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—-Edible Flowers—- Part 1 ~ Click here for part 2

One very important thing that you need to remember is that not every flower is edible.

In fact, sampling some flowers can make you very, very sick.

- You also should NEVER use pesticides or other chemicals on any part of any plant that produces blossoms you plan to eat.

- Never harvest flowers growing by the roadside.

- Identify the flower exactly and eat only edible flowers and edible parts of those flowers.

Always remember to use flowers sparingly in your recipes due to the digestive complications that can occur with a large consumption rate. Most herb flowers have a taste that’s similar to the leaf, but spicier. The concept of using fresh edible flowers in cooking is not new.

How to Choose Edible Flowers  ~ Edible Flower Flow Chart

Begonia - Tuberous begonias and Waxed begonias:

Tuberous Begonias (Begonia X tuberosa) - The leaves, flowers, and stems are edible. Begonia blossoms have a citrus-sour taste. The petals are used in salads and as a garnish. Stems, also, can be used in place of rhubarb. The flowers and stems contain oxalic acid and should not be consumed by individuals suffering from gout, kidney stones, or rheumatism.

Wax Begonias (Begonia cucullata) - The fleshy leaves and flowers are edible raw or cooked. They can have a slight bitter after taste and if in water most of the time, a hint of swamp in their flavor.

Calendula (Calendula officinalis) - Also called Marigolds. A wonderful edible flower. Flavors range from spicy to bitter, tangy to peppery. Their sharp taste resembles saffron (also known as Poor Man’s Saffron). Has pretty petals in golden-orange hues. Sprinkle them on soups, pasta or rice dishes, herb butters, and salads. Petals add a yellow tint to soups, spreads, and scrambled eggs. Only the pedals are edible.

Carnations (Dianthus caryophyllus - aka Dianthus) - Carnations can be steeped in wine, candy, or use as cake decoration. To use the surprisingly sweet petals in desserts, cut them away from the bitter white base of the flower. Dianthus are the miniature member of the carnation family with light clove-like or nutmeg scent. Petals add color to salads or aspics. Carnation petals are one of secret ingredients that has been used to make Chartreuse, a French liqueur, since the 17th century.

Chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum coronarium) - Tangy, slightly bitter, ranging in colors from red, white, yellow and orange. They range in taste from faint peppery to mild cauliflower. They sould be blanched first and then scatter the petals on a salad. The leaves can also be used to flavor vinegar. Always remove the bitter flower base and use petals only. Young leaves and stems of the Crown Daisy, also known as Chop Suey Greens or Shingiku in Japan, are widely used in oriental stir-fries and as salad seasoning.

Clover (Trifolium species) - Sweet, anise-like, licorice. White and red clover blossoms were used in folk medicine against gout, rheumatism, and leucorrhea. It was also believed that the texture of fingernails and toenails would improve after drinking clover blossom tea. Native Americans used whole clover plants in salads, and made a white clover leaf tea for coughs and colds. Avoid bitter flowers that are turning brown, and choose those with the brightest color, which are tastiest. Raw flower heads can be difficult to digest.

Cornflower (Centaurea cynaus) - Also called Bachelor’s button. They have a slightly sweet to spicy, clove-like flavor. Bloom is a natural food dye. More commonly used as garnish.

Dame’s Rocket (Hesperis matronalis) - Also called Sweet Rocket or Dame’s Violet. This plant is often mistaken for Phlox. Phlox has five petals, Dame’s Rocket has just four. The flowers, which resemble phlox, are deep lavender, and sometimes pink to white. The plant is part of the mustard family, which also  includes radishes, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and, mustard. The plant and flowers are edible, but fairly bitter. The flowers are attractive added to green salads. The young leaves can also be added to your salad greens (for culinary purposes, the leaves should be picked before the plant flowers). The seed can also be sprouted and added to salads. NOTE: It is not the same variety as the herb commonly called Rocket, which is used as a green in salads.

