When I think of home, I think of the house I grew up with in the North Carolina Mountains. I think of my grand parents’ sprawling New Jersey property where we spent many happy Christmases as kids. Home is where the memories are.
Saturday we had a few people over for our first try at zombies keep out. The board game features the players as goblin mechanics attempting to defend their workshop from a horde of shambling undead. At the beginning of your turn you draw a bad things happen card and pick one of three options—adding zombies to the board, advancing the shambling masses or taking a bite token. The active player then can draw two new cards, attack the zombies, work on building a machine, repair the barricades, or my favorite “push button!” Most communal tower defense games I’ve played come down to one player planning everyone else’s moves while everyone else ends up just following directions. ZKO is unusual in that the active player tells the group which bad thing they chose and what they did, but not what the options were. You can, and we did, play open hand, but it’s discouraged. You are playing as individuals for the most part.
The genius of the game comes in two parts. First, Privateer Press clearly meant the game to ape goblin bodgers from their war machine setting. I can’t help but think of short minions puttering around their workshop, muttering in squeaky voices, while devising steam punk tech. The concept is very light hearted—a tone which the mechanics support. Second, as you take bite tokens, the rules limit the kinds of actions you can take and force you to talk differently—in effect mimicking your progression into zombieism. With one token you slur your words. With two tokens you grumble and mush mouth your words. With three tokens all you can do is grunt and moan. At this stage you don’t get to pick what happens on the terrible things card, you just hold up 1, 2, or 3 fingers, turn the card over, and perform the associated action. At 4 tokens you become a zombie, can only moan, and draw 2 terrible thing cards instead of taking your turn.
PP hit a home run with this game. It has lots of strategic choices—real choices that have lasting value. It has an evolving game state from turn to turn so there isn’t always a clear right choice in every given situation. Especially given the tactical complexity, the game’s scope is simple. This means you have fun, feel like you’re contributing, and don’t have to think too hard.
We got hopped up on sugar and played through a full game in about three hours. I did everything I could to go full on zombie. Others avoided bite tokens like the plague. What made it fun wasn’t just the game, but that all four of us stuck to our required voice limitations, even when not specifically playing. The resident four year old mocked us remorselessly. I clowned around a bit. We ended up laughing so hard and so long that my stomach hurt and my head began to ache. It was a fantastic evening.
Sunday, WMTrainguy, Ceri, and I went to the range so they could try out my two Colt .38s. I love those pistols. Sadly, times, needs, and the makeup of our collection have changed. They may or may not end up buying them, but sooner or later those old friends are going on the auction block, the revolvers not the friends. I hope they end up with someone who appreciates them. I spent a lot of time plinking, replacing the grips, polishing, and generally giving them the TLC they deserve. Guns are essentially tools for me. Their purpose is recreational; but they also have to fill a nitch in either my collector or preparedness plan. The brunette and I have moved to a magnum/big bore model—one where I don’t have need of the old Colts any more.
While my friends were assessing the desirability of my wheel-guns, I rented an S&W Governor. The Governor is Smith and Wesson’s answer to the Taurus judge—a 6 shot, ultra-light revolver that fires 410 shotgun shells, .45lc, or .45acp with moon clips. It has utility as a survival gun and self defense piece. Up until this rental I’d never shot one of these dual 410/.45 revolvers. I had a 325trr, but sold it after it became clear that without any other .45 moon clip guns, the revolver was more of a pain than a compliment to my collection. Now I wish I’d held on to it.
According to the rental clerk, the Governor I shot had barely been used. It had the classic smooth S&W take-up and reset. It also had the heaviest trigger pull of any revolver I’ve ever fired, including my old Ruger GP100. Recoil was…stout. With a rock-crushing grip flip was manageable but man, firing 2.5 410 buckshot loads, it felt like I was lighting off .44 magnum rounds. In single action it was reasonably accurate and controllable—pleasant after I got used to the recoil. In double action I had problems pulling the trigger without twisting the muzzle off-target due to the pull weight. I didn’t notice it as much when I dry fired the gun, but forcing myself to hold it on target meant double action was…challenging. The governor has been on my list for a while. It still is, though what I had considered a relatively low investment gun now looks like it will require some work to make it viable. That takes it from being a front line purchase to more of a want-for later item. It’s possible I’ll end up looking at the judge, something that I would have thought impossible a year ago.
After range time, we picked up E and the brunette and hit Ginza. Fifteen years ago a Japanese steak house wouldn’t have caught my eye. Now it’s one of our favorite eateries—friendly, entertaining, excellent food, and some of the best customer service I’ve ever had. The prices are reasonable too. E loved the show, including the initial burst of flame, as the cook flipped, diced, fried, mixed, and hammed it up for the audience. The brunette and I played games and read audio books for the rest of the day.
Monday, super mother in law drove up and exchanged her china cabinet, china, and crystal for our old wicker bar. Opening up the boxes we found pieces that the brunette played with as a kid. We talked about the history of the cabinet. We opened up several boxes of glass and crystal we received as wedding gifts—finally having a place to display them. I like nice things and three generations worth of china and crystal certainly qualifies. The big deal for me wasn’t the ooo shiny factor though; it was the feeling that with that family artifact in our living room, our apartment finally felt like a real home.
To me a home is a place where you, your family, and your friends can look back and remember shared fellowship. The couch may be second hand, but it’s where games have been played, movies have been watched, and spirited discussions have taken place. It isn’t just where you live, but a place with its own gravity. You can look at any college dorm room, bachelor pad, or basement apartment and see that it’s temporary. The furnishings may match, the walls may be hung with pictures, but something about the domicile says that the person is living there out of convenience—not putting down roots. Most of our furniture comes from cast offs and hand-me-downs. Even so, there’s something about the place that has become uniquely ours. It’s not just home any more, but a “Home”—with a capitol H.
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Monday, June 2, 2014
Lists
I am in a list making mood. There are lots of things I’d like to write about, the 2016 election, gun control, perception, my weekend, but while the spirit is willing the creative juices are lacking. So, on to the project list. I have a lot of projects on tap. Some, such as my dragon storm plans, have been shelved awaiting more favorable circumstances. Others, like rebuilding the man-cave, need some key “thing” to happen. Others have just been set aside and never seem to get priority.
In no particular order, my current working list looks something like this:
• Clean up the man cave. Get rid of the extra furniture. Pick up some more shelving and work space.
• Switch my computer over to the new laptop I’ve had for the last year.
• Build a functional 50 point warmachine army with all the accessories, storage, models, and books.
• Flesh out our preparedness kit including further redundancy, personal protection, and medical training.
• Build a dedicated active shooter response kit.
• Complete work on my modular Ruger 10-22 takedown project.
• Complete work on my perfect pocket pistol project.
• Clean out the kitchen/bar area and consolidate. Reload and refill the bar spinner. Reorganize flatware for maximum use.
• Set a date for Deathquaker to base and varnish my 4th Indian army.
• Get my French FOW army painted and stored.
• Learn how to play poker at a base level. Run one small tournament for the friends group.
• Play through at least three full bloodbowl games. Acquire at least one assembled and painted team.
• Learn at least two new easily prepared health conscious dinner preparations.
This list is far from exhaustive. For my purposes a “project” is something with a simple clearly articulated goal—a readily achievable endgame. I have plenty of ideas, initiatives, plans, sitting on the back burner; but none of them have a visible victory condition. These are the front burner projects—the stuff I need to get done this year.
The limiting factor on half of these projects is money. The two firearm projects required $300-$400 each plus some quality time with a gunsmith. I’ve purchased the raw materials for the warmachine army—it only remains for me to get them painted and assembled. The preparedness kit and active shooter bag need components which I have to budget for. I have one bloodbowl team and will likely be picking up a few more. Part of my promise to myself is that before I take on new projects, I have to take care of my existing priorities. In some ways, budgeting for these projects has helped a lot. I’ve had to plan much more than in the past, but I expect to finish a lot more of my projects as well. Already, I’ve purchased all the raw materials to complete my warmachine army. Next on the list is my modular 10/22 project.
As for less resource intensive issues, I need to switch my computer over. That really needs to be my top priority. I’ve been ducking it for months because frankly, I don’t like change. I don’t want to have to learn a new operating system. So, by the end of June, I’ll be switched over, totally. This weekend I’ll start work on the man cave.
The challenge isn’t doing the tasks; most of them are relatively straight forward. The challenge is getting up the motivation to get started on the project in the first place—or getting started finishing them anyway. It always feels like I have 100 things to do and somehow these get set aside till last. That’s how I end up with a new laptop that I haven’t used in a year—well that and I don’t want to give up XP. They say writing something down increases motivation—here’s hoping.
In no particular order, my current working list looks something like this:
• Clean up the man cave. Get rid of the extra furniture. Pick up some more shelving and work space.
• Switch my computer over to the new laptop I’ve had for the last year.
• Build a functional 50 point warmachine army with all the accessories, storage, models, and books.
• Flesh out our preparedness kit including further redundancy, personal protection, and medical training.
• Build a dedicated active shooter response kit.
• Complete work on my modular Ruger 10-22 takedown project.
• Complete work on my perfect pocket pistol project.
• Clean out the kitchen/bar area and consolidate. Reload and refill the bar spinner. Reorganize flatware for maximum use.
• Set a date for Deathquaker to base and varnish my 4th Indian army.
• Get my French FOW army painted and stored.
• Learn how to play poker at a base level. Run one small tournament for the friends group.
• Play through at least three full bloodbowl games. Acquire at least one assembled and painted team.
• Learn at least two new easily prepared health conscious dinner preparations.
This list is far from exhaustive. For my purposes a “project” is something with a simple clearly articulated goal—a readily achievable endgame. I have plenty of ideas, initiatives, plans, sitting on the back burner; but none of them have a visible victory condition. These are the front burner projects—the stuff I need to get done this year.
The limiting factor on half of these projects is money. The two firearm projects required $300-$400 each plus some quality time with a gunsmith. I’ve purchased the raw materials for the warmachine army—it only remains for me to get them painted and assembled. The preparedness kit and active shooter bag need components which I have to budget for. I have one bloodbowl team and will likely be picking up a few more. Part of my promise to myself is that before I take on new projects, I have to take care of my existing priorities. In some ways, budgeting for these projects has helped a lot. I’ve had to plan much more than in the past, but I expect to finish a lot more of my projects as well. Already, I’ve purchased all the raw materials to complete my warmachine army. Next on the list is my modular 10/22 project.
As for less resource intensive issues, I need to switch my computer over. That really needs to be my top priority. I’ve been ducking it for months because frankly, I don’t like change. I don’t want to have to learn a new operating system. So, by the end of June, I’ll be switched over, totally. This weekend I’ll start work on the man cave.
The challenge isn’t doing the tasks; most of them are relatively straight forward. The challenge is getting up the motivation to get started on the project in the first place—or getting started finishing them anyway. It always feels like I have 100 things to do and somehow these get set aside till last. That’s how I end up with a new laptop that I haven’t used in a year—well that and I don’t want to give up XP. They say writing something down increases motivation—here’s hoping.
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
The future of Gaming
The brunette and I like to game. We dabble in strategy miniatures, role-playing, accessible video games, forum gaming, board games, card games, play by emails—even app based games. We are very fortunate to have friends who share our various addictions. There is at least one other person in the larger friends group with an interest in whatever flavor of entertainment happens to catch our fancy. The devil is in the details. Work schedules change. Children have to be looked after. Previously inseparable friends decide they can’t stand the sight of each other. People move. Avid players fall out of love with gaming. There always seem to be as many reasons to sit down for a gaming session as there are challenges to doing so.
I’ve come to view the changing environment much like tidal ebb and flow—largely beyond my control. Fifteen years ago I was the person being suckered into everyone else’s hobbies. Now I’m the one hustling for compatriots. I find myself more and more often as the person expected to get the ball rolling. This is something of a mixed blessing. It’s great to be able to set the standard, to be a leader, and to run things the way I want them run. That said, it’s really annoying when you can’t build up enough interest for something you’re passionate about. I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m not obligated to do all the work; but if I want to make something happen, it’s hypocritical to complain about the effort involved.
So, what to do? There are a lot of games on my plate. A brief list looks something like this:
1. Descent road to legend. Complete a full campaign.
2. Exalted 1st edition. (Run and Play.)
3. Exalted 3rd edition. (Run and play)
4. Hellas. (Run a full generational campaign.)
5. Warmachine (Play approximately three times a month.)
6. Hordes (Build an army and play three times a month.)
7. Iron Kingdoms Role-playing. (Get a regular group going more than once every two weeks.)
8. Flames of War. (Play at least once a month.)
9. Bloodbowl. (Run a group through several seasons.)
10. Dragon Dice. (Play at least once every two weeks on a somewhat competitive level.)
11. Dragon Storm. (Run, play, and create content on an ongoing basis.)
12. Dominion.(Play once a month)
13. Ascension.(Play twice a month)
14. WOW the board game.(Play once a month)
15. A variety of board games that are coming in through kick starter this year. (Play once a week for several months until I’m comfortable with them.)
