Honda Generators

See my other reply...

past ignorance;

Sounds like you have IQ problems too. I apologize to you too for not explaining myself better but I'm having a hard time finding words at your level for you to comprehend.

past ignorance;

At your IQ, I can't.

past ignorance;

apologies for not

Is your neuron lonely again today?

Here in Alabamastan, a business applies for a sales tax ID number and doesn't pay sales tax on items purchased for resale but must collect sales tax from the customer when the inventory is sold then remit the collected tax to the S/L government. The business pays sales tax on items used for operating the business, like paper clips or fax paper. I'm only familiar with taxes for a service business not a retailer or wholesale operation. The cost of renewing the business license is based on gross sales for the previous year. Of course there are a lot of other weird little things that the tax SWAT team will come after you for but I don't remember any of them. O_o

TDD

Businesses do not pay sales tax for things they buy to use in the normal course of business. If I am a maker of candy, I don't pay sales taxes in Indiana for sugar, the hairnets my employees use, the vats I use to make the candy, the cartons I put it in, etc. So,. Indiana there isn't really a double taxation of sales tax and property taxes, addressing the concerns above.

For things that go into the candy (resold as part of the product), no. No sales tax for the tooling to make the candy? Office stationary? That is odd.

There isn't a "double taxation" with a "use tax", either.

That's normal. It's not a "sales tax", rather a "use tax". They're usually the same law and the same amount but there is a technical difference. If you're a candy maker, any candy consumed on premises is subject to use tax (or its components are).

Which you can write off as a business expense, giving more work to the lawyers and accountants. ;-)

Good meds! Still not off the high yet? What are they giving you?

Gunner

One bleeding-heart type asked me in a recent interview if I did not agree that "violence begets violence." I told him that it is my earnest endeavor to see that it does. I would like very much to ensure

- and in some cases I have - that any man who offers violence to his fellow citizen begets a whole lot more in return than he can enjoy.

- Jeff Cooper

past ignorance;

Indeed. So is the nurse typing for you? It actually almost sounds intelligent. So streeetch yourself for those big words like "the" and "think" and make it easier on whoever is doing the typing.

Gunner

One bleeding-heart type asked me in a recent interview if I did not agree that "violence begets violence." I told him that it is my earnest endeavor to see that it does. I would like very much to ensure

- and in some cases I have - that any man who offers violence to his fellow citizen begets a whole lot more in return than he can enjoy.

- Jeff Cooper

Nah..they will all be dead and bulldozed deep within a year..so dont bother.

Gunner

One bleeding-heart type asked me in a recent interview if I did not agree that "violence begets violence." I told him that it is my earnest endeavor to see that it does. I would like very much to ensure

- and in some cases I have - that any man who offers violence to his fellow citizen begets a whole lot more in return than he can enjoy.

- Jeff Cooper

Sigh. This subject line was attempt to correct an earlier thread drift. Used to be somethng, and then it was FEMA blocking gasoline tankers from entering Florida. And now, we're talking about sales and uses taxes in Indiana.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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Businesses do not pay sales tax for things they buy to use in the normal course of business. If I am a maker of candy, I don't pay sales taxes in Indiana for sugar, the hairnets my employees use, the vats I use to make the candy, the cartons I put it in, etc. So,. Indiana there isn't really a double taxation of sales tax and property taxes, addressing the concerns above.

I think my favorite ice cream would be chocolate chip.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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One of my friends reposted this on facebook. Wonder when people will learn to check for hoaxes?

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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(You may not believe this, but I'm the author of the below hoax.)

Feature Story October 28, 2003 By News Reporter Jerry Simonreid San Bernadino California, USA

I know that toilet paper isn't the most popular subject to discuss. However, we know by comparing disease rates in civilized countries versus countries with no flush toilets and toilet paper that your health and life depends on good hygene. Much of the reason we are so healthy in the USA is because of running water, washing hands, and of course, toilet paper. But what if we ran out?

Here's some info for you to get ahead of the crowds. You know those wildfires in southen California now? Well, I bet you didn't know that the Clappington Paper Products factory is one of the many business that burned down.

Have you ever noticed that regardless of the brand of toilet paper you purchase, that there are only five or six different types of toilet paper on the market. But there are a lot of brands and a lot of different names.

Have you noticed that there are only a couple different types of packaging for toilet paper?

Well, the secret is out. About 97 1/2 percent of the toilet paper in the US, Canada, and Mexico is manufactured in one facility. That would be the Clappington Factory, in southern CA. You see, the finished product is so light weight, it is easy to transport by truck. Nearly no weight at all. And the factory is so close to the border, they use a lot of illegal immigrant labor. This is an open secret - because INS knows what would happen to the nation if the one TP factory closed.

