Newbies don't be so shy! Introduce yourselves here.

[Atash Hagmahani]

We've got quite a few new members but most of them haven't posted yet. No need to be shy; we're a friendly bunch (and if any fights break out the management will quickly deal with them in a friendly but firm patriarchal manner:  ).

 

[AUSSIE]

Atash Hagmahani,      Shyness overcome.   My first attempt at correspondence.  My typing not too hot.  I live in Australia into self sufficiency,permaculture etc.   Regards Aussie

[Lady Lilya]

Welcome!

 

 

[opsec]

Greetings Aussie,
     Have you been to the aussiesurvivalist forums?

[Atash Hagmahani]

I live in Australia into self sufficiency,permaculture etc.

Pleased to virtually "meet" you over the kilometers and the internet.

I suggest taking some of the ideas you've learned in permaculture and applying them to the problem of how to grow food with significantly less fuel and tools than is the case with modern "agribusiness".

Although crude oil prices are down a bit at the moment, the long-term trend is UP. Furthermore, the current financial crisis will result in chaos in manufacturing and distribution of tools.

Where in Oz are you? I need some seeds of drought-resistant crops. One I am looking for is Citrus glauca, your native Desert Lime, the world's only xeric Citrus. It is native to inland Queensland and parts of northern South Australia.

[myrtlemaye]

I go by myrtlemaye and I live in Washington State - I work in Seattle and live in Auburn on a couple of acres.  Husband and I have been preparing for eventualities since a little before 2000.  Recent events seem to indicate that we have been wise in everything we have tried to do.  We are working to get better prepared.  Again thanks for allowing me here.

[opsec]

It's nice to see a husband and wife team that's into survival. Too often it's one that's preparing and dragging the other along like a ball and chain. It's not just husband dragging wife either, I've talked to plenty of wives out there that can't get their other half to wake up.

[Talkingstick]

Atash Hagmahani, I'm a city boy, but I like the idea of broadening my horizons with things I haven't been exposed to.

Survived Ike, survived in Houston with it's crime and whatnot.  Always been a student of human nature.  I like what I've seen here so far and I'm looking forward to continued friendships.

[Atash Hagmahani]

Talkingstick, oddly MOST of us are urban so far!

You go where the jobs are. Those who fled to deep hinterlands, are having trouble commuting to day-jobs, because there really aren't a lot of deep-rural true farming towns anymore.

(Actually, I was born here and have lived here most of my life. Nothing ever drew me out...until recently, as the city started turning 3rd worldish).

Some of us, however, will try to flee for it before things get too bad. I am in a city that has a deep-water port, airport, and some vestigial industries left, so it's actually OK here for now. You should see our nightlife--we still have some--I mean after opera and that sort of thing. However, the demographics look ominous to me. We have high tech industries, and high-schools where roughly a third of the students are essentially illiterate and innumerate.

Tell us about Houston.

Thanks to internet informants we heard Ike was pretty bad. The mainstream news seemed to downplay the situation a lot of folks were in. If you have either foresight or hindsight, please share.

[Talkingstick]

Hurricane Ike was a trip.

I've been through several storms because I've lived here all my life.  Ike was definitely the worst.
In June, when hurricane season began, I laid in a bunch of MRE's.  Had to fight the wife and have the son look at me like I lost my mind, but here just about a month ago, everybody got on the same page.
Had to dump the refrigerator and the MRE's came in handy since there were no stores open due to no electricity.

The night was just as dark as pitch, so me and my Mossberg went out for a walk twice an evening.  Not far, just around the property.  Had no problems with looters.

Right in the middle of the storm we all thought that the house was going to blow away so we all spent the night in the bathroom.  Next morning a cold front blew through and dumped another 16 inches of rain.  Water never entered the house, but we had about 1/2 of a large tree fall on the roof and knock two holes in the two bedrooms.

I'm on the northside of Houston and I was not as close as those in Galveston or Boliver.  Initially there were some 400 people missing although now it's down to less than 40.
Lot of bodies were found in the tidal marshes of Chambers County and a few washed up on shore.
There are currently more than a thousand people between here and Louisiana still sleeping in their cars.  They lost everything in the storm and FEMA was a ruse.  I guess I made out pretty well considering.

Want me to discuss Houston?  That will be enough to occupy another post.

[Atash Hagmahani]

There are currently more than a thousand people between here and Louisiana still sleeping in their cars.  They lost everything in the storm and FEMA was a ruse.

That makes me feel bad. I knew that FEMA would not be much help, because I am good at interpreting propaganda, and the party line was largely that we're on our own. We get a lot of fliers and billboards about that here. They call it something like "3 days 3 ways" but I think you are potentially on your own far longer than 3 days and in more than 3 ways.

We also see a lot of propaganda in the national media, about how people CHOOSE not to take cover--and I think, no, there are people who simply can not flee--too old, too poor, no gas, no car, too many people to fit in one car (so they stay put to stay together...), disabled, can't find a family member and don't want to abandon them, etc. My guess is that these kinds of prejudicial remarks are calculated to downplay the fact that the Feds are not in the position to help much...because of their own budget problems not to mention the weight of their bureaucratic inefficiency.

Want me to discuss Houston?  That will be enough to occupy another post.

Don't worry, it will come up in other posts. We each tend to contribute our own local observations...which despite distances and circumstances often seem surprisingly similar. The country as a whole has some issues, and they are getting hard to avoid.

[Talkingstick]

You may rest assured you are on your own, what is happening with the people left in their cars is a shame.  They are forgotten Americans, a lot like what happened in Waveland, Mississippi after Katrina.

Many are emotional wrecks and cannot complete a sentence without bursting into tears.

As to many on Boliver, the storm came upon them too quickly, they had cars to get out or someone on their way to pick them up.  The roads flooded before they couldn't do anything.

[Brose2000]

Hi All,
Brose from No.Cal. here.Butte County,in fact. I'm trying to stay rural but "civilization" keeps creeping (read:charging) in on us. We've got a couple of acres here. My back yard is wild and untamed, but the front yard was a small dirt road that has become quite the large throughfare with too much traffic. We're trying to live the 'back-to' lifestyle but it's getting hard. But I'm retired now and only my body bosses me around. I've been seeing this coming for years and now...it's here. But we're blessed to own our home and property outright and managed not get sucked in to the sub-prime bear trap. Nice to find this forum. The next 6 months should be a helluva ride...I'll stay tuned.

[Gunnyhiway1960]

Hi Folks,
Glad I found you all.
I am also in Seattle and trying to share some ideas as well.
Here is a link to the You-Tube Video's ("Gunny's Supplies") I made of my Store room, Water supply and Armory.
I hope you find them useful in your own preparations.

Best Wishes and Semper Fi,
Gunny
E-7 Ret.
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=C3C6262153071C7E

[crazy cat]

Hello from Michigan.  trying to be self sufficient and convince others that they need to do the same.  they all said I was paranoid I said I see the truth, they see I was right.  government won't/can't help us.  hope to learn and share a lot here.    thanks