Post by Sophie on Aug 12, 2012 15:10:49 GMT -5
Let me start by saying this is not an attempt to limit your creativity or your roleplay in New Haven. One of the really unique things about Aftermath of the Dead is the amount of realism that is used. The land enclosed for the Compound and the Annex and the Hay Field are real places. We know what horses we have and where they are. We even calculated that it would take approximately 750,000 cinderblocks to enclose everything. Realism, or something very close to it, is where it’s at in AotD.
I’ve been part of Aftermath since approximately three months of the inception. And with what been happening lately, it’s time to make some comments. Remember the rising happened in December 2012, and it’s now August 2014, so the people of New Haven have been raiding the surrounding area for over a year and a half; and that doesn’t include the Raiders that have been story-told around the area and the ones who would naturally exist in onsies and twosies or maybe more if they were smart enough to band together. On that note, some things need to be examined a bit more closely.
1 – Gasoline, Propane, Diesel, Fuel, you name it. For twenty months, New Haven has been raiding fuel supplies in the immediate and further away areas. There’s not much left out there folks. Two of the four gas stations in Seaford have been destroyed, and New Haven did a pretty hefty raid on the fuel storage facility as well. If you have gasoline or propane for generators, you need to remember it’s in very limited quantities and you need to role play going and finding it and then storing it. And if you do go raid for it, it’s a good several hours to the nearest location where you “might” find some. The New Haven gas and propane supplies are for all of New Haven to use in the vehicles which are maintaining and expanding New Haven’s capabilities. No raiding those stores to power your own personal generators. Also, you need to remember, most generators require a working battery to start them, as well as frequent oil changes (i.e. 50-100 hours depending on the generator). As to what the possibilities are for generators you have the following:
Gasoline (stored gas has a 12 month life span unless in tightly sealed tanks – gas cans don’t have that sort of sealing capability)
- Top of the line: Generac GP5500
- Costs: $900 – at best Seaford might have three of them in the entire area, so if you have one, you found a unicorn or need to buy a lottery ticket.
- Produces: 5,500 watts/hour
- Gasoline used per hour: 0.7gal/hour
- Special note: this generator will not allow you to run electronics, videogames or televisions – you’d need an inverter generator as well such as a Yamaha EF2000iS with will run for 10 hours on 1 gallon of gas, but only gives a maximum of 1600watts.
Diesel, Bio-Diesel, Emulsified Diesel (stored diesel has a 18-24 month life span unless in tightly sealed tanks – gas cans don’t have that sort of sealing capability)
- Top of the line: Pramac P6000S (These are the generators that New Haven has; there are perhaps a dozen or so left in Seaford)
- Costs: Upward of $6000
- Produces: 4810 watts
- Diesel used per hour: 0.5 gallons/hour
- Special Note: These are not truly portable generators so if you have one, or find one, you need a way to haul the heavy as hell thing back home and get it set up.
TriFuel – runs on propane, natural gas or gasoline
- Top of the line: Winco HPS6000SE
- Costs: Upward of $2000
- Produces: 5000 watts
- Fuel used per hour: Propane – 1.6 gallons/hour; Natural Gas – 160 cubic feet/hour; Gasoline – 1 gallon/hour
- Special note: This thing will FRY electronics so you don’t use it for televisions or video games
2 – But you say, WAIT, I have solar panels. That’s nice. Solar panels are limited to the battery capacity that those panels have. And every time you start the air conditioning (i.e., it cycles on) you put a massive drain on those supplies. Microwaves are just as bad. The most efficient solar panels are provide about 200 watts EACH and run about $1000 each, so it’s safe to say that those will be the unicorns in this environment. In addition, you have an inverter that at best only converts 95% of that solar energy to something usable which brings it down to 190 watts each. Then you have to look at the size of those panels 51.9” x 34.6” x 1.8” so there is a huge size limitation on how many panels you’ll have available.
