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Martha Stewart Will Definitely Survive the Zombie Apocalypse
Martha Stewart Will Definitely Survive the Zombie Apocalypse
I have always been a big fan of Martha Stewart. I know, sometimes she does stuff like gluing moss on lampshades which causes you to wonder if she ever uses that lamp and why it doesn’t catch fire, and rolling grapes in goose liver pate sounds like it won’t be on my bucket list, but let’s put those things aside for a moment and talk about how Martha is better prepared than just about anyone to survive the Zombie Apocalypse. And it’s not just because she’s rich.
Please note that, as always, I use the Zombie Apocalypse as a metaphor for any type of civil unrest, long-term disaster in which the unprepared are going to want what you’ve carefully stored, and events during which people eagerly await the government’s handouts to rescue them from their Darwinian fates.
But, let’s talk about Martha. I’ve always seen her as a mentor, even though I’ve never had the privilege of meeting her.
She understands the value of a home-cooked meal with every detail from scratch. She grows her own veggies and herbs, maintains orchards, and raises chickens. She can sew, bake, garden, and run a multi-billion dollar business. She’s survived some things that would have driven a lesser woman to her knees. Remember how a few weeks back when I talked about prepper friends, I said that some of them weren’t exactly preppers but would be fantastic neighbors and allies? One word for you: MARTHA.
Here are just a few of the reasons why I’m quite certain that Martha Stewart will survive anything the Zombie Apocalypse could throw at her.
She can cook anything, anywhere.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
7 Questions to Help You Figure Out Where to Store All That Food
7 Questions to Help You Figure Out Where to Store All That Food
About twelve years ago, my family decided to start storing food in case one of those dreaded “what ifs” happened in our lives.
You know those “what ifs.”
“What if we lose a source of income?” “What if someone is injured and can no longer work?” “What if we are sued and don’t have enough money to cover the lawsuit?” “What if prices go up so much that we can’t afford to feed our family as well as we do now?”
Yeah. Even if your “what ifs” aren’t the same as mine, I’d be willing to bet you have your own.
So those “what ifs” drove us to start amassing food. But one of the first things that went through my mind was, “We don’t have a basement! Where are we going to store food?”
Has that thought ever crossed your mind? If you’re in a bit of a panic because you don’t know where you’re going to store your stash, I’m going to provide you with seven questions that will help you uncover not-before-thought-of-spots.
I want you to take a walk through your house one room at a time. Looking at each room with new eyes, ask yourself these seven questions.
#1) Do I have anything that I can get rid of to create more room for food storage?
Well, the first and most obvious place to store food is in your kitchen. Go through your cabinets. Do you have approximately a gazillion plastic lids, but they don’t match any of your containers? Get rid of the lids and reclaim that area for food storage. Has your one gadget drawer procreated so now you have three billowing gadget drawers? Purge the items you’ve never used and are never likely to use in an emergency. Then use that space for food storage.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
How the SHTF in Bosnia: Selco Asks Americans, “Does this sound familiar?”
How the SHTF in Bosnia: Selco Asks Americans, “Does this sound familiar?”
Selco interviewed by Daisy Luther
I was recently emailing back and forth with Selco and we were discussing the situation in the US right now, with the political polarization, the rage, and the general cognitive dissonance. I asked him if he saw any similarities between our situation and the one in Bosnia when the SHTF there during the war. When he replied I knew I had to share this information with you.
While we might like to think it could never happen here, the current events here are eerily similar to what happened there in the 1990s.
When you read this. think about recent events. The anger about immigration. The destruction of Civil War monuments. The unease between the races. The deep rage about the recent presidential election. The scorn and derision for neighbors who think differently. The way the media fans the flames of dissent between our fellow Americans.
You’ll realize that it definitely CAN happen to us…and there’s not one darn thing we can do except to be prepared.
What parallels do you see with events in the US and Bosnia before the SHTF?
US and Yugoslavia (in 1990) on first look do not have anything in common because people are going to say, “The USA cannot have anything similar to any socialistic system.”
This is true but only on first look.
Yugoslavia had somewhere around 20-22 million citizens, six republics (similar to states in the US), 3-4 main religions, and many national groups (ethnicity).
The official state policy was to build Yugoslavian “nationality” (from the end of WW1) and through different ways that effort was successful until the 90s.
We were “something big, united through differences with a strong connection to make something big.”
