Monthly Archives: December 2013

December 11th, 2013
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LA Quake Would Cause “Significant Disruption of Inter-Dependent Infrastructure…Transportation, Gas and Electricity Supplies, Sewage Systems, Water…” report states

Tens of millions of Americans depend on the stable functioning of infrastructure systems like transportation, utility services, food delivery and communications. Without them modern society comes to a standstill. The U.S. government, under the direction of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and local emergency teams, has spent billions of dollars to ensure operability of these essential societal nodes in the event of an emergency, but for some parts of the country, it may not be enough. A report from the US Geological Survey (USGS), a research arm of the federal government, indicates that the West Coast of the United States, namely those areas directly on or in the vicinity of fault lines, is not equipped to deal with a wide scale emergency that would directly impact these infrastructure systems.

The threat is a high-magnitude earthquake, something most Americans living in these areas assume will not have a significant impact on their lives because of building codes and existing disaster response plans implemented by government emergency planners. Many residents of these areas have become complacent because previous earthquakes, while damaging, didn’t adversely affect their day-to-day lives.

The earthquakes that struck San Francisco in 1989 and Los Angeles in 1994 measured 6.9 and 6.7 on the Richter scale respectively. Hundreds of buildings in both cities collapsed in their aftermath, with nearly ten times as many being “red flagged” as uninhabitable. Neither of these quakes were strong enough to affect the underlying infrastructure on a widespread scale. Life continued on as if nothing had happened following the initial destruction. According to the USGS, there have been over 120 earthquakes measuring in this range – between 6.0 and 6.9 on the Richter scale – in 2013, so they’re not uncommon.

But these aren’t the quakes scientists are concerned about with respect to damage levels. It’s the “mega-quakes,” which measure around 7.5 or higher that pose the biggest threat to populated areas on the West Coast. Though they don’t happen very often, this year the USGS has measured six such earthquakes around the world, so it’s not out of the question to suggest that a seismic event of this magnitude could potentially occur in Los Angeles or any major West Coast city at any time.

USGS researcher Dr. Lucy Jones, who spoke to 20,000 geoscientists from around the globe at this year’s American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco, simulated the effects of a 7.8 quake originating just south of Los Angeles along the San Andreas fault line. The results were shocking. According to Dr. Jones, not only would nearly half of the buildings in L.A. become uninhabitable due to structural damage, but essential infrastructure systems would collapse almost instantaneously.

In their model, the thick sediments that downtown LA sits upon amplify the strong shaking of the quake, which would happen around 75 seconds after the first small signal of the earthquake.

Ground motions would be of “Intensity 9″, corresponding to accelerations of one G, causing significant damage to buildings. The model suggests the collapse of possibly around 1% of the buildings in an area of 10 million people.

The end result would be that around half the buildings in the area would have to be abandoned. But the model’s most disturbing results show that beyond the building damage there would be significant disruption of inter-dependent infrastructure.

Transportation, gas and electricity supplies, sewerage systems, water supplies and communications would all be affected.

Whether a modern civic society could operate under such conditions is questionable. At the instant of the USGS model earthquake, debris would close roads, extinguish traffic lights, water supplies would be cut off, and emergency responders would have difficulty operating.

Beyond that, the disruption of the supply chain also becomes an issue, pointed out Dr Jones. The move towards a “just in time” economy in grocery stores and elsewhere has introduced additional vulnerability.

There are few warehouses or stockpiles of food on the western side of the San Andreas fault.

The water system is vulnerable: 70% of the water pipes in Southern California are made of brittle concrete which would likely fail in a large quake, with LA served by water supplies that traverse the San Andreas fault.

Even repairing the pipe network was stated as an issue, since current pipe manufacture in the US is insufficient to replace the damage in under six months. Replacement by polyurethane piping, which can withstand earthquake shaking, could overcome this problem.

Source: BBC via Stan Deyo

The Los Angeles metropolitan area has a population of 12.8 million people, the majority of who would be out of food and water within seconds following this disaster. According to the USGS report, up to half of the population could be without shelter due to either building collapse or the possibility of collapse. Emergency responders would not be able to make it to affected areas because roadways would be destroyed, and those that were undamaged would be jam-packed with people trying to leave the city.

It would be a complete and utter disaster.

Moreover, as soon as those 12.8 million people realized that help wasn’t coming, they’d make their way out of the city by foot in what has been described by James Rawles as the golden horde, and they would leave destruction in their wake as they scrambled for resources.

After Hurricane Sandy it only took 72 hours after grid-down for the initial stages of societal breakdown to begin setting in. We saw the same scenario play out during Hurricane Katrina. In both instances government emergency responders were overwhelmed and unable to provide victims with the basic necessities for life. Those disasters affected on the order of about 50,000 to 100,000 people.

Now imagine what happens when we’re talking numbers on the scale of millions.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

Via: shtfplan

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December 10th, 2013
post by policysup | | 0

Preparing for a Social Collapse is Silly – People Are Too Civilized and Reasonable…

Not many can fathom the possibility of a societal collapse. Our thin veneer of modern civilization has led most of us to believe that widespread calamity – the kind that leaves millions dead in its wake – is simply not possible. We have democratic governments, advanced technology, and people are so well informed about past horrors that we’d never repeat the same mistakes. In the analysis below originally published at Ed That Matters, author Mic Roland explores this notion, and provides historical evidence that suggests no matter how civilized and peaceful we think we may be, all it takes is one key event to strike fear into the populace and the whole thing can come crumbling down. Mic draws a comparison between life today and how it is analogous to the state of the world in early 1914. Things were seemingly normal back in 1914 and no one could have imagined what would play out following the turning point which occurred on June 28 of that year. It happened fast… so fast that society broke down in a matter of days and weeks, and by the end of the year nearly one million people were dead.

But today is different right? Such a thing can’t happen again…

Within days of Archduke Ferdinand’s assassination hundreds of thousands were mobilized across Europe

Society Is Too Civilized to Collapse? A Lesson from WWI
By Mic Roland

“Preparing for a social collapse is silly. Society won’t collapse. People are too civilized and reasonable.”

