Memories Of Reading

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, which include moving to the SW, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

Good Morning! It’s raining here, which means the discomfort of yesterday has turned into misery today, but that’s okay as I’m here to feel it. Another reminder to push harder to create the circumstances where I can move.

This morning also brought up a couple of interesting things I thought I would share, regarding the aftermath of getting hit by lightning. Let me preface by saying yet again, I am blessed. I am alive, and the issues I have are truly minor compared to others. That said, they are my issues and therefore of import to me.

Over on Twitter, Christopher DiNote tagged myself and others in a post asking if we knew that J.R.R. Tolkien read and admired certain authors. I was flattered to be in the company cited, and reached for my memories of the topic — and nothing. I remember that he was well read, and vaguely remember that I had been a bit surprised at some, but that’s it. What’s worse, I realized that my memories of reading both some of his works and some of the other authors cited is gone.

Well, maybe not gone, as the wonderful people at RHI tell me they are still in there, but the brain just doesn’t know where they are right now. The best analogy I have for it, still, is that if you think of my memory as a room full of filing cabinets, I’ve had somebody come in, go to some of the cabinets at random, pull a drawer or two at random from each, dump them on the floor, then cut on an industrial fan. There’s probably a better digital analogy out there using directory files, but… The brain doesn’t know where things are located now.

Sometimes, when exploring topics, things pop up and the brain goes Ah Ha! For example, in the Nuclear series John Donovan and I were talking about the Norwegian heavy water raid, and I was pulling a blank on both a book and a movie. Being a wise and kind man, John actually worked with me to spark some of that, and I got a bit of memory back. Thank you John! BTW, the movie is Heroes of Telemark (though I could have sworn it was Richard Widmark instead of Kirk Douglas), and the book was The Winter Fortress. Both recommended.

Other times, well, those sort of bite. You really do hope for that spark, that connection, and a restoration. Especially when it comes to things I’ve read. I honestly don’t know how many books I’ve read, other than a lot. From something done before the lightning strike, back about ten or so years ago, there was an estimate that it was in excess of two thousand books. Then again, my personal library used to have about that many books in it, though I donated my aerospace library to Purdue University Special Collections when I thought I was headed to Afghanistan. Still have a few hundred other books left, mostly in storage alas.

For a while after the strike and then the open-heart surgery, I read some new books and had an interesting experience. When I re-read them (no money for new books as a general rule), I didn’t remember significant chunks of them. It was almost as if I was reading them again for the first time. Disconcerting, but at the same time I decided to view it as fun and a totally new read without having to spend more money.

The thing that got me this morning, though, was realizing that I don’t remember some of the Tolkien stories mentioned, and I don’t remember some of the other authors he read. The names sort-of ring a bell, and I have the strangest feeling that I know them, but I can’t remember them or their writing. I think I’m going to have to see what I can find online from them to read to see if it pops a memory back into place. If not, I’m going to enjoy reading some “new” Tolkien stories and maybe find some others to enjoy as well. Create some new good memories if you will. Definitely would love to get and read the book by Dr. Ordway he mentions.

Unrelated, but interesting (at least to me) is experiencing a phenomena I’d read about but never expected to experience first hand. The upper half of my hearing in my right ear is gone. The nerves for those upper frequencies are dead and gone. As I’ve said before, it’s one of the more interesting things to deal with as it changes how things sound, as well as being able to triangulate in on the source of a sound.

Recently, listening to some music from my youth, I discovered that when I wore headphones and it was a tune to which I had truly listened (or at least heard multiple times), the brain appeared to be trying to “fill in” that missing sound. Interesting, and enjoyable as not being able to hear those frequencies has dimmed my enjoyment in listening to music a bit.

However, I also discovered that the brain is apparently trying to do it more often than I realized. There have been several times recently when I thought I heard a radio or the television on low upstairs. They were not on. In stopping and concentrating, I realized that the brain was taking elements of white noise, such as the rotating column fan in my room, and adding to them as if they were more complex sounds. We see and hear because of extrapolation by our brain, and in this case it was extrapolating from those base sounds something more that wasn’t really there. Interesting, and once I figured it out I could tune it out.

Probably not something you were interested in, or was a bit much to share, but a fun ramble for me on a dreary day. More soon.

Preparedness Pays: Draft Chapter 5A

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, which include moving to the SW, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

NOTE: This is a (very) rough draft

Harm Comes In Many Forms

Originally, I had thought to title this chapter Physical Harm so I could do a pun off Fiscal Harm in a later chapter. However, that really doesn’t work as in addition to physical harm, there can also be mental and spiritual harm to individuals in the course of a disaster. Sound preparedness demands that you be prepared for all types of harm.

Before you start going off on all the things that can happen, remember that it doesn’t have to be complicated unless you make it that way. Yes, the potential numbers of disasters, or injuries, is almost infinite. So, don’t focus on infinity, but on the three types of injury: everyday, trauma, mental/spiritual. There, three things, not infinity. Now, let’s start breaking this down a bit so you can plan effectively for you and your situation.