Well, it did close. The wildfires in southern CA have burned down the one factory which makes 97 1/2 percent of the TP in the US, Mexico, and Canada. It is expected to be 6 to 8 weeks before any other manufacturing facility can make adequate supplies of TP.

Governor Grey Davis has enough troubles with the fire, and with his recall eletion. He can't afford to be known as the governor who deprived the nation of toilet paper. So, he's ordered a news blackout of the story. You havn't seen it on the news, right? But the email and internet allow us to know things that aren't on the news.

Stores have only about a 2 to 3 day supply of TP on the shelves. Wait till the word gets out, you'll see a run on toilet paper like never before. And it's going to be 6 weeks at the very minimum till the stores have any more.

If you havn't stocked up, now is the time. And forward this message to everyone in your adress book. You wouldn't want your close friends to be out of something so important. I wouldn't joke about something this serious.

Information courtesy of:

Sergeant K. Jameson, Engine Company Sergeant, San Bernadino Fire Department

Direct Versus Indirect Survivalism Revised Oct 15, 2008 Christopher A. Young

I've been working on the concept of direct versus indirect survivalism.

The question is that at the "crunch time" or time of crisis, what can I do myself, versus what can I get other people to do. It doesn't matter if other people helped manufacture something -- only that at the time of crisis, I can use the item myself.

Examples follow:

FOOD: Direct: My kitchen is full of food. If I'm hungry, I go eat. Direct: I've learned to hunt & fish very well, & preserve my takes Indirect: I have a credit card. If I'm hungry, I go to a diner. Direct: My garden grows good food. Direct: I've learned ALL of the edible wild plants in my area, & how to prepare them Indirect: Well, if it really gets bad, the UN will feed me. Direct: Indirect: I've got gold and silver coins. I can buy food. Direct: Indirect:

CLOTHING: Direct: I've got clothing in my size in my house, and in my vehicle. Direct: I've learned to tan hides & fashion items from them Direct: I've learned to make moccasins & wooden soled boots Indirect: Well, the Red Cross can hook me up. Direct: Indirect:

SHELTER: Direct: I've got a good home, and a tent in my bug out vehicle. Indirect: I'll look for a motel room. Direct: I've got bug out location chosen, and an expedient shelter. Indirect: I'll move in with family or friends

ENTERTAINMENT: Direct: I'll read a book. Indirect: I'll watch TV. Direct: Indirect:

MEDICAL: Direct: I've got a first aid kit Indirect: I'll present my Mediscam card, and they will treat me Direct: I'm taking care of my teeth and my health Direct, I have copies of "Where There Is No Doctor" & "Where There Is No dentist" and some medical and dental supplies. Indirect: They are required by law to treat me.

DEFENSE: Direct: I keep my house locked Indirect: I can always call 9 - 1 - 1 Direct: I've got a basebal bat (or gun) Direct: I've practiced until I can shoot VERY well. Indirect: The police are here to protect me.

REPAIRS: Direct: I've got spare wheel. Indirect: I'll call AAA on my cell phone, and give them my card. Direct: I've got a gascan and some spare parts. Indirect: I've got a charge card.

HEAT & LIGHT Indirect: I've got a furnace & am hooked up to the power grid Direct: I've got my kerosene heater and some kero Indirect: I can ask someone for a light, to light a fire Direct: I carry matches in a waterproof container Direct: I've got a good set of flint & steel, along with a waterproof container of good tinder, & know which woods in my area burn the brightest, which give the best coals for cooking, which add the best flavor to foods cooked over them, & which give off almost no smoke when burning. Indirect- I can buy a flashlight, "Coleman" lantern, & candles at the store Direct- I have matches and candles at home. Direct: I already own a flash light, I can go turn it on.

What other subjects do we choose direct or indirect? Feel free to add to the list.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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Characteristics of a General Purpose Survival Flashlight

Let there be light. We take it for granted these days, but in the woods on a dark night, during a power outage, or--most importantly--in a long-term survival situation, you'll quickly learn just how important light is, and how important it is to choose your illumination tools wisely.

Here are my opinions about what makes for a good survival light. Following are what I consider the most important criteria in evaluating a survival flashlight.

First, there is no "one light" that will do everything. Any more than "one gun" or "one knife". You wil need several.

1. Small and lightweight is better in most situations. But in others, you need bigger.

Bigger flashlights hold more or larger batteries than smaller flashlights, which usually translates into increased light output. Some are bigger due to marketing, or poor design. Many rubber flash lights run on two AA cells, are twice the bulk of a Mini Mag, and don't work as well as the Mini Mag. Bigger flashlights are heavier. They may or may not have longer runtime. Many perfectly good survival lights use just one or two batteries, and small and lightweight enough comfortably carry in your shirt or front pants pocket. This gives you more carry options and makes carrying the light for long periods of time more comfortable.