3 – Power Consumption. Assuming you’ve got generators or solar panels, you need to be aware of just how much power you’re using for everything you have and prioritize it. In other words, you need to realize that the constant air conditioning, ceiling fans, refrigerators, electric cooking ranges, microwaves, televisions, and yes – running water need to be prioritized. Do you want A/C or do you want to be able to pee in the middle of the night and flush the toilet? Here’s how much power everything consumes; it’s an eye-opening list.
Heating
26,500 watts – Elec. furnace, 2000sf, cold climate
7941 watts – Elec. furnace, 1000sf, warm climate
1440 watts – Electric space heater (high)
900 watts – Electric space heater (medium)
600 watts – Electric space heater (low)
750 watts – Gas furnace (for the blower) <-- Not an option since New Haven has no utility gas supplies
1100 watts – Waterbed heater
450 watts – Waterbed heater (avg. 10 hrs./day)
Cooling
3500 watts – Central Air Conditioner (2.5 tons)
1440 watts – Window unit AC, huge
900 watts – Window unit AC, medium
500 watts – Tiny-ass window unit AC
750 watts – Central AC fan (no cooling)
More efficient cooling
400 watts – Evaporative cooler
350 watts – Whole-house fan
100 watts – Floor or box fan (high speed)
90 watts – 52" ceiling fan (high speed)
75 watts – 48" ceiling fan (high speed)
55 watts – 36" ceiling fan (high speed)
24 watts – 42" ceiling fan (low speed)
Major appliances
4400 watts – Clothes dryer (electric)
75 watts – Washing machine (Hot Wash/Warm Rinse)
58 watts – Washing machine (Warm Wash/Warm Rinse)
47 watts – Washing machine (Hot Wash/Cold Rinse)
32 watts – Washing machine (Warm Wash/Cold Rinse)
5 watts – Washing machine (Cold Wash/Cold Rinse)
3800 watts – Water heater (electric)
200-700 watts – Refrigerator (compressor)
57-160 watts – Refrigerator (average)
3600 watts – Dishwasher (washer heats water)
2000 watts – Electric oven, 350°F
1178 watts – Electric oven, self-cleaning mode (takes 4.5 hrs, 5.3 kWh total)
1200 watts – Dishwasher (dry cycle)
200 watts – Dishwasher (no water heating or drying)
Lighting
60 watts – 60-watt light bulb (incandescent)
18 watts – CFL light bulb (60-watt equivalent)
5 – Night light
0.5 – LED night light
Computers
150-340 watts – Desktop Computer & 17" CRT monitor
1-20 watts – Desktop Computer & Monitor (in sleep mode)
90 watts – 17" CRT monitor
40 watts – 17" LCD monitor
45 watts – Laptop computer
Televisions & Videogames
191-474 watts – 50-56" Plasma television
210-322 watts – 50-56" LCD television
150-206 watts – 50-56" DLP television
188-464 watts – 42" Plasma television
91-236 watts – 42" LCD television
98-156 watts – 32" LCD television
55-90 watts – 19" CRT television
45 watts – HD cable box (varies by model)
194 watts – PS3
185 watts – Xbox 360
70 watts – Xbox
30 watts – PS2
18 watts – Nintendo Wii
Other
1440 watts – Microwave oven or 4-slot Toaster
900 watts – Coffee maker
800 watts – Range burner
4 watts – Clock radio
4 – Wind Turbine power. Yes, New Haven has wind turbines. Right now they are used to keep the compound fence electrified, the commercial grade freezers that are used for food storage (these are monster freezers and are kept on their own in an outbuilding so New Haven can store meat and things that must be kept frozen), this includes the ice machine; the commercial grade refrigerators that are used for food storage as well; the clinic powered so it has enough to use the equipment and lights inside and the orphanage/school so the children actually have lights and power. New Haven is adding additional Wind Turbines to the current supply. This will provide power to the electric fence at the Annex. It will also provide enough power to ensure that the houses can run individual water pumps so you’ll eventually get your toilet back, but it won’t be enough power to heat your water tank. You’ll be able to run ceiling fans in each room to help with cooling or heating, but that’s about it. We know that some people have specific power requirements such as Dr. Noisewater who produces defenses and medicines for New Haven, so he has enough power to do what he needs to do, but there is no extra. Additional available power will be prioritized to ensure that New Haven remains constant; when excess becomes available, we’ll let you know. But also, be aware that in the event of an emergency your “personal allocation” may be taken away for the duration of the emergency. Power is a huge resource and it can make the difference between life and death to New Haven.
