The Neo made me do it!
March 30, 2020 46 Comments
I just finished reading Oh Settle Down, by Neo, and my fingers started twitching. My shoulders started to shake. My eyeballs went gonzo. So here I am and you can lay the blame at Neo’s feet. Or desk. Whatever.
I’ve been on FaceBook a long time. I write my little stuff and one or two family members or friends will give me a thumb’s up or a giggle. Rarely ever more than that. The day of The Great Hoarding, you remember, the day folks wiped out supermarkets across the land, I wrote on my FB page, “Preppers don’t look so crazy now, do they?” Well – Lord a’mighty! Hit a nerve! A few said, no, they don’t, but many more said yes they did and provided me with their versions of what’s right and what’s wrong. My biggest FB day, ever! FB congratulated me. Can’t help it – I’m laughing out loud in the memory of the moment.
But I’ve long thought that those folks who see catastrophe in the not so distant future are not wrong. I don’t know about tsunamis reaching to the center of America or the earthquake that removes the left half of our country’s map but we’ve been in crisis situations before – we have, all countries have – a history that bears this out. My own State of Florida is the hurricane capital of the country and they can be deadly, deadly things, destroying man, beast, and machine. I don’t think preppers are crazy.
Now, would I spend thousands of dollars on food and supplies and bunkers and shelters? No – but they didn’t do theirs all at once, either. They built their stash of food and water over time against such times as a crisis hits. Those folks weren’t running to the grocery stores buying two carts full of food and supplies. They were able to go into the closet, or basement, or camper and pull a few things off the shelf. He who laughs last laughs best.
I’ve thought of buying gold ingots (the small ones – don’t get excited!). I’ve thought of buying silver (the real pre-1963 stuff). Watch the first season of The Walking Dead. Money or gold or diamonds or stocks – useless; meaningless. Food, water, camping gear, protection (the firearm kind) – that’s what is meaningful and barter-worthy. You and your family and close friends are what is meaningful. Managing together, pooling resources, is what is meaningful.
But I’m going to buy a couple of bags of Patriot Food. You will not be shocked to hear they are out of stock for the next three months. Gradually build a little stash of canned meats and canned veggies. Add a few more rolls of toilet paper because there are some things I simply refuse to do without! I am a lady, after all! You know how fussy we are.
So, Neo, thanks for the prompt. Thanks for the article. Thanks for my renewed enthusiasm to stock up on a few things. And who knows? Hurricane season starts in three months.
Reblogged this on Boudica2015.
LikeLike
Nothing wrong with peppers at all; in fact I am somewhat a preppier myself. When I call out hoarders, I am speaking of the frightened masses that react by taking everything that is on the shelves for no discernible reason: remember the 1973 fake toilet paper shortage. Look it up on Google. It was Johnny Carsons remarks that actually got it going and toilet paper was unavailable for almost 4 months.
Somehow, and I have no way to figure out their reasoning on this, it seems that people who cleaned out the shelves of toilet paper and paper towels seem to think that having an abundance of such things will somehow stop them from dying from Covid-19. If so then I would like to invest in it too but alas I am too late. Maybe if they tie the dollar to toilet paper like we used to do with gold we would bring some stability to the market. Instead of gold standard we could have a new bill that is tied to the TP standard.
Of course there is no explaining the mental machinations that drive these hoards of shoppers out of their homes in search of these things. But it always disappears when there is a threat of snow or a hurricane. So maybe they’re up to something. The smart money is in toilet paper. 😀
LikeLiked by 4 people
Brilliant comment and worthy of an article in itself! When can we expect to see it?
LikeLiked by 2 people
Indeed it is post-worthy but I’ll need to write it on a paper towel first as I’ve already gone through all the pages of my books, newspapers and magazines etc. So it might take awhile before I can procure a roll of Bounty.
LikeLiked by 3 people
You are hilarious! I have a huge stash of books – let me know if you need some.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, I might take you up on it if this lasts another 4 months. Otherwise I’ll go back to using corn cobs like my grandpa did.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great post, Audre! I was a bit late to the prepping game, but around 1 March I ordered a bunch of rice, beans, and spaghetti, along with some other household goods, from Target. I then begin purchasing meat to freeze. It definitely paid off: when everything was shutting down, I had enough food to last for months, and all very affordably.
Of course, I was in a grocery store Saturday morning and the bread was restocked. Life is slowly getting back to normal, even if we haven’t hit the peak of this thing yet. There are reasons to be optimistic.
But it never hurts to prepare.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Then, of course, preppers don’t take during a shortage they take before the shortage . . . thus they are prepared. I do the same. But I can’t help feeling sorry for the poor and those who cannot afford more than their daily or weekly needs, have not the means to buy freezers, install solar or did a well; the old in a small apartment in the center of a the city are the one’s who are hurt by the responsive hoarders during any crisis. All the rest of the year they are whining about the poor and the old and the disadvantaged but when push comes to shove, they are only compassionate as long as they got theirs.
