[Pops]

[laughing my butt off at Aaron]

You have way too much imagination for Saturday morning!

[Aaron]

[Itch]

I'll end up foraging for food, probably eating mostly bugs, and dig holes in the ground in an attempt to find groundwater. I'll eventually die of some disease within a year. Of course, I have a moderately secure to run to, and I'll be picking up my first gun on the 26th.

[Cool Hand Linc]

I will eat my food I have stashed back very quitely. :D Go on starvation rations. Keep my guns handy at all times. Then become a cannibal........

[Bud Dwyer]

Accepting my death, I'd paint some crazy spots. I'll catch reck on top of the golden gate bridge, the very top. And I'll write up all my hommies. Maybe even jump off.

[Soft_Landing]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Aaron', 'I') understand that soft landing has a fully stocked yacht which is ripe for the pickin...

[RIPSmithianEconomics]

Well, you could sustain yourself for well over a year on human flesh if you lived in a nice Western city... With lots of overweight people, who can't run away fast enough... Raised well on a high-sugar diet... Sorry, I was getting carried away with myself there. I think I really should stop watching the flesh-eating parts of Romero films repeatedly for pleasure.

[Sencha]

The things I will do when I run out of supplies after the crash:
-I'll take my blue katana and my "certain victory" headband. I'll wear the headband and stick my katana through my belt and walk out into the post-oil world.
-I'll set out early 'round 5 a.m., and head to the mall. Once I get there, I'll loot as much as possible. Especially the food court.
-After that I'll probably find some furniture in a store to sleep on till the next day.
-Then I'll go back to my neighborhood and loot house to house.

Since I know about Peak Oil, I'll be able to plan my strikes earlier than most. I'll go to my place of employment (which I dare not mention) and kill some of the staff that have been bothering me. With no law or judicial system intact, I could off anyone I wanted without consequence.

I know that they will still be there after the crash, because they love their money, and they will be hoarding what's left in the safes before leaving for good. Should I be so inclined and I have the means, I'll burn the building down.

When I can no longer sustain myself I will retain my honor and commit seppeku. It will be a bittersweet death, and my last moments on earth knowing that our race has come to end, will bring a sense of closure to my life that no other experience could hope to surpass.

My last thoughts will either be: "Damnit, damnit all to hell!"
-or-
"It's about damn time."

[Itch]

Yeah, what's all this fuss about cannablism being bad, anyway?

[PenClicker]

One thing I have noted about this site is that most posters are urban. Most posters are short sighted, so they reach conclusions like store a years worth of food and then "I will be a survivor". Most posters are young, hence unworldly as was I at that stage in life.

First of all, I would say that this oil shortage will develop in what those with an overview regard as slow motion. The likelyhood of hoards evacuating the baren cities into the source of food countryside is hot a likelyhood until late in the development of this pox upon mankind.

At first, people will stay with what they have, and that will be their homes. It will be too late when most decide to venture out rather than to seek a source of necessities. It is only then where the Mad Max idea will come into play, and at that point the superiority of both firepower and strategy will favor the country geek. If you think that you will gravitate to what you need and somehow secure it, then you are a yeast about to expire.

As a venture into the future, I would estimate that most of the posters on this site are evolutionary dead ends, more intent on expressing their mental energy than making a place for themselves and their progeny.

[AlCzervik]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenClicker', 'A')s a venture into the future, I would estimate that most of the posters on this site are evolutionary dead ends, more intent on expressing their mental energy than making a place for themselves and their progeny.

[Pops]

“I would estimate that most of the posters on this site are evolutionary dead ends, more intent on expressing their mental energy than making a place for themselves and their progeny.” Do you have any basis to back that estimate or are you simply expressing your own mental energy?
Perhaps you could register and enlighten us? Registration has been fairly simple for us deadenders.

[k_semler]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenClicker', 'A')s a venture into the future, I would estimate that most of the posters on this site are evolutionary dead ends, more intent on expressing their mental energy than making a place for themselves and their progeny.

[OilBurner]

K,

Whilst I appreciate the sentiment of what you're saying, I find it difficult to understand your negative attitude towards children. Do you not get any pleasure from interacting with them? Do you really believe they're all ungrateful brats? Is that what your parents think of you, do they regret having you and would rather have saved the money to buy a JetSki or something? I doubt it. I suspect your parents are proud of you (if they're still around, apologies if they're not) and don't for a minute regret having you.
That's how it is for most parents - they see the money, time and energy as an investment into a person they love more than any other. Is that so terrible?
As long as we all don't have legions of kids, keeping things in balance is no bad thing IMHumbleO.