16. Several apps for my iPhone. (play every day)
17. Magic the gathering. (Play once a week with a dedicated casual group.)
18. Warhammer 40k. (Play once every 2 weeks once they fix the freaking rules.)
19. Warhammer fantasy. (Play once a month once they fix the rules.)
20. Pathfinder. (Play at least once a month in an ongoing campaign.)
That is a lot of ground to cover. Fortunately I can narrow the list. Some of the items are already in process. Other items can’t or won’t be done. In order:
1. Pookah is the man with the plan when it comes to descent and WOW. I’ve mentioned several times that I want to play. He has been receptive. The issue is finding a regular time when 5-7 of us can get together outside his work schedule, kids, and life. He owns the games and has the most experience with them. I really want to play road to legend. It’s looking like the best plan may be to say let’s start somewhere in the morning and pull a marathon until everyone drops—I shall see what I can do. WOW can happen but falls under that same category of need 6+ hours to really saver the experience. This is one of those things that I’m sure will happen eventually—but I’m not holding my breath over.
2. Exalted is the single best fantasy game I have ever experienced. I want to run it only slightly less than I want to play it—which is a lot. It’s currently in a transitional stage. We kickstarted the hell out of the third edition. I am running a casual game now for a few people; but my hopes really rest upon third-ed. I want to recapture the wonder of the game, the beauty of the setting, the joy of a new game. Sadly, the group I ran for a few years ago fell apart due to external factors. I built for them I believe the best story of two decades of gming. Since then the magic has been—muted. I am up for exalted as always—but my dreams are on hold till third-ed hits the shelves.
3. If exalted is the best fantasy game, Hellas is the best sci-fi game. It seamlessly merges Greek and Roman myth, space opera, and epic storytelling into a tasteful package. I have been in first blush with it ever since one of the authors ran a starter game for me during my first gencon. I want to tell the story that the system was so beautifully designed to tell. I have not found the group I can trust with that dream yet. I need people willing to act, speak, and live in character. I need people who will set aside the in jokes, the cheap humor, and the tired tropes of classic gaming. I know fantastic role-players. Sadly, I have not seen the kind of group yet that will live up to my admittedly high expectations. This one goes on the back burner till our group changes or I build something fresh at the LGS.
4. Warmachine and Hordes are great games. They have all the classic markers I love about strategy miniatures—custom army building, decisive combat, and a fictional world worth the name. I’m currently planning on joining a new league at alternate worlds in July. Deathquaker is helping to finish up my forces. If things work out there, I’ll be looking at starting a hordes army—probably legion. I’d like to start common play there and at Titan, but not until I’ve gotten a better grip on the system. It’s been years since I’ve played any serious warmahordes. We’ll see if, after I’ve gotten my own skills up to competent levels, I can renew interest in our private group.
5. We’re currently playing a once-every-other-week game of Iron Kingdoms role-playing. The system is structured such that I could run it, but I really don’t want to handle the miniature side of things. I have the old D&D 3.0conversion books…which I can maybe see about putting together. The catch is that this newest version is just a better game. It has major problems—the combat system is ridiculous for one thing. Even so, I would much rather work with the newer game. The setting is more defined and the mechanics intentionally mimic the miniatures game. I’ll have to see where this campaign is going. I don’t think I can or would really want to have this group meet more than once every two weeks. Transportation time is too much. I can only get 5 hours of sleep before a Friday shift so many times before I start paying for it in productivity. After I play some more and get back into miniature gaming, perhaps my confidence level will increase to the point where I’ll be fine running this one.
6. Fow is not happening as often as I want. On the other hand, that’s my own damned fault. I currently only have one opponent. I could move to Titan for a shot at regular gaming and probably will try and do so next year. For now though, Wmtrainguy is it. Having to pick between FOW and bloodbowl plus other games is…challenging. I’d like to pick up a late war army, but I’m not playing enough as it is with the two huge early war armies I already have. This is one of those games that really is better the bigger you make it. The corollary is that the better the game is, the more time is required. So, while I’d like to game more, I’m ok with the current frequency provided I get some quality time in with my 15mm boys—so far, so good. It helps knowing that relief is within my reach.
7. I am slowly making my way into bloodbowl. In retrospect, it was only a matter of time. I’ve kickstarted a dwarf team and will be backing the artists future campaigns as well. My current intent is to play a few more games with wmtrainguy, read the rules a few more times, perfect the accessible interface we’ve been working on, get a team or two painted, and start a league next year after the holidays end. Whether that ends up at Titan or in our private group remains to be seen. I don’t know how many people actually can follow through with in-person play. I’m taking the long view on this one. Like warmachine, it’s worth waiting until I have the resources to do the hobby justice. Too early and I’ll likely just start a flash in the pan.
8. Dragon Dice has problems. It’s one of those games that looks simple, fun, and low intensity from the outside. From the inside, true competitive play with the current rules is an exercise in rules-lawyer-fu. I really like the game. To get more than three of us on board though I’m going to have to take the lead. Whether that ends up meaning we run from our apartment or we start up something at an LGS will depend on interest levels. We’ll definitely be running an event later this year for our friends. I’m not sure how much traction another “collectable” game will have with this group. Regardless, pushing the game locally and writing a functional version of the rules is on my list of things to do this year.
9. Dragon Storm is…complicated. I can and probably will write a dedicated article on the subject. Currently, a few people have taken over production of cards and con-pimpping the game. They are doing the best they can. Despite my frustration, I appreciate what they’re doing. The challenge is that in the last year and a half since Mark’s tragic passing, our online community has died. Part of that is certainly uncertainty over the game’s future. Part of it is that many of us were vested contributors and have been shut out—killing much enthusiasm. I’m not sure what to do with/about DS. It is a great game. I’ve spent thousands of dollars and hours on it. It deserves…something. I’m just not sure how much energy I want to commit to it at this point. I have so many projects on tap right now, that I’m not sure how much I want to risk. I’ll be buying the new sets. I may run a few games. The last three times I’ve offered to run, I haven’t even been able to get 3 players together. So, a lot will depend on how the cost-benefit analysis goes after future attempts. This may be one of those games like Hellas that I set aside until a better opportunity shows up.
10. I really like board games. Thanks to friends, I’ve been exposed to several varieties of table-licious offerings. There’s the new version of ascension. There’s dominion. There’s all the games that my friends have that I don’t. There’s all the games we’ve kickstarted, combat kittens, iron and ale, foretold rise of a god, the ancient world, apex theropod, St. Petersburg, and super tooth. We’ve backed accessible updates to existing games. We’ll probably back more games. The challenge is to find regular participants. Ok, it’s not that much of a challenge. Say then that the challenge is getting enough people’s schedules to mesh that one can get the full experience. The trick is apparently to pick a date and give enough notice that you get a large enough response. Too often and it looses its novelty. Too short notice and people won’t have availability. The answer seems to be to host a session once every 3-6 weeks. That’s not often enough but honestly, given how many other hobbies I have to indulge, it will do.
11. I’m not sure whether iPhone games are a blessing or a curse. They are fun. They are convenient. They are really distracting. I’d like something I can play. I’d like something I don’t have to play all-the-time. I’d like something that I can play all-the-time if I so wish. I’m going to be going through applevis.com looking for accessible games that may keep my interest. The balance of fun to leave me enough willpower to not suck my life away will be a factor.
12. Magic the gathering was one of my most favorite games ever. I’d still be collecting and playing were it not for the complete evaporation of all casual play in my area. I could easily try for standard tournaments at AW and Titan, but casual play is pretty much gone. My interest in MTG tends more toward unrestricted play less the vintage banned and restricted list. Ok, plus I sold my collection last year. So I’m out of MTG for the moment unless a regular source of casual play shows up. Magic is too resource intensive to keep up with if there isn’t an ongoing source of play.
13. Games workshop, much like dragon dice and dragon storm, is one of those game/company combinations that elicits strong conflicting emotions. I played their signature games for years. I stopped only when their rule sets so completely gutted the games I loved that they stopped even cosmetically resembling the hobby I grew to love. My armies are sold. My books are gone. Most of my terrain is given away. I like somewhat clean direct rule systems. Elegance is desirable but not required. I want to play warhammer 40k and fantasy again—and if they ever get their act together and make a rule set worth playing, I’ll happily dip my toe back into GW’s waters. Until then I shall abide.
14. I’m playing in a pathfinder game now. The frequency is about right for the participants. I started “gaming” with rifts and dungeons and dragons back in high school. D&D and pathfinder in particular harkens back to the wonder of those early days. I want to play more…but with only one available GM currently I’m forced to contain my enthusiasm. If role-playing in general tapers off, I may end up posting at alternate worlds or Titan for a game. Actually, I think I’ll sniff around there anyway and see what’s what. It can’t hurt to see if anything is out there.
That’s the state of gaming. I have other less concrete plans and dreams. These are only the most prominent of my gaming desires. Updates to come.
I’ve come to view the changing environment much like tidal ebb and flow—largely beyond my control. Fifteen years ago I was the person being suckered into everyone else’s hobbies. Now I’m the one hustling for compatriots. I find myself more and more often as the person expected to get the ball rolling. This is something of a mixed blessing. It’s great to be able to set the standard, to be a leader, and to run things the way I want them run. That said, it’s really annoying when you can’t build up enough interest for something you’re passionate about. I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m not obligated to do all the work; but if I want to make something happen, it’s hypocritical to complain about the effort involved.
So, what to do? There are a lot of games on my plate. A brief list looks something like this:
1. Descent road to legend. Complete a full campaign.
2. Exalted 1st edition. (Run and Play.)
3. Exalted 3rd edition. (Run and play)
4. Hellas. (Run a full generational campaign.)
5. Warmachine (Play approximately three times a month.)
6. Hordes (Build an army and play three times a month.)
7. Iron Kingdoms Role-playing. (Get a regular group going more than once every two weeks.)
8. Flames of War. (Play at least once a month.)
9. Bloodbowl. (Run a group through several seasons.)
10. Dragon Dice. (Play at least once every two weeks on a somewhat competitive level.)
11. Dragon Storm. (Run, play, and create content on an ongoing basis.)
12. Dominion.(Play once a month)
13. Ascension.(Play twice a month)
14. WOW the board game.(Play once a month)
15. A variety of board games that are coming in through kick starter this year. (Play once a week for several months until I’m comfortable with them.)
16. Several apps for my iPhone. (play every day)
17. Magic the gathering. (Play once a week with a dedicated casual group.)
18. Warhammer 40k. (Play once every 2 weeks once they fix the freaking rules.)
19. Warhammer fantasy. (Play once a month once they fix the rules.)
20. Pathfinder. (Play at least once a month in an ongoing campaign.)
That is a lot of ground to cover. Fortunately I can narrow the list. Some of the items are already in process. Other items can’t or won’t be done. In order:
1. Pookah is the man with the plan when it comes to descent and WOW. I’ve mentioned several times that I want to play. He has been receptive. The issue is finding a regular time when 5-7 of us can get together outside his work schedule, kids, and life. He owns the games and has the most experience with them. I really want to play road to legend. It’s looking like the best plan may be to say let’s start somewhere in the morning and pull a marathon until everyone drops—I shall see what I can do. WOW can happen but falls under that same category of need 6+ hours to really saver the experience. This is one of those things that I’m sure will happen eventually—but I’m not holding my breath over.
2. Exalted is the single best fantasy game I have ever experienced. I want to run it only slightly less than I want to play it—which is a lot. It’s currently in a transitional stage. We kickstarted the hell out of the third edition. I am running a casual game now for a few people; but my hopes really rest upon third-ed. I want to recapture the wonder of the game, the beauty of the setting, the joy of a new game. Sadly, the group I ran for a few years ago fell apart due to external factors. I built for them I believe the best story of two decades of gming. Since then the magic has been—muted. I am up for exalted as always—but my dreams are on hold till third-ed hits the shelves.
3. If exalted is the best fantasy game, Hellas is the best sci-fi game. It seamlessly merges Greek and Roman myth, space opera, and epic storytelling into a tasteful package. I have been in first blush with it ever since one of the authors ran a starter game for me during my first gencon. I want to tell the story that the system was so beautifully designed to tell. I have not found the group I can trust with that dream yet. I need people willing to act, speak, and live in character. I need people who will set aside the in jokes, the cheap humor, and the tired tropes of classic gaming. I know fantastic role-players. Sadly, I have not seen the kind of group yet that will live up to my admittedly high expectations. This one goes on the back burner till our group changes or I build something fresh at the LGS.
4. Warmachine and Hordes are great games. They have all the classic markers I love about strategy miniatures—custom army building, decisive combat, and a fictional world worth the name. I’m currently planning on joining a new league at alternate worlds in July. Deathquaker is helping to finish up my forces. If things work out there, I’ll be looking at starting a hordes army—probably legion. I’d like to start common play there and at Titan, but not until I’ve gotten a better grip on the system. It’s been years since I’ve played any serious warmahordes. We’ll see if, after I’ve gotten my own skills up to competent levels, I can renew interest in our private group.
