• BatmanAoD@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    3
    ·
    32 minutes ago

    Was there actually news indicating that preppers, as a group, were more likely to be against masking than for it?

    I wouldn’t be too surprised, but I haven’t actually seen any evidence to this effect.

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldOP
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      2 hours ago

      Whereas I hate getting my hair cut and I will just shave it all off when it gets too long.

      Actually, I can’t think of anything during COVID I actually found to be a huge imposition other than wearing a mask at work got hot after a while.

      • chatokun@lemmy.dbzer0.com
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        1 hour ago

        I felt bad for enjoying it. Worked from home, hardly expected to go out, much less traffic. Most service related jobs I prefer to do myself (like haircuts like you mentioned) or am perfectly fine with minimal contact. In general I feel bad for service workers so even if they aren’t friendly with me (not that I ever really experienced that much) I wouldn’t mind, and also don’t mind self checkout and automation.

        I may sound like I’m accusing others, and maybe that’s part of it, but the way service workers are expected to act certain ways with us feels like trying to perpetuate class based servitude. As long as they’re relatively professional and not outright insulting, I think it’s fine.

        • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldOP
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          1 hour ago

          I always try my hardest to look a service worker in the eye at least once during our transaction. Just an unconscious way to let them know I see them as an equal, not as a servant. I realize that’s not making a major change in the world, but I figure they don’t get that much.

          • chatokun@lemmy.dbzer0.com
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            1 hour ago

            That definitely helps from anecdotal information I was told, and I do the same. One of my younger sisters worked at a sorta prominent restaurant in Atlanta, and she complained that some of the high end clientele refused to look her in the eye. Sometimes she found it so insulting she’d act like she didn’t realize they were talking to her until they made eye contact.

  • BonesOfTheMoon@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    20
    ·
    5 hours ago

    What’s funny is that antimaskers still blat on about how they won’t wear a face diaper for anything or anyone, two years after such requirements ended. These people just need negative attention like tantruming toddlers.

    • UpperBroccoli@lemmy.blahaj.zone
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      8
      ·
      2 hours ago

      And then some of the same people will wear actual diapers in public while holding signs proclaiming that “real men wear diapers”. Can’t make that shit up.

  • LovableSidekick@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    2
    ·
    3 hours ago

    On a deeper level I think it’s mostly a framework of acceptability some people have built around being antisocial and afraid of everything.

  • centipede_powder@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    36
    ·
    10 hours ago

    There are “Preppers” and there are people who actually prepare for when things go wrong. Preppers seem to me like someone who watched a few too many survivor man and YouTube clips and decided to make a personality out of it.

    • Zron@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      3 hours ago

      Peppers take a good idea, having extra supplies and tools for an emergency, and take it to 11.

      I’m not a prepper, but I did read my local government’s disaster preparedness list and have everything on it that applies to my family. I keep 3 days or so of extra, shelf stable food in the house; bought a home water cooler and keep an extra jug of water that I rotate when we use the one in the machine so that we have a few days of clean water at all times, which is way more practical and safe than a camping water jug that will sit and stagnate in the basement; I have a battery “generator” that I keep topped up with a solar panel because we have a sewage ejector pump and a sump pump to stop the basement from flooding in bad weather; and I have good first aid kits for the house and cars.

      The only thing not on my local government list are the emergency car kits, which is really just a basic vehicle toolkit, jumpstart kit, flares, sweater and space blanket, all in a cheap bag that lives on top of the spare tire.

      I don’t live in the most disaster prone area, but we do get tornados and nasty thunderstorms that knock out power for a day or 3. We don’t exactly have the lights on when that happens, but we do have food, water, a non flooded basement, and even some heat in the winter, and both cars have something to keep you warm while you either fix the car or wait for the tow truck.

      I kind of understand peppers, because planning all of this out after we lost power a few years ago for 4 days in fall was interesting, and there was just so much shit the internet was saying I needed: weeks or months of dried beans and rice, a generator for the whole house, enough guns and ammo to ward off a small army, etc. my local government list was hard to find compared to all of the forums and YouTube videos, but I’m glad I found it, it’s sensible and if spread out over months, very affordable. I highly, highly recommend you poke around your local government website for their natural disaster page, they’ll have resources of who to contact if you need help, and what you should have on hand. If it’s not on your city’s page, try your county or state government. One of them should have a page about disasters and how to prepare for them.