Everyday life has its moments and its wounds, or at least boo-boos. There are the scraped knees, twisted ankles, sprained fingers, the tears — heck with kids, that can be me on a good day. Growing up, I had family, friends, and acquaintances who could have formed their own clan, with a motto of “Hey Ya’ll, Watch This!” Your humble author, of course, never did anything like that. [Editor’s Note: Bullshit].

One way to look at it is that everyday injuries are the things you can deal with on your own that don’t require a trip to the doctor or emergency room. They are the things you know how to handle because you parents or others took care of them for you when you were growing up. They are the things for which you can take some basic first aid courses and feel confident in handling.

A basic, or expanded basic, first aid kit gives you all you need to handle such injuries. Bandages, ointment, wound cleaning, eye-flush, basic tools, a few other supplies, and you are good to go. Add in some things to keep around the house like rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, cold- and hot-compresses, and some other items, and you truly can handle the everyday injuries that come with life.

Trauma, on the other hand, requires a bit more training and preparation. Traumatic injuries can be defined for planning purposes as any injury that requires treatment by a doctor, emergency room, or hospital. The first aid kits for trauma are going to be a bit different, as they should include things like tourniquets, clotting bandages, pressure bandages, and other items for dealing with severe injuries. An Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) is an example of a trauma-level first aid item.

Why prepare for trauma? Like everyday injuries, trauma can strike at any time. When I was driving long distances extensively a few years ago, I carried a trauma kit with me because accidents happen, and on rural interstates and roads the first responders might be minutes or more away. Bleeding out won’t wait for the EMTs and others to arrive. Right now, an intersection near where I live sees a lot of wrecks, so both my neighbor and I keep a kit at the ready despite medics being close by. When trauma strikes, seconds often count.

You don’t need an earthquake, tornado, or nuclear war to get trauma. It’s going to hit all around you every day. Accidents, crime, and more generate trauma and if it doesn’t hit you, you may be the one who can make the difference between life and death by taking action before the first responders can even think about getting to the scene. That’s some additional food for thought to factor into your planning.

Finally, there is mental and spiritual damage for which you need to be prepared. Yes, a tornado, earthquake, or nuclear war are going to have an impact on you. So will being first on the scene of an accident and doing what you can for those involved. Or trying to comfort someone when they are injured or are watching the medics work on a loved one. Even dealing with some extensive everyday injuries to a child can hit you (and the child). It’s only smart to plan for it now, while you can do so.

Now is where things can get a little complex. You have the basics, now we need to factor in the length of the disaster. Remember, for planning purposes a minor disaster will last minutes up to a week. A moderate disaster will last a week up to a month. A major disaster is a month or longer. The longer a disaster lasts, the more you have to be prepared to do on your own.

In a minor disaster, your ability to contact or reach medical assistance may not be impacted at all, or be something that results in a delay of minutes. If it moves towards being a week or more, there are increasingly good odds that your contact with, or ability to reach, medical assistance can be delayed or lost. If you are in a moderate to major disaster, you should consider that you may have little to no outside medical help for an unknown period of time.

So, what does this mean for your planning? Here are a few thoughts.

First, get all the training you can and if you know people already trained, start thinking about adding them to your plans despite the first rule. The more training you and those around you have, the better. There are any number of options for courses, from paid to free, so see what is available near you that you can work into your schedule. Things like basic first aid, use of an AED, CPR, and even advanced first aid are all a good place to start. Do you need to become a certified EMT? Maybe. Maybe not. As always, you have to figure out what works for you and your situation, and develop your plan accordingly.

Second, learn about the “Good Samaritan” laws in your state, and if you are going to travel out-of-state, in those states too. Sadly, in this day and age, CYA is needed. You also need to think about how much you would be willing or able to do in the face of a moderate- to major-disaster. The sad fact is, however, that in a moderate- to major-disaster, with the loss of access to medical assistance, there are going to be times that nothing can be done. Accept and prepare for that as well.

Third, plan your kits according to your needs. For example, in my opinion, many so-called basic kits I’ve bought in the past have had a number of items that were not really useful. I set them aside, and added in things that I have found to actually be useful. For example, adding moleskin and similar was a good idea for hikes and such. Getting rid of cheap tools and replacing them with better is a great idea. While there are many options, I’ve found some great deals on paramedic scissors, surgical scissors, and other tools at flea markets and even gun shows. Are they your super-high-end name brand tools? No, but they can be sterilized and they work. From hemostats to various exam tools, think about what you might need if not able to access medical assistance for some time and plan to address those needs.

Along those lines, look at possible trauma needs. There are a number of excellent pre-done trauma kits, from ones that easily can fit on a belt or in a car door pocket, to larger kits intended for medics. If you can afford it, allow me to suggest that having small kits in each vehicle, purse, or bag is a very good idea. When we talk about bugout bags later, sticking a good basic kit and a larger trauma kit in each is also a very good idea. Having that large bag in the house is also a good thing.