5. We’re currently playing a once-every-other-week game of Iron Kingdoms role-playing. The system is structured such that I could run it, but I really don’t want to handle the miniature side of things. I have the old D&D 3.0conversion books…which I can maybe see about putting together. The catch is that this newest version is just a better game. It has major problems—the combat system is ridiculous for one thing. Even so, I would much rather work with the newer game. The setting is more defined and the mechanics intentionally mimic the miniatures game. I’ll have to see where this campaign is going. I don’t think I can or would really want to have this group meet more than once every two weeks. Transportation time is too much. I can only get 5 hours of sleep before a Friday shift so many times before I start paying for it in productivity. After I play some more and get back into miniature gaming, perhaps my confidence level will increase to the point where I’ll be fine running this one.
6. Fow is not happening as often as I want. On the other hand, that’s my own damned fault. I currently only have one opponent. I could move to Titan for a shot at regular gaming and probably will try and do so next year. For now though, Wmtrainguy is it. Having to pick between FOW and bloodbowl plus other games is…challenging. I’d like to pick up a late war army, but I’m not playing enough as it is with the two huge early war armies I already have. This is one of those games that really is better the bigger you make it. The corollary is that the better the game is, the more time is required. So, while I’d like to game more, I’m ok with the current frequency provided I get some quality time in with my 15mm boys—so far, so good. It helps knowing that relief is within my reach.
7. I am slowly making my way into bloodbowl. In retrospect, it was only a matter of time. I’ve kickstarted a dwarf team and will be backing the artists future campaigns as well. My current intent is to play a few more games with wmtrainguy, read the rules a few more times, perfect the accessible interface we’ve been working on, get a team or two painted, and start a league next year after the holidays end. Whether that ends up at Titan or in our private group remains to be seen. I don’t know how many people actually can follow through with in-person play. I’m taking the long view on this one. Like warmachine, it’s worth waiting until I have the resources to do the hobby justice. Too early and I’ll likely just start a flash in the pan.
8. Dragon Dice has problems. It’s one of those games that looks simple, fun, and low intensity from the outside. From the inside, true competitive play with the current rules is an exercise in rules-lawyer-fu. I really like the game. To get more than three of us on board though I’m going to have to take the lead. Whether that ends up meaning we run from our apartment or we start up something at an LGS will depend on interest levels. We’ll definitely be running an event later this year for our friends. I’m not sure how much traction another “collectable” game will have with this group. Regardless, pushing the game locally and writing a functional version of the rules is on my list of things to do this year.
9. Dragon Storm is…complicated. I can and probably will write a dedicated article on the subject. Currently, a few people have taken over production of cards and con-pimpping the game. They are doing the best they can. Despite my frustration, I appreciate what they’re doing. The challenge is that in the last year and a half since Mark’s tragic passing, our online community has died. Part of that is certainly uncertainty over the game’s future. Part of it is that many of us were vested contributors and have been shut out—killing much enthusiasm. I’m not sure what to do with/about DS. It is a great game. I’ve spent thousands of dollars and hours on it. It deserves…something. I’m just not sure how much energy I want to commit to it at this point. I have so many projects on tap right now, that I’m not sure how much I want to risk. I’ll be buying the new sets. I may run a few games. The last three times I’ve offered to run, I haven’t even been able to get 3 players together. So, a lot will depend on how the cost-benefit analysis goes after future attempts. This may be one of those games like Hellas that I set aside until a better opportunity shows up.
10. I really like board games. Thanks to friends, I’ve been exposed to several varieties of table-licious offerings. There’s the new version of ascension. There’s dominion. There’s all the games that my friends have that I don’t. There’s all the games we’ve kickstarted, combat kittens, iron and ale, foretold rise of a god, the ancient world, apex theropod, St. Petersburg, and super tooth. We’ve backed accessible updates to existing games. We’ll probably back more games. The challenge is to find regular participants. Ok, it’s not that much of a challenge. Say then that the challenge is getting enough people’s schedules to mesh that one can get the full experience. The trick is apparently to pick a date and give enough notice that you get a large enough response. Too often and it looses its novelty. Too short notice and people won’t have availability. The answer seems to be to host a session once every 3-6 weeks. That’s not often enough but honestly, given how many other hobbies I have to indulge, it will do.
11. I’m not sure whether iPhone games are a blessing or a curse. They are fun. They are convenient. They are really distracting. I’d like something I can play. I’d like something I don’t have to play all-the-time. I’d like something that I can play all-the-time if I so wish. I’m going to be going through applevis.com looking for accessible games that may keep my interest. The balance of fun to leave me enough willpower to not suck my life away will be a factor.
12. Magic the gathering was one of my most favorite games ever. I’d still be collecting and playing were it not for the complete evaporation of all casual play in my area. I could easily try for standard tournaments at AW and Titan, but casual play is pretty much gone. My interest in MTG tends more toward unrestricted play less the vintage banned and restricted list. Ok, plus I sold my collection last year. So I’m out of MTG for the moment unless a regular source of casual play shows up. Magic is too resource intensive to keep up with if there isn’t an ongoing source of play.
13. Games workshop, much like dragon dice and dragon storm, is one of those game/company combinations that elicits strong conflicting emotions. I played their signature games for years. I stopped only when their rule sets so completely gutted the games I loved that they stopped even cosmetically resembling the hobby I grew to love. My armies are sold. My books are gone. Most of my terrain is given away. I like somewhat clean direct rule systems. Elegance is desirable but not required. I want to play warhammer 40k and fantasy again—and if they ever get their act together and make a rule set worth playing, I’ll happily dip my toe back into GW’s waters. Until then I shall abide.
14. I’m playing in a pathfinder game now. The frequency is about right for the participants. I started “gaming” with rifts and dungeons and dragons back in high school. D&D and pathfinder in particular harkens back to the wonder of those early days. I want to play more…but with only one available GM currently I’m forced to contain my enthusiasm. If role-playing in general tapers off, I may end up posting at alternate worlds or Titan for a game. Actually, I think I’ll sniff around there anyway and see what’s what. It can’t hurt to see if anything is out there.
That’s the state of gaming. I have other less concrete plans and dreams. These are only the most prominent of my gaming desires. Updates to come.
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Running a game for a four year old
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3375356/fouryearoldgaming.m4a
Things we learned from this experience:
1. I sound like a dick on tape.
2. Next time figure out how high the kid can count before you give him 6 dice to roll.
3. Never ask a question you don’t want an answer to.
4. Do not run a game in a setting the kid knows better than you do.
5. I should write for this show…clearly nobody else is.
Things we learned from this experience:
1. I sound like a dick on tape.
2. Next time figure out how high the kid can count before you give him 6 dice to roll.
3. Never ask a question you don’t want an answer to.
4. Do not run a game in a setting the kid knows better than you do.
5. I should write for this show…clearly nobody else is.
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
The making of an action hero pt43
Several months ago I had issues with foot and joint pain. That resulted in a month and a half of down time. I can’t say I was happy with that development. Complicating things, my talking scale gave up the ghost. It declined to take weights or gave measures varying by as much as ten pounds. Switching the batteries didn’t help. So it’s toast.
There was a period there where I just didn’t want to get back to exercising. I like exercising. It feels great afterward. The catch of course is that one has to find the time and motivation to start the process. I didn’t want to go back to having a sprung back, foot, and elbow; so I waited longer than I had to in order to make sure I was back on my game—that and the lazy is strong when it takes hold. Now I’m back on the wagon with some small changes. For one, I’m taking it much easier during stretches. I’m pretty sure that some of the joint problems I was having were due to attempting to push joints, especially hips and knees, farther than they were designed to go. So I’ve “adjusted” my expectations. Second, I’m exercising every third instead of every other day. My rule is it’s ok to be sore—it is not ok to have significant joint pain since the last session. Throw a couple four year olds around for 6 hours, climb up and down stairs for a day, and stay on your feet for 8+ hours— these things are going to hurt until the weight comes off. So I’m finding a better balance of frequency and intensity that will let me enjoy life while getting fit. If things even up in a few weeks I’m going to move on to the next section on the video past the lunges—which did more damage than good. Seriously, I have no idea how I ever did lunges—stupid knees.
I am feeling better now. It only took a few sessions to make me feel stronger. Which is probably why when my department decided to pimp a “get active” program I signed up. You record the number of steps taken each day, your daily weight, and the number of minutes exercised. The objective is to get to a set goal in each category—thereby advancing your team’s standings. Since I don’t want to let my coworkers down, it’s a nice motivator.
I’m going to hold off checking the weight. Obviously, I don’t have a scale. Every once in a while I need to change things up. I’m going to use this get active initiative to focus on exercising. I need to build up strength. I need to reintegrate exercise into my life. I’m looking forward to using the pedometer. If the one they give me isn’t accessible, I’m going to get a fit bit or some such item. Living more actively would be nice. Being able to actually evaluate how active a week has been would be better. Oh, and with summer coming on, this is the time to get it done.
You may have heard of the game “are you smarter than a 4 year old?” Saturday MX, Squish, and I played a slightly different version called “are you faster than a 4 year old.” It worked like this. We took MX and his new bumblebee transformer bike, complete with training wheels, out to the old NCR trail. I started power walking while Squish got MX settled. MX would then take off like a shot and pass me. When he thought he was far enough ahead, he would look back and taunt me. I would sprint after him, catch up, and the process would start over again. I was impressed that I could catch him in the first place. I was more impressed that he made it 6 miles on his bike without help. It was a good follow-up to my club workout that morning. The weather was clear and crisp—no bugs, dust, muck, just a perfect Saturday afternoon.
Sunday we hosted Easter for MX, Squish, and my family. I tried a few new recipes including scorpion bourbon scalloped potatoes, baked ham with sriracha brown sugar Dijon glaze, and Kielbasa sausage. Things I learned:
1. Precooked ham needs to be cooked at 325 not 350. Looking back, I didn’t distinguish between the bone in and precooked ham recipes—resulting in a wonderfully flavored but slightly over cooked dish.
2. Always be careful to validate the recipe you are using. Different components cook at different speeds so you can’t always substitute on a one-for-one basis and use the same cooking times and temperatures. I almost didn’t follow the direction for the potatoes and would have severely undercooked the dish.
3. Most of my family love spicy food. The rest will tolerate it if the flavor is good enough.
4. Recipe portions lie. They lie about how many people they will serv. They lie about how much material is required to fill a slow cooker. I now have way more potatoes than I know what to do with.
5. Cheese graters are amazing. I don’t know why it took me this long to figure it out, but the ability to add smoked Gouda to any dish is a terribly wonderful discovery.
6. Cooking things in bags has potential. This bares further investigation.
Unfortunately, I was rather ill throughout most of the event. This was particularly sad since I have been collecting laser tag guns for months in anticipation of my tiny relatives showing up. You know you’re doing something right when the first thing the three year old does when he comes through the door is to run up and whisper in your ear “can we play with the nurf guns?” It about broke my heart not being able to play with them. They will be coming back for mothers’ day, so we’ll see if the second time is the charm.
There was a period there where I just didn’t want to get back to exercising. I like exercising. It feels great afterward. The catch of course is that one has to find the time and motivation to start the process. I didn’t want to go back to having a sprung back, foot, and elbow; so I waited longer than I had to in order to make sure I was back on my game—that and the lazy is strong when it takes hold. Now I’m back on the wagon with some small changes. For one, I’m taking it much easier during stretches. I’m pretty sure that some of the joint problems I was having were due to attempting to push joints, especially hips and knees, farther than they were designed to go. So I’ve “adjusted” my expectations. Second, I’m exercising every third instead of every other day. My rule is it’s ok to be sore—it is not ok to have significant joint pain since the last session. Throw a couple four year olds around for 6 hours, climb up and down stairs for a day, and stay on your feet for 8+ hours— these things are going to hurt until the weight comes off. So I’m finding a better balance of frequency and intensity that will let me enjoy life while getting fit. If things even up in a few weeks I’m going to move on to the next section on the video past the lunges—which did more damage than good. Seriously, I have no idea how I ever did lunges—stupid knees.
I am feeling better now. It only took a few sessions to make me feel stronger. Which is probably why when my department decided to pimp a “get active” program I signed up. You record the number of steps taken each day, your daily weight, and the number of minutes exercised. The objective is to get to a set goal in each category—thereby advancing your team’s standings. Since I don’t want to let my coworkers down, it’s a nice motivator.
I’m going to hold off checking the weight. Obviously, I don’t have a scale. Every once in a while I need to change things up. I’m going to use this get active initiative to focus on exercising. I need to build up strength. I need to reintegrate exercise into my life. I’m looking forward to using the pedometer. If the one they give me isn’t accessible, I’m going to get a fit bit or some such item. Living more actively would be nice. Being able to actually evaluate how active a week has been would be better. Oh, and with summer coming on, this is the time to get it done.
