Disaster 'Prepping' Was Once an American Pastime. Today, It's Mainstream Again. (nationalgeographic.com) 229
Prepping was seen as a fringe hobby for survivalists and reality TV. Then came the pandemic. From a report: There's a reason "preppers," people who plan for the worst-case scenario, like to talk about the zombie apocalypse. The idea of an army of walking dead swarming the country pervades their thoughts because, says Roman Zrazhevskiy, "If you prepare as if a zombie apocalypse is going to happen, you have all the bases covered." That means: an escape route, medical supplies, a few weeks' worth of food. Zrazhevskiy has been thinking about this for decades. He was born in Russia a few months after the nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl. At the dinner table, his family often talked about the disaster and what went wrong. Then, after they relocated to New York, Zrazhevskiy stood on the waterfront outside his Brooklyn high school on September 11, 2001, and watched the World Trade Center towers collapse. Even then, he had a small go-bag prepared with disaster supplies.
Now, he's the guy who has a kit and a checklist for every occasion, including taking his toddler to the beach. Zrazhevskiy lives in Texas and runs survival outfitters Ready to Go Survival and Mira Safety. In 2019, with protests in Hong Kong, wildfires in Australia, and the threat of war with Iran, business boomed. But when the CDC announced the U.S.'s first confirmed coronavirus case last January, business reached "a whole new level," says Zrazhevskiy. His companies spent the next couple of months scrambling to fill backorders. The flood of new customers had so many questions that he hired seven full-time staffers just to answer emails. "It's kind of a customer service nightmare," he says. "People are really flipping out." In a public imagination fueled by reality TV, preppers are lonely survivalists, members of fanatical religious groups, or even wealthy Silicon Valley moguls who buy luxury underground bunkers and keep a getaway helicopter fueled. But in reality preppers range from New Yorkers with extra boxes of canned goods squeezed in their studio apartments to wilderness experts with fully stocked bunkers.
Now, he's the guy who has a kit and a checklist for every occasion, including taking his toddler to the beach. Zrazhevskiy lives in Texas and runs survival outfitters Ready to Go Survival and Mira Safety. In 2019, with protests in Hong Kong, wildfires in Australia, and the threat of war with Iran, business boomed. But when the CDC announced the U.S.'s first confirmed coronavirus case last January, business reached "a whole new level," says Zrazhevskiy. His companies spent the next couple of months scrambling to fill backorders. The flood of new customers had so many questions that he hired seven full-time staffers just to answer emails. "It's kind of a customer service nightmare," he says. "People are really flipping out." In a public imagination fueled by reality TV, preppers are lonely survivalists, members of fanatical religious groups, or even wealthy Silicon Valley moguls who buy luxury underground bunkers and keep a getaway helicopter fueled. But in reality preppers range from New Yorkers with extra boxes of canned goods squeezed in their studio apartments to wilderness experts with fully stocked bunkers.
Preparation adds stability to society (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3)
If everyone in your community had 72 hours worth of supplies available, that would make everything go a lot more smoothly in the event of most problems: big storms, power outages, internet & telecommunication problems, etc. Having some necessary resources available to use and share is just good citizenship. Wow, that's a word I don't hear much anymore: "citizenship".
One could make the same argument about stabilization simply by being fiscally responsible, but since Average American can barely afford a $400 emergency expense, don't expect them to be shelling out for bullets or emergency rations for themselves or their fellow citizens.
Thanks to the pervasiveness of Social Media, we live in a world of Narcissists now. Check your "citizenship" at the door, with predictable end results. When a disaster strikes, the first and only thing in people's hands is a fucking recor
Those economic trends started in the 70s (Score:2, Interesting)
Basically the right wing got their rears handed to them in the 50s and 60s and adapted their tactics accordingly. The left wing, meanwhile, is still running the s
Re: (Score:3)
like it's 1959 or something.
You are exaggerating. Nancy Pelosi didn't enter politics until 1961.
You know Pelosi's economically right wing, right? (Score:2, Informative)
She's a tad (very tad) left on a handful of social issues and she isn't actively trying to take healthcare away from kids with cancer, but that doesn't make her anything but another right of center hack. If it wasn't so hard to unseat an incumbent (by design to protect the 1% and corporations) she'd be gone.
Re: (Score:2)
Well, when you live in a society where you can not start cleaning up before the insurance company had sent an agent to investigate, obviously people pick the camera first.
And if you would not life in a 3rd world country, you would not need a "defense" just because of a disaster.
Re: (Score:2)
big storms, power outages, internet & telecommunication problems
NONE of those happen where i live.
Re:Preparation adds stability to society (Score:5, Interesting)
NONE of those happen where i live.
The unexpected rarely happens. That is why it is unexpected.