[k_semler]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('OilBurner', 'K'), Whilst I appreciate the sentiment of what you're saying, I find it difficult to understand your negative attitude toward children. Do you not get any pleasure from interacting with them?

[OilBurner]

K, I think it's sad that you rate yourself by your salary and job position. It sounds to me like your self-esteem is low. I don't know why that might be, as you seem an intelligent person with lots to offer the world. Believe me, making lots of money doesn't make you a better person than the next guy. That's a fallacy that leads us all into misery because there's always someone better off than you, unless you're Bill Gates, of course. I bet even he wishes he could acheive more!
If your parents aren't proud of you then I'd be very surprised. More fool them.

I understand what you're saying about your experience of other peoples kids - there's some very bad parenting out there leading to same pain in the ass kids. But not all kids are like that, the good well behaved lovable ones tend to go unnoticed because they're not causing trouble!!

I don't think there's any need to cut those tubes though. What's wrong with ordinary contraception in case you change your mind? Still, it's your choice. Make sure it's the right one!
You think you're not fit to be a parent - you're well aware of some of the idiots that spawn whole tribes of actual brats. I'd rather see intelligent people like you spreading their DNA than some of those inbreed sheep out there.
I never thought I could be a parent either - I used to be irresponsible and selfish. Now though, I'm gonna be a Dad in Novemeber and I've never been more ready. Sometimes it takes time to feel that way, a lot of time in fact.

[k_semler]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('OilBurner', 'K'), I think it's sad that you rate yourself by your salary and job position. It sounds to me like your self-esteem is low. I don't know why that might be, as you seem an intelligent person with lots to offer the world. Believe me, making lots of money doesn't make you a better person than the next guy. That's a fallacy that leads us all into misery because there's always someone better off than you, unless you're Bill Gates, of course. I bet even he wishes he could achieve more! If your parents aren't proud of you then I'd be very surprised. More fool them.

[Cool Hand Linc]

chock! cough! puke!
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'A')ll who come may board my yacht, and there will more than enough for everyone. Do not doubt me, my children, for we shall all become Breatharians. Do not listen to those silly folk who refuse to believe. If we lovingly bind our spirits, maybe we can save the world from die-off too. Oh, my yacht is fully stocked alright, fully stocked with love, and joy, an...

[Aaron]

I have found that as long as I was focused on the end-game, my rewards for doing... whatever, I have felt unsatisfied.

If something must be "good for me personally" to be appreciated, I miss lots of stuff which does not make the grade. (like kids for example)

I share your misgivings about kids, about almost everyone. In my experience people are just as double-sided as everything else. For every trait I come to admire in a person, there is always something else about them I think sucks... this includes myself.

Name anything you consider worthy, good, beneficial or desirable... It'll take about 2 minutes for us to identify the suck which is included in the coolness found there. It's the same for things that suck... including kids.

An intelligent, articulate custodian who keeps going despite feeling depressed at his lot in life & has the courage to voice it here in public?

As far as I'm concerned, that makes you my freakin hero buddy.

And I would echo OB's message and say that your obvious intellect and passion sets you miles above most sheeple I know, and almost obligates you to pass your gift to a new generation.

None of this is forever... success is temporary and failure is fleeting. Only the journey itself has any real substance; everything else is pure imagination. I imagine I'll fail or succeed.. in the future. I imagine I have failed or succeeded in the past. Only what is happening right now is reality... that other stuff is just window dressing.

Trapped at the bottom of a well which is our lives, we only see a small round patch of sky above us. Funny that the same ability to imagine which has me believing in some "solid state" past or future that does not really exist, is the same vehicle I use to understand that the little patch of sky I see is not the whole thing.

I say go ahead and laugh & cry as you will... just remember to notice the texture of these events as they float by your window...

This is not a rehearsal... take a risk... be bold and brave. Laugh in the face of danger... Why not? Afraid you'll end up as a custodian?

The truth is, there is no answer. And everyone who claims there is an answer, is just reassuring themselves...

"Life moves pretty fast... If you're not careful, you could miss it."

"I could of missed the pain... but I'd of had to miss the dance."

And of course...

"Relax... you're soaking in it."

[OilBurner]

Wow, free group therapy Isn't this place great!!
Stick with it K, I'm sure your talents will be ever more important in these difficult and changing times. Hey stop chucking up at the back there Link!! :D Nice post Aaron, what a great summary of the human condition. I feel all peaced out now..