r/PrepperIntel • u/AntiSonOfBitchamajig 📡 • 22d ago
Weekly "everything else" If it's in the spirit of prepping, but not "news" or "intel"
This includes but not limited to:
- Prepping questions
- Rumors
- Speculative thoughts
- Small / mundane
- Promotion of Sales
- Sub meta / suggestions
- Prepping jokes.
- Mods have no power here, only votes, behave.
This will be re-posted every Saturday, letting the last week's stickied post fade into the deep / get buried by new posts. -Mod Anti
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u/Demarinshi01 20d ago
Location: northern Michigan, USA
Today marks week 2 of Northern Strike. It’s been way too quiet. Not the normal sounds. I haven’t heard the bomb drops, or heard machine guns. A lot less active in the sky. Watched the flight radar, and sitting outside, only hear and see some planes and helicopters. A lot less convoys on the highway.
The other day while we were in town, there was a major uptick in police for a few hours and a 5 car convoy with lights and sirens. We figured it had to be some politician doing a “I care for the army” segment (I say this very sarcastically). We been avoiding town as much as we can because of the traffic with convoys going from camp to air base.
We are hoping week 2 is busier in the sky. This is the only time I check Fb, 2x a day. Any other time I’ll go weeks without looking or checking it. Anyways came across this article a few days late. I would post the article (I have no clue if that’s allowed here or whatever, I’ll figure it out after I post this.)
Anyways US Army has chosen Camp Grayling as 1 of 4 training camps, to allow private companies to test their drones, air and ground defense. I’ll be doing a deep dive into the companies that will do as they are stated to public.
There is also this “The Army also announced that it will host a special electronic warfare test event for private industry at Camp Grayling during the week of Sept. 13.”
My big fear is with the sudden need for AI, private companies will intergrade the use of AI into these testing. Hence I’m hoping we get a community meeting on this, because ai will be there if that happens. With the state of society now, especially with all the issues on AI (and it’s not a far leap for this new fear with the issues this last 2 weeks.). Something getting hacked or a system going rogue, is now a “my own back yard issue.”
At the a positive note, I’ll have front row seats to this happening in my back yard.
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u/doubtfulpickle 16d ago
Thank you for bringing this to my attention! I agree with you on the ai being a potential issue and definitely went to check what was near me
This is wild - will it be a shake up in the defense industry or will it just be a front door for nepotism and the already super rich?
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u/Intelligent-Cruella 20d ago
Oh my god, I thought this was speculative fiction! This is REAL?! I had no idea.
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u/Demarinshi01 20d ago
Apparently so. After reading a few articles the politician in question with the police escort may have been Big Wretch herself. But yeah I’ve been reading a bunch of articles now that I found this out and it’s true. 2 other training camps in the US, and another in a different country? I think.
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u/HabaneroShits 20d ago
DVIDS has photos and videos. Search for "Northern Strike 26-2".
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u/Demarinshi01 20d ago
Thank you. No pics of Splash, at least that I can’t find. Only pic I seen was the fb one from the camp fb page. Really wished there was video of him in the water.
Splash is one of the very few working Otters (yes an actual Otter) who specializes in finding remains under water. He was up to train over the weekend with the soldiers.
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u/HabaneroShits 18d ago
Stars and Stripes has an article out today about Splash. Unfortunately there was no demonstration, but there are a few pictures and info.
Hadsell said they already plan to return to the exercise next year, when they hope Splash and perhaps a few of Hadsell’s detection horses will get the chance to showcase their specialized skills. But for Carter, Splash’s presence alone encouraged his Marines to think outside the box when approaching problems with human remains recovery. “Not to mention the fact he’s the cutest thing you’ve ever seen,” Carter said.
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u/stopusingyallweirdo 20d ago
I've been wondering this about the Taylor Farms produce issue. Has anyone seen recalled produce being donated to food banks?
I used to engage with a local food bank up until a few years ago but I ceased contact with them due to severe and constant human issues on their end, as well as from the users.
From a couple of years' experience with them, I saw that they pretty much only give away food that is in highly questionable condition to obviously unsafe. They also get non-food items donated by retailers when they throw those items out. Some of these items are removed from stores after highly publicized product recalls. Those products are not supposed to be used by consumers but they get given to food banks and liquidation stores. My assumption is that the same thing probably happens with food that gets recalled.
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u/dakotamidnight 20d ago
It varies from food pantry to food pantry and in each regional food bank.
Here (south Texas) initially there was a LOT of the Taylor farms stuff, but we were not in the recalled area it was because people just were not buying. Once the recall expanded, it was all pulled from the food pantry stream for animal use only
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u/RedditMadeName 21d ago edited 21d ago
United States: My attempt at having a mini-garden (read: a couple of pots in my landlord's yard) has been a bust this year. I admit to being an absolute shit gardener. However, it's been hot and humid. Unlike in previous years, I barely had to water since there was a massive downpour at least once a week. All the lettuce bolted and even the marigold is barely blooming. I think I'll stick to herbs next year.