Nobody expected a pandemic. But here we are.
Remember the toilet paper panic? The shortage of masks?
Neither affected me because I already had a stash of both in my zombie bunker.
Well, it isn't really a "bunker", just the storage space under my stairs.
If more people were prepared, there would have been no panic.
Re: (Score:2)
Nobody expected a pandemic. But here we are.
I don't know, I've been seeing articles warning about a pandemic since at least 2001.
Re: (Score:2)
NONE of those happen where i live.
The unexpected rarely happens. That is why it is unexpected.
...
Nobody expected a pandemic. But here we are.
I heard similar things about The Spanish Inquisition [wikipedia.org] :-)
Re: (Score:2)
Couple of weeks of dried food in the house, think pasta and dried vegetables, suger, that sort of thing.
You don't have to go far with prepping: Water, Shelter, Food. Yes, wool blankets, got that too, reasonably important where I live.
But with the temporary shortages that came around, I didn't have have to panic, I have already arranged a buffer.
Have some plenty, and you can stay calm.
I think all
Re: (Score:3)
If more people were prepared, there would have been no panic.
I disagree. People do braindead stupid stuff for no reason. The reality is that panicky people panic, preparedness has little to do with it. You don't need to be some super prepper, you just need to have good old fashioned common sense.
I'm reminded about the Dutch PM giving a press conference to tell people to stop panic buying at the supermarket. During the question time afterwards some guy said, "On the topic of food security why shouldn't we hamster (horde) food? What happens if the close the borders." T
How do you do that when you live paycheck/paycheck (Score:3)
Unless we're going to do a big, quick spike in minimum wage (not one phased in over many years so that inflation has a chance to eat it up) a large percentage of the population can't afford to keep 72 hours worth of supplies just lying around.
Re:Preparation adds stability to society (Score:4, Insightful)
72 hours of food and water is not the same as prepping. Many (most?) people in my community have enough supplies to get out for a fire or earthquake. We were hit especially hard during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. It threw houses in my neighborhood down hills, flattened some, and damaged all houses to some degree. People are acutely aware of localized disasters when the evidence is still present 30 years later.
The goal is to have enough supplies to make it until the government can send help. This means being able to find a evacuation camp in 3 days, or having services restored in that time. This is different from a prepper mentality that plan on living on their own for months, without outside assistance. Most of them are not prepared to help their neighbors or share their resources with others. Opting to stockpile ammo rather than some spare water bottles.
Re: (Score:3)
Do you blame them for stockpiling ammo instead of an impossible amount of supplies for all their shortsighted neighbors? You would never be able to stockpile enough supplies for everyone but it doesn't take that much ammo to safeguard enough for your family.
I suggest doing a little bit of both.
Surviving major disaster (Score:5, Informative)
Personally, I think in any survivable major disaster other humans will be the key source of personal danger to me. As such, I prioritize safety and personal protection measures over stocking supplies.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
Indeed, and good luck buying 9mm rounds these days.
The guns shops in my area have plenty.
But if you are serious about surviving, you should be buying rifle cartridges, not handgun ammo.
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Surviving major disaster (Score:4, Insightful)
even though the gun in the house actually increases their chances of dying by bullet.
That's because a gun in the house will be the choice for a suicidal person. Without it, rope or something else will be chosen. Everything else is FUD.
A gun not going to be a psychic magnet for criminals. Those will come (or not) regardless if there's a gun in the house.
As the economy tanks and crime goes up, wouldn't you rather have the most effective option to respond to a bad guy? Get some safety and proficiency training.
Re: (Score:2)
wouldn't you rather have the most effective option to respond to a bad guy?
A handgun is almost never the "most effective option".
My rifle has three times the magazine capacity and 20 times the range of your handgun. I can shoot you through cinderblock before you even see me.
A homeowner is far more likely to lose control of a handgun. A handgun is far more likely to be involved in an accidental shooting. If you have kids, especially if they are boys, you are nuts to keep a handgun in your home.
Get some safety and proficiency training.
Lesson one about handgun safety is that you should'a bought a rifle.
Re: (Score:2)
A shotgun with birdshot is a better option for home defense anyway. Aiming isn't as much of an issue and, unless they are completely jacked up on drugs, a blast or 2 of birdshot will stop anyone and you don't have to worry about wall penetration. Even if you just make the burglar leave, it shouldn't be too hard for the cops to figure out who it was. Not too many people are going to show up at the ER at 2am with a face full of birdshot.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: Surviving major disaster (Score:2)
Chest? I'm aiming face level.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
You're saying that a gun equals a rope in a suicide situation? You're frightfully ignorant or simply right-wing trolling. This is what's pretty widely known: a suicidal person that uses a gun usually succeeds. If they have to turn to a rope or something else, they often fail. Suicide is usually a "spur of the moment" thing, and if the moment passes without dying, the person often manages to live through it.... but not if a gun is in the house. Something about that "mass
Re: Surviving major (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
But if you are serious about surviving, you should be buying rifle cartridges, not handgun ammo.
