HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

According to climate scientists, January was the hottest January ever…. http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/160556

 

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAHHAAHHAAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

So, they say they know this because of satellite data… hahahahahahhahahahaha hahahahahahhahahahaha hahahahahahhahahahaha hahahahahahhahahahaha hahahahahahhahahahaha hahahahahahhahahahaha hahahahahahhahahahaha hahahahahahhahahahaha hahahahahahhahahahaha hahahahahahhahahahaha hahahahahahhahahahaha hahahahahahhahahahaha hahahahahahhahahahaha hahahahahahhahahahaha hahahahahahhahahahaha hahahahahahhahahahaha hahahahahahhahahahaha

 

Are we so reliant on computers, that all common sense has gone out the window.  This is like looking at one of those bank signs- you know, the ones with the time and temp, and seeing that it says 80 degrees, yet there is snow on the ground.  Well, apparently climate scientists would believe the sign over their own need to wear coats and mittens.

 

Good times, good times…

just a thought...

How come heat waves, hurricanes, and thunderstorms are evidence of global warming, but massive snow storms and extreme cold snaps are just “weather”?

 

I am sure there is some intellectual Poindexter out there who can educate me…but I think I already know the answer.  Because heat waves are hot, this is a great excuse to point out global warming, because it is really hot outside.  Hurricanes and tornadoes are evidence because they are destructive and scary.  If they are linked to global warming, then more people will want to do away with global warming, because it doesn’t play nice with the rest of the group.  But cold spells, such as the one we had in January, this is just an isolated weather event, that neither proves not disproves global warming- it is just weather, and weather can fluctuate.  The massive snow storms is just an isolated weather event as well.

 

Now, I am not here saying that because it has been really, really cold and there has been lots of snow that global warming does not exist.  My point is, to have a legitimate point of view, then you have to be consistent in your arguments.  You cannot brand a type of “weather event” such as a heat wave as evidence of global warming, but then dismiss another “weather event” – cold snaps, as having nothing to do with climate and global warming.

 

I for one am consistent in my arguments- I don’t believe in global warming because it is dumb and Al Gore is a poopoo face.

 

Peace- I’m out!

Car Kit of Doom...

Now, on to the car kit.  Most people think of the car kit as a kit kept in the car- with things such as jumper cables, tools, blankets, food, and water.  That should be in your car at all times, and what I am talking about is different from that.

Our Car Kit will first include you BoB.  The Car Kit is put together to enable you to take more things with you if you a) have more time to get out, say 20 minutes, and b)are able to drive your vehicle out.

So, with those two requirements in mind, let’s discuss the car kit. 

The car kit should be portable, that means plastic tubs, or foot lockers, suitcases, even cardboard boxes- just as long as you can grab it.  When putting one together, think of how much space you will have in your vehicle to put this stuff.  In our minivan, we could probably fit 4-6 tubs in the back, with an extra 2 up front.  If we have time, we could even fit more on the roof of the van, as we have a luggage rack.  Evaluate what you can fit.  Also what scenarios would you most likely need the car kit for-

Zombies are coming into you city, you have 20 minutes to leave.  You decide to leave and drive to family in Utah.  That means at least a 16 hour drive and who knows how long until you can come back.  What would you need?

Well the first is food, and you could probably pack a good 3 or 4 days worth of food in your car.  Water- you probably would not be able to fit gallons and gallons of water, but a couple of 7 gallon containers of water would not be unreasonable.

A couple of days worth of clothes

Tent, sleeping bags, tarps, propane stove with propane, rope, more rope.

Tools- folding shovel, saw, hatchet, car tools

More ammo, perhaps even a .22 survival rifle, or a Mossberg 12ga that can easily be broken down to fit in a storage tub.

A Comprehensive first aid kit- a large one, one with everything- if you have the scrilla, get a First Responder Bag, can get them off of Galls.  (Ask Korynn and Bryan what to get for a first responder bag, that would be a good FHE).

