A Pandemic Needs Just One Patient Zero I’m not into fear mongering, but a pandemic is something we all should have a healthy fear of. It only takes one infected person to spread a disease like wildfire. Think about cold and flu season. How do you think colds and the flu get transmitted so quickly from one person to the next? One person has symptoms. Person sneezes onto hand. Now contaminated hand touches something, which leaves behind the germs. Another person comes along and touches that object. Germs cling to their hand. They touch their nose, mouth, food, drink, etc. and now they’re sick. It happens quickly and silently. People who are sick and don...
Prepping Doesn’t Require You to Be Pessimistic
Debunking the Pessimistic Prepper Stereotype The news cycle has been very dark lately. Stories suggesting a million species will die off due to climate change are pretty depressing. If we consider the various other threats to our livelihoods, it might be tough to get out of bed in the morning! That said, I'm sick of people assuming all preppers are pessimistic. Prepping is a rational activity. Preparing for a SHTF event is equivalent to investing in an insurance plan. We know that not all people who purchase insurance are pessimists. In fact, most people who purchase insurance hope to never have to use it! Why, then, is prepping viewed as a necessarily pessimistic activity? It cert...
How to Protect Ourselves from Biological Weapons
Biological Weapons Throughout History Biological weapons have been around for hundreds of years. One of the earliest known uses of biological weapons dates back to the 1300's during the Mongol siege of Caffa. The Mongol army catapulted dead plague-infested bodies into the port of Caffa. This war tactic didn't just frighten enemy troops; it infected them too. Most of us are familiar with the British army's use of the smallpox virus against the Native Americans during the French and Indian War. In the mid-1700's, British troops gave the Native Americans blankets infected with smallpox, which ultimately caused to a full scale epidemic. Immunization prevented similar attacks, though we...
Why Whiskey Should Be In Your SHTF Plan
More Than a Just a Spirit The whiskey market has surged in popularity over the past decade. Aged scotch, bourbon, and Japanese whiskeys are being sold for the price of houses... expensive houses. At the end of 2018, a rare bottle of Macallan sold for $1.5 million. Whiskey clearly isn't just enjoyed as a drink. It's also an investment. Below are three reasons why whiskey should be part of your SHTF plan: 1. Limited Supply Some types of whiskey, like scotch and Kentucky bourbon, have strict definitions that constrain their supply. Scotch, specifically, must be made in Scotland and aged for at least 3 years. While the legal definition is a bit more extensive, the aging re...
How to Get Stuff Done When No One Else Will
Pragmatism as the Antidote to Unbending Idealism The United States is the most divided it's been in over a century. Political squabbles across party lines are normal, though we're witnessing increasing polarization within political parties. The democratic party has yet to find its voice, as the moderates begin to separate themselves from the progressives. Within the republican party, we're seeing some politicians align themselves with the President while others keep their distance. Simply put, it's growing more difficult to classify an individual based on political party. In fact, it's growing more difficult to recognize what America's political parties even stand for. All thi...