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
SELCO: The Brutal Truth About Violence When the SHTF
SELCO: The Brutal Truth About Violence When the SHTF
Are you prepared for the extreme violence that is likely to come your way if the SHTF? No matter what your plan is, it’s entirely probable that at some point, you’ll be the victim of violence or have to perpetrate violence to survive. As always, Selco is our go-to guy on SHTF reality checks and this thought-provoking interview will shake you to your core.
If you don’t know Selco, he’s from Bosnia and he lived through a year in a city that was blockaded with no utilities, no deliveries of supplies, and no services. In his interviews, he shares what the scenarios the rest of us theorize about were REALLY like. He mentioned to me recently that most folks aren’t prepared for the violence that is part and parcel of a collapse, which brings us to today’s interview.
How prevalent was violence when the SHTF in Bosnia?
It was wartime and chaos, from all conflicts in those years in the Balkan region Bosnian conflict was most brutal because of multiple reasons, historical, political and other.
To simplify the explanation why violence was common and very brutal, you need to picture a situation where you are “bombarded” with huge amount of information (propaganda) which instills in you very strong feelings of fear and hate.
Out of fear and hate, violence grows easy and fast, and over the very short period of time you see how people around you (including you) do things that you could not imagine before.
I can say that violence was almost an everyday thing in the whole spectrum of different activities because it was a fight for survival.
Again, whenever (and wherever) you put people in a region without enough resources, you can expect violence.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
Anxiety, Anguish, Anger: How It Really Feels to Survive a Collapse
Anxiety, Anguish, Anger: How It Really Feels to Survive a Collapse
Hello to all those readers interested in learning from my personal experience of surviving an economic collapse.
I decided to write this article, the first of a series of several similar that will be posted because I am experiencing these days a huge emotional mix. I am not embarrassed in any way for this, I am a normal person, I have feelings and emotions like everyone else, and until not long ago I had a home, a job, and a conventional, peaceful life like perhaps many of you are enjoying right now.
May God keep it that way!
As a former oil worker, one learns to control emotions, because being in this business, a bad decision in the field if there is danger present, could cost one’s life. Or someone else’s. This said, when we made the decision (as a family we discuss all this of course) and, once my salary stopped being useful for three weeks worth of food, we decided that was the inflection point. After 14 years in one of the most profitable industries in the world (except in Venezuela), I was left with nothing in my bank account. The hyperinflation ate away all the little money that was there. The next step, fleeing to a foreign country (yes, I had savings in hard currency) and trying to find some stability was relatively easy, as my sister-in-law and mother-in-law were already here, and they had some space. So I started a small business (mainly private lectures) just to meet the ends, and it became more or less profitable. A phone call every two days to home, to speak with my family, and long, newspaper-like emails, social networks sometimes. (We decided to not disclose my departure because of OPSEC).
Anxiety
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
Selco: What an “Average Day” Is REALLY Like When the SHTF
Selco: What an “Average Day” Is REALLY Like When the SHTF
Did you ever think about how different your day to day life would be after an SHTF event? The little things we take for granted now, like making a meal, staying warm, or having water to drink and bathe in would suddenly become a whole lot more complicated.
Who better to tell us what that is like than Selco? For those who don’t know, Selco spent a year in a city in Bosnia that was blockaded. During that year, he and the other residents lived without our normal amenities like heat, running water, electricity, and supplies that could be purchased at the stores.
I asked him some questions about daily life after the SHTF. I think you’ll agree that his answers are eye-opening.
(Note: Selco’s interviews are lightly edited for clarity, but I want to use his own words. The authenticity of his stories remains intact. For those of you who don’t know of Selco, please note that English is his 4th language. Whiny grammar Nazi comments will be deleted. Comments complaining about my use of the word “Nazi” will be posted, however, so we can publicly mock them, and then the commenter will be banned forever for being a whiner.)
What time did you usually get up? What woke you?
A few weeks after the collapse came, all aspects of our normal life changed based on the new reality around us.
One aspect was “sleep cycle“- the time when we sleep and when we were awake and active.
One of the most basic rules that jumped in was that most of the activities got done during the night.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
Who Is Deliberately Killing the Bees?
Who Is Deliberately Killing the Bees?
