[ExI] note from a foaf in japan

[spike]

>... On Behalf Of Eugen Leitl
...
> 
>> Spoken in apparently ignorance of how small Japanese homes are.  Not a
lot of space there.

>Apart from doomers, and strange cults, I doubt anyone has more than a
couple days worth of food in the larder anywhere in the western world...

What do we call the doomers and strange cultists in those Japanese cities
which were hit, those who now have sufficient provisions for themselves and
perhaps enough to save the asses of their careless non-crazy neighbors?  Are
these cultists still called doomers?  Are they now respectfully called
well-fed cults?  Are they forward-looking cults?  Or would they be scorned
as right-for-all-the-wrong-reasons cults?

The day before that tsunami hit, some bearded kook somewhere in Japan was
likely carrying a sign warning "The End is tomorrow."  

Those who predict doom are wrong every day until doomsday.  At that time
they are right enough to more than compensate for all the previous error.

Perhaps some of those stockpiling strange cults are suddenly enjoying a new
and unaccustomed level of respect and friendliness from starving and thirsty
neighbors.

>...Apropos stockpiling: how many of you heat with firewood? Eugen* Leitl

My folks do up on the ranch.  I don't down here in the big city.

Regarding stockpiles of food, I estimate the average to be more like two
weeks, but much of the food would be not what we ordinarily think of as
food: cold canned soup for instance, all the canned vegetables, pasta soaked
a long time in cold water until it is chewable.  The boxed cereal.  All the
meat in the freezer can be safely devoured raw once it thaws.  One could
live a while on that stuff, depending on how one defines "live."  All that
background food will look much more attractive after the fourth day.  There
is a few gallons of clean water in the tanks of the toilets, depending on
how one defines "clean."  It will look a lot cleaner by the second day.  

spike