5 – Rechargeable Batteries. New Haven has a small well guarded supply of rechargeable batteries that are primarily used in the walkie talkies issued to the families in the compound and the guards. Using these batteries for personal gain is just rude and is likely to get your access to them taken away.
6 – On to running water. Unless you’re downright special, you don’t have any. You can’t heat water in your water tank, you can’t have a shower, you can’t wash dishes and you can’t flush your toilet. If you are flushing your toilet, you’re hauling water from the camp water pump over to your house and keeping it by the toilet to use it when necessary. It sucks. I’ve done it during a hurricane when I had a bathtub full of water and that was it ten days until we got the power back. New Haven won’t get that amount of power back – EVER. So, if you want a shower, you’re using the nicely equipped camp showers near the picnic area. We’ll be putting in another set of the showers at the Annex once we have power there.
7 – Food. This is a really scary topic. New Haven has a community kitchen staffed with volunteers that produce three (3) full meals a day There are fruits, vegetables, cheese, alternative-grain breads, water, electrolyte drink (lemon or other fruit, depending on what we have available), and milk available 24-7. On a given day, you have a set menu and that’s what’s for dinner – period. Since New Haven is working on a sustainability model, you will find high density nutritious food with no special orders. This isn’t a Golden Corral so you don’t get lots of choices, most likely some type of protein, several types of vegetables (cooked and uncooked), alternate flour breads (we have a very limited supply of wheat and it is hell on the soil to grow which means we won’t have gravy with every meal either). If you provide large sides of meat (i.e., large game) you do have the option of requesting that part of that meat can be yours. If it’s yours, then you are responsible for cooking it. For the winter, the picnic area has hard sides which will be put up to allow for weather-proof dining. Additionally, vegetables are being canned constantly as the gardens come in so New Haven should have a variety of vegetables available in the winter when things don’t grow. Food produced on New Haven land becomes part of the New Haven resources – growing, harvesting, and storing food is both material and labor intensive, and part of the protection of New Haven is the ability to feed our people – so if you use community land, water, fertilizer, seeds, etc., (including back-yard gardens, etc. inside New Haven) to produce food – that food has to be reported and included in community stores – it's the only way that we're going to be able to assure that the resources of the community are used for the good of the community. If you raise animals, you need to report them so that animal feed grains, grazing land, etc., can be properly apportioned and we don't end up with over-grazing problems from excessive livestock accumulation.
8 – Junk Food you have or may find. They are stale as hell and most likely will be rancid by now; the exception is probably the Twinkie since it lives forever as a mishmash of preservatives and chemicals. Sports drinks and other canned beverages are well past their best date so they will not taste like those lovely little things you drink today.
9 – MREs and other emergency food. They are for EMERGENCIES. And not liking what the ladies in the kitchen produce for a meal is not an emergency. New Haven stockpiles MREs so we can have supplies in the event of a true emergency that would require evacuation.
