November 28, 2024

Posts Comments

Home Security Inside and Out

June 5, 2013 by

Let’s face it, most homes are not built with security in mind and are relatively easy to get into. But that doesn’t mean they need to stay that way! In this article, I’ll give you some tips on making your home look like a harder target, actually make it harder to breach and give some general things to keep in mind about security.

 

Things to Keep in Mind

My local police captain said that most theft is drug related; people either breaking in looking for drugs, prescription or otherwise, or people breaking in to steal things they can trade or sell to get drugs. He also said that most of the crime in my city comes from Minneapolis, which is twenty miles away. I think those two things hold true in any area. Most theft is probably drug related and most criminals don’t steal from the area they live. They travel to another neighborhood or city.

Why is this important? It means that often times the criminals would have to “case” a residence to see if it is worth breaking into. The term “curb appeal” usually means how aesthetically pleasing your home is from the curb. One often wants curb appeal when they’re selling their home.

But does your home have curb appeal to Joe Dirtbag and his criminal friends? Are there any expensive items in view from the street that might advertise other valuable items that might be inside? In my neighborhood, it’s not uncommon for people to leave their garage door open until they lock up for the night. Anyone passing by can get a good idea of where they may want to come back to later. They might not want the items in the garage, but if you have expensive tools or other items, that can be a sign that other valuables are inside.

One thing I recommend is to walk around the outside of your home and look for ways that Joe Dirtbag may try to gain access. Do you have any tall shrubs near windows or doors that could give Joe Dirtbag a place to hide while he tries to gain access to your home?

Have you heard this one? “Two friends were hiking and came upon a mother bear and her cub. The bear gave chase and the two friends began running. One friend said to another, there is no way we can outrun this bear. The other friend responded with, “I don’t have to out run the bear, I just have to out run you”.

Many times the same theory applies; you don’t need to be able to make your home impenetrable, you just need to make it look like a harder target than your neighbors.

All of that being said, if someone wants to get into your house, you’re not going to keep them out. The items I’ll cover have two purposes; to make your home a harder target and to slow down Joe Dirtbag once he does gain access to your home.

Some things to keep in mind about Joe Dirtbag and his friends are that, in general, they are lazy and not sophisticated. Yes there are some criminals who might use lock picks, subvert alarm systems and use devices that disarm cell phones. But for the most part, the criminals that break into the average homes use brute force and go for easy pickings.

There are two types of security that will be covered; active and passive. “Active” means that it is something you will have to do, like locking a door or putting a door brace in place. “Passive” is something that you just have to install once. This would be something like putting longer screws in a door jamb.

Security systems are a good option if they fit your lifestyle and the monthly payments are not prohibitive. The following are things you can do on top of or instead of a security system.
 

Home Exterior

I covered a bit of this above. None of these, by themselves, will deter someone, but if you have multiple things to make possible detection too risky, they may go elsewhere. Do you have bushes or hedges that could conceal someone trying to gain access to a door or window? Do you have a tree that could be climbed to give access to a second story window? Motion sensor lights are a great item to have. They only light up once something has passed in front of the sensor. One option is to use thorny bushes such as Pyracantha and Barberry in front of windows.

Home alarms are a great option and having a sign in your yard that advertises the alarm is a good idea as well. It, by itself, won’t stop anyone but adds one more item to the list of reasons why your house might not be the best choice is the objective. If you don’t have an alarm system, you can buy alarm company signs on eBay and Amazon.
 

Home Interior

The goal for this section is to make it take as long as possible for Joe Dirtbag to get through the front door to you and your family. As with the exterior, the interior of most homes is not set up with security in mind. It is set up for the ease of use and comfort of the family. However, having a way to lock a teenager in their room until they’re 30 does sound appealing. But I digress; the average home has a front door or windows that a criminal can gain access from, and a bedroom door that is often hollow core with a simplistic lock. If we can add another layer or two of security, we can add to the length of time it takes Mr. Dirtbag to get to the family, giving us more time to gather the family, arm ourselves and call police.

I think everyone should have a room in their house they consider a “safe room”. I don’t mean a room that is commercially fortified and has its own air filtration system. I mean a room that you might reinforce, that is the “go to” spot if there is an intruder. If you have children, you might choose one of their rooms. If you have multiple small children, you might first go to the smallest child’s room and carry them to the largest child’s room and make that the safe room.
 
