So you win the lottery.

[MrPopo]

I wouldn't call living of the land doing nothing - it's the most natural and rewarding job you can do, from an evolutionary standpoint And if future ends up being more Deus Ex than Star Trek, I think it's the best investment you can make, at least if you're selfish and not interested in doing anything about the situation.

The most rewarding job you can do from an evolutionary standpoint is procreate. And if the future ends up being more Deus Ex I plan to be the first to sign up for the augmentations and leave you "natural" humans in the dust.

[Menegrothx]

The most rewarding job you can do from an evolutionary standpoint is procreate.

Procreation isn't an essential need. You'll die if you don't eat&drink, it's something that you have to constantly worry about.

And if the future ends up being more Deus Ex I plan to be the first to sign up for the augmentations and leave you "natural" humans in the dust.

1. Who says you can't live of the land and be augmented?
2. How are you leaving natural humans in dust when they live in remote locations self-sufficiently, not having to deal with any problems caused by the (sub)urban consumerist lifestyle?

Unless of course you plan to invade survivalist communities and get into a firefights with 'em.

[MrPopo]

And if the future ends up being more Deus Ex I plan to be the first to sign up for the augmentations and leave you "natural" humans in the dust.

1. Who says you can't live of the land and be augmented?
2. How are you leaving natural humans in dust when they live in remote locations self-sufficiently, not having to deal with any problems caused by the (sub)urban consumerist lifestyle?

Unless of course you plan to invade survivalist communities and get into a firefights with 'em.

Gotta test out my skull gun on something.

[BogusMeatFactory]

I would pay off all my debt and put a nice chunk into savings and then fund one of two things.

1. Be a financial backer in securing and beginning production of Shenmue III (yeah I'm that pathetic)

2. Give it to Cyan Worlds to financially back the continuation of URU. (Again....I'm pathetic).

Games and collections come and go, but to see great things wither die and fall to the wayside is the true tragedy in the video game world. I would want to help foster a continuation of some truly great and ambitious projects with hopes that they be completed and realized.

[Luke]

1. Be a financial backer in securing and beginning production of Shenmue III (yeah I'm that pathetic)

Dish might hate you for this, I say you're a-okay.

[dsheinem]

1. Be a financial backer in securing and beginning production of Shenmue III (yeah I'm that pathetic)

Dish might hate you for this, I say you're a-okay.

A fool and his money are easily parted.

[Luke]

A fool and his money are easily parted.

No one lends money to a man with a sense of humor.

[fastbilly1]

There are plenty of survivalists with a middle class background. If you consider that the average survivalist most likely has a budget of less than ½ million, then a budget 10 times of that, even if shipping materials to a remote location costs a lot of money, sounds somewhat feasible. Were not talking of a mansion here, just a utilitarian house with the bare necessities, in other words no running water, and only pieces of furniture inside the house would be a table, a sofa, a bed+a computer and a kitchen.

Its true. But that is very hermity and you will eventually go crazy. I taught wilderness survival for some time and had to live off the land for an extended period of time more than once. If it is just for you, you could survive in a 400 sq foot house with a like sized greenhouse, and a decent sized garden. Meat would have to be fish or fowl, depending on how you would rather kill it.

Solar panels lose power over time so you would have to put aside for more. Well they degrade and loose efficiency after about 30 years, but the hardware and batteries for them needs to be replaced every 15ish. If you could convert to a pure DC powersystem you could make a solar system that has enough overhead that even with the degradation you would be ok - converting to AC cost power and generates a decent bit of heat. Everything but your PC can be bought that runs off of either Propane or DC - even fridges.

Honestly, it would depend on what you are really going for. I would suggest doing something like Richard Proenneke where he built a log cabin in the middle of nowhere in Alaska (his autobiographical documentary Alone in the Wilderness is fascinating). He lived off the land next to a giant lake, but had friends come in via plane and visit him and bring him supplies and news. Sure it is not an island in an exotic locale, but it is doable for cheaper and you most likely wont go crazy.

[prfsnl_gmr]

Does anyone else think that its kind of sad how many of would use the money to pay off our - presumably student loan - debts? I know that we are young, but I don't think that paying off student loan debts would have put much of a debt in someone lottery winnings 20 or 30 years ago.

[Luke]

Does anyone else think that its kind of sad how many of would use the money to pay off our - presumably student loan - debts?

I actually find it encouraging. Kids are smart enough, and independent enough at that, to put themselves through higher learning. And it is cliche' to say, but student loans really are the best loans.

I can't seem to find it, but there is a political cartoon where we see a young lady at her mail box. She receives a college acceptance letter and she enthusiastically shouts "YES!". The next panel shows a frail old lady placing an envelope in her mail box and again shouts "YES!". That envelope contained her last student loan payment.

Luckily, with my catering company, coaching, and GA positions, I chopped the loan tree off quickly.