I did a search before posting so if this is a dupe sorry.

History International aired a show yesterday called After Armageddon.

Did anyone watch it?  Realistic for the sheeple or too harsh?  

link:    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlcYpgfI564&feature=related

There was a discussion about it after it aired in my office. The consensus was "I'll eat at the galley."



/facepalm

It was on the regular History channel a few months back. I have it DVR'd. I think it's a pretty good show, it would be a neat series.

Saw the second hour, so thanks for the link. From what I saw, it raised some good points such as the loss of medicine like antibiotics and the difficulty of gardening. I thought the portrayal of the local sheriff was just a bit heavy handed. In one scene a couple of thieves get caught stealing from the group of survivors and as they're laying face down on the ground, the sheriff dispatches both of them with a shot to the back of the head. Got to keep order in their community that's struggling to survive, I guess.

i am watching it on the dvr right now.

I watched it and think it is a good show with some useful ideas.

it is a good attention getter i think...beside that....meh. more than a few times my wife and i were screaming at the tv telling the characters not to do something.

suv has a flat...lets abandon it and walk while leaving most of our supplies even though the burban has a full size spare...

im going to break into a warehouse to steal supplies from armed  men....didn't take gun, left the shot gun the guy they killed dropped and the revolver the wife dropped

using drinking water to brush teeth....

and my favorite....getting water from the radiator on a car. "if you boil it the bad stuff goes away"  unless your drinking coolant instead of water.  coolant cannot be boiled out...

edited for spelling

I remember watching it a few months ago...multiple facepalms while watching it.

Thank you so much, am watching it right now.

Something looks funny about the magazine in the AR on the second episode (youtube) at 1:54 ... is that an airsoft AR-15?

ETA:

Thus far my analysis:  This really may be like "The Day After" for many audiences.  Sadly, not as many area cognizant of the threats that they face, so - yeah - a lot of people will ignore the show.

But in this more city-fied, liberal and metrosexual time, my guess is that to a percentage of people this documentary may be just as poignant and shocking as was "The Day After" for those of us who believed there was such a threat.

For myself, I don't have any real hopes of being able to make it away from where I live.  I chose poorly, but I chose for the short-term gratification.

The show is, I hate to say it, about as heavy of a message as the intended audience could take without just deciding to not watch it, or writing it off to a survivalist's dream.  While none of us thinks that this guy, who decided to take on the responsibility of having a family, was all too bright to not have anything to protect them (even going as far as to make an off-the-cuff comical remark about the guy who DID arm himself (and later this guy's family) as being a cowboy.  As much as that is a smack in the face, the program does point to the need for protection.

As far as the smaller-towns blocking ingress, I don't have a problem with that as I know it will happen.  City-slickers may have a problem with it, but we all choose where we plan to live beforehand based on the opportunities and benefits that each of us sees in a specific area; and we've just got to accept that which satisfies us, now, may not in the future.  The problem for some towns, of course, would be the myriad of ingress points.  

(Side story: I once met a small shop owner in a small central Pennsylvania town who gently and slowly introduced me to the fact that he, and others in the town, were part of a little 'group' (read: militia), and they fully knew that those damned New Yorkers (city types I believe he meant) would come running down looking for food, water, and anything else when the next major disaster comes around, and that, well, someone's got to keep 'em out.)

At the end of the 7/9 episode, it raises the question if it would become 'open season' for gays.  If the religious zealots do push for a return to a more natural and productive way of life, while I can't see the expenditure of ammunition on them, I can't see pairs of them gaining access into any small society that is struggling, either.  Individuals may be able to slide by, but the reverend does raise an interesting question.

Furthermore, as per the religious aspect of it that the program is suggesting would become more prevalent, I could see a 'religion' of promoting living naturally (sans electricity and fossil fuels to the degree they were relied on in the past), and a blame of not individual people, but instead a culture that relied so heavily on resources that, when push came to shove, were not sustainable.  This, I would also hope, would be the prevailing 'religion' - but religions with their god or gods would certainly prevail as well.

The Amish and their ilk would be the people to learn from.  But I don't believe that we would be completely without oil.  There are still oil deposits below states that aren't as immediately thought of as producers like Texas is.  Electricity, too, would exist in small amounts after people figured out how to turn generators from water or some other form of power.  Neither form of power would be for personal use though.

Of course this are my personal speculations, so feel free to give me a clue.

I was really impressed with it.  I watched it yesterday.

I was truly shocked that some of the experts were putting a big emphasis on self defense and firearms.  


I got really aggravated at some of the decisions the people made.  I really got pissed after the wife shot the guy she dropped the gun and neither of them picked it up.

I told my wife if she acted like that guy's wife, I'd make Mrs. Fuggit Tartar out of her.

i wish they would make this into a series or at least do a few more episodes. i thought they covered some valid points that not may people think of... especiallly the sheeple.

there was alot of retarded shit that happened, but it was stuff that would probably happen to "normal" folks that wouldnt know any better.

i especially enjoyed the part with the kids with the shotgun.

that would be one of the toughest scenarios in a true armageddon SHTF situation. Imagine all the kids that would group together from foster homes, and orphanages, it'd be like lord of the flies up in that bitch...

