Monthly Archives: August 2004

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Hmm..you know, having a tall, flat, oil-rig type platform in the backyard would make an absolutely bitchin’ place for a wind-turbine generator…..

Captain Trips

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Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

Interesting little News McNugget: Feds plan for next superflu
An interesting read. Let me hit the highlights:

WASHINGTON – The United States may have to close schools, restrict travel and ration scarce medications if a powerful new flu strain spurs a worldwide outbreak, according to federal plans for the next pandemic, obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press.

The federal plans have been long-awaited by flu specialists, who say it’s only a matter of time before the next pandemic strikes and the nation is woefully unprepared.

There have been three flu pandemics in the last century, the worst in 1918, when more than half a million Americans and 20 million people worldwide died.

Concern is rising that the next pandemic could be triggered by the recurring bird flu in Asia, if it mutates in a way that lets it spread easily among people.

Millions of sick patients could swarm doctors’ offices and hospitals, says the plan, which stresses that states and hospitals must figure out now how they would free up hospital beds and perform triage.

There could also be an economic and social wallop from disruption of transportation, commerce, even routine public safety, warns the plan, to be released Thursday by the Health and Human Services Department.

Depending on where a pandemic begins and how virulent it seems, the first protections probably will include travel restrictions, schools closures, restrictions on public gatherings and even quarantines to limit the spread of infection, Gerberding said.
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My grandmothers sister died in the big flu epidemic of 1918.

But, my point…

So the feds are planning on how to isolate and quarnatine folks, shuffle resources and personnel, etc. Interesting. Heres the conspiracy theory part – these are the exact same precautions you would take if it werent bird flu but, say, some sort of bio-weapon. Could it be possible that the feds are actually planning a scenarion not about the flu but rather about a bioweapon release? And they cover their preperations with the flu angle to keep from alarming the populace? If they issued directives to hospitals and other organizations about how to run quarantines and isolations because of the release of some germ warfare contaminant we’d have all sortsa uproar…so they cover it by saying its about the flu.

Or, it may be that they are actually concerned about the flu. But even if thats so, if someone like me can see the parallel use of this plan then you can bet someone in Washington is saying ‘hey, lets add a few other goodies to this plan so we can use it as a model for a germ attack’.

Captain Trips

Posted on by

Interesting little News McNugget: Feds plan for next superflu
An interesting read. Let me hit the highlights:

WASHINGTON – The United States may have to close schools, restrict travel and ration scarce medications if a powerful new flu strain spurs a worldwide outbreak, according to federal plans for the next pandemic, obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press.

The federal plans have been long-awaited by flu specialists, who say it’s only a matter of time before the next pandemic strikes and the nation is woefully unprepared.

There have been three flu pandemics in the last century, the worst in 1918, when more than half a million Americans and 20 million people worldwide died.

Concern is rising that the next pandemic could be triggered by the recurring bird flu in Asia, if it mutates in a way that lets it spread easily among people.

Millions of sick patients could swarm doctors’ offices and hospitals, says the plan, which stresses that states and hospitals must figure out now how they would free up hospital beds and perform triage.

There could also be an economic and social wallop from disruption of transportation, commerce, even routine public safety, warns the plan, to be released Thursday by the Health and Human Services Department.

Depending on where a pandemic begins and how virulent it seems, the first protections probably will include travel restrictions, schools closures, restrictions on public gatherings and even quarantines to limit the spread of infection, Gerberding said.
=========
My grandmothers sister died in the big flu epidemic of 1918.

But, my point…

So the feds are planning on how to isolate and quarnatine folks, shuffle resources and personnel, etc. Interesting. Heres the conspiracy theory part – these are the exact same precautions you would take if it werent bird flu but, say, some sort of bio-weapon. Could it be possible that the feds are actually planning a scenarion not about the flu but rather about a bioweapon release? And they cover their preperations with the flu angle to keep from alarming the populace? If they issued directives to hospitals and other organizations about how to run quarantines and isolations because of the release of some germ warfare contaminant we’d have all sortsa uproar…so they cover it by saying its about the flu.

Or, it may be that they are actually concerned about the flu. But even if thats so, if someone like me can see the parallel use of this plan then you can bet someone in Washington is saying ‘hey, lets add a few other goodies to this plan so we can use it as a model for a germ attack’.

