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The Case for Calm

When you are prepared, you don't need to panic.

Case in point, yesterday in my city word started to spread via social media that the gas pipeline that brings fuel to my city was shut down due to a leak.  Cue massive panic as people raced to the gas stations to get gas (along with thousands of other people).  The governor put out a statement telling people not to panic.  Of course that made even more people panic.  Less than 24 hours later the pipeline is back to normal and people panicked for no reason.

There's something to be said for being prepared so that you can calmly assess a situation before taking action.  Much like the great toilet paper panic when the pandemic began, people who keep a stockpile of everything they usually use, whether it be gasoline or toilet paper or the myriad other things we use on a daily basis, they find that they can enjoy a sense of calm and they need not jump into the fray with the panicking hoards and can instead watch with amusement from the sidelines.

5 Things I've Learned This Week

In no particular order...

1. Never underestimate how quickly things can go to shit with little to no warning.  Of course we know that earthquakes, tornadoes, and hurricanes can happen with little to no warning but one would think that a global pandemic would have given us a bit more warning.  While we are supposed to have a syndromic surveillance system to give us advanced warning of such events, many doctors actually learned of the beginnings of the outbreak via social media. smh
2. Never overestimate how much and how quickly the government will come to your aid.  At this point, several days out, millions of people have been laid off due to the pandemic, county and state offices have been shuttered, and still there is very little financial assistance or guidance from the government about how people can afford their basic needs during the next few months.  A "plan is in the works" but giving people cash assistance many weeks after they get laid off is less than helpful when people are hungry and worried about their bills today.
3. Never underestimate how people in your city will react during a crisis.  Many people have gone batshit insane in response to this outbreak.  Either they are throwing entire aisles' worth of food into their shopping carts, or they are hanging out at the beach with thousands of other people; both are poor ways to respond to this outbreak.
4. Never overestimate your preparedness.  So far so good with our stockpile of food and supplies, we probably won't have to leave the house for another several months although I would miss fresh produce.  On the other hand, I am making lists of things that we should have stocked or should have stocked more of, lists of changes we will make to the house (if we stay here and don't move away all together after this is over), and other things I will want to review, post-pandemic.
5. Never overestimate what the president is telling you.  Every daily briefing from the president makes me more surprised and incredulous at his lack of knowledge, lack of common sense, and lack of discretion (using a press conference on a major world event to point out reporters he doesn't like is both childish and stupid but I digress...).  No, there aren't enough COVID-19 tests and there won't be, there is also not enough lab capacity period.  The "wonderful drug" that may help treat COVID-19 is not at all wonderful but is probably better than death.  Maybe.  Get your information on the virus from reputable, knowledgeable sources and not the president of the United States.

10 Things to Do That Aren't Disaster-Related

Disaster news has been pretty overwhelming lately--the mass shooting in New Zealand, the knee-jerk reaction to said shooting that will significantly ban weapons in New Zealand, massive flooding in Nebraska and Iowa...pretty depressing stuff when you hear about it 24/7 on the news.  Sometimes you just need to tune out the insanity and focus your attention on other things to give your mind a much-needed rest.  Some suggestions...

1. It's March Madness time (a good thing, not an actual madness thing).
2. If you live in Tennessee and have teens, check out their free college program.
3. Pick out an upcoming race or fun run to train for (or just go and be a spectator).
4. It's kitten season.  I didn't even know there was such a thing until recently but spring is when shelters become overwhelmed with kittens so if you need a new pet, consider adopting a kitten from your local shelter.
5. Consider doing some sort of safety project for your community.  Public Access AEDs, Life Jacket Loaner Boards, bike helmets for kids, car seats for infants--either on your own or with a community safety group, by putting together such projects it helps your entire community become a safer place to live.
6. Learn a skill.  Putting your mind on learning a new skill means you won't have time to focus so much attention on the news.  YouTube is an excellent place to learn leather working, orienteering, sewing, chess, etc.
7. Do random acts of kindness when you have the opportunity.
8. Participate in the #TrashTag challenge.
9. Take a nap!
10. Exercise multiple times throughout the day with body weight exercises.

10 Random Things

Cleaning out the favorites folder today...

