Tag Archives: Locusts

Sep 24 2024

FL Governor DeSantis Declares a Proactive State of Emergency Ahead of Potential Hurricane Helene


Posted originally on the CTH on September 23, 2024 | Sundance 

Those in the area of Sarasota, Clearwater/St Pete to the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend area need to pay particular attention to the path of this storm throughout the day today and tomorrow. An area of extreme weather is expected to become hurricane Helene very quickly.

There is a potential for strength to major hurricane status in the Gulf of Mexico prior to landfall. Those in the Mississippi and Alabama coastal area should also keep an eye for updates.

At 800 PM EDT (0000 UTC), the disturbance was centered near latitude 18.3 North, longitude 82.3 West. The system is moving toward the north-northwest near 7 mph (11 km/h). A northwestward motion is expected on Tuesday and Tuesday night, followed by a faster northward to north-northeastward motion on Wednesday and Thursday.

On the forecast track, the center of the system is forecast to move across the northwestern Caribbean Sea through Tuesday night, and then over the eastern Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday and Thursday. (link)

Hurricane Ian hit the Florida SW coast on Sept 29, 2022.  September hurricanes are strong, the Gulf of Mexico is very warm.

For those in the cone of uncertainty, remember, planning and proactive measures taken now can significantly reduce stress in the days ahead. Plan when to make the best decision on any evacuation (if needed) consider Tuesday night the decision timeframe. As a general rule: take cover from wind – but evacuate away from water.

DAY ONE (Today)
Determine Your Risk
Make a Written Plan
Develop and Evacuation Plan
Inventory hurricane/storm supplies.

DAY TWO (Tuesday)
Get Storm Update
Assemble and Purchase Hurricane Supplies
Contact Insurance Company – Updates
Secure Important Papers.
Strengthen and Secure Your Home
Make Evacuation Decision for your Family.

DAY THREE (Wednesday)
Get Storm Update
Re-Evaluate your Supplies based on storm update
Finish last minute preparation
Assist Your Neighbors
If Needed – Evacuate Your Family

Communication is important. Update your contact list. Stay in touch with family and friends, let them know your plans. Select a single point of contact for communication from you that all others can then contact for updates if needed. Today/tomorrow are good days to organize your important papers, insurance forms, personal papers and place them in one ‘ready-to-go’ location.

Evaluate your personal hurricane and storm supplies; update and replace anything you might have used. Assess, modify and/or update any possible evacuation plans based on your location, and/or any changes to your family status.

Check your shutters and window coverings; test your generator; re-organize and familiarize yourself with all of your supplies and hardware. Check batteries in portable tools; locate tools you might need; walk your property to consider what you may need to do based on the storm’s path. All decisions are yours. You are in control.

Consider travel plans based on roads and traffic density. Being proactive now helps to keep any future stress level low. You are in control. If you have pets, additional plans may be needed.

One possible proactive measure is to make a list of hotels further inland that you would consider evacuating to. Make that list today and follow updates of the storms’ progress.

Depending on information tomorrow you might call in advance and make a reservation; you can always cancel if not needed. It is better to have a secondary evacuation place established in advance. Being proactive reduces stress. Even if you wait until much later to cancel, it is better to pay a cancellation fee (usually one night charge) than to not have a plan on where to go. Trust me, it’s worth it. Protect your family. Make the list of possibilities today, make the booking decision in the next 24 hrs.

Look over the National Hurricane Center resources for planning assistance. [SEE HERE]

Stuff People Do not Talk About…. 

The ‘context’ of Ian in 2022 was shared previously {Go Deep}.  What follows below are things to consider if you are prepping for a hurricane impact and/or deciding whether to stay in your home or evacuate.  Standard hurricane preparations should always be followed.  Protect your family, secure your property and belongings, and prepare for the aftermath.

What you do before the hurricane hits is going to determine where you are in the recovery phase.

Additionally, and this should be emphasized and discussed within your family, if you cannot be self-sufficient in the aftermath – for any reason, then you should evacuate.

Self-sufficiency in this context requires being able to cope for up to several weeks:

(1) potentially without power; (2) potentially without potable running water (3) potentially without internet service; (4) potentially without communication outside the region; and (5) with limited municipal and private sector assistance.   If you decide you cannot deal with these outcomes, you should evacuate.

Additionally, as a family or individual, you should also honestly evaluate:

(1) your physical abilities; (2) your emotional and psychological ability to withstand extreme pressures; and (3) your comfort in losing daily routines, familiar schedules and often overlooked things you might take for granted.

Post hurricane recovery is fraught with stress, frustration and unforeseeable challenges.

I saw a video presented by a structural engineer who was sharing his experience with Hurricane Ian.  I am going to use his video for a few references because even with professional credentials, some of the common mistakes people make are highlighted in his experience.  Keep in mind his video is taken about 30 miles inland from where the majority impact area (coastal region) is located.

The video below was shot from the soft side (western side) of the storm, and if we were to scale the difference between his experience and a person who was located in/around Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, Pine Island or Cape Coral, he would be around a “5” on a ten-point impact scale.

