Friday's Thoughts and Other Stuff (Communications)

Dear Preppers and Survivalists,

The Radio Repeater, on Bush Mountain,

in Guadalupe Mountains National Park,

Texas (ca 2014)

photograph by

Fredlyfish4

Repeating Myself
You have your cellphone, so you can call someone to help you for those minor events, like a crash, car trouble, running out of gas, or some other 'normal' emergency.

You also have a 3 by 5 card with emergency numbers, so you can use someone else's phone or a public telephone. Same for your partner and children, right?

You can also text, during an event that might overload the cellphone towers, so you can notify someone that you are in trouble.

You have your car radio, so you can listen to a broadcast (That's why I know all of the so-called Public Radio stations along my route from work to home), if there is a regional or national emergency.

You have a weather alert radio with battery back-up for extreme weather, regional emergencies, and critical national events, like a nuclear attack, right?

You have a battery powered radio with two or three sets of spare batteries for listening to local and regional broadcasts.

Your family has an internet connections or a library card to a library with internet service, so you and your partner can read the alternative media, like me, to learn about events not covered by mass media.

Your family has a television that can receive the local 'free' television station, so you can watch the local news to stay up to date on events in your area.

A Baby’s First Steps (ca 2007)

photograph by

Alexis O’Toole

Next Step, Right?
Your family has an out of state person that they can call, so they can give updates "If" they are separated and out of contact with each other, right?

Your family has either CB radios, handheld GMRS, or FRS radios, so you can communicate between two or three vehicles, just in case you have to take separate cars, right?

You have a weather alert radio with battery back-up, right?

Ooops, I repeated myself, but that last one is very important.

Fall, a Panorama (ca 2012)

photograph by

Peter Giesbrecht

In a Few Months
You and your partner have researched shortwave radio receivers, the ones that your family can only listen to, to see "If" that is something that your family wants to purchase for your preps, in a few months.

You have also found some metal popcorn tins from friends, family, or the local charity store to create a Faraday Cage, to protect your family's battery-powered radio and shortwave radio, in a few months.

You have also found the contact information for the local radio club or league, so you can attend their meeting, in a few months.

Snowman New Year Card (ca 2011)

gif by

Nevit Dilmen

Next Year
Depending on your situation, you have attended a few meeting of the local radio league with your older children, and have decided to earn a Technician's License and purchase some equipment, so you can transmit and receive communications from around the world.

Or, ...

Depending on your situation, you have attended a few meeting of the local radio league with your older children, and have decided to earn a Technician's License but not purchase any equipment.

Or, ...

Depending on your situation, you have attended a few meeting of the local radio league with your older children, and have decided to earn a Technician's License but decided to go in together with another group of folks to purchase some equipment.

Or, ...

You and your family have decided that Amateur Radio isn't for you.

Interpreter’s Section,

Nuremberg International Military Tribunal (ca 1946)

photograph by

Ray D'Addario,

3264th Signal Photo Service Company

Either Way
You and your family have decided to learn a foreign language, be it English, French, German, Russian, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, or some other language.

Link:
United Nations - Official Languages
http://www.un.org/en/sections/about-un/official-languages/index.html

Auguste Rodin

with His Statue “Le Penseur” (ca unk)

photograph by

Unknown

My Thoughts
Learning a foreign language is easier the younger you are, so your children will be able to learn a lot quicker then you or your partner.

With that said, Which language should you learn?

If your mother tongue is something besides English, it's English.

If your mother tongue is English, it's a little harder.

A lot of people suggest Spanish. I say don't learn Spanish because it's a servant language, only house keepers, lawn care workers, dishwashers, and other manual labors speak Spanish, here in these United States

With that said, ...

If you're thinking of working in Mexico, Central or South America or your employer does business in these places (except for Brazil, they speak Portuguese) then definitely learn Spanish!

If your company does business in Germany or you plan to flee to Germany, Austria, or 'German' Switzerland, you need to learn German.

The same goes for French, Russian, Chinese, Arabic, or some other language. Learn what's going to get you promoted and intergrated into the country, as a refugee.