Doors

This info applies to both exterior and interior doors. If you chose to make one of the rooms in your home a safe room, doing the following things to the door of that room will greatly increase the time it takes to get to you. Before I go further, let me give a brief description of the parts of a doorway. The door frame is the opening in the wall, reinforced by studs. The door jamb is what is attached to the door frame, which the door is then mounted to via the hinges. It is possible to reinforce many parts of the door so I’ll cover them individually.
 

The door

There are usually county or city codes on the exterior door, so I’ll not cover that. I do recommend that the interior door of the safe room be solid and not a hollow core door. A door that has three hinges is preferable over a door that has only two hinges.
 
Door Jamb and Hinges

While expensive, it is possible to replace a wooden door jamb with a metal one. Most of the time, the screws that are used to attach the door jamb through the hinges to the door frame are 1”-2” long, which is not long enough to go into the studs of the door frame. Replacing them with 3” screws will allow the screw to go into the door frame. This is beneficial as the impact from a kick is then displaced over the door frame as well. Now, instead of a kick only needing to tear the screw out of the door jamb, it is needing to break through the stud as well.
 
Striker Plate

The striker plate usually is only two inches or so and attaches with two screws. It is possible to get one that is 4”, the full length of the door, and attaches with multiple screws. Replacing the short screws with 3” screws that will go into the door frame is also a good idea. Adding a longer strike plate that has more screws will displace a kick over a greater area, making it harder to kick the door in.
 
Locks

Most exterior doors have a deadbolt and a lock on the handle. Here is a video that shows how you can reinforce the deadbolt with a metal pipe. Most bedroom doors have flimsy locks on the handles, if any lock is there at all. Replacing it with a lock that cannot be picked with a paper clip is one option. Adding a deadbolt that is reinforced with a pipe is another.
 
Door Braces

There are several types of door braces, all of which are active security, so you’ll need to put them in place for them to work. Some will mount on the floor. If you have carpet or wood, this might be an option. If you have tile or would rather not have something mounted to the floor, there are braces that slide under the door knob and have a pole that extends to the floor. I’m not endorsing the following products, as I have never used them but I wanted to show a visual example. On a side note, these two types of door braces make lock picks useless.

Here is a video of a floor based system called Nightlock. It shows two men, each trying to kick in a door, one with Nightlock and one without. In the video, the gentleman trying to kick in the door never gets through. In fact, the door jamb begins to separate from the doorframe before he gets in. Now I don’t know if they did anything else to make that door more secure, but if not, this is pretty impressive.
 

 
Here is a video on a door brace that slides under the door knob. I tried to find a video of this type being tested but couldn’t find one. This type can also double as a sliding glass door stop and can be taken with you to be used when travelling. If you don’t want to mount the floor based systems, this might be the best option. I like the idea of this for the safe room. It could be next to the door, waiting to be used.
 

 

Windows

Windows are a bit trickier to protect but there are still a couple options. The first is the more expensive option, which is a film you can place over the window to make it more resistant to breaking. While I am sure there are more companies that sell this type of film, here are three 3M, Solar Guard and Burglar Guard. The only one that listed prices that I could find was Burglar Guard. Their price was $319 for a 36in by 25ft piece of film. As you can see in the video below, this stuff works.
 

 
Another, less expensive, option is window alarms. These won’t prevent glass breakage but it will alert two different ways; on vibration or if a magnetic contact is broken. They range in price from $7.00-$15.00 per alarm or you can buy a full window alarm system for under $200 on Amazon.com
 

Final Thoughts

Doing many of the above mentioned things can add precious seconds to the time it takes you to respond and act on your plan. Having a firearm and phone in your safe room is also a good idea but know how to use both! Wait for the dispatcher to tell you the scene is clear, not the “officer” on the other side of the door!

If you liked this article please think about sharing it on the social media listed below, thanks!

PreparednessClubOne

Filed Under: Security Tagged With:

Preparedness Club Sale, A Giveaway and Two New Supporters

June 3, 2013 by

I want to give an update on the Preparedness Club and I’ll be giving away a one year membership at the bottom of this post.

 

Sale on One Year Memberships

I have decided that I will run a sale on the yearly Preparedness Club membership twice a year; once in the spring and once in the fall.  At 25% off, the yearly membership drops to just $30 for this week only!   (Sale ending 12:00 AM Saturday CST.)  (The renewal price will be $40.)  If you want to cancel at any time, please send an email to support (at) preparedchristian (dot) net. 

the sale has now expired.

