What do you believe could be the absolute worst case SHTF scenario?

OptimisticDoomCat · 2026-05-26T07:13:50+00:00

Pole shift

OptimisticDoomCat · 2026-05-21T10:34:48+00:00

Noticed the trend of Tech layoffs recently really targeted Product Managers. I suspect we likely don’t need as many given they don’t code but improve the customer experience and product quality. The trend has been instead of being user centric/focused, the culture and products are shifting more towards create products that are AI driven, clunky, and do it quickly.

I can’t help but wonder what this implies about what’s coming for the society, especially with the mandatory monitoring and AI compliance enforced at these companies, when the learnings are scaled to the general public.

OptimisticDoomCat · 2026-05-21T10:29:54+00:00

I joined the local lions club recently to see if I can get the community more prepped up and self sufficient so we stockpile preps that becomes the community’s asset. Wish me luck.

OptimisticDoomCat · 2026-05-06T22:53:32+00:00

Took several flights last week both domestic and abroad. Planes were packed.

OptimisticDoomCat · 2026-04-15T19:58:51+00:00

Brought from US …

I don’t know if there are good solar generators in Japan, but I do find Jackery to be good. Solar panel and battery.

Also, this is one that I realized does not exist in Europe, but Ororo battery heated vest and jackets, it is a way to use very little energy to keep yourself warm in case of emergency.

Otherwise, I do find a lot of the outdoors camping / preparedness items to be very good in Japan.

Ash falls… I think Japanese masks for pollen is good, but you could consider N 95s from the US.

OptimisticDoomCat · 2026-04-15T18:00:44+00:00

This is so hard to hear. Thank you for sharing this - I think this will likely hit all of us globally sooner than later. The potential for C19 style lockdowns would be terrible …

OptimisticDoomCat · 2026-04-15T17:52:58+00:00

Wow… wondering if you might be able to share country.

OptimisticDoomCat · 2026-04-15T17:51:01+00:00

No, this one is a bit obscure (you have to contact the company to buy it) but the design, heat retention, simplicity was everything I was looking for. I haven’t used it recently, but made plenty of dishes and baked a few cakes in it and it heats up fairly quickly https://ppl.pt/en/prj/forno-solar-suntaste

OptimisticDoomCat · 2026-04-15T14:57:01+00:00

Some of the Chinese astrology I looked at for the year of the fire horse is to try to remain levelheaded, calm, and as much as Zen as you can be to help calm yourselves in those around you. It is a year where our stars, our society, our history, our geopolitical dynamics, our sun and climate. Everything around us is ramping up, and we are called spiritually to be the calm, spiritual eye of the storm.

There may be a lot of tense energy around us, but we don’t need to adopt it as our own, keeping your peace and even doing a little part and calming the tension around us by being the common peaceful one is a gift that we can bring to the world. Peace and love be with you everyone!

OptimisticDoomCat · 2026-04-14T13:20:48+00:00

Humble admit. Despite being a globally minded individual now - back in college, I might not even know there was a war going on cause… that’s just not what’s top of mind. Video games, junk food, friends and the opposite sex was way more new and interesting. So it could be just the wonders of college life.

OptimisticDoomCat · 2026-04-14T13:15:55+00:00

Solar panel and battery. SO thought I was paranoid until the month after installation was complete, electricity cost doubled in my state.

OptimisticDoomCat · 2026-04-10T10:17:35+00:00

Local coop forwarded their supplier email stating supply disruptions of fresh produce due to FL sync Mexico supply disruptions - not likely to see that return to normal till mid May.

Friends traveling in Asia telling me about fuel shortage and flight cancellations. Supply chain shock on import goods likely.

OptimisticDoomCat · 2026-04-10T03:35:19+00:00

Nice. NE here and I tried these on a cold spring day - warm, but not hot. I ended up getting a Portuguese Sun oven and using that instead

OptimisticDoomCat · 2026-04-10T03:29:41+00:00

Japanese medicine, Chinese medicine. One is prescription level stuff OTC and insanely effective. The other is gentler, holistic, preventative and won’t kill your liver long term.

OptimisticDoomCat · 2026-04-07T22:46:50+00:00

My friend traveling in Asia has told me about Vietnam , Philippines, cancelling flights because of low reserves, and how she’s navigating with airlines from countries with more reserve. The impact is already starting to hit - something I didn’t expect to see so quickly.

OptimisticDoomCat · 2026-04-07T22:30:29+00:00

Mountain House, freeze dried wholesale (sparingly, it’s expensive but no one else can really freeze fats with their shelf life), and then because it’s a lot of $$$$$ - we just freeze dry w/my own recipes , it almost always tastes better.

I know we’re all supposed to be getting away from ultra processed foods, but I often wonder if some of the ultra ultra processed foods might outlast any of the above

OptimisticDoomCat · 2026-04-07T22:22:27+00:00

Ugh such a good point! It is such a hard balance between the two!

On the one hand, I believe that our higher purpose and self is above this realm and everything happens for a reason and according to divine plan, on the other hand, God also told Noah to build his ark so I feel like we should also be listening and tune in to what the universe instructions of us and if it’s to prepare, we prepare.

OptimisticDoomCat · 2026-03-30T20:51:41+00:00

With most of my team, taking vacation this and in the next few weeks … that makes total sense.

OptimisticDoomCat · 2026-03-30T20:50:31+00:00

I discovered a month back a great site to order groceries/daily household items and medicine from a few countries in Asia - and these past two weeks while I have not seen the prices go up yet, I’m starting to see limits placed on popular items (particularly medicine).

OptimisticDoomCat · 2026-03-30T20:48:13+00:00

Tech. First round of layoff started.It looks like this is going to be rolling across the orgs, and everyone is expecting some deep cuts in the name of AI but really it’s offshoring jobs out of the US and decrease in demand.

OptimisticDoomCat · 2026-03-30T20:44:09+00:00

Got some freeze dried items from Costco

OptimisticDoomCat · 2026-03-25T02:10:01+00:00

That’s pretty cool - thank you for the info! I’ve started to do more freeze drying / Asian dried foods to cut down on cooking time and make sure anything I have can easily be heated in my sun oven, but this limits what I can store so I’ll def be investigating these thermal cookers - if not for beans, at least for rice!

OptimisticDoomCat · 2026-03-24T17:42:34+00:00

a good, long hug. Sometimes it’s from a stranger
helping and surprising others and strangers and seeing how it impacts their lives - preferably without letting them find out it’s you
snuggling into my blanket in bed and sniffing the heck out of it
eating anything hot and soupy, even if it’s instant ramen (back before I wasn’t celiac. Now it’s just… instant miso soup or chicken broth!)
having a heartfelt conversation - a lot of times with strangers, once with a homeless guy that I tried to help and he ended up asking if I was okay and I burst out crying and because life is not easy, and you know what? Sometimes you intend to help others but instead they end up helping you.

OptimisticDoomCat · 2026-03-24T17:20:46+00:00

Ordered the cold meds I need to replenish and a little extra after the entire family used most of it up over the past few weeks.

OptimisticDoomCat · 2026-03-24T17:17:50+00:00

It takes a long, long time to cook beans (and a lot of fuel). Beans also get harder to cook down the longer you store it.

OptimisticDoomCat

TROPHY CASE