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What Does Civil Unrest Look Like and How Can You Stay Safe Near It?

October 17, 2012 by

There have been a lot of rumors of possible or expected civil unrest, which I mentioned in What We May See at the End of 2012 that is not related to the Mayans and such as this recent article from Infowars.com, entitled Will The Election Results Cause Massive Riots To Erupt All Over America?.  This could range from small peaceful protests to large violent riots.  In light of this, I thought I would look back at civil unrest in our history and from around the world to see if there is anything to be learned that could help if we’re ever caught near civil unrest.

 

Mob Mentality

Mob mentality means a group that acts together without a previous plan.  Mob mentality can turn dangerous if there are negative or hostile emotions being expressed.   People often feed off one another’s anger.  If one person acts out in violence, others may quickly follow.  People soon think as a group and continue to feed off each other’s hostility.

There are a certain percentage of people who will act with honor in any situation.  There is another percentage that will act with dishonor and take advantage of people in any situation.  There is yet another group of people who will usually act with honor except when presented with the opportunity to “get away with it”.  In a group of people, all it takes is for a small percentage of dishonorable people to influence the opportunists and chaos ensues.

Examples where this has happened would be riots after sporting events, flash mobs with malicious intent and, to some extent, the riots seen with “Occupy Wall Street”.

If you are facing a group where mob mentality is present, the best advice I can give is to leave the area immediately and call the police from a safe distance.  Flash mobs are a bit different; they are usually made up of teenagers who text their friends and the group quickly builds because so many have been texting.  They often then target a specific location, streaming in and either burglarizing the location or, in some instances, assaulting patrons or employees.

If you are faced with a flash mob, I would advise you to forget what you were there to purchase and leave immediately.  You do not know what the intent is or how long it will remain peaceful.  Retreat to a safe distance that the mob cannot quickly get to and call police.

 

Extended Lawlessness

I can only think of one case of extended lawlessness in recent American history.  That would be the LA riot in 1992, which lasted six days.  There were 53 people killed and over 2,000 injured.  Rioting was sparked in a few other places across the country but the majority of it was seen in LA.

Looting and violence was rampant.  I had a friend in the Navy who lived in South Central LA during the time of the riots.  He said his mother made him and his brother stay lying on the floor almost the entire time because of random gunfire.  I have read reports that police were so overwhelmed in parts of the city that some business owner took up arms and defended their businesses.

Looking abroad, we see similar traits.  When Saddam fell and his police went into hiding, Iraq was full of looting and rioting that carried on for many days.  I remember reading reports from Tunisia and Egypt soon after the civil unrest started there.  There were reports of small convenience stores running out of supplies, cash machines running dry and neighbors banding together to defend their neighborhood from the rioting thugs.

There have been many anti-austerity protests and riots in Spain, Greece, the United Kingdom and some other European countries as well, many of which have turned violent.  I remember reading one report of sporting goods stores in the UK running out of baseball bats because people were buying them for protection (see what happens when you don’t have the right to bear arms?).

If you live near a city that is in the midst of extended lawlessness you will have to make a decision.  Will you be safer if you bug out or batten down?  If you chose to batten down, here are some things to keep in mind; 1.) Make sure you have food and water available so that you do not have to risk leaving the house.  2.) Keep some emergency cash at home just in case you must leave for emergency supplies.

If you have to go out on foot, always be looking for cover and concealment, even if you don’t have to use it in the moment, you should always know where the nearest is at any given moment.  Avoid large groups of people; you have no way of knowing what they may be up to or when mob mentality may take hold.  If you see violence taking place, whether it is a fistfight or any other type of violence, it can shock your system to see it “in real life”.  Do not fixate on it, push it from your mind and focus on putting distance between you and it, you can process what you saw when your safely back home.  Keep your head on a swivel as they say in the Navy and keep looking around you to make sure you know who is nearby.

If you go out near civil unrest in a vehicle, keep as much distance as you can or you may be faced with the decision to use your vehicle to “make some room” to push through a crowd or to simply flee.  That is why I suggest you keep moving.  Do not stop and watch.  Keep as much distance as you can. Almost every time I see footage from riots, there are cars that are vandalized, flipped over or burned.

You cannot depend on 911 or expect the police to show up quickly.  It might be wise to take a page from the neighbors in Egypt who banded together to protect their neighborhood or from the business owners in LA that defended their businesses because the police were so overwhelmed.

 

Restoring Order

Police and possibly the National Guard have the difficult task of stopping the lawlessness and restoring order.  This job could be made increasingly difficult because in many cases the dishonorable people will try to blend in with citizens who’re nearby.  This is used to great effect in Iraq and Afghanistan where someone will shot at our forces and then drop their gun and hide amongst the civilians standing nearby, or will run into a hospital mosque.