 
 

New Supporting Companies

I am very pleased to announce two new companies that have agreed to support the Preparedness Club!  All American Sun Ovens has two models of their Sun Ovens they are giving a discount on, $50 on one and $70 on the other.  Survival Gear Bags has agreed to give a 10% discount on all purchases.  I want to thank them both for supporting the Preparedness Club!

 

Preparedness Club Giveaway

Congratulations to Susan S. last month’s Preparedness Club giveaway winner, who won the Midland weather radio.

For this month’s giveaway, James Talmage Stevens, A.K.A.; “Dr. Prepper”, author of Making the Best of Basics, has donated a copy of this bestselling book!

I purchased this book years ago, and also wrote a review of it. For those who don’t want to follow the link, I had the following to say about the review:

“There are some books in our niche that cover a wide range of topics and skills that I look at as a type of prepper “handbook”.  While you could, they aren’t necessarily the type of book you would sit down and read cover to cover.  They are, however, the type of book you would want to have “just in case”.  This is one of those books.  I mean, it even has “Family Preparedness Handbook” in the title.  LOL

It has something for every level of prepper, whether you’re just starting out and looking for help on what to do next, or have been prepping for years and want to see where you may have holes.  This book has many preparedness check lists, charts on many different types of preparedness/survival gear as well as a lot of recipes using storage food.  There is information to help you get prepared, as well as useful information if you are in a survival situation.

I own a hard copy of this book but like the idea of the PDF version as well.  If I was only getting one copy, it would be a hard copy.  The time you might need it is when the power is out.  You could get the PDF version and print out the pages you want to have a hard copy of.

I think this is one book that should be in your prepper library and I give it 5 stars.  The only drawback to this book is the price, but it is so loaded with information that I think it is worth every penny.”

When there are copies available, they sell for $40, which is the same price as the Preparedness Club yearly membership!!  All Preparedness Club members are automatically entered in the contest.  I will contact the winner at the end of the month to get their shipping address.

 

Preparedness Club Yearly Membership Giveaway

I am also giving away a one year Preparedness Club membership!  To enter, simply send an email to contest (at) preparedchristian (dot) net and type “Preparedness Club” in the subject.  Only one entry per person, please.  I will do a random drawing on Friday and the winner will receive an email with their login information.  Your username will be your email address, so please send the entry email from the account you wish to login with.

 

Filed Under: Preparedness Club

Preparedness Lesson from the Bible on Anonymity

May 31, 2013 by

give in secret
Image taken from Van Allsblog

Mathew 6 1-4 NIV

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.

 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

 

Granted, I think Jesus was trying to teach that when we give, we should do so quietly and not draw attention to it.  I think this is great advice every prepper should heed.  There are two points that I take away from those verses that I think relate to preparedness; “being gray” and “pat on the back”.

 

Being Gray

I have covered “being gray” in previous articles, so I’ll just touch on it now.  Being gray or maintaining OP-SEC (operational Security) is part keeping a low profile, part not letting others know what you have and part doing what is expected of you, so as not to raise undo attention.

Many people feel a need to share their preparations with those less fortunate.  That is their right.  I will side with the King and say “do so in private”, but probably for different reasons than He gave.  If you share either openly, not hiding it from anyone, or openly with the people you choose to assist, too many people know that you have preparations to share.

One thought I have is to share secretly, leaving care packages late at night on the doorsteps of people who are in need.  This way they get some assistance and OP-SEC is maintained.

 

Pat on the Back

Many of us like to do good things for others.  Let’s face it, being able to help someone in need and receiving their thanks feels good.  At Christmas time, I always make sure to have change on me so I can put some in every Salvation Army kettle I pass by.  I do this for a few reasons; one is that I know this is the time of year they make most of their operating money and I also do it so the bell ringer feels like their time is well spent.  If I’m truly honest, I also do it because it feels good to have the bell ringer acknowledge my putting something in the kettle, though I still donate if they’re on a break. 

My point is that if you feel like you must give publicly to others “when it hits the fan”, do some soul searching and find out why you’re giving.  Is it out of Christian obligation?  Is it just easier to give face to face?  Is it because seeing the joy on their face makes you feel good?

