JAKARTA PANDEMIC
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A minion recommended this book, so of course I bought it having little common sense when it comes to buying books. I imagine the Kindle version was a lot cheaper, but sometimes I get tired of investing to save money in the future. I do it all the time now, so it is a nice change of pace to blow an extra five or ten bucks a week. I know I don’t even need to buy a Kindle reader, I could just download the PC version, buy the book online and save the money of a reader by just reading on the computer. Fine for most folks, but since I don’t have grid power it is cheaper to buy a device using a portable battery than buying more solar panels or 12v batteries to use my computer at home. Running lights ( three watt bayonet LED bulbs ) and the TV ( a portable seven inch flat screen using 13 watts ) I use 50-60 watts a night. The writing on the weekend I theoretically use the computer while it is sunny. On a cloudy weekend I add another 70 watts total to my juice use. I live on seventy watts worth of panels and one marine battery. Using a computer, even a netbook only using 35 watts, to read books would go way over my power budget. So, really, reading old fashion paper books is best for me right now. That’s my excuse for spending $15 on a fiction paperback. The other is longevity after the collapse.
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I really enjoyed The Jakarta Pandemic by Steve Konkoly. I read that fat bastard in one day. So, keep that in mind as I bad month parts of it. I still recommend it as a well written piece of fiction with prepper undertones. Mainly, it touched very well on the difficulties of neighbors during a crisis. Okay, this book is by no means a doomer book. In the end, as these kinds of books usually do because the author took a class somewhere that said your hero must prevail in the end, the government easily restores order and everyone lives happily ever after. It is a total Yuppie love fest. I mean, it was disturbingly nauseating. I almost blew chunks a few times. The main message was, just stockpile petroleum products in bulk and you can get through a few rough spots and then in the end everybody can join in a circle and clasp their hands together, sing a friggin song about we are the world and the fedgov will wiggle its nose and magic will happen and you Yuppie pukes can go back to living in a McMansion as if nothing happened and they can still keep making their SUV payments and mortgages as long as they were smart enough to buy gold, extra heating oil tanks, freeze dried soy nuggets and especially AR-15’s.
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And my god, the friggin marriage part. Okay, this part will get the female minions all excited, because the whole marriage of our main character was him dropping to the ground into a mound of broken glass with bare knees and slamming his head into the wood floor in subjugation, screaming in slightly feminine tones that he was far from worthy. I love you, you are my whole world, I’ll do anything, feel free to withhold sex at any time and I’ll just go along with it and a friggin month later when you finally feel like it I’ll gleefully perform to your specifications. Okay, first of all, this is not a marriage. This is a princess and her loyal serf. Second of all, females are like horses. They need to be rode every day. Otherwise they hang around the stall and munch on sugar cubes. Oh, they won’t admit to it, but secretly they hate you for being a spineless puke who worships them from afar. Anyway, I won’t get into all that. I’ll just say this was a typical Yuppie Prepper book. In the end, it’s all alright, dawg! Nothing bad happened, its okay, go back to your Wonderland fairy tale.
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Like I said, this tale deals very well with neighbor interactions in the suburbs during a crisis. It isn’t a typical survivalist pulp fiction shoot-em-up. There is plenty of AR-15 worshipping, along with that princess worshipping, but it isn’t just a combat report. In fact, a lot of you might find the book very boring. Over a few weeks the crisis slowly unfolds. The “action” is mostly in a few house area, and it is mostly just the typical yuppie scum day to day living. You know, that dreaded “what I had for dinner last night” kind of reporting. I enjoyed the slow paced detail orientated writing myself. I don’t need contrived cliff hangers at the end of every chapter to artificially move the story along. I just want to share a characters life for a good while. But for those that don’t read for enjoyment, but only education, you might find it boring.