1. Uses a common battery size Currently, the most common flashlight battery sizes are AAA, AA, and D cells. Very few lights use 9-volt batteries or lithium photo batteries.

That leaves AA- or AAA-cell lights are the most convenient for pocket carry. C and D cells for in the truck. For occasional use when more light power is needed.

Using a common battery size is important for price, and for getting more batteries if you need them. Depending on the severity and duration of the survival scenario, it will probably be easier to either purchase or barter for AA and AAA batteries than the newer, more exotic sizes.

1. Uses a variety of battery types It's important that survival flashlights be able to function whether using carbon, alkaline, lithium, or rechargeable batteries--especially rechargeables (along with a portable solar recharging system), since you could be facing a long-term survival situation. Each type has its own particular advantages and disadvantages. Most lights will function using all three types, though some manufacturers don't include lithium primaries in their list of recommendations. That doesn't mean lithium batteries will harm your light, but don't assume there won't be a problem using any type of battery that the manufacturer doesn't specifically recommend. Find out exactly what batteries your survival light can tolerate before you purchase it, or test the batteries in your light before you have to rely on them.
2. Fewer batteries is better

Obviously, the fewer the batteries needed to operate the light . . . the fewer batteries you'll need to operate the light. This is a good thing in a survival situation, even better in a long-term survival situation. Your two-cell light may get a total runtime of 60 hours compared to just 40 hours for my one-cell light. But I'll get a total of 80 hours using two batteries compared to your 60 hours. Of course, comparisons like this don't always apply: run times vary greatly between different manufacturers and models depending on the type of light source and the electronics employed. Still, as a rule, a survival light should use no more than two batteries, preferably just one. Currently, there are many one-cell AA lights on the market that not only produce a lot of light (for their size), but also enjoy excellent run times. Twenty-plus hours of usable light is not uncommon, and even longer run times can be found. There are also a few

1xAAA lights available that might make adequate primary or excellent back-up survival lights.

1. Simple to operate There are lots of fancy lights out there that sport multiple output levels, including SOS and strobe modes. Some are even computer-programmable. While that's not a bad thing in itself, when it comes to survival lights (as with most survival gear), simple is usually better. A light with just one medium-intensity level will usually suffice, or perhaps a two-level light with low and high output levels. In the end, it doesn't matter how many light levels or modes your light offers, just so that it's dirt simple and intuitive to operate.

2. Reliable operation mechanism " Twisty" or "clickie," that is the question. Which is more reliable? There is no definitive answer, because operation reliability depends more on the quality of the light (and its constituent parts) than on the particular mode of operation. And even a good company can turn out the occasional bad light. I've heard of 0+ Surefire lights having clickie malfunctions. I've also heard of twisty lights failing because the circuit board was displaced after repeated use, or by using too much torque while tightening the bezel. Most clickies have the on-off mechanism on the rear of the light, while some have it on the side (e.g., Maglite). Most twisties are operated by turning the bezel (head) or tail cap. And there are also hybrid models utilizing both twisty and clickie operations. If at all possible, obtain spare clickie mechanisms and/or twisty bezels (depending on the type of light) to use as replacement parts. [JWR Adds: Changing a MagLite "clickie" switch assembly require the use of an Allen (hex) wrench. Thankfully, MagLite sells large maintenance & repair spare parts sets at a very low price, considering the number of parts included in the sets. I have been told that they sell these parts sets at near their cost, to keep their biggest customers (such as police and fire departments) happy and loyal to the brand.]

1. Well constructed Look for lights where the bulb is reasonably protected within the bezel, that are shock resistant and water resistant/proof, and that won't accidentally turn on while in your pocket or backpack. Clickies are most prone to accidental activation. This can usually be prevented by rotating the bezel or tail cap (depending on which end the batteries are inserted into) counterclockwise while the light is on until the power cuts out, then clicking the clickie button off.

2. LED versus incandescent No contest here. A flashlight that uses an incandescent (or similar type) bulb is simply not a primary survival light. Period. If the bulb itself can burn out or malfunction due to shock (broken element), then you don't want to trust your life to its operation. While light emitting diode (LED) "bulbs" technically don't last forever, a 5,000- to 10,000-hour use life is close enough to "forever" for survival purposes. And no, LED bulbs are not impervious to shock, but they're a heck of a lot tougher than other bulb types. Over the last few years LED technology has improved exponentially, to the point where they now favorably compare to or out-perform most other lights in almost every category, including output (brightness). There are still brighter bulb types out there, but the newest and brightest LEDs are more than bright enough to meet virtually every basic need you'll have for a flashlight. The older Nichia brand LEDs, still commonly found on store racks (it takes time for new technology to trickle down to the retail level) emit a slightly bluish tint. Many people find this tint objectionable, though it's really a matter of aesthetics. I still rely on a relatively dim Nichia LED as my primary survival light (a CMG Infinity Ultra, now redesigned and marketed under the Gerber name), and am more than willing to put up with the bluish tint due to its superb runtime (80+ hours of usable light on just 1 AA battery). My current back-up survival light (an old Arc-P 1xAAA) is also a Nichia. Other people are not so forgiving of the tint. Not to worry. The newer generation LEDs (e.g., the so-called Cree lights, and others are on the way) boast a lily white tint--or maybe even whiter than lilies. The bottom line is, go with LED technology.

