COVID-19 “Category” for easier access…

To make it easier for you to find all the COVID-19 posts here on the website I created the “COVID-19” category. You will see it listed on the left side of the screen under the “Categories” title. Click it and all the articles will be displayed in reverse date order (latest articles first).

Click here for a test “COVID-19

COVID-19: From Dr. Josh Redd

Thought you might like to hear a well-reasoned, factual article from a medical specialist. Listen to the tone and tenor of the article. Pay attention to the information. Then, listen to what your brain tells you about its accuracy and truthfulness. For me…it’s nice to hear from a mature, non-hysterical, fact-based, level-headed expert.


About Dr. Josh Redd

Redd, MS, DABFM, DAAIM, is a chiropractic physician and author of the Amazon bestselling book The Truth About Low Thyroid. Dr. Redd owns seven medicine clinics in the western United States and sees patients from across the country and around the world who are suffering from challenging autoimmune, endocrine and neurological disorders. Dr. Redd also teaches thousands of health care practitioners about functional medicine and immunology, thyroid health, neurology, lab testing, and more.

He writes…

As a health care provider who focuses on working with immune-based conditions and teaches immunology to doctors across the country, I can tell you one way to improve your resistance to the coronavirus is to turn off the news.

Far more people are killed by lifestyle diseases such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, and diabetes, not to mention drug overdoses. The threat of the coronavirus is being blown out of proportion compared to far deadlier and more prevalent health conditions that you can do something about. Do you realize nearly 50,000 people in the U.S. die from the flu each year?

According to Harvard’s School of Public Health, the coronavirus is no more virulent than the annual flu. The mortality rate, estimated between 1 and two percent, is low compared to other viruses and even to some strains of the flu.

In China, deaths have impacted primarily the elderly and the critically ill. There have been no deaths among children under 9 years old. Men have had a higher fatality rate, but it is also noted that about half of the male population in China smokes versus only about 2 percent of women.

Also, a rapid test to screen sick people has since been developed, which will help with containment.

Symptoms of the coronavirus are much like other viral symptoms: Fever, cough, shortness of breath, and gut symptoms.

Now if you still want to freak out and you want information on what to do if it breaks out, here’s my thoughts:

  • Masks

As you may already know, masks are largely sold out. That’s ok, don’t freak out, as a mask is not your best defense anyway. According to infectious disease specialists and the Centers for Disease Control, standard surgical masks don’t offer much protection. The best mask would be an n95 respirator mask, however you will soon find it too hot and difficult to breathe. If you wear glasses, it will probably cause them to fog. Experts say the number of cases is too low to put yourself through the hassle of wearing one.

  • Prevention hygiene

The two best things you can do to protect yourself are to wash your hands regularly and not touch your eyes, nose, mouth, or ears. In fact, if you wear a mask its main benefit would be to prevent you from touching your face.

Washing your hands frequently is cited as the best way to prevent the spread of the virus. Consider carrying disinfectant wipes or spray bottle and paper towels to wipe down surfaces you must touch in public. Non-toxic disinfectants include white vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, or solutions made with essential oils such as thyme or tea tree.

  • Air travel

I know one woman who flies frequently for work. As soon as she gets to her seat, she disinfects the arms, buttons, and any of the reading material she might touch in the seat pocket. She also wipes down the bathroom door handles and anything she will touch in the bathroom.

Some people swear by coating the inside of their nostrils with Vaseline while in-flight. While this doesn’t combat germs, it can help protect the delicate mucus membranes from the extreme dryness inside an airplane, which in turn may help better defend you against viruses and other germs.

  • Shoring up your immune system and general health

Here is where we get to the heart of protecting yourself from all viruses, including the coronavirus. In addition to not touching your face and washing your hands regularly, your best strategy is to make sure your body’s natural defense systems are working well.

Antiviral herbs — maybe not the best option for autoimmune folks

In terms of supplements, one of the first things people go for are antiviral herbs such as echinacea, astragalus, licorice root, or maitake mushroom. These are some of the most researched nutrients that boost the immune’s system immediate response to a foreign invader such as a virus. This system is called the T helper 1 (TH-1) system.

We use a product that combines all these and more called X-Viromin™ by Apex Energetics.

However, if you have an autoimmune condition this product may cause an autoimmune flare up and make you worse. Why? People with autoimmunity can often be separated into two types of immune imbalances, TH-1 dominant or TH-2 dominant (TH-2 is the delayed immune response that creates antibodies).

This topic goes beyond the scope of this article, but if you have an autoimmune condition and find antiviral herbs make you feel worse, this could be why. If they make you feel better, by all means continue to take them.

Supplements that support your immune system without risking autoimmune flares.

There are still options to support your overall immune health without the risk of triggering an autoimmune flare. I suggest the following to help optimize health:

Essential fatty acids (EFAs): Americans are typically deficient in the vital omega 3 EFAs. Omega 3s are found in cold water fish and raw nuts. I suggest taking fish oil daily. Most people do not take enough; you should take about 3500 mg of fish oil for every 2,000 calories you consume. Most capsules contain 1,000 mg of EFAs and most Americans consume between 2000 and 3000 of calories a day. This means you need 5 to 6 fish oil capsules daily.

Vitamin D: Many Americans are deficient in vitamin D, and many people with autoimmunity have a genetic variation that makes it difficult for them to absorb vitamin D. I recommend 10,000 IU daily although dosage can vary depending on how well you absorb it, which you can test. Ideally, you will also take the fat-soluble vitamins A, E, and K as well. Remember, you must take the fat-soluble versions of these and not the vegetarian versions.

Glutathione: Glutathione is the body’s master antioxidant and vital for defense. I recommend taking glutathione daily for general support because most people are dealing with chronic inflammatory conditions, which can deplete the immune system. As we age our glutathione levels fall, so if you are over 50 you should also be taking it daily.

Glutathione is like a bodyguard, taking the bullet so cells don’t have to. This better protects cells from damage, including from the many toxins we live among. This added protection frees up your immune system to deal with things like viruses instead.

After testing various glutathione products on thousands of patients, the product we’ve had the most success with is Trizomal Glutathione. One thing to note is that the more inflammation you have or the older you are, the more glutathione your body requires, so dose until you notice an improvement in symptoms. I often recommend 10–15 ml spread out over two to three times a day.

Adrenal adaptogens. Adrenal adaptogens are well-researched herbs and minerals that help buffer the effects of stress on your body, toxins in your environment, and inflammation. Living in the modern world is chronically stressful, which can deplete your stress handling system, and thus your immunity. Adrenal adaptogens include panax ginseng, ashwagandha, holy basil, rhodiola, and eleuthero.

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). SCFAs are compounds produced by healthy gut bacteria that play a role in many vital processes in the body, including immune function. However, many people are deficient in SCFAs because they do not eat enough plant fiber, which is needed to produce them. In addition to increasing your consumption of veggies and low-glycemic fruit, consider taking SCFAs as a supplement.

While the above are foundational building blocks, nutrients such as zinc, selenium, and vitamin C are also well known for helping combat viruses.

  • Diet

Whole foods. The best antiviral diet is going to be dense in nutrients and low in inflammatory foods. This means a whole foods diet abundant in colorful vegetables, leafy greens, healthy proteins, and healthy fats. It also means avoiding sugars, processed foods, and junk foods.