1. The number one cause of death is the American diet.  Find out how to fix this problem here.
2. If you aren't a "one bag" traveler, perhaps now is the time to start.
3. And then there are those who travel with no bag.
4. Here's a website with scholarly articles on interesting topics.
5. If you are in the frozen north, here are some things to have on hand.
6. The price of postage increased today.
7. It's always a good idea to use data to back up your claims.
8. A reminder that the Great Saunter will open for registration in February.
9. Or if a nice 50 mile walk is more your speed, check out the JFK 50 which will take place next month.
10. Finally if you want some mindless but fascinating browsing, check here.

Happy (Prepper) New Year

I hope the first day of 2019 finds you well and ready to start a new year of prepping.  This year we will have a renewed focus on being financially, materially, and mentally prepared for anything that may happen.  For many of you, this may be preaching to the choir but for newbies--those that need the most help and have the fewest resources--this basic sort of information is the place to start.  For you old timers who have been with the blog over the years, your knowledge and input is always welcome (and your readership has been much appreciated!) and I will try to keep the topics here current and useful for all.  Happy 2019 to you all and happy prepping.

On Being Thankful

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and while this blog usually focuses on everything that can go wrong, I'll focus this post on things to be thankful for...

• plenty of good food to eat.
• a roof over our heads.
• technology a plenty.
• all of the knowledge in the world at our fingertips.
• family.
• friends.
• permissive gun laws.
• freedom to go where we want.
• freedom to practice the religion we want (or to practice no religion at all).
• jobs a plenty.
• physical fitness.
• so many entertainment options.
• online shopping.
• the general kindness of people.
• a relatively stable country (economically, legally, kind of politically).
• appliances that do all the work for us.
• health.
• top-notch healthcare.
• so many creativity options.
• hot running water.
• clean water from the tap.
• libraries.
• the wilderness.
• central air and heat.
• pets.
• relative safety of our country.
• all of the consumer goods we could want at our fingertips.

I've been to many countries where some--or in some cases nearly all--of the aforementioned things are difficult if not impossible to come by so I'd like to take this opportunity to list the things that as Americans we can be thankful for during this holiday season.  Here's to a happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

10 Things You Need This Week

Not trying to sound like a Buzzfeed article but...

1. A face mask if you are in many places in California this week.
2. A walk outside today (it's National Take a Hike Day today).
3. A walk outside next Friday (it's #OptOutside day in lieu of Black Friday).
4. Fortitude, I suppose, if you plan to shop Black Friday.
5. Fast mousing skills for scooping up Cyber Monday deals.
6. Cold weather gear if you happen to be going to New England for the holiday.
7. Fortitude (and patience) if you will be traveling over the holiday.
8. A healthy disregard for official narratives (especially in cases where "multiple blunt force injuries" equal suicide).
9. Cool Tools (actually this is an interesting site to peruse just for the heck of it, also when looking for interesting and unusual holiday gifts).
10. A crash course in archiving your important documents and photos (a good thing to do when you have extra free time around the holidays).

Five Things from Today

In no particular order...

1. Happy Halloween!  With guests here this week who were eager to go the The Strip, we missed all of the trick or treaters this year.
2. Remember to turn your clocks back on Saturday, Daylight Savings Time ends early Sunday morning for most of the US.
3. Another good reason to have your kids learn to sew, tie flies, etc,: new med school students are lacking the dexterity for things like sewing up patients which requires more fine motor skills that what people learn these days swiping on their cell phones.
4. Lately I've been hearing A LOT about a coming recession.  Prepare accordingly.
5. In 'that was unexpected' news, dog shoots man (instead of the other way around).

10 Random Things

In no particular order...

1. Facebook wants to put a camera in your home.  LOL that's a big no way.
2. If you live in the Florida panhandle, a major hurricane is headed your way.  Prepare now.
3. These down throws at Costco are a hit with preppers and backpackers alike.
4. The horrific limo crash from a few days ago is a reminder of why I don't like limos no matter how classy and fancy. 
5. From "the world is going to Hell in a handbasket" file: a journalist goes to a consulate to pick up some papers and is murdered in the consulate.  And then the president of InterPol goes back to his home country and vanishes.  Yikes.
6. The mid-terms are coming up and our current political situation is a shit show.  Everyone should vote so if you aren't registered, check here for more info.
7. It may be because I'm old but prices on some things seem to be getting out of hand.  A $1500 cell phone?  A $550 hair curler?   Sheesh.
8. And here's some headlines that will make you terrified of the future.
9. If you've been shopping lately and found it odd that it looks like Christmas is now in full swing--in early October--it's called Christmas creep.  There are several holidays I would like to enjoy first before we get to Christmas.
10. Veterinarians used to be fairly inexpensive and many even came to your home.  These days pet health care is so expensive that pet insurance is now a thing.

