Prepper Ponderings Dec. 12, 2010

Just a few brief items today...

Book Review: The War After Armageddon by Ralph Peters

I picked this up last weekend at Wal-Mart while waiting for my "instacheck" (2.25 daggone hours) to buy the Rossi Youth Model.  I've always been a fan of post-Apocalyptic fiction.  Going by the title of this one, and the mushroom cloud on the cover, I was expecting a good one.  The book opens in the first person.  An old man is talking to his grandson about the war.  Seems the powers that be are now radical Christians and the Constitution is no longer in effect.  The book then goes back to the war, I think about 2025.  Radical Islamists have declared war on the West and conducted nuclear attacks throughout Europe, then Los Angeles and Las Vegas.  The nukes on US soil have brought about the rise of an evangelist who ends up being Vice President, and commander of a new force of Christian soldiers who get all the best weapons and equipment.  The war is in the Holy Land, and traditional US forces are fighting with the Christian forces against the Muslims.  So far, a pretty good read.  But then it bogs down.  For my tastes, it goes too far into the minutia of battle. The battles reach a turning point, then the story jumps back to the old man where we learn who he is and how he knows so much of the history.  It was an OK book.  If you are looking for something along the lines of Patriots or Alas, Babylon, you'll be disappointed.  If you like the W.E.B. Griffith type of military fiction, you'll probably really like it.

TV Show Review: Get Out Alive - Hijack on Flight 73 (Discovery Channel)

This was the first episode of a 6-part series.  This dealt with the story of Mike Thaxton, who was a passenger on Pan Am Flight 73 when it was hijacked in Pakistan in 1986.The show was a good combination of reenactments and interviews with Mr. Thaxton and the Pakistani head of Pan Am on the ground.  What I really got out of it was the thought process that this "regular Joe" had to go through to face death and survive.  Since this happened, he has become a speaker and trainer on surviving kidnappings and hijackings.  Many of us possess the gear and tactical skills to deal with a situation like this.  But do we have the psychological tools to do it?  This show was a good look at the mental edge needed.  I'd watch it again, and suggest you put it on your list.  I'm looking forward to seeing what the other episodes cover.

Product Review: Midland GXT 1000VP4

I picked up two pair of these radios the other day.  I'm very satisfied.  They are about the top of the line for the "bubble pack" mass market FRS/GMRS radios.  The power lasted about 24 hours, mostly on standby, but with a fair amount of talking.  From inside our brick house to the neighbor's, about 150 yards, my wife and I could communicate with no problems with them set on low power.  When I went to the dump later, we could speak on high power at about 3/4 mile with no problem.  This area is pretty heavily wooded with quite a rolling terrain.  In an open prairie area, the range would be significantly farther.  They have a lot of features which will take time to learn, but for regular communications around the homestead, they are fantastic so far.  I'll be keeping one pair charged up in a Faraday cage (perhaps another blog post later about that) and the other pair in use, swapping them out every couple months.  Take a look at these if you need some basic communications.

Blizzards and Riots

Our friends in the Midwest are taking it on the chin right now from a heavy winter storm.  Heavy snow is causing power outages and the collapse of the roof of the Minnesota Vikings stadium.  Good motivation for those of us not affected to double check our winter supplies and plans.

The college riots continue in Great Britain.  The "students" are rioting to protest rising costs being placed on them instead of on the taxpayers.  US college costs have risen dramatically, and I can easily see riots starting here at some of our colleges and universities.  If you live or work near a large one, keep your eyes and ears open.

Generator Update

I'm still waiting for my carburetor jet screw that MIGHT fit my generator to be delivered.  Keep your fingers crossed for me.  If you are in the market for a portable generator, keep in mind that Generac does not sell replacement parts because they don't want buyers to work on them.  They sell complete replacement cabueruators for about $70.  They won't be getting my business again.  When I get the jet, I'll let you know if it works, and if it does, the source.