You may have heard of the game “are you smarter than a 4 year old?” Saturday MX, Squish, and I played a slightly different version called “are you faster than a 4 year old.” It worked like this. We took MX and his new bumblebee transformer bike, complete with training wheels, out to the old NCR trail. I started power walking while Squish got MX settled. MX would then take off like a shot and pass me. When he thought he was far enough ahead, he would look back and taunt me. I would sprint after him, catch up, and the process would start over again. I was impressed that I could catch him in the first place. I was more impressed that he made it 6 miles on his bike without help. It was a good follow-up to my club workout that morning. The weather was clear and crisp—no bugs, dust, muck, just a perfect Saturday afternoon.
Sunday we hosted Easter for MX, Squish, and my family. I tried a few new recipes including scorpion bourbon scalloped potatoes, baked ham with sriracha brown sugar Dijon glaze, and Kielbasa sausage. Things I learned:
1. Precooked ham needs to be cooked at 325 not 350. Looking back, I didn’t distinguish between the bone in and precooked ham recipes—resulting in a wonderfully flavored but slightly over cooked dish.
2. Always be careful to validate the recipe you are using. Different components cook at different speeds so you can’t always substitute on a one-for-one basis and use the same cooking times and temperatures. I almost didn’t follow the direction for the potatoes and would have severely undercooked the dish.
3. Most of my family love spicy food. The rest will tolerate it if the flavor is good enough.
4. Recipe portions lie. They lie about how many people they will serv. They lie about how much material is required to fill a slow cooker. I now have way more potatoes than I know what to do with.
5. Cheese graters are amazing. I don’t know why it took me this long to figure it out, but the ability to add smoked Gouda to any dish is a terribly wonderful discovery.
6. Cooking things in bags has potential. This bares further investigation.
Unfortunately, I was rather ill throughout most of the event. This was particularly sad since I have been collecting laser tag guns for months in anticipation of my tiny relatives showing up. You know you’re doing something right when the first thing the three year old does when he comes through the door is to run up and whisper in your ear “can we play with the nurf guns?” It about broke my heart not being able to play with them. They will be coming back for mothers’ day, so we’ll see if the second time is the charm.
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Things to be thankfull for.
The last few weeks have been good to me. Often I get caught up in the troubles of the world. I forget to mention the good things in my life. The Saturday before last I spent the day with Wmtrainguy, Super E, and Ceri. Wmtrainguy introduced me to bloodbowl, a rugby-like game in which various fantasy races compete on a hex board. Dice are used to check skills, randomize ball bounces, assess tackle results, and determine damage. Each race has its own character, skills, and style. I played the orcs (large heavily armored bruisers) while he played the humans (well rounded generalists.) We played through 6 turns out of 8 for the first half. It was fun—as much because I love new games as for sharing the experience with friends. I’m going to get into this game eventually, but not until I get some more games under my belt. I’ve committed myself to finishing some long-standing projects before taking on new ones.
We followed that up with an excellent dinner of grilled lamb and veggies. With super E put to bed, the three adults had mint juleps and talked politics and religion. Normally these are not relaxing or “fun” topics; however the three of us enjoyed a lively discussion free of acrimony. Their house is one of the few places where things are really relaxed. It’s good I don’t go there more often; I’d be tempted to stay.
Friday I took a half day off in order to take 4 of the brunette’s coworkers to the range—three of whom were first time shooters. I enjoy introducing people to firearms. Everyone want’s something different—a chance to assume the mantle of an action hero, the desire to try something new, even the chance to confront one’s fears. We started at the house where I went through my standard safety shtick—the four rules, guns should be respected not feared, some general handling tips, and basic stance/grip coaching. It’s important to me that new shooters get eased into the process. Fear and uncertainty can mar an otherwise rewarding experience. I don’t expect new shooters to remember most of what I say in the initial briefing; but if they retain a few of the points I’m happy. I’m looking to get them somewhat familiar with guns and introduce them to the idea of handling them. The reality is that they aren’t going to get unsupervised access to a firearm until I’m entirely sure they won’t be a danger to themselves and others.
I packed up my colt diamond back, my Ruger 10/22 takedown, my Colt Gold Cup 1911, and the brunette’s Taurus thunderbolt. We checked in, renewed our membership, got our ear and eye protection, and touched base with the range officer. It’s always good to let the guy in charge of range safety know what’s going on. That way he can offer help where needed and keep a second weather eye out for trouble. The brunette and her somewhat experienced coworker set up on one lane with her rifle and his Ruger 9mm while I set up on the other with the Diamondback and the 3 neophytes. Several of Continental’s 12 lanes were occupied—creating an intermittent roar as various shooters went to town. If you want to cure flinching, spend a few hours on a public range. You still notice, but it doesn’t engage the fight-or-flight instinct after the fifteenth time someone cuts loose with a 12 gage.
Side note, It seems that due to recent legislation, people going to a public range in Maryland have to turn in their license or green card to be recorded. This is probably a two or three hour rant—but I’ll keep it to one paragraph for now. The document presentation bit doesn’t bother me. We’d had to do that before for liability reasons. The difference was that then it was for the range’s private use. Now not only is it a liability thing, it’s also a state thing. I knew the state looked over recent range attendees before this—looking for parolees who weren’t supposed to be on premises. In this case it just rubbed me the wrong way—just another example of how Maryland treats gun owners as second class citizens. If we asked voters to do the same thing there would be a huge public outcry. But when thousands of gun owners protest restrictive and pointless gun control laws it means nothing—deep breath.
Back on topic, I spent the session walking people through safe range practices, familiarizing them with the guns, and giving them the confidence to enjoy what they were doing. It’s easy to get people to like shooting. It’s like driving a fast car or going on an amusement park ride—the thrill does the work for you. I also enjoy teaching. There were people in my life who helped me in the beginning—especially squish and the Jew. But they weren’t really experienced shooters either. Teaching new shooters is rewarding because every time someone gets it—that guns are fun as long as treated with respect—I feel like I’ve won a victory.
That evening we had our normal Friday night dinner gathering. Food was excellent. Conversation was outstanding. I may not always agree, heck I usually don’t agree with my friends on everything, but it’s nice to sit down and just let the conversation ride. Our larger group has so many varied experiences and perspectives that large conversations are always enlightening.
1. I spent the rest of the weekend reading, cooking, and getting some quality time with the Brunette. I’m lucky to be married to a woman who loves good books, gaming, and large caliber firearms as much as I do. We just finished reading Gardens of the Moon (The Malazan Book of the Fallen, Book 1), an excellent but dense read. We’re on to the second book in the series now.
Life has been good to me ;)
We followed that up with an excellent dinner of grilled lamb and veggies. With super E put to bed, the three adults had mint juleps and talked politics and religion. Normally these are not relaxing or “fun” topics; however the three of us enjoyed a lively discussion free of acrimony. Their house is one of the few places where things are really relaxed. It’s good I don’t go there more often; I’d be tempted to stay.
Friday I took a half day off in order to take 4 of the brunette’s coworkers to the range—three of whom were first time shooters. I enjoy introducing people to firearms. Everyone want’s something different—a chance to assume the mantle of an action hero, the desire to try something new, even the chance to confront one’s fears. We started at the house where I went through my standard safety shtick—the four rules, guns should be respected not feared, some general handling tips, and basic stance/grip coaching. It’s important to me that new shooters get eased into the process. Fear and uncertainty can mar an otherwise rewarding experience. I don’t expect new shooters to remember most of what I say in the initial briefing; but if they retain a few of the points I’m happy. I’m looking to get them somewhat familiar with guns and introduce them to the idea of handling them. The reality is that they aren’t going to get unsupervised access to a firearm until I’m entirely sure they won’t be a danger to themselves and others.
I packed up my colt diamond back, my Ruger 10/22 takedown, my Colt Gold Cup 1911, and the brunette’s Taurus thunderbolt. We checked in, renewed our membership, got our ear and eye protection, and touched base with the range officer. It’s always good to let the guy in charge of range safety know what’s going on. That way he can offer help where needed and keep a second weather eye out for trouble. The brunette and her somewhat experienced coworker set up on one lane with her rifle and his Ruger 9mm while I set up on the other with the Diamondback and the 3 neophytes. Several of Continental’s 12 lanes were occupied—creating an intermittent roar as various shooters went to town. If you want to cure flinching, spend a few hours on a public range. You still notice, but it doesn’t engage the fight-or-flight instinct after the fifteenth time someone cuts loose with a 12 gage.
Side note, It seems that due to recent legislation, people going to a public range in Maryland have to turn in their license or green card to be recorded. This is probably a two or three hour rant—but I’ll keep it to one paragraph for now. The document presentation bit doesn’t bother me. We’d had to do that before for liability reasons. The difference was that then it was for the range’s private use. Now not only is it a liability thing, it’s also a state thing. I knew the state looked over recent range attendees before this—looking for parolees who weren’t supposed to be on premises. In this case it just rubbed me the wrong way—just another example of how Maryland treats gun owners as second class citizens. If we asked voters to do the same thing there would be a huge public outcry. But when thousands of gun owners protest restrictive and pointless gun control laws it means nothing—deep breath.
Back on topic, I spent the session walking people through safe range practices, familiarizing them with the guns, and giving them the confidence to enjoy what they were doing. It’s easy to get people to like shooting. It’s like driving a fast car or going on an amusement park ride—the thrill does the work for you. I also enjoy teaching. There were people in my life who helped me in the beginning—especially squish and the Jew. But they weren’t really experienced shooters either. Teaching new shooters is rewarding because every time someone gets it—that guns are fun as long as treated with respect—I feel like I’ve won a victory.
That evening we had our normal Friday night dinner gathering. Food was excellent. Conversation was outstanding. I may not always agree, heck I usually don’t agree with my friends on everything, but it’s nice to sit down and just let the conversation ride. Our larger group has so many varied experiences and perspectives that large conversations are always enlightening.
1. I spent the rest of the weekend reading, cooking, and getting some quality time with the Brunette. I’m lucky to be married to a woman who loves good books, gaming, and large caliber firearms as much as I do. We just finished reading Gardens of the Moon (The Malazan Book of the Fallen, Book 1), an excellent but dense read. We’re on to the second book in the series now.
Life has been good to me ;)
Friday, March 28, 2014
Drinking, more.
Saturday was…interesting. I have a long-standing tradition of attending a local Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ festival. It started off as a one-off thing with MQ. Now it’s a fixture on the schedule. Brewers, distillers, venders, and entertainers flock to the local fair grounds. Good food and entertainment mix with a selection of 60 beers and 40 bourbons/whiskeys. You start with a glass at the door and go forth to sample bravely—no limits other than common sense.
After 6 years of attendance, I have an excellent working knowledge of the regular exhibiters. There’s some variation—someone new, someone old making something new, or something I’ve forgotten. The first year I attended, the second year of the event I believe, I was able to try just about everything. There were only 2-3 rows to work through. I left well drunk, but satisfied that I got my money’s worth. Subsequent years saw an expansion of the event to ever more purveyors of adult libations—good food, good drink, good times. I am now something of an amateur authority on bourbons and to a lesser extent beers. I know what I like, I’ve tried a significant portion of what’s out there, and I’m old enough to appreciate alcohol without having to overindulge to make the point. This year I wanted to try the new, sample the best of the old, and work my way methodically through the venders.
Retrospect, hind sight…these things make my poor assumptions seem glaringly obvious. At the time however, I had every intention of walking through the event, getting lightly drunk, and generally enjoying myself. Things I did not consider—and should have:
• I lost 40 pounds since last year.
• I’ve stopped drinking regularly and/or in quantity.
• Most of the selection I was interested in was bourbon.
• All the bourbon venders were concentrated into one area.
• I assumed that by cutting most of the beer and half of the bourbon from the menu that I would be fine.
What actually happened was that I spent the first hour and a half pleasantly wandering the venders, sampling, and talking to friends. The nine of us kept splitting off and running into each other, making it impossible to stick with one group for the entire time. The stand out offerings included:
• Rowan Creek. This was one of the samples from the high-end bourbon table. A bold, nicely finished bourbon that felt just right. This was also one I liked a couple years ago, on a level with the Jefferson’s reserve.
• High West Campfire. This was a blend of Rye, Scotch, and Bourbon. Much like Dalmore, one of my favorite Scotches, the blend was better rounded than a pure scotch aged in bourbon barrels. It isn’t a drink for purists, but still excellent.
• 1792 Ridgemont Reserve Small Batch. I put this on par with Bookers. The taste was strong, clearly more than 80 proof. It had a well rounded flavor for all of its kick, probably best over ice or with a splash of water.
• Firefly Moonshine: Strawberry. Not bourbon I know. Still, a surprising liquor. This called out to me for inclusion in some sangria. The flavor was perfect for girly drinkage.
• Woodford Double Oaked. I like the normal Woodford reserve well enough. The double oak had a stronger finish than I’m used to, setting it apart from the run-of-the-mill serviceable bourbons. If the price is right this would make an excellent sippin bourbon.