10 – Medicine. Another touchy subject. Medicine is NOT “modern medicine” any more. We have limited supplies of things like antibiotics, anesthetics (no general anesthetics and only a small amount of local anesthesia available), limited supplies of things like oxygen; no capacity for major reparative surgeries (including things like pacemakers, replacement limbs, etc.). In addition, we will, in coming years, be subject to the ravages of the fall of civilization. Diseases like Smallpox, Chicken Pox, Measles (of all 3 varieties), Mumps, and others will become more prevalent, because there are no immunizations. In addition, diseases that arise out of things like waste management, etc. (Cholera, Typhus, Lysteria, Hookworm, Protozoal Diarrhea) are going to be more common – especially if we continue to use things like flush toilets that are hooked into a non-existent waste management system. Even if we have surgeons, they will be limited by the materials on hand, lack of anesthesia, lack of disposable sterile management items, and lack of staff to prep patients. In addition, the risk of infection from surgery is EXTREMELY high – so opening a person up has to be balanced against the risks of just doing the best we can without doing surgery. We have a limited supply of “comfort” medicines like Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Antihistamines, Antacids, etc., and the expiration dates on what we DO have are rapidly approaching. Drug stores, hospitals, doctor’s offices, etc., in the surrounding area have been raided several times, so a person would have to get out of the immediate area in order to try to find replacements for these, and as time progresses, even those sources will be diminished while the expiration dates will continue to approach. Right now, New Haven is gearing up its ‘alternative medicine’ practices, using tools like homeopathy, naturopathy, herbalism, and supportive medicine to try to fill in the blanks. We are learning to make bandages out of muslin and gauze. We are learning to wash and sterilize items for re-use as much as possible. One of the major users of power on Sunday evenings is the autoclave in the Clinic, where items are sterilized for coming use. Once the Autoclave is gone, we will have to depend on the less effective methods of baking or boiling to sterilize. We have a VERY small supply of mental-health drugs. These will be used in DIRE emergency situations only, and will not be prescribed for general depression, anxiety, etc. We have several members of the community who are subject to serious mental instability due to trauma – and more may be coming down the pike. So if a person must be admitted to the clinic for his or her own safety, and medications become necessary, we have to know that the small amount we have will hold out for the longest possible time. These medications, along with many of our rare medications, may be used LONG after their expiration date – but that also means that they will be less effective over time, and more will need to be used for the same results, so the further we get from Rising Day, the less effective any existing commercial pharmaceuticals we have will be; and the same goes for Over the Counter medicines.
11 – Safety. New Haven is in the midst of fortifying itself. The Compound, Annex, and the Peavy Power Station will all have the electrified fence and cinderblock outer walls. The hay field will only have the chain link fence. In addition, there are escape routes being planned and built. When they are complete, the people who need to know will know. Please don’t be offended if you’re not ‘in the know’; in the event of an emergency you will receive instructions on how to get to safety with New Haven.
12 – Gates. We gots them. We have LOTS of gates. The main entrance to the Compound is a set of three gates with chutes. Only one of these gates can be opened at a time and you have to get through all three to get into the Compound. The Annex is set up the same way. When the cinderblock wall is completed, there will be a heavy-duty solid steel rolling gate that will have to be opened before you can even get to the start of the chutes. As of August 2014 (2012) building is in full force around the Compound. Also, the guards are not out to get you. They are not out to make your life a living hell. Their job is to protect New Haven. And this means getting you through the gates and making sure that you have been bitten by any nasties.
13 – Contribution to the community. This is non-negotiable. If you want to enjoy the benefits of a safe haven, you need to provide to the community. In the story of the grasshopper and the ant, the ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away. Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed. The grasshopper has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold. New Haven won’t tolerate grasshoppers. This doesn’t mean that every moment of your r/p is delegated to hard work and chores; just be aware that you are doing them when you’re not in the room.
14 – Swimming Pools. If you look on the map, you'll see that many of the homes have a swimming pool in the backyard. That's awesome, when there are plenty of chemicals to keep it clean. In a sustainable society, such as New Haven, chemicals are BAD. But that doesn't mean you can't have a private pool. Natural filtraion has been around Europe for years and New Haven's pool is a prime example of how an inground power driven chemical cleaned pool can be turned sustainable. If you have question, just ask Selsie or Sophie for info and they'll give you some facts about how to modify what you've got that doesn't work into your own personal backyard oasis.
