Monday, October 29, 2012

Hurricane Survival Guide

Just a basic guide for how to prepare and get through a major storm like the one we might be enduring the next few days.

1. Don't get milk, stupid
Why was everyone stocking up on milk? If you lose power, milk goes bad. You shouldn't be buying masive amounts of anything that needs to be refrigerated. Get stuff that is non-perishable: water, bread, cereal, beef jerky, chips.

2. Think ahead when buying booze
People like using storms as an excuse to drink. Makes sense. But remember that your beer will be piss-warm a few hours after you lose power (fridge should keep stuff cold for 4 hours, if you don't open it much and let cold air out). So buy some alcohol that doesn't need to be cold. Wine and liquor. And don't mix your vodka with orange juice. The juice will get warm and go bad. I suggest cranberry juice, or use pouches of Capri Sun. Anything that doesn't need constant refrigeration.


If you must have beer, you can get bags of ice, keep them in the freezer until power goes out, then put them and your beer in a big cooler. Keep the beer in a cold room away from people (people are warm).

But get beer that doesn't have to be ice cold to be drinkable. No Keystone, not even Bud Light or Miller Lite. Think Guinness, Newcastle, Sam Adams products.

3. You need tons of water
If there's flooding, town water supplies can become contaminated. That's why you need a lot of water. One gallon, per person, per day. Water to drink, water to cook (if you can), and clean yourself up.

4. Be smart with your phone
If the power goes out, your phone usage will probably go up. You'll watch movies, post on Facebook about the storm (that's not getting old at all these last few days), and pretty soon your batteries will be low. And you won't be able to recharge them. So if you don't have a charger in your car that you can use, be cautious with your phone usage. And keep your phone plugged in until the moment you lose power.

5. Get gas
Everyone was lined up at the pumps yesterday because you need gas just in case. Gas pumps don't work without electricity. And prices will go up because of the storm anyway. So not a bad idea to fill up.

6. Do laundry
If you're at the end of your wardrobe cycle, do some laundry to make sure you have enough clean underwear for a few days. That's a problem you just don't want to have.

7. Hit an ATM
Never know what you'll need cash for.

8. Batteries, flashlights, candles
Candles are fine, and don't need batteries. DO NOT use gas/kerosene lamps or anything with a fuel in it.

9. A generator will make you king of the neighborhood
Power is out, you have a generator, and booze. And the cute girls next door have nothing to do and are in the dark. Generators aren't cheap, but they have a potential to help you exploit opportunities.

10. Always keep cannibalism in mind as a last resort
Make a mental list of the people who live near you and think about which of them would be the best meal. Make sure you take care of them and do what you can to help them through the storm. Feed them, if possible. It will keep them from getting skinny, and make them trust you.

King William Belichick, Lord Thomas Brady, and Sir Robert Gronkowski Give Rams a Good Thrashing

The Patriots finally beat an NFC West opponent, as they pounded the Rams in London.

Some were worried about this game because the Patriots have a horrible pass defense and Sam Bradford is a decent QB. But the Rams have their own problems. The Patriots took advantage of the Rams weak offensive line. The Pats drew penalties from an aggressive secondary. And the running game sliced and diced all day.

When this offense doesn't hiccup and continues to apply pressure on an opponent, it makes life easy for the defense. Whenever the Pats execute properly and take a 3 possession lead, their chances of winning escalate exponentially. When the offense stutters and stalls, opponents can claw their way back.

The offense doesn't need to put up 31+ every week, but when they have a chance to build a sizable lead, they MUST take advantage of it. Otherwise it's up to the defense, and that's not something you can depend on much. This team wins with offense.

Stevan Ridley rushed for 127 yards, 88 in the 3rd quarter alone. Both he and Shane Vereen ran for TDs.

Tom Brady had his 50th 300+ yard game, as well as his 40th consecutive game with a TD pass. Rob Gronkowski and Brandon Lloyd each caught a pair of touchdowns. Zoltan Mesko's feet didn't touch the ball until 12:24 into the 3rd quarter. The Patriots made it to the end zone on their first five drives.

That fake spike on 1st and goal was a trick play I didn't mind seeing. The timing appropriate, the risk was minimal. That's the type of trickery I want to see from Josh McDaniels. Nothing more.

Defensively, the Pats were able to tee off on Bradford, thanks to the big lead. Chandler Jones had his 6th sack of the season.

It was nice to be bored during the 4th quarter.

Bye week then the Bills are in town. So two bye weeks.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo