Managing the gray tsunami

Alone and Invisible no More

It is of no value to live twenty- or thirty-plus years beyond retirement and mostly just exist or worse yet, be waiting to die. – Dr. Allan S. Teel My parents died within two years of each other nearly thirty years ago, leaving me and my brother in that odd status of adult orphan. They were both in their late fifties, and as time marched on, I looked around at friends dealing with their elderly parents and decided we dodged a bullet. Thus, I may not be the best person to review Teel’s … [Read more...]

A thousand points of dirt

350 home and garden challenge logo

So, icecaps are melting, oil is surging and the economy is still in the tank. You've given up on Congress, you've lost faith in Obama and you aren't impressed with what's coming out of your statehouse these days. Whaddya gonna do? You could get ready for the collapse of society. Maybe pick up a few dozen cans of pork-n-beans at Safeway for the basement. Drive some cases of Remington .12 gauge shells out to your bug-out location. Buy, sell, bury or do whatever you're supposed to do with … [Read more...]

Japanese people reach out via Facebook

Peace Crane

I am currently in Ulgii City, Outer Mongolia. Televisions are reporting constant updates about developments in Japan. Many nomads here can pick this up because they have solar panels and satellite dishes to catch TV signals. Their simple model is a telling example of how low energy local resilience effectively meets global connectedness. The Mongolian president is on television promising aid to Japan because Japan helped Mongolia survive the dzuds—extreme winter freezes. Mongolian … [Read more...]