Author: timothyfrench15

Hello, my name is Timothy French. I’m a blogger, writer, and author of Every Yard Is A Grave. A Post-Apocalyptic Novella.

Surviving a catastrophic power outage

You may have read other articles about a December report put out by The President’s National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC), which is composed of senior executives from industry, state, and local government who own and operate the critical infrastructure essential to our modern life. In those articles, you may feel they sensationalized the report, so I am going to write this article using only quoted material from the report. If, after reading them, you are still interested, you can read the full report here.

“We found that existing national plans, response resources, and coordination strategies would be outmatched by a catastrophic power outage.”

“Imagin an outage that stretches beyond days and weeks to months or years, and affects large swaths of the country.”

“The scale of the event—stretching across states and regions, affecting tens of millions of people—would exceed and exhaust mutual aid resources and capabilities.”

“A catastrophic power outage may occur with little or no notice and result from myriad types of scenarios: for example, a sophisticated cyber-physical attack resulting in severe physical infrastructure damage; attacks timed to follow and exacerbate a major natural disaster; a large-scale wildfire, earthquake, or geomagnetic event; or a series of attacks or events over a short period of time that compound to create significant physical damage to our nation’s infrastructure.”

“Ultimately, all events, from small to large disasters, are local. This means that those closest to impacted areas are the true first responders during an emergency or disaster—from individuals to families to neighbors and local communities.”

“There remains an ongoing myth that the federal government will be able to provide assistance and resources directly after an event to help with response, and that is not always the case.”

I will stop here, the quotes speak for themselves.

We should all be prepared to live without power, and we should also be ready to deal with those who are not, which, in my opinion, will be the more significant threat.

A little southern snowstorm

Today I noticed people moving through the aisles of my local grocery store with concerned looks on their faces. I even overheard some of them chattering about a significant event that was to take place this weekend but did not catch what it was.

Had I missed something important on the news this morning. Puzzled, I quickly scanned the news app on my phone, but could only find a weather report about snow. Then it hit me, I live In the south and snow is a significant event, but not in a bad way. We like to get all fired up and pretend we’re in real danger. And those overblown newscasts, well that’s just icing on the cake. If we’re lucky, the governor will even call for a state of emergency and have a special news conference to tell us the roads are going to be slick. Ooooh scary, Thanks, governor.

As that storm approaches, we’ll watch its path as if it were a hurricane track saying things like, “I sure hope it misses us,” while secretly hoping for a blizzard so we can buy an “I Survived Snowmageddon” t-shirt.

When it does begin to snow, grandma will say, “Here it comes, boys.” Then after about ten minutes or so, some sleet will start hitting the roof, and uncle Bobby will chime in with a, “See, I told you it was going to be an ice storm.” Then things will really take a turn for the worse as the sound of rain takes its place. And we all know what comes after the sound of rain when the kids been expecting some snow; that’s right, crying like you ain’t never heard before.

So, let’s all pray for snow this weekend for the kids to play in. And if it doesn’t, let’s all pray for the weatherman. Bless his heart, he tried.

Be prepared to live without

Be prepared to live without if you want to survive a disaster, any disaster.

Be prepared to live without power, and you will not need gasoline, solar panels, or generators.

Be prepared to live without grocery stores, and you will not need to put yourself in danger while trying to find food.

Be prepared to live without transportation, and you will not need a vehicle.

Be prepared to live without a permanent structure, and you will not need a house to keep you warm.

Be prepared to live without police, and you will not need to call 911.

Be prepared to live without doctors, and you will not need a hospital.

Do I want to live without? No, but I’m prepared to if need be.

 Are you?

Stuck in a crack, a humorus ​​quote

“What to do if you find yourself stuck in a crack in the ground underneath a giant boulder you can’t move, with no hope of rescue. Consider how lucky you are that life has been good to you so far. Alternatively, if life hasn’t been good to you so far, which given your current circumstances seems more likely, consider how lucky you are that it won’t be troubling you much longer.” – Douglas Adams

Orwell’s 1984 or Brave New World, which will it be

In Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984, a controlling government uses brutal force, torture, and mind control to keep individuals in line. While rulers in the book Brave New World keep the citizens in line with addictive drugs and pleasurable distractions.

In looking at the world’s current situation, I believe China is implementing their version of a high tech 1984. And socialist in America are hoping to sneak into absolute power by using the Brave New World model.

I hope that young Americas will open their eyes to the dangers of socialism. As for China’s young, their conditioning has been in the works for a while, and new technologies coming online are going to make any rebellion against their government a dangerous one.

In the coming years, total control of China’s young will come with the help of facial recognition, iris scans, geo-fencing, AI, data collection, and more. In this new society, they will be rated by the government on their trustworthiness, their “citizen score” which will follow them wherever they go. Good scores will bring good things, and bad scores will bring bad. Everything they do from birth to death will be part of their score and used against them if they fail to obey the ruler.

The “citizen score” is not science fiction, it is happening today. It will continue to spread across the world if not challenged.

The argument for a Brave New World in America will be the tried and true doublespeak. The new democratic socialist will promise the young everything. They will guarantee them a world where they can pursue their creative dreams without the worries of daily survival. The government will take care of them. No one will be a loser in this new society.

However, it will all be a lie. The first generation under control will live the good life. But, the next generations will suffer the consequences of their parent’s misguided dreams of Utopia.

The truth is there can be no Utopia ruled by elitists because a real Utopia would need no government.

So which will it be, a Brave New World, 1984, or self-reliance and freedom?

Teach your kids well because they will decide.

