Um, hello? This appeared to be the right link.

[LadyVelvet]

How long has it been since anyone joined and posted in here? Oh well, here's hoping it's not dead.

"Sticky Thread For the Newbies!! Yes, that means You!" makes it sound so exciting.... inuendos of slit wrists and promises of flames and burning... but it's not.

So, I'm a BABY goth, huh? Fascinating, since I'm one of the originals (old enough to know there was never any such thing, it was all a misinterpretation).

1. What do you do? (Hobbies, job)
That's a slippery one, but I try to tell myself I make stuff somebody wants and sell it. Maybe that will happen one day.

2. Where are you from?
Sacramento, but anyone who could vouch for me doesn't live there anymore.

3. Who is your favorite author?
Right now? Kim Marcille Romaner. I'm looking for some good authors regarding self-sustainable living.

4. What are your favorite films?
The Last Minute, Revolver, Unbreakable.

5. What music do you want played at your wedding?
That depends if you are talking about an extravagant party for no real reason or one where someone actually submits to legal enforcement of ownership between two people, which in either case I probably won't be there, so I don't care what music is played.

6. At your funeral?
Sounds of nature. The squishy icky ones. No DJ. Nobady else to hear them, either.

7. This IS a gothic website, so... how do you want to die?
OLD, smarter than everyone else, and ALONE so nobody has to deal with it.

8. What kind of casket would you want?
None. I want to be eaten by animals, worms, insects & bacteria before anybody finds out I'm dead.

9. What's your FAVORITE outfit?
The one that's easiest to find, put on, is reasonable flattering, and doesn't smell. As long as I keep stuff I actually like to wear in my closet, I'm good. Get rid of stuff you don't want to wear and it all works. So everything is probably all or mostly black, but that's a conincidence. I DID mention I'm old enough to know there was never really any such thing as Goth, right?

10. What's one thing you miss about being a little kid?
Surprisingly, not much.

11. What's your favorite band?
Really? Do you have any idea how many bands there are now? Even trying to narrow it down to a category is illusive.

12. What kind of education do you have? What is/was/will be your major?
After persuing several avenues in this course I don't really care much anymore. I do what I need to survive and hopefully enjoy some part of it. Whatever you do LEARN HOW TO INVEST CAREFULLY AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE. Both life and death can get expensive, FAST.

13. Why did you join?
I have no idea. It was an impulse thing. I actually signed up ages ago and forgot all about it. My return to find out what this is was also an impulse thing.

14. If the first 13 questions didn't give it away. What is your gender?
First of all, you shouldn't make such simple gender assumptions, but anyway, I'm female.

[CuckooTuli]

I seem to remember the "For the Newbies" thing being both tongue-in-cheek, and about 10 years old. Most of the rules it lays down have gone out the window.

In any case, welcome.

[Versus]

Hi. It wouldn't be inaccurate to say that this forum is going through a sort of hibernation. We're waiting for the Goth cubs to come out in the spring.

[Angelic Dissonance2]

Summer, you mean. Murder rates go up in summer.

Also, the sun really does kill me. I can't stand heat--I honestly hope it's half-overcast and in the 60-70's forevermore. Easier to work in.

[Lady Velvet]

So... I tried to log in with the above username (That's me, above) and I got a message that the username was invalid... so I registered again. Does this happen often?

[Solumina]

I can't say that I'm aware of such a thing happening before, you can try contacting the admins, there is a link at the bottom of the page, but they aren't around too frequently so it may be a while before you get any response.

[Lady Velvet]

Strange, but whatever. I'm here now.

[shadowynne]

i like you...

[Angelic Dissonance2]

Eh, me too. I feel a lot of the things above. I'm trying to gather my thoughts to start a business within a few years myself, but I'm busy not starving until then.

[Fruitbat]

what sort of self-sustainable living info are you after?

[Lady Velvet]

All of it. I wouldn't even know how to narrow it down. I want as much information as I can get. I've been fascinated with the idea that life isn't anything like what I was raised to expect -- and doesn't have to be. Living green, off-grid, and in tune with nature as far as possible, completely independent alone and isolated is my ideal. Self-sufficient from my own power source & sewage system to my own internet access. Close enough to a big city to enjoy the pollution and night life when I want it, but free, owing no municipal or community debt.

You see, I was raised to expect the opposite and I never agreed with it, but didn't know how life could be different. I was supposed to marry someone to take care of me and he was supposed to have some fancy secure job and we were supposed to have more children than we could handle and live in an ugly house in some suburb that wasn't as nice as it was made out to be and live under a pile of bills we could barely keep up with.

