Bugout Food- Mmmmm Good!

     Since this site is mostly about saving one's proverbial, yet very real, ASS, I thought I would share some of the foods that I have stored in my BugOutBag, AKA "BOB." I have shared the idea of what many "Preppers" have been storing in case there is a major catastrophe the like of Hurricane Katrina. Some people have a very limited BOB; consisting of a gun, ammo, and a bully point of view. This means they will take what they want through force. Is this wrong? Well, It depends on what side of the gun you're on. When the SHTF, of course, all bets are off and it is truly, survival of the fittest.
     I have been storing enough food and water to last a significant amount of time as I do not want to stand in any of the long lines that will accrue, nor do I like the idea of being a "victim." That's not the life for me. Though I usually get my pre-packaged food at REI, I have also been purchasing it at the local Army surplus store. Every few weeks I purchase two or three meals, and over time, they have added up. As stated in a previous blog, I rotate my cases of water.
     So, let me get on with business. The picture below is a pre-packaged meal made by Mountain House. They make a variety of meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner and the price is usually around $6-7.00. This particular meal was Teriaki Chicken and Rice. Though I have been hooked on the Spaghetti and Meat Sauce, this Teriaki Chicken, may very well replace the later. OMG! It was delicious! I will definitely be purchasing more of these so I never have to eat the same dish two nights in a row...though it's so good, I could!

 
     How much food do you have stored that will last until the last cockroach has grown exhausted and died? (which you can then mash him up and add to your food) lol
     In reality, that's exactly what you would and should do during a catastrophe where you have little to no food available. If they can do it on Fear Factor, you can, too.
     Anyway, I highly suggest you start storing these types of pre-packaged meals before you find yourself in a SituationsX. :)

Being a Sovereign Citizen is not a Crime

I have been reading articles about Sovereign citizens being under the watchful eye of the FBI. There were 10 crimes committed by "Sovereigns" in 2010 and a total of 18 to date in 2012. There were more than 5000 arrests with the OWS movement. There are so many "laws" being passed in the name of "security" that with each passing, more and more individual rights are taken away. "Real" sovereign citizens aren't out to harm anyone as the FBI would like people to believe. Take a moment to read this article by Ayn Rand who wrote it in the 1940s, but it seems as though she was speaking about the world as we know it today. 

Ayn Rand...

The greatest threat to mankind and civilization is the spread of the totalitarian philosophy. Its best ally is not the devotion of its followers but the confusion of its enemies. To fight it, we must understand it.

Totalitarianism is collectivism. Collectivism means the subjugation of the individual to a group — whether to a race, class or state does not matter. Collectivism holds that man must be chained to collective action and collective thought for the sake of what is called “the common good.´´

Throughout history, no tyrant ever rose to power except on the claim of representing “the common good.´´ Napoleon “served the common good´´ of France. Hitler is “serving the common good´´ of Germany. Horrors which no man would dare consider for his own selfish sake are perpetrated with a clear conscience by “altruists´´ who justify themselves by-the common good.

No tyrant has ever lasted long by force of arms alone. Men have been enslaved primarily by spiritual weapons. And the greatest of these is the collectivist doctrine that the supremacy of the state over the individual constitutes the common good. No dictator could rise if men held as a sacred faith the conviction that they have inalienable rights of which they cannot be deprived for any cause whatsoever, by any man whatsoever, neither by evildoer nor supposed benefactor.

This is the basic tenet of individualism, as opposed to collectivism. Individualism holds that man is an independent entity with an inalienable right to the pursuit of his own happiness in a society where men deal with one another as equals.

The American system is founded on individualism. If it is to survive, we must understand the principles of individualism and hold them as our standard in any public question, in every issue we face. We must have a positive credo, a clear consistent faith.

We must learn to reject as total evil the conception that the common good is served by the abolition of individual rights. General happiness cannot be created out of general suffering and self-immolation. The only happy society is one of happy individuals. One cannot have a healthy forest made up of rotten trees.

