Alright folks life has been crazy, technically it never stops for me. Anyway we will be returning with more new content and keeping up with current events soon.
Suicide bombers…can anything be done?
I am sure that many of you have heard by now about the suicide bomber in
Russia. For those that have not a muslim woman, identified as Naida
Asiyalova, boarded the No. 29 bus in Volgograd. After riding the bus
for several stops she detonated a belt bomb composed of, TNT, improvised
shrapnel (screws, nails pieces of metal) and supposedly a couple of
grenades for good measure. Six people were killed and another 33 were
injured.
As someone that believes in being prepared for anything and everything I
can think of really this is something I can’t think of a way to be
prepared for 100%. Now I don’t live in an area with a bus service and I
drive my own car or truck everywhere I go. However many in the major
metropolitan centers around our country do ride buses everyday. However
as we all know these types of attacks are not restricted to mass
transport, they are targeted in any area that will have a high density
of people to inflict the most amount of damage possible.
Knowing that it is just a matter of time before these attacks start
becoming more common around the world, including our own back yard, it
does make one stop and think. Just what can you do to prepare for such
an attack. The first and most important thing is situation awareness.
Basically keep your eyes open and listen to your gut. Watch for things
that just don’t fit. Look for those people that seem to be nervous or
uneasy. Do you see unusual lumps in their apparel or anything else that
seems off? If you do start to move away and keep your eyes open as it
is a common tactic to set off one explosion to drive a crowd in the
direction of a second explosive. For those that don’t believe this can
happen here remember the Boston Marathon bombing.
In these situations pulling a firearm actually can do more damage than
good. You could possibly hit the bomb or if you don’t it is possible
they have a dead mans switch and you could inadvertently set off the
bomb. Also if you have your weapon pulled when authorities show up you
could be targeted as a possible threat. So if you are concealed
carrying during this type of event keep it holstered and only draw if
you are 100% sure about the threat in front of you and the target and
possible surrounding collateral damage. Remember your duty as a legally
carrying citizen is the safety of yourself, your family and your fellow
citizens. The best thing that you can do is act as first responder,
record any and all details that you can remember, help the injured get
to safety.
There are thoughts that we may see such an attack during the upcoming
Olympic events. Honestly my thoughts are we will see more and more of
these types of attacks. There is a simple explanation for that and it
is that they strike fear in the general populace, they are relatively
inexpensive and can be coordinated by small groups that are virtually
undetectable by security agencies. Whats worse is if we actually saw a
more organized widespread and specifically targeted and timed attack
using these same sorts of tactics.
Even if we do see a marked increase in the number of these types of
attacks they will still be a very small percentage of the daily violence
that happens around our county and indeed the world. This means be
aware however do not be afraid. Remember that being brave does not mean
that you have no fear, it simply means that you control your fear.
Stay safe.
Quote of the day!
“Government’s first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives.” – Ronald Reagan
Hey they made a deal that;s GREAT! Right? Uh wait….
Alright rant on….
Well at the last minute they decided to come to a deal, bring the government back online and guess what raise the debt limit. However this time around unlike previous times this has come up instead of giving a LIMIT on how much could be spent instead they just gave a time when things will be gummed up yet again. So how much you want to be they are going to be getting in as much spending as possible between now and late January when this will be revisited.
Of course our fearless leader acts as if he has single handedly delivered us from the evils of staying within budget. Obama said “We’ll begin reopening our government immediately and we can begin to lift this cloud of uncertainty and unease from our businesses and from the American people,” I don;t know about you but for myself this does not lift the cloud of uncertainty and unease I have been feeling about the direction my country is heading. I see it more as us slipping closer to the edge of complete collapse.
If any single person in this country tried to run their personal finances the way our government does they would be locked up. The fact is now it seem like the ship is sinking and they are trying to stop larger and larger leaks with nothing more than promises that it will all be alright. Have you really stopped to think about why they pushed things back until the first of next year? If people are freaking out about the economy do you really think they will go out and buy little Johnny that new PS4 for Christmas? Of course not! People would be holding onto their money so tight the economy would sink even further causing even more panic.
