I am not sure how many weeks away from eating beans my fam is, but I eat them a couple times a week now because they are yummy and a great source of protein 🤷♀️
In the last 50 years I've been through several prepping situations. The realistic timeline for creating a community and working collectively is decades. This is really difficult to maintain, I've made a couple of 10 year runs but it's very hard to keep group members focused. Without a mixed group doing the work of preparing and another group bringing income to pay the ongoing costs and lack of income tensions build. In a couple of situations the land was withdrawn years in. As in your daughter's case it's hard to deny the comforts of 'normal' life. I have the skills and accumulated more knowledge than the current preppers but that doesn't make for an optimistic, focused standard bearer.
For now I see a brief, month or so, which anyone should have enough in their pantry for at any time. At that point either sanity has returned to government, or your beans and rice then belong to someone better armed...c'est la vie...
Looking forward to an Apocalypse where I don’t get constantly bombarded by news about Morons doing Moron things that is packaged as actual “news”…
Also, is it better to have a Bow and Arrow set or a Crossbow? My partner won’t allow me to buy a Shotgun (which seems prudent yet foolish on her part) so I’m exploring medieval options, and a trebuchet seems too extreme 🤔
Cats in boxes are great (for me). Not bc a cat in a box is interesting per se but bc it is more likely than not a cat in a box was a part of a happy moment - if you had a cat and some boxes around at the time.
I’m fairly certain whatever the object in specific, many of us have an association of that sort. (sadly, bad things too)
The point is the moment. A person conserves, plans, matures, makes relationships and so on bc of the moment whether they acknowledge it or not. Of course there is a future, millions of moments to be. The secret is in making the most one can of those moments and dwelling in them or discarding, limiting them otoh.
Your daughter’s favorites, every one will be a special moment.
So, when I see these “doomsday” proclamations I’m fairly certain they are more a matter of fear those moments will evaporate bc the town crier of the day lacks an imagination/understanding of what a moment can be.
Yeah, there was a conclusion to be had in all that.
I have a feeling a lot off americans have a holywood idea off collapse as if suddenly a whole system breaks and nothing functions any more at a staggering speed and all is into ruins at ones. Like you see in the article of famine in 8 weeks. A total collapse off all systems is only the case when total regions are bombed with the purpose of total annihilation, like WWii tapestry bombing by the allies in Germany, Hiroshima, Gaza etc or natural disasters or chemical disasters affecting a verry big region or a disfunctional state for a long time in combination with smaller shocks ( like Afghanistan). ‘Collapse’ because of climate change, supply chain destruction or a short power vacuum is more like an uneven unraveling and indeed systems that do not hold can affect other structures in society. So I do not underestimate the real life consequences and the real struggle to get medical care, food, energy etc The consequences are unevenly distributed through regions and through groups in society and are also depending on the resilience of local communities, local availibility of goods and services and most importantly the policy choices at all levels. Research shows that societies with big income inequality, corruption, low accessibility of services , individualism and high specialisation off workers depending on others for all aspects of survival are particularly fragile for unraveling and violence. Maybe the people off the USA feel that weakness off their system and lack of culture of cooperation and have that idea about collapse. The individualist attitude, indifference by politicians and corporations towards ordinary people and the fact that there are more weapons than people and that this farwest mentality is still present, will not help and can accelkerate unraveling. But other societies may proove much more resilient. Oekraïne still functions quite well after 4 years off war, cuba is still functioning quite well after a total blockade and collapse off the energy system ( although many sick people and babies died), China withstood many big shocks, … … So i think that preparing for different kind off disruptions for the long haul like you do is a far more smart approach
Can someone link me to the badly written prophecy, re: we're gonna starve in eight weeks' time? My algorithm hasn't delivered it to me yet, but I've seen two or three people talk about it already :p
I’ve landed in a similar spot with regard to community building. I wrote this back in ‘24.
“How you choose to handle this reality is up to you. I actively want a community to be a part of, so my plan is to grow more food than I need and stockpile rations in the hope that I can keep unprepared neighbors alive long enough to get them on their feet.”
My plan is to make space for a community to form, rather than try to preemptively build one out of a resistant populace.
But I will definitely be making time to tell people I told you so because I’m petty like that. I will demand they say “you were sooooo right” before I bless them with some seedlings or what have you.
Yes, I can say our community of ten years in the making has failed over that time. However things are now looking up. The treat of real starvation is now real.
❤️ 🐈 🐈 in boxes. Puppy cuddlepuddles, too.
Yesterday, I realized that we have about 200 gallons of potable water in our water heater tank if it comes to that. I do need to flush it ASAP.
That’s how to do it! This is also a good reminder to me to look up instructions for how to do ours, and add that to the guide.
👍😃
I am not sure how many weeks away from eating beans my fam is, but I eat them a couple times a week now because they are yummy and a great source of protein 🤷♀️
In the last 50 years I've been through several prepping situations. The realistic timeline for creating a community and working collectively is decades. This is really difficult to maintain, I've made a couple of 10 year runs but it's very hard to keep group members focused. Without a mixed group doing the work of preparing and another group bringing income to pay the ongoing costs and lack of income tensions build. In a couple of situations the land was withdrawn years in. As in your daughter's case it's hard to deny the comforts of 'normal' life. I have the skills and accumulated more knowledge than the current preppers but that doesn't make for an optimistic, focused standard bearer.