Fourth, start thinking about your mental and spiritual needs as well. For the longer term, what are the things that may bring you peace or comfort? Some may call it pampering, but you will need some things to bring you comfort and aid, so get them in place now. In the shorter term, you will find that in many cases if you are in an accident or you help those who are in such, the first responders may offer you access to a chaplain or other counselor. Don’t be stupid, take them up on it. It may be that you should consider a course on dealing with trauma and stress, as it may be you having to comfort others as well as yourself.

Going back to something I said earlier, yes, the first rule of Preparedness Club is that there is no preparedness club. The less people know of your preparations, the better and safer for you and yours. That said, this is one of the times where you need to start thinking about expanding your circle of friends.

The fact is, there is strength in numbers. Having others you can count on will lessen the impact of any disaster. The thing is, you need to have absolute trust in those people and that they understand the first rule. If they do and happen to have combat lifesaver training, well, that’s a good thing. If you know someone who is a surgical tech, nurse, EMT, or other, and they fit the bill, sound them out and work them into your plans. Even if they are not interested, but are willing to help you develop your plans and kits, that’s a win.

The longer the disaster, the greater the need for others you can count upon. Trained medical assistance is one of the most pressing of those needs. Just a thought to keep in mind as you plan.

Now, as a thought to consider in your plans: what other resources can you or should you get? One such is written material on first aid or more. When I say written, I like to keep paper copies around but if you can find something where you can get both print and an electronic copy, all the better. Put the e-copy on your phone, computer, flash drive that’s in your bugout bag, and anywhere else you can. The more ways to access it, the better. Meantime, you have that print copy you can access even when the power is out.

Back more years ago that I want to think about, I had a book Being Your Own Wilderness Doctor. Back in those days, when dinosaurs still walked the Earth, there were no cell phones, satellite phones, or other options for instant communications. If you were doing extensive hiking and camping, you could find yourself days away from civilization. That particular book guided you through the steps to put yourself or a companion back together enough for you to survive to get help. There are still resources like that, and I do strongly suggest you look for them and add them to your planning.

Now, a thought to consider as you are looking at what resources you need for this area of planning. The longer the emergency, the greater the need for resources. It is never a bad idea to keep OTC nausea, anti-diarrhea, and pain killers on hand. If you believe that a moderate- to major-disaster looms, from war to something everyone but the politicians see coming, stock up on all the OTC medications you can. As much of as many different types as possible. Again, just a thought but one you need to factor into your plans at the start.

Congratulations! You now have the basic blocks to start planning for how to handle harm to you and others in the event of an emergency. If you stick with those blocks, it makes planning a much more simple process and you are less likely to miss something important.

The book as it goes:

Preparedness Pays: Draft Introduction

Preparedness Pays: Draft Chapter 1A

Preparedness Pays: Draft Chapter 2A

Preparedness Pays: Draft Chapter 3A

Preparedness Pays: Draft Chapter 4A

For Some, A Scary Question

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, which include moving to the SW, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

A thought to share this morning. Yesterday looked at some strange goings on here and in Russia, and then looked at what that could mean if they were organized and coordinated activities. It is a scary thought that either or both are such, as it implies some interesting things.

Want to know what is even scarier? What if one or both are not organized and coordinated events? What if the fires are spontaneous acts by people who disagree with what is happening, and decide to act on their own? That would tend to say interesting things about the bandwidth of members of the Russian public who are not happy, are willing to act, and who feel they have no other means to express their displeasure.

Are any of you old enough to remember back in the latter days of the Soviet Union when the workers had enough, and began being deliberately sloppy in their work? If I remember correctly, it wasn’t so much an organized event but rather people having enough and deciding to go John Galt in an interesting way. Again, if I remember correctly, which I can’t swear to, it brought at least some token changes even as it fully cemented the idea of ‘As long as they pretend to pay me, then I will pretend to work.’

Even if my memory is off, and it may well be given the lightning hit, there still is a very valid question here. What is more scary? The idea that the Ukrainians have the bandwidth to do such a campaign across Russia, or that enough people disagree with the government that they are willing to take these actions on a spontaneous basis? If the latter, it suggests there is a very fertile field for others to plant in…

Bandwidth

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, which include moving to the SW, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

This morning’s post reminds me of some of the discussion in these posts, and that many are missing the real lesson of the Russia-Ukraine war: it’s the bandwidth stupid. That’s also the key to what appears to be going on in the U.S. and in Russia. In both cases, the bandwidth in terms of intelligence resources and the ability to transmit data and information is both broad and deep.

To do what appears may be happening requires several things, including competent leadership and planning. Let’s take a quick run down at what it takes to do coordinated, widely-distributed, sabotage and asymmetrical warfare.