Speaking of the children - it really looked like there was supposed to be more storyline to that girl with the shotgun - and that seemed to be a hog roasting.

They just cut to the family eating a snake ... I guess the ethical dilemma(s) of what to do with the girl and the smaller boy, their food, weapons, and whatnot were deemed too complex to address on the program.

The first itme I watched it,  I really wanted to throw my beer through the TV screen.  I watched it a second time thought and my opinion of it improved.

I think that is a realistic portrayal of how the sheeple would react.  Let's face it folks.  The vast majority of us on this board mentally "war game" different scenarios.

By mentally war gaming a scenario, we are causing our brain to develop possible response algorythyms.  Example : If I am confronted with this event, I will respond this way.

All in all, I thought the show was worth the time.  Hopefully it caused some sheeple to wake up.

Didn't catch this the first time around, but did see it later.  Like many others, I was standing up shouting at the family on the TV.  I kept having to remind myself that the concept behind this program was to educate sheeple through the actual visualization as well as a step-by-step talk through of how the main characters keep making the wrong decisions.

In the past, I think it is easy to have an expert on the screen telling the viewers that they should be prepared to defend their family.  I think this type of presentation style is too easily brushed off by many sheeple.  Seeing what happens when the family is NOT prepared to defend themselves with the near disasterous results in the food warehouse was a more effective demonstration tool.

The results of the shooting scenario has us screaming at the TV, and hopefully will have your basic sheeple taking a second look at that suggestion to arm themselves.

Michael Bane of Shooting Gallery and www.downrange.tv was one of the experts that extoled the value of self protection.  He also has a show about disaster preparedness and survival.

great show!

I think it was a great example of what not to do. A cautionary tale of sorts.

No firearms.

No preps.

No plan.

Reckless naiveté with regard to strangers.

And since it's worth mentioning twice, no firearms.

Watching.

I guess the title makes it 'history'?

That channel has ceased to be about history at all.  Most of the shows, like this one, are 'panic pimp' silliness.

Well, I'm not really what people would call a 'panic pimp' (though I like the term and may use it in the future if you don't mind).  But my observation is that every, or nearly every (I can not remember them all), 'expert' that was interviewed and asked questions actually bases their comments and suggestions on real history.  If it has happened in the past, and happened more than once, it may be a good precursor for what may happen in a similar situation in the future.

It is no matter that their version of 'past' does not match your version (if you are one of those who believes 'history' is events and people 30, or more, years ago), it matters that they use relevant and real-life events and reactions, and extrapolate the information that there is to be learned for future scenarios.

I do think it fair, and believe it was a very creative and effective teaching tool of a myriad of smaller historical outcomes and lessons that current living humans may be able to use parts of, even if the event in its entirety, breadth or focus is not exactly what plays out in their/our lives.  

To some extent, for anyone living a full and adventurous life, there will almost always be one tip or idea in that program that will be applicable and should, at least, be considered.  

I did not know of that program's existence until the OP posted it here, but the more I think of it, the better I like the style of getting across multiple smaller messages and rules as opposed to focusing on fewer messages much more harshly and/or in a sterile manner.

when the opening scene offers a disclaimer...................

History channel again is offering up opinion, unsubstantiated panic and conjecture.

The one thing that struck me as the most STUPID
Was the fact that a medically trained person could not get and Alcohol, that they WHERE brewing, to clean his cut and keep him alive
If your our Doc and you get cut
It gets cleaned with ANY alcohol we have

It was a this is how sheeple will react show to me

I tried to watch it when it first aired.  Couldn't make it through.  I get too much stupid in my daily life to watch concentrated doses of it  deliberately.

I've almost completely stopped watching any of the History channels since they started concentrating on the end of the world and what happens when all dem nasty peoples is gone.

What The Fuck? Really? Who the hell even goes shopping twice a week?

you aint alone on that.








 

1 more to that. They should have grabbed the shotgun also, besides taking for granted leaving everything in the vehicles when the guys drove by in the truck and cleaned them out while they hide like bitches. This is what America is heavily populated with though and I don't really sympathize with them. They choose to be who they are. They probably voted for 0 anyways, lol.

The emphasis on firearms and security made me happy though and I passed the link onto some family and friends to watch. When things do go south there are too many mouths to feed and a system that teeters on a fine edge to think people won't turn into the true animals they are.

Actually the removed A TON of firearms and self defense content according to Michael Bane who was in the show. One of his podcast he details how they cut out a majority of his interview.

are you sure about that, how about a link?  

found it!   well a link to a story of it  

http://www.survivalblog.com/2010/01/the_after_armageddon_docudrama.html

I want to see the whole show with out the edits.      

Me too

People who enjoy eating fresh meat, seafood and vegetables?