As I wrote in What We May See at the End of 2012 that is not related to the Mayans, local law enforcement agencies have trained with the military in urban operations.  Also Local Cops Ready for War With Homeland Security-Funded Military Weapons and the Air National Guard ordering several LRAD (Long Range Acoustical Devices).  The article also states:

“With this order, LRAD systems will be in use by every major force of the Department of Defense,”

There are two dangers.  One is the rioters and the other is the response to them.  You would be well advised to keep your distance from both.

 

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Filed Under: Signs of the Times Tagged With: , , ,

Drawing a Line in the Sand

October 12, 2012 by

Job 38:11 “…This far you may come and no farther…”

While that verse is God telling the sea how far it may go, I believe we all must have lines drawn in the sand.  I won’t presume to tell you where it should be or what you should do if it is crossed, that is between you, your family and God.

Instead, I will explain why it is a good idea to draw the line and decide now what your action will be once it is crossed.  The things I have chosen to draw a proverbial line in the sand on are important to me and crossing the line will evoke unpleasant emotions.  Maybe it’s just me, but I have a hard time thinking clearly when I am angry, scared or feeling any other unpleasant emotion.   If I know how far I will let someone go and what action will be taken if they go further, there is no thinking needed, just action.

Here are just a few of the things I think having a line drawn for is a good idea.  If you want to share your thoughts, feel free.  Let me caution you on some of these.  It might not be best for the answer to be available to the entire Internet.

Bugging out; this might actually need several lines, as having the same threshold for certain events doesn’t work.  For instance; there are events that require an immediate decision, such as a chemical explosion nearby or the neighbor’s house catching fire and a very real possibility that mine will catch as well.  But there might be things that you need to watch to see what happens, such as a hurricane or wildfire, that are some distance away yet.

 

Going to a FEMA shelter; if your entire neighborhood or city is evacuated, will you go to one?  If not, what will you do?

Surrendering your firearms; will you give them up under any circumstance?  If so under which scenarios?  If not, what will you do to keep them?

How much are you willing to pay for gas?  At what point is it so expensive that you will only drive to and from work, or look for a car pool for that too?

Pandemic; if you discover a pandemic in your area, at what point will you either bug out or self-quarantine?

Civil Unrest; if rioting breaks out, how close will you let it get and what action will you take if it gets too close?

Confiscation of funds; whether it’s a tax implemented on 401k or other retirement funds, or as was done in 1933; the government demanding all gold be returned.  What will you do?

Food; what will you do if food prices demand that you spend 30-50% of your income?

Mugging or carjacking; what will you do if someone threatens violence if you don’t give them what they want?

Code enforcement; what if an overreaching local government decides you may not have a garden, chickens or other items in your yard?  This has happened and people have been threatened with fines and jail time.  What would you do?

I’m coming to your house; I asked this as a “what would you do” post and it got a lot of responses.  If you didn’t see it, it’s worth reading through.  What would you do if someone saw your preps and said, I’m coming to your house?

 

I’m sure I’ve missed some big ones, so if you can think of any others please add them to the comments or email them to me and I’ll post them for others to learn from.

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Filed Under: Mind Set, What Would You Do?

Why Should Christians, Specifically, Be Preparing?

October 10, 2012 by

I have written previously “Is preparedness a sin?” and “Scripture related to preparedness” , explaining why preparedness is allowable and even seen as prudent by the Lord.  I have never explained why Christians should be preparing.  Of course, they should be preparing for the same reasons as everyone else, but they should also be preparing for at least one specific reason that is theirs alone.

Jesus tells us in Mathew 5:14 that “You are the light of the world.”  While true that this statement isn’t about preparedness, it is about being a light to the world.  Whether it is economic hardship, war, terrorist attacks, pandemic or any other man made or natural disaster, our world is fallen and we are to be a light to it.  Jesus didn’t prerequisite that with “unless food is limited or very high priced” or with “You can pause on being light to the world when events around you become uncertain or dangerous.”

To me, it is those times when we MUST be the light to the world.  After 9-11, many churches were filled to capacity.  Sadly, it often takes a large event to break people and have them turn to the Lord.  If there is another large scale disaster (Katrina or 9-11) and someone only has a few days of food for their family, they will be focused on taking care of and providing for their immediate family.  They may not be concentrating on spreading Gods love and being His hands and feet to another needy family.