This objection, or something like it, occasionally comes from friends or family who regard prepping as a fool’s errand. Some extra food or flashlight batteries might be grudgingly accepted as prudent, but security measures? Defense? That’s just crazy talk. We’re a modern, civilized nation, not savages, they say. We value the arts and sciences. Since childhood, we’ve been taught about tolerance, kindness and respect for each others civil rights, etc. If tough times come, they say, people will help each other out and respect each others’ rights. We’ll all band together and help each other get through. We won’t be at each others’ throats…they say.

These cultural optimists might concede that during a disaster, like Katrina, some bad deeds might be done by a few bad people, but those apples were already bad. The vast majority of folks, they maintain, are civilized people, who value kindness and generosity. Civilized folks don’t suddenly become “bad” people.

Unfortunately, they can, and have. An example from history is the start of World War One. In just that one example, civilized men chose violence over civility.

In June of 1914, Europe was chock full of highly civilized people. The capitols were staffed by the upper crusts of their societies. Silk hats, gloves, suit coats with tails. Europe was the peaceful land of Bach, Beethoven, Dr. Livingston, fine wines, Louis Pasteur, Madam Curie. fairytale castles, Mozart and Strauss with his Blue Danube waltz — all very refined and civilized. The early 20th century was a time of amazing progress in science, technology and medicine. Every year seemed to bring some new marvel to benefit mankind — motor cars, aeroplanes, plastics, air conditioning and instant coffee (!). Meliorism (the notion that things just get better and better) was in vogue.

Yet, in just one month, none of that mattered. The first of 9 million began to die in Flanders’ fields. The traditional narrative (history written by victors) holds that the war was caused by bad apples. Those brutish, uncivilized Germans started the war. The truth is, it was all of them, not just the Germans. Despite the vast cultural refinements, leaders in Vienna, Moscow, Berlin, Paris and London too (all men who prided themselves as part of modernist enlightenment and progressiveness) threw all that civilization and refinement out the window in favor of what they knew would be a terrible and bloody war.

How could civilized men do such a thing? The short answer is: fear.

The spark, of course, was the assassination of the Austrian archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife on June 28th by a ragtag band of Serbian-sponsored terrorists. But that killing did not start the war. It was merely the crisis that got played out of control.

The month-long run-up to war ran in two phases. The first phase involved each nation acting on fears of losing some “vital” national interest — prestige, influence, access to markets, etc. The second phase tapped into a deeper fear — the fear of doom. Like two gunfighters in an old western movie, the second man to draw was dead. In the summer of 1914, no one wanted to be second nation to “draw.”

The machinations of that first phase are a bit much for this blog post. Suffice it to say that all the nations played the game of brinksmanship over their various slices of pie.

The critical trigger to the more deadly second phase came on July 28th, when Russia tried to quietly mobilize their huge army against Austria. Perhaps their move was just ramped-up brinksmanship, but once the guns started coming out, no one could afford continue just talking. The stakes had changed. Progressive modernism and slices of influence pie did not matter anymore.

With Russia mobilizing, Germany was afraid of doom via attack on two fronts. (France and Russia were allies) In hopes of heading off a two-front fate, Germany demanded that France NOT mobilize as proof of their professed non-hostile intentions. The French refused to say. Germany was at a decision fork. If they mobilized immediately, they could be ready before the Russians (and French). If they waited — even a few days — they would let the Russians have the only gun out of its holster. Fear of that doom prompted Germany to opt for the violent course rather than the civilized course (keep negotiating). Once Germany began mobilizing, France was at the same sort of decision fork: keep talking or go for their guns. They opted for guns. The British, worried that Germany might defeat both the French and the Russians, thereby putting all of the channel coast under German control (which the British believed would somehow be doom for them), so the British promised to go to war with the French.

Come the first of August, the guns were loaded and troops on the move. Due to better planning, Germany was the first to get their gun out of the holster. She had only a few days head start, so opted to strike first and attempt to take out France before the Russians were fully ready (The Russians had a very slow holster). From there on out, it was war, and a war that quickly devolved into a bloody stalemate of trenches and mud.

Even after the shooting began, cooler heads might have prevailed. But the populace of the various nations also bought into the contemporary doom-anxiety thinking. They did not want THEIR nation to lose the war and be doomed, any more than their leaders did. WWI was the first major war in which propaganda was a significant tool of the various governments. The Allied nations spun the war as defending justice or stopping “evil” Germany from taking over the world (which the Germans didn’t want anyhow). The American propaganda machine one-upped the Allies to make the war the defense of “democracy” itself and ironically, “the war to end all war.” Civilized Americans joined the violence for fear that democracy and/or freedom would somehow be lost.

Millions of men became willing to kill as many total strangers as it took to stave off the specter of doom for THIER side. Even when the war stagnated, and hundreds of thousands died for no gain, no one was willing to stop fighting, lest their side lose — injustice prevail, democracy be ruined, whatever. So, the killing went on until exhaustion set in.

How do the origins of World War One fit a societal melt-down today?

Today, as back in 1914, most people find it easier to be civil when they’re comfortable. It is harder to be deferential and civil when cold, hungry or afraid. Troubles brew up occasionally, but as long as people feel there is hope of negotiating their way through it, civility often survives. It is when people feel threatened with a sudden loss of something vital (food, safety, etc.), that they are more prone to react with violence. It might be a desperation violence, rather than malice, but a bullet fired in fear hurts just as much as a bullet fired in anger.

The following scenario is a micro-analogy to the start of WWI in a more street-level setting. First there is jockeying for “interests”, which quickly escalates to fear and violence.

Imagine a group of civilized neighbors who, after a collapse scenario, were counting on the contents of a nearby food warehouse to get them through. They don’t own the food, but presume it would remain available for them since it was near them. Times would be tough, but they had a source of food. Civility prevails.

