Preparedness Review of The Walking Dead Episode 304: The Enemy Within

Spoiler Alert !!!

Lori Grimes (to an absent Rick):  Goodnight, Love.

Synopsis:  Knock-Out Punch Number Two of the season.   Andrew, the prisoner presumed killed in Sick, returns and lets walkers into the prison.   The group is separated, with Carol and T-Dog fighting through the prison's underbelly.  T-Dog is bitten and sacrifices himself so that Carol can escape.   Lori, Maggie and Carl find refuge in a boiler room, where Lori goes into labor.  The baby is dying, so Maggie performs an emergency C-Section, killing Lori but saving the baby.   Carl, remembering his father's words from last season, steps up and puts his own mother down to prevent her from becoming a walker.  Rick, Daryl and Oscar proceed to the generator room to turn off the sirens attracting walkers, and are ambushed by Andrew.  Oscar shoots Andrew, saving Rick and showing where his loyalties lie.   They meet up with Axel and Glen, only to find T-Dog's corpse, Carol's scarf, and no sign that she survived.  Back at the main yard, Beth and Hershel emerge from their protective fence, and Maggie brings the baby and Carl back to the yard.   Rick, realizing what has happened, collapses and sobs uncontrollably.

Meanwhile, at Woodbury, Michonne inspects the National Guard trucks and realizes something is amiss; she doesn't buy the Governor's version of the story.   Andrea gives Merle directions to the farm where she last saw his brother, and the first dissension against the Governor's rule is seen when Merle decides to ask him for permission to look for his brother.   Andrea decides they should stay a few more days, but Michonne is adamant that something is off about the good town of Woodbury.

That may be the longest synopsis I have written for an episode, but it deserves it.  This episode is an emotional and dramatic powerhouse that kills of two series regulars and sets up conflict to come.  Most people call that a season finale.  The Walking Dead calls it episode four.

The episode starts on a high note.  The group is making plans to dispose of all the walker bodies in the prison yard to get ready to plant new crops so that they can grow their own food.    Little do they know that Andrew has taken a dead deer and using it as bait, has led walkers into the prison to overwhelm the group so that he can take it back.

T-Dog sacrifices himself to seal off the threat.

The group is caught by surprise, and Hershel and Beth lock themselves into a fenced in catwalk area.  T-Dog, in an attempt to shut a gate opened by Andrew, gets bitten on the back.  Carol shoots the walker attacking him and the pair run into the prison.   Meanwhile, Rick, Daryl, Glen, Oscar, and Axel try to knock out the alarm sirens which Andrew has set off to draw more walkers.

Lori, Carl and Maggie have taken refuge in the boiler room, where Lori realizes that she is dying and so is the baby.   She urges Maggie to perform a C-section.   Maggie does so, killing Lori but saving the baby.  Sarah Wayne Callies and Lauren Cohen absolutely shine in this scene, as Lori tells her son goodbye and urges him to always do the right thing.  I have really never been impressed with Chandler Riggs' acting until this scene and the following scene where he can't look his dad in the eye.  Wow.

Rick and company find the generator room to shut down the sirens and are confronted by Andrew, who gets the drop on Rick until Oscar shoots him with Rick's gun.  Oscar and Axel have finally proven their good will and are accepted into the group.  

Rick learns his wife's fate.   Carl cannot face him.

T-Dog directly runs into walkers, allowing Carol to escape them.   Rick and his group later find his devoured corpse, and Daryl finds Carol's scarf, surmising that she died as well.   The group returns to the courtyard, where Rick finds out from Maggie that not only has the baby been born, but that Lori has died.

The scenes in Woodbury are actually fairly serene, but set up what is sure to be a conflict to come.   The Governor is a confidence man.  Everyone believes he has their best interests at heart.  Michonne is deeply suspicious, especially after the National Guard officer mysteriously dies and she notes the bullet holes in the sides of the Army trucks.  Andrea is ready to stay.  She is tired of being on the road and living from day to day, and after all, the Governor's doctor did save her life.   This pair has trusted each other for months, and now Andrea, in her desire to believe she is safe in Woodbury, seems willing to sacrifice that sisterhood.

Discussion

What lengths are we will to go to to be safe?
Perimeter security.
Emergency plan - bugout - communications plan.



 

Preparedness Review of The Walking Dead Episode 303: Walk With Me

Spoiler Alert!!!

Bruce Banner/The Hulk (in the Avengers movie, referring to Loki, but applicable to this episode):  That guy's brain is a bag full of cats.  You can smell crazy on him.

Synopsis:  The Governor is revealed, and at first seems like a reasonable guy just trying to help people.  This wins Andrea over, but Michonne remains unconvinced and is intent on leaving as soon as possible.  The Governor's true colors are revealed when he ambushes a group of refugees and later retreats to a study filled with aquariums hosting decapitated heads. Suddenly Shane seems dispassionate and reasonable.  Oh, and Daryl's brother Merle is back and working for the Governor as his right hand man.  Get it?

It is noteworthy that this is the first episode not to feature Rick Grimes.  This is a Michonne and Andrea episode and reveals the new main antagonist of the series, the Governor.   The episode opens with our pair of heroines, pet walkers in tow, investigating a crashed Army helicopter.  They find the crew dead or mostly dead, and the wreckage still smoldering.   Two SUVs drive up, and the occupants move through the wreckage site, killing walkers and securing the area.   Andrea and Michonne watch as the group rescues the lone survivor and drive knives into the skulls of the other passengers who are deceased.    The ladies haven't yet realized that everyone is infected and no matter how you die, you reanimate as a walker.  Michonne's pets get agitated and start making noise, so she decapitates them.  Then Merle -- yeah, that Merle -- shows up behind them and the girls are captured.

They are taken to the Woodbury community where they are treated for their illnesses and meet the head of the community - the Governor.  He's just a guy trying to keep everyone alive and "take back what's ours."  He informs them that they are guests and can leave whenever they wish.

The community seems ideal.   Battery banks have been installed in houses and are charged via solar panel or generators to provide power;  there is hot water, medical care and a security wall that no walkers have been able to penetrate.   Whenever a group of them ventures too close, guards with surpressed weapons take them out.   Scavenging runs go out regularly.  A strict curfew and light discipline (exactly the opposite of the farm environment last season) keep the number of walkers at night to a minimum.

While Michonne and Andrea convalesce, the governor meets with Milton, his science guy, regarding

The Governor: his elevator doesn't go all the way to the top.

the walker pets recovered from the crash site.  Milton theorizes that they were camouflage and cover.   The arms were removed so they would not grab, and the jaws removed so they would not bite.  Once they are incapable of eating, they lose the desire to eat, and since the Michonne and Andrea were traveling with walkers, they were not attacked.    The Governor is impressed.

He also interrogates the chopper pilot, who is fighting for his life.  He was part of a National Guard unit that was holding its own until someone inside turned and they had to evacuate.   The helicopter was on a transporter truck, and there are other survivors holed up off the highway waiting for him.  The Governor promises to bring them in.

The Governor finds the National Guard troops and ambushes them, killing them in cold blood and stealing their equipment.   Then he returns to Woodbury and tells the residents that the troops were already dead, but that they will use their equipment for the good of the community.

The episode ends with the Governor retreating to a private study. There he gazes upon a stack of aquariums filled with decapitated heads, including the heads of Michonne's pets the head of the helicopter pilot.

