Weekly Observations: What signs of collapse do you see in your region? [in-depth] April 06

[-]

ctilvolover23@reddit

Location: Cleveland, Ohio

The state of our educational system is concerning. Today, entire school districts closed because of a lack of internet access. Have we become that dependent on technology?

During my time in high school from 2009 to 2013, we remained in school even through power outages. We relied on textbooks and physical boards to learn. The idea that schools must shut down because they can't log in is a testament to how fragile our modern system has become.

[-]

mobileagnes@reddit

This strikes as especially strange for someone who finished secondary school in June 2001, months before the 9/11 attacks. A handful of students owned a basic mobile phone, whereas most of us didn't have a need (or desire!) to call home. Life sure has changed in not all that much time.

[-]

Regular-Ad-9303@reddit

I'm guessing the closure had less to do with learning and was more administration motivated - e.g. attendance and emergency contact info being tracked online.

But you aren't wrong about our reliance on technology. We are hooped. (Although speaking of technology, Google tells me that's Canadian slang. For you Americans, it means we are screwed.)

[-]

HousesRoadsAvenues@reddit

Wow. Which school district did this happen? You have a valid point. Whatever happened to books, the black board (sorry white board) , paper, pens and pencils?

[-]

BitchfulThinking@reddit

Location: Central California (ugh 😒)

I've been seeing a lot of articles about women and girls getting "Alpine divorced", or rather, abandoned and left to die in the wilderness by their selfish asshole of a romantic partner who is more versed in the outdoors. But it makes me wonder, why aren't we teaching our daughters how to exist in nature?

I just watched a documentary about women in Nepal who are teaching other women how to be trekking guides for their independence. They teach them other languages, and even have a daycare for their children. I found it very inspiring, which is a rare occurrence these days.

We teach little girls to smile and sell their cookies, but not how to build a lean-to, purify water, or how to identify dangerous plants and animals... That's for boys! I feel similarly as a POC. "We don't hike". That's how I was raised and I didn't go camping until my 20s. I had to deal with the, "this isn't for you" as I struggled to find equally well made backpacks and safety equipment for a petite frame. I had to take more steps than my (sometimes overly curt) male guides on trails. Often a token on trails.

But being out in nature, is my favorite thing in the world, and keeping it from people and other animals is cruel. We allow ourselves to remain ignorant of the only planet we can actually live on. We crowd ourselves into unnatural environments and constantly overwhelm our senses, driving us all mad, so we can't even appreciate what was already here and free. We even spend thousands to gift wrap our corpses because the thought of being part of Earth's natural cycle is too icky.

They're even filtering the moon lately to make her more colorful.

Seeing the regime destroy what's left of nature, and keeping even more people away from experiencing the beauty in our state is disgusting. People don't realize what we're losing, because they're not there! They're in stadiums, restaurants, offices, stores, casinos, churches, titty bars, or most likely, in traffic. You can see as many pictures and videos of the redwoods BUT YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW how truly majestic our oldest Californians are, until you've stood humbly at their toes.

If police were like our park rangers, even I would support them. But they don't suck so they're getting wrongfully terminated en masse to fund the war. Gardeners know how quickly chaos can occur when you're not pruning things. Not having our trails and parks regularly maintained, additionally with El Niño, will be a nightmare. The growing litter on our trails (because we're not teaching people how to act in nature 😒) would turn Yosemite into a landfill. The wildfires! I personally don't want to come across mangled bodies, and I appreciate not getting lost with all those helpful signs the parks put everywhere. I also like our bears not being hunted to extinction. Again.

If we are to survive as a species, please teach your daughters how to be just as capable in nature as your sons, and also teach your sons to not just kill and dominate everything in it.

[-]

landofcortados@reddit

If you haven't listened to, "The Myth of Tehipite," from the Dirtbag Diaries yet, I think you'll really enjoy it.

https://dirtbagdiaries.com/myth-of-tehipite/

[-]

Makhnos_Ghost@reddit

If we are to survive as a species, please teach your daughters how to be just as capable in nature as your sons, and also teach your sons to not just kill and dominate everything in it.

Very well said. Your final quote reminds me of one of my favorite poems/quotes and I think you'd like it too!

And I see it now more and more as well. New developments and commercial buildings, just to sit empty and destroy what land was left with natural grasses and flowers in my area. Then they just sit there, empty, probably forever. It pains me to see. Our hills and nature, slowly receding more and more :(

[-]

PrairieFire_withwind@reddit

Well said. Thank you for saying that.

[-]

Fire_Shin@reddit

Location: Madeira Island, 900 kilometers of ocean between us and Marrakesh

The rain. It started in January and just kept going. Every day with only a few exceptions, it rained. Pouring rain, constant rain, heavy rain, rain that pulsed between heavy and light-- almost every single day for three months, it rained.

Sometimes the wind was ferocious. It ripped our trampoline off the deck and sent it crashing against the house. The deck boards it had been screwed into were ripped out as well.

Sometimes, there was only light rain. Occasionally it would stop and hope would lure you outside only to see the mist climbing the lush, green hills with dark rain clouds trailing obediently behind.

It rained all through January and February and we wore our puffer jackets and Ugg boots inside. We used radiator heaters and snuggled with our dogs.

Then March came. The March rain carried a chill that sank heavily into your muscles. The cold and endless rain were terrifying in a way that's hard to explain. The ocean seemed hateful. A ghoul clawing its way from the dark water, up the mountain, shreaking its way under your coat and into your bones.

The rain finally stopped a week ago. One day of mist, a few sprinkles and rafts of fog. Then, suddenly, it was paradise. Blue skies, puffy clouds, a gentle ocean breeze as the sun warmed everything it touched.

It was like a switch was flipped. Instead of reveling in the staggering beauty, my pod and I have been scrambling to prep for the aftershocks of Trumps delusional war.

We're an island. It's always been hard to source things. The supply chain disruption is already here for us. There are no more solar panels or e bikes for sale. Anywhere. The Amazon order I placed a month ago still isn't here. Last week there was no butter in the grocery stores.