Lots of produce. Eat at least 25 grams of fiber a day of produce (mainly veggies so you don’t overdo the fruit sugar). Also, eat a wide variety of vegetables and keep changing it up. This will significantly boost your gut bacteria diversity, which is critical to immune health.

Minimal sugars and starches. Diets high in carbohydrates and sugars are enormously stressful on the body and weaken immune function, so avoid or greatly minimize all sweets and starchy foods such as breads, pasta, white rice, and pastries. Of course, you’ll want to avoid or minimize alcohol as well.

  • Lifestyle

Many people don’t realize how important their everyday lives are to their general immune health. For instance, if you’re in a chronically stressful relationship or situation, this is going to weaken your immunity and make you more vulnerable to viruses. Look for areas of chronic stress that you might be able to mitigate.

In addition to that, here are some lifestyle strategies that have been shown to help boost immune function:

Sleep! If you are worried about the coronavirus, prioritize getting enough sleep. Americans are terrible about getting enough sleep. Watch those late-night shows on Hulu some other time and go to bed earlier.

Move your body daily. If you already exercise regularly, great. If you don’t and you want to shore up your immune system, go for daily walks or swims, use the cardio equipment at the gym, or even spend some time dancing each day. Physical activity releases various hormones and chemicals that support immune function and gets the lymphatic system moving. Although any physical activity helps, high-intensity interval training is especially great for immune function. This involves pushing yourself until you feel you can’t breathe anymore, recovering, and then doing it again. Even a few minutes a day has powerful effects.

Just a word of caution: While exercise is vital, over exercising increases inflammation and weakens the immune system, so don’t overdo it.

Put your nervous system into a parasympathetic “rest and digest” state. We live in a world that constantly promotes a “fight or flight” state of the central nervous system. This is called being in sympathetic dominance. Ideally, we would more often be in a “rest and digest” state, also called the parasympathetic state.

Being in constant sympathetic dominance sabotages the brain so that it’s harder to activate the more calming parasympathetic state where healing and relaxation can happen. This has a dramatic impact on our immune system.

There are several ways to activate the parasympathetic response. The easiest is to activate the vagus nerve, the large nerve that runs between the brain and the organs. You can do this by gargling vigorously multiple times a day for a few minutes at a time, or by pressing a tongue depressor on the back of the throat to make yourself gag.

Another easy strategy is cold therapy, whether it’s a cold shower or immersion in cold water. Yes, you heard that right. Cold therapy has been shown to boost white blood cells so that you are better protected from viruses and disease. Start with a 60 second cold shower at the end of your hot shower and increase the time as you become accustomed to it.

The last simple strategy is to practice deep breathing exercises. Most of us are shallow breathers, thanks to our fast-paced and stressful lives. Regular deep breathing exercises increase oxygen to the body and activate immune enhancing qualities. For more information on cold therapy and deep breathing, check out the Wim Hof method.

 

 

FAQ – 3/19/2020 (COVID-19)

  • Have you personally verified the broader economic problems locally?

Yes. Over the last few days I’ve contacted a number of small business owners who are friends and my wife has been monitoring a number of Facebook groups that are related to small businesses. It started on Monday with a small business talking about how their business has nosedived. They were discussing the fact they didn’t think they would be able to stay in business. Their overhead (i.e. utilities, mortgage, etc.) was no longer being met with sales. They stated they expected they would go out of business…and soon. Interesting comment they made, their customers, even long-term faithful customers, weren’t even calling in to cancel appointments. The other day we went to a great local café for lunch. I noticed that their business was about half of what it normally is. But, that is purely antidotal information. So, I asked the co-owner if he had seen a drop off in business. Yes, but how much he couldn’t say. What he made a point of was the large number of phone calls starting the day before asking if they would be open. He said it started right after all the states talking about restaurants being closed and all of the Facebook posting of the closures. The owners were mounting a Facebook campaign letting people know they were open.

The Walmart parking lot has been consistently no more full than normal. But, as I have posted before…bare, or almost bare, food shelves and shopping carts more full than normal. Lowe’s is for sure being hit, far fewer customers. In the last 2 weeks I have noticed a steadily diminishing number of people shopping in Lowe’s. Safeway grocery store not adversely impacted. Not doing the business that Walmart does, but then again, they never did.

This morning my wife read me a Facebook post from a fantastic little local café and bakery that serves pastries that are out of this world good. They announced that they were going out of business because the virus panic has reduced their customers walking in or ordering for parties, etc. to the point where they saw no other option. They said, based on what they are seeing, they could not recover from the economic crisis being caused by the virus panic.

So there you have it…the virus panic is destroying a number of small businesses that we know personally. I am sure their stories are not unique and not limited to the two particular geographic areas involved in our informal research. I am just as sure that if you look around you would find the same thing occurring in your area.

What to watch for when all of this panic has passed…How many small businesses went out of business vs how many huge corporations gained market share?  There will me a message in that answer.

 

  • A couple of your posts have mentioned people being insane, is that true?

“Insane” indicates a diagnosed mental condition where people are in a state of mind which prevents normal perception, behavior, or social interaction…or they are seriously mentally ill. It can also mean shocking and/or outrageous behavior or activity taking place.

But, the legal definition starts out this way, ”Mental illness of such a severe nature that a person cannot distinguish fantasy from reality, cannot conduct her/his affairs due to psychosis, or is subject to uncontrollable impulsive behavior.”

So yes, depending on the definition of insanity you are referring to, people are becoming insane…or at least their actions and behavior clearly shows that.

  • Example: The video of two women in a physical fight over toilet paper…” uncontrollable impulsive behavior”. That is insane.
  • Another Example: The behavior that I have mentioned the other day concerning a person defending his dishonest actions by aggressively attacking the accuser…” prevents normal perception, behavior, or social interaction”.
  • Another Example: People who embrace false information when faced with factual information…” person cannot distinguish fantasy from reality”.

Remember, I am no mental health professional and I am only expressing my own views/opinions. But, you can judge what is happening with people quite easily. Ask yourself a simple question, “Is a person thinking and/or acting rationally?”

Let me give you a great example, the answer is factual and statistically accurate so there is no subjectivity involved. Question: “Is COVID-19 as deadly as the regular flu?” The answer is factual and easy to prove…no. The regular flu season kills over 30,000 people each year in the US on average. The COVID-19 virus has killed less than 200 people in the US so far, the regular flu has killed about 20,000 so far. So the logical, factual answer is simple…COVID-19 is far less deadly…and I mean WAY less deadly than the regular flu. I am talking COVID-19 being 1% of the deaths of the regular flu. And that is FACT!  If a person tries to say the COVID-19 is more deadly…well, they are simply not dealing in facts, not dealing with reality…and the insane definition applies.

But me personally, I would not call those deniers insane, they are simply caught up in hysteria, and accepting fantasy in place of reality. So their “action” (i.e. belief in non-factual information) is insane not their entire mental health condition.

Note: COVID-19 is showing some signs of potentiaall being more contagious than the regular flu. But, that too is not a fact yet due to non-testing of people with symptoms. In the US we don’t have factual numbers on total number of cases so we have no way to properly and accurately estimate any down-chain numbers (i.e. mortality rate, etc.). When more accurate numbers are available I am sure the % of cases, hospitalizations, deaths, etc. will all become more accurate. Regardless, we have to deal in facts and reality…not numbers based on fantasy (i.e. unqualified opinions).