My wife and I, as well as many from our church, have taken CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) training, so that if there is an event in our local area, we can give aid. In the class, they made a point to say that you make sure your family is safe first and then go help if you’re able. Their reasoning is the same as mine. If things are not prepared for at home, if you have to worry about your family’s safety or whether there is food, you will be ineffective in the field.
Jesus told us in Mathew 24:6 – 8 (NIV) that:

“6. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.  7. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.  8. All these are the beginning of birth pains.”

I can’t know if we’re living near the end times, but I do know all of those things are happening now, and Jesus said that they were just the beginning.  That means that more and probably worse will follow.

 

Many Christians have a misunderstanding of scripture, they will quote Matthew 6:25-34

“25. Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?  26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?  27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?…”

They don’t understand that this verse is not about preparedness or the lack thereof, it is about worry. Let’s face it, believing that God will take care of our every need is comforting, but our God is not a genie from a bottle.  He gave us free will and logic and the ability of forethought.

 

As I mentioned above, Jesus said some pretty bad stuff would happen and Proverbs 27:12 says:

“A prudent person foresees the danger ahead and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.”

When you put these three verses together, we’re told that there will be some difficult and dangerous times ahead.  We’re told not to worry because Jesus is Lord our God, but to be wise and prepare for those dangers that lie ahead.

So, if you want to be prudent before the Lord, then being prepared to be the light He said we are, and ready to face what He said is coming seems like the only decision.  Some people will have a hard time with this.  As I mentioned in Survival Psychology: Cognitive Dissonance, holding two opposing views is called “cognitive dissonance” and will cause mental stress and discomfort.  But looking at all of the scripture where we’re shown that God told people to prepare, which I cover in “Scripture related to preparedness”, and as I listed above with Proverbs 27:12, anyone who wants to be prudent need just look for dangers and take action to mitigate them.  One can make the logical and prudent choice and move out of cognitive dissonance.

 

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Filed Under: Christian World View, Mind Set Tagged With:

Survival Psychology: Cognitive Dissonance

October 8, 2012 by

“Cognitive dissonance” is a term coined by psychologist Leon Festinger in 1954, which is a psychological phenomenon which refers to the discomfort felt at a discrepancy between what you already know or believe, and new information or interpretation, often these are two opposing views

People who are “asleep” when it comes to current events and to things like how fragile our electrical and water systems are or how quickly groceries would run out of food if the trucks stopped running only hold one view.  Christians who say “I don’t need to prepare, God will provide” or something similar, fall into the same group.

 

An example:

The Flood

A man was trapped in his house during a flood. He began praying to God to rescue him. He had a vision in his head of God’s hand reaching down from heaven and lifting him to safety.

The water started to rise in his house. His neighbor urged him to leave and offered him a ride to safety. The man yelled back, “I am waiting for God to save me”. The neighbor drove off in his pick-up truck.

The man continued to pray and hold on to his vision. As the water began rising in his house, he had to climb up to the roof.

A boat came by with some people heading for safe ground. They yelled at the man to grab a rope they were ready to throw and take him to safety. He told them that he was waiting for God to save him. They shook their heads and moved on.

The man continued to pray, believing with all his heart that he would be saved by God. The flood waters continued to rise. A helicopter flew by and a voice came over a loudspeaker offering to lower a ladder and take him off the roof. The man waved the helicopter away, shouting back that he was waiting for God to save him. The helicopter left.

The flooding water came over the roof and caught him up and swept him away. He drowned.

When he reached heaven and asked, “God, Why did you not save me? I believed in you with all my heart. Why did you let me drown?”

God replied, “I sent you a pick-up truck, a boat and a helicopter and you refused it all. What else could I possibly do for you?!”

In this example, the man clung to one thought and dismissed the possibility that God was rescuing him.

 

If you can use logic and facts, not emotion, to introduce a competing thought, they will be forced to make a decision.  For example, if you know someone who doesn’t see the need to prepare, you might ask them what they would do if the power went out and the power company couldn’t get it back on for a few days.  How would they keep their food cold in the warmer months, or keep themselves warm in the colder months?  Is most of their food in the refrigerator, or do they have a week or more worth of food in a pantry?  If the electricity is out where they live, it might be out at the grocery as well.  What would they do for food then?  Once faced with the conflicting thoughts that they do not need to prepare at all and that they only have a few days’ worth of food that doesn’t need to be in the refrigerator, they now must make a choice.