Stay safe
Preparing with man’s best friend
Anyone that has or has had a dog knows what a joy that they can be to your life. However many people when they start thinking about preparing for the worst to come sometimes forget man’s best friend. For these people the idea of setting up some extra food for their pets has never even crossed their mind. However you must remember that if things ever did get bad your family dog may just turn into a valuable form of protection and should be treated as such.
Just as you must prepare for all members of your family so must you provide for the 4 legged critters in your life. This means having extra food on hand, plenty of suitable water for them, extras of any prescriptions that they may need and some medical supplies in case they get injured.
For most people that only have a single dog just having one extra bag of food in the 30-40 LB range put into the rotation could feed their dog for weeks depending on their size. Also avoid cheaping out on your dogs food. Don’t feed them bargin basment food that has the nutritional value of saw dust. Feed your dogs GOOD food. This does not mean you must spend a ton of money on boutique dog food, just do some research and find food that is actually good for your dogs. Also look into recipes for raw foods that you can make for your pet in the event of a long term problem.
Train your dog! So many people these days seem to get a dog and then never really train it or anything. In the event of an emergency you want your pet, like your children, to listen to you as you tell them something to do. Spend the time to train them in basic obedience as well as some “trick” commands that may come in handy down the road. Ultimately you want to be able to know in your heart that if you give your dog a command it will be followed. This actually could mean the difference between life and death for both you and your pet.
Make your dog carry his own weight! Alright maybe not his equivalent weight but get your dog a pack and start training them now so that they will be able to carry their own food and water. There are the typical saddle bag packs that you can get for your dog and some have the ability to add a hydration bladder so that your dog can even carry their own water. This coupled with a collapsible bowl or two will be really helpful if you and Rex ever need to hit the road. However do not expect to just toss the pack on the dogs and have them pack immediately it will take time and training. My dogs go to the farmers market with us and we load up their packs with the produce that we purchase (these trips also help with socialization). In some cases depending on the terrain around your area you may even want to get a pair of protective boots for your dog. Again it will take time for your dogs to get use to them and they must be properly fitted to your dogs feet.
Depending on your dogs breed and training it could prove to be quite valuable in a disaster situation. First and foremost a dog is a loving companion that can keep your spirits up even on the darkest of days. Just ask Mad Max about his little Cattle Dog buddy. Some dogs are extremely protective of their owners and can be an extra set of eyes for you and will even keep watch while you are asleep. A trained dog can aid in hunting or even tracking down game and other edibles (detection dogs can be trained for finding just about anything these days).
However I must say that if you are the kind of person that would let your dog go or leave them behind in the event of an emergency please do not get a dog. People like this actually create problems as these dogs eventually go wild once abandoned. My first job was working on a ranch and packs of these wild dogs would come and try to take down our livestock. In the cities packs of wild dogs could get bad enough in certain situations where they could become a danger to people. Having a pet is a lifetime commitment. Treat them with kindness and care and they will love you for their entire life and be a loyal companion.
Stay Safe
And we are back!
Well folks it has been some weeks since I last made a post here and I do apologize. Even more so considering the fact just how much has happened in the last few weeks. We have had the Navy Yard shooting, storms, wrecks, bombings and attacks and of course the shutdown of the US government. We are also now coming up on storm season and winter is fast approaching.
We must remember that no matter how safe and secure that we are feeling there is always the chance something bad can happen. The trick is to be prepared and to take things in stride as they come. If you are unprepared then you will begin to panic. If you are prepared for what may come then you really do not have much to worry about. You won’t be relying on the government to come in and save you. You won’t be caught without extra batteries for lights, or stored food and water for if the power goes out. What is that old saying? Don’t get caught with your pants down?
