Prepper Tv: Revolution premier Monday (vanity)

NBC ^ | 9-15-12 | lulu16

[lulu16]

It's been a long time since the great series Jericho, dealt with the topic of a SHTF situation and the lights are out all over the United States again. This one is years after an inexplicable EMP-type of event, and the story picks up when a young arrow-wielding heroine, takes a trek to Chicago,(inexplicably) of all place. Who's gonna watch tomorrow night 9/10C? And what survival book are you reading right now. I am reading the ebook The Prepper Road Compendium. Right now our hero, who has been trucking down the road in style in an old tractor, is going to be spending the night lying in a hammock by a lake and luring trout with rancid freezer food. What are you reading?

[lulu16]

The book influenced me to travel to Malaysia, because that is where the characters met, during WWII, on a hard march to the concentration camps. Wonderful hero, reminded me of the first Catholic reading today in Mass, did not complain about the maltreatment he received. Very brave.

[cripplecreek]

Nevil Shute was way ahead of his time in some respect like his condemnation of socialism.

The Far Country is a novel by Nevil Shute, first published in 1952.

In this novel, Shute has some harsh things to say about the new (British) National Health Service, as well as the socialist Labour government, themes he would later develop more fully in In the Wet. He describes the lot of the 'New Australians'; refugees who are required to work for two years where they are placed, in return for free passage to Australia.

The story takes place partly in London and partly in Australia. It is set in 1950. Jennifer Morton, a young girl from Leicester but living in London, witnesses the death of her grandmother, the widow of a retired Indian civil servant. Her pension has ceased and she has literally starved to death, despite apparent prosperity.

[familyop]

"I would be interested to hear your take on what type of 'prepping' to do."

There are many ways to save on energy, food and other things. Just about anything of necessity can be produced in small shops.

"Are you saying the type of prepping that may be more important is just to learn to scale back and get by on much less, rather than trying to store up to survive a total society breakdown?"

There are many ways to be comfortable without paying big utility bills, and even without requiring use of public utilities. Year-to-year food production and storage is possible in most areas for cutting costs. Vehicles, for example, can be maintained well enough to be useable for decades. Much can be done with hand tools.

"In other words, the odds of just living in a much poorer America are actually pretty good compared to the odds of a total breakdown of all our society and infrastructure?"

In my opinion, yes. But let's go ahead and consider a scenario of being attacked with an EMP burst.

Mobility would cease: very few vehicles operable, no fuel, no parts for months. People would be forced to work all day in place in efforts to survive. And I don't see hordes of obese, couch-potato "marauders" lacking in technical abilities and behavioral competence able to organize with each other or get very far.

Most of our contemporaries can't even stand the thought of being punched in the face--much less any real event of being under fire (not like the stories running through their Walter Mitty minds).

They could do the civil unrest boogie, if they wanted to badly enough. But they wouldn't get very far...for many reasons. Most people who've been trained to be more likely to survive much excitement tend to enjoy peace and quiet. Honesty and humility are also prerequisites to strategic competence, real courage and certain second-nature abilities (practiced hundreds or thousands of times).

So even with the "EMP" scenario, we'd be stuck with more humble and inglorious suffering and boring, everyday labor to survive, than we could imagine in our spoiled rotten, post-Baby-Boom brains. Our more productive "trading partners" would eventually come to our rescue with the electronic essentials for our toys...that is, unless the whole world were somehow EMP-ed at once.

[familyop]

"I just dehydrated celery, tomatoes, mushrooms, carrots, and frozen corn and peas yesterday. I have gardening fantasies too, but in our heat, and lack of water, only an earthbox produces around here."

Well done! We can always do more. Search the Net. Set aside a little time for ideas. One former naval commander advised privately to me, that we should pay close attention to physical interactions all around us--little things we haven't paid much attention to before.

An idea, design and build could eventually turn into a business, if the world doesn't end. If it did end, oh, well. Then we wouldn't be doing anything or worrying about anything anyway. ;-)

[Sherman Logan]

I only saw Jericho a couple of times.

I do remember wondering where they were getting the fuel for the vehicles they were driving all over the place.

Most American towns would be out of fuel within days of such an event.

[lulu16]

So nice of you to encourage me. I wish you the best in your endevours too, to find that undiscovered niche. Keep us posted to what you've noticed, to what has become; I'll cheer you on!

I have a special place in my heart for naval commanders. I remember them being very admirable and real leaders.

[lulu16]

I encourage you to watch the entire series. They were able to withstand the atomic fallout by burying themselves in their salt mine, which later was useful as a barter commodity. Their water supply was fresh, because it was underground, and I think was even why the town was founded. As for the gas, except for exploratory trips to see what else was left of the US, they kept pretty close to their deer stands and blockades.
But you are right, they did take a lot of license. What really bugged my husband was that they women's hair always looked freshly shampooed and styled. He expected them dirty and ashen, like Charlize Theron in “The Road” or Sweet November not CT in The Austronaut’s Wife.

