Daily Briefing For Tuesday, May 20, 2014

"Climate Change Will Force Us To Abandon Coastal Cities.  We'd Better Start Preparing Right Now."


I promise: I don't go out looking for gloom and doom articles.  They always seem to find me instead.

The left of center New Republic sounds the alarm for climate change, once again telling us the sky is falling and that we will end up having to "abandon" many of the world's coastal cities.  From the article:

While actual abandonment would not happen for many years (we’re talking centuries), the studies warned that our actions now are irrevocable and will lock in these future sea level rises. In other words, our descendants will be dealing with irreversible damage that we are committing today.


I'm not here to debate whether climate change is real and, if it is, whether it's man made.  I don't find that one's position in the debate is particularly helpful in determining who is likely to support a preparedness culture and who isn't.  And so I don't spend a lot of my time in this blog on the subject.

But tonight, I'm going to deviate from this rule for a bit, in hopes that I draw your attention to what I see as a problem in the Climate Change Industrial Complex's thinking on the issue.  Namely, we can't get people on the coast to prepare for hurricane season...what makes you think they're going to prepare for a predicted multi-century rise in the sea levels?

Many climate changers lament the fact the public doesn't seem willing to engage on this issue in the way they would like.  I feel their pain.  Sixty percent of deaths from house fires occur in homes that don't have a functioning smoke detector.  On average, 99 people a year die from flooding in the United States.  We can't get people to save their own lives by installing a ten dollar smoke detector and doing a U turn when they see rushing water on a roadway.  Getting them to worry about the effects of climate change a century from now when they won't do those basic things to save their own lives today is simply a bridge too far for most people.

And for those who do try to understand the issue, they quickly find they must take a side and become the mortal enemy of those on the other side.  Terms like "idiots" and "whackos" are hurled at opponents regularly.  "Reasonable people, if they would just pay attention to the facts, would conclude..." whatever position that side of the argument propagates.  While I understand such tactics are en vogue in today's political discourse, they do little to motivate the average person who wants to make an informed decision to engage in the necessary intellectual exercise to understand the issue.

So for my climate changer friends, here are some things I've learned from trying to get people more engaged in preparedness:

• Not everyone who disagrees with you is an idiot.  Not everyone who isn't convinced that it's prudent to be prepared for extended emergencies is a moron.  There are many really bright people who, for a number of reasons, have not bought into the argument.  The same goes for your position.  Saying that people who don't agree with you are idiots does little to convince them that anthropological global warming is real or that they should have a supply of food and water on hand in the event of an emergency.
  
• Dire predictions have a finite shelf life.  So when Y2K turned out to be a non-event, despite a lot of hype to the contrary, it became much more difficult to get people to take preparedness seriously.  (9/11, on the other hand, was a compelling motivator.)  Daniel Patrick Moynihan's now famous warnings on rising sea levels fall in that same category.  There's only so many times you get to say "the sky is falling" before people tune you out.  That's not to say you can't talk about it, but we have to make clear that these are worst case scenario predictions...but even if we're only ten percent correct, it still warrants us taking action.
  
• Walk the walk.  If you're going to complain about humans contributing to man made global warming, I best not catch you driving a big SUV. (Many of you climate changers are doing this.  And worse.) And if I'm pontificating on the need to check your smoke detectors, you'd better be able to come into my home, push the test button on any of detectors and make them go off.  That's only fair. 

Those of us advocating preparedness and environmental stewardship have much in common.  We ought not let differences on certain issues - as important as they may be to us - become stumbling blocks to further discourse on the subjects upon which there is strong agreement.

Daily Briefing For Monday, May 19, 2014

Stock Up, Tune In and Hang On.


Jerid shared this article with me and a few others this evening to get our feedback.  Turns out Thailand is undergoing a quasi-coup of some sort at the moment.  We visited a bit about the article, and my only response was that we needed to "stock up, tune in and hang on," a play on the Timothy Leary quote from way back when. 


