Ransomware Hits All 66 Queens Library Branches, Serving 2.3 Million

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The Ready Brief #246

Practical preparedness for uncertain times

A rocket stove burns pencil-sized sticks inside an insulated chimney, a design that Aprovecho Research Center, a stove-testing nonprofit, credits itself with developing. Today's lead story is about another kind of dependence: a library system that lost its computers to ransomware. Both come down to the same question, what you can still do when something you rely on stops working. Today's issue covers a way to cook with sticks, a pot and a safe spot outdoors.

Building a Rocket Stove

A rocket stove is a small wood-burning stove with an insulated vertical chimney in the combustion chamber. Fuel burns more completely before the flames reach the cooking surface, so it uses less fuel and gives off less smoke, carbon monoxide and soot than a basic fire, according to Wikipedia's summary of the design. Aprovecho Research Center credits itself with the rocket stove and its design principles.

Small-diameter fuel such as twigs and sticks goes in through a horizontal feed opening. Air is drawn in under the fuel, passes over it and rises through the chimney. The insulation keeps the chamber hot, which helps the wood burn completely.

Brick versions are the easiest to start with, and the plans differ. The Instructables "16 Brick Rocket Stove" uses 16 bricks. Survival Sullivan's brick plan says to expect about 30 bricks for the stove it shows and gives no dimensions, so compare more than one plan before you stack anything.

The preparedness value is the fuel. A rocket stove is built for small, dry fuel such as fallen branches, twigs and pine cones, so you do not need to store charcoal or propane. You do need dry, untreated wood, and the EPA's Burn Wise program has guidance on burning wood cleanly.

It can boil water, fry and simmer. It does not bake well without modification.

Use it outdoors only. A 2013 study in rural Kenya (Ochieng, Vardoulakis and Tonne, in Indoor Air) found rocket mud stoves cut kitchen carbon monoxide by 33% and personal exposure by 42% compared with traditional three-stone stoves. That is a reduction, not zero. Set the stove on a non-combustible surface such as concrete, dirt or gravel, keep it away from dry vegetation, have water or a shovel nearby, and check for a local burn ban first.

The learning curve is in fire management, not construction. You will need to feed small fuel at a steady rate and keep the flame going. Practice before you need it. If you would rather buy a stove than build one, see WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING below.

Sources: Wikipedia, Rocket stove, Aprovecho Research Center, Instructables, Survival Sullivan, EPA Burn Wise

Cook one meal outdoors on a rocket stove.

Pick a brick plan (the Instructables 16-brick design is one) and check for a local burn ban. Set the stove on concrete or gravel away from dry grass, light a few dry sticks and boil a pot of water. Keep water or a shovel nearby.

Paraguay's President Removed After Ueno Bank Collapse

Paraguay's Senate removed President Santiago Peña on Friday, Nov. 6, by 44 of 45 votes over the collapse of Ueno Bank, and prosecutors placed him under house arrest. He denies wrongdoing. Vice President Pedro Alliana was sworn in. The AP reports Ueno has about 3 million customers, roughly 60% of Paraguay's adults, and about $380 million of state pension and health fund money. Deposit insurance covers up to 228.3 million guaraníes (about $38,000) per person, with payouts due within 15 days. Watch for the payout date and whether larger balances are repaid. Keeping savings at more than one institution limits the damage from a single failure.

Source: AP via WDBO, MercoPress, Al Jazeera

Rocket Mass Heaters (third edition, Handprint Press, listed at $18, down from $20) covers a related design: a wood-fired heater built around burning wood efficiently. The publisher describes it as a heater you can build in a weekend for less than a hundred dollars, with revised drawings, expanded troubleshooting and Q&A, and guidance on found and recycled materials. Ianto Evans wrote the introduction.

Our takeaway, not a claim from the book: a rocket stove and a rocket mass heater rest on the same idea of burning wood completely, so learning one teaches you the basics of the other.

Source: Handprint Press

Ransomware Hits All 66 Queens Library Branches

Ransomware hit the Queens Public Library, which has 66 branches serving the borough's 2.3 million residents, The Record reports. The library reported a systemwide network outage on Wednesday, Nov. 4. As of Thursday, CEO Dennis Walcott told NY1 the website, app, on-site computers and renewals were still down, and the NYPD said it is working with the FBI. The library's own notice now lists free Wi-Fi and checkout machines as restored. Branches are open and no late fines are being charged. No gang had claimed the attack as of Thursday evening, and no source read says whether data was stolen. Many households print documents, apply for jobs and get online at a library, so keep paper copies of key documents and know a second place to get online.

Source: The Record, NY1, Queens Public Library

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EcoZoom Versa (BioLite)

BioLite lists the EcoZoom Versa at $159.95. It burns wood or charcoal and weighs 14.5 lb on its spec table (16.2 lb on its comparison table). BioLite says the vertical combustion chamber draws in air from a side fuel entry for more complete combustion. The page did not confirm stock when we checked, so confirm availability before ordering.

Budget alternative: a brick stove built from a free plan, such as the Instructables 16-brick design. A brick stove stays where you build it, so it suits a fixed spot in the yard.

Overrated: Camp stoves that run on fuel canisters. They suit backpacking, but they depend on canisters you have to keep in stock. A rocket stove burns small sticks instead.

Underrated: Fallen branches as fuel. Dry twigs and sticks are free in many yards (check local rules before gathering in parks), and a rocket stove is built to burn small fuel like that.

Pet emergency preparedness. Your animals need a plan too, and their needs are different from yours.

How was today's issue? Tap one below. If you pick "Could be better," tell us what to fix.

PS: A rocket stove runs on sticks, a pot and a clear patch of ground. Try it once in good weather so the first attempt is not during an outage.

THE READY BRIEF is published for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing here is professional legal, medical, financial, or tactical advice. Preparedness looks different for every household. Use your own judgment, consult qualified professionals when the stakes are high, and adapt what you read here to your actual situation.