Like the illusion of Wall Street, with its vast and powerful investment banks, now shuttered, China too is an illusion perpetuated by the Globalists that gave us the 15,000 mile Caesar salad, poisoned cat food and lead based paint on babies' pacifiers. Like the illusion that money would come from thin air to always push housing prices higher, China has spent a generation pursuing its illusion. Pursuing an unattainable dream to be like the West, while 6000 years of its carefully shepherded top soil blows into the sea.
Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 2:11 pm Post subject: hi from new member in the Poconos, Pennsylvania
Hi everyone. I've been lurking around these forums for several months now, and finally decided to sign up for an account.
Like everyone else here, I'm sure, I've been finding myself watching the news and events of the past several years unfold, and getting a little bit more nervous about the future. For a long time, I toyed with the idea of becoming better prepared for a post-Peak Oil world, and worried that I was, perhaps, jumping into a fringe element. However, I've realized that it's best to be prepared for any scenario. In my part of the world, that could be losing power for 3 weeks because of a severe ice storm (happened a few years back) or being stuck in your car for 9 hours in a snowstorm waiting to be dug out by the plow (happened to my brother's ex). Having extra supplies on hand and a bit of a backup plan is handy even for these "little" emergencies, even if the bigger doo doo never hits the fan.
Lately I've been reading everything I can get my hands on regarding peak oil, survival textbooks, gardening, food preservation, and other topics - thank you interlibrary loan! My husband began to think I was a little loony for the choice of reading material, but over recent discussions, I think he also understands why it would behoove us to prepare for anything that life may throw at us. We can certainly hope that life will remain cushy and comfy and nothing is going to change, but as someone once said, hope for the best and plan for the worst, right?
Anyway, it's nice to finally join you all, and I look forward to jumping in and participating in the forums discussions. I've already learned so much just by lurking here. Thank you!
Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 3:02 pm Post subject: Re: hi from new member in the Poconos, Pennsylvania
Welcome . . .
as for this . . .
Quote:
even if the bigger doo doo never hits the fan.
Stop dreaming kid. I want to believe that this is all a bad dream too, but let's look at the last 3 days:
2nd biggest bank failure in history, U.S..
50% of mortgage industry on the verge of nationalization.
Stock markets down huge in the last 6 months.
CDS on U.S. treasuries signaling danger.
Sorry, it's hitting the fan now, it's just going to get worse.
Stop having doubts.
Remove all doubt.
Your gut is right. Trust your gut, which is telling you to prep like a fiend.
You are right. _________________ Massive Human Dieoff must occur as a result of Peak Oil. Many more than half will die. It will occur everywhere, including where you live. If you fail to recognize this, then your odds of living move toward the "going to die" group.
Joined: Sep 29, 2004 Posts: 2330 Location: Pennsylvania, USA
Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 3:39 pm Post subject: Re: hi from new member in the Poconos, Pennsylvania
Hello, girlscout, welcome. I'm in Allentown, not far away. _________________ "That's the problem with mercy, kid... It just ain't professional" - Fast Eddie, The Color of Money
Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 4:47 pm Post subject: Re: hi from new member in the Poconos, Pennsylvania
Thanks everyone.
Yeah, I know... I'm just trying to be optimistic, but I don't see things getting better anytime soon. This has all been a lonnng time coming.
I have a son that is almost 8 months old, and I worry about his future. A big part of the reason that I want to be prepared for anything life throws at us is him.
Oddly enough, I've always been interested in survival skills, and felt like someday we were going to be heading to a harder world... even when I was a child. It probably has something to do with growing up in the 1970s and witnessing odd and even license plate days at the gas stations.
In college, I wrote a paper on the theory of evolutionary potential about 12 years ago, and this was the first I really starting to learn about peak oil. Societies that are based up one resource will eventually fall when that resource is limited or access to it removed. These societies also tend to become more specialized with time, and with this specialization, people lose the basic skills they once had to survive. This is evident in the fact that today most folks in the U.S. would have no clue how to go about procuring food if the grocery store closed its doors, and couldn't do half the things that were common in their grandparents' generation.