The power of society must always be limited by the basic, inalienable rights of the individual.

The right of liberty means man’s right to individual action, individual choice, individual initiative and individual property. Without the right to private property no independent action is possible.

The right to the pursuit of happiness means man’s right to live for himself, to choose what constitutes his own, private, personal happiness and to work for its achievement. Each individual is the sole and final judge in this choice. A man’s happiness cannot be prescribed to him by another man or by any number of other men.

These rights are the unconditional, personal, private, individual possession of every man, granted to him by the fact of his birth and requiring no other sanction. Such was the conception of the founders of our country, who placed individual rights above any and all collective claims. Society can only be a traffic policeman in the intercourse of men with one another.

From the beginning of history, two antagonists have stood face to face, two opposite types of men: the Active and the Passive. The Active Man is the producer, the creator, the originator, the individualist. His basic need is independence — in order to think and work. He neither needs nor seeks power over other men — nor can he be made to work under any form of compulsion. Every type of good work — from laying bricks to writing a symphony — is done by the Active Man. Degrees of human ability vary, but the basic principle remains the same: the degree of a man’s independence and initiative determines his talent as a worker and his worth as a man.

The Passive Man is found on every level of society, in mansions and in slums, and his identification mark is his dread of independence. He is a parasite who expects to be taken care of by others, who wishes to be given directives, to obey, to submit, to be regulated, to be told. He welcomes collectivism, which eliminates any chance that he might have to think or act on his own initiative.

When a society is based on the needs of the Passive Man it destroys the Active; but when the Active is destroyed, the Passive can no longer be cared for. When a society is based on the needs of the Active Man, he carries the Passive ones along on his energy and raises them as he rises, as the whole society rises. This has been the pattern of all human progress.

Some humanitarians demand a collective state because of their pity for the incompetent or Passive Man. For his sake they wish to harness the Active. But the Active Man cannot function in harness. And once he is destroyed, the destruction of the Passive Man follows automatically. So, if pity is the humanitarians’ first consideration, then in the name of pity, if nothing else, they should leave the Active Man free to function, in order to help the Passive. There is no other way to help him in the long run.

The history of mankind is the history of the struggle between the Active Man and the Passive, between the individual and the collective. The countries which have produced

the happiest men, the highest standards of living and the greatest cultural advances have been the countries where the power of the collective — of the government, of the state — was limited and the individual was given freedom of independent action. As examples: The rise of Rome, with its conception of law based on a citizen’s rights, over the collectivist barbarism of its time. The rise of England, with a system of government based on the Magna Carta, over collectivist, totalitarian Spain. The rise of the United States to a degree of achievement unequaled in history — by grace of the individual freedom and independence which our Constitution gave each citizen against the collective.

While men are still pondering upon the causes of the rise and fall of civilizations, every page of history cries to us that there is but one source of progress: Individual Man in independent action. Collectivism is the ancient principle of savagery. A savage’s whole existence is ruled by the leaders of his tribe. Civilization is the process of setting man free from men.

We are now facing a choice: to go forward or to go back.

Collectivism is not the “New Order of Tomorrow,´´ it is the order of a very dark yesterday. But there is a New Order of Tomorrow. It belongs to Individual Man — the only creator of any tomorrow’s humanity has ever been granted. -- End

If this article speaks to you, then join me on my FB, Author Jeff Scott, page. As I re-release my latest book, Breaking You in the World of I, I offer information about restoring personal power and the true genius that has been dormant in each of us. There is an awakening coming, one the likes that have never been seen. In the book, I also offer my predictions for the week following the Mayan 2012 predictions. Though I am not worried about 21 DEC 2012, it is 2013 and beyond that I look forward to for the Individual Sovereign person.  