• Laphroaig Quarter Cask. I like strong Scotches as long as they don’t stray too far towards the smoke-centric side of things. The regular Laphroaig ranks high on my good scotch scale. This rises even higher. It has a slightly oakier flavor, but mixes that with a bold strength that never the less manages to smooth out as it goes down.
Of course, my happy bubble of contentment didn’t last. About 90 minutes into the afternoon I could tell the alcohol was going to have its way with me. I had skipped virtually all the beer and a significant portion of the bourbon. I made sure to drink water regularly. In many cases I split samples with friends. In one case I had to physically take the glass away from the 4 roses lady to prevent her from giving me 2 more samples than I actually wanted. It wasn’t enough.
By the time I got to our lunch table, Backus had me full in thrall. This was embarrassing. I don’t think my friends cared that much. I, however, cared very much. Getting a little drunk in private is one thing. Getting sloppy drunk in public is something I’ve abhorred since college. It bothers me more because in this case I took many steps to avoid that end. I had a good time, but I missed out on many of the venders and most of the food.
In some ways it’s a tribute to my healthier lifestyle just how much my capacity has changed. I suppose I should be proud of that. It’s hard for me to look at the positive though, even six days later. I’ve had several alcohol related experiences which have taught me valuable lessons—if you’re going to drink to excess make sure there are people you trust to take care of you, if people only see you when you’re drunk they’ll assume you’re drunk all the time, and no matter how much fun getting drunk is, living life is usually more fun. Those were not pleasant lessons to learn. The upshot is that I really, really, don’t like drinking to the point where I am completely smashed in anything but a private setting, and most of the time not even then.
Regardless, it was a fun time. I’ll exercise more restraint and better judgment in future. There’s the great grapes in May and the Maryland wine Fest in late summer. I’m looking at hitting up great grapes for sure. The other will depend more on timing and finances. Now, back to planning Easter dinner.
After 6 years of attendance, I have an excellent working knowledge of the regular exhibiters. There’s some variation—someone new, someone old making something new, or something I’ve forgotten. The first year I attended, the second year of the event I believe, I was able to try just about everything. There were only 2-3 rows to work through. I left well drunk, but satisfied that I got my money’s worth. Subsequent years saw an expansion of the event to ever more purveyors of adult libations—good food, good drink, good times. I am now something of an amateur authority on bourbons and to a lesser extent beers. I know what I like, I’ve tried a significant portion of what’s out there, and I’m old enough to appreciate alcohol without having to overindulge to make the point. This year I wanted to try the new, sample the best of the old, and work my way methodically through the venders.
Retrospect, hind sight…these things make my poor assumptions seem glaringly obvious. At the time however, I had every intention of walking through the event, getting lightly drunk, and generally enjoying myself. Things I did not consider—and should have:
• I lost 40 pounds since last year.
• I’ve stopped drinking regularly and/or in quantity.
• Most of the selection I was interested in was bourbon.
• All the bourbon venders were concentrated into one area.
• I assumed that by cutting most of the beer and half of the bourbon from the menu that I would be fine.
What actually happened was that I spent the first hour and a half pleasantly wandering the venders, sampling, and talking to friends. The nine of us kept splitting off and running into each other, making it impossible to stick with one group for the entire time. The stand out offerings included:
• Rowan Creek. This was one of the samples from the high-end bourbon table. A bold, nicely finished bourbon that felt just right. This was also one I liked a couple years ago, on a level with the Jefferson’s reserve.
• High West Campfire. This was a blend of Rye, Scotch, and Bourbon. Much like Dalmore, one of my favorite Scotches, the blend was better rounded than a pure scotch aged in bourbon barrels. It isn’t a drink for purists, but still excellent.
• 1792 Ridgemont Reserve Small Batch. I put this on par with Bookers. The taste was strong, clearly more than 80 proof. It had a well rounded flavor for all of its kick, probably best over ice or with a splash of water.
• Firefly Moonshine: Strawberry. Not bourbon I know. Still, a surprising liquor. This called out to me for inclusion in some sangria. The flavor was perfect for girly drinkage.
• Woodford Double Oaked. I like the normal Woodford reserve well enough. The double oak had a stronger finish than I’m used to, setting it apart from the run-of-the-mill serviceable bourbons. If the price is right this would make an excellent sippin bourbon.
• Laphroaig Quarter Cask. I like strong Scotches as long as they don’t stray too far towards the smoke-centric side of things. The regular Laphroaig ranks high on my good scotch scale. This rises even higher. It has a slightly oakier flavor, but mixes that with a bold strength that never the less manages to smooth out as it goes down.
Of course, my happy bubble of contentment didn’t last. About 90 minutes into the afternoon I could tell the alcohol was going to have its way with me. I had skipped virtually all the beer and a significant portion of the bourbon. I made sure to drink water regularly. In many cases I split samples with friends. In one case I had to physically take the glass away from the 4 roses lady to prevent her from giving me 2 more samples than I actually wanted. It wasn’t enough.
By the time I got to our lunch table, Backus had me full in thrall. This was embarrassing. I don’t think my friends cared that much. I, however, cared very much. Getting a little drunk in private is one thing. Getting sloppy drunk in public is something I’ve abhorred since college. It bothers me more because in this case I took many steps to avoid that end. I had a good time, but I missed out on many of the venders and most of the food.
In some ways it’s a tribute to my healthier lifestyle just how much my capacity has changed. I suppose I should be proud of that. It’s hard for me to look at the positive though, even six days later. I’ve had several alcohol related experiences which have taught me valuable lessons—if you’re going to drink to excess make sure there are people you trust to take care of you, if people only see you when you’re drunk they’ll assume you’re drunk all the time, and no matter how much fun getting drunk is, living life is usually more fun. Those were not pleasant lessons to learn. The upshot is that I really, really, don’t like drinking to the point where I am completely smashed in anything but a private setting, and most of the time not even then.
Regardless, it was a fun time. I’ll exercise more restraint and better judgment in future. There’s the great grapes in May and the Maryland wine Fest in late summer. I’m looking at hitting up great grapes for sure. The other will depend more on timing and finances. Now, back to planning Easter dinner.
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Drinking Problems
Many years ago, MQ and I attended a beer and bourbon themed festival on a lark. It was one of those…”why not?” things. Since then the annual experience has expanded to most of our friends. Now the blessed weekend is coming. The VIP tickets are purchased. Plans have been made to grab a preparatory breakfast before braving the 200 strong crowds of avid boozers.
My quandary is what to drink. At one time the answer would have been all of it. Now however, the selection has expanded to the point where even my god-like capacity is challenged. Plus, getting dead drunk isn’t fun. I’d really like to be at worst well drunk. Really more like well buzzed, though I realize how unlikely that is. Thus I have some choices to make.
The following are the drinks left on my list. I cut ones I’ve tried before, I can easily get elsewhere, or I’m sure friends will happily try for me (Ceri, looking at you with all those ryes.)
Evan Williams Cherry Reserve
Jim Beam Maple
Jim Beam Cider
Jacob's Ghost
Baker's
Knob Creek Single Barrel
Knob Creek Smoked Maple
High West Son of Bourye
High West American Prarie Reserve
High West Campfire
Buffalo Trace Small Batch
1792 Ridgemont Reserve Small Batch
Blanton's Single Barrel
EH Taylor Small Batch
Firefly Moonshine : Strawberry
Firefly Moonshine : Apple Pie
Firefly Moonshine : Peach
Cabin Fever
Smooth Ambler Very Old Scout
Woodford Double Oaked
Laphroaig 18
Laphroaig Quarter Cask
Laphroaig Triple Wood
Flying Dog Truth
Flying Dog Doggie Style
Angry Orchard Crisp
Angry Orchard Green Apple
New Belgium Snapshot
Shiner Farmhouse 966
DuClaw Dirty Little Freak
DuClaw Old Flame
Yards Brawler
Sly Fox Pheonix Pale Ale
Sly Fox Pikeland Pils
Tall Tales Red Headed Step Child
Tall Tales Some Beach Ale
Boulevard Grainstorm Black Rye IPA
Hop City Barking Squirrel
Hop City Mr Huff Pale Ale
Terrapin Hopsecutioner
Leinenkugel Summer Shandy
Leinenkugel Canoe Paddler
Smith & Forge (cans)
Hofbrau
Hofbrau Hefeweizen
The Traveler Beer Co. Curious Traveler
The Traveler Beer Co. Time Traveler
Harpoon UFO White
Harpoon UFO Big Squeeze
Primus Haacht
Shepherd Neame Spitfire
Jolly Pumpkin Fuego Otono
Jolly Pumpkin Maracaibo Especial
Saranac Caramel Porter
National Premium
Boon Kriek
Boon Framboise
Duvel Single
Ommegang Hop House
Full Tilt Patterson Pumpkin
Brooklyn Post Road Pumpkin
Palm
Estaminet
Anchor Steam California Lager
Anchor Steam Breckle's Brown
Magners Original
Wyder's Pear
Woodchuck Private Reserve Barrel Select
Evolution Sprung
Evolution Exile Red Ale
Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye
Brooklyn Brewery Scorcher
Magic Hat Pistil
Magic Hat Dream Machine
Lancaster Hop Hog
Oskar Blues Mama's Lil Yella Pils
Oskar Blues Old Chub
Union Craft Brewing Balt Alt
DC Brau Public Ale
DC Brau Citizen Belgian Pale
Starr Hill Saison
Dominion Cherry Blossom Lager
Ah, first world problems.
My quandary is what to drink. At one time the answer would have been all of it. Now however, the selection has expanded to the point where even my god-like capacity is challenged. Plus, getting dead drunk isn’t fun. I’d really like to be at worst well drunk. Really more like well buzzed, though I realize how unlikely that is. Thus I have some choices to make.
The following are the drinks left on my list. I cut ones I’ve tried before, I can easily get elsewhere, or I’m sure friends will happily try for me (Ceri, looking at you with all those ryes.)
Evan Williams Cherry Reserve
Jim Beam Maple
Jim Beam Cider
Jacob's Ghost
Baker's
Knob Creek Single Barrel
Knob Creek Smoked Maple
High West Son of Bourye
High West American Prarie Reserve
High West Campfire
Buffalo Trace Small Batch
1792 Ridgemont Reserve Small Batch
Blanton's Single Barrel
EH Taylor Small Batch
Firefly Moonshine : Strawberry
Firefly Moonshine : Apple Pie
Firefly Moonshine : Peach
Cabin Fever
Smooth Ambler Very Old Scout
Woodford Double Oaked
Laphroaig 18
Laphroaig Quarter Cask
Laphroaig Triple Wood
Flying Dog Truth
Flying Dog Doggie Style
Angry Orchard Crisp
Angry Orchard Green Apple
New Belgium Snapshot
Shiner Farmhouse 966
DuClaw Dirty Little Freak
DuClaw Old Flame
Yards Brawler
Sly Fox Pheonix Pale Ale
Sly Fox Pikeland Pils
Tall Tales Red Headed Step Child
Tall Tales Some Beach Ale
Boulevard Grainstorm Black Rye IPA
Hop City Barking Squirrel
Hop City Mr Huff Pale Ale
Terrapin Hopsecutioner
Leinenkugel Summer Shandy
Leinenkugel Canoe Paddler
Smith & Forge (cans)
Hofbrau
Hofbrau Hefeweizen
The Traveler Beer Co. Curious Traveler
The Traveler Beer Co. Time Traveler
Harpoon UFO White
Harpoon UFO Big Squeeze
Primus Haacht
Shepherd Neame Spitfire
Jolly Pumpkin Fuego Otono
Jolly Pumpkin Maracaibo Especial
Saranac Caramel Porter
National Premium
Boon Kriek
Boon Framboise
Duvel Single
Ommegang Hop House
Full Tilt Patterson Pumpkin
Brooklyn Post Road Pumpkin
Palm
Estaminet
Anchor Steam California Lager
Anchor Steam Breckle's Brown
Magners Original
Wyder's Pear
Woodchuck Private Reserve Barrel Select
Evolution Sprung
Evolution Exile Red Ale
Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye
Brooklyn Brewery Scorcher
Magic Hat Pistil
Magic Hat Dream Machine
Lancaster Hop Hog
Oskar Blues Mama's Lil Yella Pils
Oskar Blues Old Chub
Union Craft Brewing Balt Alt
DC Brau Public Ale
DC Brau Citizen Belgian Pale
Starr Hill Saison
Dominion Cherry Blossom Lager
Ah, first world problems.
Review of Echo Sigma's ER2
Emergency preparedness is big business. From doomsday preppers to the walking dead, surviving the dark times has become as much about entertainment as practicality. Surging public interest has driven an entire industry of zombie survival, tactical readiness, bug out bag, and disaster thwarting products—some good, some questionable, and many downright ridiculous. Novice preppers looking for a preconfigured emergency solution are faced with a dizzying array of conflicting advertising. Wading through this storm is often frustrating. What do I actually need? Am I buying quality products? Am I spending too much? Would I be better served building my own kit?
