Ramblings on the Mayan Calendar and TEOTWAWKI

Howdy Folks,

I remember back in the 80's I was excited to acquire a Casio Databank watch. While reading the directions I found out the electronic calendar would show the correct day of the week, date and month until the year 2024.

At the time I was so in love with that watch, I was sure that I would keep it till 2024! After a couple of years, things break and after the strap broke I was on the look out for a new watch...

So what would happen if society collapsed resulting in the majority of the knowledge we have today being lost, (let's say around 1990)?

After a couple decades society is slowly piecing itself back together... many strange artifacts are recovered. One of the artifacts is a Casio Databank watch. With a little tinkering and scavenging the curator of the "Old World Museum" manages to get the Casio working again!

The curator is very excited begins pushing buttons and after awhile figures out that the calendar on the Casio will not go past the year 2024! He thinks nothing of it but when he mentions it to the ruling council, the elders, who are very superstitious take it as a sign.

The elders interpret the sign as the world will end in 2024! For why would such a technologically advanced society of the old world create such a wonderful device and not have the date go beyond 2024 if the world was not going to end then??? I mean what else could it mean other than THAT??????????

Dear readers, do you not think that just maybe the Mayans created their calendars back in the old days and figured they would make it last until the year 2012 which was the end of some great cosmic cycle??? Maybe they thought they had plenty of time to make the "NEXT ONE"??? I mean there is a bunch of other things to do in a 5124 year calendar other than worrying about making the NEXT calendar!!!

The Spanish came to Central America, changed civilizations, had offspring with the natives, destroyed their 'weird religions' and converted them to Catholicism thus destroying the Mayan culture and religion. So maybe the people who used to be the Mayans, don't really give a crap about making calendars anymore and instead give us more valuable items like Tequila, Fajitas and Hot Stuff!!!

Maybe we have the Spanish Conquistadors and their quest for gold to blame for this 2012 hysteria these days???

Dang Cortes, you could have at least let them make another calendar!!!

Shoot, being a 5124 year calendar you could flip the thing to zero year or whatever and reuse it!!!

I mean Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull made more sense than "the world is ending in 2012 crap because we can't find the next calendar!!!"

Maybe the world will end in 2012 (but not because of the Mayan calendar), but if the Mayans were so good at predicting stuff, why didn't they see the Spanish coming???

Whatever it is, I ain't buying it!

***RANT OFF***

Thanks for reading!

Later,
ZA

Ramblings on the SHTF x2...

Howdy Folks,

With the talk of Iran was going to do 'something' today and the record snowfall in Washington D.C. it got me to thinking... What would have happened if you were in the Capitol (or any where else) and had to evacuate with a blizzard?

I reckon if that is where you chose to live, then you are pretty much stuck when mother nature dumps on you.

I think the most important thing is be aware of the weather and realize that if you plan on bugging out, you are not guaranteed clear skies, empty roads, and smooth sailing, so plan accordingly!!!

Later,
ZA

Ramblings on Podcasts...

Howdy Folks,

It has been a mess here in the Carolinas the past few days as we received another 6 inches of snow here on the homestead. With the cold nights that dip below freezing and the refreeze of the snow melt it can make for some dicey driving conditions.

All this cabin fever has me ready for spring! Being cooped up is a great time to listen to podcasts... well actually anytime is!

Working by myself has its benefits and also its downsides as well. While I hardly ever have anyone looking over my shoulder I often times have no one to keep me company. That is why I will pester folks like my good friend, Freedom Defender as well as WW in TN and Al in NC. Many times though, my friends are busy or I am suffering from a loss of connectivity in my wireless access, so I have to have other folks to keep me company.

I usually ride along with Jack Spirko of The Survival Podcast which has been a big help in keeping me heading in the direction I need to be in my preps. I have to say though, since Jack has been podcasting from the home office, I sure do miss those 'auto rants'. Good stuff! This guy is worth MORE than 20 cents an episode and it is why I support him via the members support brigade!

I have only been listening to Matt of The Prepper Podcast for a few weeks now and just finished listening to episode 21 today and I am totally impressed with this dude. Every week Matt has bloggers and others of the preparedness mindset on his show and does an excellent interview. For a prepper that is getting his start, Matt is going places. Keep up the good work. Also check out The American Preppers Network which has some great forums and State Clubs which folks can discuss and plan meetups. Good Stuff as well!!!