1. Good compromise between output and run time Other than the "LED versus incandescent" issue (which is actually a non-issue), this is arguably the most important criterion, and it's what separates most lights from true survival lights. Look for a run time of at least seven hours to 50% output (which would probably translate into 8-12 total hours of usable light). This is the minimum that you should settle for. The longer the run time, the better. Let's make sure you understand that last point. The longer the run time, the better. Don't get hung up on the whole output (i.e., how bright it is) thing. Super-bright "tactical" lights are great for impressing your friends, but will usually suck batteries dry much more quickly than less powerful lights (although improving LED technology continues to give us brighter lights and better run times.). Also, the darker your environment, the less light you need to see well enough. Brighter lights can actually be a disadvantage, because they more readily attract unwanted attention, and can also impair your night vision more than moderate-output lights. These are important considerations in a survival scenario. Again, we're talking about survival lights here, not tactical (super bright) lights. While it might make sense to also take along a super-bright light for "tactical" use (e.g., disorienting or disrupting the night vision of a potential threat), in most cases these lights will not meet the necessary criteria to qualify as true survival lights. And to repeat: the darker your environment, the less light you'll need to perform most essential tasks.

2. Quality of light beam What this refers to is the illumination pattern, or beam characteristic, of the light. It's sometimes referred to as "spill." For survival lights, a wide spill beam is usually preferable to a tight, bright spot beam. While the former won't illuminate specific objects as well, it provides illumination to a wider area, facilitating a broader picture and better peripheral vision. The latter will illuminate specific objects or smaller areas much better, and will have greater (longer) "throw," but will also tend to draw your line of sight inward, so that you focus more on what's illuminated in the spot beam than on what may be around it. Tight, bright beams are also more detrimental to night vision than wider, dimmer spill beams. A few lights seek a compromise between the two, claiming to offer both a bright center beam as well as decent spill. Some are more successful at accomplishing this than others. Personally, I prefer lights that do one thing or the other over those that take a "Swiss Army Knife" approach to illumination, though you may feel otherwise. If you happen to choose to also carry a more powerful "tactical" light, just in case it's needed, you'll probably prefer that it have a bright, fairly narrow beam. But for a general purpose survival light, you want a wider, more diffuse beam, allowing you take in more visual information at one time.

1. Lanyard hole The lanyard hole is just that--a hole [or loop] in the light [body or tail cap] through which you can attach a lanyard (cord) or a split ring, to which the lanyard can be attached (I prefer this setup). The lanyard can then be tied around your wrist, for example, or through a belt loop to prevent the loss of your light. Instead of a hole, some lights employ other means for lanyard attachment, and some have no dedicated lanyard attachment at all--except, perhaps, a (removable or screwed-into-place) pocket clip under which you could thread a cord. Unless you choose to forgo the lanyard and attach your light to a key ring along with other needed items (which I advise against, though that might be a viable option for a small back-up light), Always use a lanyard and secure it to your person, your clothing, or your gear, even when not in use. Your survival light is an essential, life-saving, possibly irreplaceable tool, but it will do you no good if you lose it. To be honest, I don't think I'd buy a light for serious survival that did not feature a dedicated, foolproof lanyard attachment, preferably a hole through some portion of the body.

2. Pocket clip Most smaller lights these days come with pocket clips. They are usually detachable (slide-on, slide-off), and are useful for securing the light to the inside of a pocket, or for clipping it to your clothes, gear, or hat brim while performing tasks that require both hands. (I would always use a lanyard in addition to the clip). Pocket clips are nice to have. If your light doesn't come with one, it would be worthwhile to find a clip from some other source (such as another light of the same diameter) that fits snugly around your survival flashlight.

1. Can stand on its tail This is not an essential criterion, and I certainly wouldn't reject a light simply because it isn't designed to stand upright on its tail end (and FWIW, my current primary survival light doesn't), but lights that can do so add an additional level of functionality. They are especially useful when you desire ambient (rather than direct) light, such as when reading or dressing in your tent. Of course, you can always prop your light up or clip it to something to get the same effect, but it's not quite as handy.

