[eastbay]

I'm a 51 year old father of four (two still at home) who lives in a classic American suburb of the kind most likely to get truly hammered by PO. Mostly I'm engaged in child raising, but I'm also a casual reader and fitness maniac having competed in a variety of athletic events over the years and, in fact, I'm off to the gym as soon as I finish this short introduction. I have a BA in history and a Masters in Education. I briefly taught high school many years ago, which was my original plan, but remained working for a large government bureaucracy instead because the pay and adventure is better.

I generally commute 46 miles each day to work and 46 miles back home again. I've generally commuted with my motorcycle since starting this long commute 7 years ago, but recently I bought a car that gets better mileage than the motorcycle so I switch between the two.

My recent interest in PO ignited about a year ago when I was surfing the net and stumbled on the term. This quickly led me to all the websites addressing the depletion of oil.

Like many others here, I've come to believe that there is little hope for humanity surviving this disaster in any way even closely resembling the world in which I grew up. I believe the easy life oil gave us is coming to an end very soon and certainly before my retirement. I tell my wife and kids we will all be riding high mileage scooters in a few years, but not for long because walking will be the primary means of transport within our lifetimes. I dropped that on a few co-workers about a year ago and quickly decided to keep such thoughts within my family and not share them at work again, except with a very small few who share in the knowledge of what is coming as oil runs out.

I cannot articulate properly how much I appreciate the efforts of those responsible for the creation and maintennance of this site so I'll just say 'thanks.'

EastBay

[seahorse2]

If someone is going to steal your "I.D." they will probably get the info from your water bill, electric bill, credit application to buy car, dishwasher, anything. Its far more likely, in my opinion, that the person stealing your I.D. will be a clerical person who scans the people coming in the door of the car lot, doctor's office, utility office, and will pick their victim by looking at you, what you drive.

I handled a case where a "potential homebuyer" got a real estate agent busy in one room while the spouse stole a checkbook, I.D., and credit card out of another room, and maxed them out in two hours. Professional thieves.

Bottom line, we are all so exposed in so many ways, its scary. Adding your name on this forum will not increase your risk. That being said, I'm like Aaron. I don't care if people know my name. This cause is far too important. I also think it helps to make things more personable here, to know there are real people out there just like you, it also helps add some credibility to the messages being posted. I've always been wary of the person not willing to sign the dotted line or put your money where your mouth is.

So, for the record, my name is Aaron Dunlap from Houston, Texas. Nice to meet you all.

[Pops]

Since we are coming clean, I too feel the need to make a stand.

This is our chance to be another great generation, and PO.com is our way to contribute.

I feel no shame or trepidation in openly stating my actual name: I am Aaron Dunlap and my true location is Houston, Texas.

[erl]

Aaron Dunlap here. Also, coincidentally from Houston, Texas.

[HoveRoyal]

Hi there, Hove Royal here...

49-year-old father of two, been a computer nerd all my working life unfortunately. Am looking to get out of the business, but alas too old to start a new career as a brain surgeon or something. Got a few other ideas, so all is not lost...

Been lurking here for a couple of weeks now. Heard about PO at an evening class I was doing earlier this year, so got curious, started surfing & found this site! Good site I must say, & some interesting & (sometimes) intelligent thoughts being discussed.

Still in two minds about PO, I've got a feeling the model is wrong, but I can't help taking it all back to The Limits to Growth kerfuffle back in the early 70s. Doesn't look so daft now does it? Might have to dig my copy out along with Small is Beautiful...

Never mind all that, what's really important in this world is that the football season starts on Saturday! At last! It's been a long 10(?) weeks! I really believe we can do it this time, this is gonna be our year... (wasn't that what I said last year?).

Nice to meet you all & hope to make some sensible contributions (along with some dopey ones)...

HR

[Aaron]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Pops', 'S')ince we are coming clean, I too feel the need to make a stand.

This is our chance to be another great generation, and PO.com is our way to contribute.

I feel no shame or trepidation in openly stating my actual name: I am Aaron Dunlap and my true location is Houston, Texas.

[threadbear]

Welcome to you all. Hove Royal--It's never too late to become a brain surgeon. It's difficult to undertake as a full-time career, but have you considered doing it as a hobby? There's nothing more relaxing than ambling into your nearest neurosurgery ward and kicking back with your buddies, craniotomy style.

