Hey everyone, welcome back to My Weird Prompts. We are coming to you from our usual spot in Jerusalem, and honestly, the atmosphere here has been a little heavy lately. You can feel it in the air, that kind of quiet tension that comes when the news cycle starts spinning a bit faster than usual. It is Sunday, February twenty-second, twenty-twenty-six, and while the sun is out, there is a certain stillness in the streets that tells you everyone is waiting for the next update.
Herman Poppleberry here. And you are right, Corn. It is that specific kind of Jerusalem energy where everyone is simultaneously going about their day, drinking coffee, and doing their shopping, while also keeping one eye on the horizon. It is a strange way to live, but it is our reality right now. We have seen the headlines about the escalating tensions between Iran and Israel, and while we are used to a certain baseline of friction, the current rhetoric feels different. It is more technical, more strategic, and that trickles down to how we prepare our homes and our digital lives.
It really does. And today’s prompt from Daniel hits right at the heart of that. He has been looking at the complexity of local safety guidelines, and he wants us to dive into the practical side of things. Specifically, emergency preparedness, the art of creating effective standard operating procedures, and the tools we can use to manage all of that on Android and Ubuntu. Daniel mentioned he has been using artificial intelligence to simplify the Home Front Command instructions into flowcharts because, let us be honest, official government documentation can be a labyrinth.
It is a timely one, Daniel. When you are in a high-stress situation, you do not want to be reading a twelve-page PDF with fine print and bureaucratic jargon. You want a clear path forward. You want your brain to be able to offload the "what do I do now" to a system you built when you were calm. That is the essence of engineering for resilience.
Exactly. So, let us start with the most immediate, physical part of this: the go-bag. If you had to walk out the door in five minutes, or if you had to move to a shelter and stay there for a while, what are the absolute essentials? I think people often over-pack or under-prepare, and finding that middle ground is key.
Right. The goal of a go-bag, or what some people call a bug-out bag, is not to sustain you for a month in the wilderness. It is about the first seventy-two hours. That is the critical window. If we are looking at a checklist, we have to start with the basics of survival, but also the specific needs of our current environment.
Water is obviously number one. The standard advice is usually three liters per person per day. If you are packing for three days, that is nine liters. That is heavy, Herman. How do you actually manage that in a bag?
It is roughly nine kilograms of weight just in water, which is why the bag itself matters. You want a sturdy backpack with a hip belt for good weight distribution, not a duffel bag you have to carry by hand. For water, I actually prefer smaller, five hundred milliliter bottles rather than one giant container. If one leaks, you still have the others. And do not forget a portable water filter like a Sawyer Mini or purification tablets. In a true emergency, you might find water, but you might not know if it is potable.
And then there is food. We are talking high-calorie, shelf-stable stuff. I am thinking protein bars, nuts, dried fruit, maybe those vacuum-sealed pouches of tuna or chicken. Things you do not have to cook. Because if the power is out, your microwave is just a very expensive bread box.
Precisely. Aim for two thousand calories per day. And do not forget a manual can opener if any of your food is in cans. It is a classic mistake. You have the food, but you cannot get to it. Beyond food and water, we have to talk about power and communication. In twenty-twenty-six, our phones are our lifelines. They are our maps, our news sources, and our way to contact family.
So, a high-capacity power bank is a must. I would say at least twenty thousand milliamp hours. And make sure you have the actual cables. I have a bag where I kept a power bank for a year, and when I checked it, I realized I had a lightning cable but I had switched to a phone with USB-C six months prior. You have to audit these things.
That is a great point. Part of the standard operating procedure for a go-bag should be a monthly or quarterly audit. Check the expiration dates on the food, check the battery levels on the power banks, and make sure the clothes still fit. If you have kids, they grow out of things fast. You do not want to be stuck in a shelter with a toddler wearing a onesie that is two sizes too small.
What about first aid? I feel like most store-bought kits are mostly Band-Aids and alcohol wipes, which are fine for a scraped knee, but maybe not enough for a real emergency.
You are right. A real emergency kit needs trauma supplies. We are talking tourniquets, pressure bandages, and hemostatic agents like Celox or QuikClot. But here is the thing: do not pack a tourniquet if you do not know how to use one. You can do more harm than good. Part of preparedness is the training. Also, prescription medications are vital. You should have at least a seven-day supply of any essential meds, and maybe some basic over-the-counter stuff like ibuprofen and antihistamines.
And documents. Physical copies of your ID, your passport, insurance papers, and a list of emergency contacts. We rely so much on our digital storage, but if your phone dies or the network is down, you need that paper. I also keep a small USB drive with encrypted scans of everything, just in case.
And cash. Small bills. If the power is out, credit card machines are down. Digital banking is useless. A few hundred shekels or dollars in small denominations can be the difference between getting a ride or a meal and being stuck. Also, think about lighting. A headlamp is infinitely better than a flashlight because it keeps your hands free to carry bags or help others.