Tis the Season for Situations X - Don't be a "Victim"

     Each and every day, around the noon hour, I take my dog for a long walk. This walk is up and down hills, through neighborhood alleys and long residential streets. Along the way we encounter a few people who are walking dogs, mowing lawns or other randoms chores. One thing I always see in abundance while on our walk are cars that are parked curbside. In L.A. and its surrounding cities this is obviously nothing new. What I really find interesting is when I walk past many of these cars, people have left a lot of valuables either on the center console or passenger/rear seats.
     It's not that I am looking for valuables to steal, but if you had known me in my teenage years, those valuables would have been gone in a flash. As I said, I'm not actively looking for valuables, but I can't help but to see inside these cars as my dog casually sniffs the local scents left by other dogs. On today's walk I noticed a truck with the passenger window halfway down. No driver was in sight and there was what looked like a cell phone and an iPod sitting on the center console just waiting for the right minded thief to come along. In another car was a purse on the passenger seat. Whether it any money within is not a question. It's whether the owner of the car wanted to replace the window at a minimum of $100.
     If you must know, if one wanted to snatch the purse, it takes all of three seconds. As for breaking into the truck, depending on the availability of escape, it takes less than five seconds to reach in to the door latch, open the door and snag the iPod/cell phone.
     I bring this up because it's a Situations X. Too many times I see people have left themselves vulnerable for costs they just don't need to incur. Recently, a friend posted on FB that she had been ripped off, a new bicycle had been stolen, as well as, a few other items. It's unfortunate but, often times, we don't secure our property until it's after the fact and the stuff we really cherished is now gone; a Situations X wake-up call that sucks.
     Here is just a small list of things to check to prevent a Situations X

• Does your garage have a padlock on it? Garages rarely have alarms and are easily and silently opened in the middle of the night or even during the day when no one suspects a thief in the alley.
• Do you leave a window slightly opened or the window lock in the released position? An expert thief knows how to slip a window lock in about 3-5 seconds. Put a stick in the window sliding slot. The thief will usually check the other windows for an easier way in.
• Do you leave a laptop computer or any other valuables in your car, trunk included? Never leave anything in your car, day or night, that you do not want to lose. Schlep it in the house rather than being lazy. 
• Do you leave ladders on the side of your house? Most people believe that a thief won't enter from a second floor but they will if one leaves them a way into the house, such as, a ladder.
• Have you replaced the items a thief has stolen? Often times a thief will come back in the next month if they believe you have replaced the big screen TV that they stole. They know that people can't live without a TV.  
  

Who Has Your Back?

Just yesterday evening I was watching Brad Meltzer's TV show, Decoded. In this segment they were doing background on the coming Mayan calendar prophecy of 2012. Now, after really thinking about everything that was "decoded," I got to thinking about this blog which I haven't really paid much attention to lately. So, I'm back.

One of the past blogs I wrote at this site is in regards to a BOB (Bug Out Bag). In my bag, which is a tall, black rucksack, I have a collection of essentials. It is all set to go and though I'm really not paranoid about 2012, I am all about prevention. If I were caught in a catastrophe the likes of Hurricane Katrina, I am already prepared; just slip on my backpack and I'm on the road...bugging out.

If I can't bug out and I have to stay where I am, then I am also covered for that. Every other week, or once a month, I purchase more dry food, canned goods and food bars to store. Just this morning I picked up two cases of water to add to my stack that is occasionally rotated and used. In case of a damaging earthquake scenario, I have water downstairs in my storage unit and I have cases kept in the condo. The same goes for the food, some in storage, some in the home.

So, I know I have food and water for two adults, and one dog that with proper rationing, will last roughly 5-6 months. The next thing to understand about a catastrophic Situations X is that at some point you will grow weary and need to sleep. It was noted in the show that in as little as four days, people who have not made any plans will begin to panic. They realize that they have no electricity, the water doesn't work, the toilets don't empty and food is spoiling in the fridge. When the food runs out, man's best friend becomes an appetizing option, as well as, the dog's best friend starts looking like an option also. If you're going to prepare for the worst case scenario, then include your pet's needs. If you have an aquarium, you might as well eat the fish and filter the water.

