God dam it. Goddess dam it. I just wanted a break from all things prepping. Im sure a few of my crew is wondering whats going on with me and hoping its just a prepper existential crisis. That's about right. I don't want to talk with people wile I figure out what to do with the rest of my non survivalist life. But life goes on. The same things go on I recognised as a pre teen. For the new to prepping youngsters, I can assure you Prepping will not cure your existential angst. Its only a means. Not a reason. That goes into the realm of philosophy and religion. They haven't solved it either. The only thing they agree on after several millennia of navel gazing and blood letting is that there is something wrong with human perception. All religions agree with that and that in itself is profound. Me? I just want to pass on a few insights before I pass on to the realm of non Survivor. I could use a few new adventures before the long night takes me...but in the mean time...our own cultural existential crisis ignores me entirely and the Crash moves on.
So why do I keep coming back to this little corner of the prepper world, besides it being a decent news source?
A hundred plus people will read this and listen to me. Then a thousand will argue about it. Some of those ideas will and have become common prepper knowledge. Common sense that isn't common until someone points it out. That gets me back to why I am back. Good posts are happening that have nothing to do with me and my little existential crisis.
I brought this to another post and decided it needed better readership. A new smart guy like Dmitry Orlov or FerFAL that keeps getting around in obscure forums. A smart guy sending seasons wishes that is well worth reading. That's why I am here today to pass on a darn good seasonal read.
http://www.resilience.org/stories/2014-12-25/waiting-for-the-sunrise #
A few choice lines I whole heartedly agree with is... " Things could also go in even more destructive directions; a nation that ships tens of thousands of its young people in uniform to an assortment of Middle Eastern countries, teaches them all the latest trends in counterinsurgency warfare, and then dumps them back home in a collapsing economy without the benefits they were promised, has only itself to blame if some of them end up applying their skills in the service of a domestic insurgency against the present US government."
Speaking of which, FerFAL just posted this and its getting around. The same bitch slap I have of J.W. Rawles. Fernando is sort of awkward with it but I wont be when I get around to it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZ7du8JP_eQ
The book, Patriots, may seem like a good book to children but its only regurgitating old Paladin Press and Loompanics crap from the 80s. Much of the advice is out of date and would have you visited by ABC agencies. I tell people its a fantastic survival plan ...if your goal is to be judged in the Hague for war crimes. Try reading it again but separate yourself and read it as if the protagonists are Taliban. There is justification for child soldiers, Justification for chemical weapon use. Justification for summary execution of homosexuals because they are communist child cannibals. Lets not forget, ambushing and strip searching people just walking down the road. Lousy survival advice yet its many preppers bible. Its going to get a lot of people killed. What can I really say.
Well, The prepper world moves on just fine without me. It evolves. It challenges. It grows. Occasionally it bitch slaps and takes a paradigm shift. We will see how 2015 evolves. I wish you and even my detractors the best. "Given a long enough timeline, everyone's survival probability is Zero" Its a new year. Try to enjoy it where ever you can and do your best to leave a decent legacy.
I have a Tactical Harness and I have a Tool Belt. The Tool Belt is more Useful.
Oh, Ya. I forgot all about this gem. http://www.thesurvivalistblog.net/break-free-with-reality-five-common-piles-of-prepper-bs/
Warning: Do You Recognize these Five Common Piles of Prepper BS
I have a Tactical Harness and I have a Tool Belt. The Tool Belt is more Useful.
I do like this last article best of those offered here. The part where everyone would run to the cities is doubtful but the rest seems good. The aspect of people going where the employment is, is a given. But the cities would have alot of failed business and the lack of resources in a non-monetary society would make folks turn to the basics for that daily meal. I'm sure the cities would still hold a portion of it's population and some industry always thrives in bad times.
When you look at what Russia went through in the 90's, the average essential items price tags grew tenfold. That $3.00 loaf of bread eventually became $30.00. Some got rich fast but many lost everything. If your job can no longer feed you and bill collectors take everything, you leave for a place where barter has taken root and you can still afford to eat and find shelter. Cities would have little to offer in a failed economy unless they sustained their industry due to demand. That's just basic fact. Cities attractions is always higher education, advanced technologies and marketing of trade goods through centralization. Every other industry created in cities feed off the people these main resources that initially created the city. Remove money or impede it's flow as a economic crisis would, and all these areas mentioned would decline and thus other areas would follow. The Black Market would thrive overnight as crime increased, so too would the police forces to combat this increase. This in turn would motivate many to leave the cities that could do so and thus an exodus would eventually occur.
