The Haves VS the Have Nots

Here is a good example of the beautiful people with cash feeling themselves above the rest of us get in front of the line to obtain nutrients that are in tight supply for preemies.   Use this as an example of where you will end up in line for food, gasoline, heating fuel, and medical care down the road if we get a collapse going.  There will be those who live above the rest of us and will look down on us like street urchins.  How can you avoid this fate.  Well, few options exist other than to live in a small town where personal relationships may count more than you position in society.   Short of that, store plenty of precious metals for trade of goods and services.

Microbes are the Big Enemy

The recent story about the girl who contracted the brain eating amoeba from a water park should give anyone pause.  Here is what you must consider anytime you touch, drink, inhale, or immerse yourself in water, dust, or simple things like door knobs.  The residing microbes on any of these surfaces can be deadly given the right environment or weakness in your immune system.    Here is a list of do and don't do suggestions.

Do

1.  After you pump gas wipe your hands with a some antibacterial.  I usually carry child wipes that have alcohol or something like antibacterial wipes so that if I have touched anything that is suspect I will clean my hands.

2.  Wash your hands regularly even if it just a rinse in water with some hand rubbing agitation while rinsing them.  It will cut way down on the levels of bacteria on your hands.

3.  Stay away from places that exude filth such as public bars with overflowing toilets or stadiums.


Don't Do

1.  Don't swim in lakes, ponds, streams, or rivers and whatever you do don't go underwater.

2.  Don't eat at restaurants but if you must do so stick with items that are hard to spoil.  I never get things with mayonnaise at restaurants, or shellfish, but that is just me.

3.  I had a grandfather who was at times a chef and he always said stay away from stews and soups when you eat out.  Most of these can be leftovers from prior customers.

4.  Don't stay in hotels but if you must remember that the sheets may have been used the night before by a previous guest.  That is one of the dirty secrets of the hotel business.  I used to carry a sleeping bag with me and slept on top of the bed.  Of course bedbugs could still the be big worry there.

5.  If you spend any time in a doctor's office or hospital go home and shower and wash your clothes.  The disease in hospitals is everywhere and your presence there a only exposes you this risk.

6.  Don't make out with someone you don't have some serious knowledge of their background.  Needless to say this goes double for sexual relations.

7.  Don't share liquids with others by using the same glass or water bottle.  I prefer to drink beer from the bottle so I don't have to worry about bar methods of cleaning glasses.  You might be sipping from a glass previously slobbered on by someone with any of the saliva present diseases.  HIV, HEP_C, HERPES, and many more.

8.  If you must shake hands find a way to wash your hands shortly afterword.  Who knows where those hands have been.

Good luck and stay clean and healthy.

Sitrep: Financial Collapse, Infectious Diseases, Crime, Corruption, and Travel Risks

MYANMAR FACING 'URGENT' DRUG-RESISTANT TB THREAT
This threat is only a international flight away from the USA.   The odds are it is already here and gives you something to enjoy thinking about when you get in an elevator, bus, movie theater or classroom. 

 Mers Virus Found in Saudi Bat
Now it can fly.  Cross species risk increases dramatically and this one is the world ending kind.

Denninger Calls the Coming Disaster Worse than 1929 
He may be right and he may be wrong but I would at least hedge my bets and go with some hard assets that can't be monetized away into worthlessness.

 Lord Monckton, financial collapse not whether but when
We all know basic economics simply from knowing that you can't extend credit out forever without eventually paying the bill.  Either the debtor pays it or the lender does.  The lender may by default pay much of this debt but the American people are the debtors and will not have a currency left standing once the debt is repudiated.  What does this mean for you, get hard assets in place now or be left standing with empty pockets and worthless dollars.

Squirrel in Public Park Carries Black Plague
If you are exposed to flea bits from an outdoor source I would watch my symptoms carefully.  It is easily treated with antibiotics.

CDC Says Unknown Stomach Bug is spreading
I personally will eat out less and less and the risks increase.  At least that vector won't exist as long as you cook at home.