And as I write this, the rain began again.

[-]

Frisian_Tea@reddit

Your writing is beautiful and very poetic. Captures a whole mood and spirit. My friend/neighbour lived on one of the Portuguese islands for a number of years. It sounded like paradise then. Before all this madness.

[-]

soitgoes75@reddit

Beautifully written! Such a vivid description of the rain.

[-]

Potential_Vehicle535@reddit

Oy, keep safe, worse case you can fish for food!

[-]

SelectiveScribbler06@reddit

Location: the World

Trump has threatened an implied nuking of Iran, which would cause retaliatory volleys, and if the nuclear dust cloud floats over to the EU that would trigger Article 5 and nuclear retaliation there. As if all that wasn't enough, Putin has threatened a nuking of Ukraine for the umpteenth time, but it really feels apocalyptic in tandem with the Trump text.

I'm a Uni student in the UK. What can I do???

Last time I had this tightening of the stomach was in February/March 2020. It's a genuine cold-blooded fear.

I have a horrible sensation this might be it.

[-]

PrairieFire_withwind@reddit

Acceptance. There is life then there is death. There is more life for others, later.

In other words you need to learn to discern what things you have agency over. This is not something you have agency for.

You can only live your life with the agency you have. In other words, make choices and decisions with waht you have.

You can choose to join a coalition to advocate against nuclear proliferation. Or you could choose to go to school and learn to be a doctor to care for people who are hurt or injured or sickened in this world.

What you do, every day, that is your agency. And you say 'but i have to x'. Well, yes. Because at some point when you had the agency to choose otherwise you picked the path that was available to you that you are now on.

Take three steps back and look at all the stories you read all the stories your read or watched growing up. That is where the system aka soceity taught you how to limit your own agency to less than what you might otherwise do. Why? Because society benefits when you go along to get along and restrict your own agency.

So brainstorm outside of the box. You want agency to stop this? then become prime minister, become an international negotiator that helps on these issues. But be Warned. your hands will be tied there too by what everyone else will accept and signnoff upon.

Ah yes. You. Do not have the agency to fix this problem, today. So breathe deep and spend your agency and life wisely. Hug your loved ones. Pet all the animals. Feed the crows. Dance, sing, enjoy what you have today because tomorrow, tomorrow never happens. Today, now, this second is all you really have.

And i will at this point make a book recommendation. The power of now, by echkart tolle it ahould be available at your library by book, ebook and audio book. It can help with coping in these times.

[-]

Frisian_Tea@reddit

I love a lot of what you write. Gotta disagree on the book... I can never get behind a NoHeart Troll recommendation, personally. His writing is absolute hell on wheels for anyone who has been through C-PTSD and dissociation. He started off with a huge dissociative episode he calls "enlightenment" and turned it into a giant money-grab. Tells us common-folk to turn off that which is most precious, namely our critical thinking skills, all while buying himself the fanciest of cars. Apparently, he always *wanted* to be a popular spiritual leader. Claims to be a huge authority and that if you don't like him or if you dare to question him, it is a sign of your own glaring lack of enlightenment. I honestly was left in a hollow fugue state for several days after reading "The Power of Now." It took some time to get back my own sense of presence, sacred personhood, and balance. There are some keen insights shared under "Eckhart Tolle -- Comments From Someone who Knows Him" at forum dot culteducation dot com. Sorry, can't get a direct link to work for some reason.

Hundred percent agree with everything else you wrote here, for what it's worth.

[-]

PrairieFire_withwind@reddit

Whoa. I had no idea he has... Baggage.

I went and read his wikipedia (i know, not the full picture). And yhe only criticism i see is that his work is derivative.

Which i would wholeheartedly agree with. I have always seen it as a soft-entry to spiritual sude of things not a grand leap into arguments into non-duality which, imo, is where stuff gets interesting.

So two things. 1. Do you have an alternative non-religious recommendation i could offer people instead of his book? I mean, maybe zen and the art of motorcycle maintence comes to mind.. but... Might be harder for many. So suggestions? I would love an 'easy entry' book to get people moving.

Got better info on his background? Other than stuff curated by him? Hard reporting to educate myself?

[-]

Frisian_Tea@reddit

Hear you... honestly, if I were recommending a soft-entry for spiritual discussions, Lee Harris Energy is not terrible. He does free monthly updates on YT. Lots about how we are becoming more multidimensional, which may be of interest. For the devotional polytheist/magick/witchy side of things, John Beckett on Pagan Patheos is not bad. He was writing about an upcoming "Tower Time" (Collapse, to us) back in like 2012.

Honestly, I feel like both of them are not so much my cup of tea right now. Nothing against them as people, but I'm just not in the mood for humans talking lately--not on the spiritual front, I mean. The goddess Freya gave me some great advice last week that truly helped my cat with a chronic skin condition (redness and blisters on his face, now *finally* healing)... it is nice to just connect in with my own instincts and with the Deities, with everything in the world going so crazy.

Don't know much about ET except what I found on the cult education site. Didn't want to dive in too, too deep once I'd experienced the bad days after reading his book all the way through. Just enough to feel comfort in not being alone.

[-]

96-62@reddit

Most likely, he just got pushback for the still-a-warcrime bombing vital infrastructure, so he's hinting a nukes so that people will be relieved when it's just bombing life sustaining infrastructure.

[-]

PrairieFire_withwind@reddit

Oh man. I laughed. The logic is there. And solid.

But i still needed a laugh. Been walking around feeling nauseous all day just knowing more innocent people will suffer because, well, because the wrong person has lots of power in this world. So thank you for the laugh.

This timeline is absurd.

[-]

96-62@reddit

He got the ceasefire. Just put more pressure on, I guess.

[-]

PrairieFire_withwind@reddit

I am startibg to wonder if his mimitary purges did not go far enough and he is getting massive internal pushback on the targeting suggestions.

