Preparing for troubled times ahead - Advice on what is needed.....

[Scottieoutdoors]

100% agree on the rabbit hole youtube vids.
As much as I love the site for the ability to share useful information, inspiring content etc, it's a dangerous website to use without being aware of what you're watching...

 

[British Red]

Beware of what you are listening to / watching applies everywhere. Never forget that the BBC forged documents to get interviews with Princess Di or that every newspaper & TV channel has a political slant and an agenda - often portrayed by the things they choose not to report on. Getting your information from a wide variety of sources (especially those who have a leaning at odds with your own), stripping out all the opinions and interpretations & then cross checking the facts is really the only way to get a reasonably objective view of events.

 

[Scottieoutdoors]

You're totally right, I tend to read whatever it takes to get the gist as about what has happened and that's all I need to know.

 

[ONE]

Anachronistic as it may be. Short Wave radio can still be a useful source of serious news from differing viewpoints. And you're old and nostalgic it can be fun too.

 

[Paul_B]

Technically I think it was a select few bbc employees and others who faked documents to get the interview. AIUI it was also a bbc employee that first found something a bit hinky about it too. Not the BBCs best moment to have that happen under the noses of the ppl in place to keep things honest though.

However I do think the idea that there's always an ulterior motive in every news media outlet. I have no idea whether things were really better in my youth or just that I was less aware but it does feel a lot worse now than 80s and even 90s. However that could just be my naivity back then.

 

[British Red]

Technically I think it was a select few bbc employees and others who faked documents to get the interview. AIUI it was also a bbc employee that first found something a bit hinky about it too. Not the BBCs best moment to have that happen under the noses of the ppl in place to keep things honest though.

However I do think the idea that there's always an ulterior motive in every news media outlet. I have no idea whether things were really better in my youth or just that I was less aware but it does feel a lot worse now than 80s and even 90s. However that could just be my naivity back then.

The guy who tried to reveal what had happened with Bashir was blacklisted by the BBC for 26 years. This is worth a read on the subject

Dyson report shows corporate culture where those who protect BBC fail upwards while whistleblowers are victimised

The Dyson Bashir report exposes a pattern in the way the BBC deals with scandals and mistakes. Those who fail upwards and victimisation of whistleblowers.

pressgazette.co.uk

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that any organisation is incapable of doing good work, but all organisations have a political leaning and a point of view that they seek to promote, consciously or unconsciously. To only get news from those who's leanings match your own is to exist in an echo chamber - whether you are a business owning conservative reading the Telegraph or a left wing urban trendy reading the Guardian.

 

[swyn]

Not having a TV hasn’t cut me off from the world. In fact the complete opposite as I glean information from all over.
S

 

[Woody girl]

I've gone away from the hard core prepping channels on you tube, they are all gloom and DOOOOM! and to be honest, though there is a lot to take away from them at times, I don't need to be told to get this now cos it won't be available tomorrow.
The dockers strike is going to be a problem for us in the short term, and I think there will be shortages of certain foods and other goods soon.
I've just tripled my normal winter preps, and made sure of a 3 month supply of my normal prescription meds. That's it as regards buying in stuff. I have a good supply of tins and am trying out some retro wartime recipes for fun, so I'm not suddenly plunged into a strange diet.
I feel that apart from some more smokeless fuel for the multifuel burner, which I'm about to order this week, I'm pretty much set for all that can be thrown at me this winter.
As for the media, I listen to radio 4, look at my news feed once or twice a day on the phone, and then just get on with life.
Don't forget to have fun still, even if it's just a paddle in a river, or a picnic in the park.
Jam sarnies, pork pie, lemonade and an apple can be just as good as a quiche, roast chicken thighs and anything else that constitutes a modern picnic, at least when I was a kid it was . Affluence does have its drawbacks, and I can see a few horrified expressions reading this. It's about what you are used to.
I think we all need to get used to having less, rather than buying more and stacking high to maintain our present lifestyles.
There has been talk about austerity over the past few years, but if my grandparents had seen that they would have said.. you are joking! You have no idea what austerity is.
The electric rises are the main worry, but I refuse to worry to much, I can only pay what I can afford to, so that is what they will get... I won't be alone, and I think the power companies will have to cave in eventualy especially if they keep making millions in profits. I think it will work out, not without pain for all, but like the poll tax, there will be millions saying no way. So it will have to have a solution that is acceptable.
As Swyn says, not having a TV, means you are not spoon fed and actively have to look for the news sources and in doing so, you get more than one slant on an issue, which develops good judgement.