Both and a coupla dogs.
Re: (Score:2)
There was no 'scarcity', just logistics problems (Score:3, Informative)
People did not need to panic like that, it just made everything an order of magnitude worse for everyone!
Now, if we can get people to understand that the world is NOT coming to an end, and that they don't need to panick like the aforementioned herd of ruminants, then maybe, just maybe there won't be any 'false scarcity' of things.
So here's what you humans everywhere need to do: Only buy what you need; no hoarding!
Also: you dumbasses who thought you could profit off this pandamnedic? Knock that shit off, you're just contributing to everyone panicking. You'd think you people would have learned your lesson by now, being stuck with a garage full of toilet paper and hand sanitizer you discovered you can't move because the usual outlets (Ebay, Craigslist, Amazon) won't let you. Right?
It wasn't just panic (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
I know lots of folks who got 2/3rds of their meals from restaurants who suddenly couldn't. A lot of them were heavily overworked tech workers that did lots of on call and relied on restaurants because it's hard to cook when you put in 60+ hour work weeks and/or do splits like 3 x 12.5 hour shifts.
Pre-cook your meals for the week then freeze/reheat as necessary. I used to do that for work pre-covid. Throw in a roast on sunday (something even like a eye of round roast that's cheap, ideally something a little more tasty like a tri-tip), slice it up, and have that with a salad for lunch all week. Or make pasta or something, have it precooked, then throw it in the pan with some jarred sauce to heat it up and give it a good tossing. All simple things that can be done with essentially no cooking skills
Re: (Score:2)
It's not that cooking is hard, it's having the energy and time to do it. If someone doesn't feel up to cooking a dinner, asking them to cook for a whole week is just ridiculous. And why would I spend all this time and effort only to eat glorified leftovers all week, when I can eat a different freshly made meal every day at restaurants and not even have to clean my kitchen? COVID has made it really different for me, I've had all the idle time to turn cooking into a hobby rather than a chore, and eat really w
Re: (Score:2)
And why would I spend all this time and effort only to eat glorified leftovers all week, when I can eat a different freshly made meal every day at restaurants and not even have to clean my kitchen?
At least because the ingredients that go into restaurant food are terrible. Free range / organic eggs? No chance - it will all be the cheapest mass produced garbage. There are exceptions, for sure, and often what you can get in shops in the States ain't great, but if you choose your own you can at least know what it is and avoid the worst stuff. Cost? Maybe. Home social stuff, definitely. but IMHO mostly knowing what you are actually eating is the best reason to cook and eat at home.
Re:There was no 'scarcity', just logistics problem (Score:5, Interesting)
You're right about logistics, but the panic-buying and hoarding is not quite right.
People weren't suddenly buying pallets of toilet paper. They were USING up to 40% more toilet paper. One might ask oh, did we all start pooping more? No, but we're pooping in different places now. Where was all the toilet paper? In the office buildings that were sitting empty. In the sports stadiums and restaurants that were closed. We were now using the toilet at home. The making of toilet paper is a very high volume, very low margin operation, and by necessity, those plants are already operating at 100% capacity. There is always just enough toilet paper in the stores to cover the amount that people normally use. There are plants making commercial toilet paper, but that doesn't help residents because commercial toilet paper operations are not the same as residential operations, they use different types of paper, they have no logistics for selling to individual stores, no transportation network to individual stores, and commercial TP doesn't fit in residential rollers anyway. Commercial TP is mostly recycled paper, residential TP is mostly all-new paper with more plies. That's why they feel so different.
So until the commercial industry, also hampered by shutdowns and sickness and confusion, was able to totally retool and change their supply chains from top to bottom, we dealt with shortages of things like toilet paper, flour and yeast (everyone started baking again, and restaurants stopped ordering supplies!), and so forth. Not because demand had changed, but because across society the type of demand had changed, and commercial operations were geared towards one type and not the other.
Re: (Score:3)
One might ask oh, did we all start pooping more?
Yes, a lot of folks were scared shitless by the pandemic, so they were definitely pooping more.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
we're pooping in different places now. [...] There is always just enough toilet paper in the stores to cover the amount that people normally use.
Thanks for putting this out here. I was going to say something similar but you said most of it so much better than I would have.
I'll add a little further comment here. The same thing is true all through the logistics chain. There's no extra margin anywhere except in the case of some seasonal food which is stored at harvest to keep enough until the next harvest. 50 years ago, there were warehouses all over storing wholesale products before they went to small shops. That is gone and replaced with just in
Re: (Score:2)
In fact the toilet paper panic is only caused in a small part by people who buy a year worth of supply.