It feels like something we cannot see is actually blocking him.

[-]

JagBak73@reddit

As stupid as it sounds, I'm just going to go about my day like usual.

[-]

Slow_Concern_9882@reddit

Same. I have a lot to do to prepare for Coachella and I’m not letting this get me down.

[-]

subfutility@reddit

It looks like the weather is going to be perfect here this weekend!

[-]

soitgoes75@reddit

Sarcasm?

[-]

Slow_Concern_9882@reddit

No. I’m done letting these psychopathic assholes make me live in fear

[-]

sobernautica@reddit

Yea for now. Give it a few weeks.

[-]

CannyGardener@reddit

"If we are all going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb when it comes find us doing sensible and human things—praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts—not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs." — C.S. Lewis

[-]

DonCupid91@reddit

There's no way Trump is impeached. I'm sorry, but the motion is dead in the water.

[-]

5Dprairiedog@reddit

They wouldn't impeach after he used a nuke either.

[-]

96-62@reddit

Oh, I don't know, that's world changing.

[-]

space_manatee@reddit

I mean, would there be nuclear war if he dropped one? I dont know... It would be horrific and change the course of the world, but would another country launch a nuke at the us if they did? I doubt it.

[-]

trivetsandcolanders@reddit

Maybe not right away, but it would set a precedent, and create (more of) a reason for revenge…

[-]

CannyGardener@reddit

There was a conversation about this in a thread referencing his Truth post, literally was on the r/collapse board and was removed....

[-]

feo_sucio@reddit

There is a thread posted by The Mirror where that discussion can be had. The previous post was just a screenshot with the title “Bruh” and I think we can all try a little harder than that

[-]

rmannyconda78@reddit

I think we need a megathread for this. But that’s up to the mods

[-]

feo_sucio@reddit

There’s a link up in the subreddit that was posted by The Mirror to discuss. From my perspective this doesn’t warrant a megathread because nothing has happened yet. Could be more bluster and bullshit from Trump, could be a serious threat. If and when there’s a massive bombing campaign, or nukes are detonated, we will definitely revive the US Iran conflict megathread

[-]

rmannyconda78@reddit

Valid, and I’m really hoping it’s just bullshitting.

[-]

CannyGardener@reddit

I agree. Between the Russia threat to nuke Ukraine, and the US threat to nuke Iran, I feel like this is probably thread-worthy...

[-]

rmannyconda78@reddit

Agreed, things just ain’t right

[-]

RunYouFoulBeast@reddit

Collapse mods afraid of collapse. Wakaka is that collapse sign?

[-]

RunYouFoulBeast@reddit

Nah not yet , he is a big talker but nuclear option is not something he can authorized easily.
It need fear on the street of America.

[-]

theincredible92@reddit

Location: Toronto Canada

I literally do not know how to go on.

I graduated last April in marketing and despite having around 7 interviews last year, and one actually with a Silicon Valley tech company even, I have still failed to get a job. I have no idea why I am nice, well groomed, I try my best, ask questions, etc. then, after September, that was my last interview process and I have literally been getting 0 interviews since. I guess I missed the window for new graduate now because it was too long and now I’ve been just sliding downwards ever since.

From then onwards, I’ve tried getting ANY job especially shitty part time retail ones and I haven’t gotten a single interview in fact 99% of my applications over months from retail job hunting were ghosted, I got like 3 automated rejections.

My parents have been pissed and convinced I am super lazy and “not really trying” I don’t know what to do , just top myself??? Like they are right at the start of Gen X so they can’t comprehend that I can’t get ANYTHING. This morning my dad said I have to start “applying to retail jobs” LIKE I HAVENT BEEN TRYING THIS WHOLE YEAR!! And since Jan I’ve been also continuously trying to get a marketing job still, to no avail. But he doesn’t believe that I can’t get a retail job he says Im lazy and haven’t actually tried.

And get this, even VOLUNTEER places won’t contact me back!!! I’m literally just a regular person no drugs, clean criminal record, etc. So this literally makes no sense.

[-]

sherpa17@reddit

Location: Snowmass Village, Colorado https://www.aspentimes.com/news/snowmass-to-close-for-the-season-this-sunday/

I'm in Snowmass and have been coming this same week since 2001. It's surreal. The lack of snow is truly something to be seen. I actually cancelled skiing yesterday and played a round of golf instead.

[-]

Fast-Armadillo1074@reddit

[-]

forthenasty@reddit

Snowless Village

[-]

space_manatee@reddit

I flew over the Rockies after Christmas and was shocked by the lack of snow anywhere.

[-]

Least_Satisfaction58@reddit

Location: Kauai

Hawaii just got clobbered by a huge Kona storm late last month that inflicted a billion dollars worth of damage. To quote an insurance website (https://www.carriermanagement.com/news/2026/04/07/286458.htm):

"Hawaii’s multi-day storm event last month resulted in swaths of heavy rain totaling up to 25 inches in some areas, according to analysis by Marsh’s Guy Carpenter.

Subtropical weather systems, known as Kona lows, siphoned moisture from the tropics, fueling slow-moving thunderstorms with torrential, destructive rains, according to a NASA summary of the weather event.

The double Kona storm patterns caused Honolulu to break a 75-year-old 24-hour record, with rainfall totaling nearly 50 inches on Maui and 39 inches on Hawaii. Damaging winds with hurricane gusts of 135 MPH were recorded."

The ground is still utterly saturated in many places, and now ANOTHER storm is ready to blast across the islands. I've lived here almost 19 years and I've seen a lot of rain (the north shore of Kauai got FIFTY inches of rain in 24 hours in April 2018) but this storm pattern seems very ominous to me. The Pacific Ocean is having its say about the increase in water temperature. We'd better start listening.