[Pops]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Aaron', 'A')nd I'll add that I'd rather be in here with you folks, than with the best people in the world.

[eric_b]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('eastbay', '[')b]There are several bits of information one should never post on any board; particularly a potentially controversial board such as PO.
Among them are:

1. Occupation, unless given in very general terms,
2. Name,
3. DOB,
4. SSN,
5. Address,
6. Family details.

[HoveRoyal]

threadbear, you know it's not as mad as it seems. Aren't there tribes in south America and Africa that drill holes in people's skulls as a matter of course? Obviously not just for a laugh, but with some very good results, and it actually helps people. You know I've got this niggling idea that some famous actress (Joanna Lumley maybe?) has had it done... she might have even done it herself (I mean on her own head)... wonder if you should put the drill on hammer setting?

But I digress... thanks for the welcome!

Remember the Net Police are always watching...

[threadbear]

Hove--Drilling holes in your own head. That's it. I'm going to start a thread about that on Open Discussion. Here goes

[eastbay]

Pffft.

Just a little paranoid, eh?

Nope, not at all. It's just plain and simple common sense Eric.

Paranoia: A tendency on the part of an individual or group toward excessive or irrational suspiciousness and distrustfulness of others

There are some here in sensitive positions whose opinions may not sit well with their employers and/or clients. Plus, we all kow there are unscupulous people who can wiggle their way into anyones lives electronically no matter what we do, but why hand them the keys?

It's like going on vacation and leaving all your doors and windows open because, 'people can break into my house anyhow, so why close it.' And then calling vacationers who lock their home doors and windows 'paranoid.'

[JohnLudi]

John Ludi (stage name, not real name...)

Musician, Writer, Troubador of the Apocalypse.

I invite you all to come to my site and download my incredibly depressing songs for free...they could serve as a soundtrack while you read the news on here.

http://johnludi.com

[seahorse]

Now Aaron,

Wasn't it Bilbo Baggins that said something like, "I like half of you half as much as you deserve" or something like that. [ remainder edited for content and comment by Aaron Dunlap of Texas]

Now its time for me to disappear.

[Aaron]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('seahorse', 'N')ow Aaron,

Wasn't it Bilbo Baggins that said something like, "I like half of you half as much as you deserve" or something like that. [ remainder edited for content and comment by Aaron Dunlap of Texas]

Now its time for me to disappear.

[Laughs_Last]

[deleted by author]

Oh, and, coincidentally, I am also named Aaron Dunlap. Wow, what are the chances of there being three of us? We should start using our Social Security Numbers to avoid confusion about this, eh?

[erl]

Laughs_Last,

Welcome. Let me guess where you live?

Could it be?

Naw...

[Beagle]

Hello, My name is Richard. I've been PO aware for about 2 years and lurking here for about a year. This thread gives me a reason to come out of hiding.

I'm a marine engineer and I've spend most of the last 10 years at sea, so I've managed to avoid collecting lots of stuff and the debt that goes with it. I don't own a car or a house or much of anything. I've travelled and taken courses here and there (mostly languages) and tried not to be swallowed by our present consumer society - which is very hard to do on this planet even if you're living on a ship. Even before I'd heard of PO I had grown to dislike our present way of life - corporatism, consumerism, endless environmental recklessness, suburbia etc. etc. - part of the reason I went to sea. And it's given me a somewhat fortunate and isolated perspective of all this insanity.

In engineering, I studied thermodynamics extensively so I understood the implications of PO immediately when I came across it. I've since read every book on the subject I could get my hands on. I'm not an economist but I'm familiar with the economics of the global shipping industry in which I work. This includes the business of shipping crude around the world. It is also the way the global economy transports nearly every commodity out there. (raw and finished products) It depends entirely on oil; And globalisation depends entirely on it. In ten years I've seen the ill effects of globalisation on shipping and maybe even the start of PO effects on the industry. Of course noone talks about this. But when I mention PO to colleagues they almost alway agree that it's on the horizon. (incidentallly they almost all are already aware of it to some degree)

I went though the typical stages in coming to gripes with PO. I was depressed, then freaked, then I started seriously planning to move to a remote farm somewhere (still might). But - most recently I've come to the conclusion that if there is a rapid crash, we're all screwed. And I can't make it as a farmer now anyway. Only the luck of my individual situation will get me through whatever SHTF. Whether I'm on a remote farm or not.

