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Let's talk disintermediation
My sense these days is that nobody except me and maybe a few others work on fridays in America, especially on a cold and icy day like today. It is a slow day. So...let's talk disintermediation.
dis·in·ter·me·di·a·tion
noun. reduction in the use of intermediaries between producers and consumers, for example by investing directly in the securities market rather than through a bank.
Here is a recent illustration of the benefit of traditional intermediation, such as investing through a bank. Some other traditional intermediaries are Catholic priests, corporate farms, and your local police. Together, these represent four areas that I find particularly interesting when it comes to thinking about disintermediation:
- Wealth/Capital (gold, bitchezzz!!!)
- Relationship with a higher power (God, bitchezzz!!!)
- Food (garden, bitchezzz!!!)
- Security (guns, bitchezzz!!!)
Over the years, I have found many ways to practice disintermediation in each of these areas. I have written articles and comments and posted photos on Zerohedge about some of these efforts. Today, I invite you to discuss with me our successes, failures, and hopes in the comments section below. I am thinking this will be similar to an open thread, except I would like us to keep to the topic of practicing disintermediation as much as possible.
Here are a few examples to get us started:
- A great way to safely store a little gold is by placing 1/10th ounce krugerrands in an L.L. Bean money belt, and hanging it in the closet with a bunch of other belts. Hiding in plain sight, and readily portable.
- I found it helpful to write a Gratitude List of the things I am most thankful for, and placing it in a place where I see it every day, not just in the church on Sundays. In my experience, Veggie Tales is right...a thankful heart is a happy heart.
- Most places in America still have a county agriculture extension office where one can get a list of the plants that grow well locally, when to plant them, when to harvest them, how to protect them from pests, and how to fertilize them, etc.
- For home security, it is hard to beat a 12 gauge shotgun, loaded with 00 buck, and a weapon mounted light. However, familiarity with a shotgun gained by target shooting or hunting is highly unlikely to provide one with the ability to effectively use the weapon for defensive purposes, and When you are Suddenly Surrounded by Violence and Killing It's Too Late to Train, so take a Tactical Shotgun Course. It is a load of fun, and you will be suprised to learn that getting the hit on big-slow badguys, when it counts, is often much more difficult than hitting little-fast birdies.
Health and education are two other areas that come to mind where disintermediation can serve us well.
This may be a disaster, but let's see how it goes...
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take the ak, but thanks anyway. we shot one underwater, no problems and ready for another round. dirty ar's are a fucking bitch. from experience well past 10k rds in last 8 years-just 7.62's. for me.
i'll take my 20 gauge, 1st choice, with slugs-thank you again...
on down the list;glock9,357,keltec9 back-up. and 308 to reach and touch...
whatever floats your boat... I've seen ARs with 10k rounds through them with no cleaning, just motor oil. It can be done. If you haven't had your rifle or shotgun malfunction during training, you're not training hard enough. Get some mud in that bitch. Run that shit like your life depends on it, because it just may.
I own AR rifles and shotguns. The ARs with steel core bullets are great for fending off the guys with body armor, but for general home defense, my newest shotgun kicks ass! Remington Versa Max Tactical: 8 twelve guage shells in the tube and 1 in the chamber. Semi-auto, so you don't have to worry about short stroking the pump. It takes anything from 2.75 to 3.5 inch shells from any manufacturer and since the semi-auto feature is gas operated, much of the recoil is taken away. The blinding tactical light on the front will make the bad guys look like Tyler's deer in the headlights. I feel sorry for the nine guys who decide to invade my house.
Pumps are better, keep 4 OO'buck in the chamber, and 4 slugs on the stock, close range work you use your OO'buck, if you need to hit something out to 100 yards then its easy with a pump to slide in a slug anytime you want.
Pumps are more reliable and mechanically perfect so long as you clean them every 500 rounds,..or more often if you don't shoot 500 rounds a week.
The combo OO/SLUG makes your shotgun into a close range weapon and a long range rifle. Mossberg 570, with Ghost Ring Sights.
Get some man size STEEL knock-down targets that pop back up and setup your own dirty-harry combat zone on your own property good fun.
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But still nobody has told us? WHat is the fucking PLAN? I'm not talking about winning battles, I'm asking what is the plan?
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Lastly, on PUMPING there's an OLD SAYING, NOTHING the world is MORE fucking scary to anyone other than the SOUND OF A SHOTGUN BEING RACKED, you don't need no fucking light, ... you rack that shotgun and nobody will stay near your house.