[-]

Susanoos_Wife@reddit

Location: USA, Lower 48 States, East of the Mississippi River

Covid cases are luckily a little lower overall than they were before, but total case numbers are still pretty high.

https://www.pmc19.com/data/index.php

https://x.com/michael_hoerger/status/2041244793380946082

As per usual, given the overall state of the world and everything in it, which has seen an unnerving amount of decline since the start of the pandemic, here's some information about covid for new people, people who haven't been keeping up to date with covid, and/or people who like to click on things. For other assorted words and sentences arranged in various different ways, scroll on down a little further.

Why covid is still a serious problem: https://publichealthactionnetwork.org/why-we-should-still-care-about-covid-19-a-guide-to-individual-community-and-future-health/

Basic information about long covid: https://publichealthactionnetwork.org/the-unseen-epidemic-understanding-long-covid-and-its-impact-on-the-body/

A more in-depth look at long covid: https://www.panaccindex.info/p/what-do-we-know-about-long-covid

How covid can leave a lasting mark on your immune system: https://johnsnowproject.org/primers/sars-cov-2-leaves-a-lasting-mark-on-the-immune-system/

How misinformation about covid spread so widely: https://www.panaccindex.info/p/the-actual-covid-censorship-conspiracy

Some basic information about masks: https://avoid-plague.info/research/2024-05-22_masks_respirators_review/

Some more general information about masks: https://whn.global/breathe-safer-the-case-for-respirator-grade-masks/

Some specific questions and answers about kids and wearing masks: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/COVID-19/Pages/Mask-Mythbusters.aspx

Other health news shaking up life like the inside of a box of maracas includes the growing measles outbreak, which has spread to multiple states and sickened over 1500 people so far this year: https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/measles/us-nears-1700-measles-cases-73-new-infections-utah

The overall state of the FDA and the CDC has also been, to put it lightly, a clusterfuck of epic proportions, with RFK Jr wreaking havoc on the state of public health in this country for reasons that are likely beyond my psychological pay grade to fully understand: https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/public-health/state-us-vaccine-policy-apr-2-2026

The tangerine blowhard in the white house is also threatening to destroy Iran's power grid, although whether or not he actually does it remains to be seen, as Trump is well known for saying all sorts of stuff that may or may not ever happen. Regardless, while I despise Trump and rue the day his egotistical ass decided to run for president before his first term, I hope that the Iranian people are able to find some semblance of freedom and prosperity in the future (as much as any of us really has a future in these crazy ass times, that is.) I don't have the money or energy to properly prepare for long term disasters, but I always try to stay on top of things by having extras of non-perishable things I normally use to try to weather short term disasters.

In terms of physical weather, the temperature has been swinging up and down like a roller coaster for the last few weeks, which has been a little difficult for my body to adjust to.

On a more personal note, I feel like I don't have as much physical energy as I need to be as efficient and functional as I should be, which I'm sure isn't helped by the fact that most of my neighbors have loud yard work done on their laws every few days, and sometimes there are stretches of several days in a row where there are assholes outside using loud power tools and/or lawn tools for who knows what. Whatever they're doing out there, it's annoying as hell and it doesn't seem to serve any purpose, as their lawns and the front of their houses always look exactly the same.

One of my half baked theories about why people are so stressed out and burnt out lately is because we live in a society with tons and tons of noise pollution. While I'm more sensitive to most physical stimuli than most other people, I often find the sheer amount of noise that we have to deal with in day to day life to be utterly overwhelming. Small things, like the hum of a refrigerator or the sound of a washing machine running, don't bother me at all, but other things, like the loud volume of TV commercials, the frequent interruptions of Youtube videos by obnoxious screaming ads, the sound of certain kinds of shoes on floors (like high heels, heavy boots, etc.) and the way some people rev their car engines or motorcycle engines, annoy the living daylights out of me, and I imagine I'm not completely alone in that sort of frustration and the stress it causes me. Sometimes, as messed up as it sounds, I dream of being able to devote regular chunks of time to just shutting out all external noise and being able to be in complete silence for a while to rest and reset my brain, even though I'm not sure that's really possible (or healthy.)

Regardless, here marks the beginning of another week, and though sometimes trying to make my way through life feels like swimming in a sea of half frozen chunky peanut butter, spite is an excellent motivator and I figure that as long as I'm here, I might as well keep chugging along and see if I can't make the world a little better than it was before I was yeeted into existence on the material plane. Stay safe, stay healthy, and if you're not rotting your brain with voluntary consumption of AI slop, give yourself a pat on the back for working out your mental muscles and keeping your brain healthy so you can fully enjoy the good things that are still left in this world. The world may be quickly careening towards a straight to DVD type sci-fi dystopia, but we don't have to let the world turn us into mindless slaves to the metaphorical inflamed pimples who happen to be running the shitshow, and that means more than you might think.

[-]

Frisian_Tea@reddit

Fellow Autist here: I can help with the YouTube issue if you are watching on a computer. Firefox or Brave browser, running the open source uBlock Origin adblocker. It does not work on Chrome or related browsers. I watch Swedish Railcam and Dashcam Roadshow on YT to stay semi-sane. Just long, peaceful trips observing the scenery. "Regular" shows can stress out my nervous system. These videos are restorative.

Seriously, the lawn noise is insane. Live in a small town, and it's always some dudebro (never a dudette) running a freaking leafblower for an hour over a reasonably small yard. I swear something Freudian is going on. Wielding a big, loud tube to proclaim their presence to the world at large. I've seen neighbors leafblow wide patches of straight-up dirt. Glad their Viagra is working for them, I guess? /s

[-]

Barbarake@reddit

One of my long-time customers came in and looked upset. Turns out her sister (age 61) died of covid on Sunday.

[-]

old-legs-623@reddit

This, friend, speaks my mind.

[-]

PrairieFire_withwind@reddit

If you need a reset with less noise i recommend a vispassana retreat. i go regularily. Re-entry into life, is, i will warn you, different for everyone but can be rough. 10 days of silence is a lovely reset tho.

[-]

kea1981@reddit

An less formalized and likely similarly effective of escape is to go hiking/camping in the back country. Find a forest service access road, drive a few miles, and park. It's usually very quiet in those parts (if you happen to live in the US, at least. Enjoy our public lands while we've still got em!)