TLDR: Life sucks, but you’re safe, secure, fed and have medical care. You have no real power. You have no running water. Picky eaters are having a hell of a time because you only get what the kitchen produces. Medicine is primitive in comparison with today’s standards and is only going to get worse. You have walls with electrified fences and cinderblocks for extra protection along with guards who patrol the area. New Haven does (or will) have escape routes. And finally, no workie, no foodie and no haven in New Haven.
I’ve been part of Aftermath since approximately three months of the inception. And with what been happening lately, it’s time to make some comments. Remember the rising happened in December 2012, and it’s now August 2014, so the people of New Haven have been raiding the surrounding area for over a year and a half; and that doesn’t include the Raiders that have been story-told around the area and the ones who would naturally exist in onsies and twosies or maybe more if they were smart enough to band together. On that note, some things need to be examined a bit more closely.
1 – Gasoline, Propane, Diesel, Fuel, you name it. For twenty months, New Haven has been raiding fuel supplies in the immediate and further away areas. There’s not much left out there folks. Two of the four gas stations in Seaford have been destroyed, and New Haven did a pretty hefty raid on the fuel storage facility as well. If you have gasoline or propane for generators, you need to remember it’s in very limited quantities and you need to role play going and finding it and then storing it. And if you do go raid for it, it’s a good several hours to the nearest location where you “might” find some. The New Haven gas and propane supplies are for all of New Haven to use in the vehicles which are maintaining and expanding New Haven’s capabilities. No raiding those stores to power your own personal generators. Also, you need to remember, most generators require a working battery to start them, as well as frequent oil changes (i.e. 50-100 hours depending on the generator). As to what the possibilities are for generators you have the following:
Gasoline (stored gas has a 12 month life span unless in tightly sealed tanks – gas cans don’t have that sort of sealing capability)
- Top of the line: Generac GP5500
- Costs: $900 – at best Seaford might have three of them in the entire area, so if you have one, you found a unicorn or need to buy a lottery ticket.
- Produces: 5,500 watts/hour
- Gasoline used per hour: 0.7gal/hour
- Special note: this generator will not allow you to run electronics, videogames or televisions – you’d need an inverter generator as well such as a Yamaha EF2000iS with will run for 10 hours on 1 gallon of gas, but only gives a maximum of 1600watts.
Diesel, Bio-Diesel, Emulsified Diesel (stored diesel has a 18-24 month life span unless in tightly sealed tanks – gas cans don’t have that sort of sealing capability)
- Top of the line: Pramac P6000S (These are the generators that New Haven has; there are perhaps a dozen or so left in Seaford)
- Costs: Upward of $6000
- Produces: 4810 watts
- Diesel used per hour: 0.5 gallons/hour
- Special Note: These are not truly portable generators so if you have one, or find one, you need a way to haul the heavy as hell thing back home and get it set up.
TriFuel – runs on propane, natural gas or gasoline
- Top of the line: Winco HPS6000SE
- Costs: Upward of $2000
- Produces: 5000 watts
- Fuel used per hour: Propane – 1.6 gallons/hour; Natural Gas – 160 cubic feet/hour; Gasoline – 1 gallon/hour
- Special note: This thing will FRY electronics so you don’t use it for televisions or video games
2 – But you say, WAIT, I have solar panels. That’s nice. Solar panels are limited to the battery capacity that those panels have. And every time you start the air conditioning (i.e., it cycles on) you put a massive drain on those supplies. Microwaves are just as bad. The most efficient solar panels are provide about 200 watts EACH and run about $1000 each, so it’s safe to say that those will be the unicorns in this environment. In addition, you have an inverter that at best only converts 95% of that solar energy to something usable which brings it down to 190 watts each. Then you have to look at the size of those panels 51.9” x 34.6” x 1.8” so there is a huge size limitation on how many panels you’ll have available.
3 – Power Consumption. Assuming you’ve got generators or solar panels, you need to be aware of just how much power you’re using for everything you have and prioritize it. In other words, you need to realize that the constant air conditioning, ceiling fans, refrigerators, electric cooking ranges, microwaves, televisions, and yes – running water need to be prioritized. Do you want A/C or do you want to be able to pee in the middle of the night and flush the toilet? Here’s how much power everything consumes; it’s an eye-opening list.