So, as the title poses, who has your back? Your spouse and kids may be there for you, but if you haven't planned accordingly, those young minds that truly depend on you for answers, as well as food, will be quickly disenchanted with your ability to handle any and all situations they are being forced to face. There comes a point that staying in the house is no longer safe. There will be certain groups, let's be nice and call them...opportunists,  that will be going from house to house in search of any food and water they can get their hands on. Money won't be able to buy these people off. At this point, water is money.

It is suggested that people have a backup plan and that they should not forgo a Situations X like this alone. You need to prepare and know who is on your team. You should have a team of no less than four adult males that know how to handle a weapon. As a matter of fact, women and children should also know how to handle any and all weapons.

It would be nice to believe that in the event of a catastrophe that everyone would act as the Japanese during their tsunami; civil and proud, but that's not likely the case for the American culture. I'm not talking about a catastrophe the likes of one city or small town, but one that devours the country. A catastrophe that shuts off the power grid, backs up filtration systems, pollutes all open sources of water and stops transportation from delivering any kind of hope.

Damn you Brad Meltzer, and your "Decoded" show! I truly hope that this type of event never occurs, but in the chance that it does, will you be ready for a Situations X?            

Prevention is Always Key

"Intelligent people solve problems, geniuses prevent them." - Albert Einstein.

     A few days ago I was walking my dog, Harley. It was early, around 6:30 A.M.. Usually when we walk, I let my dog get his sniff on by letting the leash extend a good 6-10 feet ahead of me. If I see another dog in the distance that is coming toward us, I will usually pull Harley in and give him just a couple of feet, this way I'm assured to control any SituationsX...an attack by the other dog or whatever...(prevention).
     In a recent book, Breaking You in the World of I, I wrote about the intelligence of the human race, I mention that we are actually 30-60 seconds ahead of what we believe to be present time. Because of this, we are picking up on vibrations and making adjustments though we often don't realize that we're doing so. For this reason, while I was walking with Harley, we came upon a corner and I began pulling him in, ie..cut his lead short. Though some may call it luck, and I will use that word here also, though I'm not a fan of "being lucky," I was lucky to have pulled him short because just as I was rounding the corner, a woman drove a few feet away from me...on the sidewalk.
     This woman was going fast enough that if Harley had been allowed to round the corner in his usual lead, he would have been struck by this woman driver. A covered fence prevented me from seeing around the corner at what was happening. As Harley and I rounded the corner, we were narrowly missed by roughly, a foot and a half. The woman smiled at me as if driving on the sidewalk was funny or acceptable.
     Whew! I cleared another SituationsX. This happens to me often enough to be recognizable...no, not women drivers almost causing chaos, but the prevention of catastrophe. I'm sure it happens to you, too. Are you aware of it? Are you on the lookout for possibilities that may seem beyond your control? How many close-calls have you experienced and you were thankful that you seemed to have reacted early enough to remove all threats to your livelihood? We have all had those moments at some time in our lives, and just so you know, you weren't saved by "luck," but more so, by the genius that you are.
     The more you add those possible SituationsX up, that you somehow avoided, the more you will be able to understand that you have an intelligence going on that is deeper than anything you've ever known or have been taught. Accidents only happen when people are out of "present time." The only problem is, that everyone is pre-present time (30-60 seconds ahead of what appears to be the, right now).
    Coming soon to my website, www.booksbyjeffscott.com, is my latest book, Breaking You in the World of I. It explains many things that we take for granted and have never explored concerning the realm we live in and our experiences here on Earth.
     Take a moment and comment about your last SituationsX.

Are you Ready for the Worst case Scenario?

Though I haven't posted for a while, this doesn't mean that I have been resting. I have continued to work; writing for my clients, while at the same time, preparing for a Situations X, as the world goes haywire.

