While this doesn’t apply to me personally, there are lots of folks out there who share children with ex-spouses. Have you given thought as to how you’ll handle that situation during a crisis?
What will you do if there is a massive disaster and your kids are at your ex’s house at the time? Have you discussed this with your former other half?
What if the kids show up at your place with the ex in tow?
As I’ve been saying over and over on this blog, think about these things and make plans NOW.
There have been several recent news stories about the panic buying of KI (potassium iodide) tablets. A month ago, you could buy a bottle of them for considerably less than $20.00, including shipping. Over on ebay, people are buying them for a thousand dollars or more! That’s just utter insanity, for both the buyer and the seller.
First of all, unless you are in or very, very near to Japan, you don’t need to worry about radiation from the failing nuclear plants there. Mainland US is far enough away that even IF a substantial amount of radiation were to be expelled from the plants, it would be so dissipated by the time it got here, no one is going to be glowing.
Second, the KI tablets only protect the thyroid from one specific form of radiation. It does nothing about gamma rays or X-rays, which from what I understand are much more deadly than radioactive iodide.
Third, there are natural things you can consume that will do the same thing as the KI tablets. Google “natural remedies for radiation” and you’ll find tons of good info.
I’m not saying no one should ever buy KI tablets. They do serve a purpose and are good to have on hand “just in case.” But, there is no need to go out right now and pay obscene amounts of money for them.
Look, if you have a thousand dollars and are looking to just throw it away, toss it to me and I’ll put it to good use.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who just can’t seem to look away from all the news coming out of Japan. The devastation, the body counts, the potential for nuclear disaster exceeding Chernobyl. Part of it is just keeping an eye on the possible risks to us from the nuclear end of things. But a lot of it is just human nature.
You know you should move on and do something productive but you’re transfixed, mesmerized. It just gets worse and worse. The more you watch, the more you want to keep watching.
I know many people who are having a hard time sleeping at night due to the stress. We saw this happen after 9/11, after Katrina, after Haiti. People not immediately affected by the disaster get burned out from all the media reports. This has been called disaster fatigue.
Here’s the remedy. Unplug from the media for a little while. Take a step away and get outside. Breathe fresh air. Play with your kids. Enjoy the blessings you have right now. I’m not saying you should bury your head in the sand and ignore the rest of the world. Just that you need to clear your mind for a bit.
Finally, there is at least one spot of good news that came out of Japan last night. Four month old baby found alive in the rubble and returned to her parents. If that don’t bring a tear to your eye, there’s little hope for you.
How difficult would it be for the average person to amass a fairly large quantity of newspaper in a short period of time? Probably not too long, right? Neighbors would be more than happy to hand over their old newspapers. You could also hit up coffee shops and restaurants.
While it is kind of tedious, you can take all that newspaper and turn it into logs for your wood stove or fireplace.
Take the newspaper and soak it for a bit in soapy water. The soap is essential as it helps break down the paper and allows it to burn better when all is said and done. Wrap the newspaper one sheet at a time around a wooden dowel, such as an old broom or mop handle. If you can suspend the dowel on a couple hangers, so much the better. Keep adding newspaper until the log is as thick as you’d like. Then, slide the log off the pole and set it on end to dry.
You might consider doing this outside, if only because it is messy what with all the soapy water dripping everywhere.
It will take a few days to dry thoroughly but once it does, it’ll burn just as well as any firewood.
What you might want to do is hit Goodwill or another thrift store for a cheap, used Rubbermaid or Sterlite plastic box for the soaking part of the procedure. Something large enough that the newspaper can lay flat in it. Use half sheets of newspaper, cutting or ripping it along the center fold from top to bottom. Do not use the glossy ads, just the regular newsprint paper.
The saying goes, “Hell hath no fury like a women scorned.” Looks like someone in Japan really ticked off Mother Nature then, hey? Earthquake, aftershocks, tsunami, and now nuclear reactors going haywire. Surely Godzilla can’t be far behind.
Here’s what a real bug out situation can look like.
People make their way among the debris from destroyed homes after an earthquake and tsunami in Sendai, northeastern Japan March 12, 2011. REUTERS/Kyodo
Folks here in the US, and really around the world too, should consider this a wake up call. Disaster can strike anywhere, anytime. Could be local, could be massive. A couple days worth of food and supplies is a good start, but it is only a start. Don’t get complacent. Keep at it, do something every day toward your prepping.
This past weekend was Daylight Savings. In addition to changing your clocks and checking smoke detector batteries, you probably should have inspected all your different emergency kits. Look for expired food, rotate your water, test all the batteries. If you didn’t do that this weekend, do it right now.
With many emergencies, we get some sort of warning. If a blizzard is on the way, we know about it a day or two beforehand. Hurricanes we hear about a week or more ahead of time. We’ve grown accustomed to having that lead time to grab a few last minute things or, depending on the emergency, use the time to get our butts elsewhere.
But, what if you didn’t have that advance warning? Would you be prepared if something happened RIGHT NOW?
Do you have family members living in assisted living facilities? Or perhaps loved ones at home who suffer from chronic health issues, such as multiple sclerosis?
If a bug out situation were to develop, do you have a way to transport them? If they aren’t at home with you, when will you get them? Will the facility release them into your care? Do you have the medical knowledge as well as supplies to care for them?
We all have heard the stories of what happened in hospitals after Hurricane Katrina. Do you have a plan in place to prevent your family member from becoming a victim of a “mercy killing?” Or, on the other hand, is that your plan?
It is a moral dilemma, that’s for sure. And one you should figure out and plan for now.
Yesterday, I asked for input as to what you would do if family members or friends showed up at your door, asking for help after a major disaster. Several of the responses posted here and elsewhere indicate people would turn away those asking for assistance, telling them they should have prepared for themselves or citing a lack of supplies to provide for these extra people. Others said they would allow them in but put them to work to earn their keep.
How would you go about enforcing this? How do you either force them to leave or force them to work?
Would you point a gun at a family member, threatening to shoot if they don’t go away?
Would you just lock the door and potentially have to listen to them knocking and pleading for hours on end?
I’m not saying anyone is right or wrong. I’m just wondering how well thought out your plans are.
You’ve talked until you were blue in the face, urging family and friends to put aside food and supplies “just in case.” You put up with the snide comments, the blank stares, the outright ridicule.
Then, the disaster you always feared comes to pass.
For at least the forseeable future, you are going to have rely on what you have stockpiled. No more trips to Sam’s Club or Home Depot. You are on your own.
What do you do when those friends and family members show up at your door, looking for help? Do you turn them away? Invite them in? Put them to work to earn their keep? Do you have enough “stuff” set aside to even make helping them a possibility?
This is something you should figure out now, rather than having to make the decision “on the fly.”
People prep for different reasons. Some are concerned about being stranded during an ice storm or blizzard, halting travel for a few days to a few weeks. Others who live in hurricane prone areas are more worried about the effects of those disastrous storms. Some are thinking more long-term and looking at a potential economic collapse, pandemic, or all out world war.
I’ve always felt that if someone is prepared for the absolute worst case scenario, then they surely are prepared for any lesser emergency.
But, I’m curious so humor me here. What are YOU prepping for?
When we’re stockpiling for emergencies, there are some things we can just never have enough of. I’m not talking about food, that’s a no brainer, right? And obviously toilet paper probably is high on the list.
But what other things do you think would be great to have in bulk?
Duct tape?
Paracord?
What say you?
