I’ve noticed over the past year or two a growing interest in Zombies. Films, books, comics, websites, festivals, pub crawls, etc. On our public radio station last week, a doctor was discussing zombies and classifying their behavior in medical terms. He was going over what was possibly damaged in their brain and what could cause their desire for flesh. Hey! Listen up, there’s no such thing as zombies. (Continued…)
I got the pig flu last week. 103.5 degree fever with chills. Is that it? That’s what we’ve been hiding under the bed for?
I think we’ll all be ok.
First some slightly dated news. It looks like a drug resistant strain of h1n1 has shown up (that’s bad), however this the guy who got it fully recovered, which demonstrates the evidence that this virus probably will not be that deadly (that’s good). However the last I heard is that we will not really know just how bad it is until the fall (when flu season hits again).
Second, something a little lighter, the following is an audio clip I heard a while ago on NPR. It is a short bit of audio from an announce by Dr. Margaret Chan, the head of the WHO.
Don’t Cup Your Hands: The Cheapest and Best Water Bottle for the Apocalypse
Water is possibly the most necessary thing you will need in a post-apocalyptic world. Why? Because, dum-dum, water is the body’s principle component and it makes up somewhere between 60 and 70% of our body’s weight. Without water lubing up our various systems, the body can begin to break down and damage itself. Toxins aren’t cleaned out, nutrients aren’t carried to vital cells, and you can begin to dehydrate, all of which saps you of precious energy.
Guest Post By: The Future King of Upper Michigan
Check your pockets right now. Chances are, you might have some funny colored paper with dead peoples faces on it, and maybe some jingly pieces of semi-precious metal. Do you know what those will be worth after the collapse of society? Nothing. So in this new world, with a barter economy, you’re going to need some things worth trading; and no, your grandmother’s jewelry won’t do the trick. After the collapse, gold and silver become just shiny, soft metals, so pawn that now and buy something that could be useful. What will become the new currency? We have compiled a helpful list of some possibilities. (continued) Read the rest of this entry »
The trailer for the Apocalyptic gut wrencher/tear jerker has been released. If you want to get a glimpse of how dificult it will be to survive in the post-apocatlyptic world, read this book and then watch this film.
The trailer makes it look like a summer popcorn zombie flick, but Esquire magazine has seen it and promise the film is just as bleak and remose as the book. (Continued)
A gun should be at the top of your survival list, unless of course you’re an idiot. If you have only seen guns in movies, you should not get a gun. I imagine many of you knuckleheads buying a pistol, that you insist on calling a “glock,” and holding it at an angle while you try to remember Bustas’ lines from Higher Learning. (Continued…)
[update] The Homeland Security Secretary has declared the Pig Flu to be bull shit. You all have more time to prepare for the apocalypse.
The World Health Organization has raised its pandemic alert for swine flu to the second highest level, meaning that it believes a global outbreak of the disease is imminent.
Don’t run for the hills yet, but the doomsday clock is starting to move. Too bad, my book hasn’t even come out yet.
Bird flu, SARS, killer bees, anthrax, Y2K and now Pig Flu. We just don’t know what to be afraid of anymore! Better watch the news (and all the intermittent ads) to be sure you’re safe.
I really believe this swine mania will pass with a week, but there is a chance it could get ugly. So far, those with proper medical attention and healthy immune systems have recovered. However, when a virus is able to jump from an animal to a person and then from person to person it can mutate, making it harder to treat or fight off.
So, let this serve as a warning if you’re not currently ready for a pandemic. At the very least, stock pile some medication and canned goods. (Fruits, veggies and carbohydrates) Also fill up at least 10 gallon jugs of water and put them in your basement.
Remember, don’t be afraid, be prepared.
