2012

[sugaredpeas]

Has anyone read Y: The Last Man? It is a graphic novel and it has a really fascinating premise. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y_The_Last_Man (i know it looks totally cheesezoid, but its awesome. there is loads of dyke content (and sexin'!) and its a really great read). Unfortunately, I think a lot of how it plays out is right on the money.

Of course, my sort of "end of days" scenario is premised directly on Octavia Butler's Parable series, I think she is spot on.

I was JUST telling my girlfriend the other day that we should start learning how to shoot guns. And that we need to have a survival kit in my house and in her car.

Also, I feel like I need to learn how to skin and gut furry woodland creatures, get fire going sans matches, and some of those basic basic human survival skills that in the last 100 years we have lost touch with. At least the "we" who were born and bred in cities.

Its weird. My grandmother was SO rural, so of the land; she made teas and poultices and all sorts of things from the roots and plants around her. My mom (who spent her first 20 years in the same environment before she moved to the UK) said that SHE wouldn't recognize any of those plants now.* and I, well. I'm all "is this chamomile tea?"

Its awful. This knowledge that has been lost.

*I grew up hearing stories about Grande Nanny (as my mom called her...it rhymes grandee-nan-nee) and she was pretty kick ass. http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/html/20050226T230000-0500_75844_OBS_MYTHS_AND_LEGENDS__WAS_SHE_AN_OBEAH_WOMAN_.asp).

[jfoster]

SP

I also love watching a show on Discovery, with Bear Grylls, Man vs Wild.
Most of what he does probably couldnt be done by your average person, but its the little things you learn watching it that you could probably draw upon in survival mode that might just save your life.

Although ive grown up camping and with a dad and brother who hunt, and very a part of nature all my life...there is so much I wouldnt know. I can do the basics of build a fire, scavenge for some food, and find shelter or make lean-to shelter...but I wouldnt be able to catch or kill my own food, unless i learned out how to shoot a gun.

I did see on Bear Grylls show how to set traps using rocks and string and a stick. he actually caught some sort of mouse or something...and hung it over the fire to cook...left the skin on, which i think i would have tried to skin it first...but with an animal that small i probably would lose a lot of meat trying to do that. but i also think leaving the skin on let the exterior get crispy burnt, while the interior cooked protected. I guess you would do what you'd have to do but the idea of eating mice is just ick. and then theres the danger of under cooking it and getting sick...so crispy cruchy in the wild is probably safer than sorry.

but you are right sp, so many of us - even those of us who've lived near nature all our lives, have lost many vital basic skills to survive. its really scary when you think about it.

[Xena Fan]

I have the tv on while I'm cleaning the apartment (aka mission impossible). I like documentaries. I don't want to be an alarmist but is there a reason why every show features either the end of the world or the 2012 endtimes. I turn on Cities of the Underworld-I get the Mayans and the infamous calendar. I flip on Discovery and I get a show about possible ways for the world to end (they're doing a nuclear war right now). Has anyone else noticed this subject on tv ALOT lately?

I'm about to pop in a lesbian movie just to change the subject!!!!

[Wildwomyn]

It's all about fear and the fomenting of same to the general populace. If you're not getting it in church, you'll get it on cable, that other mass communication tool.

[Xena Fan]

I'm putting off household chores and re-read the topic. Is anyone else considering having an "end of the world" party/celebration on the 2012 winter solstice? Since no predictor has indicated a time, it should be an all-day affair....

[Orgazeem]

Nosferatu's predictions are totally right. He predicted 9/11 and all the wars so why the hell not, right? I'm just gonna have a good time & do what i want till 2012!

[dr]

I'd rather go out partying like Orgazeem than living in fear and paranoia trying to keep my stuff from others.

I thought that the New Age was already upon us and that we are all learning to embody peace.
Aren't we helping to create that future with our thought-forms?

Personally, I like to think of 2012 as a turning point in human consciousness which leads to cooperation--maybe even a return of feminine/Goddess-inclusion. I would like to envision a future where need is answered with sharing rather than guns and problems are worked out together.

OK, call me naive. But I'd rather be dead than live in a gun-toting, fear-based climate.

[ADM]

My student loans come due in 2012 so I say bring it on!!

[DruidFiver]

There have been rumblings amongst some shamans and also New Agers that in 2012 the veil will become thinner between the living and the dead. Now, that thought chills my blood! The reference to Nosferatu rather than Nostradamus brought that to mind.

[MasterAmazon]

I don't go for New Age claptrap. Underneath it all, it's still patriarchal. Now, what some Witches or true Native spiritual leaders say, maybe....or, you could just watch the movie 2012....who really the fuck knows? The movie 2012 is coming out in November.