Heating
26,500 watts – Elec. furnace, 2000sf, cold climate
7941 watts – Elec. furnace, 1000sf, warm climate
1440 watts – Electric space heater (high)
900 watts – Electric space heater (medium)
600 watts – Electric space heater (low)
750 watts – Gas furnace (for the blower) <-- Not an option since New Haven has no utility gas supplies
1100 watts – Waterbed heater
450 watts – Waterbed heater (avg. 10 hrs./day)
Cooling
3500 watts – Central Air Conditioner (2.5 tons)
1440 watts – Window unit AC, huge
900 watts – Window unit AC, medium
500 watts – Tiny-ass window unit AC
750 watts – Central AC fan (no cooling)
More efficient cooling
400 watts – Evaporative cooler
350 watts – Whole-house fan
100 watts – Floor or box fan (high speed)
90 watts – 52" ceiling fan (high speed)
75 watts – 48" ceiling fan (high speed)
55 watts – 36" ceiling fan (high speed)
24 watts – 42" ceiling fan (low speed)
Major appliances
4400 watts – Clothes dryer (electric)
75 watts – Washing machine (Hot Wash/Warm Rinse)
58 watts – Washing machine (Warm Wash/Warm Rinse)
47 watts – Washing machine (Hot Wash/Cold Rinse)
32 watts – Washing machine (Warm Wash/Cold Rinse)
5 watts – Washing machine (Cold Wash/Cold Rinse)
3800 watts – Water heater (electric)
200-700 watts – Refrigerator (compressor)
57-160 watts – Refrigerator (average)
3600 watts – Dishwasher (washer heats water)
2000 watts – Electric oven, 350°F
1178 watts – Electric oven, self-cleaning mode (takes 4.5 hrs, 5.3 kWh total)
1200 watts – Dishwasher (dry cycle)
200 watts – Dishwasher (no water heating or drying)
Lighting
60 watts – 60-watt light bulb (incandescent)
18 watts – CFL light bulb (60-watt equivalent)
5 – Night light
0.5 – LED night light
Computers
150-340 watts – Desktop Computer & 17" CRT monitor
1-20 watts – Desktop Computer & Monitor (in sleep mode)
90 watts – 17" CRT monitor
40 watts – 17" LCD monitor
45 watts – Laptop computer
Televisions & Videogames
191-474 watts – 50-56" Plasma television
210-322 watts – 50-56" LCD television
150-206 watts – 50-56" DLP television
188-464 watts – 42" Plasma television
91-236 watts – 42" LCD television
98-156 watts – 32" LCD television
55-90 watts – 19" CRT television
45 watts – HD cable box (varies by model)
194 watts – PS3
185 watts – Xbox 360
70 watts – Xbox
30 watts – PS2
18 watts – Nintendo Wii
Other
1440 watts – Microwave oven or 4-slot Toaster
900 watts – Coffee maker
800 watts – Range burner
4 watts – Clock radio
4 – Wind Turbine power. Yes, New Haven has wind turbines. Right now they are used to keep the compound fence electrified, the commercial grade freezers that are used for food storage (these are monster freezers and are kept on their own in an outbuilding so New Haven can store meat and things that must be kept frozen), this includes the ice machine; the commercial grade refrigerators that are used for food storage as well; the clinic powered so it has enough to use the equipment and lights inside and the orphanage/school so the children actually have lights and power. New Haven is adding additional Wind Turbines to the current supply. This will provide power to the electric fence at the Annex. It will also provide enough power to ensure that the houses can run individual water pumps so you’ll eventually get your toilet back, but it won’t be enough power to heat your water tank. You’ll be able to run ceiling fans in each room to help with cooling or heating, but that’s about it. We know that some people have specific power requirements such as Dr. Noisewater who produces defenses and medicines for New Haven, so he has enough power to do what he needs to do, but there is no extra. Additional available power will be prioritized to ensure that New Haven remains constant; when excess becomes available, we’ll let you know. But also, be aware that in the event of an emergency your “personal allocation” may be taken away for the duration of the emergency. Power is a huge resource and it can make the difference between life and death to New Haven.