Discussion

The Governor is doing a lot of things right preparedness-wise.  Woodbury has a secure perimeter, a competent guard force, practices noise and light discipline, and has restored basic services.   That's the surface.  Beneath the facade of civilization, however, lurks a dark heart intent on garnering power and controlling the survivors of the enclave.  Most living in Woodbury seem happy with the arrangement.  The guards and the Governor do the dirty work, and they reap the benefits.  All that they have to do is not question anything.

Merle and the other guards seem completely loyal to the Governor.  They are willing to ambush and kill soldiers, murder wounded, and do whatever he says.   That is never good.   While every group must have a leader or small cadre of leaders, blind obedience is a dangerous thing.   The guy saves heads for a hobby for crying out loud.

It makes the viewer wonder whether the group Randall was with last season came from Woodbury.  If not, then there are two rogue groups of bad guys out there.

Other than that, I didn't see much worth discussing preparedness-wise.  I admired the efficiency of the Woodbury enclave.   I abhor the psychotic leader and his guards.   This is going to be interesting.

Next week:  Glen asks, "Can't we have just one good day?"  Has he been paying attention?

Preparedness Review of the Walking Dead Episode 302: Sick

Spoiler Alert!!!

Lori:  What are we gonna do, get lawyers, file for divorce, and divide our property?   We have food.  Hershel's alive.  Today was a good day.

Synopsis:  This is the first knock-out punch of the season, and may be the best episode of the series.  Hershel's life hangs by a thread; the newly discovered inmates become a threat; and someone is watching the prison.

Sick picks up right where Seed left off, in the prison cafeteria.   Five prisoners have survived there, and Rick's impromptu amputation of Hershel's bitten leg is still fresh on the floor.   A confused scene follows where the Rick's group retreats through the walker-ridden corridors to the cleared cell block with Hershel on a cart.

T-Dog, Rick, and Darrell confront the prisoners.

Once he is stabilized by Carol and Lori, and Rick strikes a deal with the prisoners.  The isolated group has no idea of what has happened outside the walls or that everyone has been infected with the walker virus.   It's a rude awakening.   Rick decides to  help the prisoners clear a cell block of their own in exchange for half the food in the prison pantry.   Tomas, the leader of the prisoners, keeps trying to assert his dominance as the prison leader, and Rick and Daryl have a discussion over whether they will have to deal with him.

The combined group expedition proceeds, and the prisoners learn the ropes of killing walkers.   One of the prisoners, Big Tiny, is wounded by a walker, and  Tomas violently murders him before he shows the first symptom. When the group moves into another part of the prison to clear it,   Tomas tries to murder Rick by tossing a walker into him.   Rick has had enough, and once the walker threat is neutralized he murders Tomas with a machete chop to the head.   He then chase down Andrew, another prisoner who tried to attack him, and locks him in an isolated prison yard full of walkers, presumably sealing his fate.

Rick makes Oscar a deal he cannot refuse.

In the cleared cell block.  Hershel is handcuffed to a bed and ministered to;   Lori has to perform CPR to revive him at one point.  Carol realizes he may die, and goes off to find a female walker with Glen to kill and practice a C-section on so she can be ready when Lori goes into labor.   Someone watches her from the tree line.

Rick, T-Dog, and Daryl lock the two surviving prisoners, Oscar and Axel, in another cell block and tell them if they see them on their side of the prison, they will kill them as well.  The cell block is littered with corpses of prisoners who were flex-cuffed and shot in the head execution style by the guards when the prison was overrun.  Axel and Oscar knew the occupants of the cell block, and are horrified by the discovery.

The episode ends on a high note.   Hershel regains consciousness, and Rick and Lori have discussion which indicates their may be a thaw in their icy, broken relationship.  Lori is clearly remorseful for her role in pitting Rick against Shane, and for betraying Rick.

Discussion

Sick is one episode that brings to the front the importance of freedom and self-reliance as keystones to preparedness.  I was struck by just how powerless the prison survivors were; isolated in the cafeteria, cut off from the world, and at the mercy of whomever had control of the prison.   I sometimes come across posts in online discussion boards by people who intimate that they are procuring weapons or material that may or may not be illegal in their jurisdiction in order to further their preparations.  Number one, if it is illegal, it is illegal.  Whether you agree or not, a law is still the law and you should live within it.   Number two, how are you going to look out for your family when you get arrested, tried, convicted and sentenced to prison?

Rick's interaction with the prisoners is another interesting example of the group dynamics within survival situations.   Some preppers are working with groups of like-minded people in their communities to create formal groups for mutual assistance.   Some are working with groups to create multi-family survival retreat communities.  Preparedness is a group activity, whether it is a single family, group of families, or whole community.  We should be seeking like-minded people and educating those around us as much as possible.   By forging those links before a crisis occurs, we at least know who we can count on to help us and participate in survival activities.

Rick has no such luxury. This group has been ad hoc from the beginning, and now they are faced with having to deal with convicts of a questionable nature.  Whenever we are approached or are approaching an unfamiliar group, we should always use extreme caution.  Do not give out more information than necessary -- when Tomas asked how many were in Rick's group, Rick simply said, "too many for you to handle."  That also goes in the aftermath of a crisis when help arrives.  After Hurricane Sandy, warnings went out to residents in New York that criminals were donning utility worker uniforms and trying to gain entry to homes.  That later turned out to be a hoax, but the threat was there.  Certainly, there was looting in the New York area.

Also of note in the group survival arena is that Carol has been cross-trained by Hershel in first aid and midwifing, and that is a tip all of us should take to heart.  What's the use of one person knowing how to start a fire in the group if that person dies or is separated from the main body?  Cross-training should occur in as many areas as possible.   I really dislike that Hershel was injured in Seed.  Your only qualified medical personnel should never be on the front lines.

Preparedness Lessons for Episode 302:

• You cannot protect and help your family from a prison cell.  Don't violate the law or your moral compass.
• Use caution dealing with strange groups.  You should be forming bonds before the crisis occurs.
• Group members should be cross-trained to the extent possible in essential survival skills.

Next week:   Hi, I'm the Governor.   I am totally not a spooky dude.  

Hurricane Sandy, The Media, and Personal Responsibility

This morning I am watching Fox News to get the headlines.   I really don't like the mainstream media.  As a former journalist, with a Master's Degree in the field, I find the blatant bias on display at the national level glaringly obvious,  almost to the point of absurdity.

Case in point:   This morning, the discussion centered around the lack of fuel for cars and generators in New England.   Most of the gas stations are either out of fuel for the pumps or the power is out to the pumps.   People are standing in line for hours for gasoline to run generators.   Aid is slowly trickling in.

At one point a guest commentator sitting in for Brian Kilmeade says, "Why can't they just get generators and bring them to the gas stations?"

 Not a bad idea, actually.  This would allow commerce to resume and allow people to get the fuel they need.

 "Or why can't they just bring in filled gas cans and hand them out to people?"

You have got to be freaking kidding me.  Why should FEMA be responsible for giving everyone fuel for their generators?  What kind of crap is that?

New Jersey residents fill a gas can.  Just one.

There are legitimate needs in New England.  Rescuers are still fishing bodies out of the water.  People are without food, power, water and sanitation.   Communications are down.  The infrastructure took a real hit, and it's not going to come back overnight.  It never does.  The region needs help to recover from the storm, and that help is coming.  Repair crews, prepositioned, have been swarming into the area.   Water is being pumped out of the low-lying areas of New York City.  Medical aid is coming in to help the swamped health care system.

But it's NEW ENGLAND.  You get bad storms EVERY winter.  If you have the forethought to purchase a generator, why would you not purchase and store fuel as well?

