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 Atop one large foothill here deep in the Carolina woods lies a most unlikely site: a castle, replete with a drawbridge, portcullis ? and an underground bunker.

The castle is the handiwork of a family aiming to protect itself from an electromagnetic pulse (EMP), which they think could take out electricity grids. So they're going medieval, training to use crossbows and building a catapult to defend themselves against marauders that might come in a doomsday scenario.

The family is the subject of a new show on the National Geographic Channel called "Doomsday Castle," which premiers at 10 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Aug. 13. Family members aren't disclosing their last name or location for fear of curious and/or hostile fans showing up on their castle step.

The father, Brent Sr., is the ringleader and a retired Army officer, and hatched a plan for the castle before Y2K, when people worried a computer glitch would unleash mass havoc beginning Jan. 1, 2000. While on a press trip to visit the family and their castle, LiveScience got a chance to sit down with Brent Sr. and with some of his 10 children, including Brent II, age 41, as well as younger son Michael and daughter Dawn-Marie. (Brent II is often at odds with the rest of his family and prefers to use the suffix "II" instead of "Jr.")

more

 

pics: http://www.livescience.com/38811-photos-from-doomsday-castle.html

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Good for keeping an illusion, show value and catering to their inner medieval romantics. At a glance, practical use seems rather limited.

 

A medieval castle was not just a formidable stronghold, but also the very first and the greatest affirmation of Lord's wealth and power. However, if this place would not for show, I'd strongly question why exactly a medieval castle was chosen as the model. Life in medieval castles actually sucked all possible medieval rusty balls and chains. Some earlier Roman and Greek engineering provided far better accomodations.

More, today pure stone walls without strong binder, armature and bastion developments like hornworks will not be any good against any remotely advanced explosive weaponry. And in case of cosmic rays or nuclear destruction their comparatively low density will be suboptimal against ionizing radiation.

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Good for keeping an illusion and catering to their inner medieval romantics. At a glance, practical use seems rather limited.

 

A medieval castle was not just a formidable stronghold, but also the very first and the greatest affirmation of Lord's wealth and power. However, if this place is not for show, I'd strongly question why exactly a medieval castle was chosen as the model. Life in medieval castles actually sucked all possible medieval rusty balls and chains. Some earlier Roman and Greek engineering provided far better accomodations.

More, today pure stone walls without strong binder, armature and bastion developments like hornworks will not be any good against any remotely advanced explosive weaponry and in case of cosmic rays or nuclear destruction their comparatively low density will be suboptimal against ionizing radiation.

 

How do you know so much about Castles? I have to admit while reading your post I became attracted to you.  :blush: ...(Well, your brain).

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How do you know so much about Castles? I have to admit while reading your post I became attracted to you.  :blush: ...(Well, your brain).

 

Skyrim? j/k

I don't. But since rarely anybody else on the internets does, I have that liberty to state nearly anything without the risk of being questioned later. And please leave my brain in the jar it's supposed to be in :laugh:

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Skyrim? j/k

I don't. But since rarely anybody else on the internets does, I have that liberty to state nearly anything. And please leave my brain in the jar it's supposed to be in :laugh:

 

mmm, jar brain.

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Is that mean looking lady on the right supposed to be the queen of the castle?

 

Also, where's the drawbridge?

Eff the drawbridge, where's the damn moat? Where's the effing dragon?? I wanna fuggin dragon!!!!

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^ How will you buy bullets ... ? :laugh:

If they're doomsday preppers they probably have their own reloading dies and a press to make their own ammunition with.  I've wanted to get some for a while, but could never bring myself to make the initial investment, so I just save up my spent brass and sell it as scrap metal.

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So they're going back to Crossbows etc? Do they not realize that EMPs will not bring an end to guns? Or Grenades etc?

This. There are a few hundred years since the medieval times when castles and crossbows ruled warfare. We have only been using electrical grids for the last hundred or so. He seems to have skipped a few eras of warfare here. First time someone shows up with a cannon no matter how primitive or an IED his castle is gravel.

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So is it a new reality show or what ?

 

Sorry did not read the text cause of extreme lack of interest.

If you can't take the time to read through the text because of an extreme lack of interest, you obviously don't want the answer to your question. :/

As far as doing it for a project, I could see it being interesting and fun. But to defend themselves from a Doomsday situation? I can't see it working that well.

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looks fake, also it's not that big and with the exception of the roof it looks like an ordinary house...

 

I agree, i thought they were standing in front of a Minecraft render, 

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The daughters are pretty enough.  But when you look at some of the other pictures for the "castle", it doesn't appear to be built from very strong materials.  As someone else said, it looks more like a prop from a Hollywood movies, which probably sums the entire show up.  Made for TV with a bunch of actors...as least that's how it looks.

 

I especially like the picture of the girl learning to shoot a riffle, not sure the holo sight would be of much use after an EMP event ;)

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Those big azz windows aren't going to keep anybody zombies out that's why proper castles have small exterior windows and arrow slits.

 

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...

I especially like the picture of the girl learning to shoot a riffle, not sure the holo sight would be of much use after an EMP event ;)

From what I've read, "good" ones use a tritium light source along with a means of using ambient light to illuminate the range guide.

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