    • merc@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      3 hours ago

      The issue is that you can’t prepare for everything. Having extra food and water, sure. Maybe buying a generator so you can use electrical equipment, that’s generally useful. But, aside from that, your preparations for a flood will be very different from your preparations for a military invasion, which would be different from preparing for a pandemic.

      Also, the more extreme your preparations are, the more it matters when you pull the trigger and activate your emergency plans. If your preparation is simply having a cupboard with extra toilet paper and some extra canned food, it’s no big deal to pull that stuff out if the store runs out. But, if you have some kind of bunker in the mountains, it’s a bigger decision when to “bug out” of the city and go live in the mountains. You’re basically quitting your job, so if the emergency is something like the COVID pandemic, when do you decide things are so bad that you can take that extreme step?

      • pingveno@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        1 hour ago

        I was trying to get myself prepared for realistic disaster scenarios. For us, that is earthquakes and cold snaps. And in my mind, realistic means how do I both ready myself and work with my community?

        So I got a book on prepping. The titled seemed innocuous enough. Unfortunately, it was one of the crazy bug out into the woods and go eat squirrel stew sort of prepper. Totally worthless for anything practical. The best thing I can say for it was that it was an e-book, so it didn’t cost much.

  • TheLastOfHisName@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    20
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    10 hours ago

    All the solar panels, ARs, and “Patriot” food kits won’t prep them for when the pollinators die off.

    • rayyy@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      7 hours ago

      Did you know that honeybees were not in America until they were brought here from Europe? Many other flies and bees did the pollination previously.

      • Semi-Hemi-Lemmygod@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        5
        ·
        5 hours ago

        That specific species of honeybee wasn’t in the Americas. There were native species that are being outcompeted and dying out.

        “Killer” bees are an example of a native honeybee species.

  • Zement@feddit.nl
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    34
    ·
    11 hours ago

    Real peppers never stop eating beans. You buy new and eat the old ones. Oh and real peppers buy a truck they can repair themselves, not a 2024 Ram Clownsmobile.

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldOP
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      16
      ·
      11 hours ago

      Real peppers never stop eating beans.

      Remind me not to stay in one of their enclosed bunkers with them for an extended period of time.

    • rayyy@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      arrow-down
      6
      ·
      7 hours ago

      Did you know that if you keep eating the same vegetable/food it can become somewhat toxic to your system? Also, different people have different tolerances.

      • Zement@feddit.nl
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        7 hours ago

        No I didn’t! Like allergies or like "poisonous buildup of nutrients deficit/oversaturation?

        • SL3wvmnas
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          30 minutes ago

          I think he meant an over time aquired food allergy. Esp. Older folks seem to get them -like me- one can test with a Serum specific IgE in vitro Test. There are over the counter test one can buy relatively cheap.

          I did one recently, turned out I was allergic to garlic of all things (among others). Advice is to stay off it for 4-6 months then slowly reintroduce. Life is wild sometimes.

  • sunbytes@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    21
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    12 hours ago

    COVID didn’t have a solution based around people being the main character.

    Unless you wanted to cause trouble. Then you could be the main character.

  • Thebeardedsinglemalt@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    37
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    18 hours ago

    Preppers: I’m ready for anything; economic collapse, zombies, apocalypse, sinkholes, foreign invasion, aliens…anything!

    [covid-19 hits]

    Preppers: fuck this i’m not wearing a mask! it’s all a hoax!

    Also preppers: I need to go to the store and buy 27 cases of toilet paper!

  • FauxPseudo @lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    31
    ·
    20 hours ago

    I’m a person that most people would consider a prepper. What am I prepping for? Unemployment. Being able to survive with as few possible inputs as possible.

    I’m a hard core skeptical nerd that doesn’t believe a single conspiracy theory. I’m like an anti doomsday prepper. Making life easier even if things don’t go bad.

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldOP
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      6
      arrow-down
      6
      ·
      12 hours ago

      I think when most people think of a prepper, they think of someone preparing for everything to collapse. Badly. So I wouldn’t consider you a prepper.

