Rocky Mountain Survival Institute

When will you know it is time to head to shelter?

Political

When government officials cannot be found
When major executives are flying to South America
When the constitution is suspended
When the POTUS exercises his power for total rule under NSPD-51
When the internet is unplugged
When martial law is enacted
When all gun sales are banned
When you can’t leave the USA because the borders are sealed
When the military is on America’s city streets making rounds to homes
When all guns are being confiscated
When FEMA and/or Red Cross advance crews start arriving in cities
When all major highways have roadblocks
When the National Guard is put on “Snapcount Alert”
When the Re-Ed camp contractors get the 3 day notice to start arriving
When large rail or highway convoys of heavy armor are reported nationwide
When the media is blacking out or refusing to report a real negative story

Economic

When the Euro finally collapses
When the stock market collapses
When a bank holiday is declared
When you are limited on how much you can withdraw from your bank
When credit cards and credit line access is frozen
When gold is being confiscated
When the supermarket shelves are empty
When Vivos has raised the price for a space to $1M in solid gold bullion

War/Terrorism

When multi-nation war breaks out
When the first nuke or dirty bomb goes off
When the next major terrorist or earth change happens
When the USA or EU is under a no-fly zone

Radiation

When Fukushima melts down and blows Cesium into the stratosphere
When Tokyo is evacuated
When airline pilots refuse to fly due to the radiation exposure
When American beef and milk has evidence of radiation

Biological
When a biological pandemic is declared
When a major city is quarantined
When you are told to stay in your home
When everyone is wearing face masks
When you cannot buy medications

Earth Changes

When the Canary Islands – La Cumbre Vieja erupts or slides into the ocean
When the Yellowstone caldera rises more than 10 feet
When multiple level 5 storms are sequentially occurring
When the Gulf BP oil dome blows
When new fault lines are awakened
When giant sink holes open up all around the world
When there are giant rips in the Earth’s crust for all to see
When new geysers are seen venting in California
When what sounds like horns blowing are recorded around the world
When smells of sulfur or fuel are being reported in many areas of the world
When pipelines across the country are ruptured

Space

When the Solar activity of the sun has changed dramatically
When an X-Class flare is headed our way
When the Northern Lights can be seen in Texas
When the magnetic poles are shifting faster and faster
When cosmic ray intensity is off the charts
When there are undeniable disturbances in our solar system
When meteor showers are increasing and fireballs are falling from the sky
When Nibiru appears to the naked eye
When everyone can see a second sun
When the sun sets in the North – Northwest
When the tides are rising, and the moon’s orbit is off
When the Space Station is evacuated
Before everyone else is panicking to find shelter!

Read More: http://www.terravivos.com/secure/whentime.htm

T.E.O.T.W.A.W.K.I.

http://www.survivinghealthy.com/?page_id=17

The end of the world as we know it…

It will be darker.
Without a grid, candles and batteries will provide some transition period until fire once again rules the night. Tough indoors for most of us without a fireplace or woodstove, so it will be darker than we are used to. The day will likely start when the sun comes up and end shortly after the sun goes down, much like the early days of America. With darkness, comes a some weird, but expected medical risks. There will be more bugs and animals getting close to you. Bugs and wild critters don’t much like the light bulb, so without it, they will feel emboldened and walk right up to you much more often than now. If they bite or scratch you while nearby, that will be weird and you will react accordingly, but your infection risk goes up in the dark. Your injury risk also goes up as you can’t see as well, making it much more likely that you will fall down and go boom, but also that you will bump into things and go ouch. Either way, infections and injuries will increase in a darker world.

It will be colder.
Again, no grid. This one only applies to cold nights and cold climates, but you get the basic idea. From a health standpoint, this really doesn’t make for much risk as long as you are inside and avoiding exposure. Blankets and another human to cuddle with (friendly or non-friendly) will keep you warm most of the time. In the winter, hopefully you have an upstairs to go to which is usually quite a bit warmer even in the coldest places. The small, higher rooms will maintain heat much better than larger, open spaces. Basically, those old movies where everybody piled in the same bed were right. Gone will be the days where little Suzie Loo Hoo gets her own room and privacy, at least at bedtime. Get some cold weather gear that is decent even when you live in southern localities that get rare cold weather, because you won’t have the option WTSHTF. Have enough blankets for everyone to layer their beds for the lowest record colds in your area. Take Vitamin C in the wintertime, especially if you are not getting enough fruits and vegetables. Winter colds spread with close contact, but you also need to interact with other humans. Stay away from people that are running fevers and sick, especially those with bad coughs that could be flu or pneumonia. Frostbite can almost always be avoided as long as you are not outside exposed to wind and freezing temperatures without any insulation, but it is possible on noses, toes, ears and fingers left outside covers at night. Fireplaces and woodstoves will be essential to anyone above the Mason Dixon line, so be prepared.

It will be warmer.
What? Didn’t we just talk about colder? There are two seasons, not everyone has cold but everyone has hot. Being from MN originally, it is just miserable in July and August sometimes, but can miserable from June to September. Northern MN is about as far north any human could really live, WITH a grid. If you live there now, plan on moving south—seriously. But with the beauty of southern living comes the heat that can really make for some real sticky situations. Heat stroke can kill people, but again exposure avoidance is the key. If you have a two story house now or after the grid goes down you acquire one, live in the lower level or basement in the summertime. Heat stroke is really only a risk if you stay “very heated” for shorter periods of time or “somewhat heated” for longer periods of time. When it is blast-furnace hot, stay in lower levels, caves, or at least shade with a breeze or hand or foot powered fan. Know your local topography and any potential natural cooling sources. Caves, springs, lakes, etc. will really be a necessity for cooling without a grid in very southern climates. If nothing else, dig yourself a hole like those weird Aussie animals and lay in the cool dirt. At night, if it cools down, get as much cool air into your structure or just sleep outside (protected from bugs if possible).

It will be wetter.
Maybe. No guarantees, but as roofs leak and walls crack, water will get in without a repair mechanism (Home Depot). Houses don’t last forever, especially when exposed to cold and hot extremes due to no temperature control inside. Walls don’t like freezing and thawing, and they don’t like getting to 100 plus degrees. In a wet climate, you will likely see more water inside sooner, along with hard frost areas. Being outside more gathering materials and food will make it more likely that you will get caught in rain, and having to slog through the woods hunting and fishing for food will make for some wet feet at the least. Best protection against foot related problems is wear dry, clean socks. My best medical advice is to get some socks and have plenty of them.

It will be dirtier.
Now, this we can guarantee. No grid equals no dishwasher, no laundry room, no water pump. That makes dirt the winner and us the stinky losers. More dirt means more infection risk. Have some soap. Have a source of water for bathing or at least strip down nude during non-lightning downpours and scrub up with what soap you are able to stockpile. Hopefully, all the neighbors will be doing it too so nobody will notice your shame. There is just no substitute for clean skin, so figure out how you can clean clothes, shoes, and bodies. Soap can be made from some common materials that are readily available, but I like the idea of a gross of hard soap bars on my shelf. Granted, we won’t likely be washing up for supper every day, but having soap for a regular bath or rain shower will be worth it’s weight in gold, maybe more at some point in the future.

It will be more work.
Well, that just sucks for you lazy people, because we are going to eat you first. Just kidding, you taste bad, but you will want to make sure that you can contribute in some meaningful way to your new society of local weirdoes. King Gamer has no meaningful contribution, kids. There will be more gathering, more hunting, more walking. There will be more thinking work too, figuring out how to do things differently with all the stuff you forgot to get or never even thought about living without. With work, especially work you are not used to doing, there is more risk of injury or overuse strains and sprains. Think about what you are good at and use your skills accordingly. If you can’t do much else, get really good at shooting and weapons and you will have a place at the table every night, King Gamer. Put your skills to use or whoever has the food is likely to give you less. Even if it’s your dad! (Message to son). People teamed together will survive much easier than those on their own, unless Rambo himself is involved in the discussion. But even Rambo can’t live without others, so start talking to your friends and family about who can do what best, have some non-powered tools in your shop, and keep in reasonable physical condition for walking and work if it falls to you.