On June 29, 2012, a massive storm called a derecho swept through my state and left most of it without power.  We were caught off guard.  There was little or no warning of the storm.   People went for up to two weeks without power.  We learned, and we knew what we needed to do if something like this happened again.
 
Much of this preparation by myself and others paid off when Sandy came ashore and the rain and flood event in the Northeast became a snow event in our area.   Areas of my state saw over 30 inches of snow.  But unlike the derecho in June, residents had warning and were prepared this time.   And our power grid, much of which had to be replaced in June, suffered much less damage and is being repaired much more quickly, because the power company learned lessons as well.

Preparedness is, at its core, the personification of the concept of personal responsibility.   If Hurricane Katrina showed us anything in 2005, it was that if you are waiting for someone to come rescue you, you are going to be waiting for some time.   You need to take responsibility for your own wellbeing and safety.  The people at the New Orleans convention center discovered this.  So did the people at the Superdome.  Remember all those wonderful tearjerker news pieces showing starving babies in those places?

Which gets me to what really infuriates me about Fox News.  STOP.  Stop jumping up and down like an organ grinder's monkey and doing the same garbage the left-wing media did to George W. Bush.   We get it.  You don't like Barack Obama.  I'm not a fan either.  Now STOP IT.  You aren't helping.  You are either for individual freedom and the responsibility that comes with it or you aren't.  Your principles and what you tolerate should not change depending on who's occupying the White House.

Keep in mind that everyone knew this storm was coming, just like Katrina in 2005.  There was time for people to get out or be transported out if they did not have the means.  After all, it is the Northeast,  and many people, especially in New York, do not have cars and depend on public transit.  Some even chose not to evacuate when ordered to do so.  They should be the last in line when it comes to getting aid, and not one rescue worker should not be put at risk saving them.  You have a God-given right to be stupid.   Don't expect the rest of us to bail you out when you act stupidly.

Then there are towns that won't accept help from out-of-state electrical crews because the workers don't belong to a union.  That isn't a joke.  Read all about it here.

I really hope the people in the towns that turned down help wise up and vote those jokers out of office.  If you can't fix it yourself, you'd better be willing to accept the help you're offered.  Perhaps the media will cover that, but probably not.   After all, bashing local politicians and their short-sightedness and mismanagement of a crisis is not as sexy as bashing a sitting president.  Ray Nagin, anyone?

Reviews Delayed But On the Way

The reviews of Episode 302 and 303 of the Walking Dead have been delayed due to attending some family matters and the Hurricane Sandy super storm.     I have been without Internet and cable service for the last several days and hope to have them up in time for the Sunday episode.

In the meantime, our thoughts and prayers are with those in the Northeast who have lost so much.

U.S. Senator: Printing Money Will Lead to More Severe Inflation

In an interview with Reason.com, Sen. Tom Coburn explained how the low interest rates and lack of hyperinflation now was a harbinger of things to come:

reason: So looking at low interest rates is missing the larger point?

Coburn: It’s missing two important points. One is that we’re the best-looking horse in the glue factory. The second point is that just because we have low interest rates doesn’t mean they’ll always be low. When you’ve printed $3.6 trillion worth of money—right now it’s printed but it’s not in the economy, it’s sitting on bank assets listings and the Federal Reserve asset listings—what happens is when that money starts moving, when the velocity of that money starts moving, you’re going to see 15, 18 percent inflation. 

So the debt bomb is two things: short-term is deflationary, long-term is highly inflationary. And that has a real meaning to anybody that’s living in our country. If you’re my age or less, and you have socked away something for your retirement, the purchasing value of that goes away.

For the full article, go here.

Think Inflation Is Not Here? Think Again!

Inflation is a function of economics that describes the purchasing power of money.   Generally speaking, the larger the money supply, the less each individual dollar is worth, and the less it can buy.   People usually think inflation means prices on goods and services are increasing, when in reality the value of the money they possess is decreasing.

According to Inflation Data, the inflation rate in September was 1.99 percent, which is very low and on the surface looks good.  If inflation was high, say, over 10 percent like the 1970s, then interest rates on things like cars and housing loans would climb, and it would indicate that the U.S. dollar was very weak. 

Why is this important?  For one thing, the U.S. dollar is THE reserve currency for the entire world.  People buy things like oil on international markets in dollars.  The dollar is in demand even though our own Federal Reserve is creating money out of thin air because of this.

The problem with the "official" core inflation rate is that it does not include food and fuel costs.   The increase in the price of gasoline and other fossil fuels has been well documented in the news, but I have not seen as much in the media about the cost of food rising, until now.

This piece on The Blaze shows just how much prices have gone up for 21 everyday items families might purchase based on data from the Bureau for Labor Statistics.  The  article compares price data from 2002 and 2012, which covers from the early parts of the Bush administration to the Obama administration.

Here are some highlights:

• Eggs: 2002  – $1.03; 2012 – $1.80 or a 73 percent increase
  
• Loaf of Bread: 2002  – $1.01; 2012 – $1.41 or a 39 percent increase
• Ground Beef: 2002 – $2.28; 2012 – $3.69 or a 61 percent increase

This is one of the reasons why in my previous post during National Preparedness Month in September 2012 I urged readers to begin adding to their food stores.  The cost of food is rising! With the Federal Reserve adding further fuel to the inflation fire via quantitative easing, the pressure on the dollar's value is only going to increase.  

There is no doubt food and fuel prices are going to increase. By adding to the amount of food you store in your house now, you are deferring these additional costs into the future and ensure that in a crisis you have the means to sustain your family.

Preparedness Review of the Walking Dead Episode 301: Seed

Spoiler Alert!!!

Rick:  We have to go in there ... hand to hand.

Synopsis:  The group has been on the run all winter, dodging herds of walkers and scavenging as they go.   Rick is desperate to find a safe haven so that Lori can deliver safely.   Despite this, things between the couple are strained.   When the group finds the prison, Rick decides on a dangerous gamble to clear it of walkers to use as a base.

Seed picks up pace-wise from Beside the Dying Fire, Season 2's finale, but several months have passed since the fall of Hershel's farm.  Lori at this point is VERY pregnant, and the group has been on the run since the homestead was overrun by zombies.  

It is interesting to note how hardened and cohesive the group has become.   Gone are the days of keeping the kids and women back while the men deal with the walkers, and endlessly debating courses of action. Everyone who has survived is a soldier now ... even Carl, who has become exactly what Lori feared, a hardened killer.  Even little Beth Greene, who last year tried to commit suicide rather than face what the world has become, is able to muster up the courage to survive this world gone mad.  

Andrea and Michonne (the character with the sword from last season) have been on the run all winter as well.  Andrea is sick, and Michonne has found aspirin for her fever, but despite the illness the former wants to leave their temporary home.   She feels she will die if she doesn't keep moving and fighting the illness.   Of more interesting note are their other traveling companions.  These are two walkers Michonne has disarmed, literally, and de-jawed (I think I just made up a word there).   She uses them like pack mules and leads them on chains.

The episode opens with Rick and company finding and clearing a house of zombies in search of food, only to find a couple of cans of dog food are all that's left.   Walkers arrive, and soon the group is back on the road.  During a rest break Daryl and Rick go hunting and find the prison.  The group penetrates the outer courtyard and clear it.  With the safety of fences and the ability to rest after weeks on the road, Rick decides to clear the inner courtyard and penetrate the prison itself in search of sanctuary.

The phalanx attacks, and Glenn is holding my LMF knife.