      • FauxPseudo @lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        12
        ·
        11 hours ago

        I have chickens, ducks and geese, raised beds, just built a solar battery charger, can my own food, dehydrate food, cook everything from scratch, etc etc. I go through all the same steps. My friends refer to me as a prepper despite me saying I’m a homesteader. They keep saying they are going to show up at my place if everything collapses. I started shutting this down by saying they need to be pre-approved, pay a $150 non-refundable deposit and $50 a month so that I can make sure I have food and other essentials for when they show up. Because it’s really annoying to hear someone say “I’m totally not doing anything about my fears so I’m going to impose on you when the time comes.”

        I’m just trying to reduce the amount it takes for me to survive. It happens that if you are ready to be unemployed for a few months that a lot of the same prepa come in handy for a collapse of the economy. The same things needed to hunt squirrels are helpful against zombies.

        • CascadianGiraffe@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          3 hours ago

          I’ve done the same thing. Was already living off grid when I was surprise unemployed last year. Made it about 3 months with no outside input, but eventually got sick from previous medical issues, so had to file for unemployment so I could have enough money to see a doctor.

          A year later I’m now back in regular society with a regular job, trying to save up and start over.

          I’ve learned that I can be prepared physically to go months on my own. But mentally is a different game altogether. Most of the prepper types would likely struggle without a support group. Being by yourself for long periods of time is FAR harder than most people think (myself included). The first few weeks are pretty easy, but it gets significantly harder every day.

          • FauxPseudo @lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            2 hours ago

            One of the more popular arguments from preppers during covid was that these hyper-independent minded people were suddenly demanding the ability to go out to stores and meet up with people in large groups.

            After years of “I don’t need nobody” they went hard core “people need interaction!”. It was a beautiful thing that not one of them will admit.

          • JasonDJ@lemmy.zip
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            3
            ·
            5 hours ago

            Homesteading is really cottage-core plus self-sufficency. Little House on the Prairie.

            Gardening on crack. Not commercial farming.

            Honestly…I got 9 hens now, and they are amazing. Literally the best pets. My wife wants to become a homesteader and live that life. Get some acreage, build a nice home and a nice area for the birds. Maybe Get a goat or two. Step up the gardening game.

            The wife would probably have to quit her job, but she’s only working part time at a grocery store. Her employee discount (20%) is more valuable to us then her paycheck, and we don’t need that if we mostly living off our own grown food.

            Would likely have to wait until the kids are a bit older and can help out more, too.

            And for interest rates to go down…I refi’d in early 2022, I ain’t given that up.

            But it would be nice to be able to sell off a portion of land of we find ourselves hard off for cash. Or to know that my kids will have a place to build a home if the market falls flat on its face.

            • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldOP
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              4
              arrow-down
              4
              ·
              10 hours ago

              I’d say that ‘fine line’ is ‘doomsday bunker + Immortan Joe fantasy post “the big one.”’ vs. just having a farm and guns.

              So not all that fine a line.

                • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldOP
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  arrow-up
                  5
                  arrow-down
                  3
                  ·
                  9 hours ago

                  I don’t know that the actions are the same though. That’s sort of the point of the thing I posted. People like you are actually doing shit. What most people think of as ‘preppers’ are people who have a closet full of MREs, two giant jugs of water, and a massive guns and ammunition collection, people who tell you about how the world will end if Trump isn’t elected and they’re ready for it.

                  I think if those people were like you, even if they had stupid motivations, there wouldn’t be so much derision. But they don’t actually put the work in. They essentially think if they buy enough ammo and Jim Bakker rapture survival food buckets, they’re ready for every eventuality.

      • CoffeeJunkie@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        9 hours ago

        Well, according to Gray Man theory, this is actually good that you don’t recognize. But no…that man you’re talking to is very clearly a prepper.

        The best way I can tell you is prepping… is a rainbow. A varied spectrum of people, with many different beliefs & motivations. Actually, I guess we can compare it to the current Democrat Party! The crazy ones get all the attention, they make the news and everybody points at them and says, wow, that’s crazy. That’s too far. I can’t get behind that. It’s the same with preppers. You have preppers that prepare for “zombies”. Or, as you said, when everything collapses badly. There are many more preppers that are just sensibly preparing for very real scenarios. Stockpile a little today for a better tomorrow. A simpler, stronger life.