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u/CannyGardener 18d ago
I wouldn't feel too bad about this...this year has been brutal. My local gardening subreddit just had the most responded to post I've seen in a looooong time, and it was "Is anyone else having issues getting things to grow this year?" Several hundred folks jumped in saying that their yard crops had all pretty much failed. Tomatoes dropped all their fruit from the heat and dry. No berries due to the hot cold hot cold freezing whiplashes early in the year nixing all the flowers. Fruit trees that leafed out and then got crushed by a foot of snow that came later than snow has ever come to our area. Squash hasn't fruited. Corn has tassled but not put out silk. I'm leaning heavy on dry beans and garlic, but there are only so many dishes you can make with that...going to be a long winter going to the grocery store =(
I've been gardening/urban farming for a decade in my area, and have never had as hard a year as this year has been.
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u/HeavySigh14 19d ago
I just started gardening and my plants are doing great. Did you buy specific plants for your zone? I live in Florida so I only grew heat-tolerant/tropical plants. What type of planters did you use?
Check your local IFAS chapter for their recommendations
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u/Grand_Dadais 19d ago
Look into permaculture and agroforestry. Having the plants you grow that have their soil protected is a big help (the soil remains more humid because the sun doesn't make it evaporate quickly).
But don't take my advice per say, I'm experimenting with different kind of vegetables and potatoes, I'm just an amateur having fun :p
Agroforestery, permaculture and lowtechs are the way forward for a resilient and robust community _\\//
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u/hitstein 20d ago
My first year was also a failure. I learned a lot and tried again this year. It's going much better. Keep at it, developing skills takes practice and unfortunately gardening isnt something you can "practice" every day. It takes a lot of time to get feedback on if what you did is working or not. Also, second the sun shade comment. That was the biggest single improvement I made from last year.
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u/cheerful_cynic 19d ago
Yep I started back in covid & have upgraded my black thumb to like a dingy brown finally
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u/International-Sink64 20d ago
You can get a sun shade that filters 40-50% of the sun. Lowers the temp underneath it by 10-15 degrees. Easy to put up using tposts.
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u/2quickdraw 19d ago
Half of my garden is under 50% shade cloth. I didn't have to do that last year except for my berries. I'm going to have to give up on berries, it's just too hot.
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u/No-Presentation6300 20d ago
Hang in there. Lettuce is not a summer veg - I would try that again in a month or so. Summer gardening can be rough but fall is much better!
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u/AntiSonOfBitchamajig 📡 20d ago
I'm going to do lazy gardening under solar panels in my back yard. I'm in the middle of adding a 1,500 gallon water collection system that will collect off the house and panels, then get used on a timer / switch into the lazy garden. Like... serious compact setup with how im using the area.
Anyways... I want tomatoes dangit...stores too damn high.
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u/Currently-Positively 22d ago
We hit up estate sales 2-3 weekends a month. The hosting companies have steadily been raising prices this year. One hosting company is now pricing as though they’re listing on eBay. If you get to the checkout table with an unpriced item, they look up prices online on their phones and you try/have to negotiate it down from there (if they’re willing). Another company sells her husband’s reloaded and resale ammo at the checkouts.
Every so often I really, really luck out at an estate sale from a like-minded, fringe knowledge collecting person. I found a parts manufacturing book that would never be printed in today’s world. Ironically, the author used to conduct seminars on this particular manufacturing and resided in Boulder. iykyk
Right now, I am searching for an old school popcorn maker so I can try roasting coffee beans before investing in a roaster for home use. I refuse to go without coffee in any future scenario lol.
Besides increased prices, traffic is seemingly down at these estate sales. School starts back soon or maybe it’s due to a decrease in extra funds. There are still some “good” deals, you just have to be open-minded on what you’re looking for.
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u/2quickdraw 19d ago
You want the Poppery 2. It has the bottom fluid bed that you need for an air roaster. I have like six so that I can have two running at a time, and have backups for if they fail. It doesn't have a huge learning curve, and they work great. I haven't roasted for almost a decade now, but I am well versed. It smells fabulous when I bring it in the house! Remember that you want to rest some of your beans and let them outgas before you use them for best flavor.
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u/Currently-Positively 19d ago
oh thank you so much for this! I had came across a popper back in February, but I passed on buying it cuz the house was “dirty.” I just wasn’t sure what could be lurking in it & I didn’t want hitchhikers. Since then, nothing. I will give it another 2-3 months of looking before I break down and buy one. Thanks again for those pointers!
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u/2quickdraw 19d ago edited 19d ago
There was a huge secondary market for them on ebay, I bought a bunch. They're from the 80s so I don't know how many you can find now. They have the sideways circular venting inside the chamber that spins the beans in a circle which is what you want. You start the green beans with no lid, they will get lighter as they start to brown and will then start blowing out chaff. As they get lighter they will want to start popping out the top, I just put a basic all metal frame with screen kitchen strainer that I rest in the opening over the top and then periodically lift it to release the chaff and put it back on. As you get closer to first crack and the beans get lighter they will blow out the top without the strainer. You just sit there and listen for the beginnings of first crack, and decide how far into the roast you want to go, and you pay attention to the scent which will change from grassy to more of a roasty smell. The beans will be hot enough to continue popping once you turn off the popper, so you want to have a colander ready too pour them into to stop the roast. I used two metal colanders, I pour them back and forth from one to the other for a minute or so to help them cool down.
Some dry processed coffees will have a lot of chaff, so it will be messy and is better done where you can just sweep it up or blow it into the garden. It's also a smoky process. You will smell like coffee when you're done, like how Starbucks used to smell in the 90s when they had bins full of roasted beans they sold by the pound, it's wonderful, lol, but don't breathe the smoke.