 

  • Tell me what you are doing for immune boosting.

OK, this is what I am now doing personally. I am not saying to do this for yourself. I am not a medically trained person authorized to advise anyone on what to do. I think you should consult your doctor before making any changes to your own regimen.

Right after my breakfast in the morning I take:

  • 500mg of Vitamin C
  • Super Vitamin B-Complex that contains –
    • 150mg Vitamin C
    • 100mg Thiamine
    • 20mg Riboflavin
    • 25mg Niacin
    • 2mg Vitamin B6
    • 680mcg DFE
    • 15mcg Vitamin B12
    • 30mcg Biotin
    • 5.5mg Pantothenic Acid
  • 125mg Magnesium Citrate
  • 99mg Potassium
  • 50mg Zinc Gluconate

(Note: all of the above is followed by 2 snack size Hershey’s chocolate bars)

At night right before bed I take the following:

  • 1 Centrum Silver Men 50+ multivitamin
  • 1000mg Omega-3 (from fish oil)
  • 1200mg Red Yeast Rice
  • 1000mg Garlic

(Note: no Hershey’s chocolate bars)

 

  • You have written “Hoax Alerts”, do you feel they [the hoaxes] are intentional?

Some no, most are absolutely intentional hoaxes.

Some folks are just ignorant and are producing information that is false but with no ill-intention.

But, I feel that most people producing hoaxes (i.e. false information) are doing so intentionally, knowing full well they are promoting false, misleading, inaccurate, and deceptive information.

And now the question, “Why are they doing that?”

It goes back to the same old reasons for all criminal, evil, and inappropriate behavior…power and money. The people promoting these hoaxes are seeking to gain power over people (i.e. influence) and get money from people (i.e. the sales of books, paid memberships, food programs, precious metals, etc.)

While those who are only seeking money are pathetic enough, the real danger are those perpetrating false information to gain power. Those power-hungry folks are the truly dangerous individuals and groups…and I dare say “evil” in some cases.

Regardless of intentional or not, those who are promoting the panic and fear are doing three things; 1) assisting TPTB in gaining more power and wealth over US citizens, 2) themselves selfishly attempting to gain power over people and money from people, 3) well, I don’t want to talk about that right now, maybe later. One thing for certain…there are a lot of people and websites promoting the fear and panic…and doing so intentionally…whether they will ever admit to it or not is another thing.

 

  • Would you really invest in the stock market right now?

I am not a market professional, nor do I give advice. I can only tell you what I am doing. Since the stock markets have taken a dive a month ago I have made 4 modest purchases of a high-quality, well performing, growth based mutual fund for our IRA.

Historical FACT shows that every time the stock market takes a hit, large or small, it comes back…and performs very well over the long run. And I believe it will continue to do so…till it doesn’t. And when the “final crash” occurs…well, it won’t matter what your money is invested in…stocks, bonds, cash, banks, etc…it will all be gone. But, we have no idea when that “final crash” will occur. So I hedge my prepper activities with a conventional IRA invested in quality stock-based growth mutual fund. And it has paid off well so far.

 

  • Do you really think that TPTB are behind COVID-19?

Well, there are two parts of COVID-19…the virus and the panic.

1) The virus: There is no conclusive evidence that the COVID-19 is a bio-weapon. There is no conclusive evidence that COVID-19 was man-made. There is no fact-based evidence that COVID-19 is as deadly as the regular flu occurring each flu season. So no, I don’t believe there is any TPTB behind the virus, no nefarious origination of the virus. I base that view/opinion on facts and evidence…NOT on conspiracy theories, not on unqualified “experts”, and not on hoax material.

2) The panic: There is clear and factual evidence that TPTB are behind the panic. That includes the media, the governments, certain health organizations (i.e. WHO, etc.). But, it goes further than that…there are personal and political agendas being played out by unscrupulous individuals and groups as well. Even those organizations (private/commercial, non-profit, etc.) who are promoting the panic under the guise of trying to be informative have their own selfish agendas. And they are fueling the panic to promote their agendas. And virtually all of their agendas are predatory in nature…preying on the general public or sub-groups such as preppers.

 

  • You mentioned that COVID-19 has muted, how many times has it mutated and is it more deadly now than the original strain?

From what I can gather, and remember I am no expert, it appears that COVID-19 (novel coronavirus hCoV-19) has mutated into three major/distinct strains. It looks as if, in general, one major strain is concentrated in Asia, the other in Europe and surrounding areas. The third, more minor, is concentrated in the US, specifically Washington state. The latest mutation, about a week ago, occurred in the third strain and was identified by researchers in Utah.

So overall, a whole lot of mutations…mostly very, very minor. But, at this time it looks as if three relatively major mutations into different strains.

As for “more deadly”…there are two aspects of that; 1) COVID-19 mortality rate as expressed in % of deaths per positive test for acquisition of the virus (i.e. confirmed case), and 2) COVIID-19 deaths as compared to other similar health issues. As for the mortality rate…it is totally unreliable to estimate at this point. Why? We don’t an accurate number of actual confirmed cases of COVID-19 or even credible (valid and reliable) estimates. There are some estimates that place it at a 15% mortality rate all the way down to some estimates at about 1/2 of 1% mortality rate. Neither are valid and reliable because we have no credible, fact-based, numbers of actual confirmed cases of COVID-19. That lack of credible numbers combined with a far more accurate way to define “deadly” is actual fact-based numbers…is actual number of deaths. Comparing the number of COVID-19 deaths in the US (100 – 200) versus the number of death from the regular flu season in the US (approximately 30,000)…the COVID-19 is nowhere near as deadly as the regular flu season. And that is based on FACT. Now, if people believe facts or not is another issue…covered in the “insane” question response above.

I read where a person said they never knew anyone who died from the regular flu, so they think the number of deaths from the regular flu season is a lie. What do you think?

I think the person is delusional. Most people who die during the regular flu season die from causes associated with, complications from, the flu. Such as pneumonia, heart failure, respiratory failure, etc. And because the deaths associated with the regular flu season are common, expected, and occur with historical regularity…they is no big deal made out of them…no panic manufactured for the regular flu season.

Further, the numbers come from the federal government…and NO credible institution (i.e. AMA, AHA, universities, etc.) have every stated that the numbers are false or misleading. You can’t hide numbers from credible sources.

So I think the person is probably caught up in some kind of GroupThink, mob mentality, ignorance, Confirmation Bias, etc. I would imagine you read what they wrote on some website that is promoting similar ideas and fueling the panic and fear, yes? If so, that is a perfect breeding ground for mob mentality…and you will never convince them of facts…they’ve made up their minds with their fantasy…that is at the center of, and the foundation for mob mentality.

 

  • I want to end with this FAQ article with something that was sent to me through the last FAQ. It touched me and I thought you might appreciate their message.

