Due to the amount of people now looking for these links I will post them below along with a few extra that seem to be hot at the moment. Most are from the show that aired today.
Glenn Becks site:
http://www.glennbeck.com/asamom.org
912superseniors.org
http://foodfreedom.wordpress.com/
http://thesurvivalmom.com/
Two other links that I will include that might be of interest to all the new people clicking through.
http://modernsurvivalonline.com/
http://www.survivalblog.com/
Also please take advantage of my blog list that is located on the left lower side of this blog.
Prepology
Prepology: Simple definition, the art of survival and being in control of your future to the extent that you can! Life comes at us in both a predictable and un-predictable way and while you can shape it to some extent with the decisions that you make we are still just rolling the dice in the big game of life so lets put the odds in your favor. Oscar.... Your comments, stories or experiences are welcome.
Showing posts with label Show review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Show review. Show all posts
Colony S2 E10
Day 49
Well the second to the last day is here, wouldn't it be nice to know when something starts and when it finishes? I did know in advance that this show would be a show and not necessarily the best show for Joe average to gain any real meaningful information out of, just the opposite actually. I was hoping to see more on the gadget front on this season, to me those are what makes it worth it and where a person can actually learn something useful, the rest is just scripted acting. But anyway the show starts right off with the continuation of Tick doing a recon on the outsider group, you just know that revenge is in the air here but in reality it is just asking for it.
Work continues on the air boat that the group plans to use for their escape but the airplane motor gives them a big headache, it won't start. Plenty can be said for having simple tools and simple mechanical items of any sort, the reason is simple they usually work. Granted high tech items are nice when they work, it like the old saying that newer is not always better. More often that not I would prefer something that is older and by far easier to work on, think about it whats easier to work on a '72 pickup or a '10.
Another continuing think that bugs me about the show is the security, yes it has improved since Tick has joined the group but it still is abysmal. Take the nighttime security that they have inside the house, flashlights or headlamps on at night and standing in a window is absolutely stupid in any world. Hell you might as well put out a great big neon sign that says here I am. When in a grid down situation any light produced will attract attention and you do not want that attention. Light and noise discipline is something that you can never take for granted under most circumstances, be gray, don't be seen or heard. As for the patrol on the outside it is pretty much the same thing, you using a flashlight is just an invitation to draw attention upon yourself or worse you can draw fire. Having nightvision is preferred and there are low cost units out there but you can also spend thousands too. Nightvision is a whole complete post in itself.
Day 50
Well the last day is here and it is full of surprises that's for sure. Sally starts off going over the airplane engine looking for the fault that plagued them the day before, they never say what the problem was but after a while it does run and that lifts the spirits of the group, they now have an escape vehicle. Over a very nasty meal of some spoiled meat Tick goes over his plan for the raid of the outsiders, part of their motivation is supply related but I think revenge is also a factor since they know that this outside group is the one that has been attacking them time after time. Now you can debate the wisdom of attacking a numerically superior force but in this case the outside group ended up being just as sloppy with their security as the colony and a lightning raid into the outsiders camp pays off the colony group as they net some canned food and a good supply of gasoline, now you could call it luck, dumb luck but remember it's a show, ERR entertainment. With their new found "booty" they load it pretty quick into the boat and they get another shock by VOPA showing up, that's shocker #1 and the 2nd shock is in that VOPA wants to know if 2 people would like to leave with them. AHH no thank you VOPA, FEMA, .GOV have a terrible track record when the chips are really down, Please use PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY and take care of yourself. Well in this case one member decides to go with VOPA vs. head out to the new location in the bayou.
On Que as soon as VOPA leaves the outsiders show up in full numbers and of coarse they are a little miffed at the colony group, time to bail on this Popsicle stand. As the assault take shape the outsider group splits, one group heads to the colony house with the intention of fire bombing it and they do. This is in effect something you might not do as you know that there will be valuable resources in the home. Force #2 goes after the colony group but they are too slow as the colony makes it to the air boat and they leave, now this would have been a heck of a time for the engine to not start but that would have screwed up the show right.
On Que as soon as VOPA leaves the outsiders show up in full numbers and of coarse they are a little miffed at the colony group, time to bail on this Popsicle stand. As the assault take shape the outsider group splits, one group heads to the colony house with the intention of fire bombing it and they do. This is in effect something you might not do as you know that there will be valuable resources in the home. Force #2 goes after the colony group but they are too slow as the colony makes it to the air boat and they leave, now this would have been a heck of a time for the engine to not start but that would have screwed up the show right.
Reflection
The colony group motors on thinking that they pulled it off and they are home free until they approach the fishing cabin that they want to take over and they find that it is now occupied by another, damn the producers, foiled again. You can see jaws hitting the ground and then that's it, the cliff hanger from hell. A show where the supposed good guys don't win in the end. What next?
Now that the show is over I will do an overall review on it and try to hit some of the better parts and some of the worst. Stay tuned and thanks for checking it out.
Prepology
Colony S2 E9
Day 46
Well the mini invasion that everyone all knew would happen, happened and this is where I lost some respect for Tick. Dividing his forces, half inside and half outside to me was a very bad choice especially when you are outnumbered. If the raiders had any sense at all they would have rolled up the outside colony forces and then attacked the house but it's a television show that gives some very bad advise that can get you killed in the real world. Needless to say the house holds out against the assault but almost doesn't as their front door is partially kicked in, if the raiders had put a little more manpower into this exploitation they might have gained entry and could have easily rolled up the weaker members of the colony. Tick did impart one good tidbit of information in that when faced with superior numbers your run, that not being an option be a defender in a fortified position, funnel your enemy to you and take away his numerically superior numbers. Case in point, small narrow door ways or hallways are what is termed as the fatal funnel i.e. if only one man can advance through this opening you now have the advantage and can attack, his numbers are meaningless at this point, that's a defensive advantage. Now granted the use of technology can negate this but being pretty low tech on this show means that you cannot fight man on man when you are outnumbered, you must take advantage of force multipliers in this case the defensive structure of the group. Now granted this attack could have gone down many different ways and the defense could have also been very different and what this show does not include is that it would have in actuality been much more ugly in real life, sticks and stones do break bones and true trauma kills now even with our modern medical facilities. We do live in an ugly world and it does not take much effort to see it via the news and Internet. People in my opinion are but a stone throw away from being a wild animal and if you were to put people in the situation that the colony residents are in for even a week you would see very different people at the end of that week, Fear is a mighty powerful emotion so in hunger, they can make you do things that under normal circumstances you would never dream of doing.