Fortunately, the truth about guns ran a review of the Echo Sigma get home bag when I was struggling with these questions. I was impressed by E-S’s attention to detail, comprehensive approach, and commitment to creating functional tools. Looking through their offerings I found exactly what I needed—a shelter in place kit for two people that broke down into a pair of bug out bags. A few months and one tax return later and my order was placed.
From the manufacturer’s website:
The Echo-Sigma Emergency Roll-Away for Two (ER2) is an all-in-one mobile emergency preparation system. Vital for evacuation or shelter-in-place scenarios, the Emergency System provides food, water, shelter, communications and first aid for two adults for an absolute minimum of three days (much longer with rationing).
Having the entirety of the system housed in an easy to move rolling casing allows you to be able to easily locate and roll your entire system out should you need to evacuate on short notice. Once you're clear of danger or need to continue on foot, the supplied backpacks and hydration systems allow you to stay moving on foot as needed. Your options are open.
You can take delivery of your system and immediately store it in its final storage location with confidence. Every item in this system is pre-configured and ready for immediate use. Pre-configured and ready means:
Pre-configured and ready means:
• Packaging removed from all items.
• All electronics function tested.
• Documentation consolidated into water resistant packaging.
• All items arranged, organized and stowed. Ready for fast access in case of emergency.
Those are some ambitious claims. Experience has taught me that few products in this class are truly “comprehensive.” Most slap a mass of cheap camping gear in a bundle and call it good. So I was pleasantly surprised to find that E-S’s claims were no brag, just fact.
Ordering:
The ER2’s order page gives the customer several options. There is a base component selection included with all kits. After that you can opt to supply your own upgrades or pick from E-S’s suggestions. With the exception of the packs and roller bag, you can choose to cut all of the following.
• Color: You can choose between black and coyote brown for the rolling case and backpacks. The case and packs may be selected in contrasting colors, though both packs have to match. I opted for the classic black look since I live in an urban area. If push comes to shove I want something that has a chance of blending in.
• Multi Tool: You can choose between the Sog S44 Power Plier, its big brother the S62 Power Lock Multi Tool, its cousin the B63 Power Lock EOD multi Tool, and the anemic Gerber dime. I opted to provide my own multi tools as I prefer the solid construction of the Victorinox SwissTool—though the Sogs are quality options if that’s your thing.
• Light: You pick any combination of two from Four Sevens Quark Pro QP2A-X 336 Lumen Flashlight, Fenix LD22 215 Lumen Light, Fenix E25 187 Lumen Light, or the Fenix HL21 LED Headlamp. I chose a pair of LD22s for parts compatibility.
• Radio: Choose between the Midland ER102 Emergency Crank Weather Alert Radio, Midland XT511 Base Camp Emergency Crank 2 Way Radio, or the Etón FRX2 Multi-Power Emergency Weather Radio. I went with the XT511 since it acts as a relay point. With the hand crank, it can charge USB devices in a pinch.
• Camp Knife: You can add a SOG AutoClip Mini Folding Knife, SOG "Escape" Folding Knife, or the SOG Seal Pup Fixed Blade. I have several fixed blade knives already and so opted to supply my own.
• Camp Tool: You can add a SOG FastHawk or a SOG Entrenching Tool. I’ve heard nothing but bad reviews regarding the E-tool—really bad reviews. In contrast the fast hawk gets great reviews within its design limitations. It was a no brainer.
• 2 Echo-Sigma 3-10 Day Provision Packs. Each “pack” holds 3 MREs, 9 ration bars, and 5 liters of water or 18 ration bars and 7.25 liters of water. As the website says, “If an extended state of emergency is anticipated and resupply unlikely, these supplies could be rationed for up to 10 days per person if water and energy discipline is high.” The bigger question in my mind isn’t how long I can make the rations last. I am more interested in how long the rations will last before requiring replacement. There was a time when MREs were made with frees dried components. These would last a while. Modern MREs have a standard shelf life of 3-5 years, less if exposed to high temperatures, moisture, and/or sunlight. Depending on where you’ll be storing the kit, the MRE version may work for you. It will certainly provide a larger variety of flavors than straight ration bars. I am more interested in limiting the frequency with which I will need to refresh components. Thus, I will be making a hybrid provision kit with water, ration bars, and some frees dried meals such as from mountain house.
What’s in the kit:
In addition to the above options, the ER2 comes standard with a variety of equipment. Many of these elements are smaller special purpose packs combined here, but sold individually as well.
• 1 Rolling Load out Bag XL by Sandpiper of California. This is essentially a very large rolling suitcase with side mounted molle attachment channels. In addition to the huge central compartment, the bag has 2 zippered pockets on the right side and a zippered top pocket which can be opened to deploy a heavy webbing pull handle. My case came with a detachable pals strap and snap pouch mounted between the two side pockets. Each zipper uses a knotted cord instead of the normal metal tabs—functional, though I prefer integral tab pulls with paracord knots as a backup. The back of the bag is supported by two plastic reinforcing bars for added rigidity. Three parallel mounted wheels allow the bag to be pulled by the handle. Two pairs of heavy compression straps synch the main compartment. The central bag area can be cut down by zipping up a spacer that reduces the internal volume by about 30%. The compression straps form a very large grab handle which you could theoretically use to carry the kit. In practice the unit is so heavy and bulky when loaded that I would only want to use the handle to lift it short distances. The material and zippers are very heavy duty, strong enough that I’m not worried about breakage even with over seventy pounds of gear inside
• 2 Three Day Pass backpacks by Sandpiper of California. These are decent sized day packs. Each one has molle channels for additional accessories, fittings for a condor outdoor 2.5 liter hydration system (which comes preinstalled as part of the kit), Solid shoulder and belt straps, and multiple pockets for a few days worth of gear. These are serviceable packs—not the top of the line, but solid value day packs made by a reputable manufacturer.
• 2 Echo-Sigma Compact Survival Kits. These are scaled up versions of the Adventure medical pocket survival pack. Each pack includes a survival blanket, water purification tablets, ear plugs, a combination compass and signal whistle, duct tape, and several means of generating fire/light. The components are clearly meant for solid use and not just once and done. The kits come in a zippered clamshell case which has so many pockets and sleeves that I’ve been daydreaming about using them to organize the rest of my gear.
• 2 Echo-Sigma Compact First Aid Kits. This unit has the basics including various sizes of bandage, tweezers, tape, wipes, face mask, and pain killers. I will be adding a set of disposable gloves, an ace bandage, and some antibiotic cream. Each pack comes in a zippered pouch. All the perishable components are sealed in zip lock bags by type. It is set up exactly how I would have packed my own kit if I had built it from scratch.
• 1 Echo-Sigma Hygiene Kit. This kit has _everything_ you would need in a pinch to keep clean. Besides the obvious toiletries, it has bug spray, sun screen, nail clippers, a signal/vanity mirror, toilet paper, sanitary napkins, and 2 types of tampons.
• 1 Coleman Easy Assemble Three Adult Tent and 2 Emergency Ponchos. This is a small tent that fits a queen sized air mattress. The manufacturer calls it a three person tent, but really it’s for two people. The ponchos can be used for additional rain proofing or field expedient shelters.
• 2 Suisse Sport McKinley 0-5F Mummy Sleeping Bags and 2 survivor industries Thermal Sleeping Bag Cocoons. Depending on your area, you can use the cocoons as light sleeping sacks or as liners for the mummy bags. The cocoons are rated as water proof, so even if you don’t use them for their intended purpose, they can function as the foundation for another project. Like most of the gear in the ER2, the mummy bags are solid enough quality to get the job done, but not so top flight that they drive the cost of the kit into the stratosphere.
• 2 32oz. Nalgene Water Bottles and 1 GSI Glacier Stainless Steel Bottle Cup. These are welcome additions to the Condor hydration systems, especially if you want to use water supplements. The bottle cup is a folding handled pot designed to fit over the bottom of the bottle for ease of storage. Especially if you end up camping, this is a nice item for making soups, pasta, and the like. I’ll be buying a second one for redundancy.
• 100 Feet of Military Grade 550 Paracord and 10 Extra Large Zip Ties. Combined with the duct tape in the survival kits, you can make lots of field expedient equivalents with this gear.
• 18 AA Alkaline Batteries. If the ER2 has a weakness it’s here. Alkaline batteries corrode over time. Granted that’s a ways off when you have fresh cells, but when you’re talking about a kit designed to sit in cold storage for years at a time it’s a legitimate concern. One of the first things I’m going to do is swap them out. This is one of the few components that I would have happily paid a couple bucks more to upgrade. Even so, these cells are rated for ten years, so this is more of a want than a need.
• 2 Midland GXT1000VP4 - Two Way Radios. The midland radios are about as good as your going to get in a survival radio at this price point. They are packed with features. Since they are configured by E-S before shipment, they all come set to the same frequency. I am not a radio guy, so I went to Amazon to check them out. While reviews mark them as acceptably functional, there are consistent themes of limited range, easy charge exhaustion on random power packs, and a somewhat clunky UI. Limited testing shows them good out to 2-3 miles in an urban setting with several intervening buildings. I’m reserving judgment until I have time for comprehensive testing, but so far, so good.
• 1 Camp Trowel. This is a plastic hand tool, much like you would use to scoop light soil or sand at the beach. I can see this coming in handy for a variety of tasks. It is not a dedicated digging tool however. One of the first things I added to the kit was a steel hand shovel for real digging. I would like to see a real folding shovel or E-Tool as an option for the kit, something on par with the fast hawk.
• 2 Pairs of Leather Work Gloves, 4 N95 Rated Respirator Masks, and 2 Sets of Protective Goggles. These will be useful if you find yourself actually making it in the wild, the gloves in particular.
• 4 Coleman Hand Warmers.
• 2 Large Waste Bags.
• 1 Travel Sewing Kit. This is another one of those items that when you need, you really need. The kit comes with one; I’ll be getting a second.
• Consolidated documentation.
Design :
This is, to put it mildly, a lot of stuff. I did my time in boy scouts where the SOP was cram all your gear in your pack and hope it all came out well. Later I learned the art of good packing; but in the beginning I just hoped I could find what I needed without having to empty the whole thing on the ground first. Typically when you get a product like this everything is neatly and perfectly packaged for maximum space efficiency. Once you start messing with components, you’ll find that it’s near impossible to get everything packed back down into the ideal arrangement again. With this in mind, I was a little concerned opening the ER2 for the first time. As it turns out, I had nothing to worry about.
Echo Sigma’s design breaks down into modular components. Each piece of the puzzle is arranged so that you can sort through the bag quickly and pull out what you need without fuss. I did a quick inventory of the kit in less than a minute without having to remove anything except to verify which of the multiple kits were which. Everything fits back in its place. The heavier cardboard boxes with the provision packs sit at the bottom of the case, keeping it upright. The tent and sleeping bags are positioned in order to provide structural rigidity. Electronics are positioned facing outward so as not to bump into other elements.
The less obvious and to me, more valuable design feature of the ER2 is the thought that has gone into _every_little_detail of the unit’s organization. I’m blind as a bat and I can reach into the main kit and find anything I want, by touch, in a couple seconds. Each of the redundant kits is organized exactly the same way. So getting to the gear you want, whether it’s grabbing a component from the main kit or a sub component from one of the modular packs is about as straight forward as you can get. If you want a different configuration, all of the mini packs, save the medical kits, come with integral pals straps that can be locked to the case’s external webbing. A lot of the components are better off in the protected main compartment, but using the supplied zip ties or the paracord, there isn’t much you can’t rig to the case’s exterior mounting points. The backpacks are similarly customizable. So, whether you want to live out of the case or the packs, you can put the system together any way you want with a minimal amount of effort.
Finally, Echo Sigma’s claim of:
“You can take delivery of your system and immediately store it in its final storage location with confidence.”
Is spot on. If anything they aren’t giving themselves enough credit. Each part of this kit is removed from the factory packaging and consolidated into the Roller case—usually by means of a smaller clamshell pack. Sub components like bandages, power adapters, and matches are re-packaged with like items in zip lock bags for ease of segmentation. The radio handsets and flashlights are clipped to the webbing on one of the backpacks to keep them from battering around the inside of the case. The fast hawk was placed between the sleeping bags, in its sheath, to keep it from bashing the rest of the gear. The assembly and attention to detail is second-to-none.
Quality and purpose:
The temptation, especially if you’re a gear guy like me, is to look at the ER2 and say that’s awesome! And then bash the individual components. My impression is that E-S had a real challenge when designing this kit. On the one hand, the ER2 is meant to take two people and give them the ability to shelter in place or bug out for 3-10 days in all but the most extreme conditions. That is a very broad mandate—especially when you take into account the differences in what some people will consider “essential.” Meeting that mandate requires a lot of gear.
On the other hand, top flight preparedness and survival tech doesn’t come cheap. If one were to replace the 2 lights in my kit with Mcgizmo haiku XPGs, the ER2’s cost would double. Not to put too fine a point on it, but many of the major components, lights, tents, sleeping bags, knives, multitools, packs, and radios fall at the low end of what many gear snobs would consider worthy of their attention. I don’t consider this to be a mark against the ER2.