[-]

No-Papaya-9289@reddit

UK. I live next to a 200 acre farm. I was talking with the farmer this morning, and he, fortunately, bought all the fertilizer he needed a couple of months ago. But the price of diesel fuel is going to impact him a great deal. Now apply that across the planet, to all those farmers who didn't buy fertilizer early enough. Or who have larger farms and use more diesel in their tractors. And take into account that it is very hard to increase food prices when you sell wholesale.

[-]

Icedtangoblast@reddit

I’m just waiting until all the panic buyers here about this fertiliser shortage, they are still focused on petrol atm.

[-]

Cronewithneedles@reddit

I was buying a couple of big bags of pet food at Walmart this week and joked to the cashier about stocking up before prices go up. She responded, “Do you believe in Jesus?” I said, “That’s not going to keep prices from going up.” and a lady from the next line yelled, “Praise Jesus!”

[-]

Awkward_Mastodon4332@reddit

Oh boy, sounds like a Thought terminating cliche

[-]

Frisian_Tea@reddit

TIL... thank you. We used to use "it is what it is" a lot in a previous line of work I was in. It started to feel rather off--cold and dismissive--after a while. This helps explain why.

[-]

itsboringhowwrongur@reddit

The reflex to bring Jesus into a pet food price conversation has me wondering if rural Americans’ church’s are preaching that having faith will keep food from rising more. My biggest fear in the collapse is how Christians will react to having their faith tested upon losing their comfortable lives.

[-]

AlwaysPissedOff59@reddit

They'll react just like they did in the 1340s when they noticed that Jews weren't dying from the Black Death in the same numbers that they were (the Jews' ritual cleansings probably have a lot to do with that...).

[-]

Frisian_Tea@reddit

A tidy summary of what's wrong with the U.S., here in one anecdote. Stay safe out there, my sane friends.

[-]

No-Papaya-9289@reddit

I think most farmers are aware of this. It's been covered on the news here several times, though not as much as petrol.

[-]

Icedtangoblast@reddit

The farmers definitely know. It’s the general public who like to panic buyers that I’m worried about. As soon as they learn what fertiliser is used for and the upcoming shortage, panic buying will be worst than the start of COVID, and it won’t just be pasta gone from the shelves.

[-]

design_studio-zip@reddit

Feels like the next month of so will have a similar vibe to the early COVID era in hindsight.

[-]

rmannyconda78@reddit

I’m waiting for the panic buyers in the here states too. Yeah the outlook for the world right now… not great.

[-]

little_wing__@reddit

Location: South Africa.

My part of the country has been experiencing sustained drought and a resulting water crisis for over a year, with our local dam levels now dipping below 16% and heavy Level 4 water restrictions in place. Once the dam dips below 15%, the taps will be turned off and water will be delivered and rationed by emergency tankers.

About a month ago, during a time of year when the weather would usually be starting to turn cooler, the Western Cape province experienced a record heatwave with temperatures as high as 46.6 degrees Celsius recorded in parts of Cape Town.

I've seen a fraction of the usual expected insect life this past summer; the populations of moths, native bees, and other insects aside from house spiders and grasshoppers seem to have absolutely plummeted this year. We are also used to seeing flocks of weaver birds visiting the area in summer and early autumn, but could probably count on one hand the number we've seen this year. The theory, according to the farmers in the area, is that some local farmers have poisoned them en masse to protect their crops.

Our fuel prices went up by a few Rands per litre at the start of April, but there have been early warnings that the prices could potentially rise significantly again in May by up to R17 per litre for diesel, which would take the price up to around R43 (US$2.54) per litre, nearly doubling the current cost.

[-]

rmannyconda78@reddit

Location: Indiana, Grant county, Marion. Todays photo: “Tornado warning”

(Still from video taken on DJI mavic 3 classic)

I captured a stunning mothership of a high precipitation supercell cruising the north edge of Grant county towards Van Berun, setting off a tornado warning in that area. The storms this season have an off vibe too them, almost sinister. Some teens in the next town apparently jumped another at a park 6v1, a guy with a dog chasing someone with a machete, and loose dogs attacking and injuring 2. I’ve also noticed while DoorDashing customers and the public getting increasingly rude and aggressive. People not caring and getting needlessly aggressive is a sign of poor health in a society, it’s crazy how much insane stuff goes on in this little backwater county.

The video the photo is from: https://youtu.be/Us8OkOcIvwk?si=DXx5RlBcSSrTBOuC

I’ve basically been recording signs of collapse in video, photo, and film reel for a while now, it will be interesting to see the pattern progress as I get more media produced. Man we fucked this environment and society good.

[-]

rmannyconda78@reddit

Oh my god… that’s all I can say. This is unhinged.

[-]

Distinguishedflyer@reddit

Location: Pacific Northwest

Why couldn't I have been born in the time when you could just go purchase laudanum? Alcohol and morphine, what a savings. (never give up, never surrender!)

"Winter" aka extendedFall™️, is over. When I looked at my handy weather app, it informed me our high temperature of 71F today (22° C) is 17° F higher than average for this time of year which I'm sure is of no consequence.

Meanwhile, all the governments are happily killing each other's most vulnerable people for profit and it seems like the shittiest people in society win.

It's getting remarkably close to the hunger games complete with the capitol people like Zendaya's new fabulous gown and Taylor Swift million dollar true love engagement ring oh let's live vicariously and I qualify for $24 in food stamps and, by the way, I'm really tired of celebrities with only one name. I'm really tired of celebrities. Fixed that for me.

When I watched about two minutes of the Oscars this year I thought oh, they're all delusional and insulated going on and on about their craft. They're just pretty people who get paid a shit ton of money so people can fantasize about sleeping with them or living their lifestyle for the most part. There's a name for that profession.

