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This site is a member of WebRing. To browse visit here. Monday, October 10, 2005 One more post this morning and then I'm gone . . . We had a small electrical fire here yesterday, and people will be coming today to take things apart (much of my kitchen, I fear). Although the circuit the computer is on was not part of the problem, I expect the power will be off for a while. Tomorrow I'll be on the road again, and Wednesday I have a pile of local computer work to attend to. So this will probably be the last posting for a couple of days.I've been skimming the posts and comments on other people's blogs about what is starting to be called the "avian flu meme"--how to prepare, how to find out if your local health department is prepared, etc. One major question, of course, is whether food and water supplies and electrical power would be affected. We're obviously in deep doo-doo if that happens, but some of the ideas people are suggesting tell me that it's worse than I thought.Stockpile large amounts of freeze-dried foods and jugs of water, says one person (with a link to where you can buy the freeze-dried foods at many times the cost of their raw materials, and no disclaimer about whether he benefits from your purchase).Don't buy peanut butter, says another, but with no explanation for why.How much food is a two-week stockpile? someone else asks plaintively, generating a slew of snarky comments and a few helpful, if patronizing, replies.Others talk about how much gasoline they have for their generators, and whether they will be able to keep their freezer, microwave and satellite tv running for the duration.I've got news for you. The American way of life does not lend itself to self-sufficiency. Anyone who really thinks that avian flu is going to take out our infrastructure (and plenty of people do think that) needs to start preparing for it at a much more basic level than buying up freeze-dried foods or stockpiling gasoline or diesel for their generators. How many people, I wonder, know how to wash clothing without a washing machine (the correct answer is not "go to the laundromat"). How many know how to wash dishes safely without at least running hot water? How many even have any idea how to heat water without electricity or propane?I have no backup power here, despite plans for 12v. solar. What I do have is the knowledge and tools to do things without electrical power, and that includes sanitizing water, preparing meals from raw ingredients and disposing of human waste. For much of that knowledge I have my parents to thank--I learned early on to sew, cook, knit, build things, make what was needed or do without, and to amuse myself without anyone else's help. But all that information is easily avaiable to anyone who cares to look for it, both at the public library and on the net. Lack of knowledge can kill you just as fast as lack of food or water. With appropriate knowledge and appropriate stockpiling, you are not only in good shape to take care of yourself, but you are not a burden on whatever system may be in place to take care of the truly helpless segment of the population.If you don't have that knowledge, and the emergency lasts longer than your stockpile of food and water, you're back to depending on someone else. Recent events suggest that the "someone else" we've taken for granted--local, state and federal government--may not be any better prepared than you are.(And by the way, washing clothes without a washing machine involves a large bucket or small trash can, a clean toilet plunger, non-potable water, soap and a lot of elbow grease--a good activity for hyperactive children.) posted by Liz @ 9:33 AM | The template is set to display 10 posts. To see all the posts for this month, click on the month name in the Archive section RSS Feed PERSONAL Send email toliz at life-as-a-spectator-sport.com Home I'm a mother, grandmother, a computer professional, Democrat, Christian. I welcome politely worded comments and email, my spam filter throws the rest away, so don't bother to flame me WHY 'LIFE AS A SPECTATOR SPORT' "If you're lucky not to live in the gutters of a slum, but still can't afford to take vacations in the Alps, you're part of that enormous middle class who lives life through the medium of the television, further separated from "real" life by air conditioner, by automobile, by dishwasher, microwave and ice-in-the-door refrigerator, by automatic washer and dryer, and all the other appliances and conveniences that make it possible for America to live life at second hand. I'm not sure why Americans decided that televised drama was better than the real thing, that cardboard microwave food containers were an adequate substitute for real dishes, and their contents for real food, or that cooking, dishwashing and face-to-face conversation wasn't worth the effort and time it required. Someone fed this nation a plastic crate of out-of-season tomatoes and told us it was life and we took them at their word, and we're so much the poorer for it that it's hard to know where to start to list the shortcomings." I wrote this a couple of years ago, but I have to admit it's much less amusing than I thought it would be to see the artifical construct falling apart. THE NON-ELECTRIC HOME Cleaning, 1 Cleaning, 2 Cleaning, 3 KNITTING BLOGS Extravayarnza Knitting Heretic Mind of Winter Pie Knits Persistent Illusion See Eunny Knit The Keyboard Biologist Taleweaver's Ramblings TECHnitting Wendy Knits FINISHED PROJECTS -------FINISHED IN 2006------- Peruvian Cap Tutti-Frutti Socks Shelley's Socks Carol's Socks -------FINISHED IN 2007------- Chain Link Socks Baby Surprise Jacket Valerie & Friend Baby Bonnet Rainbow Baby Socks Girls Pixie Hood Mitred Square Heart Red & White Socks Coffee Cup Pot Holder Nubbins Dishcloth Garterlac Dishcloth Suede Booties Kate's Socks Norwegian Sweet Baby Cap Half Thumbless Mittens Red Mittens for Akkol -------FINISHED IN 2008------- SELF-RELIANCE AND THE FUTURE -- Blogs and websites -- Causubon's Book Club Orlov Food Storage Made Easy From the Wilderness In the Wake Listening to Katrina Survival Topics The Modern Homestead The Oil Drum Notes from a Hillside Farm -- Mailing Lists -- 12vdc Power Living on the Land Rainwater Refrigeration Alternatives Old Ways of Living POLITICAL BLOGS and SITES The political sites have moved BOOKS I'M READING How to Grow More Vegetables, etc. Small Scale Grain Raising ARCHIVES February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 August 2008 July 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003 March 2003 February 2003 January 2003 December 2002 November 2002 October 2002 September 2002 August 2002 July 2002 June 2002 May 2002 April 2002 March 2002 February 2002 Feedjit Live Blog Stats