The group action is visceral and compelling; they are nearly overrun as guard walkers in riot gear attack, and the group has to figure out how to penetrate riot helmets.  Their superior tactics and aggressive action carry them through;  Rick leads the team in a pre-planned phalanx-style formation that keeps everyone covered and allows them to take the zombies one at a time as they attack piecemeal. 

They find a way into the prison and clear one cell block.  Then, the group gathers resources from the dead guards (flash bang grenades, more weapons, and body armor) and proceeds to search the interior to find the commissary and infirmary.   Stumbling into a herd of walkers in the dark, Maggie and Glen get separated and when Hershel tries to find them is bitten on the leg.   Rick, in a desperate bid to keep him alive, amputates his lower leg before the acute infection can kill him.   The episode ends with more survivors - prisoners who have taken refuge nearby - stepping into the open.

Preparedness Discussion

There is a lot here to discuss.   It is pretty obvious the writers have taken past criticisms into account.  Showrunner Glen Mazzara, who wrote the episode, does a masterful job of showing us rather than telling us what has happened in the months after their exile from the farm.

First, being on the run without a fall back location STINKS on ice.   This group is on the run, out of resources, and running out of time.

In a crisis, you can do two things, stay put or leave.   If staying put, or "bugging in" is not an option, you should have a destination in mind before you leave -- a relative's house out of the danger area, a hotel (with resources to pay for it), or a secondary location if you can afford it.  If you are staying with someone, ask if it's okay ahead of time.   If you are buying a second location like a hunting cabin, etc., make sure it is secure and remote.  This is your safe haven.  

If possible, cache some supplies there ahead of time.  For instance, if your plan is to go to your brother's house two hours away, ask if you can leave a couple of bins of supplies there;   put in some spare clothes, bedding and storage food.  That way, if you show up with just the clothes on your back, you have something to wear and will be able to contribute food to the household.

None of this was possible for Rick's group.  The scope of the disaster is such that there is precious little they could take and very little is left to scavenge.

Secondly, everyone needs to contribute to the group's survival.  EVERYONE.  Note how all the members of our band of heroes helped take down the walkers in the initial penetration of the prison.     Even Carol, the meekest of the group, is in a tower firing an AK-47.  

As parents, we typically try to shield children from harsh reality.  That is a good thing.  The problem is when parents become overprotective.   Kids need to learn how to do some age appropriate things for themselves.  While no one expects a 13-year-old to become a trained killer like Carl has, the fact is there are some practical preparedness skills kids can learn;  how to start a fire, basic land navigation, using tools like knives to enhance survival, etc.

Lastly, group members with irreplaceable skills need to be cross-training others or consideration needs to be given to leaving them in reserve.  Hershel is their only medical resource, and taking him deep into the prison was a mistake on Rick's part.   In my opinion, Hershel should have stayed and Carl should have gone on the mission.   I know Carl is his son, and he wants to safeguard him as much as possible, but losing Hershel puts everyone at risk.

Preparedness Lessons for Episode 301:

• While staying in one's home is preferable, have an alternate location if possible with multiple routes to it preplanned.  Make sure you cache resources there.
• All members of a family or group need to contribute to survival.
• People with skills vital to the continued success of the group should be protected to the extent possible.

Next week:  The group continues to try to save Hershel as they come to terms that some of the prison population survived.   I am sure they were all in there for parking violations.

The Walking Dead Returns Sunday ... Let's Hope They Learned Something.

For readers of my blog (the 12 of you) you know that last season I published preparedness-themed views of AMC's hit TV show The Walking Dead.  My plan is to return to the reviews this season, and hope that our intrepid band of misfits has actually learned something about survival.  

Given their track record, I am not optimistic, but it does make for good television.

Here is a preview of the first episode.

Rest Break

Hyperinflation: The looming threat over us all

British Judge to Burglars: Break Into a Gun Owner's Home, Expect to Get Shot

A judge in Great Britain has informed two career criminals that there would be no leniency in their sentences simply because they were both shot by the person they tried to rob.

The pair had broken into the rural home of businessman, Andy Ferrie, and his wife Tracey in August.   Andy shot both of them with his legally owned shotgun.   The Ferries were arrested and questioned for 40 hours following the incident and released without charges.  

Judge Michael Pert QC, told the defendants, who had pleaded guilty: “If you burgle a house in the country where the householder owns a legally-held shotgun, that is the chance you take. You cannot come to court and ask for a lighter sentence because of it.”

The judge then pointed out that the 40-hour arrest of the Ferries was traumatizing for them as well.

Story Link 

National Preparedness Week - Task Update

Last week I posted a list of items you can easily take care of by the end of September, which is designated as National Preparedness Month.  Here is an update on what I have accomplished.

1.  Copying all vital information and a video and excel inventory to a flash drive in your fire safe.

I have not completed any part of this.  I hope to enlist my son to help me this weekend.

2.  Start copy canning food.

 We did this when we went to the store this week with peanut butter and other stuff that for some reason we only buy one at a time, but we constantly keep on the shopping list because we run out.  We now have a month's worth of peanut butter and other extra foods on hand in the pantry.

3. Buy a dependable flashlight for everyone in the house. 

Accomplished.  We have two new NEBO CSI Edge flashlights and a Mini Maglite LED with plenty of batteries on hand.   One is in my wife's nightstand, the other is in mine, and my son has another in his room.

4.  Resolve to never let your car's gas tank fall below half before re-filling it. Buy a five gallon gas can, a small bottle of Stabil, and fill the can with gas and fuel stabilizer.

I have an additional five gallons of fuel stored and stabilized in my outbuilding, and I have kept the cars' tanks above half.

5.  Begin withdrawing $20 from the bank every payday and storing it in a safe place. 

Done and stored in the fire safe.   That way I can't spend it on lunch on a whim and it is safeguarded from destruction from fire.

How are you doing?

So Where Have I Been?

This marks the first blog post since March for the Couch Potato Prepper.   I was in the midst of writing several different posts when unfortunately life happened.  We began a pretty substantial home renovation project that still needs finishing, and I took some needed time with family.  We were also victims of the massive windstorm that swept through our region on June 29, 2012, and while we were much more fortunate than so many others, we still contended with survival issues.

My plan is to become more active with the blog through the Fall, as I have become more convinced than ever that preparedness is essential to face what is looming around the world both for the United States and the world.

September is National Preparedness Month

 September has been dedicated as National Preparedness Month by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).    There are so many things you can do preparedness-wise, it's really a year-round effort, here are six things you can do in the 12 days remaining this month to make your home better prepared for unforeseen events.

Most of the suggested items for purchase are relatively inexpensive, but whatever you do, DO NOT USE CREDIT CARDS TO PURCHASE ANYTHING.  Live within your means. 

1.   Get pictures of all your valuables and save them to a flash drive, along with an inventory of all major appliances like televisions, game systems, etc.   You should have a manifest of serial numbers with the inventory.  Put the flash drive in a safe place like a fireproof lock box and position a second drive with the same information with a trusted family member.  Scanned copies of birth and marriage certificates, insurance information, and a file with all your financial web site information should also go there.  Use a free encryption program like TrueCrypt to make the information secure.

2.  Start copy canning food.   If you normally use two boxes of pasta a week, buy three; if you use one case of bottled water a week, buy two.  You can increase your food storage for minimal expense over time.   Try it this week when you go to the store. This will give you some reserves in case an unexpected expense arises or supply deliveries are disrupted.

3.  Buy a dependable flashlight for everyone in the house.   Inexpensive alternatives include the Nebo CSI Edge or the Mini-Mag Lite LED.  Ensure that you have adequate batteries for three days of use.  LED lights drain batteries more slowly.

