08/21/14
Preparedness
"When the SHTF, I'm going to the woods," says the prepper. Why? Why the woods? Is there something special about the wilderness that makes it the holy grail of Bug Out Locations? When 100,000 people are all saying "I'm goin' to the woods when the SHTF," you should be the one guy to say "when the SHTF, I'm probably not going to the woods." I guess "the woods" refers to the opposite of the city or urban areas. If you live in Brooklyn, yea, get out of the city ASAP. If you live in a main st USA town like I do, where the population is less than 8,000 and there are more parks and trails than there are sidewalks, you probably don't have to worry about the civil unrest that would occur in Waterbury or Hartford (aprox 30mins away from me).
What is the difference between Bugging Out and Evacuating?
Evacuating is the real deal, bugging out is not. 9/10 disasters that will happen in our lifetimes will not be long lasting. 10/10 disasters will be regional or confined to less than 2 states. 10/10 disasters will not be big enough to turn an entire nation upside down. The reality is, there are only a handful of examples that all serious preppers should examine and plan by:
-Hurricane Katrina
-Hurricane Sandy
-Multi-State Blizzard
-Pandemic/Epidemic of some sort
-Economic Collapse (more of a financial planning thing).
Lets look at Katrina and Sandy. How could you survive them? LEAVE THE FUCKING AREA THAT IS IN THE PATH OF THE STORM! It is that simple. Forget the 5 years worth of food and water, all you need is about 1K in cash, a few bags and cases to pack up your clothes, valuables, electronics and necessities in. Don't wait for the gov't evac order, leave as soon as your gut tells you to get moving. If you asked any of the residents of New Orleans who did not evacuate before the hurricane "hit," they will tell you that they wish that they evacuated. The people who did leave will tell you that they are glad that they did evacuate.
Multi state blizzard, you don't even need to bug out for it as long as you have enough supplies to not die in your home. If you have a fire place, you better have enough wood. Generator? You better have enough fuel. Blankets, food and water, stove, grill, fuel etc. That's it. No need for any fancy shit. If you do choose to bug out, you have one option: Bug out before the snow starts falling and head south.
Pandemic/Epidemic is also easy. The best way to not get sick is to avoid contact with people, animals or anything/anyone that could be contagious. Bugging in, sealing off your house from the outside world is the easiest but if you live in an area that is full of sick people, the next best thing is to evacuate to a location that is not near any people.
Economic Collapse, like I said, is more of a financial thing. You need to have enough money to survive being unemployed for an extended period of time. You should stock pile important things like food, water and clothes. Guns and ammo are probably a good idea too and so is bullion.
People tend to use the term "Bugging Out" very loosely while also over thinking their bug out plan. Thanks to Hollywood, reality is non-existent to many preppers. Bugging Out has become something of a fantasy, something that will be fun or some shit. The truth is that bugging out is a hyped term that really is just a hobby specific term for spur of the moment evacuation and temporary relocation. In real life, there are only a few situations or events in which humans have had to "bug out" for an extended period of time:
-Civilians in Poland had to "bug out" when the Nazis invaded them. (you can replace Poland with Iraq and Nazis with Islamo-nazis aka ISIS if you want).
-Civilians in war torn and poverty stricken Communist countries who "bugged out" to escape genocidal regimes and blood thirsty police forces.
Refugees are just everyday people who are "bugging out," waiting for the war to end.
If you asked most Preppers, they would define "Bugging Out" as leaving your home because of a dangerous situation or event, maybe to never return. That dangerous situation or event could mean anything that places you, your family and your community at risk. Some events happen so quickly that you can't bug out because there is no time; like a Tornado or Earthquake. The idea of "bugging out" is incredibly flawed. I have watched hundreds of YouTube videos and watched many episodes of Doomsday Preppers, there are only about 5 scenarios that have been widely used as a backbone to a preppers bug out plan. There has yet to be an economic collapse that has resulted in a total breakdown of society in modern history for an extended period of time. When the US economy "crashed" in 2007/2008, it wasn't even a crash. It was a housing bubble that resulted in a domino effect because of people who had their heads up their asses. People who had no savings, no plan. People who lived for instant gratification, people who did not prepare for tomorrow because they were too busy living for today.
There is no point in preparing for something that historically has either never happened, or has only happened once every couple of thousand years. Yea, we are in debt like fucking crazy, the world is falling apart and our society is full of MTV Zombies and Reality TV junkies who have no morals, no god and no future. As a culture, Americans are pathetic and we are constructing our own demise; there is nothing, you or I can do to stop it and no, spending every penny we have on MREs, guns and ammo wont do a damn thing. Bugging out to the woods wont save you either because you are an idiot who has traded reality for a redneck with a crossbow who became an instant survivalist and marksman once Zombies started hitting the streets.
I'll wrap this up by saying this.
Planning to bug out in the way that the freaks on TV do will get you killed because the term SHTF has been perverted by money hungry paranoia spreading fear mongers both in movies and on YouTube. (yes, I'm talking about douchebags on YouTube like Jason A who spew bullshit about pending martial law 364 days a year). No, the rapture isn't coming and Jesus wont reappear in Texas if Rick Perry becomes President. Obama isn't coming for your guns, your state police are and even if the world is run by the Illuminati or some elitist cult, what the hell do you think you can do to stop them Capt. America? Nothing, so drop the tin foil, and fix your shit before you go bankrupt buying toilet paper and Twinkies. 9/10 disasters that happen in your life time, will require you to evacuate your home and relocate for less than 5 months unless you live directly in a wildfire zone or in an area that is historically prone to devastating floods or tornadoes. Fire, wind and water are really the only threats to your home. Looters might break some windows and steal your TV, but you still have your home. A tornado could destroy your home but unless you are directly hit by the tornado, your home will probably just suffer repairable damage. If your home is 80% under water, you probably will need to find a new place to live and if a wildfire transforms your home into a pile of coals, you will need to find a new place to live.
Thanks for reading. Sub, follow and all the good shit. Enjoy the rest of Labor Day Weekend.
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Thursday, August 28, 2014
What You Need to Know About Burger Kings' Move to Canada.
08/28/14
Business
So the story goes like this...
The fast food chain Burger King is buying Tim Hortons and in doing so, BK will be taking their corporate operations out of the US and into Canada. The MSM says that Burger King is doing this to flee Americas corporate tax rate (which is the highest in the world) and take advantage of the Canadian corporate tax rate which is almost 50% lower.
What Burger King is doing is called Tax Inversion and it is perfectly legal (and is should be). How much money BK will be saving is another question but I doubt it will be billions. I have only eaten at Burger King once in the last 15 years. To be blunt, their food sucks and economically BK shouldn't even be around today if not for a Brazilian private equity firm that saved them from going under.
Here is the deal folks:
America is a horrible, horrible country to be a corporation or manufacturer in. Yea yea, we have tax loop holes and all that stuff that corporations can take advantage of, but ask yourself this question:
If America is such a great country to incorporate and run a manufacturing company in, why did many corporations and manufacturers "sail" over to China and other foreign countries? When GM went under (which was a good thing), an entire city essentially imploded and manufacturers like American Axle gave pink slips to their America works and opened a facility in Mexico. Companies have been leaving America for over 25 years. It's not an Obama thing or a Bush thing, it's a government thing. "It's a government thing" is the answer to every question about why the US economy is in the shitter and why we are almost 20 Trillion dollars in debt with over 100 Trillion dollars in unfunded liabilities.
BIG GOVERNMENT IS BAD FOR BUSINESS. TAXATION(THEFT) IS BAD FOR BUSINESS TOO!!
From Businessweek.com http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-08-26/the-burger-king-tim-hortons-deal-isnt-about-taxes
"Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) went as far as to propose a boycott. “Burger King’s decision to abandon the U.S. means consumers should turn to Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers or White Castle sliders,” he said in a statement."
Although I don't know who this politician is, he is right and many Americans are probably saying "I already eat at Wendy's." Funny that Sherrod didn't mention McDonald's instead of White Castle (He's a Democrat, go figure). The article goes on to say that Burger King isn't moving because of taxes. Well, I think it is more likely that Burger King isn't moving just because of the boot on their necks that is the IRS. No matter what the Media says, Burger King is moving because it is a decision that is good for the shareholders of BK and for the company that is Burger King.
Most Americas (OWS cough cough) don't get this at all and if they did, they would be boycotting Burger King and every other corporation in America. Businesses do things that are good for them. This is why profit will always come before people because without profit their are no people. The choice Burger King is making will indeed throw many of their USA employees under the bus, but that is the cost of being successful in the global market. BK wants to generate more profits and have less expenses. Taxation is an expense so logically, the less money that you need to give to the taxman, the more money you have to invest in new locations, products and more employees. Employees are expendable and this is business as usual.
I don't know why I even care, I don't eat at Burger King and I never will.
Thanks for reading.
Business
So the story goes like this...
The fast food chain Burger King is buying Tim Hortons and in doing so, BK will be taking their corporate operations out of the US and into Canada. The MSM says that Burger King is doing this to flee Americas corporate tax rate (which is the highest in the world) and take advantage of the Canadian corporate tax rate which is almost 50% lower.
What Burger King is doing is called Tax Inversion and it is perfectly legal (and is should be). How much money BK will be saving is another question but I doubt it will be billions. I have only eaten at Burger King once in the last 15 years. To be blunt, their food sucks and economically BK shouldn't even be around today if not for a Brazilian private equity firm that saved them from going under.
Here is the deal folks:
America is a horrible, horrible country to be a corporation or manufacturer in. Yea yea, we have tax loop holes and all that stuff that corporations can take advantage of, but ask yourself this question:
If America is such a great country to incorporate and run a manufacturing company in, why did many corporations and manufacturers "sail" over to China and other foreign countries? When GM went under (which was a good thing), an entire city essentially imploded and manufacturers like American Axle gave pink slips to their America works and opened a facility in Mexico. Companies have been leaving America for over 25 years. It's not an Obama thing or a Bush thing, it's a government thing. "It's a government thing" is the answer to every question about why the US economy is in the shitter and why we are almost 20 Trillion dollars in debt with over 100 Trillion dollars in unfunded liabilities.
BIG GOVERNMENT IS BAD FOR BUSINESS. TAXATION(THEFT) IS BAD FOR BUSINESS TOO!!
From Businessweek.com http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-08-26/the-burger-king-tim-hortons-deal-isnt-about-taxes
"Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) went as far as to propose a boycott. “Burger King’s decision to abandon the U.S. means consumers should turn to Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers or White Castle sliders,” he said in a statement."
Although I don't know who this politician is, he is right and many Americans are probably saying "I already eat at Wendy's." Funny that Sherrod didn't mention McDonald's instead of White Castle (He's a Democrat, go figure). The article goes on to say that Burger King isn't moving because of taxes. Well, I think it is more likely that Burger King isn't moving just because of the boot on their necks that is the IRS. No matter what the Media says, Burger King is moving because it is a decision that is good for the shareholders of BK and for the company that is Burger King.
Most Americas (OWS cough cough) don't get this at all and if they did, they would be boycotting Burger King and every other corporation in America. Businesses do things that are good for them. This is why profit will always come before people because without profit their are no people. The choice Burger King is making will indeed throw many of their USA employees under the bus, but that is the cost of being successful in the global market. BK wants to generate more profits and have less expenses. Taxation is an expense so logically, the less money that you need to give to the taxman, the more money you have to invest in new locations, products and more employees. Employees are expendable and this is business as usual.
I don't know why I even care, I don't eat at Burger King and I never will.
Thanks for reading.
Thoughts on Doomsday Preppers and the Hollywoodification of Prepparedness
08/28/14
Prepping
Doomsday Preppers...I'm not talking about individuals, I'm talking about the TV show. I watch it but at the same time I can't stand it. To me, watching Doomsday Preppers is like watching Bobs Burgers. It's enjoyable to watch, it's humorous and sometimes funny in a dumb way, but it sucks compared to shows in the same genre like South Park or Family Guy.
I think a lot of people still don't understand that there is a huge difference between real life and the Entertainment industry. Hollywood, or as I call it Commiewood, has given millions of Americans the gift of stupidity and disconnection through movies and "reality" TV shows. In the Entertainment industry, Jack Bower can shoot a guy once, and the dude drops dead. In real life, people (and even animals) don't always go down with one shot. Doomsday Preppers has forever tarnished the preparedness industry and hobby.
There are two types of people: Preppers and Prepared individuals. Doomsday Preppers doesn't show either, they cherry pick the "preppers" based on what the Entertainment industry standards believe will get viewers. In all honesty, if you want to see real preppers, just go onto YouTube and view the home videos of people who show off their Bug Out Bags. Yea, it's probably more boring than watching a guy with 4 kids shooting a bucket full of Tannerite with a .50cal to blow up a 1 ton truck. Real life IS boring. It's nothing crazy for the most part! I used to watch shows on TruTV like Operation Repo until I realized that there is no business on the planet that would operate like that. I know real preppers and I know people who are prepared which is why I can distinguish the TV preppers from the real ones. The problem with the Entertainment industry is that people who watch this crap somehow don't understand that reality TV is not real.
If I had a dollar for every person who watches the Walking Dead and then thinks that they know everything about a Zombie Apocalypse, I'd have enough money to buy an island and build a SHTF castle on it. Everything about a Zombie Apocalypse is fiction and science based theory, there has never been an Outbreak of a Zombie Virus and it is more likely that Ebola HR will kill 150,000,000 people in the next 5 years than a Zombie Virus will infect all (or most) humans in the next 100 years.
My main problem with Doomsday Preppers is that they claim to show everyday Americans, when we all know that everyday Americans don't turn school buses into up-armored campers or have $80,000 to buy a bunker. Doomsday Preppers only shows people with a lot of money. I've seen every episode of the show since it began and I guarantee that every prepper family on there makes at least $350,000 a year. If you were to catalog everything a Doomsday Prepper family has, you would find that they spend a lot of money on being prepared for shit that likely will never happen.
Atlas survival bunkers start at around $60,000. Then you have land and then property taxes on your home,your BOL and your vehicles which most likely cost over $800,000. All that financial security aka bullion cost you 30K, you spent 15k on firearms and ammo and then over 10k on survival gear. 3 meals a day for 365 days is 1,095 meals. How many mouths do you need to feed? 4 people? Okay so that's 4,380 meals but the biggest package Wise sells is 4,320 servings so you buy that one for $7,000 and then you buy another 780 servings for $1,449.99. I bet you still plan on putting your 4 kids through college. You have 3 dogs, 5 chickens, 4 goats, 20 meat rabbits and .50 acre garden? You probably spend over $10,000 a year on feed and farm supplies.
My point is that rich people can buy nice things and things that middle class people can't buy. Things like that is what Hollywood knows gets views. People watch shows like Doomsday Preppers that are designed to get you to watch once and then watch again and again and again. The Entertainment industry doesn't care about how real normal people prepare for an economic collapse and to be honest, the Doomsday Preppers preppers are going to be the people going to prison for life for being trigger happy freaks who kill their neighbors as a precaution that they don't follow them to the bunker.
If you want to see how real normal prepared people "prep," check out my YouTube channel, Pajama Prepper, or check out some of my favorite YouTube guys like Southernrepper1 and Cumberlandprepper1.
Follow my blogs and read what I post. I have no agenda and I don't get paid to say anything or push any products (sadly). If you want reality, you'll get it from someone like me. Doomday Preppers is a good TV show, but it should be watched for shits and giggles only, it is NOT an educational show and it certainly is not a show about real preppers.
Thanks.
Prepping
I think a lot of people still don't understand that there is a huge difference between real life and the Entertainment industry. Hollywood, or as I call it Commiewood, has given millions of Americans the gift of stupidity and disconnection through movies and "reality" TV shows. In the Entertainment industry, Jack Bower can shoot a guy once, and the dude drops dead. In real life, people (and even animals) don't always go down with one shot. Doomsday Preppers has forever tarnished the preparedness industry and hobby.