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And you might find yourself screaming, just shoot the bitch! He keeps causing you potentially life threatening problems! But that is the whole point. The story illustrates how difficult it is to eliminate enemies in the making when the government is still hanging around, threatening you if you defend yourself. Just as the story had highlighted the asinine behavior of the schools ( only shut down after the flu shows up in the classroom- we can’t endanger our funding! ), it also shows what problems greedy neighbors cause, and you are powerless to kill them preemptively. If for no other lesson, this book is worth your money and time. That is what good fiction is supposed to do, illustrate in detail the lessons you need. It is one thing for me to say, the neighbors will try to steal your food because they are lazy humps that won’t buy a bag of wheat instead of a weeks worth of cappuccinos. But if you read a few score of pages giving you the details of how and why the neighbor screws you, that warning sticks with you much better.
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My e-mail is jimd303@netzero.com
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27 comments:
Lord Bison,
I think there is one fatal flaw in your preps. You forgot how important neighbors are! You see, we all need our neighbors and it's important to have people around for one reason:
Protein.
The Jones next door will look mighty fine basted in butter with grill marks on 'em.
-MBP
re comments
Use of capitalization can change meaning.
"Help Uncle Jack off the horse."
"Help uncle jack off the horse."
It may partially have been my fault. I think I, along with some others, may have mentioned it to you some time ago.
I did a review of it:
http://reflexionesfinales.blogspot.com/2011/03/jakarta-pandemic-e-book-review.html What is funny is that when I mention he is a “yuppie prepper”, I linked back to one of your old posts on the subject. So I am glad I got that part right.
One point you don’t mention (and I avoided the topic altogether) is that his wife makes more money and has a more stable job then he does. That should weigh very heavily in the boot-licking scale.
Flu pandemic books are getting to be popular. Of the various types of popular “collapse” fiction out there (versus Zombies for instance), they strike me as being far more realistic in their assessments than most.
Interpersonal problems typically factor in a lot more heavily than having an extra 500 rounds of 7.62x54R.
i rode my wimen too tiemes a day.
wimen should be judged by the size and shape of there boobs. in a perfect world.
todays post was ok. i don't liek books . the riddin wimen part was funny.
mbp- I'm working on getting Mohave Rat to attend the BBQ. He won't tell me how much he and the wife weigh, so I'm assuming they are quite a prize for The Other Other White Meat on the hoof :)
russell2k- I like your site. Usually very good reviews and commentaries. You other minions bastards, visit his site. Then come back to mine and buy my crap.
Jim, I weigh 125 lbs. I am mostly full of shit so it would hardly be worth it. No one knows what the wife weighs and never will. She looks nice, that's all I can tell you.
the rat
Regarding your energy situation ... have you investigated getting a wind generator?
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There's smallish units made for boats that put out about 5 amps in 15-20 mph wind (the output really climbs from there, 15-20mph in the point where the curve takes off).
Checked out russell1200. He too didn't ride the short bus. You seemed up and down on the book,master. But I will get it because you said you read it in one day. So...it was good enough to hold your interest. Plus, I have to find out what the stinkin' neighbors did. S.D.
918- windmills are much better at churning out power at low cost, but they have moving parts ( don't trust much quality wise today, at least that which I can afford ). The solar will go decades with nothing more than glass cleaning. It is easier just to learn to use minimal power.
MR-if you weren't so full of crap, I wouldn't like you so much.
I suspect Mohave Rat is trying to minimize his potential for the B-B-Q. I hear tell he tips the scales at over 250. Just sayin'... S.D.
I got the Jakarta book on a PC kindle. Not a bad read for $3.99.
As a real prepper though, his main character did make lots of mistakes. But I think it was pretty realistic for what a yuppie prepper would do.
Idaho Homesteader
I've been planning to review it, will link to here and Russell's when I do.
The main character was the only vegetarian, Fox News bashing, ex-Marine officer you're apt to find. Makes the book suitable to give to your left-wing relatives you need to shock into prepping.
Jim; Get the Kindle. Books are way cheaper, delivery is free, and the thing sips power. I get over two weeks of heavy use on a single charge. You can transfer all kinds of documents to it. As long as you have some way to power it, it's a repository for survival info. $114 for the cheapest version, well worth it. You'll make it up in less than a year on shipping alone.
