I was in the UK when French workers decided to strike at ports along the English Channel. This was big news in Britain since many individuals and businesses rely on both ferries and the Eurostar Tunnel to cross the English Channel. Being prepared for labor disputes and unexpected travel restrictions need to be considered in making preparations.
I’m writing this post somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean from a coffee shop at Heathrow Airport as I get ready travel back to the USA. Besides providing a much-needed break from work, my three weeks in Europe have provided inspiration for posts that may help you in your preparations. This post is going to deal with two things that you need in good working order all the time…your feet.
The recent Waco biker shooting shows that the veneer of civil society can break down quickly and without warning. This is especially true when two rival motorcycle gangs decide they can’t settle their disagreements peacefully. The result is innocent bystanders get caught in the crossfire of a violent situation they weren’t expecting.
A few days ago I read a book about EMP attack survival along with solar storms. Both are related events that involve powerful bursts of electromagnetic energy which can affect electronics. Its not a light subject for sure, but it is one that requires study and analysis.
Less than two weeks ago, Ryan Giroux went on a rampage in Mesa. His actions killed one person and wounded five others in a spree that shut down parts of the city. What is even more frightening about his actions is that they took place in a part of town that I regularly traverse. The locations of the shootings, the cross streets, and local landmarks are well known to me.
Historically, the biggest killers of humans have been diseases. Until recently, diseases like mumps, measles, polio, and others hung like a Sword of Damocles over the heads of children throughout the world. During the last century though, various medicines and vaccines have all but wiped-out these diseases in modern countries. However, certain diseases are making a comeback in the US because not everybody is getting vaccinations. It seems crazy to me not to get immunized given the historical efficacy of vaccines, but vaccine refusal is becoming more popular in America. What’s ironic is that the ostensibly intelligent, wealthy, and politically liberal are the ones eschewing vaccinations for their children.
Then again, maybe there is something about the mentality of those who drive their Volvos to Whole Foods. It could be a disconnect from reality that is manifesting itself in health choices that endanger others. Even though vaccines have saved hundreds of millions of people from death, the science and history of immunizations is ignored by bourgeois bohemians. The upshot of this from a preparation perspective is that some people will steadfastly refuse to take prudent actions even where there is ample evidence to do so. Some people will not learn (ex. re-electing Barack Obama in 2012) and the population as a whole suffers because of it. Given the elevation of emotion and erosion of logic in decision-making, this trend is likely to continue and more people of all ages will get ill from preventable diseases.
Lately there have been some rumblings about how well-run (or not) the Red Cross is. Hotair ran a good piece on the subject last year which brought up some concerns about how the Red Cross does business. Make no mistake about it either, they are a business. It seems that this iconic organization isn’t really that well-organized and wastes a lot of resources every year due to inefficiency. While the organizational structure of a large company like the Red Cross is outside the scope of this blog, it does bring up a few important points that are worth remembering. Nobody and no organization should ever be beyond question. Accountability, especially for organizations like the Red Cross, is often overlooked because they ostensibly do good. This should not be the case, any company, government, school, non-profit, or other organization must be able to stand up to independent scrutiny. The other point is that instead of looking for large monoliths to come in and save the day, why not focus on local organizations and neighborhoods as the primary sources of disaster relief? That may be something to keep in mind the next time somebody asks for a donation…
Over the last few years, the tactical tomahawk has become more visible both in stores and within the prepper community. Part of the reason for this is it can perform several functions yet not take up a lot of space. Think of it as a axe version of a multi-tool, akin to what the e-tool is to shovels. Anyway, there was a good article on tomahawks over at Gizmodo that is worth a read. It gives a good overview of why they are so useful and what features to look for before purchasing one. I am in the market for one myself so I am going to heed my own advice and keep this information in mind before purchasing my tomahawk.
I am calling bullshit on talk radio. This isn’t because I dislike it or disagree with it, I make my call because it is no longer fulfilling the role of informing and energizing its listeners. Increasingly it is becoming an echo chamber who primary purpose is to enrich the hosts rather than influencing the politics.
A while back a friend of mine wrote a thought-provoking article on playing the odds. The essence of the article is that most people don’t think twice about preventing residential fires, but the debate changes entirely when it comes to firearms ownership. There is no stigma attached with buying fire extinguishers, smoke alarms, and emergency lights to deal with fires. Nor should there be, after all household fires still happen regularly.