Meaning the severity of conditions 30 miles southeast of him was twice as severe as his inland experience.

Key Points – At the 21: 35 moment (prompted), notice how his #2 vehicle is parked outside.  Also, at the 22:00 minute moment, notice what he is describing and showing with his garage door and how his #1 vehicle (a pickup truck) is positioned inside the garage. WATCH:

.

♦ This is exactly what I was talking about in hurricane preparation when discussing the garage door.  If that videographer was located 30 miles southeast, and/or his house was positioned facing West, instead of North, his garage door would have failed.  If you lose the garage door, YOU COULD LOSE YOUR ROOF.

You can always tell those people who have been through direct hurricane impacts by how they parked their cars.  I have never included this in the hurricane advice before so it’s worth a mention.  If you lose your Florida garage door you will more than likely lose your roof.  That’s just the reality of having a massive opening in your structure to 150 mph winds that will lift the trusses.

If you have two vehicles, put one vehicle inside the garage with the front bumper against the door to help stop the flex (do this carefully).  Put the other vehicle outside blocking the garage door facing down the driveway or facing parallel to the garage.  The goal is to use the aero dynamics of the car to push the wind away from the door and provide protection.

Purchase a cheap car cover to protect the outside vehicle and/or use old blankets (cable ties, bungee cords) to stop the outside vehicle from getting sandblasted and destroyed.  Place double folded corrugated cardboard in front of the radiator to protect it from storm debris.

Additionally, if you live in a flood zone, or if you are concerned about storm surge, the day before impact take your #1 car to the nearest airport or hotel with a parking garage and park in the upper levels.  Take an uber back home if you don’t have a friend or partner to help you.  This way you know you will have one workable vehicle, just in case.

♦ Another lesson from Ian, if you drive an electric vehicle and sustain saltwater intrusion (of any level) your car is not safe.  Saltwater makes the vehicle batteries extremely dangerous, and they could spark or catch fire.  Multiple homes survived Hurricane Ian only to have the electric car catch fire in the garage and burn the house to the ground.  Hurricane rain is saltwater rain.  The fire department was begging people to put their ev’s outside and not to plug them in.  Dozens of ev’s also erupted in flames while driving down the streets after the storm.

Back to the video above…

♦ Notice at 24:30 of the video this professional structural engineer is standing and physically supporting his glass patio doors, with his wife, trying to keep them from breaking in due to wind and pressure changes.  DO NOT DO THIS !   That is beyond dangerous.  Any small item of debris (even a small twig or branch) could hit that window and shatter it, turning flying glass into instant flying blades.

Put 3/4-inch plywood or steel bolted hurricane shutters over all your windows and doors.  Period.  This is not an option.  My steel bolted hurricane shutters were hit with debris so hard – whatever it was physically dented the steel.  Every window and door need to be covered and protected, especially glass patio doors (even if tempered). Do not think you can stand there and protect glass doors.  It’s beyond dangerous.

♦ Hardening your home is a matter of careful thought and physical work.  However, every opening into your structure must be protected, leaving yourself with one small exit opportunity just in case. Hopefully you have a bolted door with no glass windows you can use as an emergency exit.  If not, select a small window and leave only enough room uncovered for you to get out in case of emergency or structural collapse.

Beyond the ordinary supplies like drinking water, batteries, flashlights, battery or hand-crank radio, generators, gasoline, etc.  Evaluate the scale of what you have against the likelihood of weeks without power or water.   A few pro tips below:

♦ Put three 30-gallon trash cans in the shower and fill them with water before the storm.  This will give you 90 gallons of water for cooking and personal hygiene.  You will also need water to manually flush your toilets.  Bottled water is great for drinking, hydrating and toothbrushing, but you will need much more potable water if the municipal supply is compromised or broken.

♦ A standard 6,500-to-8,500-watt generator will run for approximately 8 hours on five gallons of gasoline.   Do not run it all the time.  Turn it on, chill the fridge, make coffee, use the microwave or charge stuff, then turn it off.  Do this in 4-hour shifts and the fridge will be ok and your gasoline will last longer.  Gasoline is a scarce and rare commodity in the aftermath of a hurricane.  Gas stations don’t work without power.  Check the oil in the generator every few days.  Also, have a can of quick start or butane available in case the generator starts acting up.

♦ Extension cords.  If you are purchasing them buy at least one 100 to 150′ extension cord with a triple ponytail.  This way you can use one cord into a central location to charge up your electronic devices.  Establish a central recharging station for phones, pads, laptops, and rechargeable stuff.

♦ Purchase a box of “contractor garbage bags” and just keep them in the garage.  These are large, thick, industrial trash bags that fit 40-gallon drums. They can be used for trash, or even cut open for tarps in the aftermath of a storm.  These thick mil contractor bags have multiple uses following a hurricane.

♦ Do all of your laundry before the hurricane hits.  You will likely not have the ability again for a few weeks.

♦ Cook a week’s worth of meals in advance of the hurricane. Store in fridge so you can microwave for a meal.  Eating a constant diet of sandwiches gets old after the first week.  Dinty Moore canned beef stew and or Chef-boy-ardee raviolis can make a nice break…. anything, except another sandwich.