4.  Resolve to never let your car's gas tank fall below half before re-filling it.  Not only does this minimize your pain at the pump when you fill up (gas prices are higher than they have ever been), but it ensures that if you have to leave your home or area quickly you can at least get 200 miles or so before filling up.  If the power is out or communications lines are down, gas stations won't be able to run their pumps and debit card machines will not be online.

While you are at it, if you can store gasoline safely, buy a five gallon gas can, a small bottle of Stabil, and fill the can with gas and fuel stabilizer.  Cost:  $15 for the can, $5 for the Stabil, plus the cost of gas.   This gives you an extra bump of gasoline.  Rotate the can at least once a month by pouring it into your car's tank and refilling it.  That keeps gas fresh and viable.

Gas should never be stored inside a home, apartment, or attached garage.  A detached outbuilding with good ventilation is preferable.

Why am I fixating on gasoline?   Gasoline was an issue during our own emergency last summer.  We'll get to that in a later post, but for now, take a look at this photo essay of a highway evacuation after a hurricane.   These folks weren't prepared and ran out of gas in traffic.  Many thanks to the photographer for posting this.

5.  Begin withdrawing $20 from the bank every payday and storing it in a safe place.   My recommendation would be to have a minimum of $200 on hand just in case.  That amount will get you and your family a room at a cheap hotel for a couple of days and food for about the same amount of time.   The cash can go in the locked fire box with your flash drive.
 
If you can do these six things, you are more prepared than half of the people in your neighborhood. 

An Open Letter to the Producers and Writers of the The Walking Dead

Now that Season Two has drawn to a close, I’d like to thank the cast and crew of the show for a great season of television.   This “zombie movie that never ends,” as Mr. Kirkman put it, is better than anything else on TV in my opinion.   Nowhere have I seen the stark realities of survival portrayed quite as vividly, especially the intense psychological stress of a survival situation.  The cast is fantastic.  The production values are high.  The universe you have created is a rich tapestry that revels in the bleakness of its central premise of a zombie apocalypse.

That being said . . .

I have been a regular visitor to some of the bulletin boards maintained by members of the preparedness community where your show is discussed, and frankly, many of us “preppers” are a bit concerned.  There have been instances where characters have taken reckless actions that seem contrived only to advance the plot.   The expanded episode count and pacing of this season have allowed you time to explore more of what living in this world is like, but many times the day-to-day struggle to survive has been perceived by many in the audience as taking a back seat to the character drama (or some would say melodrama).  Preppers are passionate about this show because the zombie premise is a stand-in for so many different types of emergency situations and disasters and your series serves as a primer to the uninitiated regarding what may happen and how to prepare and respond to a natural or manmade disaster.

So here, I humbly submit the following suggestions for you to consider as you break the major plotlines for next season.  Feel free to laugh, cry, or mock me as you stare at your computer screen.  Please keep in mind is that I am passionate because I care.

Make group security absolutely the first concern.  For too long the survivors lived an unguarded and idyllic existence at the farm, and paid the price for their complacency when their stronghold was overrun.  Security HAS to be the first priority.  If you have food and water, but no security, you are at the mercy of walkers or groups like Randall’s friends who want to take it from you.  Once they clear the prison facility of walkers at the beginning of next season, here are some ideas for increasing security.

Lock down the ground floor.  This is similar to what they did at the farm, but the covering of the window needs to be more robust.  It wouldn’t be a bad idea to cinderblock windows and certain doors if there are some on the property.  The design of the prison should help here.  Make sure you have one way in and one way out for new people, and plan routes out of sections so if one point of the prison is overrun, people can retreat to safety.

Get some more guns and ammo.  Locate and lock down the prison armory, if it has one.   Retrieve those weapons and distribute firearms and ammunition to the group.  Everyone should have a gun.  If there is not an armory, then someone needs to retrieve a phone book and find the closest gun store so that the survivors can retrieve weapons from there.  While we’re at it, we preppers sure do hope the next time you find an overrun Army garrison you pick up all the M-4s, M-16s and 5.56 ammunition.  A thirty round magazine sure does beat a six shooter when the zombies come marching.

No one goes outside the wire in less than groups of three.  That way, if one person is injured, two can carry him.  It also allows scavenging parties to carry more.  Hopefully this will keep Lori and Carl out of trouble.  Somehow I doubt it.

Practice noise and light discipline.  Morgan and Duane got it right in the very first episode.  Use blackout curtains or blankets to cover the windows at night.  While we’re on this subject, they should really find a couple more compound bows or even a .22 pistol with a suppressor fairly easy.  It’s Georgia. Lots of people own guns and bows.  Suppressors are legal, and at least one company in the state makes them for pistols.   Get some subsonic ammo and you’re set.  

Once everything is locked down, you can start doing some big time scavenging.

Product Review: NEBO CSI Edge Flashlight

Flashlights are usually one of the first things a person buys when getting into prepping.   Every prepper should have one in their Every Day Carry (EDC) load.   The problem is the bewildering variety on the market that come in all shapes, sizes, and battery configurations.

I am something of a flashlight junkie.   I started years ago with the tried and true D-cell Maglites, but I was always replacing bulbs and the lights are too bulky for EDC purposes. I still have a couple at the house to use in blackout situations and as a self defense club as a last resort.  I have a few Mini Maglites as well, which are smaller, but still have bulb replacement issues. Mostly I use smaller LED lights now that don't use traditional bulbs and make more efficient use of battery power.  One day while I was in a local battery shop to replace a cell phone battery I saw the NEBO CSI Edge Flashlight sitting on a rack at the counter.  Intrigued, I bought it for $9.99, as I had never heard of the brand and I was looking for a smaller EDC flashlight.  Sure I have a Surefire G2 and a P6, but I wanted an EDC that a) used conventional batteries, unlike the Surefire products; and b) could fit in my pocket.

The NEBO CSI Edge fits both requirements.   It delivers 50 lumens with a single AA battery with a total run time of five hours.  The beam extends out to 45 meters, but I almost  never use it to view something that distant.   My everyday use for this light is simply for emergency illumination of my immediate area.  I have used it to move through darkened hallways at my home, church and workplace.  I have used it to search for my cell phone in the car at night.   I have used it to illuminate my key ring when I forgot to leave my porch light on one night coming in from the store.  I even used it a couple of times to sneak into the bedroom while to grab my work shoes while my wife was sleeping (I have to leave for work before she does due to travel times). 

The CSI Edge fits neatly into the palm of my hand with a total length of 3.75 inches.  The construction is rugged and made of anodized aluminum, and includes a scalloped bezel to act as a self-defense edge (the edges have served as an ad-hoc screwdriver several times as well). The light is water resistant;  I once jumped into a pool and forgot I had it in my pocket and it was none the worse for wear.   It also has been dropped on concrete, stone and wood with no ill effects.   If I had one criticism, it would be the metal clip.  Mine broke.  Up until that point I had used it to clip it to a hat brim at night and onto a shirt pocket.  I am really hard on clips for pens, etc., as well. 

Overall, I would recommend this product for an EDC carry or for an emergency kit.   I have had the light for a year now and I am satisfied with the performance.  I plan on getting one for each car.  Just don't try to use the clip to put it on a sun visor. That is how I broke mine.

Preparedness View of the Walking Dead Episode 213: Beside the Dying Fire

SPOILER ALERT!!!


Rick (to the group):  "This is not a democracy anymore!"