We can eliminate any potential sin issues and keep our OP-SEC by giving privately.  Our Father who sees what is done in secret will reward us.

 

If you liked this article please think about sharing it on the social media listed below, thanks!

PreparednessClubOne

Filed Under: Christian World View, Mind Set

Christianity and the Bible’s Case for Self-Defense

May 29, 2013 by

Today we have a guest post, an author published by Prepper Press named John Elliot.  John writes about Christianity and self-defense.  This is a subject I covered a couple years ago, please see the comment section for my thoughts on John’s article, and on the subject in general.

 

Christianity and the Bible’s Case for Self-Defense

As the author of books having to do with self-preservation and, far more importantly, as a Christian, I have had to answer some rather deeply personal questions that require a considerable level of introspection. At the forefront of those questions is the one that asks, “What does God say about Believers protecting themselves from criminals, terrorists, or anyone else who may wish to harm us?”

Since my last book came out, Don’t Be A Victim!, I have been asked that question no less than six times. Well, part of the answer can be found in various books of the Bible. Was Moses condemned by God for going to the defense of a fellow Israelite and killing an Egyptian? The answer is no. In the book of Acts, chapter 7:24, it clearly demonstrates that the act of killing that Egyptian who was mistreating an Israelite was in fact part of Moses’ acceptance by the Israelites.

Nowhere in the Bible does it show that Christians are to be the doormats for the evil people of the world; but are we as Christians called upon to turn the other cheek? Well, yes. Matthew 5:39 instructs us about just that thing. There is even a time when Believers in Christ may have to suffer and die. We can read about that in Matthew5:11, Philippians 1:29, 2 Timothy 2:3, and in some other passages found in the Bible. All of that is true; there is no argument here at all.

What is also true is the Christian doctrine of self-defense and preservation, of preparedness and good common sense. The Apostle Paul implied that Christian men ought to defend their families. In 1 Timothy 5:8, after speaking about how the law applies to criminals and other violators of the trust God gives to men and women, it reads, “But those who won’t care for their relatives; especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers.” We are told by those words, and so many other passages, that we as Christians have a right, a duty and an obligation to protect the innocent amongst us.

If you are lying in bed at night and you waken by the sound of breaking glass, what do you do? You dial 911 right away, but what happens if an intruder is then heard climbing the stairs to where your wife and children are sleeping? The police may be on their way, but they are still several minutes away. You are a Christian, you are told to love your enemy, but you also know that the burglar in your home is probably capable of unspeakable violence. What now? If you are like me, you reach for that Sig Sauer semi-automatic pistol, and before the burglar makes it to the top of the stairs, you send him off to meet his Maker.

We live in a violence-prone world, gone mad with horrible crime each day, with horrific acts of terrorism across the globe, with the knowledge that eventually we may all have to face our worst fears in life. Being a born-again Believer in Christ helps to relieve so much of that fear and anxiety, but being prepared for the unexpected is what God expects from each of us.

John Elliott is the author of Don’t Be A Victim!: An Officer’s Advice on Preventing Crime, published by Prepper Press. He is a law enforcement veteran who worked for police agencies in Virginia, Rhode Island and Florida, as well as for the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Customs Service. He also spent many years working with Interpol, and was a bomb disposal technician conducting land mine and unexploded military ordnance disposal in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Asia and North Africa.
 
If you liked this article please think about sharing it on the social media listed below, thanks!

PreparednessClubOne

Filed Under: Christian World View, Security

Getting to Know AlertsUSA

May 28, 2013 by

I try to support local businesses whenever possible. I like that I can get to know them and their history in the area. I also like that they are a part of the community and often support it in various ways. As an extension of this kind of thinking, I like to find out about the sites on the Internet that I do business with as well. Because the Internet can make things feel more impersonal, I often research potential companies before I spend my money there.

I do the same for companies that would like me to advertise their site or give a discount to the Preparedness Club. I’m not saying I have to know them well, but I try to find out if they’re shady and how they treat their customers. Because of this, I have decided that I would give companies who advertise on the site or support the Preparedness Club the chance to let you get to know them a little better. To do this, I will make a post from time to time, giving them the chance to do a little question and answer session with me.

I get alerts from AlertsUSA and have frequently gotten alerts sooner than I could find them anywhere else. As a reminder, Preparedness Club members save 25% on an AlertsUSA subscription.
 