♦ Have bleach for use in disinfecting stuff before and after a hurricane.  Also have antibiotics and antiseptics for use.  Hygiene and not getting simple infections after a hurricane is critical and often forgotten.  Again, this is where the extra potable water becomes important.  Simple cuts and scrapes become big deals when clean potable water is not regularly available.  Keep your scrapes and abrasions clean and use antiseptic creams immediately.

♦ Do not forget sunscreen and things to relieve muscle aches and pains.  Hurricane recovery involves physical effort.  You will be sore and/or exposed to the elements.  Remember, it’s all about self-sufficiency because the normal services are not available.  A well-equipped first aid kit is a must have.

♦ Buy a small camping stove.  Nothing big or expensive, just something you can cook on outside in case of emergency.  It will be a luxury when you are 2+ weeks without power and all the stores and restaurants are closed for miles.

♦ Those small flashlights that you can strap around your head that take a few AAA batteries?  Yup, GOLD.  Those types of handsfree flashlights are lifesavers inside and outside when you need to see your way around.  Nighttime is especially dark without electricity in the entire town.  Doing stuff like filling a generator with gasoline in the middle of the night is much easier with one of those head strap flashlights.  Strongly advise getting a few, they’re inexpensive too.

♦ Cash.  You will need it.  Without power anything you may need to purchase will require cash, especially gasoline.  Additionally, anyone you hire to help or support your immediate efforts will need to be paid.  Cash is critical.  How much, depends on your individual situation, but your cash burn rate will likely go into the thousands in the first few days.  Also keep in mind, you may or may not be able to work and without internet access even getting funds into place could be challenging.

♦ Hardware. A box of self-tapping sheet metal screws (short and long) is important, along with a box or two of various wood screws or Tyvex screws.  A battery drill or screw gun is another necessity.  Check all of this stuff during hurricane prep.

Look at my house below.  If you are not prepared mentally and physically to endure this, potentially for weeks and months, don’t try to ride it out. Just leave.

I have stayed through direct hurricane hits and worked dozens in the aftermath. As a Civilian Emergency Response Team (CERT) leader, I am considered an expert in preparation. However, following my experience with Hurricane Ian, ten full hours of hurricane intense destruction, I would never stay again. Remember, you can always come back later and deal with it.

Prayers for everyone!

Sep 23 2024

CDC Changes Child Developmental Milestone Guidelines


Posted originally on Sep 23, 2024 By Martin Armstrong 

cdc headquarters

Why are children developing slower than previous generations? Rather than addressing the root cause, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has drastically lowered the guidelines for developmental 216 milestones.

Children were previous expected to say their first word by the age of one, but now that expectation has been pushed to 15 months. By the age of two, children were expected to know two full sentences, but that was pushed back as well to a mere two words. The CDC no longer believes that a three-year-old toddler is expected to speak in full sentences. Children were expected to crawl by 10 months of age, but the CDC says that crawling is no longer a clear indicator of cognitive development.

Why has the CDC changed the guidelines? Currently, 1 in 10 children are diagnosed with some form of a developmental disability. This has become a global phenomenon and no one is quite sure of the reason. Could the economic necessity for dual income cause parents to be less engaged? Are the foods provided to infants and toddlers sufficient? Are doctors overdiagnosing our children? Are we over-medicating and vaccinating this population? How does Big Pharma, Big Food, Big Chemical Big Energy, Big Tech, COVID, and other giants profiting off of the backs of children come into play?

Robert. F. Kennedy has long spearheaded the Children’s Defense Network that aims to uncover why children across the world are less healthy than previous generations. Developmental issues like autism and ADHD have doubled since the 90s, and in some areas, one in 34 children suffer from autism. Autoimmune disorders are rising disproportionately and an estimated 13% to 25% of children require special education. Over half (54%) of American children suffer from some form of a chronic health condition.

This generation is the sickest in modern history. Why? One in 285 American children face cancer diagnoses. From 2001 to 2020, 47% of American children were more likely to die before reaching adulthood than children in other developed nations. These are extremely concerning statistics and we must get to the root cause to save our civilization. Kennedy’s mission to Make America Healthy Again is extremely admirable. The only reason his pleas for help are not seeing bipartisan support is due to lobbying and corrupt politicians who act against the best interest of the people. This is yet another reason why the establishment is adamantly against Donald Trump as major donors within Big Pharma and other health industries have purchased politicians and they cannot tempt him with their bribery.

Aug 5 2024

Massachusetts to Ban Term “Mother”


Posted originally on Aug 5, 2024 By Martin Armstrong 

Baby Birthrate

Massachusetts, House Bill 4750 will protect parents from gender discrimination by removing “mother” and “father” from birth certificates. We have reached a place in our society where this announcement causes no recoil as the left has strayed far beyond reality. A few years ago, these stories would make front-page headlines and cause an uproar. A “mother” is now merely the “person who gave birth,” while the father is known as the “other parent.”