Dandelions (Taraxacum officinalis) - Member of the Daisy family. Flowers are sweetest when picked young. They have a sweet, honey-like flavor. Mature flowers are bitter. Dandelion buds are tastier than the flowers: best to pick these when they are very close to the ground, tightly bunched in the center, and about the size of a small gumball. Good raw or steamed. Also made into wine. Young leaves taste good steamed, or tossed in salads. When serving a rice dish use dandelion petals like confetti over the rice.

Day Lilies (Hemerocallis species) - Slightly sweet with a mild vegetable flavor, like sweet lettuce or melon. Their flavor is a combination of asparagus and zucchini. Chewable consistency. Some people think that different colored blossoms have different flavors. To use the surprisingly sweet petals in desserts, cut them away from the bitter white base of the flower. Also great to stuff like squash blossoms. Flowers look beautiful on composed salad platters or crowning a frosted cake. Sprinkle the large petals in a spring salad. In the spring, gather shoots two or three inches tall and use as a substitute for asparagus. NOTE: Many Lilies contain alkaloids and are NOT edible. Day Lilies may act as a diuretic or laxative; eat in moderation.

English Daisy (Bellis perennis) - The flowers have a mildly bitter taste and are most commonly used for their looks than their flavor. The petals are used as a garnish and in salads.

Keep reading

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(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSfGlxPNElU)

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Earthships  -  The Ultimate Green Homes

So, what is an Earthship?

It’s a home completely or for most of it’s part off the grid. That means no electricity and water networks. There is nothing to tie it to any utility services, which eradicates dozens of potential problems.

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Not zombie specific but all survival tactics are accepted

What Can the Hawaii Nuclear Missile False Alarm Teach Us About Preparedness?

First, I want to go on the record to say unequivocally, I am not upset by the fact that there was false alarm in Hawaii.  False alarms happen because there are systems in place to warn.  In Hawaii, the system is semi-independent, but closely associated with the primary warning system that would be used throughout the United States in the event of a nuclear war (accidental or otherwise).  What I am angry about is that the same government who maintains these warning systems does absolutely nothing to teach the general public what to do in the event a warning comes through, and (with the ironic exception of Hawaii), is largely doing nothing in terms of making workable plans to protect citizens in the event of a nuclear war.

It is impossible, to discuss nuclear war preparedness in more than a cursory fashion in a short blog post, but today I wanted to address a few high points that people should keep in mind, and to illustrate why I think nuclear war preparedness remains a relevant concern in the post-Cold War era.  An intentional nuclear war is a fairly unlikely scenario in the current political environment (propaganda regarding the DPRK notwithstanding). What is far more likely to happen is accidental nuclear war, resulting from lax controls under Cold War Era policies of Mutually Assured Destruction and Launch On Warning, still in place to maintain the Deterrent Effect of Nuclear Weapons.

Who are the likely players?

When it comes to accidental nuclear war, the most likely players are the United States and Russia.  Both of these countries maintain large forces of Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs), and Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles and (SLBMs).  While both countries maintain other types of nuclear weapons (such as nuclear bombs carried by conventional bombers) the ICBM and SLBM forces are of most concern for an accidental nuclear war.  These weapon systems are key, because once triggered, they cannot be destroyed or recalled, and there is no real effective defense against them.  

Several other countries maintain ICBM or SLBM weapons in their inventory (most notably Great Britain, France, China, India and Pakistan), but do not always keep the weapons in a state of immediate launch readiness.  Both Countries, as a matter of documented public policy maintain a launch on warning posture, and both still publicly follow the doctrine of Mutual Assured Destruction.  In short, both countries publicly state that upon warning of a nuclear weapons launch (detection of inbound nuclear missiles), they will launch a responsive attack. While the President of each country ostensibly has a number of options with regard to the scope of the response, there are likely systems in place (fail-safes in ironic military parlance) that would launch massive counter attacks using the ICBM and SLBM force. In fact, for many years it has been believed, with significant compelling evidence that Russia maintains the former Soviet Era Dead Hand system that would launch a full force level counterstrike automatically upon detection of a nuclear detonation in a Russian city.  Although there is no evidence for such a system in the public domain in the United States, one can surmise that an equivalent system likely exists, if for no other reason than the timing concerns to be discussed below.