Okay, so we have the physical bag. But Daniel’s prompt also touched on something I find even more interesting: the mental framework. The standard operating procedures and the flowcharts. He mentioned that the Home Front Command instructions are convoluted. Why is it so hard for official bodies to write clear instructions?
It is a classic case of the "curse of knowledge." The people writing these guidelines know the systems inside and out, so they include every possible edge case and legal disclaimer. But in a high-stress situation, the human brain undergoes what psychologists call "cognitive tunneling." Your peripheral vision narrows, your ability to process complex language drops, and you revert to basic "if-then" logic. This is where the OODA loop comes in—Observe, Orient, Decide, Act. In a crisis, you want to move through that loop as fast as possible.
So, a twelve-page manual is the worst possible format for someone whose heart rate is at one hundred and forty beats per minute.
Exactly. This is why pilots and surgeons use checklists. It is not because they do not know what they are doing; it is because they know that under pressure, the brain skips steps. An effective standard operating procedure for a crisis should be what I call "radically simple." It should be something a tired, scared person can follow without having to think.
I love that phrase, "radically simple." How do you actually achieve that when you are designing a flowchart? If I am looking at the rocket safety instructions Daniel mentioned, there are variables. Are you in a building? Are you outside? Are you driving? How do you map that out without making it a spiderweb of confusion?
You use a hierarchical approach. The first question should always be the most critical one. For a rocket siren, it is usually: "Where are you right now?" Then you have three clear paths: Indoors, Outdoors, or In a Vehicle. Each path should have no more than three to four steps. Use active verbs. Not "It is recommended that one should seek shelter," but "Go to the stairwell." Not "Avoid standing near glass surfaces," but "Stay away from windows."
It is about reducing the cognitive load. I remember seeing a flowchart for emergency medical technicians once, and it was all color-coded. Red for immediate action, yellow for observation, green for stable. Does that help in a home setting?
Absolutely. Color coding is one of the fastest ways the brain processes information. If your flowchart for "Siren Sounds" has a big red box that says "Get to the safe room," you do not even need to read the words after the first few times. The color alone triggers the action. Daniel mentioned he used AI to simplify these. That is a brilliant use case for a large language model. You can feed it a dense government document and say, "Summarize this into a five-step sequence for a ten-year-old."
And then you verify it. Because AI can hallucinate, and you do not want a hallucination in your emergency plan. But as a starting point for clarity, it is incredibly powerful. Now, Daniel also asked about tools. He is on Android and Ubuntu, which is a classic power-user setup. If we are talking about creating and managing these checklists and procedures, where should he look?
For Ubuntu, I am a huge fan of anything that uses Markdown. It is future-proof, it is plain text, and you can version control it. If you want to get fancy with flowcharts, there is a tool called Mermaid. It is a script-based way to generate diagrams. You write a few lines of text like "Graph TD; A to B; B to C" and it renders a beautiful, clean flowchart. You can integrate Mermaid into many Markdown editors like Obsidian or Logseq.
Obsidian is a great shout because it has a fantastic Android app too. So you can build your procedures on your laptop, sync them to your phone, and have them available offline. That "offline" part is crucial. If you are using a cloud-based tool like Notion or Google Docs, and the towers go down, your emergency plan is gone.
Exactly. Local-first is the way to go for this. For Android specifically, if you want something more dedicated to checklists than a general note-taking app, there is an app called Checkli. It is very simple, and it allows you to create recurring checklists. But honestly, for an emergency, I think a simple, pinned note on your home screen or a PDF of your flowchart is better than an app you have to navigate through.
I actually think the best tool for an emergency is a printer.
You are speaking my language now, Corn. Digital is great for planning, but for execution, you want that flowchart taped to the inside of your front door or on the back of your safe room door. In a power outage, or if your phone is across the room when the siren goes down, you want that physical reference.
It is the ultimate low-tech solution. But let us go deeper into the "art" of the standard operating procedure that Daniel asked about. Beyond just the layout, how do you decide what actually goes into it? How do you distinguish between "nice to know" and "need to know"?
You have to do a "pre-mortem." Imagine the worst-case scenario has already happened. You are in the shelter, the power is out, and you realize you forgot something. What is that thing? That goes on the checklist. Then, look at the actions. If an action does not directly contribute to safety or stability in the next ten minutes, it is "nice to know." Put that in a separate document called "Extended Stay Guidelines." Keep the "Immediate Action" document lean.
That makes sense. It is like the difference between a pilot’s "Engine Fire" checklist and the manual on how the engine works. In the moment, you do not care how the fire started; you just want to put it out.
Exactly. And the language needs to be unambiguous. Instead of saying "Ensure all family members are present," say "Count heads." It is more visceral. It is faster. Also, think about the "Who." If you live with others, your procedure should assign roles. "
Grab the go-bag.