Again, you're showing yourself to be nothing but a poser who probably lives in mom's basement.
Everyone likes to talk about how the sound of a shotgun being racked will scare anyone away.
All it will do is tell whomever is coming after your ass is that you're an inexperienced fucktard who doesn't carry his shotgun loaded and ready to fire immediately.
Apparently, you did you not watch the petite woman and the other shooters in the video I posted above?
The most important form of disintermediation is:
SHUN ALL BAR ATTORNEYS!!!
Learn yourself the law and stay out of trouble.
I am Chumbawamba.
Hi HH,
OT question that I've been meaning to ask you for a while: What kind of horses does your wife train ? I grew up with them & still have one good one, despite the economy & price of feed.
German Warmbloods.
I have a Quarter Horse (western pleasure). He woud never exert himself enough to jump over anything, nor to do dressage, unless there was a bucket of feed somehow involved. :-).
In the interests of disintermediation, quit watching Fiddler on the Roof..
Understand the practical uses of motorcycles over the last hundred years by billigerents in combat theatre as well as by freedom fighters/terrorists in every shit hole the world 'round. Very cost-effective, very economical to operate, offer speed, mobility, and flexibility, for all your moving about needs.
http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/mc_100/archives/122_1941_tactical_uses...
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB1000142405270230368040457914022355...
http://groundreport.com/motorcycles-used-as-force-multiplier-in-afghanis...
http://www.stripes.com/news/soldiers-on-motorcycles-might-be-most-effect...
Don't be uncool. There is a modern alternative to the side-car. For a Family of four, upgrade to a side-by-side atv (all terrain vehicle) install the extra two seats behind the cab for the booger eaters, and tow a narrow trailer with high clearance, i.e., alterated jet-ski trailer. Add several five gallon fuel cans, some wire-cutters, and pack all of your Family's needs for a cross-country tour of a couple of weeks. If necessary, you can take much of your stash of gold, guns, food, fuel, and bitchezzz, with you. Don't feel up to passing through a checkpoint? Then go the long way around... OBTW, the little Woman (or significant "other" for you metro or homosexuals, and I mean that respectfully) can operate a side-by-side in most terrain, leaving you to consider a combination of motorcycle and side-by-side atv competently operated. This would be the ultimate in bug-out transpo for when SHTF. Just sayin'.
I have a two wheeled device that has taken me places you couldn't even think of going to with any gasoline powered device.
Keeps me fit and sane(ish) too.
Good for back-up. 50 miles in one go with 30lbs on my back is OK on the road. Over rougher stuff, it's down to exactly how rough.
An excellent point well taken. Over even the roughest terrain I have walked mine until reaching easier riding.
Also, for logistical needs:
"Load bearing by porters was greatly enhanced by the use of ingenious "steel horses" – bicycles specially modified by widening the handlebars, strengthening the suspensions and adding cargo pallets. Guided by two men, the specially modified bikes could move 300–400 pounds, several times that of a single porter."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viet_Cong_and_Vietnam_People's_Army_logistics_and_equipment
When all else fails, backpacking.
I think one of the biggest things about self-reliance is physical fitness - often overlooked.
I'm 59 and my 19 year-old son won't ride with me because he struggles to keep up!
I'm kinda proud of that!
Now, just sayin, very good idea.
A mode of transportation I hadn't re-thunk.
I left a lot of skin and jeans on the rocks riding my little baja and hadn't looked back, after I got rid of it. Will look at something with 4 wheels.
Reply to HH’s Post:
· Wealth/Capital (gold, bitchezzz!!!)
• Relationship with a higher power (God, bitchezzz!!!)
• Food (garden, bitchezzz!!!)
• Security (guns, bitchezzz!!!)
For J in Vegas I’m working on 3 of 4 at any given time. My wife and I go different routes on #1. She has a Roth IRA and a work 401k, I have 2 pensions, a rental home, primary home, one paid off car, and gold and silver. The gold to silver ratio is at 1 to 50, I want to close it down to about 1 to 10. Gold is a lot harder to accumulate (price wise) than silver is.
I’m atheist so #2 doesn’t matter to me. I did see all sorts of cool churches in Europe when my wife and I were there on our honeymoon last year.