Now that I've read the book, your review is spot on.
Worth reading, but it will make you tear your hair out with all the yuppie prepper mentality.
Gentlemen, and ladies. I truly hope you don't mind my dropping in here with a few comments. As the author of this yuppie tome, I just loved your review. More truth to what you said in your review, than most other reviews I've seen. Great job, seriously. I wrote this from a yuppie perspective...not yet a prepper (am now...sort of, after writing this book and doing the research).
You really hit on my main purpose for writing the book. After studying my very similarly designed neighborhood, I started to wonder what would happen if the SHTF...would we all remain friends? Cooperate? Join forces? Given how busy we yuppies are with all of the things you've described, I doubt anyone in a similar setting has taken any steps to prepare for even a minor disaster. I figured the situation would deteriorate rather quickly, and if you weren't ready for the human element...it might not matter how much prepping you had done. Unless you have claymores...those could make a difference.
Yeah, the book has lefty tones. I myself am one of those dreaded veggies...there, I said it. I'm actually pretty messed up in terms of party political lines. Confused you might say. I did give the government a big pass at the end of the novel, and in retrospect, this part of the book could have been designed better to fit the likely reality that it would take much longer for any recovery to take place. I purposely didn't wipe out the world with the pandemic, but it would have done more damage.
Hope you post this, as I would be more than happy to entertain questions or simply serve as a punching bag. Thanks for the spot on review...I'll be sure NOT to pass on your "concept of a woman" to my wife...she'd get a kick out of it, then I'd probably get a kick somewhere more painful.
To be fair, I linked to this review via Surburban Survivalist. Liked his review as well. Thanks guys.
The biggest question I have for the author--Why didn't any of the neighbors park their car(s) at the entrance to the subdivision to block the traffic?
If you blocked the road with working cars, you could have moved them if someone wanted to run to the store/doctor/whatever. Even the grumpy neighbors could have seen the benefit of this. But it would have blocked strangers from coming in--at least cruising your neighborhood in the comfort of their car.
A few homemade signs at the ENTRANCE (not just his yard) to the subdivision would have help to act as a deterrent.
Plus, why did you have the "hero" keep shaking hands with everyone? Even after the family started their isolation, Dad would shake hands with the neighbors. Crazy behavior in a pandemic situation.
Last but not least, at the end of the book, where did they get the lettuce for the salad? The family was still under quarantine and the kids hadn't been allowed to play with the neighbors so obviously they hadn't gone to the store. Just curious.
Flu's often circle the globe more than once. I believe that the 1918 Spanish Influenza circled the globe 3 separate times. So in reality, after the first go round, you have a few months to prep up and get ready to isolate yourself for round #2. So you very well may be looking at 12-18 months that you will have to be able to manage on your own if you want to stay isolated.
I did find your story very realistic on how the average, slightly-prepared individual would act. Plus, I found it well written and easy to "see" inside my head as I was reading it.
However, I hope that now you are at least a beginning prepper, you will write a story that could act as a guidebook on the correct way to prepare. Plus I would like to see the children more involved THOUGHOUT the crisis not just watching tv or playing video games.
Idaho Homesteader
Well Mr. Konkoly, you demonstrate some candor at ant rate. Since the Master is big on grain he won't hold the veggie thing against you. I myself have a lot of wheat, oats and beans which I know I will rely heavily on despite my not too inconsiderable hunting and trapping skills. You appear open minded so I don't think you'd turn down a squirrel stew if you were really hungry. Like that you say you are 'sort of' a fledgling prepper. Never hurts to do a little prep. Shit happens. I don't think you are a "monkee molesting commie bastard" (to quote the Master)so keep at it. Maybe your next book, with your research into prepping, will be less Hollywood and reflect the reality of TEOTWAWKI. I will read the Pandemic now. SurvivorDan
IH is one of the most rational, articulate minions, so listen to her, SK. IH, don't let that go to your head. Other minions, send money for more praise.
