S/o "kvetching"... Doomsday Preppers?????

[Stacy in NJ]

 

I will continue that argument gladly...when you make one.

No gotcha here. Just pointing out you are a bit prone to hyperbole.

 

 

And I'll continue the argument gladly...when you make one. Just pointing out you're a bit prone to sophistry.

[Stacy in NJ]

 

I will continue that argument gladly...when you make one.

No gotcha here. Just pointing out you are a bit prone to hyperbole.

 

 

Okay.

 

Here's my thesis from my first post: "Keep your eye on the Japanese yen and their bond yields. The higher the yen (against the dollar) the more likely they'll first get the inflation they crave -then possible a little hyperinflation and increasing bond yields - that would be a cataclysmic disaster."

 

Here are my supporting sources:

 

 

https://www.youtube....h?v=JUc8-GUC1hY

 

http://www.project-s...artin-feldstein

 

http://www.telegraph...ld-affairs.html

 

 

So, there's my argument. Now you're turn to make an argument. Go.

[Guest]

Hmm, doubtful. We're in rolling hills area. There are small plane airports around, but I can't see an airstrip fitting on our land itself. Sorry! My kids flew a good amount of rockets from our back yard and fields... ;)

 

 

Ah. Oh well. I have big dreams about a farmette suitable for (more or less) sustainable living. I'm not a Prepper, but dh and I both have a strong streak of Back-to-the-Lander in us. My dreams particularly revolve around Virginia. Dh is on board with that, but his little personal dream is to keep his plane on-site and fly in/out.

[Trish]

It raises an interesting question, if an EMP knocks out the world's electricity for the forseeable future, does *anyone* want to live (besides the preppers and 3rd world people who may already be living that way, of course)? Or would find that life so distasteful that we'd embrace death? People tend to fantasize about "going in the initial blast," but the reality is you have to decide if you're going to do what you need to do in order to be around the next day.

 

I'm not a prepper but i do wonder about such things, because they don't seem that far-fetched.

[Parrothead]

With an EMP nothing works anymore because just about everything is electronic. No phones, no computer, no cash register, no working vehicles, no sewage treatment, no pumps for gasoline.

 

Most people don't know how to deal with life without all the electronics.

 

But with an EMP the devastation would be relatively short lived. The electronic components can be replaced. IT might take up to 3 months to get everyone back and functioning again though. The big cities are going to get help first because that is were the population will need it most.

 

Now if it is a multi-nuke strike the hardware and the wetware will be destroyed. That poses a significantly more dangerous scenario. It might take years to get things back to normal.

 

If it is a zombie apocalypse then herd those suckers north into Canada where it is cold and they have hockey sticks.

[sunflowerlady]

Ok,thanks to this thread I recorded a few episodes of this show. Dh and I will watch one tonight. We actually know people like this IRL. A couple of previous posters touched on the fact that the people on the show and other real life preppers seem "giddy" . It seems to me that the people I know seem to get something out of the whole obsessing about possible tragedies, reading odd conspiracy sites, and doing their preparations. It is almost like a hobby, but more than that. If you try to talk to them that things might not happen like they think , they get offended and upset and will argue about it. It is almost like a psychological or emotional "high" for them for lack of a better term. It is subtle and not something I can quite put my finger on or understand.

[OrganicAnn]

It reminds too much of Hoarders. We have water. We would like to live more sustainably.

[Guest]

Ok,thanks to this thread I recorded a few episodes of this show. Dh and I will watch one tonight. We actually know people like this IRL. A couple of previous posters touched on the fact that the people on the show and other real life preppers seem "giddy" . It seems to me that the people I know seem to get something out of the whole obsessing about possible tragedies, reading odd conspiracy sites, and doing their preparations. It is almost like a hobby, but more than that. If you try to talk to them that things might not happen like they think , they get offended and upset and will argue about it. It is almost like a psychological or emotional "high" for them for lack of a better term. It is subtle and not something I can quite put my finger on or understand.

 

I agree. I know someone IRL - I don't know that he calls himself a "Prepper," but he does a lot of these types of things. Your assessment is spot on. He does become very aggitated if you suggest that those things are not likely to happen. His concern centers on government-based disintegration, in which case, he believes it will be crucial to have his stockpile of weaponry and his stored food.

[Jennifer3141]

I love that 98% of people on the thread are talking about Zombies and two people are fighting over the Yen. This thread is a million times better than any prepper show!!!