Microfiction – Sheeple

Sheeple, you have a problem, the grid has gone down, and your modern world has just disappeared into the dark. The car you let run down to almost empty will not get refueled. The gas pumps no longer work, and the tanks will be siphoned out by looters within days.

As you walk home, you look up and notice something you haven’t seen in a while. A night sky full of bright stars that were once hidden by our electric light pollution.

Moving along, you sense the fear growing in the others around you who want the same thing; power, your entire lives have revolved around it. It did everything for you.

As the last bit of light fades from their screens, people call out, “Mom! mom, are you still there,” cries one. “Honey, I’ll be home soon,” says another. You look at your phone, but it’s already dead. No reflection shines off your face.

The cyberattack that took down the power grid was well planned, and the entire nation is in the dark. You listen to the news coming from an emergency radio carried by the girl next to you. The others listen too, and panic sets in as a nearby stores get looted.

When you get home, you look in the freezer for something to eat and take out a frozen dinner. Instinctively, you swing around to open the microwave door. Pausing, the gravity of the situation sets in, and you sink to the floor in tears, not knowing what to do. Tonight you are safe, but what about tomorrow?

Yellowstone, holy crap on a stick

Talking about a Yellowstone Volcano eruption brings to mind an end of days scenario from which most of us die.

Some people will say, “It’s ready to blow,” to sell a book.

Some people will say, “Something is going on out there,” hoping they will be the first person to tweet, “I told you so.”

And some scientists will smugly say, “Don’t worry, there will be plenty of warning signs long before it ever happens.”

So holy crap on a stick, what’s a person to think?

Well, this is what I think. There is a lot of magma sitting under the caldera that has caused super-eruptions in the past with the last three being: The Huckleberry Ridge Eruption 2.1 million years ago, The Mesa Falls Eruption 1.3 million years ago, and The Lava Creek Eruption approximately 630,000 years ago, which created the Yellowstone Caldera.

So that makes the timing about right for another super-eruption, give or take thousands of years. However, seeing as how we live such short lifespans in comparison, I think we’re good for now. But what do I know, there may be a weak spot in the rock getting ready to let that lava lose any moment now, killing us all. Well, maybe not me, but those sheeple better watch out.

But seriously, there is no way of knowing for sure when it will happen. Still, one day some guy or gal watching it will get to tweet “I told you so,” and another hotspot will be added to the now 500-mile trail of past eruptions. This trial, created as the North American plate, moved in a southwestern direction over a shallow body of magma, is what brought the Yellowstone area to the shallow magma body. And it is this volcanism that remains a driving force in Yellowstone today.

The process is almost sure to repeat itself, and there is nothing we can do about it. Those who are alive at the time will have to deal with it the best they can.

I can be sure of one thing, though; there is going to be more crap in their underwear than on that stick when it does.

The gray man theory, a fancy name for blending in

You can find long articles, books, and courses online that will teach you how to blend in when it all goes to hell, some free, some for a price. But the truth is most of us already blend in. Every day people buy trendy items to look like the cool kids. Even the supposedly individually minded prepper blends in at a survival expo wearing the latest survival clothing.

The real trick to the “Gray Man Theory” as it relates to preppers is to blend into unfamiliar high threat areas during a disaster in which you stand out. This will not be a problem in your home territory because people tend to live around people that act like themselves. But get caught outside that area, and everything changes. Get caught in a different part of the country, and it really changes. No matter how hard you try to blend in, your voice, mannerisms, and expressions will be noticeable to anyone from that area.

So what’s a prepper to do?

1 – Use your common sense
When dealing with others, trust your instinct. If you get a bad feeling about someone, avoid them at all costs; don’t make eye contact, don’t get anywhere near them.
2 – Don’t buy tactical clothing or backpacks
This is a no-no in my opinion unless you want to project that “I’m a badass, don’t fuck with me” look. A typical laptop backpack will blend in better in most places. People of all walks of life carry them, and will not suspect it to be a bug-out-bag.
3 – Dress in dull colors without logos if you can
The eye is drawn to bright colors and logos, so don’t wear them if you want to go unnoticed.

In the end, the goal of the “Gray Man Theory” is to get you home safely and maybe your best option for avoiding trouble along the way.

RV life, hitting the road after a disaster

My wife and I have an RV that is part of our emergency preparedness plan because my home is in a flood zone; if it floods, our RV is ready. All we have to do is turn the key and go.

We also plan to use it if we lose power. If it’s cold outside, no problem, it has a propane heating system. Need to cook, go to the bathroom, take a shower, no problem. RV’s are self-contain living units that fit the bill perfectly for certain types of disasters.

Having a good generator, solar panels, batteries, and composting toilet can extend your time off-grid. Many people live like this full time, but RV’s do have their limits, and bigger is not better in my opinion.

If you’re going mobile during a large-scale disaster, maneuverability will be important. Abandoned cars could block your way, and you may find yourself in a tight situation you need to get out of quick.

Fuel is another concern because you will have to carry enough of it to get to your destination. You will not be able to count on gas stations, so good gas mileage is crucial.

Others problems you may face

Your RV will be a target if there‘s civil unrest. Looters will see no difference between your stick-built and mobile home, and trying to defend it from the inside would be foolish. Bullets will penetrate those thin walls like butter.

You could have an engine failure. If your RV dies on the highway, you may need to head out on foot in an unfamiliar area.

So in closing, I would like to say, while RVs have their limits, they can be awesome bug-out-vehicles. For example, a lot of people evacuated to a campground near me this hurricane season, proving that RV’s are great for vacations, and evac-cations as well.