Likewise if you know a Christian who doesn’t see the need to prepare because God will provide, you might ask them “does God provides for them now?”  If the answer is no, I would ask why they think He will provide in an emergency.  If they say yes, then ask how the food they eat made its way to the house.  Explain that God gave us the ability to prepare now for future needs, but that He is still the one who provided.  This brings me to one of my favorite quotes:

“If God gives you a watch, are you honoring Him more by asking Him what time it is or by simply consulting the watch?” A.W. Tozer

 

Sticking with Logic and Facts

The reason it’s important to use logic and facts is that emotion from one person is not equivalent to emotion in the next.   A fact is a fact no matter how you or I feel about it.  I’ll use our Our Endangered Electrical Infrastructure as an example.   It is a fact that hackers in multiple other countries have hacked our electric grid and in some cases, left malicious software thought to be a back door, that was found later.  It is a fact that there have been blackouts caused by falling trees that left an estimated 55 million without power. Also a blackout caused by changing a failing part that left an estimated 7 million without power.  It is also a fact that I cover this in more details in EMP’s, Solar Flares and CME’s that the United States doesn’t produce many of the large transformers used and in a medium to large solar storm, we would have to look to other countries to help replace them.  It could take ten years to fully recover.

It is emotion that says that in an EMP or solar flare situation, we’re in the stone ages and we’ll be killing each other within days.  While this could be partly or even mostly true, people who have not been paying attention and are hearing this information for the first time don’t know what to do with an EMP and the idea of us killing each other within days isn’t understandable.  If you show provable facts that they can understand, such as the occasional black out and hackers breaking into our grid, they can understand and might enter into cognitive dissonance.

 

What Happens Next?

Some people might be open for further discussion or even have some questions on the subject.   Most likely you have just planted seeds and will not see the fruit right away.  There will be those who decide that their previously held belief is the correct one and will disregard your logic and facts.  These people are unreachable, much like the man in the example.  Shake the dust from your sandals and continue your walk.

 

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Filed Under: Mind Set Tagged With:

A List of Things to do Before Winter

October 5, 2012 by

Here are just a few reminders of things that could be done at this time of year, before winter sets in.

  1. Change out the clothes in your BOB to warmer clothes with multiple layers.
  2. Do an inspection of all kits.
  3. Collect fallen leaves and bag them for using in compost in the spring.  Make sure no moisture from rain or snow can get in, or they’ll start to decompose.
  4. If you’re a hunter, make sure your gear is in good shape.
  5. If you live where it gets cold or snows, make sure to winterize your car. Here is what I carry in my car kit.
  6. Preserve food from your garden or a farmers market.
  7. Think about backup heat sources;  Do you have a means to keep your house warm if the electricity goes out or the gas supply shuts off (unlikely but possible)?

Can you think of any other things that should be done at this time of year?

 

 

Filed Under: General Preparedness

What We May See at the End of 2012 that is not related to the Mayans

October 3, 2012 by

I’m not a prophet but I have gotten pretty good at watching pieces in different areas move and seeing potential threats.  Here are some possible things we might see late this year and early next year.

 

Politics

I see the potential for chaos no matter who gets elected.  If Romney gets elected there is a very good chance that a certain percent of Obama supporters will riot in protest.  What makes me think this?  The new Black Panthers intimidating voters at prior elections, the almost worship from a large chunk of his supporters, such as the “Obama phone” woman, and the racial tension in America which is covered below.

If Obama gets elected, he has nothing to lose and he could be even more progressive, pushing his agenda faster and farther than we have seen thus far.  In his first four years he was able to:  get homosexuals openly enrolled in the military, push through universal healthcare and appoint many radicals as czars that only answer to him, not to congress or the voters.  I could go on but you get the idea.  He did many things that could be argued as unconstitutional and he still had an election to win.  If he wins another term, all bets are off.   I can see him going after DOMA (defense of marriage act) and the second amendment to name just two.

 

Economy

No matter who gets elected we will have an economy that is in very bad shape.  We cannot sustain this debt and keep living like we have been.  I believe taxes will be raised on the middle class and up.  I also think we will see social programs cut, which could lead to the kind of protesting and riots seen in Spain, Greece and in London.

As I mentioned in When the Trucks Stops, due to a lack of truckers and rising diesel prices, among other reasons, the cost to have freight delivered is going up.  This cost will be passed on to the consumer.  Manufacturers have done some sneaky things the last couple of years, like making the package of certain items smaller but keeping the price the same.  They are trying to avoid raising prices, but soon won’t have a choice.

Here is an article from Comcast’s Xfinity finance news called Forbes: The Drought’s Impact on Food Prices.  The article explains why the drought will impact food prices and how it will impact certain foods such as dairy, chicken, beef and others.

