View from the Corner Booth
There was a program on television last night that featured a pharmaceutical company that was producing an anti-nuclear drug that would allow you to survive the fallout of a nuclear blast until you could receive medical care. I can already see the stockpiling that will be happening. The problems that I find with this entire issue are the following: 1. Nuclear war sucks. I used to be one of those anti-nuclear activists in the eighties and suddenly, everyone is panicking. Hello! This is something that has been haunting us for a long time. I could go on with this one but won't. You get the idea. 2. What do we know about survival as a society? Nothing. Ask yourself these simple questions. What ten things would you need to survive a nuclear blast that occurs at a large city within driving range in a day? How long would you survive over the course of a year with the resources you have available? How would you go about establishing your life again after this kind of disaster. All of these questions of course rely on the one important thing that is paramount...that you even managed to survive nuclear holocaust. 3. How will you deal with this event on an emotional level and how will it impact those that you know and love? Government disorganization aside (we know how bad New Orleans went) do we have the moral, emotional, and physical strength to weather this storm? There is a book waiting to be written about that one. When the government doesn't even exist for say two years or so, can we step up and make the right choices on rebuilding our world?
Beyond those three questions or rather a statement and two other main questions, my thought is that we are unprepared for anything like that. I've had this conversation many times over the years with many people, including my students and we should all be concerned. The fact that the drug the unnamed company will sell to millions doesn't even begin to touch the surface of the issue, but it gives us that tiny burst of comfort level that makes us think it can help us immensely. I guess its really for those who feel that they can survive and are willing to. I'm sure there are more than a few that would rather not survive what is anticipated. That's a conscience call...Enough of this. I spoke my mind....What ten things would you need?
There was a program on television last night that featured a pharmaceutical company that was producing an anti-nuclear drug that would allow you to survive the fallout of a nuclear blast until you could receive medical care. I can already see the stockpiling that will be happening. The problems that I find with this entire issue are the following: 1. Nuclear war sucks. I used to be one of those anti-nuclear activists in the eighties and suddenly, everyone is panicking. Hello! This is something that has been haunting us for a long time. I could go on with this one but won't. You get the idea. 2. What do we know about survival as a society? Nothing. Ask yourself these simple questions. What ten things would you need to survive a nuclear blast that occurs at a large city within driving range in a day? How long would you survive over the course of a year with the resources you have available? How would you go about establishing your life again after this kind of disaster. All of these questions of course rely on the one important thing that is paramount...that you even managed to survive nuclear holocaust. 3. How will you deal with this event on an emotional level and how will it impact those that you know and love? Government disorganization aside (we know how bad New Orleans went) do we have the moral, emotional, and physical strength to weather this storm? There is a book waiting to be written about that one. When the government doesn't even exist for say two years or so, can we step up and make the right choices on rebuilding our world?
Beyond those three questions or rather a statement and two other main questions, my thought is that we are unprepared for anything like that. I've had this conversation many times over the years with many people, including my students and we should all be concerned. The fact that the drug the unnamed company will sell to millions doesn't even begin to touch the surface of the issue, but it gives us that tiny burst of comfort level that makes us think it can help us immensely. I guess its really for those who feel that they can survive and are willing to. I'm sure there are more than a few that would rather not survive what is anticipated. That's a conscience call...Enough of this. I spoke my mind....What ten things would you need?
posted by Blinking Woman | 5:00 PM
4 Comments:
Well, Maude (hahaha), I won't lie. I didn't give this much thought like I said I would. I'm gonna wing it.
1. Water, someway, somehow.
2. A pot to boil water in out in the wild.
3. Matches to light the fire to boil water.
4. Some cash. Alot, preferably, cause it'll probably be tough to get anything from anyone in this situation unless you're giving em a heck of a lot of money.
5. A face-mask. (Can't you get all kinds of nasty disorders from the air post-nuclear-explosion?)
6. Knowledge of what you can eat and what not to eat in the forest. Cause you'll walking a far ways and you'll need some nourishment which you probably won't be able to hit up Wal-Mart for.
7. Connections all over the country, so you can get some help, maybe, from a willing kind soul.
8. A CB/FM radio... that works?
9. Lots of blankets or warm fabric for sleep/wound treatment/hypothermia/shock problems
10. Vitamins. They're good for you.
I tried? haha
Well, in order for it to be a nuclear holocaust, I imagine you meant that there were an awful lot of nuclear bombs that went off in different parts of the US and there is going to be anarchy for a while. That being the case...
1. Sara. Somebody would have to keep my company.
2. My house. Shelter. Board up the windows and doors and only go out when I need to. It prevents radiation getting in too (or at least I think I read that somewhere.)
3. A car. I have transportation AND shelter. I also have the cigarette ligther which can start fire.
4. Sufficient fuel. Maybe a car with two tanks of gas, as well as a trunk full of spare gas. Not going anywhere far if there aren't any gas stations around, but hey, even if I run out of gas, I have shelter.
5. A horse. In case I run out of gas. It could also be used for burgers, if worse came to worse.
6. A pot. I suppose this would already be in my house, but I'd have to cook on something.
7. Ramen noodles. Easy to cook over a fire, and since they're cheap, I imagine I could have a years supply of them already handy and barely spending anything.
8. Bottled water. Nobody is going to want to drink well or rain water near where a nuclear bomb went off.
9. Gun and ammo. People will go crazy if something like this happened.
10. Clothes. It will get cold without them.
Hey, our forefather's forefather'sforefather's forefather's forefather's forefather's lived without half of this stuff, and they turned out alright. I'm sure I could manage.
Well let's see now, what ten things would I need after a nuclear holocaust, aside from a giant stick to keep the ravaging mutants off of me?
1. A reliable source of water, be it bottled or natural springs.
2. A big machette for skinning and chopping things.
3. Flint, to make fires.
4. A bow and arrows, to revert back to the whole hunter gatherer thing.
5. Canned food and opener, just to get me off my feet.
6. A big stcik (not for bashing mutants) to loot any stores necessary and Blinking Woman's subaru as the heist-mobile.
7. A semi-truck full of Malboro Medium cigarettes (my nerves will be shot!)
8. A good book to read through the years (if anything, it can substitute as TP).
9. My bible (dictionary).
10. Last but definitely not least... 'Maude'
Disclaimer: Blinking Woman and any other affiliates do not agree with the views or opinions expressed by Mystery Man. Besides, we think mutant bashing is totally and completely immoral and wrong.
Well, well, well....some kick ass answers there. I'm glad we all learned something from the whole New Orleans thing and we're in agreement about the water. Now my thoughts.
1. water preferably bottled in mass amounts
2. the closest cinder block building with few windows
3. woodstove or heat source (vented) natural gas would work OR solar power source with a generator run by gas (I'd go running around the neighborhood siphoning all the gas out of cars as I wear my gas mask) I'm not sure if they make natural gas powered generators but they should if they don't.
4. supply of general tools including sharpening stone for knives.
5. an emergency plan with my loved ones to meet up at a central location if possible or a way to send a message somehow in case we aren't together
6. gas mask
7. Books ...."How to survive a nuclear holocaust for dummies" a set of encyclopedias and other how to books....how do you create electricity anyway?
8. First aid items for any thing and everything that might happen
9. Canned food, enough to last for at least a few months.
10. Kissing Peaches, Torch, Mystery Man and JB, you can come too.....between us all we'll have a few laughs if all else fails.
Much of this is said tongue and cheek and some of it with careful thought. May we never find ourselves in this position but it was interesting having this little eye opening discourse....
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