I think I just got busted on the lettuce at the end...might have been something I had planned to explain (limited store availability)...but given a national crisis, and the fact that the lettuce would have been trucked from Cali at that point in the spring. Nice catch on a sheer impossibility.
As for the cars blocking the entrance? I missed out on this one. At one point while writing, I almost turned this into a neighborhood fortification story...but I didn't want to go there. I had already demonstrated enough hostility between neighbors, that I didn't think it could work. Maybe at the point where refugees start streaming in, the hood might have rallied. Someone should have done it, at least. I did have the main character discuss blocking the entrance with the police, and they cops dismissed the idea, saying people would pour in from the sides. Still, it would have cut down on the interlopers.
All good stuff, and yes, I would gladly eat squirrel stew if necessary. I actually snared two squirrels in one of my military survival school ventures, and added this to the rabbit and veggies provided by the instructors. The other students were not pleased.
Steven,
Funny story about the squirrel ; )
I was a vegetarian for almost two years. I appreciate knowing that I can cook lots of good tasting food without meat. I know I don't HAVE to have it, but it is an easy way to get high-quality protein.
However, living on an off-grid, back-to-the-land homestead it makes sense to raise and eat animals.
The animals can eat things I can't (grass, weeds, etc) and I can eat them for protein. Then I use their waste for the garden. It makes sense in a circle of life kind of way.
Even just doing the animal/garden thing part time, our family of 5 receives over 50% of our food from our homestead.
Hope your own personal prepping is coming along. It's an economical as well as prudent way of life.
Idaho Homesteader
Only a couple of minor errors in a novel is impressive. I can't write a short article without screwing up a few particulars. I don't hunt or trap anymore as I am getting soft in my old age, but I can and I will eat Rocky, Thumper and Bambi by necessity. Glad you are practical about such things. If you come visit here occasionally you need a nom-de-survivalist. SquirrelStew? YuppiePrepper? Fang? :) SurvivorDan
IH,
50% is impressive. We are still a long way from that, and until we move to a more realistically sustainable homestead, that number will be unattainable. We've recently felt a lot of internal need to move out of our "McMansion" lifestyle, and reach for a more sustainable existence. We're slowly chipping away at our preconceptions and "brainwashing" about "success" and the insatiable desire to fulfill all of our wants, at the expense of our real needs. Sounds like a self help book excerpt...but it's true.
It's hardest with kids. We want to give them the best chance at "success," but we're having a hard time defining success. The endless cycle of consumerism, accumulation and anxiety? Or lead by example NOW, and get us out of the cycle.
I admire people that have taken these steps, and we're slowly coming around...but for now, we're in a self-imposed suburban prison, afraid to move away from good schools, sushi bars and an unending array of "conveniences." I love hearing how other people jumped the grid, so I'll be paying close attention the posts and articles here.
As for only making a few mistakes in my novel...if you had read it last November, when leased, you might have a different opinion...though I do appreciate your compliment. This book has been through many iterations, and I've taken onboard a ton of advice from readers (beyond grammar or typos).
Steve
Well Steve, you came to the right place because I actually make my living (yup--I really do) by explaining to people how they CAN achieve their dreams.
You don't have to move to the "backwoods" of Idaho to be self-reliant. It's a little easier on some fronts, but there is so much you can do right where you're at.
Couple of quick example, though you are probably already doing some of them:
**Start a garden. Not just a summer garden, but a garden where you root cellar (in a cold basement corner), dehydrate, can or freeze the excess to see you through until the next growing season.
I'm assuming you're in New England similar to where your novel was set?.? So look at the pioneer basics of carrots, potatoes, onions, garlic, parsnips, apples, pumpkins, squash, etc. The stuff you can use in soups, stews, stir fries, etc.