I suppose that's how it works for a lot of people, but I was raised to live what I considered to be a nightmare. I'm looking for my own paradise, but I want more information on how to make that happen.

[Solumina]

Well jumping headfirst into it without any experience can be a disaster so my advise is to start small and grow your own herbs and vegetables. If you have never grown anything before mint is pretty hard to kill (and it also has a tendency to grow through ceramic so make sure it is in a glass or metal container if you don't want it to spread). If you have a yard to make a garden in that is great, if not you can grow lots of veggies and some fruits in pots or window boxes (personally I think strawberries are the perfect plant for window gardens as they have those cute white flowers at the very beginning of spring and then those bright red berries as things warm up).

Living totally off the grid is hard, really hard, I know people who have done it and even with plenty of money to invest in solar panels and wind turbines (which do require a sizable amount of money if you want to use them to fully power your home) they have to limit their energy use. You also mentioned wanting internet, well if you're off the grid then you're off the grid so no cable or fiber optic lines, you can get satellite but for internet it gets quite pricy if you want anything that isn't atrociously slow. I'm not saying that you can't live comfortably off the grid, it just takes a lot of planning, you do have to invest in it, and you have to sacrifice some things to make it happen.

[Lady Velvet]

I have experience growing things and making my own saps, medicines, paper and cat food. I have a garden where I am now and there fruit trees here, but alas, it's in a suburb.

I also have experience making my own clothing, but this and technology are what separates me form the main off-grid crowd.

Making clothing is more of an industrial art and profession. I realise most people who dream of going off-grid have notions of an old-fashioned way of life, but that isn't my vision. As far as internet access -- I need it in order to make a living. I REALLY use it. I'm a modern business woman and a big techie nerd. As far as internet access in a fairly remote area goes -- it doesn't have to be as remote as some off-gridders want. I know there are people out there who actually own small utility companies and I figure if two nerds can build towers on their rooftops and make it into a profitable company within a few years I can also find a way to be my own ISP.

My chosen sources for power and heat would not be the biggest, most expensive trendy and difficult to maintain solutions out there. Turbines and solar panels really aren't that efficient when you consider the cost and time. There are much simpler and less expensive solutions, even when using solar and wind, but I lean towards micro-hydro.

[Solumina]

I'm kind of confused as to your motivations for wanting to be off grid, maybe if I understood exactly what you were looking for then I could be of more help. Specifically why do you want to be off the grid instead of just living out in the countryside? When you say that you want to be near things but you don't want to be in the suburb what do you mean?

Not trying to pick apart anything, just trying to get a better understanding.

[shadowynne]

Originally Posted by Lady Velvet

All of it. I wouldn't even know how to narrow it down. I want as much information as I can get. I've been fascinated with the idea that life isn't anything like what I was raised to expect -- and doesn't have to be. Living green, off-grid, and in tune with nature as far as possible, completely independent alone and isolated is my ideal. Self-sufficient from my own power source & sewage system to my own internet access. Close enough to a big city to enjoy the pollution and night life when I want it, but free, owing no municipal or community debt.

You see, I was raised to expect the opposite and I never agreed with it, but didn't know how life could be different. I was supposed to marry someone to take care of me and he was supposed to have some fancy secure job and we were supposed to have more children than we could handle and live in an ugly house in some suburb that wasn't as nice as it was made out to be and live under a pile of bills we could barely keep up with.

I suppose that's how it works for a lot of people, but I was raised to live what I considered to be a nightmare. I'm looking for my own paradise, but I want more information on how to make that happen.

now i really like you.

yeah i jacked in the rat race about 15 years ago. i was living in california had a high powered job... had enough moved to england live on an organic sheep dairy farm and raise my own poultry. most of my food is either grown by me or by people i know by name...

not completely off grid yet but getting there...

[Lady Velvet]

Also, I learned years ago that trying to adhere to a fundamentalist idealism is illogical and self-defeating. In my thinking this applies to religion as well as any other aspect of life.

While I admire the idea of going off-grid I am much more interested in a sustainable lifestyle, which is not necessarily the same thing. My vision is to not constantly owe someone else money for the basics of life.

[shadowynne]

solumina is right being completely off grid is tough, really tough. its good that you have experience with making clothes and medicines that helps. however maintaining tech is rough. to do what you want to do you will need substantial financial backing. but it can be done.

im pretty much woodburner run for heating house and water but still us electrics for light and tech. i have a reedbed sewage system that works great and have the luck to have a spring, but rely on an electric pump to use it. although im saving to get a windmill to pump my water... i process all my own meat, tan hides and work leather. i can make clothes, grow veg and keep bees. im a trained metal worker and ceramicist and i still dont have a fraction of the skills needed to be fully self sufficient! its a lot of work but very rewarding! i wish you luck, its hard but worth it.