2. Caring for your light Other than lubing the bezel and/or tail cap threads with an appropriate wet or dry lubricant, and avoiding cross-threading when attaching the bezel and/or tail cap, flashlight maintenance is pretty simple. Don't put the battery(ies) in backwards, keep it dry, don't drop it, etc. I'd suggest keeping your survival light empty of batteries until needed. Otherwise, keep lithiums in there. Alkalines can leak and ruin your light.

Q: What about headlamps? Can these be used as survival lights? A: Very handy items to have. The light shines right where you look. Including smack dab into the face of the person you're looking at. Maybe it's just me, but I don't much care for light in my eyes when I'm trying to preserve my night vision. They might also make a handy head-shot target for hostiles. Let's put it this way. While most small flashlights can usually be rigged to serve as makeshift headlamps (with the aid of a pocket clip or headband, for example), most headlamps cannot readily be used in the same manner as one might use a flashlight. Headlamps could possibly serve as back-up survival lights (if they use only one or two batteries), but I would not recommend them as primary survival lights. A flashlight will, in most instances, prove more versatile. Resources

1. The best flashlight resource on the Web is Candle Power Forums . Lots of traffic and more info about flashlights than most people would ever need to know. Also a good source for obtaining custom lights.
2. One of the better flashlight review sites is FlashlightReviews.com. It's no longer updated regularly, but many of the lights still being sold are reviewed at the site.

if you decide to transition to LEDs, save those original incandescent light bulb components. You never know when someday you may need a lot of light--for example for impromptu surgery out in the field.

The other exception is truly SHTF tactical use. While I do not advocate using a visible light flashlight or rail-mounted weapon light where you are up against and armed opponent. (Since they provide your opponent with a convenient point of aim.) They are fine for shooting marauding bears.

I also keep a

50 piece box of the standard Panasonic brand CR-123 lithium batteries in my refrigerator, as a "tactical reserve." These have a 10+ year shelf life.

Regarding lanyards, I recommend using a long, stout lanyard that is a full loop, preferably with a ball-shaped spring button slider. I mainly use olive drab paracord. The longer the better, for the sake of versatility. If the lanyard is too short, then there is not enough slack to loop the flashlight through (in a Girth Hitch--a.k.a. Lanyard Knot) to be able to hang a light from a branch, belt loop, tent d-ring, or other object.

September 2004 LESSONS OFF THE GRID A HURRICANE ALLEY STORY

Sean Steele

Hurricanes Charley and Frances blew thru our homestead in central Florida over the past three weeks. From them we learned quite a few things I would like to share with you. If you live in other parts of the country and have never experienced significant loss of infrastructure, some of this may be eye opening. We had been warned of these things before the Y2K scare and had made many preparations, but we had never actually seen disaster come about in real time. We were prepared for many of the surprises but still, there was a learning curve. This story describes a hurricane event. The same scenario will develop in other local or regional events such as bioterrorism, nuke terrorism or loss of civil control for ANY reason, but along a much more extended timeline. What follows is a step-wise discussion developed for quick reading. Please note that this story relates to only a partial loss of infrastructure for less than a week!

MONEY: We got our first surprise when we went to the lobby of our bank to withdraw some cash reserves. I had heard from some of my friends who weathered Hugo that cash was an immediate problem after the storm.Frances was scheduled to arrive on Saturday evening. On Wednesday afternoon we went to the bank to withdraw cash. It was too late. Our bank was totally out of cash. We went to the nearest ATM - out of cash. This was Wed and the hurricane wasn't yet due for over 60 hours. We finally managed to find an ATM that would dispense - but bank policy limited it to $200 per day. (We were told that on Monday the bank began limiting withdrawals to $500 per customer per account at the window.) By the next day there were NO ATMsdispensing money anywhere (they were all out and there was no one in the area to replenish them) and the banks were closed - all of them were out of cash. Cash takes on a whole new meaning when the power AND the phone lines goes out. Almost NO STORES were taking credit after the event. A precious few were actually open and running on generators but almost none (we could not find ANY) could connect their computers to the grid to take credit cards. Cards and banks are WORTHLESS close to and especially after an event, I don't care how much money you have locked up inside them. It is an eye-opening moment when the teller looks back at you and says, "SORRY". Actually having money in the bank - no matter how much money - was a pointless issue at this moment. "Money in the bank" and reality just didn't connect anymore.