 

[Scottieoutdoors]

You're totally right @Woody girl, I think both you and @TeeDee have said it a few times, as worse as it has been the last few years or so, it's still very little compared to what it was decades ago. I think the shock and horror will be less likely to impact "us lot" who find comfort in what is, in a manner of speaking, discomfort... when we are outdoors camping, we reach for a hat, a scarf, a down jacket etc.. let's face it, it's a compromise isn't it?..

There are too many people in this country/world, they tend to be what is considered "pristine" they're upset by things that make up the real world, dirt, mud etc... those are the ones that will suffer... the rest of us will put on another jumper, choose a different meal for dinner if we can't find our chosen ingredients, adapt etc..

 

[C_Claycomb]

Never mind the hard core prepping videos. All the economics YouTube channels that I see are predicting very much harder times ahead.
FREENVESTING
The Rich Dad Channel

 

[ONE]

Best thing I ever found was old light weight linen. Much harder to find than jeans but awesome

Tea towels. I got a pile of them in an offer at The Range. Only 'converted' two so far.

 

[British Red]

Never mind the hard core prepping videos. All the economics YouTube channels that I see are predicting very much harder times ahead.
FREENVESTING
The Rich Dad Channel

Did you see today's inflation predictions? Some now saying over 18%

UK inflation could hit 18% next year on rising energy bills, experts warn

Rising energy bills could push inflation to its highest level for almost 50 years, analysts predict.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Broch]

Did you see today's inflation predictions? Some now saying over 18%

UK inflation could hit 18% next year on rising energy bills, experts warn

Rising energy bills could push inflation to its highest level for almost 50 years, analysts predict.

www.bbc.co.uk

I sometimes think these things are self fulfilling prophesies!

 

[Broch]

Tea towels. I got a pile of them in an offer at The Range. Only 'converted' two so far.

The fluffy ones? They're great (something I learnt from our Mr Fenna )

 

[ONE]

The fluffy ones? They're great

These ones aren't, they're plain linen but this is a good tip, I'd have avoided the fluffy type.

 

[Woody girl]

Well we only have the money we have, so if inflation that high, we are all going to suffer, no matter how many tins are in the cupboard!
Growing food and trying to lower our consumption of goods will be all we can do.
I lived on cold baked beans (eeyurk!) for months once. While living in an abandoned unheated caravan in winter, I had no money but managed to make some here and there doing odd jobs on farms.Can't bear cold beans now, and only just tolerate hot ones. But I survived, and I'm still here.
We will get through, previous generations went through far worse, so don't stress it.

 

[British Red]

I sometimes think these things are self fulfilling prophesies!

It's happened before in my lifetime. There is a cycle to these things, but quite clearly we cannot continue as a society running up ever larger debts, with an ever larger population on a fixed sized island with dwindling resources.

 

[Paul_B]

The guy who tried to reveal what had happened with Bashir was blacklisted by the BBC for 26 years. This is worth a read on the subject

Dyson report shows corporate culture where those who protect BBC fail upwards while whistleblowers are victimised

The Dyson Bashir report exposes a pattern in the way the BBC deals with scandals and mistakes. Those who fail upwards and victimisation of whistleblowers.

pressgazette.co.uk

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that any organisation is incapable of doing good work, but all organisations have a political leaning and a point of view that they seek to promote, consciously or unconsciously. To only get news from those who's leanings match your own is to exist in an echo chamber - whether you are a business owning conservative reading the Telegraph or a left wing urban trendy reading the Guardian.

One of my favourite sources of news in the past was a certain English language, Chinese news channel or online newspaper in the past. I don't think it's around now but back then it seemed more honest than UK news outlets at the time. More objective i thought and surprisingly without obvious bias. Probably why it's not around anymore. It was before the current Chinese leader so possibly more open.

 

[NoideaAndy]

Hmmm... in the summer about 45 min, in the winter an hour. Starting from snow it does take ages, I rather make a hole in the ice.

The sensible advice is easy, food for two weeks and some cash and fuel if one has a place to go. Depending on where one lives some thought for no electricity or heat. Get together your outdoor clothes and sleeping gear. There is not all that much more one can do when expecting the unknown.

Speculating is much more fun.

One person / family cannot do it all, by all means stock useful items to assist in the event of food/ energy shortages, but your best chance is being involved with your local community.

 

[TLM]

One person / family cannot do it all,

For one person to be able to do it all does require a very favorable place and good prepping. For a family it was the norm 100 years ago to be quite self sufficient. Of course being part of the community in the village helped a lot.