If fact most of it is the result of reasonable people who just buy an extra pack in advance. What I mean is: you are doing your usual shopping, and you are aware that people are panicking about toilet paper. You know the situation won't last but you may find yourself without it the next time, so you pass the toilet paper aisle, you see they have some of your usual brand, so you grab a pack in advance, just
Re: (Score:2)
Now, if we can get people to understand that the world is NOT coming to an end, and that they don't need to panick like the aforementioned herd of ruminants, then maybe, just maybe there won't be any 'false scarcity' of things.
So here's what you humans everywhere need to do: Only buy what you need; no hoarding!
I am one of the persons who only bought what they needed throughout the pandemic. Just barely made it on toilet paper etc. and do wish I had bought a bit more hand-sanitizer (for gas stations/traveling) and some of my weekly food staples before they flew off the shelves. And also to share with friends, family, and neighbors. The fact is that even if the threat to supplies from the pandemic is 'false' the threat to the supplies from panicking humans is *real* and you *should* try to stock up if want to miti
Where I live (Score:2)
there are usually power outages during the winter, and you may be "stuck" in the house for a few days with no heat/refrigeration...
Having some packages of Ramen, canned soup, veggies, meat, pasta, rice and beans is normal winter behavior.
Most of the above things you can just pick up when they're on sale and they're good for a few years.
Prepared != Prepper.
Re: (Score:2)
Getting a generator or a Tesla Powerwall is also a way people prepare for those situations.
The problem with stocking dry goods is that most people will end up raiding their emergency supplies when they just don't have time to run to the store. If they're disciplined enough to replenish them, that's good, as it keeps them fresh.
Re: (Score:2)
The problem with stocking dry goods is that most people will end up raiding their emergency supplies
That isn't a problem. That is exactly what you should be doing.
Proper prepping is buying what you normally use, but buying it in bulk to save money. Then rotate through your stash.
If the zombie apocalypse happens, you are prepared.
If the ZA never comes, you still win, because you saved money by buying in bulk.
When peanut butter is on sale, some people will buy an extra jar. I buy an extra case.
More realistic scenarios. (Score:2, Interesting)
What happened is people went from preparing against a fantasy situation to, "oh shit, a madman is destabilizing everything" and a lot of very unlikely scenarios became a whole lot more possible thus making a lot of people concerned about the future. It's truly that simple.
Re: (Score:2, Troll)
"oh shit, a madman is destabilizing everything"
I've got my ammo stockpiled. I can survive four years of Biden.
Re: (Score:2)
"oh shit, a madman is destabilizing everything"
I've got my ammo stockpiled. I can survive four years of Biden.
Gives a new definition to the cliched phrase "eat lead".
Re: (Score:2)
Definitely going to be a wave of terrorism... (Score:4, Interesting)
The RWNJs are already riling each other up. See e.g. https://www.ar15.com/forums/ge... [ar15.com]?
A choice quote from one of the retards:
Concede to fraud so they can prosecute him and his family like they say they want to? Fuck that. Lead a military coup and kill Commies.
Re: (Score:2)
The RWNJs are already riling each other up. See e.g. https://www.ar15.com/forums/ge... [ar15.com]?
A choice quote from one of the retards:
Concede to fraud so they can prosecute him and his family like they say they want to?
Fuck that. Lead a military coup and kill Commies.
The scariest thing isn't that those people vote, but that they are armed..
Re:Definitely going to be a wave of terrorism... (Score:5, Insightful)
I feel like I'm in some weird alternate reality when I read the way they think. It's so absolutely defective, it's fascinating. It's like watching children, I completely understand the roots of their mental illness, the way their groupthink fosters these bizarre conspiracy theories, the way they reinforce each other and punish anyone who dares not believe in their magical thinking, the desire of low-IQ people to "know something the smart people don't know" so they subscribe to these conspiracy theories, etc...
And the thing is, on the scale of RWNJ ar15.com is usually about an 8/10. So if the 8/10's are getting this riled up, imagine what the 10/10's are up to.
Re:Definitely going to be a wave of terrorism... (Score:5, Insightful)
Seriously. That's how you get people like those idiots who were wanting to kidnap/murder Whitmer up in Michigan. There is a reason why the FBI considers domestic/right wing terrorism to currently be a larger threat than Islamic terrorism. Also, it's idiots like this that give gun owners a bad name.
Re:Definitely going to be a wave of terrorism... (Score:4, Insightful)
Oh give me a fucking break. First of all, Seattle and Portland can reap what they sow. Fuck them, they are allowing them to carry on like that so they get what they deserve.
