Sneak Peak of the Upcoming Catapult - Vlog

Thoughts about Christmas presents and my upcoming catapult video.

Vlog - Xmas Presents & Shop Plans

In my latest vlog I go over my Patreon Campaign, the many Christmas Presents I have been making and some of the shop plans I am working on.

The Economics of Zombies in a Post-Apocalyptic Environment - Halloween VLOG

The Economics of Zombies in a Post-Apocalyptic Environment

On this near eve of Halloween I wanted to take a moment and discuss something that has bothered me over the years. We are all familiar with the level of zombie interest out there in TV land, but what has concerned me is the lack of thought regarding how to deal with such a potential fictional threat.

But what is the real threat? Lets just knock down some basic zombie issues right off the bat.

- Zombies Don't Die

This may not be obvious to everyone, but is not based on anything in the real world. As most of us know from experience nothing can last without food or other forms of energy very long. So right off they would all die pretty quick, even if they acted more like our cold-blooded brothers that wouldn't give them that much more time.

- Zombies Want to Kill You, or Eat Your Brains

Lets assume this is more fear than reality, as we all know people who are sick, and zombies are definitely sick, wouldn't exactly feel up to coming after you. For arguments sake let say they did have the will or energy to come after you, they would have to compete with other zombies for the resource (YOU!), so right off the bat there is a selection process taking place. Not all zombies would be equally good at finding you, overpowering you, or even digesting you. It is the basis of evolution. Not to mention, are male and female zombies still male and female in our sense of the word? Better leave that for another post!

- Where the Zombies are Located

Lets accept the first two assumptions are wrong and they didn't die too soon, or at all, and they did want to come after you for food. Like many other creatures on our planet they would congregate around places where food was plentiful, so avoid any potentially populated areas.

If we attach another truth related to our real world, they would be pretty lazy. I mean most life on planet earth is happier lying about in the sun than building pyramids, and that wasn't even done voluntarily! Take a look at the lions on the prairie, or your lazy dog on the couch. Humans are obviously the most productive creatures, but there are a fair number of us that prefer to, lets say rest rather than plan for their next endeavor. I would assume zombies to be the same. While there may be a few standouts, for the most part they aren't going to be too active. So a few miles outside of any town is likely to be pretty deserted of zombies. They'll go where the eatin's better.

- Fighting Zombies

Probably the number one thing you see relating to zombies is fighting and killing them. This is also one of the biggest mistakes. I, for one, believe that in this post-apocalyptic world food and rest are going to be in short supply, so fighting is just about the last thing you want to deal with.

Now its time for some truths.

Truth #1:

Nobody really wants to fight and get hurt, and you'd have to assume that applies to zombies.

So, make it difficult for them to get you, don't be an easy target.

Truth #2: If you do find yourself on the receiving end of a swarm, remember you are a lot smarter. Use that to your advantage. Don't think of them as opponents, think of them as obstacles. Other humans may be opponents, but stupid zombies are just obstacles.

Truth #3: Zombies have the same vulnerabilities as you. Employ confusion, and misdirection. They have eyes, must see and are as reliant on their ability to see as you. So why not whip up a batch of homemade mace and find yourself a squirt gun. Problem solved. No guns, no noise and they can't see you. Just one of a number of non-lethal weapons I have been thinking about (smile). I'll leave the recipe for mace in the blog post.

Truth #4: If we go by the assumptions of TV, that they don't die and don't need any food to survive, then they are like batteries. So lets hook em up to a few wheels and start making power. It would be like free energy. Lets not fight them or look at them with fear, maybe they are more of a blessing after all and will solve our energy crisis for good.

And in conclusion on this Halloween when the world, as usual looks scarier than ever and our faith in human institutions are quite low. Remember that when threatened humans are a substantial force. There are numerous examples, including our existence, that when the odds are against us we react quickly and thoughtfully to overcome the problem.

During World War II, the gloves were off and techniques and technology were green-lit that would not be accepted under other circumstances. Nowadays it takes 10 years to develop a new fighter for the military, but if there were a real threat the time would come down dramatically. Just look at the most recent ebola treatment issues. The medical community is ready to remove blind trials in order to provide the latest treatments. This is something unheard of in other times. Now while that situation may be scary, recognize that we will react, and quickly to any new threat...including zombies.

Mace Recipe

Ingredients

• Any kind of chilis
• Salt
• 1/4 cup any kind of oil
• 1 Pint Water

Method

Toast the chilis in a cast iron pan, then dice them up and place them in a blender with salt, oil and water. Be very careful not to get this in your eyes. Use a good lid and eye protection.

Wish List of Metalworking Tools

These are a few of the products I am thinking about for a decent metal station in my shop. If anyone has any suggestions about types or brands, or think I am missing something let me know in the comments.

Using Lead in a Mallet and Metalworking Tools

In my latest Darbin Orvar video I had such a good time working with the lead and making the mallets. A couple comments suggested a lathe might be a good idea for the carvers mallet, so I am thinking about that. The whole project just got me thinking about metal working and how I want to integrate it more into my projects.

So the first thing that struck me was how I need to rearrange a little in my shop. I need a place to work metal a bit. A sturdy table, a lot like my band saw table, maybe a little longer. Basically enough to fit a drill press, some metal hammers and a small metal vise.

Generally, as soon as you start rearranging the place, adding new tables and such, you realize you end up throwing everything into a messy state. I have a lot of plans for my shop, and the size of it always seems to come up. Small is good, because it forces you to think about space carefully, but it is also a little annoying.

In my last post I talked about viral videos, remember dancing Groot? Well, suffice it to say, it definitely did not go viral, Steve and Tim where right about that one! I am not sure we can draw any firm conclusions, except maybe that anyone banking on income from viral videos is likely to be in the poor-house!

Coming soon is a new video that is a little different. Stay tuned....

Thanks for watching, I'll see you soon with a new topic.