I’m not going to sit here and play agent/operative word games that are the hallmark of the amateur. It’s bullshit to start with, as the fact is what you need are assets. Assets most likely are going to be a mix of your people (covert or even overt), locals, and others who may or may not be local per se but are resources you can use at need. Fact is, the best assets are often those who don’t realize they are an asset.

Just look at how the Soviet Union manipulated environmental and other groups not all that long ago. Masters at doing things at one or two removes, and even at pointing the finger elsewhere so that some of those being manipulated thought they were working for were someone else. The CCP is reported to be not shabby at that as well. Would we do something like that? Why, heaven’s forfend you dare make such a suggestion! *innocent blink*

The various do-good groups (environmental, justice, climate, etc.) would still appear to be easy targets of manipulation, IMO. You can do the same with ultra-nationalists of all stripes, but it’s a bit harder to put things at several removes. With the first set, the support may come from such a group in another country with strong backers, who are in turn being backed by an international group, who is funded by various NGOs and others, who in turn are being funded and controlled by yet others. NGOs are wonderful ways to isolate things, FYI.

Purely hypothetically, let’s say Inga believes passionately in her do-good cause. Bit of a natural leader, she gets selected for extra training, then participation in conferences and other leadership exercises that reinforce her beliefs, solidifies them, and expands on her natural leadership capabilities. Ingrid, on the other hand, is just as passionate as Inga but is less innocent, and it is clear she understands that peace and light may not be all that’s needed. She gets selected for other training, and then recommends a few others who also realize that sweetness and light may not be enough. Using local resources, they obtain and stockpile items that are not sweet, shall we say, that are available for those like them who have had the special training, or even by those who come in later and avoid all association with the group (it’s called deniability folks).

Other members of the group gather information related to the cause, from who’s building what and where to possible proposed legislation related to the do-good cause. All of this gets passed up the chain, where Inga and Ingrid both hear it and pass it along — up different chains. Light and dark. All hypothetical of course.

Technical means can tell you a great deal; but, to really know what’s going on, where the opportunities for psychological or other pushes are located, and other people-centric things are, you have to have HUMINT. I’ve discussed this a bit before here, here, here, here, and here. There’s more, but the fact is tech isn’t going to tell you how often Ivan sneaks out for a smoke at the ammo dump, or that Olga might be willing to drop an object where she works that (she thinks) promotes a good cause, or that John is happy to take photos of the nasty potentially polluting transformers at the power substation so that it can be used in a presentation on the evils of same before some legislators. Tech’s also not going to have Ingrid’s friends who will go do such things, and more, knowing what they are doing.

Why am I getting into this like this? If you are going to do a coordinated (even if the participants don’t realize it’s such) campaign, you have to have the human bandwidth in place. It’s why those facing the prospect of occupation need to be developing overt and covert networks NOW, not after the fact. If indeed the transformer attacks and mysterious fires in Russia are indeed planned and coordinated attacks it implies that some potentially significant HUMINT networks are in operation.

Now, let’s look at the second level of bandwidth: data and communications. Yes, you can pull a lot of information on things out via Open Source Intelligence (OSINT), but it can leave fingerprints if you are not careful. Between OSINT and your HUMINT operations in the areas of interest, you still have to get the data and local analysis back to headquarters. In the past, this was very dicey as radio transmissions were highly monitored and an unregistered broadcast could be quickly triangulated with nasty results in many countries. Getting print messages was and is very dangerous as well, even using dead drops. Even using computers to send files where information was hidden in photos, or even a period to a sentence, could be blocked or intercepted. E-messages have had to travel over local networks, allowing the chance for interception or monitoring.

There are ways to work around all that, even having to use local and other networks. However, imagine if you will using a system that allows you to contact a satellite directly, on a fairly narrow/tight signal. Your signal then bounces to another satellite, and maybe another, and then down (possibly even directly) to your intended contact. You have a greatly reduced chance of detection and interception, and if you use encryption (commercially available even) and/or code, much less chance someone can understand what you are saying.

Keep in mind that code doesn’t have to be gibberish. This post could be a code that when deciphered gives you the current stock of the wine cellar at St. Elmo’s and recommendations of what to try first. Pity it can’t create the money to go try those recommendations….

Welcome to modern satellite internet. Your system could consist of as little as a cell phone, but even a larger unit is just a small dish and a large modem. Not necessarily that hard to hide. Using care and tradecraft, a lot of information can be exchanged, and for better or for worse, extensive conversations with headquarters or other control are possible.

ASIDE: Yes, I am a bit of a cynic, and tend to think extensive communications with HQ or control are not for the best. On several levels. In fact, I’m reminded of a line from a Keith Laumer book that went along the lines of ‘Bomb Headquarters? No sir, I was suggesting we bomb the enemy, but now that you mention it…’

In this case, you have the intel coming in, analysis of it all, and then further instructions going back out. Possibly in several exchanges since you can enhance and refine with greatly reduced chance of detection. Then, orders go out to local or other assets that tell them what to do, where to get items needed, and how they are to proceed, and possibly even exfiltrate at need. At the end of which, transformers are attacked, the noisemaker dropped by Olga is instead a small but powerful incendiary device, and Ivan finds something extra in the air when he lights up.