Chosen Savior,
I am very afraid of the apocalypse coming any day now. I have been
waiting for it since 1999, however I live in a different city now than
when the millennium came. Can you help me come up with a new plan?I live in an apartment building in Washington DC, I have a four door
car and will be traveling solo. Should I head North or South?Yours,
Distraught in the District
The East Coast will be as tough as Europe to survive in, but in the words of Dave Chappel; D.C.? Word. That’s a rough city, man. Never mind the traffic or population density, your biggest problem is being #1 on the bomb list. D.C., along with New York, is the most obvious target for rogue-nations and terrorists alike. Before planning your escape from D.C., you should really learn how to build a bomb shelter. (Continued…)
I wear long underwear six months out of the year. Now, in the spring, I go through a transition period. Like a moth emerging from a cocoon when the time is right, I determine the right springtime temperature to peel off my long-john chrysalis. Currently its 42 degrees and I’m hot as hell. I must soon transition, but going long-john free is hard to do. It’s like crack, once you’re used to the warmth and comfort, it’s hard to think about going back to that naked chilly feeling. (Continued…)
Dick Proenneke was a WWII veteran who lived alone in the high mountains of Alaska at a place called Twin Lakes. He built a small cabin using nothing but rudimentary tools. He died in 2003, but left his cabin to the parks service and it remains today as a popular visitor attraction in the still-remote Twin Lakes region. This is a trimmed down video of the great film Alone in the Wilderness, which Dick shot himself while building his cabin. This film is mostly centered on how to build a log cabin, but there are other great tips in here as well. I highly recommend watching the whole film, It’s on PBS a couple times a year. If nothing else, enjoy this shortened version about a peaceful retiree surviving on his own in the wilderness. (Continued…)
Dear Sir, i first want to congratulate you on your fine website. I am writing for some advice for when the big one comes, I currently live near Bilbao, Northern Spain, about 10 kms from the centre and im interested in your advice. I live with my wife and small son. What would you suggest is the safest place to go in the world or Europe? or do you think i should stay put with the crazy basques and tough it out in a tribe somewhere near the mountains? good luck and enjoy every day.yours guy:) aka jediprof
It is good of you to ask my Basque friend! Though, it’s best to leave Star Wars delusions behind jediprof, the Apocalypse will not be kind to you or your continent. Though not as bad as Asia, Europe is set up to be a cesspool in the post-apocalyptic world. It lacks open country, it’s people are used to provider-type governments and the population density is 4 times that of the United States. Now that’s fine when your sewers are working properly and the 40 million people around you are well fed and not looking to steal your last jar of berberechos. After the Apocalypse hits you’ll want to get the hell out of there. (Continued)
Often when we think of the Apocalypse we think of natural, social or nuclear disasters. Let me remind you that 700 years ago, half the population of Europe was wiped out by a nasty oozy pandemic. If the human race ever witnessed a real Apocalypse it certainly was then.
It’ll happen again, but you don’t give a damn because you’re hoping big brother government will bail you out with some vaccine. Wake up buddy. How high on the list do you think you’ll be when they start handing out the limited supply of drugs, face masks and ventilators? Can you see them backing up the semi trucks with police in riot gear yelling, “Step back people! We need to vaccinate the computer programmers and Cold-Stone Ice Cream Artists first!” These supplies will go to cops, nurses and government officials. So unless you’re in for a career change you’ll probably die of some crappy bird flu. (continued)
Guest column by Stevelknievel
My hearty beard and stout build (read: fat) are about the best survival techniques the Good Lord has blessed me with. So, for those who haven’t had years of hunting experience, I’d recommend bringing along a bit of literature to not only learn to hunt, but also pass the days until the dirty bomb cloud disperses and I can return home to find everyone of my rude and unthoughtful neighbors have died.
One of the books I’d bring along would be “The Tracker: The Story of Tom Brown, Jr.” as told to William Jon Watkins.
While not in wide publication, the 1978 Prentice-Hall publication documents the life and times of the ultimate tracker, and provides useful tips and diagrams to hunt small prey in the woods.
With subject matter such as “Cold Training”; “Night Crawl” and “Invisible Walking”, Watkins deftly weaves a narrative of the ultimate tracker’s young life, into a yarn that also teaches us how to appreciate nature, and then kill it in 190 pages. (Continued)
A friend of mine is preparing for the Apocalypse. In his list of equipment he has included a bolt cutter. Instead of arguing further with him that carrying a 15 pound bolt cutter around will be a waste of time and energy, I’ve decided that each person intending on surviving this armageddeon should prepare two bags. One has all the items that are considered luxuries like soap, radios and bolt-cutters. The other bag is smaller and only contains the necesseties. This is called a bug out bag. It has all the essential gear you need in the event that you have to make a quick get away. (Continued)
Now that you’ve got your base for a fire, enough fuel (wood, sticks, paper, peat, etc.) and you’ve created your ‘nest’ to start the flame, you’ll need a spark. You did pack sparks didn’t you? Never mind, we’ll make our own. Luckily there are a few ways to make sparks. Which option you pick is up to how much your sorry ass prepared and where you’re building your fire. For example, if you’re up on the tundra you would rather burn the scarce wood instead of make a bow drill, but you could polish up a piece of ice to magnify the sun upon your caribou fur fire. It does work. (Continued)
Just to clear something up, it’s going to be as cold as a witches tit during this apocalypse. In many scenarios the sun will be blotted out by dust or pollution and only those that are able to withstand the long extreme cold will survive. Don’t think that you can just head to Miami either, everyone is going to be heading there, and not just Cubans and Grandmas anymore. You’re going to need to avoid people for a while so be prepared to endure some tougher climates. Getting a good pair of mittens should be number one. (Continued)