“Mr Trimble, I know that is only your pen name, but, considering your extensive background in emergency preparedness can you pontificate on why this current Coronavirus epidemic is being handled so aggressively in comparison to previous virus outbreaks such as ebola, SARS and other fairly recent health problems.
I have been reading your posts for many years now. I am 70 and have been a believer in preparedness for over 40 years. My wife and I became EMT’s in 1976, and we started gardening, canning, dehydrating and foraging soon after we married in 1972. Professionally, I became a licensed general contractor in 1973. I served on our all-volunteer ambulance service in Colorado after becoming and EMT and I did advanced training to allow me to start IV’s and such. I also trained and became an outdoor survival instructor in 1978 with the Wilderness Institute of Survival Education in Denver Colorado. Although my profession has always been construction, my ‘Hobby’ has been to try to become as self-sufficient as possible… never fully succeeded at that! One thing my life experience has taught me, there is real value in developing associations with others who are better skilled and knowledgeable in areas where I am weak. I am the preparedness specialist for my LDS Ward, in American Fork Utah. It amazes me that so many good LDS families are so vastly unprepared, in spite of years of warning from our church leaders. If nothing else, this coronavirus scare is waking a lot apathetic members.
My best to you, and thank you for your excellent writing, teaching and encouragement to others. Sorry we are so far removed, I imagine a genuine friendship would develop if we lived near one another. Say safe, stay healthy and keep on keeping on!”

Aggressive response: This is a simple answer…not much pontificating needed…the aggressive response comes from TPTB and other agendas. Read my response above to intentional “Hoax Alerts” and “TPTB are behind COVID-19”. But, to answer your question directly…the government is being aggressive for two reasons; 1) the pressure, domestically and internationally, is forcing them to respond aggressively (i.e. President Trump being forced or coerced into action), 2) the old government tactic of “never let a good crisis go to waste”. This is a deepstate and politicians’ wildest dream come true, a perfect opportunity to further their agenda of acquiring more power from citizens.

But, don’t forget who else is fueling this panic…individuals and commercial enterprises who have agendas of their own. The commercial aspect is easy…they want money from people. And the panic/fear gives them that opportunity. Individuals also have agendas and it is mostly in the arena of gaining power over people, mostly through influence.

Also, don’t forget some of the domestic influence is the influence (i.e. political, social, etc.) of the “snowflake” folks. We are seeing an increased receptivity to fear and panic in them. Hence, people are demanding the government be the answer…and the government is all too happy to oblige. And you know why that is.

And now a personal note: Thank  you for your kind words and compliments. I have been trying to educate and train people through the Internet for over a decade in professional level emergency preparedness. In some small way I hope I have done so. Your message gave me hope that I am reaching people who care about what they learn and what they do. Thank you so much for your message…I needed it, it was timely, and it means a lot to me.

 

Ask me a question …

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SitRep – 03/18/2020

There is so much going on in the world today…it is all moving at light speed and perilous. I want to cover:

  • Economy & Stock Market
  • Politics
  • COVID-19 Panic
  • War

 

 

Economy & Stock Market –

Regardless of what the stock markets look like, it appears as if now that we will have a recession to deal with on top of everything else. Thank you to all of the panic pushers, hysteria hypers, and fear promoters…you win…we now have lost trillions of dollars of value in IRAs, 401Ks, college funds, and senior citizen savings accounts. You must be very proud of yourselves…I am sure your parents are.

Some of the horrible mistakes being made right now are:

  • The Fed has reduced the FedFund rate to near zero. There is no room left if we hit more financial trouble.
  • The Fed has pumped trillions into the markets and the economy since the beginning of the crisis…all of it created out of thin air and added to the overall national debt. Like taking on more water into an already sinking ship.
  • The Fed has also removed cash requirements for banks. Yeah, that means that banks no longer are required to keep any cash in reserve. That is a huge, huge mistake. Banks can now easily run out of cash for people to withdraw. They also now have virtually zero capability to handle any kind of bank run. This is a big red flag.

So, my bottom line…we are in a world of hurt right now! And another single bad economic feather blowing the wrong way could easily topple it all into a depression…or worse.

But that being said, I just bought some more growth mutual fund for our IRA yesterday. It was modest purchase but I bought it after the near 13% drop of the S&P the day before. Stock market history shows what goes down will go up. If not…well, didn’t matter what I bought, the IRA will be gone if it all falls apart anyways. But, hedging my bet has always paid off before.

Politics –

Politics is as bad as it has ever been…and it will get worse. The Republicans and the White House have both put forward economic plans to help ease the pain of the COVID-19 panic. That’s bad enough that the federal government wants to throw us deeper and deeper into debt for a quick fix that has no chance of righting the ship. Not to be outdone…the Democrats have just proposed their own plan. And of course they have to include part of Satan’s top priority…abortion. Yup, the evil left is saying the COVID-19 panic is the perfect time to fund even more abortions. Killing over a million unborn babies a year is a love affair for them…but not near enough.

You have been following the news and you know what political moves are being made and the games being played. All of the politicians are in full operational mode. They will not let this crisis go to waste, they will take advantage of it for their own personal and political party agendas. Virtually every political leader out there is trashing rights, liberties, and freedoms under the pretext of COVID-19 prevention steps. And the truly sad part…almost every single Republican is right there in step with them. And to make it even worse…all these so-called conservatives and patriots out there…well, they are calling for big government, draconian actions, and the suspension of the Constitution principles right along with the radical left. Nice! They talked a good game…then a little breeze comes along and knocks them right off their principle pedestal, they lose their moral compass.

COVID-19 Panic –

It would be absolutely impossible for me to write enough about the fear, hype, panic, and hysteria being generated because of the COVID-19 outbreak. I could write for a year straight and couldn’t cover all the dishonesty, ignorance, personal agendas, commercial agendas, political agendas…all of senseless drivel being thrown out there as fact but in reality is fantasy. Deadly and dishonest fantasy! Let me show you a perfect example…

Remember the Hoax Alert from yesterday about Amazon (click here to read)?  Well, someone confronted the website owner about the headline “misrepresentation”. He did it with respect, openness, and allowing plenty of room for the website owner to correct his “mistake” and save face. So you would think that any normal and reasonable person would admit to their mistake and correct it since it was so obviously wrong. Well, what you expect and what you get in a stressful situation can be quite different. The website owner got very aggressive, attacked the person, and defended his position that he was right…he maintained that suspending shipments was the same as prioritizing shipments. My first reaction was the website owner was being very dishonest, was caught in that dishonesty, and was using a tactic to discredit the other person to reinforce and cover-up his dishonesty. Then the more I thought about it the more I realized that it was irrational behavior, and clearly showed the website owner’s behavior/actions to be those that could only be described as mentally unstable. Unfortunately, it doesn’t stop there. The GroupThink kicked in and supported the website owner…mob mentality at its worse.

And yet it got even worse…Another article on the website was a reprint of an article by Ron Paul (click her to read). Remember, Ron Paul is considered a leading Constitutional expert, liberty advocate, former Congressman, former US Air Force Flight Surgeon, and current medical doctor (obstetrician-gynecologist specialist). So the man has some serious credentials! Earlier this morning I posted an article from him that he published yesterday. It is a patriot’s and prepper’s dream article. Well-reasoned, level-headed, truthful, and factual! So you would think that all preppers would embrace that article, learn from it, and appreciate the mature and level-headed information.

Ahhhhhh, no!

This same troubled website that I have been referring to…well, a top leader of that website came out against the article and called for a FEMA employee, who is also a member of that website, to respond to Ron Paul and to discredit his article. WHAT?!?!?!?!!? Yup, you read it right. Abandon the expert with impeccable credentials in favor of a person purportedly working for FEMA? Yup!