 

I don't get zombies. Or vampires either. But would my dog eat a zombie? Is that good enough defense or do you have to shoot them and waste the ammunition? It's -2 right now and my ducks are living in my shower. Could I just put the zombies in the shower and let the ducks either poop them to death or kill them with the nips of a 1000 tiny duck nibbles?

[saraha]

How are you watching the episodes? I could only find clips

[Parrothead]

I love that 98% of people on the thread are talking about Zombies and two people are fighting over the Yen. This thread is a million times better than any prepper show!!!

 

I don't get zombies. Or vampires either. But would my dog eat a zombie? Is that good enough defense or do you have to shoot them and waste the ammunition? It's -2 right now and my ducks are living in my shower. Could I just put the zombies in the shower and let the ducks either poop them to death or kill them with the nips of a 1000 tiny duck nibbles?

No, cause if your dog gets bitten it will turn into zombie dog.

[Jennifer3141]

No, cause if your dog gets bitten it will turn into zombie dog.

 

 

Wow. I'm so old I had no idea there were zombie dogs. How about zombie ducks? Zombie rabbits? Are my cats safe?

 

The idea of a zombie Netherland dwarf rabbit has me giggling.

[Parrothead]

 

 

 

Wow. I'm so old I had no idea there were zombie dogs. How about zombie ducks? Zombie rabbits? Are my cats safe?

 

The idea of a zombie Netherland dwarf rabbit has me giggling.

 

Yeah. I'm pretty sure anything that gets bitten turns zombie. I'll have to look in dh's zombie book to be sure.

[Jennifer3141]

Yeah. I'm pretty sure anything that gets bitten turns zombie. I'll have to look in dh's zombie book to be sure.

 

 

So you have to be bitten by a zombie to turn into a zombie? I thought that was vampires? You zombie people are weird. All I gotta worry about is the Borg. ;)

[Carrie12345]

Dh thinks those of you who believe in frozen zombies are crazy. He says to google Dead Snow. :-p

[Word Nerd]

In case of an alien invasion, make sure you have a stash of Slim Whitman records. Or many glasses--or Mason jars, if you prefer--of water.

[Dandelion]

I love that 98% of people on the thread are talking about Zombies and two people are fighting over the Yen. This thread is a million times better than any prepper show!!!

 

I don't get zombies. Or vampires either. But would my dog eat a zombie? Is that good enough defense or do you have to shoot them and waste the ammunition? It's -2 right now and my ducks are living in my shower. Could I just put the zombies in the shower and let the ducks either poop them to death or kill them with the nips of a 1000 tiny duck nibbles?

No, cause if your dog gets bitten it will turn into zombie dog.

 

:smilielol5: You guys are KILLING me! You're right - this thread is pretty awesome.

[Mergath]

Dh thinks those of you who believe in frozen zombies are crazy. He says to google Dead Snow. :-p

 

Pfffft. Now that's just downright unrealistic.

 

;)

[melmichigan]

We're working on being more prepared. Our freezers are full, we're building a stock of canned and dry goods, next year's firewood is already in the yard ready to be cut and split...But this is all just a shift to old-fashioned preparedness for us. People used to do this. We're also out in the country and get snowed in.

 

And I should add that when your husband falls and breaks his shoulder and is off work for, oh, 6 months and counting, it's wonderful to be able to dip into that stockpile when money is tight.

 

 

This is exactly what we are working on. We are planning on putting 1/2 a cow in the freezer once taxes are back and continuing to build a stock of canned and dry goods beyond what we need until the next paycheck. I look at the shelves that my DH's grandparents used to have stocked in the basement and cringe, it was just the two of them to seven of us. The power was out for three days when Sandy went through because of winds and that just helped remind me that we need to be better prepared for the everyday things.

 

This is also a contract year for DH's company and I don't want a replay of the uncertainty that we had last time when it came down to hours before a lock out.

[Jennifer3141]

DH's work is often feast or famine. And he had a GREAT summer. We support my parents and they've had some devestatingly expensive medical stuff the past 6 months and let me tell you... the comfort I get going down to our basement and pulling out a ton of good food for dinner is just amazing. I intend to live this way the rest of my life!!

[Julie Smith]

Yeah. I'm pretty sure anything that gets bitten turns zombie. I'll have to look in dh's zombie book to be sure.

 

First off, no herding Zombies into Canada. You see we are much to polite and would just kindly ask them not to eat us, and I don't think that will work.

 

But by that reasoning would the following be true, a fly bites a zombie. Then it is a zombie fly and bites you. Then you are a zombie.