It will be riskier.
Criminals will thrive WTSHTF and that is just the reality of the situation. After banding together in gangs of losers, it is likely they will continue to kill each other off over cigarettes and booze, especially as it gets rare. Tyrants will form larger gangs of minions and will likely form outlaw towns similar to those visualized in many apocalyptic movies we are all familiar with. Good for them! Rely on yourself and your small community and you will only hear legends of the people having to venture there. Stay small and stay safe. Travel only for truly emergency reasons other than wanting to visit Granny or see the big city. Granny is gone if she isn’t with you and the big city burned to the ground. You lived, now deal with it. Someone has to have weapons and skill in your group. All the guns and ammo in the world does no good in the hands of a cowardly hippy. Be smart, and think about this reality with your neighbors and friends. Find the skilled contribution. From a health standpoint, getting shot decreases your survival rate. But; injuring yourself in the dark, wet, dirty world that is left also increases your risk of infections. Exposure to more outdoors increases your risk of exposure to insects, snakes, and animals that mean to harm you when you get in their way. This also makes for shorter life expectancy. Again, going out for nature walks is just a bad idea in this world. Know you limits and environment, staying inside while the “real men” go out hunting might be your best plan, don’t get defensive anymore or learn how to do it. Whining will likely decrease your survival rate and increase your risk too.

It will leave you hungry.
This increases many of the risks above. Hungry people do stupid, risky things they would not otherwise do to get a meal. You will have to work to get food, instead of driving to the window. Mommy isn’t going to plop down your plate after you played your vidya games all day. You may have to go out in the woods. You may have to help with the seeds, if you have them. You may have to cut up the squirrel, if you can catch it. You may have to start the fire to cook over. You cannot prepare enough food to stockpile forever, although you can make a good try. Seeds and animals are a great idea, especially ones that reproduce on their own like rabbits, goats and chickens. From a health standpoint, the same rules apply then as now—cooking your food until it’s done, not eating old nasty stuff, etc. But as nutrition decreases infection increases, so plan ahead for your nutrition now. See our other pages about nutrition recommendations, but the basics of being able to eat after TEOTWAWKI is beyond my scope and knowledge.

It will leave you thirsty.
Now this is even worse than being hungry. When you see food, you can usually get to it and eat it, but that sure don’t apply to water. Clean, drinkable water is something that you BETTER have at the top of your list. I place it at the end of the list because mine is a medical survival site, not a survival site. If you made it down to here without a water plan, you won’t make it. Dying of drinking bad water is really a tough way to go too. It’s painful, loud, and involves lots of gross fluids. I don’t think I could stress enough your clean water plan. We have one, you should too. You can only survive without water for about 3-4 days, less with exertion. If you are walking all day trying to get somewhere safe without water, you will likely make it about 48 hours. Then it’s over. There are some places left in the world where you can drink water you can see, but you better know where they are and the rules before you do. Otherwise, spend some money after doing some research on the right kind of filter for the future without pumps and magic faucets. We are mostly water, so figure out how to keep your levels up to survival standards.

12. The Ron Paul Effect

No, I’m not calling Ron Paul anti-American, but his views on national security and naïve belief in the reasonableness of the Iranian regime do threaten our national security. Ron Paul’s eagerness for minimal government has led him and his supporters to reflexively embrace the argument that will excuse them from foreign action and bigger spending. In the last debate, Paul even claimed that there’s no evidence that Iran is seeking a nuclear weapon (false) and said terrorists only attack us because we’re the initial aggressors, claiming that terrorists don’t target neutral countries like Sweden and Switzerland (also false).

Ron Paul has a real chance of being the big story of the 2012 campaign for the Republican nomination and, if he runs as an Independent, the general election. His movement has the potential to influence politicians to embrace national security positions so irresponsible that they make President Obama look like Genghis Khan.

11. Sudan’s Sharia Transformation

Dictator Omar Bashir of Sudan vowed to turn his country into a 100% Sharia-based state after the secession of South Sudan. His government is already allied to Iran and allows the Revolutionary Guards to ship arms to Hamas through its territory. Bashir says he’ll make Arabic the official language and all legislation will be based on Sharia and only Sharia. Don’t be surprised if Sudan becomes the new Iran and its sponsorship of terrorism skyrockets.

10. Chaos in Europe

Civil strife will increase next year, and there are all sorts of extremists ready to riot, protest and incite. From anarchists to neo-Nazis to Islamists to anti-Muslim extremists to people who are just plain angry, there is no shortage of groups ready to bring about chaos to get their point across.

Greece, Sweden and France have suffered from huge riots in Muslim-majority areas, some of which have been dubbed "No Go Zones." These riots showed us that it only takes a single match to be lit for a wildfire to spread and with Europe’s economic problems and social tensions, there are plenty to go around.

9. Russia Goes Soviet

Vladimir Putin, the guy who called the dissolution of the U.S.S.R. the “greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century,” is now facing the Russian version of the Arab Spring. The country is facing its largest protests since the Soviet Union fell. Putin isn’t the type of guy to try to find the middle ground. His strong-arm tactics and KGB impulses are going to come out as they never have before and with them, his Cold War mindset.

One possible Russian action would be to wage war to overthrow the Georgian government, a U.S. ally. Ever since Russia ripped Abkhazia and South Ossetia from Georgia in 2008, it has been eager to overthrow the Saakashvili government. Russia tried engineering a coup to accomplish this in 2009 but it failed. Since then, Russia has made the case for the government’s removal by accusing it of sponsoring terrorism.

8. The Mexican Drug War

Far more Mexicans have died since 2007 than all American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan combined since 2001. It is hard to overstate the level of barbarism, anarchy and bloodshed that is happening to the south, and there is no indication that it will stop any time soon. Islamist terrorists are linking up with the Mexican drug cartels, and the Colombian FARC is cashing in on the action.

In September 2010, the government had to put up signs along 60 miles of Interstate 8 in Arizona, more than 100 miles from the Mexican border, warning that the area is unsafe. Sooner or later, the violence will spill over the border in a way that will force Americans to finally pay attention.

7. Sectarian War in Iraq and Syria

Right after U.S. forces left Iraq, Shiite Prime Minister al-Maliki and the Sunni politicians were at eachother's throats. A sharp increase in terrorism followed. Once again, Iraq is looking at the possibility of sectarian violence. Moqtada al-Sadr, the Iranian-backed militia leader, has vowed to attack any remaining U.S. forces in Iraq starting January 1, 2012. That includes the soldiers guarding the embassy and the thousands of contractors that remain. If the U.S. agrees to send 800 to 1,000 trainers back to Iraq as is being discussed, each will have a target on their back.

In Syria, the possibility of civil war is quickly increasing and with it, sectarian bloodletting. The minority Allawites, about 10-13% of the population, are sticking by the Assad regime. This is the minority that his regime and its vicious security forces draw its most important personnel from.

Going into 2012, sectarian warfare in Iraq and Syria is a distinct possibility and foreign powers will be actively backing opposite sides.

6. AfPak Goes Back to 2001

President Obama is bringing home the remaining 23,000 troops sent as part of the “surge” in Afghanistan by September. The remaining 68,000 will then start coming home until Afghanistan is put in charge of security in 2014. General John Allen opposes bringing down the number of troops below 68,000, though I’m concerned about the loss of that 23,000 as well. We’ll know in the coming months if this is a safe plan or not, as the Taliban and its terrorist allies will return or they won’t. The key question is whether President Obama will be willing to adjust his timeline if it is necessary. Given Vice President Biden’s comment that the Taliban is not an enemy, I’m not too hopeful.