There are two types of people: Preppers and Prepared individuals. Doomsday Preppers doesn't show either, they cherry pick the "preppers" based on what the Entertainment industry standards believe will get viewers. In all honesty, if you want to see real preppers, just go onto YouTube and view the home videos of people who show off their Bug Out Bags. Yea, it's probably more boring than watching a guy with 4 kids shooting a bucket full of Tannerite with a .50cal to blow up a 1 ton truck. Real life IS boring. It's nothing crazy for the most part! I used to watch shows on TruTV like Operation Repo until I realized that there is no business on the planet that would operate like that. I know real preppers and I know people who are prepared which is why I can distinguish the TV preppers from the real ones. The problem with the Entertainment industry is that people who watch this crap somehow don't understand that reality TV is not real.
If I had a dollar for every person who watches the Walking Dead and then thinks that they know everything about a Zombie Apocalypse, I'd have enough money to buy an island and build a SHTF castle on it. Everything about a Zombie Apocalypse is fiction and science based theory, there has never been an Outbreak of a Zombie Virus and it is more likely that Ebola HR will kill 150,000,000 people in the next 5 years than a Zombie Virus will infect all (or most) humans in the next 100 years.
My main problem with Doomsday Preppers is that they claim to show everyday Americans, when we all know that everyday Americans don't turn school buses into up-armored campers or have $80,000 to buy a bunker. Doomsday Preppers only shows people with a lot of money. I've seen every episode of the show since it began and I guarantee that every prepper family on there makes at least $350,000 a year. If you were to catalog everything a Doomsday Prepper family has, you would find that they spend a lot of money on being prepared for shit that likely will never happen.
Atlas survival bunkers start at around $60,000. Then you have land and then property taxes on your home,your BOL and your vehicles which most likely cost over $800,000. All that financial security aka bullion cost you 30K, you spent 15k on firearms and ammo and then over 10k on survival gear. 3 meals a day for 365 days is 1,095 meals. How many mouths do you need to feed? 4 people? Okay so that's 4,380 meals but the biggest package Wise sells is 4,320 servings so you buy that one for $7,000 and then you buy another 780 servings for $1,449.99. I bet you still plan on putting your 4 kids through college. You have 3 dogs, 5 chickens, 4 goats, 20 meat rabbits and .50 acre garden? You probably spend over $10,000 a year on feed and farm supplies.
My point is that rich people can buy nice things and things that middle class people can't buy. Things like that is what Hollywood knows gets views. People watch shows like Doomsday Preppers that are designed to get you to watch once and then watch again and again and again. The Entertainment industry doesn't care about how real normal people prepare for an economic collapse and to be honest, the Doomsday Preppers preppers are going to be the people going to prison for life for being trigger happy freaks who kill their neighbors as a precaution that they don't follow them to the bunker.
If you want to see how real normal prepared people "prep," check out my YouTube channel, Pajama Prepper, or check out some of my favorite YouTube guys like Southernrepper1 and Cumberlandprepper1.
Follow my blogs and read what I post. I have no agenda and I don't get paid to say anything or push any products (sadly). If you want reality, you'll get it from someone like me. Doomday Preppers is a good TV show, but it should be watched for shits and giggles only, it is NOT an educational show and it certainly is not a show about real preppers.
Thanks.
Monday, August 25, 2014
Nasty Winter Predictions and Preparations for 2014/2015
08/25/14
Preparedness
As much as I don't like Yahoo.com, they sometimes have articles that interest me.
Like this one for example http://news.yahoo.com/farmers-almanac-predicts-another-nasty-winter-154326000.html
As I sit here sweating like a dog (I was just outside testing out my dads old Hillary tent during a humid and hot day, while wearing jeans and a heavy knit golf shirt), I am both sad and happy that this winter will be "nasty." Personally, I don't mind the cold. I have seasonal allergies that turn my nose into a cold sored waterfall of salty slime, and make my eyes more blood shot than a Zombie pothead.
That being said, I prefer the cold weather. On the other hand, I remember last winter, and the winter before that.
Late January through early March was a frozen hell. Here is a video I
took of a very unusual April snow shower.
As a prepper, there are luckily only a few bad things that can happen during the winter and it is very easy to be prepared for those things. I learned something new this year:
Never trust the Weatherman. Thank God these guys don't work for the Pentagon because their intel on the weather is usually wrong. I now rarely watch the Weather Channel, I get my weather info straight from http://www.wunderground.com/US/CT/
What are some of the situations associated with extreme winter weather?
-Blackouts (power outages)
-Roads blocked by fallen trees or too much snow and/or ice
-Freezing to death (it happens more often than you know)
-States of emergency (CT and MA both had shut down after a massive blizzard in 2013 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February_2013_nor'easter)
-Closed schools
-People lose their jobs http://www.nhregister.com/business/20140314/connecticut-lost-10400-jobs-in-january-harsh-winter-blamed
So, how can you prepare for those things?
Here is a list of some basic supplies that you should have:
-Flashlights (one per person + at least 2 back up flashlights)
-Plenty of blankets (fleece throws are great and not expensive)
-Batteries (if your flashlights each use 2 AA batteries, you should have 2 batteries in each light + 6 exztra batteries for each flashlight)
-Emergency Radio. (WX/FM/AM is best, a police scanner would be better if you can afford one.)
-Power Bank for electronic devices and phones
-Ripstop tarp (used to cover your vehicle to make clearing the snow off it easier)
-5 gallon bucket of sand (keep in your vehicles trunk, if you lose traction, put some sand down in front of your tires to help get you back on the road)
-Road flares (if you crash your vehicle, these can be used to alert drivers of the wreck and also signal for help if you don't have a flashlight.
-Snow shovel
-LED lantern or light with strobe mode (for signaling emergency responders if you need help)
-Money aka savings. If you lose your job, you should have enough cash saved to pay bills and buy basic things for at least 3 months.
-Things to keep your kids busy (if you have any.)
-Hand warmers
-Bottled water (one gallon per person per day)
-Non perishable foods and snacks (at least 6 days worth)
-Jumper cables (cold weather can kill your car battery)
-First aid kit.
-10 gallons of gasoline for your snow thrower.
-Motor oil for your snow thrower.
-Fire extinguisher (this is a general household prep)
-Bags of rock salt or ice melt.
*I recommend candles but you NEED to keep a window cracked open to ventilate your house and prevent a buildup of Carbon Monoxide. This applies to fuel (kerosene) lanterns and heaters, propane stoves etc. If you have a fireplace, you're lucky because I don't. You should stockpile firewood and keep enough firewood for a week stored in the garage or basement.
If you have the money, buy a generator. If you keep it outside (which you should), you should have it chained to something so that no one can steal it.
Well, it's still August and we have a few months left until the first snowfall. The best place to buy some basic supplies is a hardware store like Home Depot or a mega retailer like Walmart. If you can, shop at locally owned mom n' pop businesses instead.
I hope you found this useful. Feel free to share your winter weather stories and experiences. Don't forget to follow me and share this with your friends. Thanks for reading.
Preparedness
As much as I don't like Yahoo.com, they sometimes have articles that interest me.
Like this one for example http://news.yahoo.com/farmers-almanac-predicts-another-nasty-winter-154326000.html
As I sit here sweating like a dog (I was just outside testing out my dads old Hillary tent during a humid and hot day, while wearing jeans and a heavy knit golf shirt), I am both sad and happy that this winter will be "nasty." Personally, I don't mind the cold. I have seasonal allergies that turn my nose into a cold sored waterfall of salty slime, and make my eyes more blood shot than a Zombie pothead.
As a prepper, there are luckily only a few bad things that can happen during the winter and it is very easy to be prepared for those things. I learned something new this year:
Never trust the Weatherman. Thank God these guys don't work for the Pentagon because their intel on the weather is usually wrong. I now rarely watch the Weather Channel, I get my weather info straight from http://www.wunderground.com/US/CT/
What are some of the situations associated with extreme winter weather?
-Blackouts (power outages)
-Roads blocked by fallen trees or too much snow and/or ice
-Freezing to death (it happens more often than you know)
-States of emergency (CT and MA both had shut down after a massive blizzard in 2013 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February_2013_nor'easter)
-Closed schools
-People lose their jobs http://www.nhregister.com/business/20140314/connecticut-lost-10400-jobs-in-january-harsh-winter-blamed
So, how can you prepare for those things?
Here is a list of some basic supplies that you should have:
-Flashlights (one per person + at least 2 back up flashlights)
-Plenty of blankets (fleece throws are great and not expensive)
-Batteries (if your flashlights each use 2 AA batteries, you should have 2 batteries in each light + 6 exztra batteries for each flashlight)
-Emergency Radio. (WX/FM/AM is best, a police scanner would be better if you can afford one.)
-Power Bank for electronic devices and phones
-Ripstop tarp (used to cover your vehicle to make clearing the snow off it easier)
-5 gallon bucket of sand (keep in your vehicles trunk, if you lose traction, put some sand down in front of your tires to help get you back on the road)
-Road flares (if you crash your vehicle, these can be used to alert drivers of the wreck and also signal for help if you don't have a flashlight.
-Snow shovel
-LED lantern or light with strobe mode (for signaling emergency responders if you need help)
-Money aka savings. If you lose your job, you should have enough cash saved to pay bills and buy basic things for at least 3 months.
-Things to keep your kids busy (if you have any.)
-Hand warmers
-Bottled water (one gallon per person per day)
-Non perishable foods and snacks (at least 6 days worth)
-Jumper cables (cold weather can kill your car battery)
-First aid kit.
-10 gallons of gasoline for your snow thrower.
-Motor oil for your snow thrower.
-Fire extinguisher (this is a general household prep)
-Bags of rock salt or ice melt.
*I recommend candles but you NEED to keep a window cracked open to ventilate your house and prevent a buildup of Carbon Monoxide. This applies to fuel (kerosene) lanterns and heaters, propane stoves etc. If you have a fireplace, you're lucky because I don't. You should stockpile firewood and keep enough firewood for a week stored in the garage or basement.
If you have the money, buy a generator. If you keep it outside (which you should), you should have it chained to something so that no one can steal it.
Well, it's still August and we have a few months left until the first snowfall. The best place to buy some basic supplies is a hardware store like Home Depot or a mega retailer like Walmart. If you can, shop at locally owned mom n' pop businesses instead.
I hope you found this useful. Feel free to share your winter weather stories and experiences. Don't forget to follow me and share this with your friends. Thanks for reading.
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
The Preppers View of the Ferguson Riots.
08/19/14
Prepping.
As much as I want to get into the politics of what is going on in Ferguson, I really don't have any desire to do so. I spent a lot of time analyzing and reporting on the Trayvon Martin issue and yes, it was well worth it.
I don't live in Ferguson so I am sorry if I don't have all the information as to what is happening on the streets, my information only comes from what I have read online and seen in news reports and independent reporting on the TV and on YouTube. I want to give a shout out to all the citizens who have uploaded real, uncensored footage of the riots via their smart phones. You are self-deputized journalists and the work you are doing is of greater value than anything Chris Hayes, NBC, FNC, MSNBC or CNN has to report on. The police can try to silence you, but stand tall and exercise your rights without fear.
This post will be laid out as if I were actually preparing to evacuate and bug out. I will be using my knowledge and going according to my family bug out plan for incidents of martial law and civil unrest. Our bug out plan is essentially a modified version of our hurricane evacuation plan. Specifics and details will be left out for operational security reasons.
If I lived in Ferguson, I would have bugged out within the first hour of the initial protests. But what about my job or my fiances job? Well, seeing as most of the city is shut down, I'm sure our employers would understand. My daughter is only 1, so we don't have to worry about her missing any school. We would pack up both our vehicles and head out of town. The sky isn't falling so we wouldn't need to take all the SHTF gear.
What about our home? What if some rioters break into our home? That is why I have insurance and a home is just a home. I would rather not be home when the looters come because I need to protect my fiance and our daughter. We would take all our important documents and items and we would empty out our safe, but we would leave all non essential property. Before we leave, we would board up all the windows from the inside (I'll talk about that later) and secure all entry points.
Okay so what would we pack?
-Clothes. Because we don't know how long we will have to be out of town, we will pack at least 10 days worth of clothes. If we need to bug out for more than 10 days, we will find a coin-op laundromat.
-Toiletries. Shampoo, soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes etc.
-Guns and ammo. Even thought we likely will not need to use force to defend ourselves, taking our guns and ammo is more or less to prevent looters from stealing them. Remember, we are packing up all important and essential items.
-Documents. Passports, anything that has to do with insurance, proof of ownership or identification. Because I am self employed, I would take all my business paperwork and licenses.
-Electronics. Laptop, cameras, flash drives, chargers, baby toys. Xbox 360 and games. All of these items can be packed up into one box that wont take up a lot of space in the car.
-Clean out the safe. Coins, bullion, jewelry and heirlooms.
-Business stuff. I often do business at expos and coin shows so I would take my pelican case that has my scale, magnifiers, testing solutions and other important items. I would also take my transport case.
-Money. As soon as we got out of Ferguson, we would stop at the bank and withdraw a few hundred dollars.
-Our bug out bags. Our bug out bags have a lot of essential gear in them.
-Baby items. Diapers, bottles, sippy cups. The stroller, pack and play crib, baby toys, blankets. We wouldn't take much baby food because we could buy that stuff once we are out of Ferguson.
-Medicine and first aid. We would pack all prescriptions and OTC medications. We keep everything in a Plano case with a lock on it so that our daughter can't access any of the medications. We would pack both our IFAKs as well.
Where would we go? Because the situation isn't wide spread and the riots are really just in Ferguson, we could go anywhere. Because there is a possibility for the riots and protests to spread to other areas, we would choose a "bug out location" that is at least 100 miles away and not in an urban area.
The reality is that this sort of bug out would be a vacation. I think that because I am a father, it would be best to treat all bug outs and evacuations as "adventures." I do not want to cause my fiance or daughter to worry or be scared. Again, our daughter is only 1 year old, but when she is older, I will want her to be able to understand why we need to "bug out" but I don't want her to think that the world is ending. I think that it would be better if we had a group of people to bug out with also. Instead of just my fiance, daughter and myself, it could be us and the neighbors or close friends. We would try to reach out to our neighbors and friends through direct contact and through social media and encourage them to join us on evacuating until the riots end and things get back to normal.
I'd like you, the reader, to share your thoughts.
Thanks for reading.
Prepping.
As much as I want to get into the politics of what is going on in Ferguson, I really don't have any desire to do so. I spent a lot of time analyzing and reporting on the Trayvon Martin issue and yes, it was well worth it.
I don't live in Ferguson so I am sorry if I don't have all the information as to what is happening on the streets, my information only comes from what I have read online and seen in news reports and independent reporting on the TV and on YouTube. I want to give a shout out to all the citizens who have uploaded real, uncensored footage of the riots via their smart phones. You are self-deputized journalists and the work you are doing is of greater value than anything Chris Hayes, NBC, FNC, MSNBC or CNN has to report on. The police can try to silence you, but stand tall and exercise your rights without fear.
This post will be laid out as if I were actually preparing to evacuate and bug out. I will be using my knowledge and going according to my family bug out plan for incidents of martial law and civil unrest. Our bug out plan is essentially a modified version of our hurricane evacuation plan. Specifics and details will be left out for operational security reasons.
If I lived in Ferguson, I would have bugged out within the first hour of the initial protests. But what about my job or my fiances job? Well, seeing as most of the city is shut down, I'm sure our employers would understand. My daughter is only 1, so we don't have to worry about her missing any school. We would pack up both our vehicles and head out of town. The sky isn't falling so we wouldn't need to take all the SHTF gear.
What about our home? What if some rioters break into our home? That is why I have insurance and a home is just a home. I would rather not be home when the looters come because I need to protect my fiance and our daughter. We would take all our important documents and items and we would empty out our safe, but we would leave all non essential property. Before we leave, we would board up all the windows from the inside (I'll talk about that later) and secure all entry points.