AlertsUSA

 

1. How did your company get started and what was its main goal?

We started after the 9/11 incident. Many lives were lost as a result of inaccurate or no information reaching those away from a television set. As an example, workers in the South Tower being told to stay put and there was no danger. In the months following the attack, we saw an opening for an alert service for mobile devices that would propagate accurate information on breaking events, as well as threats of national significance. The service was intended to be fast, based on text messages given the low bandwidth requirements and free from hype.

The principle goal of the service was, and remains to this day, to increase the user’s level of situational and threat awareness.

 

2. What major changes have you seen since then?

The major changes we have seen have principally been through mobile technology and the speed and types of information we can to subscribers.
What was once limited to pure SMS messages has expanded to include audio and video. Where users at one time had to dial into a number in order to head audio messages, the audio can now be streamed to the user by simply clicking a link.

 

3. What would you like people to know about your company?

We are a Christian owned and operated business that tries to honor the Lord in all aspects of the operation, from the quality and accuracy of the information delivered through to the manner in which we interact with customers.

Foremost, customers can rely on the knowledge that AlertsUSA is always watching for dangerous developments and if some bad happened of national significance, they will be made aware.

 

4. How can your company help people to be better prepared?

A. Trust: There are many types of threats and events the mainstream media will not report on or will intentionally withhold or slant critical information. One example is emergencies at nuclear power plants. AlertsUSA does not operate with sensitivities to advertisers, other business units or investors, as do the mainstream media outlets. If a threat develops that poses a danger to them and their family, we let them know.

B. Service Reach: We are able to communicate threat information to users regardless of location or time of day via their mobile devices. So whether someone is at work, out in the yard or on vacation, if important developments arrive we are able to make them aware 24/7/365.

C. Speed of Awareness: The best laid preparedness efforts can be rendered worthless if someone is caught off guard. Being made aware of threats and breaking events, preferably before the masses, can mean the difference between topping off a fuel tank or getting to a grocery store before general panic sets in, getting oneself and family out of an area before danger arrives or being able to take shelter in a timely fashion.

 

If you liked this article please think about sharing it on the social media listed below, thanks!

PreparednessClubOne

Filed Under: Preparedness Club

Memorial Day Prayer

May 27, 2013 by

This is a repost from last year, I didn’t think I could say it any better.

On this Memorial Day, I am thankful for the sacrifice so many throughout our history have made, for the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice and for their families who had to carry on without them.

It is a sacrifice that is easy to forget. For those who have it, freedom is like oxygen. It’s something we just have. Many will not understand just how precious either is until they are at risk of being taken away. There are encroachments being made on our freedoms right now by those who think they know better. This is a conversation for another time.

Today I remember a sacrifice made and a debt I cannot repay. Today I pray for the God of heaven to bless the families of those who have lost loved ones while serving our great nation. I pray for Him to bless and comfort the walking wounded who are still with us, and bless their families as well.

It is also my prayer that we remember their sacrifice and the precious gift of freedom every day, not just once a year or when they are in danger of being taken away.

Filed Under: Mind Set

Consolidated List of Gardening Posts

May 24, 2013 by

It’s that time of year when many of us are gardening by traditional, raised bed, square foot, container or other method. I’ve written a few articles over the years that might be new to some of you. I thought I would write one condensed post and link to them all.

For those of you who aren’t gardeners, this is a skill you should really consider learning. Have you ever heard the phrase, “society is nine meals away from anarchy”? It’s true! It only takes three hunger filled days for things to begin to fall apart. The easiest way to control a people, is to control their food supply. Throughout history, tyrants have controlled their people by limiting the food supply.

Victory gardens were a common thing during WWII. People raised some of their own food to help reduce the burden on the food supply brought on because of the war.

I have been at this a few years and still consider myself a novice, but I am happy to share with you what I have learned.

“Principles of Gardening” is a great place to start. This article covers some of the basics, but I also cover some things that people who’ve had a traditional garden all their lives might not know. For instance, did you know that tilling your garden plot is counterproductive and actually harmful to the soil?

Over the years I have collected several books on gardening. I shared them in (-“Gardening Resources” and have updated the list with three new books.

Few of us have perfect soil for gardening. “Soil Amendments to Improve Garden Growth” has multiple ways to improve soil.