For now I see a brief, month or so, which anyone should have enough in their pantry for at any time. At that point either sanity has returned to government, or your beans and rice then belong to someone better armed...c'est la vie...
People will focus very, very quickly as soon as they've missed a couple of meals. A bit late then, of course, never mind.
Yeah. Overshoot is a well designed trap. By the time you realize you’re in it, you’re well and truly screwed.
One reason back to nature communities tend to “fail” is because they can.
But when there is no modern world to return to, I suspect they won’t fall apart so easily.
But I’m nothing if not an optimist….
I’m working on a way to take and distribute pictures of cats in boxes in the event of the Internet or power grid collapsing.
Godspeed. :)
Looking forward to an Apocalypse where I don’t get constantly bombarded by news about Morons doing Moron things that is packaged as actual “news”…
Also, is it better to have a Bow and Arrow set or a Crossbow? My partner won’t allow me to buy a Shotgun (which seems prudent yet foolish on her part) so I’m exploring medieval options, and a trebuchet seems too extreme 🤔
Based on my very limited experience, it seems like a crossbow is easier to fire but a bow is easier to reload. :)
Do you have any defense recommendations at hand? Community is great, but getting dead is also avoidably agreeable 🙏
Cats in boxes are great (for me). Not bc a cat in a box is interesting per se but bc it is more likely than not a cat in a box was a part of a happy moment - if you had a cat and some boxes around at the time.
I’m fairly certain whatever the object in specific, many of us have an association of that sort. (sadly, bad things too)
The point is the moment. A person conserves, plans, matures, makes relationships and so on bc of the moment whether they acknowledge it or not. Of course there is a future, millions of moments to be. The secret is in making the most one can of those moments and dwelling in them or discarding, limiting them otoh.
Your daughter’s favorites, every one will be a special moment.
So, when I see these “doomsday” proclamations I’m fairly certain they are more a matter of fear those moments will evaporate bc the town crier of the day lacks an imagination/understanding of what a moment can be.
Yeah, there was a conclusion to be had in all that.
chloramphenicol supposedly simple enough to manufacture in a moderately equipped high school chem lab
I'll look into it!
I forgot the bad news aspect
this easily synthesized pharmaceutical potentially can kill 1-in-1400(?)
FDA banned it
keep in mind, after the fall, the choice is of
(a) an infection resulting in amputation (or outright death)
versus
(b) 1399 chances in 1400 this pharmaceutical will save you
I appreciate your insights, and your groundedness. Thank you.
Outstanding cats-in-boxes! 😻
Well said, as always, Jessica.
Glad to hear you got more than just the learning from the dew collector effort.
And glad to know there’s a community for you, small though it might be.
I have a feeling a lot off americans have a holywood idea off collapse as if suddenly a whole system breaks and nothing functions any more at a staggering speed and all is into ruins at ones. Like you see in the article of famine in 8 weeks. A total collapse off all systems is only the case when total regions are bombed with the purpose of total annihilation, like WWii tapestry bombing by the allies in Germany, Hiroshima, Gaza etc or natural disasters or chemical disasters affecting a verry big region or a disfunctional state for a long time in combination with smaller shocks ( like Afghanistan). ‘Collapse’ because of climate change, supply chain destruction or a short power vacuum is more like an uneven unraveling and indeed systems that do not hold can affect other structures in society. So I do not underestimate the real life consequences and the real struggle to get medical care, food, energy etc The consequences are unevenly distributed through regions and through groups in society and are also depending on the resilience of local communities, local availibility of goods and services and most importantly the policy choices at all levels. Research shows that societies with big income inequality, corruption, low accessibility of services , individualism and high specialisation off workers depending on others for all aspects of survival are particularly fragile for unraveling and violence. Maybe the people off the USA feel that weakness off their system and lack of culture of cooperation and have that idea about collapse. The individualist attitude, indifference by politicians and corporations towards ordinary people and the fact that there are more weapons than people and that this farwest mentality is still present, will not help and can accelkerate unraveling. But other societies may proove much more resilient. Oekraïne still functions quite well after 4 years off war, cuba is still functioning quite well after a total blockade and collapse off the energy system ( although many sick people and babies died), China withstood many big shocks, … … So i think that preparing for different kind off disruptions for the long haul like you do is a far more smart approach
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-32515558 fog catchers
Can someone link me to the badly written prophecy, re: we're gonna starve in eight weeks' time? My algorithm hasn't delivered it to me yet, but I've seen two or three people talk about it already :p
Maybe 🤔 like the desert beetle 🪲 some small cones?
Great article. But before I help anyone out who voted for this, I would absolutely say ‘I told you so.’
I’ve landed in a similar spot with regard to community building. I wrote this back in ‘24.
“How you choose to handle this reality is up to you. I actively want a community to be a part of, so my plan is to grow more food than I need and stockpile rations in the hope that I can keep unprepared neighbors alive long enough to get them on their feet.”
My plan is to make space for a community to form, rather than try to preemptively build one out of a resistant populace.
But I will definitely be making time to tell people I told you so because I’m petty like that. I will demand they say “you were sooooo right” before I bless them with some seedlings or what have you.
Yes, I can say our community of ten years in the making has failed over that time. However things are now looking up. The treat of real starvation is now real.