Okay so what would we pack?
-Clothes. Because we don't know how long we will have to be out of town, we will pack at least 10 days worth of clothes. If we need to bug out for more than 10 days, we will find a coin-op laundromat.
-Toiletries. Shampoo, soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes etc.
-Guns and ammo. Even thought we likely will not need to use force to defend ourselves, taking our guns and ammo is more or less to prevent looters from stealing them. Remember, we are packing up all important and essential items.
-Documents. Passports, anything that has to do with insurance, proof of ownership or identification. Because I am self employed, I would take all my business paperwork and licenses.
-Electronics. Laptop, cameras, flash drives, chargers, baby toys. Xbox 360 and games. All of these items can be packed up into one box that wont take up a lot of space in the car.
-Clean out the safe. Coins, bullion, jewelry and heirlooms.
-Business stuff. I often do business at expos and coin shows so I would take my pelican case that has my scale, magnifiers, testing solutions and other important items. I would also take my transport case.
-Money. As soon as we got out of Ferguson, we would stop at the bank and withdraw a few hundred dollars.
-Our bug out bags. Our bug out bags have a lot of essential gear in them.
-Baby items. Diapers, bottles, sippy cups. The stroller, pack and play crib, baby toys, blankets. We wouldn't take much baby food because we could buy that stuff once we are out of Ferguson.
-Medicine and first aid. We would pack all prescriptions and OTC medications. We keep everything in a Plano case with a lock on it so that our daughter can't access any of the medications. We would pack both our IFAKs as well.
Where would we go? Because the situation isn't wide spread and the riots are really just in Ferguson, we could go anywhere. Because there is a possibility for the riots and protests to spread to other areas, we would choose a "bug out location" that is at least 100 miles away and not in an urban area.
The reality is that this sort of bug out would be a vacation. I think that because I am a father, it would be best to treat all bug outs and evacuations as "adventures." I do not want to cause my fiance or daughter to worry or be scared. Again, our daughter is only 1 year old, but when she is older, I will want her to be able to understand why we need to "bug out" but I don't want her to think that the world is ending. I think that it would be better if we had a group of people to bug out with also. Instead of just my fiance, daughter and myself, it could be us and the neighbors or close friends. We would try to reach out to our neighbors and friends through direct contact and through social media and encourage them to join us on evacuating until the riots end and things get back to normal.
I'd like you, the reader, to share your thoughts.
Thanks for reading.
Understanding Martial Law and Civil Unrest.
08/19/14
Prepping.
Martial Law is a very serious topic that every prepper should be talking about. I have read many other blog posts and watched many videos on WROL and Martial Law but too many of the posts and videos are wrong. Instead of looking at a declaration of a state of emergency from a realistic point of view, many people jump on the "they are coming for your guns" scenario. In this post, I will clarify and provide facts about martial law and civil unrest. How governments go about enacting protocols, the levels of response and escalation, and what causes the declaration of a state of emergency/martial law.
If you want to know the facts and the reality, don't watch any of Jason A's videos on YouTube. None of his videos are reliable and he has been claiming all sorts of nonsense for years without anything actually happening. The media is not going to elaborate on the truth, hell, most newscasters are idiots who are only good at reading a teleprompter. The news coverage is only good if you want to see examples of what martial law looks like. The events in Ferguson have shown millions of Americans that our police depts are becoming more like gov't sponsored para-military forces. The police state is not a myth and yes, you should be very concerned with the militarization of the police.
I use the terms martial law and state of emergency in the same capacity. Both mean the same thing, but have two different understandings.
-State of emergency is used more to describe the action of a governor in making the declaration that, due to some sort of event (riots, hurricane, floods, tornadoes etc), the protocols that are in place for responding to said events must now be initiated.
-Martial Law is used more to describe the law enforcement response that would happen after a disaster or during a riot. I think the easiest way to explain it is to say that martial law would be declared because of civil unrest or a civil uprising.
Despite what conspiracy theorists claim, martial law will never be declared by a US president. NDAA has nothing to do with a state response to civil unrest. Martial law has historically only been declared on a local level. States of emergency have historically only been declared locally and regionally (local meaning town, city or state, regional meaning multiple states). Hurricane Sandy prompted multiple states to declare states of emergency. Hurricane Katrina resulted in a state of emergency in Louisiana (I do not recall if TX or FL were hit bad enough by Katrina to result in states of emergency there), but martial law was really only declared in New Orleans.
Protocols:
It took me a while to find just one official document on just one formal protocol for civil unrest. This is a PDF of the Military Field Manual 3-19.15. http://fas.org/irp/doddir/army/fm3-19-15.pdf
The great thing about US gov't manuals is that they are full of information that allow you as a civilian to know exactly how "gov't forces" would respond to said situation. The US Dept of the Army puts out field manuals, technical manuals and pretty much manuals for everything that everyone from the common Infantry soldier to the elite of the elite.
Sometimes protocols are called guidelines. Essentially all levels of government have response guidelines and protocols. Some of the information can be found through an internet search but a lot of the information can only be obtained if you are a member of a fire dept, ambulance corps, police dept, national guard etc. Some protocols are created by councils or private organizations.
Although this document is about an Influenza pandemic, it is a great piece of intel.
https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/PI_Best_Practices_Model.pdf
Here is another one about bathing water.
http://www.ct.gov/dph/LIB/dph/environmental_health/recreation/pdf/beachguide.pdf
Here is an example of a protocol that was created by a non-governmental organization
http://www.northcentralctems.org/documents/MCI%20Protocol%20Letter0001.pdf
Here is the actual letter from Governor Daniel Malloy to Denise Merrill (who I personally know) when Malloy declared a state of emergency because of Hurricane Sandy
http://www.governor.ct.gov/malloy/lib/malloy/2012.10.17_Sandy_Declaration_of_Emergency.pdf
Here are some more protocols from my state:
http://www.cga.ct.gov/2011/pub/chap517.htm
http://www.ct.gov/demhs/lib/demhs/ct_srf_aug_2011.pdf
States of Emergency and Martial Law declaration:
Right now, in Ferguson Missouri, a state of emergency is in effect. States of emergency could be declared because of many different situations from storms to protests.
Gun Confiscation:
Honestly, I don't believe that gun confiscation would happen on a national level. Registration does lead to confiscation. Confiscation could mean that the police require all gun owners to turn over their arms to the police for the duration of a state of emergency, or it could mean SWAT going door to door and conducting raids to take your guns by force. Instead of explaining how gun confiscation happens, I'll explain how to avoid it below.
What to do when martial law is declared.
Knowing the fact that martial law will more than likely only be declared on a local level, all you need to do is pack up your vehicle and get out of the area. If you live in New York City, you might just have to go only 5 miles out of the city to avoid possible gun confiscation. Do you know how many residents of New Orleans would have survived if they just drove to an area above sea level instead of staying home to ride out Katrina? Yes, I am saying that bugging out or evacuating can be the difference between life and death.
You NEED an Evac Plan.
If you and your household don't have a bug out plan (I call it an Evacuation plan), then you should start one right after reading this.
I will do a different post on establishing a household evac plan and go over the supplies that you should stock up on.
Thanks.
Prepping.
Martial Law is a very serious topic that every prepper should be talking about. I have read many other blog posts and watched many videos on WROL and Martial Law but too many of the posts and videos are wrong. Instead of looking at a declaration of a state of emergency from a realistic point of view, many people jump on the "they are coming for your guns" scenario. In this post, I will clarify and provide facts about martial law and civil unrest. How governments go about enacting protocols, the levels of response and escalation, and what causes the declaration of a state of emergency/martial law.
If you want to know the facts and the reality, don't watch any of Jason A's videos on YouTube. None of his videos are reliable and he has been claiming all sorts of nonsense for years without anything actually happening. The media is not going to elaborate on the truth, hell, most newscasters are idiots who are only good at reading a teleprompter. The news coverage is only good if you want to see examples of what martial law looks like. The events in Ferguson have shown millions of Americans that our police depts are becoming more like gov't sponsored para-military forces. The police state is not a myth and yes, you should be very concerned with the militarization of the police.
I use the terms martial law and state of emergency in the same capacity. Both mean the same thing, but have two different understandings.
-State of emergency is used more to describe the action of a governor in making the declaration that, due to some sort of event (riots, hurricane, floods, tornadoes etc), the protocols that are in place for responding to said events must now be initiated.
-Martial Law is used more to describe the law enforcement response that would happen after a disaster or during a riot. I think the easiest way to explain it is to say that martial law would be declared because of civil unrest or a civil uprising.
Despite what conspiracy theorists claim, martial law will never be declared by a US president. NDAA has nothing to do with a state response to civil unrest. Martial law has historically only been declared on a local level. States of emergency have historically only been declared locally and regionally (local meaning town, city or state, regional meaning multiple states). Hurricane Sandy prompted multiple states to declare states of emergency. Hurricane Katrina resulted in a state of emergency in Louisiana (I do not recall if TX or FL were hit bad enough by Katrina to result in states of emergency there), but martial law was really only declared in New Orleans.
Protocols:
It took me a while to find just one official document on just one formal protocol for civil unrest. This is a PDF of the Military Field Manual 3-19.15. http://fas.org/irp/doddir/army/fm3-19-15.pdf
The great thing about US gov't manuals is that they are full of information that allow you as a civilian to know exactly how "gov't forces" would respond to said situation. The US Dept of the Army puts out field manuals, technical manuals and pretty much manuals for everything that everyone from the common Infantry soldier to the elite of the elite.
Sometimes protocols are called guidelines. Essentially all levels of government have response guidelines and protocols. Some of the information can be found through an internet search but a lot of the information can only be obtained if you are a member of a fire dept, ambulance corps, police dept, national guard etc. Some protocols are created by councils or private organizations.
Although this document is about an Influenza pandemic, it is a great piece of intel.
https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/PI_Best_Practices_Model.pdf
Here is another one about bathing water.
http://www.ct.gov/dph/LIB/dph/environmental_health/recreation/pdf/beachguide.pdf
Here is an example of a protocol that was created by a non-governmental organization
http://www.northcentralctems.org/documents/MCI%20Protocol%20Letter0001.pdf
Here is the actual letter from Governor Daniel Malloy to Denise Merrill (who I personally know) when Malloy declared a state of emergency because of Hurricane Sandy
http://www.governor.ct.gov/malloy/lib/malloy/2012.10.17_Sandy_Declaration_of_Emergency.pdf
Here are some more protocols from my state:
http://www.cga.ct.gov/2011/pub/chap517.htm
http://www.ct.gov/demhs/lib/demhs/ct_srf_aug_2011.pdf
States of Emergency and Martial Law declaration:
Right now, in Ferguson Missouri, a state of emergency is in effect. States of emergency could be declared because of many different situations from storms to protests.
Gun Confiscation:
Honestly, I don't believe that gun confiscation would happen on a national level. Registration does lead to confiscation. Confiscation could mean that the police require all gun owners to turn over their arms to the police for the duration of a state of emergency, or it could mean SWAT going door to door and conducting raids to take your guns by force. Instead of explaining how gun confiscation happens, I'll explain how to avoid it below.
What to do when martial law is declared.
Knowing the fact that martial law will more than likely only be declared on a local level, all you need to do is pack up your vehicle and get out of the area. If you live in New York City, you might just have to go only 5 miles out of the city to avoid possible gun confiscation. Do you know how many residents of New Orleans would have survived if they just drove to an area above sea level instead of staying home to ride out Katrina? Yes, I am saying that bugging out or evacuating can be the difference between life and death.
You NEED an Evac Plan.
If you and your household don't have a bug out plan (I call it an Evacuation plan), then you should start one right after reading this.
I will do a different post on establishing a household evac plan and go over the supplies that you should stock up on.
Thanks.
Friday, August 15, 2014
View These Photos and Read This Before You Become a SHTF Medic.
08/15/14
Prepping
Hollywood makes getting shot and blown up seem so fun! HAHA, no, fuck you. This is for all preppers, minutmen or anyone who aspires to get a job in the field of medicine.
Imagine this....
The Ferguson MO riots got worse and cops started shooting civilians. You are there, in the streets peacefully demanding an end to the Regime that is the militarized police. You are a Doomsday prepper, a Couch Commando who spends hours watching YouTube videos about martial law and the EOTW. There are people, your neighbors, people from your community with burns, lacerations and even gun shot wounds. You consider yourself a serious Prepper which is why you put together an IFAK (or ordered one of PJPreppers' SHTF Medic Kits for $40.99 or one of PJPreppers' Responder Kits for $92.95). You have the gear and you learned enough on YouTube that you feel confident that you can take care of the wounded.
You have never seen a GSW to the abdomen in real life, you have never seen someone who just had their testicle torn off by a police dog either. The only violence you have seen, other than the events in Ferguson, was when you played Call Of Duty or when you watch the Expendables. You have used the word "Evisceration" when playing Airsoft in the woods, but do you even know what an Evisceration is?
I saved this website image library for when I need something to whack off to..Just kidding, that would be disgusting. Seriously, look through ALL these photos. LOOK AT 'EM BOY!! As someone who has treated everything from minor cuts to stab wounds, as someone who has been face to face with another human who is crying, screaming and moaning in pain and agony, most of these images don't bother me. Some images make me remember things that bother me and some images give me a weird taste in the back of my mouth.
I warn you, these images are real. Real people, real fucked up injuries.
http://www.trauma.org/index.php/main/images/C13/
If any of those images make you twinge or feel sick, you probably are not medic material. Be it now or after the SHTF, you will see some fucked up disgusting things. You will be tormented by memories of watching people suffer and die. Images, sounds, tastes, feelings; will NEVER go away.
Thanks.
Prepping
Hollywood makes getting shot and blown up seem so fun! HAHA, no, fuck you. This is for all preppers, minutmen or anyone who aspires to get a job in the field of medicine.
Imagine this....
The Ferguson MO riots got worse and cops started shooting civilians. You are there, in the streets peacefully demanding an end to the Regime that is the militarized police. You are a Doomsday prepper, a Couch Commando who spends hours watching YouTube videos about martial law and the EOTW. There are people, your neighbors, people from your community with burns, lacerations and even gun shot wounds. You consider yourself a serious Prepper which is why you put together an IFAK (or ordered one of PJPreppers' SHTF Medic Kits for $40.99 or one of PJPreppers' Responder Kits for $92.95). You have the gear and you learned enough on YouTube that you feel confident that you can take care of the wounded.
You have never seen a GSW to the abdomen in real life, you have never seen someone who just had their testicle torn off by a police dog either. The only violence you have seen, other than the events in Ferguson, was when you played Call Of Duty or when you watch the Expendables. You have used the word "Evisceration" when playing Airsoft in the woods, but do you even know what an Evisceration is?
I saved this website image library for when I need something to whack off to..Just kidding, that would be disgusting. Seriously, look through ALL these photos. LOOK AT 'EM BOY!! As someone who has treated everything from minor cuts to stab wounds, as someone who has been face to face with another human who is crying, screaming and moaning in pain and agony, most of these images don't bother me. Some images make me remember things that bother me and some images give me a weird taste in the back of my mouth.
I warn you, these images are real. Real people, real fucked up injuries.
http://www.trauma.org/index.php/main/images/C13/
If any of those images make you twinge or feel sick, you probably are not medic material. Be it now or after the SHTF, you will see some fucked up disgusting things. You will be tormented by memories of watching people suffer and die. Images, sounds, tastes, feelings; will NEVER go away.
Thanks.
What You Need to Know About Sterile Saline Solution.
08/15/14
Prepping
This post will be somewhat of an extension of my recent Wound Care post, which I hope you read.
Sterile saline solution should be in every trauma kit and home surgery kit. Although I don't advise that you have a home surgery kit or trauma kit unless you have training in what I refer to as Pre-Hospital and Field Medicine. Pre-Hospital and Field Medicineis a simple way of defining what Paramedics and EMTs are trained in but they don't really "practice" it in a prepper way because of liability reasons and stuff. When the SHTF and all the hospitals are closed down and to capacity, having training and experience with treating common injuries from scrapes to gunshot wounds will be more valuable than gold.