So this FEMA person gets on a rant and trashes Dr. Ron Paul and basically calls him a fraud. And the FEMA employee used the same old tactic of morbidity rates to “prove” that Dr. Paul is wrong. Well, once again, facts are not on their side. The FEMA employee was quoting outdated numbers…and couldn’t even get their math right. They used a .1% (one tenth of 1%) mortality/morbidity rate for the regular flu. Reality is, all accurate reporting of, regular flu season mortality is less than .1%, but for this example let’s stick with .1%.

What would 10 times that amount be? 10 x .1 = 1 to most people who have even the most basic of education in mathematics. Well, this FEMA person claims that 3.4% is 10 times .1% Ah, they flunked that test! One tenth of 3.4% is .34% That is simple, basic math…and they couldn’t even get that right. And they are an “expert”????

Then they go on to claim how much more deadly COVID-19 is. They flunked that math test again as well. See, less than 50 deaths have occurred so far from COVID-19 in the US. But let’s say that is being under-reported by 50% and actually 100 people have died from COVID-19 in the US. Well, regular flu season kills approximately 30,000 people each year. So do the math again…30,000 deaths vs 100 deaths…ask yourself which kills more people? The virus that has already killed 20,000 so far this flu season or the virus that has killed less than 100?

Ah, my math skills and education tells me that the flu virus that has already killed 20,000 people is 200 time more deadly. Is my math off? Or is this FEMA employee ignorant or simply agenda driven…or has joined the irrational mob?

So who are you going to have more faith in…a Nurse Practitioner who supposedly works for FEMA…or an imminently qualified Doctor, former Flight Surgeon, and Constitutional expert? I know my answer, what’s yours?

So, clearly people began implementing Confirmation Bias and dismissed Dr. Paul’s article. Then another website poster in that same thread put up information by an infectious-disease expert showing the FEMA employee to be absolutely wrong and the mortality rate is NOT 3.4%…it is actually .5% or potentially even much lower. And again…the sheep dismiss the qualified infectious-disease expert and embrace the FEMA employee. Do you notice a pattern here? Do you think people have become irrational in their ability to think clearly?

Conclusion…this COVID-19 has become a complete and total mess. Websites out there are posting dishonest information, using unqualified people as so-called experts for opinions vs. actual experts’ opinions. People are embracing government spokesmen when just a few short months ago they feared all things government and derided anything the government said.

In other words…mass panic by sheeple, and those sheeple are those who are being led by those with mental issues, those that are flat out dishonest, or those folks who are just plain ignorant. Typical of mass hysteria, typical of GroupThink, and typical of mob mentality. There is no reasoning with them, they have their mind made up regardless of facts, and lost their ability to use their mind in a positive way. They have only one goal…support and defend their own position…at all costs, including morality, ethics, and basic honesty.

I found this on Lew Rockwell’s website that I felt interesting and appropriate, “Control the masses. Big government is winning. The masses are patrolling the streets and social media enforcing the state’s agenda. And here I feared a SJW-lead Red Guard. Now it’s neighbors haranguing anyone and everyone to fall in line. Interesting times, to say the least.”  Now…Ask yourself, who is advocating what and why? What does the spirit whisper to you when you read something like this? Who is trying to control whom? Who is demanding people “fall in line”?

War –

Yes, you read that right…”War!”

Yesterday I had a number of folks call me to discuss the COVID-19 panic situation. Interesting phone calls to be sure. But, one topic kept coming up in every one of those calls, brought up by the caller…How soon did I think Civil War would start? The question caught me off-guard the first time, but not after that.

I explained that if civil disturbance breaks out over the COVID-19 situation, which it very well could (click here to read more), it could become widespread and could take on the look of a civil war at first glance. But, it wouldn’t be civil war. Why? Because civil war indicates two sides pitted against each other. And any nationwide violent civil disturbance coming out of the COVID-19 panic wouldn’t be two sides fighting each other. It would be brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor, cops vs. rioters, looters vs. business owners, military vs. everyone, rich vs. poor, black vs. white, white vs. white, black vs. black, those with food vs. those without food, etc. It would multi-dimensional, multi-faceted, confusing…and would devolve into tribalism…one tribe against another. It would be vicious and ugly.

And here is the sad part, one of the main “vs.” would be those preppers who panicked over the COVID-19 vs. those preppers who didn’t. Yup, straight up true! Those preppers that are panicking over the COVID-19 are showing they have no solid foundation in Constitutional principles, no grasp on reality, no ability to think clearly, rationally, or use critical thinking skills. Sure, that would make them very dangerous but it would do so in a mental illness kind of way. But, the worst of it…they are showing they are willing to follow anyone, follow even those who now support big government totalitarianism…even those that are mentally unstable. Seriously?

Yes. I saw it in the military, in my professional career, during high-stress environments such as structure fires and wildland fires…even hurricane responses. People in leadership positions who would freak out when the pressure got turned up. Those leaders would act irrationally, lose the ability to think clearly, lose Situational Awareness, promote fear, embrace inaccurate information, etc. I am sure all of you vets, especially combat vets, know exactly what I am talking about…those officers who would fall apart in the field when the first bullet was fired. I saw it time and time again as a firefighter. I am sure you peace officers see the same thing in stressful confrontations…some of your leaders falling apart and who are unable to make decisions that you could have confidence in…or keep you safe. These so-called leaders become emotional and functional jelly under stress.

If we keep on the same path we are on now with this COVID-19 panic, if we keep going down this authoritarian path, if we keep allowing the government to not let this crisis go to waste, if we keep allowing dishonest panic pushers to rule…well, civil disturbance is inevitable. And God help us if it becomes both violent and widespread…it will get ugly and will hurt a lot of people and families in unimaginable ways.

Is that the only threat of war? No, that is only the internal or domestic threat of war.

We saw China’s reaction to all of this. They went all totalitarian on its own citizens (even more so than normal for a Communist country), then moved on to an economic war reducing sales and shipments of goods to the US. Next, they started claiming the US engineered COVID-19 and that the US Army intentionally started the outbreak in China. And of course their close ally Iran jumped on the bandwagon and took up the claim that COVID-19 is a bio-engineered weapon that the US infected Iran with. When does rhetoric become action?

Here is another problem waiting in the shadows to happen…price of oil. Oil slipped below $50 a barrel yesterday. Why is that a big deal? Well, Russia’s economy is almost entirely dependent on oil and natural gas sales. If oil hits $40 a barrel Russia begins to feel a lot of economic pain. If it hits $30 a barrel Russia is hurting big time! If oil hits $20…war is almost assured. Why? At $20 oil the Russian economy would be dying quickly, and along with the economy dying the Russian government would be ready to fall, violently perhaps, due to public unrest. Do you really think Putin would/will allow that? No, of course not. Putin would do the same thing all other leaders do in times of such crisis…go to war. And who would they go to war against…or at least start another proxy war with?

If oil hits lows like I just mentioned, what happens in the Middle East to all of those countries whose economies are 100% dependent on oil? Do you think Iran or the Saudis would stand by and watch the price of oil destroy their countries…or rather destroy their kingdoms? No, of course not.  Who would they strike out against…and how would they do so? You can figure that out pretty easily.

The chance of war, either domestically or internationally, is growing as fast as the COVID-19 outbreak. The most devastating war…a tribal-based, domestic war would be the worst and most dangerous…and most likely to occcur at this particular point looking out on the COVID-19 exponential panic curve.

Summary –

Where do I even begin?