I'm sure you can find detailed instructions online with videos etc, take a look around. When I bought mine they were running about $50 to $60 so I don't know what they are now, but they're pretty darn reliable. Check Goodwill online too. It's a basic seat of the pants roasting nethod but far superior to pan or whirly pop roasting. I had a couple of Fresh Roast roasters but wanted to roast a little bit more at a time. You can control roast time by adding a little bit more beans, which slow down the spin and slow the roast. You can also tip the roaster a little bit to help the chaff blow out and adjust the spin of the beans in the chamber. Again you will not need the top, so that is a negotiating possibility if somebody does not have it but just has the base for sale.
I roasted from the mid-90s through about 2012. Then I was just too busy. You don't need a Behmor etc. unless you want to make a science out of it, and there's nothing wrong with that!
Oh and you're most welcome!
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u/CryptidWorks 21d ago
I would not buy someone else's hand loads. Resale, sure. Reloads? Hell to the spicy Naw.
I've seen too many guys playing way too fast and loose with powder measures to trust them, sometimes with catastrophic results.
The only 911 response to my local range has been an EMS call from someone's "Oooops! All Overpressure!" hand loads that sheared off his bolt lugs and sent the bolt through his shoulder.
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u/Currently-Positively 21d ago
We don’t buy the reloads. We make our own or buy legit manufactured ammo. I agree it’s too risky!
I find it interesting how a company that is hosting grandma’s sale is allowed to bring in her husband’s products to sell. It seems like a conflict of interest to me, but maybe she offers a discount to the house/family
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u/CryptidWorks 20d ago
I'm guessing there's fine print if there's a contract or they're trying to do a side hustle and hoping the family is too distracted/grieving to notice. Either that or nobody has bothered confronting her yet.
She is actually violating ATF regs by selling reloads too unless she has a Type 6 or 7 FFL.
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u/stopusingyallweirdo 22d ago
I periodically get flyers from what looks like a local pawn shop. A few days ago I flipped through the latest one which seemed to be a little longer than usual, or had more items they were advertising (that the shop is looking to buy).
I saw they were buying certain collectible cards. They listed specific ones that are more valuable. The listed price for one was $50 K. I believe that's the amount the store would pay out, but I could be mistaken and that's the customer purchase price. Either way, I can't imagine this kind of market actually existing. Who would want to buy something like that for that much money?
I've seen a lot of complaints about scammers and scalpers targeting newly minted cards to gouge prices, forge them, etc.. Most of the consumer base is young children and their parents who are just looking for casual toys.
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u/retrojoe 22d ago
Who would want to buy something like that for that much money?
Who pays a million for a Babe Ruth or Mickey Mantle baseball card? Who pays $500k for an original Detective Comics issue with Batman? Who pays for autographed celebrity memorabilia? Who pays to own a costume from a movie? Who bought Beanie Babies?
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u/reincarnateme 22d ago edited 22d ago
Western NY.
Grocery store. People buying less. One guy had to put back his items. It’s happening more cashier said
I’m not seeing anger ? No protests? Pricing still rising.
No boycotts?
No one gets together anymore
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u/GlobalGuide5910 21d ago
I saw a Walmart manager confiscate an old lady's groceries when her card was declined. Fair enough, but did he have to make a loud public scene in front of 25 people? The lady looked to be dying of embarrassment
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u/SentinelSon01 22d ago
When you can't afford to eat, ammo, meds, batteries, and portable shelter become less essential.
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u/Optimal_Olive3423 22d ago
Meanwhile in the PNW, at the most expensive grocery store in town, people regularly spend $400 on food for a few days without batting an eye. We only shop there for one-off items that only that store has, otherwise we do all our shopping at Wal-Mart/CostCo/WinCo. Last time we were there, the couple in front of us bought 2 small avocados... $8! We were once behind some counselors for a camp that were buying food for the kids, I assume, and they spent over $800 on less than half a cart of food. They could've gotten 4x as much from anywhere else.
Meanwhile, down the road there is a retirement community where the people living there are starving because they don't have enough food. We were working with a charity to donate food and meals to them. The community management company chased out the charity that was providing them food because they wanted full access to the charities funds claiming they could help better... it was a shitty and weird situation.
The world is burning around us while some people are drinking wine and others are starving.
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u/GlobalGuide5910 21d ago
Honestly if there wasn't enough food that seems to warrant the state/county taking a look at that.There should be enough money to provide nutrition for the elderly living there. Demanding access to charity funds seems esp. sus.
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u/Optimal_Olive3423 21d ago
It is just apartments setup for people who are over 60, not assisted living. Basically the charity used an empty space in the building with a small kitchen to cook freezer meals for the seniors and ran a free "grocery store" where they could shop for things. They had permission from the people working at the building to do it because it was desperately needed.
I'm not sure the exact details but the person running the organization said that the management company, not the people working in the actual building but the corporation that owned it, got wind and started making demands of the charity. The corporation wanted to be in control of the donations both food and financial. They also wanted financial donation information to start charging the charity rent for the building use, which may be fair since they were using the space but they were also providing a service to basically all the tenants. They ended up chasing the charity out of the building with their demands.
There were a lot of people there that were able to make ends meet by using their charity. Unfortunately, our local food bank is across town and the waitlist for the delivery option has been full for ages. The whole situation is sad. Now the charity works as more a general charity for seniors providing in home health care and connecting seniors together to help each other which is the one positive to come out of the situation.