 

For some reason I think (This is from my extensive study of the subject received by watching The Walking Dead) only people can be zombies.

[Word Nerd]

For some reason I think (This is from my extensive study of the subject received by watching The Walking Dead) only people can be zombies.

 

But from watching I Am Legend, I learned that dogs can become zombies too (though I think they were kind of zombie-vampires in that one).

[Jennifer3141]

Sweet Moses hold the roses, we are onto mosquito zombies!!!

[Julie Smith]

Can someone with time and money to burn buy the book on the subject and let us all know if we have to worry about zombie mosquito's.

 

Or frozen popsicle zombies, or ...

 

http://www.amazon.com/Everything-Ever-Wanted-About-Zombies/dp/1451641575/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1358993892&sr=8-7&keywords=zombie+book

[mytwomonkeys]

oh, i love doomsday preppers! i watch it on youtube! i've actually benefited from some of their craziness! i keep a first aid kit in my car now, as well as a small backpack of things should we ever break down. it's not a bug-out bag & i'm in big trouble if a world war breaks out, but i've got really basic stuff covered like headaches,scrapes, water, snacks & a small blanket. i honestly can't believe i've never thought of it before!

 

as for a bunker, i wish! lol. i would love one of these buried in my backyard. it would be my woman cave! i asked my husband, but he said no :(. he's such a debbie downer.

[mytwomonkeys]

But from watching I Am Legend, I learned that dogs can become zombies too (though I think they were kind of zombie-vampires in that one).

 

 

in the walking dead they eat the dogs, lol. so who knows? maybe animals only can be zombies some of the time??

[Katy]

To the person that asked, Doomsday Preppers is on the National Geographic Channel if you have cable.

 

I never understood the whole zombie paranoia. I am watching the episode from last night right now though- The people who claim to have a ghost telling them to "become preppers or die" are cracking me up more than any others on this show!

[Dandelion]

Ok, the U.S. Government actually has a page dedicated to ZOMBIE PREPAREDNESS. :eek: :lol:

 

I was just googling zombies for the heck of it and came across this page on the official CDC (Centers for Disease Control) website: http://www.cdc.gov/phpr/zombies.htm

 

It's very tongue-in-cheek, but I was still surprised to find it. Thought you all would get a kick out of it (download the free Zombie Preparedness posters for your homeschool while you're there). :tongue_smilie:

[Katy]

Ok, the U.S. Government actually has a page dedicated to ZOMBIE PREPAREDNESS. :eek: :lol:

 

I was just googling zombies for the heck of it and came across this page on the official CDC (Centers for Disease Control) website: http://www.cdc.gov/phpr/zombies.htm

 

It's very tongue-in-cheek, but I was still surprised to find it. Thought you all would get a kick out of it (download the free Zombie Preparedness posters for your homeschool while you're there). :tongue_smilie:

 

 

 

Julie, this is awesome. You are my new prepper hero.

[Dandelion]

 

 

Julie, this is awesome. You are my new prepper hero.

 

 

Wow, of all the things I've ever aspired to be known for, "prepper hero" never crossed my mind. But I'll take it. :D Thanks!

[MomtoCandJ]

I'm laughing so loud I woke up the house... Opps

[Jennifer3141]

It's so sad we can't label threads anymore because this one would have some doozies!

[theYoungerMrsWarde]

 

in the walking dead they eat the dogs, lol. so who knows? maybe animals only can be zombies some of the time??

I'm thinking it's just mammals. Therefore we probably don't need to worry about zombie flies and mosquitoes.

[hillfarm]

[Mom in High Heels]

Okay, we need to have a WTM Zombie training camp. I think hs'ers would be the first to be attacked. I hear smart brains taste better. :drool5:

[creekland]

It raises an interesting question, if an EMP knocks out the world's electricity for the forseeable future, does *anyone* want to live (besides the preppers and 3rd world people who may already be living that way, of course)? Or would find that life so distasteful that we'd embrace death? People tend to fantasize about "going in the initial blast," but the reality is you have to decide if you're going to do what you need to do in order to be around the next day.

 

I'm not a prepper but i do wonder about such things, because they don't seem that far-fetched.