FOOD AND SUPPLIES: By Wednesday afternoon nearly every store was out of water. We did walk into a Wal Mart that had just received a semi load of it. We didn't need water, we always keep 20 gallons of bottled water on hand and we filled another 20 bottles from the sink. We also have two wells on our lot with hand pumps and back-up hand pumps, so water was never a problem for us. As far as supplies were concerned, many stores were closed by Thursday and most by Friday - out of stock of all canned goods and other storm class foods. We keep a very ample supply of foods so this was not an issue for this household. One humorous note: Our son works in a grocery store as a bag-boy. He said the most popular item and the first to sell out the day the store opened was beer. No other item even came close! Many folks bought food for the hurricane without taking into account that when the power goes, so does the capacity to cook the food. Having a camp stove and using it OUTDOORS ONLY was not something many folks had considered. There were a few reports of CO poisoning from use of camp stoves indoors.

PLYWOOD AND TARPS: By Tuesday (storm minus 72 hours), it was way too late for plywood and tarps. We had all these but many tens of thousands did not. Most hurricane preparation supplies were gone from 72-48 hours out. I have often wondered how one can live in hurricane alley and actually find oneself in line to buy plywood 48 hours before landfall of the next hellstorm. I'm sorry - I just don't get it.

GASOLINE: Fuel was the most pressing problem of all. Fuel supplies were totally out in MOST gas stations by Friday morning. As early as Thursday morning, many stations were closing for lack of supply. There were long lines before the storm at the few stations that had gas but after the storm, the lines were even longer. People with generators failed to take into account the burn rate of any where from 0.5 to 1.5 gallons per hour plus the amount they would need for their cars. We never drop below 110 gallons at any time for any reason, so, again, fuel was not a problem for us. It was a most amazing thing to watch cars pulled up to closed stations with pumps wrapped in plastic just sitting there waiting for them to open or sheriff deputies and/or National Guard troops having to police long lines at the few stations that were actually dispensing gas. There cones a time when gasoline is not available and no amount of money can buy it anymore.

EVACUATIONS, TRANSPORTAION AND HIGHWAYS: The largest evacuation in US history was a nightmare for those who left (we did not because we had a saferoom above the flood line). The major interstates were bumper to bumper, there were few available hotel rooms to be found in the so-called "safe" regions. (Some friends of ours evacuated Tampa Bay when Charley came through and got a hotel room in Orlando. As it turned out, they caught hell's fury in their hotel room as Charley swept over their "safe-haven" while their Tampa home hardly caught a breeze!) One surprising observation was that many, many people evacuated in a relative "panic" and just drove out, not knowing where they were going. They just knew they were told to leave, but had no destination in mind. This included a surprisingly large percentage of the evacuees who intended to "drive north" until they felt they were "safe", then find a hotel room. What they did not count on was a scarcity of gasoline and lack of hotel rooms along the major transportation corridors because millions of people were all on the same relatively uncertain mission along the same few paths. Again, they also didn't seem to stop and consider that the hurricane's path was also traveling north along the same narrow peninsula! Meanwhile, back at home, the hurricane nearly destroyed all the traffic lights. After the storm, the "four way stop rule at a broken traffic light" was problematic as the few who did not know or care about this rule caused quite a few accidents and killed a few people not to mention scaring the living daylights out of all the rest of us. Another interesting note is that people wanted to get out of their homes IMMEDIATELY following the storm. By the first day after the streets were flooded with people looking for ANYTHING open - damn the streetlights and mostly closed businesses - people just wanted their lives back and RIGHT NOW! When the roads were opened to resume the exodus back home, it was a gas-line and clogged roads nightmare in reverse that included those who had to get out and see what was going on. I ran onto one poor traveler who was out of money and out of gas with only a Credit-ATM card in a hot car with a strung out wife and cranky dog. I cashed a check for him and wished him well as he returned to his home near the center of the greatest damage, uncertain of what he would find when he got there.

CURFEW: The counties and cities nearly ALL invoked curfews. All of them were set on different schedules! And all of them were handled different. Some seemed to be indifferent to the curfew, others would arrest on sight. Some counties only cared about the curfew in mandatory evacuation areas while others stringently secured the entire area.

COMMUNICATIONS: We held onto our telephone land line signal until well after the hurricane had past. We lost cell phone during the hurricane, probably due to loss of local power to the cell phone tower. Soon after the storm was over, the cell signal came back. Then; inexplicably, the land line went dead for around 72 hours under clear skies (as I write it is still dead). When the land line went dead, everyone immediately loaded up the cell phone towers to the point that calling out or receiving was impossible. For over a day we were totally locked out of cell phone AND land line communications. Not even the local pay phones were operational. We had a 12V portable television so that we could receive storm reports with unbroken reliability using its rabbit ear antenna. Cable was gone nearly everywhere. Direct TV (satellite) and XM Radio was fully functional with power from the battery bank or the generator. The land line phone system is "usually" more robust and reliable in "most" areas than the power grid. And the simpler the phone, the more reliable it is. A cheap, direct plug phone will usually (not always) work when the power is lost and there is still a phone signal. A cordless phone will appear dead even though it is receiving phone signal! My strong advice is to have a cheap $5.00 phone ready to bypass the fancy, hi-tech phone. If it doesn't work, you can "usually" be sure there is no signal to your house.