Day 47
This day starts out with the group preparing for their scout mission that they want to take and with all the rain they have had no one checks the boat, it fills up with water as one would expect. A valuable lesson hear is that during a crisis situation where you have limited supplies and equipment you have to focus on taking care of what you have, going down the street to the local store to get another one will not be an option. In some cases loosing or not taking care of your gear could have serious effects on your comfort or even your life. Having a spare to your space is a prudent thing to do but on more expensive or one of a kind pieces of equipment you absolutely have to take care of it. In this case though the group got lucky and all they had to do was bail out the boat to get it to float again but if this boat had was motorized it could have been ruined, they got lucky.
Meanwhile the group that stayed behind at the compound continues to work on the main escape boat, they work on the acquired plane motor and get it running with a few modifications and mount it to the boat, OSHA must have been around because they do a good job of putting guards in place around the home built propeller that they make out of laminated wood and carve themselves. They put a lot of time into the propeller and they even seem to get a good balance on it. Come a crisis situation many things we take for granted will not be there and it will be up to you and your skills to fabricate the various parts and pieces to continue on, take nothing for granted. At some point during the boat building the group does a security check ( you should have already been doing this anyway ) during this check they spot someone observing them. This event could have turned out badly for the group if an attack cane and with their reduced numbers it would have hurt but nothing came of it, reality though?
Back to the scout group they come across a fishing cabin and investigate, they contemplate moving to it and take it over for the night to feel it out. As this scout groups mission was to explore and hunt they deploy several snares and they also investigate the area for other hunting opportunities. Not having a local grocery store to go to food means that gathering food, farming or livestock raising will take up a great amount of your time, granted this is more of a long term issue but short term you still need to eat. Supplies only last so long and as many homes only have a week of food or less it is something to consider. If you are not in an area that is resource rich with wild animals you are a little limited in the short term if you can not move to better prospects. Having some storage foods will go a long way to maintaining a food supply for yourself and loved ones until either the events change or you can provide for yourself.
Day 48
Day 48 does not start out too well for the scout group as the decide to break up in to 2 different groups to continue hunting and exploration of the area. Michael and Amber make up one group and they place out one trap that they have and then decide to explore an area they have not yet been to. The 2 are surprised by a man who has the virus and infects the 2 with the blood born pathogen, they are pulled from the game as they are now infected and expected to die. They do leave a large note for the other 2 members of the scout team but they do not contaminate the cabin and they leave their personal supplies in the cabin also. This event might not have happened if they did not get lax in their situational awareness especially in a non secured area, another thing that gave them away was their noise discipline, it was terrible to say the least, you can never get complacent during a crises as it only takes one mistake to either kill you or seriously wound you. Be alert and pay attention. Stupidity kill. The 2 remaining scout members eventually find the sign that was left for them, they do an inventory of the lost scout teams equipment and decide to load up and head back to the colony proper and in form them of the cabin find and also of the 2 lost colony members.
Day 49
This day starts off with Tick and one other member going out in the morning to collect berries and they discover someone watching them and they give chase finding the outsiders camp, Tick stakes it out. You know that the colony wants revenge right? see ya next week.
Prepology
The Colony seaseason 2 episode 8
Well this episode picks up right where it left off, The payphone ringing with a message from VOPA saying they will be there in 24 hours, Yeah it's not going to be that easy guys.
Day 44
With news of VOPA coming the group decides to split into 2 groups for the rescue as they know they will not fit into one helicopter. Tick gets worried though about security when the helicopter shows up, he feels that it would be the perfect time to attack the group. He is correct in that it would be a good time, your distracted, you have tunnel vision, you don't watch your back, there are a million things to worry about. Fast forward to the time when the rescue is supposed to happen and at that time the group immediately knows that it will not be a rescue but it will be a supply drop. It is a very sloppy drop though as the helicopter does not go right in and do the drop but they circle the group area several times and that draws attention, all part of the script here people. Que the actual drop though, that is a failure in itself as they drop the crate from too high an elevation, most of the foodstuffs are destroyed but they do manage to salvage some before the inevitable outside crowd shows up and wants there share. Tick really shines in this event as he sets up a defensive line and coordinates the rest of the group in collection usable items and the ultimate withdrawal back to the compound. It is again great to finally see a strong figure in charge of security for the group. Having the helicopter show up in the groups mind will draw in more outside refugees and they are worried about it, one thing that does help out the group though is that in an ammo can that the group grabbed from the drop has a cell phone in it with messages from their families, it is a moral boost to the group.
Day 45-46
The boat building projects move on and they actually put the scout boat in the water and leak test it while doing this they realize that they will have a hard time moving the larger boat when the time come. The group comes up with the idea of repairing the tractor and they go on the hunt for the tires the put the tractor back into operation. The group decides to work on some defensive measures and while doing this they spot an advanced 2 person recon group, they check things out and take off, this was a pretty sloppy recon party and they tipped their hand as to what might happen soon. When this event is all over the group goes back into security mode and comes up with some pretty good modified shields from plastic and other materials, they needed these earlier in the show for sure. Tick gets the group set up with their locations for defense, people on the roof, inside the compound security and a QRF (quick response force) I again wish that they had tick sooner in the program as he would have saved the group a little pain in the previous weeks. The group also builds a water cannon and it works well, this cannon gives the group a little reach, a force multiplier so to speak. the group also starts working on the propeller they need for the boat, it will be made out of laminated hard wood glued together, as they say necessity is the mother of invention. The end of the show starts the predictable attack on the group, we'll see you folks next week.
Colony seaseon 2 episode 7
Day 40
Well the show starts out with security issues, This kinda chaps by backside in that it was not a bigger issue in the first few days of the show, is sure as heck would be in a real event. Anyway the group decides to put a watch tower on top of their building, it seems to give them a pretty good view with the exception of one corner. In the construction of the tower stairs they almost have a major accident in that while pulling the stairs up the building the ropes break, had everyone not been out of the way for the most part someone could have been killed versus only a little scratch. Think before you lift. Now if the group will man this tower like they should it would minimize being snuck up on by the outsiders. The show also starts off with the mystery observer getting into position for observation, more on the mystery man later.