The Monopoly money we just printed would have been better spent sending everybody a a 12 pack of toilet paper it seems . . . and probably worth more as well. 😀
LikeLiked by 4 people
You’ve touched on point that hurts my heart. I had an email from an elderly gentleman from church. In it he said he’d spent his whole life coming and going as he pleased. Now he was uncertain about what he could and couldn’t do. I think old age is harder on men, somehow – a life of being ‘in charge’, master of one’s own fate, the hero and protector of a family is a life-long lesson and not easily relinquished. In old age, men are confronted with their fragility and I think it must be a very hard thing to deal with.
I replied to his email with simple information about shopping (where and what time for seniors), things he could do outside and still be ‘compliant’, and suggestions for staying in touch with people (Skype, Facetime, FB video, etc).
LikeLiked by 2 people
Good for you and yes, you are spot on. Men who are getting frail get rather depressed. They are not used to feeling helpless and incapable of caring for themselves or their family. They feel useless.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Clever you!!! Saw the handwriting on the wall, hunh?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Something like that. I was riding back with my younger brother and his family on 1 March 2020 from a trip to Universal Studios in Orlando. He was listening to a prepper podcast. The host detailed the impact on supply chains a slowly-unfolding global pandemic could have.
I don’t know why, but it really resonated with me (I respect my younger brother a great deal, so the fact he was listening to the podcast lent it some credence in my mind, I’m sure). So I hopped on preparations. At that point, I really thought the whole thing was overblown, but I figured, “Well, IF you’re quarantined for two weeks, you’ll need to eat. If this whole thing IS overblown, then you’ll just have rice, beans, and spaghetti to enjoy for several months.”
LikeLike
In a similar fashion, a few months ago, I casually mentioned getting prepper food to put away for ‘a rainy day’ and he didn’t laugh but instead recommended two food companies preppers trust. He’ll be 50 next month, a self-made man doing very well for himself. When he didn’t groan or giggle at my idea, I felt much better about it. He’s a smart guy and I respect him.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Great Toilet Paper Scare of 1973.
https://priceonomics.com/the-great-toilet-paper-scare-of-1973/
LikeLiked by 2 people
My gosh! That’s amazing. We truly ARE cattle!
LikeLiked by 2 people
You insult cattle. I think cattle are much smarter than we are.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I suspect you may have a point there.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Next year there may be a pandemic when they discover the AOC Virus which they will immediately rename Covid-braindead.
LikeLiked by 2 people
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.freerepublic.com%2Ffocus%2Ff-chat%2F3824668%2Fposts&psig=AOvVaw0PAwO3EH5GahJxiV35mW1K&ust=1585663040880000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCPjst6ytwugCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD
LikeLiked by 1 person
LikeLiked by 2 people
Fortunately, no one wants to speak to her, let alone shake her hand.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Good point. I’m not sure if stupidity is contagious but I’m not inclined to take any chances.
LikeLiked by 2 people
AOC always reminds me of a real estate guy in Chicago I knew pretty well back in the day. He had a truly spectacularly beautiful girlfriend (his wife wasn’t ugly either for that matter!). In any case, the word around town was that her brain was in her left t*t, but it wasn’t connected. I met her a few times and can confirm she was not able to discern the buttered side of the bread.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Makes me thing of any number of ribald retorts but … I’m a lady. I’ll let it go.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah, me too, but perhaps sadly it’s a family blog. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
That sounds like AOC alright.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I have a great video clip sent to me by email that I wish I could share here. Sadly it is an MP4 file and I have yet to figure out how to convert the file so that I could insert it like you can with Vimeo or Youtube (it’s a CID video). I think you have to have a paid website to add it to media and then insert . . . not sure.
LikeLiked by 2 people
What is the video about?
LikeLiked by 2 people
A guy is showing a counter full of groceries including toilet paper and he is saying how generous the guy was. He says that he says that he went shopping and like always the shelves were bare. So on his way back to the car he saw a fellow with a full basket and he asked him if would share some of his groceries. And then he starts pointing at all the groceries this guy gave him by pointing to them with a Glock. I think that might be my next move.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Wow …
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah, I think I’ve been using the wrong technique when I go shopping.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’ve been thinking about such. I have a few masks, look like surgical ones sort of, for lawn mowing. Was it a dream that I was attacked because I was fortunate/selfish for using it out shopping?
Last trip to grocery slipped my pocket knife in my pocket. It ain’t a AR14, but Yuge 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Soulda oughta putta a /sar on my above comment. 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Unit -no 6″ rule where you live?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Uh yeah, got to measure my pocket though. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like a forward thinking person.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: The 5 P’s and Bat Soup Flu | nebraskaenergyobserver
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s hilarious!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: The Great Toilet Paper Shortage of 1973 – The Portly Politico
The Portly Politico – you understand, of course, that I was only 3 when I had my son, right???
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wait… what? : D
LikeLiked by 1 person
(fluttering eyelashes) A mere child, you understand.
LikeLiked by 1 person
lol, but you wrote that you were “only 3 when” you had your son. Yikes!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Portly Politico – I didn’t want you doing any unflattering math. (eyeroll)
LikeLiked by 1 person
LOL!
LikeLiked by 1 person