**Start cooking from scratch. You've achieved success when your kiddos can walk into a pantry with a year supply of food, look you in the eye and say, "There's nothing to eat". ; )
**Get your kids unplugged, out of all the extra curricular activities and DO things with them. Have your kiddos work in the garden and help organize/buy the food storage. Teach THEM to cook--from scratch. And no, from the box Mac and Cheese doesn't count. If you must do an extra curricular activity, join the Boy Scouts and volunteer to be the assistant Scout Master.
**Start hiking, biking, boating and camping as a family. Yeah, the kids might be bored at first. I was bored sometimes as a kid, so why shouldn't I share that experience with my children ; ) It's good for them.
**Set your kids up in a family business. Sell veges from the garden, make paracord bracelets, lawn care service, something. And don't be nice about it--charge for supplies, gas for hauling them to sell, etc. This world's economy is crazy. Teaching your kids to be entrepreneurs at a young age is the best investment you could ever make. Plus, it looks good when they apply for scholarships.
**Take away the kiddos allowance. If YOU don't get an allowance (I assume you're not a trust fund kid), then the kids don't get one. Make them pay for their own luxuries and in my opinion that is anything beyond 3 hots and a cot and some basic clothes. If I'm feeling benevolent, I'll give them a present for Christmas and their birthday ; )
I practice what I preach. Years ago, I made my daughter (age 5 at the time) buy her first bike with money she made from selling berries. Berries that she had weeded, picked, packaged and delivered. And, yup, I deducted for the delivery gas.
**Build something. Build a tool shed, play house, artist studio, etc. This gives you an excuse to buy TOOLS and you gain the experience about how to erect a basic structure.
All of these things can be portrayed as being "green", eco, environmentally sound, etc. So you can get them past your yuppie neighbors.
All of these projects, also, give you a great excuse to buy supplies, tools, and books. Things like a pressure canner, jars, camping supplies, good bikes, building supplies, gardening tools.
Plus if you don't control your own banking account (i.e. have to ask the wife's permission), you can always say that you're doing it for the children.
Survival is mostly mental, with a little skill thrown in. So bloom where you planted and don't use your location as an excuse not to do something.
Idaho Homesteader
IH,
Thanks for the practical advice. It really is best to take all of this one step at a time.
Embarrassingly, next spring will be our first year with garden beds. I just put together two raised bed, and we'll fill them so they are ready to go in the fall. We've been composting, so we'll have plenty to mix into the beds. We'll add more beds, and diversify over the the next few years. I like the idea of having our kids REALLY get involved. Right now, they are on the fringe of it all, expecting to get paid for work...and they won't even consistently help. All our own fault, but the hammer is about to fall on this. If I can't even get them to help consistently, not just when they want to replenish the coffers, we need to rethink our plan. Getting them invested differently is a better idea. I like the idea of a pressure canner, since we plan to extend the garden's bounty as far into the winter as possible. Maybe not this year, but I want to grow beans or similar legumes to dry out and store...also squash or other root vegetables. Root cellar? Not sure it would work for us, but I will look into it. After reading Stephen King's Salem's Lot, the idea of a root cellar gives me the creeps!
We own a sailboat, which has been the mainstay of our family time. They get involved with that, and have taken lessons. This is a great family activity, and we're closest as a family after spending 9 days sailing up the Maine coast, hiking islands...all unplugged.
You nailed it on the head with the extra-curricular activities. We allow one per season, and this wreaks havoc on our family schedule. On everyone. Cuts right into dinner time, often...and makes it nearly impossible to get away camping in the fall. I'm about done with them, unless they are dying to participate.
We cook mostly macrobiotic meals, so about 70% of our meals are made from scratch...we used to be closer to 100% but have slipped. The kids get involved with skinning, cutting and prep work, but homework often gets in the way. We like to eat early, and use the time after that to finish up remaining homework, and spend time as a family (walk, read, bike ride, games, yard work).
I like the way you think, though it will take us a few years of weaning them off gifts to get to the point where we can give them one Christmas present. We've started with our immediate family, and are working our way inward. We despise the commercialism of Christmas, and all of the expectations (not to mention the money spent). We've tried to limit Christmas to things we need anyway...but we haven't been very successful.