Congratulations on your child, person who gave birth! May I call you “person?” “The Women’s Caucus endorsed this bill … because we know that there are many paths to parenthood, and our laws need to be updated to reflect the diversity of families,” Hannah Kane, a Republican who voted in favor of the bill, stated. Eliminating women from the equation does not provide “diversity”. Rather, women now have no rights because they do not exist.

A girl in my office was complaining about the announcement a few weeks ago from Tampax that stated they had been selling feminine products that contained cancerous materials. Admittedly, I had not followed the story as closely. She proclaimed that the products were never removed from the shelves, and “bleeding persons” were never informed on what to do with their dangerous products or how to check to see if they were affected. The entire story was swept under the rug because current society does not value women. Become a genderless being with no identity. Be no one other than a taxpayer and potential soldier.

Requirement_for_Women_to_Register_for_the_Draft_Back_on_the_Table_in_Annual_Defe

This is a global phenomenon. Italy’s PM Georgia Meloni was declared a far-right fascist for daring to state: “I am Giorgia. I’m a woman, I’m a mother, I’m Italian, I’m Christian.” Canada began demonizing the nuclear family structure in 2018, when Service Canada urged public employees to “use gender-neutral language or gender-inclusive language.” “This avoids portraying a perceived bias toward a particular sex or gender,” Service Canada claimed. The US government began to issue documents in February that asked officials not to use terms like “mother” or “father.”’

There is no greater hedge against the government than the nuclear family. A blood-tied union that can actually rely upon one another, decide their own morals and ethics, practice tradition and religion, and banish fear-mongering. The government wants to replace parents as the head authority. They want children to report on their parents’ wrongdoing, no different than countless past regimes from the Soviets to the Nazis. Governments are using schools to help children harbor secrets from their parents and alter their perception of reality. There is an outright psychological war happening against Generation Alpha, who may only know of a distorted version of reality that governments have been providing them.

The pride of being a mother is no longer permitted; you are disregarded as a “birthing person” in some Orwellian dystopian mentality. Anyone can breastfeed, the world health agencies have declared. There is nothing that differentiates women from men, apparently. Most importantly, your child should honor thy government over thy “mother” or “father.”

Aug 5 2024

Tropical Storm Debby Likely to Hit FL Big Bend as Hurricane


Posted originally on the CTH on August 4, 2024 

Tropical Storm Debby Likely to Hit FL Big Bend as Hurricane

August 4, 2024 | Sundance | 62 Comments

Tropical Storm Debby is anticipated to intensify quickly now and will likely impact the “big bend” of Florida area as a hurricane.   The good news is that Debby is moving fast (13 mph) and getting faster.  Less time for the buzzsaw is a good thing, regardless of intensity.

NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER – At 200 PM EDT (1800 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Debby was located near latitude 27.3 North, longitude 84.4 West. Debby is moving toward the north-northwest near 13 mph (20 km/h). A turn toward the north is expected later today, followed by a slower
motion toward the northeast on Monday and Tuesday. On the forecast track, the center will move across the northeastern Gulf of Mexico through tonight and reach the Florida Big Bend coast Monday morning. (LINK)

Remember, you are in control right now, not Debby. She takes control tomorrow. There is no need for panic or dark imaginings. Calm, prudent preparations should be taken if you are in the zone of uncertainty. A lot of change in impact zone can happen quickly with these northerly moving storms.

What follows below are less discussed things to consider if you are prepping for a hurricane impact and/or deciding whether to stay in your home or evacuate. Standard hurricane preparations should always be followed. Protect your family, secure your property and belongings, and prepare for the aftermath.

What you do before the hurricane hits is going to determine where you are in the recovery phase.

Additionally, and this should be emphasized and discussed within your family, if you cannot be self-sufficient in the aftermath – for any reason, then you should evacuate.

Self-sufficiency in this context requires being able to cope for up to several weeks:

(1) potentially without power; (2) potentially without potable running water (3) potentially without internet service; (4) potentially without communication outside the region; and (5) with limited municipal and private sector assistance.   If you decide you cannot deal with these outcomes, you should evacuate.

Additionally, as a family or individual, you should also honestly evaluate:

(1) your physical abilities; (2) your emotional and psychological ability to withstand extreme pressures; and (3) your comfort in losing daily routines, familiar schedules and often overlooked things you might take for granted.

Post hurricane recovery is fraught with stress, frustration and unforeseeable challenges.

I saw a video presented by a structural engineer who was sharing his experience with Hurricane Ian.  I am going to use his video for a few references because even with professional credentials, some of the common mistakes people make are highlighted in his experience.  Keep in mind his video is taken about 30 miles inland from where the majority impact area (coastal region) is located.

The video below was shot from the soft side (western side) of the storm, and if we were to scale the difference between his experience and a person who was located in/around Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, Pine Island or Cape Coral, he would be around a “5” on a ten-point impact scale.

Meaning the severity of conditions 30 miles southeast of him was twice as severe as his inland experience.