First off…be prepared. And you probably already are if you’ve been coming to this website for even a minimal amount of time.

Next, have accurate Situational Awareness. Reject all fake information, reject panic pushers, reject those who are acting mentally unstable, reject those who support unqualified “experts”, reject all those with personal agendas, reject GroupThink, reject Confirmation Bias, reject mob mentality, and reject being a sheeple. Embrace facts, use common sense, act rationally, live in reality, be mature.

When the time comes, take decisive and appropriate actions based on your situation. Don’t allow others to make decisions for you and your family. Avoid the mentally unstable. Avoid and reject unqualified “experts”.

Reject all extremism. Do not allow yourself to be caught up in those that are acting extremely or expressing extremist views…especially those that have panicked or who are acting irrationally or promoting fear and hysteria over COVID-19.

Take care of each other. Yes, of course take care of your family first…that goes without saying and is scripturally based. But, do NOT exclude others that need help. Share a couple rolls of toilet paper, share your food, share your water, share you medical supplies, share other essentials, share your love and concern, share your life with others. It is the only decent thing to do. Treat others as you want to be treated. If you claim to be a Christian…then act as a disciple of Christ.

Remember, do not panic, do not become hysterical, do not be fearful…be the level-headed, mature person you are. Become a leader that others need…whether it is in your family, the neighborhood, your congregation, or the community. Be a leader with moral character, integrity, maturity, and honesty.

I hate to say this next part…we are seeing the continued destruction of America. We are seeing forces at work that are wreaking havoc with rights, liberties, and freedoms. We are seeing those who we previously thought to be solid patriots and competent preppers fold before our eyes. They are joining, either unintentionally or otherwise, those powers that wish to destroy our country, destroy the Constitution, and destroy all that is good about America. And they are doing so under the guise of this crisis. Avoid walking off the cliff with the sheeple.

Hang in there, trust your training, trust your preps, trust the Lord. You can make it through this if you keep a level head and stay away from those who are trying desperately to manipulate you.

You can do this…stay calm and carry on.

 


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The Coronavirus Hoax by Ron Paul, Ron Paul Institute, March 17, 2020

I don’t remember having reprinted an entire article from anyone ever before but, I thought this very important and timely to do so.

Before you read this article remember this…Ron Paul is considered a leading Constitutional expert, liberty advocate, former Congressman, for US Air Force flight surgeon, and medical doctor (obstetrician-gynecologist specialist). So the man has some serious credentials! A man well grounded in the Constitution, a Libertarian, a man who has dedicated his life to serving his country, defending the Constitution, and advocating for rights, freedoms, and liberties.


The Coronavirus Hoax
By Ron Paul, Ron Paul Institute, March 17, 2020

Governments love crises because when the people are fearful they are more willing to give up freedoms for promises that the government will take care of them. After 9/11, for example, Americans accepted the near-total destruction of their civil liberties in the PATRIOT Act’s hollow promises of security.

It is ironic to see the same Democrats who tried to impeach President Trump last month for abuse of power demanding that the Administration grab more power and authority in the name of fighting a virus that thus far has killed less than 100 Americans.

Declaring a pandemic emergency on Friday, President Trump now claims the power to quarantine individuals suspected of being infected by the virus and, as Politico writes, “stop and seize any plane, train or automobile to stymie the spread of contagious disease.” He can even call out the military to cordon off a US city or state.

State and local authoritarians love panic as well. The mayor of Champaign, Illinois, signed an executive order declaring the power to ban the sale of guns and alcohol and cut off gas, water, or electricity to any citizen. The governor of Ohio just essentially closed his entire state.

The chief fearmonger of the Trump Administration is without a doubt Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health. Fauci is all over the media, serving up outright falsehoods to stir up even more panic. He testified to Congress that the death rate for the coronavirus is ten times that of the seasonal flu, a claim without any scientific basis.

On Face the Nation, Fauci did his best to further damage an already tanking economy by stating, “Right now, personally, myself, I wouldn’t go to a restaurant.” He has pushed for closing the entire country down for 14 days.

Over what? A virus that has thus far killed just over 5,000 worldwide and less than 100 in the United States? By contrast, tuberculosis, an old disease not much discussed these days, killed nearly 1.6 million people in 2017. Where’s the panic over this?

If anything, what people like Fauci and the other fearmongers are demanding will likely make the disease worse. The martial law they dream about will leave people hunkered down inside their homes instead of going outdoors or to the beach where the sunshine and fresh air would help boost immunity. The panic produced by these fearmongers is likely helping spread the disease, as massive crowds rush into Walmart and Costco for that last roll of toilet paper.

he madness over the coronavirus is not limited to politicians and the medical community. The head of the neoconservative Atlantic Council wrote an editorial this week urging NATO to pass an Article 5 declaration of war against the COVID-19 virus! Are they going to send in tanks and drones to wipe out these microscopic enemies?

People should ask themselves whether this coronavirus “pandemic” could be a big hoax, with the actual danger of the disease massively exaggerated by those who seek to profit – financially or politically – from the ensuing panic.

That is not to say the disease is harmless. Without question people will die from coronavirus. Those in vulnerable categories should take precautions to limit their risk of exposure. But we have seen this movie before. Government over-hypes a threat as an excuse to grab more of our freedoms. When the “threat” is over, however, they never give us our freedoms back.

Hoax Alert: Amazon Suspends All Shipments Other Than Medical Supplies, Household Staples

Hoax AlertThis is only the second article in this series, I hope they mean something to you. They should!  You need to know what is real, what is not, what is truth, and what is a lie. Please read this entire alert…there is more to it than a simple warning.

Article headline – “Amazon Suspends All Shipments Other Than Medical Supplies, Household Staples”

Sounds very serious doesn’t it? Could easily add to the fear about the COVID-19 situation, right? Lead to more panic buying? Contribute to the potential for violence amongst stressed out customers trying to buy essential household items, yes?

But the real question should be…Is it true? And, where did it come from?

The second question is simple to answer…a major paid membership prepper website. Now, what’s the answer to the first question? That answer is very simple as well…NO, it’s a lie…a 100% lie!

And it was very easy to figure out. All I had to do was read the article itself. Yes, the article that the headline was attached to. The article quoted Amazon as “We are temporarily prioritizing household staples, medical supplies, and other high-demand products coming into our fulfillment centers so that we can more quickly receive, restock, and deliver these products to customers…”

Let’s read that again with the key to this hoax…“We are temporarily prioritizing household staples, medical supplies, and other high-demand products coming into our fulfillment centers so that we can more quickly receive, restock, and deliver these products to customers,”

The word suspend doesn’t appear anywhere in the article. Yes, that means the headline of the article is completely and totally false. But, before I passed judgement on the truthfulness of the headline or article I went to the source: (source article). And as you would expect…the word “suspend” doesn’t appear in the article ANYWHERE!

And just to make sure the headline was false…I checked my own Amazon account. The door hinges I ordered yesterday were shipped out to me today and are due to arrive on Thursday. So yes, they are shipping non-essential, lower-end  items.

Conclusion: The headline of the post on the prepper website is a lie. Plain and simple…the headline is 100% untrue.

So why would a website lie like this? Let’s look at it objectively…the person making this post either intentionally lied or unintentionally used a word that isn’t correct. Let’s look at those two options.