What would happen in an accidental nuclear war?

Assuming a worst-case scenario either the United States or Russia has a system failure that indicates an incoming threat (this has happened dozens of times since the 1950s). The threat detection systems of each country have deteriorated dramatically since the mid-1990s, but the Cold War era policy of Launch on Warning must be maintained in order to maintain the deterrence strategy.  This is because one of the prime targets of nuclear missiles, are the other side’s nuclear missile silos.  The United State’s ICBM force relies solely on a silo based system.  The locations of nuclear missile silos are not secret, and anyone with a modest amount of internet searching can find their locations on Google Earth in only a few minutes.  Each silo is specially hardened to withstand a nearby detonation, but it is not possible to build a silo that won’t be irreparably damaged by a direct hit from a nuclear weapon (in essence a direct hit means that the silo has to be within the nuclear fireball…that area of matter that is largely converted to plasma in the moments after an explosion, a typical 800kt warhead will heat a sphere a mile in diameter to over 16,000 degrees Fahrenheit in on second).

A typical ICBM takes around 30 minutes to fly from its launch site to its target, assuming a Great Circle Path is utilized.  This would most often be the case, however, the newest Russian ICBM the Topal M, may have the capability to follow a semi-orbital flight path around the South Pole to take advantage of the extremely limited warning systems the United States has to verify missile flights along that trajectory (the flight time would be significantly longer, but the the ability to verify launch warnings or targets is essentially non-existent on those paths).

The warhead will reenter the Earth’s atmosphere traveling at more than 20,000 mph, many times faster than a bullet leaves the barrel of a gun.  Warheads targeted a nuclear weapons silos or hardened command and control bunkers typically detonate at or near the ground to maximize the probability of breaching defenses.  Warheads targeted at industrial, commercial, civilian, or non-hardened targets will typically be detonated at an optimized height above ground to maximize the thermal and blast effects.  Blasts at or near the ground generate much more radioactive fallout than airburst weapons. SLBMs are generally launched much closer to the target country, and have flight times in the order of 15 minutes or less.

The short length of time between launch and detonation leads to the biggest problem with ICBM and SLBMs, very limited decision making windows to respond.  Launches are typically detectable once the missile is above the cloud deck. Satellites can pick up the large heat flare of the launch motor once it is above the clouds… generally this happens a minute or less after launch.  Radar confirmation would come next, and would take around 9-12 minutes depending on the flight path.  At some point in time the President of the respective country would be alerted. Under the U.S. plan the nuclear weapons liaison (the guy who carries the nuclear football for the President), would brief the President on retaliation options and set up the system to give command orders.  In theory, U.S. Nuclear weapons are under civilian control, via the elected sitting President…but one need only follow the time to see why this is probably not really the case.  Under an ICBM attack on a conventional path, it would take about a minute for the President to mechanically give the launch order, and about 2-3 minutes for the ICBM and SLBM forces to respond.  Pragmatically it might take much longer for the SLBM force to respond, upwards of 20 minutes…but SLBMs launched from submarines are much harder for an enemy to target than an ICBM.  This leaves the President less than 10 minutes to initiate a retaliatory strike, and to activate the National Emergency Warning that will begin a transmit sequence to every cell phone in the U.S.  If the incoming missile is an SLBM launched at Washington from the North Atlantic…. There probably would not be time for the President to issue the order… he may find out about the attack only moments before the White House would be destroyed by the warhead.

In any event, under most likely scenarios, detonation of hostile missiles would occur at most 15 minutes after a warning.  The average American in an impacted area would find out about an impending nuclear attack in one of 4 ways.  1)  If the President has time, and is able to activate the National Warning System, you would receive a text alert on your cell phone, at most 15 minutes before the first warhead’s detonate, but more likely 2-8 minutes before hand… IF you have you phone with you, and IF you happen to look at it.  2) While the Emergency Broadcast System is no longer maintained, National Weather Radio and associated commercial broadcast stations would likely initiate a warning at about the same time a text message was sent out.  This message would probably take about 30 seconds longer to digest than the cell phone text.  Again, you would have to be near enough to a properly equipped NWR radio or other TV or radio to get this warning. 3) You will witness, with your own eyes, the unmistakable sight of a reentering warhead and subsequent detonation, or 4) electronic devices around will cease working immediately, without explanation, as the EMP from a specially targeted warhead detonates in the upper atmosphere.  This may, or may not, be coupled with visual evidence of an explosion, depending on where you are physically.