5 – Rechargeable Batteries. New Haven has a small well guarded supply of rechargeable batteries that are primarily used in the walkie talkies issued to the families in the compound and the guards. Using these batteries for personal gain is just rude and is likely to get your access to them taken away.
6 – On to running water. Unless you’re downright special, you don’t have any. You can’t heat water in your water tank, you can’t have a shower, you can’t wash dishes and you can’t flush your toilet. If you are flushing your toilet, you’re hauling water from the camp water pump over to your house and keeping it by the toilet to use it when necessary. It sucks. I’ve done it during a hurricane when I had a bathtub full of water and that was it ten days until we got the power back. New Haven won’t get that amount of power back – EVER. So, if you want a shower, you’re using the nicely equipped camp showers near the picnic area. We’ll be putting in another set of the showers at the Annex once we have power there.
7 – Food. This is a really scary topic. New Haven has a community kitchen staffed with volunteers that produce three (3) full meals a day There are fruits, vegetables, cheese, alternative-grain breads, water, electrolyte drink (lemon or other fruit, depending on what we have available), and milk available 24-7. On a given day, you have a set menu and that’s what’s for dinner – period. Since New Haven is working on a sustainability model, you will find high density nutritious food with no special orders. This isn’t a Golden Corral so you don’t get lots of choices, most likely some type of protein, several types of vegetables (cooked and uncooked), alternate flour breads (we have a very limited supply of wheat and it is hell on the soil to grow which means we won’t have gravy with every meal either). If you provide large sides of meat (i.e., large game) you do have the option of requesting that part of that meat can be yours. If it’s yours, then you are responsible for cooking it. For the winter, the picnic area has hard sides which will be put up to allow for weather-proof dining. Additionally, vegetables are being canned constantly as the gardens come in so New Haven should have a variety of vegetables available in the winter when things don’t grow. Food produced on New Haven land becomes part of the New Haven resources – growing, harvesting, and storing food is both material and labor intensive, and part of the protection of New Haven is the ability to feed our people – so if you use community land, water, fertilizer, seeds, etc., (including back-yard gardens, etc. inside New Haven) to produce food – that food has to be reported and included in community stores – it's the only way that we're going to be able to assure that the resources of the community are used for the good of the community. If you raise animals, you need to report them so that animal feed grains, grazing land, etc., can be properly apportioned and we don't end up with over-grazing problems from excessive livestock accumulation.
8 – Junk Food you have or may find. They are stale as hell and most likely will be rancid by now; the exception is probably the Twinkie since it lives forever as a mishmash of preservatives and chemicals. Sports drinks and other canned beverages are well past their best date so they will not taste like those lovely little things you drink today.
9 – MREs and other emergency food. They are for EMERGENCIES. And not liking what the ladies in the kitchen produce for a meal is not an emergency. New Haven stockpiles MREs so we can have supplies in the event of a true emergency that would require evacuation.