Brutal Rape in Ukraine Due to Government Official Lawlessness Foreshadows USA
We have politicians now such as former presidents that have gotten away with sexual assaults and now have many other in government that just do what they want and flaunt the law knowing they are backed up by superiors.  We are only a stones throw from this kind of corruption especially as we import people from corrupt cultures that are quite comfortable with such happenings.

Flash Mob in a D.C. Store
This is what you might find yourself in the middle of if you inhabit an urban area. 

Train Wreck in Spain Due to Negligence
This is why I don't take buses, trains, and generally prefer to drive rather than fly nowadays.  The system is breaking down.

Sitrep: World Events

Bash mobs move through Southern Calif.
Stay out of high density urban areas where you may have no exit in the event of a conflagration.  This could elevate to national riots and violence if the politicians continue to fan the flames.  Stay armed if you can legally do so.

Chinese Currency Moving into Reserve Status
When you have a chorus of power drunk fools running the U.S. financial system it is no surprise that investors and business operators are looking for alternatives to the Greenback.  Here comes the Redback and with it the same elements of international domination that the USA has always been accused of committing.  If you want a hedge I'd go with lead instead of gold or silver.  It seems more and more likely that you will have a use for the lead and with prices where they are for ammunition anyone who invested in lead a while ago is in the best position.

Australia no longer will accept boat people as refugees.
This has the ring of the book "Camp of the Saints." 

The Fear of Infestations and Bug Bites

One guy in a courtroom with bedbugs crawling on him caused a panic and an ensuring mass psychosis.  
They evacuated the courtroom where he was and many people felt itchy long after he was gone and the place was sprayed.  I can tell you right now I would have reacted the same way.  Bed bugs, fleas, scabies, chiggers, or whatever gets on you are enough to drive you crazy.  How do you cope with them.  First off, stay away from any place you know that has had problems.  If you do suspect you've been exposed to any of these vermin each has a method of coping to prevent or rid your home and yourself of the problem.

Bed bugs are bad news because it costs big bucks to fix the problem unless you get lucky.  The DIY methods is to Seal the mattresses in plastic, put boric acid in all baseboard cracks  and under furniture, and spray with some type of insecticide like flea spray.  The problem with this is that it won't be guaranteed to work.  Oh, and wash all sheets and consider dumping your pillows.  You may have to do this multiple times.  Worst case, call an exterminator that uses heat treatment.  Risk includes insecticide poisoning due to personal exposure which is a bad health risk.

Department of Health Infected with Bedbugs
 
Scabies require skin treatment with some type of bug specific cream by prescription.  An old cure is to mix shortening with sulfur powder and apply it to your skin.  Risk with the shortening method is to look stupid as hell with this on you and you have to stay home.  I have no idea whether there is a risk to your health from rubbing yourself down with shortening.
 
Fleas are relatively easy.  Spray  and if you have a major infestation, use a bug bomb but be sure to do it safely.   Risk:  Some people have blown up their dwellings due to gas pilots or other devices that cause an explosion when used incorrectly.  Don't breathe the sprays or bug bombs or you will get sick and may have to visit the emergency room for treatment.

Mosquito are an annoyance but carry risk of infection.  Now as a result of research you can find out why you seem more vulnerable to bites from mosquito than others.  My suggestion for dealing with mosquito is to get a Bug Tamer outfit.  It actually does work.   West Nile Spreading.
 Another thing that may help is an essential oil that may work better than deet without the risk chemicals offer.  I still use deet to spray clothing and hats and try to keep it off my skin.

Chiggers are easy.  Put fingernail polish over the bites and smother them.  Risk: Make sure you're not allergic to the polish.  Don't use pink if you are a guy and have bites all over your legs and then wear shorts or people will make assumptions.  Avoid inhaling the fumes from the polish.