Key Points – At the 21: 35 moment (prompted), notice how his #2 vehicle is parked outside.  Also, at the 22:00 minute moment, notice what he is describing and showing with his garage door and how his #1 vehicle (a pickup truck) is positioned inside the garage. WATCH:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=gml_BZiZHi0%3Fstart%3D1293%26feature%3Doembed

.

♦ This is exactly what I was talking about in hurricane preparation when discussing the garage door.  If that videographer was located 30 miles southeast, and/or his house was positioned facing West, instead of North, his garage door would have failed.  If you lose the garage door, YOU COULD LOSE YOUR ROOF.

You can always tell those people who have been through direct hurricane impacts by how they parked their cars.  I have never included this in the hurricane advice before so it’s worth a mention.  If you lose your Florida garage door you will more than likely lose your roof.  That’s just the reality of having a massive opening in your structure to 150 mph winds that will lift the trusses.

If you have two vehicles, put one vehicle inside the garage with the front bumper against the door to help stop the flex (do this carefully).  Put the other vehicle outside blocking the garage door facing down the driveway or facing parallel to the garage.  The goal is to use the aero dynamics of the car to push the wind away from the door and provide protection.

Purchase a cheap car cover to protect the outside vehicle and/or use old blankets (cable ties, bungee cords) to stop the outside vehicle from getting sandblasted and destroyed.  Place double folded corrugated cardboard in front of the radiator to protect it from storm debris.

Additionally, if you live in a flood zone, or if you are concerned about storm surge, the day before impact take your #1 car to the nearest airport or hotel with a parking garage and park in the upper levels.  Take an uber back home if you don’t have a friend or partner to help you.  This way you know you will have one workable vehicle, just in case.

♦ Another lesson from Ian, if you drive an electric vehicle and sustain saltwater intrusion (of any level) your car is not safe.  Saltwater makes the vehicle batteries extremely dangerous, and they could spark or catch fire.  Multiple homes survived Hurricane Ian only to have the electric car catch fire in the garage and burn the house to the ground.  Hurricane rain is saltwater rain.  The fire department was begging people to put their ev’s outside and not to plug them in.  Dozens of ev’s also erupted in flames while driving down the streets after the storm.

Back to the video above…

♦ Notice at 24:30 of the video this professional structural engineer is standing and physically supporting his glass patio doors, with his wife, trying to keep them from breaking in due to wind and pressure changes.  DO NOT DO THIS !   That is beyond dangerous.  Any small item of debris (even a small twig or branch) could hit that window and shatter it, turning flying glass into instant flying blades.

Put 3/4-inch plywood or steel bolted hurricane shutters over all your windows and doors.  Period.  This is not an option.  My steel bolted hurricane shutters were hit with debris so hard – whatever it was physically dented the steel.  Every window and door need to be covered and protected, especially glass patio doors (even if tempered). Do not think you can stand there and protect glass doors.  It’s beyond dangerous.

♦ Hardening your home is a matter of careful thought and physical work.  However, every opening into your structure must be protected, leaving yourself with one small exit opportunity just in case. Hopefully you have a bolted door with no glass windows you can use as an emergency exit.  If not, select a small window and leave only enough room uncovered for you to get out in case of emergency or structural collapse.

Beyond the ordinary supplies like drinking water, batteries, flashlights, battery or hand-crank radio, generators, gasoline, etc.  Evaluate the scale of what you have against the likelihood of weeks without power or water.   A few pro tips below:

♦ Put three 30-gallon trash cans in the shower and fill them with water before the storm.  This will give you 90 gallons of water for cooking and personal hygiene.  You will also need water to manually flush your toilets.  Bottled water is great for drinking, hydrating and toothbrushing, but you will need much more potable water if the municipal supply is compromised or broken.

♦ A standard 6,500-to-8,500-watt generator will run for approximately 8 hours on five gallons of gasoline.   Do not run it all the time.  Turn it on, chill the fridge, make coffee, use the microwave or charge stuff, then turn it off.  Do this in 4-hour shifts and the fridge will be ok and your gasoline will last longer.  Gasoline is a scarce and rare commodity in the aftermath of a hurricane.  Gas stations don’t work without power.  Check the oil in the generator every few days.  Also, have a can of quick start or butane available in case the generator starts acting up.

♦ Extension cords.  If you are purchasing them buy at least one 100 to 150′ extension cord with a triple ponytail.  This way you can use one cord into a central location to charge up your electronic devices.  Establish a central recharging station for phones, pads, laptops, and rechargeable stuff.

♦ Purchase a box of “contractor garbage bags” and just keep them in the garage.  These are large, thick, industrial trash bags that fit 40-gallon drums. They can be used for trash, or even cut open for tarps in the aftermath of a storm.  These thick mil contractor bags have multiple uses following a hurricane.

♦ Do all of your laundry before the hurricane hits.  You will likely not have the ability again for a few weeks.

♦ Cook a week’s worth of meals in advance of the hurricane. Store in fridge so you can microwave for a meal.  Eating a constant diet of sandwiches gets old after the first week.  Dinty Moore canned beef stew and or Chef-boy-ardee raviolis can make a nice break…. anything, except another sandwich.