We live in interesting times to say the least.  People occasionally ask me what they should be doing to get prepared for this or that, and I always tell them the same thing:

1. Do the basic preparations first. 
2. Educate yourself on what's happening in the world and draw your own conclusions.
3. Focus on making yourself physically, mentally and spiritually stronger.

That's it.  That will equip you to handle many things that might come your way.  Preparedness is not hard, but it is work.  It's about executing some basic things very well, like having food, water and other supplies to see you through an emergency, staying informed, and being ready to be a leader in your community when needed.


Meanwhile, Chipotle Hates You People...

Because a few of you insist on bringing your assault rifles into the restaurant when you're getting your burrito on.


If you're doing this, stop it.


Yes, it's perfectly legal in many states.  So is staring at a woman's cleavage and making comments about it.  Yet it's bad form to do both.

We want - and need - the not-so-armed community to like us.  You walking into Chipotle with your AR (which I dare say you probably shoot about as effectively as your people skills are) does nothing to promote the cause of firearm rights.

If you want to make a more positive statement, invite your non gun owning friends to the range some time and let them shoot your tricked out AR-15 or other gun of choice.  That's a far more productive use of your time.


Hurricane Season 2014 Is Days Away

I hope to get some updates from Jordan and others on pro tips on hurricane preparedness we can all use.  If El Nino makes an appearance, we can expect fewer named storms and hopefully some drought relief.



 

Daily Briefing For Sunday, May 18, 2014

Homeland Security Goes to "Level Four" Readiness; Meanwhile, Is CME Something We Need To Be War Gaming?

Those of us blessed to live in Texas still have things with which we must contend.  Last week, the DHS went to "a level-four condition of readiness" due to "a surge of young illegal migrants traveling by themselves."  No doubt those of us lamenting this will be accused of being anti-immigration (we're not) or worse (we're not that, either.)  This is a heartbreaking situation spurred on by a collapsing society in certain countries south of the U.S. border, made possible by our immigration system which, in 2013, released 36,000 non-residents with criminal records back into society.


All of this, of course, pales in comparison if you believe we are due for a coronal mass ejection.  One writer in the preparedness blogs posted this story citing a story from Reuters and one from Forbes which, combined together, certainly get your attention.  From the Forbes piece:


"An extreme space weather storm – a solar superstorm – is a low-probability, high-consequence event that poses severe threats to critical infrastructures of the modern society,” warned Liu.

"The cost of an extreme space weather event, if it hits Earth, could reach trillions of dollars with a potential recovery time of 4-10 years . Therefore, it is paramount to the security and economic interest of the modern society to understand solar superstorms.”

A study last year estimated that a second Carrington event could cost the world $2.6 trillion.


Are you ready to live in a post-Carrington society for four to ten years?  Me either.


The important thing here is not to get panicked by a Condition Taupe declaration by DHS or a electromagnetic pimp slap by our local star.  Make progress as you can.  Stay focused.  Prepare for a wide spectrum of threats.  Pay attention to the news, educate yourselves on the issues, and participate in the upcoming elections.

Daily Briefing For Thursday, May 15. 2014

USDA SWAT


Our friends at the U.S. Department of Agriculture need some new equipment. According to the Federal Business Opportunities website:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, located in Washington, DC, pursuant to the authority of FAR Part 13, has a requirement for the commerical acquisition of submachine guns, .40 Cal. S&W, ambidextrous safety, semi-automatic or 2 shot burts trigger group, Tritium night sights for front and rear, rails for attachment of flashlight (front under fore grip) and scope (top rear), stock-collapsible or folding, magazine - 30 rd. capacity, sling, light weight, and oversized trigger guard for gloved operation.


The regulators of food processing plants and seeds apparently want to get into the SWAT business.


No doubt some will claim such weaponry is necessary to deal with the next Cliven Bundy, whom Harry Reid labeled a domestic terrorist.  It's hard to argue that if there's a growing movement of pissed off ranchers who aren't happy with government regulators, those employed by the government to enforce regulations need to be ready to deal with such issues.