Food seems to also be an always present issue for the group also as they are down to about 2 cans and some misc other foodstuffs, next to your water supply food is very high up on the list and this group really does not have a stable food supply and never will due to the show and available resources. Farming and livestock would be the answer but it is not a reality for this show, minor small game, fish and scavenging is about all that can be hoped for in this experiment. In a real situation you would have the opportunity to venture further out for food collection if it were safe but again due to the circumstances..... The lack of food seems to also be the reason for some of the tension in the group and it shows that people can and will get ugly when they don't eat Take any ones food away for a day or 3 and see how nasty we can be, we have taken for granted a great many things in this world. We have a standard of living ( in some countries ) that is unparalleled in modern history and to take our "conveniences" away would mean holy hell, never mind the fact that most people simply do not know how to do for themselves anymore.
One of the other new projects for this week and possible escape vehicles is the boat that is on site. While lacking an engine, controls, fuel and who knows what else the want to go for it. The group wants to modify this boat into an air boat with the airplane engine that they have and make the air rudder out of the section of the wing that they also have, it could work. The big issue is in the fuel that they need, high octane aviation fuel is not something they will find in their area so they decide to make a still ( do you have your BATFE license ) I had to throw that in there. A simple still was made with a tank and some pipe and tested with water, not the best or worst but it will be interesting to see if it all works out. First though they mix a tub of water, sugar and yeast, I do not think they have too many chances to screw up with supplies being limited as they are.
The team is also tested this week with a pregnant lady but in the end it ends up as a rouse to take attention away from a group that tries to sneak in and steal supplies. Food and supplies are demanded by the invaders but none are given but a gallon of water, the group really did not have anything to give anyway so it worked out but in reality these situations can be very dangerous. In giving away supplies it can hard to draw the line between charity and keeping what you have so that you can survive.
In other boat news the group also decided to put a little time and labor into a much smaller boat in hopes of doing a little investigating of the area, good idea but I would have liked to see them do this a little earlier in the show also as it might have helped out. Stress is also again showing it's head as the name given to the boat but one of the workers causes infighting. It is just a name people you have bigger fish to fry.
The group also decides to try some fried cockroaches and find that they actually like them to a point, protein, protein and more protein. This would not be something you would want to live on and besides how many would it take to fill you up?
One of the other new projects for this week and possible escape vehicles is the boat that is on site. While lacking an engine, controls, fuel and who knows what else the want to go for it. The group wants to modify this boat into an air boat with the airplane engine that they have and make the air rudder out of the section of the wing that they also have, it could work. The big issue is in the fuel that they need, high octane aviation fuel is not something they will find in their area so they decide to make a still ( do you have your BATFE license ) I had to throw that in there. A simple still was made with a tank and some pipe and tested with water, not the best or worst but it will be interesting to see if it all works out. First though they mix a tub of water, sugar and yeast, I do not think they have too many chances to screw up with supplies being limited as they are.
The team is also tested this week with a pregnant lady but in the end it ends up as a rouse to take attention away from a group that tries to sneak in and steal supplies. Food and supplies are demanded by the invaders but none are given but a gallon of water, the group really did not have anything to give anyway so it worked out but in reality these situations can be very dangerous. In giving away supplies it can hard to draw the line between charity and keeping what you have so that you can survive.
Day 41
In other boat news the group also decided to put a little time and labor into a much smaller boat in hopes of doing a little investigating of the area, good idea but I would have liked to see them do this a little earlier in the show also as it might have helped out. Stress is also again showing it's head as the name given to the boat but one of the workers causes infighting. It is just a name people you have bigger fish to fry.
The group also decides to try some fried cockroaches and find that they actually like them to a point, protein, protein and more protein. This would not be something you would want to live on and besides how many would it take to fill you up?
Day 42
Day 42 starts off with a search for food and they decide to collect the berries that are around and that leads into a fight about one person not pulling their weight in the collection, Hello you don't help collect food then you don't eat in my book, no free lunch here. Anyway to me that part is just a little filler time the important event of the day is again the total abysmal failure of their security as mystery man ( tick) walks right into the groups area, right past a member to deliver a note in the middle of their compound and does not get seen until he is already out of their area, it just defies stupidity in that they have invested time into their tower and yet someone can still just walk right in and do whatever they want. I just can't say enough about having someone watching your back especially in a situation such as theirs. In this case though (tick) has good intentions ( well maybe ) and his note that he left was an invitation for dinner at his place, hungry stomachs override the brain and they decide to check it out and they actually do something smart and leave people to watch their building. During the meal everyone feels semi comfortable with the exception of one and the rest of the group is called for and that's where they get stupid, leaving your front door wide open in the bad part of town is just asking for it right? so why would you leave your building unguarded? that's when i would have hit it. End result of the evening is that everyone is fed, fat and happy and Tick is asked to join the group, wow what a little food will do to soften you up, this could have been a great trap ( and could still be ) but tick decides to think on it and the night is over.
Day 43
Well as expected Tick shows up and decides to join the group, with his military experience and hunting experience he will be an excellent addition to the group, hopefully security will improve dramatically. Tick (per the show) has been living among the group for quite some time and in a way knows the group and their problems so it should be interesting to see if he can steer the group to the final finish line in 7 days.
Curious event in the end of the show in that a phone rings while part of the group is out Guess who.....It's VOPA.......see ya next week.
Prepology
Colony season 2 episode 6
Well to start off this episode the group is in the hole food wise due to last weeks kidnapping / ransom ordeal, so 2 of the group head off to the canal to check their traps. Surprise, the water is contaminated beyond what they can clean up and make safe..... Good lesson here in my opinion.
In almost any situation you want to have a backup plan or a backup source. Depending on one source in this case water, your most important element to life will get you into trouble, for something as important as this you should have at least 2 ways to either obtain or make clean a source of water. Most of us run off of a municipal supply and we take it for granted that it always works, well sometimes it doesn't. Some alternatives would be water storage, tanks are pretty cheap but you run into the issue of where to put them but that's a post for another time but if you can have one it's an option. Another option is a little more expensive but if you can sink your own well in the backyard without running into legal issues go for it, take note though that in a SHTF situation do what you have to without hurting anyone else. One other point to take into consideration, Be cautious of who you tell that you have a water supply as good neighbors now could be bad neighbors later or during certain situations.