0.9% Sterile Saline solution is also called Normal Saline. As one might think, saline solution is.... Salt water.
Normal Saline will not burn, which is a common problem with Isopropyl Alcohol and sometimes with Hydrogen Peroxide. Sterile saline has my uses such as to flush wounds and abrasions and used in IV Therapy. Saline is also used to clean contact lenses and Saline is found in eye drops.
I have season allergies but I have yet to use sterile saline as a nasal wash to clear my sinuses.
I REALLY want to emphasize the training thing. Fun things and important things were made illegal because some idiot decided to misuse it. Fireworks are a great example. In CT, we can only have those dinky sparklers because some moron turned his hand into a stump when an M80 went off in his hand. If we want to good shit, we need to go to New Hampshire to get it. If YOU don't know how to provide emergency medical care, DON'T EVEN READ MY POSTS!!!! Please, I beg you. Don't think that "oh, it's that simple?" because it really is simple but the "adults in the room" don't trust us to be responsible. If you are going to be a field medic after the "EOTW," it is worth your time and mine that you spend the time and money to become an EMT-B, EMR (First Responder) and get trained in providing basic first aid and also in providing trauma care.
The biggest problem is finding Sterile Saline solution. The FDA restricts it and regulates it in a way that prevents "common folk" from purchasing it. I have some pre-filled BD irrigation syringes that are FDA regulated as a medical device. I searched near and far to find out what the FDA gives as a reason for regulating "medical use salt water" but I have yet to come up with anything. From what I have seen, some retailers will sell 0.9% Sterile Saline to anyone, leaving the responsibility of compliance with the end user and not the retailer. Some businesses require that you complete a medical authorization form to buy saline.
Politically speaking, some businesses don't want just anyone to have saline solution and some businesses don't care either way because they want your business and money and this is America where you and I should be able to do whatever we want to our bodies.
Have you ever been to a hospital to receive treatment for a laceration? Most if not all hospitals only use 0.9% Sterile Saline to clean the wound prior to suturing and/or bandaging. Many medical facilities don't even use Isopropyl Alcohol to clean an injection site prior to drawing blood or introducing IV fluids. They use Povidone Iodine. I believe that Isopropyl Alcohol is only used if the patient is allergic or sensitive to Povidone Iodine.
If you have a prescription, you can buy IV bags of 0.9% Saline for cheap online. Most websites that I have found will ship anyone Sterile Saline for Irrigation. This form comes in 500ml or 1000ml bottles and you need an Irrigation syringe to extract saline from the bottle.
For now, that is all.
Thanks.
Prepping
This post will be somewhat of an extension of my recent Wound Care post, which I hope you read.
Sterile saline solution should be in every trauma kit and home surgery kit. Although I don't advise that you have a home surgery kit or trauma kit unless you have training in what I refer to as Pre-Hospital and Field Medicine. Pre-Hospital and Field Medicineis a simple way of defining what Paramedics and EMTs are trained in but they don't really "practice" it in a prepper way because of liability reasons and stuff. When the SHTF and all the hospitals are closed down and to capacity, having training and experience with treating common injuries from scrapes to gunshot wounds will be more valuable than gold.
0.9% Sterile Saline solution is also called Normal Saline. As one might think, saline solution is.... Salt water.
Normal Saline will not burn, which is a common problem with Isopropyl Alcohol and sometimes with Hydrogen Peroxide. Sterile saline has my uses such as to flush wounds and abrasions and used in IV Therapy. Saline is also used to clean contact lenses and Saline is found in eye drops.
I have season allergies but I have yet to use sterile saline as a nasal wash to clear my sinuses.
I REALLY want to emphasize the training thing. Fun things and important things were made illegal because some idiot decided to misuse it. Fireworks are a great example. In CT, we can only have those dinky sparklers because some moron turned his hand into a stump when an M80 went off in his hand. If we want to good shit, we need to go to New Hampshire to get it. If YOU don't know how to provide emergency medical care, DON'T EVEN READ MY POSTS!!!! Please, I beg you. Don't think that "oh, it's that simple?" because it really is simple but the "adults in the room" don't trust us to be responsible. If you are going to be a field medic after the "EOTW," it is worth your time and mine that you spend the time and money to become an EMT-B, EMR (First Responder) and get trained in providing basic first aid and also in providing trauma care.
The biggest problem is finding Sterile Saline solution. The FDA restricts it and regulates it in a way that prevents "common folk" from purchasing it. I have some pre-filled BD irrigation syringes that are FDA regulated as a medical device. I searched near and far to find out what the FDA gives as a reason for regulating "medical use salt water" but I have yet to come up with anything. From what I have seen, some retailers will sell 0.9% Sterile Saline to anyone, leaving the responsibility of compliance with the end user and not the retailer. Some businesses require that you complete a medical authorization form to buy saline.
Politically speaking, some businesses don't want just anyone to have saline solution and some businesses don't care either way because they want your business and money and this is America where you and I should be able to do whatever we want to our bodies.
Have you ever been to a hospital to receive treatment for a laceration? Most if not all hospitals only use 0.9% Sterile Saline to clean the wound prior to suturing and/or bandaging. Many medical facilities don't even use Isopropyl Alcohol to clean an injection site prior to drawing blood or introducing IV fluids. They use Povidone Iodine. I believe that Isopropyl Alcohol is only used if the patient is allergic or sensitive to Povidone Iodine.
If you have a prescription, you can buy IV bags of 0.9% Saline for cheap online. Most websites that I have found will ship anyone Sterile Saline for Irrigation. This form comes in 500ml or 1000ml bottles and you need an Irrigation syringe to extract saline from the bottle.
For now, that is all.
Thanks.
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
What You Need to Know About Buying and Selling Precious Metals and Bullion.
08/13/14
Business.
A few bullet points:
-Silver and Gold are worth buying as a hedge against the USD and economic instability worldwide.
-If the spot price of Silver is $20.00/oz, expect to buy at $25.00/oz and sell at $17.00/oz (or less) when doing business with a dealer or pawn shop.
-The condition and rarity of your coins means nothing to gold buyers. They only are interested in the precious metal and they will offer you scrap price for a Morgan Dollar that is worth $5,000.
-Obscene profit margins, uneducated and economically stressed out customers are the main target of gold buyers.
AFTER YOU READ THIS, consider sending me an email if you have any precious metals that you would like to sell. I offer free appraisals on silver and gold bullion as long as you send me clear photos of what you have if we can't meet in person. I always pay more than pawnshops and gold buyers do and if you don't believe me, get an appraisal from me and then call around and see if anyone offers you more than I did. I don't melt down anything and I know much more about Numismatics than most pawnbrokers and gold buyers do. Get more money by contacting me first.
Have you noticed all the Gold Buyers lately? I don't know why but a few years ago malls across America starting leasing kiosks to gold buyers. In Connecticut we have Good Ole Tom, Fast Eddy and pretty much every pawn shop who claim that they all pay top dollar for your unwanted gold and silver. You need to know that you should never sell anything to them and I'll explain why.
I have done business with Fast Eddy in Orange CT and I also have done business at the Good Ole Tom in Hamden. Both businesses are run well and owned by professionals. Because I am in the precious metals business myself, I know what their basic business model is; consumers don't know how these businesses operate. It is great to live in America where the market is competitive. Everyone in this regard is offering to pay you top dollar. The precious metals business is a very profitable one as long as you have the working capital (cash on hand) to buy inventory and also know what you are doing.
What is top dollar? Top dollar is a buyers way of letting the sellers (customers) know that they will pay more than any other business. This does not include private collectors. Businesses realistically only can compete with other businesses because private collectors usually are not buying to resell. In reality, all the businesses pay relatively the same price for your precious metals. The top dollar amount revolves around the "melt price" of the bullion. If Silver is trading at $20.00/oz, the buyer will pay less than if Silver is trading at $30.00. So if you want to sell your grandpas old silverware, wait until the price of silver goes up past $30.00/oz. .925 silver is worth less than .999 silver.
To this date, no brick and mortar gold buyer has been able to pay more than I do for silver coin and silver bullion. When I lived and worked in Florida, I paid on average $2.80 more than the highest paying pawn shops offered for a 1 Toz .999 Silver Eagle. I have always believed that gov't regulations are lynching small businesses and in the precious metals business, there are many state licenses that you need and certain reporting standards and requirements that must be met. I somewhat skirt around the requirements by buying as a collector, which I am. I buy bullion and precious metals as a hedge and just to have something other than the worthless USD in my safe. I deal more with coins and currency anyway.
I'm not a fan of throwing values out the window.
The biggest problem with the Fast Eddies of the world is that they destroy what they buy. Instead of reselling the gold tennis bracelet that they bought from you, they rip out all the stones (diamonds, gems etc) and then send the gold off to be melted down. To the gold buyers, precious metals are worth more if they scrap the jewelry. I also blame the commercial production of jewelry by Kay, Zales and the rest of the big name jewelers. There is no such thing as a one of a kind piece any more. That special ring you got your special lady is just one of thousands that other guys bought for their special lady.
When you buy any gold, silver or platinum jewelry, expect to get nothing for it when you go to sell it to a gold buyer. They ALWAYS will pay you the scrap price, even for beautiful pieces. When you buy an engagement ring, the price is marked up like crazy even though the gold weight is only worth a few hundred bucks. Simply, you buy a ring for $1,000 even though the components are worth only $460. And with Diamonds? Most gold buyers tell you "I can't do anything with the diamonds" which is why they remove any diamonds from the piece before weighing it. They only want the gold. BS, I know what they do with the diamonds and gemstones and they will never tell the customers that they are screwing them over.
-NEVER sell your precious metals "to just get rid of it." If you just want some money to go to Foxwoods, get a damn job or work extra hours. Don't enable the scam artists' that are gold buyers.
Thanks.
Business.
A few bullet points:
-Silver and Gold are worth buying as a hedge against the USD and economic instability worldwide.
-If the spot price of Silver is $20.00/oz, expect to buy at $25.00/oz and sell at $17.00/oz (or less) when doing business with a dealer or pawn shop.
-The condition and rarity of your coins means nothing to gold buyers. They only are interested in the precious metal and they will offer you scrap price for a Morgan Dollar that is worth $5,000.
-Obscene profit margins, uneducated and economically stressed out customers are the main target of gold buyers.
AFTER YOU READ THIS, consider sending me an email if you have any precious metals that you would like to sell. I offer free appraisals on silver and gold bullion as long as you send me clear photos of what you have if we can't meet in person. I always pay more than pawnshops and gold buyers do and if you don't believe me, get an appraisal from me and then call around and see if anyone offers you more than I did. I don't melt down anything and I know much more about Numismatics than most pawnbrokers and gold buyers do. Get more money by contacting me first.
Have you noticed all the Gold Buyers lately? I don't know why but a few years ago malls across America starting leasing kiosks to gold buyers. In Connecticut we have Good Ole Tom, Fast Eddy and pretty much every pawn shop who claim that they all pay top dollar for your unwanted gold and silver. You need to know that you should never sell anything to them and I'll explain why.
I have done business with Fast Eddy in Orange CT and I also have done business at the Good Ole Tom in Hamden. Both businesses are run well and owned by professionals. Because I am in the precious metals business myself, I know what their basic business model is; consumers don't know how these businesses operate. It is great to live in America where the market is competitive. Everyone in this regard is offering to pay you top dollar. The precious metals business is a very profitable one as long as you have the working capital (cash on hand) to buy inventory and also know what you are doing.
What is top dollar? Top dollar is a buyers way of letting the sellers (customers) know that they will pay more than any other business. This does not include private collectors. Businesses realistically only can compete with other businesses because private collectors usually are not buying to resell. In reality, all the businesses pay relatively the same price for your precious metals. The top dollar amount revolves around the "melt price" of the bullion. If Silver is trading at $20.00/oz, the buyer will pay less than if Silver is trading at $30.00. So if you want to sell your grandpas old silverware, wait until the price of silver goes up past $30.00/oz. .925 silver is worth less than .999 silver.
To this date, no brick and mortar gold buyer has been able to pay more than I do for silver coin and silver bullion. When I lived and worked in Florida, I paid on average $2.80 more than the highest paying pawn shops offered for a 1 Toz .999 Silver Eagle. I have always believed that gov't regulations are lynching small businesses and in the precious metals business, there are many state licenses that you need and certain reporting standards and requirements that must be met. I somewhat skirt around the requirements by buying as a collector, which I am. I buy bullion and precious metals as a hedge and just to have something other than the worthless USD in my safe. I deal more with coins and currency anyway.
I'm not a fan of throwing values out the window.
The biggest problem with the Fast Eddies of the world is that they destroy what they buy. Instead of reselling the gold tennis bracelet that they bought from you, they rip out all the stones (diamonds, gems etc) and then send the gold off to be melted down. To the gold buyers, precious metals are worth more if they scrap the jewelry. I also blame the commercial production of jewelry by Kay, Zales and the rest of the big name jewelers. There is no such thing as a one of a kind piece any more. That special ring you got your special lady is just one of thousands that other guys bought for their special lady.
When you buy any gold, silver or platinum jewelry, expect to get nothing for it when you go to sell it to a gold buyer. They ALWAYS will pay you the scrap price, even for beautiful pieces. When you buy an engagement ring, the price is marked up like crazy even though the gold weight is only worth a few hundred bucks. Simply, you buy a ring for $1,000 even though the components are worth only $460. And with Diamonds? Most gold buyers tell you "I can't do anything with the diamonds" which is why they remove any diamonds from the piece before weighing it. They only want the gold. BS, I know what they do with the diamonds and gemstones and they will never tell the customers that they are screwing them over.
-NEVER sell your precious metals "to just get rid of it." If you just want some money to go to Foxwoods, get a damn job or work extra hours. Don't enable the scam artists' that are gold buyers.
Thanks.
Can You Disappear in the Digital Age?
08/13/14
Prepping
I think most preppers and pretty much everyone who does not want to be "watched" has thought about going totally silent, under the radar and off grid. Is it possible? Can you do anything without leaving a trace or being noticed?
In the post 9/11 world, the police state (what happens when we trade our liberty for security/freedom for tyranny) thrives. There are more than enough excuses for gov't to keep an eye on you and I.
Well if you're doing nothing wrong, you have nothing to worry about.
You don't like all the traffic cameras? What, do you have something to hide?
Here's the reality:
The government, be it state, local or federal knows the following about you:
-Your birth name
-Your Date Of Birth
-Your place of birth
-Your Birth Certificate #
-Your Social Security #
-Your drivers license #
-All of your addresses, current and previous
-Your place of employment
-Where you go to school and went to school
-Who your parents are
-Who your kids are
-What pets you have
-How much money you make
-What vehicle(s) you own
-Your cell phone #
-All your email addresses
-What bank you use
-Your credit score
-Your IP address
-How much electricity you use each month
-What hours in the day that you use the most electricity
-Which charities you donate to
The gov't know that and much more. The problem is that you and most adults in America voluntarily put private information out there. Maybe your neighbor doesn't know your SSN but all they need to do is go into your vehicle and get the finance paperwork from when your bought the car. With that one piece of paper, they can steal your identity. The gov't knows those things because they have "trapped" you. The bank made you give up your private information in exchange for a high limit, low APR credit card remember? Isn't it weird that the only company that handles paper mail is owned by the federal gov't? Tell me I'm crazy, I dare you. If you think the USPS (I mean, Fed) isn't spying on what you receive in the mail box: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/report-postal-service-uses-spying-programs-similar-to-nsa/
How about now? By the way I called this months before the MSM did. If you pay attention to my YouTube channel, you would know that.
So, still think that you can get a clean slate and start a new, under the radar life? It is possible.
-Facial Recognition is easier to beat than you might thing. If you do some research, you will find out how the gov't can use traffic cameras and other cameras to identify individuals. You will also find out and be able to determine how to not be picked up by the cameras.
