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Title: What I saw at the doomsday prepper convention
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URL Source: http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2013/11/11/life-changes-be-ready/
Published: Nov 12, 2013
Author: David Z. Morris
Post Date: 2013-11-12 08:44:42 by Ada
Keywords: None
Views: 156
Comments: 8
The market for preparedness supplies tracks to broader anxieties: some sensible, some not so much. And it's not just conspiracy theorists buying in. More and more Americans are spending money to get ready for an uncertain future -- gathering food, water, tools, and skills to help them weather anything from a hurricane to a pandemic. Contrary to images of deluded or gun-obsessed "lone wolves," many preppers are average consumers reacting to concrete worries, and their way of thinking is spreading, fueling an emerging lifestyle trend. That lifestyle is generating demand for a broad spectrum of products offering survival -- or even comfort -- when large-scale systems go down. An array of preparedness expos and conferences have cropped up around the country to serve this emerging and fast-changing market. To get a closer look, I visited Life Changes, Be Ready!, or LCBR, a new expo that held its second event on the weekend of November 2nd and 3rd, in Lakeland, Fla. LCBR gave an immediate sense of one big way that the preparedness crowd isn't marginal at all -- economically. The show floor was packed with a dizzying array of small businesses and products that defied stereotypical "prepper" classification -- not just ammunition and crossbows and camping gear, but also seed banks, beehives, financial planning, and acupressure. According to many of the entrepreneurs on the floor, business is trending upwards. John Egger of Self Reliance Strategies has been producing and selling prepackaged seed banks for nearly four years and sees his market expanding. "It's definitely picking up. It's not just country people anymore. We really cater to a suburban market ... We call it suburban homesteading." You can see this broadening of the market in the range of price points, from the $5,600 portable solar charging stations flogged by Alternative Energy, Inc., to the $649 "Stomp Supreme" field medic kit offered by Doom and Bloom, LLC. ("This is the one recommended for people expecting civil unrest.") Clearly, LCBR's vendors saw a crowd ready to drop major cash today to assuage their worries about tomorrow. The diversity and type of products on offer was also remarkable. Egger's seeds, for example, were prominently labelled "Organic" and "Non-GMO" -- and so were all the other seeds on sale at the show. Those are distinctions you might not think were important to the same crowd in the market for a crossbow, but according to Egger, "you don't have to explain to people anymore" why eating organic matters. That was just one element of the unique mix of gritty survivalism, back-to-the land self-sufficiency, and outright hippie dream- science on display at LCBR. There were earthworm farms and beehives for sale, and two different companies dealing in essential oils. In a back corner, Mike Mah, or "No Stress Mike," offered $30 pain reduction sessions using his "Hoy Chi" energy healing techniques. Mah's flyers proudly advertised that he attended every Tea Party event he could, and he manipulated the spines of dozens of willing customers with a pistol tucked discreetly in his waistband. There are still uncertainties in the preparedness market, some driven by ideology, according to Charlie Hogwood of Personal Readiness Education Programs. "All last year it was up and up and up. But after the [presidential] election, it flattened out." Hogwood thinks that some in the market were overwrought over doomsday scenarios surrounding the reelection of Barack Obama. "Last year, I heard 100 different conspiracy theories" about what a second Obama presidency might mean. But when the election wasn't followed by martial law and FEMA camps, both the rhetoric and the market cooled off a bit. "I rarely hear the crazy theories now. Now everyone's worried mainly about the collapse of the dollar," says Hogwood, referring to widespread prepper fears of hyperinflation triggered by the Federal Reserve's quantitative easing. Hogwood, friendly and round-faced, reflected the resolute averageness that permeated the show. He snorted derisively at conspiracy theorists, and also acknowledged some of the ironies of a preparedness trade show. "Sometimes it's like a toy store, and people buy stuff because they like it." But in a real survival situation, "the more you know, the less you have to carry. A lot of people don't know much