One way to make the most of limited space it to use a trellis for plants that grow on a vine. We’ve come up with a PVC Trellis for melons and beans.

In “Natural Ways to Kill Bugs and Weeds”, I list several ways to kill bugs and weeds without using pesticides or herbicides.

In “Introduction to Permaculture; Building a Food Forest”, I explain the basics of permaculture, which is a design system that uses principles found in nature. Instead of a traditional farm that may produce one or two items, a permaculture design might have a hundred different items. Permaculture design is often referred to as a “food forest”.

If you liked this article please think about sharing it on the social media listed below, thanks!

PreparednessClubOne

Filed Under: Food Tagged With: ,

Getting to Know Ready Reserve Foods

May 23, 2013 by

I try to support local businesses whenever possible. I like that I can get to know them and their history in the area. I also like that they are a part of the community and often support it in various ways. As an extension of this kind of thinking, I like to find out about the sites on the Internet that I do business with as well. Because the Internet can make things feel more impersonal, I often research potential companies before I spend my money there.
 
I do the same for companies that would like me to advertise their site or give a discount to the Preparedness Club. I’m not saying I have to know them well, but I try to find out if they’re shady and how they treat their customers. Because of this, I have decided that I would give companies who advertise on the site or support the Preparedness Club the chance to let you get to know them a little better. To do this, I will make a post from time to time, giving them the chance to do a little question and answer session with me.

 

Ready-Reserve-Foods-300
 
1. How did your company get started and what was its main goal?

Our company was started in 1972, we’re celebrating our 41st anniversary! Current ownership has been for the last 15 years, but even the current owners were dealers for the company for 5 years before purchasing the company. Ready Reserve Foods, Inc. main goal was to provide high quality, tasty foods that you could depend on being there in an emergency.
 
2. What major changes have you seen since then?

There have been a lot of changes over the past 20 years alone! The quality of dehydrated foods has grown leaps and bounds. The additional information that is now available about pesticides, additives, and preservatives has allowed us greater control in providing higher quality products to our customers while having the highest nutritional value. Also, the dehydration process has become more efficient. This means customers actually get more raw product and less water weight and volume for their money and space.
 
3. What would you like people to know about your company?

Ready Reserve Foods, Inc. has always been a premier manufacturer in emergency foods, especially since we are the oldest continually operated company in our entire industry. What makes us special is the fact that we refuse to cut corners. We don’t take the easy or cheap way, which means our customers get the best product and most dependable and safe canning method available. The nitrogen packaging system that we use is special, mostly because we are the only ones out there who take the time to do it, but also because we have been able to actually real-time test our products and have proven that our methods last for 15, 20, 25, and even 30+ years. We don’t add chemical packets to our food, almost all of our products are grown here in the USA, and we’re proud to be a family owned and operated company who has long term relationships with our customers (we get Christmas cards, birth announcements, and wedding invitations every year, and we love it!).
 
4. How can your company help people to be better prepared?

Ready Reserve not only has the best products, but we also have the most experience. We’ve worked on major disaster relief (FEMA, Red Cross, the Navy, etc.) as well as getting individuals, companies, and even fire houses, police stations, city centers, hospitals, and retirement homes ready in case of an emergency. We know what is needed, we understand that the process can be overwhelming, and we can work with anyone’s budget, space, or location. We’ll make it happen.

As a reminder, Preparedness Club members receive a 10% discount on food purchases from Ready Reserve Foods
 
If you liked this article please think about sharing it on the social media listed below, thanks!

PreparednessClubOne

Filed Under: Preparedness Club

Military Power Grab

May 22, 2013 by

Pentagon

Thanks to GrumpyT for the heads up on this. Of everything I’ll mention today, I believe this is the most important. In an article from LongIslandPress.com called “U.S. Military ‘Power Grab’ Goes Into Effect, Pentagon Unilaterally Grants Itself Authority Over ‘Civil Disturbances’” it is explained:

“…the military has quietly granted itself the ability to police the streets without obtaining prior local or state consent, upending a precedent that has been in place for more than two centuries.”