For those that have a photographic memory and can remember posts from like forever ago, you probably already know about my “urban guerrilla garden” and my solution to question #3. Last year was a mixed bag of results, but every year I learn “moar”. This year I had a good turn out on apples, Meyer lemons, cumquats, pears, and figs. The year before was better on tomatoes and peppers. If I can grow food in Las Vegas, anybody can grow food in the lower 48 states. As the fruit trees get bigger, the yield is increasing. I had an issue this year with a rodent problem, still trying to kill them.
#4…. The wife and I have 2 guns; we are planning to buy 4 “moar” hopefully this year. My wife and I are very fortunate and have done well during the never ending recession. We both got promotions last year, putting us up to about 135k a year, so we can finish up with all the prep work. I don’t want to go fully into it, but we have a decent amount of prepper stuff, and the house is pretty fortified. Mrs. J in Vegas always says the house looks like ft. Knox, except we actually have gold and silver. HA!
On a side note… I visited my Dad and family in Commie Cali this week and drove through the central valley. It looked like a dust bowl. I also visited or drove by 2 lakes, Don Pedro and Pinecrest, and both were low. Pinecrest was almost empty. Then we went by Dodge ridge ski resort…. and there was no snow. I normally go snowboarding when I visit my dad in the winter and there was no snow, and every tree was green/brown ….. No white… Very crazy looking for the middle of January.
Side note #2…. I’m going in May with my Mom to look at property/land in SW Oregon for retirement / escaping Las Vegas. My Aunt wants to go up there and look too maybe in the fall of this year. Somewhere in the triangle of Grant Pass, Brooking, and North Bend. I’m already doing internet research on it. Any ZH’ers that lives there….. Ideally somewhere around Gold beach or on the Rogue River. I need farm land ASAP!
If your interested in one or two 2ac +/- freshwater lakefront lots located slightly N. of North Bend, mainly water access only, seasonal rough (at this time) skid road access also, elec. power available, very remote, surrounded by F (forest) zone , 30+ miles of wilderness to east, inacessable from N, pretty much same to South, great bug out area, sportsmans paradise. I recently got county approval for sale. I'll be getting the lots prepped for sale this spring, let me know. If you knew exactly where these soon to go on market lots are, you'd probably be saying HOLY SMOKE!
I'm an architect in SW OR.
Relocated here from CA and Chicago.
My practice specializes in retreats, under an affilaition with a larger entitty.
Let me know if you need any assistance.
Replace "God" with "Nature" and the point is still valid...just like always.
Or replace God with Dog and religion is still organized superstition. Faith is the suspension of reason. Think about that.
We're all afraid of death and the unknown, but agnostics or atheists just don't into believe in fairy tales to alleviate the fear.
Or, as the incomparable Richard Feynmann, nobel physicist and atheist opined on his deathbed, "I don't mind not knowing". Spoken like a great scientist!
I think you are blurring the lines of distinction between superstiton and religion and faith and and reasoning and knowing.
I certainly "don't mind not knowing" but I do have "faith".
An atheist is someone who is dogmatically religious about shunning other religions.
I am Chumbawamba.
An atheist is someone who can't deny reality, as is required to be religious.
A Christian is someone who can't deny reality, as is required to be an atheist.
No, religion is based faith, not reality. For exampe, here is reality problem for you:
How far away is the North Star in light years?
How long ago did the light you see from the North Star leave it?
That is a reality you have to deny if you are religious, i.e. believe the universe was created 6000 years ago.
Who said anything about 6000 years?
My faith, such as it is and certainly not at a religion, allows for God and a universe that is as old as it is.
I was operating under the assumption that Chumba and booboo were referring to bible based religions. Obviously there are many beliefs and even religions that are not bible based.
An atheist is someone who's looked at the evidence and thought about it carefully.
Hey, thats the same definition of a Christian, whoda thunk!
Love your work HH!! Thank you.
I don't know whether or not to read this article. Everybody I know, works on Fridays. Only the .01% or better can pick their working days. Small business owners, bloggers, web businesses, postal, retail, teachers, bank clerks, water and sewer plants, hospital, firemen, cops, grunts all over the world, truckers, hell, all us people called folks work on Fridays.
RICO all banksters, IRS, DOJ, DOL, DOE, NPS bureaucrats and their political hoes.
You don't know whether or not to read it? Are you serious? It's a fucking page of text.
I am Chumbawamba.
You're right. You shamed me. I read it.