Close the gas valve. Daniel: Get the dog." If everyone knows their job, you avoid that frozen moment of everyone looking at each other wondering who is doing what.
That "frozen moment" is real. It is called the bystander effect, even when it is just a small group. Everyone assumes someone else is taking care of the essential task. Assigning names to tasks in a written procedure completely eliminates that.
It also provides a sense of agency. In a terrifying situation, having a specific job to do is one of the best ways to manage anxiety. It moves you from a state of "happening to" to a state of "acting upon." That psychological shift is huge for long-term resilience.
So, we have the bag, we have the logic, and we have the tools. Let us talk about the Ubuntu side of things for a second. If Daniel wants to manage these procedures more like a developer would, he could actually use a Git repository.
Oh, I love that. Imagine having a private repository on GitHub or GitLab for your family’s emergency procedures. You can have different files for different scenarios: "Power Outage," "Rocket Siren," "Earthquake," "Medical Emergency." You can track changes over time. Maybe you realize after a drill that the "In a Vehicle" procedure was too complicated, so you "refactor" the code, so to speak, and push an update.
And if you use something like Hugo or Jekyll, you can turn that repository into a simple internal website that is cached on everyone’s devices. It is a very "My Weird Prompts" way to handle a crisis.
It really is. But again, I want to emphasize the "Ubuntu" philosophy of simplicity. Do not over-engineer the system so much that it becomes a burden to maintain. The best emergency system is the one you actually keep updated. If it is too hard to change, you will let it get stale.
That is the trap, isn't it? We spend all this time building the perfect system, and then we never look at it again until we need it, at which point it is out of date.
Right. Which brings us back to the "Audit" procedure. That should be a checklist in itself. "First Sunday of every quarter: Check bag, update SOPs, run a drill." And I know "run a drill" sounds intense, but even just walking through the steps once without the stress can build that muscle memory.
It is like what you said about aviation. Pilots spend hundreds of hours in simulators so that when the real thing happens, their hands move before their brain even fully processes the fear. We are not pilots, but we can borrow their discipline.
Absolutely. And for the Android side, since Daniel is an Ubuntu user, he should definitely look into Syncthing. It is an open-source, peer-to-peer file synchronization tool. It is available on the Ubuntu repositories and the Google Play Store or F-Droid. It allows you to sync folders between your computer and your phone without using a central cloud server. It is private, it is fast, and it ensures that your latest "Emergency SOP dot PDF" is always on your phone.
Syncthing is incredible. It is one of those tools that once you set it up, you forget it is there, but it is doing vital work in the background. It is perfect for this kind of use case because it does not rely on an internet connection if you are on the same local network, but it can also work over the internet if needed.
Exactly. So, Daniel, if you are listening, here is your technical stack: Write your procedures in Markdown using Obsidian or a simple text editor like Gedit or VS Code. Use Mermaid for your flowcharts. Sync everything to your Android phone using Syncthing. And for the love of all that is holy, print out the final versions and put them in your safe room.
I want to add one more thing for the Android side. Have you heard of Organic Maps or OsmAnd? They are offline mapping applications. If the cellular network is congested or down, Google Maps becomes a spinning circle of frustration. Having the entire map of Israel downloaded and stored locally on your phone is a game changer.
That is a vital addition. OsmAnd is particularly powerful on Android because it allows you to overlay different data layers. You could even mark the locations of public shelters or medical facilities as custom points of interest. It is open-source and respects your privacy, which fits the Ubuntu ethos perfectly.
And what about communication if the cell towers are actually down? We have talked about this before, but things like Meshtastic or LoRa devices are becoming more popular.
They are. For those who do not know, Meshtastic is a project that uses low-power radio nodes to create a mesh network for text messaging. You connect your phone to a small radio device via Bluetooth, and you can send messages to anyone else in the mesh. It does not need a cell tower or a satellite. It is perfect for neighborhood-level communication. If Daniel is a tinkerer, setting up a few Meshtastic nodes in his area would be a great weekend project.
It is a solid plan. And it is not just about the tech; it is about the peace of mind. Knowing you have a plan, and knowing that plan is accessible, takes a huge weight off your shoulders. It does not change the external situation, but it changes your internal response to it.
That is the essence of preparedness. It is not about being paranoid; it is about being professional about your own safety. We live in a complex world, and especially here in Jerusalem, things can change fast. Having these systems in place allows you to focus on what matters in the moment, which is taking care of yourself and the people around you.
I think that is a perfect place to pivot to some of the more practical, everyday takeaways. Because while we are talking about high-stakes emergencies, the "art" of the SOP and the checklist is actually incredibly useful for mundane things too.