When the actual owner of the food orders it packed in trucks and shipped out to somewhere else, the neighborhood status quo is upset. As the trucks roll down the driveway, the civilized folk have to make a quick decision (rather like the statesmen of Europe did). If they believe their families will starve to death if they let the trucks depart, they might block the driveway to stop the trucks. If a truck driver makes threatening moves to get through the barricade, (he has his orders, after all) the potential threat of hunger is upgraded to an actual threat of personal harm.

Before the crisis, would these civilized neighbors, (lovers of poetry and fine cuisine) have dragged a trucker from his cab and beat him up? No. They would have been horrified at the thought. Yet, when forced into a snap decision, when the choice seems to be between violence or doom, many of them will opt for violence — just like the leaders of Europe did in July of 1914.

Back to my scenario; the angry and fearful mob drag the drivers out of the trucks and rush to open the backs to get “their” food. Who wants to show up late to a looting? No waiting in orderly lines, or asking “Have you any Grey Poupon?” The race is to the swift.

The warehouse manager might be a nice person, polite to his elders, kind to kittens, etc. He sees a mob of looters attacking his drivers. He does not have the luxury of time to wonder if they are vile criminals or just parents of hungry children. Each second of delay injures his men. The risk of inaction is too high. He shoots a warning shot over their heads.

The mob, realizing they are being fired upon from the warehouse, now have another enemy with “obvious” ill intent. The stakes have gone up. Some of the looters charge toward the office with sticks.

Should the manager let the mob into the office to discuss their grievances in a civilized manner? He has only a few seconds to decide. The apparent risk far outweighs the possible benefits. He shoots at the leaders. A few of the mob fall. The enraged looters regroup behind barricades. Some of the mob fetch guns. The manager and his armed staff are now in their office trench, afraid that the mob will kill them if they get in. The looters are in their barricade trench, afraid that their babies to starve if they don’t get in.

The warehouse becomes a model of World War One — two sides squared off, both assuming that the loser of the fight will be doomed. Fear put them there. Fear keeps them fighting. Kubayah finds no traction.  Civilization does not prevail.

Fear trumps civilization.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

Via: shtfplan


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December 9th, 2013
post by policysup | | 0

Horrific Consequences: “People Don’t Understand the Scale of the Emergency That’s Going On Right Now”

Back in the mid-2000′s, when jobs were plentiful and everyone was concerned with buying zero-interest homes, new cars and taking luxury vacations, Mike Maloney from the Hidden Secrets of Money was warning of the financial and economic destruction to come. In his assessment, a crisis was imminent:

First the threat of deflation (1), followed by a helicopter drop (2), followed by big reflation (3), followed by a real deflation (4), and then followed by hyperinflation (5),

We now know that Maloney was right.

In 2008 we saw asset valuations from stocks to commodities lose significant value. It was a deflationary impact so threatening that the U.S. government was on the brink of a collapse which subsequently led to members of Congress being warned that if nothing was done there would be tanks on the streets of America. This was followed by an unprecedented bailout package, which included an astronomical infusion of cash by the Federal Reserve under the direction of Chairman Ben Bernanke. Since then we’ve seen a massive reflation in a system where the economic fundamentals have only gotten worse – stock markets have hit all time highs, home prices have seemingly re-stabilized and personal debt is approaching 2007 levels.

Mike’s first three stages have, without a doubt, now come to pass.

If his forecast is correct – and it sure seems like it – then we will soon enter the next stage of this crisis and it will involve yet another deflationary hit to global asset prices. We know how destabilizing such an event can be from our country’s experience during the Great Depression. But as Mike notes in a follow-up to his original forecast, the next event will be nothing like what we saw during the 1930′s:

I think it’s going to be a whole lot worse than the 30′s…

People don’t understand the scale of the emergency that’s going on right now. 

They think that Ben Bernanke fixed things and that the economy is back on track, but the Fed is still doing emergency measures. They’re printing $85 billion a month – that’s over a trillion dollars a year… and people do not grasp the scale of the emergency measures that they’re doing right now.

There was just a little over $800 billion of base money in existence before the crisis in 2008… that’s 200 years worth of currency creation… So that’s 0.8 trillion… now we create a trillion every year… that means we’re creating more than 200 years of currency every single year. 

…For him [Bernanke] to say that they’re not going to taper is an admission that they can never, ever taper… If they do the whole thing comes crashing down.

I think the crash of 2008 was just a speed bump on the way to the main event… the consequences are gonna be horrific… the rest of the decade will bring us the greatest financial calamity in history.


If Maloney is right, then the next crash is going to be followed by something so severe that many have suggested our civilization may not survive in its current form.

Hyperinflation on this scale, originating in the United States, will lead to immediate global consequences. First, our systems of commerce break down. Next, the government will be left with no choice but to implement a state of martial law, something they have been war-gaming for years in anticipation of this very event. And finally, as noted by many contrarian experts, the world could very rapidly descend into widespread global conflict.

We are, by all measures, on the very precipice of what is potentially the most enormous financial, economic, and social collapse in the history of the world.

Both scenarios – deflation and inflation – are going to impoverish this nation and make it nearly impossible for people to acquire the basic necessities for life. One hundred million people are already struggling right now and are only capable of paying their rent and putting food on the table because of direct government assistance.

When the system collapses that assistance will not be enough and those who failed to prepare by stocking long-term food stores, gold and silver, and barter supplies are going to be living in horrific conditions.

This is big – and most people are completely ignorant to the possibility.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

Via: shtfplan

 

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December 8th, 2013
post by policysup | | 0

Amish Healthcare and Healing

To most outsiders the Amish lifestyle appears odd. Those of us who are unfamiliar with the Amish often have difficulty understanding how they continue to live without many of the trappings of conventional living conditions. The Amish live amongst themselves and avoid as much contact with the outside world as possible. For the most part they prefer to employ natural cures and remedies when it comes to dealing with their healthcare and healing. Occasionally the Amish will make the decision to involve establishments or facilities in the outside world to assist with medical procedures they are unequipped to handle. This is such a story.