and think they can buy their way out of it." He sees some of the extremism surrounding the prepping industry as hype, maybe even fearmongering. "It's so much more fun to worry about martial law than a hurricane. People like zombies as a marketing tool." In fact, I spot more than a few zombie-themed rifle targets at the show. But Hogwood is also emphatic that, the image aside, prepping is about skills -- not guns. "You see some cool weaponry ... but who needs a grenade launcher?" Despite the presence of at least five booths of firearms and accessories, many exhibitors are equally dismissive, even derisive, toward guns, gun shows, and the culture surrounding them. John Egger tried to sell seed kits at a gun show once and won't be returning. Gun show attendees are "a different breed of people. They don't want to learn." Learning was a big part of the LCBR experience -- two large lecture halls, frequently packed, ran the duration of the show. In addition to seminars from well-known preppers and security experts David Kobler and James Wesley Rawles, attendees got gardening advice from local expert Tom MacCubbin, and a Q&A from author David Crawford. Crawford is the author of Lights Out, a preparedness- themed novel that he has successfully self-published to an eager audience. The premise of Lights Out is a large electromagnetic pulse (EMP), knocking out electronics across the U.S. and causing a slow decline of society. Crawford and a business partner were at LCBR as part of an effort to raise funds to turn Lights Out into a trio of feature films. The EMP scenario (or a "grid down") was a recurring concern at the expo -- and, at least technologically, it's plausible. Life Changes, Be Ready! was the work of Cindy and Jim Thompson, who have been organizing real estate expos since 2004 -- "Back," Jim jokes sardonically, "when that was still profitable." But LCBR is as much a calling for them as it is business. Cindy, thin and blonde, and Jim, gray and fit, have been preppers themselves since the mid-1990s -- though they don't like that word. "We prefer 'sustainable living,'" Jim says. "Less consumption." Cindy was asked to speak about her lifestyle at a Tea Party event in 2012, and the response was so staggering that the two put together the first LCBR in a few weeks, ultimately attracting over 4,000 attendees. Almost all of their first batch of vendors returned the second time around, and with better planning, they were expecting much higher attendance numbers. Jim is emphatic about the mainstream audience he's catering to. "Our core audience is 40-75 years old. Eighty percent have college degrees. Twenty percent of those have advanced degrees," he said. He attributes his success in attracting a higher-end clientele to the educational bent of LCBR. "When you bring in a higher caliber of speaker, you attract a different group -- more disposable income, more moderate in their thinking. That [extreme] element of the preparation mindset, they still show up, they come in, but that's not what we're about." The event also has strict ground rules to produce a nonthreatening environment. "If you go to the speaking engagements, you won't hear any racist crap, you won't hear any discriminatory talk. We don't allow it." Jim is proud of what they've achieved in that regard: "I've seen homosexual couples walking around the show," he says. "Who am I to discriminate?" Still, it was impossible to completely ignore the presence of an element many would consider reactionary. Political and social initiatives represented at the show included the Polk County Libertarians and the admirable entrepreneurship mentoring program Patriot Mission, Inc. -- but also the marginal, conspiracy- minded John Birch Society. After a relatively measured primer on the threats of inflation, featured economist Dr. Kirk Elliot encouraged me to look into how the Rothschild and Rockefeller families continue to own the Federal Reserve -- a common canard among New World Order conspiracists of the Alex Jones stripe. Finally, at the end of my conversation with John Egger about the rise of "suburban homesteading," a man with a white shock of hair interjected himself into the conversation. "You know what chemtrails are?" he asked, referring to another conspiracist trope that sees chemical tampering in jetstream vapor trails. "They're changing the weather, then selling drought tolerant seeds. George Soros and Bill Gates are behind it." Egger nodded politely and smiled, tolerant of a potential customer's eccentricities. While normalcy and centrism may be the goal for businesspeople like Cindy and Jim Thompson, it seems the preparedness lifestyle hasn't completely shaken loose its extremists and kooks.