Ticks are bad news because they are hard to detect and spread numerous dangerous and potentially deadly and debilitating infections.   The list of diseases spread by ticks is long and increasing daily.  A lot of what you think you know about ticks is either incorrect or based on the limited information surrounding them as far as research goes.  Here is my advice based on proven protection from them.  If you have a choice stay out of the woods or grass but the truth is that they can sense skin oil scent and therefore will wait on a door knob of a shed, a gate post,  or piece of wood on the ground that you touch.    Protective measures.  Spray the area around you home with insecticide.  Keep the grass cut low and avoid shaded areas.  Wear white clothing with pants and shirts tucked in.  You can see even the smallest deer tick on white clothing where you couldn't see it on blue jeans.  Spray your boots and socks and even your pants with deet based repellent so it will help repel mosquito and keep ticks from sensing your scent.  Pyrethrin based sprays also work but are very toxic to insects and is not recommend on your skin so be careful with that.  Bug Tamer outfits also work against ticks but since they are dark or camouflaged you will have to still check for ticks and put the clothes in a place where the ticks are killed such as plastic bag a hot car.  If you have dogs they are a serious vector for exposing yourself to ticks even if you don't go in the woods.

How to remove a tick.

Tickinfo - I found this site very useful and in particular how to use permethrin and deet.


Disclaimer
These are personal remedies that have worked in the past but consider this information only for ideas to generate further research.  This is not medical advice and is not intended to be used but to give rise to questions on how to solve various infestations.

The Government Created Ammo Shortage

The company line put out by large ammo manufacturers that the current shortage is a result of demand and hoarding seems to point the blame at consumers.  Of course they seem to forget that government hoarding is the biggest source of all of the stress on ammo production.  Another cause of the private demand for ammo to go up so rapidly is the stated goal of the government to limit access and availability of firearms to the public.

Another concern is now the EPA attempt to restrict access to lead bullets and instead to get states to require green ammo/non-lead.

Bullet Health Fears Dry Up Ammo Supply as EPA Demands Green Ammo.
The latest step in the administration's attempt to restrict supply is to push states to require green ammo or ammo with no lead.  Since bullets have always been made of lead it isn't a wonder that this has caused another panic in the purchase of bullets and ammunition components.  Even the raw materials are getting the government attack by their plan to close the lead mines in the country through EPA restrictions and findings.  Here is one example.

Give it time and Fedgov will set their sights on pellet rifles too.

Privacy and Digital Security Means Increased Personal Security

 Feds want Internet Companies to Give up User Account Passwords
This kind of outrage is what proves that nothing is sacred among the goons in charge of our government.  Meanwhile, they have secret email accounts to keep their crooked activities private.

Retina Scans for Kids
Full biometric data will eventually become part of the national database used for your medical records and who knows, maybe even credit card purchases.  Will we choose convenience over privacy.  Apparently we already have.

NSA is best at snooping on citizens not terrorists.
Most committed terrorists have already tailored their activities to limit exposure whereas most citizens don't hide their actions which someday could be used against them.

Twitter agrees to release names of users that post racist remarks.
So far this is in France, but you can see the writing on the wall.  This is to stifle speech and in Europe the plan is to legally enforce conformity to speech laws and eventually thought crimes.

 If you want security for your documents you might go back to the typewriter.  I'm serious.
The Kremlin has decided to do that to avoid electronic data loss.  It makes perfect sense since you can limit copying and know where the original came from.  Hand couriers can limit risk of information loss.  Mailing typewritten letters has secrecy limits but done properly is potentially much safe than electronic communications.

Yahoo intends to release for reuse email address dormant for a year or more.
The question is what happens if an old contact tries to reach you by that address.  Also, Yahoo says that the old emails will go away.  I hope so.

Skype is now available to NSA Snoops
Communications via Skype were at one time secure from NSA but now according to documents you are now subject to listening even on a Skype call or text.

DNA Swab Please
Privacy is gone and it doesn't mean that you have to be in the database.  They are tracking down and solving crimes based on the DNA of relatives.

Man has his house ransacked by cops for paying cash.
Swedish goons don't like you paying cash and neither do any other police states.

Internet Security Risks - Hackers attack a well known survival website.
Surivalblog.com site goes down for days from a DOS attack
They are back up now but it shows you what a determined attacker can do to a mainstream site.