I don't think we'll have a rapid and complete crash though. Oh, things are definitely going to get bad, but not homogeniously(sp?) bad. I think in some places people might actually do the right things in response to this crisis. Institutions might actually function to ease PO's effects; even as other places are turning into complete basket cases. The way different societies respond to PO will have a lot to do with their present natures. Some will do better than others. I'm actually interested in seeing how this all plays out, hopefully, over a couple decades and not years, and luckily I won't be snuffed out early in the process.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of the people who is gleefully awaiting TEOTWAWKI. I know you're out there. I'm just a pragmatic, and I think, realistic observer of life. And for the planet's sake I know that things have to change with or without PO. I don't have a lot of faith in people's collective actions. I know there won't be any effort to turn this around. (if it could be turned around) People will go on eating sushi for example (sorry, me too) until every fish is gone. There's too many of us. I'm sure someone willl be building strip malls in the exurbs right till it all falls aparts.

So, after lots of genuine distress over what I should do with the knowledge that I have, I've arrived at the following plan. I'm getting off the ships and I'm going to enjoy what this civilisation has to offer while it's still here in all it's glory. I'm not going to fret about what's coming (though it surely is) I cannot do anything to stop it; I can only hope I have the good sense to do the correct thing when confronted with whatever emergencies come my way. This we all must do even in the best of times. Luckily, I'll see them in time to avoid them.

In September, I'm returning to school in a city that I love. (Montreal) I'll continue in my present career part time to finance my education. I'm going to study something that I think will be useful in the future and something I'm interested in - soil biology or some other life science maybe. I can already understand, maintain and fix pretty much anything mechanical or electrical. Now, I want to learn how to grow things.

If there is time, I will finish school and start a new career in something sustainable. If not, I will just have to hope that my fellow Canadians have enough sense to make the post PO transition easier rather than harder for themselves. (I have no idea how likely that is) Though I do have faith we will do some things right.

I feel I'm pretty lucky already. I've managed to do the most important things already without much effort. i.e. stay debt free, not become a suburban consumer automaton and education myself reasonably well about the state of things. Forewarned is forearmed.

I wish everybody on this board the best in there own plans and endeavors.

[markofthebeats]

i'm 24. my life was aimlessly going from stupid job to stupid job and from stupid school program to stupid school program without any real plan what i wanted out of life. then right around the time i got motivated and decided to get into broadcasting (preferrably a producer or program director for radio or TV) and/or news and got accepted into a difficult program i became PO aware, which threw a huge moneky wrench into the plans i vowed i would never back out of. now two years later i've stuck with the school but have also worked my ass off so i should be finally debt-free in about half a year. my original plan 2 years ago was to get my first car this summer but instead i got a bike and it's wonderful.

i guess my plan is to slowly adapt my life plans as we slowly crash over the next few years (IMO). but to always be learning about survival and striving for finanical/social/environmental independence. (for example i boycotted fast foods and eat meat only organic now) when TSHTF there are some good hills i can run to but i don't expect to survive against decades of disease, mobs, martial law etc (see: firearms thread) so my plan is also to always be psychologically preparing for death.

i love reading this board. many posters are much more articulate than me and most of the time when i think of something to talk about i search around and it's already been discussed (if not beaten to death) so i guess i have little to contribute, but not nothing either. but the posters here are wonderful. in all my internet experience the only internet boards i've seen until now that aren't full of morons, hopeless cynics or spammers are usually "on topic" for some specific purpose so that they're not something one would actually read for hours on end. so i appreciate everyone here very much. i wouldn't be surprised if all the tidbits and insights i read here will somehow indirectly prevent me from dying in some future situation.

i'm also a musician and have written a song that's pretty much about peak oil and nothing else. i perform it in a band and it always gets reactions -very varied ones too. i should post it up here.

also i broke up with my g/f of 4 years and am moving in with 2 single hot women. oh yeah. :D

[Aaron]

I am Spartacus!