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#1. To: Ada, greylmist (#0)
The market for preparedness supplies tracks to broader anxieties: some sensible, some not so much. And it's not just conspiracy theorists buying in. ...Life Changes, Be Ready! was the work of Cindy and Jim Thompson, who have been organizing real estate expos since 2004 -- "Back," Jim jokes sardonically, "when that was still profitable." But LCBR is as much a calling for them as it is business. Cindy, thin and blonde, and Jim, gray and fit, have been preppers themselves since the mid-1990s -- though they don't like that word. "We prefer 'sustainable living,'" Jim says. "Less consumption." Cindy was asked to speak about her lifestyle at a Tea Party event in 2012, and the response was so staggering that the two put together the first LCBR in a few weeks, ultimately attracting over 4,000 attendees. Almost all of their first batch of vendors returned the second time around, and with better planning, they were expecting much higher attendance numbers. Jim is emphatic about the mainstream audience he's catering to. "Our core audience is 40-75 years old. Eighty percent have college degrees. Twenty percent of those have advanced degrees," he said. He attributes his success in attracting a higher-end clientele to the educational bent of LCBR. "When you bring in a higher caliber of speaker, you attract a different group -- more disposable income, more moderate in their thinking. That [extreme] element of the preparation mindset, they still show up, they come in, but that's not what we're about." The event also has strict ground rules to produce a nonthreatening environment. "If you go to the speaking engagements, you won't hear any racist crap, you won't hear any discriminatory talk. We don't allow it." Jim is proud of what they've achieved in that regard: "I've seen homosexual couples walking around the show," he says. "Who am I to discriminate?" ,,,While normalcy and centrism may be the goal for businesspeople like Cindy and Jim Thompson, it seems the preparedness lifestyle hasn't completely shaken loose its extremists and kooks. I've never heard of "Jim and Cindy Thompson" or their LCBR conference but their snide remarks in this article reveals nothing but disdain for the suckers who waste money on their 'conference.' they failed in real etstate 'conferences' so found a new group of what they view as suckers to take money from. and as far as disavowing' 'conspiracy theorists', jim Thompson's wife changes the way they speak depending on who their audience is. from this link: OTG: How do you think most residents and vacationers at the popular getaway spot feel about being inside a Constitution-Free Zone – do you think they even realize? Cindy: Wake up Floridians! Do you realize that you live in what has been declared a Constitution-Free Zone (CFZ)? The whole Florida peninsula falls within what the DHS has declared a territory that has no constitutional rights. The current usurpation of the freedoms guaranteed by the US Constitution and Bill of Rights knows no bounds! The US border has always been an area where authorities, both local and federal, have exercised broad latitude in searching and questioning people moving into and out of the US. However, since 9/11 and the passing of the Patriot Act and the creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Bill of Rights has been trampled into the dirt. The Constitution Free Zone (CFZ) has been extended and molded into a constantly morphing set of assaults on the Fourth Amendment. This assault seems to know no bounds as the CFZ has been redefined by DHS to extend inward from all borders and coastlines approximately 100 miles. Just like any expansion of the Federal apparatchik, the DHS is using their constant mantra of “Keeping Us Safe From Terrorism” shtick to erode our God-given rights to freedom from unlawful, unconstitutional search and seizure. We must keep up pressure on our members of Congress to rein in this galloping juggernaut of the DHS in the name of border security. If you find yourself in the grips of an unlawful stop and detainment by authorities, my recommendation is to do the following: •Ask why you’re being stopped. •Ask if you are suspected of committing a crime. •If you are told you are a suspect, ask what crime and ask if you are under arrest. •If you are not a suspect, ask if you are free to go. •If asked for ID you can refuse if you have been told you are not suspected of committing a crime. Be polite but firm, treat the officer as you want to be treated. If the officer becomes belligerent, belittling or abusive, remind them of how you have treated them and ask for the same courtesy. •Always be polite and respectful of the officer’s authority "Even to the death fight for truth, and the LORD your God will battle for you". Sirach 4:28
Are you trying to ruin her next Fortune interview?
"If an angry bigot assumes this bountiful cause of Abolition, and comes to me with his last news from Barbados, why should I not say to him, 'Go love thy infant; love thy wood-chopper: be good-natured and modest; have that grace; and never varnish your hard, uncharitable ambition with this incredible tenderness for black folk a thousand miles off. Thy love afar is spite at home.'" :-) I strongly dislike phonies who pander to conspiriacists and then deride them the next moment. debra medina comes to mind. Debra Medina agrees that 9/11 truthers' beliefs are 'despicable' This article was featured on the Alex Jones show and caused a firestorm among Medina's supporters. Many of them, angered by her betrayal, publicly demanded refunds; her campaign went down the drain shortly thereafter. [http://libertyfight.com/ar chives/classics.html] "Even to the death fight for truth, and the LORD your God will battle for you". Sirach 4:28
Oh yeah, the lady who married a Mexican and was thereby estranged from her parents. Could've been worse I suppose, but her parents have my sympathy. "If an angry bigot assumes this bountiful cause of Abolition, and comes to me with his last news from Barbados, why should I not say to him, 'Go love thy infant; love thy wood-chopper: be good-natured and modest; have that grace; and never varnish your hard, uncharitable ambition with this incredible tenderness for black folk a thousand miles off. Thy love afar is spite at home.'" There it is, one last swipe at unorthodox/unconventional thought outside the neocon-zone.
#2. To: Artisan (#1)
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance
#3. To: Prefrontal Vortex (#2)
(Edited)
#4. To: Artisan (#3)
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance
#5. To: Ada (#0)
Still, it was impossible to completely ignore the presence of an element many would consider reactionary. Political and social initiatives represented at the show included the Polk County Libertarians and the admirable entrepreneurship mentoring program Patriot Mission, Inc. -- but also the marginal, conspiracy- minded John Birch Society. After a relatively measured primer on the threats of inflation, featured economist Dr. Kirk Elliot encouraged me to look into how the Rothschild and Rockefeller families continue to own the Federal Reserve -- a common canard among New World Order conspiracists of the Alex Jones stripe.