Where are the likely targets?

Any nuclear weapons site, military site, airport large with a regularly scheduled passenger service (ie large enough to service military bombers in an emergency), oil refineries, power plants, military installations, or centers of global commerce and trade are likely targets.  

When could it happen?

Literally any time, night or day.  There is literally no way to predict when an accidental nuclear war might begin.

How should I respond?

There are two immediate threats from nuclear weapons. Immediate blast effects, and residual radiation.  The immediate blast effects consist of three components 1) thermal energy in the form of radiated light.  The energy of a nuclear detonation is difficult to comprehend, if you are close enough, it can set your clothing on fire just from the fireball.  Even many miles away, the brightness of the detonation can cause permanent and irreparable blindness that can significantly decrease your likelihood of survival. 2) Prompt Radiation effects, in the form of neutrons and gamma rays.  This is radiation from the nuclear reaction at the core of the weapon itself. If you are close enough to be impacted by this, and you are not in a shelter, you will die.  However, you have to be fairly close, and would likely die of the blast effects anyway.  3) Blast effects, basically a blast wave that travels at approximately the speed of sound, and does most of the physical damage.  If you are caught in the open, the old duck and cover drills from the 1950s and 60s will afford you better protection than most people realize.  In simple terms, get on the ground well away from buildings and large structures (ideally in a ditch or behind a low wall), head towards the likely point of detonation (head pointed toward the flash), with your hands covering the back of your neck.  You may feel intense heat from the thermal effects almost immediately.  The blast wave will be coming, but may take more than a minute to arrive.  The longer the distance between the flash and the blast (just like lightning), the longer you have to take subsequent precautions.

The residual radiation effects, or fallout, happen as the result of physical pieces of the bomb (generally from a small mote of dust to a pebble sized component) and debris, made radioactive by the nuclear physics effects of the bomb.  Remember that all post-nuclear radiation hazard comes from fallout, that is physical dust particles.  The dust can be so small that it is only detectable with special tools like a Geiger counter, but nonetheless it is very dangerous.  The radiation hazard comes from particles and rays emitted by the radioactive atoms in the dust.  There are two ways to protect yourself form this hazard.  Get the dust off of you (and keep it out of your shelter), and put as much mass between yourself and the dust as possible.

Protection from fallout is all about mass.  The most massive something is, the more protection it affords.  The bomb debris are most radioactive immediately following detonation, and will be radioactive at levels that make even short exposures hazardous for about 14 days following the detonation.  However, radiation levels that are a short distance away from the immediate detonation area (more than about 7 miles away for a 800KT range weapon), will not be high enough to be immediately fatal until fallout has had an opportunity to actually fall out of the atmosphere.  However, in the first hour after a detonation fallout is INTENSELY radioactive, and extremely dangerous, so you need to find adequate protection as quickly as possible.  

In the event you get a warning, you should go immediately to the nearest location you can safely get too in less than 10 minutes, be constantly vigilant for a potential explosion. If you notice anything like a bright flash of light, close your eyes immediately (it takes less than a second to be blinded permanently), and dive to the ground face down, head toward (as best you can tell) the source of the light.  Start counting slowly, about every 5 seconds that elapse between the flash and the blast front is about a mile of distance.  If the blast is less than 30 seconds away, you may be injured, burned, and there may be fires and massive destruction all around you.  Every 5 seconds after that dramatically increases your chance of survival.  If you reach 120 without the blast wave passing (it will be unmistakable), you can begin carefully moving to look for shelter.  Go quickly to the largest building you can find.  The longer you are in the open the more likely you are to be contaminated by fallout.  Once you arrive, remove your outter layer of clothing.  Find a place where you can clean the dust from your skin.  This needs to happen as quickly as possible.  Gently wipe exposed skin with a moist cloth.  If possible take a shower.  Do not use conditioner or other moisturizing produce which can keep dust close to your skin.  You need to have a rudimentary understanding of Protection Factor, and need to learn how to assess your shelter to use it to the maximum benefit. Even compromise shelters can afford you significant protection, especially if you are fortunate enough to be outside of the fallout plume.    Ideally you want to be in a purpose build fallout shelter, but these are very rare in the United States at this time.  Generally speaking, You want as close to the middle of the building (in all three dimensions) as possible, well away from windows, adjacent roofs etc.   Remember, radiation will be coming from any place where dust can accumulate from outside, you want as much heavy stuff between you and the dust as possible.