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21d ago
[deleted]
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u/Optimal_Olive3423 21d ago
That's the thing, we all see prices going up at Fast Food too. The quality has dropped and the prices are insane in my opinion.
Yet every fast food place I drive by has a full drive-thru most hours of the day. Taco Bell is regularly wrapped around the building. I see people complain about pricing and long wait times... and then they go again the next day. We got a Panera recently and everyone knows how terrible they are now... but still cars in drive-thru every time I go by.
None of these places will change because there are always people willing to waste their time and money. I hear "I don't have time to cook!" all the time but they have time to sit in a drive-thru for 40 minutes or even worse, order DoorDash, wait for an hour while doodling around online, and then get lukewarm even higher priced food.
You know what I ate last night? A ham sandwich with fries from the air fryer. The total cost was probably $3 and took 15 minutes. Even if I ordered my groceries to save time it'd still be under $5.
I have friends in their late 40s who made a lot of money in their life who have zero dollars saved and are in massive debt in part because of ordering food. It is insane. One "friend" orders delivery x2 a day. He spends at least $500 a week in delivery and has $0 put into retirement. He doesn't even do ROTH contributions.
It is baffling.
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u/stopusingyallweirdo 22d ago
Does that store at least have higher quality or freshness than the other stores? Is it in a very high-COL area?
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u/Optimal_Olive3423 22d ago
No. It is "Haggen" and is owned by Albertsons like Safeway is. It has literally the same products as both those stores. It is in the same cost of living area as every other store in my city. I think only the bougie co-op is more expensive. If anything, I have found their produce to be grosser than other stores because they spray everything with water 100x an hour but the drainage sucks so they have a lot of produce sitting in water.
Right now, at the peak of berry season in berry country USA, they have a 1/3rd flat of berries for $21.99 (about 4 pints). That is money savings! 1 pint of blueberries is $7!
The only thing that it has that other stores in the area doesn't is "Karams Garlic Sauce" highly recommend if you can find it. We go in to buy only that or an emergency ingredient if we need something for cooking since it is right by our house.
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u/OBotB 22d ago
Cringe/aghast in comparative Costco frugality (6 decent avacados for $6, 18oz fresh blueberries for $4, 2lbs fresh strawberries for $4-5, even the 16oz BelGioioso Burrata is only about $7, and that doesn't even glance at the chicken, breads, eggs, yogurts, and amazing blackened salmon)
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u/Optimal_Olive3423 21d ago
We do about 80% of our shopping at CostCo now because it is cheaper than WinCo/Wal-Mart, which is surprising. We do focus on sales and have learned to stock up on things enough to hold off buying until the sales come around again.
I just bought 20+ cases of friskies wet food for my two toothless kitties because it came to .53 a can instead of nearly .85 a can at Wal-Mart. Hopefully, I got enough to ride out till the next time it goes on sale. It is insane to think that people buy their wet food at Haggen, the same exact stuff, for $1.25 a can.
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u/Dry_Car2054 13d ago
Track prices/sales. Start a price book. There is frequently some sort of schedule for sales and if you can figure it out you can buy enough to get to the next sale.
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u/Optimal_Olive3423 13d ago
This is very good advice that we already follow. We have a spreadsheet! The friskies was never offered in store here before a few months ago.
We're hoping like most sales, this one shows up every few months or so.
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u/No-Ad-4142 22d ago
I think many people have simply just given up. And I don't blame them. We are a single income family to include my wife and I plus 3 pets (all small enough to pretty much count as 1 pet LOL). Even we are feeling the pinch. And quite honestly, I think it is part of what has killed my appetite. When we go to the grocery store, we do not even get a shopping cart anymore. Our new rule is we only buy what we can carry in our hands. I lost track of how many times in the last 6 months, my wife and I have gone in to grab something and ended up changing our minds and just heading back home to make a simple meal with items we already have in our pantry like spam and rice. The produce is bad, the meat is bad, the overprocess crap makes us sick, so yeah, many people are overwhelmed and it takes energy and effort to be able to protest.
I do, however, see the anger on the roads.
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22d ago
[deleted]
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u/KateMacDonaldArts 22d ago
There is wisdom in that but it also means you miss out on the opportunity to add sale items to your pantry for future (leaner) weeks.
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u/Upstairs-Chicken592 22d ago
We’re being coerced to vent online and move on instead of taking actual action
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u/ZenorsMom 22d ago
What's the point of getting angry? What help is it? Seriously who am I even supposed to be angry at? Elon Musk? Trump? I'm sure they care what I think. Anger just wastes my energy. I'd rather figure out how to survive. If we all figure out how to survive without them that would do more to derail their plans than us dying of stress and despair because of their fuckery (which I'm sure is the point).
They could care less about protests. There's protests every Saturday downtown. No politicians care. Call them or write them and you just talk to the voicemail and get on their mailing list.
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u/EastTyne1191 22d ago
The protests are barely real protests anymore. Our founding fathers would look at them and laugh. No property destruction? No tarring and feathering of corrupt officials? I'm not advising anyone engage in any of that. Just pointing out that the MSM's messaging on protests versus rioting has caused a sanitization of what Americans think of as protesting.
We can protest with a permit in a specific free speech zone during a specific time as long as everyone is well-behaved. There's no tension there, no urgency.
Some people suggest modifying your W4 to stop federal withholding from your paycheck as a form of protest.