I'm just trying to survive 2009 and 2010 with the economic collapse of our country, that no matter what they say on high is still in the dumps, and will be in the dumps all the way probably to 2012. It's disastrous enough. People losing their jobs, their healthcare, their homes and housing. People, including myself, learning to simplify, cutting corners, valuing friendships and community perhaps more than 'shop till you drop'. I've always thought that was a stupid inane concept. We have more to worry about with global warming, peak oil, and the 'big one'(us Californians). There are shops that sell disaster supplies all in a kit. When I'm back to work, and paid off bills, I will invest in them. Some of the stuff can last 25 years, probably more efficient than what we can bring together, or you can get one, and supplement it. I'm on the last of my unemployment, and ready to qualify for my first extension. Some of my union brothers and sisters are on their third and last extension. The economic side of the disaster is ALREADY HERE.
The ecological one won't be far behind if we don't take care of business.

Yes, I took the solar class, but it doesn't mean much to me unless I get to use the skills. I must find ways to do so.
I want to take care of the disaster in front of me, the disaster of my own life, barely scraping by. I guess I see which dykes are really friends and which aren't. Too many are carried away by their class issues, still living comfortable and distancing themselves from those of us still struggling and suffering, from YES a Depression era economy. I found out statistics last night from several union officials that many of our Bay Area unions have Depression era statistics, 25-35% of members out of work, INCLUDING ME! This is fucking scary. Means no medical insurance, limited income and potential disaster, and that even if the economy improves, it will take construction that much longer to come back. I am scared. The lion is at the door. What else can I do? It would be nice to move to a piece of land separate from this city environment and live blissfully with my sister dykes...but is that realistic? Probably not...and then there would be barely getting by with no resources rural poverty instead.


Maybe we ought to vision WHAT WE DO WANT, TO COUNTER THE DEADLY VISIONS OF YET ANOTHER ARMAGEDDON SCENARIO. Already for many of us, we ARE in a disaster scenario. It just doesn't look like a physical disaster because it's economic...but the amount of money and jobs that has disappeared from the economy and impoverished us all, is the same as if we had several Katrinas, severe earthquakes, fires and floods and hurricanes all in one at the same time...and mopping up economically from that. That's where we're at. The disaster is invisible in that way, except for people being routed from their homes from the stupid greedy banks. It'd be just like them routed from their homes due to the above disasters, without the money to rebuild, like the poor and Katrina. That's what HAS happened. It is only visible in the news when you see yet another family evicted, bailing out those stupid banks, and NOTHING to show for it. NOTHING. No improved credit for folks, no real reform on the evictions except for a lucky few, NOTHING. And yet they led our economic engine fall down in the auto companies that provide REAL WORK! That has hit here. The reliable NUMMI plant which employs 5000 union workers in Fremont, and that I've worked at will be closed...GM has pulled out, and Toyota won't pay for union workers..so NUMMI, a big economic engine that actually with all the subsidiaries and suppliers employs 50,000 people(and like I said 5000 in the plant itself)...gone in this economic disaster.

So there's the scenario right there....without necessarily the physical manifestations. The psychic, emotional, mental and economic manifestations are quite real however....
-MasterAmazon

[DruidFiver]

hmmmm, I don't go for "claptrap" either. Having said that, I wish I could remember the name of Gnostic teacher who said "New Age is ages old".

[Womyn2me]

Well, as far as 2012 goes, I look forward to the movie version, as I do love a good disaster movie. always have.

as far as the actual year 2012 goes, I will probably do what I did for Y2K and have extra water and food in the house.

I am much more likely to be prepared for a Hurricane Katrina / california earthquake, post 9/11 event... its clear that I need to be able to take care of myself for 3 to 5 days without alot of govt help. where the govt might be busy with something else at the time. I worry alot about my working on the East Coast lately, since that would be a hell of a long way to try to come home and the EC would be just the place I would want to NOT be in an emergency; panic being a key problem in large density cities.

[vstar]

W2M...then you make your way to your east coast friends...

[amberlight]

I think about this once in a while. I have some land up north that I think I would like to setup as a fall back location. The problem is I already have tresspassers on it and if I add permanent structures they would not be protected.

As far as having "emergency" items for "the fall of civilization"....I need a gun, don't have one but my gf does. I've never killed an animal so that would be hard for me but I have the knowledge to skin and clean most food animals. I just need to know more about animals in the rodent family so I know where the glands are that must be removed. One item I would make sure to have is seeds....open pollinated seeds, seed potatoes, galice bulbs, etc. I'm a gardner and I know that growing your food makes a big divfference. Gathering is very limited and the supplies would run out fast. Also would need the tools to make wood. A couple shovels, a good wheelbarrow would be good for digging a latrine and also creating a root cellar (need to be below freeze line). Salt, large amounts of it stock piled would be important for preserving....sugar and vinegar would be up there as well. I have canning knowledge but that's limited to modern techniques. Drying and smo9king would be the most logical post-civilization preservation technique.

I guess I think more long term...not just get thru a couple of weeks until civilization returns. And think about surviving winter....Of course living in a more tropical climate would make a ton of sense....course maybe northern wisconsin will be come tropical....LOL! In that case I would be screwed cause that land would be the bottom of the new lake michigan! Of course if cars don't work (reverse polarity theory) then I'd be screwed anyway....I wonder how long it would take to walk 150 miles????