Having digressed with the above the group decided to take advantage of the rain that they knew would be visiting them and decided to build a cistern to collect rainwater off of the roof, A very good design if it is legal in your area ( no, I am not kidding some states and county do not allow you to collect rainwater ) so their design was made out of 4x8 sheets of plywood lined with the VOPA tent material and a rain gutter diverted into the cistern, very basic but very simple and that is what you want, simple.
The other issue that this group seems to have is in getting a handle on security, they are just plain stupid and complacent, I will give them credit in that they did start a night watch but on the first night Michael couldn't stay awake and laid down, Damn that was the wrong thing to do, first off if he was that tired he should have got someone up to relieve him and second of all with the amount of people that they have everyone could easily take a 2 hour shift. A shift of that length should be no problem or the other thing they could do that is even better is to have 2 people up at all times. Now again I know this is just a show but if you had to do this for real you would need to be on top of these things because your life would depend on it.
The cost for the security lapse cost the group a broken down door as the building was broken in to after Michael went to bed. Lucky for the group this time nothing was taken but it did show that their doors and windows will need to be fortified as they provided ZERO resistance to the bad guys getting in. Anyone that can sneak right up to your front door and just bust right through could easily toss in a Molotov cocktail and ruin your whole night. Secure your doors and windows, Katy bar that door as they say, plant nasty bushes below your window, make it hard for the intruder and most importantly if you are on watch don't fall asleep!!
This episode seems to be a 2 build affair with the 2nd being transport in the form of a reverse trike/ motorcycle and right off the bat it just screams out as being a disaster of ergonomics in the making. The biggest issue is the steering from the forward platform, with this long of a bike/ trailer setup how good will your turning radius be ? How fast are you going to be able to go ? How stable will you be? They have already found out about the stability issue, the bike was dumped on the maiden voyage. I am sure they will find uses for the bike but I would have liked to see a better design, even putting a car tire on the front of the bike and hauling the trailer from behind would have been a better idea, but we all know about opinions right....
Score of the day seemed to be finding the alligator in the pool while out looking for water, this is a great find as the group really needs a good meal of protein, while it was a small alligator they will get by for a few days with it. This is another important area where you will need to have multiple sources for your sustenance, depending on one area or supplier will inevitably leave you shorthanded when you need it most.
The group also decided to go on a scouting mission and it seams like they left the 10 acre area because they found a fast food joint and they decided to take a look, scavenging, looting, stealing whatever you want to call it or whatever moral issue you have with it may be something you have to confront in an extreme emergency or SHTF
Leadership finally came to a head also and Sally was voted in to lead, about time. Decisions need to be made and people need to be held accountable. This brings me back to the words of one of my fire instructors "Freelancing on the fire ground will not be tolerated" and it think that it applies here quite well. I think Sally will have her work cut out for her though because leading sometimes is like herding cats under the best of circumstances.
The end of the show ended with the rainstorm that the group needed and it looks like they thought they caught over 400 gallons, not bad at all. I would still filter this water due to contaminants on the roof and materials they are using but that's gravy work for them right now. In addition it looks like the human contact will increase in the next episode, always a cliffhanger huh....Later
* Note some aspects of this article or examples will vary widely depending of your region, demographics, or other criteria.
Prepology
In almost any situation you want to have a backup plan or a backup source. Depending on one source in this case water, your most important element to life will get you into trouble, for something as important as this you should have at least 2 ways to either obtain or make clean a source of water. Most of us run off of a municipal supply and we take it for granted that it always works, well sometimes it doesn't. Some alternatives would be water storage, tanks are pretty cheap but you run into the issue of where to put them but that's a post for another time but if you can have one it's an option. Another option is a little more expensive but if you can sink your own well in the backyard without running into legal issues go for it, take note though that in a SHTF situation do what you have to without hurting anyone else. One other point to take into consideration, Be cautious of who you tell that you have a water supply as good neighbors now could be bad neighbors later or during certain situations.
Having digressed with the above the group decided to take advantage of the rain that they knew would be visiting them and decided to build a cistern to collect rainwater off of the roof, A very good design if it is legal in your area ( no, I am not kidding some states and county do not allow you to collect rainwater ) so their design was made out of 4x8 sheets of plywood lined with the VOPA tent material and a rain gutter diverted into the cistern, very basic but very simple and that is what you want, simple.
The other issue that this group seems to have is in getting a handle on security, they are just plain stupid and complacent, I will give them credit in that they did start a night watch but on the first night Michael couldn't stay awake and laid down, Damn that was the wrong thing to do, first off if he was that tired he should have got someone up to relieve him and second of all with the amount of people that they have everyone could easily take a 2 hour shift. A shift of that length should be no problem or the other thing they could do that is even better is to have 2 people up at all times. Now again I know this is just a show but if you had to do this for real you would need to be on top of these things because your life would depend on it.
The cost for the security lapse cost the group a broken down door as the building was broken in to after Michael went to bed. Lucky for the group this time nothing was taken but it did show that their doors and windows will need to be fortified as they provided ZERO resistance to the bad guys getting in. Anyone that can sneak right up to your front door and just bust right through could easily toss in a Molotov cocktail and ruin your whole night. Secure your doors and windows, Katy bar that door as they say, plant nasty bushes below your window, make it hard for the intruder and most importantly if you are on watch don't fall asleep!!
This episode seems to be a 2 build affair with the 2nd being transport in the form of a reverse trike/ motorcycle and right off the bat it just screams out as being a disaster of ergonomics in the making. The biggest issue is the steering from the forward platform, with this long of a bike/ trailer setup how good will your turning radius be ? How fast are you going to be able to go ? How stable will you be? They have already found out about the stability issue, the bike was dumped on the maiden voyage. I am sure they will find uses for the bike but I would have liked to see a better design, even putting a car tire on the front of the bike and hauling the trailer from behind would have been a better idea, but we all know about opinions right....