At the same time, the U.S. relationship with Pakistan is in tatters. There is a distinct possibility that Pakistan will sever all counter-terrorism cooperation with the U.S. or reduce it to the bare minimal. This would bring us almost back to the pre-9/11 situation, where Al-Qaeda and other terrorists have free reign in parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan. We all know how that turned out.

5. Homegrown Jihad

The Obama Administration doesn’t deny the fact that homegrown terrorism is increasing. It’s simply a statistical fact. Attorney General Eric Holder says “You didn’t worry about this [homegrown terrorism] even two years ago—about individuals, about Americans, to the extent that we now do.”

The most recent poll found that 5% of Muslim-Americans view Al-Qaeda favorably and 14 percent wouldn’t answer the question. Out of 1.8 million Muslim adults, that’s a lot of people sympathizing with the group that carried out 9/11. One can only imagine how high the support for Hamas, Hezbollah and the Muslim Brotherhood must be. Levels of radicalism are higher among younger Muslims born in the U.S. than they are from older ones born overseas, so this threat is likely to increase, especially as the population quickly grows.

4. Kim Jong-Un Shows What He’s Made Of

The new leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-Un, ordered the attack on the South Korean Cheonan warship in March 2010 and, almost certainly, the artillery barrage on a South Korean island in November 2010. Every step in the succession process has been accompanied with a provocation, and now that he’s the leader, Kim Jong-Un is eager to prove himself and solidify his grip. If he doesn’t provoke some kind of confrontation, it’d be really out of character for the North Korean regime. Plus, British intelligence believes he suffers from severe hypertension and an “explosive temper.”

3. The Islamist Tidal Wave in the Middle East Spreads

The Arab Spring isn’t an Islamist revolution, but that doesn’t mean that the Islamists won’t come to power. They are leading the new Tunisian government, are winning a power struggle with the secularists in Libya and are winning landslide victories in Egypt’s elections. And the Islamists have every reason to believe they’ll add a few notches to their belt in 2012.

In Yemen, the largest opposition party is Islah, which is a Muslim Brotherhood affiliate with Salafist backing. One of its leaders was blacklisted by the U.S. State Department for his involvement with Osama Bin Laden. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels benefit from the instability.

Jordan is another prime candidate for the Arab Spring, but there have also been major riots and protests in Oman, Algeria, Morocco, Kuwait and other states. In Saudi Arabia, Prince Nayef, an ally of the Wahhabists, is bound to become King soon. The youth population is eager for reform and it will be difficult for the Royal Family to play a balancing act that will prevent upheaval.

2. Military Action Against Iran

The Iranian regime will retaliate with its full might if it survives a limited strike on its nuclear facilities. It may even want such a strike. It’s not hard to imagine the horrors that will probably follow an Israeli attack on Iran: Terrorist proxies receiving the green light for whatever they want, the Straits of Hormuz being attacked, full retaliation from Revolutionary Guards missile bases, etc., etc.

Don’t think the U.S. can escape Iran’s response. No matter how hard we try to distance ourselves from Israel, Islamists view the U.S. and Israel as essentially the same. Secretary of Defense Panetta says Iran could get a nuclear bomb within a year. Let’s hope that Iran’s economic stresses, political in-fighting, and ongoing series of unexplained “accidents” buys us some time.

1. Iran Gets the Bomb

It’s often said that the only thing more dangerous than an attack on Iran is letting Iran get the nuke. And it’s true. If you think Iran is a big sponsor of terrorism now, wait until you see what happens when Iran has the protection of a nuclear deterrent. Iran will return to all of its unfinished proxy wars, including those waged against the pro-American Arab governments.

If Iran appears to be on the edge of a having a nuclear warhead, almost every country in the region will follow. The Gulf Cooperation Council countries and those seeking to join the body (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Morocco) will go nuclear, as will probably Turkey and Egypt.

Iran will share its nuclear technology (if not actual weapons) with its allies, so you can add Syria (if Assad survives), Sudan and Venezuela to the list. Once all the mentioned countries go nuclear, their adversaries will also have to reexamine their positions.

Of course, Iran could also use the nuke it obtains. Iran has rehearsed carrying out an EMP strike, which could theoretically disable the U.S. and bring about death and destruction that only a Roland Emmerich film can depict. At the very least, the creation of an Iranian nuke and the subsequent nuclear arms race adds a flammable element into the region best known for catching on fire.

There are many threats facing the Western world in 2012. The economy is the number one issue, but voters must remember that national security can claim the top spot in one instant.

Ryan Mauro is the National Security Analyst for Family Security Matters. He is the Founder of WorldThreats.com, a national security analyst at Christian Action Network, a Strategic Analyst for Wikistrat and a national security commentator for FOX News

By Kellene Bishop

Author’s Note: Before reading this article, I want to be perfectly clear that my objective is not to “freak you out.” Mental Preparedness comes more readily when we allow ourselves to mentally picture scenarios and then allow our brain to strategically work on solving the anticipated problems. I hope this article does that for you today.

If I were a terrorist, I would plan an EMP attack on a day like this.

There’s no such thing as an opportune time for a trial, right? As such, it’s a bit naïve of us to think that if an EMP strike does hit, it will conveniently do so while we are gathered all comfy and cozy in our homes. If I was a nefarious terrorist, I would plan an EMP strike for a freezing snowy winter day affecting most of the country AND during a late time of day that would most affect rush hour. To add to that timing, I would plan it to occur while Congress was out of session for the Christmas break. That would be a true formula for chaos.

Our autos and other modes of transportation will be the most noticeable initial casualty as the result of an EMP strike. Just think what would happen if you were commuting home on the freeway and all of the sudden your vehicle, as well as all of the other cars around you, had all of their electronics stop functioning. The power steering would go out. The power brakes would go out. And like a synchronized swimming team, all of the autos that were made after 1970 would simple stop operating. Sure they might travel another few feet—until they slammed into another car that suddenly stopped operating. Imagine this scene on your jam packed freeway on the way home from work or while running errands. Now picture that scene duplicated throughout thousands upon thousands of bustling cities throughout the country.

In an EMP attack, planes would fall from the sky.

Keeping in line with the disruption of transportation, planes will fall from the sky as their electronics completely fail them. At any given time there are well over 5,000 non-military airplanes over the air space of the U.S. Boeing estimates that one of their 737’s take off or land every 4.9 seconds, although that’s for the world, not just the U.S. Boeing states that they have over 1.5 million planes in the air at all times of the day. Even without that, picture being one of the casualties stranded in the O’Hare or JFK Airport with no lights, no food, and no way to get out of town to your family.

The second part of this impact will be painfully felt in our modes of communication. Your cell phone will be completely useless for anything other than a paper weight. Your car radio will not function or provide you with any information to figure out what went wrong. Regardless of the abundance of injuries that will take place all over the nation, no ambulance, tow truck or life flight will be available to heed your call for help.

The third largest impact that you will notice is in the availability, or rather LACK of available medical care. If you can hobble your way to a hospital from the site of the freeway catastrophe, you will inevitably find the facilities in chaos, overflowing with panicked patients and medical personnel. Their backup generators will be useless in most cases as they typically operate with some electronics. The medical supplies such as bandages and medicine will be exhausted within a couple of hours, not to mention the medical staff. Can you imagine being in the middle of a life-saving surgery and suddenly have the power go off without even so much as a warning beep?

So, what do you do to be prepared? First of all, have your auto supplied with preparedness tools: first aid, water, coat, some food, etc. Be sure that you have a reliable pair of shoes—especially you ladies. Heels are great for partying in, but they make it pretty darn hard to hike in the snow 15 miles should a survival scenario come up. In addition to the obvious tools in your car, you MUST be prepared to defend yourself as well. Violence and desperation will reign supreme in such an environment. There’s no need to be a sitting duck, folks. Act quickly and decisively. When you’ve lost access to communication or news and your cars have suddenly stopped, you will KNOW it’s an EMP folks. Don’t wait around to deliberate with fellow travelers. Get to where you need to be ASAP.

