Category Archives: Self-reliance

Haters Gonna Hate

Posted on September 22, 2023 by Barry Pomeroy

Comments about haters, or people who have no contributions other than to heap ridicule onto another’s accomplishments, are common now, but the phenomenon is not new. I would venture a guess that even when the first stone tool was smashed … Continue reading →

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You Know the Rules

Posted on November 6, 2022 by Barry Pomeroy

Years ago my sister had both a cat and a dog. Although she was always kind with the animals, when the dog farted she would put the cat outside as well. As she did, she would say, “You know the … Continue reading →

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Honda Civic Maintenance from 81 to 99: A Personal Journey

Posted on October 16, 2022 by Barry Pomeroy

Many older people often fall into the trap of believing or pretending that the world was better when they were young. They mistakenly presume that their nostalgia means that their memories are worth more than those who are young now, … Continue reading →

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Retirement

Posted on February 8, 2021 by Barry Pomeroy

The first time I encountered the notion of retirement and pensions was nearly twenty years ago when I was working at Worcester State College. I had just been hired, and although they only intended to give me full time hours … Continue reading →

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Nutrient on the History Channel Show Alone

Posted on December 12, 2020 by Barry Pomeroy

A central preoccupation of the show Alone is, naturally enough, how to get enough food to stay alive. The show has featured survivors who have made deadfall traps to catch mice, eaten slugs, and relied on seaweed to keep themselves … Continue reading →

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Thai Red Curry Pumpkin

Posted on October 23, 2020 by Barry Pomeroy

I never cook with a recipe, although I occasionally record what ingredients I have combined to make a dish. More often, I have no idea what it will taste like until it’s done, and by then I have moved on … Continue reading →

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Travelling Without Geography

Posted on October 10, 2020 by Barry Pomeroy

Most people around the world marvel when American television shows feature street geography quizzes and Americans cannot point to a single country on a map. The subsequent discussion usually centres around the failing American education system, the geographical ignorance that … Continue reading →

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Shovels are the New Gold for the Survivalist

Posted on August 31, 2020 by Barry Pomeroy

People who worry about the collapse of society are usually preoccupied with that they can do now to prepare for that—they imagine—inevitable eventuality. That preparation invariably involves hoarding of goods, for many of them are interested in shopping and come … Continue reading →

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The Boatyards of the Azores and Hawaii

Posted on January 26, 2020 by Barry Pomeroy

He’d heard rumours about the boatyards of the Azores and Hawaii. Some said that retirees who’d spent their working life dreaming of sailing away would sit at their desks gazing a wooden yacht until the fantasy became a certainty and … Continue reading →

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The Dream of the Found Object

Posted on November 28, 2019 by Barry Pomeroy

When I told my friend that I have a recurring dream in which I find stuff, she found it endlessly funny. In the dream, I am usually in a rush to go somewhere, and that rush has an extra push … Continue reading →

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