♦ Have bleach for use in disinfecting stuff before and after a hurricane.  Also have antibiotics and antiseptics for use.  Hygiene and not getting simple infections after a hurricane is critical and often forgotten.  Again, this is where the extra potable water becomes important.  Simple cuts and scrapes become big deals when clean potable water is not regularly available.  Keep your scrapes and abrasions clean and use antiseptic creams immediately.

♦ Do not forget sunscreen and things to relieve muscle aches and pains.  Hurricane recovery involves physical effort.  You will be sore and/or exposed to the elements.  Remember, it’s all about self-sufficiency because the normal services are not available.  A well-equipped first aid kit is a must have.

♦ Buy a small camping stove.  Nothing big or expensive, just something you can cook on outside in case of emergency.  It will be a luxury when you are 2+ weeks without power and all the stores and restaurants are closed for miles.

♦ Those small flashlights that you can strap around your head that take a few AAA batteries?  Yup, GOLD.  Those types of handsfree flashlights are lifesavers inside and outside when you need to see your way around.  Nighttime is especially dark without electricity in the entire town.  Doing stuff like filling a generator with gasoline in the middle of the night is much easier with one of those head strap flashlights.  Strongly advise getting a few, they’re inexpensive too.

♦ Cash.  You will need it.  Without power anything you may need to purchase will require cash, especially gasoline.  Additionally, anyone you hire to help or support your immediate efforts will need to be paid.  Cash is critical.  How much, depends on your individual situation, but your cash burn rate will likely go into the thousands in the first few days.  Also keep in mind, you may or may not be able to work and without internet access even getting funds into place could be challenging.

♦ Hardware. A box of self-tapping sheet metal screws (short and long) is important, along with a box or two of various wood screws or Tyvex screws.  A battery drill or screw gun is another necessity.  Check all of this stuff during hurricane prep.

♦ ADD.  I forget my #1 personal nemesis in the aftermath (pictured below):

Roofing nails.  The pesky roofing nails.  Thousands of em’, all over. Those buggers are everywhere, and they will go through a flip-flop, sneaker sole or car tire perfectly. Most of them are black (not yellow) like the ones above.  Some of them have square of flat tops to help them stand up just perfect to find your tires.

I hope this is useful.

Love to all,

~ Sundance

Jul 11 2024

The Black Death is Back


Posted originally onJul 11, 2024 By Martin Armstrong 

Black Death

Health agencies reported new cases of “The Black Death,” officially known as the bacterium Yersinia pestis in the United States. The plague is transmitted through fleas and is notoriously known for claiming the lives of over half of Europe’s population.

“Plague can be treated successfully with antibiotics, but an infected person must be treated promptly to avoid serious complications or death,” said Alicia Solis, program manager of the Office of Communicable Disease and Emergency Preparedness at the Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment, in the news release. “We advise all individuals to protect themselves and their pets from plague,” the department says.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that our pets could bring the plague into our households. “A plague vaccine is no longer available in the United States. New plague vaccines are in development but are not expected to be commercially available in the immediate future,” the CDC reported on its website. Antibiotics could easily cure this ailment, but pharmaceutical companies are repeating another Warp Speed project to create a vaccination.

Black Death

Remember that the coronavirus began as something that simply infected animals, until it passed onto humans and mutated countless times. Each variation of COVID came equipped with a booster vaccine and scientists INITIALLY told us that the virus passed from animals to humans through a wet market in Wuhan, China.

This infection can also be transmitted through blood contact or inhaling droplets of infected air – sound familiar? Allegedly, over 80% of current cases in the US are in the bubonic form, which is transmitted through blood, such as a flea bite. The Mayo Clinic believes the fatality rate for this disease is around 11%, which is far higher than the deathrate for COVID.

Disease Cycle

“The plague” or “the black death” already instills fear and panic due to its notoriety during the 1300s. News outlets are already declaring cases of the black death in humans in developed nations, and news outlets are mockingbirds, repeating the line, “The plague never went away.”

Socrates has been honing in on 2026 for an uptick in the Disease Cycle, a cycle that often coincides with times of war. Ideally, this would peak around 2027, and 2028 will be when we feel the crash’s impact.

Jun 4 2024

Sheila Jackson-Lee Announces Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosis


Posted originally on the CTH on June 3, 2024 | Sundance

Given the specific and manipulative nature of Mrs. Sheila Jackson-Lee in the stories of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Freddie Grey, Philando Castile, Walter Scott and eventually George Floyd, it is difficult to find resilient grace and appropriate words for prayer.

Factually Ms. Sheila Jackson-Lee was/is one of the most divisive players of the racially toxic anger games in the past dozen years.  Her commentary was consistently vitriolic, delivered from serpent tongue and devoid of honest review.  That said, as the dark shadows move into receptive position, I am hopeful Ms Jackson-Lee will repent and provide her family peace during her transition.

