Hi, all...

[Andrea Van Scoyoc]

I'm Andrea (Andy) and so glad to have found this site.

My dream is to, one day, leave society and all the drama that comes with the rat race, behind.

 

[Tude]

heh - I know that feeling oh so well!! Welcome aboard. Where are you thinking of traveling too?

 

[Andrea Van Scoyoc]

Hi, Tude!

I'm looking for anyplace that is away, where I can grow a garden and not have to worry about government permits, beaurocrats telling me how much money I have to pad their pockets with, just to live...

The usual, sick of the man, sick of ungrateful employers (I spent 30 years in corporate America) and now that I'm semi retired, the part time boss I have (totally different work, totally different-supposed to be fun) is no different.

I'm too old to waste any more of my life.

 

[Tude]

I hear you. I've been pushing all my life for jobs - Was in one for 17 years (mobil chemical) till the plastics industry tanked in 1994 - thought I'd retire from there and since then it's been a constant uphill battle and I'm tired. I'm in this miniscule college job making 50% less than what I was in '94 and sick of the ungrateful people here - I wish I did not have to come here but I need the health ins as I was just put on this expensive drug @$6500/yr w/o ins.. But that may be decided for me - as since I haven't had a full time boss since 2009 they determined that how could this be a full time job so it's is most likely going to part time. And yeah, too old to waste any more of my life. And yeah a nice garden and traveling would be sooooo much better than what i'm doing now.

 

[Andrea Van Scoyoc]

You know, Tude, I keep hearing that same story...and mine's not too dissimilar.

Worked for 14 years because I needed the health/dental/vision insurance (my husband is quite older than me, is retired and has insurance (Medicare) that I'd literally kill for.

I don't go to the Dr. (I'm an Apothecary... nothing on the level of my mom and grandmother, but I know my way around herbs) and try to stay as healthy as possible.

My 12 hour work week is strictly to pay for my phone, which is one of the few things I allow myself.

My husband thinks I'm crazy, but I'm striving toward a life of voluntary poverty, so the less clutter and stress in my life, the better.

 

[Trvshwvng]

Dropping out of society sounds fun (and can be fun) to an extent, but once you do and some unexpected catalyst comes along to shift a set of variables in your life - you quickly realize the functions of that society provide things you will undoubtedly need and end up dropping back in to a higher degree than originally anticipated. It's a romantic notion. You could find an intentional community I guess, but when someone has a baby for example the resources needed shifts and in turn, the process of gaining them shifts. When this happens the initial intent of the group is compromised. Now what to do? Concede? Is there a compromise to be made? Hey, we could always just cancel, too! So many possibilities. This happens until the entire thing evolves into something no one planned. It outlives those who birthed it.

Everybody thinks they don't need nobody til they need someone.

Just a few things to think about.

 

[Andrea Van Scoyoc]

Thanks for the reply.

I'm in no way interested in having a child (I'm a few pennies short of 50 years old) and as a die hard member of VHEMT, while everyone has the right to a family if they can support one, I, personally have chosen not to clutter the earth, further.

As for sickness or whatever else may happen, I have no options, anyway.

I can't afford insurance and am punished for not being a breeder, by not qualifying for Medicaid.

Being an Apothecary, I live as healthy as possible so I can enjoy what time I do have.

I'd love to start a commune for those of us, misfits, nonconformists, who - at one time- played the game, did everything right, only to be told to, "piss off" when we got older and either outlived our usefulness, or potential employers see our experience as dollar signs out of their pockets, rather than experience to be used for company improvement.

I get what you're saying, but it's not always that simple...not for many of us.

Peace...

 

[Trvshwvng]

That was a simplified example that can be applied on a much larger scale. It wasn't meant to be taken TOO literally and has a wide range of contexts in which it can be applied. Good luck with your endeavors.

 

[Ketchup]

hi there wish u the best of luck with youre journey.

 

[Andrea Van Scoyoc]

Thanks, Ketchup.

I'm planning, starting small and enjoying the steps...

 

[Ketchup]

Awesome. Enjoy your FREEDOM

 

[Odin]

VHMET sounds like an... idea that will work on a short time scale. And there is nothing wrong with folks that feel the need to preserve the environment to choose to not contribute to its degradation through procreation... that is a personal choice.