There are also several municipalities declaring bankruptcy, from small cities, counties and soon, I believe, states.  California is the biggest and probably the closest to it.  Here is a Municipal Bankruptcies Map.  Watch it grow over the next few months.  People will lose their entire pensions and cuts will be made to services.  As in Oakland, for example, Police will no longer respond to certain crimes..  Others are doing things like turning off the street lights.  This is just the beginning.

 

Crime Rates

When social cutbacks are made, the poorest among us will be effected the most.  There is a certain percentage of that populace who will turn to crime to “supplement” their income.  One of the things I learned in my local police citizens academy is that criminals will often travel some distance to do their thieving, not wanting to “make a mess where they live” so to speak.  So suburbs with a relatively low crime rate could see more crime as social programs are cut.

I read a forum post by Ferfal, a gentleman who lived in Argentina until very recently.  He has two blogs, Surviving in Argentina and his newer blog, The Modern Survivalist.  In this forum post he made the point that the crime rate was so high that he always had multiple weapons on him, a knife, pepper spray, an ASP and a firearm.

The most important thing to always use is The Cooper Color Code and Situational Awareness.  These two can help keep you safe.  If you haven’t read The Gift of Fear yet, please do.  It will show you how to trust your instincts and keep you safe.

 

Race Relations

I have never seen racism.  I believe it exists and until a few years ago, (maybe I was naïve) I would have said it only existed in small pockets but that race relations in America were by and large doing fine.  Then two different things happened.  One, anyone who opposed the President was openly called a racist by many in the media, Hollywood and even some of our elected leaders.  The Tea Party was also called racist as well.

Then Trayvon Martin was shot in Florida.  When George Zimmerman was not arrested, he and his family had death threats made against them.  There were protests against the police, and some small rioting broke out.  There were also stories of white people attacked and told that it was for Trayvon.  Some of these beatings occurred outside of Florida.

Today, if asked, I would say that race relations in America are concerning.  I do believe that if Romney is elected, we will see rioting that makes the LA riots pale in comparison.  If people truly believe that anyone who doesn’t vote for Obama is a racist, losing to Romney will be seen as a far greater injustice than George Zimmerman not being arrested right away.  Any white person may be seen as a surrogate for the white person who did not vote for Obama, just like the white people in other states being beaten for Trayvon.

 

Civil Unrest

I have had several people email me about things they have seen or that they have been told by insiders.  I have also seen several news stories that point to state and federal government getting ready for civil unrest, from various police agencies being allowed to use drones, to police forces training with the military in urban operations.  Multiple federal agencies have purchased large quantities of ammo, totaling over 450 million rounds without any good explanations.  Then, Local Cops Ready for War With Homeland Security-Funded Military Weapons.

There is also the Air National Guard ordering several LRAD (Long Range Acoustical Devices).  The article also states:

“With this order, LRAD systems will be in use by every major force of the Department of Defense,”

These LRAD systems have already been put to use on American citizens, first at the G20 protests, which can be seen in the video.  Watch to see exactly how the LRAD works and how effective it is.

 

 

It was used again; San Diego Sheriff Gore deploys military sonic LRAD area denial weapons at political meetings.

The whispers people are hearing from insiders are vague but point to either something happening or being ready for something big to happen.  I usually take these kinds of whispers with a grain of salt, but like I said, I have had quite a few emails that, while not saying the same thing, have a similar thread.  Combine that with the drones being used to spy on Americans, the hundreds of millions of rounds and the police training in joint urban operations with the military and, well, you don’t have to be a conspiracy theorist to see that something is either going to happen or at least expected to.

 

Filed Under: Signs of the Times Tagged With:

Paracord; The King of Cordage

October 1, 2012 by

Make sure you see the end of this article to see how one of Prepared Christians sponsors, Camping Survival, is spreading some Paracord love with a discount and some free paracord for me to give away.

Paracord or parachute cord, or 550-cord is rope that is as useful as duct tape and something that I think belongs in every home, if not every kit.

What exactly is it and what makes it the king of cordage?  Paracord is a nylon rope that first saw use in parachutes in World War II.  It is made from seven two-ply threads shielded in an outer nylon jacket.  Paracord has a tensile strength of 550 lbs., hence the name 550-cord.  If needed, you can put two sections together, doubling the weight limit.  Its diameter is only 1/8”.  Paracord is also mildew and rot resistant, aiding to its versatility.

 

 

Now that you know what it is, what is it good for?

 

Bracelets

Either worn to make a fashion statement or as a means to always have some paracord close by.  Many people braid their own bracelets, but you can buy them online as well.