[Source Link]

Dear Lord, we come to you seeking strength and grace. While we ask You to protect us from those who give no thought to the harmful consequences of their irresponsible actions, we also beg for grace within our prayers for those who blindly trespass. Shield us from the injurious situations they cause, let their malicious intents be hindered and target our prayers when comeuppance is served.

As we earnestly try to live in peace with everyone, keep us away from contentious people who might incite us to react without pause or grace. Provide us with gracious, strong yet gentle words for healing that may help pacify the troubled hearts of the malicious. We make effort to glorify You and give testimony of our faith at every opportunity. In Your name of mercy, we pray.

Amen.

[BACKGROUND]

Apr 4 2024

Study: 25% of Gen Z Needs Therapy After Filing Taxes


Posted Apr 4, 2024 by Martin Armstrong

Taxes.Meme_.Bernie

Welcome to the real world, kids! A recent poll by Cash App Taxes have found 1 in 4 Gen X Americans (born between 1997 and 2012) believe they need therapy after filing taxes this year. Yes, 25% of that demographic needs psychological help after learning about taxation.

Now, this generation was simply unprepared for the harsh truth about taxation. The study found that 62% of first-time filers did not know how to obtain their W-2 or 1099 forms. The study also found that many believed cypto, where around 55% of Gen Z investors have a stake, was off the radar and were surprised to find out that tax forms were required on those investments.

A lot of these kids reached voting age before they were required to pay taxes as some parents handle everything to the disadvantage of their adult children. Schools simply do not teach students about taxes. You are taxes on your sales, purchases, savings, income, etc. etc. The idea of this liberal Utopia where we all live freely in peace and harmony without consideration for money is a fairytale.

This phenomenon of the liberal dream bursting has been well recorded throughout history.

“Anyone who is not a republican at twenty casts doubt on the generosity of his soul; but he who, after thirty years, perseveres, casts doubt on the soundness of his mind,” Jules Claretie once wrote. In 1927, King Oscar II of Sweden stated, “A man who has not been a socialist before 25 has no heart. If he remains one after 25 he has no head.” We all know Churchill’s famous line that mirrors King Oscar’s sentiments.

The left panders to young voters and preys on their innocence. Millions actually believed Biden had the authority to make their student debt disappear, for example. They believe Republicans are greedy and everyone deserves to be equal. Once they realize that a large portion of their pay goes to foreign war, foreign migrants, people living off the system, corrupt politicians, etc. it becomes more apparent that equality has a different meaning. There is a reason that public schools fail to educate the youth about taxation and economics, but everyone will learn sooner or later.

Mar 25 2024

Life Expectancy on the Decline in the US


Posted originally on Mar 25, 2024 By Martin Armstrong 

Kiss of Death

The average America will not live to see 80-years of age. The average life expectancy stands around 76.4 years, according to the CDC, with women living an average of 79.3 years and men expiring sooner at 73.5. Those figures have been steadily declining each year. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf recently spoke out about the “disturbing” trend and believes it deserves “urgent attention.”

The Society of Actuaries is also raising the alarm, noting that young Americans are dying rapidly. “Mortality was 26 percent higher among insured 35-to-44-year-olds, and 19 percent higher for 25-to-34-year-olds continuing a death spike that peaked in the third quarter of 2021 at a staggering 101 percent and 79 percent above normal, respectively,” the Hill stated in a recent article. The Society of Actuaries stated that COVID-19 is not to blame. Actuaries and insurance companies are pricing in younger life expectancy rates through 2030.

“The most important remediable causes of death in the U.S. are tobacco use and poorly controlled hypertension. We’re going to lose 460K Americans this year from tobacco-related illness, and we have millions of teenagers getting addicted to nicotine through vaping right now,” Dr. Califf noted on social media. However, tobacco usage has been rapidly declining in the US, and this does not explain why Americans are dying young.

Overdose.Opioid.OD_.Deaths.2023

Opioids like fentanyl, Oxycontin, and heroin have become one of the leading causes of death among American youth. Opioid overdoses deaths spiked from 21,089 in 2010 to 47,600, years after the crisis first emerged. There were 68,630 reported opioid-induced deaths by 2020, and that figure skyrocketed to 80,411 by 2021.

Entire cities are plagued by the opioid epidemic, which I have covered extensively in the past. Drugs like Narcan to counteract overdoses are now sold along with the gum at the front registers of major retailers. The Biden-Harris Administration has distributed safe drug usage equipment to prevent the spread of disease and individual cities have decriminalized drug usage.

Now, the leading cause of death in America remains heart disease, followed by cancer. America has an obesity epidemic that largely contributes to heart disease and cancer, with 41.9% of the population over the recommended BMI as of 2020. The CDC estimates that the US spent $173 billion combating obesity in 2019, and medical costs for obese Americans are $1,861 higher than those at a healthy BMI. African Americans have the highest rate of obesity (49.9%), followed by Hispanics (45.6%), and Caucasians (41.4%). Asian Americans have a very low rate of obesity in comparison at only 16.1%. Aside from genetics, diet plays a major contributing factor. Additionally, Asian Americans are the least likely to fall into poverty, statistically speaking.