The ER2 is designed to sit in your closet for years at a time. When you pull it out, it’s built to get two people through up to a week of shelter in place or bugging out. It isn’t designed to help you survive the end of the world. It would be nice if it came standard with the most bomb proof tech on the market. That being said, I don’t have the disposable income or desire to drop $5,000 or more on a preparedness package that will in all likelihood spend several decades gathering dust. That’s the line Echo Sigma had to straddle with this package. They had to build a comprehensive pre-configured preparedness kit for two people while keeping the end product somewhat affordable. Given that mission, I’m very happy with the result.
Upgrades:
Many preppers will want to use this kit as a foundation for customization. So I’m including a few of my personal modifications that haven’t been mentioned in previous commentary.
• I’m a big believer in training with your tools, not just hoping to read the manual in the middle of an emergency. I’ll be getting a second set of the midland radios for redundancy and training.
• There are two products which I consider universally useful. Between duct tape and super glue, you can fix most medical and practical problems. There’s some duct tape in the kit already, but not enough. I’ll be adding an additional package plus a couple tubes of super glue.
• Anyone who camps a lot knows how important having a good camp knife is—preferably one you can easily sharpen. I have a high quality plane edge hunting knife which I’ll be adding along with an adjustable sharpener. I’m surprised that this kit doesn’t come with at least a smith’s pocket sharpener already.
• I’m a big fan of dedicated storage. It helps organize and improve functionality. After upgrading the batteries, I’ll be adding battery cases and at least one USB recharger. Using the base camp radio, this will let me recharge cells in a pinch.
Conclusion:
Building a preparedness kit is all about compromise—cost vs. quality, quantity of gear vs. portability, scope vs. probable use. People are going to draw those lines differently. I think a lot of people with the motivation and the resources to acquire a $1,200 preparedness setup will want to pick the components themselves. That said, the ER2 solves the problems I need solved, answers some questions I hadn’t thought to ask, and does it all at a very reasonable price. The extra steps Echo Sigma takes to organize, consolidate, and configure the package makes the ER2 the best value comprehensive preparedness kit in its class I’ve seen to date.
Fortunately, the truth about guns ran a review of the Echo Sigma get home bag when I was struggling with these questions. I was impressed by E-S’s attention to detail, comprehensive approach, and commitment to creating functional tools. Looking through their offerings I found exactly what I needed—a shelter in place kit for two people that broke down into a pair of bug out bags. A few months and one tax return later and my order was placed.
From the manufacturer’s website:
The Echo-Sigma Emergency Roll-Away for Two (ER2) is an all-in-one mobile emergency preparation system. Vital for evacuation or shelter-in-place scenarios, the Emergency System provides food, water, shelter, communications and first aid for two adults for an absolute minimum of three days (much longer with rationing).
Having the entirety of the system housed in an easy to move rolling casing allows you to be able to easily locate and roll your entire system out should you need to evacuate on short notice. Once you're clear of danger or need to continue on foot, the supplied backpacks and hydration systems allow you to stay moving on foot as needed. Your options are open.
You can take delivery of your system and immediately store it in its final storage location with confidence. Every item in this system is pre-configured and ready for immediate use. Pre-configured and ready means:
Pre-configured and ready means:
• Packaging removed from all items.
• All electronics function tested.
• Documentation consolidated into water resistant packaging.
• All items arranged, organized and stowed. Ready for fast access in case of emergency.
Those are some ambitious claims. Experience has taught me that few products in this class are truly “comprehensive.” Most slap a mass of cheap camping gear in a bundle and call it good. So I was pleasantly surprised to find that E-S’s claims were no brag, just fact.
Ordering:
The ER2’s order page gives the customer several options. There is a base component selection included with all kits. After that you can opt to supply your own upgrades or pick from E-S’s suggestions. With the exception of the packs and roller bag, you can choose to cut all of the following.
• Color: You can choose between black and coyote brown for the rolling case and backpacks. The case and packs may be selected in contrasting colors, though both packs have to match. I opted for the classic black look since I live in an urban area. If push comes to shove I want something that has a chance of blending in.
• Multi Tool: You can choose between the Sog S44 Power Plier, its big brother the S62 Power Lock Multi Tool, its cousin the B63 Power Lock EOD multi Tool, and the anemic Gerber dime. I opted to provide my own multi tools as I prefer the solid construction of the Victorinox SwissTool—though the Sogs are quality options if that’s your thing.
• Light: You pick any combination of two from Four Sevens Quark Pro QP2A-X 336 Lumen Flashlight, Fenix LD22 215 Lumen Light, Fenix E25 187 Lumen Light, or the Fenix HL21 LED Headlamp. I chose a pair of LD22s for parts compatibility.
• Radio: Choose between the Midland ER102 Emergency Crank Weather Alert Radio, Midland XT511 Base Camp Emergency Crank 2 Way Radio, or the Etón FRX2 Multi-Power Emergency Weather Radio. I went with the XT511 since it acts as a relay point. With the hand crank, it can charge USB devices in a pinch.
• Camp Knife: You can add a SOG AutoClip Mini Folding Knife, SOG "Escape" Folding Knife, or the SOG Seal Pup Fixed Blade. I have several fixed blade knives already and so opted to supply my own.
• Camp Tool: You can add a SOG FastHawk or a SOG Entrenching Tool. I’ve heard nothing but bad reviews regarding the E-tool—really bad reviews. In contrast the fast hawk gets great reviews within its design limitations. It was a no brainer.
• 2 Echo-Sigma 3-10 Day Provision Packs. Each “pack” holds 3 MREs, 9 ration bars, and 5 liters of water or 18 ration bars and 7.25 liters of water. As the website says, “If an extended state of emergency is anticipated and resupply unlikely, these supplies could be rationed for up to 10 days per person if water and energy discipline is high.” The bigger question in my mind isn’t how long I can make the rations last. I am more interested in how long the rations will last before requiring replacement. There was a time when MREs were made with frees dried components. These would last a while. Modern MREs have a standard shelf life of 3-5 years, less if exposed to high temperatures, moisture, and/or sunlight. Depending on where you’ll be storing the kit, the MRE version may work for you. It will certainly provide a larger variety of flavors than straight ration bars. I am more interested in limiting the frequency with which I will need to refresh components. Thus, I will be making a hybrid provision kit with water, ration bars, and some frees dried meals such as from mountain house.
What’s in the kit:
In addition to the above options, the ER2 comes standard with a variety of equipment. Many of these elements are smaller special purpose packs combined here, but sold individually as well.
• 1 Rolling Load out Bag XL by Sandpiper of California. This is essentially a very large rolling suitcase with side mounted molle attachment channels. In addition to the huge central compartment, the bag has 2 zippered pockets on the right side and a zippered top pocket which can be opened to deploy a heavy webbing pull handle. My case came with a detachable pals strap and snap pouch mounted between the two side pockets. Each zipper uses a knotted cord instead of the normal metal tabs—functional, though I prefer integral tab pulls with paracord knots as a backup. The back of the bag is supported by two plastic reinforcing bars for added rigidity. Three parallel mounted wheels allow the bag to be pulled by the handle. Two pairs of heavy compression straps synch the main compartment. The central bag area can be cut down by zipping up a spacer that reduces the internal volume by about 30%. The compression straps form a very large grab handle which you could theoretically use to carry the kit. In practice the unit is so heavy and bulky when loaded that I would only want to use the handle to lift it short distances. The material and zippers are very heavy duty, strong enough that I’m not worried about breakage even with over seventy pounds of gear inside
• 2 Three Day Pass backpacks by Sandpiper of California. These are decent sized day packs. Each one has molle channels for additional accessories, fittings for a condor outdoor 2.5 liter hydration system (which comes preinstalled as part of the kit), Solid shoulder and belt straps, and multiple pockets for a few days worth of gear. These are serviceable packs—not the top of the line, but solid value day packs made by a reputable manufacturer.
• 2 Echo-Sigma Compact Survival Kits. These are scaled up versions of the Adventure medical pocket survival pack. Each pack includes a survival blanket, water purification tablets, ear plugs, a combination compass and signal whistle, duct tape, and several means of generating fire/light. The components are clearly meant for solid use and not just once and done. The kits come in a zippered clamshell case which has so many pockets and sleeves that I’ve been daydreaming about using them to organize the rest of my gear.
• 2 Echo-Sigma Compact First Aid Kits. This unit has the basics including various sizes of bandage, tweezers, tape, wipes, face mask, and pain killers. I will be adding a set of disposable gloves, an ace bandage, and some antibiotic cream. Each pack comes in a zippered pouch. All the perishable components are sealed in zip lock bags by type. It is set up exactly how I would have packed my own kit if I had built it from scratch.
• 1 Echo-Sigma Hygiene Kit. This kit has _everything_ you would need in a pinch to keep clean. Besides the obvious toiletries, it has bug spray, sun screen, nail clippers, a signal/vanity mirror, toilet paper, sanitary napkins, and 2 types of tampons.
• 1 Coleman Easy Assemble Three Adult Tent and 2 Emergency Ponchos. This is a small tent that fits a queen sized air mattress. The manufacturer calls it a three person tent, but really it’s for two people. The ponchos can be used for additional rain proofing or field expedient shelters.
• 2 Suisse Sport McKinley 0-5F Mummy Sleeping Bags and 2 survivor industries Thermal Sleeping Bag Cocoons. Depending on your area, you can use the cocoons as light sleeping sacks or as liners for the mummy bags. The cocoons are rated as water proof, so even if you don’t use them for their intended purpose, they can function as the foundation for another project. Like most of the gear in the ER2, the mummy bags are solid enough quality to get the job done, but not so top flight that they drive the cost of the kit into the stratosphere.
• 2 32oz. Nalgene Water Bottles and 1 GSI Glacier Stainless Steel Bottle Cup. These are welcome additions to the Condor hydration systems, especially if you want to use water supplements. The bottle cup is a folding handled pot designed to fit over the bottom of the bottle for ease of storage. Especially if you end up camping, this is a nice item for making soups, pasta, and the like. I’ll be buying a second one for redundancy.
• 100 Feet of Military Grade 550 Paracord and 10 Extra Large Zip Ties. Combined with the duct tape in the survival kits, you can make lots of field expedient equivalents with this gear.
• 18 AA Alkaline Batteries. If the ER2 has a weakness it’s here. Alkaline batteries corrode over time. Granted that’s a ways off when you have fresh cells, but when you’re talking about a kit designed to sit in cold storage for years at a time it’s a legitimate concern. One of the first things I’m going to do is swap them out. This is one of the few components that I would have happily paid a couple bucks more to upgrade. Even so, these cells are rated for ten years, so this is more of a want than a need.
• 2 Midland GXT1000VP4 - Two Way Radios. The midland radios are about as good as your going to get in a survival radio at this price point. They are packed with features. Since they are configured by E-S before shipment, they all come set to the same frequency. I am not a radio guy, so I went to Amazon to check them out. While reviews mark them as acceptably functional, there are consistent themes of limited range, easy charge exhaustion on random power packs, and a somewhat clunky UI. Limited testing shows them good out to 2-3 miles in an urban setting with several intervening buildings. I’m reserving judgment until I have time for comprehensive testing, but so far, so good.
• 1 Camp Trowel. This is a plastic hand tool, much like you would use to scoop light soil or sand at the beach. I can see this coming in handy for a variety of tasks. It is not a dedicated digging tool however. One of the first things I added to the kit was a steel hand shovel for real digging. I would like to see a real folding shovel or E-Tool as an option for the kit, something on par with the fast hawk.
• 2 Pairs of Leather Work Gloves, 4 N95 Rated Respirator Masks, and 2 Sets of Protective Goggles. These will be useful if you find yourself actually making it in the wild, the gloves in particular.
• 4 Coleman Hand Warmers.
• 2 Large Waste Bags.
• 1 Travel Sewing Kit. This is another one of those items that when you need, you really need. The kit comes with one; I’ll be getting a second.
• Consolidated documentation.
Design :
This is, to put it mildly, a lot of stuff. I did my time in boy scouts where the SOP was cram all your gear in your pack and hope it all came out well. Later I learned the art of good packing; but in the beginning I just hoped I could find what I needed without having to empty the whole thing on the ground first. Typically when you get a product like this everything is neatly and perfectly packaged for maximum space efficiency. Once you start messing with components, you’ll find that it’s near impossible to get everything packed back down into the ideal arrangement again. With this in mind, I was a little concerned opening the ER2 for the first time. As it turns out, I had nothing to worry about.
Echo Sigma’s design breaks down into modular components. Each piece of the puzzle is arranged so that you can sort through the bag quickly and pull out what you need without fuss. I did a quick inventory of the kit in less than a minute without having to remove anything except to verify which of the multiple kits were which. Everything fits back in its place. The heavier cardboard boxes with the provision packs sit at the bottom of the case, keeping it upright. The tent and sleeping bags are positioned in order to provide structural rigidity. Electronics are positioned facing outward so as not to bump into other elements.