Score of the day seemed to be finding the alligator in the pool while out looking for water, this is a great find as the group really needs a good meal of protein, while it was a small alligator they will get by for a few days with it. This is another important area where you will need to have multiple sources for your sustenance, depending on one area or supplier will inevitably leave you shorthanded when you need it most.
The group also decided to go on a scouting mission and it seams like they left the 10 acre area because they found a fast food joint and they decided to take a look, scavenging, looting, stealing whatever you want to call it or whatever moral issue you have with it may be something you have to confront in an extreme emergency or SHTF
Leadership finally came to a head also and Sally was voted in to lead, about time. Decisions need to be made and people need to be held accountable. This brings me back to the words of one of my fire instructors "Freelancing on the fire ground will not be tolerated" and it think that it applies here quite well. I think Sally will have her work cut out for her though because leading sometimes is like herding cats under the best of circumstances.
The end of the show ended with the rainstorm that the group needed and it looks like they thought they caught over 400 gallons, not bad at all. I would still filter this water due to contaminants on the roof and materials they are using but that's gravy work for them right now. In addition it looks like the human contact will increase in the next episode, always a cliffhanger huh....Later
* Note some aspects of this article or examples will vary widely depending of your region, demographics, or other criteria.
Prepology
Colony season 2 episode 5
Day 17 starts off with the kidnapping of the model by 3 very large individuals, she has no chance at all to fight them off, while this is happening everyone else is working with loud power tools and she can not be heard screaming. Apparently a rule was broken in that no one was supposed to go off by themselves. No one to help you if you get hurt, no one to help watch your back, going out by yourself is a big no no. The abductors took full advantage of this lone group member and caught her quick and took her to jail, really. Becka was placed inside part of an old jail to stew out her 24hr captivity, personally I hope she thought hard on her stupidity in venturing out alone. So the long and short of it is that she is being ransomed for fuel and medical supplies, this is a situation that you never want to be caught up in ever.
On the windmill front they started the assembly and right off the bat I wanted to yell at them for cutting down the pole that they were going to use all because they didn't have a ladder. Hello, you can build a windmill but you can't build a ladder, give me a break. Down comes the pole and the cut about 4 feet off of it, the reason why I disagree with this is that the higher you have your windmill the better it will perform, windmills like height. On the actual construction they put part of their newly acquired airplane fuselage to good use. The windmill needed a tail fin and the plane provided that part perfectly, heck it even looks good. The blade assembly is made from a wheel drum with with fence boards for the blades, the diameter looks to be about 10 to 12 feet. They should catch some good wind with this and hopefully it makes up for it being so short and in the turbulence of the building, time will tell. For the assembly of the blades the group found some copper piping and they made rings that they fished through the boards, this looks like pretty good for what it is and for the available material. My biggest concern still it the reduction gearing that they used, I think it might be on the light side and be an issue at high speed and that leads into the other problem in that they have no over speed brake and if they get a good storm, well you know. Overall in the end they did manage to get the unit running and it is putting out power that they do need.
For the last part of the show it was time for the exchange of Becka for the supplies that were called out for in the ransom note, fuel and medical supplies. Come time for the actual exchange though more was demanded of the group in the form of food and they gave it to them. The group has Becka back now but at the loss of a good portion of there food and 2/3 of the fuel they had. You can't loose valuables like this in a real situation but the outcome of this seems to be waking up a few of the group members and I think we might see a few decisions made with a little more thought put into them. Oh boy.
Prepology
On the windmill front they started the assembly and right off the bat I wanted to yell at them for cutting down the pole that they were going to use all because they didn't have a ladder. Hello, you can build a windmill but you can't build a ladder, give me a break. Down comes the pole and the cut about 4 feet off of it, the reason why I disagree with this is that the higher you have your windmill the better it will perform, windmills like height. On the actual construction they put part of their newly acquired airplane fuselage to good use. The windmill needed a tail fin and the plane provided that part perfectly, heck it even looks good. The blade assembly is made from a wheel drum with with fence boards for the blades, the diameter looks to be about 10 to 12 feet. They should catch some good wind with this and hopefully it makes up for it being so short and in the turbulence of the building, time will tell. For the assembly of the blades the group found some copper piping and they made rings that they fished through the boards, this looks like pretty good for what it is and for the available material. My biggest concern still it the reduction gearing that they used, I think it might be on the light side and be an issue at high speed and that leads into the other problem in that they have no over speed brake and if they get a good storm, well you know. Overall in the end they did manage to get the unit running and it is putting out power that they do need.
For the last part of the show it was time for the exchange of Becka for the supplies that were called out for in the ransom note, fuel and medical supplies. Come time for the actual exchange though more was demanded of the group in the form of food and they gave it to them. The group has Becka back now but at the loss of a good portion of there food and 2/3 of the fuel they had. You can't loose valuables like this in a real situation but the outcome of this seems to be waking up a few of the group members and I think we might see a few decisions made with a little more thought put into them. Oh boy.
Prepology
Colony season 2 episode 4 my part 2
OK folks sorry for the delay, Life keeps getting in the way of things here along with more travel out of state again. I digress though, back to the review.
Grumpy EMT ( Thanks GE ) beat me to in in my comments section from part one about the security issue for the group especially at night as they have plenty of members available to keep a daytime and nighttime watch. A point or 3 here but say for instance during the arson raid what would have happened to the group if their building was the one set on fire? End of the show........... No we can't let that happen but this emphasises the fact that they could have all been DEAD if the attacking group wanted it that way, you have to have someone watching your back all of the time in a situation such as this and that goes double at night where sleeping is your most vulnerable time. These types of shows bring about both good and bad things to our attention. The good is in that shows like these might actually wake people up to the fact that we are not in the nice rosy world we all think were in and we might actually learn something. Now the bad ties in with the good in a way with respect the the learning aspect, I am worried that things will be taught that will get people KILLED if they try them in a real catastrophe. Take for instance the scene during the fire where everyone decided to stand in the window and watch the pretty fire, add to that the person with the headlamp in the window, BANG. Another issue that that went lucky for the group was the attempted entry into their building, with enough time you can get through almost any door, I think a bucket filled with some nasty above the door that could be dumped on command would be a nice touch but that's just me. Something else to think about too, who might have been sneaking up on the other 3 sides of the building during the fire?