FDA

I could go on about the ingredients the FDA labels edible. Brominated vegetable oil (BVO), Red dye 3, Yellow 5, Blue 1, azodicarbonamide, potassium bromate, Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA), and titanium dioxide are a few examples of food ingredients that are BANNED in Europe but permitted in America. These ingredients are often known carcinogens linked to respiratory issues, genotoxicity, diabetes, and obesity. The FDA has more lenient regulatory standards because of profits.

Americans typically report much higher rates of stress than other nations. Monster Worldwide, Inc. conducted one study that found American workers experience a much higher rate of stress compared to Europeans at 65% vs 50%. The average work week is significantly shorter in Europe than in America, and vacation packages are significantly longer, with vacations often mandatory. America is also the only nation that does not offer maternity or paternity leave. Various studies have also found that cultural influences, separation from family, lack of religion, and other aspects skew higher on stress scores.

There are countless factors contributing to lower life expectancy rates. America lost 158,000 people in the first nine months of 2023, which, as noted by the Hill, is higher than the combined total of every American soldier who died in battle since Vietnam. Perhaps we need to start living instead of surviving. Those in blue areas eat healthier, real foods. They exercise and find ways to reduce stress. They are living vs surviving. The number of deaths will soon outpace the number of births, and this will greatly impact society as a whole if we only address the symptoms and not the causes.

Categories:USA CURRENT EVENTS

Mar 23 2024

Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, Announces She Has Cancer


Posted originally on the CTH on March 22, 2024 | Sundance

Kate Middleton announced earlier today that she is undergoing treatment for cancer following “major abdominal surgery.”

(Via Daily Mail) – The Princess of Wales has announced tonight that she has been diagnosed with cancer aged 42 and is undergoing ‘preventative’ chemotherapy.

In a deeply personal, unprecedented and emotional video message, filmed at Windsor on Wednesday, Catherine revealed the news had come as a ‘huge shock’ and that she and William ‘have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family’.

It came days after she was seen smiling with Prince William as they left their favourite farm shop close to their Windsor home, and she said her husband had been ‘a great source of comfort and reassurance’ during her cancer fight. (more)

https://youtube.com/watch?v=18XwiAfZs4E%3Ffeature%3Doembed

[…] “Catherine’s cancer was discovered only after she underwent major abdominal surgery at The London Clinic in January. Kensington Palace has said it will not be sharing details of what kind of cancer the princess has, or what stage of cancer it is and has asked people not to speculate.” (more)

Deep prayers for her, Prince William and their young family.

It is understood that the announcement was made tonight not because of unpleasant social media speculation about her health and whereabouts – although that has been upsetting – but because her children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five, broke up from school today, which gave them the opportunity to take them away privately and protect them from the inevitable public shock.

Jan 7 2024

Defense Secretary Remains Hospitalized, Spent Four Days in Intensive Care Following Complications, White House Never Informed


Posted originally on the CTH January 6, 2024 | Sundance 

The story of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin recovering in the hospital broke Friday afternoon when the Pentagon first released a statement {SEE HERE}.   It was a bizarre first notification considering that Secretary Austin had been hospitalized since January 1st, and no official notification came until yesterday.   However, the story has grown even more bizarre.

Secretary Austin was in intensive care for four days following complications that stemmed from an elective procedure.

Today, it is discovered that the Pentagon never informed the White House that the Defense Secretary was not in command.  The National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and the National Security Council were unaware of Austin’s incapacity until January 4th.  This is very strange.  Politico has the update:

WASHINGTON DC – The Pentagon did not tell President Joe Biden and other top officials about Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s hospitalization for three days, three U.S. officials said.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan and other senior White House aides didn’t know of Austin’s Jan. 1 hospitalization until the Defense Department sent over word Jan. 4, two other U.S. officials said. Sullivan informed Biden shortly after DOD’s Thursday notification.

The officials said it was highly unlikely that Austin conveyed word to Biden privately before Sullivan’s briefing. “If Jake didn’t know, no way the president knew,” one of them said. “Who would have told him of Austin’s condition if not Jake? And if someone did tell the president, Jake would’ve been his first call.”

All officials and other people who spoke for this story were granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive issue.

The news of Austin’s situation came as a shock to all White House staff as they were unaware the Pentagon boss was dealing with complications following an elective medical procedure, the officials said. National Security Council staffers were surprised it took the Pentagon so long to let them know of Austin’s status. The Pentagon didn’t make the information public until Friday evening, notifying Congress about 15 minutes before releasing a public statement.

“This should not have happened this way,” said one of the U.S. officials. The NSC and Pentagon declined comment. (read more)

Considering the U.S military is actively engaged in two regions of conflict, Red Sea (Israel-Hamas war) and Ukraine (Russia-Ukraine conflict) it seems stunning the Defense Secretary was out of commission and the White House was never aware.

Then again, considering the oft spoken arguments about the Joe Biden administration essentially operating without any command-and-control authority, meaning each institution is operating on their own priority system and Joe Biden is not a participant in government, perhaps this is just another affirmational data point.

Lastly, perhaps this level of detachment reconciles THIS STORY.