Unintentional use of a word that doesn’t appear in the article and creates a significant difference in Amazon’s message. Well, that means the person never actually read what he wrote. Or, he is ignorant and doesn’t understand the difference between “prioritize” and “suspends”. Or, ok…what else could it be?

Intentional misrepresentation of the truth…why would he do it? First into my head is he has something against Amazon and wishes to hurt their business. If people would read the headline and not the article they would get the distinct impression that Amazon was essentially closed for business…other than essential items such as medical supplies, etc.

Next, maybe the person posting the headline wishes to create “click bait” in an attempt to capture people’s attention. Doing so creates more website traffic, which in turn creates more business, which drives up profits. So maybe his intention is money/profit driven.

Lastly, maybe they are other, darker, reasons. Such as, perhaps he wishes to add to the panic and fear by representing a major retailer essentially closing their doors? Maybe he is trying to fan the flames of panic buying? Or add to the existing sense of general panic in the US population right now?

Who knows why he did it, or what his intention is?

But, his intention matters not! The fact of the matter is the headline is very dishonest. Yes, a lie. And through that lie he is adding to panic, fear, and hysteria that is growing in America. Shameful!!!  Reprehensible!!!

Now, a little more information…the person who posted the headline is the owner of the website. And…the very first Hoax Alert (3/16/2020)…yeah, it was another article from his website!! So now we have two fraudulent posts from a single website in two days. What passes through your mind at this point? What questions does it raise?

I am telling you point blank…Their are disreputable people out there driving fear, panic, and hysteria. Further, some people are doing so unintentionally through ignorance…others are doing it for their persona agenda.

Please don’t get caught up in all the fake and fraudulent information out there. Stick with facts and credible information, and view/opinions from sources you trust. And, learn how to think critically and independently. Many folks can’t or won’t think for themselves, many can’t see lies vs. truth. A breeding ground for GroupThink and Confirmation Bias. Avoid it like the plague…a plague much worse than COVID-19.

 

 

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Immediate Action Warning! (3/17/2020)

3/17/2020 – 0800

COVID – 19

Background –

CIVID-19 discovery was announced in December of 2019 in China, it showed up in the United States early in 2020, it became a problem for the US in February when the panic began…and the panic that is occurring is now in earnest. Although repeatedly COVID-19 has proven to be a relatively minor flu problem compared to the regular flu season (in terms of deaths), a sense of panic has developed. The panic, bred from fear and hysteria, has been promoted by almost every sector imaginable. The media, government sources, leftist politicians, some well-meaning medical personnel, and most of all, commercial enterprises such as some prepper websites, have successfully created that sense of panic to a point where it is becoming almost unmanageable.

We are seeing local and state governments taking extraordinary actions that they are claiming will help control the spread of the virus. However, those same actions are creating, or fueling, that sense of panic and will push civil disturbances and violence, let alone simple discontent. Another spin-off from the hype hustler actions is panic buying. That is a situation, driven by emotion, where people are buying supplies far, far beyond what they would normally purchase. They are in “survival mode”; having food and other supplies around them gives them a sense of security and safety. However, we are seeing that panic buying pushed to extremes.

Last Friday I was in Walmart for our weekly food run and some other purchasing. I reported on that experience in my SitRep – 3/12/2020 (updated 3/15/2020). Over the weekend I heard stories of more panic buying, some associated violence, and significant shortages. I wanted to verify that information for myself before commenting on the situation.

On Monday afternoon when I went to several stores I noticed a number of situations:

  • Walmart shelves were less bare than on Friday, but very far from normal amount of food items. At the rate people were shopping I would expect those items to be gone within a couple of hours, at most, of my visit. And another interesting note…a much wider variety of items where either gone or in shorter supply than on Friday. I attribute that to the more commonly purchased items having run out of stock and folks were purchasing less-popular, less-common substitute items.
  • I also went over to the pharmacy section at Walmart to assess the status on vitamins, specifically vitamins related to boosting an immune system. Vitamin C, B-Complex, B-12, Zinc, Potassium, Magnesium, etc. were all gone. While there I noticed, as I did on Friday, it appeared to me that the pharmacy personnel were busier than normal. But, that is antidotal information only. And, I did notice that there was not a single person in line to pick up medications.
  • However, as I was approaching a sporting goods store in a local strip mall I noticed a small pharmacy that was in the same strip mall. I walked in and was pleasantly surprised to find all immune system boosting supplements with the exception of Zinc. No bare shelves, no shortages other than Zinc.
  • I had received reports of ammunition shortages, bare ammunition shelves, and long lines to purchase guns. Some of those were rather dramatic in nature. I went to a local strip mall that has two sporting goods stores of major retail chains. Neither store was out of ammunition. Quite honestly, neither store appeared to have a low stock of ammunition on their shelves. Also, one store had no one looking at their large selection of guns. The other store appeared to have the same situation going on, but I couldn’t tell for sure. Bother stores had a full rack of guns on display. And yes, Walmart had the same situation as well with the exception that there were two people in Walmart buying ammo. But, they were small amounts…not stocking up for a firefight. So I was unable to substantiate the ammunition shortage stories and gun panic buying.
  • Local and state governments are increasingly taking drastic and unwarranted actions. Those actions are feeding the flames of fear and increasing the state of panic. We are seeing governors ordering the closures of restaurants, theaters, bars, concerts, sporting events, schools, and banning meetings of various sizes from 10 – 100. Some mayors have taken even more draconian steps. And at least one mayor has banned the sale of firearms. President Trump himself alluded that he is resisting nationwide travel restrictions, curfews, etc. However, and this is vital information…he has not ruled it out.
  • A business from of mine who deals in various prepper supplies told me yesterday that ALL of his suppliers told him they are out of all food storage items as well as ALL other regular prepper supplies. And they wouldn’t commit to a date when those supplies would be available.
  • Finally, I am beginning to receive reports that shortages of truck drivers are starting to roll into me. Now, I have not observed that situation personally nor have I been able to verify those reports with credible sources. It’s all antidotal information at this time.
Warning Specifics –

As different levels of government continue to tighten controls on the private citizen’s travel, activities, etc. we see a pattern developing that is a cause for concern. I would expect to see government entities at the state-level and below continue to increase travel restrictions, enact curfews, close more businesses, government offices, and similar actions. I would not be surprised to see even more, and similar, steps taken by the federal government in the next 7 – 10 days.

As we see panic buying continue, and possibly increase, we could well see even greater shortages of essential goods for sale. If that continues, combined with the reports of truck driver shortages, we could experience a significant disruption of the supply chain in the US. We are already seeing a serious disruption in the supply chain due to reduced shipments of goods from China. US stock piles of essential goods could soon be depleted due to those disruptions.

I am advising you to prepare for significant shortages of essential goods.

At this point in time I see we could be looking at significant shortages of pharmaceuticals. The potential for seeing complete depletion of supplies of some pharmaceuticals is possible should the supply chain disruption situations continue or worsen. Some food items from any source could become very scarce as well. I am uncertain about ammunition supplies but my gut feeling tells me that we could see wide-spread shortages, as opposed to local shortages only.  I sense that guns could fall into that same category, just not as quickly.

Actions to Take –

Steps to consider…

1 – Immediately assess your situation in regards to food, water, and pharmaceuticals.

2 – Food: I am referring to pantry items and long-term food storage. Have a minimum of 30-days of food on hand, 90 day supply would be far more preferable.