Once it was noticed that the arson group was looting they finally decided to send someone out to confront the Looter, bad idea all the way around especially when only one person went out, again no one to watch your back, do you really want to do that? The group did learn a lesson thought, I will bet that they leave a lot less of their supplies outside again where they can be easily nabbed.
Another enemy showed up also to torment the group, mother nature came a knocking and did a good number on their building. Being wet is not any fun unless your in the shower or swimming, good shelter will be the difference in being comfortable or miserable. This storm also took out the bridge that they constructed at the canal along with some of their fishing gear, Dick's sporting goods is not open anymore so you really need to take care of what you have because you never know when you can get more. During a real emergency loosing your gear can make the difference between eating or not eating so it is important that you keep tabs of it.
On the food hunt this week 3 members went out and headed to the swamp area where the did so well in finding snakes last week. Well whats good one week sucks the next, so they can't get to dependent on one area for their hunting especially when they do not have a garden or other dependable source of food. One bright moment was in the return trip where the hunting party came across the staged ER crashed plane, while there were other people at the site it did not turn into the confrontation that it could have and they walked away with an engine and part of a fuselage, I am sure that during closer inspection they might find more parts or pieces they can use.
OK time for the stupid action of the week. little miss pretty model decides to go off by herself looking for food, Nothing could be dumber than to go off by yourself and she paid the price. Right now people are not nice, heck they are down right nasty in some places so do you really think it will be any nicer when a disaster strikes? This girl would have been raped, killed or who knows what. The bottom line is that you really need to think before you do, now and especially in a situation like this group is in. From the preview it looks like a there will be a trade in the works, woman for supplies.... Stay tuned.
Prepology
Grumpy EMT ( Thanks GE ) beat me to in in my comments section from part one about the security issue for the group especially at night as they have plenty of members available to keep a daytime and nighttime watch. A point or 3 here but say for instance during the arson raid what would have happened to the group if their building was the one set on fire? End of the show........... No we can't let that happen but this emphasises the fact that they could have all been DEAD if the attacking group wanted it that way, you have to have someone watching your back all of the time in a situation such as this and that goes double at night where sleeping is your most vulnerable time. These types of shows bring about both good and bad things to our attention. The good is in that shows like these might actually wake people up to the fact that we are not in the nice rosy world we all think were in and we might actually learn something. Now the bad ties in with the good in a way with respect the the learning aspect, I am worried that things will be taught that will get people KILLED if they try them in a real catastrophe. Take for instance the scene during the fire where everyone decided to stand in the window and watch the pretty fire, add to that the person with the headlamp in the window, BANG. Another issue that that went lucky for the group was the attempted entry into their building, with enough time you can get through almost any door, I think a bucket filled with some nasty above the door that could be dumped on command would be a nice touch but that's just me. Something else to think about too, who might have been sneaking up on the other 3 sides of the building during the fire?
Once it was noticed that the arson group was looting they finally decided to send someone out to confront the Looter, bad idea all the way around especially when only one person went out, again no one to watch your back, do you really want to do that? The group did learn a lesson thought, I will bet that they leave a lot less of their supplies outside again where they can be easily nabbed.
Another enemy showed up also to torment the group, mother nature came a knocking and did a good number on their building. Being wet is not any fun unless your in the shower or swimming, good shelter will be the difference in being comfortable or miserable. This storm also took out the bridge that they constructed at the canal along with some of their fishing gear, Dick's sporting goods is not open anymore so you really need to take care of what you have because you never know when you can get more. During a real emergency loosing your gear can make the difference between eating or not eating so it is important that you keep tabs of it.
On the food hunt this week 3 members went out and headed to the swamp area where the did so well in finding snakes last week. Well whats good one week sucks the next, so they can't get to dependent on one area for their hunting especially when they do not have a garden or other dependable source of food. One bright moment was in the return trip where the hunting party came across the staged ER crashed plane, while there were other people at the site it did not turn into the confrontation that it could have and they walked away with an engine and part of a fuselage, I am sure that during closer inspection they might find more parts or pieces they can use.
OK time for the stupid action of the week. little miss pretty model decides to go off by herself looking for food, Nothing could be dumber than to go off by yourself and she paid the price. Right now people are not nice, heck they are down right nasty in some places so do you really think it will be any nicer when a disaster strikes? This girl would have been raped, killed or who knows what. The bottom line is that you really need to think before you do, now and especially in a situation like this group is in. From the preview it looks like a there will be a trade in the works, woman for supplies.... Stay tuned.
Prepology
Colony season 2 episode 4
Well the newness is wearing off fast here, I think this might be a 2 or 3 season show here, this group seem to be getting around to some basics that they should have started from the first. Security, HELLO great first step, closing off the gate was nice, it would only slow someone down for a little but controlling access is key.
Both groups uniting ( who didn't see this coming ). No really it was the logical choice on both their parts, trying to defend 2 compounds is a non starter with the manpower that they had plus the additional supplies required to maintain 2 separate compounds was beyond their means. Joining forces, is almost always a benefit to said group as long as everyone can get along, Hell that's a whole post in it's self. In the end if you are in a group where it just isn't working or no one gets along you might want to be in a different group, this is not something that you want to deal with if you already have a catastrophe.
The construction theme this week seems to be a windmill, this is a good idea that should pay off for them once they get it running. The power will be generated via a car alternator from one of the vehicles that have been staged, aahhh I mean abandoned in the area. Suspension and rotor parts will make up the bulk of the build, these are pretty substantial parts they are using, the only thing I have a concern about will be the gear reduction parts they are using from the scavenged bicycles. The bicycle gears and chain might be a maintenance issue but I am speaking before it is built, we'll see. Something to keep in mind here is the reason for the windmill in the first place, right now they are relying on the modified tractor for their power and that means they need fuel, fuel that they really do not have at this point, this in very short order could become the primary power source for charging the batteries, I do hope that they go into more theory and mechanic's of this build so that everyone can get a good understanding of this build.
I gotta get back to this people I got a kids nose bleed to tend to....
Both groups uniting ( who didn't see this coming ). No really it was the logical choice on both their parts, trying to defend 2 compounds is a non starter with the manpower that they had plus the additional supplies required to maintain 2 separate compounds was beyond their means. Joining forces, is almost always a benefit to said group as long as everyone can get along, Hell that's a whole post in it's self. In the end if you are in a group where it just isn't working or no one gets along you might want to be in a different group, this is not something that you want to deal with if you already have a catastrophe.