Yet to the gun enthusiast community, something doesn't smell right with that story.  First, if you think you're going to need a machine gun, why not bring along the folks who train to use them regularly, like the U.S. Marshalls?  Do we really expect USDA to adequately equip and train a SWAT team for whatever functions they encounter which might require professional gunfighters? 


Further, in the kind of field environment you'd expect a USDA official to work in - a rural one - a sub machine gun is probably the last weapon you'd want to take with you.  They are inaccurate ammo burners best left to those operating in close quarter, urban environments.


If you are persuaded by those concerns, it raises another question: just what are the guns for?  My only guess is that this is a continuation of the militarization of law enforcement and other regulators.  And I would submit those on Team Red and Team Blue should be alarmed by this.






Perhaps USDA Should Focus More On Something In Their Skill Set....Like the Birds and Bees


So Big John shared this link today, describing a new program in Denmark will encourage couples to get it on and make babies.  I am not joking.


Turns out they aren't reproducing fast enough to support their elderly.  They need new bodies in the workplace to pay taxes.  In essence, people are being asked to make babies who, if they elect to remain in Denmark, become the sugar mommas and daddies to the generation which spent themselves into oblivion.


Of course, since it's Denmark, these new revenue producers will have a wonderful life, thanks to the miracle that is socialism.  They'll work fewer hours than most of the rest of the world.  That lack of productivity, of course, is what got them where they are in the first place.  Speaking of first place, Denmark lights the lamp again - the highest level of private debt in the world.  These little bundles of joy will no doubt enjoy the Danish environmental quality, as they have the fourth largest ecological footprint in the world.  Too bad they'll also have to contend with the highest cancer rates on the planet.


We've yet to hear how the climate change crowd will spin this one.  After all, population control is a main part of their solution.


The prepper nexus for this story?  Have a plan to take care of yourself in your older years that doesn't involve bribing twentysomethings to get each other pregnant.




In Other News....


How to light a fire using your pee.  (I promise you I won't be field testing this on my YouTube channel.)


The Soviets are dumping our Treasurys....but who is buying them up?  (*cough*Janet Yellen*cough*.)

Does the military support a state's right to secession?  I was rather surprised by this one.  (And for the record, I am NOT advocating for secession...let's get that straight right now.) 








 

Daily Briefing For Wednesday, May 14, 2014

The Deep Drill Down


The dash board of my Blogger site indicates it's been a while since I've posted here.  Late last year, I began working on a series of essays on preparedness in an effort to really drill down into some subjects that I wanted to explore in more detail.  It's been a time consuming process, but so far I've enjoyed the process and the learnings from it.


That begs the question - what to do with the essays I'm creating.  I am tempted to make them more cohesive and put them into a book (for what reason, I'm not sure...I'm still thinking and praying about that.)  These aren't "how to" type essays - this is a deeper look into the preparedness culture in America.  I fear we need to be having a different conversation now about preparedness than we've been having up to this point.  It's my hope that we can start doing that sooner rather than later.


Some News About Upcoming Events


Get August 2-3 blocked off on your calendars.  In conjunction with KR Training, I'll be co-sponsoring what may be the First (maybe/kinda/sorta/not sure how this is going to go just yet) Annual Suburban Dad Survivalist Field Day on that Saturday.  This will be heavy on hands on and light on theory.


Right now, we've tentatively scheduled presentations on:

• reloading
• map reading
• rainwater collection
• snaring and trapping
• ham radio usage
• food storage plan building
• water purification
• bug out bag toys show and tell
• electric generator demonstrations

and much more. 


On Sunday, Caleb Causey of Lone Star Medics will be presenting his Dynamic First Aid class.  This will be an intensive weekend of training and hands on experience.  More details will follow, but for now make sure that weekend is on your calendar.


Are You Checking Out The YouTube Channel?