3 – Water: With regards to water have a minimum of 14 days of stored water on hand and a way to purify water for a period of at least 90 days.

4 – Pharmaceuticals: I include medications and supplants in this category. If possible acquire a minimum of 60-day supply of medications, 90-day would be preferable. For immune system boosting vitamins and supplements I would recommend having 90-day supply on hand. And don’t delay in taking them, start taking them now. Obviously I am no doctor or other medical professional. Before taking any medication, vitamin, or supplement consult your physician and follow their advice.

5 – Guns & Ammo: If you are short on ammo…SHAME ON YOU! You should not be in this situation. If you are, go buy some ammo today. If you don’t have a gun…well, you probably shouldn’t buy one now because you also probably don’t have any training with one. If you do have weapon’s training but no weapon, then you might want to go purchase an appropriate weapon along with sufficient amounts of ammo, magazines, pouches, etc.

6 – FirstAid Supplies: Assess the supplies you have on hand and evaluate if you need to purchase more, or supplement what you have.

I would advise that any purchases you feel are necessary should be made without delay. Stocks of any of the mentioned items could dwindle, possible disappear, without any significant advanced warning.

Summary –

As I have stated before; 1) this is an unprecedented situation, 2) fear has gripped more of the US than even last week, 3) panic buying is well underway and will worsen, 4) supply chain disruptions have occurred and are worsening, 5) restrictions are being put into place at all levels of government and are worsening, 6) more “unknowns” exist now than even last week. My sense is we could see the panic situation get even worse; potentially drastically worse.

If you have been following my website for any length of time you will plainly see that for years I have been giving clear information on what supplies to have and how much. I can only hope you followed those guides and took appropriate action. However, if you are short in some areas of preparing you still have a window of opportunity to make purchases to help your situation. But…DO NOT PANIC BUY!!

Use a level head, common sense, and sound decision making to identify those items you may need to purchase. The…DO NOT delay in making those purchases. I would also advise you to have a Plan B and Plan C for each item on your list. If they don’t have “A”, purchase “B”. If they don’t have “B” purchase “C”.

Stay calm and carry on like the decent and mature person you are.

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Lest we forget to smile… (page #5)

Hoax Alert: US Government Now Controlling Food Supply

Hoax AlertI am starting a brand new “category” here on my website. I’ve decided that I will dedicate some of my time to showing you perfect examples of HOAX information. And right now…hoax information is contributing to the fear, panic, and hysteria surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak.

To properly assess any situation you must be able to acquire and understand information to make correct decisions. And the information must be credible. There is far, far too much information out there that isn’t credible…avoid it like the plague!

Yes, pun intended 🙂  False information leading to poor decisions is worse than the COVID-19 by an exponential factor. For quality Situational Awareness you have to be able to discern credible information from a hoax.

The other day I became aware of an Internet article starting to be circulated… it stated that the US Government took over control of the food distribution chain.

Article headline – “Grocery Insider: US Government Now Controlling Food Supply Distribution As Coronavirus Turns Into National Nightmare

So, you read the article headline and you think: OMG the government is now controlling the food supply and distribution of food in the United States. Man, if there was ever a time to be fearful, that would be it…the federal government controlling food!

Well, let’s look into it….

  • The person posting the link on an second-hand website doesn’t have any credentials in emergency preparedness.
  • I went to the article’s website and first thing I noticed was a site plastered with dozens and dozens of ads. So that tells me that the site is a commercial, for profit website. Not a sin by itself…but, they were advertising books on legends of apocalyptic events, kids stories, nuns and the devil, etc. Then the ads went into life insurance, skin care, belly fat, Trump coin, home mortgages, web hosting, precious metals…and that was just the beginning, there was dozens of more ads. What does that tell you?
  • They wanted you to download a PDF file. WHAT???  Yeah, download a file from a website that you know nothing about…right. There is a confidence builder.
  • So then I decided to view their “about” page. They claim they “will cover Straight News topics such as economy, politics, current events, health, technology, religion, etc… as well as Alternative News, which will include prophecy, NWO, Illuminati and all things conspiracy.”  Ahhhhhh, reporting on all things “…prophecy, NWO, Illuminati and all things conspiracy…” What? Yeah, another high quality example of competency and credentials for talking about the COVID-19 situation.
  • Next came the picture of the article author…Check that guy out! You be the judge…dew rag, sunglasses inside a house, hair halfway down his torso, unkempt beard and moustache, etc. But, what sealed the deal for me…the Bruce Lee poster hanging on his wall behind him. Think about that for a second…a supposedly grown man, maybe around 40, with a Bruce Lee poster on his wall? Or maybe that is just his office…in his parents’ basement (notice the stairs on the far right of the picture)
  • His statement that Walmart was unable to receive their “…normal shipment ordered due to government now controlling where food goes…” sounds ominous! OK, and what is his source of information for this BREAKING NEWS???  Ah, according to the article author himself…a Walmart employee who stocks shelves.

Now, that is a point to really ponder…The only information out on the Internet that the government of the United States of America has taken over the US food supply and is controlling its distribution comes from a Walmart employee stocking shelves. In exactly what universe is that credible? Think about it…nothing from any major media outlet, nothing from any cable news show, nothing from any news wire service, no government media announcement, no leak from a government insider (i.e. Whistle Blower), nothing from any politician (especially those that hate Trump)…nothing, nada, zip, zero! But, this shelf stocker breaks the news!!!

Does any of that add up? Does it make sense to the reality part of your brain? Yeah, I didn’t think so.

Then someone else, seeking to give this hoax credibility, uses a 4-year old article “Secret Government Warehouse Stockpiling for Pandemic: ‘Can’t Be Discussed Publicly’”  Duh!  Yeah…the government makes purchases all the times in preparation for all kinds of scenarios…for the same exact reason you do! It’s called preparedness. Nothing new here…standard procedure for the US government…like the US Army buying bullets for a potential war or simply for training. It’s SOP ! !

Then the same person uses another article “Inside A Secret Government Warehouse Prepped For Health Catastrophes” …attempting to gain more credibility. Oh come on!!!!  That article is also 4 years old, and is being sensationalized just like the previous one. Of course the government is going to stockpile supplies…that’s their job, that’s what they do all of the time!!! It’s called PREPAREDNESS ! !

So we have the original article written by a whackado (as far as credentials and crecibility), the article uses a Walmart shelf stocker as its source, posted to a website with ZERO credibility, as a reliable source of news…propped up by additional articles that are 4 years old by more authors who have no clue what they are writing about.

Now, is that information you want to use for your Situational Awareness?

However, if you wish to read the articles for entertainment purposes…like you would watch the movie Dumb and Dumber…well, that would make perfect sense.

The people that originate this kind of crap are irresponsible at best, reprehensible at worst. They have no desire to provide information with even the slightest credibility…they are looking for click bait for their own personal or commercial agenda.

And those that pass on those kinds of articles on are ignorant at best, complicit in the scam/hoax at worse. Then again…maybe they have their own agenda as well.

Whatever the case…all those involved are adding to the fear, panic and hysteria of the American people. Shameful and reprehensible…unconscionable!

Be smarter than the hoax hustlers, be wiser than their co-conspirators…read credible information from reliable sources. Only feed your Situational Awareness with quality information. Leave the panic and fear to those who enjoy being duped.

 

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Lest we forget to smile… (page #4)