Tonight, I have come to a conclusion.
Given how my finances have become strained living two lives - one of Normal Citizen, and one of Survivor - things have come to a head.
I have decided that my services as survival adviser are for sale... I'd have qualms about doing any actual chemistry... Nor do I know the right people for getting some more... interesting hardware, but...
The only problem being finding someone willing to pay.
Preparations for an unknown cataclysm. Perspectives... Survival, the Apocalypse, TEOTWAWKI. Fictional or not? I might say, I might not...
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
The Survival of Economics
I had an argument today... Nothing unusual in that, really, but notable in the content of the argument.
Basically, it boils down to the fact that modern Economics is bunk. These two were of the opinion that everything is happy, fine, and that Economists aren't chasing smoke. There are plenty of examples that things aren't going well, and that the economy is like a dog, chasing its own tail, about to bite down and get a very unpleasant surprise. There are plenty of things that Economics can't really explain or justify, let alone apply any real mathematics to...
There comes a point in any argument where you can't be bothered, and just walk away... Needless to say, they wouldn't be invited to help me work the land in the event of a cataclysm. Not that they'd realise that that particular brick wall is coming up fairly fast.
The real problem is the realisation that you're working hard to set up the basics of real self-sufficiency, with all the slog that entails - and lowered morale, and spending money and time to do it - yet the willingly ignorant have their heads stuck in the clouds, happy as anything... and you're very much in the minority. There are a few people on the 2012 wave - but as a fad, rather than understanding that TEOTWAWKI isn't going to arrive as a date on the calendar. As someone once lamented: "Bread and circuses..."
Basically, it boils down to the fact that modern Economics is bunk. These two were of the opinion that everything is happy, fine, and that Economists aren't chasing smoke. There are plenty of examples that things aren't going well, and that the economy is like a dog, chasing its own tail, about to bite down and get a very unpleasant surprise. There are plenty of things that Economics can't really explain or justify, let alone apply any real mathematics to...
There comes a point in any argument where you can't be bothered, and just walk away... Needless to say, they wouldn't be invited to help me work the land in the event of a cataclysm. Not that they'd realise that that particular brick wall is coming up fairly fast.
The real problem is the realisation that you're working hard to set up the basics of real self-sufficiency, with all the slog that entails - and lowered morale, and spending money and time to do it - yet the willingly ignorant have their heads stuck in the clouds, happy as anything... and you're very much in the minority. There are a few people on the 2012 wave - but as a fad, rather than understanding that TEOTWAWKI isn't going to arrive as a date on the calendar. As someone once lamented: "Bread and circuses..."
Monday, October 4, 2010
The Economics of Survival
The more I play the hobby farmer, the more I firmly believe that if you are going to Bug Out in response to a cataclysm, it's better and easier to do it pre-TSHTF than to trying to once it starts to happen. Once it starts to happen, you are forced, by circumstance, to only to be able to act in certain ways; additionally, you are limited in what happens far after.
Think about it. You live in the middle of the city, you have a backpack, a car full of supplies an Emergency happens. You can choose to:
a) wait it through until it's obvious that your survival depends on you getting out
b) get out of there well before anything happens
c) listen to the local government or emergency services response advice.
Choice A: You wait too long, you can only get a small fraction of your supplies out as the roads are impassible - either blocked or flooded... all you can do is get out with what you can carry.
Choice B: You're jumping at your own shadow, and potentially putting yourself into worse problems.
Choice C: You forget that the people "leading" the response are humans, prone to human foibles, and may not know all the information... not to mention that you are leaving your life in their hands, absolving yourself of any responsibility for looking after your own safety.
The observant amongst you will point out to me the fact that, by choice of living in a semi-rural area, I am attempting to justify my own strategic planning - that may be the case.
On the other hand, I am finding a sizable chunk of my spare time taken up in all the work involved with getting a usable hobby farm going. While I admire the optimism of people who believe that they can do all this work, under the adverse conditions, and with the limited resources, that survival requires.
Plants take time to grow, and it is far better to get them growing when you have plenty of time, food, energy, and morale. Having some lemon seeds is not going to give you any lemons for a few years - never mind the fact that most citrus has to be grafted onto hardier rootstock to do well. Vegetables are quicker, no doubt, but still take time - especially if you're learning. In the long run, I do think that trees are going to be easier than annual crops for a varied diet - and give some more variety... yet grains, vegetables, and such are going to be necessary.
So... trees get planted, fertilised, pruned... especially in the spring.
Admittedly, I still have to consider the possibility of Bugging-Out to elsewhere... but I am in what would hopefully be a good position... You can't prepare for everything...
Think about it. You live in the middle of the city, you have a backpack, a car full of supplies an Emergency happens. You can choose to:
a) wait it through until it's obvious that your survival depends on you getting out
b) get out of there well before anything happens
c) listen to the local government or emergency services response advice.
Choice A: You wait too long, you can only get a small fraction of your supplies out as the roads are impassible - either blocked or flooded... all you can do is get out with what you can carry.
Choice B: You're jumping at your own shadow, and potentially putting yourself into worse problems.
Choice C: You forget that the people "leading" the response are humans, prone to human foibles, and may not know all the information... not to mention that you are leaving your life in their hands, absolving yourself of any responsibility for looking after your own safety.
The observant amongst you will point out to me the fact that, by choice of living in a semi-rural area, I am attempting to justify my own strategic planning - that may be the case.
On the other hand, I am finding a sizable chunk of my spare time taken up in all the work involved with getting a usable hobby farm going. While I admire the optimism of people who believe that they can do all this work, under the adverse conditions, and with the limited resources, that survival requires.
Plants take time to grow, and it is far better to get them growing when you have plenty of time, food, energy, and morale. Having some lemon seeds is not going to give you any lemons for a few years - never mind the fact that most citrus has to be grafted onto hardier rootstock to do well. Vegetables are quicker, no doubt, but still take time - especially if you're learning. In the long run, I do think that trees are going to be easier than annual crops for a varied diet - and give some more variety... yet grains, vegetables, and such are going to be necessary.
So... trees get planted, fertilised, pruned... especially in the spring.
Admittedly, I still have to consider the possibility of Bugging-Out to elsewhere... but I am in what would hopefully be a good position... You can't prepare for everything...
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