Last night, my husband attended our beekeeping association meeting. He was looking forward to it all day. Talking with other “bee people” is exciting, chatting about the upcoming spring, opening up the hives after winter, installing new bees, etc. I couldn’t wait for him to come home to with new beekeeping ideas and to see his face light up as he waxed poetic about beekeeping.
Only, that didn’t happen. Instead, he brought back a story that chilled me to my bones about someone deliberately killing the bees just a few towns away from us in Rehoboth, MA.
Just Another Accidental Spraying?
We read about the bee deaths when it happened. Early reports seemed to suggest this was yet another case of farmers in the vicinity being irresponsible with chemicals. That may have been what investigators originally suspected, as hypothesized by Eric Pilotte, the president of the Bristol County Beekeepers Association. In this interview, Pilotte spoke of how bees can forage up to three miles away and may have brought back poisoned pollen and nectar to the hive.
“All indications are it was some type of pesticide or insecticide that’s the culprit,” Pilotte said. “In this case, they were able to bring back some of those contaminants and I think that’s what spread like wildfire through the hive.”
Fellow association member, entomologist and retired superintendent of the Bristol County Mosquito Control Project, Wayne Andrews, thought it had to have happened “closer to home“.
Andrews said bees can fly as far as three or four miles in search of food and water but he suspects the Rehoboth bees consumed the poison closer to home, likely no more than a mile away.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
The Prepper’s Guide to Cybersecurity
How savvy are you about cybersecurity? Technology is ever-changing, and that alone can make it overwhelming. If you have put off learning how to protect your computer, however, I urge you change that ASAP. Preppers get a lot of information and products from the internet, so you’ll want to make sure to practice good cybersecurity so you don’t give away too much of your owninformation.
According to Ceasar Cerrudo, cybersecurity should be our biggest concern. He would know. He’s a professional hacker.
Cerrudo’s company, IOActive, provides hacking services to find vulnerabilities in order to improve cybersecurity. His predictions should be a wake-up call to get savvy about cybersecurity.
Some experts predict that by 2020 there will be 200 billion connected things. Cars, planes, homes, cities, and even animals are being connected. We are putting software everywhere. This is changing the way we live and how we behave and interact with the world around us. As technology becomes more and more deeply integrated into our lives, we become more and more dependent on it. But this dependence makes us vulnerable if technology fails.
Cerrudo goes on to point out:
I see the same problems over and over again. We are not getting better. And while we depend more and more on technology, technology is becoming more and more insecure.
In my experience, most technology is vulnerable and can be hacked.
Considering how our computers, phones, cars, home security systems, banking, appliances, pace-makers, insulin pumps, and more are becoming “connected”, privacy and security have never been more important.
Cyber Threats: What Are They?
Cyber threats come from hackers and scammers. Hackers will exploit vulnerabilities on your computer or other connected devices to gain access to your private information. They do this through malware. Scammers exploit human error, naivety, and opportunity. Scammers will use phishing emails, websites, malware, or other strategies to break into your device.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
What We Can Learn 100 Years After the Spanish Influenza Pandemic of 1918
What We Can Learn 100 Years After the Spanish Influenza Pandemic of 1918
It has been 100 years since the Spanish flu infected 500 million people around the globe and wiped out an estimated 20 million to 50 million of them. (source)
And here we are, potentially on the cusp of another influenza pandemic. H3N2, or the “Australian flu” is making the rounds this year and has spread to the UK, among other countries. This map from the UK Sun shows the spread – and the potential for a pandemic.
This flu is particularly deadly. 745 people died from it in Australia in late 2017.
The NHS says that Australian flu symptoms have rapid onset:
- a sudden fever – a temperature of 38C or above
- aching body
- feeling tired or exhausted
- dry, chesty cough
- a sore throat
- a headache
- difficulty sleeping
- loss of appetite
- diarrhea or tummy pain
- nausea and being sick
The symptoms are similar for children, but they can also have ear pain and lethargy.
As well, the “Japanese Flu” and the “French Flu” are two other strains that are running rampant, although their symptoms aren’t as severe as those of the Aussie H3N2. The Japanese Flu, also known as the Yamagata flu, is less serious but far more contagious. The French Flu is H1N1 and has been deadly for some sufferers.
The United States is having a bad year also.
Here in the US, an epidemic is rapidly becoming deadly and overwhelming hospitals.
18 people have died in Dallas, Texas from the flu and 27 have died in California. Hospital waiting rooms are jammed with flu victims, the doctors are running out of medication, ambulance services are strained and even IV bags are in short supply. Influenza is widespread in 36 states, according to the CDC.