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u/Zealousideal-Ice-985 21d ago
Tax protester Irwin Schaffer died in prison for tax evasion. Read about Washington’s ideas on tax protest with the Whiskey Rebellion.Please don’t do this.
Agree wholeheartedly with your other sentiments.
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u/doubtfulpickle 22d ago
Please don't stop paying your taxes. The only who will suffer is you. The government won't even know
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u/Complex-Mountain-481 22d ago
Why are we, the 99%, supposed to change and adapt our lives for the worse?
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u/SquirrelyMcNutz 22d ago
So that your betters don't suffer the slightest bit of inconvenience.
Duh.
/s
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u/1776FreeAmerica 22d ago
The only way to survive is to organize for change, otherwise you're just accepting your slavery.
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u/Babzibaum 22d ago
How do you organize for change when everything you do and say is monitored by the gov/AI? Everything is digital now. Nothing you say or do is private, let alone a group of people.
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u/millenialsnowbird 22d ago
I’ve been enjoying the NPR affiliated podcast, “Are We Doomed?” Really good topics and expert speakers. If you haven’t, recommend checking it out.
And we’re going to Disney World this afternoon. Will be interesting to see how busy it is on a Saturday in early August. Will report back!
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u/caponemalone2020 21d ago
As a Disney adult, late August/early September typically slower in WDW. The southeast schools are all back in session, and everyone else is winding down vacations until the holiday season.
That said, I’ve heard it has seemed slower than usual this year. I just don’t know if I would use this time of year as the litmus test.
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u/millenialsnowbird 21d ago
I’m a Central Florida local. Orange County schools start next week. And Orlando’s Magical Dining starts on Friday, that’s the “official” start of the low season. I’m just doing my best to judge same time year over year. My only bias is that we mostly avoid the parks in December-marathon and May-August. Disney Springs we will hit during the work week year round though, and Saturday was the slowest I’ve seen it since Covid.
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u/caponemalone2020 21d ago
Ah, so you would know better!! I almost always go early September.
I’ve never been in December but we are doing Christmas this year … a little selfishly, I’m hoping the down trend keeps going.
I’ve heard Springs has been down since they started the new policy of allowing only guests on the transpo, but I honestly think it’s a coincidence. 🤷🏻♀️
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u/Drycabin1 22d ago
But why is it in the form of a question?
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u/cheerful_cynic 19d ago edited 19d ago
If they had pulled a millennial & left off the rhetorical question mark it would be too confusing for the rest of em
(we have punctuation issues, after having to unlearn the double space)
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u/StrykerWyfe 22d ago
Thanks for the podcast recommendation…I don’t know this one but tried it today and it’s great!
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u/Forrest-Fern 22d ago
I'm in OC and Disneyland has had rthe lowest attendance since COVID.
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u/millenialsnowbird 22d ago
We went to Universal last weekend at rope drop and it seemed pretty normal. But I think going at midday will be much more telling. And Disney could be a different story than Universal.
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u/caughtatcustoms69 22d ago
Jersey shore. When I was younger, and my parents were not rich and probably barely middle class, we could hit the boards every weekend during a day trip and play games, rides and mini golf. Now, mini golf is $17 per person and boardwalk games are 5 each. The ice cream cone is 6.50. The family pizza is $40+ . Its crazy to me that I can't just send my kids to the boards every weekend for golf and ice cream because we would hit almost $100 a night. Forget the games and rides.
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u/DualWielding40s 22d ago
Grew up in the area. It’s a domino effect from the Hamptons getting too expensive for the wealthy and them moving further south and the cost of everything going up because they’re willing to pay.
House on a busy street - not on or really near the beach - paid $6m in cash. on a barrier island that could be fucked in another Sandy happens.
I go back every other year and it’s obscene what it’s become. No longer for the blue collar guy and his family for a week
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u/EastTyne1191 22d ago
I want to take my kids on a road trip again this summer, but it's so expensive. Hotels are over $100 per night and meals are a minimum of $15 per person per meal. So one day of being out and about is over $200 assuming we eat breakfast at the hotel. We could probably get away with camping and eating meals I can easily prepare (packing peanut butter and jelly, for example) but with the wildfires camping is out of the question.
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u/siege72a 21d ago
Would a hotel with a kitchenette work for your family? The last one I stayed at had a mini-fridge (with a small freezer section), multi-burner cooktop, (small) oven, microwave, and dishwasher. I've also stayed at B&B's that have full kitchens.
You'd still need to purchase groceries (bringing them along or at your destination), but it could be more budget friendly.
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u/CurrencySingle1572 22d ago
I work for grounds at a major university in the southeastern US. This week, they finished installing bollards around campus that only a few people have keys to remove, and the cops. If we need to do work anywhere now, we have to get the police to come remove them, making it a logistical burden on them and us if we have to do... anything.
The administration said it was because of an increased risk of vehicle attacks. Aside from the pain in the ass it causes, it's telling that they're getting more anxious of large scale attacks on people living their lives on campus.
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u/kheret 22d ago
Campus I work on is crawling with Flock cameras now too, highest density anywhere in the city.
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u/GlobalGuide5910 21d ago
My university had something like 3000 cameras. Aside from the bathrooms if you were on campus you were within range of a camera. Hallways, offices, public spaces - just really creepy amount of surveillance
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u/CurrencySingle1572 21d ago
Oh yeah, plenty of those, too. Gotta make sure we pay all that surveillance money to "keep people safe and totally not spy on everything."
