Well for some it is effectively a faster crash than for others depending on the luck of where you were born or the environment,geography, demographics and economics thereof . The effects are sort of staggered all over and i suspect it might be a bit of a roller coaster ride for most . To me it does feel like we are locked in to our seats and the ride has started . To me it does seem a slow collapse here but I really don't feel we are immune to the sudden acceleration and life jarring turns of events. It is what it is , you can't rely on it having an even momentum or having a completely predictable pattern . I think whimpers can exponentially be amplified to turn into screams, and screams into sobs ... but we have free will and I believe life is what you make it so I am humming along.

well, I flagged it but at 15 (on kindle sale at 9) dollars for a around 250 page book, it had better be amazing, when it goes on for a good sale, I will consider picking it up to read, I will pay good money for books that are reference but reading for the sake of pleasure, I am cheap.

I think slow crash for many is possible, but I also think each person can have their own personal shtf moment and it can have so many routes..

I haven't read it and I am even cheaper than Farmgal in that I never spend money on reading for pleasure unless I pick up a classic at an op-shop for 20c 😉

I only prep for financial collapse and I believe a slow crash to be so much worse and more painful than a sudden collapse, sudden crashes generally bring about a recovery sooner, but I believe the speed is constantly changing, sometimes slow, sometimes with a jolt, sometimes it hurtles downhill a short while, either way the economy is in decline and it will create some staggering problems for people along the way. It does affect people at different rates/degrees depending what financial position you started from and where you are located. It is also easy for those less affected at this stage to turn a blind eye on the ones already there. If a sudden collapse happens then everybody is in the same boat and could potentially demand change, but this slow creeping death is not giving the masses something to bind them all together as some are still unaffected so there is no common poverty to unite them.

well, I flagged it but at 15 (on kindle sale at 9) dollars for a around 250 page book, it had better be amazing, when it goes on for a good sale, I will consider picking it up to read, I will pay good money for books that are reference but reading for the sake of pleasure, I am cheap.

I think slow crash for many is possible, but I also think each person can have their own personal shtf moment and it can have so many routes..

Well, from what I read, its not spectacular. Just "Different" and thus intriguing.

Your animals keep you busy. For me, out here, winter is just an endurance test as I wait to get back at it...so I read a lot. Newbees like One Second After and the Prepper Road March, series. Old Classics, like a first printing of Enemy Of State...that the dog decided to chew up, Lucifers Hammer, and Alas Babylon.

http://www.amazon.com/Its-Better-This-Travis-Hill-ebook/dp/B00CWV34XA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395322689&sr=8-1&keywords=its+better+this+way+travis+hill

short but interesting novel, free at time of posting.. give it a read and then chat? if you want..

ps, don't let the "bull" part worry you, when you read it, trust me, you will see very clearly how it connects to things talked about over and over on the board..

I just picked up my copy...still free.
I will get into it when I find some time...hehehe...whenever that may be.

Ill check out Its Better This Way. Free is always good.
I also re read Into The Forest and have been putting off The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood. I'll have to be in the right mood to tackle that one. Her writing apocalyptic fiction should be mentally heavy and I'm more in the mood for bubble gum.
"Im here to kick ass and chew bubble gum...and I'm all out of bubble gum" . Always a classic movie line

I think a slow collapse scares the jeebus out of most people. I don't know when it will happen or to what extent. I agree that it will happen at different times throughout the planet with 3rd world countries probably getting hit first.

I remember someone's comments about the difference between a slow crash and a fast crash. A fast crash is like dieing of a heart attack. A slow crash is like dieing of cancer.
The collapse by cancer seems far worse. Buy the end, it robs everything. Both me and Mrs C5 actually HOPE for a fast crash. Just get on with it and get it over and adapt. We know, basically, what to do. Take your punches and move on. Unfortunately, we are pretty sure we are watching a slow crash and in that scenario we can possibly have every prep chiselled away slowly before the actual post crash life even begins.

I remember someone's comments about the difference between a slow crash and a fast crash. A fast crash is like dieing of a heart attack. A slow crash is like dieing of cancer.
The collapse by cancer seems far worse. Buy the end, it robs everything. Both me and Mrs C5 actually HOPE for a fast crash. Just get on with it and get it over and adapt. We know, basically, what to do. Take your punches and move on. Unfortunately, we are pretty sure we are watching a slow crash and in that scenario we can possibly have every prep chiselled away slowly before the actual post crash life even begins.

I know what you mean. Quick, like pulling off a band-aid. I'd prefer that too, to be honest. But yes, I see a slow collapse and we are already in the midst of it. I can also see it dragging on for 40-100 years, although I can't imagine that during that time, something bigger won't happen.

if you have the ability to do so, you should be planning on growing food, and while seeking out local food is good, they will rise their prices to keep inline with store increases, so there will be no savings to be had at the farmers markets, at least not in my neck of the woods

if you have the ability to do so, you should be planning on growing food, and while seeking out local food is good, they will rise their prices to keep inline with store increases, so there will be no savings to be had at the farmers markets, at least not in my neck of the woods

Seedlings are sprouting and gardening planning is underway. If we have six months and I can get end-of-the-day sales at my Saturday farmers market, then I will put a lot of food away for next winter.

I just finished, Its Better This Way. Tore through it quick. Killer Hippies of The Apocalypse...I always suspected.

Back to food prices. As far as I can tell from my gallivanting around small farms, I think the "Real" price of food is 4-6 times higher than we have been paying. Small farms simply cant compete with massive agribusinesses and the tax subsidized infrastructure that rolls it everywhere (And the armies to keep the oil flowing) . Small farms ( and small countries) are kept in perpetual poverty because of this. A 15$ tomato, this time of year, is far more realistic anyhow.

One of my crew, graciously brought me over a few taps and buckets (I wont have to improvise something as planned)...and its above zero today...so I no longer have any excuse. Time for my first experiment tapping maples. Now I just have to figure out which ones are maples without the leaves to make it obvious.
I built a rocket stove this month to help with the boiling so I think I have all I require.