An Amish family in Ohio has a young daughter stricken with cancer. The Amish family in question originally elected to take their daughter to a modern medical facility. After subjecting their child to chemotherapy treatment for several months, the Amish family elected to take matters in their own hands and seek alternative treatment elsewhere. The state of Ohio, where this Amish family was originally from, has stepped in and ruled the girl must be treated in a state run facility.

COUNSELHEAL:

“A cancer-stricken Amish girl has gone into hiding in order to avoid chemotherapy treatment. A court in Ohio ruled that all medical decisions pertaining to Sarah Hershberger’s cancer treatment would fall onto medical professionals and not Sarah’s parents, who stopped the chemotherapy treatment even though the treatment was successfully killing Sarah’s cancer.

For several months, Sarah who is 11-years-old, has lived with cancer. When she was first diagnosed with Leukemia in April, her parents had taken her to the Akron Children’s Hospital in Ohio where she was to start chemotherapy treatment. Sarah had lymphoblastic lymphoma, which is an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Her doctors had stated that Sarah’s survival rate was high with treatment.

After roughly three months, Sarah’s parents stopped her chemotherapy treatment because the side effects were making the young girl ill. Despite the nasty side effects, doctors stated that the treatment, which was supposed to last two years, was effective in reducing the sizes of the tumors located in her neck, chest and kidneys.

“We’ve seen how sick it makes her,” Sarah’s father, Andy Hershberger stated back in August according to ABC News. “Our belief is the natural stuff will do just as much as that stuff if it’s God’s will.”

When the parents stopped Sarah’s chemotherapy treatment, the hospital fought to gain control over the child’s medical treatment. The court sided with the hospital a month ago and gave the power to make medical decisions for Sarah to a guardian. However, before the ruling was revealed, the family left the state and headed for a natural cancer treatment center located in Central America. According to the New York Daily News, the family has returned to the United States but is still in hiding in order to avoid the appeals court’s ruling that took the power away from Sarah’s parents.”

This story is something that should be of concern to all American citizens, regardless of whether they’re Amish or not. An individual’s healthcare and healing is their own responsibility. It is not, nor should it ever be, a concern of any government body, unless the family or individual in question has been deemed mentally incapable of making such decisions.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

Via: survivalist

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December 7th, 2013
post by policysup | | 0

How to Survive a Personal Economic Collapse

This guide has been contributed by Daisy Luther of The Organic Prepper.

With all that is being written about the national economic collapse, people seem to be waiting for some huge event.

However, for many North Americans, the collapse is here. This isn’t relegated to only lower income neighborhoods.  As an article from a Cinncinnati new station stated, “Hunger doesn’t know a zipcode.”

For many people who were formerly financially comfortable, the economic collapse has already happened, in the form of a job loss, hours that have been cut back due to Obamacare requirements for employers, an exorbitant medical bill or other crushing debt, or simply an inflation rate that has outstripped your pay increases.  Despite all of the warnings, many people are still going to be absolutely blindsided.

For many families, personal finances have reached a catastrophic level – they are left to make terrible choices:

  • Which utility can I live without?
  • Should I walk away from my mortgage?
  • Should I eat something so I can work harder or should I skip meals so my kids have food?
  • Should I use the grocery money to take my child to the doctor or should I wait and hope he/she improves without medical intervention?
  • Do I risk the IRS-enforced penalties by forgoing enrollment in Obamacare or should I skip that whole grocery shopping thing so I can pay the monthly premiums and enormous deductibles in order to stay in the government’s good graces?

These are the kind of decisions that people across the nation are grappling with every day.

I’m talking about good people, hardworking men and women who have always been employed and paid their bills. A personal financial crisis does not just strike those stereotypical “welfare queens” with the long manicured nails, Gucci knock-off purse, and a grocery cart full of EBT-funded lobster.

I’m talking about the person next door, who seems to have it all together. I’m talking about that quiet family that sits two rows in front of you at church. I’m talking about that two-income family with two children and a car in the driveway that takes them to work and school 5 days a week. I’m talking about people just like you and me.

What is a personal economic collapse?

A personal economic collapse is a little different than the major crises you see all over Europe right now, where huge segments of the population can’t feed their children or stay employed. It is a crisis that just hits your family due to a given set of circumstances.  (In actuality North Americans are on the brink of the kind of collapse that is occurring in Europe, but because of easy access to credit and a buy-now, pay-later society, many of us still have the appearance of prosperity.)

Here are some signs that you may be in the midst of a personal economic collapse:

  • You can only afford to pay the minimum payment on most of your bills.
  • The same dollar amount you used to spend on groceries doesn’t buy enough food to feed your family for the week.
  • You can’t afford to go to the doctor when you’re sick.
  • You are taking dangerous steps to “stretch” needed medications because you can’t afford the prescriptions.
  • Your utility bills are past due and your power is in danger of being cut off.
  • You skip meals in order to save money or to have enough food for your kids.
  • You’ve lost your job or had your hours cut.
  • You have lost property due to foreclosure or repossession (such as your home or your vehicle).

Surviving the crisis

Times are tough but you can survive this.

1.) First you have to see exactly where you are.

It’s time for a brutally honest assessment of your finances.  If you use your debit card or credit card for most expenditures, you’ll easily be able to see what you’re spending and bringing in.

Print off your bank account statements for the past 2 months.  On a piece of paper, track where your money is going.  List the following

  • Rent/Mortgage
  • Utilities
  • Car payments
  • Vehicle operating expenses (fuel, repairs)
  • Insurances
  • Credit card and other debt payments
  • Telephone/Cell phone
  • Cable/Satellite
  • Internet
  • Extracurricular activities for the kids
  • Extracurricular activities for the adults
  • Dining out
  • Groceries
  • School expenses
  • Clothing
  • Recreational spending
  • Gifts
  • Miscellaneous (anything that doesn’t fall into the above categories gets it’s own category or goes here)

Don’t say to yourself, “Well, I usually don’t spend $400 on clothing so that isn’t realistic.”  If you spent it, then it’s realistic.  You are averaging together two months, which should account for those less common expenses.  Brutal honesty isn’t fun, but it’s vital for this exercise.