Oh, absolutely. I use checklists for everything. Packing for a trip, doing my end-of-month accounting, even my morning routine when I am particularly tired. It frees up your brain to think about more interesting things. If I do not have to remember to pack my toothbrush because it is on the list, I can spend that mental energy thinking about our next podcast episode.
I have started doing this with my "deep work" setup. I have a three-step checklist: "Phone in the other room, water bottle filled, noise-canceling headphones on." It sounds silly, but once those three things are checked off, my brain knows it is time to focus. It is a trigger.
It is a ritual. And rituals are just SOPs for the soul.
That is very poetic, Herman. But let us get back to the grit. Daniel asked about writing effective flowcharts for high-stress situations. We talked about simplicity and active verbs. What about the "Decision Points"? That is usually where people get stuck.
Right. A decision point should ideally be a binary choice. Yes or No. Are you at home? Yes or No. Is there a fire? Yes or No. If you have a decision point that has four different options, you should probably break it down into two separate binary choices. It makes the path through the flowchart much faster to navigate.
And avoid "Maybe." There is no room for "Maybe" in an emergency flowchart.
Exactly. If the answer is "I don't know," the flowchart should tell you what the safest default action is. "If you are unsure if the situation is safe, stay in the shelter." That is a clear instruction. It removes the need for a panicked person to make a judgment call.
I also think there is something to be said for the visual design. Don’t use a tiny font. Use a sans-serif font like Arial or Helvetica, which is easier to read at a glance. Make the lines between boxes thick and clear. If you are using Mermaid, you can actually customize the styling to make it very high-contrast.
Good point. High contrast is vital, especially if you are reading it in low light or with smoke in the air. Black text on a white or bright yellow background is the gold standard. And if you are printing it, maybe even laminate it. It protects it from water, and it makes it feel more "official," which can have a subtle psychological effect on the person reading it.
It says, "This is the plan. Follow the plan."
Precisely. Now, let’s talk about the Ubuntu side of managing the go-bag inventory. Daniel could even use a simple spreadsheet, but if he wants to stay in the terminal, he could use something like Taskwarrior. It is a powerful command-line task manager. He could have a project called "Go-Bag" with tasks that have expiration dates as their due dates.
Taskwarrior is great because you can set it to remind you a week before something expires. "Task forty-five: Replace protein bars in go-bag. Due: next Tuesday." It is a very efficient way to manage a lot of small, time-sensitive details.
And on Android, there is an app called Taskwarrior for Android that can sync with your Linux machine using a Taskserver. It is a bit more of a "weird prompt" setup, but for someone like Daniel, it might be right up his alley.
It definitely fits the profile. But for most people, even just a recurring calendar invite is a huge step up from doing nothing. "Check the bag" every six months on your Google or CalDAV calendar. It is about building the habit.
I think the biggest takeaway here is that preparedness is a process, not a destination. You are never "done." You are just in a state of readiness. And that readiness is built on clear communication, both with yourself and with the people you live with.
And that communication is what the SOP is for. It is a message from your calm, rational self to your future, stressed-out self. "Hey, I know you are scared right now, but I have already done the thinking for you. Just follow these steps."
That is a beautiful way to put it. It is an act of self-care.
So, we have covered the bag, the logic of the flowcharts, the importance of simplicity, and the technical stack of Markdown, Mermaid, Obsidian, and Syncthing. We have also touched on the psychology of stress and why assignation of roles is so important. Is there anything we missed?
Maybe just the "Mental Go-Bag." We talk a lot about physical items, but having a few mental anchors is important too. A specific breathing technique, a mantra, or just the knowledge that you have prepared. That internal "kit" is just as important as the one in the backpack.
I agree. The "Box Breathing" technique is a classic for a reason. Inhale for four, hold for four, exhale for four, hold for four. It physically forces your nervous system to down-regulate. It is an SOP for your lungs.
I love that. "SOP for the lungs." We should trademark that.
Let’s add it to the list. Honestly, this conversation has made me feel a bit better about the whole situation. It is easy to feel helpless when the news is overwhelming, but focusing on what you can control—your own readiness and the clarity of your plans—is a powerful antidote to that anxiety.
It really is. And I hope this helps Daniel and anyone else who is feeling that same tension. It is about taking that big, overwhelming "What if?" and breaking it down into small, manageable "Then what."
Exactly. Well, Herman, I think we have given Daniel a lot to work with. Before we wrap up, I want to remind everyone that if you are finding these deep dives helpful, please take a moment to leave us a review on your favorite podcast app. Whether it is Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen, those ratings really help more people find the show.
They really do. We appreciate all of you who have been with us for so many episodes. It is your prompts that keep this collaboration going.
And if you want to get in touch with us, you can always reach us at show at myweirdprompts dot com or through the contact form at myweirdprompts dot com. You can also find our full archive and RSS feed there.
This has been My Weird Prompts. Thanks for listening, and stay safe out there.
Take care of each other. Goodbye.