-It would suck to not have a cell phone or laptop. Free Wifi is the best thing since Free Healthcare (just kidding!). No, seriously, Free Wifi is great. Sell your current smart device and buy a new one but NEVER use it on your home Wifi or on any Wifi that can be traced to you or someone you know. Don't register your new device using your real info, be misleading and protect your identity.
-Shred the credit cards and cancel all your bank accounts. From now on it is cash or ass. If you need to make a purchase on the internet, use a prepaid gift card.
-If you still need to contact people from "your old life," do so on a prepaid burner type phone. NEVER leave someone a voice mail and NEVER text them.
-Paper mail is still an option but don't put your actual name and address in the return portion. You can't put a fake address either so pick a residential address that is at least 50 miles from where you are staying. If you have created a contact plan with someone, leave an indicator on the envelope like a 1/2" mark from a red pen or something. DON'T LICK THE ENVELOPE GLUE!!
-Whenever you touch something that can be traced back to you, wear gloves! Finger prints must never be on anything that LE could consider evidence.
-You probably would need a fake ID. The biggest problem is that if a cop asks you for ID, he/she will "run it" and if the ID is not state or gov't issued, the system will say "no record found" and your ass will be handcuffed and hauled away. If no one is looking to arrest you but you just don't want to leave a paper trail, keep your real ID in case you need to actually identify yourself. If you are "going hobo" you possibly could claim that you don't have an ID or something.
-Cops are not as smart as you think and most people are gullible enough to believe a factually based sob story. Depending on their generosity, they might help you out by buying you dinner or giving you a ride to another town or something.
There are a lot of things that you will have to get rid of:
-Vehicles. Either walk or buy a bike. Maybe hitch a ride now and then but a vehicle is no good.
-Fixed address. Unless you can somehow obtain all the right false paperwork and IDs to rent an apartment, you probably are going to have to camp out and be homeless. You could steal someone's identity but that is really risky and very much illegal. The best thing you can do is to make a friend who has a place and will allow you to clean up, sleep there and get your mail sent there every now and then for a couple bucks a stay.
-Family. If you have a family, I suggest that you forget everything that I have written because you should be ashamed of yourself for considering abandoning them to get away from whatever shit you want to run from. If you're running from your wife/husband or parent(s), there are other ways than to go off grid.
I know that I'm probably forgetting a few things but hey, this post has gone on for too long.
Thanks.
Prepping
I think most preppers and pretty much everyone who does not want to be "watched" has thought about going totally silent, under the radar and off grid. Is it possible? Can you do anything without leaving a trace or being noticed?
In the post 9/11 world, the police state (what happens when we trade our liberty for security/freedom for tyranny) thrives. There are more than enough excuses for gov't to keep an eye on you and I.
Well if you're doing nothing wrong, you have nothing to worry about.
You don't like all the traffic cameras? What, do you have something to hide?
Here's the reality:
The government, be it state, local or federal knows the following about you:
-Your birth name
-Your Date Of Birth
-Your place of birth
-Your Birth Certificate #
-Your Social Security #
-Your drivers license #
-All of your addresses, current and previous
-Your place of employment
-Where you go to school and went to school
-Who your parents are
-Who your kids are
-What pets you have
-How much money you make
-What vehicle(s) you own
-Your cell phone #
-All your email addresses
-What bank you use
-Your credit score
-Your IP address
-How much electricity you use each month
-What hours in the day that you use the most electricity
-Which charities you donate to
The gov't know that and much more. The problem is that you and most adults in America voluntarily put private information out there. Maybe your neighbor doesn't know your SSN but all they need to do is go into your vehicle and get the finance paperwork from when your bought the car. With that one piece of paper, they can steal your identity. The gov't knows those things because they have "trapped" you. The bank made you give up your private information in exchange for a high limit, low APR credit card remember? Isn't it weird that the only company that handles paper mail is owned by the federal gov't? Tell me I'm crazy, I dare you. If you think the USPS (I mean, Fed) isn't spying on what you receive in the mail box: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/report-postal-service-uses-spying-programs-similar-to-nsa/
How about now? By the way I called this months before the MSM did. If you pay attention to my YouTube channel, you would know that.
So, still think that you can get a clean slate and start a new, under the radar life? It is possible.
-Facial Recognition is easier to beat than you might thing. If you do some research, you will find out how the gov't can use traffic cameras and other cameras to identify individuals. You will also find out and be able to determine how to not be picked up by the cameras.
-It would suck to not have a cell phone or laptop. Free Wifi is the best thing since Free Healthcare (just kidding!). No, seriously, Free Wifi is great. Sell your current smart device and buy a new one but NEVER use it on your home Wifi or on any Wifi that can be traced to you or someone you know. Don't register your new device using your real info, be misleading and protect your identity.
-Shred the credit cards and cancel all your bank accounts. From now on it is cash or ass. If you need to make a purchase on the internet, use a prepaid gift card.
-If you still need to contact people from "your old life," do so on a prepaid burner type phone. NEVER leave someone a voice mail and NEVER text them.
-Paper mail is still an option but don't put your actual name and address in the return portion. You can't put a fake address either so pick a residential address that is at least 50 miles from where you are staying. If you have created a contact plan with someone, leave an indicator on the envelope like a 1/2" mark from a red pen or something. DON'T LICK THE ENVELOPE GLUE!!
-Whenever you touch something that can be traced back to you, wear gloves! Finger prints must never be on anything that LE could consider evidence.
-You probably would need a fake ID. The biggest problem is that if a cop asks you for ID, he/she will "run it" and if the ID is not state or gov't issued, the system will say "no record found" and your ass will be handcuffed and hauled away. If no one is looking to arrest you but you just don't want to leave a paper trail, keep your real ID in case you need to actually identify yourself. If you are "going hobo" you possibly could claim that you don't have an ID or something.
-Cops are not as smart as you think and most people are gullible enough to believe a factually based sob story. Depending on their generosity, they might help you out by buying you dinner or giving you a ride to another town or something.
There are a lot of things that you will have to get rid of:
-Vehicles. Either walk or buy a bike. Maybe hitch a ride now and then but a vehicle is no good.
-Fixed address. Unless you can somehow obtain all the right false paperwork and IDs to rent an apartment, you probably are going to have to camp out and be homeless. You could steal someone's identity but that is really risky and very much illegal. The best thing you can do is to make a friend who has a place and will allow you to clean up, sleep there and get your mail sent there every now and then for a couple bucks a stay.
-Family. If you have a family, I suggest that you forget everything that I have written because you should be ashamed of yourself for considering abandoning them to get away from whatever shit you want to run from. If you're running from your wife/husband or parent(s), there are other ways than to go off grid.
I know that I'm probably forgetting a few things but hey, this post has gone on for too long.
Thanks.
SHTF Wound Care Basics. An Extensive Post.
08/13/14
Prepping
I'll start this post off by saying that information is everywhere and in the dreaded digital age, there is no promise of truth or validity in many articles, videos and blogs. The wrong knowledge will get you killed. Thankfully, if you do some research, you will find out very quickly what is true and what is false; unless you're not sane.
It is one thing to be a bull shitter when making opinion videos but when you are doing an instructional or tips and tricks video, putting out misleading and false info can get someone killed.
If you have any first aid or medical knowledge, you will know that right off the bat if someone is putting out false information and it is your duty to make sure that viewers/readers aren't screwed over by the nonsense.
Many preppers that I have come across are not ones who favor actual medicine. Meaning they prefer the advice of a hippie who studied natural medicine at a 3rd rate liberal arts college over the advice of a surgeon who attended Yale. NEVER point out the FDA or Mayo Clinic to those preppers, it only makes them reach for the tin foil hats and screech at you about Monsanto and shit.
If you drive a car that runs on gasoline, would you put diesel fuel in it after watching a video where someone made diesel fuel sound better than gasoline? Hey well I don't wanna put shitty fuel in my tank!...Call me when your engine seizes and you need some $$ for a new car.
When dealing with your health, the truth will heal you. Well, knowing the difference between what treatments work and what treatments don't work will heal you. You will get a cut, blister, bruise, splinter, scrape or burn. It could be today or the day after tomorrow (EOTW reference, not literally two days from now) but if you want to treat your own wounds (which isn't a bad idea in some cases), you better damn make sure that you have the proper knowledge about the course of treatment that you will take. Personally, I don't care what medicinal qualities the root of a turnip has. My father is a pharmacist, many family members are doctors and so far the mercury in the flu vaccine hasn't killed me. I trust "that little pill" over that boiled root. Always have and always will.
Here are some facts on wound care for when the SHTF:
-There is no guarantee that a wound will not get infected. Wound cleaning is not a "one and done" thing. You must clean the wound and the area around the wound every time that you change the bandage or dressing.
-Time heals all wounds. I have my share of scars and I have had my share of infected cuts. I clot very quickly which is great and most superficial wounds heal in 4-10 days depending on if the scab rips off or anything. When the SHTF and you can't go to a hospital, rest will be the best medicine (other than antibiotics, pain killers and other RXs).
-All abrasions and minor incisions (like paper cuts) can be cleaned/flushed with antimicrobial soap and warm water. You don't even need hydrogen peroxide and hydrogen peroxide should never be used to clean a wound multiple times due to the fact that it kills off good bacteria and delays the healing process.
-Lacerations and wounds that require suturing should never be self treated unless there is no way to get medical help or hospital care. It's one thing to be the father who puts a band aid on his kids boo boo, it's another thing to essentially operate on a gunshot wound that your neighbor sustained during rioting and civil unrest.
Basic wound care is...Basic. No matter where you look or what courses you take, the steps are really all the same. During normal times, you should call 911 if your wound is bleeding severely. If blood is gushing or squirting from the wound and/or if the bleeding cannot be stopped in 10 minutes, call 911 immediately. When the times are not so normal, emergency responders may not be there to answer your 911 call. It might be safe to say that if you juggle sharp objects for a living, you would want to find a new profession when the SHTF. Other than that, I hope Obamacare(tax) covers amputations due to chainsaw tossing.
What to do with a wound:
-Stop the bleeding. No matter what type of wound it is, you NEED to stop the bleeding. You can do this by applying direct pressure on the wound. Obviously a paper cut will bleed less than a stab wound so call me crazy when I say that duct tape don't fix everything Jack. (I'll elaborate below)
-Clean the wound and the area around the wound. Do this after the bleeding has stopped (duh). Not all wounds can be cleaned with soap and water which is why I always have Sterile Saline for irrigation in my trauma kit, IFAK and home surgical kit. I never use tap water to clean minor wounds, I always use bottled water. Isopropyl Alcohol (rubbing alcohol) should be used instead of Hydrogen Peroxide in my opinion.
-Apply antibiotic ointment like Neosporin to minimize the chance of infection. I honestly don't know if it is safe to apply antibiotic ointment in a wound, I don't think it is but because I don't know, please consult your doctor or someone who would know more about treating lacerations and punctures.
-Bandage the wound with a sterile bandage. If the wound is severe (laceration, puncture) a band aid wont do the trick obviously. Because I plan on doing a video on dressing lacerations and punctures some time in the future, I wont say anymore here because it is easier for me to show it to you than explain it.
-Change the bandage regularly. This promotes healing. Always ALWAYS use a STERILE bandage!
Signs of infection include:
redness, swelling, pus, or excessive pain. From my experience, when a wound is infected, you'll know it.
I'm not trying to be incomplete with my info but if I don't know something, I don't post it. Always talk to your health care provider (doctor) or if you have a family member who is a medical professional like a CNA, RN or physician, ask them for more specific advice and info. I will be 100% honest, if you get stabbed or shot and can't get to a hospital, you are probably going to die depending on where on your body the injury is and the extent of the injury. There are some things (like suturing a torn lung) that should only ONLY be done in a hospital Operating Room. Any wound that hits vital organs, will likely result in death if you can't get to a hospital.
If you are a prepper, I am begging you to contact your local American Red Cross office and take their Adult First Aid/CPR/AED course. It is usually $110.00 and worth having. If you can find a more "warrior friendly" course that gets into military field medicine, take it. I am sure that there are courses out there that police officers, private contractors and other professionals can take. Because we live in a capitalist country, I am sure that there are many tactical medicine (TacMed) courses that are open to the public.
What are my medical qualifications? Trained EMT-B with 5 years as a good Samaritan and 1 year working for an ambulance company. I have also taken private training in Solo Response to MVAs and active shooter situations. (solo response meaning I am the only person on scene with the ability to help others while emergency services are en route). I also worked for my father for 2 years as a Pharmacy Technician in Training.
Prepping
I'll start this post off by saying that information is everywhere and in the dreaded digital age, there is no promise of truth or validity in many articles, videos and blogs. The wrong knowledge will get you killed. Thankfully, if you do some research, you will find out very quickly what is true and what is false; unless you're not sane.
It is one thing to be a bull shitter when making opinion videos but when you are doing an instructional or tips and tricks video, putting out misleading and false info can get someone killed.
If you have any first aid or medical knowledge, you will know that right off the bat if someone is putting out false information and it is your duty to make sure that viewers/readers aren't screwed over by the nonsense.
Many preppers that I have come across are not ones who favor actual medicine. Meaning they prefer the advice of a hippie who studied natural medicine at a 3rd rate liberal arts college over the advice of a surgeon who attended Yale. NEVER point out the FDA or Mayo Clinic to those preppers, it only makes them reach for the tin foil hats and screech at you about Monsanto and shit.
If you drive a car that runs on gasoline, would you put diesel fuel in it after watching a video where someone made diesel fuel sound better than gasoline? Hey well I don't wanna put shitty fuel in my tank!...Call me when your engine seizes and you need some $$ for a new car.
When dealing with your health, the truth will heal you. Well, knowing the difference between what treatments work and what treatments don't work will heal you. You will get a cut, blister, bruise, splinter, scrape or burn. It could be today or the day after tomorrow (EOTW reference, not literally two days from now) but if you want to treat your own wounds (which isn't a bad idea in some cases), you better damn make sure that you have the proper knowledge about the course of treatment that you will take. Personally, I don't care what medicinal qualities the root of a turnip has. My father is a pharmacist, many family members are doctors and so far the mercury in the flu vaccine hasn't killed me. I trust "that little pill" over that boiled root. Always have and always will.
Here are some facts on wound care for when the SHTF:
-There is no guarantee that a wound will not get infected. Wound cleaning is not a "one and done" thing. You must clean the wound and the area around the wound every time that you change the bandage or dressing.
-Time heals all wounds. I have my share of scars and I have had my share of infected cuts. I clot very quickly which is great and most superficial wounds heal in 4-10 days depending on if the scab rips off or anything. When the SHTF and you can't go to a hospital, rest will be the best medicine (other than antibiotics, pain killers and other RXs).
-All abrasions and minor incisions (like paper cuts) can be cleaned/flushed with antimicrobial soap and warm water. You don't even need hydrogen peroxide and hydrogen peroxide should never be used to clean a wound multiple times due to the fact that it kills off good bacteria and delays the healing process.
-Lacerations and wounds that require suturing should never be self treated unless there is no way to get medical help or hospital care. It's one thing to be the father who puts a band aid on his kids boo boo, it's another thing to essentially operate on a gunshot wound that your neighbor sustained during rioting and civil unrest.
Basic wound care is...Basic. No matter where you look or what courses you take, the steps are really all the same. During normal times, you should call 911 if your wound is bleeding severely. If blood is gushing or squirting from the wound and/or if the bleeding cannot be stopped in 10 minutes, call 911 immediately. When the times are not so normal, emergency responders may not be there to answer your 911 call. It might be safe to say that if you juggle sharp objects for a living, you would want to find a new profession when the SHTF. Other than that, I hope Obamacare(tax) covers amputations due to chainsaw tossing.