I also listen to many non S&P related podcasts, such as Leo Laporte for my Technology Fix, Today in iPhone for the latest info on iPhone related stuff, This Week in Photography for my Photography fix, and my Favorite Walt Disney World Podcast... WDW today which always brings me a little cheer because I always enjoy taking the kids to see the only mouse I don't wanna stomp on!!! LOL

I have many more podcasts that I listen as well, but I can't cover them all. I average about 18 hours a day in podcast listening... but it only takes me 9 as my iPhone has a 2x speed setting which allows me to listen to them quickly. Yeah, it takes a little getting used to, but once your ears get calibrated for it, you can easily understand everything being said! This is a way to listen to a TREMENDOUS amount of info daily and keep up with everything that interests you!

Oh yeah, I also listen to audiobooks as well... I use Audible and I am very satisfied with them. If you click on the Audible link above I WILL NOT GET ANYTHING!!!!!!!!!! I do not plan on monetizing my blog at this time, so my plug for them is only from a satisfied customer point of view!

The time I spend working with my hands is also time that I can listen to those books I never seem to have time to read because I am mostly working.

So consider getting an MP3 player, or better yet... a iPhone and finding yourself some podcasts/audiobooks to listen to, so you can learn about more things, get better educated and pass the time better!

Take it easy and thanks to all you new followers (as well as old timers!!!)

Later,

ZA

Ramblings on YakTraks and STABILicers...

Howdy Folks,

If you read some of my report on working in the snow and ice up in the mountains, you may recall how I mentioned that my YakTraks FAILED (EPIC FAIL!!!) because of the constant walking up steep hills and punching through the crust of ice to get to the ground below for a solid grip.

First of all let me say this about the YakTraks... they are worth $20 if you plan on using them in the city on flat ground to walk on the sidewalks coated with ice. They will not do you any good though walking up hills and punching through ice like I did.

Eventually, even with my attempts at repairing them with zip ties they became more trouble than they were worth.

I knew the type of design that would hold up to the conditions I was working in. I needed something with a hard plastic or rubber bottom to allow me to stomp through the ice, and they needed nylon traps so there would be no FLEX when I walked up an down hills.

A search on Amazon revealed STABILicers by www.32north.com These were EXACTLY what I needed and have proven durable enough to last longer than the failed YakTraks. The traction you get with the STABILicers is tenacious to say the least. The first time I walked up a hill I felt like I was walking on dry rough concrete and there was no flex like with the YakTraxs which gave me confidence I was not going to fall and do the luge down the mountainside!

The YakTraks are easy to slip on and off. They also tuck away nicely in your coat pocket for those times you need to go inside.

The STABILicers take a little more time to take on and off, but not really that much longer. They do not tuck away easy though, but for the stability they give me, I can handle that problem!

I will probably get another pair of YakTraks for use when I am in town and need to walk around, but for working... I will be using the STABILicers from now on!

Thanks for reading!

Later,

ZA

Ramblings on Y2K , a retrospective...

Well folks it is a few days past the 10 year anniversary of the much hyped Y2K bug.

I thought it would be a fun thing to look back on this event and share some of the things going through my head at the time.

I have always been into prepping and wilderness survival techniques since the mid 80's. I always thought that S&P (survival & prepardeness) meant having guns... lots of guns. Sure it was a hook for a lot of us gun owners and an excuse to our wives to buy firearms.

About 1998 the Y2K bug was everywhere in the news, with books, videos and websites dedicated to the topic (I still have several of these just to show my kids when they get older). In fact that is where I cut my teeth on various survival forums (the original Squirrels, Plainsman's Cabin, and Assault Web as a few) being heavily involved in the Communication forums.

I learned a lot of things to help prep me for Y2K there but if Y2k had actually happened, I would have been up the creek with a water soluble paddle!

I got a generator, a long term storage fuel supply, a swimming pool to store water, some ammo, a little food and a small battery pack.

On 1-1-2000 nothing happened that didn't usually happen. Most folks sold off their Y2k preps and I got a some freebies from a fellow prepper who said the heck with it and gave me a good start on my preps!

I was not sure that Y2k was going to be a big deal or not, but I wanted to do SOMETHING and I thought what I was doing was good enough. I think it is basic human nature to want to do anything even if it turns out wrong.

It was definitely an interesting time to experience!

Around 2003 I started getting my preps in order. Food is more important that weapons and ammo. Knowledge to know how to grow and preserve more food is even more important. Skills began to overtake preps although BOTH are important!!!

Still there is always more things to learn and more things to store no matter how long you have been into prepping!

So even though Y2K was a flop, it was the catalyst that helped me get into the correct mindset that I have today!

I also think that Y2K is where a bunch of folks learned that they were not crazy because they wanted to prepare. The sad part is that many sold off their preps and said, "Never Again" . They were once AWARE, but decided the light was too bright and it was easier to live life by sticking their heads back into the sand.

Thanks for reading and 73!

Later,

ZA