Monday 31 October 2011

X Prize takes the Prize

Motivation is a multifaceted wonder, and the X Prize is a jewel in this field. The latest victory is the $1million dollar prize for oil clean up, advanced the art more in a few months than the Oil Industry had done in two decades since Exxon Valdez. One million dollars is less than Exxon spends on coffee each month, shame on them. How much better could oil refineries be, how much cleaner could gasoline and diesel be.

Tuesday 25 October 2011

Not a survivalist a Prepperationist



I am not a survivalist. I believe the media over amps violence and fear, and governments of all stripes echo this because it makes them seem more useful and relevant. Now Canadians are under attack from a government that is pushing a law and order agenda that has been proven to create the opposite. Surely this is the goal. In relatively crime free Canada it’s hard to get the population to fear for its safety, so the Government is going to bring us an American style nihilistic underclass, as a foil to extend its ideological grip indefinitely. Therefore I have been projecting that in my future situations that exist in the USA and worse places will come to Canada. I spent a couple of weeks on business in Buenos Aries before the economic collapse. My hosts kept me constantly occupied continually exposing me to all aspects of life in Argentina. I left with nothing but platitudes for that country. I have lived on continental Europe for most of a decade and spent years in most Asian countries. At that time if I had to choose to live elsewhere Argentina would be a top consideration along with Australia and New Zealand. Recently I came across the blog surviving Argentina. It was shocking to read about the dystopian reality of today's Argentina. It was more shocking to read the authors conclusions and evidence that America was deep into the precursor events that changed Argentina.
Although I have real fears the US will descend into madness, I am hopeful Canada will not change much and repelled by events in America will soundly reject our current Conservative government. Nevertheless I was both a Boy Scout (always be prepared) and an avid consumer of speculative fiction. Therefore I will use this post to gather materials and methods to survive the potential collapse.



Location, location, location, geography is going to be the biggest factor in any scheme. In my scenario I rule out tropical islands, and moving to New Zealand. I am not independently wealthy and billionaires are going to be the first to fall unless they are extremely clever. Assume I have a couple of million, but anyone can take something from the coping solutions I follow.

City or country: its counter intuitive but in a simple economic collapse the city is safer than the country. It is far too easy to plan an attack on an isolated location. There will be organized gangs who make it their business to forage upon the remote defenders. Furthermore, isolation means little hope of reinforcements. So I am choosing a suburban environment.
Picking a location that has temperate climate, good soil, water and sustainable population narrows the field considerably. Then one must consider the three secrets to success. 1) Education 2) Effort 3) Native cunning. With native cunning predominate in a society in flux. Therefore pick someplace you understand. Pick someplace you’re going to have allies you can gauge for trust and reliability. In conclusion moving someplace you have never lived is a huge risk. Don’t even consider places where you are not a fluent speaker.
I have selected a 50 acre farm in Niagara on the lake. This is relatively densely populated area, with wind, sun, water, good soil and a temperate wine growing climate. Creating a compound of three shipping container basedQuik will provide sustainable security. The houses would feature armored shutters, external fires suppression, and air exchange from a hidden source. Two of the homes would be for families sharing my survival dream. With electronic sentinels, remote firearms and a network of blinds, defense of the realm against gangs is accomplished.

In Canada the selection of legal firearms is relatively restricted. Handguns are not legal accept under very very tough terms.
The Remington R-25 semi-automatic is a beauty, .308 caliber bullets will punch through armor and be deadly at long range.


Remington R-15 recoilless .22 semi-auto. Perfect for women and children.
PS90TR Yes its the civilian version of the Stargate gun.

Hi Fernando,,

A better choice.  The ammo can be shared with a pistol, and the weight is considerably lighter than either of the alternatives. The argument against, Ammo hard to find.

Steve


 Hi Steve, its not a bad set up and I really do like the 5.7 pistol, but it comes down to millions of units and decades of proven reliability. It just takes time and considerable success to achieve that, and so far the Glock is still to be beaten and the Ak has set the standard for carbines. Its not a bad weapon combo, and as you say light amo, fast follow up shots, light weapon sistem. Still, I preffer the more time proven models. That's just me, others like the light recoil and accessory of the AR and there's guys still packing 1911s because they feel that works best for them.
Regards,
Fernando


The Black Special is a civilian version of the Swiss Army Rifle.

Crossbows like the Excalibur can’t live without them.


Swords but you have to practice. Good knives Gerber gear featured on the Walking Dead. and Ontario Tactical Knives, official wet work weapons. Buy swords here. and here


New double barreled gun



Practical safe house.



As a bug out vehicle Fernando loves his CRV, and in his estimation, gas mileage is almost as important as reliability and jumping curbs.

If your going to go seriously off road there are a number of good suggestion given by a guy who has had mondo experience on the exploration side of survival. Gas mileage not a consideration here. I like the idea of a EClass.
The Beast I would add some kind of fenders and a rattrap. However a pure electric is a preppers delight.


A Factory in a box

Basic prep is playing Fallout, and picking locks, an invaluable skill.
http://www.bussecombat.com/knives/index.shtml

Personal Radiation Monitor (EMP resistant)
Geiger Counter watch

Remote fire station


A Better Remote Fire Station. It tracks using x box tech.



  blog by a real survivalist, he has lived our nightmares.


Flashlights, going to need light

Better eating greenhouse tips.

Watches that will last.
Food
Pressure Cooker to self-preserve your food
Pemmican


Now thats a knife

Detailed Plan


Wireless Remote Webcams. See whats going on where they are installed from anywhere you have a internet connection.

http://www.humbleseed.com/
http://www.urbangreenenergy.com/products/eddygt
http://www.businessinsider.com/robert-greenes-48-laws-of-power-2012-4#never-outshine-the-master-1
http://boingboing.net/2012/06/11/recreational-robot-shooting.html
http://www.pinterest.com/tough3rrhino/zombie-apocolypse-prepperation-board/
http://www.maxpedition.com/

Floating Island



Best Professions for the end times

Scalable Electric Independence using Stirling Engine and thermal mass.

Prepper shop on line

Owners Manual for the rebuild

Preppers Subdivision in Panama.

The official Steve Prepperation clothes. 500 Denier Cordura, indefinably highly zombie resistant.

I have mixed feelings about a dog. They are another mouth to feed, and can get you into situations better avoided. Nevertheless surely the plus side wins handily. The best choice a Dogo Argintino. You can buy a good one here.

Tips from JamesStarSlayer

A Billionare Prep







Thursday 20 October 2011

Are Direct Injection Gasoline Engines ready for prime time?


I love Honda, and admire Toyota. Unless I was independently wealthy I would need a lot of convincing to purchase anything else. My top 5 criteria for choosing a car are:
1.         Reliability (life cycle cost)
2.         Fuel Economy
3.         Interior comfort
4.         Exterior Styling
5.         Safety
While GDI engines were invented in 1925, it was not until 1996 there potential became mainstream. In 2011 most Brands have a version except for Honda and Toyota.  Now I know why. Despite a 10 to 15% boost in both power and fuel economy, two big liabilities. First the high pressure pumps needed are expensive and complex (repair Kaching$). Secondly there are burn issues that lead to oil burning and carbon build up. Therefore I now know why Honda and Toyota have been cautious, and if you’re buying a car with GDI, beware.