 

Oh, I plan on living and don't find living without electronics to be so bad. We do it voluntarily when we camp. Besides, only in the TV show, Revolution, does it last forever. IRL it would get repaired before too long. That's why one doesn't really need years of supplies per family and I don't believe we'd end up with total anarchy. Personally, I wouldn't want to be around any big city as they'd run out of food first and have less percentage of folks who could help themselves, but since I'm not around a big city, I don't really worry about it. Around here we'd likely be getting together w/neighbors and sharing food & chores, etc. We'd probably even get our own electricity earlier as our neighbor has wind power. ;)

 

With an EMP nothing works anymore because just about everything is electronic. No phones, no computer, no cash register, no working vehicles, no sewage treatment, no pumps for gasoline.

 

Most people don't know how to deal with life without all the electronics.

 

But with an EMP the devastation would be relatively short lived. The electronic components can be replaced. IT might take up to 3 months to get everyone back and functioning again though. The big cities are going to get help first because that is were the population will need it most.

 

Now if it is a multi-nuke strike the hardware and the wetware will be destroyed. That poses a significantly more dangerous scenario. It might take years to get things back to normal.

 

:iagree: And in either scenario, I'd prefer to be in the country where more people ARE used to doing things for themselves.

 

Ok,thanks to this thread I recorded a few episodes of this show. Dh and I will watch one tonight. We actually know people like this IRL. A couple of previous posters touched on the fact that the people on the show and other real life preppers seem "giddy" . It seems to me that the people I know seem to get something out of the whole obsessing about possible tragedies, reading odd conspiracy sites, and doing their preparations. It is almost like a hobby, but more than that. If you try to talk to them that things might not happen like they think , they get offended and upset and will argue about it. It is almost like a psychological or emotional "high" for them for lack of a better term. It is subtle and not something I can quite put my finger on or understand.

 

I've never seen the show (and don't plan on taping it to watch), but I totally agree with your assessment of the preppers. It totally matches those I know IRL. To each their own. There are worse things they could be "hooked" on.

[Melissa in Australia]

This would not count as "prepping." Prepping is all about preparing months of stable food and water storage that would not easily become tainted.

 

http://gettingprepped.com/

 

Well we do have a whole year's worth of water stored. Many if not most rural houses in Australia get their water supply form collecting rainwater. We store it in very large concrete water tanks.

[Deb in NZ]

We aren't preppers, but we usually have a full pantry & freezer to be prepared against natural disasters, unemployment, etc. I always thought that our supply would hold out for about a month at the most, but this month I have been "shopping" my pantry/freezer/garden first & it is still quite full. I now think that our supply is more like 2+ months & could be as much as a 4 months supply if it was well planned & not a freezer half full of last seasons tomatoes & plums for sauce & jam. The most likely disaster for us would be a big storm, a volcano eruption, or if the ONE electical cable supplying our province was cut & we were without power for weeks.

 

We never discuss prepper ideas at home, but ds#2 says that kids his age talk about it all the time & they have plans of what to do in case of volcano eruptions, zombie attacks, etc. :lol: It's reassuring to know that someone in the family will be prepared.

 

LOL

[WishboneDawn]

Well we do have a whole year's worth of water stored. Many if not most rural houses in Australia get their water supply form collecting rainwater. We store it in very large concrete water tanks.

 

We have a dug well and pond so we're okay for that ehre. We'd just need a bucket and a rope.

 

What I do wonder about though is our freezers. We're pretty reliant on them for meat storage and have a generator for power outages to keep them going but don't have a good store of gas to power the generator.

[creekland]

I just watched a segment on the news and got wondering... do these preppers keep vaccines on hand too (for things like Tetanus and Rabies)? What about antibiotics for those tooth (or other) infections? First aid is one thing, but these other things could prove to be deadly problems.

 

I don't really care to watch the show to find out... so I figured those of you who do watch can fill me in.

[beaners]

Antibiotics - yes. You can buy them online as fish or bird antibiotics. I've purchased them for a pet before, not personal use! That discussion does come up often online. :) You can buy vaccines for rabies online and in Tractor Supply in some states, but those are regular vaccines for animals, not prophylaxis. I know some people go out and get all their own shots updated and an extra month or so of their meds if their doctor doesn't mind and it isn't a painkiller where that would raise alarms. Others don't like vaccines at all. We don't vaccinate for everything in my house, but tetanus is definitely one my family keeps up to date. ;)

[creekland]

How long are the antibiotics good for? When I buy penicillin for our critters it generally has an expiration date within a couple of years - or a couple of weeks if open and used. For the end of the world preppers, this wouldn't be long enough. Ditto that for tetanus. The shot is good for 5 - 10 years before a revacc is recommended. I can see skipping vaccs for childhood diseases (though I wonder how long before a polio outbreak), but tetanus is all around and easy to get + deadly. If they could get extra vaccs and have the cold space to store them, how long before that ungiven vacc is no longer good?