Have a prearranged plan with your loved ones of where to meet in the event of trouble. At least this way your spouse or family and friends will have some peace of mind knowing that you will try to get to that location. Panic is not your friend in an emergency. Peace of mind is, even if it’s challenged by some “what if” scenarios.

Maintaining physical strength isn’t about being able to run a marathon for most people. But everyone’s physical strength will be tested in an EMP scenario. The simple act of getting a glass of water will require work. Flour for a loaf of bread will require arm muscles. Going to the bathroom will require full consciousness. :) That may not daunt some of you, but keep in mind that you may need to cover longer distances than between your house and the outhouse. Thus having working bikes and wagons you can tow on them may be a lifesaver.

Familiarizing yourself with basic medical care such as breaks, sprains, deep cuts, rashes, colds, and flu will also be important. While an EMP won’t send us back to the 19th century in all regards, it certainly would in terms of medical care. We need to take some of the responsibility for self-reliance in this area.

Again, I hope I’ve given you just a few things to think about today. I also really liked how the books “Alas, Babylon” by Pat Frank, and “One Second After” by William Fortschen helped me through some mental preparedness in this exact type of scenario. If you allow your mind to think about and mentally participate in such scenarios, you’ll have a more sound Mental Preparedness to solve the problems in comfort now, rather than in chaos later.

17 Quotes About The Coming Global Financial Collapse That Will Make Your Hair Stand Up
November 22, 2011
Print Version

By Michael Snyder
BlacklistedNews.com

Is the world on the verge of another massive global financial collapse? Yes. The western world is drowning in an ocean of debt unlike anything the world has ever seen before, and our financial markets are gigantic casinos that are dependent on huge mountains of risk and leverage remaining very stable. In the end, this house of cards that has been built on a foundation of sand is going to come crashing down in a horrifying manner. Usually in this column I go on and on about why things will soon get much worse. But today I am going to take a bit of a break. Today, I am going to let some of the top financial professionals in the world tell you why things will soon get much worse. Many of the quotes that you are about to read just might make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Most people out there have no idea what is about to happen. Most people out there are working hard and are busy preparing for the holidays and they are hopeful that the economy will turn around soon. But that is not going to happen. We are heading for another major global financial collapse, and when it happens the U.S. economy is going to get even worse.

The epicenter for the coming global financial collapse is almost certainly going to be in Europe. As you will see below, financial professionals all over the world are sounding the alarm about Europe. It is a disaster that everyone can see coming but that nobody seems to be able to prevent.

Of course the failure of the “supercommittee” in the United States certainly is not helping matters. There is already talk that we may soon see another downgrade for U.S. debt. It is hard to even describe how incompetent the U.S. Congress is.

There is a tremendous lack of leadership both in the United States and in Europe right now. The financial world is more interconnected than ever before, and when the financial dominoes start to fall it is going to take a miracle to keep a complete and total disaster from unfolding.

So when the time comes, who is going to step forward and provide that leadership?

That is a really, really good question.

Right now, panic and fear are spreading like wildfire in the financial world and nobody knows for sure what is going to happen next.

But one thing is for certain. Pessimism is growing stronger by the day.

The following are 17 quotes about the coming global financial collapse that will make your hair stand up….

#1 Credit Suisse’s Fixed Income Research unit: “We seem to have entered the last days of the euro as we currently know it. That doesn’t make a break-up very likely, but it does mean some extraordinary things will almost certainly need to happen – probably by mid-January – to prevent the progressive closure of all the euro zone sovereign bond markets, potentially accompanied by escalating runs on even the strongest banks.”

#2 Willem Buiter, chief economist at Citigroup: “Time is running out fast. I think we have maybe a few months — it could be weeks, it could be days — before there is a material risk of a fundamentally unnecessary default by a country like Spain or Italy which would be a financial catastrophe dragging the European banking system and North America with it.”

#3 Jim Reid of Deutsche Bank: “If you don’t think Merkel’s tone will change then our investment advice is to dig a hole in the ground and hide.”

#4 David Rosenberg, a senior economist at Gluskin Sheff in Toronto: “Lenders are finding it difficult to finance their day-to-day operations with short-term funding. This is a lot like 2008 but with more twists.”

#5 Christian Stracke, the head of credit research for Pimco: “This is just a repeat of what we saw in 2008, when everyone wanted to see toxic assets off the banks’ balance sheets”

#6 Paul Krugman of the New York Times: “At this point I’d guess soaring rates on Italian debt leading to a gigantic bank run, both because of solvency fears about Italian banks given a default and because of fear that Italy will end up leaving the euro. This then leads to emergency bank closing, and once that happens, a decision to drop the euro and install the new lira. Next stop, France.”

#7 Paul Hickey of Bespoke Investment Group: “More and more, we are hearing anecdotal comments from individual and professionals that this is the most difficult environment they have ever experienced as the market is like a fish flopping around after being taken out of the water.”

#8 Bob Janjuah of Nomura International: “Germany appears to be adamant that full political and fiscal integration over the next decade (nothing substantive will happen over the short term, in my view) is the only option, and ECB monetisation is no longer possible. I really think it is that clear and simple. And if I am wrong, and the ECB does a U-turn and agrees to unlimited monetisation, I will simply wait for the inevitable knee-jerk rally to fade before reloading my short risk positions. Even if Germany and the ECB somehow agree to unlimited monetisation I believe it will do nothing to fix the insolvency and lack of growth in the eurozone. It will just result in a major destruction of the ECB‟s balance sheet which will force an ECB recap. At that point, I think Germany and its northern partners would walk away. Markets always want short, sharp, simple solutions.”

#9 Dan Akerson, CEO of General Motors: “The ’08 recession, which was a credit bubble that manifested itself through primarily the real estate market, that was a serious stress….This is much more serious.”

#10 Francesco Garzarelli of Goldman Sachs: “Pressures on Euro area sovereign bond markets have progressively intensified and spread like a wildfire.”

#11 Jim Rogers: “In 2002 it was bad, in 2008 it was worse and 2012 or 2013 is going to be worse still – be careful”

#12 Dr. Pippa Malmgren, the President and founder of Principalis Asset Management who once worked in the White House as an adviser to President Bush: “Market forces are increasingly determining what the options are and foreclosing on options policymakers thought they had. One option which is now under discussion involves permitting a country to temporarily leave the Euro, return to its native currency, devalue, commit to returning to the Euro at a better debt to GDP ratio, a better exchange rate and a better growth trajectory and yet not sacrifice its EU membership. I would like to say for the record that this is precisely the thought process that I expected to evolve,but when I proposed this possibility back in 2009, and again in September 2010, I had a 100% response from clients and others that this was “impossible” and many felt it was “ridiculous”. They may be right but this is the current state of the discussion. The Handelsblatt in Germany has reported this conversation, but wrongly assumes that the country that will exit is Germany. I think that Germany will have to exit if the Southern European states do not. Germany’s preference is to stay in the Euro and have the others drop out. The problem has been the Germans could not convince the others to walk away. But, now, market pressures are forcing someone to leave. Germany is pushing for that someone to be Italy. They hope that this would be a one off exception, not to be repeated by any other country. Obviously, though, if Italy leaves the Euro and reverts to Lira then the markets will immediately and forcefully attack Spain, Portugal and even whatever is left of the already savaged Greeks. These countries will not be able to compete against a devalued Greece or Italy when it come to tourism or even infrastructure. But, the principal target will be France. The three largest French banks have roughly 450 billion Euros of exposure to Italian debt. So, further sovereign defaults are certainly inevitable, but that is true under any scenario. Growth and austerity will not do the trick, as ZeroHedge rightly points out. Ultimately, I will not be at all surprised to see Europe’s banking system shut for days while the losses and payments issues are worked out. People forget that the term “bank holiday” was invented in the 1930’s when the banks were shut for exactly the same reason.”