Ruger .308, Carhart field jacket, ban expiration, energy

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Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

Mmmmph…buddy of mine just showed up with a used Ruger .308 ‘law enforcement’ model. The ugly part of this is that Ive really been wanting a tactical .308 boltgun. The really, really ugly part is that the shop he picked it up at had *two*. [grumble]
I dunno. I think Im going to hold out for the Savage for a couple of reasons…for one, I really think their AccuTrigger is the way to go. I also like the fact you can rebarrel the gun yourself without any special tools other than a wrench and a go-guage. Also nice, I could remove the barrel, send it off to have threads cut on it, and then have an M1A or Vortex style flash supressor put on.
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Had a visitor last week staying for a few days. It was nice because there arent alot of people you can talk about bunkers, bugout plans and alternative energy without sounding like a freak. Also, he brought some #10 cans of goodies and that sort of thing is always a welcome gift.
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The Sportsmans Guide milsurp catalog has, believe it or not, Carhart-brand military parkas made for a Dutch military contract. A Carhart field jacket..how utterly cool would that be? Fifty bucks and I think Im gonna have to get one.
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I am still confident Something Big will happen when the Republican convention in NY is underway.
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The local alternative-energy store has moved locations to a store only a few blocks from where I work. I may need to swing by there and see what they have. My ideal is to have a small panel on the roof to keep a couple deep-cycle batteries charged at all times. Not a huge battery array, mind you…just something small enough to run communications gear and some emergency LED lighting. (And LED lighting is cheap, cheap, cheap in terms of energy consumption.)
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Assault weapons ban expires in a few weeks. If not renewed my list of things to get, in this order:
Glock mags
Browning mags
AR mags
10/22 mags
AK mags

Although I shoot the Glock 19, I want the Glock 17 mags since they’ll work in the 17,19 and 26 and they’ll work in the Kelt-Tec folding carbine that I very much want.

As far as guns go, Ive pretty much got everything I want although I might swap out some fixed stocks for telescoping/folding ones on my AR and 10/22
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Picked up a 15-gallon ‘blue barrel’ yesterday to augment my stored water supplies. I try to usually use only 5-6 gallon containers since they are much more man-portable (water = 8#/gallon, or 35#/cubic foot [or is it 32#?]) but for a static location the 15-gallon would be a little more conveninet. Also, the barrels themselves can also be used to store dry goods like corn, wheat, rice, etc.

Posted on by

Mmmmph…buddy of mine just showed up with a used Ruger .308 ‘law enforcement’ model. The ugly part of this is that Ive really been wanting a tactical .308 boltgun. The really, really ugly part is that the shop he picked it up at had *two*. [grumble]
I dunno. I think Im going to hold out for the Savage for a couple of reasons…for one, I really think their AccuTrigger is the way to go. I also like the fact you can rebarrel the gun yourself without any special tools other than a wrench and a go-guage. Also nice, I could remove the barrel, send it off to have threads cut on it, and then have an M1A or Vortex style flash supressor put on.
=====
Had a visitor last week staying for a few days. It was nice because there arent alot of people you can talk about bunkers, bugout plans and alternative energy without sounding like a freak. Also, he brought some #10 cans of goodies and that sort of thing is always a welcome gift.
=====
The Sportsmans Guide milsurp catalog has, believe it or not, Carhart-brand military parkas made for a Dutch military contract. A Carhart field jacket..how utterly cool would that be? Fifty bucks and I think Im gonna have to get one.             
=====
I am still confident Something Big will happen when the Republican convention in NY is underway.
=====
The local alternative-energy store has moved locations to a store only a few blocks from where I work. I may need to swing by there and see what they have. My ideal is to have a small panel on the roof to keep a couple deep-cycle batteries charged at all times. Not a huge battery array, mind you…just something small enough to run communications gear and some emergency LED lighting. (And LED lighting is cheap, cheap, cheap in terms of energy consumption.)
=====
Assault weapons ban expires in a few weeks. If not renewed my list of things to get, in this order:
Glock mags
Browning mags
AR mags
10/22 mags
AK mags

Although I shoot the Glock 19, I want the Glock 17 mags since they’ll work in the 17,19 and 26 and they’ll work in the Kelt-Tec folding carbine that I very much want.

As far as guns go, Ive pretty much got everything I want although I might swap out some fixed stocks for telescoping/folding ones on my AR and 10/22
=====
Picked up a 15-gallon ‘blue barrel’ yesterday to augment my stored water supplies. I try to usually use only 5-6 gallon containers since they are much more man-portable (water = 8#/gallon, or 35#/cubic foot [or is it 32#?]) but for a static location the 15-gallon would be a little more conveninet. Also, the barrels themselves can also be used to store dry goods like corn, wheat, rice, etc.                 