Looking at my news feed on my computer as I sit here at work (yes I am writing this post while at work) I see all sorts of things happening all over the place. Tropical storm Karen is forming in the Gulf. A boat full of migrants sank of the coast of Italy and dozens of people have died. A crash in Tennessee was so severe that it requires the use of dental records to identify the eight people killed. Deadly hornets, yes HORNETS, have killed 42 people and injured at least 1500 more in China. This is just a small sampling of what is happening daily around the world that has actually been deemed “news worthy”. There are many other things that can happen in your daily life that if you are unprepared can escalate quickly yet still not be covered by the news.
An example that happened to my family here recently is we had a bit of a cold snap so I decided it was time to fire up the furnace and get it ready for winter. Well everything worked great the first day but then the second it would not come on. Mind you this happened first thing in the morning and I was short on time before I had to go to work. I gave it a quick check, yep no flame up on the start and it just kept cycling. So I turned off the gas and shut down the power to the furnace and went to work. The next few days it wasn’t as cold just chilly and I kept putting off looking at the furnace. Finally the weekend came and after surviving the cold for several days with extra blankets and sweatshirts I decided to take another look at the furnace. I really did not want to pay the money to have a tech come out and look at it so I started trouble shooting. Long story short I found water in some lines leading to the pressure valve and water in the valve itself! Cleared that and the furnace came back to life. Had this happened in the winter my family still would have been safe because we have plenty of alternate ways of keeping warm. However remember that every single winter there are stories of people freezing to death in their homes because they were caught with no heat in the dead of winter.
Anyway back to site business. One thing that I have noticed recently is that there seems to be quite a few new “prepper” magazines hitting the shelves lately. Funny thing is I have been seeing them in the local grocery store and Walmart. Obviously this is for the most part a chance to cash in on the current prepper craze that is out there. I decided to pick up copies of the magazines that I see so that I can see exactly what is being put out there for people. In the next few weeks I will do a review of the magazines that I have found and rate them according to the information presented and give you an idea of who they are aimed at.
Anyway that is all for now and as always…
Stay Safe.
New EO to target surplus arms
Well there is nothing like starting a war to hide your true actions. While we all have our eyes on the East no one is much paying attention to the fact that there is an attack going on right here at home.
Today it was announced that our “President” took it upon himself to pen a new executive order that would ban the importation of surplus firearms from outside of our country. The story reports a main goal of stopping M1 Granad rifles and others that the US “loaned” out over the years. Back in 2005 250,000 M1’s were approved to be shipped back to our country and the news excited collectors. However it is by no leap or stretch of the imagination that our Dear Leader will use this as a stepping stone to stop all imports of surplus weapons. All of these weapons that come into our country are converted to semi automatic (if previously full auto capable) for sale on the civilian market and make up a large percentage of the weapons in the normal prepper wish list. The reason for this is normally due to a ready supply cheap and reliable weapons from over seas. There are many people that collect these firearms as many have had important roles in world history.
The attack on basic American rights continues right here at home by our supposed commander and chief. Please people speak out. Let our government know that they cannot push us around. That we have our rights and that they include the right to protect ourselves from threats both foreign and domestic.
Stay safe.
An update
As we head to war update of the day. I will write more later when I can. However please think about these three things.
– Today the world stock market system is down.
– Oil prices have hit a six month high and are rising.
– China and Russia have issued warnings to the US if there is any action taken against Syria. Meanwhile our fighters and transports have arrived at Cyprus and diplomatic and military facilities around the world have been put on heightened alert status.
People this could get very ugly very fast. Do not panic however be prepared for the worst. Fill your gas tanks, get water and food and keep an eye on what is happening.
Stay safe.
As we head to war
If you have not been paying attention to the news lately it appears that we are heading to war in Syria. Which has of course caused Syria to threaten if we do they will attack Israel and to which Israel says if they are attacked they will retaliate. We are on the precipice of what could become a global conflict. Currently Russia is saying that they will stay out of the conflict however they are strongly warning western nations to stay out of Syria.