So….what do you see when you look at your piece of paper with your average monthly expenditures for the past two months?  Are there any surprises?  Did you actually realize how much you’ve been spending?   Most of us will immediately see places that we can trim the budget.  Those $1-$5 purchases can really add up.  Reining them in may just allow you to take care of an important need that you thought you could not meet.

It can’t continue like this.  The economy will not withstand it.  Step one is to see where you can cut things out right now from the above expenditures.  Can you reduce your grocery bill?  Slash meals out?  Budget more carefully for gift-giving and school clothes?

2.) Rethink necessities.

If your finances are out of control, the best possible reality check is a stark look at what necessities really are.  It is not necessary to life to have an iPhone, a vehicle in both stalls of your two-car garage, or for your children to all have separate bedrooms.  People in Southern and Eastern Europe right now will tell you, as they scramble for food, basic over the counter medications like aspirin, and shelter, that necessities are those things essential to life:

  • Water
  • Food (and the ability to cook it)
  • Medicine and medical supplies
  • Basic hygiene supplies
  • Shelter (including sanitation, lights, heat)
  • Simple tools
  • Seeds
  • Defense Items

Absolutely everything above those basic necessities is a luxury.

So, by this definition, what luxuries do you have?

3.) Reduce your monthly output

Reduce your monthly payments by cutting frivolous expenses. Look at every single monthly payment that comes out of your bank account and slash relentlessly.  Consider cutting the following:

  • Cable
  • Cell phones
  • Home phones
  • Gym memberships
  • Restaurant meals
  • Unnecessary driving
  • Entertainment such as trips to the movies, the skating rink, or the mall

4.) Waste not, want not.

We live in a disposable society.  Food comes in throw-away containers.  People replace things instead of repairing them.  If you throw out more than a couple of bags of garbage each week, that’s a very good sign that you may be wasting resources.

Before throwing anything away, pause and think about how it might be able to be reused.

  • Food: Many times small amounts of leftovers can be recycled into a brand new meal. Meat bones can be used to make broth or stock.  Small amounts of veggies or grains can be frozen and added to a future soup or casserole. Leftovers can be frozen in meal-sized portions to take to work for a brown-bag lunch. (Learn more about repurposing leftovers HERE.)
  • Clothing: Clothing that is torn or damaged can often be repaired with only rudimentary sewing skills. If it has been outgrown or cannot be repaired, often the fabric or yarn can be reused for other purposes, from cleaning rags to fashionable accessories like scarves and headbands, or home items like throw pillows, potholders or rag rugs.  When all else fails, the fabric can be used for cleaning rags or patches to repair other items. Keep jars full of buttons, elastic, and other notions that can easily be removed before you throw  a clothing item away or relegate it to the rag bag.
  • Electronics: Obviously, initially you should attempt to repair (or have repaired) electronic items that are not working. If this is not feasible, are there components of the item that can be reused, either now or in the future? What about hardware such as screws or fasteners?
  • Containers:  Most food comes in a container of some sort.  Before throwing the container away, consider whether or not it might be useful. Glass jars, plastic tubs, and plastic bags can often be reused to store food in your refrigerator or to contain food in brown bag lunches.  Clean aluminum cans can hold all manner of items, from hardware and tools in a workshop to sewing and craft supplies. Use your imagination.

5.) Take control of your food budget.

The price of food is skyrocketing.  Who hasn’t been to the grocery store recently and been shocked at the high price of that cart full of groceries or at the mysterious shrinking food packages that are the same price as yesterday’s larger ones?

  • Stockpile:  Create a stockpile of nutritious, healthy staples at today’s prices to enjoy when the cost goes even higher tomorrow.  (Learn how to create a frugal food stockpile HERE.)
  • Preserve: Learn to preserve food yourself when you come across a windfall.  Pressure canning, waterbath canning, freezing, and dehydrating can allow you to take advantage of great sales or end-of-season scores.
  • Eat less:  This suggestion isn’t for everyone, but many of us could stand to shed a few pounds.  Perhaps now would be a good time to cut back a little and shrink both your waistline and your weekly food bill.  Lots of people eat for the sheer entertainment of it or out of habit.  Next time you’re watching TV, grab some mending or a crossword puzzle instead of a bag of potato chips. Dish out slightly smaller servings at dinnertime to leave enough to stretch the leftovers for a brown bag meal the next day.
  • Drink water:  Skip the beverages and drink water instead. At less than $1 per gallon for purchased water you simply can’t beat the price.  It’s better for you, also, than sugar-y drinks.  If you are lucky enough to have well water or access to spring water, your drinks don’t have to cost you a penny.
  • Focus on nutrition instead of convenience:  Buy the best quality of food you can,  and skip the processed, nutritionless convenience foods.
  • Grow your own.  In the summer, grow the biggest garden you can. In the winter, or if you are an apartment dweller, put some sprouts and greens in a sunny windowsill to add some fresh produce for pennies.

6.) Reduce your dependence on utilities.

Energy rates are skyrocketing. As the prices begin to rise, more and more people will be unable to pay their bills and eventually their power will be shut off.  Check your bill each month and as prices increase, use less power. Try some of these ideas to reduce your reliance and drop your bills.

  • Hand wash your clothing
  • Hang clothes to dry
  • Cook on a woodstove or outdoor grill
  • Can foods to preserve them instead of relying on a large chest freezer
  • Turn the heat down a few degrees and use non-grid methods to keep warm
  • Use rain barrels to collect water
  • Direct the gray water from your washing machines to reservoirs
  • Turn off the lights and open the blinds
  • Use solar lighting whenever possible

How do you intend to weather the storm?

There are bleak days ahead.  Have you planned for this?  What strategies do you intend to use to weather the financial crisis that is coming for all of us?  What suggestions do you have for families who are undergoing their own economic collapses?