Hurricane musings

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Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

I see that folks in Florida are going to have the chance to either:
a) be glad they live a Zero lifestyle
or
b) wish to hell they had

Im always somewhat fascinated when the news shows people standing on lines for ice (whcih, I guess, is very important in the south) and bottled water. I dont get it..a hurricane doesnt just appear magically you usually have at least a couple days warning. Dont these people ever pause and consider that perhaps some bottled water and flashlights might not be a bad thing to have around when you live in an area that gets hurricanes?
————–
Over on misc.survivalism some nutjob has a very complicated zodiological chart that he swears shows that theres going to be a nuclear event during the Republican convention. While I may (opr may not) agree there’ll be a nuclear event Im pretty confident it wont be because planets are lining up in a particular order. This is only slightly less absurd then the people that use biblical prophecy.
————–
The Commander’s garden (which really isnt the Commander’s garden as much as it is the Commander and his girlfriends garden) is coming along pretty well. Its very inpsiring. I am looking forward to canning tomatoes in a few weeks. There is something absurdly smug about going into my fenced yard and pulling food out of the ground…completely independent from the rest of the world.

Next year will be more tomatoes, onions, peppers, possibly corn, carrots, maybe celery, and whatever else can grow in this clime. I’m reading “Square Foot Gardening” which is directed at small-space growing and its very interesting.
———–
And finally…
From the St. Petersburg times: (http://www.sptimes.com/2004/08/13/Weather/Residents_prepare_for.shtml)

Other bay area residents planned to stay put in their homes in evacuation zones.

At the BP station on Fourth Street near 62nd Avenue N in St. Petersburg, Mark Hillis hurriedly filled four 6-gallon containers with gas for the generator he plans to use if the power goes out at his Venetian Isles home.

“I’ve got the house boarded up, sandbags, gas generator, food and water for three days,” Hillis, 44, said as he loaded the full containers onto the bed of his pickup truck.

“I got all the precautions to survive without going to a shelter.”

Mr. Hillis has the right idea. Not a sheeple. (on the other hand, lets h ope no one who read the article finds their house destroyed and decideds to stay with ‘that guy in the paper with the food and generator’)

Hurricane musings

Posted on by

I see that folks in Florida are going to have the chance to either:
a) be glad they live a Zero lifestyle
or
b) wish to hell they had

Im always somewhat fascinated when the news shows people standing on lines for ice (whcih, I guess, is very important in the south) and bottled water. I dont get it..a hurricane doesnt just appear magically you usually have at least a couple days warning. Dont these people ever pause and consider that perhaps some bottled water and flashlights might not be a bad thing to have around when you live in an area that gets hurricanes?
————–
Over on misc.survivalism some nutjob has a very complicated zodiological chart that he swears shows that theres going to be a nuclear event during the Republican convention. While I may (opr may not) agree there’ll be a nuclear event Im pretty confident it wont be because planets are lining up in a particular order. This is only slightly less absurd then the people that use biblical prophecy.
————–
The Commander’s garden (which really isnt the Commander’s garden as much as it is the Commander and his girlfriends garden) is coming along pretty well. Its very inpsiring. I am looking forward to canning tomatoes in a few weeks. There is something absurdly smug about going into my fenced yard and pulling food out of the ground…completely independent from the rest of the world.

Next year will be more tomatoes, onions, peppers, possibly corn, carrots, maybe celery, and whatever else can grow in this clime. I’m reading “Square Foot Gardening” which is directed at small-space growing and its very interesting.
———–
And finally…
From the St. Petersburg times: (http://www.sptimes.com/2004/08/13/Weather/Residents_prepare_for.shtml)

Other bay area residents planned to stay put in their homes in evacuation zones.

At the BP station on Fourth Street near 62nd Avenue N in St. Petersburg, Mark Hillis hurriedly filled four 6-gallon containers with gas for the generator he plans to use if the power goes out at his Venetian Isles home.

“I’ve got the house boarded up, sandbags, gas generator, food and water for three days,” Hillis, 44, said as he loaded the full containers onto the bed of his pickup truck.

“I got all the precautions to survive without going to a shelter.”

Mr. Hillis has the right idea. Not a sheeple. (on the other hand, lets h ope no one who read the article finds their house destroyed and decideds to stay with ‘that guy in the paper with the food and generator’)