RIP John McCain

It was sad news today that Senator John McCain passed away.  Perhaps it was more shocking because just yesterday it was announced that he would stop treatment for his brain cancer which usually means a stint in hospice before the inevitable.  He was a war hero, a good public servant, and a man of good character.  He was well loved by his family, well thought of by the general public, and well respected even by his political opponents.  Looking back on his life after his passing it is clear that he upheld the qualities that have always been most important to Americans--loyalty, honor, and courage.  RIP John McCain.

10 Random Things

In no particular order...

1. An interesting map of the US by age.
2. The latest on 3-D printable guns (hint, it isn't good).
3. Longform: The Stoner Arms Dealers
4. Inspiring story from the Carr fire.
5. Interesting ways to reuse food scraps.
6. Watch test pilots eject at over Mach 8(!)
7. About the secret "Quiet Skies" program.
8. Some stuff about Hurricane Irma you probably didn't see.
9. Cool Tools (one of my favorite sites to geek out at).
10. It may be early but it looks like RIP Movie Pass.

10 Random Things

In no particular order...

1. Congrats to those who have made it past the halfway mark on the major long trails in the US (AT, PCT, CDT).  A buddy set out on the Appalachian Trail and is well on his way to Maine as I type this.
2. Interesting...how a bullet works.
3. Also interesting...a live-action, role-playing summer camp for adults with an apocalypse theme.
4. A giant list of military discounts for 2018.
5. In our list of disasters either taking place or soon to happen in the desert southwest: monsoons, haboobs, extreme heat, and wildfires.
6. In other weather news, the first hurricane of the season is heading toward the east coast.
7. The World Series of Poker is winding down with 3000+/- people left in the main event.  
8. In some sad news, the Old Man of Pawn Stars fame died last week.  RIP Richard Harrison.
9. Like most of the world, the fate of the kids stranded in the cave in Thailand has had me glued to the news recently.
10. FYI--how to treat nerve agent poisoning.

Solving Murders Online

Apparently there are a lot of people online who like to help solve unsolved murders.  From crowd-sourcing information on recent cases to solving the coldest of cold cases, using the resources of the internet to help law enforcement identify bodies, solve murders, and otherwise assist in crime solving activities appears to be an interesting hobby.  Here are some resources if you want to brush up on your detective skills:

• Murder Accountability Project
• An overview of the Murder Accountability Project
• Web Sleuths
• Doe Network
• Project Cold Case
• NamUs
• Reddit Bureau of Investigation
• Reddit Unsolved Mysteries
• Reddit Unresolved Mysteries
• Article: Meet the Bedroom Detectives
• ClaimUs

5 Concerning Things

It's been a busy week.  Here are five things that made me do a double take during the last few days...

1. As we were looking at other desert communities to live in, I checked the municipal water source for one small town that we were looking at and found that nuclear waste water will more than likely end up in their ground water where local wells draw water from.  Needless to say, that rules out that town on our possible move-to list.
2. The Sinclair Media kerfuffle should be a serious omen of things to come.  If you think fake news is bad, how about a media company that reaches 70% of all US citizens being able to have someone craft a message that all reporters are forced to recite to the public.  The possibilities of misuse of this power is mind boggling.
3. Watching the stock market too closely will give you whiplash.  The market is ALWAYS cyclical so bull then bear, bull then bear.  Always.
4. A protester jumps in front of a moving police car and gets hit after being repeatedly told to get out of the street and the protester is the victim?  I guess common sense is in short supply these days as most people know that jumping in front of a moving car will get you run over.  Not only that but the large crowd was threatening the officer and they didn't expect him to remove himself from danger as quickly as possible?  SMH
5. And since I am a nutrition aficionado, I saw this article today and thought "finally someone said it.  Finally."

Interesting Things This Week

It's an interesting week around here...