Synopsis:  A massive herd of walkers overwhelms the farm, killing Jimmy and Patricia and scattering the group into the woods; Rick comes clean with what Dr. Jenner told him at CDC, and that he killed Shane, causing Lori to draw away from him.  The group is on the run, without resources, and low on ammo.   A new character is introduced, and a possible safe haven is teased in the last shot of the season.


Newbie out front:  This walker did not die during the summer.

Beside the Dying Fire is the payoff episode many preppers were looking for because of vocal criticism of how unprepared the farm really was to repel walkers.  The episode opens with an group of small walkers following a helicopter in the distance.  The herd picks up members as they ramble across the countryside heading in the general direction of the helicopter.  They walk for days, weeks, and finally mill about in a patch of woods until the sound of Carl's gunshot draws them in.  This is literally an all-consuming herd.  It is also interesting to note that many of the walkers are newbies; some are dressed in warm clothes like jackets, sweaters, and vests.   They didn't die during the sweltering summer and it may be that Randall's group of 30 guys with automatic weapons met with an untimely demise, since Maggie said the herd came from the direction of the highway and Randall said his group was camped just off  the highway.  That would render the entire debate about killing the young man moot.

T-Dog, Lori, and Beth escape.

Rick and Carl are still walking away from Shane's body  while the rest of the group digests the fact that Randall turned without being bitten, and immediately are put to flight by the oncoming walker swarm.   They flee to the barn while the rest of the group arm up and try to herd the walkers away from the barn.   Rick and Carl set fire to the barn with walkers and themselves inside, hoping to distract the herd and warn the others.   Daryl has Jimmy drive the RV around to pick them up, but in the process the RV is overrun and Jimmy is consumed.   Rick and Carl escape the barn and make it to the house in time to save Hershel, who is on the verge of being overwhelmed by the attack despite having the largest shotgun magazine tube in history (he must have fired 10 or 12 times during one sequence before reloading.  Here's a tip:  directors need someone in the edit bay who knows something about guns).  Lori notices Carl is gone and freaks, and the girls agree they have to leave.   As they run to the truck where T-Dog (who was forced to leave Andrea and Carol surrounded by walkers) is parked, Patricia gets taken.  Carol is about to be consumed when Daryl rides in to pick her up.  Andrea is cut off after a dead walker falls on her.  Maggie and Glen retreat after almost being overwhelmed by walkers in Shane's Hyundai (where he hid the ammo the group now needs).

Eventually, the group returns in dribs and drabs to an ad hoc rally point - the car where they left supplies for Sophia.   Andrea retreats through the woods with walkers in trail. They mourn their dead. They also learn that Shane is gone.   The farm belongs to the dead now. 

The group finds some breathing space and begin to recount how Randall reanimated without being bitten, and Rick confesses that back at the CDC Jenner told him they are all infected; regardless of how they die, everyone will eventually turn.   Rick also confesses to Lori that he killed Shane, and that he wanted Shane dead to "end it."

Lori's upset reaction prompted a lot of  eye-rolling.   She is mad at Rick.  Really?  She set this in motion.  She has been whispering in Rick's ear about taking care or Shane like Lady MacBeth, and she screwed up Shane in the last episode and prompted his descent into madness.  I hope Rick finally sees her for who she is.

The rest of the group begins to openly question Rick's leadership, causing him to explode, tell them he killed Shane for them and offer them a chance to leave.  When no one does, he informs them that this is no longer a democracy and from now on he will lead as he sees fit.

Andrea runs out of ammo and goes hand-to-hand.

Meanwhile, Andrea is on her last legs in th woods, out of ammo, and out of luck.  She is about to be overtaken when a stranger kills the last walker with a large sword.  Oh, and the stranger, whose face is never shown, is dragging along two walkers with missing arms and mouths by chains.  The last shot of the episode shows a prison facility in the distance.

Disussion

This episode did some things right and some things wrong from a preparedness standpoint. Rick's earlier decision to place the cars where they were easily accessible paid off, and the group did their best under the circumstances.  The attempt to herd the walkers was the right one;  they didn't have the ammo or the fortifications to hold off that big a horde.

 In other ways, the survivors' preparations were completely inadequate.   Two-way radios would have helped the group coordinate the defense.  They are plentiful and the local sporting goods store probably stocked them along with much needed ammunition. There should have been more standoff defenses, like a deep vertical trench to trap walkers that could have been constructed from a commandeered backhoe, and stout fencing close to the house to form a redoubt.   Likewise, there should have been supplies loaded in the cars and EVERYONE should have had a bugout bag.  They had no designated rally point; everyone just happened to show up on the highway. The cars should have stayed topped off with gas.  Given that they had collected a ton from the abandoned cars on the highway per previous episodes, that was a huge oversight.

They also could have done some more offensive things, like luring walkers into abandoned buildings in town before herd got there and burning them down like the barn.   They also could have dug some large pits with a backhoe near the highway, tossed in some wood, planted a boom box in there with the volume up, and once it was full dump in gas and light it.  The highway was the most likely avenue of attack. 

During the debate, Maggie remarks that no place is safe, and they could all be overwhelmed again by another herd.

Maggie:  "Look what happened with the farm.  We fooled ourselves into thinking it was safe."
Hershel: "We won't make that mistake again."

Finally someone realizes how poorly defended the farm was from the beginning.   Maybe Hershel's remark could serve as Patricia and Jimmy's epitaph.

Preparedness Lessons from Episode 213

• Two-way radios are vital tools in a crisis situation.  
• Without ammunition, a gun becomes a very expensive club.
• Most people will stay in place when an emergency occurs unless there is a mandatory evacuation order from the government, i.e., during a hurricane or flash flood.   We should make our homes secure and safe as possible.  Sure, we could all go live out of a bugout bag for a week in the woods, but if we don't have to, why should we?
• It may be necessary for us to bug out (leave home because it is no longer safe).  If that happens, every family member should have a bugout bag, even small children.  Keep at least a quarter to a half a tank of gas at all times, and store at least enough extra gas (if you can safely do so) to top it off without going to a gas station. For instance, my Toyota Tacoma four-wheel-drive has a 21 gallon tank.  I can typically fill it up from a quarter tank full with 15 gallons, so I store 15 additional gallons in five gallon cans in a secured outbuilding.
• Drill your family or group on what to do in a bugout situation. They should know what to grab and how to get out of the house.  Designate a rally point on the property for everyone to meet in case of a fire, etc.
• Have a rally point that everyone knows in case your family or group gets separated. If you can cache some supplies there in advance, it wouldn't be a bad idea.  How easy would it have been to throw some water, beans, rice, extra ammo, blankets and cooking utensils in one of the abandoned cars on the highway, covered the stuff with a tarp, and locked it up?  You could have gotten an SUV started, gassed it up, and hidden it to the side.  Cache the keys in a hiding place just inside the woods and you have a vehicle and supplies.

What's next?  Stay tuned as I post an open letter with preparedness tips to Robert Kirkman and Glen Mazzara next week!

Preparedness View of the Walking Dead Episode 212: Better Angels

 SPOILER ALERT!!!


Rick (to Shane): "Damn you for making me do this Shane.  This is you, not me.  You did this to us!"

Synopsis:  Shane and Rick's conflict finally boils over into lethal violence, with Shane plotting to kill Rick and Rick finally seeing that he can no longer turn a blind eye on a man who was once a brother but now is a threat to him and everyone in the camp.  It's about time.

This may come across as a rant, but honestly, I spent so much time yelling "FINALLY!" at the screen Sunday night I feel like I have to address some core preparedness issues.

