believing in the more accepted fairy tales like the one about this American Dream thingie, or that you'll do better than your parents and your kids will do better than you. Those will lead you to bankruptcy, homelessness, heart attack, etc. Believing in the zombies etc will lead you to get out of and stay out of debt, economize because you're working on saving up a month's, then 6 month's, then a year's etc worth of survival food, lead you to learn to become SELF SUFFICIENT to as great a degree as possible. After all, de guv'mint is run by reptilians from outer space, right? Don't want to be dependent on THEM for your food or a job, right? No one sane thinks the gov't is run by lizards from another galaxy, but supposing this is true, and acting accordingly, is far better than acting according to the old rules. The old rules are GONE.
There are also books out there written by people who became self-sufficient during the last Great Depression, stuff like Helen Nearing's books, the Borsodi's books, etc. Even Thoreau's Walden is a good starting place. Euell Gibbons is good, especially his Beachcomber book, since it goes into the rationale more deeply than his others and also points out the shortcomings of being a "beachcomber" or gatherer of free stuff.
Your Money Or Your Life by Joe Dominguez is very good, except ignore his advice on buying T-bonds, instead, buy "junk" 90% silver coins and tools, etc.