And "whuttabout Antifa" doesn't really mean much here. If you look at the right wing vs left wing death toll over the last decades it's not even close. Go look at Andy Ngo's twitter feed and look at how pathetic the antifa lowlives are. Literally street scum, cross-eyed snaggle toothed meth freaks and halfwits. They're not really much of a threat unless your mayor and police are incompetent.
The left, largely (yes, I know baseball field guy, antifa shooter guy, a few exceptions), just riots impotently when allowed to. The right doesn't tend to do that so much as shoot people or blow them up.
Re:Definitely going to be a wave of terrorism... (Score:5, Informative)
Those Trump-hating, antifa-associated idiots who plotted to kidnap Witch Gretchen?
Really? Some of the members of the plot:
Joseph M. Morrison[33] is considered the leader of the Wolverine Watchmen.[34] His home in Munith, which he shared with Musico, was allegedly used as a training site.. His online alias was "Boogaloo Bunyan".[35]
Adam Fox.. espoused anti-police and anti-government views, along with support for the boogaloo movement, and had recently become worried about the U.S. becoming a communist country and Democratic politicians taking away his guns.[38] Fox had previously been a member of another militia group called the Michigan Home Guard, but he was kicked out due to "rage issues" and threatening other members on social media.[40]
Ty Garbin..met Fox at a Second Amendment rally in Lansing.
Barry Croft regularly posted violent messages on his social media accounts.[42] These accounts depicted him wearing a tricorne and a sweatshirt with an insignia associated with the Three Percenters militia group. He expressed support for the Russia investigation origins counter-narrative and opposition to the country's current immigration policy, and he believed the investigations into President Trump constituted an "uprising".[25] However, he also included Trump's name in a grievance-filled hit-list of politicians that he wanted to hang, which he posted on Facebook in late June.[43]
Brandon Caserta was depicted wearing a Hawaiian-style shirt associated with the boogaloo movement in a TikTok video; and on Facebook, he praised Kyle Rittenhouse, a civilian who shot three protesters, killing two, during unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in August. Caserta was also a COVID-19 denier and supported the QAnon conspiracy theory;[51] however, in one video, he criticized President Trump and called him a tyrant.[52]
Pete Musico was active on YouTube, where he posted video blogs against taxes, gun control, and the so-called deep state. A video posted in 2019, entitled "Gretchen Whitmer Interview", depicted him railing against her policies around automobile ownership and promised he would interview Whitmer in person in a later video. Musico was also active on Gab, where he promoted the unfounded claim that there is an ongoing campaign to kill white people in South Africa. He also followed the accounts of Proud Boys organizer Joe Biggs and InfoWars personality Owen Shroyer. On Twitter, he expressed support for Trump and conspiracy theories regarding Bill and Hillary Clinton, and the high presence of mercury in vaccines.[22]
Shawn Fix had allegedly hosted Wolverine Watchmen meetings at his home in Belleville to discuss the plot. The house's yard had Donald Trump presidential campaign signs
Eric Molitor had posted support of the boogaloo movement on his Facebook profile. He also spoke positively about Kyle Rittenhouse and the St. Louis gun-toting controversy, along with anti-government sentiment.
Michael and William Null..They were also former members of another militia group called Michigan Liberty Militia.[40] They were photographed at a protest held by Michigan United for Liberty, a right-wing group protesting against Whitmer's COVID-19 lockdown orders, at the Michigan State Capitol on April 30.[55] William also attended another anti-lockdown rally in May, as well as Black Lives Matter rallies in Grand Rapids and Flint, according to Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf, though Leaf also said William vented about the movement. William was also photographed at a February 2017 protest against President Trump's Executive Order 13769, held by the Equality Caucus of Genesee County in Flint. He and members of the Michigan Liberty Militia were counter-protesting while wearing military fatigues, carrying firearms, and waving a Gadsden flag.
None were antifa. Several seem to be outspoken Trump supporters, while the ones that were against Trump seem to be more against government in general as opposed to Trump personally.
Re: (Score:2)
The fact that you refer to her as "Witch" is telling.
Re: (Score:2)
My keyboard randomly transposes "W" for "B" sometimes. Kinda like Dominion vote-counting systems.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
The 789th Chairborne aren't going to lead an insurrection against the military that voted against Trump
No, but some of them could build themselves enough of an echochamber to think that all it will take is a little spark (triggered by true patriots like themselves, of course) to trigger a coup or military uprising to keep those evil democrats from stealing the election from rightful President Trump. That is where the danger in all this lies.
Re: (Score:2)
Concede
Why? Never mind the specious allegations of fraud. Trump should wait until the Electoral College has convened and voted. If for no other reason than to teach the screaming horde a small lesson in government and law.
