Abandon hope all ye merry motorists

Apparently some people still think the economy is actually improving, that the recession has actually ended.  It has not, the collapse is in full swing.  I think part of the non-seeing issue is folks not looking at the big picture.  It is difficult to take the time and step back from the myriad of little problems that harass all of us and really look at where we are, and how we got here.

So let's take a step back and say that petroleum IS our economy.  It is the alpha and omega.  It is the backbone which supports everything else.  That backbone is weakening.   Our economy is predicated on growth.  Growth needs energy.  Without a growing energy supply, the backbone atrophies and weakens. 

Ok, so you see the issue illustrated in these three charts?  In 2005, after Hurricane Katrina crude oil hit a record high of $75 a barrel.  When oil hit $147 a barrel three years later, production barely nudged upward.  At these prices producers want to crank out as much as they can. They can't crank it up anymore.  This IS the bumpy plateau of peak oil.  We are on it right now.

So guess what?  Like so many other things, The Powers That Be decided to try to paper over these issues, leading to charts like this:

Unfortunately we have now reached this point:

Lending, borrowing, throwing money at the problem is literally like adding fuel to a fire at this point.  See what it's doing to the banking industry?

What this means is that, since we are running out of energy, they have tried to pump our economy by throwing money at it.  They have always done this, but now it just won't work anymore.  People are resistant to change, and so, for now, a veneer of Business-as-Usual remains, but make no mistake, our economy, our way of life, everything really...is now a zombie.  It's dead, it just doesn't know it, yet.

Now for a discussion of these very issues, here are two of my favorite people.












I have been pondering why I'm even bothering with my goofy little blog.  A large part of it has to do with my "guilt issues."  I can see the inevitable collapse coming full steam ahead, and I don't know why so many cannot.  But, I will try, in my own way, to help others to see it while there is still time to prepare for it.  That way, when the shit hits the fan and most of the people I know are saying "I can't believe it, how could this happen, why didn't anybody warn us?"  I'll be able to say I tried.  I made a fucking blog to show you what's coming, and what you should be doing.  What more could you want from me?  This blog is basically an exercise to avoid future guilt that I anticipate having.  Don't show up on my doorstep looking for a handout, you won't get it, and I won't feel (terribly) sorry/guilty about turning you away.  The time to get busy is right now.  Good luck.

Options

I've mentioned redundancy before, but here is a graphic example of it for you.  One of the objectives of prepping is to provide options for yourself, now and in the future.  Options and redundancy go hand in hand.  Here are my lighting options for when the power goes out.

The funny thing is I didn't even realize how many flashlights I had til I rounded them all up for this photo.

So I've got flashlights and battery powered lanterns for easy and instant lighting.  I've got flashlights that take AAA, AA, C, and D size batteries.   I've got a few of the wind up type flashlights and lanterns that don't use batteries.  I've got a Hot-blast Dietz kerosene lantern, a kerosene lamp, and a (kerosene) Aladdin lamp.  I bought a ten pack of kerosene burners designed to be used with Mason jars.  I figure that two of them mounted on the small 4 oz jars will be sufficient to cook with if necessary.   I also bought a 10 pack of small glass tubes designed to be used to make liquid candles.   I've got a dual-fuel Coleman lantern that can use regular gasoline as well as Coleman fuel.  I've got a propane lantern.  I have a cigar box full of spare parts, wicks and mantles.  Wal-mart sells Coleman mantles in 4 packs for about $2; I buy two or three each time I'm there.  I found a box of 864 Tealight candles that I couldn't pass up.

I could do a pic like this of my home heating options, as well as my food cooking options, and my energy producing options, but I think you get the idea.

Options, they are good to have, get yourself some now while it's still easy to do so. 

Also, I learned something last month when the power went out from the epic snowstorm:  those cute little battery lanterns that Wal-mart sells for $5 are garbage.  It's the one in the middle - and it's on high! 

I'd much more highly recommend the LED mini-maglight.  The LED lantern on the right uses D batteries and can be found at Deal Xtreme and also works well.

Original Content!

Finally!

Here is an idea that I haven't seen elsewhere.

This project combines the beauty of re-purposing with the fun of gardening.

You know the clear plastic containers that eggs come in? The ones that look like this?

Save up a bunch of them.  I started saving this pile last fall.

Actually that might be all you need to do, I'm not sure.  I went one step farther though.  I used Rustloeum's Plastic spray paint and painted the egg holders black:

Here's what you end up with: 

Now, I haven't cut apart the two halves of the egg holder section, but from each of the egg cartons you get 12 regular seed starting pots, and 12 mini pots in a mini-greenhouse! 

Yes, I realize that the pots are pretty shallow, and the greenhouse section might be totally unusable.  But maybe it'll work!  I'll post updates as time goes on. 

Wow, I was wrong, recovery is here!

Click here for a more detailed version of this.  It's worth it!