Realistically... though, I don't believe you can control population by trying to encourage or enforce reproductive control.

The reproductive drive is the most powerful force in biological nature to date... try contain it and you will most likely fail.

That is why natural selection and extinctions have moderated those forces for aeons.

Though.

Nothing lasts forever.

Now with humanity at the "selection steering wheel" we are at a precarious point in time.

The only solution to humanity "if" we are to continue on a technological path is the expansion and exploitation of space.

Mine, develop, find ways to use the asteroids, moons, planets, sun and stars.

Kardeshev scale YO!!!>/? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kardashev_scale read it...

Ultimately... though that may also be futile...

Natural selection after all should perform at a cosmic scale.

And our pathetic attempts to steer our destiny... may just prove in the end futile.

There is a great short story... by Issac Asimov.

Read this...

Read this...

The Last Question:

http://www.multivax.com/last_question.html

Come on click it... >.> ;p


Well... welcome Andrea...




::

 

[TheOddAnarchist]

The biggest problem isn't the amount of people anyway, its the amount of over consumption + industrialization.

 

[Andrea Van Scoyoc]

I think that was a greeting at the end of that informative post...so, hello to you and thanks for the welcome, Odin!

 

[Andrea Van Scoyoc]

The biggest problem isn't the amount of people anyway, its the amount of over consumption + industrialization.

The over population of people causes industrialization, waste and over consumption, so it's the old quandary, which came first, the chicken or the egg?

This was supposed to be my greeting thread, so I'm not going to say anything more on the topic of my being a member of VHEMT or anything else regarding my desire for zero population growth.

I merely pointed out in a short sighted/one sided (that sounds meaner than I intend it to be... but it kind of describes the situation) answer to my greeting, my personal views...simply to make a point.

If anyone wants to contact me off my greeting thread and discuss their ideas of zero population growth, zero waste and saving the earth, please do.

I love round tabling to come up with solutions that the next generation will (hopefully) use before it's too late...just not in my greeting thread.

 

[Odin]

I think that was a greeting at the end of that informative post...so, hello to you and thanks for the welcome, Odin!

...::sour:: Sorry for the topic drift and ramblings.
I'm kinda a drunken ninja viking... yea..

...
So Hope I can get a do over and say.

Welcome to Squat The Planet Andrea.

My single minded oblivious thread hijacking and uncouth behavior aside this is a great website and I believe you will find much information and lovely interaction with our varied members.

 

[Andrea Van Scoyoc]

...::sour:: Sorry for the topic drift and ramblings.
I'm kinda a drunken ninja viking... yea..

...
So Hope I can get a do over and say.

Welcome to Squat The Planet Andrea.

My single minded oblivious thread hijacking and uncouth behavior aside this is a great website and I believe you will find much information and lovely interaction with our varied members.

Drunken ninja Vikings are cool.

My mother's people (when the family records petered out and I'd gone as far as I could) were all Vikings.

So, pass the grog, let's light some bonfires and pillage!

 

[RobHASboots]

Thanks for the reply.

I'm in no way interested in having a child (I'm a few pennies short of 50 years old) and as a die hard member of VHEMT, while everyone has the right to a family if they can support one, I, personally have chosen not to clutter the earth, further.

As for sickness or whatever else may happen, I have no options, anyway.

I can't afford insurance and am punished for not being a breeder, by not qualifying for Medicaid.

Being an Apothecary, I live as healthy as possible so I can enjoy what time I do have.

I'd love to start a commune for those of us, misfits, nonconformists, who - at one time- played the game, did everything right, only to be told to, "piss off" when we got older and either outlived our usefulness, or potential employers see our experience as dollar signs out of their pockets, rather than experience to be used for company improvement.

I get what you're saying, but it's not always that simple...not for many of us.

Peace...

I hope you'll msg me when you start layin the groundwork for the commune.
I'd like to work hard, but actually enjoy the fruits of my own labor.
WHAT A CONCEPT!
ya know... I'm thinkin LAND is the be-all & end-all in this game. and(, more than literally,) the foundation for a 'system-free scenario' / community.
when you have land, you are free. you can be self-sufficient and independent, with a lil piece of earth.
soil... dig it.
[HASHTAG]#zapatistas[/HASHTAG]

 

[Andrea Van Scoyoc]

@RobHASboots

Will do!

Thanks for the reply.