The third and final bit of bandwidth is the command and control bandwidth. You need competent people getting, analyzing, and responding to the data. You need people who can and will think outside the box. Who can and will plan effectively, so as not to burn any assets without need. Who can create plans that also give the assets in control at the far end room to maneuver and improvise as needed (and there are never enough of that type, ever). If what we are seeing here and in Russia is indeed “enemy action” it implies a surprising amount of C&C bandwidth.

Hopefully, some good food for thought. I leave a final question for you, my readers, and for any intel or senior leadership that reads this:

If indeed the attacks on the transformers are a message, has anyone considered that they may be a mirror of the attacks on the power grid in the Ukraine?

UPDATE: A scary question, for some…

Very Interesting

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, which include moving to the SW, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

Attacks on power substations, mysterious fires, oh my. Back in this series of posts on resisting an occupation, some of the very things that seem to be happening were discussed.

Here in the U.S., there have been a series of attacks against power substations. While there has been very limited coverage, pretty much all of it has focused on individual attacks and with very little context of the areas involved. This morning, thanks to Stephen Fleming, I was introduced to Joshua Steinman who has put a lot of pieces together and presented it as some interesting food for thought.

Domestic, foreign, or other, don’t expect corporate media to fall all over themselves to provide context or put any pieces together. Particularly if it is domestic or domestic acting for foreign. Also, keep in mind the reports over the last few years about outside support and training for various groups here in the U.S.

The point about any messages not getting through is spot on, as if there is anyone who is putting the pieces together, I am about willing to guarantee no one is listening to them. They are that character in fiction that can’t get the brass to listen, and after they are proven right they are sacked for having dared to be right. Yes, it really happens. Also, keep in mind that when it comes to the demented meat puppet and the corrupt Regency, there is no one home there to get a message.

At the same time, Russia seems to be having a lot of fires these days. Word is that one of them wasn’t a mall, but in a tire plant that makes tires for the military. Hmmmmmm. There have been some other incidents too, and the truly eyebrow-raising part of it is that all of these things are happening all over Russia, from the Far East to the Moscow area. As Arte used to say on Laugh In, Verrrrrrryyyyyyy Interesting.

Meantime, if you need some entertainment, the meltdowns on and about Twitter are a constant source. Some of it is truly hilarious. Some of it, frankly, is disgusting. I wish I were surprised at corporate media attacking survivors of sexual abuse and trafficking simply because they and Elon are working to get that crap off Twitter (unlike previous management, some of whom… ).

Personally, I’m sort of glad to see so many showing where they stand. Good to know, and frankly I don’t care if they are supporting child (and adult) sexual abuse and trafficking because they hate Elon and the return of (fairly) free speech or if they were involved in such things. In either case, they are coming out in support of child sexual abuse and exploitation and there is no difference between those who support and those who act. Both deserve contempt and more. Make lists, folks, make lists.

Meantime, keep your eyes open and on a swivel, prepare, and know where to find your things in the dark at need. More soon.

UPDATE: You should read this follow-on post as well while you are here. Thanks!

UPDATE II: A scary question, at least for some…

Preparedness Pays: Draft Chapter 4A

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, which include moving to the SW, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

NOTE: This is a (very) rough draft

Planning For Power

The final resource you need to be thinking about as you work up your preparedness plan is power. This modern world requires it, as we live by our cell phones, computers, internet, cable, and other amenities of modern life. Without power, we can lose a significant portion of our daily tools, from that cell phone to the stove.

Even if you have gas appliances, there are good odds they won’t work with the power out. As noted earlier, it’s a “safety” feature to prevent gas leaks and fires. The fact that it also deprives you of the use of an otherwise fully functional appliance in an emergency has most likely never crossed the bureaucratic minds behind the “safety” feature.

So, let’s take a few minutes to think about what can be done to ensure we have at least some power in any emergency. As always, start small then work up from there.

For individual phones and such, you can get solar chargers and hand-crank chargers. The emergency radio I own has a crank for recharging both its batteries and anything plugged into the USB ports. I know some people who swear by a particular solar charger that they use when camping, on river trips, and other outdoor activities. These are useful for all emergencies and give you some long-term options.

Also, don’t forget the next step up: Exercycles that generate power. Yes, the old standby is out there in the form of a stationary bike and generator. For moderate- and major-disasters, they are well worth considering.

We’ve already talked batteries, but let’s consider something larger. Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) are an option and you can find some good deals on them. They are great for your computers and other electronics and pairing them with a good surge protector can save you a lot of time, money, and headaches.

A good surge protector is one that comes with a warranty that covers up to $XXXX of value of the item or items plugged into it. When I lived down South we frequently got surges from lightning. One time, it was enough to overwhelm the surge protector and take out the television. Contacted the company, got the certification of the lightning damage they needed, sent them the ears and tail of the surge protector, and they bought me a new television.

