Sayyed Nasrallah went to dinner on Thursday. (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…)

1. Prayer.

Because that is about all you will have if there is an emergency or disaster. Especially pray that your neighbors are uncommonly kind and will share their two to three meals worth of food, since that’s probably all they have on hand. And give you one of the cans of warm soda in their non-functioning refrigerator, which is likely to be about all the water there is.

2. Um… there isn’t a number two.

That says it all for anyone who is not prepared for when… not if… normal life goes south for a while.

Maybe it will be a minor emergency, like someone in your family… or you… needing quick medical help. Even if 911 is up and functioning, there are situations where immediate aid can be life saving. If you do not have the training and materials to meet that need, the regret that follows could be immense.

Or perhaps there will be a regional disaster… a hurricane, tornado, flood, earthquake… you name it. There is not a piece of earth in the United States that is not subject to some sort of natural event that will at some time or another disrupt the flow of food and water, and create a sudden need for people trained in first aid.

As I’ve mentioned before, we have used our emergency supplies numerous times during the three-plus years that we’ve been stocked and ready. It has come in handy for relatively small’ things. And on one occasion, it very possibly saved a life. All the time and money spent has already paid off. And there has not yet been a major event yet in our area. We’ve come close a couple of times (nearby hurricanes), but nothing approaching what you would call a disaster.

Even a little preparation can pay you high dividends. A case of bottled water, stored in the closet. An emergency pack of food for a few days for everyone in your group. A real first aid kit with truly useful things in it. A jar of honey. You can find pages on each of these in this site, if you think it worth spending the time to look.

A word to the wise is sufficient. A thousand words to an ‘it can’t happen here’ person is not enough.

“We were joking Friday about people preparing as though it were going to be Armageddon — referring to the hordes of shoppers who emptied stores of milk, bread, shovels, driveway salt and other supplies.”    - Tihana Blanc , Washington D.C.

A winter storm. Sure, a severe winter storm, but something relatively normal and certainly predictable. It wasn’t even a record breaker. And people emptied the stores like they were ‘preparing for Armageddon.’

I haven’t written in a while because the mood of the country has been strangely euphoric despite the depression… I mean recession. The stock market went up, and the jobless were swept under the rug. No one - certainly not the media - paid any attention to the truly Armageddon-like buildup of new generation missiles, submarines and unmanned military drones around Israel.

But the military pacts between Iran, Syria, Hizballah and Hamas have been brought out into the open this week, with a message of destruction for Israel. You can see that for yourself if you search Google News for ‘Iranian Missile Airlift’.

The Middle East is poised to drop into war at the slightest provocation. (more…)

Do we have anything to be concerned about?

Vice President Biden gives the Israelis the green light to invade Iran with an airstrike against their nuclear facilities. President Obama says ‘absolutely not’ the next day. Iranian President Ahmadinejad
tells the world that if anything penetrates their airspace, the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz will stop suddenly, for starters. The US Joint Chief of Staff officially admit that the Iranians can actually do that for at least a short period of time, or perhaps for quite some length of time.

No one knows what will happen once missiles and jets and weapons of all types start flying around in the powder keg that is the Middle East. Tanks and elite troops are poised to bear down Israel on all sides, looking for an opening to put an end to the Jewish homeland. The US has promised to defend Israel’s borders. Israeli submarines armed with nukes are transiting the Suez Canal toward the Persian Gulf.

Perhaps we have quite a bit to be concerned about.

And that’s not taking into account the mysterious machinations of North Korea. (more…)

I recently had almost $30,000.00 of credit stripped from my accounts. It was a shocking surprise. One credit company went under and simply was not able to extend any more credit. Another capriciously decided to lower limits. One was on a Bank of America credit card I have used for over 40… that’s forty… years. All during that time of over four decades, I paid on time every single time. I would have thought I was a pretty good bet to continue doing so. They did not.

I can tell you it was not pleasant. I had counted on that credit to cushion our family during this economic down time.

But I had not counted on it too much. (more…)

Before I even start, I have to say that you must talk with your doctor and find out whether your use of any of the products or activities mentioned in this post, or indeed anywhere on this site, is appropriate for you. Get a complete physical and your doctor’s permission before beginning any physical activity. All statements are only personal opinion, and have not been approved by any authority or agency or anyone else whatsoever. And read our disclaimer statement.

You’ve gotten enough rest and you’re ready to rumble.

So, what would be a good work out to prepare your body for an emergency situation?

First on the list… stamina. (more…)

Before I even start, I have to say that you must talk with your doctor and find out whether your use of any of the products mentioned in this post, or indeed anywhere on this site, is appropriate for you. All statements are only personal opinion, and have not been approved by any authority or agency or anyone else whatsoever. And read our disclaimer statement.

You probably thought I’d start out by talking about running obstacle courses, or swimming through shark infested waters. That sort of thing.

But actually, the first thing you need to do is get enough rest. In the beginning, there was darkness, and then light. The Jewish day starts at sunset, so there is rest and sleep first…. and then later there is daytime and activity. That is so wise. Because that is the way we are made.

We need to build up before we can tear down and make stronger. We need rest before we can work out to maximum benefit.

That is why the method I propose is in at least one way superior to the best military training (more…)

Most people I know who have animals take care of them very well indeed.

But if you have not yet started stocking food and water and supplies for yourself during an emergency, it’s a pretty sure bet you have not done so for your pets. Truth is, their needs will be as great as your own. They depend on you for the food and water and medicines you provide for them. For life itself.

You want to be able to do your duty toward them in an extended emergency situation. So doesn’t it just make sense to start laying in enough food and other supplies to sustain them for a period of time when those things might not be available?
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There is a section on this website called Food - Can Help Others. You can find it here.

I bring up this thought because it is my answer to the people who say that if things go south, they would rather have bullets than food. I have been hearing more of this sort of talk lately, as we get closer to the next big event. Frankly, I tend to stay away from the subject, because I have very strong personal feelings about it, and my opinions tend to offend almost everyone. But the time to be cautious is passing. So here’s what I really think.
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