Ain’t nothin’ like the real thing, baby…

… but a dress rehearsal is as good as it gets until the real thing arrives.

So every once in a while, we go through the motions as though it were the real thing. We put on our gear, get the appropriate things out of storage and into action locations.

Most of our First Aid supplies are stored at the proper temperature for long term storage, so we need to put them someplace more at hand during an actual emergency. Some kits go into cars, depending on (more…)

It’s about time for me to go through my periodic check of supplies, so I thought I share with you what I’m going to do. (more…)

Risk taking is currently seen as a negative personality trait, right up there with a rigid morality.

It’s understandable, from a certain viewpoint. If you want to create a society that is malleable to the desires of those in power, then you do not want people taking actions on their own, or having opinions that do not conform to current mass thinking.

People are glad to buy into the illusion of stability and safety that goes along with that, because most people desire safety and sameness above all. I’d cite an example, but there really is no need. It’s easy to see in every part of life.

In an emergency or disaster, things are radically different. The rules that applied a few seconds ago are out the window.

As people in New Orleans and Haiti found out, you can’t (more…)

When an emergency situation arises, the chances are that some of the people around you at the time will be different from you.

Even if they have the same ethnic background, they may have a completely different moral compass, a completely different world view. Since you are reading this, you probably see helping people as a duty and a privilege. Some people that you would normally be very comfortable around may think that stopping to give aid is just stupid and wouldn’t consider it.

You might actually have more in common with someone of a different ethnicity. Or, put more bluntly, color.

This gets very personal, but I do not know any better way of making these points. It’s also long, so if you’re going to take this journey with me, sit back and relax.

I have had an interesting walk through prejudice. (more…)

WARNING: If you do not obey the lawful commands of police and military authorities, especially during an emergency, you may be subject to severe penalties, including summary execution. This post does NOT in any way suggest disobedience of lawful commands. It is about leadership by non-official, self-appointed people in an emergency situation.

Who Should You Trust in an Emergency Situation? My first knee-jerk reaction is, no one but yourself.

And that is true to some extent. Ever watch a disaster movie? There is always some self-promoting person who leads a group of people directly into the maw of whatever is waiting out there for them. And then the smart but unpopular hero leads a smaller group toward a semblance of safety, although many of them perish along the way.

Unfortunately, the movies mirror reality all too closely.

There is a type of person who really wants to take charge during an emergency and have everyone do exactly what they say. They’re just made that way. Some of them are idiots. A few have experience and good training and good judgement, and it would be a good idea to listen to them. Question is, how can you tell the difference? (more…)

Most people are not awake.

We live in a time of comfort and safety. Despite all the warnings about threats, we live our daily lives expecting very little out of the ordinary.

Most of us live in our houses and cars and offices, and spend as little time ‘on the street’ as possible. That is reasonable, because going outside our comfort zone might be dangerous, or at least could result in some uncomfortable situation. We go to the store, get the stuff, get back asap. That’s about it for most people.

That’s not it for everyone. Some of you are very awake, and you easily enter a higher state of awareness. When you go out, you see the cat in the bushes, the guy that looks a little out of place for some reason, the car that is not acting quite right. That is very good. That is survival when the going gets rough.

The rest of us need to practicing being awake and aware. I have to admit (more…)

Last time I shared with you the fact that I can smell you coming, and talked about some of the ways I could do so.

This time I’ll tell you why you can’t smell me.

First, I never use any colognes. My wife, with regrets, does not wear perfumes.

For underarm deodorant, we … don’t use any. But we do not smell bad. In fact, quite the reverse. We use colloidal silver under our arms and any other places that might generate scent. Because most body odor (if we are healthy) that is not caused by the food we eat comes from bacteria which grows on us and releases sulphur based wastes that, of course, smell very bad. Colloidal silver simply kills them, so that your sweat does not become a breeding ground for germs. Very nice. No body odor, no added scent.
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If you are the average American, I can tell you are coming a hundred yards or more before you have any chance of knowing I’m in your path.

I can choose to let you pass without incident. Or I can select to ‘greet’ you.

If you’re me, that is optimal. I would not want to be in your shoes.

But I can teach you how to be in my shoes. In fact, you can learn the skills before you finish reading this 2-part post. The only thing I ask in return is that you buy some food, either at the grocery store or on from a link on this website, and get some storable water, and put both away in case of an emergency. Could be as little as one can of beans and a six-pack of soda. Anything. Then you will have made this blog worthwhile for both of us. Of course more is better.
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The moon also rises in the East.
The moon also sets in the West

Stand with your right hand pointing to where the moon rises, and your left hand to where the moon sets.
You are facing approximately North.
South is in back of you.

Now you can find North day or night.

Except… what if you’re in a place you’re not familiar with, and you can’t determine where the moon rises or sets, because there is no moon that night?

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Who here is planning to rely on the GPS in their car for directions on how to get to places, if things go seriously south?

Okay, that may be kind of funny on the face of it. But if there is a general emergency, the chances are high that the GPS system, if still in orbit, will be reserved for ‘non-public’ uses. And I’m wondering if many cars will be running for very long.

So back to maps and compasses. Except who knows how to use either of those any more?
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