Once you are in a sheltered place, you will likely have to stay there for at least 14 days before you can move about safely.  Remember that radiation dosing is cumulative, so the more you expose yourself, the more likely you are to get sick.  

Why is preparation important?

In the event of a real nuclear emergency, you will have almost no time to make lifesaving decisions. The first priority is to survive the initial blast.  Learn to recognize the warning signs (sun like brightness in the sky comes from one of two things, nuclear detonations or bollides (big nasty meteors that can blow up in the sky and cause injury), each poses similar blast danger, and should be treated with caution and respect).   Everyone should read Nuclear War Survival Skills by Cresson Kearney.  The amount of useful information in this book is tremendous. It is not the brightest book to read, but you will learn what to expect, and how to protect your family.  Keep in mind that the techniques in the book were developed by real nuclear scientists, and were tested using average everyday volunteer families.  Make no mistake, if accidental nuclear war happens, millions of people will die. However, it is a situation where having knowledge and being prepared can dramatically increase your odds of survival.

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Do you now hot to knot a knot? Because i do not. Im knot gonna live after this lol

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Well this was a read.

How The Signs React To A Zombie Apocalypse

Aquarius will be totally unemotional and as the trendsetter for the future, their job is to eliminate as many “walkers” as they can.  Aquarians tend to be rebels just for the sake of having their own way so don’t try to stop them…they will do it their way even if others have proved it wrong. Pisces will try to befriend the zombies and understand their past.  They will be the ones looking for medical supplies with Shane and will help to heal anyone regardless of whether they are a zombie or human.   Aries will be like the character Rick as they love to lead.  They’ll be the ones to take a gamble and their desire for the “thrill of the hunt”, will drag others into the woods where their survival will be up to each person’s instincts. Taurus will follow the leader and will not be happy on their adventure into the “unknown”, however they have an immense sense of perseverance and even when other give up, the Taurus will rage on. Gemini will know who has been infected with the walker virus and will be more than happy to share that with everyone but they need to be careful because dangerous secrets will cause a lot of tension and their lives will immediately be in danger.    Cancer will be the first ones to help convert the prison into their new home.  They have a strong survival instinct and can become very manipulative if necessary.  Zombies beware!   Leo will be compared to the Governor who proudly shows off the heads of soldiers in aquarium tanks as his trophies.  Ask him who’s who and he’ll puff out his chest and give you the 411, one head at a time.   Virgo will have been working on a cure for the infection and ensuring that the protocols for safety are in place.  Their analytical minds will allow them to be rational and if the end is near, they will make every attempt to send you in the right direction.  Their goal is to keep the world in order.   Libra will make every attempt to get the zombies to like them and if that doesn’t work, they’ll try something else because they don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings or make the wrong decision.  This will definitely be to their detriment and ultimately their demise.   Scorpio will be turned on by the sex appeal of the “walkers”… the living dead can make the pulse beat faster and the scorpion is all about dominance so the quest to conquer will drive them to succeed.  A “biter” will be their main conquest and they will battle it out to see who will win…and we all know how much a scorpion hates to lose.   Sagittarius will be the ones the humans believe because they are void of emotion and believe that something good is just around the corner.  The Sags luck and positive outlook just might lead others to a safe place.

Capricorn will plot out the escape of the humans as they rarely trust anyone else to finish the job.  They will do everything they can to bond the group together and will lead them to the town of Woodbury, where they think everyone is safe

Source: Unknown

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Interesting

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Taking a break for a bit. Busy getting ready for college, YES!!!