Off and on, I'm experimenting with my YouTube channel.  If you have suggested topics you'd like for me to cover, please let me know in the comment section below.

Daily Briefing For Friday, April 11, 2014

This Mess in Nevada


Whilst NPR continues to gleefully ignore the story of Cliven Bundy's battle with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), no doubt to free up bandwidth for critical news on cooking eggs, other networks are covering the story to varying degrees. 


In case you've been riveted to the Masters or to The Voice over the last few days, here's the story:  Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy has threatened to "to wage a 'range war' with the federal Bureau of Land Management."  While the parties seem to disagree as to the crux of the issue, it's clear the government believes Bundy owes over $1M in grazing fees. 


Here are my takeaways of this escalating event:

1. Alternative media continues to demonstrate its value.  As noted above, if you search "Cliven Bundy" on NPR's website, you get ZERO hits.  There are dozens, if not hundreds, of law enforcement on scene with similar numbers of self-proclaimed militia heading there as well.  The alternative media has been the leading source of information about this event, further proving that old school media continues to lose relevance.
   
   
2. We don't get to arm ourselves and take a stand against the government every time we don't like a law or court decision.  We cannot have it both ways; we cannot decry the militarization of our police force and their heavy handed tactics and then openly arm ourselves in close proximity to law enforcement with the intent to intimidate them.  I blogged about this back in January 2013 as people began clamoring for us to "take action" and "stand up to the government" for considering sweeping gun control legislation.
   
   Don't get me wrong - for years I have filled the pages of this blog complaining bitterly about many of the things we see happening in Nevada right now.  Yet none of what I've seen thus far gives anyone the right to arm themselves against federal agents.  We still have access to courts and legislatures.  We still have the right to assemble and express our views (although this nonsensical "free speech zone" created by local authorities would be laughable if it weren't so offensive.)  Just because government agents are carrying out laws and court decisions that are bad public policy or even unconstitutional doesn't give us the right to shoot at them in the process of doing their jobs.
   
   
3. The best weapons in Nevada?  Cameras and the Internet.  This battle will not be won with AR-15s.  It will be won with people - citizen journalists - recording and reporting what they see and hear to the rest of the world.  The Civil Rights movement moved the immovable in large part because America got to see how brutal the government treated those protesting.
   
   
4. I'm perplexed at the call for financial contributions to feed and water the militia gathering to support Mr. Bundy.  I'm all for charity and supporting a good cause, even when the cause is unpopular.  But if you're spending money and time to go to Nevada with no plan to be self-sufficient while you're there to the point you have to rely on others to feed you, are you really helping?  I would suggest that if you cannot provide for yourself, perhaps you should stay home. 
   
   I know many of you will wince at that, but let's be realistic.  We don't need to be volunteering to help if we're putting a drain on limited resources.  If you're planning to head that way, I wish you safe travels and God's protection.  I also hope you have the ability to provide for yourself without having to get in line for handouts like a bunch of Occupy Wall Streeters.
   
   
5. The government's treatment of the livestock in question makes me nauseous.  I grew up on a farm.  I'm a state 4-H winner in the beef project.  I've participated in more cattle shows than I care to remember.  I've been up at 2 AM - as a kid - trying to save a newborn calf's life to no avail.  And so when I hear reports that cows are being separated from their nursing calves to the point the cow's udders are becoming distended, it makes my heart break.  But don't worry - the government has a "protocol [to]..euthanize animals" affected in this round up.  My guess is that it's similar to the one they used to euthanize otherwise healthy but endangered desert tortoises - the very animals BLM claims they are trying to save by moving the offending cattle off of the range.  And this is an important point, because...
   
   
6. The family's arguments against the government's actions are valid.  This isn't about tortoises or unpaid fees.  This is about the value of the land to special interest groups.  The extensive law enforcement build up resulting from this preceded the influx of concerned citizens.  And this build up apparently includes snipers and heavy handed actions of law enforcement.  Make no mistake - there are very powerful forces here at work, and none of them care about the tortoises.

