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#220707 - 04/01/11 05:26 PM Softcore disaster : UNDER SEIGE
Chisel Offline
Veteran

Registered: 12/05/05
Posts: 1562
I have been reading the threads about Japan's quakes and nuclear dangers , the it struck me that other cities have gone through different kind of disaster that is not as dramatic. It is being (under seige). It happened before in Bosnia and Rwanda... political and other unrest and/or natural disaster can trap 100s or 1000s of people for weeks or even months with very little and they be on their own to manage.

So, maybe you are a prepper, maybe not. Maybe you are a prepper but 30 of your relatives came for christmas and it happened .. A huge quake destroyed communications and roads, and it would take weeks before any kind of road is passable.

You are under seige, for a reason or another...
How do you manage those miserable weeks or months ?

I think it will be of special importance to learn to RE-USE what you have on hand. Everyone has to become a McGyver. As I type this , my DW is watching someone cooking on TV. I looked at the frying pan with all that oil and said to myself : If I was under seige , that frying oil will NOT be thrown away. I would re-use it as a cooking fuel or for lighting.

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#220727 - 04/01/11 10:08 PM Re: Softcore disaster : UNDER SEIGE [Re: Chisel]
Susan Offline
Geezer

Registered: 01/21/04
Posts: 5163
Loc: W. WA
It isn't likely that 30 of MY relatives would all congregate here for any reason. Most of them are very strange, and I've had to move around a lot to cause them to lose my trail (same as with the school reunion people). I wouldn't want them around under survival conditions, and I sure as 'ell wouldn't feed them my stuff.

If there was any way to 'disguise' the calamity, or put a better face on it, I would. Then I would send them on their way with a large packet of Disneyland tickets (for free rides, food and events). They would probably be far enough away that they wouldn't think it viable to return by the time they looked closely at the 'tickets' and discovered they were fake. (Yes, you DO have to plan ahead -- what were you thinking?!)

If any stayed behind, I would give them the set of "Free Meat Here!" t-shirts and send them out into the local hills to look for 'stuff'.

If they simply refused to leave, they would become pet food, or served to neighbors with fried green tomatoes.

Simplify whenever possible. Plan ahead.

Sue

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#220728 - 04/01/11 10:15 PM Re: Softcore disaster : UNDER SEIGE [Re: Chisel]
bacpacjac Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 05/05/07
Posts: 3601
Loc: Ontario, Canada
ROTF @ Susan!
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#220738 - 04/01/11 11:35 PM Re: Softcore disaster : UNDER SEIGE [Re: Chisel]
chaosmagnet Offline
Sheriff
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 12/03/09
Posts: 3819
Loc: USA
With electricity, I have all kinds of comfort technologies and distraction devices. Without it, I won't allow anyone to deplete my batteries on inessential tasks.

My guess is that we'd get the kids to play a lot of card and board games to while away the hours and days.

If we're truly under siege we'd need to have the adults on watch at all times, which is another great reason to band together with your neighbors. I'd much rather take an eight-hour shift every day or two than do four hours on and four hours off continuously.

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#220744 - 04/02/11 12:39 AM Re: Softcore disaster : UNDER SEIGE [Re: Chisel]
Frisket Offline
Addict

Registered: 09/03/10
Posts: 640
Reminds me of The Boondocks:Fried Chicken Pandemic Episode.
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#220752 - 04/02/11 03:35 AM Re: Softcore disaster : UNDER SEIGE [Re: Chisel]
Chisel Offline
Veteran

Registered: 12/05/05
Posts: 1562
LOL Susan.
There was a myth that women had softer hearts than us guys ...
You busted the myth. LOL

OK, some 40 years ago, our town was surrounded by national guards and all inbound or outbound traffic was forbidden becuase of a cholera epidemic. That "seige" continued for a month IIRC.

But it was manageable at that time since the town was agricultural and every other house had a few chickens. Also, not many people at that time were techno-nuts like everyone seems to be today. My mother used to have her kerosene lantern and kerosene cooker.

