Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Pond Boss Well the Harvey poo just hit the fan in Dallas!

I wonder how many folks shared this whole gas shortage thing on every social media site they frequent, as soon as they read it themselves? Maybe this thread right here on PB contributed to the nonsense...never know who's reading.

Yes. I was just watching the evening news and they had a story about that.

And like others, we are making a hurricane Harvey donation. I just can't begin to imagine the level of destruction and misery.

The area hit so hard in WV last year, lost so many homes and jobs, that the area lost many families who had nothing to return to. My guess is that will happen in SE Texas.

Spent all week at the farm....no fuel shortages there.

Got back to town and went to Valero nearby and there was no waiting line. They only had diesel and no gas......oh and no supper either.

Tbar....when i just left work it appears to be mostly over.

Gas stations are not empty, but certainly no more long lines at the ones I passed by.

This week has been a bit of an eye-opener and reminder how fragile the reality we become accustomed to really is.

And how much our very actions help create that reality.

Sparky...i'll admit true intent is hard to guage on the internet, but it is now twice...one punch! I ignored that...followed by another punch...that you appear to be "blaming me" for being a part of the cause of a panic here in Dallas by posting in Pond Boss what I see with my own eyes on the streets of Dallas and also see on the national news....logically that borders on insanity...but think whatever you want because I frankly don't give a damn what you think about me.

I reminded the wife tonight just how fragile our "just in time delivery" society is now....particularly in commodities like food & fuel. Most Americans only have ~ 3 days of meals on hand.

Not you Zep, its just the times we live in. It only makes me wonder what happened first, the news stories or the propaganda. Most never stop to think just how freaking quick social media moves, and the tremendous negative impact it can have on our society. It's fascinating. I'm sorry if you feel like I'm singling you out, that was not my intent. It's widespread as Cat mentioned, and most never see it.

Not anyone on here by any means, but if someone posts something on the internet for the purpose of causing a public panic, that act should fit some definition of terrorism.

Many Texans have written to Amazon in praise of this product: WaterBOB Emergency Drinking Water Storage (100 Gallons).

Apparently it is a liner for bathtub that you fill with water. Keeps it good up to 12 weeks, unlike just a day or two in the unlined bathtub.

Nice to have 100 gallons of clean drinking & washing water if water shuts down or gets contaminated. Cost is very cheap compared to buying scarce bottled water at stores after the disaster.

Considering that Irma is fired up and another system may be developing in the southwest Gulf, this is cheap insurance.

I predict there will be a time when something like this will come to pass. Maybe even be an involuntary clause to distinguish between willful and unintentional damages caused by furthering panic. It's sad, because on one hand we should be able to read and then research for ourselves whether or not such internet or media claims have merit, but we don't. Instead we somehow have begun believing, and even worse, passing along everything that shows up on "our" page.

Zep, please note I'm not singling you out here, it's just that this thread is a perfect example of what I'm trying to say.
In the space of 24 hours it's gone from what was portrayed as going to be bad, to being mostly all over. Right there shows that there was very little actual substance to a gas shortage, it was mostly created by panic driven posters, not implying you were one, who propagated whatever came their way. In effect, the news covered what the "news" created.

Had there been no "news", there would've been no, or at worse very limited, shortages.

Tony, I didn't see the panic driven posters this time. There was nothing on the news that would create panic buying. It just started overnight. Probably from people who wanted to avoid paying the inevitable 20 to 30 cents more per gallon when they hear the news that 5 to 10% of refineries are having to shut down. Once again, the price has increased without a shortage. Credit opportunism for this one. As of today there is plenty of gas with a higher price. Like they said in the movie The Godfather when they whacked somebody "It's just business.".

I understand Dave. Do you reckon that there would've been any rush to buy gas had the news not broadcast the information that 5-10% of the refineries had shut down? And once that started, it just snowballed? Word must've traveled somehow?

I'm not trying to argue Dave, I've just decided that as a society, we no longer run anything out to its conclusion. If we would just keep digging back, we would probably find that someone, somewhere, is to blame. But we don't hold anyone accountable anymore. It's easier to sweep it under the rug, dismiss the inquiry, delete the post, lock down the thread. Just not politically correct to pin blame and reach a conclusion. That would mean that someone was wrong somewhere, and we can't have that.

End of rant, sorry for the disruption. Hoping to fish this weekend, I wish yourself and the other members a safe and enjoyable holiday.

Thanks anthropic.

I hope your suggestion won't be taken as "panic driven"...lol....but I will check it out.

My water approach has been the "Life Straw".

Life Straw

Life Straw Bottle

I have the pond at the property and a pool in the city and assume those water sources combined with "Life Straws" would be enough, but like you say the WaterBOB is "cheap insurance" and cleaner water. I do keep about 10 cases of bottled water also that I rotate in/out on a regular basis. I wonder what the shelf life is of a typical case of bottled water?

I have ~ a million gallons in the front pond and one of these.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGiU08vjoew

I agree. It is in the public interest for news that might cause mass panic to be suppressed in certain situations. That's the way it was in the early parts of WW2, and that control helped the USA get through it. If you don't have any control over the situation, IMO you don't have a need to know.

Nice Tbar...I actually bought my first Berkey Bottle a few months ago....but this "Big Berkey" with 4 filters looks like a great option.

I think a well with an old fashioned hand pump would be hard to beat. Not visible to prying eyes, no electricity needed, maybe stay clean (pure?) A little longer than a surface pond?

We can respectfully, but strongly "agree to disagree" on this.

To do this you have to pass martial law (war) or change the U S Constitution. I don't think the public will go for those. It is more likely that people will become more and more cynical of the press/internet/etc. No person in there right mind should trust anyone/gov/media/etc. with the power to control what we read/hear/say.

True...but i can't put a well at my house...HOA would go bonkers. And unfortutately at the property...not good. I have consulted with two well companies and both said i am in a relatively narrow strip where they seldom have any luck with wells. They said they could try but it could get pricey and may not be successful. So pond, creek, and stored water will have to suffice.

In that case I agree. We must do the best with what we have.

And favorite quote of mine from the first "Men In Black" movie, where Will Smith's character is faced with the realization that we are not alone in the universe. Tommy Lee Jones's character justifies the reasoning thusly:

Smith: "so why all the secrecy? People are smart they can handle it"

Jones: a person is smart, people are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals and you know it"

For me that just about sums it up. I don't want the govt controlling the media, I want people to understand that there are very good reasons for secrecy. Do we really need to know everything, every moment of everyday? And why do we feel, as a species not an individual, that we need to share and pass along everything that comes to us without considering if it's appropriate or not?

A person is smart. People are an explosive looking for an incendiary. Social media and the internet, for all it benefits us, is also a fine source of ignition. Maybe the first thing we see when we log on is a warning...."Danger, please use responsibly"

Then we wouldn't have to ask whether or not the govt. Should step in to protect us from ourselves.

Just to be clear, I'm not aiming at anyone here. As I stated earlier, this thread simply gives me cause to ponder.

I can accept that just fine, Zep. No offense to anyone intended. There are some things I don't even care to know, when there's nothing I can do about the situation. Just the way I live my life. Sometimes information is too much information for me personally.

We can still have a good time discussing our ponds.

A neighbor who is retired stopped by the house a couple of days ago on his way home from filling multiple gas cans. He informed me of a new widespread Leftist women's movement which is attempting to do away with Father's Day. I'm assuming he probably learned of this 'War On Father's Day' from his FakeBook page, because he doesn't have cable TV...... lol