shrill shrew

SHRILL SHREW

Three Nova fiction posts yesterday afternoon.
*
Okay, I most likely need to profusely apologize. My long time, long suffering minions who’ve followed me around the block a time or two should realize I’m just having a bad hair day or two and ignore any sharp edges that bear themselves, but any new potential and probationary minions might get the wrong idea and get all butt hurt and toy with the idea of abandoning me and deserting to another far less dandy survival blog. As I’ve said repeatedly but which obviously needs reiterating, I’m far from perfect. The entire Lord Bison shtick ( courtesy of a minions wit ), and my insistence of your worshipping my hair are merely reflections of my distaste for the whole “survival guru” ordeal. The media construction of an infallible advice dispenser. All of us have stupid ideas, blinders in place and misinformed opinions. I try to apply logic as rigidly as possible to minimize this, but that makes my presentation less prone to errors, not free from them. I also have a more bizarre form of humor at times which might leave the wrong idea. So, in response to the last few days comments, let me be more precise. I disagree with many strategies survival wise. That doesn’t make them wrong. Nor does it make mine any better. Take my blatherings and tirades as a helpful pointer of the dangers you might have overlooked rather than a blanket dismissal of the idea itself. Farming is wonderful, just beware its downfalls. Bugging out isn’t stupid, it is merely far less of a slam dunk as you might be thinking.

*

Truth be told, if I had my druthers, I would be homesteading with permaculture. I’ve always said Rawles plan is the perfect plan. It has the lowest chance of failure. But it is impractical for most of us. I keep trying to point out the lack of time we have, and that isn’t to get you to give up in despair but to be aware that you don’t have the luxury of time as far as sssslllooowwwwwwly implementing the perfect plan goes. My only point is that living in a populated ( as opposed to a hidden mountain farm ) area presents the problem of a lot of fighting over the spoils with you in the middle. Bugging out to friends or family to a pre-stocked rural area is a great idea, a far better plan than most of the population has ( their only plan is to genuflect before the fascists in hopes of an emergency handout ). I only question the rational of staying in a potential craphole too long, and I am helpfully pointing out the dangers as you try to flee. So please forgive me if I appear the shrill shrew. Sometimes I get on my soapbox and start getting carried away and forget to include disclaimers. This isn’t an excuse for you to do something stupid, like only stockpiling MRE’s. But I don’t want to be “one of those guys”. One that thinks their idea is the ONLY good one and won’t listen to any evidence to the contrary. I like to think I’m capable of always learning and always fine tuning my ideas. If you remember, as much as you chastise me for my spelling, it has improved quite a bit. Perhaps not my grammar, but to that, don’t hold your breath. The reason my writing has improved over the decade is because I’ve stopped trying to write to suit other people or the contrived notion of the proper way, and gone with a more fluid, subconscious style. It is more of a “we’re hanging out on the porch drinking coffee and shooting the Shiite” kind of style rather than the “here is my proper college dissertation to impress you with, even if it is dry and boring”. It is more natural than proper.

*

Something else that occurred to me is that one explanation for the gulf in our understanding each other is our time frame differences. I’m looking at the future distant while you are looking at it future close. I see in the future where it is the lucky few that can afford buckets to crap in rather than having to run out to the outhouse in twenty below zero while you look at the prospect of using a sawdust toilet when you could be using a fine, workable ceramic flushing job so much more appealing. I see herding as a future benefit freedom wise, but I know the transition to that as opposed to farming is certainly more problematic. I look at a future where only a few lucky folks survive off wheat, whereas you look at the supermarket shelves still groaning under the weight of multiply choices weeks and years from now ( decades? Not a friggin chance in hell ). I’m sorry about that, but far better too early to prepare than too late. As in, today you could buy wheat. Tomorrow, if a sudden drought comes along it is never available again at an affordable price. If I’m overly pessimistic, it is to save you from your procrastination ( I’m naturally pessimistic. Yes, this colors my perception of future events. But only with the timing, not the general projectory ). I’m not infallible, I’m not perfect. I’m no smarter than you. But one thing none of you has, I’ll wager, is the time and dedication to devote to the study and contemplation of the coming collapse like I do. Forgive me if I appear dogmatic at times. That is the last thing I wish for. I have to stay open to new ideas, or my writing will start to suffer. And, I don’t know if you could tell, I love to write. So, Yuppie Scum, I still hate you. But if you’re bugging out or farming, I still love you, as long as you take precautions.

*

I just read two books last weekend, Eden and Hunter After The Fall. Both had almost zero appeal post-apocalypse wise. Okay, I understand I’m picky about the definition. It has to be a plausible collapse and total chaos and anarchy must reign, and it has to be before a centralized government can be reestablished. Eden was all about religion and the biblical earthquake and about zero survivors and demons and angels fighting. Hunter was about a hermit who emerged 12 years later to save an old buddies village. The problems with Eden are obvious, but allow me to spell out why Hunter wasn’t post-apoc. First, this was just an Epic Quest book, with a depopulated America instead of a fantasy background. Not that this would disqualify it ( Dies The Fire, about the second best post-apoc book ever after Lucifer’s Hammer, was sort of the same thing ), but to me at least it seems the author has close to no practical knowledge of the field of preparedness and collapse. It was just a background canvas for him. And, God! The tree hugger crap went on for pages. I love A Majestic Grand Nature Tapestry With Heroic Wildlife as much as the next guy, but to go on and on for pages, time after time, blech! And the story was a bit cartoonish at times ( Craaack! The bullet sped by his head! ). Like a graphic novel almost. It wasn’t bad, I read it in one sitting to see if our hero got the girl ( he does ), but I’ve read much better. Not recommended. Eden, despite the total religious theme, was written so well that an avowed atheist would love it. And it wasn’t just standard hogwash. There were twists everywhere. A undiscovered additional Book Of Eden. Details on the souls of fallen angels verses demons, a gal totally unaware she was the daughter of God. I loved it. It was that good. Not as a post-apoc book, in that it sucked, but just as a great read. Buy only if you keep that restriction in mind.

END
The Official Bison Web Site http://www.bisonpress.com/
*
My e-mail is jimd303@netzero.com
*
Anyone can submit a guest article. No minimum word length, no writing skill necessary ( just get the idea across ). You retain copyright ( this must be your original writing ) and I’ll just use the once. I’ve yet to turn down an article, just don’t use the N Bomb or libel another that can sue me. Send by e-mail ( please, label as “guest article” so I can find it easily later ). Payment will be your removal from my enemies list.
*
By the by, all my writing is copyrighted. For the obtuse out there.
*
Please support Bison by buying through the Amazon links in each article. You can purchase anything, not just the linked item. Enter Amazon through my item link and then go to whatever other item you desire. As long as you don’t leave Amazon until after the order is placed, I get credit for your purchase. Thank you.