He's doing good.
Except, don't trust the cops, they have no non-cop friends. Just ask one. Graditude lists are a daily mental exercise, along with lot's of hugs. The county extension office also has water depth and flow direction and knows everybody that is doing something that one needs information about. Health and education are available in books or on the internet for printing. i never knew vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, garlic, mint and honey did so much.
I am American.
Cops have no non-cop friends.
That's because they are trained to categorize people into two classes: Cops, and crimminals. Everyone who isn't a cop is guilty of something and enjoys his illusion of freedom only because cops don't think it's profitable to ruin his life just yet. Conversely, no cop is a crimminal, even if he's also an armed robber, drug dealer, or serial killer. Cops have a de facto license to commit major crimes in the name of "protect and serve". This is because they protect and serve the biggest crimminals: The ones who buy the laws! And the law is so righteous that it must never be questioned. The ones who blindly enforce it are always the good guys. A million pieces of paper back this up. The ultimate proof is that the other cop gangsters always close ranks to protect their own, the prosecutors never prosecute cops, the worst punishment is a paid vacation, etc.
I remember upsetting a cop at Occupy Toronto.
I said he was on the wrong side of things, said to him 'you are being fucked over by the banksters too'
He said he didn't want to talk about it.
I suggested he think about it when sitting at home with his wife and kids.
I thought it best to walk away at that point.
The brainwashing worked perfectly. Cops these days (especially city cops) are also selected for sociopathy and low IQ. Helps keep them stuck in duality. Helps them to wilfully ignore facts which might otherwise interfere with job performance.
There is a small chance that he might start thinking about things when he loses his pension to the bankers or Rob Ford's crack habit. So that fund will be bailed out multiple times before the bitter end. When everyone finally realizes it's all toilet paper, most city cops will just say "fuck it" and go straight-out gangsta. The shellshocked remnants of the middle class will be at the sweet spot of pussification, robbable wealth and lack of connections. Easy prey.
Never, ever expect a cop to admit that he sold his soul for paper bullshit and unlife as a robo-zombie controlled by a jumble of evil acronyms. Never expect him to seek redemption. Expect only anger and cruel vindictiveness. The question is who to take it out on. The elites who caused the problem? Bwahahahah. The many shall pay for the crimes of the few. The cops have been on the wrong side of history EVERY FUCKING TIME.
Thanks for trying to get through to him though. Such actions have a 0.001% chance of getting them to stay home at the turning point instead of cracking skulls.
Good work. You are absolved.
-Chumblez.
Double H,Bless you my child ,bless you bless you,the benevolent one he say.........God Bitchez!
One thing on gardening that may interest you HH is landrace gardening:
http://garden.lofthouse.com/adaptivar-landrace.phtml
I'm itching to get planting this year, even though it's early. I have 3-4 yards of horse manure piled up that I'm going to get started composting (hot composting) within the next week, as well as ~1 1/2 or so yards of finished compost. I have a ton of seeds, some purchased and some saved from last year. You can call me a seedwhore. (I had to go into the hardware store for a bolt around the beginning of December, saw some seeds on the shelf and couldn't help myself.) I will be building a chicken coop within the next couple of months, and it just so happens that I like wild game. I wouldn't be surprised if I were the only asshole in the state this past year that took an elk with an M1 Garand.
As for guns, I've been in a situation or two where I thought that I might have to take a life. Fortunately, I did not, but I can tell you from my experiences what I think is important. Knowing your firearm so that you aren't worried about taking the safety off or some BS like that when it needs to operate NOW is necessary. It won't make you shoot any better under pressure, but not knowing that could make it so that you cannot shoot at all. Having all of the other motions be automatic is also important. You won't be able to think about the stance, the best way to draw, etc... if some asshole is coming at you with malicious intent. You need to be mentally prepared as well. For me personally, the legal consequences of shooting somebody weighed very heavily on my decision to not shoot, and in the particular instances, this was a good thing because nobody was even injured. If it makes me hesitate a little too long, and I get killed, then it becomes a bad thing. Without rule of law, this will be a non-issue. Being intimately familiar with shooting, having done it since I was 7 or 8, I could worry about the threat to my person and the legal consequences rather than how to operate my firearm.