[lulu16]

Just read my hubby my post. He reminded me that they did run out of fuel. But, a farmer had stored fuel for his farms, so they were saved. That farmer did a lot of good for that town, like grow food.
By the by, it was suppose to be Kansas, but it was awfully hilly and very brown. Looked like the location ranches around my old home in Santa Clarita CA.

[ConjunctionJunction]

“If you want a great one, try Earth Abides. Can’t stop thinking about that book. A meteor strike hits, and it’s told from what happens in the LA basin. I could relate.”

That sounds like Lucifer’s Hammer. Good book, although I could have done without the first third of it.

[lulu16]

You are right! It does start slow. But the description of LA being destroyed and his journey to escape to the ranch was riveting. Do you have another suggestion for a book that is that good? Thanks!

[ConjunctionJunction]

Yes, I really liked it once the meteor hit and the aftermath. I just think that he spent too much time on what happened before that. It could have been more condensed, IMO.

Have you read “One Second After” by William Forstchen? That was pretty good. It reminded me somewhat of Lucifer’s Hammer - although the cause of the disaster was different.

[lulu16]

That book made me so sad. I immediately stored dog food in two galvanized steel garbage cans ( new). I tried to read it aloud to my husband years ago. It was our routine. I would go to Mass, and after a nice lunch, I would read, because he is too busy to do recreational reading. But I am eventually faltered. The last month, I signed with my library to get their audio version—but they have not bought it yet. It is a very important story. I lent it immediately to two of my male neighbors ( they like male adventure stories) as a subtle way of getting them to prepare.
If you want another good book, try Lights Out. The first 100 pages was also a chore, but he is a very good story teller. Jakarta Pandemic was also a very fast read, as an ebook. That's how I want to spend bugging in: lots of food, a solar panel, and a husband who is military trained.

[ConjunctionJunction]

I have heard Lights Out is a good read. I’ll have to add it to my reading list.

[ConjunctionJunction]

I forgot to ask you, did you watch Revolution and what did you think? I’m interested enough to watch more, although I’m wondering what could possibly cause a power outage all around the world. And what are they using to get around it to use their computers?

[ConjunctionJunction]

I accidentally pinged this to myself. So, let me try again:

I forgot to ask you, did you watch Revolution and what did you think? I’m interested enough to watch more, although I’m wondering what could possibly cause a power outage all around the world. And what are they using to get around it to use their computers?

[lulu16]

I thought they missed an opportunity. For preppers, I thought the most worthwhile scene was when the parents told the little girl to savor her ice-cream, and were sad that her life would not know frozen delight anymore. But then, when the first place they walk into in Chi-town, just happens to have her long lost uncle behind the bar, he is dispensing drinks, with what else-—was that ice?
The mystery of why the lights went out, and having to rescue the asthmatic brother, because he is somehow the key to the intentions of the evil militia, was not set up in any compelling way. And I suspect, the reasons will be as preposterous as the fight sequences.
It made me miss the outstanding, and riveting sci-fi series The Event, which I promptly set aside time for last night to watch on Hulu.
However, I think I will start another post on Monday to get a round up of other people's views. And I will watch it, probably as a mild distraction as I wash the evening dishes.
What do you predict?

[lulu16]

And what are they using to get around it to use their computers?
There were some people who knew something was going to happen, like the father, the uncle and his friend in the car, who later turns out to be the head of the bad-guys. I suspect the Math teacher, was more like a war game Math teachers, and kept a satellite computer shielded or something.

[ConjunctionJunction]

I don’t think the brother is all the important by himself. I think he’s just leverage to get the uncle.

I miss The Event, too. :(

I would think that they are going to go in search of others who might be able to help. As good a fighter as the uncle is supposed to be, it’s only her, her father’s girlfriend(?), the former Google guy, and the uncle against an army.

[ConjunctionJunction]

“And what are they using to get around it to use their computers?
There were some people who knew something was going to happen, like the father, the uncle and his friend in the car, who later turns out to be the head of the bad-guys. I suspect the Math teacher, was more like a war game Math teachers, and kept a satellite computer shielded or something.”

Good question. I’ve been wondering if they are planning some type of supernatural direction to explain the complete loss of power? What’s so important about the alien-looking lockets? Who was the math teacher talking to?

[lulu16]

I also thought that it out an outer-space directed phenomenon. with good aliens and bad aliens, with collaboration with certain earthlings. I hope it is not going to be as stale as the first V.

Speaking of The Event. What did you think about the last thing the president's wife said, when the space craft appeared:”we're home.” Gosh, I wish they finished up that series. It was so involving!