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

Via: shtfplan

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December 6th, 2013
post by policysup | | 0

Assess your personal survival situation

I have a saying I use. Listen to everyone but make up your own mind. I think this applies particularly to the web. The internet is full of those dispensing wisdom, some of it excellent some of it just plain off base. The subject of survival is no different so before considering a bomb proof shelter, step back and take some time to honestly assess the realistic scenarios you may find yourself in. These are some hard questions you need to ask yourself as you consider your course of action.

What is the likely threat?

Make a list sorted by most likely to least likely. This depends on what part of the country you live and work in. Are you a city dweller or do you live in the sticks? Be realistic, do you really need to prep for a chemical attack if you live hundreds of miles from any likely target? Do you work down town next to a federal building where the likely hood of terrorism might be higher? What severe weather can be expected?  What natural disasters are your area prone to? What else is nearby?  A chemical plant next door might require a bit more planning. Will you be able to count on your neighbors or will they become potential threats after a week with no electricity.

What is your anxiety level  for each of these potential situations?  We all have different fears, some justified some perceived, it doesn’t matter, if it bugs you it needs attention. To me the greatest good I get from being prepared is the peace of mind it brings and a sense of control over unpredictable circumstances. I do not live in fear of terrorism, I live and work far from likely targets.  I made a conscience decision not to worry about it. Of course my neighbor may feel completely different. Based on your feelings go back and reorder your list.

What is your level of commitment?

It all boils down to time and money. If money is not an issue there is really no limit to how prepared you can be. Most of us don’t fall into this category, we have to pick and chose what to prepare for and to what extent. Those on a budget should spend wisely on those items that will help across a wide range of scenarios. In other words be sure you have flashlights and batteries before investing in the rifle and scope.

How much time can you devote to this, will you really ever finish digging a fallout shelter in your crawl space? Are you better off making sure your water pipes in that crawl space are well insulated so they don’t freeze and split during a power outage plus a cold snap?  Will you take the time to change the filters on your reverse osmosis water filter system or just keep a rotating stash of gallon water jugs in a closet?  The message here is bite off what you can chew.

What are your Skills Sets?

In my view this is an overlooked area that requires some soul searching.

Can you change a flat tire, can you cook over an open fire, could you sew up a wound on a child, could you butcher an animal, do you know how find and  turn off a gas valve, could you kill someone?  Really consider your skills when selecting equipment or making plans. Just because you can purchase the Navy seal gear does not give you the Navy seal skill set. As a rule I do not rely on items that I have no real experience with. I don’t want to learn a new skill set while tiring to survive at the same time.

What is your fitness?

How far can you walk? How far can you walk with a pack? How far can you walk with a pack up hill in the rain?  Let’s be honest, we are part of a sedentary society. Many of us have no clue what it would mean to hike 10 miles home or to a bug out location once your car becomes useless. Could you swim a river if a bridge was down? Are you better off  sheltering in place and be prepared for marauders then  going cross country only to blow out your knee 2 miles from home. In my opinion this is one of the most limiting factors we face and really should be the base line you plan around. Seriously load up a pack with 40 or 50 lbs of gear and see how far you can go. I think lots of us would find the result sobering. Being painfully honest on this point could save your life.

So there are some things to think about, but as I mentioned make up your own mind it is your life to save

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

Via: thesurvivalistblog

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December 5th, 2013
post by policysup | | 0

A Simple Prepper Exercise—What If.

She’s sitting quietly at the console in the soon-to-be grain storage facility. Polishing up the programmed interface that will guide the operators through their daily tasks. Around her various welders and electricians go about their jobs.

The lights flicker, and go out. She hears the groans in the pitch black, her hand is on her flashlight, but she pauses, counting her breaths. The utility company and the sparkies had been working out some problem all week, and this had been happening regularly, the backup generators should kick on soon, another second…..   did it usually take this long? No.

Hers is not the only flashlight flickering on as people try to safely pause whatever it was they had been doing. Most wondering about the bleeping idiots with the bleeping generator.

The programmer moves to gather her equipment and she notices that her laptop has powered down. Curious. She quickly gathers it up. No sense waiting around to get colder in the dark. She meets up with her team on the way out. They are both rolling their eyes at another wasted day. As they exited the plant, she started hearing comments about broken cell phones. She hadn’t checked hers yet, hadn’t wanted to confirm her suspicion.

She wondered what they would find in the parking lot. Paperweights? Would some cars work? “Please let some work,” she thought. She was in South Dakota, it was November, and home was many miles to the South.  It would take a week to walk home. (46 hours, of walking at 3mph, her brain interjected.) She started tallying the food in her car and bag; emergency rations and water, plus the weeks worth of breakfast foods she always brought eased her mind a little. Even if all the cars were dead, she thought she could do it. People had made it much further with much less.

Now, she thought, what to do with my team? They probably only have a granola bar from hotel check-in that morning. Between the two of them, maybe a couple of bottles of water.  But, they were headed in the same direction… Decisions, decisions.

She heard it said, finally, quietly behind her, “EMP.”

——————————————————————————————————–

Where are you right now? What if the lights went out? What do you have on you, and do you think you could make it home with that?  Do you have travel plans coming up? Run the exercise using that as a starting point.

Always make sure you can get home folks, you never know what the day will bring.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

Via: Calamity Jane – shtfblog

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December 4th, 2013
post by policysup | | 0

Detroit Obliterates Retirement Funds: 80% Cuts to Pensioners: “This Is Going to Affect Everyone”

Though a decade ago civil servants and union members would never have believed it could happen, the stark reality of the situation came to pass this morning.

We now know the answer to the question: What happens when a government makes promises it can’t keep and borrows so much money it can never be repaid?

This morning a judge overseeing the City of Detroit’s fiscal sustainability ruled that the City can be afforded bankruptcy protection, meaning that all 100,000 of its creditors now stand to lose a significant portion of monies owed to them.