Another thing that I have found is that being a little sneaky is a good thing, even better than being fast. If you are talking about just a confrontation where you have a pistol, simply turning your body so that it is not obvious that you have a pistol until your hand is already on the grip and you are ready to draw can be very effective. I was dealing with a guy who was within 21 feet (the "magic" distance where a guy with a knife can get to you before you can draw,) and did not want to cause him to advance any faster. He went from advancing to "Holy FUCK, this fucker's ready to kill me" in no time flat because he did not know I was armed until I had the drop on him.
have gotten way deep into the landrace concept since you mentioned it several months back. thanks for that. it makes perfect sense when you think about it.
here's one back at'ya --
http://www.wintersown.org/wseo1/FAQs.html
Hmmm, I've been thinking a lot about that lately. I think a lot of crops would fail where I am simply because I have some pretty big temperature swings. 30f difference day to night isn't uncommon, and 75f by mid March followed by an early April snow, then back up to the 80s has been known to happen. However, when combined with landraces or other localized varieties, it seems a lot more viable. But, when you think about it, in nature, seeds will overwinter anyway.
I got to thinking about it because I saved some blackberry seeds from some berries that were grown locally, and was going to start them from seed. There are quite a few "Put it in the fridge, blah, blah, blah" sets of directions, but I was wondering if it really mattered because blackberries are perrenials and have to live through the winter anyway, and in nature the seeds overwinter as well. Sure enough, a few people said "Eh, just throw them in the ground in the late fall or in the winter. Birds spread the things by crapping them out in the fall anyway, and that'll get you the freeze thaw cycles that they need."
Great.
I finally learned how to pronounce hugelkultur; now I have to check out landrace.
Spring simply cannot come soon enough. This weather is driving me nuts.
I am getting ready now. Indoors of course (North Okanagan Valley in BC, Canada) at this point. Starting some seeds soon. With careful hardening I can usually have plants outside in the ground in the last half of April (and if need be tent sensitive plants temporarily). Tomatoes, cucumbers and some peppers and a few herbs will be most of what I start indoors.
Outside the onions, chives, garlic, oregano, raspberries, blackberries, plums, apricots and a few others are waiting on spring to get them going again. And a few kinds of lettuce (I always let a few plants go to seed) are just waiting for the snow to melt (romaine and simpson are my best volunteers for lettuce and I usually get tomatoes, cucumbers and a few others springing up from composted seeds too ... got a few pumpkins a couple years ago and I have never even planted them!).
And there is a small bayleaf (bush or tree?) next to me that would love to be back outside soon too.
Edit: also cilantro is a regular gone to seed volunteer in my garden. And dill has become like a bad weed (haven't let any go seed for years and still they grow up everywhere).
I had a friend that was a collector -- from a bazooka to racks and racks of rifles. Slept with a handgun in his nightstand. One hot summer night, while he and the wife were sleeping nude in their bedroom, his wife wakes him up as she hears noises. He gets up, grabs his handgun, and as he moves toward the door and the hall he sees two dark shadows moving down the hall towards his bedroom. As he steps into the hall he sees two State Troopers, full uniform, hats and all but no guns drawn. Everyone calms down in an istant and my aggrevated friend says something like what the hell are you guys doing sneaking into my house at two in the morning? Cops says, your kid in the bedroom at the other end of your house was screaming and a neighbor called us. When we go in on a 'child abuse' we don't have to call or announce ourselves. His kid had nightmares on and off and would scream in his sleep. All the windows were opened so the neighbor called the police. True story.
He may want to install some better locks on his door, or if he already has them, he may want to use them.
Lowes has "door jambs" that are adjustable. Fork goes under the door knob and a swift kick on the bottom puts them in place. About $17 apiece. Sad to say I bought them to keep my door from being bashed open by any authorities and of course any bad guys. Gives plenty of warning to reach the shotgun. I play a number of different scenarios in my mind for a number of different situations so I am mentally prepared
May? And get some daags.
I got some daggs,they cost me a broken leg and surgery Tue evening.
Daags are more effective than locks for keeping criminals out, unless you go hog wild with iron grates, bars over the windows, etc... With cops, it doesn't much matter if they want in. They'll rip the bars off your windows and shoot your dogs.
Daags are wonderful for keeping Joe average thug out. Hard core criminals will just shoot them. So essentially they are just great warning devices. Alternatively you can use guinea hens or pea fowl which will squawk at anything entering their sphere of vision but they can be damn annoying. I back up my dogs with my Mossberg 500 and thank god I've never had to.
Miffed;-)