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People Who Will Survive the Apocalypse, and People Who Will NOT Survive the Apocalypse

I’ve discussed toxic group members. Now let’s take a look at who will survive, and people who won’t survive.

*Disclaimer: just because someone won’t survive on their own doesn’t mean they won’t thrive in a group. A police officer has weapons training and is able to defuse a situation without violence could be a vital tool to your group, but may not survive on their own if they don’t know how to hunt and scavenging is not an option.

People Who WILL Survive

Scouts

Boy and Girl Scouts alike often go camping and learn wilderness survival skills, which, for obvious reasons, will better their chances of surviving should they be unable to stay in a house or some other already available shelter (ex. they’ve just escaped a city full of the undead). Additionally, scouts are taught teamwork and communication skills, so they will be able to work with others to accomplish goals. Some scouts are even well-versed in what plants are safe to eat and which ones to avoid. All-in-all, seasoned scouts are likely very valuable to your team.

Something to keep in mind, however, is that not all Scouting Troops are created equal. Some troops are geared more towards arts and crafts, some troops are more outdoorsy, some troops spend hours and hours a week volunteering to better their community and environment, and some troops just sit around talking about money. To someone who is an alien to the world of scouting, all scouts probably seem equal. I, myself, was never in scouting, but I have heard stories from scouts about, “Ugh, it’s those Troop X Scouts, all they do is talk about money!” My dad met a Boy Scout, and asked him about the Five Kinds of Fractures and the boy looked at him like he started speaking another language. (Answer: Stable, Open/Compound, Transverse, Oblique, Comminuted) It really depends on the Scout.

Ex-Convicts

Now, ex-convicts aren’t always going to be good for your group. Some will be, some won’t be, and their personality and skills are going to vary depending on what they did in prison, what they were imprisoned for, and the prison itself. Some ex-convicts may know a thing or two about fighting, and may be less hesitant to kill someone who messes with your group. If they were involved in prison riots, they may also know a thing or two about surviving when chaos descends in a close, contained environment. Some inmates may even know a thing or two about people in general, and may be able to sense a person’s true intentions. Someone who was in jail for 3 months for smoking marijuana likely will not have these skills - and is likely far less dangerous than someone who was serving a life sentence for serial murders - but they may know a thing or two. Again, it all depends.

Homeless People

Again, while this varies, it is likely that a homeless person knows a thing or two about surviving outside and avoiding detection. Chances are, they probably know a few safe places to sleep and a few places to look for food. The apocalypse will certainly change a few factors - for example, that pizza place on 3rd probably won’t be throwing out left-over slices anymore - but there is still a likelihood that they will know a thing or two to survive.

Hunters

Hunters have experience in collecting food. That’s what they do. Chances are - if they’re any good - they will also know a thing or two about hiding in plain sight. There is also a chance that they have an array of weapons, all of which they know how to use. They will also be able to track, and can use this to find their way to fresh water. They can become familiar with new woods quickly. There is a good chance they know how to camp. Some of them, if they’re cautious at least, will have first aid kits or books about survival in the glovebox of their pickup truck.

People Who WILL NOT Survive

People Who Work Desk Jobs

This is a bit broad. Typically, anyone who sits in a cubicle behind a computer screen all day is going to lack outdoor survival skills. Now, this isn’t true for 100% of desk job employees; maybe Jones likes to hunt in his free time. However, if the only time they get any exercise in is their walk from their car to their desk, chances are they’re not going to be the best equipped for survival. This goes for any profession that doesn’t demand any kind of physical activity or general knowledge of survival. 

Ego Maniacs

These people think they’re the bee’s knees, the best thing since sliced bread, all that and a bag of chips, God’s gift to the world, etc. Chances are, these people are selfish, and will gladly take a can of food for themselves before sharing it with ANYONE, even close friends or family. These people, however, cannot survive on their own, because they don’t want to put themselves in harm’s way. Someone who worked a desk job is likely going to be better than the ego maniac, because maybe the desk job person will be more generous or will be willing to risk their life for the benefit of the group.