The traditional allies of Syria are Russia and Iran however they also have good relations with several other countries including China, North Korea and Cuba. Just like the previous World Wars these alliances are what could hypothetically cause a domino effect. This is of course the last thing that we would want. With so many major players on both sides of the fence things could get ugly fast. This is the fear of many at this moment as they are watching what is happening. The country is in a financial tail spin at the moment with a high level of social unrest, the added stress of an unpopular high profile war could cause internal strife.
The trigger for our current situation is the use of chemical weapons in Syria by the Assad regime. The use of these weapons has been deemed undeniable and a “moral obscenity”. To further the issue their appeared to be a cover up in place of what happened to try and shift the blame.
In our country so removed physically from the east the idea of a war in the east or even spilling into Europe seems like it would have little to no effect on us here. However what many forget is how interwoven the global economy is these days, far more than it was during the last two global conflicts. Also there is the undeniable changes in technology in the last 70 years. Interruptions to our communications network could put the populace in a general state of panic in many areas. Take down the internet and phone services and most Americans would be lost. Throw in a partial or complete collapse of the power grid, say by strategically placed EMP devices.
In such instances our country would be thrown into chaos. We could be completely crippled and taken out of a global conflict without a foreign power having boots on our soil. From this point one of two things could happen. The first and most likely is all American forces would be recalled to enforce the rule of law in our country in an attempt to preserve what is left of it. The second possibility is that at this point there could actually be a boots on the ground invasion by foreign military personnel. At that point an attack could come by land (via Mexico), sea or air. We would still have defenses such as our naval fleet however depending on current and future deployment patterns holes could be found to allow access especially if there is broken communications.
My suggestion is for everyone to watch the current situation closely and be prepared for anything to happen. While any spill over onto our soil being the remotest of possibilities it is possible. Have a plan and discuss it with your family. Purchase extra fuel for your vehicles. Ensure that you have a ready supply of both food and water on hand. Make secured backups of all of your important documents. Most of these things should be already in place if you have been previously preparing your family however if they are not you may want to work on that immediately. Do not panic. Use your head and remain calm. Be prepared for anything that might come down the road.
Stay safe.
Shot because 3 teens were “bored”
An Australian baseball player and student at ECU that was visiting his girlfriend’s home in Oklahoma when he met with a violent end. Christopher was jogging down the street minding his own business when he was spotted by the three teens. They then got in a car and began to follow Lane and shot him in the back! When arrested they claimed that they reason they murdered this man in cold blood was because they were “bored and decided to kill someone”. Can you imagine what degenerate low lifes these teens must be? The idea that they committed a murder just out of sheer boredom really speaks to the current condition of our society.
Had this been three white kids killing a black man we would be hearing about this from every media outlet screaming how it was a hate crime. However being that it was a white man murdered by black teens there is a noticeable shift in the way that the media is handling this case especially when compared to the recent Zimmerman case.
The teens were caught because their car was caught on near by surveillance cameras.
Parents for the teens refuse to believe that their children could have committed the murder and one parent even stated that his son was not guilty because “he did not pull the trigger”. Apparently to this man the fact that his son participated in planning and stalking Lane does not matter. The fact that this “youth”, as the media is portraying these violent criminals, did not actually pull the trigger means he is completely without fault according to his father.
Some members of the media are also using this as a way to continue attacks on the Second Amendment and are blaming the gun. They are ignoring the fact that there is no way that these teens could have LEGALLY purchased a handgun. Just like the vast majority of violent crimes where a firearm is used by those that commit these types of offenses the weapon was obtained by less than legal means.
Please do not accept the twisting manipulation of the main stream media on this issue. Dig for the facts and get the word out. An innocent man that was working to better his life and attending University was cruelly shot down by three little thugs that had nothing better to do than commit a cowardly murder.
Christopher Lane with his girlfriend (top). The three murdering thugs; James Francis Edwards Jr, Chancey Allen Luna and Michael Dewayne Jones (bottom)
Stay safe.
prep4theworst 