It took the entire day to do the podcast, and I'm afraid it might have been overcome by events from Boston. I'll decide tomorrow whether I'm going to let it ride or not. It took so long because somehow I managed to pull a muscle in my...groin...and it hurts big time. Whine...cry...bitch...I'm pathetic. The thought of clearing the driveway is hellish...hellish, I tell you!
I did a lime-based margarita with Corazon Blanco...very...limey...good, but limey...for Margarita Monday. I tried to watch a new sic-fi series on SyFy, but it bored me in the first 10 minutes. I ordered some stuff from Blue Force Gear.
I'll spend my snowed-in tomorrow writing script for GUN STORIES. The Internet is coming and going, and I figure the power will go out tonight. Might get lucky, but heavy spring snow is a bear on power lines. Tomorrow might be an instant coffee morning, boiling water on the non-electric stove. If the electricity holds up, I'm going to do a run of .44 Russian with Trail Boss powder in the perhaps vain hope of doing another cowboy match this weekend, when it's supposed to be 60 degrees (and mud up to my butt). After a quick survey of the gun room all I have are the superb LaserCast 240-gr RNFP, which I've used forever in .44 Magnum medium range loads, so that'll have to be it for the Russians.
BTW, I got a wonderful note from my friend Hamilton Bowen after I bemoaned the fact that, after taxes, my custom gun repository was sadly depleted...maybe a .50 Special Redhawk (similar to the .50 AE above) isn't completely out of reach!!!
You mean that you do not have a back up generator, really?
ReplyDeleteI live in an East Coast city (the oldest inland city in America, by the way) and I've got one. Can't imagine anyone in today's world living in a rural area and not having a back up generator.
Ursa Ele,
ReplyDeleteA back-up generator? Seriously? What kind of "Prep'-er" needs a back-up generator?
A "secret bunker" will need to be an "off-the-grid" and self sufficient place to survive in. Gasoline, diesel, propane, and natural gas will be in limited, or finite supply. Plans should include non-electric devices. A kerosene refrigerator will go a looooong time on a gallon of fuel. They have electronic device chargers now that use twigs, or a candle as a source of energy. That way, your "comm's" are ensured. REI has them.
For an interesting place to visit on the web (AND even more interesting to go there!), look at "www.lehmans.com". Lehman's, bills themselves as the worlds largest non-tech' superstore. If you want non-electric living, check 'en out. They're in Kidron, Ohio.
; )
Life Member
Belt and suspenders.
ReplyDeleteBackup generator w/stored fuel pre-apocalypse, off-grid old-school post-apocalypse.
RSR
That's totally fair...the new improved Secret Hidden Bunker, which will be totally off-grid, will have not one, but 2 generators — the primary fixed-mount duel fuel and a smaller diesel back-up back-up, so to speak.
ReplyDeleteHere at the bunker we have separate redundant heat, light and cooking options, as well as chargers for iPads that link to the Internet off 3G, although our experience when the grid goes down up here it gets the cell towers as well. Often the phone lines will stay up, so we saved an older laptop that has a...what did we used to call those things?...a dial-up modem.
The longest we have gone without power is 7 days, and other than the fact we had to snowshoe into town when the beer ran out it was no big deal.
mb
.50 special sounds interesting, please tell more.
ReplyDeletetho I'm not in colorado thanks for keeping all informed about what was happening and who was behind it. especially who was behind it.
Marc-Wi
It's likely the cell towers have minimal power backup, so if the power grid goes down, they do too.
ReplyDeleteYou can get dialtone on old-school copper phone lines because the power is supplied by the central office. Licensing regs for that service specify uptime guarantees. That means massive battery bank *and* motor-generator set at the Telco central office. As long as they have onsite staff and occasional fuel delivery, they'll stay operational. Robust mid 1900's technology.
Cell service will also degrade in a major emergency. The demand will quickly outstrip capacity. Public safety officials have official agreements with the cell providers to switch to alternate mode, where only public-safety cell tels will have access to the cell network, everyone else is offline for voice. Text will normally still be permitted (lower capacity demand). Good reason to be rehearsed and equipped for texting. John Farnam has mentioned this material before.
Ask anyone who has gone thru a big hurricane.
RSR
Yeah, ya got me!
ReplyDeleteFull disclosure: I too have 2 generators. One small (3500w) and one larger (6500w). Both are portable gasoline fueled units. The larger one can handle the central heating unit, well, refrigerator and deep-freeze; plus lights and radio/TV. The small one is good for low demand and back-up use. Both units interface with the house through a transfer switch and individual circuit breakers, for safety. If it wasn't for the heating and refrigeration requirement, I could actually load-shed to zero (0) requirement. We live in a wooded rural area and I often cook outdoors using a plentiful wood supply, regardless of the availability of power.
A dual powered deep-well pump arrangement is next on the list. That will allow hand pumping instead of using the electric pump.
I'm working on other modifications for when the fuels gone.
Remember: "Be Prepared".
Life Member