#13 Daniel Clifton, a policy strategist with Strategas Research Partners on the potential for more downgrades of U.S. debt: “We would expect further downgrades, a first downgrade from Moody’s and Fitch and possibly a second downgrade from S&P.”

#14 Warren Buffett on the problems in the eurozone: “The system as presently designed has revealed a major flaw. And that flaw won’t be corrected just by words. Europe will either have to come closer together or there will have to be some other rearrangement because this system is not working”

#15 David Kostin, equity strategist for Goldman Sachs: “The wide range of possible outcomes on both the super committee process and the unstable political economy in Europe drives our view that investors should assume the worst while hoping for the best.”

#16 Mark Mobius, the head of the emerging markets desk at Templeton Asset Management: “There is definitely going to be another financial crisis around the corner”

#17 Gerald Celente, founder of The Trends Research Institute: “The whole system is going down. Pull your money out your Fidelity account, your Scwhab accout, and your ETFs.”

Are you starting to get the picture?

When so many top financial professionals are freaking out like this, perhaps the rest of us should start paying attention.

They are telling us that “time is running out”.

They are telling us that “there is definitely going to be another financial crisis”.

They are telling us that this “is going to be worse” than 2008.

They are telling us that “the whole system is going down”.

Yes, a devastating financial collapse really is coming. Just like in 2008, it will seem like the “end of the world” while it is happening, but it won’t be. It will severely damage our financial system and our economy, but it will not finish us off.

Think of it this way. When you build a sand castle at the beach, it doesn’t get totally wiped out by the first wave or the second wave that hits it. Each wave does significant damage, but the destruction of your sand castle is a process.

It is the same thing with the U.S. economy. We once had the most incredible economic machine that the world has ever seen. It is constantly being guttedand the financial crisis of 2008 hit us really hard, but we are still doing okay.

After this next financial crisis we will be in even worse shape. But we will still be breathing.

More “waves” will come after this next financial crisis. If we continue on the road that we are on, our economy will progressively get worse and worse.

Not everyone will agree with this analysis, and that is okay. In the end, time will reveal the truth to all of us.

Right now, we all need to get ready for the next wave that is about to hit us. A lot of people are going to lose their jobs over the next few years. Hopefully you are prepared for that.

It's winter where I live.....time to button up!

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/cold-3.php

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF COLD
WEATHER SURVIVAL

It is more difficult for you to satisfy your basic water, food, and shelter needs in a cold environment than in a warm environment. Even if you have the basic requirements, you must also have adequate protective clothing and the will to survive. The will to survive is as important as the basic needs. There have been incidents when trained and well-equipped individuals have not survived cold weather situations because they lacked the will to live. Conversely, this will has sustained individuals less well-trained and equipped.
There are many different items of cold weather equipment and clothing issued by the U.S. Army today. Specialized units may have access to newer, lightweight gear such as polypropylene underwear, GORE-TEX outerwear and boots, and other special equipment. Remember, however, the older gear will keep you warm as long as you apply a few cold weather principles. If the newer types of clothing are available, use them. If not, then your clothing should be entirely wool, with the possible exception of a windbreaker.
You must not only have enough clothing to protect you from the cold, you must also know how to maximize the warmth you get from it. For example, always keep your head covered. You can lose 40 to 45 percent of body heat from an unprotected head and even more from the unprotected neck, wrist, and ankles. These areas of the body are good radiators of heat and have very little insulating fat. The brain is very susceptible to cold and can stand the least amount of cooling. Because there is much blood circulation in the head, most of which is on the surface, you can lose heat quickly if you do not cover your head.
There are four basic principles to follow to keep warm. An easy way to remember these basic principles is to use the word COLD--
C - Keep clothing clean.
O - Avoid overheating.
L - Wear clothes loose and in layers.
D - Keep clothing dry.

C -	Keep clothing clean. This principle is always important for sanitation and comfort. In winter, it is also important from the standpoint of warmth. Clothes matted with dirt and grease lose much of their insulation value. Heat can escape more easily from the body through the clothing's crushed or filled up air pockets.
O -	Avoid overheating. When you get too hot, you sweat and your clothing absorbs the moisture. This affects your warmth in two ways: dampness decreases the insulation quality of clothing, and as sweat evaporates, your body cools. Adjust your clothing so that you do not sweat. Do this by partially opening your parka or jacket, by removing an inner layer of clothing, by removing heavy outer mittens, or by throwing back your parka hood or changing to lighter headgear. The head and hands act as efficient heat dissipaters when overheated.
L -	Wear your clothing loose and in layers. Wearing tight clothing and footgear restricts blood circulation and invites cold injury. It also decreases the volume of air trapped between the layers, reducing its insulating value. Several layers of lightweight clothing are better than one equally thick layer of clothing, because the layers have dead-air space between them. The dead-air space provides extra insulation. Also, layers of clothing allow you to take off or add clothing layers to prevent excessive sweating or to increase warmth.
D -	Keep clothing dry. In cold temperatures, your inner layers of clothing can become wet from sweat and your outer layer, if not water repellent, can become wet from snow and frost melted by body heat. Wear water repellent outer clothing, if available. It will shed most of the water collected from melting snow and frost. Before entering a heated shelter, brush off the snow and frost. Despite the precautions you take, there will be times when you cannot keep from getting wet. At such times, drying your clothing may become a major problem. On the march, hang your damp mittens and socks on your rucksack. Sometimes in freezing temperatures, the wind and sun will dry this clothing. You can also place damp socks or mittens, unfolded, near your body so that your body heat can dry them. In a campsite, hang damp clothing inside the shelter near the top, using drying lines or improvised racks. You may even be able to dry each item by holding it before an open fire. Dry leather items slowly. If no other means are available for drying your boots, put them between your sleeping bag shell and liner. Your body heat will help to dry the leather.

A heavy, down-lined sleeping bag is a valuable piece of survival gear in cold weather. Ensure the down remains dry. If wet, it loses a lot of its insulation value. If you do not have a sleeping bag, you can make one out of parachute cloth or similar material and natural dry material, such as leaves, pine needles, or moss. Place the dry material between two layers of the material.
Other important survival items are a knife; waterproof matches in a waterproof container, preferably one with a flint attached; a durable compass; map; watch; waterproof ground cloth and cover; flashlight; binoculars; dark glasses; fatty emergency foods; food gathering gear; and signaling items.
Remember, a cold weather environment can be very harsh. Give a good deal of thought to selecting the right equipment for survival in the cold. If unsure of an item you have never used, test it in an "overnight backyard" environment before venturing further. Once you have selected items that are essential for your survival, do not lose them after you enter a cold weather environment.

22 Signs That The Thin Veneer Of Civilization We All Take For Granted Is Starting To Disappear

http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com

In order for a society to function, there has to be a certain level of trust. Each day when we leave our homes, we take for granted that most people are not going to attack us for no reason, that there will only be isolated incidents of theft in our community and that rioting and violence are not going to erupt in the streets. Whether we realize it or not, we depend on the fact that the vast majority of the people around us are going to act in a civilized manner. Unfortunately, the thin veneer of civilization that we all take for granted is starting to disappear. When I was growing up, I was taught that challenging times reveal our true character. There are many that believe that the declining economy is causing a lot of the chaos that we are now witnessing, but perhaps what is going on is that these challenging economic times are simply revealing the character that has been there all along. For decades, a "false prosperity" that was fueled by unprecedented amounts of debt has masked a lot of the internal rot that has taken hold in America. But now that our prosperity is crumbling, our lack of values is becoming startlingly clear.
Greed, corruption and extreme self-centeredness have deeply infected our society. We see this on Wall Street and in Congress, and we see this among those that are trying to survive on the mean streets of our largest cities.
Our nation is breaking down on every level. If by some miracle we were able to fix our economy, that would mask our problems for a while, but it would not solve them.
Unfortunately, as I write about nearly every day, there are a whole host of indications that our economy is about to get even worse. When it does, millions of Americans will become even more desperate, and as we are now seeing all over this country, desperate people do desperate things.
The following are 22 signs that the thin veneer of civilization that we all take for granted is starting to disappear....
#1 In Detroit, 100 bus drivers recently refused to drive their routes out of fear for their own personal safety. An article posted on the website of the CBS affiliate in Detroit is quoting the head of the bus drivers union, Henry Gaffney, as saying that the drivers are "scared for their lives"....