In case you haven't noticed, there are quite a few major cities across the country that have either filed for bankruptcy, or are on the verge. Where does this leave you when it has already been announced that the police departments will not answer calls regarding a slew of crimes? It leaves you vulnerable is what it does. Now, It would be nice if the world were a friendlier place and we could all count on each other during rough times, the way the Japanese did after their devastating tsunami. The truth is, one cannot afford the chance that his fellow American will act civil when there are no police to beckon during a crisis.

It is during in the pre-chaos that one needs to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Chicken little I am not, but a realist, I am. At this point, I am totally self sustainable. I have my BOB (Bug Out Bag), I have gear for fishing: scuba, spear/free diving and also rod & reel. I have a kayak that only takes an oar to reach my destination (as one should not count on fuel in chaotic times). Next, I have a weapon, and if I could find a barn somewhere, I'm sure I could, at the least, hit the side of it.

There are major marches happening right now and as the mental temperatures change, marches often turn into riots. Monkey see, monkey do, will happen across the nation; who will make a monkey out of you?

What are you seriously doing to prepare for a SituationsX? 

Emergency Dog Food/Water

I know, I know, it's a strange title, eh? I've been away from my blogs for a few weeks as I work on some books. But, I'm back and ready to continue my blogs here and at, Just Thinking.

So, what is my title all about? One might think that it has something to do with having food and water in stock that is specifically for your pet, just in case there is ever an emergency. Well, one would be right. If you followed the last blog about creating a Bug-Out bag, then you should also be thinking of a bag for your pet, or at the least, reserves of canned or dried food/water that is stored for the sole purpose of your pet during an emergency.

When we stock food or water for an emergency, the one thing we should not do is expect it to sit there for 20 years. Just like in any grocery store, the stock needs to be rotated back to front or bottom to top. Though I usually re-fill my gallon jugs with water from a purifying machine at the store, I do buy cases of bottled water, too. I take these cases of water and stack them in two different places. The first place is downstairs in a storage unit in my building (We live in a condo). The second place is inside of the condo.

So why store emergency gear or food in two different places? Because it's not likely that both places will be so damaged that you can't get to your supplies. Of course, this may not hold true if you live in tornado alley. I live in Southern California and we are notorious for experiencing earthquakes. If our condo should pancake on top of the storage units below, well, at least I have a good supply of food and water that is somewhat easily attainable. Luckily I live on the top floor, so if we do pancakes, then my water is still good. (Don't mean to be callous about the people below but shituations happens....prepare for it)

It's amazing to me that as we watch the economic collapse of our country, that a lot of people are frantically buying up gold and they won't spend five minutes to think about the "superficial" need of personal human consumption. lol  Really, do these people ever stop to think that water is worth much more than gold in the long run? I can live without gold for a lifetime, but I can't live without water for more than a few days. I don't know, maybe I have my priorities mixed up. Again -- lol. (yes, I know that buying gold is about making money in the moment)

I'm going to say something in this next paragraph that some may not want to hear, so beware. If or when there is a catastrophe, and if you have a pet, then they should be put on the same routine and rations as you; food and water sparingly. If you are considered obese or you know you are carrying more weight than you should, I'm going to bet, though I could be wrong, but I'm going to bet that you have attached eating to your emotions/issues. Obesity is not just a lack of exercise. If you know that you have an appetite and become emotional in tough times, well, store up for it, but also learn about your position and begin to do something about it. Like this blog is asking of you; it's all about being prepared in life, think things through to a worse case scenario so if it comes along, it won't seem that bad.

If this blog has spoken to you and made you think about your future in a world that is rapidly falling apart, then feel free to comment. If your comment is anything about me being a naysayer or chicken little, perhaps suggesting that I look at the sunny side of life, well, then I would suggest that you pull your head out of the clouds, learn to prepare for the worst and then love the fact that you're ready if and when you find yourself outside of the proverbial rose garden and facing a Shituation X.