-Alex Kurtagic
#6. To: X-15 (#5)
There is another name for people like this couple: "Judas Goats". The facts are what the facts are not what every PsyOps label is placed on them. The term "conspiracy theorist" was invented to stop inquiry into areas the Bankster/Psych/Intelligence complex would rather not have examined. Criminals prefer darkness to having a little light shined on their activities.
"“Believe nothing merely because you have been told it. Do not believe what your teacher tells you merely out of respect for the teacher. But whatsoever, after due examination and analysis, you find to be kind, conducive to the good, the benefit, the welfare of all beings - that doctrine believe and cling to, and take it as your guide.” ~ Gautama Siddhartha — The Buddha
Any sufficiently advanced stupidity is indistinguishable from evil. ~ Unk (Paraphrase of Clarke's 3rd Law: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.")
#7. To: Ada, Artisan, All (#0) (Edited)
it seems the preparedness lifestyle hasn't completely shaken loose its extremists and kooks. This should be titled: "CNN-styled Eugenics by David Z. Morris" Some research re: David Z. Morris | sources: linkedin.com, facebook.com/Google cache and fortunebrainstormtech.files.wordpress.com Head Writer, ThinkTank I'm transitioning to applying my skills in a more engaged way - I'm really excited to be joining St. Petersburg's ThinkTank and SavvyCard to apply my communications skills to some exciting real-world problems. I help communicate the value proposition of SavvyCard's software in the context of big changes to the mobile internet, and even more generally, in the context of how people use media to relate to one another. Pangaea Project, Inc. The University of Texas at Austin Mass Media Enemy or Tool? with David Z. Morris | Facebook David Z. Morris, apparent Church of the Friendly Ghost Leftist, bemoaning the preparedness of those he dubs radical extremists and kooks. lol Edited the Quote section. Title: What I saw at the doomsday prepper convention
URL Source: http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2013/11/11/life-changes-be- ready/
Author: David Z. Morris Author: David Z. Morris
Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida Area
I volunteered with this nonprofit arts incubator in St. Petersburg's Warehouse Arts District to help them get the word out about what I thought was the most interesting arts initiative in the area at the time. I raised a couple thousand dollars for them through grants and fundraisers, helped a bit with navigating some government bureaucracy, and most important of all connected them with print media through some of the most compelling press releases ever written. By September of 2013, Pangaea's Venture Compound space was recognized as the Best New Venue in Tampa Bay by Creative Loafing, the local alternative weekly.
Activities and Societies: KVRX Radio, Church of the Friendly Ghost
Many radicals have a conflicted, even confused stance when it comes to the mass media. While corporate-owned media outlets are often dismissed as agents of distortion and propaganda, many radical actions (such as those associated with the RNC) [My note: RNC - Republican National Committee?] seem intended to attract the attention of these outlets. This discussion will ask whether fundamental social critiques can be mounted through the mass media.
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"They're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us...they can't get away this time." -- Col. Puller, USMC
#8. To: Artisan (#1)
Cindy: Wake up Floridians! Do you realize that you live in what has been declared a Constitution-Free Zone (CFZ)? The whole Florida peninsula falls within what the DHS has declared a territory that has no constitutional rights. The current usurpation of the freedoms guaranteed by the US Constitution and Bill of Rights knows no bounds! The US border has always been an area where authorities, both local and federal, have exercised broad latitude in searching and questioning people moving into and out of the US. However, since 9/11 and the passing of the Patriot Act and the creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Bill of Rights has been trampled into the dirt. The Constitution Free Zone (CFZ) has been extended and molded into a constantly morphing set of assaults on the Fourth Amendment. This assault seems to know no bounds as the CFZ has been redefined by DHS to extend inward from all borders and coastlines approximately 100 miles. Just like any expansion of the Federal apparatchik, the DHS is using their constant mantra of “Keeping Us Safe From Terrorism” shtick to erode our God-given rights to freedom from unlawful, unconstitutional search and seizure. We must keep up pressure on our members of Congress to rein in this galloping juggernaut of the DHS in the name of border security. I agree that border extensions 100 miles inward are a Federal over-reach but I'm also not in favor of an open borders policy. OTG: How do you think most residents and vacationers at the popular getaway spot feel about being inside a Constitution-Free Zone – do you think they even realize?
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"They're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us...they can't get away this time." -- Col. Puller, USMC
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