10 – Medicine. Another touchy subject. Medicine is NOT “modern medicine” any more. We have limited supplies of things like antibiotics, anesthetics (no general anesthetics and only a small amount of local anesthesia available), limited supplies of things like oxygen; no capacity for major reparative surgeries (including things like pacemakers, replacement limbs, etc.). In addition, we will, in coming years, be subject to the ravages of the fall of civilization. Diseases like Smallpox, Chicken Pox, Measles (of all 3 varieties), Mumps, and others will become more prevalent, because there are no immunizations. In addition, diseases that arise out of things like waste management, etc. (Cholera, Typhus, Lysteria, Hookworm, Protozoal Diarrhea) are going to be more common – especially if we continue to use things like flush toilets that are hooked into a non-existent waste management system. Even if we have surgeons, they will be limited by the materials on hand, lack of anesthesia, lack of disposable sterile management items, and lack of staff to prep patients. In addition, the risk of infection from surgery is EXTREMELY high – so opening a person up has to be balanced against the risks of just doing the best we can without doing surgery. We have a limited supply of “comfort” medicines like Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Antihistamines, Antacids, etc., and the expiration dates on what we DO have are rapidly approaching. Drug stores, hospitals, doctor’s offices, etc., in the surrounding area have been raided several times, so a person would have to get out of the immediate area in order to try to find replacements for these, and as time progresses, even those sources will be diminished while the expiration dates will continue to approach. Right now, New Haven is gearing up its ‘alternative medicine’ practices, using tools like homeopathy, naturopathy, herbalism, and supportive medicine to try to fill in the blanks. We are learning to make bandages out of muslin and gauze. We are learning to wash and sterilize items for re-use as much as possible. One of the major users of power on Sunday evenings is the autoclave in the Clinic, where items are sterilized for coming use. Once the Autoclave is gone, we will have to depend on the less effective methods of baking or boiling to sterilize. We have a VERY small supply of mental-health drugs. These will be used in DIRE emergency situations only, and will not be prescribed for general depression, anxiety, etc. We have several members of the community who are subject to serious mental instability due to trauma – and more may be coming down the pike. So if a person must be admitted to the clinic for his or her own safety, and medications become necessary, we have to know that the small amount we have will hold out for the longest possible time. These medications, along with many of our rare medications, may be used LONG after their expiration date – but that also means that they will be less effective over time, and more will need to be used for the same results, so the further we get from Rising Day, the less effective any existing commercial pharmaceuticals we have will be; and the same goes for Over the Counter medicines.
11 – Safety. New Haven is in the midst of fortifying itself. The Compound, Annex, and the Peavy Power Station will all have the electrified fence and cinderblock outer walls. The hay field will only have the chain link fence. In addition, there are escape routes being planned and built. When they are complete, the people who need to know will know. Please don’t be offended if you’re not ‘in the know’; in the event of an emergency you will receive instructions on how to get to safety with New Haven.
12 – Gates. We gots them. We have LOTS of gates. The main entrance to the Compound is a set of three gates with chutes. Only one of these gates can be opened at a time and you have to get through all three to get into the Compound. The Annex is set up the same way. When the cinderblock wall is completed, there will be a heavy-duty solid steel rolling gate that will have to be opened before you can even get to the start of the chutes. As of August 2014 (2012) building is in full force around the Compound. Also, the guards are not out to get you. They are not out to make your life a living hell. Their job is to protect New Haven. And this means getting you through the gates and making sure that you have been bitten by any nasties.
13 – Contribution to the community. This is non-negotiable. If you want to enjoy the benefits of a safe haven, you need to provide to the community. In the story of the grasshopper and the ant, the ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away. Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed. The grasshopper has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold. New Haven won’t tolerate grasshoppers. This doesn’t mean that every moment of your r/p is delegated to hard work and chores; just be aware that you are doing them when you’re not in the room.
14 – Swimming Pools. If you look on the map, you'll see that many of the homes have a swimming pool in the backyard. That's awesome, when there are plenty of chemicals to keep it clean. In a sustainable society, such as New Haven, chemicals are BAD. But that doesn't mean you can't have a private pool. Natural filtraion has been around Europe for years and New Haven's pool is a prime example of how an inground power driven chemical cleaned pool can be turned sustainable. If you have question, just ask Selsie or Sophie for info and they'll give you some facts about how to modify what you've got that doesn't work into your own personal backyard oasis.
TLDR: Life sucks, but you’re safe, secure, fed and have medical care. You have no real power. You have no running water. Picky eaters are having a hell of a time because you only get what the kitchen produces. Medicine is primitive in comparison with today’s standards and is only going to get worse. You have walls with electrified fences and cinderblocks for extra protection along with guards who patrol the area. New Haven does (or will) have escape routes. And finally, no workie, no foodie and no haven in New Haven.