What to do with a wound:
-Stop the bleeding. No matter what type of wound it is, you NEED to stop the bleeding. You can do this by applying direct pressure on the wound. Obviously a paper cut will bleed less than a stab wound so call me crazy when I say that duct tape don't fix everything Jack. (I'll elaborate below)
-Clean the wound and the area around the wound. Do this after the bleeding has stopped (duh). Not all wounds can be cleaned with soap and water which is why I always have Sterile Saline for irrigation in my trauma kit, IFAK and home surgical kit. I never use tap water to clean minor wounds, I always use bottled water. Isopropyl Alcohol (rubbing alcohol) should be used instead of Hydrogen Peroxide in my opinion.
-Apply antibiotic ointment like Neosporin to minimize the chance of infection. I honestly don't know if it is safe to apply antibiotic ointment in a wound, I don't think it is but because I don't know, please consult your doctor or someone who would know more about treating lacerations and punctures.
-Bandage the wound with a sterile bandage. If the wound is severe (laceration, puncture) a band aid wont do the trick obviously. Because I plan on doing a video on dressing lacerations and punctures some time in the future, I wont say anymore here because it is easier for me to show it to you than explain it.
-Change the bandage regularly. This promotes healing. Always ALWAYS use a STERILE bandage!
Signs of infection include:
redness, swelling, pus, or excessive pain. From my experience, when a wound is infected, you'll know it.
I'm not trying to be incomplete with my info but if I don't know something, I don't post it. Always talk to your health care provider (doctor) or if you have a family member who is a medical professional like a CNA, RN or physician, ask them for more specific advice and info. I will be 100% honest, if you get stabbed or shot and can't get to a hospital, you are probably going to die depending on where on your body the injury is and the extent of the injury. There are some things (like suturing a torn lung) that should only ONLY be done in a hospital Operating Room. Any wound that hits vital organs, will likely result in death if you can't get to a hospital.
If you are a prepper, I am begging you to contact your local American Red Cross office and take their Adult First Aid/CPR/AED course. It is usually $110.00 and worth having. If you can find a more "warrior friendly" course that gets into military field medicine, take it. I am sure that there are courses out there that police officers, private contractors and other professionals can take. Because we live in a capitalist country, I am sure that there are many tactical medicine (TacMed) courses that are open to the public.
What are my medical qualifications? Trained EMT-B with 5 years as a good Samaritan and 1 year working for an ambulance company. I have also taken private training in Solo Response to MVAs and active shooter situations. (solo response meaning I am the only person on scene with the ability to help others while emergency services are en route). I also worked for my father for 2 years as a Pharmacy Technician in Training.
Monday, August 11, 2014
This needs to be said.
I'm not as tech savvy as most people so I have no idea if my blogger and youtube are linked or whatever. Anyway, I really would appreciate it if you could subscribe to my channel. I do a variety of things like product reviews, how to videos, factual rants, and everything that makes Liberals run in fear.
I hate to talk about my personal life on the internet but I feel that I need to explain something.
In May I got arrested because someone called the cops regarding something I posted on Facebook. Long story short I am about 15k in the hole with lawyer costs and am looking at over 300k if we go to trial. I have no idea how much "time" I could do if I am sent to prison but so far I have a very strong chance of defeating the state and hopefully the charges against me will be dropped sometime in the next 6 months.
I have come to accept that I need to tone down the rhetoric, that being said, many of my new YouTube videos will be more "PG."
I just need to say that if you don't know me in real life, you need to watch what you say about me. There are several people who constantly are spreading lies about me because I called them out on their BS and challenged their pathetic organization. Some how, these "adults" love to be little children on Facebook. They call themselves conservatives but they are actually Liberals and mental midgets who have no life. They somehow know everything about me, even though they have never met me and only know of what I post on Facebook and YouTube. Oh and don't believe everything that you read in the papers. The asshole from the RC only went as far as he did because I told him to his face that I wouldn't give him a statement until the RC (and NHR and Rep-Am) stopped lying about the Tea Party. You know that they didn't write more than 5 paragraphs after the April 05 CCDL rally? Even though I don't support CCDL at all, I commented on the articles and shed light on the bias (one article on some stupid issue had about 12 paragraphs, compared to the CCDL rally articles which had less than 10).
Who am I really? A father, a (future) husband, a provider. Active in my community as an American Red Cross volunteer, as someone who has volunteered with local conservation efforts on the Quinnipiac River, Housitonic River and Long Island Sound. I have been politically active since before John Rowland was Governor of CT. I donate regularly to the Ronald McDonald House, American Red Cross and to many local causes. That homeless guy that you scoff at? I probably have bought him/her numerous meals. I built my home based business into sustainable, profitable self employment at a time when most Americans my age were in college. I left my friends and family in the rear view mirror so that my fiance and I could have a better life in Florida, and made the difficult choice to return to CT to be closer to our families when we found out that we were going to be parents.
I'm not selfish but I'm not selfless. I will always do what is best for my family and myself before I do anything for anyone else.
Constitutional Fortitude, I have it and you probably don't. The shit that has been said about me on FB doesn't really bother me because your attacks on me prove how hypocritical many Conservatives are. No matter what, I stand up for what I believe in. I speak my mind and I will never be censored. You all sit there, afraid to speak out because you don't want to lose your pathetic pistol permit which is exactly why we will never win. Not enough Conservatives are willing to make sacrifices. What the fuck is wrong with you people? You have no initiative, no ability to commit and you are not persistent. I thought I made it clear enough when I said that if we are going to defeat Tyranny in a peaceful manner we need to do what MLK did. We can't just have one or two rallies a year, we need THOUSANDS of people to attend week long protests until we can claim victory.
Here's the truth, I am not afraid of the government. I will say what needs to be said regardless of if you approve of it or not. I don't care if you disagree with my views, at least I am no afraid to speak my damn mind.
You know how I know that CT residents will never get their gun rights back? Because out of the 300,000+ gun owners in CT, less than 7,000 showed up at "the biggest" gun rights rally in CT. That's right, CCDL, the "shining star" gun rights group in CT couldn't even get 10,000 people to attend a rally on a Saturday for 5 hours!!!
So while you hate on me for supporting OWS, what are you doing for your cause? NOTHING.
I organized dozens of events and rarely would anyone attend. If you hate me so much that you don't want to attend an event that I start, then you better organize your own events!! But no, you don't. You don't do a God damn thing.
I know where I stand and I know that I am better that you are. You don't want my help in the Conservative movement? Okay well so far no one has filled the void since I've gone "off grid." When you people are ready to accomplish something and make the Conservative movement feel alive again, give me a call. I am the only person who has shown the ability to lead. I'm willing to put the past in the past and I hope you are too. Grudges are stupid and pointless but it seems so many "adults" hold them against others for no real reason.
The cities are burning and I have the extinguishers.
Thanks for reading.
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Understanding Different Knives and their Purposes.
08/11/14
Prepping.
You need a knife, 'nuff said. Knives are not just for processing food in the kitchen, knives can be tools or weapons and they can be the one piece of gear that keeps you alive in a worse case scenario. There are a lot of different knives out there to choose from and when you don't know "the science" behind knives, you will probably spend your money on that cool looking all-in-one knife and be shit out of luck when you need a good knife.
Your survival knife is NOT the same as a combat knife or fighting knife. Your survival knife should always be oiled, sharpened and maintained.. Your survival knife should NOT be an Every Day Carry knife.
Survival Knife is a really broad term that is somewhat problematic. Far too often people are sucked into buying knives that say "Survival Knife" on the package. In reality, when you are in trouble, when you are in a survival situation, any knife can be a survival knife. You will never actually find a one size fits all knife and no knife is specifically designed to be a survival knife.
A Morakniv Companion is a fine example of a Bush knife that can handle most if not all tasks while camping or hiking.
A United Cutlery Honshu Karambit is an example of a Fighting knife that should only be used as a self defense weapon. A Karambit with a fixed blade makes a great conceal carry knife.
A Gerber Scout is an example of a great Every Day Carry pocket knife that can be used for many tasks. Because it is a lock-back knife, it is not worthy of being a true survival knife.
Even if you break it down further with knives like Fighting Knives, Boot knives, neck knives, karambits, and daggers are all types of fighting knives.
There is a reason that there are Axes and Tomahawks. Axes are for cutting timber, Tomahawks are for cutting your enemies. The same principle applies to knives.
When looking at different knives that you could buy, you should do some research on the type of steels that are used in blades. http://www.bladehq.com/cat--Steel-Types--332 has great info to help you out.
Then you need to understand the different types of blades.
Then you need to understand the different types of edges.
You know what knife you shouldn't buy?
Prepping.
You need a knife, 'nuff said. Knives are not just for processing food in the kitchen, knives can be tools or weapons and they can be the one piece of gear that keeps you alive in a worse case scenario. There are a lot of different knives out there to choose from and when you don't know "the science" behind knives, you will probably spend your money on that cool looking all-in-one knife and be shit out of luck when you need a good knife.
Your survival knife is NOT the same as a combat knife or fighting knife. Your survival knife should always be oiled, sharpened and maintained.. Your survival knife should NOT be an Every Day Carry knife.
Survival Knife is a really broad term that is somewhat problematic. Far too often people are sucked into buying knives that say "Survival Knife" on the package. In reality, when you are in trouble, when you are in a survival situation, any knife can be a survival knife. You will never actually find a one size fits all knife and no knife is specifically designed to be a survival knife.
A Morakniv Companion is a fine example of a Bush knife that can handle most if not all tasks while camping or hiking.
A United Cutlery Honshu Karambit is an example of a Fighting knife that should only be used as a self defense weapon. A Karambit with a fixed blade makes a great conceal carry knife.
A Gerber Scout is an example of a great Every Day Carry pocket knife that can be used for many tasks. Because it is a lock-back knife, it is not worthy of being a true survival knife.
Even if you break it down further with knives like Fighting Knives, Boot knives, neck knives, karambits, and daggers are all types of fighting knives.
There is a reason that there are Axes and Tomahawks. Axes are for cutting timber, Tomahawks are for cutting your enemies. The same principle applies to knives.
When looking at different knives that you could buy, you should do some research on the type of steels that are used in blades. http://www.bladehq.com/cat--Steel-Types--332 has great info to help you out.
Then you need to understand the different types of blades.
This is just a very basic showing of they types of blades. Clip Point is what you would expect to find on a Bowie knife. Drop Point blades are found on many knives. Tanto Point is found on many newer Tactical knives. Gut Hook is more of a hunters blade for obviously gutting game. Spear Point is found on boot knives and some smaller fighting knives. Other than the 5 shown above, there are some blades like Karambits that serve only one purpose or very few purposes. Karambits are pure hand to hand combat weapons. They are designed a certain way to be wielded in a certain fashion.
Then you need to understand the different types of edges.
You know what knife you shouldn't buy?
Knives like the one pictured above are horrible! They are usually very poorly made and come with components that a Caveman wouldn't use. You honestly can't be taken seriously if you go camping or hiking with one of these on your belt. This type of knife is a liability.
I'll end this post by listing 4 knives that I use and what they are for:
-Morakniv Companion with Carbon Steel blade. (I actually own like 4 of them) I use these when I go hiking, camping and I will have one in my pack when the SHTF.
-Ka-Bar TDI LE Tanto Serrated blade 1485. This is my EDC personal defense knife that could also be used to cut my seat belt if I become trapped in my vehicle.
-Gerber Bear Grylls Scout. This is another EDC knife that I use for general tasks.
-Glock Field Knife. This is my SHTF only fighting knife.
I own many other knives but I don't want to spend all night rambling about them.
Thanks for reading.
When Camouflage Should Not Be Used.
08/10/14
Prepping.
If you are a prepper, you probably have some camo gear in your house somewhere. It could be a pair of woodland BDU pants, a milsurp ACU MOLLE load bearing vest or your favorite trucker cap. If you are a dude, you have camo and you can't even try to deny it.
Camouflage patters can be found on everything from socks to hats. Why is camouflage so popular? I really can't answer that other by saying that camo is just bad ass. As a pepper, I have lots of camo gear. My MOLLE Rig is woodland BDU and I have several pairs of woodland BDU pants and tops. All of my backpacks are camo. But when should I chose not to wear camo clothes? What situation would call for a "civilian" appearance?
Camouflage patterns aren't limited to multicolor camos, they could be solid color. To me, there are two looks: Tactical and Civilian. I guess there is also Military style and non-military style.
If I'm going for a hike in the woods or a mock bug out, I'll wear my BDUs and my pack will be matching but if I'm going to watch a parade, I'll wear my tan cargo pants and a polo shirt.
My EDC pack is a black 5.11 MOAB 6 sling bag. The color black can go with pretty much any clothing you wear. My daily attire usually consists of blue jeans and a t-shirt or collared shirt, my pack needs to match. It sounds girly but its not; I don't want to look like that grandmas basement dwelling Pizza Hut loving COD Hobbit.
If you have woodland camo pants, you can wear a shirt that is black, OD, gray, brown or pretty much any other earthly color; you will look like an idiot wearing woodland BDU pants and an ACU or digital navy camo shirt. That applies to packs as well.
We are post 9/11/01 and if you show up at the carnival looking like Marty Militia, you will get unwanted attention. People will call you a suspicious person and say things like "who wears stuff like that here?"
My point is that YOU DON'T WANT TO STICK OUT! Be the sheepdog in sheep attire.
People will view you in a certain way based on your appearance so if you walk into a movie theater to see the next Batman, and you're dressed up like the Joker, people will look at you and probably think of James Holmes and the Aurora CO theater shooting. Don't be that guy.
I recently decided that I need a non-camo tactical pack because I'm a card carrying member of the American Red Cross and by the end of the month, I'll be on my local DAT. I needed a pack that I could wear to local events such as carnivals and I needed a pack that would specifically be used for responding to disasters. So I went with an EDC tactical assault bag (knock off of a Rothco Medium Transport Bag) in Red with black MOLLE webbing.
If I am bugging out when the SHTF or doing non-community work during times of crisis, I'll stick to camo. When I'm doing work with the ARC or my local EMS, I'll go without camo. You should do the same.
Prepping.
If you are a prepper, you probably have some camo gear in your house somewhere. It could be a pair of woodland BDU pants, a milsurp ACU MOLLE load bearing vest or your favorite trucker cap. If you are a dude, you have camo and you can't even try to deny it.
Camouflage patters can be found on everything from socks to hats. Why is camouflage so popular? I really can't answer that other by saying that camo is just bad ass. As a pepper, I have lots of camo gear. My MOLLE Rig is woodland BDU and I have several pairs of woodland BDU pants and tops. All of my backpacks are camo. But when should I chose not to wear camo clothes? What situation would call for a "civilian" appearance?
Camouflage patterns aren't limited to multicolor camos, they could be solid color. To me, there are two looks: Tactical and Civilian. I guess there is also Military style and non-military style.
If I'm going for a hike in the woods or a mock bug out, I'll wear my BDUs and my pack will be matching but if I'm going to watch a parade, I'll wear my tan cargo pants and a polo shirt.
My EDC pack is a black 5.11 MOAB 6 sling bag. The color black can go with pretty much any clothing you wear. My daily attire usually consists of blue jeans and a t-shirt or collared shirt, my pack needs to match. It sounds girly but its not; I don't want to look like that grandmas basement dwelling Pizza Hut loving COD Hobbit.
If you have woodland camo pants, you can wear a shirt that is black, OD, gray, brown or pretty much any other earthly color; you will look like an idiot wearing woodland BDU pants and an ACU or digital navy camo shirt. That applies to packs as well.
We are post 9/11/01 and if you show up at the carnival looking like Marty Militia, you will get unwanted attention. People will call you a suspicious person and say things like "who wears stuff like that here?"
My point is that YOU DON'T WANT TO STICK OUT! Be the sheepdog in sheep attire.
People will view you in a certain way based on your appearance so if you walk into a movie theater to see the next Batman, and you're dressed up like the Joker, people will look at you and probably think of James Holmes and the Aurora CO theater shooting. Don't be that guy.