The construction theme this week seems to be a windmill, this is a good idea that should pay off for them once they get it running. The power will be generated via a car alternator from one of the vehicles that have been staged, aahhh I mean abandoned in the area. Suspension and rotor parts will make up the bulk of the build, these are pretty substantial parts they are using, the only thing I have a concern about will be the gear reduction parts they are using from the scavenged bicycles. The bicycle gears and chain might be a maintenance issue but I am speaking before it is built, we'll see. Something to keep in mind here is the reason for the windmill in the first place, right now they are relying on the modified tractor for their power and that means they need fuel, fuel that they really do not have at this point, this in very short order could become the primary power source for charging the batteries, I do hope that they go into more theory and mechanic's of this build so that everyone can get a good understanding of this build.
I gotta get back to this people I got a kids nose bleed to tend to....
Colony episode 3
Well good news for those of us that want to loose weight, Join the colony. 11 days in and one person had lost 24 or 25#. But really in starting off is the issue of sanitation, pretty important thing to deal with and they had a semi decent idea of digging the hole ( too small ) and diverting the flow to it from the porta-potty. This is not a bad idea but I think the pit should have been a lot bigger so it would last a little longer. Sanitation plays a big part as it is something we take for granted when we have it but can be a nightmare when we don't, we revert to cavemen when it fails and that usually leads to very crude conditions fast, like polluting surface water that you may have to use later for drinking. Either way something to think about. While on the hygiene kick and for the ratings I am sure they did put in a shower and then had the model demonstrate HHHMMM.
Back in the food category a smokehouse was constructed for the drying of meat, good idea when you do not have any refrigeration and a pretty simple design too that hopefully they will work on more. A couple of problems they had was having to stay up all night with it to feed the fire and they could have also attracted unwanted attention either by the smell or the fire. One other failure was putting leftover food in a cooler and putting it in the ground like a root cellar, the hole was was not deep enough and the container not quite sealed either and that brought the ants... oops.
One of the biggest flaws of the show this week involved the introduction of the 2 new players, they just walked right in and were pretty much right on top of the group before they knew it. Now if these 2 new players had any hostile intention they might have had a temporary advantage and caused some harm. The group really should set an over watch so as to not be surprised like this again in the future. Needless to say I think the group did do well in wanting the new people to go into isolation as per the "supposed flu", but when the newcomers violated the quarantine things could have gotten hairy but logic prevailed and they did finally do as asked. Note though that this being a show and not real life it most likely would have turned out differently like a few other things. Taking in new members could be dicey as you never truly know what you are getting, they could be of great harm or be the best thing since apple pie, Caveat emptor.
I would rate the overall security of this group as poor and would not fly in a real world situation, they have no one watching while everyone is working, their noise discipline is terrible and again a campfire and lights at night is just asking for trouble. One security item that they did decide to get going was making the forge and then making a makeshift machete as a weapon, guess you have to start somewhere. Another new aspect this week was the introduction of the river barter boat, barter will always be an issue for both good and bad, this time it worked out favorable for both sides. Barter means you need to have something to trade with and the group made it work
and actually spurred a salvage operation towards the end that was in this case looting as it seemed that others had already claimed it in the building " gotta keep the excitement and ratings " this could have turned out bad for the group as they could have easily been overpowered. Oh well it's all scripted so anything can happen, stay tuned for next week there is supposed to be a kidnapping...... Enjoy
Prepology
Back in the food category a smokehouse was constructed for the drying of meat, good idea when you do not have any refrigeration and a pretty simple design too that hopefully they will work on more. A couple of problems they had was having to stay up all night with it to feed the fire and they could have also attracted unwanted attention either by the smell or the fire. One other failure was putting leftover food in a cooler and putting it in the ground like a root cellar, the hole was was not deep enough and the container not quite sealed either and that brought the ants... oops.
One of the biggest flaws of the show this week involved the introduction of the 2 new players, they just walked right in and were pretty much right on top of the group before they knew it. Now if these 2 new players had any hostile intention they might have had a temporary advantage and caused some harm. The group really should set an over watch so as to not be surprised like this again in the future. Needless to say I think the group did do well in wanting the new people to go into isolation as per the "supposed flu", but when the newcomers violated the quarantine things could have gotten hairy but logic prevailed and they did finally do as asked. Note though that this being a show and not real life it most likely would have turned out differently like a few other things. Taking in new members could be dicey as you never truly know what you are getting, they could be of great harm or be the best thing since apple pie, Caveat emptor.
I would rate the overall security of this group as poor and would not fly in a real world situation, they have no one watching while everyone is working, their noise discipline is terrible and again a campfire and lights at night is just asking for trouble. One security item that they did decide to get going was making the forge and then making a makeshift machete as a weapon, guess you have to start somewhere. Another new aspect this week was the introduction of the river barter boat, barter will always be an issue for both good and bad, this time it worked out favorable for both sides. Barter means you need to have something to trade with and the group made it work
and actually spurred a salvage operation towards the end that was in this case looting as it seemed that others had already claimed it in the building " gotta keep the excitement and ratings " this could have turned out bad for the group as they could have easily been overpowered. Oh well it's all scripted so anything can happen, stay tuned for next week there is supposed to be a kidnapping...... Enjoy
Prepology
Finally caught the colony episode 2
Well I finally had the chance to catch the second episode of the colony, yeah I know a week late but I didn't think I would miss anything life changing. Now I am sure there is a little scripting involved but they did focus on a few key basics in this one and I guess that counts for something.
Realizing that food and water were key it was nice to see a good amount of time put into both of these efforts, more so with the food. Water will almost always be the deciding factor in any event, Air of coarse being #1 but that is another post for down the road. The addition of the sand filter that they scored should add some purity to their water but not having any chemicals to treat it they will need to continue boiling their water for drinking. The food issue was attacked on two fronts, one being the netting system for the small canal close to them and while it did not pay off at first I think it might pay dividends with a little more effort. Better efforts were made going to the semi swamp area, it would seem like a very target rich environment food wise.