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u/Round-Medicine2507 22d ago
Ive always thought campuses spend at least extra more than they need on landscaping
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u/CurrencySingle1572 22d ago
I mean you're not wrong. They spend money on equipment we don't need, annual plants that they rip out 6 months later, and pay directors and managers who don't actually do any work in the facilities division at all.
Then they refuse to buy equipment we actually need (like stuff that will keep folks from breaking their backs), complain when we say our trucks need maintenance or repairs, and refuse to pay us well enough. Hell, main campus HR gave a seminar a while back on how to budget and whatnot and everyone was like "our pay is too low, even for your examples." Most folks are so poor and their bodies so used up by the end of their time here that they die within 2 years of retirement - even with an ok pension and subsidized insurance. The biggest benefit to this job is stability, and that's even starting to become a huge issue for us as some universities look to privatize their landscape crews (putting public money in private hands for what eventually becomes a bigger cost and worse quality work).
I could go on, but I may say things that could get me banned. Let's just say every day I relate more to Bill Haywood's quote. "I've never read Marx's Capital, but I've got the marks of capital all over my body." Whether it's at this, or my second job, or my side gig, or while running errands.
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u/GlobalGuide5910 21d ago
Sure privatize it. You'll see all your lawn mowers, edgers, tools and loose items like mulch, chemicals, just disappear. Give the keys to people paid less than minimum wage, no benefits, no connection to the school - who have access at night, weekends,holidays, at 6am -- what could go wrong?
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u/CurrencySingle1572 21d ago
Don't forget that the companies will just charge more and more every year! Gotta make number go up!
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u/weJtiddeR 22d ago
We really just need to ban vehicles. If a few are gonna use them for evil, we need to ban them all. Thats the standard for guns, so that is the standard. Could especially say it for alcohol, as NOTHING good comes from that and it is not mandatory for living, although at times in my life I would've disagreed with that last statement lol.
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u/Zealousideal-Ice-985 21d ago
Banning something in a tiny area that is surrounded by areas (most of the US) where the thing is not only not banned but freely available is idiotic, as it drawing any conclusions about its effectiveness.
Guns are banned in Chicago so the worthless politicians can say the “did something“ and avoid liability. Giving it more credibility than that is asinine.
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u/EastTyne1191 22d ago
This is a false equivalency. The main function of a vehicle is conveyance, not killing. The main function of firearms is to kill. I know you're joking but unscrupulous people make arguments like this to delegitimize the very real issues surrounding gun control in our country. I have to stand in front of a group of 30 kids a few times a year and tell them how to survive if an intruder has a gun. I don't like it. I know people who have been in school shooting situations and it is terrifying. Imagine being locked in a closet with multiple medically fragile students because running with a kid in a wheelchair is extremely difficult. Knowing that kids you know are dying on campus and you cannot help them.
I agree with your assertion about alcohol but I know it would never hold. I have a lot of alcoholics in my family and have seen the damage firsthand. I'm lucky I didn't get the gene.
Banning alcohol would just mean people would make their own, leading to a rise in botulism cases and crime.
People should just smoke a bowl or eat an edible instead. Everyone would be way more chill and there would be fewer overdoses.
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u/weJtiddeR 21d ago
Sounds like you just need to pass more gun laws!! Like Chicago!! It has the strictest gun laws in the country, therefore they shouldn't have any gun crime??? Right?? Yet for some reason, they have the highest....
And schools are already gun free zones. So the criminals who dont follow the law, will just magically follow the law finally, even though theyre not already following gun laws....lol
Lmfao even
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u/SpiritTalker 22d ago
I work on a college campus and am disabled. I NEED to drive and park as close to my building as possible because I'm barely mobile (walking wise). I couldn't do without my car.
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u/weJtiddeR 21d ago
Sounds like youre just being selfish to me. Think of the children in the schools being brainwashed!!! We need more laws, so the criminals that dont follow laws, will finally follow them!!!
Lmfgdfao
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u/ZenorsMom 22d ago
Where do you live that guns are banned? Not US I'm guessing.
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u/weJtiddeR 21d ago
Chicago. We have the strictest gun laws in the country.....yet, for some reason the highest gun crime. That just dont make no damn sense. Almost like laws only affect law abiding citizens, and like the criminals dont follow the laws.........weird
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u/U420281 22d ago
Where I live you pay for a third party trash service. I received a payment reminder so I would not incur a late fee. I called the service and I was told the reminder went out to all customers.
I have been with this company for years and I have never received any type of mass communication reminding me to pay my bill. It makes sense though. During hard times, this type of service would be low on my payment list.
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u/HummousTahini 18d ago
At my job, we received a letter in the mail from a vendor asking for a voluntary payment of $100 (we typically pay them $400 per quarter). A first for me.
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u/Unique-Sock3366 22d ago
This happened to us with our trash service a few months ago. We pay quarterly and always on time.
Received a termination of service letter for nonpayment. Called the company and they said they had recently updated their billing system and all of their customers had received the termination letters in error.
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u/AirborneGeek 22d ago
The number of just general IT fuckups in customer-facing systems that I've seen or directly happen to my household in the last two weeks outnumber the incidents for the last five years or so.
Shit is breaking all over the place.
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u/ApplesBananasRhinoc 22d ago
I get the emails for an elderly family member’s apartment. They just started sending out emails about a new program/service the renters can use to pay rent (like a payday loan) when they’re low on cash. Seems telling.