“Our drivers are scared, they’re scared for their lives. This has been an ongoing situation about security. I think yesterday kind of just topped it off, when one of my drivers was beat up by some teenagers down in the middle of Rosa Parks and it took the police almost 30 minutes to get there, in downtown Detroit,” said Gaffney.

#2 In Wilmington, Delaware recently, a man offered to help someone carry a television down the street, but quickly realized that it was his own television which had just been stolen out of his house....

A Wilmington resident who stopped home for lunch about noon today saw a man carrying a flat screen TV down the street and asked the man if he needed help.
He then recognized the television as his own, looked up and saw the door to his home ajar, said Master Sgt. Adam Ringle.

#3 Shocking video has surfaced of a young thug walking up to a defenseless elderly man in a Chicago subway station and knocking him out cold. In the video, the friends of the young man are cheering him on and laughing at how easy it was to knock the old man out cold.
#4 Beating up old people for no reason seems to be catching on all over the country. Just check out the following report from a recent article posted on philly.com....

AN 84-YEAR-OLD ex-university official savagely attacked by four young punks during a walk in Wissahickon Valley Park earlier this week theorizes that the beating he endured was a cruel game of "get the old geezer."
Jim Shea, a former vice president of university relations for Temple, from 1968 to 1983, walks up to five miles on Forbidden Drive, in Fairmount Park, three times a week, but that type of stamina wasn't enough to stave off the lowlifes who not only beat him bloody, but dealt a blow to one of the things he holds most dear - his pride.

#5 All over the United States, police are wailing on Occupy Wall Street protesters with clubs and liberally using pepper spray on them. Whatever you may think of the Occupy Wall Street protests, the reality is that this is not a sign that things are becoming "more stable" in America. You can see video of one very disturbing confrontation right here.
#6 Clashes between police and protesters in Oakland, California recently became so violent that at one point the streets of Oakland resembled a war zone.
#7 Unfortunately, as the American people become increasingly frustrated with out system many of them are actually starting to consider violence as a solution. According to one recent survey, 31 percent of all Occupy Wall Street protesters "would support violence to advance their agenda".
#8 In New York recently, a confrontation between two female customers and a frustrated cashier ended with the cashier beating the living daylights out of them with a metal rod. The following is how a local CBS affiliate in New York described this incident....

It appeared to have started when two female customers argued and yelled obscenities at the cashier when he questioned a $50 bill they gave him.
One of the female customers then slapped the cashier. A woman is then seen jumping over the counter while the other woman goes behind the register.
That’s when the cashier can be seen on the video disappearing into the back of the fast-food restaurant. He comes back with a metal rod and begins hitting the women.

You can see video of this violent confrontation right here.
#9 These days, many Americans are so "on edge" that just about anything will make them snap. For example, a 60-year-old woman in New Mexico recently repeatedly stabbed her boyfriend because she thought that he was cheating during a game of Monopoly.
#10 If you thought that the above example was crazy, just check out what one man down in Georgia did recently. He actually firebombed a Taco Bell because they did not put enough meat in his Chalupa.
#11 In Cleveland last week, a 49-year-old man was sent to the hospital after a poll monitor working for the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections tried to bite his nose off.
#12 Not only do TSA agents make us feel like dehumanized cattle as we go through airport security, some of them are evening making fun of us at the same time. For example, one TSA agent recently scribbled “GET YOUR FREAK ON GIRL” on a TSA inspection notice after discovering a sex toy in the luggage of one female traveler.
#13 Identity theft is rising to very alarming levels all over the United States. For example, a recent article in the Palm Beach Post described what has been going on down in Florida this year....

In the first half of this year, the Federal Trade Commission received more than 20,000 complaints from Floridians whose identities had been stolen -- nearly as many as in all of 2010. More than half of those reporting their Social Security numbers or other personal information had been ripped off and used to commit fraud or theft were in South Florida, with heavy concentrations in parts of Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood and Hallandale Beach.
"That kind of increase is really shocking,'' said Vance Luce, deputy special agent in charge of the U.S. Secret Service in South Florida, which investigates identity theft and financial crimes. "The fact that it's on the upturn doesn't surprise me at all, but that's pretty alarming.''

#14 In the Seattle area, an elderly couple in their eighties was recently brutally attacked by a 31-year-old man armed with a crossbow and a hatchet. The following description of this brutal crime comes from King 5 News....

Prosecutors say 31-year-old John Chase was walking down the highway when he saw Ralph Aldrich, 88, in his back yard. Detectives say Chase shot and killed Aldrich with a crossbow and then went inside the home and repeatedly hit 83-year-old June Aldrich with a hatchet.

#15 As America falls apart, more of us than ever are taking medication for depression. At this point, more than 1 out of every 10 Americans over the age of 12 is taking prescription antidepressants.
#16 In some areas of the country, people have been literally tearing apart their own cities in an attempt to find things to sell. I recently discussed this phenomenon on The American Dream Blog....

In Fresno, California the damage caused by thieves stealing copper wire from city street lights is costing the city about $50,000 a month. So far, about 2,500 street lights have been stripped of their wiring.

#17 As people become more desperate, we are starting to see some truly bizarre crimes in many parts of the nation. In northern Alabama, one team of crooks has been using a forklift to pull entire ATM machines out of the ground.
#18 Most Americans don't realize this, but all over the U.S. livestock is being stolen from ranchers in unprecedented numbers. The following is from a recent Associated Press article....

While the brazenness may be unusual, the theft isn't. High beef prices have made cattle attractive as a quick score for people struggling in the sluggish economy, and other livestock are being taken too. Six thousand lambs were stolen from a feedlot in Texas, and nearly 1,000 hogs have been stolen in recent weeks from farms in Iowa and Minnesota. The thefts add up to millions of dollars in losses for U.S. ranches.
Authorities say today's thieves are sophisticated compared to the horseback bandits of the rugged Old West. They pull up livestock trailers in the middle of the night and know how to coax the animals inside. Investigators suspect it's then a quick trip across state lines to sell the animals at auction barns.

#19 At this point, thieves are becoming so bold that they will steal literally anything that they are able to cart away. For example, in the San Francisco area a while back thieves actually stole a copper bell that weighs 2.7 tons.
#20 According to the FBI, the number of gang members in the United States has increased by a staggering 40 percent since 2009. Right now, there are 1.4 million gang members terrorizing citizens on the streets of America.
#21 Down in Miami, thieves have become so bold that they have actually been breaking into parked police cruisers and stealing guns and ammo out of them. Many of those guns undoubtedly are ending up in the hands of gangs members.
#22 Be careful who you befriend online. They might just hold you captive and use you as part of a Satanic sex ritual. The following description of an incident that recently happened in Milwaukee comes from thesmokinggun.com....

Two young Milwaukee women were arrested this week after an 18-year-old Arizona man--who traveled to Wisconsin by bus after meeting one of the suspects online--told cops that he was held captive in the duo’s apartment for two days and slashed and stabbed more than 300 times as part of an apparent satanic sex ritual.