Power seems to be a big issue with this group, now I can see the need for the tools especially for the use of fortifying their living quarters. I wish the group would have put more time into their defenses, maybe next episode. They will have future confrontations and with their small numbers they will need to make their surrounding work for them and be force multipliers. The one bad issue that I had with their need for power was the fact that they were scared of the dark so to speak, I guess we are creatures of habit and are conditioned to having light at night but for the situation they are in light is the last thing u want. They are supposed to be in a grid down situation and any light at night will be a giant beacon that says come get me, come loot me. If you need light get a good red filtered flashlight and use it sparingly. Keep in mind that if everyone in the neighborhood does not have power and you do where are they are going to go?
One thing that did puzzle me thought was why go through all the trouble to weld on a pulley to the PTO shaft and mount an alternator? Was the altenator for the tractor bad? I am sure we will never know but it did bring out an alternate method of welding that does work in a pinch, It was a good example of how to use tools and materials to get the job done and I am glad that those types of examples were shown. As for rendering the pig fat for fuel it sure seemed like a lot work for the stated gallon that they got out of it but if that's what you have to work with go for it. I would be looking for additional sources of power production though as depending on just one source will always invoke that gentleman Murphy to gum up the works when you need it the most, having a backup will keep you going if a failure occurs.
I know there is more to comment on this but the sleep monster is calling me, I do believe the next episode is on tomorrow so I will try to fill in from there.... Later all... Prepology
Realizing that food and water were key it was nice to see a good amount of time put into both of these efforts, more so with the food. Water will almost always be the deciding factor in any event, Air of coarse being #1 but that is another post for down the road. The addition of the sand filter that they scored should add some purity to their water but not having any chemicals to treat it they will need to continue boiling their water for drinking. The food issue was attacked on two fronts, one being the netting system for the small canal close to them and while it did not pay off at first I think it might pay dividends with a little more effort. Better efforts were made going to the semi swamp area, it would seem like a very target rich environment food wise.
Power seems to be a big issue with this group, now I can see the need for the tools especially for the use of fortifying their living quarters. I wish the group would have put more time into their defenses, maybe next episode. They will have future confrontations and with their small numbers they will need to make their surrounding work for them and be force multipliers. The one bad issue that I had with their need for power was the fact that they were scared of the dark so to speak, I guess we are creatures of habit and are conditioned to having light at night but for the situation they are in light is the last thing u want. They are supposed to be in a grid down situation and any light at night will be a giant beacon that says come get me, come loot me. If you need light get a good red filtered flashlight and use it sparingly. Keep in mind that if everyone in the neighborhood does not have power and you do where are they are going to go?
One thing that did puzzle me thought was why go through all the trouble to weld on a pulley to the PTO shaft and mount an alternator? Was the altenator for the tractor bad? I am sure we will never know but it did bring out an alternate method of welding that does work in a pinch, It was a good example of how to use tools and materials to get the job done and I am glad that those types of examples were shown. As for rendering the pig fat for fuel it sure seemed like a lot work for the stated gallon that they got out of it but if that's what you have to work with go for it. I would be looking for additional sources of power production though as depending on just one source will always invoke that gentleman Murphy to gum up the works when you need it the most, having a backup will keep you going if a failure occurs.
I know there is more to comment on this but the sleep monster is calling me, I do believe the next episode is on tomorrow so I will try to fill in from there.... Later all... Prepology
Colony review episode 1
Episode 1 of season 2 is now in the can so to speak. The first thing you get from this series is that it seams to be a little rushed, I was a little disappointed at how they went over their water purification system. Clean water should be #1 on every one's list ( second to air of coarse ) I believe they took the liberty of people having watched the first season where they did a lot better in explaining how they put that system together.
Now I know this show has certain aspects to keep the viewer's attention but I would like to see them slow it down and explain better what they are doing. This group will need a leader at some point, "freelancing" on the fire ground will not be tolerated comes to mind from past training and I think it applies here too. This group will need a plan if it is to have any realistic appeal to it.
A second observation I disagree with was the first confrontation that the group had. This group needs to start working as a group and use their numbers to an advantage. In giving the outsiders food you create a double edge sword, be kind and charitable or keep what you have will have consequences either way. The outsiders were no doubt instructed to cause as much mayhem as possible as well as gather intelligence and they did.
Some of the good things that the group did do was in their decision of moving out of the tent and into a more defensible building but they did not build on this as well as they could have. The other thing was they immediately recognized that they would need to start gathering more food now versus later. The scouting missions that they started is a good idea that will net them additional supplies in the future but they do need to be careful as they are separated from other members of the group.
In the ending part of the program where the larger outsider group came for the supplies is where I have the biggest issue. While the home team was clearly outnumbered they made it worse by letting themselves be divided and easily conquered. In this particular case they would have been better off making a stand in their house on the second floor, from what I saw there was only one staircase. This would have been a natural choke point to defend and neutralize the outsiders numbers. In the end they still might have lost but it would have taken a lot more time to do it. This should be interesting to see how things will unfold.
Now I know this show has certain aspects to keep the viewer's attention but I would like to see them slow it down and explain better what they are doing. This group will need a leader at some point, "freelancing" on the fire ground will not be tolerated comes to mind from past training and I think it applies here too. This group will need a plan if it is to have any realistic appeal to it.
A second observation I disagree with was the first confrontation that the group had. This group needs to start working as a group and use their numbers to an advantage. In giving the outsiders food you create a double edge sword, be kind and charitable or keep what you have will have consequences either way. The outsiders were no doubt instructed to cause as much mayhem as possible as well as gather intelligence and they did.
Some of the good things that the group did do was in their decision of moving out of the tent and into a more defensible building but they did not build on this as well as they could have. The other thing was they immediately recognized that they would need to start gathering more food now versus later. The scouting missions that they started is a good idea that will net them additional supplies in the future but they do need to be careful as they are separated from other members of the group.
In the ending part of the program where the larger outsider group came for the supplies is where I have the biggest issue. While the home team was clearly outnumbered they made it worse by letting themselves be divided and easily conquered. In this particular case they would have been better off making a stand in their house on the second floor, from what I saw there was only one staircase. This would have been a natural choke point to defend and neutralize the outsiders numbers. In the end they still might have lost but it would have taken a lot more time to do it. This should be interesting to see how things will unfold.
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