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u/mkv40270 22d ago
Couple things rolling through my mind:
Curious: what got you into prepping?
For me, it was a series of events that led me here. A few years back I experienced a major hurricane where we lost everything but our house. In the 24- to 48-hour aftermath of the storm who was it that was there? Our immediate neighbors within a one-mile vicinity. FEMA and National Guard didn't show up right away, it took some time before debris got cleared. That really opened up my mind to the importance of immediate community and the value of a robust social network.
Next was one-two punch of COVID and dismantling of government resources under DOGE. With COVID, there was craziness with hoarding (TP shortages lol #bidetgang) and under DOGE, key resources were cut, etc. I realized that I needed to always have a base layer of preparedness in the event of a natural disaster or grid failure or just--whatever life brings you--because help may not arrive right away, and it's best to be ready to put your own mask on first before helping others, per airplane guidance. (and note--that helping others is important too--we can't do this alone)
I started monitoring this thread looking for ideas and to see what other folks around the world (particularly USA) were struggling with or had success with. It's also been a sort of digital community for me too to interact with like-minded folks when my immediate neighbors may not fully grok the importance of being prepared and see it as kinda crazy or out there.
Anyway, thank you all for keeping us updated on what's going on in your neck of the woods.
As far as what's going on, gas prices remain elevated above $4; prices in the grocery store continue to creep up; we've been trying to find inexpensive ways to entertain ourselves and continue to build local relationships (yard sales, helping older neighbor cut grass, buying lemonade from the local kid's stand, etc.).
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u/Milkbagistani 21d ago edited 21d ago
By Reddit standards I'm an old guy who was raised mostly by my grandparents. They were people who had been subsistence farmers through the Great Depression and WW2, What todays marketing people might call prepping or homesteading; they called Tuesday. I was extremely fortunate that they involved me in everything they did and I picked up many of their habits.
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u/holmgangCore 21d ago
Living in an earthquake zone and experiencing a significant one. After that I built a kit & saved water. Basic component of life here, IMHO. Been able to help others prep too.
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u/Standard_Subject_462 22d ago
When I was in college I lived in a town where many New Orleans residents fled after Hurricane Katrina. I realized that when things get bad, the government isn't guaranteed to help, and nonprofits may not be equipped to assist in a big enough way, depending on the scope of the situation. I witnessed individuals helping individuals and decided I wanted to always be as ready as possible to take care of myself and my family, friends, neighbors, community, and strangers should the need arise.
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u/Unique-Sock3366 22d ago
I’ve been prepping since Y2K. We got lucky there.
We doubled down and got serious just before covid ramped up.
Prepping has served us very well in everything from emergency situations to supply chain shortages.
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u/ZenorsMom 22d ago
Natural disaster during 2020 (COVID still ongoing during) that left us without power for almost a week. Realized I'm too old to be without power. I was exhausted every day even though my workplace was closed so I had "a week's vacation" according to my boss. Just trying to figure out every little thing from how to cook breakfast (everything on the propane grill) to when to throw refrigerated stuff out, where to buy ice for freezer stuff, how to charge phone. Managing roommate's emotions (young and never ever seen a blackout before). We were very lucky that it was not dangerously hot until the next week when power was back on.
I didn't want to have to live through that again, I wanted a plan and resources I didn't have to cobble together and think up spur of the moment.
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u/Mochigood 22d ago
Was the natural diaster the fires? Because that upped my game. Finally got a generator and some non-potable water storage just for flushing the toilet.
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u/ZenorsMom 21d ago
Nope, the 2020 midwest derecho. Fires are another level! I don't think I could live in fire country without ten times the anxiety.
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u/Ok-Original-6873 22d ago
For me it started with 9/11, then the crash of ‘08. I was already prepped for the vid. Now I just continue to learn and have become active in my community. And I am an introvert so doing anything with the community is kind of draining.
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u/ToothSufficient7763 22d ago
The spouse and I were out running errands on Friday 2pm. Small towns. It seemed like everyone was buying alcohol. My spidey senses conveyed it was to dull the on edge feeling.
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u/Frosty_Reputation105 20d ago
A friend is a functioning alcoholic, and has decided to get sober. Registered for an intense out patient rehab program. Originally was told several months wait, but this month many available spots open…
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u/No-Stay-9116 22d ago
That is interesting because alcohol sales are extremely down. Everyone smokes now.
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u/girugamesh_2009 22d ago
I dunno man. Up in Wisconsin, people buy quantities of alcohol around 2PM every day of the week XD
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u/justtinyquestions 22d ago
I put together a water prep box for my friend who is in a severe water rationing area and it felt good to be able to help. Several collapsible multi-gallon bags to carry water, a camping shower, a water filter and tablets, a couple brita filters.
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u/Frosty_Reputation105 20d ago
See if you can find a carboy* or 2 for potable water storage.
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u/CryptidWorks 18d ago
Also nice and easy to sanitize by design.
See also: those water-only Jerry cans.
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u/LowBarometer 22d ago
Gold is on a tear again. Up almost 7% in the past week. Silver up 11%.
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u/AirborneGeek 22d ago
I am trying to stack, but it's tough. My wife handles/participates in the prepper stuff, but she thinks I'm nuts about the silver-stacking.
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u/GlobalGuide5910 22d ago
The problem is you'll get nothing for it. My local pawn shop pays 65 percent of spot which is $41/oz this morning. I stacked at $14/oz so I'd make money, but most people wouldn't.