 

Belts

This is another option to make sure you always have some cordage nearby.  I also think that this is a perfectly acceptable reason to gain some weight.  You see, if you gain enough you’ll need new bigger pants, which will mean more paracord to keep them up!

 

Lanyards

This is a great way to have a small section with you.  I carry one attached to my keychain.  Sure it’s not a very long piece, but enough to tie someone’s hands together if needed or to make a bow drill.

 

Start a fire

Paracord is perfect for using as part of a bow drill.

 

Dog Collars and Leashes

Can’t find a leash the right length or the right color?  Paracord is your solution!

 

Fishing and Trapping

You can pull out the strands and use one as fishing line.  You can also use paracord to make snares for small game.

 

Handle Coverings

I have seen some people wrap paracord around the handle of straight edge knives.  I have also seen it wrapped around the handle of walking sticks.

 

In the Field

There are so many things it could be used for on a hike or while camping that I wouldn’t be able to list them all.  Here are a few:  Busted shoelace, broken backpack strap, a splint for a broken limb, temporary shelters (would work great with tarps), emergency stretcher, guide rope, babysitter (haha) and hoisting a cooler to keep it away from bears.

 

Camping Survival


Camping Survival is one of the leading paracord vendors in the market.  In fact, I purchased a 1000’ spool from them years before I started this site.  Their selection is almost unmatched.  They have a wide variety of lengths and colors available.  They also have some premade paracord bracelets and other items as well.

 

Special Pricing!

Camping Survival is currently having a sale on all ROTHCO brand paracord for 15% off, but they have offered a 5% discount on all other paracord to the readers of Prepared Christian.  For the 5% discount, just use the code preparedchristian at checkout.

 

Free Paracord!

To help celebrate the goodness that is paracord, Camping Survival has given me three 100’ sections to give away.  To enter, either send an email to Chris (at) preparedchristian (dot) net, with the subject line of “paracord contest” or fill out the form below.  Only one entry per person please, (I’ll just delete multiple entries).  Winners will have to provide your mailing address, which I will delete after I send the paracord.

Update!  I initially forgot to mention that I will select 3 random winners on Monday October 8th.

Final thoughts

Cordage is one thing that is difficult to make do without when you need it.  Sure, it’s possible to make from other things such as yucca plant for example, but it is just not as good as even a regular rope.  Paracord is so lightweight, strong, versatile and durable that I just can’t see a good reason not to have some in your kits.  And with the discounted prices, their availability and variety, I can’t see any reason not purchase it from Camping Survival.  I want to thank them for supporting Prepared Christian and you the readers with this give away as well as the discounted price.

 

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Filed Under: General Preparedness Tagged With:

Book review of: Just In Case, how to be self-sufficient when the unexpected happens.

September 28, 2012 by

Just in Case: How to be Self-Sufficient when the Unexpected Happens

Book Description from Amazon:

“Just in case disaster strikes, you need a plan to ensure your family’s safety and comfort in all eventualities. What would you do if the power went out for several days in a row? Or if your family had to quickly evacuate the area?

Kathy Harrison shows you how to set up a simple home system–covering food storage, alternative heating sources, toiletries and clothing, pet supplies, emergency communication plans, and more–that will allow your household to survive comfortably for several days, or longer, with no outside services at all. Harrison also explains how to create a detailed evacuation plan–where to go, how to meet up with other family members, what to pack, and how to protect what you leave behind.

Keep a cool head and plan well; your family will be able to settle in together, stay warm, and eat well when the unexpected happens.”

This book is my wife’s go-to book; her favorite book in our preparedness library. By looking at the table of contents, one would think the book has limited information. Paging through it reveals that it covers a very extensive range of topics. Kathy Harrison, the author, does a great job explaining topics in a clear and concise manner.

It goes into more detail on some topics than others but gives you enough information on all topics covered to make you familiar with the topic. She lists other, more detailed resources for some topics as well.

I think one of my favorite parts is what she calls “Stored Food Cookbook”, where she lists several recipes using commonly stored foods. She also has section on canning, dehydrating and other means of storing food.

I think this book is a good resource for those newer to preparedness, as it covers a wide range of topics related to the headings in the table of contents. Those who’ve been Prepper’s for a while will find nuggets of wisdom as well.

I give this book four stars.

Filed Under: Reviews

What is an Overton Window and Why is it Important?

September 26, 2012 by

Some of you Glenn Beck fans might be familiar with what an “Overton Window” is. I’m not talking about his book by the same title (which I own, but haven’t read yet). I’m speaking of the term on which he based his book.

