[Artemisia] Side Discussion - was SCA Skills in a Modern Plague

[Kristine Alvarez]

Someone earlier mentioned "The Colony." I've watched a few episodes from both seasons and have enjoyed the concept. Stephen King's The Stand was based on a modern plague.
 
My husband is not on this list and coincidentally mentioned starting a food storage just this weekend. In my opinion, this area is is great to live in because of the culture of "preparedness" espoused here. It means there are a lot of resources and companies selling products for use in case of natural/human caused disaster or disease outbreak. I grew up around much of what has been discussed however, never learned the skills myself. I think I'd be much better off stockpiling the more modern supplies for survival and hoping to trade them later for other goods/services.
 
The thing I'd really have a hard time with is the smells and personal cleanliness. I do agree that being involved in the SCA has probably outfitted more of us to knowing what to expect and being better prepared for what might happen.
 
Kristine the Killer Rabbit

--- On Mon, 9/20/10, Jackman-Brink, Julia <Julia.Jackman-Brink at mso.umt.edu> wrote:


From: Jackman-Brink, Julia <Julia.Jackman-Brink at mso.umt.edu>
Subject: Re: [Artemisia] Side Discussion - was SCA Skills in a Modern Plague
To: "Kingdom of Artemisia mailing list" <artemisia at lists.gallowglass.org>
Date: Monday, September 20, 2010, 9:45 AM


So this brings up a corollary discussion on the same subject.  Is anyone
else watching "The Colony" on Discovery hannel this season?  Tuesday
nights at 8pm/11pm MST.  

This season is survival based following a post-viral disaster.  They
dropped totally unrelated people in a section of the Katrina disaster
area with "what was left there" and the skills and what they could
individually carry. Only canal water (which was later poisoned in a
rainstorm from runoff so they lost it), and the bayous nearby. They are
also having to do viral protocols to prevent infection from a "viral
outbreak". It's been interesting. Especially interactions with other
groups, people, and sanitation.   

While I think the people involved are concentrating too much on modern
thinking (they want their resources and amenities..they want their
coffee and canned goods, and electricity) they are doing OK. But, they
literally had to start with what they could find and build up from
there. 

Their biggest thing that's kicking their butts and something that would
play into the scenario Alan brought up....SECURITY and DEFENSE.  If you
have something, people are going to try and take it because they don't
have it. And the producers of the Colony have added scavengers and
extortionists hitting the project regularly to test them and their
psychological state. 

Just having resources is one thing...keeping them another. 
Something to add to the discussion. 

Juliana