We had a small electrical fire here yesterday, and people will be coming today to take things apart (much of my kitchen, I fear). Although the circuit the computer is on was not part of the problem, I expect the power will be off for a while. Tomorrow I'll be on the road again, and Wednesday I have a pile of local computer work to attend to. So this will probably be the last posting for a couple of days.I've been skimming the posts and comments on other people's blogs about what is starting to be called the "avian flu meme"--how to prepare, how to find out if your local health department is prepared, etc. One major question, of course, is whether food and water supplies and electrical power would be affected. We're obviously in deep doo-doo if that happens, but some of the ideas people are suggesting tell me that it's worse than I thought.Stockpile large amounts of freeze-dried foods and jugs of water, says one person (with a link to where you can buy the freeze-dried foods at many times the cost of their raw materials, and no disclaimer about whether he benefits from your purchase).Don't buy peanut butter, says another, but with no explanation for why.How much food is a two-week stockpile? someone else asks plaintively, generating a slew of snarky comments and a few helpful, if patronizing, replies.Others talk about how much gasoline they have for their generators, and whether they will be able to keep their freezer, microwave and satellite tv running for the duration.I've got news for you. The American way of life does not lend itself to self-sufficiency. Anyone who really thinks that avian flu is going to take out our infrastructure (and plenty of people do think that) needs to start preparing for it at a much more basic level than buying up freeze-dried foods or stockpiling gasoline or diesel for their generators. How many people, I wonder, know how to wash clothing without a washing machine (the correct answer is not "go to the laundromat"). How many know how to wash dishes safely without at least running hot water? How many even have any idea how to heat water without electricity or propane?I have no backup power here, despite plans for 12v. solar. What I do have is the knowledge and tools to do things without electrical power, and that includes sanitizing water, preparing meals from raw ingredients and disposing of human waste. For much of that knowledge I have my parents to thank--I learned early on to sew, cook, knit, build things, make what was needed or do without, and to amuse myself without anyone else's help. But all that information is easily avaiable to anyone who cares to look for it, both at the public library and on the net. Lack of knowledge can kill you just as fast as lack of food or water. With appropriate knowledge and appropriate stockpiling, you are not only in good shape to take care of yourself, but you are not a burden on whatever system may be in place to take care of the truly helpless segment of the population.If you don't have that knowledge, and the emergency lasts longer than your stockpile of food and water, you're back to depending on someone else. Recent events suggest that the "someone else" we've taken for granted--local, state and federal government--may not be any better prepared than you are.(And by the way, washing clothes without a washing machine involves a large bucket or small trash can, a clean toilet plunger, non-potable water, soap and a lot of elbow grease--a good activity for hyperactive children.)
The template is set to display 10 posts. To see all the posts for this month, click on the month name in the Archive section
RSS Feed
PERSONAL
WHY 'LIFE AS A SPECTATOR SPORT'
"If you're lucky not to live in the gutters of a slum, but still can't afford to take vacations in the Alps, you're part of that enormous middle class who lives life through the medium of the television, further separated from "real" life by air conditioner, by automobile, by dishwasher, microwave and ice-in-the-door refrigerator, by automatic washer and dryer, and all the other appliances and conveniences that make it possible for America to live life at second hand. I'm not sure why Americans decided that televised drama was better than the real thing, that cardboard microwave food containers were an adequate substitute for real dishes, and their contents for real food, or that cooking, dishwashing and face-to-face conversation wasn't worth the effort and time it required. Someone fed this nation a plastic crate of out-of-season tomatoes and told us it was life and we took them at their word, and we're so much the poorer for it that it's hard to know where to start to list the shortcomings." I wrote this a couple of years ago, but I have to admit it's much less amusing than I thought it would be to see the artifical construct falling apart.
THE NON-ELECTRIC HOME
Cleaning, 1 Cleaning, 2 Cleaning, 3
KNITTING BLOGS
Extravayarnza Knitting Heretic Mind of Winter Pie Knits Persistent Illusion See Eunny Knit The Keyboard Biologist Taleweaver's Ramblings TECHnitting Wendy Knits
FINISHED PROJECTS
SELF-RELIANCE AND THE FUTURE
POLITICAL BLOGS and SITES
BOOKS I'M READING
How to Grow More Vegetables, etc. Small Scale Grain Raising
ARCHIVES
February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 August 2008 July 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003 March 2003 February 2003 January 2003 December 2002 November 2002 October 2002 September 2002 August 2002 July 2002 June 2002 May 2002 April 2002 March 2002 February 2002
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