The Overton Window is a theory created by Joseph Overton from the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Here is a brief explanation from their site:

“Joseph Overton observed that in a given public policy area, such as education, only a relatively narrow range of potential policies will be considered politically acceptable. This “window” of politically acceptable options is primarily defined not by what politicians prefer, but rather by what they believe they can support and still win re-election. In general, then, the window shifts to include different policy options not when ideas change among politicians, but when ideas change in the society that elects them.”

Here is a video from the Glenn Beck’s show when he was still on Fox, with Joseph Lehman, the President of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. It might help explain it for those who need more visual explanation than written.

As the video explains, you may not know what the term “Overton Window” means, but it has been used on you countless times.

You might be asking “what has this got to do with preparedness?” It has to do with your mindset and awareness; the awareness of when you’re being manipulated. In The Future of America I list some of my concerns with the current administration. I also cover America and prophecy and explain some possibilities that could lie ahead for us. These are things like: an economic collapse resembling that of the one seen in Argentina, which could lead to large social programs being cut, which could then lead to rioting on a scale never seen before in America, which could lead to Martial Law and the suspension of Habeas Corpus. I also believe that after the next large event, there will be a power grab that makes all others thus far pale in comparison. To accomplish some of those things, the “Overton Window” will have to be moved, so that the idea of Marshal Law or many other ugly things are something that the citizenry see as acceptable, if not needed.

The reason knowing this is important is that when you see the “Overton Window” being pushed, it can be a sign that things could be about to hit the fan. Also make sure you you’re not one of those that gets distracted (or manipulated) by what the right hand is doing and does not notice what the left is. Don’t be willing to accept just a little loss of your freedoms, because it’s better than what was initially imposed or proposed.

Here is one example to help paint a picture of how a politician can use this to move the “Overton Window”. Pretend I am the Governor of your state; I decide that we need to turn three of your fairly large freeways into toll roads to bring in more tax revenue. Now, I know that this idea is outside of the “Overton Window”, so instead of putting forth legislation to turn these freeways into toll roads, I do so and say that private companies will operate them, most of which are companies from another country. The citizens are in an uproar; “how dare I let a foreign company put a toll on an American! If anyone is going to charge me a toll it dang sure better be someone from America or someone from my own state!” And the window has now moved. What would have been unacceptable before now seems the more reasonable option. Think this sounds farfetched? Governor Perry tried to do it in Texas in 2010.

Here is another example, one that the President would like to enact very much. In fact, he mentioned it several times in the 2008 campaign. He said we couldn’t just rely on our military to achieve the national security objectives that he has set, so he would like to create a Civilian National Security Force that is just as powerful, just as strong and just as well funded. Here is a video where a reporter interviews Rham Emanuel, when he was the President’s Chief of Staff, who speaks about what this force might look like. The President speaks at the 3minute 42 second mark.

Obviously it hasn’t been enacted, but don’t think that this has been discarded. I think that the “Overton Window” just isn’t in the right place yet. As Rahm Emanuel said, “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste.” What kind of crisis could provoke the “Overton Window” to be moved to where the President could achieve this goal?

In “Terrorism: Lone Wolf and Swarm Attacks”, I explain two types of terrorist attacks that I think we’ll see more and more of as time goes on. They are: a lone gunman or a small team of gunmen attacking soft targets, such as shopping malls, churches and schools, among others. If there was a huge spike in these kinds of attacks, where the police were just overwhelmed, maybe, just maybe, the “Overton Window” could move far enough for the President to get his Civilian National Security Force.

This is completely speculative but I would imagine that this Civilian National Security Force would swear an oath to the President, and not to the Constitution like the military does. Of course the attacks would be horrendous and need to be stopped, and I don’t know about you, but to have a group of people with the Presidents ideals who are just as powerful, just as strong and just as well funded as the military sounds like hitting the fan to me, creating a fundamental change to America that may never be undone.

 

Filed Under: Mind Set, Signs of the Times Tagged With:

When the Trucks Stops

September 24, 2012 by

During the skyrocketing fuel prices of 2008, I remember listening to talk radio and the host commenting on how diesel prices were affecting truckers and trucking companies.  He said something to the effect of “At what point do they just decide they’re not making enough profit to be away from their families and stop driving?”  At the time, diesel was over $5.00 a gallon, which was $1.00 more than unleaded.  That didn’t make sense, as diesel requires less refining than unleaded.

That got me thinking.  I soon realized that nearly everything we purchase is, at some point, transported by semi-trucks.  If they stopped delivering goods, our economy would soon follow and eventually grind to a halt.  I began to do a little digging and found a report that was prepared in 2006 called “When Trucks Stop, America Stops”.