I don't quote statistics to validate this belief, just logic. Seems when there is no fuel for the fire, the fire eventually goes out!
Blankets and bubble wrap.
http://www.the-open-mind.com/23-low-tech-ways-to-stay-warm-without-wasting-energy-this-winter/
I have a Tactical Harness and I have a Tool Belt. The Tool Belt is more Useful.
The next one by John Michael Greer does my job for me in the More of The Same...Whatever, category
The Cold Wet Mackerel of Reality
http://www.resilience.org/stories/2015-01-01/the-cold-wet-mackerel-of-reality
2015 predictions.
Finally, someone I'd have nothing to argue about, with. Good thing we don't know each other because it would be a dull friendship.
I have a Tactical Harness and I have a Tool Belt. The Tool Belt is more Useful.
Come on...there is just to much reading to that last link, who can chew through that much,not even any happy cat pictures, or cartoons to break it up a bit. dont get me wrong words are good and all...there was just so many of them,and you have do them in the right order...arh..
He really needs to punch it up a bit, Dramatic headlines! scrolling text at the bottom, moving background, background theme music! repetitive talking points, create drama, add a couple coiffured jesting bobble heads, maybe a side bar with updating contrived statistics......oh wait..then that would be fox "news"...
Give a man a gun, and he can rob a bank. Give a man a bank, and he can rob the world.
LOL 😆
I have a Tactical Harness and I have a Tool Belt. The Tool Belt is more Useful.
Jeez, I just slogged thru it all just to see that I only had to bicker instead... 😆
It was a depressing article pointing out the obvious that things are not looking good for the future. It mentions the preparations that the US are making for further riots and insurrection... a sure sign that crap ain't getting better anytime soon. The part about history tends to repeat itself is another given but the reference to France opting in the past for it's own design of totalitarianism something I was unaware of. I thought they were monarchy driven and divided like England was and still sorta is... with a foot in each door kinda way.
But the aspect of us remaining in limbo for another year seems less likely as I can't see the sanctions against Russia keeping progress from showing the effects upon NATO's allies sooner and thus end this standoff. It seems that NATO has come to far to sit idle for long and the blackout on daily events overseas suggests purpose too. Last I heard, France was considering opting out of NATO with Germany feared to follow while Finland has chosen to side with Russia. While Germany's Merkel claims their solid with NATO, their open door news policy shows national polls are +60% for going with Russia instead. Their doing so would escalate the demise of both the US dollar and the Euro currencies and thus many threats are likely taking place daily. Seems this is also when the blackout thru censorship immediately started. Now there is no mention of such things even in whispers...
...
I have a Tactical Harness and I have a Tool Belt. The Tool Belt is more Useful.
I found this tidbit yesterday that is humorous while informative. It shows the German open door policy for allowing all news regarding the crisis in Ukraine. While Merkel proclaims solidarity with the EU and NATO, this example is what influences the people to disbelieve the propaganda that the EU spreads.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkldaRRPAw4
Seems the German's have more freedom of speech these days than we do. They make fun of events in Ukraine by suggestion of brainwashing to overcome the obvious lies were being fed daily. I'm betting German's are not so eager to see history repeat itself so soon as those recreating the past are doing it while renewing the Nazi party complete with it's atrocities.
But brainwashing these people won't be so easy this time round and satires like the one shown will strengthen their resolve. While they are now a nation with no military, their strong economy is all that is keeping the Euro currency afloat. Lose the Euro, the Ruble becomes far stronger while the US dollar further loses strength from weakened allies.
This media blackout is a means of keeping us in the west in the dark regarding events likely being perpetuated by our government. Even if things overseas haven't changed lately, this media blackout presents the evolution of media control and repeats a past process Hitler used to control the common public and eventually brainwash those under his influence of power.
Finally. The remake of The Crash Course is now finally available to the public. This is a 2014 remake of the 2005 original, updated because of all that has happened since. This was the series that proved to me that I wasn't a bugnuts paranoid. All of the facts. None of the cwazy conspiracy. A fantastic introduction for non preppers.
It deserves its own post but I will let someone else do this.
http://www.peakprosperity.com/crashcourse
I have a Tactical Harness and I have a Tool Belt. The Tool Belt is more Useful.
Just finished watching the new remake version. Started yesterday, watched the rest today out here in the woodshop (and a couple episodes while bottling a batch of homemade beer in the house).
Good to see the updated version. Would be cool if he'd add one more chapter pertaining to the falling oil prices right now, what with oil this morning being below $45.00 for a short while before bouncing around at the $46.00 level.