I recently decided that I need a non-camo tactical pack because I'm a card carrying member of the American Red Cross and by the end of the month, I'll be on my local DAT. I needed a pack that I could wear to local events such as carnivals and I needed a pack that would specifically be used for responding to disasters. So I went with an EDC tactical assault bag (knock off of a Rothco Medium Transport Bag) in Red with black MOLLE webbing.
If I am bugging out when the SHTF or doing non-community work during times of crisis, I'll stick to camo. When I'm doing work with the ARC or my local EMS, I'll go without camo. You should do the same.
Thursday, August 7, 2014
What is Preppanomicbusiblog?
08/07/14
General.
What the hell does Preppanomicbusiblog mean?!?!?
It means Prepping, Economics, Business.
Very very simple. Three topics, one crazy name.
Stay thirsty my friends.
General.
What the hell does Preppanomicbusiblog mean?!?!?
It means Prepping, Economics, Business.
Very very simple. Three topics, one crazy name.
Stay thirsty my friends.
What You Need to Know About Emergency Services and Hospitals When the SHTF.
08/07/14
Prepping.
Everyday, people get injured. You could be minding your own business driving down the road and then WHAM! Some inconsiderate 17 year old who has their eyes buried in their Iphone hits you. If you got in a Motor Vehicle Accident today, you would call 911 and seek the assistance of the Police and EMS. But what about during a disaster? What about when all hell breaks loose? If you lived in the Tri-State area when Hurricane Sandy hit, you know just how quickly the hospitals will become compromised. People who need help will flock to the Emergency Rooms and the truth is that most if not all hospitals are greatly understaffed and under prepared for the "fall out" of natural disasters.
Before I go on, I need to tell you all that it is in your best interest to become an American Red Cross volunteer or become CERT (Community Emergency Response Team). Join your local Volunteer Fire Dept or Ambulance Corps. Find a local First Responder (EMR) course or EMT-B course. Get some actual medical training and experience. I believe in helping the community when all hell breaks loose which is why I am not one of those idiotic Doomsday Preppers who cower to their bunker at the first smell of a shitty situation so that they can ride out the storm and then rebuild society. People like that are why preppers have been given a bad rap. I currently don't have my CERT, but will have it soon and if anyone is interested in taking the course with me, send me an email. Just make sure that you are in the Torrington CT area.
Although there are Plans, Procedures and Protocols ( what I call 3Ps) in place for when disaster strikes, there is virtually no real world experience involved. All of the 3Ps are usually classroom and lab type experiences. You are instructed on how to react, what to do, who to call etc etc. It is one thing to be given a workbook and be lectured about A-Z about crowd control, mass casualties and what to do after a terrorist attack but it entirely different to put it into practice. I'm 24 years old and I promise you that the disorder and chaos that happened after Katrina, Sandy, Hugo and many other disasters will happen over and over again because very few individuals actually have lived through the chaos and seen first hand what happens when communities and society breaks down. States have Response Plans that are very elaborate. I know that CT has several (check bottom of blog post for links) and NY, NJ, SC, FL are some states that I know also have some sort of disaster 3Ps in place. Also, FEMA has regions for a reason.
For example in regards to Protocols: Many banks have robbery protocols that are designed to protect the employees and clients of the financial institution. If you rob a bank with a firearm, chances are the tellers will comply with your demands and you will be given a few thousand dollars in the hopes that once you get some cash, you will leave and wont hurt anyone; Banks are FDIC insured for a reason. Bank robberies are a federal crime and another bank protocol is to call the FBI once the robber leaves. I don't work for a bank so I have no idea how the training actually happens but the same info a bank employee would have is available in PDF form on the internet.
The internet is a great place to find "inside info" on the 3Ps. I don't know where some preppers get the info to back up the "gov't hates preppers" claims but I assure you, the gov't does not hate preppers. The gov't doesn't like Militias and organizations like the IKA, KKK, III%, ELF and PETA because the "dark side" of these groups poses a threat to government and the safety of the public. Well at least that's what the gov't thinks. In my other blog post about preppers dying when the SHTF, the ignorance of reality will get you killed.
Stop acting as if you are the only person who sees that we (America) are doomed. The federal gov't knows that we are up shits creek without a paddle, in a leaking boat made of cardboard. The federal gov't has done Planning and Preparations and they have the Protocols in place for almost every single disaster possible. As we saw with Katrina and Sandy, the gov't cannot effectively put any of their planning into practice. There are factors that are beyond the control of any man which is why every single American needs to be prepared.
One of these days you will dial 911 and the phone will just ring and ring and ring and ring. Emergency Services will not be there to help you one of these days. Medical Emergencies will lead to certain death when the Hospitals are not operational. We are all human, I don't care if you have an IQ of 150 or if you can bench press a Toyota Camry, one of these days you will be shit out of luck....Unless you invested the time and money in becoming prepared.
In another post I'll talk about my personal experiences and stuff and I'll elaborate on how I know certain things that every prepper needs to know. But for now, here are some useful links.
http://www.ct.gov/dph/lib/dph/state_health_planning/dphplans/pub_hlth_emerg_resp_plan_2005.pdf
http://www.ready.gov/
http://ct.gov/demhs/cwp/view.asp?a=1939&q=308468
http://www.redcross.org/support/volunteer
Prepping.
Everyday, people get injured. You could be minding your own business driving down the road and then WHAM! Some inconsiderate 17 year old who has their eyes buried in their Iphone hits you. If you got in a Motor Vehicle Accident today, you would call 911 and seek the assistance of the Police and EMS. But what about during a disaster? What about when all hell breaks loose? If you lived in the Tri-State area when Hurricane Sandy hit, you know just how quickly the hospitals will become compromised. People who need help will flock to the Emergency Rooms and the truth is that most if not all hospitals are greatly understaffed and under prepared for the "fall out" of natural disasters.
Before I go on, I need to tell you all that it is in your best interest to become an American Red Cross volunteer or become CERT (Community Emergency Response Team). Join your local Volunteer Fire Dept or Ambulance Corps. Find a local First Responder (EMR) course or EMT-B course. Get some actual medical training and experience. I believe in helping the community when all hell breaks loose which is why I am not one of those idiotic Doomsday Preppers who cower to their bunker at the first smell of a shitty situation so that they can ride out the storm and then rebuild society. People like that are why preppers have been given a bad rap. I currently don't have my CERT, but will have it soon and if anyone is interested in taking the course with me, send me an email. Just make sure that you are in the Torrington CT area.
Although there are Plans, Procedures and Protocols ( what I call 3Ps) in place for when disaster strikes, there is virtually no real world experience involved. All of the 3Ps are usually classroom and lab type experiences. You are instructed on how to react, what to do, who to call etc etc. It is one thing to be given a workbook and be lectured about A-Z about crowd control, mass casualties and what to do after a terrorist attack but it entirely different to put it into practice. I'm 24 years old and I promise you that the disorder and chaos that happened after Katrina, Sandy, Hugo and many other disasters will happen over and over again because very few individuals actually have lived through the chaos and seen first hand what happens when communities and society breaks down. States have Response Plans that are very elaborate. I know that CT has several (check bottom of blog post for links) and NY, NJ, SC, FL are some states that I know also have some sort of disaster 3Ps in place. Also, FEMA has regions for a reason.
For example in regards to Protocols: Many banks have robbery protocols that are designed to protect the employees and clients of the financial institution. If you rob a bank with a firearm, chances are the tellers will comply with your demands and you will be given a few thousand dollars in the hopes that once you get some cash, you will leave and wont hurt anyone; Banks are FDIC insured for a reason. Bank robberies are a federal crime and another bank protocol is to call the FBI once the robber leaves. I don't work for a bank so I have no idea how the training actually happens but the same info a bank employee would have is available in PDF form on the internet.
The internet is a great place to find "inside info" on the 3Ps. I don't know where some preppers get the info to back up the "gov't hates preppers" claims but I assure you, the gov't does not hate preppers. The gov't doesn't like Militias and organizations like the IKA, KKK, III%, ELF and PETA because the "dark side" of these groups poses a threat to government and the safety of the public. Well at least that's what the gov't thinks. In my other blog post about preppers dying when the SHTF, the ignorance of reality will get you killed.
Stop acting as if you are the only person who sees that we (America) are doomed. The federal gov't knows that we are up shits creek without a paddle, in a leaking boat made of cardboard. The federal gov't has done Planning and Preparations and they have the Protocols in place for almost every single disaster possible. As we saw with Katrina and Sandy, the gov't cannot effectively put any of their planning into practice. There are factors that are beyond the control of any man which is why every single American needs to be prepared.
One of these days you will dial 911 and the phone will just ring and ring and ring and ring. Emergency Services will not be there to help you one of these days. Medical Emergencies will lead to certain death when the Hospitals are not operational. We are all human, I don't care if you have an IQ of 150 or if you can bench press a Toyota Camry, one of these days you will be shit out of luck....Unless you invested the time and money in becoming prepared.
In another post I'll talk about my personal experiences and stuff and I'll elaborate on how I know certain things that every prepper needs to know. But for now, here are some useful links.
http://www.ct.gov/dph/lib/dph/state_health_planning/dphplans/pub_hlth_emerg_resp_plan_2005.pdf
http://www.ready.gov/
http://ct.gov/demhs/cwp/view.asp?a=1939&q=308468
http://www.redcross.org/support/volunteer
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Preparing for Outbreaks and Biological Attacks and Accidents.
08/05/14
Prepping.
Currently there is an Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever outbreak consuming parts of Africa. In this post I will explain what Ebola HR is and why it is worth prepping for. Also I will talk a bit about some interesting conspiracy type facts with the current situation.
Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever is a very deadly viral hemorrhagic fever that can affect humans and primates. The scariest part about Ebola HR is that there is no known cure and the majority of infected individuals die as a result of contracting the Ebola Virus. The natural reservoir of Ebola viruses has yet to be proven and how an outbreak in humans starts is still unknown. When an infection does happen, there are several ways in which the virus can be transmitted to others such as direct contact with the blood or secretions of an infected person and exposure to objects like needles that have been contaminated with infected secretions.
Prepping.
Currently there is an Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever outbreak consuming parts of Africa. In this post I will explain what Ebola HR is and why it is worth prepping for. Also I will talk a bit about some interesting conspiracy type facts with the current situation.
Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever is a very deadly viral hemorrhagic fever that can affect humans and primates. The scariest part about Ebola HR is that there is no known cure and the majority of infected individuals die as a result of contracting the Ebola Virus. The natural reservoir of Ebola viruses has yet to be proven and how an outbreak in humans starts is still unknown. When an infection does happen, there are several ways in which the virus can be transmitted to others such as direct contact with the blood or secretions of an infected person and exposure to objects like needles that have been contaminated with infected secretions.
Here is a link to CDC.gov where you can view the signs and symptoms of Ebola. http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/symptoms/index.html
I really get annoyed with the talking idiots on the news who try to freak us out when stuff like this happens. The blonde big breasted air heads on Fox News right now are doing a little segment on if Americans think the gov't is doing enough to protect us from Ebola. Shut the fuck up! The only thing the American people need protection from is the Federal Government! The most alarming part about this whole Ebola thing is the fact that infected individuals have been brought over onto US soil for treatment. This is a first. Never before has the Ebola Virus made its way onto US soil. So not only are there infected individuals here, they were brought here by the federal gov't. Why the hell would anyone want this horrific virus to be in a country where it could kill tens of millions of people? Who gave the "go ahead" for the extraction of the infected people and their quarantine in US hospitals? I don't like this and neither should you but the truth is that this is really, really odd. If Barack Obama carpet bombed Chicago tomorrow, I wouldn't be surprised and I never put anything past him or his administration. For all I know, Obama wants to weaponize Ebola and use it to cull the population. Sounds crazy right? WRONG. Two words: Fundamental Transformation.
Okay so now that you know the facts/truth, here is a list of what you should be doing and buying right now in case, in the very very rare instance that more Americans contract Ebola HR:
-Do NOT travel using mass transit! No planes, no buses, no trains, no cruise ships.
-Reduce the amount of contact that you have with other humans.
-Buy lots of hand sanitizer and Lysol disinfectant products. Bleach and hospital grade germicide would be a good investment also.
-Buy surgical face masks, nitrile gloves and those creepy chemistry lab goggles. Better yet, buy something like this http://www.ebay.com/itm/Capstone-Goggle-and-Safety-Shield-Clear-Lens-/191069501027?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c7ca13663 and then buy one of those yellow Dupont TyChem coverall suits.
-If you intend on sheltering in place, I recommend checking out this website http://www.derose.net/steve/guides/emergency/ducttape.html
I don't believe gas masks or full face respirators or SCBAs are necessary but I personally would react to an Ebola outbreak the same way I would to a Flu or Zombie outbreak. The less contact with people, the better.
It is times like this that I wish I owned a home so that I could build a safe room in it!
I will say this so that you don't have to. you will have to profile people in order to best protect yourself. For example, Although anyone could be HIV/AIDS positive, the "social understanding" is that only blacks, junkies and homosexuals have HIV/AIDS. Ebola HR originates in Africa but that does NOT mean that every black person who coughs is infected!! There are many other viruses that you should worry about such as the Flu and be it Ebola or the common cold, "Staying alive" starts with playing it safe. You can still go outside but don't shake the hand of the guy who just sneezed into his palm.
I don't think that this Ebola HR issue will become a major public health concern but it's worth paying attention to. The CDC.gov website would be the first place I would look to see if there is any updates on any pandemics. The MSM will obviously report on such a situation and I doubt none of your friends on social media are not paying attention. Don't lose any sleep over this, you, me and most Americans should be fine.
Thanks for reading.
Sunday, August 3, 2014
What Every Prepper Needs to Know Before the SHTF/ Update on My Current Legal Battle.
08/04/14
Prepping.
I don't know how to write an intro for this post so I'll just start by saying, most preppers will die when the Shit Hits The Fan. Oh and please "follow" my blog channel or whatever Google calls it. If you watch my YouTube channel, I'm sorry that I haven't uploaded any videos in the last few months, shit happened and my life is a bit upside down. If you know me personally or on Social Media, all I ask is that you don't believe everything that you read in the news papers or what some political adversaries say about me. The only people who truly know what is going on is me, my fiance, my dad, my attorney and a few select friends. Sometime this month I will be meeting with a member of the media to give my side of the story. I'll probably provide updates on my blog later.
Before I begin the lecturing part, here is a list of some of what you as a prepper should know.
-Basic and intermediate medical care and CPR.
-How to change a flat tire on a car.
-How to jump start a dead car battery.
-How to siphon fuel from a vehicle.
-How to operate a CB radio and a police scanner.
-At least 5 different ways to do the same task.
-How to operate a rifle, handgun, shotgun and recurve or compound bow.
-At least 4 ways to start a camp fire.
-At least 3 different rescue signaling techniques.
-How to properly wield a knife for hand to hand combat.
-How to be stealthy.
-How to use the right tools for the job.
-At least 10 different ways to get 100 miles away from where you live (bugging out)
-How to grow at least 8 different food bearing plants from seed.
-How to fillet a fish and how to skin small game.
-How to tie different knots.
-The NATO Phonetic Alphabet.
-How to read a topographic map
-How to use a GPS.
-How to improvise.
-How to survive.
-How to work with a team.
-How to do things alone.
Now for some important stuff.
