What would you do if the electricity supply failed, without ever returning? This is exactly what Jack Sunn planned for, not in a rural prepper style retreat though, but in a concrete slab industrial building in the suburbs. He needed no bug-out-bag. He only needed to lock the door behind him.Did he have all the resources that a prepper’s retreat stored? Certainly not. But what he did have was knowledge of all the resources that would become available once the surrounding population was gone. He had it all mapped out and simply had sufficient stores to last. He knew not only locations, but also quantities and times of availability in the surrounding gardens and parks, hardware stores and shops. He also had the ability to rebuild, having sourced heirloom technology, tools and machinery that would literally last a life-time.But more than survival of himself and family, he planned and built a refugium, being the seed that would allow a society to regenerate. The refugium was hundreds of kilometres in extent, comprising major hubs containing people, technology, resources and expertise sufficient to rebuild. These hubs were widely separated, but strategically linked by a network of smaller individual family sleeper-retreats.To prevent the possibility of excessive cabin-fever that can come with isolation accompanying societal collapse, Jack built an inexpensive communication system that linked the hubs without needing electricity. You must read the story to find out what he did.Jack figured that his refugium was a step up from a single-family retreat, and by building in a regenerating population structure combined with the genetic diversity of three continents, he developed much needed society-community insurance: ‘For a refugium to work, it is but a retreat for a limited time. For our village to function as a refugium it had to not only have plant, animal and other resources we could use, but people to provide the necessary momentum to allow for expansion. People, said Uncle Jack, were the hardest aspect to making the project successful. A century ago raising large families created a growing population structure that was self-perpetuating. To have everyone at Boomerang Bundaberg of the same age would have resulted in survival for a time, followed by eventual collapse. With considerable effort, candidates for Boomerang were recruited to form an age structure that would be regenerative.’Among Jack’s character traits is his dislike for HR Human Resources: ‘And so arose HR managers. Euphemistic swindle and sidestepping. You may think of yourself as a human resource, but I most certainly am not. I am a person.’As for the use of Wyatt Earp in the title. You will discover in reading Jack’s memoir how Wyatt Earp is not only an iconic part of American history, but a notable and important part of Australian and Antarctic naval history, which he used to great effect. Views: 12
Mona the mouse has finally found a place to call home, the cozy Heartwood Hotel, where she works as a maid and sleeps snuggled up in a room with her best friend. Following the festive St. Slumber celebration, most of the guests have settled in to hibernate, and the staff is looking forward to a relaxing winter. But disruptions abound, from a difficult duchess to a mysterious midnight snacker. As the snow stacks higher, Mona will have to gather friends both old and new to keep the peace, finding help in some of the most unexpected places. The second book in the enchanting Heartwood Hotel series, The Greatest Gift will warm your heart with its endearing characters and exquisite illustrations. Views: 12
How far would you go, to protect the ones you love? From award-winning writer Fiona Capp comes a novel about blackmail, risk, corruption and consequences - think Raymond Chandler meets The Great Gatsby - set in the millionaire's playground of Portsea. This is modern Melbourne literary noir at its finest. Having lost all his family's money in ill-advised investments during the GFC, Ned is reduced to squatting in a boatshed in wealthy Portsea. He is avoiding the world, particularly his sister, Angela, who after an accident, is now a paraplegic, confined to a wheelchair, and completely dependent on both her carer, Mai, and Ned - not to mention the income from their family investments. But one day, Ned overhears a conversation between a millionaire property developer and a politician, and realizes that this might be his opportunity to restore their fortunes ... if he has the nerve. This is a nail-biting and compelling story of risk, blackmail and the corrosive nature of guilt - and... Views: 12