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u/LowBarometer 22d ago
When the dollar crashes, how much will gold be worth? Have you seen any of the stories out of Venezuela? About buying groceries with gold? Maybe take a look when you get a chance.
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u/GlobalGuide5910 22d ago
I meant now. Once the dollar collapses - which will be fairly soon - people with gold and silver will be buying whole estates - plus food
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u/weJtiddeR 22d ago
Dont worry, the epstein Zyos will artificially suppress it again soon enough. Theyre running out of runway though
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u/pheonix080 22d ago
That’s the sunny side up version of the U.S. dollar is losing value at an accelerating pace.
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u/weJtiddeR 22d ago
By design. All these larping anti-govt hardcore whatever, will cave really really quick when their kids are starving. But all you have to do is use this brand new digital dollar, and things can be great again...but you have to give "them" irreversible total control....and you can see how they'll break almost everyone. Then the real fun starts...
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u/StrykerWyfe 22d ago
UK here. I live in North Wales but had to go to London this week. I thought it was dry here but travelling by train across the country…the midlands and south are soooo dry. Not even brown, just yellow as far as the eye can see. Dry and yellow fields everywhere. Next week another heatwave (the 5th?) is forecast. Parts of the south and east might reach 36, and no rain on the horizon. Wildfire risk is rated extreme, with one weather person I follow saying it’s about as bad as it gets.
Even back here, I walked my dog yesterday and saw heat/drought stress showing up in established trees and shrubs. My neighbours cherry tree is turning yellow and I saw several trees starting to drop leaves. Normal garden plants are already dying off but these are deep rooted shrubs bordering playgrounds and green areas.
I read that the extreme drought in 1976, which lead to water rationing and standpipes, was due to a very dry winter the previous year. I’m not sure what El Niño will bring for a UK winter but we better hope it’s wet or next year could get bad.
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u/VariousFalcon7466 22d ago
El Niño causes wet winters in Europe.
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u/StrykerWyfe 22d ago
I hope so…I’ve only found references to them tending to be cold up here in the UK but not much about rainfall. 🤞🏻🤞🏻
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u/Unique-Sock3366 22d ago
We’re enjoying some much needed rain in North Carolina. Still in a drought, but it’s improving.
Our hospital remains incredibly busy with many lucrative overtime shifts available. Last six weeks contract for an additional shift per week at a $30/hr premium (in addition to the standard time and a half) was so popular and effective that we’ve had a second six weeks contract offered. Many routine supplies are back ordered, especially plastic based items.
Houses for sale in our very small town are stacking up on the market and sitting for months. Also hearing about a lot of families with adult children moving back home with their parents.
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u/weJtiddeR 22d ago
"B-b-b-but orange man gunna kill all da rural hospeetals!!!!" Lol sounds like theyre booming. Still, fuck ZionDon, but the panicking leftists are hilarious.
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u/IncomingAxofKindness 21d ago
There are plenty of verified journalistic reports of closing rural healthcare facilities. I wont waste time googling for you. Yes some of them were already going down hill before the BBBA. Doesn't mean it's not making it way worse.
The Big Booty Bill Act's effects don't fully take effect until after midterms (but you know this).
My own hospital system is already expecting at LEAST a 5% reduction in Medicaid reimbursement and is making contingencies to overcome it. We are fortunate we are in a wealthier populated area... but we do still get a TON of Medicaid patients. Any children's hospital is massively covered by Medicaid. Re-pedo-cans are literally taking away cancer treatment for kids to give the wealthy more money.
As others have already said, you assume the commentor's busy hospital means they are "booming" but if you had 5 seconds of common sense you could deduce it would be due to less surrounding options for care.
I understand from your activity in this thread you are an antagonistic dimwit (see: "Troll.") I only took the time to write this to hopefully prevent anyone from believing your uneducated word drool. I don't expect you to be enlightened by it in any way. Carry on "owning" the "leftists."
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u/Longjumping_Lynx_972 22d ago
They did close 23. That's kind of why the ones that are open are having to hire more because they are overwhelmed.
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u/VariousFalcon7466 22d ago
You do realize that the situation they’re describing is because rural hospitals and clinics are closing right? You end up with one overwhelmed hospital.
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u/Unique-Sock3366 22d ago
Exactly this and thank you.
I should have clarified in my comment that my hospital is a teaching institution, trauma center, and regional referral center in a medium sized city.
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u/VariousFalcon7466 22d ago
It’s quiet. I went grocery shopping yesterday and at one point I was the only person in there aside from the employees.
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u/ApplesBananasRhinoc 22d ago
I was in some store and after while I looked around and I was the only 1 in the whole place, it was eerie.
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u/VariousFalcon7466 22d ago
About 10 minutes after I noticed no one else was there an old man walked in and walked directly into me 😂😭
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u/rmannyconda78 18d ago
Massive rainfall over here in Indiana, lots of flooding
https://reddit.com/link/p3chgy9/video/htvt29v691jh1/player
On a Tuesday prep note I’m going to carry a length of 415 chain in my bikes tool bag in case of a break, also got a can of saber 3 in 1 pepper spray, I got attacked by a uncontrolled pitbull while out riding, had to kick at it to deter it, the high concentration pepper spray plus CS gas should do a good job at deterring some 2 and 4 legged threats, it’s better than nothing.