Any number of things can and should be included in the car kit above and beyond what is needed for basic survival.  It just really depends on your family, what you are comfortable with and without.  The Car Kit could actually be your 72 (ahem, I mean 96) hour kit that everyone talks about.  It just needs to be portable enough to grab and throw in the vehicle. 

 

 

Bug Out Bag

So, I talked about the Year’s Supply, and was going to move down the list, but it occurred to me that I should start with the bug out bag first, and then move up the list, as things added to the bug out bag will constitute the car kit, and things added to that will constitute the 72 hour kit and so on.

Bug out Bag- In order to explain the bug out bag, I will have to talk for a moment about the 72 hour kit.  Many people confuse the 72 hour kit, with the bug out bag, but they are not the same thing.  The bug out bag is not designed to sustain you with food and water for 3 days, nor is it used to haul around some sort of mini cabin and the comforts of camping.  Of course, if you google Bug out Bag, you will find many variations that are intended for the wearer to run into the woods and wait out the zombies for a few days.  Realistically though, how many of you are planning on running straight into the woods in the event of anything?  Probably very few of us.  Most likely we will be moving to another shelter, a place to get food and water.  Most disasters in this area that will necessitate an evacuation of your house will not leave you without someplace to go.  We have no hurricanes, no earthquakes that will wipe out huge swaths of city such as Katrina or Haiti.  It is very likely that small areas will be affected, but there will be places to go if you are not able to stay in your own home.

The Bug out Bag is used when you have to get out of your house, and get out QUICKLY.  I am talking 2 minutes quickly.  This is especially true for those that live close to train tracks (chemical spills) or cemeteries (zombies).  What is needed in a BoB?  It needs to be tailored to your specific needs, and this will involve a little bit of talking with your spouse about what needs to go in there.  The BoB assumes that you can get somewhere where you can have water, shelter and food, such as a Red Cross shelter or family.  So if you tailor the bag around this scenario, it will be a lot easier to figure out what you want to put into it.  For example- My BoB is tailored around having to a) go to a public shelter on foot  or b)go to family on foot.  Both of these scenarios is going to assume that whatever shelter I will get to will have food and water and perhaps even medical care.  So really the BoB is full of important items and a change of clothes, not so much on survival items.  Of course, you may want to tailor your bag to fit other scenarios such as the nearest family member is 2 days walk away- so we will need food and water and shelter to get us there. 

Remember that it is impossible to plan for every variable.  All we can do is plan for the most likely variables, and move on from there.  This is why a good knowledge of skill sets  could be invaluable to us. Do we know how to get food without packing it along- such as edible plants, or hunting?  Do we know how to purify water without purification tablets or filters?  Do we know how to build a shelter if all we had was a tarp, 4 feet of rope, a tire and a pallet?  How do you stay warm without a sleeping bag?  These are skills that can make up the deficit in unplanned variables.

Generally though, here are some absolutes:

Important documents (THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO HAVE!!!): either hard copies such as Social Security cards and birth certificates, other important pictures and documents such as bank account info, insurance info, etc. stored electronically on a thumb drive. (this is probably the most important thing you want to take with you- here is a more in-depth website for more info on this http://www.theplacewithnoname.com/blogs/klessons/p/0006.html there is a  small amount of cursing, nothing real bad, no f-bombs- but he has a great list of things to have on in a BoB)

Money- probably at least $100 in small denominations, including change.

Medications- I would include daily things like Tylenol, Tums, maybe some anti-diarrheal stuff.

Small first aid kit- nothin’ fancy, just enough to treat some small injuries

Scriptures

Consecrated Oil

Phone numbers for family

Hygiene kit (small bath towel, soap, sanitizer)

Toilet Paper (or disposable towelettes would be better)

As for other things- I would have

Change or two of underwear and socks, perhaps even a change of clothes

Some snack food such as granola bars, candy

A few bottles of water- remember on the food and water- this is not meant to keep you in food and water for 72 hours- although if you want to pack some MRE’s- they are gross, but will provide food in a small package and you could probably fit 2 or 3 days worth.  Mostly the food and water would be if you had to walk a few miles to get where you need to go- like to Mom and Dad’s house, to the church, or other shelter set up.