 

Or, do they plan on making their own vaccines - and if so, how?

[Lady Marmalade]

One of the episodes I saw had a mom and daughter with diabetes. They made a big point of showing us all the diabetic-friendly foods they'd home-canned, and they were storing up on insulin and needles in case of impending doom. The discussed the possibility of having to sterilize and re-use their own needles should a disaster actually occur, and for storing the insulin... They were actually taking insulin, wrapping it and making it waterproof, and then storing it among rocks in a creek or river on their property. The water always stayed below the essential temperature for keeping them cold. Their second method for storing the insulin was that they were in the process of building a food safe and bunker that would store the insulin underground at a safe temperature. I think they only had a three or four month survival rating by the end of the show. And then when they came back to update how the family was doing, they'd gone through an ugly divorce, and only dad was left prepping.

 

That was one of the episodes where you really could feel the contrived scenario. They really made it sound like having diabetes was the worst thing that could happen to one in a cataclysmic event.

[creekland]

 

They really made it sound like having diabetes was the worst thing that could happen to one in a cataclysmic event.

 

I could really see where NEEDING prescription meds of some sort would be the worst thing that could happen to a survivor who had prepped. My youngest has epilepsy and I wouldn't begin to know how to make the meds. We always keep a couple week supply here (sometimes more) because I find that to be prudent. But, even if we got permission and kept a few months of a supply, that time is going to run out eventually - before a true anarchy disaster would get "fixed."

 

Then think about something (like insulin) that is more life dependent. Or tetanus after a few years when everyone's vacc has worn off.

 

I guess there's a reason modern medicine (and general cleanliness for things like bacteria) has been the #1 reason life expectancy has increased so much.

 

Anyway, I've no plans to start being a true prepper. I was just curious after watching a news segment where the person had to take daily meds and got wondering if any of these occur in prepper households or what would happen if they did.

 

Thanks for the info.

 

ps I can sympathize with the now divorced couple. I can't imagine being married to a prepper. Hopefully both spouses buy into this (or not).

[Melissa in Australia]

 

We have a dug well and pond so we're okay for that ehre. We'd just need a bucket and a rope.

 

What I do wonder about though is our freezers. We're pretty reliant on them for meat storage and have a generator for power outages to keep them going but don't have a good store of gas to power the generator.

 

 

a few years ago an area of bush and farmland was burnt out by bush fires about 100 km form me. it was a pretty isolated settlement. and nobody could really get in or out for a few weeks. the power poles were all burnt down, and they were told they would not have electricity stored until the fires were out. So what the residents of the area did was have huge feasts. everyone congregated at one house and had a huge cook up and ate out their entire freezer ,then the next day went to the next house. apparently it was a huge bonding experience for the whole community.

[Whereneverever]

One of the episodes I saw had a mom and daughter with diabetes. They made a big point of showing us all the diabetic-friendly foods they'd home-canned, and they were storing up on insulin and needles in case of impending doom. The discussed the possibility of having to sterilize and re-use their own needles should a disaster actually occur, and for storing the insulin... They were actually taking insulin, wrapping it and making it waterproof, and then storing it among rocks in a creek or river on their property. The water always stayed below the essential temperature for keeping them cold. Their second method for storing the insulin was that they were in the process of building a food safe and bunker that would store the insulin underground at a safe temperature. I think they only had a three or four month survival rating by the end of the show. And then when they came back to update how the family was doing, they'd gone through an ugly divorce, and only dad was left prepping.

 

That was one of the episodes where you really could feel the contrived scenario. They really made it sound like having diabetes was the worst thing that could happen to one in a cataclysmic event.

 

 

How is having a child with a condition you could no longer treat NOT one of the worst things that could happen?

[LucyStoner]

We store a fair bit of food (at times 7-8 months worth, less now), and have typical emergency supplies. We eat from our stockpile and do not store anything we wouldn't be prepared to eat. I do can/preserve food. This is not a fear based thing for us. This is to prepare for things like an earthquake or an economic hardship and because we like it. When we are able to land wise, we will have rabbits and goats and a larger garden. We already have a share of chickens with a family who have a bigger yard. All that is because we are interested in homemaking and producing more of our own food. We buy most meat from farmers and I do plan for things like back up power and cooking options in case of prolonged pwer loss. I guess the preppers would say that I am foolish because I don't stockpile guns and ammunition but that's not my cuppa to say the least.