The most notable victims are the tens of thousands of retirees living off of pensions – many of whom will see an 80% obliteration of the retirement funds they believed they’d receive until they died.

Creditor attorneys have repeatedly speculated they expect Orr’s plan of adjustment to mirror the June 14 proposal he offered creditors to avoid bankruptcy. That deal proposed giving unsecured creditors such as pensioners and bondholders a $2 billion note for $11.5 billion in estimated debts — or less than 18 cents for every dollar owed.

Most of those affected assumed the government would simply find a way to borrow more money or fabricate it out of thin air. They were wrong and now they are paying the price:

“Oh my, oh my. Everyone is worried. When we think about what could happen, it’s scary,” said Larsen, 85, who moved to Palm Harbor, Fla., outside of Tampa after he retired in 1976.

“If they take our health insurance? Oh god. Cutting pensions? It’s terrible. The city of Detroit was our pride. Honest to goodness. We loved it.”

…

“We are all worried,” said Nancy Schmidt, the group’s secretary. “This is going to affect everyone in different ways. If it comes to fruition, I’ve got two empty bedrooms and I may end up having to rent them out.”

…

“My net pension is $2,300 a month,” said Kammer, 77, who moved to Englewood, Fla., not long after retiring with a disability in 1977.

“I could make it for a while, go through savings, but pretty soon, I’d end up in bankruptcy.”

…

“(Retirees) feel like something that they’ve earned and were promised is being taken away from when they’re not in a position in their lives to plan for it and fight back,” Plecha said. “They’re at a time in their lives when they’re most vulnerable.”

Detroit is the first and they have now set a precedent for other cities in similar situations. You can be assured that more will follow.

First it will be the cities. Then the states will go under. And finally, the Grand-Poobah – our own Federal government. Detroit’s debts are pocket change compared to the $200 trillion in future liabilities owed by the United States of America.

If you are depending on a government retirement package to be there for you for the rest of your life, you’d better think again. Over twenty thousand Detroit retirees thought the same thing – and as of today they have been wiped out.

When this crisis hits the Federal Government – and it will – you’d better be ready for them to take drastic measures. This means they’ll be forced to not only cut retirement benefits promised to federal employees, but will make the case that if they have to give up their retirement funds, you’ll have to give up your 401k, IRA or personal savings.

Sounds impossible, right? Congressional members have already gotten the ball rolling on a nationalization of America’s retirement funds, and when they are ready to do it they’ll pass the legislation just like they did when they seized 1/6th of our economy by nationalizing health care.

They are coming for the money – YOUR money – because they will be left with no other choice.

If you’re not planning on a secondary income stream or preserving wealth in the form of gold and silver, productive land, or other tangible assets, you’ll end up just like the retirees from Detroit. Having additional resources, like a well stocked long-term pantry and a preparedness plan for financial disaster, can mean the difference between living in poverty or thriving when best laid plans fall apart.

Plan for the worst, because that’s what’s coming.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

Via: shtfplan

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December 3rd, 2013
post by policysup | | 0

Your Basic Bicycle: Transportation 101

Guest article by Eliyahu in Israel

My transportation Plan B for when the big one hits is your basic bicycle. Think about it. No fuel costs (you have to fuel yourself in any case), sturdy, dependable, minimal maintenance, lasts a long time, goes anywhere, and its healthy for you. Not only that, but when you get all those maniac drivers off the roads, it can even be a pleasure. Sure, I fantasize about being able to brew my own biofuels, or having enough solar panels to charge a small electric runabout, but the reality is a sturdy two wheeler sitting in my garden shed. If the electrical grid goes down for the long count, and the available fuel supplies are all used or hoarded, you can rely on your own two feet.
“Okay,” you say from your survivalist armchair next to the gun safe, “that’s fine for the young and fit, but what about us older, wiser, and perhaps wider folks? And how do we bug out with grandma too.?”

Let me tell you a secret. I turn 60 next month, I’ve been a grandfather for a number of years now, and I plan to splurge on a hybrid mountain bike for my birthday. Am I a fitness nut? Far from it. I’m packing an extra 30 pounds of meat and only got back on a bike last year after a several year hiatus. But as they say, “it’s just like riding a bicycle.” Sure, my hill climbing is not what it used to be. Thank G-d for the granny gear built into most bikes these days. The object is not speed, but to get there and back. I think my new (or used if I can find a good one) bike is a good investment; in my health in the short run, and in my future transportation needs in case of TEOTWAWKI.

Today’s mountain bikes are all-terrain wonders of person-powered technology. Maybe a little too much on the technology side, I plan to keep an eye out for a cheap, ten-speed beater bike to keep in the back of the shed as a spare. Today’s bike tires are tougher and last through all kinds of abuse; rims and frames too if you don’t go too much on the ultra-light side. You don’t really need a road any more, just a reasonable sort of goat path. With one of these babies a muddy track is a type of fun, not an obstacle.

Chances are that you have a bike or three in your garage already. Americans bought 12 million adult-sized bikes last year. It used to be that every kid had one. It would not take much to get it tuned up – or better yet—fix it up yourself and start learning the necessary survival / maintenance skills. Stash a few spare tires, brake and gear cables, brake pads and nuts and your transportation Plan B is ready.
From where I sit (for the past 10 years that has been in Jerusalem, Israel), the most likely threat to trigger the need for my survival plan is a nuclear electromagnetic pulse (EMP) courtesy of one of our many friendly neighbors. That means that a nuclear warhead is exploded many miles overhead and the burst of electro-magnetic energy disables the electrical power grid and anything that uses a computer chip, transistor, or just about any electrical controls. Most of the radiation blows off into space, the real damage is to the electronic infrastructure, and it would be devastating. As a good prepper, you should have read all about it by now. If not, stop reading about bikes and start reading about the EMP threat right now.

With the toothless agreement signed in Geneva this week that is supposed to curb Iran’s nuclear arms ambitions, that possibility just became even more probable. By easing worldwide sanctions in exchange for empty promises, Iran just bought six more months of development time on their ambitious nuclear program.