Flashlights- the LED kind as the battery lasts forever

Water filter- the LDS distribution center sells them for $22

Good Leatherman type tool

100’ rope

Trash bags- can be used for all sorts of things from purifying water to shelter

Poncho

Matches, candles, flint and steel, or other firestarting items.

Good pair of work gloves

Spare batteries

The crank power radio and cell phone charger  mom and dad gave us

A large tarp

Space blanket

Knit hat

Hand warmers

Compass

Maps of the area

Water purification tablets

Metal canteen cup (one that you can boil water in)

A good knife

100 rounds of ammo for a firearm (not only to mow through waves of zombies, but also for hunting)

Duct tape (a million and one uses for this)

Special Forces Survival Guide-  a small booklet with tons of info from shelter to first aid for trauma and sicknesses.

We have small kids, so we have two BoB, and mine is much heavier than Sharel’s, as I can carry more.  Having kids means a little less space to pack things you may want, as you are packing stuff for the kids, such as clothes, some entertainment for them, baby food, diapers, etc.

Your BoB should not weigh anymore than 50 pounds- if it does, then you need to get rid of some stuff.   It should also be in a place that is very easy to grab on your way out, such as next to the door, or in a coat closet.  In order to be effective, you should also practice getting out of your house in under 60 seconds, to see if you need to adjust anything- an evacuation plan.

 

Year's Supply

The Brethren have always advised us to have a Year’s Supply on hand.  This means much more than just food, but also necessities such as soap, toilet paper, etc on hand.    A good way to try and figure out what you would need is to imagine that you couldn’t go to the store for a month.  What things would you run out of?  Could you prepare and eat what is in your food storage?  Many of us store wheat, but have no way of preparing it; or if we do, have we actually prepared it into something edible? 

Sharel’s parents had a great example of stuff to store.  They had soap, deodorant, toothpaste, shampoo, cleaning supplies, toilet paper, and all sorts of other things.  The main idea behind the Year’s Supply is to be as self-reliant for a year as possible. 

Most people may imagine the scenarios of needing a Year’s Supply as being out of work, or a local disaster where the Bishop asks for donations of food to care for the needy, or some other collapse such as an economic depression.  Another reason, one that threatens every year is a major Flu pandemic.  We have not had a bad outbreak of the flu since the 1960’s, and the worst one on record was in 1918.  Public Health officials fear a 1918 like flu outbreak more than anything.  Why? The 1918 flu killed more people between the ages of 30 and 60 than it did the old, or the young.  More than 675,000 died in the US alone within 18 months.  To this day, scientist and medical professionals are still at a loss as to what exactly in the virus killed so many relatively healthy adults.    When we see the panic over the swine flu, or other flu outbreaks, it is mostly concern that we will see another strain that is going to kill relatively healthy, young and middle aged adults.

With all of our great advances in medicine and a far deeper understanding of viruses than ever before, still the only effective mitigation (stopping the spread) strategy for viruses is quarantines and isolation.  Because of the speed at which we can travel, the virus could become pandemic before anyone even shows any symptoms.

A study done by the Dept. of the Navy shows that  a viral pandemic of great enough proportions could halt transportation of goods and services on a monumental scale.  Most large stores such as WalMart, or even local grocery stores get all their stock from just a few distribution hubs scattered throughout the United States.  For instance, HyVee gets all of its goods from a distribution center in Iowa.  Most stores only have about 4 days worth of goods actually in the store.  That 4 days worth in an emergency panic mode would probably take less than 48 hours to clear out the store.

It would probably take at least a week to open up necessary transportation lines, depending on the speed and effectiveness of any anti-virals that could be delivered to the workers in the transportation industry.  And this is only if the quarantine is government mandated.  What if the majority of drivers get sick, or self quarantine out of fear?  Estimates show that it could be at least a month to have transportation and delivery up to where it was previously.

Would you have a month worth of supplies in the event you couldn’t leave the house?  We are assuming with this scenario of course that you still have running water, gas and electricity.  Most communities will have a plan to keep essential services running, beginning with health care workers, emergency responders, and utilities.