        The real preppers, the best preppers, don’t just hoard; they incorporate their preps into daily living. It is a lifestyle. You have tools for working the land, tools to move stuff around, you build out the life you think you’ll want & need. Not just stored in a bunker, but to use next week. The zombie shit is really dumb, most of the products are cheap & low quality gimmicks. Probably because they know you’re a sucker, anyway. As Canadian Prepper says… eventually…all preppers become farmers.

        I prep, in part, for short to longer term no-power scenarios. Those assholes up in Chicago threatened to cut off power to downstate…2-3 years ago?..and I never forgot that. I said, okay. Guess this is something I need to think about now. ¯\(°_o)/¯ Prepping is much like a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply). System fucks up, no power? Well I’m going to be okay for a while, anyway. This isn’t the exact article I read, but here’s a source, anyway. People don’t understand how dangerously fragile, old our power grid is. It is susceptible to attack by foreign entities, or simply overload during peak usage.

        Calling preppers selfish, idk where in the ever-loving fuck these guys get off…if I don’t require assistance in an emergency, that’s more assistance that can be sent to other people in need. I’m actively preparing, spending my own time, money, and efforts to help myself and others. In Israel, everyone is required to have a safe room & 2 weeks of food, water in it. They have inspections! And don’t even get me started on Switzerland.

        • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldOP
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          3
          arrow-down
          3
          ·
          edit-2
          9 hours ago

          Like I said, the person I am talking to is not what people think of when they think of ‘prepper.’ Maybe it’s not fair that the word means something different than it should to most people, but that’s just how language works. ‘Woke’ no longer means being aware of inherent racial injustices. ‘Liberal’ no longer has anything to do with classical liberalism.

          • CoffeeJunkie@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            arrow-down
            2
            ·
            9 hours ago

            Your grandparents, and great-grandparents, were probably preppers. The ability to not be forced to prepare for hard(er) times is the real luxury.

              • CoffeeJunkie@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                2
                arrow-down
                1
                ·
                edit-2
                7 hours ago

                Your tone 🙄🙄🙄

                Yes. I read it all. I particularly read this section here:

                I don’t know that the actions are the same though. That’s sort of the point of the thing I posted. People like you are actually doing shit. What most people think of as ‘preppers’ are people who have a closet full of MREs, two giant jugs of water, and a massive guns and ammunition collection, people who tell you about how the world will end if Trump isn’t elected and they’re ready for it.

                I think if those people were like you, even if they had stupid motivations, there wouldn’t be so much derision. But they don’t actually put the work in. They essentially think if they buy enough ammo and Jim Bakker rapture survival food buckets, they’re ready for every eventuality.


                Perhaps you are correct that the popular definition has changed, much like the Greeks (hilariously) changed the definition of egregious through their use of sarcasm. But your understanding is just plain wrong, you are incorrect. Your downvotes mean nothing, I’ve seen what makes you cheer.

                I see no need to rebrand to conform to ignorance & lack of understanding. If you would like to learn more about prepping, here are some channels you can look into. I’d also recommend looking at the Facebook group, The Phantom Planters. It’s prepping, kinda, but in a farming/growing way, whatever you want to call it. Perhaps you’ll be inspired to plant some fruit trees around Indiana. 🙂

                …and yes, the timing is embarrassing on my end because Canadian Prepper just announced last night that he is building a bunker. But he presents lots of good information otherwise. You’ll probably like City Prepping more.

                • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldOP
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  arrow-up
                  2
                  arrow-down
                  3
                  ·
                  7 hours ago

                  None of that is in the comment you replied to.

                  This is the comment you replied to:

                  Like I said, the person I am talking to is not what people think of when they think of ‘prepper.’ Maybe it’s not fair that the word means something different than it should to most people, but that’s just how language works. ‘Woke’ no longer means being aware of inherent racial injustices. ‘Liberal’ no longer has anything to do with classical liberalism.

                  You’re kind of proving my point. You’re trying really hard to defend a word that no longer means to people what you want it to mean. The language has moved on.

  • yemmly@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    14
    ·
    19 hours ago

    I don’t think preppers are a monolith. There are people from different backgrounds, different politics, different concerns, and different methods (and degrees) of preparedness. People who make it about hoarding goods and resources are probably just doing it wrong.