When I say Preparedness Pays, I’m talking things like this. Without the surge protector, things could have been much worse, since a fire is not out of the realm of possibility with a surge that large. Instead of damage, loss, and a major expense, it was a minor expense (postage, little fuel, new surge protector) and a small amount of inconvenience. There’s a reason everything electrical I own is plugged into a surge protector.

UPSs and battery backups come in all sizes. It’s also not just your electronics that may need protecting. If you have a sump pump in your basement, it’s a good idea to have a battery backup for it so that a power failure doesn’t turn into a flooded basement. Same if you have a well, that pump needs a backup too.

While the big box home supply stores may have them, don’t forget as you are planning and thinking to check out places like Tractor Supply Company, Rural King, or your local equivalents. Not only may you get a better price, but you may find that the staff there have dealt with this issue before and can be a good knowledge resource.

Now, about those appliances that brick when the power is off. You might want to check with the appliance manufacturer or seller about what level of power is needed to keep them running in an emergency. It can be more than you think, though in the case of a particular stove I never did get a good reason on why it drew so much power initially.

Should you put refrigerators and freezers on backups? That is up to you. It is an option, and some will argue a very good option.

Now, let’s talk wind and solar. They are options, though I consider them partial options. That said, you may find various programs that will defray or cover the cost of adding those options to your home, and potentially increase it’s value.

That said, both are partial options because they are intermittent. Day/night. Winds are calm. You get the picture. They are not going to provide steady-state power over the course of a day, a month, or a year.

Now, something that you may or may not get told when talking to companies about adding their solar/wind/other to your home is that there are two basic options for dealing with the steady-state issue. The first is simple, set things up so that when you are generating power and not using it, that it goes into the system (and you should get paid for it). When you need power, you pull it from the grid like normal. The second is to install a fairly good size battery bank to store power for the times you aren’t generating/generating enough. You may still have to pull from the grid on occasion, but you can reduce that amount.

The last time I looked into such, it was a very expensive proposition. That was before I factored in having to build a shed to house the storage batteries as I was not willing to put them inside my home at that time. There are risks to that option you would need to explore thoroughly and include your insurance agent in those explorations and discussions. The tech is supposedly getting better, but you would be surprised to find that from local codes to insurance policies, things are still built around tech that is 20-50 years old.

There are also generators as an option. A small one can keep the essentials like a refrigerator and a couple of lights, running. A moderate sized wheeled generator can run most of your house. A large generator will run your house.

When looking at this option, there are a few things to keep in mind. The first is, what is essential for you and your situation? For example, in the rural house the essentials were: gas stove, refrigerator, freezer, gas furnace, a few lights, sump pump, and power for the computer. That covered the essentials we’ve been talking about in the previous chapters.

Based on this, I figured my electrical load, looked at being able to do a few nice things (washing machine and dryer for example) via rotation (take power from one area and put it to another), and then decided to get a mid-sized generator that was on wheels. Then I installed the power run and lockouts into the main breaker box, and was good to go.

Yes, unless you are one, you will also need to plan to hire an electrician to set up the power feed into your home. Most utilities require a power feed with lockouts so that during a power failure you are not accidentally putting power into the grid. Because if you do that, you can injure or kill the nice people working to restore the power. Don’t do that.

Now, before you start to plan, here a few things you will also want to consider. First, any generator is going to need a secure spot outside the house for operation. Note the word secure. Doesn’t matter how big or how small, you need to be sure that generator doesn’t walk off. In emergencies, they have a distressing tendency to grow feet and wander off. Securing it needs to be part of your plan.

Second, you need to think about noise. In a minor emergency, you might not have to worry about it too much. But, it is worth the extra money to invest in a quiet generator, and yes, some are much quieter than others. The other part of the reason is not about disturbing you or the neighbors, it’s that in moderate to major emergencies that sound is going to be a beacon that can draw unwanted attention to you. Potentially, very ill-intentioned attention as you have power that they want, and if you have that, what else might you have? There are good reasons for the first rule of Preparedness Club: there is no preparedness club.

Third, in line with that, whatever options you choose you will also want to plan on being discrete about lights, heat, and such. If your house is a blazing beacon of light in an otherwise dark area, well, the ill-intentioned will come. As will most of your relatives. So, as part of your plan, you may want to think about upgrading to blackout curtains and other steps to reduce what can be seen or heard. Again, look at it as a way to improve where you live.

Finally, as you plan, keep in mind that you don’t have to provide constant power. Let’s face it, it is nice and we are used to it. That said, to keep things going like the refrigerator and freezer, you may only need to provide power part of the time. Run them twice a day and not constantly. Saving fuel and other power resources is a good thing, especially if you aren’t sure how long the disaster will last.

Congratulations. You now have a basic framework to use in planning for individual resource preparedness. Next, let’s look at harm that can happen to an individual and start thinking about how to plan for that.