Anyway he said grumpily, the only insects I'm seeing are things like stink bugs and mosquitoes and ticks.

i've just been numbing out because there's a feeling in my gut like fucking disaster is here. I wonder how many of me there are out there, older collapse aware people without any community or family watching the world self-destruct.

I am reminded of the TS Elliot poem The Second Coming...

"The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity...."

The whole poem is quite good in case you're interested. It's about things falling apart.

So tl;dr - too hot only bad bugs human darkness overwhelming joy and love and every good emotion as the most sociopathic amongst us rip and claw to luxuriously die last on the only sinking ship.

And we are back to the moon today, or a bunch of delusional astronaut people on behalf of delusional corporate overlords are back to the moon. The Artemis program's "we rise together" slogan is really pissing me off because no, no we don't. It's always gotta be packaged with a fake message.

The space program really lost the earlier "exploration for the good of the future" vibe of Apollo 8 (wishing everyone on the good Earth a merry Christmas) through 11 (one giant leap for mankind). Yes, I know, all bullshit. It hurts to be this jaded and alone while the world dies. Will no one think of the kittens?

Good luck everyone.

[-]

BoysenberryNo7691@reddit

Feeling this sense of doom in Canada. The poem is actually by William Butler Yeats, not to be pedantic-- I just think about this poem, especially that line, a lot lately so wanted people to have the right poet to check out :) His poem The Lake Isle of Innisfree gives me a bit of solace.

[-]

HousesRoadsAvenues@reddit

Upvote for "The Isle of Innisfree". Wonderful poem.

[-]

Distinguishedflyer@reddit

What's your sense of things in Canada? We are so bombarded down here it's difficult to get a feel for other places...

[-]

BoysenberryNo7691@reddit

My sense is that collapse is accellerating. There is real concern here about the possibility of U.S. invasion. Cost of living here, especially food prices are out of control, and I'm worried about more cost increases and shortages, especially fertlizer shortages. I think global food shortages may hit us, even here in Canada, especially by next year. I'm eager to get my veg garden planted, but it's been much colder than usual with snow still forecasted the next few days. I have the same growing unease and urge to prepare that I felt in late January 2020, and the rising fascism keeps me up at night.

[-]

Distinguishedflyer@reddit

well that's a pretty good reason to keep you up at night and I'm sorry from the threat down here. We are two peoples separated by a common language.

You can be assured that if there is an invasion, it will be a very sluggish one. Nobody wants to invade you amongst the ordinary folk and if you just open up the border everybody will probably flee north and fight on your side. 🙀👋I must admit I made myself chuckle there.

I hear you about the food/famine. I think it'll take perhaps another year for the northern hemisphere. We seem to have a fair amount of capacity still but of course that depends on weather events which used to be so boring and predictable but who cares about that…

interesting you've had it colder. Well, the jetstream is pretty broken so that makes some sense. Have you thought about a cheap greenhouse like plastic tenting or some such? I think you may need to control the weather more than usual. But I don't know about growing food I just eat it. Or I did in the good old days.

You're always welcome to counter invade, we can get a square of Kokanee glacier beer and shoot the shit instead of each other, eh?

Hang in there, friend!

[-]

Distinguishedflyer@reddit

right, I'll edit that sorry, too much laudanum!

[-]

Beifong333@reddit

‘I will arise and go now…’ if only I could. That poem does still give solace though. Maybe the isle is a past we have lost.

[-]

JagBak73@reddit

Laudenum. Isn't that what Thomas De Quincey was hooked on?

[-]

Distinguishedflyer@reddit

it's what everybody was hooked on. 🤪

[-]

pseudohim@reddit

By Grabthar's hammer, what a post.

Good luck to you, friend.

[-]

Distinguishedflyer@reddit

by the suns of Worvan comrade, i thank you!

[-]

PorcelinaMagpie@reddit

Location: Indiana

I went to a very small family Easter get-together yesterday and it was interesting to say the least. It was only me, my cousin (a teacher who is on the same level as me in regards to political views) and her parents (65+ MAGA supporters who never bring up politics). Talking to them about the economy and the job market was like talking to people who have been living under a rock. Everything is fine in their eyes. We have the best economy in 30+ years. Inflation is gone and gas prices are at an all-time low, etc. It was absolutely unreal hearing all of this being said. Do people with this mindset wear a blindfold when they go shopping and fill up their gas tank? I. DO. NOT. UNDERSTAND.

Trump's Easter message yesterday morning was alarming. I'm guessing this week will bring yet another shockwave across the price of oil, war in Iran, etc. And the scariest part? The aunt and uncle I mentioned above are probably still unaware that he sent out that message due to the propaganda they consume. We literally have multiple realities within our country.

Buckle up everyone!

I don't have a new abstract painting to share this week. However, I wanted to share some of my 35mm black and white film photography. The following photograph was taken at an abandoned farmhouse in rural Northeast Indiana:

Camera: Minolta XG-1, Film: Ilford Delta 400

[-]

rmannyconda78@reddit

It only gets worse…

Remember what you said bout things getting worse, here it is.

[-]

Distinguishedflyer@reddit

they do live in a different reality. It's that simple. They're probably more insulated financially and so it doesn't matter. The lack of empathy is unbelievable. They're just too afraid to look which is the kindest interpretation I can give.

[-]

megalodon319@reddit

You’re right about the lack of empathy. My wonderful (boomer) grandparents openly acknowledge their comparative good fortune and the difficulties that younger generations face. I hold everyone else to their standard (and am often disappointed).

[-]

PrairieFire_withwind@reddit

I think a lot of people do not grasp that the new york times, wapo, and probably their local paper of tecord all cost money or require a subscription. If you are poor or do not value that in the first place ...

Fox News is free. It always has been. Cnn is mostly subscription free. Probably the two worst networks in the country for actual background plus information.

So maga is a reflection of what propaganda,npaid for ht someone else, can do to a people.

[-]

AbbeyRoadMomma@reddit

You’re right, but now wapo and Nyt also suck—where are the headlines that the U.S. has a certifiably insane president with his finger on the button to end global life?? They’re too busy being his state news feeds for $$.

