Saturday, April 11, 2009

Random musings

I wonder what America would really be like if the balloon goes up. We preppers read these doomsday articles and dire predictions and we all, and I'm guilty of it too, figure we have it under control. We have food, water, weapons, medical kits, heirloom seeds and a plan. What's the first rule of combat? No plan survives contact with the enemy. So it is still a good thing to do, matter o fact it's an excellent thing to do - plan for contingencies. But keep it in the back of your mind that your plan isn't going to be perfect.

I've seen it in the IT industry again and again. Some manager gets this project plan put together and rigidly sticks to it regardless to the changing scope of the project or the political ramifications of the implementation, etc. and etc. Project dissolves into a death spiral, and sometimes takes the management or a engineer down with it.

The most important skill we have as preppers is our ability to think on our feet. To think outside of the barriers of "conventional" thought. While everyone was happily partaking in irrational exuberance, we were quietly noticing warning signs and doing something to protect ourselves and our families from the worst case scenario.

Plans are good, in they can prevent panic. Take a look at our government right now and it's economic policies. Does that look like they have a plan? Or does it look like they are tossing shit at the problem and seeing what sticks? I'd give my left nut to be in on some of their planning sessions. Sitting in a lawn chair eating nachos and drinking beer while the most powerful men in the world shit themselves would be quite a show.

I guess the point of all this is to have a plan, but don't let it constrain you. Don't back yourself into a corner. This would include those of you out there that have a permanent retreat. If it gets bad enough, leave!

I'm quietly looking at the rally on wall street in simple awe. Awe at the brutal stupidity of the Human Being. I was suckered in for a few days thinking, "Hey, this might be over." But then I saw another 650k jobs lost. That's what you need to watch. The economy will not and CAN not turn around unless unemployment goes down drastically. It's simple. Our economy is based on spending, so if people continue to lose more and more jobs then that's more and more people not buying cars, taking vacations, gettign that big-screen TV, or even just going out for a drive, or a movie, or dinner.

This rally on Wall street is just a false sense of hope. Americans are buying guns and ammo like your getting a happy ending with each box of 50 shells! Guns are still flying off of the shelves. In some places it's impossible for you to get even common ammo calibers. Thankfully, I don't have that problem, but I've been told that .380 ammo is impossible to find. I found it but it wasn't cheap, that is for sure.

At the gun club, we are getting record numbers of applicants. Of the existing members, many of them are starting to reload ammo to save money, or to make sure they have enough ammo in whatever weird caliber they use. In the 6 months before this not one picked up reloading, but now we have 6-7 starting out. That's just crazy.

So if we head to inflation, I should get a big car loan. If we are going for a deflation, I need to own it outright. I'm leaning inflationary right now, so I'm going to try for a $10k or so Grand Cherokee. The one I'd like to get is an '04 Freedom edition that looks nice, has 55k miles on it and has my beloved straight 6. I haven't seen any other '04's worth looking at a second time so If I cannot get that one due to financing, I'm getting a regular Cherokee. I'm off to the dealer once I get this post done.

I'm going to the prepper gathering at:

APRIL 25TH 1PM at Bugaboo Steakhouse 345 Cochituate Rd Framingham MA.

So if you can make it I'll be glad to see you. I'm trying to get my brother to come along, between the two of us we can liven any party. He's more into the tin foil hat stuff, me being the older and more level-headed one. I got to think of some things to bring along as handouts. The dissemination of information at this place, plus meeting local contacts is what this is all about.

As for April 15th, I'm going to try to go to the tea party in Boston after work. I'm still trying to get "Al" to come along, he needs to be exposed to this stuff. Plus, I'll need someone there to bail me out! Just Kidding!

Well hope everyone is prepping like crazy. I am. Time for me to switch from canned goods to lighter bulk foods. I'm getting to the point I have too much canned food to easily transport. More on that in another post. Until then,

Relax, it's only the end of the world as we know it!

2 comments:

Sunfighter said...

You're right. This is a bear market rally and the real news is unemployment. So it's lower in the 600,000's, that's ok isn't it. Only in the 600,000's. the market is disconnected from reality.

Contingency planning is the name of the game. Each plan should have it's own contingency plan.

Mayberry said...

Great points Natog. There's always gonna be something to throw a monkey wrench into the works....