People who care about their health and don't want to eat tons of preserved, nutritionally compromised food?

Crazy idea, I know.

(that's not to say you can't have more long term food in the house ... you just don't eat it, because you'd rather have fresh stuff if it's available).

That said, I probably visit the grocery store 2-3x a week ... it helps that it's a mile from my house, and that I work in food distribution.

Recently (to me that's spans years) started thinking about collapse of society and all.  Hard not to with the direction the country is going.  Saw part of the After Armageddon show on T.V.  then located the short you tube videos on http://urbansurvivalskills.com with come commentary.  Wargaming, or what I call just thinking it through, is a large part of any problem.  Pre-planning seems to me to be the result of war gaming or otherwise planning solutions to those problems you identified - you call it response algorythyms (never heard that word before - had to look it up, but it fits).  The ass clown on the After Armageddon (yes, I know it's a fictional show) just made bad decisions in part because he was just not prepared.   I agree with you, medicguy, that this is a realistic portrayl on how people will react.  The urbansurvivalskills site mentions people staying home until it's too late - hoping the government will fix the situation I reckon.              

I was a little like WTF first, but then I thought about some of my family/friends that might watch it and then realized the best part of the program was showing/dramatizing how doing stupid things can be catastrophic. Yeah, watching a crack bugout would be cool and fun to watch with a bunch of hell yeahs, but watching failure seems almost more useful as a learning aid.

That is what I took away from the show, I can't tell you how many times I facepalmed while watching it; especially the times when they are walking through the desert and dont have any water...with a literal sea of cactus around them (cactus can be tapped for water, its really easy to do), I found myself yelling "CUT THE CACTUS OPEN YOU NIM-ROD!!!"

To watch where other people fail and have the chances to think to yourself "OK, how would I do that better, or get out of (insert example here)?" is a wonderful learning experience. Thats the value of 'war-gaming'.

What's truly strange is that I watched this right when the first rain clouds were starting to form over my head in Nashville. Things like this truly do strike out of nowhere. Even now there are rumors of future water shortages. As I told my friends and family I was pretty much laughed at and given the whole, "that will never happen" spiel People seem very adamant to only believe what they want to because they're too fearful to believe what could happen.

I'm not going to pile on so I'm just going to mention something that I learned from watching it. I liked how they used the old van as a solar cooker/dehydrater. I'd never thought of that.

/edit: tense

DUDE: BUY A FREEZER!

Friend of mine just brought up a great point (even though it is kind of preaching to the choir on this forum). He said "Did you notice that the ONLY people who had any power were the ones with firearms"? They should have done more on that aspect.

That car may have just had rusty water in it, espeically if it seldom gets below freezing in that part of the country.

Its also called coolant! I doubt anyone uses just water anymore.

Plus doesn't take much to kill you.

Interesting watch.

Thanks for the post and link wolverine.


GM

That sounds like the worst of both worlds. Frozen food is not fresh, and its next to useless in an SHTF situation.

I agree with most people here. It's replaying now, and I'm watching it for the first time. Good for getting the thought into people's heads, but there are many things I want to bitch and moan to the editors about.

Oh well, at least it addresses the issue, albeit in a condensed and very often incorrect way.

This is one of the reasons I love Arfcom. Before finding this site, I would have taken everything in this show as gospel. After a short time here, I am now able to pick out things the family does that are quite foolish, both in personal survival, and in the protection of your loved ones.

its on the history channel right now.

My MIL goes shopping 2 blocks away from her home DAILY. Has probably a few days total of various items in the house. Does not see the point on keeping a stock since the Safeway is just 2 blocks down the street.  In Denver.

Thanks for the link.
I dropped cable TV 2 years ago and it was nice to be able to watch this online.
As for cable tv the savings that I have seen has been able to fill my pantry, I would estimate I have about 2 months of supplies and water set aside and still adding and rotating.

My son (14YO) had a hard time adjusting with out it, but netflix filled the void well enough and his grades went from B/C to A/B

just some food for thought... dump the cable and spend the 40-75 bucks a month on preps or paying off debt.
the 40-75 bucks add up quick

i have plenty of food stored... but if you live anywhere near a store... fresh fruits and veggies... I go twice a week to buy that stuff.

now if I was a regular joe ... then yeah the 3 day supply will be the rule....  also given the global trading being cutt off... yeah we will only have a 3 day supply of food as a nation.

There were bits to ponder over. Seeing the whole "Do you know where mike is?" incident got me thinking - better drive around as to make it harder to follow me back to the safe house and hiding the car would also help avoid attracting the wrong crowd.

Many foods are also difficult to freeze properly, and often don't turn out well when unfrozen.

I don't want to deal with flash freezing lots of stuff, then thawing later on only to have an inferior end product ... when I can just go to the grocery store and get the freshest stuff every other day.

Again, this isn't to say that you can't have long term food stores ... but if given an option BEFORE SHTF, fresh is best.  Growing your own organic stuff is even better.