[Solumina]

Ah okay, that makes a little more sense. Are you wanting to get out of the suburb or trying to make your lifestyle as sustainable as possible where you are? If the former what are you looking to do, I know a lot of people have a rather idealize image of living on a farm, unfortunately that isn't easy to do unless you are independently wealthy or at least have something else going on the side but if you are just looking for enough land to make enough to support an average sized family then that is a lot easier to do. If, however, you are looking to make the most of where you are there are a number of things that can be done, but those could vary depending on how big your lot is and if there are any weird local laws/zoning ordinances, or an HOA to contend with.

Either way I'd be happy to share any information and experience that I have (I unfortunately am a little limited in what I'm currently able to do but I grew up with parents who were very much into sustainability, conservation, and growing your own food).

[Lady Velvet]

@ Solumina,

It isn't really a "countryside lifestyle" that I want. Well, maybe I do, but that isn't how I think of it. I want to live by things that feel right to me. I should be able to wipe my own ass, so to speak. My waste doesn't have to destroy the environment. My consumption of food doesn't have to be cruel and wasteful. I should have the freedom to do what I want in my own home. If I choose to live with a dozen cats and they are all clean, fixed and get the individual care they need, I shouldn't have Animal Control on my ass trying to kill ten of them. I shouldn't need to have neighbors trying to convert me or "help" me live the way they think I should. And I don't want to be in debt or have to rely on a system I don't trust to have my basic needs met.

[Lady Velvet]

LOL - that is pretty idealistic, isn't it? But I am willing to make reasonable concessions to get what I want out of it.

I find it an interesting paradox that in order for someone to live in a manner that doesn't cost much, they have to have significant financial backing. What sense does that make? That's how embedded in the system our society is.

[shadowynne]

heh, tell me about it...

[Fruitbat]

Originally Posted by Lady Velvet

All of it. I wouldn't even know how to narrow it down. I want as much information as I can get. I've been fascinated with the idea that life isn't anything like what I was raised to expect -- and doesn't have to be. Living green, off-grid, and in tune with nature as far as possible, completely independent alone and isolated is my ideal. Self-sufficient from my own power source & sewage system to my own internet access. Close enough to a big city to enjoy the pollution and night life when I want it, but free, owing no municipal or community debt.

You see, I was raised to expect the opposite and I never agreed with it, but didn't know how life could be different. I was supposed to marry someone to take care of me and he was supposed to have some fancy secure job and we were supposed to have more children than we could handle and live in an ugly house in some suburb that wasn't as nice as it was made out to be and live under a pile of bills we could barely keep up with.

I suppose that's how it works for a lot of people, but I was raised to live what I considered to be a nightmare. I'm looking for my own paradise, but I want more information on how to make that happen.

Earth ships are really cool houses. Love the idea that you can build your own house, very empowering shit.

Permaculture - is great for learning inter-relationships between living things - great design principles, low maintenance gardens etc.

You can live sustainably off a small patch of dirt - think vertical gardens.

Start there, let them branch out into other areas as your interest develops.

Gotta dash. dying my hair so I have to check it, but if you have any other questions let me know - been interested in this for 20 years.

[Lady Velvet]

Originally Posted by Fruitbat

Earth ships are really cool houses. Love the idea that you can build your own house, very empowering shit.

Permaculture - is great for learning inter-relationships between living things - great design principles, low maintenance gardens etc.

You can live sustainably off a small patch of dirt - think vertical gardens.

Start there, let them branch out into other areas as your interest develops.

Gotta dash. dying my hair so I have to check it, but if you have any other questions let me know - been interested in this for 20 years.

This is great stuff. I was very interested in this in my teen years and then managed to get caught up in "life as expected" about 17 years ago and forgot about a lot of this stuff.

@shadowynne -That reedbed sewage system sounds fascinating. I would llike to find out more about that.

[Fruitbat]

Community gardens are another way of growing things with limited space. I think you can do a lot without moving out of the city onto a land, unless that's what you want to do.

I used to preserve my own food, make my own jam, grow fruit and vegies in summer but my interests changed and I just decided to use what was in season and shop at farmer's markets, because it worked for me.

I suppose its outsourcing but in a sustainable way, because you give the money directly to the farmer rather than giving it to a middle man like a supermarket.

Houses and flats can be retrofitted to be more energy efficient; community gardens can be built on unused/council areas. I think it's better to live closer to where you work, than to live out in the sticks and have to commute for hours (and all of the GHG emissions from the car/bus)

[RangMedia]

Actress Wallpapers Galleries
http://www.rangmedia.com