It frightens me that our lifestyle is balanced in such a fragile way on the prospect of cheap oil. Well, I don't need to go into all of this, as I'd be preaching to the choir here. And yes, I am prepping like a fiend. I'm just glad that I've gotten my hubby on board, as this makes it a lot easier. Even a little thing like picking up some extra food for storage each time we go out for groceries is a step in the right direction...
Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 5:38 pm Post subject: Re: hi from new member in the Poconos, Pennsylvania
Thank you for sharing that info on how bad the winter can be in the mountains. I have been through that part of PA. The northern part of PA is beautiful. I knew that the winters up there were bad, but didn't know just how bad. Wow. Stuck for 9 hours, and no power for 3 weeks. Yikes!
Joined: Jun 13, 2007 Posts: 3894 Location: Minniesotuh
Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 6:48 pm Post subject: Re: hi from new member in the Poconos, Pennsylvania
Welcome, girlscout, to PeakOil.com!
Try to read as much as you can, when you can. Also remember to take breaks-the topics here can be quite overwhelming at times.
Check the "how to get around on this site without losing your mind" (in the welcome section) for great posting tips.
Feel free to ask questions as they arise, and don't forget to check your mail (the message option above).
Finally, don't let panic get to you-we have time. Not a lot, but we still have time to prepare. _________________ "RRrrruuuunnnn!!!" ~Apocalypto
Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 7:48 pm Post subject: Re: hi from new member in the Poconos, Pennsylvania
Welcome from a former Poconoian:) There's a good book by Elliot Coleman called Four Season Harvest. He harvests things from unheated cold frames and poly tunnels in Maine in February. _________________ ..and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.- Gandalf
Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 8:36 pm Post subject: Re: hi from new member in the Poconos, Pennsylvania
Thank you. I actually did look at that book awhile ago, and need to read it again. We're going to try to see what we can grow indoors (or outside!) this wnter. I would love to have a real greenhouse but might have to wait a little until the $ situation here improves. Meanwhile, I'm just doing all I can.
Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 8:59 pm Post subject: Re: hi from new member in the Poconos, Pennsylvania
As far as the $ situation- I've been selling things that run on gas/diesel/elec and investing the $ in renewables/food production, etc. The way I see it, I won't have the $ to run them soon anyway and might as well sell them while they're worth more than scrap metal. _________________ ..and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.- Gandalf
Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 10:42 pm Post subject: Re: hi from new member in the Poconos, Pennsylvania
plainjane6476 wrote:
As far as the $ situation- I've been selling things that run on gas/diesel/elec and investing the $ in renewables/food production, etc. The way I see it, I won't have the $ to run them soon anyway and might as well sell them while they're worth more than scrap metal.
I think that this is wise, but I think timing is critical.
I have several diesel powered beasts that will be sold soon. I'm thinking that by this fall would be ideal, but next spring/summer might be doable, assuming no strike on Iran.
Question - Is it immoral of me to sell a hunk of metal to a man when I know that it will be worth only scrap in but a few years?
It's reminiscent of selling my house in a big city at the peak of the housing bubble. The housing bubble is what put me on the scent of Peak Oil.
So I'm sitting there at the closing selling my house for a ridiculous sum to a guy who did manual labor connected with building houses, and I'm thinking, "this guy is royally screwed. There's no way he makes it 3 years."
Sure enough, the house goes back on the market this year for a 100,000 nominal loss. Ouch.
I had serious qualms about selling the house. I kept thinking, "don't I have an obligation to warn this guy that he's buying at the peak of the market?"
I settled it with, "hell, the last 50 people I told we were in a housing bubble either laughed at me or yelled at me." _________________ Massive Human Dieoff must occur as a result of Peak Oil. Many more than half will die. It will occur everywhere, including where you live. If you fail to recognize this, then your odds of living move toward the "going to die" group.
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