MEDICAL AND EMERGENCY SERVICES: During the storm, all emergency services were lost. (It may be of some amusement to a few that when the first rain bands of the hurricane blew through with 30 mile per hour winds, the 911 lines were over loaded with frantic calls.) If you didn't have ALL your required medicine WELL before the hurricane was announced, getting them would have been a problem. Oh, and, unless they see arterial flow or a loved one clutching their chest, folks should just please leave the poor 911 operators alone.

GENERATORS AND POWER: Finding a generator a week before the storm was simply impossible. Just a few weeks before I saw a nice gen-set in a Harbor Freight catalogue for $289.00 - free shipping. Within a week of Charley the same generator would have cost $500 or more. When Hugo blew through Charleston, a truckload of $500 generators sold for $3500 each! (Again, there comes a time and place when generators cannot be found at all, much less purchased for any amount of money.) Then a few morons would set the new generators in their garage to keep them out of the rain and then light them off. Of course their doors were open to cool down the un-air conditioned house and the carbon monoxide was sucked right inside! ("Hey, Bubba, I can't smell anythin', can YOU smell anythin'?") The same scene was repeated on the front porch with the window open, etc. But the most common generator error is having a nice shiny new generator and not enough fuel. It is incredible how many folks buy a generator and a five gallon can of gas, not even taking a single moment to calculate the fuel requirement or - worse - assuming they will just go and get more when they run out! Then there is the "now what do I do with it?" problem. A beautiful, new 4000 watt generator will NOT run the whole enchilada! And, again, the nice little generator will invariably drink up around 15-20 gallons per day of operation. Not too many stop to consider that running the refrigerator and freezer 12 on and 12 off is fine, and, think about it, who in their right mind would want to run a

4000 watt gas hog to drive a single 9" fan and a TV? We had our nice generator and tons of gas but ran into a problem with cords snaking all over the house. I intend to finish my generator direct wire-to-house project immediately. It is essential also to note that the power TO the grid must be shut down EVERY time a genset is connected to the house to keep from back-feeding the power lines and killing the poor power worker trying to get the neighborhood grid back on line. I sincerely apologize to restate the obvious but I am morally bound to do so. We also had a bank of 10 deep cycle high capacity batteries and two inverters (12 v DC to 110 v AC) of 1500 watts and 2000 watts. We could run any 110v appliance including our saferoom window air conditioner on either of the inverters. The AC would have run about 10 hours and the lights and fans for more than a week without benefit of a generator or solar recharge. But - when running, the generator also charges the batteries as well as running the AC and all other circuits. We also power our system with three banks of 12 solar panels that provide 768 watts per hour to the battery banks during a sunlit day, or about 4.5 KW per day, enough to run the window AC for about six hours minus generator input and the panels/ batteries can run the lights and fans without limit forever or until the bearings go out. The power dance is best described as running back and forth between the availability of grid power to generator to batteries to solar and back and forth in "series or parallel" as the situation requires. I cannot overemphasize the value of off-the-shelf 12v DC marine deep cycle batteries and inverters with a recharge capability. They provide amazing results and will last years IF properly cared for. I have one set of seven 12v marine batteries that have been continuous use for 7 years and are still going strong! I also must note that inverters are ALL mysterious, fickle, unforgiving black boxes that WILL die if the leads are inverted the wrong way across the posts and they can NEVER be resurrected even after a quarter second mistake. And, the cheap, smaller inverters seem to die quick deaths with no notice and never wake up again. Go ahead and buy the TRACE or the HEART INTERFACE or other name brands - you won't be sorry even though they cost more.

SHELTER AND AIR CONDITIONING: Our saferoom was well designed and I must stress one of the most important aspects was ventilation (fans) and air conditioning. We spent 18 continuous hours buttoned up (Frances was a very slow storm). The most important aspect was the air conditioner (a 5000 BTU window unit). Without it we would have been unbearably miserable. The safe room was made up of 8" solid concrete walls and ceiling with steel rebar reinforcing. During the worst of the storm with wind speeds approaching 100 MPH we all slept soundly and quite comfortably on fold-out cots.