The article is a tad long, but important and worth the read. I’ll briefly explain it and why this is important. The article explains what was done quite nicely, stating that:

“The U.S. military is prohibited from intervening in domestic affairs except where provided under Article IV of the Constitution in cases of domestic violence that threaten the government of a state or the application of federal law. This provision was further clarified both by the Insurrection Act of 1807 and a post-Reconstruction law known as the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 (PCA). The Insurrection Act specifies the circumstances under which the president may convene the armed forces to suppress an insurrection against any state or the federal government. Furthermore, where an individual state is concerned, consent of the governor must be obtained prior to the deployment of troops. The PCA—passed in response to federal troops that enforced local laws and oversaw elections during Reconstruction—made unauthorized employment of federal troops a punishable offense, thereby giving teeth to the Insurrection Act.”

There was similar legislation passed by Congress under President Bush but that was repealed the following year. While I disagree with the legislation, at least they did it the right way. The Pentagon didn’t just grant it to themselves.

The Pentagon has essentially granted themselves more power. With this new power, they have set aside 200 years of precedence and have made it much easier for the President to deploy troops domestically to quash a “civil disturbance” without being asked to do so by the state government.

Is this something congress can correct, or would they even want to?

If this stands, I can see many more instances like what occurred in Boston.

To me this is very concerning. Other than this report from the Long Island Press I have not seen anything else about this. After you read the linked article, I would like to hear your take on this.

If you liked this article please think about sharing it on the social media listed below, thanks!

PreparednessClubOne

Filed Under: Signs of the Times

3 Dangers To Food Storage And How To Avoid Them

May 20, 2013 by

Today we have a guest post written by Lee Flynn

3 Dangers To Food Storage And How To Avoid Them

People tend to think that disasters don’t happen very often, or at least only happen to someone else. Of course, to someone else, we’re all someone else. And have you turned on the news recently? Tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes, wars… do you really think that your little corner of the earth is going to stay safe forever? If you want to survive the disasters that are sure to happen sooner or later, you’re going to need to prepare. In many cases, this means having a well supplied food storage. But stocking up on water and rations is only a part of the equation, because once you’ve got everything you need, you then need to protect it. Here are three dangers to your food storage, and how to overcome them.

1. Time

Just because something is called non-perishable, doesn’t mean that it will last forever. Canned goods only really have a shelf-life of about five years, at most, and Meals-Ready-to-Eat stay good for only about three years. Instead of relying on food that might spoil and leave you up a creek without a paddle, stick with freeze-dried and dehydrated foods, which last a good deal longer. Storing your food in the right place will also have a big effect on how long it lasts. That means that you should find someplace cool, dry, and dark. Also, make sure that the food is well packed in airtight containers, because exposure to oxygen can speed up the spoiling process.

2. Animals

Insects and other invertebrates are natural born food-storage thieves. They’re small, so they can usually get into any room or building that they want to. And guess what? they’d like nothing better than to burrow into your sack of flour and raise a couple thousand kids. But although you may not be able to keep these pests from getting to your storage room, you should be able to at least keep them out of the food. Store your food in secure plastic, metal, or glass containers, and be sure to clean up any spills as quickly as you can. Rodents such as mice or rats, and even larger mammals like raccoons pose a different threat. They might have a harder time breaking into the building, but with the help of gnawing teeth and dexterous fingers, they’ll have a much easier time getting into the food. Store all your food well off of the ground, and avoid using baited traps, as other pests might be attracted by the smell. Above all, be vigilant. Check your food storage repeatedly for signs of incursion. If you find damaged containers or infested food, discard it immediately, and replace it. Regularly clean out your storage area, and make sure to keep it free from crumbs and moisture that might catch the notice of uninvited animal guests.

3. People

No one likes to consider the possibility of having to defend their emergency storage from other human beings, but if a disaster occurs and food and water become scarce, then even the most kind and charitable individual will start fighting for survival. Looting has been known to happen regularly in the wake of disasters, and to a desperate and hungry person, there’s not much difference between robbing a grocery store and robbing a home. The best way to keep looters from taking your storage is to keep it secret. Only eat food at home, and never take it out into public where people might notice and be enticed by it. If possible, keep the area in which your food is stored locked, and keep the key well hidden. Don’t allow any strangers into your home, no matter how sorry you might feel for them, nor how friendly or harmless they may seem. And last but not least, be prepared to defend your food storage with lethal force, if need be. The thought of taking a human life over something like a few cans of stew or a jug of water is repulsive, but without that food, you or your family might starve.

Lee Flynn is a freelance writer, survival enthusiast, and food storage expert.

Filed Under: Food Tagged With:
«Previous Page
Next Page»