Here’s the CDC’s map of the flu’s spread throughout the US as of the last day of 2017.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
How to Get More Fruits and Vegetables in Your Prepper Stockpile
How to Get More Fruits and Vegetables in Your Prepper Stockpile
Most people who are working hard to eat well consume a lot of fruits and vegetables. One of the biggest issues folks are noticing with the Stockpile Challenge is getting enough produce in their diets.
It can be a major challenge when living from your stockpiled foods to get enough fruits and vegetables. This is dangerous because, without produce, your family can be at risk for nutritional deficiency diseases like scurvy and their immune systems will be compromised. A minimum of 5 servings per day is recommended, but during the long winter, how can you meet that goal with the contents of your pantry?
As well, many people these days generally eat a low-carb diet that is reliant on protein and produce. (You can get more info about stockpiling for a low-carb diet here.)
Supplying your family with produce that will provide the necessary nutrients that their bodies need to thrive is a twofold process. Not only should you preserve the summer’s bounty for the winter ahead, but you should also come up with ways to add fresh greens outside of the growing season.
Building a Stockpile of Fruits and Vegetables
When creating your produce stockpile, you have to look at what actually constitutes a “serving” for the people you will be feeding. It may not actually be the amount that you expect. For example, a child’s serving of green beans is anywhere from a quarter cup to a half a cup (depending on their age), but an adult’s serving is a full cup. So for a child, plan on 1-3 cups of produce per day and for an adult, plan on 5 cups of produce per day.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
The Flu Survival Guide: Kitchen Remedies and Natural Strategies to Battle the Bug
The Flu Survival Guide: Kitchen Remedies and Natural Strategies to Battle the Bug
If you are a flu shot avoider, like I am, you probably aren’t crazy about the drug store flu remedies. Here’s a flu survival guide loaded with natural strategies and kitchen remedies in case one or more of your family members gets sick.
Despite your best efforts at prevention, sometimes the flu just happens. If you work with the public or have children in school – or heck, even go to the store from time to time – you and your family will be exposed. Sometimes those viruses are simply tougher than your immune system. The flu is going wild right now and is widespread in 36 states, according to a report by the CDC.
Here’s an arsenal of strategies if someone gets sick.
Note: I’m not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV. These home remedies are for informational purposes only and are not a substitute for medical attention from a professional.
Containing the Illness
When someone in your home is sick, one of your first goals is not to pass the illness on to other family members. The other priority is treating the sick people in the house with remedies that strengthen them rather than weaken them.
It’s important to make an effort to contain the illness. Despite your best efforts, it may not work, but it’s worth a try.
I’d like to note that antibacterial products are highly controversial. It’s my belief that the problem is the overuse of antibacterial products that causes the issues. I believe that if used judiciously, they can be very effective aids in preventing the spread of an illness.
Try these techniques to help contain the contagion.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
Prepper TV: What Survival-Themed Series Should You Binge-Watch?
Prepper TV: What Survival-Themed Series Should You Binge-Watch?
With the advent of Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, and Amazon Prime, watching a series has never been easier. No longer do you have to wait a week for the next episode – it’s right there, ready when you are. (If you’re more of a movie buff, check out this list of prepper movies.)
Preppers tend to watch programs a little differently than the rest of the world. Most of us really enjoy survival-themed TV shows because we can really get into the whole analysis of it. It’s like the prepper version of a sporting event, where we can cheer on the smart moves, analyze the situation, and yell at the screen when the characters do something that is bound to get them killed. (And often, we can pick up a few tips or think of things we hadn’t previously considered.)
If you’re going to watch TV, it might as well be thought-provoking, right? We all need some downtime now and then, and watching these shows is a way to relax and be entertained, but still let your mind shift into survival mode. I haven’t had cable for years and personally prefer streaming so I can avoid the annoying commercials.
I asked folks in the Facebook group to give me their favorite shows and got so many I had to break it into two articles. (Be on the lookout for Reality TV: Prepper Style, coming soon.)
15 Survival TV Shows for Preppers
Here are the shows to put in your queue, in no particular order.
