Book review of “Bangs & Whimpers: Stories about the end of the world”

Thoughts and lessons learned while reading “Bangs & Whimpers: Stories about the end of the world” edited by James Frenkel. Warning: Spoiler Alerts!  So don’t get all nasty, I gave you a warning.  I summarize the basic premise of some of the stories to help me remember their points.  You have been warned. SPOILER ALERTS BELOW! The [...]

Chaco Canyon or Why someone would volunteer for the Apocalypse?

Many years ago I was a Park Ranger at Chaco Canyon in New Mexico.   In my mind, Chaco Canyon is the most impressive Native American Ruins in the United States.  I feel it is sad that every school kid in america does not know the story of Chaco.  The Anasazi built a great trading network across [...]

Second Reconnaissance Report from Pueblo Ruins

A report on what the Pueblo Ruins look like has already been commented on in a previous post.  This post is more about getting to the ruins and comments on the surrounding area. The ruins I went to 7 years ago were NOT Pueblo Canyon, they were the appropriately named Devil’s Chasm Ruins.  The two sets [...]

Love thy neighbor in a time of Cholera

On the plane ride back from New York two weeks back I read The Ghost Map by Steven Johnson about an 1840’s outbreak of cholera in London, England. I had picked it up to see how a society deals with a widespread and mysterious threat. Of the multiple potential causes of the apocalypse I think [...]

Jack of all trades or master of the Gun?

Once our bomb shelter’s food supplies run out and we crawl out to make tribes will it be better to be a jack of all trades or master of one? After the weak are gone I would expect those that are left roaming will have certain basic skills; how to start a fire, how to [...]

Update on How to raid your library- Green Building

The last temporary visit of the local library yielded some useful videos on how to prepare for Humanity’s waterloo. There were two decent videos on how to build an enviromental house.  From what I have seen so far, the community of people preparing for civilization’s curtains tend to be a conservative bunch.  One place where [...]

One man’s apocalypse is another man’s golden age

These wonderful shots of abandoned buildings in Detroit got me thinking. While Detroit died the Sun-belt bloomed. Maybe it is our time in Phoenix? Some idiots who count money for a living think my town is the unhappiest place to be in America.  Well, frak them. Maybe I am just being defensive.   When National [...]

13 members for the Post-Apocalypse Dream Team

#1 Brock Samson-  No one, and I mean no one, not Chuck Norris, not Bruce Lee, not John McClane, not even Rambo, can deliver a beat down quite like Brock Samson, bad-ass bodyguard of the Venture brothers. #2 MacGyver Kind an obvious one, right?  The man could fix a solar panel system, engineer a communication [...]

How to build a tribe or what I learned at FireHouse House Meetings

We will all live in communes once society shits itself out. It is only natural. No person can live alone when resources are thin. There is simply too much to do if one wants to learn and do all the chores. You will need help for society to progress. What does it take to live in a commune? [...]

How should I use my vacation?

Here is my list of events one should attend in order to prepare for the apocalypse. Burning Man – techno-nerds, socialmediaeanglists, pop-culture survivalists, and dancers.  Kind of an obvious first choice. The NRA Annual Convention If for no other reason, see what you might have to contend with later. Some sort of organic gardening convention [...]