Anger and frustration are growing to unprecedented levels in this country, and all of this anger and frustration is manifesting in thousands of different ways.
As I have written about previously, the rioting, the crime and the violence that we are seeing now is only just the beginning of what is coming.
Unless a miracle happens, our country is going to keep heading down the road toward societal collapse. For even more examples that show that our country is starting to come apart at the seams, please see the following articles that I have authored previously....
-"18 Signs The Collapse Of Society Is Accelerating"
-"12 More Signs That Society Is Collapsing"
It won't happen all at once, but unless our nation changes direction dramatically, we will see things get progressively worse and worse.
Instead of teaching our children to love and care for one another, we have taught them to be incredibly self-involved. Today, way too many Americans deeply love themselves, deeply love money and are deeply addicted to entertainment. Each new generation seems to be even more prideful, even more arrogant and even more violent. As a nation, we are losing our empathy for others, our compassion for the needy and our respect for the elderly. Our family units are breaking down and thousands of our communities are being transformed into hellholes.
What in the world is happening to America?

The FBI has released a new gang assessment announcing that there are 1.4 million gang members in the US, a 40 percent increase since 2009, and that many of these members are getting inside the military (via Stars and Stripes). The report says the military has seen members from 53 gangs and 100 regions in the U.S. enlist in every branch of the armed forces. Members of every major street gang, some prison gangs, and outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMGs) have been reported on both U.S. and international military installations.
From the report:

Through transfers and deployments, military-affiliated gang members expand their culture and operations to new regions nationwide and worldwide, undermining security and law enforcement efforts to combat crime. Gang members with military training pose a unique threat to law enforcement personnel because of their distinctive weapons and combat training skills and their ability to transfer these skills to fellow gang members.

The report notes that while gang members have been reported in every branch of service, they are concentrated in the U.S. Army, Army Reserves, and the Army National Guard.

Many street gang members join the military to escape the gang lifestyle or as an alternative to incarceration, but often revert back to their gang associations once they encounter other gang members in the military. Other gangs target the U.S. military and defense systems to expand their territory, facilitate criminal activity such as weapons and drug trafficking, or to receive weapons and combat training that they may transfer back to their gang. Incidents of weapons theft and trafficking may have a negative impact on public safety or pose a threat to law enforcement officials.

The FBI points out that many gangs, especially the bikers, actively recruit members with military training and advise young members with no criminal record to join the service for weapon access and combat experience.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/fbi-gang-assessment-us-military-2011-10#ixzz1buW6lx4p

Letter Re: The Importance of Rural Retreat Light Discipline

Permalink

Jim:
I'm writing to comment on something in your nonfiction book "How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It": On page 206 you state: “Without proper blackout precautions, your house will be a
'come loot me' beacon that can be seen for miles at night.”I can’t stress light discipline enough. Here’s an example: About fifteen years ago my parents went to dinner at The Cougar Inn on Lake Wenatchee [in eastern Washington]. It was a dark night and on the way back from dinner they looked across the lake and saw a faint green flashing light it the vicinity of their un-lit cabin. Arriving at the cabin they found the light source for the flashing: The light that could be seen from slightly over one mile was the reflected light inside their cabin of the video cassette recorder (VCR) flashing "12:00, 12:00, 12:00."
That was one mile away. The VCR was sitting in a corner in a built–in cabinet, and not pointed directly at the window.
Don’t ever tell yourself, “Oh, it’s okay, it’s not that bad.” What’s not that bad? The act of being raped, robbed, and murdered, or the light leaks? Even the smallest light leak can be an invitation to disaster [in a grid-down situation, where all of the houses are blacked out.] - Rick B.

Thursday, Oct 13, 2011 at 5:43 PM EDT

What can you do to prepare?

Thursday, Oct 13, 2011 at 5:43 PM EDT
Glenn is explaining on GBTV right now what you can do to prepare for what he believes will be difficult times approaching. The list of he sent to his family and his producers will be posted in it’s raw form at 6:30pm ET. You can tune in to catch this special for free by signing up for a two week free trial! This will be available on demand shortly after 7pm ET.
BUY FARM LAND
GROW YOUR OWN FOOD. LIVE NEAR PEOPLE AND BEGIN TO MAKE ALLIANCES OF SKILLS (BARTER) LIVE NEAR FARM LAND
ELECTRONICS FREE
PAPER COPIES OF IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS
KNOW WHERE YOUR DEEDS ARE. TAKE THEM IN EMERGENCY
RUSSIAN GANGS IN TROUBLE
COLLEGE/SCHOOL
APPRENTICESHIPS ARE THE FUTURE.
DISCUSS THE VALUE OF SCHOOL FOR WHAT YOU CAN EARN.
DO NOT LOOK FOR LABELS THEY WILL BECOME MEANINGLESS (YALE)
FIND OTHER FORMS OF SCHOOL. ON LINE.
TEACH YOUNG CHILDREN NOW THAT COLLEGE IS NOT A GIVEN
DEMAND MERIT FROM SCHOOL AND STUDENT OR PULL YOUR TIME/ $
EDUCATE YOURSELF AT ALL TIMES. ALWAYS READ.
HAVE A HARD COPY OF IMPORTANT BOOKS AND DOCUMENTS
LEARN OLD AND OR LOST PRACTICES.
MENDING/CANNING/FARMING
LEARN TO FIX AN ENGINE
RE-LEARN READING A MAP
KNOW THE NEWS. LIFE CAN CHANGE QUICKLY.
BE ABLE TO DEFEND YOUR POSITIONS BY KNOWING THE OTHER SIDE
TRADITIONS
PRESERVE WHAT IS IMPORTANT. SHED ALL OTHERS. CONSERVE AND
PRESERVE. RECLAIM AND RESTORE.
MONEY -
GOLD, FOOD, CIGARETTES, LIQUOR, SUGAR, AMMUNITION, GUNS, SEEDS,
SKILLS (BARTER) KNOWLEDGE
HAVE 30 DAYS CASH ON HAND
BUY A HOUSE
STOP ALL EXCESS SPENDING. BUY QUALITY ONLY. FORGET FASHION ONLY
MEASURE TWICE – CUT ONCE. DO NOT WASTE.
CONSIDER A FUEL EFFICIENT – SUV/TRUCK
CONSIDER SOMETHING PRIOR TO 1979 FIX YOURSELF
LOCATION
LIVE NEAR LIKE MINDED PEOPLE. TEXAS, MOUNTAINS OR WHERE GOD STILL PLAYS A ROLE IN REAL LIFE
IF YOU CANNOT MOVE (NO PLACE WILL BE UNTOUCHED) CREATE NETWORK
BUSINESS/WORK
BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE. BE THE ONE EMPLOYEE NO ONE CAN FIRE
SMALL BIZ – BE THE PRODUCT OR SERVICE NO ONE CAN CANCEL
CONSERVE AND PRESERVE
LEARN FROM THE DEPRESSION -
ADVERTISE WHEN NO ONE ELSE IS: CHEVOLET
STAY IN BUSINESS BUT DOWNSIZE AND PRESERVE (ARCH)
HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND CHARITY.