[-]

PrairieFire_withwind@reddit

When your abuser has killed/bankrupted others in your rile the human response seems to be to keep ones head down.

This is where solidarity and numbera matter.

[-]

rmannyconda78@reddit

Politics were well avoided at my families Easter as well, probably for the better. I don’t even buy much anymore. That Easter message was unhinged, and completely unprofessional (kinda his MO though). Gas prices are terrible, I think people shop as kinda a way to stick their heads in the sand. I shot a spool 8mm of 40 iso b&w 8mm film of my family for Easter. I have a Minolta myself, a maxxium 3000i to be exact. I really like the ilford films, panf plus 50 in 120/620 format, it’s stunning in 6x9. I really like the composition on yours, Indiana is chock full of scenes like this to photograph, that’s what I love about the area. I’ve been wanting to try the ortho 80 film they make.

[-]

Portalrules123@reddit

Location: New Brunswick, Canada, Earth

Weather: Actually not too much to complain about on this front, the long range forecast seems to be showing pretty normal April temperatures for NB so it seems that however the jet stream is arranged right now it is set to give the Maritimes typical spring weather. Although, the snowpack is almost gone in my local area which is a few weeks before that would have typically been possible back when I was younger so signs of climate change are still clearly apparent.

It looks like parts of Europe will be experiencing a heat wave in the coming days as well.

Prices: Food inflation continues to rise, and the rising cost of fuel to get much of the food to us from Central Canada doesn’t help. I have seen several news articles recently about food banks in the Maritime provinces starting to buckle under the stress of increased demand and rising food costs. It probably doesn’t help just how quickly our national population has been growing due to immigration, not that I blame the immigrants themselves, it is the policy makers who should have considered the possible implications. Gas is getting closer and closer to $2/litre which I’m sure is still cheap compared to some areas being hit by the energy crisis in full force, but when you consider the lower than average wages that New Brunswick has it will be hitting people hard….particularly those on fixed incomes.

Nature: It’s good to see many of our migratory birds starting to return, although the bird and especially insect populations are clearly degraded compared to when I was younger. I’ll have to see how things look in later spring and summer to be sure, but I can say that last year the absolute lack of bugs hitting the car’s windshield and a lack of mosquito attacks despite going on some long drives and hikes through the woodlands of NB was alarming. I’m sure others have noticed this trend as well especially in areas that have heavy pesticide use.

All in all, signs of collapse are still pretty mild here compared to many other areas around the world, but I’m sure that’ll change faster than expected as usual. Good to see everyone else’s posts on here as well.

[-]

deleted_by_reddit@reddit

[removed]

[-]

collapse-ModTeam@reddit

Hi, TeaPrimary1147. Thanks for contributing. However, your comment was removed from /r/collapse for:

Rule 1: Be respectful to others.

In addition to enforcing Reddit's content policy, we will also remove comments and content that is abusive or predatory in nature. You may attack each other's ideas, not each other.

Please refer to our subreddit rules for more information.

You can message the mods if you feel this was in error, please include a link to the comment or post in question.

[-]

fedfuzz1970@reddit

The recent change to descendancy rules has opened up Canada to our family. My grandfather was born Canadian and we have relatives in Harvey Station. It will be something our children will have as an exit strategy if it gets bad here. We are grateful to have the option.

[-]

Portalrules123@reddit

We’d be glad to have them! We still have lots of problems here, keep in mind, but if I was in the USA right now I’d want out too.

[-]

Solo_Camping_Girl@reddit

Location: Manila, Philippines

Gas prices have gone up this April 7, with diesel climbing to over PHP 160 (USD 2.66) per liter, causing public transport groups to hold a transport holiday due to how high the prices have become. Linked news are in Filipino, but auto-translate to English is working.

This is related to collapse as diesel is the most common fuel used by the transport and logistics sectors, leading to some operators to either increase their costs significantly, reduce their trips or just cease altogether. While the government will lay down their decision on what to do with the excise tax on fuel today, recent public perception suggest that the government will likely favor the oil sector.

On personal observations, there have been less jeeps in my town and longer lines. I'm also noticing that owners of large SUVs are driving their trucks less.

[-]

JagBak73@reddit

UV taxi, Jeepney, LRT, and MRT queues during rush hour were ridiculous back in 2019 when I last visited. Not to mention the bus "stops". Can't imagine the queues now. Traveling from BGC to Commonwealth was always a pain in the ass because both EDSA and C-5 were both clogged even at 11 pm.

Are the cost of Grab Taxi and Angkas more or less stable or have they gone up too?

[-]

Solo_Camping_Girl@reddit

they've gone up by let's say 20 to 30 pesos from the pre-war rate. the difference is even more visible when booking for longer distances that would be 20 km or more.

[-]

GinnyMcJuicy@reddit

Location: SW US/San Francisco

I live in the Four Corners region, and recently traveled to San Francisco for work.

The travel was uneventful for me, which was nice given all the TSA clusterfuck shit going on. But being on the ground in San Francisco was a little horrifying, not gonna lie. I was taking waymos or ubers to get to the office and there are a LOT of people on the streets in SF on fent/molly/meth whatever. Riding in my robot car past hoards of people folded in half, twitching, tweaking etc made me realize, once again, that we are already in our dystopian future, we just have not accepted it yet.

The region I live in is dry, of course, but we have managed to get a good soaking rain every week or two for the past few months, which is weird but welcome. The snowpack is a joke. It has been gone for a while, but reappears for a few days every time it rains. With each rain everyone goes and burns as much as they can on their property to hopefully save their homes this summer. The forest is going to burn and we all know it. With the US forestry service being ... who knows?!?!?! ... all we can do is our best.

Palladium and platinum has been found in our mountains and since the government has stopped functioning for any purpose other than MAX PROFIT we find ourselves listening to some random assholes tell us all about how great block cave mining is. We are completely powerless to stop any of this.