Re: (Score:2)
Concede
Why? Never mind the specious allegations of fraud. Trump should wait until the Electoral College has convened and voted. If for no other reason than to teach the screaming horde a small lesson in government and law.
Except he is prohibiting all federal agencies from working with the Biden transition team and the federal agency in charge of transitions is blocking the federal aid that is given to incoming administrations, as well as preventing Biden teams from obtaining security clearances and access to intelligence briefings, etc. The longer Trump draws this out, the less time Biden will have to properly manage the transition and potentially leave this country with a huge security/governance gap (I mean, besides the c
Re: (Score:2)
and potentially leave this country with a huge security/governance gap
I guess Biden will have to keep some Trump administration people in place for a few months longer. And he can't hand out those cushy federal appointments to his supporters right away. Oh the horror!
Re: (Score:2)
and potentially leave this country with a huge security/governance gap
I guess Biden will have to keep some Trump administration people in place for a few months longer. And he can't hand out those cushy federal appointments to his supporters right away. Oh the horror!
You do realize what all goes on during a transition, right? New agency/department heads have to be briefed. They have to go over major programs, investigations, etc. New staffers have to get security clearances. The Federal budget is due in February. There's a reason why there is a delay between when the election ends and the new president is sworn in.
Re: (Score:2)
New agency/department heads have to be briefed.
Why do you need new ones right away? Odds are that most of the departments' work is done by career staffers. Many of whom will never be replaced. Life and the government goes on.
Re: (Score:3)
Re:Definitely going to be a wave of terrorism... (Score:5, Interesting)
This election should go just like they pretty much always do (2000 notwithstanding) - once it's clear who won and there are no actual(*) legal challenges, he should concede.
The concession isn't the major issue, it's this weirdo 100% certainty that "everyone knows" they "cheated". These nuts all have 50 separate reasons they think this, but they are all 100% sure. The ones that really crack me up are minor discrepancies in how the "fake" (their words) news reported the vote tallies. On the one hand they don't trust the media, but on the other the fact that there were chaotic vote counts being reported _in the media_ means "they dun cheated!".
None of them are quite smart enough to realize that the actual data that matters comes from the states and filters won imperfectly and chaotically to reporters in realtime. I also don't get their weird rage over the media "declaring" (i.e. reporting or projecting, as sane people say) a winner in one state or the other early or late. It's all just so fucking weird. They are all fucking weirdos, low IQ weirdos.
Then you get Hammer and Scorecard, sharpies, "They have watermarks, my guy Trump is playing 87D chess he will get them libruhls just you watch!", dead people voted, they burnt votes in crematoriums, the USPS marked arrival before delivery, "how did they done turn up 300k Biden votes with 0 Trump ones!?!", and a dozen other whackadoo theories. I'm not even fucking kidding, all of the above are in play and many others.
I could seriously rant about this for hours. It pisses me off because I'm a gun nut and these RWNJ gun nuts are making us all look fucking stupid.
Re:Definitely going to be a wave of terrorism... (Score:4, Insightful)
I could seriously rant about this for hours. It pisses me off because I'm a gun nut and these RWNJ gun nuts are making us all look fucking stupid.
I will say it's nice to see someone rational in their gun nuttiness, since so many have seemed to have gone off the deep end. I blame it on them spending too much time on gun forums and gun shows.
Re:Definitely going to be a wave of terrorism... (Score:4, Interesting)
Well,
there is an probably not well known issue about "gun nuts".
Lead poisoning.
In France plenty of gun ranges got closed over the last decades, because of to much lead dust. Many gunners got poisoned badly but so slowly that the lead is now in the bones.
A friend of mine has medical advice to not do any martial art, skiing or rock climbing, as if she would break her leg so much lead would get into the blood stream she could die from kidney failure.
I would not wonder if most "gun nuts" are really "lead nuts".
the zombie apocalypse (Score:2)
The zombie apocalypse can only happen in a dimension where there are no flies.
Re: (Score:2)
Pfft, agent orange and DDT combined in the right way _create_ the zombie apocalypse. Fantasy restored. :)
Unlicensed Baofeng'ers Will Interfer /w RACES/ARES (Score:2)
Additionally, many of these Baofengs do not meet spec: https://observer.wunderwood.or... [wunderwood.org]
Ares: http://www.arrl.org/ares [arrl.org]
Races: http://www.usraces. [usraces.org]
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
A cheap Chinese two way radio capable of operating in amateur and business/public service bands. So inexpensive that a lot of unlicensed people have picked a few of them up. And being unlicensed (and ill informed) they tend to be used in bands and at power levels where they (the operators, not the radios) are not allowed.
Re: (Score:2)
WTF is a Baofeng?