The 100
Ninety-seven years ago, Earth was devastated by a nuclear apocalypse, with the only survivors being the inhabitants of orbiting space stations at the time. Three generations later, resources are running out.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
Moisturizer: A Lifesaving (Yes, Really!) Stockpile Item That Most Preppers Forget
Moisturizer: A Lifesaving (Yes, Really!) Stockpile Item That Most Preppers Forget
We have lists of food supplies, lists of off-grid supplies,lists of non-food supplies, lists of medical supplies, and lists of books. We have first aid lists, water purifications lists, and personal hygiene lists.
But there’s one prep that hardly ever makes it on any lists, and my friend, medical professional Lizzie Bennett of the website Underground Medic is going to explain why this humble item is one of the most important things you’ll ever stockpile.
The Lifesaving Stockpile Item That Most Preppers Forget
Your skin is the largest organ of your body. It holds everything together and forms a barrier between your delicate internal organs, your muscles, bones and tendons and the elements on the outside.
Your skin is an amazing organ. It’s waterproof but at the same time semi-permeable. It allows waste products to seep out, such as sweat and it can directly absorb vitamins such as vitamins A, E, and C. It protects against infections too numerous to mention – providing it remains intact, but therein lies the problem.
The skin is easily damaged.
- Anything sharp, from a bramble thorn to a stiletto blade damages it.
- The sun can burn and blister it.
- Foreign objects can pass right through it.
- It is susceptible to blunt force trauma causing a drop in circulating blood volume as the blood from broken capillaries seep into the damaged area causing the classic discoloration of bruising.
- It is affected by chemicals and environmental pollution.
- It scars easily.
- If it is over-stretched collagen in its sub-structure tears and stretch marks form. The nerve endings within stretch marks are damaged permanently.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
A Quick-Start Guide for New Preppers Who Want to be Ready RIGHT NOW
A Quick-Start Guide for New Preppers Who Want to be Ready RIGHT NOW
You feel a panicked urgency because you’ve learned just enough to know that you are NOT prepared.You know that there are all sorts of supplies that you need, but if you’re like most of us, you’re on a budget. Very few of us can afford to buy everything we need all at once.
Here’s a guide
Stop panicking. Take a deep breath. You can devote yourself to getting prepared without breaking the bank.
So if you have to split up your purchases, how do you prioritize your supplies? How can you create a sensible supply quickly before an impending crisis occurs?
The recommendations in this guide for new preppers will help speed you through the preparedness process. Wherever possible, use items that you already have. Consider this a checklist of what you need and fulfill it as you can. In each category there will be a range of options, including some freebies whenever possible, as well as reading material on the subject.
Please keep in mind, the following doesn’t provide you with a year’s supply of anything. It will get you through most short-term disasters with aplomb, though. Once you have this foundation in place, you can spend time and money building upon it.
Water
Water is near and dear to my heart, so much so that I wrote a book on the topic. (You can find The Prepper’s Water Survival Guide HERE.) I always put water at the top of the list, because without it, you’ll be dead in 3 short days. The need for an emergency water supply isn’t always the result of a down grid disaster. Recently, we tapped into our emergency water when the well pump broke.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
How Modern Life Destroys Survival Instinct
How Modern Life Destroys Survival Instinct
Our world today would seem magical to our ancestors. Our needs are met almost immediately, we have clean water at the turn of a knob, heat at the push of a button, and light with the flip of a switch. Food is purchased in a box, ready to heat, and a person can prepare a meal in under 6 minutes using the microwave oven that’s a fixture in most modern kitchens.
Our world is clean, convenient, and loaded with abundant resources, things that took significant time and effort to produce in days gone by.
But all of this convenience comes at a high price, one we don’t even realize exists until a situation arises in which the ready answers aren’t there, the food is not available, and the dial on the thermostat no longer has any effect at all.
Modern life destroys survival instinct. Most folks just buy the answers to all of their problems and they have lost the ability to think. Self-reliance is an act of epic rebellion against the status quo.
Quick solutions reduce problem-solving ability
Yesterday, I discovered I was out of oregano.
Normally, I’d hop in the car and go to the grocery store. I’d buy some oregano, some other interesting things that caught my eye, and grab a coffee on the way home to fight that mid-afternoon crash.
But, since I’m participating in the Once-a-Month Shopping Challenge, running to the store was not an option, and wouldn’t be for 3 more weeks. Since the tomatoes I was processing wouldn’t last that long, I had to think about solutions – real solutions that did not involve running to the store. (I substituted thyme and basil, by the way.)
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