[-]

BitchfulThinking@reddit

This is what SF looked like to me when I visited a year or so ago! It was such a shocking change since my last visit during the pre-techbro era, even to my scrappy SoCal eyes. Tagging on walls behind mansions and bars on the windows. Traffic is a nightmare so you're forced to really take it all in. I cannot imagine school children having to walk through all of that...

[-]

wwaxwork@reddit

People in rural states just do their meth or fent and tweak at home. New Mexico has some of the highest meth and meth mortality rates in the country nearly double the national average and higher than California It's in your part of the world too, you just don't see it. Meth rates in Utah among women are soaring with Utah having higher meth use at 120% the national average up to 150% the average among women.

[-]

MsCalendarsPlayaArt@reddit

Do you have any theories on why meth use rates in Utah are surging among women, specifically?

[-]

itsboringhowwrongur@reddit

Ever watch a sunset from SLC? The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. I couldn’t live there without hard drugs.

[-]

GinnyMcJuicy@reddit

Oh. No, i see it. I live rural. Ive just never been driven past it by a robot before.

[-]

Makhnos_Ghost@reddit

Location: Southern California

I reported back in January and February that Military Air Force flights were happening all day, every day, and even at night. Since the invasion of Iran, there have been almost none the last month outside of a few C-130 Test Flights. I am sure some of the military aircraft are over there now and re-positioned elsewhere in the world.

I work in Restaurant Service Industry and there is a weirdly spiked increase in people eating out. And also people getting desserts, a massive increase, for what is usually the slowest time of the year for the restaurant I work at. I suspect a lot of it is people "smoking em' if you have em'" and enjoying things they can with all the stresses of the world going on. I also see people fishing through a wallet of 10+ credit cards a lot, looking for one to use to pay with. Another observation, that people are just going into more debt most likely to enjoy some food and escapes from reality. Decent money for me for now, all things considered, though I suspect it will all come crashing down in the coming weeks/months as things explode in price due to The War with Iran.

Speaking of which, the cheapest Gas is now $5.89/cash 5.99/card around there area I am, many already at $6.09/6.19/gal as well. I can report that this weekend saw the first major decline in traffic on the roads as well, I am sure as a reaction to rising gas prices. I am sure this will continue to grow.

People are getting sick, a lot. Everyone is powering through multiple illnesses, myself included, weekly it feels like. Migraines, colds, coughs, etc. I also see more and more people smoking/vaping. Everyone gambling still, and everyone just trying to make it day by day.

I share with you one of my favorite Poems from the late Xu Lizhi (1990-2014), a Chinese Factory Worker and Poet. I share one of my favorites, that resounds with many of us, and feels more and more real, I Fall Asleep, Just Standing Like That (2011)

"The paper before my eyes fades yellow

With a steel pen I chisel on it uneven black

Full of working words

Workshop, assembly line, machine, work card, overtime, wages...

They've trained me to become docile

Don't know how to shout or rebel

How to complain or denounce

Only how to silently suffer exhaustion

When I first set foot in this place

I hoped only for that grey pay slip on the tenth of each month

To grant me some belated solace

For this I had to grind away my corners, grind away my words

Refuse to skip work, refuse sick leave, refuse leave for private reasons

Refuse to be late, refuse to leave early

By the assembly line I stood straight like iron, hands like flight,

How many days, how many nights

Did I - just like that - standing fall asleep?"

In his honour, I'll write some poems tonight too perhaps while at my shift while world burns and crumbles all around. I hope you all are doing well in these times, as well as you can.

[-]

BitchfulThinking@reddit

(Love the poem!)

Seriously! People are sick (new Covid variant, plus Roto up north and Typhus in San Diego) and my partner and I got asked for the first time in a while why we were masking 😑 "aLlErGy sEaSoN?" Usually I just get coughed at, as people are gross. At the same time, if I'm out, I've been dressing very "party like it's 1999". I only look like I'm having more fun than I am, but it's really because I don't think I have much time left and don't want to save things for an unlikely, future special occasion.

[-]

bottom_armadillo805@reddit

100% I am eating my feelings, with a side of the "lipstick effect". If shit's about to suck, and get a lot more expensive, I might as well treat myself to an ice cream now.

[-]

nothankeww@reddit

absolutely Americans are eating their feelings right now

[-]

itsboringhowwrongur@reddit

“Sleep for dinner”

[-]

KingofGrapes7@reddit

Location: Massachusetts

A few more gas stations are at or near $3.99. No one yet seems brave enough to be the first to break into $4.00. The one I usually go to is $3.75. I usually drive up to New Hampshire for day hikes, that is just one of many things that will need to be curtailed at this rate. Even my Camry cant sip gas slow enough for too many of those kinds of trips. We are just about out of frost weather so at least we wont need to run and defrost the cars as much.

As to the war itself I have no bloody idea. Trump clearly expected this to be as quick and easy as whatever the fuck Venezuela was. Now it's not and not only can he not just move on from Iran once he gets bored, his only tactic of yelling loud until the other side gives up isnt working. We are now stuck in this mess because his ego wont allow any other moves. Apparently other countries are making deals with Iran for passage through Hormuz? All this time, money, and lives wasted because someone heard soft power and thought 'soft' was too weak.

Intel is apparently planning to raise the prices of PC components like CPUs for the third time this year. Which by the way has only been four months. Forget PC gaming, PC anything is now effectively out of price range for the vast majority of individuals. Individuals are no longer the target customers, data centers are. I dont know if other sectors like car manufacturers will be able to get components at this rate. Both the PS5 and Xbox Series are more expensive than when they launched years ago. The next models are fucked price wise. The Steam Deck is out of stock and any future Steam devices are functionally on ice. Nintendo will fight a Switch 2 price bump as long as they can. Not out of love for the consumer but because they dont have alternative divisions for revenue like Sony and Microsoft, and being cheaper than the other consoles is a good look. I dont know how long they can delay it though.

[-]

You MUST include Location: Region when sharing observations.