Looks like a fairly sophisticated radio.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
They're glorified walkie talkies, except for the fact they can access a few frequencies outside of FRS walkie talkies. The only potential problem I see is that the transceivers can be used to utilize radio repeaters (and the unlikely use as troll devices during an actual ARES event).
Re: (Score:2)
Ham radio is on life support at this point. Be glad anyone is using those bands.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
So let the telecommunication monopolies take away unused band frequencies?
Re: (Score:2)
Go back to your lawn.
Prep for COVID-related bare shelves! (Score:2)
This is simply having everything you need to SURVIVE if the shelves are bare. If you need medication, ensure you have enough. Ensure you have enough cleaning supplies, toilet paper, etc. I have a wire shelf in my basement full of extra non-perishables and supplies: pasta, breakfast cereal, rice, caffeine, water filters, an extra month's wor
Evidence doesn't support your weapon theory (Score:2)
not wise to say weapon not needed based on last 100 years. You only need some violent gang passing through, riot focused on attacking homes, or crazy person(s) pushed over the edge.
One armed rapist, lynching skinhead type (hates your demographic) or serial killer in the house and all your 100 years of getting along go out the window.
I have watched a lot of movies where the hero saves his family with a gun. Part of me wants to believe you. I'm just rational. How many people can you name who have successfully defended their house with a weapon? Most buy a gun and it either sits in storage or gets used by their kids like Adam Lanza or a suicide.
What percentage of guns purchased have ever successfully defended a home? Don't get me wrong, I'm no hippie. I love guns. I am a great shot. I have been shooting since I was 6 with a chi
"Mainstream" ... so you've checked? (Score:3)
Or are you merely stating that? Which I'm gonna assume.
If anything, it's ye olde media self-fulfilling prophecy again: Saying people do something retarded for so long that people believe it is normal and conform to that delusional fake peer pressure and it becomes real.
Thankfully, this won't even work here.
Kinda sorta (Score:2)
The preppers I know have vintage vehicles without any sort of electronic ignition and they belong to groups that have "compounds" somewhere in a remote area. They have a list of trigger events that they use to determine when it's time to bug out. Having a case of MREs is amateur stuff.
A soupçon of prepping isn't such a bad idea. (Score:4, Interesting)
Survivalism is like camping; it's more enjoyable in small self-administered doses than it would be as a compulsory lifestyle. And the total reset of society some people fantasize about is probably harder to survive in the long term than they think.
But it wouldn't hurt to have a few weeks of shelf-stable food in your pantry; maybe start a vegetable garden next spring. Even if society doesn't collapse, we could be looking at supply chain disruptions over the next year or even longer; epidemics are frequently followed by periods of social unrest.
Prepping in America (Score:2)
To whom is this news? (Score:2)
So tired it's not even clickb8.
I hate the sloppy use of labels (Score:2)
There is a huge difference between disaster prep (an extended stockpile of storage food, advanced first aid prep, weapons, alternate source of utilities, and protocols for every lifetime probable, unexpected event) and doomsday prep (where you have a secured, remote bunker and have to make significant lifestyle change, like move away from a city and your former civilization occupation). And they are both different from offgrid homesteading, where you decided to make a lifestyle choice because you enjoy the
Pandemic is not the only reason (Score:2)
Mind you, the pandemic probably had a lot to do with it, but week after week of seeing downtown on fire in the news, and talking heads indicating the violent downfall of civilization, has, rightly or wrongly, had more to do with the current uptick in prepping, I think.
And it's not necessarily a bad thing. Whether it's motivated by real concerns or conspiracy theories, the ability to live on your own for a few weeks if you have to, reduces the strain on emergency services in the event of a real catastrophe.
"prepping" is not toilet paper (Score:2)
You can tell the people who are new to prepping. They're the ones at the supermarket trying to push three carts of toilet paper and cheetos through the line.
The early days of the pandemic were fascinating from a social viewpoint. So many people, suddenly faced with the need to stockpile, and having no idea whatsoever how to do it.
You could see a few knowledgeable people stocking bottled water and dry goods, but what I saw in people's carts was predominantly toilet paper and junk food. These are the same
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
You can never have too much. They will see you through any conceivable disaster. I have about 700 lbs worth divided between my basement, banker, and cabin. The only other thing you need is potable water.
Your banker reeks of sulfur. Better make sure he is not stealing from you. Maybe take him to your bunker and make him talk. But not out of his ass. Because that would stink.
Re:What happens when you defund the police (Score:5, Insightful)
That's not universally true, but you'd be right more often than not.
Nearly all preppers have a rather unique view on the state of the world. A overwhelming majority of them have never traveled outside of their own country (and don't have a passport). The irony of this hits me in that if something terrible happens, you might want to take your family to some place safe. I would think a refugee with a passport could get into another country earlier and more easily.