Better Angels finally shows that yes, this tattered group of survivors might actually deserve to survive.  The group realizes that if a walker can get into their inner sanctum near the farm to kill Dale, they are not as safe as they once thought. The group makes many prudent preparations "just in case:"  The tent dwellers are moved into the house, and cars are positioned to make a quick getaway; observations posts (OPs) are established on the windmill and in the barn loft to give early warning; the basement is stocked with siege provisions and the windows of the lower level are boarded up; and Shane leads a patrol around the property to check fences and put down a group of seven walkers feasting upon a dead cow.

Chris Rock gets a shovel to the face.

It's about bloody time.   For too long these people have been living like there was nothing out there threatening their existence.   The farm's isolation lends itself to building a false sense of security.  The problem is that this land is not that far from a highway, and from a town we know is now overrun with walkers.  All that rotting mobile flesh has to go somewhere.

That's another problem I have with the preparedness of this group.   The town is now full of walkers, and there is no way to get in to get the drugs out of the pharmacy or (gasp) find a sporting goods store to resupply with ammunition.   They have been going through an awful lot lately, and with Shane hiding mags and boxes of pistol ammo in his car in Judge, Jury, Executioner, it's bound to be getting thin.  Winter is coming, and without scavenging canned goods and other needed items from the town and surrounding farms people are going to starve to death.  This may all be moot given how the episode ended, but we'll discuss that in a second.

The episode starts with Rick's speech over Dale's grave about unity, and how the group needs to live up to its dead friend's ideals, is a good one.  Telling also is the fact that the captive Randall is still alive and Rick plans to take him further out and cut him loose ... with Daryl.  This is a huge turn in the relationship between Rick and Shane.   Shane so far has been tolerated because he is Rick's partner and has a ton of survival skills.  He gets stuff done when Rick cannot, until last week, when Daryl took Rick's gun and put Dale out of his misery.  There is a really nice beat between Rick and Daryl on the porch when they discuss the latter's actions:

Rick: "That thing you did last night ..."
Daryl:  "Ain't no reason you should do all the heavy lifting."

Sometimes less is more.  That simple exchanges spoke volumes between the two;  Rick knows he can trust Daryl, and Daryl is coming into his own as a group leader.  Daryl also subtly lets Rick know that the conflict between him and Shane is destructive to the group as a whole when discussing the trip to drop off Randall.

Rick:  "You okay with this?"
Daryl: "I don't see you and I trading haymakers on the side of the road.  Nobody'd win that fight."

Ouch.

Then we have Lori going up to Shane and apologizing for shafting him once Rick came back in a conversation that indicates she still has unresolved feelings for him.  Great.  Just when Shane is getting his head screwed back on straight.  She messes him up again.  At this point it is really difficult for me to believe she was not doing this somehow on purpose.  Not to sound sexist, but given that her kid slips out pretty much all the time and gets into trouble (last week he went into the swamps and freed the walker that killed Dale; this week he sneaks out of the house at night to find his dad) you'd think she's keep her focus on what's important.  Like making sure her kid is not out somewhere causing trouble.  One could say the same of Rick, but I don't think he trusts Shane to do the right thing anymore about anything, so he is going off the property more and more.

Carl and Shane:  two damaged people.

Speaking of Carl, he confides to Shane that he was responsible for Dale's death and hands Daryl's gun back.  Shane confronts Rick about it, and tells the father that he needs to attend to his son's needs before taking Randall off the property.  Once the scene between Rick and Shane ends at the porch, it's pretty obvious that this is not going to end well. Rick goes to talk to Carl about his actions, and hands him back the gun so that his son can defend himself.   Rick says that he is going to have to grow up because of the world they live in now.

One could say the same thing about the adults in the group.  This episode was supposed to be about restoring hope.   Instead it's about the end of innocence for everyone on the farm.

Shane finally decides to act on his desire to get rid of Rick.  He takes Randall into the woods and kills him, then smashes his face to act like the boy knocked him out and escaped with his gun.  He and Rick take one search area, and Daryl and Glen head off in another direction.  The search goes on into the night.   Daryl and Glen find and kill a zombified Randall, whose neck is broken but is otherwise undamaged.  He was not bitten, so how did he reanimate?

Zombie Shane approaches Rick from behind.

Shane and Rick keep plowing through the woods, with Rick growing more suspicious all the time, until finally they stop in a field.  Rick tells Shane he knows what is happening, and Shane goes on a tirade, calling Rick weak and telling him he had no idea how to keep his family safe.  Shane tells Rick that they will get over his death.  After all, they've done it before.  Rick talks in a soothing voice to Shane and slowly hands his former partner his gun.  As Shane, who is visibly calmed,  reaches down to take it, Rick draws his knife an brutally stabs him in the chest.  Shane dies in the arms of his former friend.   Later, Rick is sitting beside the body and Carl shows up.  Shane and Rick walked in a huge circle in the dark and ended up on a few hundred yards from the house.   As father and son approach each other, Shane reanimates despite not having been bitten and Carl shoots him, saving his dad.

I can't say I blame Rick.  The conflict between the two was never going to be over as long as Lori was still in the picture.   Shane had many good, practical ideas for the survival of the group, but his jealousy of his friend drove him to to obsession and violence.

I was shocked that the "good guy" managed to take Shane off guard and suck him into a trap.  There is a lot of dark stuff loose in Rick's head as well it seems.  It's also interesting to me that the hothead redneck Daryl Dixon has kept his stuff wrapped tighter than a couple of upstanding police officers. 

We're about to see if all those preparations around the farm are going to pay off, because the episode ends with a massive herd of walkers hearing Carl's shot and moving to attack the farm house.  The question is:  how did Shane and Randall reanimate?  It has been a hard and fast rule that bites kill you and infect you, so what has changed?  

Preparedness Lessons for Episode 213:

• The time to gather resources is before the zombies (or unprepared normal people) stampede into town.
• Have a defense plan for your bugout location.  If you are bugging in, start talking to like-minded neighbors about community security before something happens.
• If you think you might need to bug out, stock some supplies in the vehicle.  If you don't want to keep it in the vehicle, put a couple of quickly-loaded plastic bins in a convenient location.  If you travel long distances to work, put together a bailout bag with essentials to get you home.
• There are people out there, even in your circle of trusted associates, that are untrustworthy.  Stop talking and start listening.  They will usually reveal themselves. 
• You might be forced to do some bad things to survive.  Know what your limits and abilities are BEFORE the crisis hits.
• Don't be like Shane; if everyone in the group has to keep giving you the benefit of the doubt, pretty soon they are going to doubt your benefit.  

Next week:  Walkers overtake the farm like a wave breaking on the shore?  Who will survive?  Who will perish?  And will Carl sneak out again?  Season Three has been green lighted for sixteen episodes, so someone has to live. 

Preparedness Review of The Walking Dead Episode 211: Judge, Jury, and Executioner

 SPOILER ALERT!!!


Rick (to Dale): "He's a threat."

Synopsis:  Dale pleads the case for civilization, but it mostly falls on deaf ears;  Carl tries to show just how tough he is, and indirectly causes the death of Dale.  Daryl steps up to become a leader.

Judge, Jury, Executioner

It's tough to write a preparedness-themed review of this episode.  The human drama on display here is on par with great works like 12 Angry Men.  The issue at the central core of the show is what makes us human, and what this world does to the characters that forces them to compromise their humanity.  I cannot think of a better episode that displays this theme than Judge.

