Crowds who chanted “Donald Trump” were met with “Mr. Hate Out of Our State” as police in riot gear blocked the entrance to the Infinity Event Center in Salt Lake City. Protesters tried to rush the door of the building and got into screaming matches with Trump supporters who were barred from entering the venue.
According to KSTU-TV, people who were exiting the building were being pelted with rocks. Some protesters were seen tearing down a security tent that the U.S. Secret Service used to screen attendees before they entered the building. Story here.
Regardless of your thoughts regarding Donald Trump, consider US voters hurling rocks at one another. Now consider what these same people will do when WalMart is down to 3 loaves of bread...
Welcome to our Banana Republic.
You need more ammo - and more bread.
You need more of all the necessities -
ReplyDeleteWater. Food. Ammo. First Aid supplies. Fuel. Comms.
You also need to be ready to replace public utilities, because when the real war over who will own America starts, there will be no cease-fires for the passage of utility workers... and they sure as hell won't be going into war zones to do their jobs. They don't get paid near well enough for that shit.
So, plan to replace your electric service, telephone, internet, and anyhing else that comes to your home over a bunch of very vulnerable wires, hung at the top of very conspicuous poles.
Got a generator?
Got Solar Power?
Got Ham Radio?
Got a community WiFi Mesh-Network?
Got an LPFM transmitter and antenna set up?
These are not things you'll be able to cobble up on the fly, once the shooting starts, folks. So If you are going to want it then, you'd better be building it now.
This contest has only two possible outcomes: Life -or- Not-Life. There will be no participation trophies, no Second Place awards. And no one gets to sit this one out, even if you've got a doctors note - young or old, fit or not fit, well prepared or clueless, brilliant or dumb as a box-o-rocks, we're all playing this round, all the way to the end.
Thankfully, its a team event, so get over yourself buttercup, and get to work preparing. Men - Talk to your neighbors when the wife and kids arent around; he's probably thinking a lot like you are... concerned and a bit overwhelmed. Get past it, and widen the circle - 2 becomes 4, and then 4 becomes 8, etc.
Make a community list of needs, and get everybody involved in figuring out ways to fill those needs. I'm betting you have at least one ham operator in your neighborhood, and at least one IT/Tech guy who can build a WiFi mesh network. Ask those guys what they need to support your community, and get it for them. Same for medical care - you may not have a doctor, but I'm sure you've got a nurse or two - find out what they need, to take care of the community. Same for solar - you've got at least one guy in your community who can build it right. Prioritize where you need power, and make it happen. Do this work now, while eBay and Amazon are still delivering shit to your door...
Otherwise, you'll have to make do without. And that will probably cost your community lives...
WE HAVE BEEN WARNED
"These are not things you'll be able to cobble up on the fly, once the shooting starts, folks. So If you are going to want it then, you'd better be building it now."
ReplyDeleteLT,
I agree with this statement but in my instance I would change 'build' to plan. Most of these components can be acquired after the SHTF by 'salvaging' CATV power supplies and associated backups. I used to repair and maintain backup power supplies/UPS systems for COX, Charter and Comcast. If you look around your neighborhood you will notice either pedestals that are mounted on the sidewalk or aerial mounted boxes. These are the 'node amplifier' power supplies. Essentially an inverter/power conditioner/UPS for CATV/Broadband. Alpha Technologies were used exclusively in the So Cal area. Since a considerable number of people have their telephone landline bundled through their CATV company the need for emergency backup is required to allow for 911 calls to go through even after a power outage.
A barrel key is all that is needed to gain access to these enclosures. What will be inside depends on the area (rural/suburban/urban) and required time of emergency power. At a minimum there will be a string of three, 12V, group 31, 120AH telecommunications grade AGM batteries. Some areas will have a bank of seven, three battery strings. These are true deep cycle batteries that will survive discharges down to 1.72VPC repeatedly.
Some areas will also have a natural gas or propane GenSet in either 5k or 7.5k. These will not produce 120VAC but 40VDC to charge a string of batteries in series.
http://www.alpha.com/download/pdf/AlphaCellGXL%2010_C003.pdf
http://www.alpha.com/download/cable_tv/outside_plant_power/Generators/Curbside/042288B0001A2__W__.pdf
Disclaimer: These are only suggestions for AFTER the SHTF. No sense letting a resource go to waste.
Things such as ToneDeaf describes, are things you should be keeping notes on, for future "salvage" opportunities, as he states.
ReplyDeleteSolar panels on top of BP gas stations and other buildings, as well as those powering roadside surveillance cameras, are another item of note.
Every drive through your AO should serve as a reconnaissance run. There is a wealth of gear to be salvaged, on the day things go sideways. But you have to know what and where, so you can prioritize your efforts to best benefit your tribe...