13 Comments

Nice format.

It is often pointed to in shipping that Radar came out of the war effort. Therefore war is good?

I happen to have faith that human ingenuity would have figured out the value of detecting range and bearing of an object sooner or later. Shipping technology has now stagnated in many ways, with most innovation coming from the private sectors of superyachts and yacht racing.

Regarding the history of money and currency. You missed out Whisky, of Whisky Rebellion fame. Also, barter has never been proven to be used as currency, and it is believed debt (I'll help fix your roof, if you help fix mine next winter, etc) is the original currency. It differs from modern debt and fiat currency in that the debt isnincurred voluntarily, and is locally controlled, not anonymously centrally controlled, and involuntarily increased across generations.

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Sep 24, 2022Liked by John Wheatley

I like these lil tid bits, could always refer to it as the Monthly Musings.

I’d quite like to start recording or writing but I struggle with committing to an idea.

Always good to read more of your work.

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Sep 24, 2022Liked by John Wheatley

A few centuries ago, in Europe, a lot of technological developments took place because most countries were afraid of being 'swallowed up' by larger, naighbouring countries. There was a constant threat of an invasion, or a war. [England, as an island, was pretty save. Natural watery borders and all that.]

Not every country focused on developing weapons, there were also those who tried to strengthen their position through agriculture and trading, so they could count on other countries they were on friendly terms with to keep them save.

So that's what I'm basing my own post-apocalyptic plan on.

I am good at canning food. I know how to prepare everything, and the different temperatures and times the jars need to be kept in a waterbath to be able to keep them good tasting, and to store them for at least a year. Probably a lot longer. So if people will give me food to can, I will keep a few jars from every batch for myself.

Making fermented products like kimchi and miso [although the miso might prove difficult after a while since I need to buy the spores online] are also no problem, and I'm learning to make mead at this moment. And I am able to skin animals and prepare said skins. Selling or trading those products seems worthwhile to me.

So I am pretty sure I don't need to provide "other services" to keep myself fed and warm when push comes to shove.

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As someone who has been working on her own Substack and has way too many fiction ideas to realistically get them all posted let alone in a somewhat regular schedule... could I perhaps steal this concept? I guess technically it’s fair use and you couldn’t stop me anyway but I’d rather be polite about it!

I loved all of these thoughts, and I don’t know which I’d want to have in depth (though the war and technology and cigarettes and currency especially fascinated me!) I voted censorship and literature since that’s where my own pseudo-career is and one of my hills to die on. Lol

I’m hyped for the next New Orion by the way! Don’t wanna rush but it’s such a good series!!!

All the best to you!

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