I hope that has given a little perspective on the importance of a Year’s Supply, and the need to make sure we are constantly working to build it up. 

I am not saying to get into debt over it, or to be impatient with thinking you need a Year’s Supply now, but as President Hinckley advised us- every time we go shopping, just get something extra to add, it needn’t cost a lot, just an extra can of fruit, or perhaps an extra tube of toothpaste.  I have full faith that as we are working on it, in the event anything happens before we have completed it, that the Lord will make up the rest.

 

Zombie Preparation

Everyone knows that the only thing you really need to be prepared for the impending Zombie Doom is a good, reliable 12 gauge pump action shotgun, with plenty of 00 buck shot and perhaps an axe.  If you have that, you’re set.  But, let’s suppose you want to prepare for just more than the Zombie Apocalypse?  What might you need?  Your needs and preparation will depend on a few different factors.

1.  Where do you plan on surviving?
2. How long do you plan on surviving?

In answer to question 1, there are a really 3 options.  The first is staying at your home.   This is probably the best scenario that you can hope for.  If you house is not unsafe to remain in, and there is no evacuation order, then this is probably you best bet for survival.  What situations might require you to remain home?  In Missouri, an ice storm, flooding that has not affected your neighborhood, tornado damage that has not affected your home, a flu or other virus outbreak, riots, or zombies that don’t know how to open doors.

A second option involves needing to leave your home, due to damage, or a general evacuation order and go to a shelter for a few days.  This can happen for a number of reasons, including all the ones mentioned above, but has most consistently been a factor in chemical spills.  Often a neighborhood will be evacuated for a time to allow cleanup.  In this case, if you don’t have family you can stay with, or you are put in a quarantine situation, a red cross shelter is the most likely place.

The third option is evacuation, but having to leave the state, or to travel a fairly long distance to reach a safe area, or family.

Each one of these scenarios will necessitate a different amount of time needed for survival.  Unfortunately it would be almost impossible to plan for each eventuality and have a different stockpile prepared for each.  Instead, there are some general preparation strategies that will meet most of the elements needed for survival.

 There are 4 different stockpiles needed to minimally survive most scenarios. 

1.  Year’s Supply
2. 72 hour kit (really more like 96 hour kit, but I will explain later)
3. Car Kit
4. Bug-Out Bag.

Each one of these kits can be a part of the kit above it, for example a car kit can be part of your 72 hour kit, and the 72 hour kit part of your year’s supply.  So really it is a matter of organizing things into groups depending on how much time you have to either survive or leave your home.

 

Preparing for the Zombie Apocalypse...A Series by Danny's Deep Thoughts...

As most of you may know, my brain is growing bigger day by day with the invaluable knowledge of a Graduate School education in Disaster and Emergency Management.  One course that is glaringly missing from the catalog is “The Zombie Apocalypse:  Mitigation, Preparation, and Response Strategies for Dealing with the Undead.”  It’s quite disappointing really, to not have that course offered.  But, I will be writing up a proposal and presenting it to the Dean, and perhaps even the Board of Directors for the school, in an attempt to have this course added to the curriculum.  So, in preparation for the proposal, I will attempt to educate the three readers of this blog on the Zombie Apocalypse.

First- what is the Zombie Apocalypse?  May I suggest watching “I am Legend” with Will Smith, or perhaps “The Omega Man” with Charlton Heston?  Other films that will educate you on the Zombie Apocalypse are (disclaimer:  I have not seen these, so I cannot verify that the content is suitable for an active, faithful Latter Day Saint to watch.) 28 Days Later, Zombie Land, Night of the Living Dead.

My purpose is to discuss the three strategies mentioned previously, Preparation, Mitigation and Response.  I will tackle each one of these topics in the upcoming weeks.

In all seriousness, I will be writing about Emergency Preparedness, because a lot of the info I have seen coming from numerous sources, including what has been presented to us on a ward level are out of date.  Recent disasters such as Katrina, and more recently Haiti, have presented us with invaluable information that has not been used to update the current thinking, your ward may be different, so perhaps you already know some of these things.