The Pampered

These people are stereotypically just deluxe ego maniacs. They’ve never had to work and have always been taken care of. Maybe they have experience in tennis, fencing, or rock climbing, but this is the extent of their physical capabilities. They won’t be able to care for themselves, much less the group, because they won’t know how. If they have the willingness and drive to survive, then they’ll be able to change pretty quick; if they still expect to be pampered during the apocalypse, they’re going to die in the first five minutes.

People With Zero Teamwork Skills

Someone who doesn’t work well with their family, friends, or coworkers is less likely to survive than someone who does. Can you survive on your own? Most can’t, actually. You need companionship to keep yourself from going insane. As a result of this fact, someone who isn’t able to work with a group is likely going to die.

Now, it’s one thing if you don’t get along with your family because they’re abusive. It’s another thing if you don’t get along with others because your personality sucks. People with communication issues (people who are deaf, non-verbal, on the Autism spectrum, etc.) may struggle with working with others, but with enough time and effort, they’ll make it work. People who won’t put forth the effort are going to die.

People Who Won’t at Least Try

Let’s be real: apocalypse survival is hard. Imagine camping, but on steroids, and everything is trying to kill you. Most people won’t survive. Even the experienced may die due to a slip-up, an accident, a loss of drive, etc. All the toys and all the experience in the world mean nothing if you don’t try to survive. Even the least experienced city people with nothing but the shirt on their back will be able to pull through if they have the determination to survive. People who throw their hands in the air and give up the moment things get tough are going to die, plain and simple.

Anyone Who Thinks Their Toys Guarantee Survival

Having a gun =/= being safe. A gun does not guarantee safety. Even knowing how to handle a gun, prevent yourself from getting disarmed, and having access to a gun and amo does not guarantee safety. People who think having a gun = being safe are going to die. Would having a gun help your chances in a zombie apocalypse? It should, but it doesn’t always.

Let’s say you have a gun. Now let’s say you don’t know how to use it. You don’t know how to load it, you don’t know how to reload it, you don’t know how to tell if it’s loaded, you don’t know how to brace against recoil - hell, you don’t even realize guns have recoil - and you don’t know how to hold it to keep yourself safe and keep your enemies from getting it. At this point, you might as well be trying to defend yourself with a stick, because at least you’re less likely to accidentally hurt yourself with a stick than a gun (and wounds caused by a stick are less likely to be fatal than wounds caused by a gun).

A gun is useless if you don’t know how to use it. There was a kid on my bus back in high school who was bragging to his friend about how many guns he’s fired in his lifetime. He concludes the story with, “So if there’s ever a zombie apocalypse, come to my house. I’ll make sure we survive.” Here’s the thing though: HE DOESN’T OWN ANY OF THE GUNS. Congratulations, you’ve fired a gun! You’re still not an expert on gun safety, on gun maintenance, on gun usage, YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE THE GUNS. A gun is equally useless if you don’t have one. Personally, if I had the option to group with someone who had a gun but didn’t know how to use it, or someone who knew how to use a gun but neither owned one nor knew where to find one, I’d just go it alone. These idiots would get themselves killed.

And it’s not just having a gun. If someone thinks they’re guaranteed to survive because they have a water purifier, they’re going to die. If someone thinks they’re guaranteed to survive because they have a good vehicle, they’re going to die. If someone thinks they’re guaranteed to survive because they have a sturdy multitool, they’re going to die. These tools may make survival easier, but they’re nothing if you don’t put forth the effort to survive. It’s like a life preserver or one of those floaties you put on little kids when they go swimming. Each one of them says clearly somewhere, “This is not a life-saving device! Monitor your children while swimming!” Why? Because fancy tools don’t guarantee survival, only vigilance does. Humans, as a species, have survived thousands of years without fancy cars and gadgets. Again, these make survival easier, but you can survive with nothing more than the clothes on your back if you have the will and drive.

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(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6GNDYOKYFs)

[zakszombieblog]

The Five Types of Fractures

[zakszombieblog]

I have 27 Drafts I really should finish them.