BE GEORGE BAILEY
SPIT YOURSELF OUT OF THE SYSTEM. TURN UPSIDE DOWN NOW
PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR HEART IS
DO BUSINESS IN SYMBIOTIC WAYS – WE NEED EACH OTHER
DO NOT TRY TO PUT OTHERS OUT OF BUSINESS, LET THEM DO IT.
GIMBLES AND MACYS
NEVER BE THE SMARTEST MAN IN THE ROOM
TAKE CARE OF YOUR EMPLOYEES THE BEST YOU CAN.
TAKE LESS AND GIVE MORE
READ FRANKLIN AND WASHINGTON
LIFE
DO NOT PLAN YOUR LIFE AND THEN MOVE. PLAN, LISTEN AND OBEY
PRACTICE AT LEAST FRANKLINS AMERICAN RELIGION
SERVE
HONOR ALL OF YOUR OBLIGATIONS
PRESERVE – FOOD, TIME, MONEY, ENERGY
TEACH YOUR CHILDREN THE BASICS. VALUES/PRINCIPLES
DO WITH LESS NOW. LESS OF A SHOCK IF IT COMES LATER
SERVE/SHARE
JOIN A 9.12 GROUP. LINK ON LINE. PHONE AND LOCATIONS
HAVE A MEETING PLACE ESTABLISHED FOR FAMILY
READ THE BIBLE
HAVE A GUN AND KNOW HOW TO SHOOT IT.
RESOLVE THOSE ISSUES THAT ARE HOLDING YOU BACK
STOP ALL BEHAVIOR THAT DOES NOT EXPAND YOU OR OTHERS INTO GOOD
MAKE AMENDS FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE
FIND PEACE AND GET TO WORK
TEACH CHILDREN WORK ETHIC
TOLERATE NOTHING THAT YOU FEEL IS WRONG BY REMAINING SILENT
LET YOUR CHILDREN SEE YOU STAND
BE HONORABLE IN ALL OF YOUR DEALINGS
UNDERSTAND THAT ANGER IS A PART OF LIFE BUT NEVER FEED IT
THE FIRST LOOK IS NOT A PROBLEM. IT IS THE SECOND LOOK.
NEVER BE THE BEST MAN/WOMAN IN THE ROOM.
BE HAPPY AND OPTIMISTIC. LIFE WILL GO ON. MAKE PLANS FOR THE
FUTURE. GET MARRIED. HAVE CHILDREN.

The east coast earthquake(s) are just the latest example of how unprepared we are for an emergency or major disaster.

Whether we’re talking about earthquakes, snow storms, hurricanes, floods, electrical outages or terrorist attacks, government officials, as well as individuals, have demonstrated time and again that we have a psychological inability to cope with high stress situations, a lack of foresight to stock emergency reserves, and have failed to prepare effective emergency response plans.

Though we hardly felt any movement here in the city of New York as a result of the earthquake, panic seemed to overtake a lot of people, as indicated by various news programs and social networking sites.

A single tremor was enough to cause mass confusion, building evacuations and cell phone service outages across the city.

…

So, I ask, are we ready for this possibility [Hurricane Irene], New York?

Consider: This region, more than any other, relies on electrical power. From high rise apartment buildings, to business computers, to the subway system, a massive power outage caused by a hurricane will have a significant impact on people’s lives.

Imagine if you were sick or paralyzed, and stuck on a building’s 35th floor without elevator service for days. Or, simply picture the isolation caused by television and cell phone outages. Ask yourself, where are your flashlights? Your radio? How will you keep up to date with important emergency information if the storm knocks out electrical services?

In order to prepare for this hurricane, ultimately we have to think not of the earthquake, which caused no lasting damage, but rather everything that went wrong during this past winter’s big snowstorm.

People were unable to leave their apartments, and emergency buildings were essentially unable to move around on the streets. We were woefully under-prepared, and most city workers had to play catch up to fix the significant problems that resulted from the storm.

Source: Fox News [Hat tip Bill]

Once cell phone service went out following high volumes of calls across the eastern seaboard, local police, fire and medical response was effectively shut down. Add congestion and confusion on roadways and you have a recipe for disaster.

The earthquakes this week were minor events in terms of severity and damage. But consider what might happen in a prolonged regional-disaster. Hurricane Katrina was such an incident, albeit still a short-term event, and luckily the rest of the country was unaffected. Emergency response took a week or more in some instances, and it reportedly took some three days to get bottled water into New Orleans. Bottled Water! And this is with a completely intact national infrastructure around the disaster zone.

Images of the looting, violence, preventable deaths and confiscatory martial law sweeps were beamed to millions of Americans. No one was paying attention, save a few individuals willing to think outside the box of complaceny and the status quo.

We realize the government has spent billions of our tax dollars making preparations. But how that money has been directed and managed is anybody’s guess. When it comes down to it, whatever preparations are being made by emergency preparedness experts at DHS, FEMA and other agencies, they will likely not benefit you all that much. If the time ever came that the infrastructure of the entire United States, not just an isolated region, experienced a far-from-equilibrium event we need to assume help is not coming. No ambulances. No police. No grocery delivery trucks. And no electricians to fix the power.

It’s going to be up to you.

Author: Mac Slavo
Date: August 25th, 2011
Website: www.SHTFplan.com

WHERE THE RATS ARE

Because of the danger of rat infestation, use caution entering buildings and debries:

¨ Carry a solid club and a flashlight.

¨ Inspect likely hiding places for rats.

Check

closets
drawers
mattresses
appliances
upholstered furniture
stacks of clothes or paper
dark corners
attics and basements.

¨Be extremely careful when approaching rats. They may be aggressive.

CONTROLLING RATS

If rats continue to be a problem after.

To minimize rat problems:

Remove trash piles and piles of damaged furniture or equipment.
Store materials on platforms or shelves 12 to 18 inches above the ground.
Remove food sources. Store food supplies in rat-proof bins or containers.
Suspend garbage containers from trees or posts.
Remove animal/Human Remains carcasses, as they may attract rats.

If you are bitten by a rat, wash the wound with soap and water andsee a doctor immediately. Rats may carry diseases and at the least, rat bites can cause infection.

When picking up a carcass, use the inside of a plastic bag to avoid touching it, and burn it.

INSPECTING FOR SNAKES

It is important to know what poisonous snakes may be common to your area. Non-poisonous snakes, however, are common and may bite. Remember that all snakes are beneficial to the ecosystem and should not be killed indiscriminately — poisonous snakes included. But follow these precautions upon entering an area of distruction:

¨Be alert for snakes in unusual places. They may be found in or around :

homes
barns
outbuildingsd
driftwood
levees
dikes
dams
stalled automobiles
piles of debris
building materials
trash any type of rubble or shelter.

¨ Keep a heavy stick or long-handled tool handy. After dark, carry a strong light.¨ Before beginning rescue or clean-up operations, search the premises thoroughly for snakes. Wear heavy leather or rubber high-top boots, and heavy gloves. Use rakes, pry bars or other long-handled tools when removing debris. Never expose your hands, feet or other parts of your body where a snake might be.

Explain to children the dangers of snakes. during TEOTWAWKI conditions and the precautions they should follow. Do not allow children to play around debris.

If you kill a poisonous snake, use a stick, rake or other long-handled tool to carry it away for disposal. If you realize you are near a snake, remain still—sudden movements may cause the snake to strike. If the snake doesn't move away from you after a few minutes, slowly back away from it. If someone is bitten by a poisonous snake take the nessiary steps using the first aid rules that you have learned. (Don't know these rules? We teach classes on that). Most all North American snakes that are poisonious will leave two fang marks. Non poisonious snakes will leave teeth marks, but no fang marks. Also be aware, that not every strike will contain venom, but treat each bite with caution and care.

If bitten by a non-poisonous snake, clean the wound and watch for signs of infection.

CONTROLLING SNAKES

To minimize chances of finding snakes indoors, block openings where they might enter buildings. Snakes can pass through extremely small openings and usually enter near or below ground level.

Some other suggestions:

Be sure doors, windows and screens fit tightly.
Search walls and floors for holes or crevices.
Inspect the masonry of foundations, fireplaces and chimneys. Then plug or cement these openings.
Plug spaces around pipes that go through outside walls.
Fasten galvanized screen over drains or ventilators, or over large areas of loose construction.

Remember snakes and rats are edible, but I would rather eat a snake than a rat. My rule of thumb is if they are heading toward my retreat or cabin, they get a .45 to the head if the are poisonious like rattle snakes, but if they are heading away from my cabin, they may go in peace. They eat rodents and insects, and having some snakes as distant neighbors can rid you of rats and mice, or at least cut down the population. I worry more about rats and mice and the diseases they carry than hoop snakes and the like.

Rocky Mountain Survival Institute

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