Iran and its rogue nuclear ally North Korea have openly discussed the effect on “The Great Satan” (us and you guys) of an EMP strike by even a single warhead. They make no secret of their ambition to overthrow the US and Europe. Israel is first on their target list. They’ve said so countless times. It’s time we started believing at least half of what they say.

I’ve been worried about the EMP threat for a number of years. My assumptions about what happens next differs quite a bit from most American post-EMP fiction like William Forstchen’s “One Second After.” In Israel’s case the shooting war starts almost immediately and there is nowhere to run. However, with most adult Israelis having military training and belonging to a reserve unit up to the age of 50, a citizen army mobilizes within hours. This provides an organizational structure and social cohesiveness undreamed of in the US. Thanks to having to rely on our own resources for so many years, we are net food exporters. Even though collective kibbutzim and semi-cooperative moshavim account for a small percentage of the population, people here are not as far from their rural roots, both literally and historically, as today’s average westerner. Enough about that, let’s get back to our bicycle transportation plan.

Basically, what are your transportation needs once the big one hits? Job one is to get from where you are to where you want to circle the wagons. If your plan is to get from your home to your rural retreat, then the bikes in the garage are there to help you. Your SUV won’t run no matter how much gas you have stored if the big one comes in the form of a [close proximity, high field strength] EMP. That is assuming your 4×4 was built after the mid-1970s and has electronic ignition and computerized fuel injection. If you have taken care of this problem beforehand, pat yourself on the back, but load a few bikes on top anyway. The gas won’t last forever.

Once you are one with your survival stash, does that mean you don’t have to go anywhere again for a long, long time? Maybe. But when you do, the bike is there for you. It works for trips over to the neighbors to visit and trade goodies. I give myself a half-day range of perhaps 20-30 miles, which is an awfully big circle of territory. In fact, with my bike I could get to anywhere in Israel (about the size of New Jersey) in about 3 or 4 days. However, it is not likely I would need to go that far.

Sure, the carrying capacity of a bike is limited. In my younger days I did some bike touring and could carry a self-sufficient camp around in a pair of pannier bags weighing about 25 pounds. Add a couple pounds a day of food for an extended range. Of course, I could do 60 – 120 miles a day back then. People my age still do, but they have to work up to it.

As an all-weather vehicle, the bike has some obvious limitations. I have ridden miles in the rain with little ill effect, but little pleasure. A good rain suit does wonders and should be part of your kit anyway. I have even ridden in snow upon occasion. Some people do that for fun. It takes a lot to stop a determined cyclist. Where I used to work in Denver we had a 50-something guy who biked 10 miles each way, rain, snow or shine with a very few exceptions. I would join him when the weather got better. He always got there.
People often talk about keeping your survival skills in shape. Perhaps you should think about adding a weekly bike ride and consider it part of a health workout as well. The benefits of good health, greater strength and endurance, and cardio-vascular fitness are worth it.

Now, how about bikes for transporting great grandma and the little tykes? There are plenty of kiddy carts and kid seats available. Mom and Dad can usually schlep the infants and toddlers; and older kids from about 6 or 7 up can ride along at the slower pace that dictates. Carrying the elderly and infirm on a bike, now that’s a challenge. But if the family chariot doesn’t work, what else are you going to do? In the worst case scenario a bike or two, or even a tandem bike can tow a small trailer. That is something you would need to test out well before the bug out date.
There are also sturdy utility bikes with reinforced carriers and geared low for hauling kids and groceries. Unfortunately, they are kind of pricey, but urban commuters and eco-freaks swear by them. I am also intrigued by the adult 3-wheelers that have come on the market in recent years. These offer stability, higher load capacities, and all-round utility. I’ve been thinking of one for my wife, who doesn’t feel as secure on a two-wheeler as in our courting days.

I haven’t even touched the possibility of electric bikes. If you had the PV power capacity to charge one, some of the new electric-assisted bikes they are building in the past few years offer an electronic boost. I tried one in a store in Colorado during my last trip to the old country. I felt bionic. It was one of those new-fangled models that supplies the power to the crankshaft. That means that you can use all the normal gearing, and the electric motor can give you an assist from 0% (turned off and pedal power only) to 100% electric power (coast forever, or at least about 20 miles or better) and anything in between. With the assist set at a power-saving 25%, a few turns of the pedals and I flew. I’ll put a two-wheeler one of these on my long-term wish list, say for my 70th birthday, and an electric 3-wheeler for the love of my life.

Speaking of bikes and electricity, your basic bike – set up on a stand so the rear wheel turns freely – is a good way to run a small alternator. You can scavenge a battery, alternator, and lamps out of one of the useless cars sitting about to make a very serviceable auxiliary lighting system that can be topped up every day or two by a session on the bike. These simple components should work even post EMP. The power generated by a cyclist is estimated to be about 1/4th horsepower (in my case, 1/4th of an old tired horse), enough to run a variety of household tasks such as charging batteries, pumping water. grinding grain, chopping silage, even turning a simple lathe.

So, in the world after TEOTWAWKI, if you see me pedaling by, please smile and wave back. Don’t shoot.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

Via: survivalblog

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December 2nd, 2013
post by policysup | | 0

We are heading for a food shortage

The evidence is shocking!  Farmland is diminishing – every minute an acre of farmland is lost to development.  This amounts to millions of acres of farmland lost each year.  American farmers are expected to decrease by 50% over the next ten years.  Did you know that the year 2013 is the 6th time the world consumed more food than it produced?  Not to mention, that the world grain reserves are at their lowest levels since 1974.  Add to that fact that many crops have been destroyed due to severe weather, such as heat waves, droughts, typhoons, and hurricanes.  When you consider that we are facing vanishing farmland, retiring farmers, diminishing crops, plus a booming population growth, you realize our food supply is in jeopardy.   Are we headed for a food shortage?  You decide.

 

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

Via: freelegacyfood

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