Dale

Dale has been the odd man out for most of the season, constantly being outmanuevered and outflanked by Shane and others as he sought to be the moral center of the group.  In this episode Jeff DeMunn's acting prowess is on full display as he pleads for the life of Randall.  He's unsuccessful, and one wonders if he would pack up in his RV and leave had he survived another episode.

He has a point.  If they were going to kill the kid anyway, why in the world did Rick go to the trouble of saving him if they were going to end up shooting him?  The group wasted valuable medical resources and potentially compromised their group security.  

Carl

Dude, really?

I just have one thing to say:  What does it say about camp security and the the security of their arsenal if the 12-year-old can wander unseen out of camp, grab a .45, get tangled up with a walker and LOSE THE DARN GUN!!!!  I know it is a cruel, hard world, but as the potential future father of humanity, you might want to keep tabs on the kid.    Not that this kid minds.  The fact that he was cheering his dad on to shoot some guy in the head speaks volumes about how far this group has moved from a group of humans trying to survive the Apocalypse to a hard, broken band of people threatening to tear each other apart.

I honestly don't know what is worse, the walkers or the people.  At least with the walkers you know what you've got.

Daryl

Mercy killing:  Daryl puts an end to Dale's suffering.

Daryl is all business.  Randall has to die, and he is okay with it.  He was okay with Shane shooting Otis, pointing out to Dale that he didn't believe Shane's lie for a minute since Shane returned with Otis' gun.   I was wondering when someone was going to mention that detail.  There was a very quick scene right as Dale was attacked that showed Randall in the barn, strung up, with Daryl sharpening a knife.  It appeared as if he was about to take care of the job for Rick when the walker attack went down.  I don't know if this show has room for two Colonel Tigh-type personalities.  Also note that it is Daryl who shoots Dale at the end of the episode instead of Shane when Rick falls apart.

So what are we left with, preparedness-wise from this episode?  First, the group is running low on ammo as expressed when Andrea goes rummaging through the gun bag.  Also, it's getting colder, and Rick and company are going to have to move of the tent city soon.  They'd better get cracking on grabbing food out of the town and the surrounding houses before a big freeze or vermin ruin it as well.

Finally, there has got to be improved security.  If a walker can just traipse through the meadow and attack Dale and that cow, they are in for a rude awakening.

Preparedness Review of The Walking Dead Episode 210: 18 Miles Out

 SPOILER ALERT!!!


Rick (to Shane): "It's time for you to come back."

Synopsis:  Rick and Shane take Randall out to leave him to his fate, only to nearly get killed when their conflict erupts in violence;  Beth hovers between life and death as she considers the future and the grim struggle for survival that lies ahead.

18 Miles Out finally brings the Shane vs. Rick conflict to a head.  A week has passed between the events of the previous episode, and Rick has decided to let Randall, their former assailant, live.  He and Shane drive 18 miles out to an abandoned municipal complex where they plan to leave the young man tied up but within crawling distance of a blade and some basic supplies for survival.

Randall gets dropped off ... until he admits he knows Maggie.

On the way to the drop-off, Rick pulls off and he and Shane have a frank discussion about the latter's questionable decisions and his romantic pursuit of Lori.   I am not going to go into detail regarding the discussion except to comment on the way Shane, when confronted, confesses to it all: shooting Otis at the high school to survive, his love for Lori, and his regret - which seemed very genuine  - that he betrayed and hurt his best friend.   Rick forgives him and tells his partner that from now on Shane needs to consider Lori, Carl, and his unborn son off limits.   He also tells him that he, Rick is in charge, not Shane, and that the only way they move forward together is if Shane accepts that.  With the matter seemingly settled, the journey continues.   Rick and Shane find the complex they are looking for, kill a couple of walker zombie deputies (who noticeably have NOT been bitten) and prepare to leave Randall behind.

That is, until Randall shouts out that he went to high school with Maggie and knows Hershel Greene, which means he knows where the farm is, and knows how to lead his group back to the farm, which compromises the group's operational security.  Rick and Shane eventually get into a fight regarding whether to kill him or not and end up inadvertently releasing a small group of walkers from a nearby building.  Neither man has a firearm, having lost them in the fisticuffs, and thus have to run for their lives.  Shane ends up trapped in a bus, and Rick dispatches three zombies after finding his Colt.  Randall gets lose and joins in on the zombie-killing carnage.


Preparedness Observation - Assuming

We're all wondering what the CDC guy told Rick back in Season One?  I think that he told him the virus has mutated and everyone has it.  No matter how you die, you still reanimate.  My proof lies in the foreshadowing with the two deputies with no bite marks, and the fact that back in Episode 9, when Rick shot the two guys in the bar, he made sure to put a bullet in each of their heads.

Richard Marcinko, founder of Seal Team Six, wrote a book on leadership several years ago where he talked about the sin of assumption.  There are various religious connotations to that phrase, but Marcinko was talking about strategic planning and operational procedures.  Marcinko stated that assuming things are always going to be the same way just because they always have been the same way is a recipe for failure.  We must adapt to changing conditions or perish.   I have a feeling that Rick Grimes is keeping that little secret because he knows how devastating to his group's morale it will be.

As preppers we have to understand that things might change, and change drastically, when a crisis occurs.

Meanwhile, Back at the Farm ....

Beth is talking and pretty much tells Maggie she wants to kill herself.  Andrea says they should let her make the choice, but Maggie and Lori will hear none of it.   Andrea and Lori also have a conversation about some of Lori's choices and how everyone she loves most is still here but everyone else has had to bury their dead.   It's a standout performance from the actors that makes you realize while people still have confidence in Rick, Lori isn't exactly a favorite among the group.  Ultimately Beth chooses survival, but only after trying to cut her wrists with glass.


Shane Gets A Dose of his Own Medicine

Shane pushes the door shut while awaiting rescue.

Back at the drop point, Rick is tempted to leave Shane to his fate.   For a moment it looks as if it he is going to pile Randall back in the car and take off.   Then he sees the bodies of the two deputies and changes his mind.  With Randall driving, Rick shoots several walkers at the bus and Shane jumps out of the back door and into the open window of the Hyundai.  Once safe, they toss Randall back into the hatchback and drive back to the farm.  Rick admits they will probably have to kill the boy, but he just can't do it without having thought it through some more.   Shane still thinks its foolish to keep him around, but bows to Ricks judgment.  After all, the guy just saved his life.

Preparedness Lessons for Episode 210:

• Operational security and keeping your bugout location hidden may force you to make some tough choices - like whether a skinny kid lives or dies.
• Leadership has to be well-defined in group survival, and everyone has to accept it.
• Never commit the sin of assumption.
• Be careful when you write someone off; someone may do the same to you.
• Be ready for all seasons.   During the episode Rick commented that the group had to get ready for winter, and before the zombies showed up they scavenged 20 gallons of fuel and the weapons of the dead officers at the county compound.  They need to get serious about raiding pharmacies and grocery stores to get supplies into a safe, warm location before winter's cold causes canned food to freeze and burst.  They need warm clothes, shoes, and MORE ammunition.  Point of note:  there was a fire truck at the compound.  I hope they thought to look for fire extinguishers, fire axes, and a neat little entry tool called the Halligan bar.  Not only is it good for getting into buildings, it could be a heck of a melee weapon.   See Adrian's Undead Diary, a zombie fiction online journal, for some examples.

A final note:  Shane said that when the zombie outbreak started, it was just a couple of weird stories on the news, and within two weeks the hospital was being overrun as depicted in the sixth episode of the first season.  You'd like to think that maybe things would have held together a bit longer than that.  It also means that there should be a lot of supplies laying around as most people were probably overrun fairly quickly.