If you look around we are portrayed or made fun of for wanting take care of families and friends. There are groups like the Zombie Squad in St. Lewis, who have worked with emergency management, SWAT, and have numerous affiliate's world wide. The ZS wants what the most of us want! Preparation for man made or natural problems. ZS wants to work with and train others so in time of trouble people can stand on there own.
Then there are those like Martin Howard Winters who get on social media and run there mouth's, make threats, and make the good people look like we all anti government gun toten, bomb making Redneck's.
Then those who get on Reality TV and put there wares out for the world to see, like the man who started an IV on his wife backwards, or the dude who says he will do a C/section on his wife and come take our preps.
I know we are the few, who put up stores for the lean/hard times, some train, some read, some plant, farm small animals, Can up the fruits of our labors
What are your thoughts?
I agree totally with your thoughts on the "Show Boats" of prepping community, don't know much about the ZS Squad, but if it works to attract like minded people into their community and they are all preparing and can get along, that's great. I've spoken to Roninsensei about placing more teaching videos on the site and plan to start doing some medical videos, provided I don't screw it up, under the supervision of my computer geek son, he's done tons of videos for school projects, so I am leaning on the younger to teach the old guy here. As for Winter's I have no use for them. As, I've vented to Alabaster and JimLE, why I enjoy this site, its because I feel safe in this community. Other sites, not so much.
Don't get me wrong, I am 50-50 when it comes to the Zombie stuff, genetic mutations are not to far off. Its a mixed blessing when it comes to genetics, we are able to mutate some great products that help stave off illnesses or combat known diseases. I shudder to think that a mutated gene cell could extinguish life as we know it, but even bio labs are not completely contained and could be compromised.
However, I wonder why we have such a high rate of cancer...well as many of my friends who are deep into organic farming and eating non-genetic grown foods/animals...it does make my head turn twice at some of what they say, hence why I never disagree with them. I am a data-person, one thing is interesting, it's easy for me to look at Japan because my mom's from there, she's ate pretty healthy her entire life at her age, well over 80, she does not have cancer or cardiac issues. When you look at the data from Japan's Ministry of Health, the 60-80 Japanese age group have a lower rate of cancer/heart related issues than the 30-50 age group because this generation has been exposed to the likes of Kentucky Fried Chicken and McDonalds, not that this is a bad thing, but Japan has turned into like most American's in their daily diet. Much of this like American diets related health issues are linked to processed foods. Gone are the days that Japanese eat strictly organic foods, as the worlds supply of sea-food becomes unstable due to overfishing, I think the likelihood that you will see higher incidences of disease data that follows similar American data. With that in mind, their will be an increase in genetic engineered foods and with the current drought affecting the U.S, their will be higher demand/costs. While strictly entertainment only, I believe in a few months, their is a fictional movie being released that talks about the earth's food supply being affected by the environment. It's called Interstellar, don't know much about it, but the trailer is linked. Like I said in a previous post, our children and our grandchildren will pay a high price for our negligence. So as I go about my prepping, I also believe I am doing some legacy prepping for my unborn grandchildren. I may sound crazy for saying it, but just look around, its not getting better.
As for DPF, for me, I have always enjoyed you and Warriorhealer22's feedback in the medical forum. I love medicine, love both field and clinical aspects of medicine, but after doing two years of it in a high paced medical clinic where we did lots of ENT issues, I just got a bit burned out with all the insurance paper work and having to jump through hoops with other clinics, while trying to keep my doc (who tended to be a bit inpatient) happy. Not that I didn't enjoy the lighter moments, but it was way different than practicing medicine in the field and certainly wasn't as stressful as being in combat medicine/where every decision counted. I'd like to think that the moments that I've read a thread on DPF Medical Forum, I've came away with one more piece of info that may help if SHTF or hey, I didn't think about it that much, until now. Even working as a contracted laboratory research and response specialist has its ups and downs, but, I'd lie to think that I've contributed a few things for those that are less experienced in medicine a few moments to ponder or even take away lesson learned. In my present day job, I seem to see the erosion of America's values, it saddens me and then angers me that people believe the government will save them.
I've certainly learned things from the communications, sustainment food-farming-animal husbandry, and as I've always enjoyed the weapons threads, more to see how others approach it. As I threaded to Roninsensei the other day, I've always enjoyed his very well thought out and crafted videos...so for me, I've always kept an open mind about what everyone rights here.
Most of all, I enjoy the friendship. I've enjoyed my interactions with many of the regulars and believe that while other sites exist, DPF is a community of like-minded preppers who all fear the worst. I know while the miles separate us all, I know deep in my heart, if the internet goes down, we are all going to be worried about each others safety.
Not that I am a Communication guy, still trying to study up on my HAM radio stuff to get my license, but I hope as we move forward in the next few years, that we could all agree to work on a HAM radio communication net...where if the internet failed, maybe we could all could be a string of HAM operators...more or less to be a back fall to other of our DPF community. I know that many of the preppers that I've communicated, would be welcomed into our fold, just because they have shared so much with me and I know that I can trust them with my family and my groups family. I hope someone who has a better understanding of a net can help organize one. I'd certainly be a part of it and hope most of you would too.
Like I've read in other forum, after the SHTF, I believe the U.S. population will dwindle down to about 150 million (that is half our current population) due to starvation and other extremism. Good people will resort to unthinkable things...I'd rather not mention them, but its a reality and its been mentioned in other forums. As a part-time historian and full-time school teacher, do I need to point to the Donner party to give you a picture. Desperation will make people commit things that are certainly not acceptable in normal times. I doubt that the government will be able to control through martial law any event that is beyond their scope and resources, so I know that I will open myself up, but its not unrealistic.
In the mean time before the SHTF, I will continue to enjoy learning from everyone, pray that it never happens and continue to prep as we all do. Great thread, Doc Pops, always enjoy your thought provoking inputs, keeps me on my toes.
