February 2010

Breaking the Cycle: why “green products” will fail

February 28, 2010

Sometimes I hang out at junk yards and garbage dumps out of sheer curiosity and to make money. I’ve been an avid dumpster diver for decades, and at times have gone semi-pro. In the trash heaps, I consistently find usable furniture (most of my apartment is furnished as such), kid’s toys (yes, my girl is [...]

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Human Capital & the Free Economy

February 25, 2010

If you’ve been reading for awhile, you’ve likely concluded that “free” is my second favorite f-word. In his recent video, Dmitry Orlov spoke briefly about the emerging free (or gift) economy that is, in some applications, creating goods and services that outperform expensive alternatives. He cited the specific example of running a nuclear submarine on [...]

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Lean, Scrappy Rats

February 21, 2010

What do you mean by off the grid? Are you protecting your daughter from debt or from society? Imagine you are a rat trapped inside a cage that has an electrified floor. On one end of your cage is a pile of fruit loops ripe with salt, fat, and sugar. To get to it, you [...]

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Handle with Care

February 19, 2010

I choose to not keep looking over my shoulder at “big brother” while he strips my carcass, I choose not to ignore what is going on all around me, I choose not to pretend that business as usual won’t continue; I have just had enough. — Joseph Stack I’m stunned by the suicide attack on [...]

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The Grid

February 17, 2010

Once again, I went to respond to a reader’s comment and it turned into its own post. James said: “By the way, becoming a commissioned military officer probably ain’t gonna help you get off the economic grid, although I suppose it may help with the survival skills. Just sayin.” You are 100% correct. A commission [...]

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