I have seen enough YouTube videos, watched enough episodes of Doomsday Preppers and met enough minutemen to know that they have no idea what the hell they are doing. I like to blame Pop Culture for most of the problems in our society because in reality, idiots like Oprah and Miley Cyrus have more influence on our lives than Jesus Christ does. It is very tragic and utterly painful. Just like democrats and republicans are both, at the core, politicians; preppers are still people and people are generally naive and out of touch with reality. Shows and movies like the Walking Dead and World War Z have filled the minds of the mindless masses with fiction that to many is not all that fictitious. I don't know how many times I have seen someone say that they wish a Zombie Outbreak actually happened. That right there, is proof that a different form of zombie exists. I like the Walking Dead because I'm into movies and shit like that but at least I know that it is far from being an accurate depiction of a zombie apocalypse. The thing that most people don't understand is that a TV series is designed to get your views and make millions of dollars off of you watching the final product of their creativity. Certain things are added to movies to create the wow factors and stuff that makes you say "that was awesome!" Have you ever seen an old James Bond movie? I'm talking before Golden Eye, way before Golden Eye. In many of the early 007 films, Sean Connery, Roger Moore or whoever played 007 would be carrying a very nice Walther PPK .380. In Goldfinger, Sean Connery is in a shootout and you can tell that the gunshots are completely fake and the fact that 007 fired over 20 rounds before changing mags was an obvious status quo thing that happens in Hollywood. My point is that in movies and TV shows, the creators, producers and directors know what the viewers want to see and what they don't want to see and most of what the viewers want to see is blood, fighting, shit that goes boom, guns, hot women, sex, money, drugs and overpriced cars that you will never see in real life.
Many preppers will die because they are Gear Whores with no actual applied skills. They are mentally on the same level as a 15 year old Call of Duty fanatic. They buy thousands of dollars worth of weapons and ammo, spend thousands on MilSurp goods and camo clothing and they spend thousands on stuff that they will never use until the SHTF. Gear is useless if you don't have knowledge and skills. Thankfully in the Digital Age (I hate saying that) it is easy to learn basic things by simply watching a video and then practicing what you learned. Self reliance is a principle that I'll get in later but educating yourself should be a daily thing. I buy a lot of gear, I'll admit that, but I know how to use it. Some stuff can be bought, used once or twice and then stored away but some stuff needs to be used many times if not all the time. There are some things that you will buy, even though you have never used them before. I bought some 2 way radios, I unboxed them, charged them and then put them in a Faraday Cage where they will stay until I need them. I have never had to suture a wound before but I know how to suture a wound and I want to have sutures in my medical kit, so I bought some sutures. I hope you get what I'm saying.
Many preppers will die because they don't share their knowledge with their family members. If you and your wife are at your jobs when the SHTF, does she know what to do, the same way that you know what to do? I'll even admit that my fiance isn't on the same level as me and it's my fault that I don't spend enough time teaching her certain things. I've explained to her certain plans and household protocols many times and I pray that when the time comes, she will know what to do. There are things that men know that women don't know and there are things that women know that men don't know. I'm 24 and have no idea how to braid hair and my fiance (a female) is 22 and has no idea how to jump start her car. Well, she didn't know until I had to show her last winter. My father doesn't know firearms as well as I do but he knows more about medicine than I ever will. Diversity is a great thing when it comes to survival which is why I advocate that preppers establish groups and work in their communities. No one knows everything but as a prepper, I need to know many things. My fiance was not a prepper until she met me and she never shot a firearm until I took her to the shooting range. Not everyone in your family needs to be a certified EMT but if you are, my advice is to teach your family some if not all of what you know. Teach your kids how to shoot a rifle, teach your son how to change the oil on a vehicle and teach your daughter how to fillet, clean and cook the fish that daddy caught. I hope you understand this point.
If you establish a prepping group, don't call it a Militia unless you really really want to. I made that mistake when I started a group and when I went to change the name to something less "out there" some members bitched about it. I know from experience how difficult it is to establish and maintain a prepping group. Maybe it was just the people in it but after a few months, I virtually gave up on it and started fresh with people who I see every day. I'll probably do a blog about prepping groups sometime.
Other than that, if you have an opinions to share, go for it. Thanks for reading.
Prepping.
I don't know how to write an intro for this post so I'll just start by saying, most preppers will die when the Shit Hits The Fan. Oh and please "follow" my blog channel or whatever Google calls it. If you watch my YouTube channel, I'm sorry that I haven't uploaded any videos in the last few months, shit happened and my life is a bit upside down. If you know me personally or on Social Media, all I ask is that you don't believe everything that you read in the news papers or what some political adversaries say about me. The only people who truly know what is going on is me, my fiance, my dad, my attorney and a few select friends. Sometime this month I will be meeting with a member of the media to give my side of the story. I'll probably provide updates on my blog later.
Before I begin the lecturing part, here is a list of some of what you as a prepper should know.
-Basic and intermediate medical care and CPR.
-How to change a flat tire on a car.
-How to jump start a dead car battery.
-How to siphon fuel from a vehicle.
-How to operate a CB radio and a police scanner.
-At least 5 different ways to do the same task.
-How to operate a rifle, handgun, shotgun and recurve or compound bow.
-At least 4 ways to start a camp fire.
-At least 3 different rescue signaling techniques.
-How to properly wield a knife for hand to hand combat.
-How to be stealthy.
-How to use the right tools for the job.
-At least 10 different ways to get 100 miles away from where you live (bugging out)
-How to grow at least 8 different food bearing plants from seed.
-How to fillet a fish and how to skin small game.
-How to tie different knots.
-The NATO Phonetic Alphabet.
-How to read a topographic map
-How to use a GPS.
-How to improvise.
-How to survive.
-How to work with a team.
-How to do things alone.
Now for some important stuff.
I have seen enough YouTube videos, watched enough episodes of Doomsday Preppers and met enough minutemen to know that they have no idea what the hell they are doing. I like to blame Pop Culture for most of the problems in our society because in reality, idiots like Oprah and Miley Cyrus have more influence on our lives than Jesus Christ does. It is very tragic and utterly painful. Just like democrats and republicans are both, at the core, politicians; preppers are still people and people are generally naive and out of touch with reality. Shows and movies like the Walking Dead and World War Z have filled the minds of the mindless masses with fiction that to many is not all that fictitious. I don't know how many times I have seen someone say that they wish a Zombie Outbreak actually happened. That right there, is proof that a different form of zombie exists. I like the Walking Dead because I'm into movies and shit like that but at least I know that it is far from being an accurate depiction of a zombie apocalypse. The thing that most people don't understand is that a TV series is designed to get your views and make millions of dollars off of you watching the final product of their creativity. Certain things are added to movies to create the wow factors and stuff that makes you say "that was awesome!" Have you ever seen an old James Bond movie? I'm talking before Golden Eye, way before Golden Eye. In many of the early 007 films, Sean Connery, Roger Moore or whoever played 007 would be carrying a very nice Walther PPK .380. In Goldfinger, Sean Connery is in a shootout and you can tell that the gunshots are completely fake and the fact that 007 fired over 20 rounds before changing mags was an obvious status quo thing that happens in Hollywood. My point is that in movies and TV shows, the creators, producers and directors know what the viewers want to see and what they don't want to see and most of what the viewers want to see is blood, fighting, shit that goes boom, guns, hot women, sex, money, drugs and overpriced cars that you will never see in real life.
Many preppers will die because they are Gear Whores with no actual applied skills. They are mentally on the same level as a 15 year old Call of Duty fanatic. They buy thousands of dollars worth of weapons and ammo, spend thousands on MilSurp goods and camo clothing and they spend thousands on stuff that they will never use until the SHTF. Gear is useless if you don't have knowledge and skills. Thankfully in the Digital Age (I hate saying that) it is easy to learn basic things by simply watching a video and then practicing what you learned. Self reliance is a principle that I'll get in later but educating yourself should be a daily thing. I buy a lot of gear, I'll admit that, but I know how to use it. Some stuff can be bought, used once or twice and then stored away but some stuff needs to be used many times if not all the time. There are some things that you will buy, even though you have never used them before. I bought some 2 way radios, I unboxed them, charged them and then put them in a Faraday Cage where they will stay until I need them. I have never had to suture a wound before but I know how to suture a wound and I want to have sutures in my medical kit, so I bought some sutures. I hope you get what I'm saying.
Many preppers will die because they don't share their knowledge with their family members. If you and your wife are at your jobs when the SHTF, does she know what to do, the same way that you know what to do? I'll even admit that my fiance isn't on the same level as me and it's my fault that I don't spend enough time teaching her certain things. I've explained to her certain plans and household protocols many times and I pray that when the time comes, she will know what to do. There are things that men know that women don't know and there are things that women know that men don't know. I'm 24 and have no idea how to braid hair and my fiance (a female) is 22 and has no idea how to jump start her car. Well, she didn't know until I had to show her last winter. My father doesn't know firearms as well as I do but he knows more about medicine than I ever will. Diversity is a great thing when it comes to survival which is why I advocate that preppers establish groups and work in their communities. No one knows everything but as a prepper, I need to know many things. My fiance was not a prepper until she met me and she never shot a firearm until I took her to the shooting range. Not everyone in your family needs to be a certified EMT but if you are, my advice is to teach your family some if not all of what you know. Teach your kids how to shoot a rifle, teach your son how to change the oil on a vehicle and teach your daughter how to fillet, clean and cook the fish that daddy caught. I hope you understand this point.
If you establish a prepping group, don't call it a Militia unless you really really want to. I made that mistake when I started a group and when I went to change the name to something less "out there" some members bitched about it. I know from experience how difficult it is to establish and maintain a prepping group. Maybe it was just the people in it but after a few months, I virtually gave up on it and started fresh with people who I see every day. I'll probably do a blog about prepping groups sometime.
Other than that, if you have an opinions to share, go for it. Thanks for reading.
Real World Example of the Importance of Stockpiling Bottled Water
08/03/14
Prepping
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/08/02/ohio-4th-largest-city-warns-residents-not-to-drink-water-over-toxin-algae-may/
High levels of a toxin know as Microsystin were detected at a water treatment facility. Lake Erie is the affected body of water and current estimates say that at least 400,000 people are affected by this.
Authorities are telling people not to drink the water, bathe in the water, clean dishes with the water or do anything that involves using tap water. As I type this, bottled water is being trucked in and I am sure that the Nat'l Guard is sending tanker trucks of potable drinking water and setting up distribution centers.
This is not a terror attack or a false flag but mother nature doing her thing. An algae bloom, that's right, algae. That greenish crap that is found in warm bodies of water. I've had many encounters with algae on the inside of my aquarium and although I've personally known algae to be just a big pain in my ass, well, nature is an incredible beast.
So the scenario is that the public water supply is contaminated and a water ban is in effect. What does that mean for those effected and what should you know in order to best be prepared?
-Bottled water is being diverted (instead of going to it's intended destination, it is going to Toledo.). This means that supermarkets and other retailers that were supposed to get this bottled water wont get it. Not to go off on a tangent, but in the text of the National Defense Authorization Act, you will find details on the priority of resource allocation and distribution. This isn't just an NDAA thing, during any disaster, resources (food, water, fuel, medical supplies, volunteers etc) need to be obtained and then distributed for the relief and recovery effort. In the Toledo incident, the numbers are at least 400,000 people directly affected and I estimate that at least 280,000 people indirectly affected.
-If the state of Ohio can't afford to pay for this, they likely will go ask the federal gov't for disaster assistance funding. This is more of a political point but America is almost 18 Trillion dollars in debt and by 2016, we probably will be over 20 Trillion dollars in debt. Sorry Toledians (or whatever the people in Toledo call themselves), you're out of luck. 'Merica is broke, prepare to have your state taxes raised! I estimate the cost of this disaster being around 2.5 Million dollars.
-If you are in Toledo, I would like you to send me photos of your local grocery store shelves where the bottled water was kept. Once the shelves are empty the only place to get water will be from Red Cross and Nat'l Guard distribution points. Distribution points could become flash points for riots and civil unrest. Toledo is about 60% White and about 27% black; there likely will not be a sudden burst of crime during this emergency. If something like this happened in Detroit, Chicago or a black majority urban area, the possibilities of violence during any state or city wide emergency increase exponentially.
-I have no info as to how long the water ban will remain in affect. I assume that once the algae is cleaned up and the water tests determine that the water is drinkable, the ban will be lifted, the emergency will end and the state of OH will announce how much this cost the taxpayers.
The moral of this story is that you NEED to stockpile bottled water!!!!!! Drinking water contamination can occur anywhere, at any time and be caused by anything. The biggest problem is the politics of water contamination. The EPA and the far left radical environmentalists will stop at nothing to destroy the coal industry and put an end to fossil fuels. Remember the BP oil spill? The outrage from the far left was never so loud and ignorant of reality. Every time there is an accident like the BP one or the more recent WV chemical spill, the leftists cry and scream about how evil coal and oil are. They claim that the damage will be irreversible and everything they claim, is all wrong. The story is the same with "climate change." I know the climate is changing but the "science" that puppets like Al Gore and Barack Obama use, is all fraudulent. Don't believe me? Read some of the articles and comments on this left wing "news" site http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/02/10/3273201/freedom-chemical/
Prepping
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/08/02/ohio-4th-largest-city-warns-residents-not-to-drink-water-over-toxin-algae-may/
High levels of a toxin know as Microsystin were detected at a water treatment facility. Lake Erie is the affected body of water and current estimates say that at least 400,000 people are affected by this.
Authorities are telling people not to drink the water, bathe in the water, clean dishes with the water or do anything that involves using tap water. As I type this, bottled water is being trucked in and I am sure that the Nat'l Guard is sending tanker trucks of potable drinking water and setting up distribution centers.
This is not a terror attack or a false flag but mother nature doing her thing. An algae bloom, that's right, algae. That greenish crap that is found in warm bodies of water. I've had many encounters with algae on the inside of my aquarium and although I've personally known algae to be just a big pain in my ass, well, nature is an incredible beast.
So the scenario is that the public water supply is contaminated and a water ban is in effect. What does that mean for those effected and what should you know in order to best be prepared?
-Bottled water is being diverted (instead of going to it's intended destination, it is going to Toledo.). This means that supermarkets and other retailers that were supposed to get this bottled water wont get it. Not to go off on a tangent, but in the text of the National Defense Authorization Act, you will find details on the priority of resource allocation and distribution. This isn't just an NDAA thing, during any disaster, resources (food, water, fuel, medical supplies, volunteers etc) need to be obtained and then distributed for the relief and recovery effort. In the Toledo incident, the numbers are at least 400,000 people directly affected and I estimate that at least 280,000 people indirectly affected.
-If the state of Ohio can't afford to pay for this, they likely will go ask the federal gov't for disaster assistance funding. This is more of a political point but America is almost 18 Trillion dollars in debt and by 2016, we probably will be over 20 Trillion dollars in debt. Sorry Toledians (or whatever the people in Toledo call themselves), you're out of luck. 'Merica is broke, prepare to have your state taxes raised! I estimate the cost of this disaster being around 2.5 Million dollars.
-If you are in Toledo, I would like you to send me photos of your local grocery store shelves where the bottled water was kept. Once the shelves are empty the only place to get water will be from Red Cross and Nat'l Guard distribution points. Distribution points could become flash points for riots and civil unrest. Toledo is about 60% White and about 27% black; there likely will not be a sudden burst of crime during this emergency. If something like this happened in Detroit, Chicago or a black majority urban area, the possibilities of violence during any state or city wide emergency increase exponentially.
-I have no info as to how long the water ban will remain in affect. I assume that once the algae is cleaned up and the water tests determine that the water is drinkable, the ban will be lifted, the emergency will end and the state of OH will announce how much this cost the taxpayers.
The moral of this story is that you NEED to stockpile bottled water!!!!!! Drinking water contamination can occur anywhere, at any time and be caused by anything. The biggest problem is the politics of water contamination. The EPA and the far left radical environmentalists will stop at nothing to destroy the coal industry and put an end to fossil fuels. Remember the BP oil spill? The outrage from the far left was never so loud and ignorant of reality. Every time there is an accident like the BP one or the more recent WV chemical spill, the leftists cry and scream about how evil coal and oil are. They claim that the damage will be irreversible and everything they claim, is all wrong. The story is the same with "climate change." I know the climate is changing but the "science" that puppets like Al Gore and Barack Obama use, is all fraudulent. Don't believe me? Read some of the articles and comments on this left wing "news" site http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/02/10/3273201/freedom-chemical/
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)