• I looked up in the sky this afternoon and spotted a Janet Airlines aircraft heading for the airport.
• Easter comes early this year, it will be this Sunday, April 1st, the same day as April's Fools Day.
• No one finished last weekend's Barkley Marathon (this isn't actually uncommon).
• We will hit 80 degrees in Vegas this week (first time this year).
• It's nice to see that high schools still have rifle teams.
• Burning Man sold out in a half hour this year.
• Federal tax filings in the US are due in a few weeks (if you are a senior check out this additional tax info).
• And finally, thanks for all of the suggestions for great places to live on yesterday's post, I appreciate your input!

10 Random Things (That Don't Have Anything To Do With Guns or Politics)

It's Sunday and everyone should take a break on Sunday or Friday or whatever your day of choice is.  This means no politics, no guns, no shootings, no flame wars on social media, etc.

1. Startled cats (hilarious)
2. Pixel Art Draw (fun)
3. The Oscars (on now)
4. Super Cook (make something for dinner)
5. Pong (from back in the day)
6. Shark Tracker (track sharks in real time)
7. Find the Invisible Cow (useless but amusing)
8. Sporkle (trivia)
9. TED (educational)
10. Skywatching (what's happening in the sky)

Happy Turkey Day and More

It's been a busy month so hopefully things will get back to normal in a bit and blogging will become a bit more regular.

• First, Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. I hope you consumed a goodly amount of turkey and the fixins and have avoided the crazy Black Friday shopping mobs (or not, if that's your thing).
• And a belated Happy Veterans Day.  I can't believe I forgot to blog on that important day.
• Here's hoping you #OptOutside tomorrow (Friday).  I have a group trail run scheduled for zero dark thirty tomorrow morning which should be fun.  This is much more enjoyable (IMHO) than battling the hoards of shoppers fighting over consumer crap.
• On another note, if you haven't heard about the battle for net neutrality, you should know what it is and what you can do to help the cause.
• On another, completely unrelated note, there's a little town in Eastern Washington that I used to drive through fairly often.  They are perhaps best known for their annual census update sign (old sign but I couldn't find a more recent picture) and a bit further down the road, they were known for Boggan's Oasis which sadly burned to the ground a few nights ago.  If you are feeling generous, it would be nice to see them reach their GoFundMe goal.
• On a more useful note, consider doing these end-of-the-year financial preps before the new year arrives.
• I found this interesting take on air travel over at USA Today.
• And the analytical part of my brain thoroughly enjoys this column over at Refinery 99.

That's all for the update today.  Happy holidays and onward!

10 Dates to Add to Your Calendar

Some interesting events coming up...

1. September 21:  33rd Annual Disaster Preparedness Academy
2. September 30:  Free National Parks Entry Day
3. October 17-19:  Emergency Preparedness & Haz Mat Response Conference
4. October 19:  Great Shakeout
5. November 11:  Veterans Day
6. November 11 & 12:  Free National Parks Entry Days
7. By December 31:  Year-end Tax 'To Do' List
8. April 17-20:  National Preparedness Summit
9. List of upcoming prepper events and expos
10. Major holidays: Halloween (Oct 31), Thanksgiving (Nov 23), Christmas (Dec 25)

10 Reminders

In no particular order...

1. If you are over 65 and like the outdoors and haven't purchased your $10 lifetime National Parks Pass, get one soon as the price is going from $10 to $80 sometime this year.
2. It is also tax time.  For assistance filing your taxes at no charge (income and age qualifiers) click here.
3. And as long as we are talking about money, if you haven't pulled your credit report during the past year, you can download it free from the government here.
4. Sunday is the Super Bowl.  Here are several ways to watch the game for free (as for myself I'll probably be in a sports book cheering on the Patriots).
5. After all of the Super Bowl parties, you may want to get your diet/health back on track.  Here is one of the better healthy eating plans I've found.
6. If you are interested in facts (you know, the scientific kind that look like they are being banned left and right these days) check out these "renegade" Twitter feeds.
7. And if you want to throw your hat into the political ring (because a lot of politicians seem like flaming lunatics these days but I digress...) consider running for office.  Here are the offices you can run for in your area.
8. Last week I posted on the Daily Insight page an article about how billionaires are prepping for a SHTF scenario.  Here is a rebuttal of sorts about trying to buy your way out of a disaster (hint: it's more about what skills you have than your bank balance).
9. Speaking of prepping, it looks like the Doomsday Clock is spinning faster and faster.
10. Finally, if you have a few moments (or several hours) you might pick up some useful survival information from these useful subreddits: survival, preppers, bugout, and survivalist.