LIGHTING: There is a wide assumption that candles, kerosene or storm-lamps are sufficient. Not so. In fact, my grandparents went to bed at sunset and got up at dawn just to be able to live and work in the light. Kerosene lamps are smoky and dim and flickering and hard to live with. We used three banks of dual tube 12V fluorescent lights mounted to the white ceiling of the safe room. These provided more than enough light and were quite strongly psychologically encouraging even with the power grid was lost. The full banks cost six 12v DC amps/hour. But we found that a single bank (2 A) was enough for most of our time in the room. Will they burn out? A single bank of them has operated for four years non-stop and is still glowing strong! Again, there were reports of a few cases of CO poisoning due to use of Coleman camp lanterns indoors.

SANITARY: A porta-poty is an essential necessity. I understand that these don't work over many months of emergency (because of the supply of toilet chemical needed). But over the period of a day to weeks in a shelter, they work great and the odor is not a problem (but ONLY if you use the kind with formaldehyde). Please DO NOT waste your money by buying the non-formaldehyde toilet chemical - it does NOT work. And, of course, a porta-poty without sufficient chemicals is a total waste.

PETS: We have 3 dogs, a cat, two birds and a tank full of fish. The two birds and cat fit in the shelter nicely. The three dogs did nicely outside the door of the shelter in the shelter's anteroom. I can see bringing a single small dog in a saferoom but they are typically not designed for more. Such decisions are personal of course and who am I, after all, to stand in the way of Fido, Buffy and Bruits? The fish were aerated by a single 12 v battery and a small inverter which kept their systems going. Otherwise, they would have been lost.

ENTERTAINMENT AND CABIN FEVER: We selected a laptop computer's DVD for entertainment and watched

3 movies during the storm, slept nine of the hours, watched endless live storm updates and took a long nap to while away our 18 hours. Cabin fever is a serious consideration! I have spent 11 days in a tight underwater capsule during a single unbroken mission, so I know it can be done. However, it the first two days are seriously confining, so this is something that should be considered in advance.

MEDIA: The television media/personalities were seriously annoying. They were continuously talking down to their audience and giving instructions they were not empowered to give - such as when to go, how to go and where to go. They also openly ridiculed those who chose not to evacuate when their own people were driving about in TV trucks in the most dangerous of places. "Kids, don't try this at home - we are professionals." My advice is: ignore them totally. Make your plans carefully, understand the risks, then live your life the way you want to.

THE AUTHORITIES: I was greatly impressed by the police, the sheriff's office and the emergency response teams. I found them all to be magnificently sacrificial and they did their jobs under nearly impossible circumstances. They understood their empowered limitations and they left the people who consciously chose not to evacuate pretty much alone after delivering the required warnings. They will all tell you it is NOT their job to get you ready and to carry you through the storm - it is YOURS and yours alone.

MASS PSYCHOLOGY: It is invariable that such events invoke great stress in individuals living and working in the public domain. It is astonishing to witness just how incredibly, deeply selfish some are - running stop lights and signs, running double behind cars in line so and not taking their turn at 4-way stops, butting ahead in store lines or running the end-around at gas lines, grabbing the last five items when there are people in line behind them, and on and on. Yet, it ALSO brings out the best in others who help, who are giving by nature and who are magnificently cool under the greatest pressure and who don't mind taking chances to help others who really need it. It is just so personally satisfying to observe these awesome people play it all out so superlatively - people without fame and without notoriety who are the embodiment of the true, quiet champions of our society. When the masses are troubled and stressed, it strips off the outer veneer and exposes the real person inside. It is just fascinating to watch - if you can keep from beating the living crap out of those who need it the most.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS: Admittedly, this was a short run exercise. This did NOT consider what happens in a case of nuclear or biochem shelter or long term bunkering down. This scenario did not consider atmospheric filtering or long term food and food preparations. It did not consider one-on-one logistics in case of total infrastructure failure nor did it consider personal security. But it was an eye-opening experience with MANY learning opportunities.

INVESTMENT: Yes, there is an investment in personal security. Life is a risk and you take your chances. Go ahead and buy the fun stuff now, but when the lights go out - no whining! There is nothing more that needs to be said about this.

I sincerely hope this helps someone else and apologize to those to whom it seems repetitive or overly simplistic.

"Those who sacrifice liberty for safety deserve neither."--Benjamin Franklin

Gunner wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

the people who want licensing and training for the Second Amendment CIVIL RIGHT to keep and bear arms are the same ones who howl and scream if photo- ID is required for voting. You don't license a Constitutional right. What part of "shall not be infringed" don't these folks understand?

BTW,licensing and gun registration didn't stop Anders Brevik from doing his Norway massacre. Licensing and registration don't stop autos from being used in crimes,either. Licensing and registration has solved few [if any] gun crimes,too.Canada is giving up on it's gun registration,it hasn't worked,and was a HUGE waste of money and resources.

it would make more sense to have "training and registration" for voters,who are usually ignorant of the issues and candidates.