Tonight, I pray for a peaceful resolution to this.  And I also pray that more Americans will begin paying attention to the growing power of the government at all levels.

Daily Briefing for Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Stop Worrying About "The" Event...Prepare for "Any" Event.


No doubt you were shocked like me to read the latest report from NASA to hear that the collapse of American society is inevitable, if not soon.  From their report:


"Collapse can be avoided, and population can reach a steady state at the maximum carrying capacity, if the rate of depletion of nature is reduced to a sustainable level, and if resources are distributed equitably."


Yes, I was shocked by this.  Not by the predictable conclusions that the cure for what ails us includes sentencing everyone to drive Toyota Priuses for life and redistributing wealth from the evil rich to those who think lottery tickets are a sound financial investment.  What shocked me was the agency issuing the report:  the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.  The agency previously devoted to kicking ass by putting Americans on the moon and running the Space Shuttle program has been relegated to writing reports on Mathusian theory. 


I shouldn't be surprised.  Yet I am.  Just like Charlie Brown is every time he tries to kick the football.


Yet surprises don't come to me as often as they used to.  I suspect that's a function of getting older and/or becoming more cynical about the affairs of the world.  It may also be a function of realizing that the Team Red/Team Blue paradigm is more than a distraction than a meaningful juxtaposition of opposing political theories.


And so when I heard this story - which apparently I missed when it came out eight months ago - that Russia approached China about running a coordinated financial attack against the United States during the Great Recession, I wasn't surprised at all. 


Don't be fooled into thinking this isn't a big deal.  According to the BBC (and since reporters at the BBC sound like those actors in Downton Abbey or whatever that cheap knock off of Melrose Place is called, they must be telling the truth):


Now this is where we enter the territory of a geopolitical thriller. Mr Paulson:

"Here I'm not going to name the senior person, but I was meeting with someone… This person told me that the Chinese had received a message from the Russians which was, 'Hey let's join together and sell Fannie and Freddie securities on the market.' The Chinese weren't going to do that but again, it just, it just drove home to me how vulnerable I felt until we had put Fannie and Freddie into conservatorship [the rescue plan for them, that was eventually put in place]."

For me this is pretty jaw-dropping stuff - the Chinese told Hank Paulson that the Russians were suggesting a joint pact with China to drive down the price of the debt of Fannie and Freddie, and maximize the turmoil on Wall Street - presumably with a view to maximizing the cost of the rescue for Washington and further damaging its financial health.


The ramifications for the United States of such a plan during a period of already great economic distress would have been dramatic to say the least.  Fortunately for us, oddly enough, the Chinese own so much of our debt they didn't want to risk losing that much money.


Fast forward to this week.  CNN is breathlessly tracking down the Malaysian Airliner that may or may not be in the ocean.  (I'm inclined to believe the plane was hijacked...and unless the plane is at the bottom of the ocean, some terrorist group just got a new toy to play with.) Meanwhile, Russia is fast tracking its plans to annex Crimea, gleefully taunting the United States in the process.


What does it all mean?  Will Russia's incursion trigger World War III?  I doubt it.  Then again, history shows that wars in that region do get triggered over events like this.  Just because it's not logical doesn't mean it won't happen.


And even if it doesn't trigger what we normally think of as a World War III conflagration, it could trigger many other problems which we might experience here in the United States.  This might include more financial attacks like the one contemplated by the Russians just a few years ago. 


From time to time, I'm asked what "the" event will be that will trigger the need to rely upon our preparations.  And I think that's short sighted.  The event may be something relatively benign - like a tornado outbreak (benign in the relative sense...as compared to a long term regional emergency), or it could be ramifications from an international geopolitical event.  I encourage you not to get fixated on one particular peril, lest it not come to fruition.  Prepare for a wide spectrum of perils instead.  Focus on the "any event possible" possibility to ensure you are in fact prepared for any event.