- 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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