The less obvious and to me, more valuable design feature of the ER2 is the thought that has gone into _every_little_detail of the unit’s organization. I’m blind as a bat and I can reach into the main kit and find anything I want, by touch, in a couple seconds. Each of the redundant kits is organized exactly the same way. So getting to the gear you want, whether it’s grabbing a component from the main kit or a sub component from one of the modular packs is about as straight forward as you can get. If you want a different configuration, all of the mini packs, save the medical kits, come with integral pals straps that can be locked to the case’s external webbing. A lot of the components are better off in the protected main compartment, but using the supplied zip ties or the paracord, there isn’t much you can’t rig to the case’s exterior mounting points. The backpacks are similarly customizable. So, whether you want to live out of the case or the packs, you can put the system together any way you want with a minimal amount of effort.
Finally, Echo Sigma’s claim of:
“You can take delivery of your system and immediately store it in its final storage location with confidence.”
Is spot on. If anything they aren’t giving themselves enough credit. Each part of this kit is removed from the factory packaging and consolidated into the Roller case—usually by means of a smaller clamshell pack. Sub components like bandages, power adapters, and matches are re-packaged with like items in zip lock bags for ease of segmentation. The radio handsets and flashlights are clipped to the webbing on one of the backpacks to keep them from battering around the inside of the case. The fast hawk was placed between the sleeping bags, in its sheath, to keep it from bashing the rest of the gear. The assembly and attention to detail is second-to-none.
Quality and purpose:
The temptation, especially if you’re a gear guy like me, is to look at the ER2 and say that’s awesome! And then bash the individual components. My impression is that E-S had a real challenge when designing this kit. On the one hand, the ER2 is meant to take two people and give them the ability to shelter in place or bug out for 3-10 days in all but the most extreme conditions. That is a very broad mandate—especially when you take into account the differences in what some people will consider “essential.” Meeting that mandate requires a lot of gear.
On the other hand, top flight preparedness and survival tech doesn’t come cheap. If one were to replace the 2 lights in my kit with Mcgizmo haiku XPGs, the ER2’s cost would double. Not to put too fine a point on it, but many of the major components, lights, tents, sleeping bags, knives, multitools, packs, and radios fall at the low end of what many gear snobs would consider worthy of their attention. I don’t consider this to be a mark against the ER2.
The ER2 is designed to sit in your closet for years at a time. When you pull it out, it’s built to get two people through up to a week of shelter in place or bugging out. It isn’t designed to help you survive the end of the world. It would be nice if it came standard with the most bomb proof tech on the market. That being said, I don’t have the disposable income or desire to drop $5,000 or more on a preparedness package that will in all likelihood spend several decades gathering dust. That’s the line Echo Sigma had to straddle with this package. They had to build a comprehensive pre-configured preparedness kit for two people while keeping the end product somewhat affordable. Given that mission, I’m very happy with the result.
Upgrades:
Many preppers will want to use this kit as a foundation for customization. So I’m including a few of my personal modifications that haven’t been mentioned in previous commentary.
• I’m a big believer in training with your tools, not just hoping to read the manual in the middle of an emergency. I’ll be getting a second set of the midland radios for redundancy and training.
• There are two products which I consider universally useful. Between duct tape and super glue, you can fix most medical and practical problems. There’s some duct tape in the kit already, but not enough. I’ll be adding an additional package plus a couple tubes of super glue.
• Anyone who camps a lot knows how important having a good camp knife is—preferably one you can easily sharpen. I have a high quality plane edge hunting knife which I’ll be adding along with an adjustable sharpener. I’m surprised that this kit doesn’t come with at least a smith’s pocket sharpener already.
• I’m a big fan of dedicated storage. It helps organize and improve functionality. After upgrading the batteries, I’ll be adding battery cases and at least one USB recharger. Using the base camp radio, this will let me recharge cells in a pinch.
Conclusion:
Building a preparedness kit is all about compromise—cost vs. quality, quantity of gear vs. portability, scope vs. probable use. People are going to draw those lines differently. I think a lot of people with the motivation and the resources to acquire a $1,200 preparedness setup will want to pick the components themselves. That said, the ER2 solves the problems I need solved, answers some questions I hadn’t thought to ask, and does it all at a very reasonable price. The extra steps Echo Sigma takes to organize, consolidate, and configure the package makes the ER2 the best value comprehensive preparedness kit in its class I’ve seen to date.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Surviving
People seem to assume that the guy with the guns is also the guy who is prepared for an emergency. This stems from the fact that many gun guys tend to have the materials on hand to deal with problems whether that’s bad weather or fixing a clogged toilet. This is obviously a bad standard; guns are useful tools but won’t solve most survival problems. Still, I keep running into the fact that outside a few special groups, people of the gun seem to be the only major demographic actually worried about our national unpreparedness.
The more I read on boards and forums, the more I realize that the United States isn’t set up well to deal with major disasters. Case in point, Last year, a California power substation was attacked. A shooter or group of shooters fired 150 small arms rounds at the substation over approximately twenty minutes, inflicting over $16,000,000 in damage. Authorities later found that a fiber optic phone line had been cut in an underground vault preventing early discovery of the danger. Keep in mind that this happened in April 2013. The only reason that it’s coming out now is that a former federal official is pushing for more security for our power grid. The FBI, who has made no arrests in the matter, is characterizing this action as vandalism. This was a major substation for Silicon Valley. The power company was barely able to route around the problem. It took several days to repair the damage. I don’t really care what people want to call the event—terrorism, vandalism, rebellion…etc. The point is that someone threatened the power to one of the United States’ largest technology centers with little to no real effort. More security would be nice, but the thing that has stuck with me is how easy it would be to disrupt power over a large geographic area.
Are we likely to lose regional power for a week or more due to domestic terrorism? That depends on whether you believe that the attack on the San Jose station was an isolated incident or the first step in a larger campaign. I think a better question is what if we have a bad tropical storm or coastal flooding? What if there’s an earthquake? There are any number of ways we might lose power, water, phone service, gas, sewage…etc.
I’m of the opinion that you do what you can within your limits. We picked up a preparedness set up from Echo Sigma with our tax return. It’ll probably look like overkill to anyone who isn’t worried about such things, but that is kind of the point. Every time we get to talking guns with friends, several people say they’ll be coming to our apartment if there’s an emergency. Thing is that guns are really the least part of being prepared. If you need them, then you need them right-freaking-now. But I’m not set up to wage a war—nor would I want to be. Rather, I want enough food, medical supplies, water, communications, heating, lighting, and basic survival gear to handle two weeks or so. If things get worse than that, I have larger problems that a home survival setup won’t be able to fix. It’s flattering that others trust me to handle their problems. There are times though when I wonder why aren’t you making your own arrangements? The answer is that sadly, for many people today the idea of a major FEMA worthy emergency is beyond imagining. They probably would come to us for help if something happened and I would do what I could for them. That said, I wish more people hoped for the best, but planned for the worst.
The brunette and I have been reading John ringo’s “Under a graveyard sky” series.” Reading a zombie apocalypse survival book tends to bring out the “what if” thinking. It also highlights the survivor mindset—you know the person who is always looking for a way to deal with problems. The first book is really excellent. In keeping with Ringo’s track record, the second is less stellar but still a solid read.
Of course, as we were reading that series, lady winter dropped a foot of snow on us over the course of five days. My coworkers stayed home—assuming the building was closed. I ended up making my way across half-plowed roads, unplowed sidewalks, and blocked corners. Even today the snow is piled to shoulder height at many intersections. It wasn’t what I’d call fun—when you walk everywhere and all your normal paths are blocked there are obvious challenges. There was however a sense of accomplishment in being the only guy who wasn’t stopped cold by the weather.
Over the weekend, the brunette and I updated our phones to the newest apple iPhone robo communicator whatchamacallit—5s. Keep in mind I clung to my indestructible flip phone of doom™ until I had no option but to go with the iPhone. Nobody seems to make truly durable phones any more. So if I’m going to be forced down that road, might as well jump in with both feet. I don’t have anything against smart phones per-say; I just like using a phone as a phone. Having the ability to play games, surf the net, text, and use Skype is awesome. It’s also a huge distraction. I don’t do well with distractions. “Oooo shiny...hmm…go away I’m…mmm almost there…level 5…now what were you saying?”
Even so, I’ve really enjoyed customizing ringtones, playing games, and working with siri. I bought a wireless keyboard that pairs nicely—entering contact information and passwords is so-much-easier with a real keyboard. I’ve kickstarted a minimalist case. I ordered a wireless headset. I feel as if I’m about to start a mission on the star ship enterprise instead of just getting a new phone. So we’ll see how things go. I am absolutely not putting email at my fingertips—I’d never get anything done. That said, really enjoying the experience, though with a certain nostalgic plucking of heart strings for my old reliable flip phone. I’d love suggestions for any interesting or useful games/apps.
The more I read on boards and forums, the more I realize that the United States isn’t set up well to deal with major disasters. Case in point, Last year, a California power substation was attacked. A shooter or group of shooters fired 150 small arms rounds at the substation over approximately twenty minutes, inflicting over $16,000,000 in damage. Authorities later found that a fiber optic phone line had been cut in an underground vault preventing early discovery of the danger. Keep in mind that this happened in April 2013. The only reason that it’s coming out now is that a former federal official is pushing for more security for our power grid. The FBI, who has made no arrests in the matter, is characterizing this action as vandalism. This was a major substation for Silicon Valley. The power company was barely able to route around the problem. It took several days to repair the damage. I don’t really care what people want to call the event—terrorism, vandalism, rebellion…etc. The point is that someone threatened the power to one of the United States’ largest technology centers with little to no real effort. More security would be nice, but the thing that has stuck with me is how easy it would be to disrupt power over a large geographic area.
Are we likely to lose regional power for a week or more due to domestic terrorism? That depends on whether you believe that the attack on the San Jose station was an isolated incident or the first step in a larger campaign. I think a better question is what if we have a bad tropical storm or coastal flooding? What if there’s an earthquake? There are any number of ways we might lose power, water, phone service, gas, sewage…etc.
I’m of the opinion that you do what you can within your limits. We picked up a preparedness set up from Echo Sigma with our tax return. It’ll probably look like overkill to anyone who isn’t worried about such things, but that is kind of the point. Every time we get to talking guns with friends, several people say they’ll be coming to our apartment if there’s an emergency. Thing is that guns are really the least part of being prepared. If you need them, then you need them right-freaking-now. But I’m not set up to wage a war—nor would I want to be. Rather, I want enough food, medical supplies, water, communications, heating, lighting, and basic survival gear to handle two weeks or so. If things get worse than that, I have larger problems that a home survival setup won’t be able to fix. It’s flattering that others trust me to handle their problems. There are times though when I wonder why aren’t you making your own arrangements? The answer is that sadly, for many people today the idea of a major FEMA worthy emergency is beyond imagining. They probably would come to us for help if something happened and I would do what I could for them. That said, I wish more people hoped for the best, but planned for the worst.
The brunette and I have been reading John ringo’s “Under a graveyard sky” series.” Reading a zombie apocalypse survival book tends to bring out the “what if” thinking. It also highlights the survivor mindset—you know the person who is always looking for a way to deal with problems. The first book is really excellent. In keeping with Ringo’s track record, the second is less stellar but still a solid read.
Of course, as we were reading that series, lady winter dropped a foot of snow on us over the course of five days. My coworkers stayed home—assuming the building was closed. I ended up making my way across half-plowed roads, unplowed sidewalks, and blocked corners. Even today the snow is piled to shoulder height at many intersections. It wasn’t what I’d call fun—when you walk everywhere and all your normal paths are blocked there are obvious challenges. There was however a sense of accomplishment in being the only guy who wasn’t stopped cold by the weather.
Over the weekend, the brunette and I updated our phones to the newest apple iPhone robo communicator whatchamacallit—5s. Keep in mind I clung to my indestructible flip phone of doom™ until I had no option but to go with the iPhone. Nobody seems to make truly durable phones any more. So if I’m going to be forced down that road, might as well jump in with both feet. I don’t have anything against smart phones per-say; I just like using a phone as a phone. Having the ability to play games, surf the net, text, and use Skype is awesome. It’s also a huge distraction. I don’t do well with distractions. “Oooo shiny...hmm…go away I’m…mmm almost there…level 5…now what were you saying?”
Even so, I’ve really enjoyed customizing ringtones, playing games, and working with siri. I bought a wireless keyboard that pairs nicely—entering contact information and passwords is so-much-easier with a real keyboard. I’ve kickstarted a minimalist case. I ordered a wireless headset. I feel as if I’m about to start a mission on the star ship enterprise instead of just getting a new phone. So we’ll see how things go. I am absolutely not putting email at my fingertips—I’d never get anything done. That said, really enjoying the experience, though with a certain nostalgic plucking of heart strings for my old reliable flip phone. I’d love suggestions for any interesting or useful games/apps.
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