The book as it goes:

Preparedness Pays: Draft Introduction

Preparedness Pays: Draft Chapter 1A

Preparedness Pays: Draft Chapter 2A

Preparedness Pays: Draft Chapter 3A

Drunk Vladimir

Actually, I suspect that he is drinking on top of medication, but… Check out this interesting video from Dmitri on Twitter (who does some excellent work BTW).

Notice the typical, well they did it first excuse. Remember, Russia is never at fault and never did anything to deserve being attacked, maligned, etc. It’s the thing that has me keeping an eye on events given yet more recent nuclear saber rattling in the guise of talking about how they won’t be first but also won’t be second.

I agree with the ISW that there is no current sign that they are contemplating the use of nuclear weapons, and that the talk is just that. As I noted the other day, if it is true they have removed nuclear warheads from ALCMs to use them with conventional warheads against Ukraine it is a huge story. No confirmation yet, but am looking into it. Meantime, we do know they have a shortage of precision weapons. Modern war uses up supplies at rates well above beancounter plans, as in ten months of war has used up years-worth of MANPADs, Javelins, etc.

More as it develops

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, which include moving to the SW, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

Battery Brands

A discussion with Beege on Twitter sparked the idea for this post. As always, I am not sponsored nor do I get anything from any company mentioned here. If you are a company and interested in such, do drop me a line. Anywho, since we talked batteries in the last chapter of the book, some food for thought.

When buying batteries, do a bit of research first. The ads you see aren’t always a good reflection of reality. For example, years ago Duracell had a great reputation and there were a number of first responders and emergency medical people who would only use Duracell batteries. Then, I noticed the quality slipping, and there were reliability and longevity issues. In short, I and a number of others quit using Duracell as we were getting better performance at a much better price out of others.

I’ve tried a number of batteries over the years, and right now I’m using Ray-O-Vac as I’m getting good performance for a very good price thanks to some sales at a certain home improvement store. Beege swears by Energizer, and I’ve had good luck with them myself. I’ve had mixed results out of a house-brand for a major sporting good chain, but if the rubber has to hit the road, I want the best.

I’m actually thinking of doing a comparison test between Energizer and Ray-O-Vac similar to the one that sparked the conversation on Twitter. New batteries, fair test, and see what happens. What say you?

Oh, I will add that when it comes to my Streamlight products, I am using the regular and rechargeable Streamlight batteries. Those are items where I’m not willing to risk anything else.

Remember, there is no one magic list nor is there one magic product for each need. Do your research, test, and find what works best for you.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, which include moving to the SW, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

Preparedness Pays: Draft Chapter 3A

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, which include moving to the SW, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

NOTE: This is a (very) rough draft

Expanding Your Resources

Alright, now that you have started thinking about food and water, let’s expand things a bit. The next resources to think about are light, the ability to cook or heat your food, and heating.

I really do think that if you could do a study, the lights (power) going out is probably the most common “disaster” we face on a regular basis. It is probably the most frustrating thing, because just as the water goes out right when you’ve soaped up, the lights always go out as you are doing something important. For a number of reasons, I want to focus right now just on light and we will tackle the larger issue of power later.

There are a number of options available to you. Just to name a few: flashlights, battery-powered mountable LED lights, camping lanterns (electric and gas fuel), candles, oil lamps, and chemical lights/glow sticks. There not being that one magical list of items that works for everyone in every situation, you need to decide what mix of items works for you.

For example, candles and oil lamps can be part of your decor. The latter are not just the old-fashioned kind, but newer ones that are very modern looking. With practical preparedness the idea is to have the items do more than one thing. It’s like Alton Brown’s rule on kitchen items: most kitchen items need to be useful for several things. Your choices for preparedness should do the same. While there are a few things that only have one use, most of what you get for preparedness should pull double or triple duty. Even if that duty is to be decorative.

Another bit of food for thought is that whatever you get, get spares and if batteries are used get spare batteries too. If you have a flashlight on a shelf at the top of the stairs, put spare batteries with it. Because if you go down into the dark basement without a light because the batteries are dead, you frankly deserve to have the monster get you, or find out the sewage is backed up the hard way. It’s about as bright as standing artistically in front of the archery targets in one of those teen camp slasher porn movies. So, unless you want the monster to get you, don’t do that.

A further bite of food for thought: it’s not a bad idea to have emergency lighting that can be used in a hazardous environment. There are any number of things that can cause gas pipes to rupture, fuel to spill, or otherwise create an environment where not only is the smoking lamp out, you don’t want cheap electronics or other items generating sparks. While you can spend as much as you want to on hazard-rated lights, you might be surprised at how many of the newer (and inexpensive) flashlights are actually sealed. Look around at what’s available, think about it, then choose wisely.