Now, lots of farms are gone. Every home is full of electronic gadgets. If it happens again, I wonder how many people would survive for 72 hours ?

In 1991, Saddam invaded Kuwait, and although the Kuwaitis were - technically - not under siege, their towns were heavily controlled and supplies were running low. Rich people opened their warehouses of food and other necessities and groups were etablished to distribute them to the elderly and needy.

In the Gaza strip, fuels are not available. Even wood has become scarce. So, Palestinians started utilizing the idea of solar cooking.

http://www.greenprophet.com/2008/11/solar-ovens-gaza-strip/

There are many examples of people who have been , or still are , under seige. I think it is worthwhile to study their lifestyle and learn a few leassons.


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#220758 - 04/02/11 12:20 PM Re: Softcore disaster : UNDER SEIGE [Re: Chisel]
bacpacjac Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 05/05/07
Posts: 3601
Loc: Ontario, Canada
We live in a four-bedroom townhouse, with 3 bedrooms and an office. A few years ago, 14 relatives visited for Christmas brunch. A freak snowstorm found 17 of us stuck here for three days. It felt like we were under seige!

The first challenge was finding somewhere for everyone to sleep. My son moved in with my hubby and I. (Thank goodness for king-sized beds!) One kid got his bed and another slept on his bedroom floor on one of those kids "ready beds". 2 grown-ups on each of the pull-out in the living room couch and the futon in the basement, with on kid on an air matress beside each of them. 2 older kids were on air matresses in the office, and we had a family of four in my step-daughter's room - mom and dad on a queen-sized bed and their kids on the floor on a thera-rest. (SD was out of town visiting her mom.)

We had enough sleeping bags, blankets and pillows, which really helped everyone's comfort level.

Half of them were on their way to an overnight visit, so had extra clothes, toiletries, etc. The other half was out for a day trip. My brother was one of those out for a day trip. He's a really big guy so the poor guy couldn't get a change of clothes from us, and ended up washing his skivvies in the sink.

Thankfully, we always have extra toiletries on-hand. We also had a full pantry and freezer, not to mention enough Christmas dinner leftvers to last a few days, including lots of booze - phew!

The bookshelves and boardgame cupboard were crucial in keeping everyone amused, especially when the power went out. We had lots of toys, paper and crayons for the little ones. The older kids had hand-held video games and music players, and we adults played countless card games after the little ones were put to bed.

If it lasted any longer we probabyly would have had some issues, (can you say "mother-in-law?) but as it was, it was more of an adventure. The kids still talk about it.

I still think about it too. I don't host family events very often but I'm prepared when we do. All of our relatives come in from out of town so there's always a chance they'll get stuck again. Likewise, we're prepared when we visit them. Don't want to end up like my brother. He keeps an overnight bag in his car now. Bet the first thing he packed was his Fruit of the Looms. wink
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#220770 - 04/02/11 04:58 PM Re: Softcore disaster : UNDER SEIGE [Re: Chisel]
Susan Offline
Geezer

Registered: 01/21/04
Posts: 5163
Loc: W. WA
I am not child-oriented, so I would never have thought of this myself...

A make-do sort of friend had some kind of weather-related situation with some family and a bunch of kids. Most of the kids were fairly young/small, so she remade the beds so a long side became the top. More small kids fit in a bed sideways than they do regularly. She said the first time she had the problem, she put four kids in one twin bed with two heads at each end, but you know what happened...

"AUNT ELLIE, TOMMY KEEPS KICKING ME!"

"SHE KICKED ME FIRST!"

Sue

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#220772 - 04/02/11 05:18 PM Re: Softcore disaster : UNDER SEIGE [Re: Chisel]
bacpacjac Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 05/05/07
Posts: 3601
Loc: Ontario, Canada
LOL@ "He kicked me first!" My cousin takes all our kids for a week every summer, and the kids share beds. They do the sideways thing, and as thr kids have gotten older, he's started putting body pillows between them to ease the my space-your space issues.
_________________________
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You can find me on YouTube here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT9fpZEy5XSWkYy7sgz-mSA

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