The report details how a stoppage of trucking could greatly impact American life.  It talks about how different industries, such as Healthcare, the Food Industry, Waste Removal and others rely heavily on trucking.

The author mentions how trucking stoppages after 9-11 impacted the economy and how hindering trucking after Hurricane Katrina added lengthy delays.

They also list the timeline below.  I don’t agree with 100% with it, but it’s not far off.

 

“A Timeline Showing the Deterioration of Major Industries Following a Truck Stoppage

 

The first 24 hours

  • Delivery of medical supplies to the affected area will cease
  • Hospitals will run out of basic supplies such as syringes and catheters within hours. Radiopharmaceuticals will deteriorate and become unusable.
  • Service stations will begin to run out of fuel.
  • Manufacturers using just-in-time manufacturing will develop component shortages.
  • U.S. mail and other package delivery will cease.

 

Within one day

  • Food shortages will begin to develop.
  • Automobile fuel availability and delivery will dwindle, leading to skyrocketing prices and long lines at the gas pumps.
  • Without manufacturing components and trucks for product delivery, assembly lines will shut down, putting thousands out of work.

 

Within two to three days

  • Food shortages will escalate, especially in the face of hoarding and consumer panic.
  • Supplies of essentials—such as bottled water, powdered milk, and canned meat—at major retailers will disappear.
  • ATMs will run out of cash and banks will be unable to process transactions.
  • Service stations will completely run out of fuel for autos and trucks.
  • Garbage will start piling up in urban and suburban areas.
  • Container ships will sit idle in ports and rail transport will be disrupted, eventually coming to a standstill.

 

Within a week

  • Automobile travel will cease due to the lack of fuel. Without autos and busses, many people will not be able to get to work, shop for groceries, or access medical care.
  • Hospitals will begin to exhaust oxygen supplies.

 

Within two weeks

  • The nation’s clean water supply will begin to run dry.

 

Within four weeks

  • The nation will exhaust its clean water supply and water will be safe for drinking only after boiling. As a result gastrointestinal illnesses will increase, further taxing an already weakened health care system.”

 

Fast forward to the week of 9-23-2012; I had a conversation with my brother, who is a freight broker for a large grocery distributor in the Midwest.  He told me that things are the worst he has seen them in the last six years that he has been in this position, and that he cannot see it getting better.  Now keep in mind that goes back to before the diesel hike of 2008.

I asked if that was due to diesel prices.  He said “only partly”.  He said the biggest problem right now is finding truckers.  Many truckers are either getting out of the business or retiring and that not many young people are considering it as a profession.  He said it’s a tough job, that you can sometimes be away from home for up to two weeks.  He said when he first started in the position, they posted a want ad looking for truckers in Madison, Wisconsin and they had 50-60 applicants.  He said they posted another want add this year in Madison and had maybe 3-5 applicants.

Another comment he made was about the US Department of Transportation enacting CSA2010, which added more penalties for truckers and trucking companies that don’t follow the regulations.  He said that not all of them were bad, but that they add more restrictions.  They also enacted a points system that might deduct points for not wearing a seat-belt or a light out on the top of the cab.  With enough points, you get audited and possibly fined on top of the cost of the ticket.  There was even one trucking company that, granted had some problems that needing fixing, but the US Department of Transportation went in and shut down for good.  Like my brother said, not all of the changes were bad, but they added more difficulty to an already complex problem.

He also mentioned that companies like the grocery distributer use a philosophy that might sound familiar to you; “just in time inventory”. To keep cost low, they don’t have a lot of inventory sitting around and depend on the trucks bringing them beef to butcher and package as well as all of the other groceries they distribute. If a truck is a day late, it starts to cause problems. If it is two days late, they send people home because they have nothing for them to do. This also goes for deliveries to grocery stores, which use a term similar to the one above that I have used a few times, called “just-in-time” delivery. For those of you unfamiliar, most grocery stores and many other retail stores only keep enough stock on hand for three days.

As an incentive to get drivers to pick up their loads, they have to pay a premium of 20% more per load.  That is going to trickle down folks!  We’re going to end up paying more for everything that is delivered by semi, which, as I mentioned, is MOST things.

I have mentioned in other articles that in many countries where food riots have occurred, it is because they pay between 30-50% of their income for food alone.  When food prices are raised, families have no money to spend on it.   In the USA, we spend roughly 12%-20% on food.  With the added cost of inflation, the increased price of corn, which is used as feed for livestock and many other things, and now the added cost of transportation of the goods, this is a problem that will only get worse.  Do you have room in your budget to pay 30-50% of your income for food?

 

Filed Under: Signs of the Times
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