Thanks, IH...and keep the advice flowing, it really sparks some intense thought.
Do you lecture on this subject, formally or informally?
Best,
Steve
Hi Steve,
Good job on the raise garden beds. If you haven't already read it, "Square Foot Gardening" has great ideas for maximum harvest in a small amount of space.
I would also recommend a subscription to "Backwood's Magazine" or "Countryside". Those are the best two magazines out there for back-to-the-land living.
For seeds, I would recommend Johnny's Selected Seeds. I believe they are in your neck of the woods. The All Star Lettuce blend is excellent. Their Ace Green Peppers are the only ones I can get to produce abundantly in my cool mountain climate.
I would look into root cellars. It requires no energy, no jars, no lids. Ours is just a 12x14 foot cement basement under the house.
It's like a walk-in fridge for 6 months out of the year. I can keep carrots, potatoes year round. When I buy lettuce in the winter, it will keep for 6 weeks because of the temp/humidity (34/85). I'll buy a box of oranges around Christmas and they'll store for 2-3 months.
I'm also able to store Tillamook Cheddar Cheese for over 12 months. A nice thing to have in your food storage.
You may want to check out ClubOrlov blog page. He wrote a great book called "Reinventing Collapse". He compares the crash in the former Soviet Union to what he sees happening here. He uses a sailboat as his "survival retreat".
For my work, I am in contact with lots of people who are beginning to envision a life off the consumer treadmill. I spend a lot of time building up their confidence and explaining how a modern homesteading life is VERY possible and show them how they can do it.
It's personally rewarding because I love the lifestyle. It gives me a way to make a living doing exactly what I love. However, you quickly realize that MOST people are too scared to step outside of the box and spread their wings.
This is why James has to keep repeating the mantra of "junk land, wheat and a grinder" over and over. People won't even bother themselves to do that, even if it could mean their survival or a chance for a better life.
Idaho Homesteader
IH,
My apologies for not responding sooner. Busy times in suburbia. Thank you for the cluborlov.com link. Extremely compelling blog! Wow, I spent more time than I had anticipated reading through his entries, and I have only scratched the surface. I'll add his book to my ever so long list of reads.
I love the idea of a sailboat as a survival retreat. We have a 28' sailboat, which we keep on a mooring a few miles away. I always consider the possibility of making a quick getaway on this, if there was a sudden collapse on the mainland. There are few things more satisfying, than cutting the engine and letting the wind power our boat. We keep it stocked with canned food, full water tank, and extra water, emergency supplies...our goal would be to head for Nova Scotia, then Iceland. The only problem with our plan, is that we pull the boat in October (this week) and put it back in during May. I just have to hope nothing happens during the winter months.
I like your idea of a root cellar, but we have a basement, and it's not very cold. I do have a bulkhead area, that could be sealed off with a little carpentry work...this area stays cold due to the thin metal bulkhead door, and snow wisps in through the less than airtight bulkhead. Do you seal the food to prevent mice from having a snack?
Three raised bed are filled with compost and loam, covered with straw. We'll be ready for the winter. Thanks for the tip on where to buy seeds. Have you ever heard of FEDCO? They're located nearby. We'll check out Johnny's also.
Thanks again for the great advice.
Steve
I don't usually get mice in the root cellar but I have had one or two. I just keep a couple of plain ol' mouse traps set at all times.
The chicken really love the extra protein ;) Obviously, you wouldn't feed mice to chicken if you used poison.
Here's another survivalist blogger who also has a sailboat
http://sixbearsinthewoods.blogspot.com/
And here is one of my other favorite blogs--posted only Monday evenings
http://woodpilereport.com/
One of my favorite people, Mike Folkerth, had a blog. He's quit posting but you can go and see all his old entries. He wrote a great book called, "The Greatest Lie Ever Believed" about the economic growth paradigm that this country embraced. I email him every so often. He's a wonderful person and very intuitive about what's coming down the pike.
Idaho Homesteader
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