Back when I had a house in a more rural location, every room had a small plastic storage bin that contained scissors, utility knife, tape, tacks, brads, hammer, tarp, flashlight, chem light, spare batteries, and a small first aid kit. The idea being I had light and a means of covering holes/busted windows, and taking care of boo-boos at hand no matter what. If gas was an issue, I could use the chem light instead of the flashlight at need. Also, for long-term light, the chem light was the better choice.

Which gets to an important point in thinking about what mix works best for you: duration. Give yourself as many options as you can. Church pillars are designed to burn for hours, so used judiciously they can last for weeks at need. There are candle lanterns that use long-lasting candles (as well as bug repellent candles). My favorite brand of lights has an option of a USB rechargeable battery that I can even recharge using the hand crank on the emergency radio. Bit more on that when we talk power, but look at all the options open to you to make your light mix last.

Also, as you work up your plan, be thinking about where to put what type of light. Where practical, you may want to put a mirror up nearby to help bounce the light (or reflect sunlight further inside). In an emergency, when the lights go out, I’ve been known to put aluminum foil up on the wall behind candles and omni-directional lights to put as much light as possible out into the room.

Now, let’s look at using the light that comes out of your plan to do something extremely important: cook and heat your food and drink. Vehicles hit power poles and take down lines. Construction crews dig into gas lines. Things happen. I don’t know about you, but I’m not giving up my coffee or food because someone else did something stupid.

Again, there are a number of options. The portable butane chef stoves you see at a lot of brunches, or events where cooking is being done on the spot, used to be relatively inexpensive though I hear that’s changing. Keep in mind butane does not work in cold weather. There are a number of propane or liquid-fuel small camping stoves available. Better yet, there are even multi-burner propane stoves and ovens that can handle large scale cooking. Grills make an excellent option as well. Got a fireplace? Guess what, it’s can be fun to cook over a fire.

Find a mix that works for you while giving you both flexibility and durability. By durability I don’t just mean the product lasting, but the ability to get fuel for it even in an emergency. For example, a good charcoal grill can also handle wood, which is likely to be available no matter what (even if you have to go cut it). Having more than one type of fuel is also a good thing for your ability to handle moderate to major disasters.

To help with your planning, allow me to share a real-life experience that may help. Where I’m currently living, we experienced a power failure which took out the lights and stove. My bedroom and bathroom are in the basement. I needed to get to work. So, I broke out the camping lanterns and used one to light my room, one to light the common area of the basement, and one to light the bathroom (yes, I already have hooks in place to hang them at need).

I put up two in the kitchen, pulled out a propane camping stove and set it up on top of the regular stove. I cooked breakfast, cleaned up, got my shower (water was still going) using the remaining hot water in the water heater (note: a number of gas appliances will not run if the electricity is off, “safety” feature). As I did all this, I turned off lights when not needed and otherwise minimized my resource usage.

Net result, I had my regular breakfast and coffee, and had no issues making it to work on time. For all that I might be a bit of a coffee head, one of the reasons I use a French Press to make my coffee is that I’m not dependent on electricity to make it. For all that I like the taste better anyway, it doesn’t matter if the water is heated on a stove or over a fire as I huddle in the ruins of civilization, you just need hot water. And coffee, of course. If I did engage in preparedness, you can be sure I would have some tucked away. Cough. Remember the first rule of preparedness club…

The last truly crucial element for survival, and the start of surviving in style, is heating. Cooling, while I do love my air conditioning, is not essential. Even in most temperate zones, having heating comes in handy in an emergency, especially if you are wet or cleaning up after flooding. In large swaths of the world, heating is essential so that you don’t freeze to death in the winter.

Again, there are options for you to explore. Do you have a fireplace? The option to add a wood stove? Portable indoor-use kerosene and propane heaters are available at most home supply stores. They may also be useful for keeping water warm or hot, or even doing some light cooking over them. The key is going to be the ability to store fuel for them so that you can use them as needed in a moderate or major disaster.

Just be sure that what you are looking at are rated for indoor use. There are a number of heaters that are not, and require extra ventilation if they can be used inside at all. You don’t want to freeze, but you also don’t want to either burn up or die of carbon monoxide poisoning. If battery-powered smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are not already a part of your life, make them part of you preparedness planning. They are essential now, and critical in the aftermath of a disaster.

I would also highly recommend good cold weather clothing be a part of your preparedness planning. Fuel shortages, regulations, and other delights can impact anywhere, and even if you are prepared you need to consider wearing extra clothing to cut down on use of your preparedness resources. Get extra blankets and throws now as well, as there may be a run on them in the not too distant future.

Guess what? You now have the basics in place to develop a plan that will provide you water, food, light, the ability to cook, and the ability to heat in the face of disaster. In other words, you have the basics of survival at your fingertips. Now, in the next chapter, let’s look at adding some other resources to your planning mix to take that up to surviving in style.

The book as it goes:

Preparedness Pays: Draft Introduction

Preparedness Pays: Draft Chapter 1A

Preparedness Pays: Draft Chapter 2A