Preparing to bunker down for the collapse of your own government is certainly one plan. But it won't help you for fires, floods, hurricanes, and earthquakes. And staying in one place won't be ideal for civil unrest that spills over into active fighting. And of course, you may want to leave if your home country completely fucks up addressing a future deadly pandemic, but neighboring countries have organized quarantine and vaccination programs.
As a hobby and community-building program, prepping seems fun and harmless.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Nearly all preppers have a rather unique view on the state of the world. A overwhelming majority of them have never traveled outside of their own country (and don't have a passport).
You sound very knowledgeable.
From which orifice did you extract your expertise?
Re: What happens when you defund the police (Score:2)
Re: What happens when you defund the police (Score:3)
Re:What happens when you defund the police (Score:5, Insightful)
'defund' ? Most democrats would want to kick out the bad apples. The republicans want to protect the bad apples. MURDER is MURDER.
Yeah? Well then "defund the police" is a fucking stupid slogan. You know what most people hear when "defind the police" gets shouted at them? "Take away the funding from the police". That's what they hear. Trying to explain that "defund the police" doesn't mean "defund the police" but means "help to adjust the police funding so that they can send along nice social workers to deal with the mad people so that less people get shot and try to remove a few bad apples whilst making sure that the police have sufficient funding so that they can continue to do the work that they need to do" is just not going to work.
MURDER is MURDER sure, but people who use slogans like "defund the police" without thinking about it are helping to cause more murder. Possibly with the best of intentions, just like the road to hell.
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah? Well then "defund the police" is a fucking stupid slogan. You know what most people hear when "defind the police" gets shouted at them? "Take away the funding from the police". That's what they hear. Trying to explain that "defund the police" doesn't mean "defund the police" but means "help to adjust the police funding so that they can send along nice social workers to deal with the mad people so that less people get shot and try to remove a few bad apples whilst making sure that the police have sufficient funding so that they can continue to do the work that they need to do"
So yeah, taking away money from the police and using it in a better manner? You agree that taking away money from the police that they spend on tear gas (sorry, chemical irritants), water canons, sonic canons, microwave guns, machine guns, grenades, rocket launchers, tanks & APCs, and other military grade equipment that, in other developed countries, no police outside of very small specialist units seem to need, and spending it hiring professionals who will actually help people in crisis, is a good idea
Re: (Score:2)
I've had this discussion elsewhere before. "Defund the police" is technically correct (which is the best kind of correct), but most people imagine it means disbanding the police and going to the Mad Max scenario and are scared of it.
They're more supportive if you actually explain it in detail like you do here, but by that point it's too late. Your opponent's been shouting about how you'll abolish police (maybe a good idea!) and you lose. If you have to explain it at length, it doesn't work, like with jokes.
Re: (Score:2)
What is your complaint with the nomenclature of "defunding" the police?
With goodwill, like me, the phrase is ambiguous. It might mean completely defunding, it might mean partial defunding. To be honest, it sounds more like complete defunding to me. In the hands of an enemy, this is a disaster. You say
Not completely removing their funds, but bringing it back to a sane level and putting your taxes to more effective use.
but it's very easy to run a video of crowds shouting "defund the police" - point intellectuals to articles titled "Yes, We Mean Literally Abolish the Police" [nytimes.com] and prove that what you say isn't what everyone is saying. Then they can claim a "hidden agenda". A slogan like "repla
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah? Well then "defund the police" is a fucking stupid slogan.
As someone who agrees with the basic premise, I also agree "defund the police" is a horrible slogan. Its obvious first impression does not reflect the actual goals of the movement, and requires people to take time to research what it means. That is a sign of horrible messaging.
Re: (Score:3)
Actually, "defund the police" really means to create an entirely separate set of organizations to do the tasks that the police are supposed to be doing, and redirect the police money there. It's supposed to express the acceptance that the police have built up so many barriers to reform that this is the only practical path to reform... even if the money ends up going to an organization that is essentially identical to the current police.
I have read several explanations. I like yours even more than my own one (which was based on those explanations). Given that, with some reasonable good will and an openness to the idea that there could be something better than the current US police force, even I couldn't really guess what it meant, does it sound like "defund the police" is getting across the message you just gave? Would "start from scratch" or "rebuild the police" or one of many other slogans be better for getting this message across?
Re: (Score:3)
Most people living in high-crime areas do not agree with you, they'd rather see more than less police. While I do not know where you live the chance of you living in one of the "ghettoes" is rather slim, given the fact that this site is primarily targeting tech folks.
Re: (Score:3)
All the high crime areas were rioting because they want less police. What are you smoking?