Steady, Mainers (Wayne: how much, camps, living)

[AustinB]

Originally Posted by starwalker

Sams in Bangor 2.94 this afternoon and me with a tank full (bought at 3.29!)

You really don't want to burn that 'cheap' stuff do you? Remember... you get what you pay for!

[Maine Writer]

Originally Posted by pirate_lafitte

Speaking of you steady Mainers out there, I just thought of this. Your state could be a potential energy harnesser and it can bring jobs too. You could harness the power of wind energy and it could bring some jobs as well as cut down on some of the energy costs.

We are! There are new wind farms going up and in the planning stage. The down side of this is now having this power distributed locally right now.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

We have one wind power system up and running and at least four others in the works.

I probably should have put a comma in the thread title. It could have read, "Steady, Mainers". It was intended to encourage Mainers not to panic over our present economic problems.

[forest beekeeper]

Originally Posted by dmyankee

Hey.

The Gubermint guarantees 250 grand per account as of last week. It was $100k. ...

With all due respect the US government does not guarantee US bank accounts.

The FDIC insures deposits.

If the FDIC is fully funded then it can replace your deposit at a 1:1 ratio.

If the FDIC is partly funded, or if too many banks go down to fast, the FDIC may only have funds to replace those deposits at 10 cents per dollar, or 1 cent per dollar.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Congress will fund the FDIC as necessary.

[dramamama6685]

Originally Posted by mollysmiles

I agree.... and I'd like the lobbyists gone too.....

Good plan.. how about we get those former heads of financial institutions out of cabinet positions? So, molly, are you running for office?

[ProdigalLobster]

I agree with the sentiment of self-sufficiency, & that we need to learn from our elders. I grew up always having home-canned stuff stocked in the 'cellah'. Veggies, jams, sauce, pickles... yum. We would go berrying together as a family, then come home & make jelly, freeze blueberries for pancakes, etc. And most people had chest freezers in the basement or garage, too.

Every year for Christmas, I get jars of homemade jelly from Nana. This year when I go up, I want Nana to teach me how to make my own. And bread & butter pickles.

[GregW]

Time to consider the real basics:

Air - clean and breathable
Water - plentiful and non-toxic
Food - Enough to live
Shelter - enough to stay warm and dry
Cloths – small shelters that keep you warm and dry
Industry – the make the things that are really needed to provide the above
Community - to provide help when you cannot provide the previous by yourself

It seems to me that most of the US can come up with these for the people that live here. Notice that mega mansions, fancy limos, rare wines, and huge salaries are not on this list. They can be dropped in hard times.

[ogre]

I'm glad to see this thread moving back around to a discussion of self-reliance and simple living. It seems to me that this conversation brings into focus the contrast between the "two Maines." Here, I am reading about how people would be prepared, as individuals and as communities of neighbors, to see themselves through hard times. In some places, perhaps all too often including southern Maine, the focus is on ways the government can do more and more to make life easy for people even in good times. I do see that it's understandable that people who live in cities would rely more on government to at least help them out at a basic level if they personally encounter truly difficult times. After all, in a city you can't cut a winter's supply of fuel for a wood stove on your own land, or grow a garden large enough to contribute substantially to your food supply. Still, all too often today, people want the government to solve all their problems for them. This is not a good thing, for many reasons. It's refreshing to see people anticipating the possibility of tough times by planning ways that they and their neighbors can be self-sufficient, rather than consistently assuming that someone else will solve their problems for them. It would be good if the voices of those in northern Maine had a substantial influence on the state's government, and the direction the state will take in the future.

[dramamama6685]

Originally Posted by GregW

Time to consider the real basics:

Air - clean and breathable
Water - plentiful and non-toxic
Food - Enough to live
Shelter - enough to stay warm and dry
Cloths – small shelters that keep you warm and dry
Industry – the make the things that are really needed to provide the above
Community - to provide help when you cannot provide the previous by yourself

It seems to me that most of the US can come up with these for the people that live here. Notice that mega mansions, fancy limos, rare wines, and huge salaries are not on this list. They can be dropped in hard times.

What no McMansions?!? Surely you jest?!?

Welcome, Greg!